Today it is 8 years since we had our first Finding His Purpose group meeting. Our first meeting at Calvary Chapel Melbourne was on January 23, 2014. It is hard to believe that so many years have passed already. The start of Finding His Purpose was a desire of my husband John after God put it in his heart to start a group for others dealing with the challenges of disability and pain. I was really just along for the ride first but very soon became involved in planning and knew God wanted us to step out and lead this group. We struggled over the right name but during the first stages of planning we heard God clearly that this group couldn’t just be called a “disability” group but deserved a special name. The name needed to be something that showed what we wanted to accomplish and present a hope for the future. John’s favorite Bible verse has always been Romans 8:28. “ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” We started to think about that verse and what it was saying to us. We realized that we wanted people to find purpose even now after an illness or injury may have changed their lives. We wanted them to have hope and know that God could make something good out of their pain and suffering. God could give them a purpose. Finding His Purpose fit that perfectly and we were very steadfast on keeping that name. We did come up against some opposition but stood our ground and glad we did.

We were very blessed to have them make a logo for us too. There were a couple of choices but not really what I had in mind. The picture with the pottery in the hands didn’t seem quite right but God quickly showed me that it was exactly what the group was about. It was a powerful example of how God makes each of us unique and molds us into what he wants us to be. God is the one who makes us who we are. He gives us the opportunity to change our hearts and attitude into something beautiful. If we are in pain or disabled in some way we are so valuable and precious to Him. We still can do so much to serve the family of God. We have the ability to pray for others and encourage them in their journey. The journey our Finding His Purpose friends are on might be much more challenging than for others but it is also so rewarding when we are victorious.

God works all things for our good. We must love Him and trust Him. It may not always be evident that God is working it out but we have found if you continue to trust and follow Him, you will be able to look back and see where God has truly been at work.

We give God all the glory for everything He has done at Finding His Purpose. We thank Him for all the people who have joined the group through the years. We ask him to bless their lives and keep them moving forward. We so appreciate the amazing co- leaders and Pastor leaders along the way. We could not have done it without you. Thank you for serving with us. Pray for us as we continue to put God first and serve at Finding His Purpose. John and Cynthia Miller