Hey Friends!! LifePoint is collecting ONE TON (or more) of food this month. If you live in the area and would like to donate, please message me and we’ll arrange a drop-off/pick-up! There are some exciting things down the pike related to this, but can’t let the cat out of the bag just yet!! Let’s be Matthew 25 and Isaiah 58 kind of Christians!!
If you know us personally, me and Kevin that is, you know I did NOT marry Kevin for his feet. They are always dry and cracking, and the toenail… if you can call it that. Ew! But, to me, his feet are most beautiful.
His beautiful feet voraciously pound the pavement in Hancock County for Jesus – to share the gospel and to BE to gospel to this community. His beautiful feet march boldly at the campus of Bowling Green State University giving life and hope to the next generation. His beautiful feet canvas Ohio partnering with other church planters working together to grow God’s kingdom. His feet have galloped with the youth and taken him overseas to reach any in his path.
Yeah. I love Kevin’s feet. His feet are a reflection of his heart, passion and obedience. He has always been one to put ‘feet’ to his prayers.
And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:15
Ok – so when we were new in ministry (Youth Pastor/Missionary years) we did NOT have the money for paper, let alone stamps for Christmas Cards. So I got out of the habit of sending them… I LOVE receiving Christmas Cards, Family Letters and Photo Cards etc, but haven’t sent any out for the last 5-6 years or so. Today, that all changes 
. I’m going to do a cyber-letter today (a lil’ late ~ better late than never) but have decided this is my New Year’s Resolution: 1) Get family pictures taken in 2011 and 2) Send Christmas cards in 2011.
So here goes… a Grubinski Christmas Letter:
Hello family and friends,
Hope 2010 was a blessing in your journey! The Grubbies, well at least Kevin and Kendra, are starting and ending 2010 the same way – attending the PASSION conference with our BGSU Crosswalk students. It’s an amazing conference with some amazing students, some amazing speakers, some amazing worship and our Amazing God! We are so blessed to be able to serve Jesus at BGSU with these students. Kevin leads this ministry which meets weekly on Tuesdays on the campus of BGSU. God is moving at BGSU and it’s awesome to get to join Him in this work.
Crosswalk also takes a yearly Spring Mission Trip! Emma was pumped that she got to join Kevin on this trip this year. They went to Greenville, South Carolina where they did light construction, worked in a kids’ ministry and ministered at a facility for the elderly. Emma turned 10 while on this trip and was spoiled by 30 college students. She ate it up!
Julia also got to go on a mission trip this year. She joined Kendra and led a group (again from Crosswalk) to the Dominican Republic in May. It was great taking her back there, to see where she spent most of 2004 and 2005. She jumped right in, playing with the kids, chatting with the SCORE staff and of course hitting the beach! The team did orphanage ministry, village ministry and evangelism. God worked in and through each of us on this trip!!
Back on the homefront, LifePoint celebrated its 2nd birthday in 2010. This was a year of growth for our church, not just in numbers, but young Christians growing spiritually (old Christians growing spiritually ) and new leaders being developed. It’s amazing to see how God has weaved His people together with their gifts, abilities and passions to bring God glory and further His kingdom. We now have three full time employees, two of which are raising support for their ministries. Stop by and meet them here. Peep Drop 2010 overwhelmed us with over 5000 people showing up! Yes, we are already better prepared for 2011. LifePoint also got to help with a roof project on the south side of Toledo, had another successful year of GiftMart, painting/construction projects in Findlay. It’s such a blessing to partner with different peeps in the community to build… community!
As a family, we enjoyed a fun camping trip in August to the Indiana Dunes and Jellystone Park! Even though we practically slept under the turnpike – ha ha – we had fun hiking, swimming, relaxing and even shopping! We also enjoyed a Cedar Point day (thanks to the RightThing where Kendra went back to work part-time in April), Kings Island (thanks to Julia/Emma’s girl scout troup), and other fun, family stuff!
The kiddos all played basketball this year. Julia and Emma played Grey-Y and Joey played Upwards. Then, Julia and Emma played FastPitch softball – which they both LOVED and Kevin coached Joey’s little league baseball team. We all love spending our summer afternoons in the sun playing ball!! This fall, Julia became the team manager for Liberty Benton’s 7th grade basketball team and is having a blast traveling with the team, keeping the scorebook and running the clock. Joey and Emma played fall Grey-Y Basketball (Kevin ended up coaching BOTH of those teams this fall). Now, Joey’s gearing up for another Upwards season and Emma’s gearing up for the Winter Session of Grey-Y.
Speaking of Liberty Benton – the kiddos went back to public school this fall. Julia is in middle school, 7th grade, and Emma and Joey are in the elementary school (5th and 3rd respectively). They are doing GREAT. The transition couldn’t have gone better and they all LOVE school! We’re so proud of their hard work!
This year wrapped up with a wonderful Christmas! What fun to ring in Christmas with a little rum-pa-pum-pum, lights and an awesome Christmas message at LifePoint!! If you missed it, check it all out here. Then we spent time with friends, family and even got to enjoy a couple of days of downtime (what’s that??).
Looking forward to all that 2011 will bring. Each years brings joys and trials but through it all, God is faithful! Pray you are blessed this year and that God meets you exactly where you are.
~Happy New Year from The Grubinskis~
One of the highlights of this trip was seeing foreign missions from the eyes of first-timers. With the exception of Julia and me, this was everyone’s 1st foreign mission trip – and to a third world country no less.
Some things 1st timers see when they go on a mission trip:
These are some things commonly heard on 1st mission trips, kind of like back to the basics. There’s something about experience this trip with 1st timers that brought me back to the basics, and madeall things new. I delighted in how the Lord worked throughout this trip, and for me, it was a joy to simply delight in Him and watch Him work. These 10 college students, my 11-year-old daughter and I have been forever impacted by the God who specializes in making all things new.
Sometimes we just need that. A fresh touch. Eyes pulled wide open. Heart turned towards Him.
Maybe there’s something in your life that you’d like to see new or with a refreshed spirit. Ministry, parenting, marriage, job, relationships… Ask God to make that new to you again. I believe He will.
Sunday morning, we started the day at the beach to watch the sunrise. What a beautiful picture of all things new. Blessings .
Spent some time in Romans 14 this week after hearing verse 8, “If we live, we live to the Lord. If we die, we die to the Lord.”Sarah Liborio, a SCORE Missionary, shared this verse as part of her testimony last Thursday night. Her husband passed away just 5 months ago. He was 29, leaving her widowed with a 3 year old and a 2 month old. Her point was, whether in life, or in death, do everything unto the LORD. Her husband, Hugo, lived his life to bring God glory, as a living sacrifice, and even brought God glory in his death. The night Hugo was dying, she felt in her spirit Hugo saying, “If God wants to take my life to bring Him glory, it’s ok, because I AM SECOND.”
She’s back in the DR serving the Lord. Why? Because, she too holds on to the fact that “I Am Second” and desires to live her life to the Lord.
Some other verses she shared that challenge us to live Second;
1 Cor. 6:19-20 – “Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body.”
Matt. 20:26-28 – “It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life – a ransom for many.
Rom. 12:1 – “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.”
We still have life… how are we going to live it?
Hmmmmm – so to sum up our trip…
Wednesday – Already blogged on that HERE.
Thursday – We visited Batey #1 in the morning where we played with kiddos, sang songs, presented the gospel and gave away salvation bracelets. That afternoon, we went shopping for food to distribute to the needy in Monte Largo.
Friday – Beach day of rest and fun at Catalina island
Saturday – We went to the girl’s orphanage in La Romana – one of my favorite places to go, – one of the hardest places to leave. I just love my girlies there… I was blessed when Tata gave me a scrapbook she made for me because she knew I was coming, and for a beautiful letter that Linda wrote me. I will treasure those forever!
That afternoon we went to Las Molinas – which is a Haitian sugarcane village. There we were able to share the plan of salvation with several who lived there., including Benito and Crodel who accepted Christ right there. Thankfully we had some Bibles available to leave with them. Pray for them, as right now their only way to grow, is what they get out of reading the Bible – which is enough, with help of the Holy Spirit.
Sunday – We were blessed to attend the new church plant in Juan Dolio, that takes place right in SCORE’s facility. Each week, they pick up people from several towns. Many have been saved as a result of this new church, including several Dominican SCORE staff. Praise the LORD.
Monday – We hit the streets of Santo Domingo for some tract distribution, evangelism and even some shopping! After that we went to a government-run handicapped orphanage to spend some time with the kiddos. The smiles on their faces brought such JOY to our hearts.
Tuesday – We left SCORE at 11am, had a delightful day of travel and made it to Detroit, oh, I don’t know… sometime after 11ish.
What a great week of ministry, of time with God, fellowship with others and a very blessed time with my daughter, Julia.
Thanks to everyone who supported us in prayer and financial support.
Day Eight – “Headin’ Home” Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Well, there ya’ have it folks. The Crosswalk Dominican Republic Mission Trip is coming to an end. But is it the end, or is it just the beginning?
What are three things that you are going to treasure about this week?
What are three things that God has shown you personally in your walk with Him? (I’m sure there’s more than three, but try to pick the top three)
What, if anything, do you believe God is calling you to do, whether at home or ‘away’?
We’ll close with this – Phillipians 1:3-6 “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that He who started a good work (in you will carry it on to completion, until the day of Christ Jesus.”
No, this isn’t the end… it’s only the beginning… May God bless you as you step out in faith and service to Him, wherever He leads!!
Day Seven – “I Am With You” Monday, May 17, 2010
There’s nothing more comforting than when amidst busyness, stress, conflict, chaos or crisis than that still small voice that whispers, “I am with you.” God has sent us His Spirit, the Comforter, not just to empower us to follow His call, but in many other situations as well.
Take a look at some verses where God says, “I am with you” and note the situation, the context and the reason He spoke them.
Isaiah 41:10
Gen. 26:24
Josh. 3:4
Jer. 1:19
Matt. 28:20
Heb. 13:5b
Isn’t it comforting that whatever God calls us to do or to face, He is with us? Rejoice in His omni-presence today!
Day Six – “Let’s Get Personal” Sunday, May 16, 2010
Spiritual discipline. Everyone’s favorite subject… It’s time to get personal and take inventory of our walk with Christ. See, here in the Dominican Republic, surrounded by great people, serving the Lord daily, soaking in morning/evening devotions as a group and individually, it’s easy to walk the Christian walk. But what about next week? Next month? Next year?
This week we’ve spent a lot of time soaking in the Word, praying, praising, serving and fellowshipping with other believers. Next week, though, is ‘where the rubber meets the road.’ Will you still be praying, praising, studying, serving and fellowshipping? What spiritual discipline would you say is your weakest?
□ Personal Devotion Time □ Prayer □ Serving □ Fellowshipping with other believers
□ Giving □ Faith □ Other_________________
Read the following verses and ask God to reveal any areas that you have room to grow.
Hebrews 10:25
Matthew 6:1-4
Matthew 6:5-14
Matthew 17:20-21
Psalm 119 (all of it, but especially vs. 9-11, 28, 49-50, 97, 105.113-114. 147, 169)
1 Peter 4:7-11
Now, don’t go getting all down on yourself because you ‘have so far to go…’ If we were ‘there’ already, we’d be in glory. Remember, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” Phil. 1:6
