"But my life is worth
nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the
work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and
love"
Acts 20:24 - The New Living
Bible
Dear Friends,
I am continually blessed through my relationships with all
of you and my opportunities to be joined with you in bringing the Word to those
around us… and then seeking together to live daily in accordance with what we
have been shown through the life of Jesus Christ.
God in His wisdom continues to lead me on a journey where I
am able to use my gift of ministry with those He sends my way. Stages of life
constantly change, and the ministry opportunities they bring can look very different
than they did when my journey began. Yet God has enabled my ministry to remain
relevant in some long-established relationships in ways that can be
bittersweet. He has sent me to conduct hospital visitations, one of which led
to a request that I officiate an old friend’s memorial service. I have been available
to minister to men who have experienced the loss of loved ones, which in the
case of one friend ultimately led to a need to refer him to counseling which
has been excellent and beneficial for him. And I continue to be blessed with opportunities
to introduce adults to the life-changing ministry of Young Life while serving
as the Adult Guest Host at Sharp Top Cove. Kids aren’t the only ones who grow
closer to Jesus there!
Outside of ministry involvement, the year yielded many
meaningful experiences. Peggy and I were refreshed through opportunities to
travel extensively. We were proud to attend my grandson’s graduation from Naval
Aviation Flight School. Our grand-daughter’s college graduation was a wonderful
family celebration of her successes and her bright future. Another grandson was
accepted to the prestigious Henry Grady School of Journalism at UGA, and it was
a joy to spend a day with him after receiving that news.
I expect the coming year to hold more opportunities to
celebrate God’s undeserved favor, though I know the year will also bring new
challenges. Please pray for me as I seek to maintain my physical health and
vitality at 77 years of age. If you are able, consider continuing or increasing
your financial support for Net Work Ministries during this time of economic
uncertainty. Pray that I can finish strong in this life-long journey, and that
God would continue to enable my ministry to remain relevant during this age
without sacrificing the firm foundation of orthodox Christian doctrine on which
I stand.
Pray that for all of us we will find – in essentials, unity –
in non-essentials, liberty – and in all things, love.
Conformed to His Image,
Buck
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are not fundamentally free; external circumstances are
not in our hands, they are in God’s hands, the one thing in which we are free
is in our personal relationship to God. We are not responsible for the
circumstances we are in, but we are responsible for the way we allow those
circumstances to affect us; we can either allow them to get on top of us, or we
can allow them to transform us into what God wants us to be.