Feeling Blessed

Last night I went outside to get some fresh air. It has been so hot out here and it was finally cooling down, so I put baby boy down for his bed time, got some ice water and sat on the ground taking in the cool air. It was so refreshing. I looked around me and noticed the stars were out, the moon was shining, there were twinkling lights from the airplanes, the tall trees around me, and the quiet, peaceful sound. It was so awesome. I sat there looking at the sky and thinking how small I am in comparison of things. I was thinking how nice it was to take a breather after going through the heat everyday. The thing that really got me was feeling so small. I then starting thinking, "Lord, how awesome is it that you use my husband and I for this ministry! Why did you pick us out of all the others to be called where we are and doing what we are doing? It is so awesome and we feel so privileged! Thank you, God for calling us to this ministry!" We are so happy and feel so blessed to be called to work with the poor and homeless. This isn't an easy ministry to have because you do have to have a lot of patience, you have to win their trust, you can't really make a living out of it financially, people fight you because they want you to live the American dream and have wrong ideas of what the homeless are like. But, that is okay because we know without question that God called us here to do exactly what we are doing. There is nothing better than following what God wants for you to do and see Him work through you than to live whatever everyone else wants you to do. He has blessed us so much and is continuing to bless.
Some things that has been happening....
1) we are continuing to pastor a small congregation that was started a couple years back. They are growing spiritually and reaching their neighbors
2) we have started meeting and having Bible studies at a state assistance living apartment. It is growing every week. This is a group that has loads of questions and it takes a lot of patience because some of them have disabilities that can make it challenging. This is a great thing that is going because some of them could not sit in a regular church service and get anything from it. They need things explained and feel free to ask questions during the teaching. They are really responding to it. My husband is such a great teacher and has a gift that God gave him to be able to do this.
3) the homeless ministry is going so well. They run up to my husband on the street, wanting to know if he is the pastor they have heard about. They don't want money, food, clothing, shelter, they only ask that he teach them. They want him with them everyday guiding them. How often do you hear that? They do have needs that we aren't able to give at this point, but their main thing is teaching and friendship.
So, please pray for these ministries that God has given to us to do. When Jesus was here on earth, He faced the same things we do. He was homeless himself and reached the homeless, the prostitutes, the disabled. He reached all of them. What a privileged to be called to the same. I am so excited to watch the change in these peoples lives.
We also feel blessed for the people God has surrounded us with. I am in such awe at how He works. I was thinking the other day how I would sit and listen to missionaries that came to my church when I was a child. I would love hearing their stories. I remember one particular missionary that came who said that they sacrificed in order to be where they were at. They would sit at the table with no food and thank God for the food He was going to provide them. They heard a knock at the door and there was food sitting there for them to eat. I heard that story and thought, "Wow! That would be neat to see that happen! I hope I can do that some day!" Well, it has happened. I don't live in another country far off, but our mission field is right here. We don't get paid for the ministry that we do. The only job that God has opened up for making any money is delivering flowers and papers. Well, this last month we didn't even make enough to pay for the whole rent much less the other bills and food. It was amazing because the food that we had in the refrigerator and cabinets seemed to stretch longer than usual. We were going to be with our stomachs growling, but we did have a little to eat. We were then completely out of everything and wasn't going to have anything to eat that night and a lady gave us a bag of rice, vegetables, and things. I didn't know what exactly I could do to make it last, but it did. It lasted all week and I was able to come up with different recipes. We were then out of that stuff and one day (all on the same day) we received a gift card to a grocery store that we can buy the kinds of things that I can eat because of my allergies, we got a check from someone that said they didn't know why, but God laid it on their heart to give, and then we received another check from a couple because they had heard baby boy was crying for banana's and we didn't have any. Wow! That was overwhelming and I just got on my knees and started crying because it was going to be enough money to buy another week of groceries and pay the bills that we had overdue. Praise God!
That isn't the end of the story though. I talked to a friend of mine who is selling all they have so they can go to Guatemala and help the poor there. They are selling all their possessions and moving with their 4 children with no support, but faith in God. I was asking her if they had a missions board that they were working through for support with finances. She said, no. They knew God wanted them there and He was going to take care of them. They have told people their needs and have a website to be able to give, but that is it. I told them what we were going through and she said she was going to tell her friends about us so they could pray. We were just excited about that. The next morning I received an email from a lady I don't even know, but is a friend of my friend and she said the day she received information about us and our ministry and needs, she had received money back that she over payed for her business and that check was ours. It was a check that will give us food for a couple weeks. Even right now as I write all this, I am in tears and filled with such thankfulness for these people in allowing God to work through them and for thankfulness in God calling us to this ministry and for taking care of us. As small as we are in comparison to this world and God's big creation and yet He takes care of little, ole me. WOW!
So, there you have it. Why do we feel blessed? We feel blessed because we were called to be His children. We were called to do this ministry. We have some great people who give us so much support and are coworkers in His Great Ministry. Thank you!

My Sweet Baby Girl

My baby girl had her birthday yesterday. She turned 11. It is so hard to believe how quickly she grew up. I was talking to someone recently and they said that it was so sad how fast their child was growing up. I said, "Yes, I understood that it was sad on one hand, but so exciting on the other." It is sad because you enjoy them so much as a baby and learning things, giving you hugs and kisses all the time, saying those cute little words when they are first talking, all those fun things. But, it is exciting because you are continuing to watch them grow into young ladies or young men. You are a little closer to seeing what they will grow up to be and what God has in store for their lives. You are a little closer to being and having a friend to talk to instead of a child who you have to raise up and not just be a buddy.
"Children are a blessing from the Lord."
She is such a wonderful daughter. I thank God everyday for the gift He gave me when He gave me her. She is very kindhearted, loving, giving, sharing, she accepts things as they come, she is dainty, she has so much faith, she can get along with any age a person she is around, and many more things. She has many qualities about her that a person could learn from. I have seen her go up and talk to little children that are way younger than she is, teenagers, young adults, older people. People have always said that she makes them feel so good and important. She will give people that are smelly and dirty back rubs. I have seen her when things are bad financially say, "Mom, it is going to be fine. God is going to provide what we need. Isn't that what you taught me?" I have seen her sale her favorite toys in order for others to receive what they needed. I have seen her use her money that she worked for and buy her little brother a toy or clothes. She is a wonderful young lady and I am so proud of her. She isn't perfect. Nobody is.
Yesterday, as I said earlier, was her birthday. She was so accepting and didn't complain once. She usually has her Mamaw here to celebrate with, but she was unable to come out this time. She said that was fine. She understood. She didn't get a gift from us because of our money situation right now and she was okay with that and never complained. She wanted her daddy to be home with her, but he couldn't take off of work. She didn't even know if she was going to have a meal or cake and never once pressured us or complained about it. She was so accepting of the whole thing. Well, we ended up that our church family insisted on giving us money for her birthday meal and a cake. She was so excited and joyful. She received a box from her Mamaw and enjoyed all the gifts she sent. We had fun in the evening as a family. I was so glad that God provided for this young lady to have a special day. She was well deserving of it and God is going to reward her one day.
I love you, sweet baby girl. You keep growing in the way of the Lord and He will bless you. I am so proud of you! Keep up the good work!

"It Isn't God I Don't Have Faith In, It Is The People"

Today was a reminder again to me of how we should listen for God's voice, obeying Him, and not passing judgement. Mike and I are having struggles in our life at the moment with finances. I never knew why we have always struggled and it seems to get worse at times. One of those times is right now. I can look back and thank Him for the struggles in the past now and see where He was working with showing us compassion for the poor and homeless so we would start this ministry. There is one thing that makes the struggle hard and that is when you get judged, put down, preached at, and just no support what so ever. When a person is going through these trials, they already are exhausted and weak. It isn't that they don't trust God and have faith in Him to provide. It isn't because they are doing something wrong. They may be doing everything they are suppose to be doing, but are you doing what God has called you to do? I was reminded of that very thing when my little boy pulled out the story of Job today and wanted me to read it. It was perfect timing for him to want that particular story read. It talked about how Satan wanted to get Job to worship him instead of God. He kept taking everything away from him, one at a time but pretty quick. He went through a lot. He had his nice home, his land, his money, his family, his health...everything was taken away. All the way through this, he kept praising God and never turned from Him. He wondered where God was at times, but never turned from God. The hardest and most aggravating thing that he probably went through though was when the people he was closest to started telling him that he had done something wrong. He had sinned. He wasn't living right. You need to do this and that. Why didn't they help him? Why didn't they encourage him? Why didn't they give him food? Why? Why didn't they let him stay with them? Why are we so quick to be so judgemental? I don't want to be like these friends. I want to be what Jesus asked us to be in loving one another and helping each other if it is at all possible. If you don't have a way of helping someone because you are strapped, then walk the road with them by finding some help for them. Don't just tell someone you will pray for them and then forget about it until you see them again. Pray for them and then check up on them. Don't just tell them to have faith, but encourage them and then ask God..."Is there something I am suppose to do to help?" People who are struggling are all around us. They may not be the ones who are in the wrong...we may be. Do you listen to God? When we have struggled, I've always said..." It isn't God who I don't have faith in to provide, it is the people". Take time to listen to God and then obey. He may be telling you to pray, give, or help someone that you don't even realize is struggling. It may be one of your closest friends or family member and you don't even know what is going on in their life because chances are they are too embarrassed to tell you or ashamed to ask for help. If we all listened to God's calling, would anyone need to ask for help? I don't know....just a thought. So, my thought today isn't that I am asking for anything from you, but I plead for you to start listening to God's call. Don't be like Job's friends. It isn't easy when you struggle whether it be physically, spiritually, financially, whatever. Don't be the one that knocks someone down. Be the one that lifts them up and put actions to your words.