one of those sweet God stories that we love and remind us..."this is the God i serve!"

last friday was payday. whoo-hoo! the payoff to hours of washing dishes, waiting on customers, both patient and impatient, and dealing with dozens of little children crowding the counter had finally come (i actually enjoy my job pretty well, but at the end of of two weeks, i'm ready to see that paycheck) :). i don't usually talk about my tithes with other people, but it is an important part of the story so i will make an exception :). saturday night, i wrote out my check for sunday. i figured that my tithe would be about $35, so i wrote out the check. then, that quiet voice spoke. "how about $50?" it whispered. for a moment, i hesitated. i had been saving for YWAM for awhile. i wanted to be a good steward of my money... i decided to sleep on it.
sunday came, and still God spoke, asking for more. then it hit me. how could giving God what He was asking for show poor stewardship?! wasn't the money His anyway? so i wrote another check.  there were two checks ready to go. as the plate came around, i ripped out the check for $35. "what about $100?" the plate was coming closer and closer. "God, i don't have time to write another check" (looking back...i had time, but i didn't really think about giving it after service). instead, i ripped out both checks--$85 total. as i put them in the plate i prayed: "God, see my heart. if i had time to write the check for more. but please take this. please come through for me. what i'm giving You is a lot for me. if You want this, You need to come through. thank You!"

ready for this??
monday: a friend approached me about donating items to a garage sale i am having in the next couple of weeks.
tuesday: one of my co-workers asked if i would take a five-hour shift at work that he didn't really need. right after that corien shafer called and asked if i would take a birthday party that was happening right before that!
wednesday: corien gave me another party to work! i opened an envelope i got in the mail to discover a $500 donation for the DTS!! my friend dropped off tons of sweet items to sell. aaaannnddd....my visa was approved!!! 
thursday: i received another $150 donation!
friday and saturday: i was sick friday and it rained saturday, which ended all plans for a yard sale, which gave me more time to prepare and collect items to sell!! i received another $50 donation! :D on friday, i also received a note from some dear friends that simply said: God will provide. :D :D :D

i have been overwhelmed this week. i have been pursued and romanced by an incredible God. and i have been reminded of the amazing power and love of the ONE i serve. please be encouraged, and thank you all for your prayers and support!

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the faith factor

i was listening to a sermon by erwin mcmanus this morning and he was retelling joshua's story of transition, after moses died. he spoke of how, as followers of Christ, we come to a point in our journeys where God will suddenly cut off all the safety harnesses and let us go--He tests our faith. i feel like that has been my story for the past year. unlike joshua, however, i've failed pretty miserably. the truth is that the amount of faith i had two years ago, wasn't enough for this past year. if you get right down to it, the faith we had to get us through yesterday, isn't enough to get us through today. that's how God works. He is constantly working on us--even if, like me, it takes awhile to learn the lesson He is trying to teach. this is what i am learning as i wait and pray for Him to provide everything i need for this fall. honestly, everytime i think about the amount of money i need to raise, i sort of start to fall apart. :( but God has surrounded me with amazing family and friends who speak words of encouragement to me--who remind me about the faithfulness of our God--of Jehovah Jireh, The Provider. Of El-Roi, The Strong One who sees. there is an amazing passage of Scripture that challenges me everytime i remember it. in proverbs 30:7-9, solomon writes

"two things i ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before i die: keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD ?' or i may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."

that is such a ridiculous prayer. seriously. it is completely counter-cultural. who would pray that? but then i remember, a child of God would. because that is the heart of God. that's what He calls us to. i'm struggling with that right now. some days it seems really easy..but those are usually the days when i can tangibly observe His incredible generousity. when that quiets down, i start to sweat a little bit. but as i look to the Word, my heart is calmed. please pray for me as i continue on this journey of growth. i know it is important, and my desire for Jesus is becoming desperate (which is the point, i think). :) pray that this desperation becomes only larger!