December 31, 2002
Greetings, dear Shannon!
I love you!!! You are in my thoughts just now as 2002 ends and 2003 begins. On 1 January 2002, the Lord told me to write you each week, and once again, I have been disobedient since I've not written since May. I ask His forgiveness and your forgiveness.
The Lord has forgiven the many mistakes I made as a nominal Christian and then as a Unitarian, and He continues to treat me with grace and mercy as I seek to totally submit to His will and fulfill the purpose for which He created me: my goal is that my every thought, word, and action serve and glorify Him, for when He is most glorified, I am most satisfied. Oh, dear Shannon, I just pray that you have found the peace and joy of serving and glorifying God with all of the gifts He has given you. You seem so isolated.
The brothers and sisters of my church take seriously our church covenant that binds us together. We invest time in fellowship with one another so that we can share joys and sorrows and hold each other accountable to biblical principles of living. God put you, Jason, Ryan, Dad, and I together as a family. Dad has left and does not understand our new life in Christ; you have left for whatever reasons; I divorced Dad on the basis of adultery and desertion; I will never "divorce" you, dear daughter, and I'm sad that you've "divorced" me. Please read the little newsletter about your family so that you can pray for us and support us as we seek individually and corporately to honor our Father and live lives that are a witness to His love, righteousness, and glory.
I pray that this is the year the Lord will re-unite you with those who love you more than anyone other than Jesus Himself could possibly love you. We're not trying to take You away from your church, Shannon; we are trying only to support you as you devote yourself to the rich life of being a servant of Christ. I traveled to Seattle in October hoping to see and talk with you and was sad that the sister there whom I thought was you was not you. I've enclosed a copy of my summary of my visit to Graham Street, which I prepared for the parents and Brother Daniel. My plan for the new year is to continue praying for you and writing to you. As I told Daniel, Claudia has said that you are welcome to use Uncle Gilbert's house if you and your church are led to follow the model of the apostles and "plant" a church from which you can minister. May God bless you abundantly and make you a blessing to others, dear Shannon.