FALLing Into Jesus...

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you. May you all be very thankful to our Lord who has blessed us beyond measure. We hope each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:18 where we are to give thanks in all things.

Fall has begun and it is refreshing to walk outside in the cool weather and enjoy God's beauty. Though this world and its creatures are fallen, the created order still declares the glory of God. I see this when walking around our yard and taking in all the sights and sounds and smells.

We have been busy picking up pecans for us to sell. We collected 5 full burlap bags. Who knew that picking pecans would make you so tired? However, the reward is worth it. It reminds me of the parable of the ten talents. Jesus taught us to use the gifts he has distributed, so if Jeremiah and I can pick up pecans to sell while Jon and Taylor are at school, shouldn't we do it?

We are all doing well, but are staying very busy. It is hard to believe that this year is almost over.

Taylor and Jeremiah have adjusted quite well to country living. Taylor has made many friends at school and church. School has definitely been an adjustment this year. Middle school can be a trying time in a child's life. She is trying to find out who she is and where she belongs. Please pray that Taylor will make wise, godly decisions--esp. when she is at school.

Jeremiah is approaching 19 months--and is all boy. He climbs on everything--me, Taylor, Jon, furniture, carseats, etc.

Jon is about to complete another semester of seminary. Our house has been full of books on church history; we all have learned something in the process of his studies. Please continue to pray for his studies. God is teaching him many things. Pray that God will provide what we need for school.

Work is going well for Jon, but it can be a struggle at times. He is definitely on a mission field; and his students need a godly witness. We are thankful to the Lord for how he is using Jon in the school system. We have one student that we are taking under our wings and ministering to. This student has everything going against him, but through Jon and with Christ, we hope to make a difference in this young man's life.

On October 1, Jon was asked to be the interim pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Ambrose, GA. They are a small church, but seem to have the potential for growth. They just added on another wing to their church, and took an older part and made new Sunday school rooms. He will do this until the end of December, and then we will see where the Lord leads. If you ever get over to this area we would love to have you come visit us at church. We recently celebrated the opening of our new fellowship hall. It was wonderful to see the church full of people, but sad at the same time, in that most of them only came out for a celebration and food. We continue to pray that God would use us with this church to bring salvation to many.

Jon was sworn into the GA National Guard at the first of October, and is slated to begin his monthly drilling in November. I would ask that you pray for the military, and especially the chaplaincy program. We do not know what is in store for the chaplains now that Obama has been elected as president.

We ask that you pray specifically for God's direction for us as we seek him for a church. Whatever church God has for us, we pray for God to show us how to lead the flock. We ask that you pray for the chaplains in the military as a new president comes into office. Pray for Jon as he continues with his schooling and studies. This can put a strain on the family at times. Again, we thank each of you who pray for us daily. We can feel your prayers and we love each of you.

In Christ,

The Pirtle family

Our Next Journey

Dear friends and family,

I am sorry that we have not done an update lately. It has been rather busy in the Pirtle household. We have lots of changes to share with you.

After much prayer, God has opened a door for us to move to Fitzgerald, Georgia. We moved about 4 weeks ago and we have been going full steam since. We actually live in Ocilla, Georgia, but Jon is teaching at Fitzgerald High School. It is definitely a mission field for him. Please pray specifically that the kids that enter his room would see something different and that God would open doors for him to reach out and witness to these children. Most of them come from a bad homelife and the school is a haven for them.

We are still in school. Just because we moved doesn't mean we are through. Jon is doing his schooling online during the fall and spring semesters, and then during his Christmas break and summer break, we will travel to Louisville to pick up some extra classes. They call these J-term classes. Basically, they cram a whole semester into one week. So, please continue to pray for extra strength and energy as he continues his schooling.

We are glad to be back in Georgia and to be a little closer to home. We miss being close to my sister and her family, but plan to take trips to see them. When I think about how far God has brought us, I am reminded of a chorus of a song by Keith and Kristyn Getty. Not only are the words powerful, but I know that whatever journey we are on, God is in the middle of it, and our prayer is that he will use us for his glory. May this be your prayer as well:

May this journey bring a blessing,

May I rise on wings of Faith,

and at the end of my heart's testing,

With your likeness, let me wake.

Taylor has begun 6th grade and we decided to put her in public school this year. We are out in the country. We don't have a neighborhood like we did in Indiana, so there are no friends for her to hang out with. We are supplementing the public school curriculum via materials at home to make sure she gets all that she needs. Homeschooling last year was great; I miss it during the day. Already, we have seen how advanced Taylor became because of homeschooling. We are very grateful that we did it. Please pray that Taylor will make wise choices, as we pray that God will use her at school. She is on a traveling soccer team and very excited. We are looking at a swim team in April.

Jeremiah is off and running these days--literally. We can't keep him out of Jon's books. He loves to take the books off the shelves and look at them. He loves music and dancing. It is hysterical to watch. He has quite the personality, and loves being the center of attention. He is into climbling these days, too; we can't keep him off the living room chair. I am waiting for a broken bone any day now.

Jon will be preaching at a local church in Fitzgerald on September 7. We are praying about where the Lord would have us to serve while we are here. We know that he will guide us; we just have to be obedient and follow his lead. For those of you who have asked about the military. We are still in the National Guard and are currently transferring states. Hopefully, we will begin our monthly drills soon.

We want to say a more-than-special thank you to Mom and Dad, who helped us move (again). We don't like the idea of life without you. We are thankful for your godly example to us.

Lastly, please know this: we pray for you. Specifically, we pray that you may grow in Christian wisdom, discipleship, and discernment. Much of what passes as church is Christian in name only; there is a dearth of biblical wisdom and sound doctrine in many churches. And God's people are commanded by our Lord himself to be sanctified in the truth (Jn. 17:17)--not in storytelling, not in antics, and not in entertainment--but in sound biblical truth. As Moses was instructed by Yahweh in the Old Covenant, "The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace" (Num. 6:24-26, NASB).

In Christ,

The Pirtle family

Kenwood Baptist Church

This is Kenwood Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Jon and I are currently serving in this church where he is the Associate Pastor. Please pray for Kenwood. We are very small in number but with a desire to see it thrive. Please pray that God will lead us to the right man to pastor Kenwood. Pray that God will open a door and allow us to do some construction that is desperately needed on our roof. Pray that the members of Kenwood would want to grow deeper in their spiritual walk and for us as we try to lead them.

The photo on the left is Jon talking to the other Associate Pastor named Josh. Josh is also our Worship leader. Taylor and Jeremiah are enjoying this conversation as well.


In the photo to the right is Josh's wife, Jenn, standing with Michael, a church member and a seminarian.





This is Mike. He is a long time member of Kenwood. We call him slick Mike because his hair is always slicked back. Mike does a little bit of everything. He is a Sunday School teacher, he takes care of the church, our moderator, and whatever else you can think of. He is a great guy and very much loved by our family.

The Pirtle family - back together again #12

Home: We are wrapping up a wonderful year of school. Homeschooling has truly been a blessing this year and we are so thankful for the opportunity that God allowed. Taylor will be leaving June 7th to head to North Carolina to be with her father for the summer. They have a huge trip to California that she is very excited about. Jeremiah will be a year old in a couple of months and it is hard to believe that he has gotten that big. Although he is still not crawling he is trying very hard and it will not be long. Pirtle is back home with us and it is great to have him back.

Jobs: Pirtle is currently working at Bass Pro full time and doing his once a month weekend drills with the Army National Guard. We are really praying for one full-time job. We have applications and resumes all over and are praying about where God would lead us. We are praying about where God would have us regarding the Army, so please keep that on your prayer list. We are planning on staying in the National Guard for now, but may consider Active Duty Chaplaincy in the future. The Chaplaincy program is a much needed ministry with the military and God has really shown us how we could be used as a couple in this ministry.

School: Jon's classes are wrapping up for this semester. He has had a great semester with Systematic Theology. Due to being called to Fort Jackson for three months he could only take one class online. We will gear up for a full load come August and we are going to continue to go the online way. With gas prices, this will save us from having to do a lot of driving.

Church: Please pray for Kenwood Baptist Church. We are currently without a pastor and Jon is preaching full -time at this point. Kenwood is predominately senior adults and basically is dying. They desperately need our prayers. We would love to see the church grow, but hearts need to change and God needs to be the center of that church.

Prayer Requests: Pray for us, as we are embarking on some decisions in the next couple of months. Pray for Kenwood Baptist Church as we minister there. Pray for Taylor as she is getting ready to enter her middle school years. Pray that God would continue to mold her into the Christian that she needs to be and that we as parents will help shape her character.

Until next time, remember "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." (Acts 20: 32)

In Christ,
The Pirtle Family