Finally Getting Settled

OK, sit down and buckle in, because this might be a long post. Unless the girls require my attention. I'm sitting in their room as I type this as they are sitting up and playing with their toys in the floor. Trust me, we have quite a symphony going on! And yes, I can sit in here and type because I finally have internet at my house!

We are beginning to get settled in- still have a couple of rooms to go- the playroom and the office- but all the major stuff has been unpacked and set up. The playroom is proving to be a big benefit already.

Chloe was sick with the stomach virus this past week and Melissa had to take her to the ER last Wednesday night. She stayed sick for a few days (until Saturday night) but is now back to her normal energetic, active, very talkative self. She is really enjoying her new school and is making a lot of friends at school and church. And not just girls! One of our friends from church (and the chairman of our search committee) has twin 5 year old boys that also go to Chloe's school. She rode home with them one day when Melissa and I were at a Worship Conference. Chloe kept telling the boys (and their parents) how cute they were! She has also made a new "boyfriend" in her class and one her comments to her Momma this past week was how she just "kept getting a collection" of boyfriends! Yes, we are in for trouble!

Kennedy & Kaitlyn are doing great. Kate has not been wanting to take her bottle a lot lately, so we are changing her formula to see if that will help. They are both very inquisitive- Kate is very stubborn and independent. Kennedy is the life of the party. Right now they are playing with each other and are having more fun with the burp cloth then their toys. Hold on, let me take that away.

OK, I'm back. Our new church is going great. We miss all of our friends but we know beyond a shadow of a doubt this is exactly where God wants us. I preached this past Sunday on "The Heart of Worship." God really used the message to talk and convict among all age groups! It was really awesome being able to be behind the pulpit and proclaim the Word. I will see if I can get the audio of the sermon posted.

We're getting ready to do a huge promotion and outreach for Fireproof this month. We're doing a free date night with the movie, Bible study that Melissa and I will lead together, and a 4 part sermon series that Bro. John (the pastor) and I will tag team on. Pray for God to continue to move in a mighty way.

Our house is still for sale! But we know God has a buyer out there for us and He will bring them to us. (We had a nibble, but they weren't serious about buying.)

OK, well, I think that is an update to most everything. I'm finally beginning to get my head above water at the office and get things on a more even schedule. So, if I have been ignoring your texts, facebook posts or emails the past weeks with limited response, I should be able to and look forward to talking a lot more with all of you.

You can unbuckle now.

Moving is tough work

Wooh! We're still unpacking boxes. I didn't realize how much stuff we had. And between Wal Mart runs, finding Chloe' a new school, realizing we have a totally different address (and phone numbers- LONG story) than what we thought- I am pooped!

And no, I have NOT seen the second night of 24 and American Idol premiers tonight! Luckily, our Dish Network is installed and working great.

Don't worry, we'll let everyone know of ALL the new info- and trust me, pretty much everything has changed, but we will keep you updated.

Back to unpacking!

A Whole Bunch More Reasons You Should Own a Mac!

OK, I know I'm probably blogging more today than I have altogether in the past few months. But I have nothing else to do while the movers are here. (And no, that line has nothing to do with the title of this post- just FYI.)

Anyway, for those of you not in the know, today was the keynote (or "Philnote" as Steve Jobs, President of Apple is sick from a hormone imbalance and was unable to deliver his normal "Stevenote") for MacWorld Expo 2009. It's the conference where Apple, Inc. makes most of its major product announcements. And this year's does not disappoint.

Click here to read a transcript. And check the Apple web site later on to view the keynote presentation.

This one's for you, Chi Alpha!

This song is dedicated to all of our Chi Alpha students at First Newton who are doing hard things. We love you all and will miss you!!

Click here!

Check Out Our Tunes!

Wow! This is very cool! You can now listen to some awesome music as you read our blog. You never know what songs will be in there. These are a few of our favorites I was able to find. There's some Audio Adrenaline, Third Day, Casting Crowns, and yes, even some James Tealy!!

The first song listed, Goodbye, is a tribute to all my "kids" at First Newton. We will always love you and will miss you greatly! May God bless you as you "do hard things!"

Our Moving Schedule

Here is what our week looks like for next week:

• Tuesday, January 6th- Movers arrive to pack house
• Wednesday, January 7th- Movers load truck & we leave for Ray City. We will spend the night in Atlanta, Georgia. Have you ever tried to make an 8 hour trip with two 6 month olds and a 4 year old?! It ain't happening!
• Thursday, January 8th- The Knipfam arrives in Ray City, Georgia
• Friday, January 9th or Saturday, January 10th- Our furniture arrives
• Sunday, January 11th- Jason officially begins his ministry as Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church, Ray City, Georgia
  

Hello Ray City!

To our friends at Ray City:

There are not enough words to express how excited we are over how God is working in our lives and in yours in bringing us to you for me to serve as Associate Pastor. We know God has been doing some great things and is going to continue to do great things in the days, weeks, and years ahead. We serve an awesome God and we are looking forward with anticipation to serving alongside of you as we reach the tri-county area and the world for Christ from Ray City, Georgia!
As we are all in the transition process over these next few weeks (we will be leaving Newton on January 7th) there are three things I need you to begin to do: 1) Pray, 2) Pray, and 3) PRAY! Seriously, unless all things are bathed in prayer they will be done in vain. Specifically, there are several items I would like for you to pray for:

• Pray for the sale of our house. As I write this letter, we are busy in the process of getting it ready for sale. We have already had one person contact us that is interested, so pray for God’s will in their lives. It would be great to sell the house without using an agent and as quick as we can.
• Pray for our movers and that we will be a witness to them. And also that all of our “things” will arrive in Georgia safely and on time.
• Pray for our mothers who are adjusting to having their grandchildren so far away.
• Pray for Chloe’ as she will be starting a new pre-school (and as we search for that school).
• Pray for the youth at First Newton as they are mourning the tragic loss of a friend and one of the top youth (Landon Burt).
• Pray for the mighty, amazing things that God is going to show all of us in the time ahead as we submit to His will and leadership and allow ourselves to be used by God in reaching others for Him! There is no better place to be!!

On a personal note, let me highly, highly encourage you to attend the screening of Fireproof on New Year’s Eve. This is a tremendous movie! Melissa and I have had the pleasure of seeing it twice. Once, in a pre-screening a month before it was released to the public, and second, when I took my youth to see it at the theatre. Although most of them are years from being married, it helped them to see what a true marriage relationship should look like, and had many of them, even a lot of the guys- committing to honoring Christ in their dating relationships and future marriage. Men, this is NOT a chick-flick! You owe it to your wife, children, and your Savior to man up and be the leader of your family in going to see this movie! I look forward to hearing many tremendous reports of how God is using this movie in the lives of our church.

Once again, we look forward to seeing all of you again next week!

ICS,
Jason S Knippers, Melissa, Chloe’, Kennedy, & Kaitlyn (and Holi- the dog!)