Satisfied To Not Have

Wow God is Good!   Tonight I was re-watching a movie and during a bathroom break God took just a few seconds to reveal to me a simple truth that made me laugh aloud.   He just needed a moment without distraction and He showed me a bit more.   In that snippet of time I got quite excited and what He revealed explained a lot to me.   Because I understand that now, I have never been so satisfied to not have.    I've never been so "Okay" with not understanding or seeing or having.   God is good, God is gracious, God is great!  I love how God works!  

College Acceptance

Praise God, It's not everyday that you apply for a college on Saturday and you are accepted on Monday.  I applied for Heartland Community College (in Bloomington IL) to pursue Early Child Paraprofessional.   I plan to attend starting fall of 2017.   I am quite sad that I will not be in Canada, however I'm also excited to be back closer to family.  

Give When the Budget Is Tight

I've found that arguing with God is useless.  If anything it makes things harder.  Not worse, but harder.  I felt deeply today (a longer story put into a few words) that God wanted me to give someone $100.  Well I was eager to do that, but the question arose in me, "Who?  Who do I give this check of $100 to."   I wanted to give it to someone I knew, but I didn't know if God wanted me to give the money to that person.   God told me, "don't fear about messing up or failing, I will always be with you even when you mess up.  Don't fear."   Well I did fear and I made it clear to God why.  If I gave the $100 to the 'wrong' person, then I'd have to give another $100 to the 'right' person.   I love giving, it's just that my budget hasn't been set up to give out the entire $100, let alone an extra $100.   I only have a little over $500 in my account and that is suppose to last me quite a while yet.   But still I felt God telling me not to worry.   I made it clear to Him, from my perspective, that this didn't fit in my budget.  Afterwards I felt that He said that a budget is good and all, but I shouldn't put my trust in it.  I need to put my trust in Him.  So He challenged me, saying basically that if I was worried about my budget being $200 short, I need to trust Him more, even if I have to give more.  

I kept asking Him, "who? Who do you want me to give the $100 to?"  And He replied, "Who do you want to give it to?"  I told Him the person, possibly persons that I've felt on my heart for quite some time to give money to.   So He gave me the okay to write it out to this person.  As I finished writing the check (again, another story is in that) and as I was putting my checkbook away, I heard God's little whisper, "Oh, give a check for $100 to [this other person] too."   I spent a lot more time in prayer about it, reminding God of my budget, but He kept to his request.   So I wrote out a second check for $100 to a 2nd person.   As I was putting my checkbook away, again I heard God's little whisper, "Oh, give another check for $100 to [this other person] too."   This seemed a little to far for me.  Yes I was thrilled that God would use me to do this, but this was not what I was expecting.   I kept trying to convince God that this wasn't anywhere in my budget.  I spent time in prayer and talking with God.  I needed to be convinced about this.   This put a huge pressure on my budget, especially since I barely had enough to make it to the end of June before.  But I did write the check. (Before all this, He had challenged me to give more in another area too).  

As I was going to deliver the checks to the three people, I felt God saying that He want's me to give it all to Him, including my finances.  Many of you saw a previous post on my blog and Facebook about a Gofundme campaign.  I thought this was a great idea to raise money to bless others with.  Today God revealed to me that my thought on it was that I needed God to bless me with abundance so I could give abundantly.  However, God told me today that He wants me to give out of what I see as a shortage.  Now it doesn't seem humanly possible that I'll have enough for the next few months, yet He has assured me that He will provide.   So I am trusting in that, God will provide.  He is faithful and true.  All I am is His.   Take my life and let it be all for You and for Your glory!  

(Again, this is the shorter version of all this, there are many stories behind it all)

Notes From Broadway Church (Fort Wayne, IN)

God how are you calling me to grow up in worship?

God how are you calling me to grow up in relationships?

God how are you calling me to grow up in stewardship?

God how are you calling me to grow up in work?

God how are you calling me to grow up physically?

God how are you calling me to grow up spiritually?

God how are you calling me to grow up in ___________? (in ALL areas in life)

Self Will & Self Determination only go so far.  God is beyond "only so far"!

Mr. Cuddles Had A Long Day

Some days you don't have it in you to sit up like your suppose to.  

The Church Day Care leader had some great use out of Mr. Cuddles today.   Today was Divine Weekly, a woman's Life Group, and all the kids in Child Care got see Mr. Cuddles be God.  Yep, he played the part of God and was covered in stickers, hugs and love by the end.  He had a big day, as the picture depicts.

1828 Definition of PRAYER

American Dictionary of the English Language
Noah Webster 1828
(The first Webster's Dictionary)
(The first American dictionary)

One of the definitions of PRAYER:
2. In worship, a solemn address to the Supreme Being, consisting of adoration, or an expression of our sense of God' glorious perfections,  confession of our sins, supplication for mercy and forgiveness, intercession for blessings on others, and thanksgiving, or an expression of gratitude to God for his mercies and benefits.  A prayer however may consist of a single petition, and it may be extemporaneous, written or printed.

GoFundMe

Just would like to put this out there.   As I'm enjoying all that God's been using me for, I'd like to offer to anyone if they'd like to join me in it.   The link below tells a little bit more about what I'm saying and has real life examples of What God's been doing.  

"A gift opens the way..." -Proverbs

https://www.gofundme.com/xpcwc-a-gift-opens-the-way-proverbs

3D Printed Eiffel Tower

I just finished a 3D printed (with my 3D Pen) Eiffel Tower.  Well it's a bit more of a "Leaning Tower of Eiffel."  It's several feet tall and took a really long time to make, though it was a ton of fun.   I was planning to throw it out when I was done, since I didn't have a use for it nor a place to store it, but some one said they would take it.  So the family of the kindergartener below took it home. - He was thrilled to be able to have it!   God is using it as a blessing, thank you Dad.  

Thanks mom and dad for the 3D Pen!

The Whisper of the Holy Spirit In Daily Life

On my way home from the church today I decided to stop at Tim Horton's to have another chance to win at "Roll Up The Rim", I figured I would just get a small since that was the cheapest. However as I pulled into the Tim's parking lot I thought, ""hmm... maybe I should get a large. I bet there are higher chances of winning something if I get a large." But God... But the Holy Spirit whispered to me, "Just get a small." I asked Him again as I was walking into the building, If I could get a large since I would really like to win, but He still said, "Just get a small." So I ordered a small hot chocolate. When I got back to the Baxter's I drank the hot chocolate and rolled up the rim. Well what do you know I won an order of potato wedges. Thank you Hold Spirit for telling me what size to get, I likely wouldn't of won anything had I stuck with a large. -- Just these little moments with God that add yet another smile and treasure to my heart.

Thanksgiving Journal

Do you want to learn to be more thankful? Do you want to learn to be more patient? Or Do you want to learn to see a new perspective on life and be able to look at life in new ways? I've got a challenge for you. Last week God spoke to me a great idea of how to work on these things. First, get a journal. Not just a normal one, but one that has a different feel on the inside and the outside, so there is a noticeable difference when you see it and when your writing in it. Then, here's the challenge, write in it. Write down 200 different things that you are thankful for EVERY DAY. Yes, each day will get harder and harder to think of things your thankful for, but it will force you to think deeper and see beyond the surface. Make it a priority to put down 200 different things your thankful for each and every day. I have more than 1,000 things in my journal so far and I've found that I am thankful for fingers to type this and a left foot to walk on and for pizza. They don't all have to be deep, but they all have to be different. I am only 5 days into this and I've seen a noticeable difference. I am often thinking throughout the day, "I'm thank full for...." or "God thank you that...." I've started to see so much more that I'm thankful for. And they aren't all just general from life, some are day-to-day specific. I'm thankful that I made it home safely from the church. I'm thankful that I had a good sleep last night. etc... Yes, it takes time and thought, but it's so worth it.

Quite Time Questions

Reviewing some notes from the Gridley Apostolic Church Young Group (Friday, August 19, 2016)
A few rhetorical questions to meditate on.

When you think of God, how do you view Him? Who is God?
In my situation, How did God handle that situation?
How is God using me to help me grow into the image of Jesus?
When Calamities approach in life, do I remember God's promises?
Do I acknowledge my nothingness - God is all powerful?
When I approach God, what is my manner, my attitude?
Do I recognize the battles in my life as something God can fight or do I try to fix them?
What does it mean to bow low?
Have I ever thought about praising God to defeat doubt in my life?
What does it meant to talk to God in truth?
(Romans 8:28) Do I really believe that ALL things work together for Good? - All things - even bad things? What does "for good" mean?