My New Mission: Ministry In MEMPHIS!!!

Our God is faithful. He is faithful to fulfill every promise He has made in His Word. Want to know what His promises are for you? Get in the Word. Some of my favorite promises: Psalm 139, John 3:16, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 37:4, James 1...(ask me for more). The Lord has been teaching Kent and I the freedom in life that comes when you live by faith and not by fear. I urge you, take the challenge to live by faith instead of fear.

Try it now*

*What are you worried about? Ask God to take control of it (a decision, a health issue, an exam, a presentation, your safety, finances, a job, a relationship, etc), and give up the burden of your worry, allowing Him to show you what to do next. Trusting that He will provide and take care of everything will change your attitude about your situation, and it will give you a new outlook and a refreshed feeling to press on. This is isn't easy; our enemy will attempt to trick you back into worry and fear.

Matthew 6:27

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?"

Our society is full of fear-imposing messages- aka the media. Living in Memphis, the news isn't exactly encouraging; I know this is the case with most news stations everywhere. However, I'm not just challenging you to stop living in fear of pain or death, I'm talking about living by faith in every aspect of your daily life. These first 2.5 months of living in Memphis have been filled with so much change and opportunity for fear for Kent and I in dealing with our finances, dental school, big decisions, and jobs. But let me tell you(!!!), God has blessed me with a new testimony of His faithfulness by providing a ministry home for me! As of September 27th, I am the new Education Director at the Neighborhood Christian Center in downtown Memphis!

Let me make this clear- I only desire to boast in my Lord, Jesus Christ, and what HE is doing in my life.  Let me also clarify that even if God had not provided me a ministry position and He wanted me to continue my work in the dental office (of course I plan to go back to working in a dental office one day someday soon as long as Kent keeps up the good work!), He deserves all the praise in the world. I could not be more thankful for my job at the dental office because of all that I learned and the wonderful people I met while working there. My co-workers were awesome and they were so gracious and understanding when I made the decision to take the ministry position. Naturally, I was really getting the hang of things and enjoying my job a great deal during my last 2 weeks at the dental office! 

After a month and a half of working at NCC, I am forever changed. God is definitely working on my heart- teaching me, shaping me, and breaking me. I am experiencing thoughts, feelings, and emotions I have never thought/felt/experienced before. It has been a daily battle against discouraging thoughts from the Enemy that I am not capable of making a difference. I have never felt such heaviness hang over me as I have in the past couple months. But praise God, Jesus has already won the war for me! I could not survive the [daily] battle, but Jesus has and continues to on my behalf! I also praise God for my husband. Kent has been a vital source of strength and encouragement to me as I come home exhausted, often emotional, and discouraged. God is using His Word, my husband, my co-workers, my pastor, music, and the children I serve every day to encourage me and remind me of His love, His will, and that He is in control.

Proverbs 16:3

" Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans."

LOVE HIM.

TRUST HIM 

SERVE HIM

LIVE BY FAITH. DON'T GIVE UP. 

YOUR LIFE IS NOT YOUR OWN. 

KNOW THAT JESUS LOVES YOU.  

 LOVE OTHERS

SERVE OTHERS

PRAY 4 OTHERS

GIVE 2 OTHERS

SEEK TRUTH

SHARE TRUTH

Thank you for reading. :)

~Kelly

Burden or Blessing?

Well, time is already sliding by faster than we realize, and it has been over a month since our last post! We are already preparing to pay our 3rd month's rent in our new townhouse here in Memphis- wow! Moreover, Kent just completed his first dental school exam yesterday morning at 8am! He studied all weekend, and he has been diligent to study every day after class to stay on top of his material. He did GREAT! Thank you for all the prayers, and your continued prayers are welcomed to keep him lifted up throughout his dental school tenure.

I also desire your prayers as I have begun a journey of unfamiliar territory. I started a new job on August 9th, working as a dental receptionist for a father and son dentist team. Ironically applicable to my life, right? :) Well, I began my job with nervous energy and excitement, and I now find myself lost in stressful uncertainty and inner turmoil. I desire to live for the Lord daily, and serve Him in whatever setting in which He has me. For some reason, however, this new job is very difficult for me! I appreciate all of your support, prayers, and wisdom as I seek contentment in the Lord regardless of my circumstances, and more than that, to remember how blessed I am to be employed and earning an income! My co-workers and the doctors I work for are really great. I have learned so much about the dental field, working in a medical office, and I am learning more about myself than I ever dreamed I would just from starting a new job. I have realized that Satan is at work trying to discourage me and make me think of my job as a burden when it really is a blessing! Today was my best day at the office so far, and I am so grateful for all the encouragement and wisdom I have received during this time of growth and change in my life. I'll keep you posted as I become an "expert" scheduler, office manager, accounts manager, and more! Funny note- I am learning how teeth are numbered (or lettered if the patient is a child), the names of tooth surfaces, and the various dental procedures (and more!) almost at the same time Kent is learning them in school! (Side note from Kent: That was the first 5 minutes of class on my first day!... :) ) God works in mysterious ways!!! :)

  

GRIFFINews

 Since it has been a while...I'm going to give you a quick update on what we've been up to lately...

*Katie and Mom helped move us in July 9-11

*Tori Swinehart came to visit July 15-17

*Mom & Dad (Griffin) came to visit us July 22-25

*We went to the Memphis Zoo on July 27- Tuesdays are FREE for TN residents! Yipee! :)

*Kent started dental school on Aug 2

*Andy & Julianne came to visit us on Aug 5 & 8th on their way through Memphis to and from a wedding
*Kelly started work at a dental office on Aug 9

*Kelly went to Seattle on Aug 17 for Robby & Kendahl's wedding on Aug 20 (Kelly's brother & NEW sister-in-law!)
*Natasha Archie came to visit us on Aug 28

*Trip to Charleston for cousin Carly's wedding coming soon- Labor Day weekend!!! :)

*James 1:2-6*

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

From Oceans to Rivers

Team Griffin on the morning of the great move. Milo had no idea what was about to happen...

After traveling many miles, we are now settling in to our new home in Memphis, Tennessee. We absolutely LOVE it here! We will definitely miss having our own house, living so close by to many family members, the beach, our church, and the friends we made in FL. However, we feel so blessed to have had such a wonderful start to our 4 year tenure (or longer) in Memphis. My mom and sister Katie came with us to help us get moved in to our townhouse. They were such a big help! Moving is so much more work than you plan for ahead of time. Although, if you're smart enough to accept help, it isn't so bad! Thankfully, we had sweet family and neighbors that made moving out and moving in much easier. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work." This verse is so true, but I say four are better than two when it comes to moving! :)

Leaving our home in FL. Nice grass!

The drink of champions

We still have a little unpacking to do, but we really are down to the decorating details- the fun part! Our townhouse- lovingly dubbed "The House"-is part of a newer development in the South End/Arts District of downtown Memphis. We are surrounded by many older factories that have been renovated to be unique lofts and condo living spaces. The downtown trolley, farmers' market, and the Mississippi River are all only a couple blocks away from us! Kent, my Mom, Katie, and I all took a walk along the Mississippi River at sunset the other night. So much fun! There is a beautiful park that runs along the river that is accessible right by our house! We are very excited about this new home God has blessed us with. Milo (our kitty) enjoys "The House" too. This is his first experience with wooden stairs, and first time in Tennessee. He bounds up and down the stairs like it's a game- so cute!

Coming into Nashville in perfect formation

GRIFFINews: Volume 2

July 21 - Brand new TV delivered! Kent's favorite day so far :)

July 22 - Griffin parents arrive for their first visit to The House

July 25 - Third Sunday church hopping

August 2 - Dental school begins, Sleeping-in ends

August 17-22 - Kelly travels to Seattle for Robby and Kendahl's wedding

We are the Griffins

Hello!

Kent and I are excited to share a little insight into our lives and the journey on which the Lord is taking us. We are closing in on our first anniversary of marriage on July 10th, 2010. It is such a blessing that we get to share life together and call each other husband and wife. As the engraving says on Kent's wedding ring, "My love is mine and I am his" (Song of Solomon 2:16). This love we have for each other originates from a love for Christ and His love for us. We have accepted Christ and His sacrifice for us, and now we are His, completely. Jesus Christ offers His love to us freely, and we want to honor Him with our lives in return.

Romans 12:1 says "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship."
In my own words, this verse reminds me that...
1. I need to offer my life completely to God
2. I have that opportunity only because God has had mercy on me- praise Him for that!
3. I am considered holy and pleasing to God because Jesus died for me
4. The offering of my life is a way to worship Him for all He has done for me

Thank you for visiting our blog. We are Kent and Kelly Griffin, and we want to love you by sharing what God is doing in our lives. I must tell you that there is another, furrier Griffin in our family. His name is Milo Yeez Griffin. He is 4lbs, orange striped, walks on 4 legs, and has a long tail that has its own name- Otis. Milo and Otis keep us very entertained on a daily basis. His favorite trick is to bite our toes in the morning so that we wake up to play with him. It's one of Kent's favorite things...NOT! :) At the end of every blog, I plan to give you a quick "GRIFFINews" section with brief points about what we are up to. Here is our first one!

GRIFFINews
July 1-5 Vacation with the Griffin Parents in Daytona
July 6 Rent and pack up our U-Haul in Clearwater
July 7 Move from Florida to Tennessee
July 8 Move in to "The House" in Memphis, TN
July 29 Kent's first day of Orientation at UT Health & Science Center
August 2 Kent's first day of Dental School!!!