#WEAREREDWOOD
HELLO!
My name is Jonathan Nalywaiko. I live in Rohnert Park with my wonderful wife Shanna and our two kids Jaden (12) and Addison (7) and my parents Victor and Katherine. We are a multiple generational family living together. We have attended Redwood since I was in Jr. High.
Pastor Scott Peterson has been a mentor of mine since we first started attending Redwood. He officiated our wedding and baptized both our daughters.
I have worked here at Redwood as a children’s director for about two years.
Before that I was deployed to Kuwait, and before that I was bouncing around the West Coast working in many different churches in many different capacities.
From associate pastor, middle school director to all kinds of in between.
My wife is not only an amazing wife and Mother but she also does daycare out of our home and managed to find time to be a designer for a scrapbook company And writing and posting tutorials on her blog Shanna's Blog
and She also leads a group “Journaling Bible Community” on Facebook group
Needless to say we are a busy family and appreciate the down time that we get.
“Therefore, if anyone is united with the Anointed One, that person is a new creation. The old life is gone—and sees—a new life has begun! All of this is a gift from our Creator God, who has pursued us and brought us into a restored and healthy relationship with Him through the Anointed. And He has given us the same mission, the ministry of reconciliation, to bring others back to Him.”
While this verse speaks directly to when we live in Christ and find new life as a Christian, I also feel it is applicable in other seasons of life as well. When you get married the old life has gone and a new life has begun. When you have a child the old life of sleeping the night has gone and a new life has begun.
While in my life I have definitely felt the “gift of new creation” and, at times, reconciliation though I have not always been ready for it.
Recently this verse speaks to me in a new way. On September 20th I was officially released from my military service after 13 years. While a new life has begun on some level it really is my life continuing without the military in it. When I returned home from deployment I really felt a new life had begun. I was away from my family for over a year doing my own thing; eating when I wanted, being told where to go, and when to go, etc. All things in my life were controlled. What got me through that was the thought of returning to a family that loved me and a new job with my longtime mentor at a church that thrives on allowing others to experience that new creation of being in Christ.
Be encouraged. Be forgiving. Above all, allow yourself to be new In Christ.
The Voice Bible is a Poetic way to rad and hear the scripture.
and 
each and everyday. 