You Really Just Need More of Something but Aren’t Sure What…
As summer draws to a close there are many things that also draw to a close, work groups, summer vacations, when times start to change, we remember and hold fast to the fact that God is unchanging. We recently heard a song, and the lyrics were “If I know the Father, I know the Father has good plans for me.”
I don’t know about you as you’re reading this letter, but at times do you ever just feel worn down? That life has been busy, the demands of you are too great, and that you really just need more of something but aren’t sure what. Deep down you know what it is, it’s more of Jesus. When life feels crazy and you are chasing your tail or maybe just chasing kids around, remember that the Father has good plans for you.
A friend recently told us to look down at your feet, look where they are then look up and look around, God has you in this very place at this very time on purpose. So, we want to encourage you the reader, take a deep breath, and rest in the fact that your season, whether its thriving or terrible, is going to be used by God to fulfill his purpose in your life. With that being said, take a breath and read what God has been doing in our house here at Shiloh.
Our Family- Harvey has been doing chores with his chore chart and saving money for a power wheels jeep. Gibson is really starting to form sentences and getting a voice to let us know what he needs, we are encouraging the word please when he expresses his needs. Baylor is now six months old! He is still full of smiles and sitting up on his own for a few moments before falling over and laughing about it.
Ryan was given the opportunity to do a Shiloh presentation in Monroe City and preached the sermon as well. Kimber is in her mom era, fielding all the needs of Baylor as he is learning to eat and working on sleeping through the night.
We took our first full family vacation since moving to Shiloh. We went to Gatlinburg, TN with Kimber’s parents and stayed in their RV for a week. Then we left our boys with them while we attended a spiritual retreat for three days. If you haven’t worked through the book “The Well-Worn Narrow Path” by Brady White, we recommend it. As we are working through it, we are trusting that it will guide us deeper into spiritual intimacy with Jesus as we develop what he calls “rhythms of intimacy” or spiritual disciplines.
At the Relief House we have continued our mission of the month. April was Ecuador where we sponsor a girl named Daissy, (yes that is spelled correctly), May was the Miller family in Africa, and August will be Honduras! We have a friend who’s two college-aged daughters served in an orphanage there over the summer. We are hoping they can come share about their experience!
Be on the lookout for some updated videos from Shiloh! Ryan and Kevin Blew have been working on how to get the Starks from behind the camera to in front of the camera as well as setting up some Q&A with the Fitzgeralds and the Ellermets so we all have some face time in a “Who/What is Shiloh?” video. This will live on our website and can be used at church presentations. There will also be a few videos from kids talking about their experience at Shiloh as well as a work group recap video from this summer. We want to thank you for faithfully supporting our ministry and allowing us to follow the Lord in serving kids at the Ranch.
Grace and Peace, The Starks