“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 9:1)
Dear Family and Friends,
As Doug and I were sitting on our living room couch, we started to recount all the wonderful deeds God has done. How we were blessed to have had our Sabbatical this summer. How we were able to celebrate Doug’s 50th. How Olivia’s transition into High School this fall was good after missing 10 days of lessons. How Naomi and Elijah simply play well together. How God continues to lead Doug in maintenance services to ensure that staff and tenants are in good health. How God has used me to resource and undergird our urban leaders from Adelanto (San Bernardino) to Bangladesh, with soul care and intercession. How God led Doug to disciple two Los Angeles Christian School students. How God provided, at the right time, our new used vehicle.
Recently, I was a substitute in a TUMI class (The Urban Ministry Institute). And in our devotional time we ended up slowly reading, twice, a familiar passage from Psalm 23. And we asked the question, “What truth is the Good Shepherd inviting me into today?” We then sat in silence for 120 seconds. I wasn’t sure how our urban leaders would respond since they haven’t experienced this type of invitation before. Let’s just say God moved our hearts. We sensed God slowing our hearts and curbing the addiction to busyness, hurry and workaholic syndrome. We became fully aware of the work of the Holy Spirit and realized the incapacitated works of spiritual shortcuts. Joy filled the room and the presence of the Lord was noticed that day. Not only were we studying the word, but it also came alive in our spirits. God was transforming souls in that room so that He could move and release us into deep ministry with Him. I remembered closing my eyes and bowing my head saying, “Thanks to You, O Lord, for You are good!”
It is without a doubt, that as Doug and I recounted all of what we just shared and more, that it couldn’t have happened without the joint effort of fervent intercessors and prayer people like YOU! THANK YOU so much FOR YOUR SERVICE to our Savior, Jesus Christ! We appreciate many of you allowing God to use you through your giving and countless hours of prayer. And what way to celebrate these moments of gratefulness as we enter into the celebration of Christ’s birth! There is no other place we would rather be but in the humble posture of living out the power of the Gospel in the inner-cities and being covered in God’s presence of gratefulness and Jesus’ Spirit of intercession!
Merry Christmas with Love, Doug, Cynthia, Olivia, Naomi and Elijah Peters
