Dear Family & Friends,
Since we didn’t write a Christmas letter last year—-mainly because we had a newborn son, and we were in a sleep-deprived fog-—we figured we better write one this year. Our life in 2009-10 can be summed up in one word: CHANGE.
Jackson Ray Miller
We spent 2009-10 adjusting to parenthood. Jackson Ray Miller joined our family on November 12, 2009, measuring 7 lbs, 6 oz., 21 inches long. Since Jackson joined us, most of our energy has been spent surviving the first year. Our days were filled with the joys of parenting: changing diapers, doing laundry, wiping runny noses, washing bottles and breast pump parts, soothing coughs and sniffles… AND… enjoying every baby giggle, cherishing each drool-laced kiss, relishing moments spent snuggling in the rocking chair, and wondering how we ever lived without Jackson. It was very difficult to leave Jackson in daycare when he was 12 weeks old. However, God provided as He always does. He blessed us with Albre, a wonderful friend from church, who cared for Jackson in her home until August 2010 when he transitioned to the new daycare at our church.
Jackson is 13 months old. We celebrated his first birthday the day after we moved to Nashville (more on that later). He has 7 teeth (which appeared within 2 months), crawls all over the place, stands up while holding onto furniture, stands alone for brief periods, says “Hi” and “Uh oh,” and recently started waving “Hello” and “Good bye”. Jackson gets into everything he’s not supposed to touch, and he loves to play with toys, especially his drum and guitar that light up. God blessed us with a wonderful caregiver for Jackson. Miss Cheri lives in the apartments on the campus of Trevecca (where Melinda and John work – more on that later). Cheri watches Jackson Monday – Thursday, and Jackson stays home with Daddy on Fridays.
We are so grateful to God for blessing us with Jackson. Although parenthood has been the most difficult challenge we’ve ever faced, our hearts are overwhelmed this Christmas with even more love and joy... all because of our sweet Jackson boy.
Melinda
I graduated from Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) in July 2009 with a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA). In the Fall 2009, I had the pleasure of teaching a business class at NNU. After Jackson’s birth, I spent the first part of 2010 on a 12-week maternity leave. Although I quickly fell in love with Jackson, I was overwhelmed by motherhood, and I struggled with some depression for the first few months. Thankfully, God brought me through that difficult time. The Lord continued to provide me with the strength I needed to return to work full-time in February. I enjoyed working at NNU while learning to balance motherhood with working full-time. I often joke that juggling being a mom and working full-time is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, even harder than Statistics and Financial Management! Whenever I have extra time, I enjoy taking pictures of Jackson and writing on my blog. My blog, “Exaggeration Station”, is full of humorous stories about motherhood and candid discussions about my struggles. I enjoy blogging because it provides an outlet for my thoughts and feelings.
John
John continues to enjoy his ministry as a children’s pastor. He taught a Children’s Ministry class at NNU last Fall, and he also taught beginning guitar lessons. I (Melinda) have truly enjoyed watching John develop as a father. He is patient and loving with Jackson, and Jackson absolutely adores his daddy. I just love watching them together. In his spare time, John enjoys riding his road bike, playing guitar, and listening to music and/or downloading music onto his mp3 player.
John went through a period of searching this past year, wondering how the Lord wanted him to continue in ministry. Ultimately, John sensed God leading him to continue in Children’s Ministry. He developed a renewed vision for the ministry at College Church in Nampa. That brings us to the rest of our life story for 2009-10...
The Move to Tennessee
Right around the time John sensed God leading him to continue in Children’s Ministry, John received a call from Dwight Gunter, Lead Pastor at Trevecca Community Church of the Nazarene (TCC) in Nashville, Tennessee. TCC’s former children’s pastor accepted an administrative position at Nazarene Headquarters, so Dwight was on the hunt for a new children’s pastor. Dwight had previously planned a trip to Nampa, so while he was in town, we met for breakfast to discuss the possibility. It quickly became clear that John fit TCC’s philosophy of ministry perfectly, and he really seemed to mesh well with Dwight’s leadership style. However, there were some significant hurtles to jump if we were to accept the call to TCC. Most importantly, we would have to move all the way across the country... with our 1-year-old son and John’s 78-year-old mother in tow! Not to mention that we enjoyed our ministry in Nampa. I (Melinda) loved my job and the new opportunities to teach classes, and John really enjoyed the families at Nampa College Church. In addition, we had some major financial obstacles to overcome, including a house that we couldn’t sell given the current housing market crisis, and also the fact that I had not completed my two years of service at NNU. If I left before I fulfilled the service requirement, we would have to pay back my entire MBA Program (about $19,000) within 2 years. We just couldn’t afford that. So we started praying...
After lots of prayer, we said “No” to TCC’s offer because we just felt like the timing wasn’t right. John was in tears after he called Dwight to decline TCC’s offer. In that moment, I knew this wasn’t over...
Two months later, the story continued. Dwight called again. He said he just couldn’t get us off his mind. As God often does, He was working in ways we could not see. To make a really long story short, God knocked down the hurdles one-by-one... even a job for me at Trevecca Nazarene University. Although not everything is resolved yet, God has worked in miraculous ways, and we’re trusting He will provide for our needs as we continue responding to God’s call on our life.
I will leave you with this... Last January, John and I had a long conversation about our life. I expressed some very specific needs that I felt had been unmet for the past few years. John admonished me to share those needs with God, and to ASK Him to provide. Less than one year later, God has provided several of the needs I mentioned in January, although not entirely without sacrifice. God’s provision is significant not because God answered my prayer, but because He recognized what I needed was a confirmation of faith at this stage in my spiritual journey. As you celebrate Jesus Christ (the reason for the season), remember this… God knows us… not just superficially like a Facebook friend who touches base once-in-awhile. God KNOWS us. He knows the needs of our hearts. He cries with us. He laughs with us. He KNOWS. Perhaps this is one of the greatest blessings in life… to be intimately known, understood, and LOVED by The Creator of the heavens and the earth.
Please know that we think of you often and pray for you. May you enjoy God’s richest blessings as you celebrate this sacred season. Merry Christmas!
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