As Bobby and I prepare to take a short break from blogging during the holidays, we want to extend our sincerest appreciation to all of you who have journeyed with us this past year as our family has endured several great trials.
You generously sowed your prayers and finances in March when Bobby’s brother, Darrell, and sister-in-law, Trish, and their three children, Caleb, Collin and Mia, were injured and lost their home in a devastating tornado. Thank you for loving and encouraging our family in this way. We praise God over and over for saving their lives, healing their bodies, hearts and minds, giving them a new home and richly providing for all of their needs. Our God is great and greatly to be praised.
And most recently, you poured out your prayers and generous kindness to us as we have simultaneously celebrated the birth and mourned the death of our precious son, Parker David Gilles, who was born into the arms of Jesus on October 21st. Thank you for believing God with us and for us. Thank you for pointing us to Christ through your prayers and words of encouragement. Thank you for lending your hearts and tears in weeping with us for the brokenness of this laboring world. Thank you for joining your hearts and voices with ours in praising our flawless Maker and King, our Great God who perfectly answered our prayer in saving our son Parker forever.
Throughout Advent and Christmas seasons and the coming year, we invite and encourage you to continue hoping in the Lord with us as we all look forward with great longing for the return of our Savior King Jesus. As we wait, we will surely be confronted time and again with our vanquished foe. Let us remember that he is conquered by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us remember that there is no truth in our enemy. He knows his days are numbered so he seeks to slash and burn as many as he can with his vile, twisted tongue. We pray that God would enable us to disbelieve the false words of our foe, and that He would give us courage and faith to believe the Truth of His never-failing, never-lying Word. Our expectation must be in the Lord alone. We must rely upon Him to give us strength here in the waiting for His sure and blessed return. He WILL come again and save us. Until then, we will not fear but will trust in the Lord and praise Him for what He has promised.
Until we return with new blog posts in early January, remember you can click on the blog categories to your right, for hundreds of posts about worship, songwriting, testimony tips, church communications and our exhortations and miscellaneous thoughts. Also remember you can get our worship EP for free at any time.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours—we love and appreciate all of you!
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. I praise God for what He has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? . . .
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle.
You have recorded each one in Your book.
My enemies will retreat when I call to You for help. This I know: God is on my side!
I praise God for what He has promised; Yes, I praise the Lord for what He has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?”
Psalm 56