Merry Christmas from the Hines family to yours!

Christmas is always a great time to catch up on everyone’s life. It’s the time that we sit down and document what has happened over the past year. Well, I’ve been thinking about what has happened in our lives over the past 26 years– I’m only including the highlights and there is a point!

It was January 1983, Jim Hines was seriously thinking about moving to NYC, it was his dream. Mary Mahler was planning to move back to DC, in the meantime she was assigned to work as a temporary secretary at the office where Jim was working. They met on January 18^th, went out on their first date on January 25^th, and were married on June 25^th.

Michael was born on 10/26/84. Mary became a follower of Christ in early 1985. Sarah was born on 1/26/87. Jim became a follower on Christ in May of 1987. Charlie was born on 12/19/88. The Hines Family moved to Naples in 1991. Michael married Sarah Lynn Riger on 8/13/2006. Soren Paul Hines was born on 12/24/2008. Jim became Executive Director of SCPI (www.scpi.org) Saturation Church Planting International 6/1/2009. Jim, Mary & Sarah moved to NYC on December 2^nd!

Our odyssey is an amazing God story. He has been in the center of everything that we have done. We can honestly say that God orchestrated the events in our life so specifically that we know He wants us in NYC. Obeying Him and deciding to go was easy, trusting Him with all the details is hard. We miss Charlie, Michael, Sarah & Soren, we miss our friends, we miss our washer & dryer, etc. Naples has become our vacation destination of choice and we plan to visit often.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. (He rules and we can rest) And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor (He knows and understands everything we are going through), Mighty God(He is powerful enough to handle our struggles), Everlasting Father (there’s no end to His love), Prince of Peace (He alone can give us peace that is not dependent on our circumstances). Isaiah 9:5-7

This is why we celebrate Christmas and we wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year! Jim, & Mary Hines