Spitball: a small annoyance that steals time and/or blocks a goal; often experienced when one has discovered where God is leading and has begun to align with that path.

For example, back when we did triathlon ministry there would be some miscommunication between us nearly every Thursday before a weekend race. Before we realized what was happening, an argument would ensue that threatened to divide Team Douglass and render our service and witness ineffective. Once we saw the pattern, we began to recognize when a little spitball would land in our camp and threaten to get caught in the cogs. Years later, we have seen these spitballs from the enemy at key times that are too consistent to be an accident.

So whenever they begin to pile up and a doubt creeps into my mind in response to water leaks in the new house, tales of mountain lions cruising through the yard, new furniture arriving damaged or defective (multiple times!) and a delayed household goods shipment, I remind myself of three things: 1) God never directs through discouragement, rather, by overcoming obstacles He is glorified; 2) if we are not a threat to the enemy, he wouldn’t bother us; and 3) God has already confirmed at least some of the work here. Last month we wrote that four couples had signed up for the marriage small group. By the time I actually posted that, there were five. Now there are ten, still without a word of publicity.

Like He did with the wealth of Israel under Solomon, like He did feeding the five thousand, like He does daily with the beauty of His creation, He is showing His hand by His signature of abundance and we’re excited to see where He takes this small group. But we also need your alliance with us in prayer because clearly it takes His strength to survive, recognize and conquer the spitballs that are sure to come as we move forward over the next month, beginning this small group, receiving our shipment from Japan and continuing to get settled here in our New Mexico home.

It is obvious that you paved the way with prayer last month as Grandma and Zoe traveled to NM, Zoe began first grade, Donna finished up at camp and flew out to NM with the girls while Grandpa Douglass and Uncle Dax drove the truck out uneventfully in just three days! The smoothness of all the moving parts can only be explained by a Master Hand behind it all. So thank you again for your part in that!

Please let us know how we can sharpen the aim of our prayer arrows for you and yours as well.

Freezing our kids (lol). Just kidding. Exploring the White Sands with Grandpa Douglass and Uncle Dax one week before Zoe turned 6! She requested a return trip for her birthday.