Merry Christmas from the Adam Blumer Family

Most of you probably don’t know who I am, but that’s okay. I work behind the scenes here at SI and count it a privilege to serve in several capacities. I manage the author calendar for front-page articles, remind (and sometimes nag) authors about deadlines, post ads and send invoices to advertisers, and edit and post articles as I have time. I began serving SI last May after a big change in my life. (Left: Crisp Point Lighthouse, Lake Superior)

My family and I will remember 2006 as the year of colossal changes and challenges for us. The year began with a bang on Friday, January 13, when I learned about my May layoff from Northland Ministries (Dunbar, WI) due to financial pressures. (By the way, I still love and recommend Northland.) I’d served at Northland since 1995 by editing various publications for both the college and camp and by managing the college website.

I spent months contacting various ministries about editorial needs but found few leads. Then God opened the door for me to serve several ministries from home in an editorial capacity. One of those opportunities was SharperIron. Several ministry leaders also expressed an interest in my offer of ghostwriting, and I began editing books. None of the opportunities required relocating, and their timing was perfect as I concluded my ministry at Northland on May 31. (See my ministry website.)

But working at home meant I needed a home office. My parents and my wife’s parents offered to help renovate a basement rec room into an office, but during summer demolition, a relatively simple project mushroomed into something bigger when the removal of old ’70s paneling revealed a seeping basement foundation. Soon my dad and I were excavating the western foundation for repairs. Inside, a lot of elbow grease transformed lumber, insulation, electrical wiring, drywall, paint, and a new drop ceiling into an office that exceeded our expectations. (See pictures from the project.)

My wife, Kim, and I wish to thank our parents, Dick and Mary Melzer and Larry and Rhoda Blumer, for contributing untold effort, time, and finances to help us complete the project by September. We wish to thank Pastor Kevin Sullivan and his son, Joby, for applying two coats of mortar to the foundation. We also wish to thank several family members and anonymous donors who gave toward the project and toward BJU Press homeschooling curriculum for our daughter Laura’s year of kindergarten. Wow. What can we say? We are truly humbled by the sacrifices of so many on our behalf. They showed us the God who provides.

Now our crazy summer seems like a blur. I supplement the budget and my busy editing schedule by working part time as an early-morning FedEx package handler. Kim also gets up early to prepare for a busy day of homeschooling and assisting Shalom Ministries (Brooklyn, New York) as the secretary from our house. She also assists me (she has a B.A. in English) on several publications, and the two of us have enjoyed the unexpected blessing of working together as an editorial team. Both of us continue to serve in the music ministry at Family Baptist Church (Kingsford, MI).
My daughters, Laura (five) and Julia (two), have taken these lifestyle changes in stride. They enjoy interacting with me throughout the day (especially at lunchtime) almost as much as I enjoy interacting with them.

Though 2006 was a difficult year for us, we watched God “part the waters” more times than we can count. We consider ourselves blessed and are eager to see how He will provide future projects and finances. The year 2006 was a year of uncertainty, but we serve a certain God who orchestrates trials for one simple reason: He desires our devotion and removes our security in anything other than Him.

At Christmas, we can become so easily distracted by giving gifts to family and friends, but what are we giving our Father? What can we give Him as our “present” at Christmastime? As Christina Rossetti wrote, “[I can] give Him all my heart.” May your family enjoy a Christ-centered Christmas and New Year!

In His Grace,

Adam, Kim, Laura, and Julia Blumer