We pray that all had a blessed Christmas and are enjoying the hopefulness of this new year. In finally taking a moment out of the hustle and bustle of the Advent and Christmas season to catch our breath and reflect upon the past year, it is important to first, sincerely offer up any and all of our suffering for the good of souls, and second, take inventory of and give thanks for all of our blessings.
Our newest release “Under the Weight of the Cross” has been and continues to be a poignant reminder of the inescapable harsh reality of sin and its effect in our lives. More importantly, it is a reminder of where we need to keep our focus, our hope, and our trust at all times despite our sufferings. Since the official launch of our new music venture near the end of last year, life has already been rather relentless in its effort to disappoint us and derail our progress. On top of an inherently busy Christmas season, we were challenged with having to work through the loss of a dear brother-in-law. We would appreciate your prayers for the soul of Kevin Stepp and for his family. Despite having to shift many schedules and coordinate many flights, the Schutte family was able to be together to love and support each other and say farewell to our dear brother. A real blessing indeed.
This loss prevented us from being able to attend the SEEK young adult conference this new year. On top of taking a sizable hit to our marketing budget, we missed an opportunity to capitalize on an avenue that would have potentially exposed our music to tens of thousands of young Catholic adults. In balance, this situation gave us the opportunity to prove where our loyalty and trust lies, in family and God, not music and renown. It really is a no-brainer. As always, God made good of a bad situation and connected us with a young man named Bobby Kenney who runs a tremendous ministry called “You Are Loved.” Not only was he able use our booth to share his ministry, but he was kind enough to provide us a small presence at the conference. Praise God!
Offering
Lord, we unite all of our suffering to yours on the cross. Take the pain of our losses, both personal and financial, and use it for the good of all souls, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Thanksgiving
Lord, thank you for the gift of Kevin in our lives for over 33 years, for the gift of our music, and for all of the people you help our music reach. We trust our lives and our music completely to you. Help us be a light to others for your glory, by first loving our families, and second, faithfully accomplishing the work you have given us by constantly sacrificing our wills and desires to your most perfect will and desire.