Fasting From Fleshly Desires

Recently I have been going through the Beatitudes in the book of Matthew and preaching on them in our Youth group.  This past Wednesday I preached on Mathew 6:16-18 where Jesus preached about fasting.  Theologically I know there is a lot of depth and breadth to fasting that can be discussed.  However, one thought that came to me as I was studying that I would like to share; fasting from fleshly desire. 

As I was reading through Isaiah 58, fasting from fleshly desires caught my attention.  For one I understand that fasting should not only be for our benefit spiritually, but also for the benefit of those in need.  Our doing without should benefit those in need.  Isaiah 58:6 reveals this truth; however I see another purpose in this verse.  Fasting from fleshly desires.

Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

There is no doubt that fasting is commonly associated with food, but not limited to nutritional intake.  Jesus came into this world to set us free from the bondage of sin.  He offers us another option to sinful fleshly desires.  He offers us His way, truth and life.  Jesus spoke this as it relates to salvation; “Unless you repent, you too will perish.” (Luke 13:3,5). 

Repent is to turn from sin.  In other words it is to eliminate and even deny yourself sinful behaviors and practices.  Fasting is to deny yourself food or other physical needs.  Both are practiced for the purpose of drawing nearer to God.  They are practiced so that your spiritual life can be renewed and transformed.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Let me share this thought with you; fasting from fleshly desires.  When you fast, eliminate, and deny yourself sinful and fleshly desires, then are you not set free from the yoke of oppression?  Think about it, sin is a yoke that keeps us in bondage to the flesh and ways of this world.  Sin is the yoke that oppresses you spiritually.  Sin is an addiction and addiction just as damaging as drugs, alcohol and sex. The only cure for any addiction is to eliminate and deny yourself whatever it is you are addicted to.

May I encourage you to fast from your fleshly desires so that you may be set free from the oppression of sin?  In doing so my prayer is that your life will be renewed and transformed in the likeness of Christ.

The picture is me and Laura.  Laura was once oppressed by abandonment and abuse in another country.  She was adopted by and American family. I was blessed with the opportunity to share Jesus with her during a youth mission trip.  Laura has been set free!

 

Romans 13:14   Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

I am not ashamed and will not shut up:

It is kind of crazy, but I have been accused of posting too much and being too religious on various social media.  Facebook even threatened to close my FB page, because I was accused of spamming.  I will admit I was posting on walls that ALLOWED public posts.  Many were liberal sights like lil Wayne, Oprah, and some other pages.  Truth is I don't share enough. I wish I could share more, but sadly life and some of its obligations limit my time.  I will say this though, my life and all I do and say is about Christ and the faith I so freely chose to surrender to.  If all I could do is ministry, I would do it.  Why?  Because Jesus is that good, and I can't help but talk about it.  I am not ashamed and I will not shut up.

The picture is me on medical mission in Romania.

Acts 4:20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

Compromising Faith and Ministry is Not Negotiable:

During the spring of 2010, Carri and I had to make a very difficult decision.  This decision had a direct impact on our financial future, the security of our home and our family.  Like most people we made our mistakes and as a result placed ourselves in bondage to debt.  I am not proud of it and wish I knew then what I know now.  Never place yourself in bondage to debt.

The effects of Huntington's disease had taken enough toll on Carri mentally and emotionally, that her job as a nursing instructor had become too much.  We knew that this day was going to come. Our hope is that it would be after our children were grown and graduated. Guess what? It did not wait.  After a season of sincere prayer, Carri and I both agreed that it was time for her to resign the teaching position that she held at the local college.  Carri had been teaching students to become registered nurses for over ten years.

After making the decision that Carri would resign, I began the pursuit for another job.  We both knew that if we were going to survive financially, I was going to have to have a second income.  We also were going to have to find a way to pay off a huge amount of irresponsible debt.  Prior to Carri’s resignation, our household income was pretty much split 50/50.  Yes, we were living check to check.  The scary part of this decision; knowing we were going to lose half of our income.

The first thing we did was cash in Carri's retirement savings.  We saw no other option other than bankruptcy.  Bankruptcy was not an option.  We acquired the debt; we were responsible for paying that debt back.  It was hard closing her retirement account, but it was rewarding at the same time.  Cashing out retirement early does not come without a significant penalty.  We lost about half of the money to penalties, fees and increased taxes.  Our financial advisor advised strongly against cashing in this account.  She understood how great the financial loss would be. In spite of what seemed logical, in our hearts we knew paying off debt was the right thing to do.  We had to take the loss in order to ensure our future.  More importantly the ministry God had given us.  In paying off most of our debt, we had a piece of mind.  A large portion of the debt we owed had been redeemed.

Paying off most of our debt was still not good enough.  It was going to take more than that to manage our mortgage, utilities, and keep food on our table.  I began to working extra with my current employer as an RN and a medic.   Carri accepted a part time job with a Hospice program.  That may seem like more stress, but it has actually become a ministry for Carri.  She can relate to dying and has something more to offer.   At the same time I was also searching for a second job.  It seemed like every opportunity I found had a direct impact on my ability to continue leading youth group on Wednesday nights and Sunday morning bible classes.

Needless to say, I became extremely frustrated.  I knew in my heart God had called me to ministry.  I remember thinking; “If God had called me to ministry then why would He take me out of it because of the need for income?”  He wouldn't.  I began to pray; "Lord you know my needs, and I trust in you to provide.  Committing to a job that involves working on Wednesdays and Sundays in not an option. I refuse to compromise the ministry you have called me to."  Let me tell you, that prayer and vow pretty much eliminated every plausible option I had for a stable income.  There were no other options left.  Yes I became stressed and worried.  I had no idea how I was going to provide for my family.  I was willing to sell all we had in order to make it happen.  However, some things you just can't sell.  Like medical debt.  Over the previous few years and even recent months we had acquired medical debt that weighed a heavy burden on us financially.  Like every other debt, we were going to pay back what we owed and still owe.

I was sincere in my vow that I was not going to compromise the ministry God had called me to.  Even in my sincerity, I also needed a sign. I was hoping for something only God could reveal to me assuring that I was being faithful and doing the right thing.  Randomly one Sunday after church services, our pastor said he needed to talk to me.  I thought for sure he knew the problems we faced and he was going to find a youth pastor to fill my role.  Someone who could be more committed and less strained.  To my surprise he said this "The church affirms your call to ministry and we want to ordain you into the ministry.”  Now that was a sign!  He went on to say; “We also want to hire you part time.  We cannot afford to pay you much, but we feel led to pay you something."  "WOW!" I was thinking, “Are you serious?” Tears poured out of my eyes.  It was so surreal, my mind was questioning; “Did I really just receive the sign I had asked God for?  Yes I did!”

Matthew 6:31-34 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

Easter Sunday April 4, 2010 I was ordained into the ministry.   It was one of the greatest highlights in my life.  Sure things are tough, but that does not matter.  The investment Carri and I are now making is not in a retirement, it is not in things that will fall apart, waste away or be destroyed.  We are investing in something money cannot buy.  We are committed to investing into people’s lives.

 

 

The picture is me sharing the gospel with some children during a MFUGE mission trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was using an evangicube.  The Boy next to me is playing with it. 

Matthew 6:19-21  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

The Effects of God's Will on His Youth Ministry

After discovering God's will for His people and the church I quickly changed what I was doing. No longer was I trying to entertain teens with games and then sneaking in a quick devotion. I began to incorporate intentional fellowship, encourage meaningful worship, and devotions became sermons focusing on discipleship and evangelism. I also encourage missions work organized and impromptu. When I changed my focus to God's will, everything changed. My brother in faith, Randy, was so right when he advised me; "Do what God says to do."


It takes time and serious prayer applying God's will to youth. It is constantly evolving each and every day. Anyway, the overhead laminate film projector did not seem to matter anymore. It became cool to project the lyrics on a wall with a plastic sheet and play contemporary worship music over the sound system. Instead of sounding like bad karaoke, the youth were singing as to please The Lord. The quick devotions became 20-30 minute sermons. Every week I faithfully pray and seek what God has willed for that weeks sermon.


After several months of the same old routine with 9-12 youth, God began to move. The more I found myself surrendering to His will, the more youth He was drawing in to our youth services. Literally it seemed like overnight that we went from an average attendance of 9-12 to 20-25 teenagers. God was obviously blessing "His" youth ministry in our small town. Most people may think 20-25 teenagers is really not that impressive. Maybe it is not for most towns, but for our town it is. What impresses me the most is the number of youth who continue to come every Wednesday night and worship the Lord in a way that is not the norm for today's youth ministry.


Since May of 2009, God has taken the network of 12 students that I had been blessed to minister to and multiplied it now to an average attendance of 40-50. Through it all, God has truly blessed me by allowing me to network and build relationships with nearly 100 teenagers in our area.


Now forget about the 12, 40, 50, and 100. My real point is not numbers, numbers mean absolutely nothing if all a ministry does is entertain teenagers. What I really want to draw attention to is the faithfulness of the youth to worship in the way God has called us to worship Him. I find it fascinating how God reaches youth and keeps their attention so unconventionally compared to what we think is needed. I have seen teenagers grow spiritually in ways I never imagined. I have also seen students turn from sinful lifestyles that most people would have written off as a lost cause.


When we are within God's will and His plan, He moves. We should never think that our plan is greater than His. We simply do not have in mind the things of God nor could we ever dictate or plan His heart's desire. We simply must come before Him in obedience to His will and submit. We must seek His desire and earnestly serve in such a way as to please Him alone if we are to truly be an ambassador for Christ.

I want to encourage you to apply God's will to your daily life. You will discover blessings beyond measure. I assure you, there is no greater place than to be in the midst of The LORDS will. What I shared in my last post as God's will is this; repentance, following Him, fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. I certainly have not arrived so to speak and neither has the youth group I have been blessed to minister to. My life and His ministry are constantly and continually evolving and hopefully will continue to do so until The Lord brings me home! I never want to come to the place where I think "I have arrived."


The picture is the most recent I have of the Flippin FBC YOUTH Group! A least some of them from from 2012.


Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

God's Will for His People and His Church:

As I was seeking God’s will for His church, I did so with extreme sincerity. Over a period of several months, I found myself digging deeper and deeper into God’s word more than ever before. I also found my relationship with Christ maturing exponentially. By exponentially, I mean significantly deeper and with greater sincerity than ever before. The more the relationship grew, the stronger the desire, hunger and thirst I had for Christ became. All the while I was asking the BIG question; “What is God’s will for my life and for His church?” I think most want the answer to that question.


I quickly discovered, God was not about to give me a road map of His will for my life. Like everyone else, wanted a clear concise picture of how I was going to get from point A to point B. I believed if I had a map, so to speak, then I could easily obey God’s will. Sounds simple right? Wrong, spiritual obedience requires faith. Where is faith if life is spelled out by a road map? There is none. Faith is believing in what is not seen.


As I faithfully searched for the answers to my BIG questions, I found certain desires naturally surfacing. They way I worshipped became sincere and so much more than music. Worship was no longer about what pleased me, but how my life and song blessed God. I developed and increasing hunger to know and learn more about the Holy Bible and how it applied to my life. I no longer was satisfied with who and where I was. I wanted to grow and mature in my faith and character. Being around other Christians became more important and necessary to me. Missions work became more important to me and leading others to Christ became a daily passion.


Without becoming all theological, here is what God revealed to me through His word and through His Holy Spirit. Christianity is not about a specific plan or road map. God's will for our lives simply begins with this; repenting from our sinful self in order to follow Him. When Christ comes knocking on the door of your life, He reveals to you the gravity of your sin and the separation it creates between you and Him. If you are sincerely convicted by your sinful life, then you will desire change.


In order to open that so called door, you must repent. Not become perfect and sinless, but turn away from your sinful desires and nature. It is dying to a self directed life and surrendering to a Christ directed life. Paul said it best "I no long live, but Christ lives in me." In this way, your sinful self no longer directs your life, Christ does. Through this, you literally follow Him.


In repenting from sin by dying to self and following God's will by living in Christ; that is when those seemingly natural desires and passions emerged with in me. I am certain it is the work of the Holy Spirit within me. Gods will for our lives is not about a road map, it is about becoming what He has called us to be. As we become more like Christ, then we discover God's direction. At times He may give very precise instructions. Predominantly His will is that we trust Him in fulfilling the great commission in and through us no matter where you are in life. In our homes, at work, at school, during leisure, when ever and where ever God's greatest commission and will for our lives is making disciples (Matthew 28:19)


In short, God's will for our lives is to repent, follow Him, become a part of His body of believers and make disciples. In and through this process certain themes or practices emerge that are God's will for His people and for His Church. Here they are: Fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions.


Ironically, after God revealed to me His desire and will for me and for our youth group, I came across a book called “The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry. Written by Doug Fields.” I purchased the book and began to read it. Initially I expected to find what everyone else was doing. I expected to learn how to entertain teenagers most effectively and get them in through the church doors. To my surprise, God affirmed everything He had already placed upon my heart.


In The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry book, Doug outlines the purpose of the Church in these scriptures:


Matthew 28:19-20 therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.


Matthew 22:37 "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.


Matthew 22:39 Love your neighbor as yourself.


Evangelism, that is what making disciples is all about. We are to go out and reach people for Christ, leading them to salvation through repentance and entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ.


Fellowship, thats the product of baptism. when someone is baptized they are symbolizing the fact that they have given their life to Christ. When you give your life to Christ, you become a part of the family of Christ. As a family, we must fellowship in order to strengthen our relationships and build one another up. We are called to be a body, not divided individuals.


Discipleship, is teaching others how to obey the word of God. It is also learning how to obey the word of God.


Worship, is all about loving The Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. Worship permeates every aspect of our expression. It effects our song, speech, character, obedience, works, discipline, habits, ethics, morals, values....


Missions, is loving your neighbor as yourself. It is about doing things for others. Maybe it's your neighbor next door, or maybe it's your neighbor on the other side of the world. Missions is being the hands, feet, mouth and heart of Jesus in this world.


So what is God's will for my life and for His Church? It certainly is not a road map although there will be times when God will give very specific direction. God's will first and foremost is that we repent and follow Him. Jesus himself said "unless you repent, you to will perish." (Luke 13:3,5) Repeatedly Jesus Christ is quoted throughout the gospels saying "Follow me." In following Him, He certainly wills our lives and His church to be centered around five specific areas. Fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. Think about how the life of Jesus Christ clearly defined, expressed and set the example for all these areas?

In my personal testimony I experienced, if your life is truly in Christ and you align your life around these areas, you will no longer find yourself searching for the answers to God's will, you will find your life guided in God's will. You no longer are consumed about tomorrow, next week, or next year because you know God will lead guide and direct you each and every moment of each and every day. What I have discovered is that knowing God's will is directly related to the degree of my obedience and dependence on Him.


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

God Does Not Call the Qualified, He Qualifies the Called

I spent the next several months after the youth mission trip to Mobile Alabama debating with God.  He was calling me to youth ministry and I was trying to convince Him that I was the wrong guy.  I promise I had more excuses that Moses’ ever dreamed of having.  At times, I would think to myself; “I can do this.  All I need to do is be more like this youth pastor or that youth pastor.”  I was always looking at the ministries of other pastors trying to figure out how I could mimic their gifts, talents, abilities, and methods.  However, I would always come to the same conclusion; I cannot be that person.  Then I would say to God "see I told you so."

Sunday February 14, 2010 is the day it all came to a head between God and I.  I was sitting in the front pew of the church waiting for the morning services to start.  Everything seemed routine and normal; there was nothing out of the ordinary.  All of the sudden I began to hear in an audible voice "Are you, or are you not going to surrender to ministry?"  I know it was not an audible voice that others could hear, neither was it an audible voice I heard in my own ears.  It was however an audible voice I could hear coming from within my soul.  I cannot explain it, but I just know it was audible and it came from my heart not my head.  I tried to tune the voice out and ignore it, but I could not. 

Worship music started and I began to sing.  The louder I sang the louder the voice inside my soul spoke.  Again I tried ignoring it, but I could not.  My heart began to pound in my chest and my voice began to quiver as I was singing.  It got so bad I could not sing any more.  When I could no longer sing and all I could do was listen, the music began to fade. Then, God said something different.  I heard this; "The answer is either yes or no.  If yes, I will do great things in and through you.  If no, I will be finished with you and I will ask no more."  Immediately tears began to stream from my eyes and I said "yes!" 

After saying "yes!" to God, I walked over to our pastor Brother Steve.  The worship music was still playing but that did not stop me.  I told him I was surrendering my life to ministry.  Brother Steve smiled, patted me on the back and said, "It's about time."  At the end of the service, I went before the church and made my profession of commitment to ministry public.  I never felt so excited about my faith before than like I did that day.  God was not looking at my qualifications all He wanted from me was a simple yes.   Yes meant that I would surrender all my trust upon Him.  He would do the qualifying for His calling on my life. 

The excuses I had were all about me and not about what God could do.  Ministry should never ever be about the pastor or leader; it should always be about God.   God created us in His image and we try to recreate God in our image when we try to justify God by our qualifications.  How sinfully wrong we are in this thought process.  God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.  Therefore any ministry built apart from God’s qualifying abilities is a failed ministry.  May I go as far as saying that any ministry built apart from the qualifications of the living God amount to nothing more than idolatry. 

The picture is CHAGY the Clown ministering and sharing the gospel with some kids in Nicaragua.  If you know anything about clowns, they can act pretty foolish.  CHAGY is one of the most God qualified evangelists I know.  

I Corinthians 1:25-31 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. 26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ’s love!

You are Going to Lose Your Baby

Everything seemed to be going fairly well after our spontaneous move to Arkansas. We were living in our first home, we both had decent full time jobs, and Carri was pregnant with our second child. Baby number two was due July 1994. Quite honestly, about the only thing missing was the white picket fence around our yard. Other than that, we were living that dream life. We had friends, family, church, a small house in the country, and a dog. What more could you ask for.

A few months before our baby was due, Carri began having some problems. She was having pain, and some minor bleeding. We were not too concerned, but we knew enough that it was not normal. The symptoms she was having continued to get worse, so we decided it was time to have her checked by a doctor.

I was working when the doctor sent Carri to the hospital to have an ultrasound. I talked to the guys I was working with and they all said, "Go be with your wife, we will cover you. Come back as soon as you can." So, I took the offer and went with Carri to her ultrasound. It was kind of strange, because the tech did not want me in the room while they were doing the procedure. I was not too happy, I wanted to see the babies heart beat and face if I could. The tech said no, I could not go this time.

Something just did not seem right, so I went and talked to one of my ER doctor friends. She said, "I will go down to radiology and see what I can find out." Dr. Ash was gone a little longer than I thought she should have been, but I figured she was side tracked. After what seemed like an eternity, maybe 45-60 minutes Dr. Ash returned. I could tell something was wrong by the look on her face. She said this; "Bill, I am so sorry, Carri has an abrupted placenta and she is going to lose the baby. You need to take your wife home and prepare yourselves for what is going to happen."

Wow! I felt like every positive emotion I had just melted away. I was left standing there completely empty. Then, pain and sorrow began to fill me up. Tears flowed from my eyes. I felt completely helpless. I remember thinking; Why would God take something so precious away from us? We were doing all the right things. I gave my life to Him, we moved for Him, we dedicated our first child to Him; we were faithfully attending church… Helpless and hopeless is how I felt. I had to take my wife home so we could lose our baby. After Carri and I held each other and cried, we went home.

After we got home, this is what we did, we prayed. We told God that this baby was His just like the first child He blessed us with. Then we said, "God this is your baby, if you want to take her home you can. However, we are asking for a miracle. If you allow us to keep this child, she will be yours and we will raise her along with the first in a Christian home. We will do everything we can to teach them your ways and show them who you are. Our children will always be dedicated to you."

July 20, 1994 our second baby girl was born. She was as healthy as any parent could hope. Today, she is a very godly woman, who is passionate about finding God's will for her life. We are so proud of who she is and what she has allowed God to do in her life. We are blessed with all the children God has given us. They all have a true heart for the Lord.


The picture is the beautiful baby we should have lost, serving on the mission field in Nicaragua, taking care of babies!

We did and said just as Hannah when she dedicated Samuel to the Lord.

I Samuel 1:27-28 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD."


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

Jesus Says Follow Me, He Didn't Ask to Follow You

Why do we get the idea in our heads and think that we know better than God does. When we pray, we typically tell Him what to do. We pray things like heal this sickness, I need to make more money, and so on. One of my favorites “Bless this food to nourish my body, in Jesus name amen!” As if, God is going to take your extra large fast food high fat, high calorie meal and turn it into manna, I think not.

A big thing we tell God is where we want to and need to go. God does not work that way. He did not do it in the Old Testament with the Israelites, and He did not do it in the New Testament either. As a matter of fact, He pretty much leads people to places that just do not make sense. The Israelites He led into the desert. His disciples he always said "come follow me." He never said, “Hey guys, can I come with you and make you disciples.” He leads us to some of the most unlikely places that simply just do not make sense. That is until we get there and we can look back. Hindsight is always 20/20.

1992, was the year our oldest daughter Kenzie was born. Having a child really makes you look at things from a different perspective. We faced Hurricane Andrew in south Florida just a few days after she was born. That will open your eyes and make you consider a safer place to live in order to protect your family from devastation. But something else caught my attention even more. I was working for Broward County Fire Rescue during that time, and I began to notice something even more disturbing. I was witnessing firsthand the escalating rate of crime, drug trafficking, gang violence, and domestic abuse. We were living in a place that was becoming a war zone. Home robberies were becoming more common, crack cocaine and other drug related incidents were on the rise, drive by shootings and other gang related violence was occurring daily and domestic abuse was everywhere. The overwhelming thought; “This is no place to raise a child”, consumed our minds daily. We knew it was time to go somewhere, but where? So we began to pray, seeking God's direction.

During the summer of 1993, we felt God leading us to a small town in Arkansas. Carri had family living there, so we went for a visit. While visiting the area we also searched for jobs. Carri seemed to be able to find a job everywhere she went. I could not find a job no matter how hard I begged. I was very discouraged because I felt God was leading us to Arkansas. If He was leading us there, then why could I not find a job? Carri’s income was certainly not going to be enough. We were going to need both our incomes in order to just make ends meet.

Carri and I spent a few sleepless nights just praying and asking for God’s direction and a sign. All He would give us is the burden within our hearts to move. There was no other sign. Arkansas that is where He was leading us. Move to Arkansas, with no job except Carri’s. Lose half our income and no other way to pay or bills or make ends meet. Oh and spend all we have to move there and have nothing left when we arrived. It did not make sense, but God said move, so we did. A few weeks later, we were moving into the basement of Carri’s aunt and uncle’s house with our 1-year-old baby.

What we did not know then is what God was going to do with us once we arrived. I am certain for one, God was looking for obedience. Obedience is hard especially when it makes no sense and it does not seem rational. But God knew our needs and He provided. Within two weeks, I had a full time job and a few months later, I was managing an ambulance service making more money than I ever dreamed and Carri no longer had to work. Money is not everything and I no longer have that job, but that is yet another God story.

As I continue sharing my story, you will see how this step of obedience was a crucial part of God's will for our lives. I encourage you, if God says go, go don't question why even when it makes no sense. Trust in The Lord and you will be blessed!

The picture is of me on my first foreign mission trip to Satu Mare, Romania. Notice the Hog's scrub top! This trip never would have happened if we chose not to follow Christ to Arkansas.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Philippians 4:19 and my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!