GraceFull Moments with Joe

Welcome to “Grace Notes” Blog!I sit here tonight overwhelmed by God’s blessings. I simply have to give praise to Him this evening. Over the last six months, here is but a tiny sample of the blessings the Lord has poured out upon my life:

1. Through none of my own doing, allowed a beloved, trusted friend of ten years to become the senior pastor at my home church, where we had been without one for 2.5 years.
2. The Lord opened up an opportunity for me to teach an adult Sunday School class again which helped reignite my passion to communicate God’s word, which had not had an outlet for far too long.
3. The Lord blessed my business with national recognition as we received the national “Hobby Shop of the Year” award for the sports card industry from Topps Trading Cards.
4. The Lord motivated me to complete my first book “Falling Forward” that I started 8 years ago and He put the right people in place to allow me to publish it on Amazon in two formats.
5. The Lord inspired me to begin doing audio recordings of the Holy Bible on youtube and video podcasts on facebook (ongoing).
6. The Lord inspired me to work on a relaunch of my ministry website and gave me the right partner (Tim Chapman) to effectively put the pieces together (website now live)
7. I got to witness my daughter Allison graduate from college and then after many interviews, receive 3 job offers over the course of 24 hours, including one from the very school we were praying she could work at.
8. The Lord brought back a key full-time employee to our business, which has alleviated much stress, and allowed us to pursue other growth opportunities.
9. For over two years, I’ve been allowed to continue to do the very things I feel called to do in ministry (be part of a weekly worship team, help in a weekly recovery ministry, serve as a deacon, lead a Sunday School class, etc, etc)and even do so at a church that I love dearly that is close to home, things none of us in ministry should ever take for granted.
10. The Lord has allowed me to continue to know the unconditional love of my precious wife, daughter, son, daughter in law, mother, brothers, and countless friends, co-workers, and extended family members.

Understand that if none of the events above had taken place, I would still be more blessed than I could ever deserve. I am a child of God not by my own doing. I am deserving of an eternity in Hell, separated from the Lord. Yet because of His grace, mercy, and forgiveness, I am His child and I know who I am because I know whose I am. I am a man most blessed, and no blog could ever contain all the reasons I have to praise Him. If I step into eternity tomorrow, I will having nothing but praise on my lips for His goodness. Oh what a Savior we serve.