ou’re probably opening this magazine and thinking, “It’s not fall anymore!” I’m sorry this issue is so late. We have experienced some major challenges the last few months and while this issue is late, to us, it is a triumph.

In October, we were hit by two hurricanes. We’re in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and the first one didn’t come too close in the end, but we still had to prepare for it and clean up afterwards. The second one, Milton, was a major hurricane and the worst one we’ve seen in our area for 100 years. A street lamp in front of our house toppled over. Several trees in our yard came down from the wind, and one fell on our back patio enclosure, causing significant damage. The power was out for four days and we were oh so grateful for the wonderful invention of electricity (and air conditioning) being restored by the hard working power company employees.

While we were supposed to be completing the magazine before leaving for a trip up north to be with family during a health crisis, we were preparing for, surviving, and cleaning up after hurricanes.

Then it was time to go up north and put family before work. That’s one of the things we’ve always felt strongly about. We can’t run this ministry/business about families if we’re not putting our own family first. So we have. We’ve been pouring into loved ones who are going through a very difficult season.

Community is so important on this journey. We were not made to travel down roads of adversity alone or to just throw up little popcorn prayers for each other. We were made to join together and STAND with one another through good times and bad.

I’m sure you’ve read:

How true that is.

His plans and my plans are not usually the same. We want challenges to end quickly. We want things to come with ease. And yet, the Lord often works in us through the messiness of life and its challenges.

When you’re living a life that is focussed on making an eternal difference, you better get used to being on the battlefield. In all honesty, is there any other place to be? If I’m not fighting for the progress of the Kingdom then what am I doing? This life is a proving ground. We get to prove what we believe. There seems to be a consistent pushback on that choice, don’t you think? So if you find yourself in a fight for something, you’re probably right where you’re supposed to be. Proving that the One we worship is who He says He is.

I want the magazine arriving late like this to be a testimony to you. To never give up and to keep the right priorities in place. Most people would look at this issue and say it is a failure because of the timing. But here’s the thing, we’re not just trying to put nice words on paper with pretty pictures. We are pursuing God and doing our best to bring you what He puts on our hearts.

This is real for us. It is something we pay a price for and it doesn’t matter if it comes out exactly on schedule or if maybe we have to take a detour. Because it’s not about meeting a deadline (though we will work to bring you the magazines as close to our deadlines as possible). It’s about following Him even when things are hard or it doesn’t go as planned.