RELIEVING SOME STRESS

Dear Friends - Most of you know that I have spent most of my life working with young people as a youth pastor.  It has been the joy of my life and I am thankful for all of the wonderful people God has allowed me to know and influence.  Of course, financial gain has never motivated me in my ministry, but the demands of life by responding to this call on my life have become overwhelming this past year. Most of you do not know that I have had some costly medical bills this year due to skin cancer that I had to have removed, and I have shared that with very few people.  We have also had some very costly car problems this year, and there are some continuing medical needs with Jennie.  We have also had some other major life changes in the past few years (weddings, college bills) and we often find our selves "robbing Peter to pay Paul" , as the saying goes.  I know that many of you can relate to this....everyone has to figure out how to deal with the financial part of their lives, and I have done a very poor job of this over the years, and it has caught up with me.  SO...I am humbling asking for those of you who may have been a part of the youth ministries that God allowed me to lead in Blythewood, Beaufort, Florence and Lexington if you would consider donating any amount to help me reach my goal of paying our medical bills and a portion of our car repair bills.  PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD OR SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH ANYONE WHO IS ASSOCIATED WITH MY CURRENT CHURCH, First Baptist of Cornelia, GA, or with the Habersham County School System, since those are our main sources of income and we expect nothing from anyone associated with those organizations. I take full responsibility for being a poor financial manager, and we have never fully recovered from our departure from Lexington in 2008.  During 2019 we hope to sell  our home and downsize  here to reduce our expenses. I will also be looking for additional employment especially to help with the college portion of our expenses on my day off, and the church has approved for me to do so.  I AM ALSO ASKING THAT YOU DO NOT SHARE THIS ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM, only by email.  The video I have attached with this is so true, and I have claimed that verse many times over these past 10 years.   Most of all , please pray with me that my cancer situation will not reoccur and that no other surgeries will be needed in the future.  Also, please pray for my entire family as we are all dealing with difficult situations at this time.  We KNOW and BELIEVE God is in control of all of this, and much prayer has gone into every word I am writing today.  If you can help me reach this goal by the end of this year or early in 2019, I will be eternally grateful to each and every one of you.  Again, if you know others who were involved in our youth ministries in those places mentioned above, please share this information by EMAIL ONLY.   I will never know how many lives God has used me and Jennie to influence until I arrive in heaven, but I do know that it has been the joy of my life and all of the financial sacrifices we have made through the years will all be worth it!  EVERYONE goes through difficult times in life, and we are just going through a tough period now.  PRAYER IS THE KEY! And I know that even if you cannot give, you will pray that God will provide a way for us....He always has and He always will.  Thank you for being a part of my life's journey!  KEEP BELIEVING!  Rev. John Swindler