. . . since I last posted on this site. It is not because I didn’t have much to say. On the contrary, I am continually experiencing new activities and thoughts about my time here and how God would best use me. I believe everyone on this site is also receiving my newsletters, so you know many of the activities in which I have been engaged. The latest activity has been my spring break travels to England to visit some dear friends from when Carri and I used to live there 35 years ago. I had visited them occasionally over that time, but the last visit was with Carri almost three years ago, and it was now important to spend time and share with them all that God is teaching me through the loss of Carri and the importance of remaining in contact with friends. My time in conversations and several walks around the countryside gave me a sense of peace and healing while, at the same time, reminded me of the sadness of the difficulties Carri had to experience.
I believe we all experience challenges in life that cause us to question God’s plan or His specific purpose for us. I can only express what I have seen – that His love for us presses us on to grow much more than we ever thought possible because of those difficulties. And that love also drives us to trust Him more as we turn over each area of our life to Him. To those family and friends who I haven’t spoken so directly about my faith, let me be clear: the Creator of the universe does love you and desires an intimate fellowship that can only happen because of the redeeming love and sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus. The Psalmist David put it this way:
LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I get up; You understand my thought from far away. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, LORD, You know it all. You have encircled me behind and in front, and placed Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot comprehend it.
Psalm 139: 1 – 6.
May you experience and know that same love and intimacy that can only come from the Father through His Son, Jesus. Welcome Him into your life and experience life everlasting now!
Ministry to Black Forest Academy 
Dear John,Loved reading your email.So glad to be connected this way with you through your letters.They are a true encouragement to me and delightful me because I watch you getting g closer and closer to your Lord.I was memorizing Scripture this morning, it was Matthew 28:19-20”Go therefore and make disciples of all nations….”Th
LikeLike
Thank you for these beautiful words, John. I was reminded, recently, that in the case of Job, David, and others in the Bible, God never answered the “why” of their sufferings, but instead pointed them to his character and who he is. May you continue to walk in peace and renewed joy as you rest in His sovereignty. I love the Psalm 139 passage. He hems you in, behind and before!
LikeLike
Yo’, John – it sure sounds like you’re having a good and constructive time over there in Germany – glad to hear/see that – quite honestly, you make me want to become a teacher – I was so close to doing exactly that about 21 years ago…but obviously the situation turned out differently There have been many times since January 20 that I wished things had turned out differently – President Trump (and his sidekick, Elon Musk) continues to have a bull-s-eye painted on the federal workforce – somewhat surprisingly, the Coast Guard and several other elements of DHS have been somewhat spared from the axe…in fact, we may actually come out of this literally bigger and better because it seems the Administration wants a more robust Coast Guard than at present – at the same time, I’ve heard that DOD is targeting about 80,000 civilian employees to be cut – tune in next week for an update…same Bat time…same Bat channel… Aside from that, spring has sprung and I’m back to umpiring a lot of girl’s, coed, men’s slow-pitch and fast-pitch games here in Farfax County after work – have been able to do that fairly comfortably the past couple of years…because I was able to telework from home most days – but now having to go into the office every day calls for a daily 5:00am wake-up and time will only tell how long I can handle that kind of pace… On the downside of life, my wife, Deb, had a mini-stroke a couple of weeks ago – technically a TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack…but a stroke after all is said and done) – she was hospitalized at Fort Belvoir for a day and has been recovering at home nicely ever since (she’s back to yelling at me and telling me to go umpire softball games so that she can get some peace and quiet at home…) – she’ll go back to work this week (she’s a prostate nurse navigator for Kaiser Permanente) – simply put, heredity is not on her side when it comes to high blood pressure, high-cholesterol, and hypertension…so this has been a wake-up call and a warning for her and many others That’s the latest and greatest from my neck of the woods – I truly hope you continue to have fun in your new vocation over there…many, many young adults are greatly benefiting from having you at their helm (I had to wedge a nautical metaphor in there somehow…) – take good care – r/ Steve M Steve Minutolo8722 Wadebrook TerraceSpringfield, VA 22153(703) 455-7238
LikeLike