Keeping Up With the Roberts Family
Each month Cliff and Denise Roberts write home to their high desert family at New Life Fellowship to share all the happenings in their lives and their new church community. We look forward to posting their spiritual insights as they continue walking with the Lord in Lakeland, Tennessee.
januaRy: Tenative expectation
Welcome to another year, y’all! I’ll be perfectly honest here, but I kinda feel like my “new year” already started a while back. I’m certainly not trying to get ahead of myself, but I feel like the Lord began preparing me for 2026 many weeks and even months ago. Y’know how when those “suddenly” moments happen and then you realize what all the other events, encounters, steps of obedience and leaps of faith were all leading up to? Yeah, it’s kinda been like a lot of those seemingly unconnected yet Spirit-led steps recently, and now I’m waiting for His…”suddenly”. I don’t think 12:01am on 01/01/2026 is the launch date of anything particularly significant, but His consistent responses to my questions for the past few months have usually included references to “preparation”. So, my heart is tentatively expecting…something…and that’s about as much as I’ve got at this point. Maybe 2026? Maybe tomorrow? Maybe five years down the road? And with that, welcome to the same page of the book that I’m reading from. Thanks for joining me!
How exactly do you prepare for something that you’ve got no idea about? Some of this reminds me of the many months leading up to our move here to Lakeland. There was an ever-growing sense that God was leading us into big changes, but we had no idea what those were, and no clue that He would move us 1700 miles across the country to a place we’d never been. Some of this feels like the time prior to joining Tom and Pentecost Walk and our thousands of miles prayerwalking across the nation. For weeks I sensed the Lord preparing me for clear direction in the seasons ahead, until “suddenly”, it was crystal clear what my next steps were supposed to be. Some of this is reminiscent of how He brought me to New Life Fellowship in Barstow, CA. I was doing my best to stay faithful where He had called me—and then “suddenly”, He spoke to me at summer camp. And “suddenly”, a phone call from a pastor in Barstow quickened everything in my spirit about what God was calling me to do. And “suddenly”…and “suddenly”…and “suddenly”…that sorta just became the routine. He interrupts me often enough that you’d think I’d have figured that all out by now, huh?
I don’t know when the next “suddenly” is coming, but it’s definitely coming, and sooner than it was yesterday. If He wants me preparing specifically, I trust that He’ll give building instructions for an ark as He did with Noah. If He wants to interrupt my plans, I expect that the Holy Spirit will forbid me from pursuing even my best intentions like He did with Paul. If He wants me to get up and get going, then I believe that He’ll promise to show the way like He did with Abraham. If He wants to change the approach and do it differently this time, then He’ll speak and expect me to listen just as He did with Joshua. Scripture is filled with examples of God interrupting the routine day-to-day of various people to move them forward along His plans, His way, in His perfect timing.
My sense for 2026 is that “suddenly” moments are going to become the routine more than the exception. I think that’s what this season of preparation is actually preparing me for. I wish it was more specific, more linear, and that I knew more about the WHAT and the WHEN and the HOW. But I guess I’ll just have to settle for following the One Who’s never led me astray, never failed, never broken a promise, never been caught off guard or surprised, and never stopped being perfect in every way. My job isn’t to figure it all out, but only to stay humble enough to respond with obedience when I don’t feel like it. I can’t busy myself so much that I fail to pause, listen and hear Him. I mustn’t hesitate, but I also need to wait as He fills each one of my breaths with oxygen. I want to live in expectation of His “suddenly”, surprised as always when it shows up seemingly out of nowhere but with His perfect timing. I want to live anticipating that with faith and hope and eagerness that never gets exhausted or tired of waiting. May 2026 be a year filled with “suddenly” moments that in 2027 I’m able to look back on and see how He has orchestrated them all and coordinated them perfectly.
And with that, I’m gonna wrap this up here. We’ve got friends arriving for New Year’s Eve, some games waiting for us to break them open and have some fun, plenty of coffee and snacks to enjoy, and as usual, Justice has a friend over spending the night here. It’s another day full of friends and lots of opportunities to disciple, encourage, minister and rejoice. We are so blessed by the richness of His love evident by the people He’s surrounded us with and the like-heartedness we share with one another. His body is truly glorious in His arrangement of all its parts. We’re also thankful for our church family in Barstow and across the country. Just this morning I was out walking and praying for folks at New Life in Barstow. Monday I walked by our friends’ house around the corner from us and was praying for them. We’re surrounded by people we love and connected to family we don’t get to see as often as we’d like. But you’re on our minds and in our hearts regularly, and it’s a constant reminder to me that if I’m thinking about you, then He most certainly is as well.
On behalf of all eight of us Roberts here in Lakeland, TN, THANK YOU for partnering with us as we pursue the Lord here in Memphis. Many of you continue to reach out in texts, emails and chats on the phone, and we’re so grateful for technology that helps us stay connected. Thank you as well for your regular prayers for our family. It’s so encouraging to know that just as He reminds us to pray for others, we’re the recipients of those reminders in other people’s lives as well. Man, He is such a good God! And for those who support us financially, we are humbled beyond words. God provides for us beyond our means, but He does it so faithfully, and uses others to be such an important part of that. We trust Him for His provision and strive to be good stewards of what He’s given us. For all of the love you express to us in so many ways, THANK YOU. For anyone reading this and wanting to send financial gifts, please do so through newlifebarstow.com/give using the drop-down for Missions—The Roberts Family.
As a sorta last-minute heads up for many of you, our email newsletter will be making some adjustments as well this year. Denise has been working on a personal web site which will be up and running in the near future. We’ll send out emails from that address, and will be communicating how to join/follow/stay in touch as well. For now, it’s still the old-fashioned way: send me a text, call my wife, email me at godurmyall@hotmail.com or reach any of us in any of the usual ways, and we’ll add you to our monthly email list. Don’t worry, it’s the exact same content as what gets posted on New Life’s “Keeping Up With The Roberts” page at https://newlifebarstow.com/keeping-up-with-the-roberts And yes, we are way high-tech and super media savvy exactly like you’d assume we are. HA! Happy 2026 and may your new year be filled with lots of His “suddenly” moments!
Love,
The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)
How exactly do you prepare for something that you’ve got no idea about? Some of this reminds me of the many months leading up to our move here to Lakeland. There was an ever-growing sense that God was leading us into big changes, but we had no idea what those were, and no clue that He would move us 1700 miles across the country to a place we’d never been. Some of this feels like the time prior to joining Tom and Pentecost Walk and our thousands of miles prayerwalking across the nation. For weeks I sensed the Lord preparing me for clear direction in the seasons ahead, until “suddenly”, it was crystal clear what my next steps were supposed to be. Some of this is reminiscent of how He brought me to New Life Fellowship in Barstow, CA. I was doing my best to stay faithful where He had called me—and then “suddenly”, He spoke to me at summer camp. And “suddenly”, a phone call from a pastor in Barstow quickened everything in my spirit about what God was calling me to do. And “suddenly”…and “suddenly”…and “suddenly”…that sorta just became the routine. He interrupts me often enough that you’d think I’d have figured that all out by now, huh?
I don’t know when the next “suddenly” is coming, but it’s definitely coming, and sooner than it was yesterday. If He wants me preparing specifically, I trust that He’ll give building instructions for an ark as He did with Noah. If He wants to interrupt my plans, I expect that the Holy Spirit will forbid me from pursuing even my best intentions like He did with Paul. If He wants me to get up and get going, then I believe that He’ll promise to show the way like He did with Abraham. If He wants to change the approach and do it differently this time, then He’ll speak and expect me to listen just as He did with Joshua. Scripture is filled with examples of God interrupting the routine day-to-day of various people to move them forward along His plans, His way, in His perfect timing.
My sense for 2026 is that “suddenly” moments are going to become the routine more than the exception. I think that’s what this season of preparation is actually preparing me for. I wish it was more specific, more linear, and that I knew more about the WHAT and the WHEN and the HOW. But I guess I’ll just have to settle for following the One Who’s never led me astray, never failed, never broken a promise, never been caught off guard or surprised, and never stopped being perfect in every way. My job isn’t to figure it all out, but only to stay humble enough to respond with obedience when I don’t feel like it. I can’t busy myself so much that I fail to pause, listen and hear Him. I mustn’t hesitate, but I also need to wait as He fills each one of my breaths with oxygen. I want to live in expectation of His “suddenly”, surprised as always when it shows up seemingly out of nowhere but with His perfect timing. I want to live anticipating that with faith and hope and eagerness that never gets exhausted or tired of waiting. May 2026 be a year filled with “suddenly” moments that in 2027 I’m able to look back on and see how He has orchestrated them all and coordinated them perfectly.
And with that, I’m gonna wrap this up here. We’ve got friends arriving for New Year’s Eve, some games waiting for us to break them open and have some fun, plenty of coffee and snacks to enjoy, and as usual, Justice has a friend over spending the night here. It’s another day full of friends and lots of opportunities to disciple, encourage, minister and rejoice. We are so blessed by the richness of His love evident by the people He’s surrounded us with and the like-heartedness we share with one another. His body is truly glorious in His arrangement of all its parts. We’re also thankful for our church family in Barstow and across the country. Just this morning I was out walking and praying for folks at New Life in Barstow. Monday I walked by our friends’ house around the corner from us and was praying for them. We’re surrounded by people we love and connected to family we don’t get to see as often as we’d like. But you’re on our minds and in our hearts regularly, and it’s a constant reminder to me that if I’m thinking about you, then He most certainly is as well.
On behalf of all eight of us Roberts here in Lakeland, TN, THANK YOU for partnering with us as we pursue the Lord here in Memphis. Many of you continue to reach out in texts, emails and chats on the phone, and we’re so grateful for technology that helps us stay connected. Thank you as well for your regular prayers for our family. It’s so encouraging to know that just as He reminds us to pray for others, we’re the recipients of those reminders in other people’s lives as well. Man, He is such a good God! And for those who support us financially, we are humbled beyond words. God provides for us beyond our means, but He does it so faithfully, and uses others to be such an important part of that. We trust Him for His provision and strive to be good stewards of what He’s given us. For all of the love you express to us in so many ways, THANK YOU. For anyone reading this and wanting to send financial gifts, please do so through newlifebarstow.com/give using the drop-down for Missions—The Roberts Family.
As a sorta last-minute heads up for many of you, our email newsletter will be making some adjustments as well this year. Denise has been working on a personal web site which will be up and running in the near future. We’ll send out emails from that address, and will be communicating how to join/follow/stay in touch as well. For now, it’s still the old-fashioned way: send me a text, call my wife, email me at godurmyall@hotmail.com or reach any of us in any of the usual ways, and we’ll add you to our monthly email list. Don’t worry, it’s the exact same content as what gets posted on New Life’s “Keeping Up With The Roberts” page at https://newlifebarstow.com/keeping-up-with-the-roberts And yes, we are way high-tech and super media savvy exactly like you’d assume we are. HA! Happy 2026 and may your new year be filled with lots of His “suddenly” moments!
Love,
The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)
One nice thing about kids getting older is that there are fewer presents to wrap at Christmas.
What used to take 30 minutes waiting for them to pass out all of the little trinkets
and kiddie toys now is over with in like 30 seconds!
You want 37 different LEGO minifigures, 15 stuffed animals, more action figures and Star Wars toys
to go with the horde you’ve already amassed for the past several years? Umm…okay.
OR…you want a pair of headphones? Done! Merry Christmas
What used to take 30 minutes waiting for them to pass out all of the little trinkets
and kiddie toys now is over with in like 30 seconds!
You want 37 different LEGO minifigures, 15 stuffed animals, more action figures and Star Wars toys
to go with the horde you’ve already amassed for the past several years? Umm…okay.
OR…you want a pair of headphones? Done! Merry Christmas
Behold, the giant panda stalking its prey. Two unsuspecting brothers sit innocently
just moments before the giant panda pounces on them!
Oh wait, it’s just a massive stuffed animal that takes up half their bedroom now.
Great, ‘cuz you know that’s all we need around here is EVEN MORE stuffed animals. Ha!
just moments before the giant panda pounces on them!
Oh wait, it’s just a massive stuffed animal that takes up half their bedroom now.
Great, ‘cuz you know that’s all we need around here is EVEN MORE stuffed animals. Ha!
Off-centered, Purity’s outta town, Christmas laser lights are spotting our faces, and a dry,
drooping Christmas tree in the background? Yeah, it’s the perfect New Year’s Eve picture!
(It’s also evidence that I’m not a frequent social media guy, or I’d be way better at this stuff.)
drooping Christmas tree in the background? Yeah, it’s the perfect New Year’s Eve picture!
(It’s also evidence that I’m not a frequent social media guy, or I’d be way better at this stuff.)