Michael and I had the most amazing thing happen to us today! We were laughing out loud in bewilderment and joy. God shows up in some pretty bizarre and unexpected ways, but this is a way we would have never expected. I'm pretty sure some of you may not even believe me.
So, Michael has been out of the Air Force since December 1st. Finding another job has been a little more difficult than we expected for him. Here it is almost February and still no job. We have done a few things to keep us afloat financially, but we finally decided it is important to at least get health care for the kids and get some help financially for food. Well, talk about the hardest decision ever and definitely a most humbling experience for us. It's really hard to even write this blog and tell everyone about it because some things you just don't want people to know. But the amazing-ness of the situation requires that I let you all know about it!
We are sitting in the lobby waiting to be seen by the social worker doubting as to if we even really need to be there. Out comes our social worker who is the kindest woman on the planet! (She was Papa to me, if any of you have read The Shack...if you haven't, never mind) We go to her office and she made a simple comment about having to pray herself through the day today to be able to work with some of the clients who come in. Michael says, "I'm so glad you pray. What church do you go to?" So, this swings wide open a door that probably is not usually opened in the welfare office. We start talking about our respective churches, then we start talking about ministry, then we start telling her about getting out of the Air Force and feeling a call on our lives to minister in Grand Forks, and really living on faith right now. She opens up to us about how she and her husband are about to get out of the Air Force in a few months, feel called to minister in Grand Forks, and will soon be stepping out on faith. She tells us that God totally brought us into her office today to bless her and encourage her with our faith journey. Michael and I get tears in our eyes as we realize our stories and lives are parallel with this sweet precious woman and her husband. God has us both on the same track and now He has brought us together in her office. Seriously?
I don't know how big the god you serve is, but mine is HUGE! He is ever-present (even in the welfare office), He cares about every little detail of our lives, He orchestrates the most amazing things. Our caseworker prayed with us, encouraged us, and just became a good friend to us easing our minds about this humbling experience we are in. And we were able to bless her life by encouraging her, giving her advice on getting out of the Air Force, and showing her that living on faith isn't so bad! She went on and on about how great God is and how amazing it was that we were put together today to lift each other up! I hugged my sister in Christ before we left. I truly felt that God gave me the biggest bear hug and again provided provision for my family in some awesome ways.
I blogged the other day about making your work your ministry and doing everything as if doing it for God. Well, I met a lady today who's work is her ministry. And she ministered to us in a most amazing way. Because she was obedient to God, we ALL got a blessing. She told me to go home and look up a song "Here I Am" by Marvin Sapp. Enjoy it, as I have this evening relishing in the fact that I spent a few hours in God's presence today in the social services department at the courthouse. God meets our need wherever we may be. Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart."
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Saving the World
I was reading an article this morning entitled "Finding God's Will for Your Career". This article intrigued me since my husband is currently at a job interview and I'm in prayer for God's will to come through loud and clear to him. I've also been praying for God's will to come through loud and clear to myself about what I need to be doing in life. I have been called by God to minister to children at my church. A wonderful, awesome job....be it only part time. I have also been called by God to be a mommy to my own children. A wonderful, awesome job...be it something I work for free. I have been called by God to babysit my sweet godson, Charlie. Another wonderful, awesome job.
Sometimes I lose focus on my calling and start thinking how much money I could be making if I was out using the degree I went to college for! But God always brings me back to where He has called me. Then I read this article, and everything made sense to me! Maybe it will help make sense to you, too, if you are struggling with what God wants for your life.
Interestingly, it's not all about the money! Actually, it's NOTHING about the money you can make in life. For actually, you can't take that with you when you go. But what you do in life should 100 percent matter for God's Kingdom. There is Kingdom purpose even in the ordinary, mundane jobs of life. Colossians 3:23 says "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." It's all about your perspective and seeing that what you do really CAN matter for God if you allow it to.
A well known Christian thinker once said that our mission in life is not to "save the world", but to just do your part in saving the world. We are all a part of the whole body of Christ. The mouth can't be fed unless the hands do their part. The body can't get where it needs to go unless the feet and legs do their part. And then all together we can save the world! Let what you do in life matter knowing that you are doing your part for the Kingdom.
I'm raising my children and my godson to be valuable vessels to be used by God. Raising them to be obedient, rule-followers, strong, and confident children of God. I'm teaching the children at my church that following God is fun and exciting! And above all I'm teaching them all to LOVE deeply! In the grand scheme of things I'm just a small part in the body, but I'm doing my part. And I'm doing it contently and giving it my all! I am living in God's will. Even though I'm not rolling in the dough, God is providing all I need through my obedience. And He even provides me with a little extra to bless others.
My prayer is that you find joy, peace, and contentment in your job today, whatever your job is. I pray that you are doing it wholeheartedly as if doing it for God. Whether you are feeding the poor, cooking for children at a school, teaching, working on a budget, nursing people back to health, being a mommy or a daddy, cutting hair, interviewing for a new job, working on a sermon, or making lunch for a group of friends may you do it all as if doing it for God. It will make a difference, for everything we do matters to God!
Let your life matter today! Let's go save the world...together!
Source:
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/career-money/features/24168-finding-gods-will-for-your-career
Sometimes I lose focus on my calling and start thinking how much money I could be making if I was out using the degree I went to college for! But God always brings me back to where He has called me. Then I read this article, and everything made sense to me! Maybe it will help make sense to you, too, if you are struggling with what God wants for your life.
Interestingly, it's not all about the money! Actually, it's NOTHING about the money you can make in life. For actually, you can't take that with you when you go. But what you do in life should 100 percent matter for God's Kingdom. There is Kingdom purpose even in the ordinary, mundane jobs of life. Colossians 3:23 says "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." It's all about your perspective and seeing that what you do really CAN matter for God if you allow it to.
A well known Christian thinker once said that our mission in life is not to "save the world", but to just do your part in saving the world. We are all a part of the whole body of Christ. The mouth can't be fed unless the hands do their part. The body can't get where it needs to go unless the feet and legs do their part. And then all together we can save the world! Let what you do in life matter knowing that you are doing your part for the Kingdom.
I'm raising my children and my godson to be valuable vessels to be used by God. Raising them to be obedient, rule-followers, strong, and confident children of God. I'm teaching the children at my church that following God is fun and exciting! And above all I'm teaching them all to LOVE deeply! In the grand scheme of things I'm just a small part in the body, but I'm doing my part. And I'm doing it contently and giving it my all! I am living in God's will. Even though I'm not rolling in the dough, God is providing all I need through my obedience. And He even provides me with a little extra to bless others.
My prayer is that you find joy, peace, and contentment in your job today, whatever your job is. I pray that you are doing it wholeheartedly as if doing it for God. Whether you are feeding the poor, cooking for children at a school, teaching, working on a budget, nursing people back to health, being a mommy or a daddy, cutting hair, interviewing for a new job, working on a sermon, or making lunch for a group of friends may you do it all as if doing it for God. It will make a difference, for everything we do matters to God!
Let your life matter today! Let's go save the world...together!
Source:
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/career-money/features/24168-finding-gods-will-for-your-career
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Manna
So, God gives me things to research when He's trying to teach me something. A word will just keep cycling through my brain until I really sit down and research it and figure out what it is God is saying to me. My most recent word has been "manna".
In Exodus is when this word first came about. The Israelites had been freed from slavery and were camping out in the wilderness trying to get to their next location when they discovered they had no food! If God had freed them from slavery was He going to provide for them or were they just sent to the wilderness to starve to death? Silly Israelites. Well, I call them silly because I can read on and see all the amazing ways that God provided for them. I can see that God rained down a white substance (manna) from the sky that was a food provision for them. He even rained down quail for them for meat. Later, they begin to complain again and wish for the yummy fish they used to get when they were slaves. They start complaining and wanting things the way they used to be.
Well, God is good. He knows not only what we need, but things we would like as well. Not only CAN He supply our needs, but He truly wants to! But we can't complain about the manna. Complaining is a sin of rejection toward God. We instinctively resist a style of life that requires us to trust in God DAILY for our provisions. We want to see in advance what we have, what we WILL have, to make sure our needs are being met. During this time of the manna, God was training His people to live a life of faith.
Well, I could write an entire book about faith! But I'll just stick to a blog. Here's my modern day manna story. From my last blog, I told you all the provisions that God provided for my family in December! We were blessed beyond our wildest dreams by family and friends sending us gift cards to help us out with our "provisions". Some of our dearest friends brought us a Christmas ham. Not just a little ham, but probably the biggest one they could find! I swear it was 20 pounds or so! Needless to say, we ate ham for about 2 weeks! I got creative and found tons of great recipes for making ham. But after a week and a half we were getting a little tired of ham! Asking what was for dinner one evening, Michael jokingly asked if it was ham again? I told him, "Do NOT complain about the manna!" That is now our little joke about how God brought manna to our household.
We are still relying daily on God for our provisions. Unemployment does not pay nearly what we need to make ends meet, but God is still good. We've learned that after our bills are paid, we really don't "need" much of anything. We can even swing it to eat out at times...on the 99 cent menu and sharing sodas. God is providing us opportunities to earn money that is usually just enough for our grocery bill. It's truly amazing. We aren't hurting and we definitely aren't poor! But we are DAILY trusting and living on faith and manna. There are still a few things we are waiting for God to show us how to manage financially, but we are more than positive that needs will be met. He was faithful before, He'll be faithful again. And again. And again.
I hope you don't have so much in your life that you can't see the manna that God is providing for you. Everything we have is such a blessing! We don't take a dime for granted anymore and my prayer is that you will see God's provisions in everything in your life, too! I'm sure you have a warm house, a warm bed, and food on the table. You are blessed, loved, and highly favored by the Most High God. Whether or not you see it, you are.
Thank you God for two weeks of ham. Ham casserole, Ham and Potato Soup, Ham Sandwiches, Ham and Eggs, etc. I'm looking forward to the next round of manna!
In Exodus is when this word first came about. The Israelites had been freed from slavery and were camping out in the wilderness trying to get to their next location when they discovered they had no food! If God had freed them from slavery was He going to provide for them or were they just sent to the wilderness to starve to death? Silly Israelites. Well, I call them silly because I can read on and see all the amazing ways that God provided for them. I can see that God rained down a white substance (manna) from the sky that was a food provision for them. He even rained down quail for them for meat. Later, they begin to complain again and wish for the yummy fish they used to get when they were slaves. They start complaining and wanting things the way they used to be.
Well, God is good. He knows not only what we need, but things we would like as well. Not only CAN He supply our needs, but He truly wants to! But we can't complain about the manna. Complaining is a sin of rejection toward God. We instinctively resist a style of life that requires us to trust in God DAILY for our provisions. We want to see in advance what we have, what we WILL have, to make sure our needs are being met. During this time of the manna, God was training His people to live a life of faith.
Well, I could write an entire book about faith! But I'll just stick to a blog. Here's my modern day manna story. From my last blog, I told you all the provisions that God provided for my family in December! We were blessed beyond our wildest dreams by family and friends sending us gift cards to help us out with our "provisions". Some of our dearest friends brought us a Christmas ham. Not just a little ham, but probably the biggest one they could find! I swear it was 20 pounds or so! Needless to say, we ate ham for about 2 weeks! I got creative and found tons of great recipes for making ham. But after a week and a half we were getting a little tired of ham! Asking what was for dinner one evening, Michael jokingly asked if it was ham again? I told him, "Do NOT complain about the manna!" That is now our little joke about how God brought manna to our household.
We are still relying daily on God for our provisions. Unemployment does not pay nearly what we need to make ends meet, but God is still good. We've learned that after our bills are paid, we really don't "need" much of anything. We can even swing it to eat out at times...on the 99 cent menu and sharing sodas. God is providing us opportunities to earn money that is usually just enough for our grocery bill. It's truly amazing. We aren't hurting and we definitely aren't poor! But we are DAILY trusting and living on faith and manna. There are still a few things we are waiting for God to show us how to manage financially, but we are more than positive that needs will be met. He was faithful before, He'll be faithful again. And again. And again.
I hope you don't have so much in your life that you can't see the manna that God is providing for you. Everything we have is such a blessing! We don't take a dime for granted anymore and my prayer is that you will see God's provisions in everything in your life, too! I'm sure you have a warm house, a warm bed, and food on the table. You are blessed, loved, and highly favored by the Most High God. Whether or not you see it, you are.
Thank you God for two weeks of ham. Ham casserole, Ham and Potato Soup, Ham Sandwiches, Ham and Eggs, etc. I'm looking forward to the next round of manna!
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