| As 2023 scurried past and we entered 2024, I asked our HiSPrint Board to continue to pray for God’s leading in the ministry and to dig deeper into what His intentions were for each of them individually. We all go through seasons and in those seasons, God will sometimes call us into something or somewhere different. I can attest to that, as God has taken me through some real twists and turns in my life, some of those had to do with complete career changes, and others took on different responsibilities within His calling on my life. As most of you know my profession was college coaching for years in Ohio and Indiana. I grew up in Indiana playing high school and college baseball and got my master’s degree in Ohio at Bowling Green State University. I began my college coaching career there in 1983, became a pitching/catching coach at Indiana University and, in 1989 came to Houston to begin a career at Rice University, in coaching and athletic administration. In 2000 I left college athletics to own and operate a baseball academy, which I did for 13 years. Baseball was what I did, what I knew and what I loved. I say all that, to lay the foundation for how God orchestrates and can change one's direction in life. I had no intention of going onto the mission field and in fact it had never crossed my mind that a baseball coach could become a missionary and use his gifts and talents in sports. That is until God 2006 when God showed me it was possible by opening the door to go to Croatia. These past 17 years I have taken my ball glove 6,000 miles to Croatia and The Balkans to coach and teach baseball, while showing His love through the process. What an amazing ride it has been, and to witness God growing and expanding HiSPrint has been an absolute blessing. God has used this ministry to love people where they are and to love them till they ask why, by using our steps to leave HiS Print wherever we go and whomever we meet. Building relationships locally and globally, sharing Him by loving others, while applying 1 John 3:18: “Dear Children, do not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth.” Jesus told us that truth, modeled it to everyone, and then gave us the command to do the same; “A new command, I give you: Love others as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know who my disciples are, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
After you read this, I ask that you stop and please pray for HiS Print. There are many specifics to pray for, but we need your prayer covering the entire ministry. Over the years, we have had growth spurts that have stretched us. By the progress and path God had us on, we have been stretched from baseball to football and hockey, from sports into library and civic programs and into business, entrepreneurial workshops. Moving forward, however, we feel God calling us into a season of growth that feels like one of those junior high growth spurts that takes you from being a child to an adult; where your height increases overnight, and your body begins to change daily. I can remember my parents saying, “You’re growing out of everything”, “What happened to my little boy?”, “You are eating us out of house and home.” Maybe those comments jogged your memory and brought a smile to your face. As a ministry, HiSPrint is at that stage of increasing change. Entering a time in our ministry life that demands maturity, which takes discipline and focus to accept those changes and deal with the opportunities and challenges around those changes; the shifts and spurts that come along with growth, the stretching and strengthening that is necessary to properly handle all those changes. We need your prayers for discerning wisdom. The same wisdom Solomon asked for when he was becoming king of God’s people. This is God’s ministry, and we want Him leading us in all aspects. |
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