Big News at the Bottom.

Happy New Year!

The photo above is of some of us at Inks Lake State Park during our staff retreat.

We made it to the new year! I hope you all had some time of rest during Christmas time. Since you last heard from me, our semester ended and students went home. At UTA, We did a Christmas devotional service and then ended with a party. At TCC, we went to Chick-fil-a and all got free sandwiches. I love the rhythms of ministry. We always end with parties and food.

Over our break, we rested. We read our assigned reading for the break; a fabulous book called To Love as God Loves by Roberta Bondi. If I could surmise what I learned, it would be that many things i.e. our sin and our lack of humility get in the way of loving those around us. The book looked at how monastic church mothers and fathers tackled this common issue with prayer and seeking God. This book was what our retreat centered around. Graham preached the chapter about love. Also, We went to Houston to visit one of Graham's small group members, Garrett, during our break. The plan of this trip started off as Graham joking we could come. The next time they met up, Garrett had already asked his parents and they picked a date. Connecting with families is one of my favorite parts of working with college students. We ate awesome food and met many family friends of Garrett's family. I hit it off with his dogs, Sadie and Bella. I hope that becomes a really special memory for Garrett and his time in college.

There are many things I am looking forward to this next year. Be praying for our students and pray that we can meet new ones. Pray for God's hand as we consider outreach and how to best serve on our campus. The biggest news I have is that Graham and I are pregnant. We are expecting a little girl in July of 2024. Pray for me and the baby I'm now carrying. So far, everything is progressing and the baby is healthy. Pray for supernatural energy and strength. Finishing the last semester as a newly pregnant woman was challenging, but I am optimistic I'll do way better this semester. I found myself wanting to nap... every day. My new super sense of smell was not helpful in the mornings paired with my nausea. We are ecstatic to be sharing new life with our students, community and you too!

Comments

August Update!

This update is full of prayer requests and news! Let’s get started. I just got back from our summer staff retreat with our entire staff team. One of the key parts I want to underline is: we have not had our entire staff together on a retreat since my apprentice year. Our staff has boomed in size because we are taking on nineteen apprentices this year. Nineteen. It’s exciting to experience a surge of new people and to see our team grow. I had a strange moment during the retreat where I realized some of these apprentices were students when I started back in 2018. Now, I get to partner with them in reaching our campuses this fall. I guess that’s what happens the longer you work at a place. One of the most exciting updates I have is that we will be pioneering five new campuses this fall. Each team is focusing on a different campus. One thing that has blown me away during my time in FOCUS is how the Lord has worked on community college campuses. I remember visiting a Colli...

May Update!!

Greetings! Hello team. I have delayed writing this update. I believe that is because anytime I sat to write, a wave of nostalgia and grief came over me. My time with FOCUS has been the vehicle of all my favorite things about my life. It was my first job out of college. FOCUS is where I was raised up into a mature leader through multiple opportunities like seminary classes and many books. I met my husband and had a baby while doing this ministry. I have had the privilege of befriending and mentoring many students; some of whom have become pastors themselves. These are just a few of the blessings I have lived while working with FOCUS. Your generosity and your care for college students made these beautiful things possible. I hope you see this transition as a celebration of life and ministry. Thank you for all your kind words and ways you guys have personally connected with me in this time. Thank you for seeing the college campus as something worth investing in for the kingdom. ...

April Update!

Our 2024-2025 UTA Leader Team!!! We have five more weeks to go! March flew by. Did it for you? This past month was jam packed with small groups, people getting discipled and many students making decisions to follow Jesus more closely. This is the time of year where the rubber meets the road for many students. There's just something in the air. People know they have little time left before summer. It's the perfect time to encourage someone, or challenge them. I know for myself and all my other pastors, we are in the thick of those conversations. Be praying that students make decisions that will help them walk more closely with Christ. Pray that the summer won't rob these students of what they've learned this year in ministry. I want to start by saying thank you for supporting me in campus missions. I wanted to share a big life update with you all. At the end of May, I’ll be transitioning off FOCUS staff. This decision has come after a lot of prayer and thoughtful conve...

Emily's Ministry Updates

Search This Blog