I walk the road, horizons change....

Why is the most difficult part of a journey the middle?? Perhaps at the beginning we are still close to "home" and we know the way back would be an easy trip...and on the other end, as we draw near to a destination, we trudge on, sometimes crying, often with tears in our eyes and the aches of a hard and difficult journey clinging to our very souls...but we go on with the last steps knowing it will soon all be behind us. The danger is in the middle....when both home and the goal are hidden...when any doubts or fears we brought along now raise their ugly whispers to groans and shouts of defeat and doom. The peril is a sort of paralysis, numbing us, weighing us down, stopping us dead in our tracks. If we stop, the view never changes. If we stop, we never reach the goal. If we stop, the dream dies. I lift my cries to God...He has promised to be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path....and His promises are never broken.

Against the Wind

This last week has been a tough one for me on many levels. I've described it as suffering from the effects of exposure to Red Kryptonite. My super powers aren't gone, I'm not weakened, just experiencing some things that are unusual to me... like doubt and and borderline despair. I started making a mental list of all that needs to come together to make our move to the UK a reality and suddenly felt like I was sinking under the "reality". 

The good news is, this forced me to put our plans in perspective. In an effort to clear my head and allow me to hear what God was saying I turned off all the distractions and prayed for His reassurance. Needless to say...God came through loud and clear...and through a sermon no less!!!

Allow me to paraphrase Matthew 14:22-27: Jesus had just preached to a large crowd and fed thousands of people. He instructs his disciples to get in the boat, head across the lake, and He will meet up with them on the  other side. They start rowing (keep in mind this is in the day before radar and weather forecasting) and Jesus dispels the crowd and then goes to a quiet place for a time of prayer.

As the day becomes night and the disciples are well on their way, a storm starts buffeting their boat, to the point they fear for their lives. In the midst of their fear and despair Jesus comes walking across the lake and tells them to be not afraid and as soon as He steps onto the boat...the storm is gone.

I've heard this passage time and time again, but today two very amazing points were brought to light:

1) Jesus sent the disciples on their way intending to meet them on the other side. He knew they would make it, He told them He'd be there when they arrived. Yet they forgot this as they were holding on for dear life.

2) Jesus will stop at nothing to save us from the storms. He defied the laws of nature and physics as He made his way across the lake. He used His heavenly authority to quell the winds and rain.

Lord in the midst of my storms I pray that I never forget you have promised to meet me on the other side. And I praise and thank you for loving me enough to say..."Do not be afraid. I am with you".

Wait a minute, there is another valuable lesson in this! The disciples are in the midst of a raging storm, the waves are crashing against their boat, land is not in sight...they are in trouble...but...they are also where Jesus told them to be. Remember? He sent them on their way. So then, this doesn't mean just because we are being obedient it will always be smooth sailing. No one ever said being a Follower of Christ would be easy.

Moonshadow

I like taking strolls around our lake (oft times with a fishing pole), these walks give me some much needed quiet time. A few weeks ago on one such stroll I was running thru my mind all the things that need to come together before we leave for England. In the midst of my listing I asked God for His reassurance that all would be well. At that moment I happened to gaze at the sky, and there on the horizon was the smallest sliver of moon I've ever seen...so slender, so tiny I almost missed it. But as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I soon realised I could see the whole moon, albeit it in shadow, but nonetheless it was there. What a great visual image...the illuminated part was what I could clearly see insofar as finances and logistics and all the whatever else, it was all those things we could already touch and claim as done....the part still in shadow was everything else on my mind that still needs to come together, I sensed God was saying He would reveal it all in due time...in His time, not mine.

We are running on faith, but we are not running alone.

Point of Know Return

We have all been there. We have all stood at that point, where we know the next step, word, or action will influence the rest of our lives. We may not recall our first infant attempts at walking, but it is a sure bet if you close your eyes you can remember such events as; taking a driving test for the first (second, third) time, a first date, a first kiss, graduation, first job interview, marriage proposal, the list goes on and on. We have all taken that leap of faith, and if you are reading this, you have survived the outcome. Congratulations.

Do we always know how things will turn out? Do we always have the facts? Do we always know it will turn out as we have planned? Honestly, no. But if the outcome hoped for outweighs the risk, we take a deep breath, say a quick prayer and walk past the point of k(no)w return. “No return” because there are no do-overs in real life. “Know return” because we are fully aware of the chance we take, yet we go on anyway.

As of this Tuesday past, another such step has been taken . Our house is now listed for sale. We are having a moving sale tomorrow, and sorting through the needed, unwanted, and the “where did this come from”. It already feels as if we longer live here. Your prayers for a timely and smooth transaction are deeply appreciated.

There is another step that needs to be taken. With January 6th only 87 days away we must turn our time and energy to putting together the support base needed to make this adventure a reality. Our yearly expenses will be approximately $50,000 (US). This would include taxes, tithes, housing, transportation, food, clothing, water, electricity, heat, an occasional Dr Pepper, etc. We are about 14% of the way there.

That next step mentioned a moment ago is yours to take. Simple, direct, and to the point, would you consider being a member of our support team? What your involvement would look like is up to you. Frankly, a group of supporters able to give monthly works in our best interest, this would allow us to plan accordingly and live without wondering if we can stay another month. However, it would be foolish to ignore the fact there are some folks out there who have never been involved in something like this before, and might be able to share a special gift for starters.

We can play with the math in so many different ways. One hundred people able to give $50.00/month, or fifty people being able to give $100/month…or 5 people giving $1000/month. Or, here’s a crazy idea…. This newsletter goes out to about 250 people…what if everyone forwarded it to everyone on their email list, say they know 125 people, and those 125 know 60...if this email just went out to those people, it would reach 1,875,000 people. If 1% of those people donated $8.00, our three-year goal would be met. Odds are it will be a mix of a variety of scenarios.

Some of you reading this are already actively involved, thank you. Some of you have been following these updates and have not made a decision…if you have questions or need more information, please let us know. Some of you are new to this and are wondering just what is it we are planning on doing. Please visit our website for an overview of the adventure ahead. You can also read past newsletters on our blog then feel free to contact us with any questions. Lest we forget, those of you willing to provide prayer support are equally welcome.

So, what ‘s next??? The crux of the matter is we need to know if you are with us.
Would you reply to this email with a simple answer?
Yes...(Great... we’ll be in touch.)
Maybe…(Understood…what questions do you have?)
No…(Cool…let us know if you want to stay in the loop.)

All our love…Paul and Mary

We are running on faith, but we are not running alone.