Some Family Pics

I thought I should put up some shots of the fam.

The boys are a delight everyday and Lara is doing so well since we moved into our house.

We had moved six times in five years; obviously it is a good idea to allow your wife an opportunity to put down roots.

Tyler and Mom

Jackson and Tyler in their "boat".

Me and the boys on Valentines Day

Lingles are Rockin It

Hey Guys,

Thanks to Garrett for pointing our hearts back to the blog. I write this note like a straying sheep now brought back to the fold.

Matt, happy engage-a-versary. You might remember that I ended up getting engaged about a week after you. So Feb 27 Stacy and I celebrated ours.

Stacy and I visited a pumpkin patch in October (that's why we have pumpkin stickers on our shirts in the picture). If you don't have five or six kids, you actually kind of stick out like a sore thumb at a pumpkin patch.

This semester has been a busy one for us. I am taking a couple classes at SEBTS and Stacy continues to do a lot of work around the church in addition to her role as a medical assistant. She will also begin classes at SEBTS this summer, working towards an M.A. in counseling.

Ministry has been going well...loving our staff and the people in our body. Highlights include teaching Wed nights guys Bible study, a series through 1 John in Sunday school, a couple of preaching opportunities and two trips to Haiti. I have enjoyed the personal relationships and discipleship as well.

God has dropped a pretty cool relationship in our laps. About three months ago, Stacy started carpooling with a non-Christian neighbor. One day the girl got in the car and asked "So why did Jesus have to come to earth to die?" Crazy how God orchestrates this stuff. That girl and her boyfriend have become Christians in the past couple months and Stacy and I meet with them each week for discipleship. Very cool to watch how God has unfolded that whole process.

I miss you guys. Regret that I won't be able to make it for T4G, but hope you love it. Merker, very cool to hear about the adoption. Can't wait to see a picture on this blog of you with your child....I know it may be a while, but looking forward to that still.

Sounds like everybody's family is growing except mine and Stacy's. So lets just acknowledge that elephant in the room. It's going to happen soon Lord willing...but no news at this point.

Hope you're all well.

Nik

3 years later

Garrett,

Thanks for the reminder to keep posting!

Crazy to think our internship was 3 years ago. Erica and I just celebrated our 3-year "engage-a-versary" -- because we got engaged during the internship! (Thanks again, Nik, for helping me scope out a sweet engagement spot -- Great Falls!)

Erica and I are LOVING living in DC and ministering at CHBC. So much, that actually we are extending our stay. This summer, I am going to switch to working 3 days a week as a PA instead of 5, and I'll be spending the other days working on the M. Div thru Southern, extension and online. We'll try to tackle the degree from here, but I will have to visit Louisville a bunch to get my on-campus hours. Needless to say, we're very grateful for the opportunity to stay around in DC.

Ministry has been good, challenging and rewarding. I continue to teach the New Testament Core Seminar, which has grown my love for the Word and hopefully helped my interpretation/application muscles at the "book-by-book" level. I get the opportunity to disciple and meet with various folks, and have recently been trying to encourage a variety of men going through challenging struggles. So that's been good and hard pastoral experience.

Erica and I are hoping to adopt a child internationally soon, and are trying to decide on an agency currently. Most likely, we'll be adopting from Ethiopia! VERY psyched about this and also overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork.

Garrett, you asked about books -- for Church History 2 I recently read Ronald Bainton's bio of Luther, "Here I Stand," which is excellent. Tomorrow for the same class I'll be reading "Christianity and Liberalism" by Machen, which I'm looking forward to. Mark got me his "favorite history book" recently, which is "April 1865" by Jay Winik -- if you're looking for an amazingly-written history, PICK IT UP. I knew little about the civil war, and this book focuses on the month when the war ended and Lincoln got assassinated.

I'm looking forward to T4G and hoping to connect with some of you there!!

MM

Ahh... it was only 3 years ago

Gents, it seems it was just yesterday we were all walking this block.

One of us still does everyday. A lot has changed for Lara and I since we came to Southern Maryland. The church is a joy to pastor and God's Word is an endless treasure trove to mine. I really do have the greatest job in the world. Preaching and discipling and caring for God's people is a delight.

The tough part of the work is when I have to call people to repentance about things they are not eager to forsake. I found in my area a tremendous amount of spiritual malnourishment. Years of no discipleship and poor exposition have made this area very weak.

Just in the small church I pastor, I've encountered so much family breakdown, essentially coming to a break down of the Imago Dei for these people. There is an outbreak of men who impregnate women and yet they are boys who don't won't to work or take responsibility.

I've seen the single women in our area fall head over heels for these types of guys. The culture has strong influence where we are and of course, as you can suspect... they think I'm the strange conservative pastor because I call them to live out the confession of their faith.

I look forward to the day I have elders who can help shepherd the load.

Spiritually myself, I have found highs and lows. The fight to kill sin wages everyday. I will say that Paul Tripp's book Instruments in the Redeemers Hands, has been a great encouragement.

If you haven't read that... do so immediately.

Over the course of the year, that book and books by Tim Keller have been incredible for helping me when I feel very alone and defeated.

Love you all,

Garrett