Update from the Shuler's 12.24.15

Our update letter that posted on December 24, 2015!

Can your life have eternal significance right now and in the ages to come if you yield to “Thy will be done?”  That was the closing question to an update several weeks ago challenging us all to change the “my will be done” areas of our lives, into “Thy will be done.” 

Most people could sum up the things they do week to week and find an explanation for why their life has “significance.”  But what about “eternal significance?”  Eternity is rarely given much thought when we live for the here and now.  When expressing ourselves we may often devalue the word “forever” to that of an old rotary dial telephone!

            -This traffic jam just goes on forever!
-Wow I haven’t seen you in forever!
            -Ugh, this shopping line is taking forever!
            -You’re my BFF…. Best Friend Forever!
            -Where is the waitress?  We have been waiting for our food forever!

So if one were to define “forever” where would he start?  Is it possible to know that your day to day life has eternal significance?  Let’s ponder for a moment…..

*The Bible teaches God is eternal!  He is from everlasting to everlasting!  He is the Alpha and the Omega!  The Beginning and the End!  The One Who was and is and is to come!
 

*“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8

*“For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”  Psalm 100:5

*People will eternally be in the lake of fire (a literal place) or heaven (Revelation 20-22).

           

*God’s fellow workers, the church, will be judged according to our works (I Corinthians 3:9-15).

A year ago Jennifer and I were pondering again on Luke 12:35-48 about what God is asking of us in order to be considered a “faithful and wise steward” whom the master “will find so doing when He comes.”  Then it became simple.  “My will be done” is momentary because it only focuses on me.  My priorities.  My life.  My feelings.  My best interest.  Whereas, if “my will” agrees with “Thy will be done,” then the significance of our day to day lives can have eternal value because the “Thy” is the God of forever!  While this past year has been full of so many changes and our schedules look different every week, one thing is certain, we desire our focus each day to be about the Father's business, investing in what lasts "forever" through loving Him and loving people with His love and His Word. 

"Blessed are those servants whom the master, when He comes, will find watching.  Assuredly, I say to you that He will gird Himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them."  Luke 12:37

Can you imagine Jesus serving you?  We want to be found faithful!

A couple of days each week are devoted to labor on ETM’s property under Ben Thacker, the property manager.  Whether I am helping him split firewood, put in hand rails, or pour concrete, I have been reminded to stay focused on “forever.”  How?  The office building that is currently being built is just bricks and mortar which is only temporary BUT the individuals that will be spiritually challenged and changed in these facilities will matter for ETERNITY!  So can the work you and I do “here and now” be faithfully invested in eternity?  Our prayer is that you and I will be focused “Thy will be done” and that the Master will be pleased and find us “doing” His everlasting work!

We love you all!

Rance, Jenni & Jayden

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.  BUT the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments.  Psalm 103:15-18 

Prayer Requests:

• Proper balance and time management daily in the midst of busy schedules and time demands never losing sight of our purpose in bringing Father Glory and investing in what He deems as 'forever'!

• Ability to compartmentalize well ~ wherever we are, being ALL there.
• Wisdom on construction logistics and decisions being made daily on the property.
• Continued prayer on new support partners.

  

Rance's Ordination Weekend

Rance's ordination weekend may have been a month ago, but we are still rejoicing over all those involved in such a big event in our lives.  Many hours of training have been going on behind the scenes for over two years now.  Our gratitude for Colin McDougall's investment in both of our lives (and continued time) is something we will never be able to fully express.  Read all of our many thanks here. 

Below are a few pictures that capture such a special weekend together with family & friends!

Brooke is more than my cousin - she is my sister - one of my best friends - and someone that literally walks through every day of this journey of faith with Rance, Jayden and I.  She is a prayer warrior and has an the incredible gift of serving.  She was able to come a few days early so that we could continue through the models as she desires to grow daily in her walk with the Lord and to just know Him more! 

Jasmine is another big part of our lives.  Rance taught Jasmine a few years ago but in was during the summer of 2013 that Jasmine reached out to Rance with a desire to know God more!  We have been doing life together ever since and now her and Brooke have grown in their friendship as we have all joined in studying God's Word together.  What a privilege!

We ENJOY every moment that grandma is around!!!

Wyatt & Jayden - two peas in a pod!

We all enjoyed sharing in what God is doing on the ETM property with our family and friends from Nahunta & Indiana!

On Saturday evening, November 7th, Rance met before an ordination council of 17 men and was questioned for a few hours.  He was approved with full confidence that evening to be ordained as a Minister of the Gospel!  Tears and thankfulness flowed for this sweet time!

One of the SWEETEST surprises was my friend Susie and her husband Chris traveling several hours to surprise Rance and support him and our family that weekend.  WOW does not even express our shock and thankfulness for such love and the support we receive from them.

Our family picture taken after Rance came home - what a night of REJOICING in all God has done!

Our brothers & sisters in Indiana came also - what a JOY to be with them!

And more pictures we just want to share for our own memory of this wonderful time of celebrating!

Give Thanks to the Lord - Shuler Update!

Our update sent out on Thanksgiving Day:


Often times (more like most of the time), Rance and I find ourselves struggling to express our thankfulness and gratitude to others.  This struggle has become more real in the last few months as we have embarked on this new journey and the words "thank you" seem so small compared to the overflow of our hearts for the role you have played through prayer, support and encouragement that allows us to fulfill our role in the ministry the Lord has called us to.  Ultimately, we are experiencing more dimensions of the Fathers' grace and love day by day that leave us speechless...

How do you say “thank you” for God’s goodness, grace and love?  Is it impossible?  As our (Rance and I specifically) hearts are continually overflowing with gratitude all throughout our days, Psalm 100 has been a sweet reflection for us personally in expressing this out pour of a heart focused on God's abundant blessings to His people.
 

*Psalm 100*

A Song of Praise for the Lord’s Faithfulness to His People

A Psalm of Thanksgiving.

¹Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
² Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
³ Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

⁴ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
⁵ For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

While it seems there is no way to fully express our thanks to God, boy do we LOVE dwelling on His faithfulness in the past and the present through journaling, blogging, sharing stories, remembering, words of praise and singing!  We celebrated our 5th anniversary last Friday and we spent the day reflecting back on God's goodness and faithfulness over the last 6 years.  Wow!  When we met in Trinidad in 2009, we had no idea at that time that we would later re-connect and we surely did not know we would make a covenant before the Lord in marriage in 2010.  Through all of our imperfections, miscommunications, weaknesses,  self-centeredness, unmet expectations, trials, and sufferings, we have been able to be victorious as a team as we strive to keep Christ as our focal point both separately and together.  With joy, we can praise God as we remember all the details from answered prayers, big and small victories as a team, the testing of our faith, trust building trials, blessings that fall like rain, and the list goes on.  A while back I read a statement that resounds in my mind over and over again...

when thanks to God becomes a habit —  so joy in God becomes your life

The song “Come Thou Fount” reminds us, “Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.” Gratitude tunes our hearts to sing God’s praise - not just on thanksgiving - not just when things are going well - but all of our days because He is faithful and He is good regardless of life's curve balls and difficult circumstances.  Nothing changes who He is.  We sing praises to Him for who He is and for your role in this journey!

Giving Thanks,
Rance and Jenni

Prayer/Praise:

*GIVING THANKS for 5 years of abundant marriage and those that have played a role in investing in us spiritually along the way so that our focus stays on the Lord and not on the faults, weaknesses, and unmet expectations of one another!

*Continued prayer for support partners!

Super Shuler?!?!

We enjoyed the fellowship with all of our neighbors in Stecoah Valley on Halloween this year.  Jayden loves being with other kids so much that we could not pass up an opportunity to pile in on the hay ride across the valley that Saturday evening and play dress up for fun.  Jayden was none other than Superman which Rance is convinced the S is for Shuler :)  hehe! 

Jayden quickly caught on to following behind the other kids at each stop and saying hey and getting him a few pieces of candy.  Really it isn't about the candy and the costumes for us but a really fun time to just be with our neighbors and have some fun together!

This was Jayden by the end of the night when his friends were gone!