The Sailors Family

Well,

December was a very busy but blessed month.  We enjoyed celebrating the birth of our King and had a great time with family and friends.  The NWA Christmas party was a blast!! Jackson was a delight during Christmas.  He is 3 now and really was excited.  He is so precious to us such an awesome gift!  December also found us getting ready for the long awaited addition and remodel of our home.  As many of you know, God had us sell our home in Shelby and move to Boiling Springs near Gardner-Webb to be closer to the majority of people we are mentoring.  Please be praying for us as we do this addition and for Kryssy and Jackson as things are a little hectic at the house.

Also in December, our computer crashed!   Ouch!  That has been a mess!  January is usually a down month for us.  We generally take some of January as a sabbatical but due to the construction it has been busy.  Kryssy went to Florida to visit with her family for a week and a half and I stayed back and worked.

The pregnancy is going well.  The only slight concern has been Kryssy’s pulse being elevated and her lack of ability to sleep.  It was elevated as well with Jackson.  Please continue to pray for the pregnancy and once again, that I can get the addition done before the baby gets here!

2010 is going to be awesome for NWA.  We will continue our discipling and mentoring but also expand our family ministry with our first family oriented small group!  Like our Band of Brother’s and Band of Sister’s ministry this will be a focused time for the whole family to experience God in an intimate setting.  We are excited about this.  We will also continue our family mission trips (would love for you to participate in that if you like), “Fatherhood Training” and Father Son/Daughter events.  There is a lot more going on as well from Adventure Trips to Nicaragua to Boot Camps… for all of the scoop, take a look at the NWA website in the next several months.

As I mentioned in the December letter, last year our donations were several thousand dollars less than the previous years.  This has been a hardship financially for our ministry.  Please join us in praying for God’s provision here!  God always comes through.  TO GIVE RIGHT NOW GO HERE

Finally, I will be “officially” ordained in 2010.  I have felt God’s anointing and have felt ordained for years but figured it was time to do so in the eyes of the law and before my piers.  I have felt very led into this and have prayed through it extensively.  I am excited about this ordination and ask for your prays of support in this as we move forward!

Once again, thank you for your love, encouragement and support!

Loving Strong,
Greg, Kryssy and Jackson Sailors
greg@newwildernessadventures.com

Tags: Busy, Where have we been

I love Baseball. I love playing ball! Still do, although I really do not have a place for it anymore. When I was a teen, I played at the local park/rec league. I have some awesome memories of those times and have made some lifelong friends.

During that time, many of the guys dipped Copenhagen (smokeless tobacco) or chewing tobacco. I always tried to resist doing that but one day I thought I’d give it a try. I think I was 15. I didn’t get addicted or anything but I did it pretty regularly after that and hid it well from my parents.

Nothing is inherently sinful about dipping. Problem is, I knew my folks would not approve. Not to mention the United States of America not approving, not wanting potential users using it until they are 18. I did it for about a year but never felt good about it. I lived guilty all the time when I was that age… and really until I was 25ish due to my construed image of God, not really understanding Grace and mainly because I thought my heart was bad.

Immediately, I wanted to know it was “ok” to dip. I wanted approval. I had the approval of my friends, but I the bigger fish! I wanted my folks to approve. To be able to be on the back porch with my folks with a dip in my mouth.. oh yeah… what a dream right

So… One day, my mom and I were on the back porch. I had That Can of Copenhagen in my pocket. I pulled it out.. Tap Tap Tap… Those of you that have done it or been around it know what the Tapping is!

I remember it so vividly. My mom slowly turned and looked at me. Her hands went to her hips! “Oh no,” and I got a mighty “hip blow” as we called it. I didn’t get the approval I wanted. I remember her asking me what in the world possessed me to do that. Then she began to cry. What a mess. She and I recovered. Me after 40 months of grounding (j/k) and her after some time and crying. (Sorry Mom)

So tonight I was thinking about this. I always smile, you should have been on that porch. But a question arose: Where am I seeking approval? With whom? Why?

I know that my “affirmation and approval” should come from the Heavenly Father… but.. I don’t always go there.

I’ll get back to you on where! It’s still fresh.

Oh, and by the way… I stopped dipping after that!

Tags: Approval, Copenhagen, Grace