Word-y Wednesday ;0

There's the cutest picture of Emma that I so wanted to share today!  BUT the drive that holds all my pics is currently not working ;(...So, instead, I will share some words with you today, making it a wordy Wednesday!!

You asked... early ministry 

(today's post from Holly Furtick's blog)

I wanted to know how you dealt with your hubby going to seminary and working at church? What kind of adjustments did you have to make (i.e. budget, time spent together, etc.)? I'm pretty sure you addressed something along these lines in the past but I wanted to hear more about how you felt. What helped you get through this time? What verses did you cling to? Thanks in advance!

We moved to Charlotte in September 2005 to plant Elevation Church.  We did not take a salary from the church at the time and my husband was supporting our family through itinerant speaking.  In addition to pastoring our church, he was attending seminary.

His schedule was crazy.  He was attending seminary at an extension location 2 hours away all day, every Monday.  On Tuesday-Thursday he would work on messages, lead our staff (volunteers as well), and do seminary work.  On Friday and Saturday he would usually be off preaching at some event.  Sundays we would have church.

At the time Elijah was just a few months old and a very fussy baby.  Needless to say our life was hectic and unsure.  We didn't even know if what we were doing was working.  It was a time in our life that God was building our faith.

But here is what I want to say.  Sometimes I think God builds your faith because what he has for you down the road is even more difficult.  Kinda like you can't learn to multiply until you first learn to add.  How did we get through such a difficult time?  We took one day at a time.  God was building in us the faith and the stamina that we would need for the days ahead.

Our lives are hectic now too.  My husband still travels, he has graduated seminary but is now working on writing his 2nd book, he still has a message to prepare each week and a full staff to lead.  Instead of one child, we now have three.  And we still have days where we are not sure if what we are doing is working.  And we take one day at a time.

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

To live in the dream of "one day when..." is a deadly trap.  Do what God has called you to do today.  Tomorrow will not necessarily be easier, just different.

MY 2 CENTS:
I love how God brings you to a place where you seek Him and His will for your life.  Things don't make sense to you, and 'all you can do' is seek and pray...and wait.  I dislike the part of me that doesn't just allow my knees to crumble at once and go straight to seeking and praying.  I'm not sure how my soul would have taken the above post had I read it back in January. Why, do you ask?...well...my darling has just woken up from a 2 hour nap (praise God!), so I hope to catch this exact state of mind and all these thoughts in a few hours when she's back down!!..BACK!

Slowly, over these past few months, He's reminded us that we need to be content with where we are: generously provided for, employed (Tyler;0), healthy, happy, and a part of a healthy church surrounded by wonderful people.  

See, both Tyler and I were unsatisfied with his job.  Different aspects of it, but mainly the part that has him gone so much.  Evenings and weekends are supposed to be family time, aren't they? We're Christians.  Family time is important to us and it's a priority, and this job keeps getting in the way...Tyler wanted to be able to have a Sunday at home where he doesn't have to work.  Whether it was physically going in some where or on call.  poor us...wa-wa-wa.....and on and on went our cries.  We were praying for another job to come his way.  And that was our prayer for several months.  About 6 I'd say, if not more.

One by one, we began to be surrounded by wonderful god-centered couples.  Both wife and hubby living for the Lord.  Hubbies all with jobs that required travel.  Some of these guys are gone for 4-5 days at a time (weekday or weekend), some of these guys are gone for weeks at a time.

I started to feel silly for being sad that my hubby had to work in say, Sacramento, for the day.  Sure he had to travel night before to get there and got home after I'd gone to bed - but only an hour and a half away. Life wasn't being 'unfair' to us.  Christians aren't exempt from being employed somewhere that makes them go in on Sundays.  I'm not quite sure why I thought we could pray ourselves out of this job if we were showing God that it was for Him and for family :)  

Boy do we feel like we're 'getting it' now!  

Actually, going through these last 5+ months of transforming our hearts about this has really opened up our prayer life.  We are looking for God's work in each situation, each work opportunity, each tired day, each energy filled day.  

SO - WOW to Holly's life that she explained above, right?  Man.  God gave that woman a lot of strength to get through those first years, and continues to now as she's raising 3 kiddos plus everything else that lies before them.  And what about that comment on God building your faith through times like these to prepare you for harder times?  

...I'm just enjoying getting through 'these' times.  I'm not quite sure I'm ready to have harder ones come yet ;0  And yes, I know I don't have it nearly as bad as many out there :)  I'm extremely blessed with an amazingly supportive husband, a more than I could have imagined supportive and helpful mother, God's been putting wonderful women along my path that I can share different things and parts of life with.  We have health, a roof over our heads...and much, much more than we could ask for.

I know that not too long ago I said I've been feeling the Lord telling me to just sit and be still.  Listen to Him intently, without running off with the excuse of 'oh I need to share this with so-and-so'.  And I'm smiling right now as I see the other areas of my life that I'm now seeing where He's been at work as I reflect and write this...NICE...I think it's a good time to say goodbye here and hello in my journal.

I wanted to share another blog post, and my thoughts from this morning but I think this is wordy enough for now ;) Maybe tomorrow!