ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER (March 31 - May 15, 2022)

 

In a week we will end the first of three phases for our time in Alaska.  When we arrived, there were only two.  But we were asked to extend our stay by about three months to serve as interim pastor of the Juneau Church of the Nazarene while they are between pastors.  Phase one has been an assignment in Anchorage while the pastor of the Jewel Lake Church of the Nazarene has been on sabbatical in Israel.  Phase two will be a month of enjoying the great white north, including a two-week excursion with good friends, Wes and Marsha Bittenbender from Michigan.  The final stage will be the stay in Juneau.

This first segment has been filled with meeting new friends, preaching the Word, and exploring the

Anchorage area.  It began with snow and ice covering the ground and is ending with people out cutting their lawns.  There is no way to explain how quickly spring comes to Alaska.  It is amazing.

Once again, the people we have met have been gracious and kind.  The friendships which we have made here are solid and ongoing.  We have been blessed.

The six weeks of time here in the "bowl" have gone by rather quickly, and we have so much more we'd like to do and see.  I have enjoyed walks at the Potter's Marsh Wildlife area and Kincade Park. (Moose were spotted at both).

REFLECTIONS

The picture above is the road that I took to the Church when I went to the office or worship.  It never ceased to cause a deep sigh and a few words of praise.  The panorama of the "Last Frontier" cannot be captured by a photo.  It is ever changing and always breath taking.  

I was thinking the other day about the chain of events that have brought us to this point of staying in our 50th state for about six months this year.  It reminded me of how our choices, when they are made, seem to always end with results that we can't begin to imagine.  Sometimes for our good and sometimes not so much.

I know I could go all the way back when I accepted a "call" to ministry back in 1965, but I think I'll start the thread in this century.  

2004: Accepted a "call" to a church in Orlando, Florida (1)

2006: Sherry hired into Northwest/Delta airline giving us "flying privileges" (2)

2010: Retired from pastoral ministry and started "Free To Fly Ministry" (3)

2011: Held Revival in Swartz Creek, Michigan because scheduled speaker couldn't (4)

2011: At Swartz Creek Revival met parents of pastor's wife in Cordova, Alaska (5)

2012: Spoke at church where former Alaska Pastor asked if I could hold 2 more Revivals in Alaska (6)

2013: Held Revivals in Cordova, Homer, Soldotna, Alaska (7)

2015: Invited back to Cordova, Homer, and added a meeting at Seward (8)

2017: Returned to Cordova, and Soldotna.  Soldotna needed interim pastor (9)

2018: After having been interim pastor at Soldotna, I was asked to do the same for Eagle River, Ak (10)

2022: After two good interim assignments in Alaska I was asked to do fill-in for Jewel Lake AK  (11)

2022: While in Alaska was asked to move over to Juneau and interim until the end of September. (12)

We have always heard that one thing leads to another, and it is obvious that they do!  Good choices lead to manifold blessings.  Trust you will have a blessed year.