Good-bye, 2018…hello, 2019. It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. Like us, I’m sure your year has included a lot of change. When 2018 arrived, I would not have believed that we would be moving to Bolton. I would not have believed that I would be teaching at Hinds Community College as well. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s this: there are seasons for every person. Like Same Cooke sang about in 1965, a “change is gonna come.” This year-2019-will be just the same: more changes in our lives; some seasons starting and some ending; relationships begun and relationships breaking up; children graduating or finding new jobs; some of us entering new phases of our lives; New Year’s resolutions to keep and break. Amidst the change, one thing is constant: the presence of God in our midst. God has promised never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Even when we are walking in the deepest of valleys and we can’t see the sun shining because the cliffs are so steep and the cloud so dark, we know that God is with us. My love and faithfulness are unfailing, and his mercy endures forever! My prayer for you this year is that you will rest in the promise of the presence of God within you as you experience the seasons of life that will come our way. And together, may we experience his Holy Spirit in a fresh and invigorating way as we look to new seasons of mission and ministry at Memorial UMC!

-Matt