Wandering with Reckless Abandon

This evening I sent out my Christmas letter… I thought I might share it with y’all:

Merry Christmas!

As I type this, I am sitting in my office, soaking on the events of today, and the advent season. I was blessed to be able to spend the day with my parents, my sister, brother-in-law, and my yet to be born nephew. The traditional Steen family breakfast of creamed chip beef on waffles, exchanging of presents, followed by oysters and clams (it would seem that all we do around the holidays is eat).

I can not help but emerge from this Christmas feeling hopeful. The last few months have been a time of preparation for me and the rest of the team that will be planting The Garden Community in the coming months. It has been exciting to watch as a we have grown together and united behind a vision of seeing the city of Baltimore restored to a right relationship with her Creator.

As I look ahead to the first part of 2008 I am encouraged to know that the first of our team will be moving into Baltimore within the next forty-five days. While I am hopeful, I am also awed by the size of the task that lies in front of us. Over the next several months Joel and I will be working to develop the core team and raising the support necessary to see The Garden become a reality.

As a recipient of this email, you have been praying for me for quite a while now. You have prayed me through college (what a long hard job that was!), through all sorts of ministry adventures, and through the sabbath year that I am now emerging from. I want you to know that I am most grateful for your prayers. I would also like to go out on a limb and ask you to continue to pray, and pray fervently for this next season of my life. As you know, the last thing that the enemy wants is a thriving faith community in a city where he has a stronghold. As Joel, the team, and I enter into this crazy adventure I expect that the enemy will be throwing anything and everything that he has against us. I ask that you will be in prayer for us as we create the foundation from which The Garden Community will be built.

On a more personal note, I would ask that you would be praying for the relationship that has been developing between a charming young lady from Long Island and I. T and I have been dating for several months now, and she will be moving into Baltimore towards the end of January to be a part of this new adventure (and because I think she might just like me). She has been a staff member with a ministry to college students, and works part time as a CPA. Her employers have been highly supportive of her upcoming move, allowing her to work out of a home office once she gets settled down here. I would ask that you be praying for her as she adjusts to a new city, and continues to knit into the team. I would also ask that you be praying for her and I as we continue to grow together and see what the Lord has in store for our future together.

Again, thank you for your continued prayer for me, for Joel, and for The Garden Community. Your support for this endeavor is much needed, and much appreciated. If there is a way that we can return the favor and be in prayer for you, please let me know. You can keep up to date with my life by reading my blog, and in the very near future you can expect to see The Garden Community website up and running (we are ironing out a few details with the domain name right now).

Love,

Matt

Merry Christmas to all of you that come through these parts…