A young man recently got ahold of me to tell me he had found something on his newly acquired wooded property. He said, “You’ve got to see this!” It was a golf ball from a fund-raising golf tournament we had 28 years ago. The interesting part of all of this was that he had just purchased the property, found it in the middle of his woods, and there wasn’t a golf course for miles around. How it got there, we’ll never know. And even though the ball had aged a bit and carried an old, old Heartlight logo… it was really still just as good as it was years ago.

At times, I feel the same way. I wonder how we “got here.” From 38 years ago to now has been a long winding road, full of ups and downs, tears and laughter, and overwhelming challenges we never thought we would face. The last couple of years have certainly added their share. My “almost drowning” incident, my kidney transplant, being out of pocket for a season, and then my daughter Melissa’s kidney transplant. My son Adam donated a kidney to me, and Melissa’s husband, Blake, donated one to her… Needless to say, our family was a little incapacitated for a while. Family challenges have a way of reverberating throughout everyone involved.

And yet, through it all, just like that old golf ball, we’re still here. In fact, we’re doing better than ever.

It’s amazing to me how a small dirty golf ball found in the middle of nowhere can take me back and cause the reflections it has. Heartlight and all the outreach activities we now enjoy, parenting books, conferences, radio programs, podcasts, speaking engagements, specialty retreats, videos, social media outreach, and so much more… all happened after that golf ball was created with that old logo. A lot has changed over the years, but the mission has remained the same: helping parents and teens find hope in difficult circumstances.

As I look through the pages of this newsletter, I’m reminded of just how much has happened in the past several months. You’ll read about conferences where parents gathered to gain new tools and encouragement. You’ll see highlights from specialty retreats serving families facing unique challenges. You’ll catch a glimpse of our team connecting with counselors, church leaders, and ministry partners from around the country… You’ll also see how new opportunities from podcasts and video resources to expanded outreach efforts, are allowing us to reach families far beyond the Heartlight campus.

None of this happens because of one person. It happens because of a community of people who believe that struggling teens deserve help, parents deserve encouragement, and families deserve hope. For nearly four decades, people like you have helped make that possible.

So, as you flip through these pages, I hope you’ll celebrate with us. I hope you’ll be encouraged by what God continues to do through this ministry. And I hope you’ll find a few ways to stay connected, get involved, and continue partnering with us as we serve families in a broken world.

Thanks for taking this journey with us. The ministry remains just as exciting and full of purpose as it was when that golf ball first took flight all those years ago.

Gratefully,