Test Him

Tithing. One of the 5 areas that Phil and I have been focusing on as a means of deepening our relationship with Christ. It is also the only area that Christ actually tells us to test him. Well, we took him up on that offer! About a month ago we got a letter from a good friend and her husband who were trying to raise money for a missions trip they felt led to go on this summer. We without a doubt wanted to support them, but initially weren't sure how much to give. We ended up writing a check for an amount much larger than we had thought we would send. It was certainly a sacrificial gift and one that made us a bit nervous, but we trusted that it was what the Lord wanted us to do. Low and behold, 3 days later I received a very unexpected refund check from East Carolina University that was for just over double the amount we had given to our friends for their trip! For those who don't know, I graduated from ECU in December and have no reason to get a refund as I am not an enrolled student. It turns out the refund was given for reasons unknown regarding a study abroad trip I took back in May. God does provide...test Him!

One Of These Days

Do you have a to do list? Phil and I do, and it's long. A long list of things to do around the farm, the house, and within our life. We are constantly saying, "One of these days we'll..."
...trim the hedges
...clean out the garage
...clean out the attic
...finish the barn
...build more shelves for the linen closet
...re-stain the dock
...fix the leak in the sunroom roof
...fix the broken burner on the stove
...exercise more
...finally get a job!!
It just seems like it never ends, but today we were able to take advantage of some gorgeous weather and finish the first on the list. While outside we had the radio turned on to my favorite christian radio station (New Life 91.9) out of Charlotte. A song by FFH came on called One Of These Days. If you haven't heard it, check it out here. I immediately started thinking about how often I go about my day constantly looking around at all of the stuff that seems to clutter my life, but neglect to pay attention to the God that created it all. Our God who created our life and stands to guide us through all of it if we would just turn to Him. I neglect to remind myself daily that one of these days I'll meet my Savior face to face. How dare I ignore using every second I can for His glory while here on earth and instead get wrapped up in all that I feel I need to get done one of these days. Rather than uttering, "One of these days I'll get to that list" and planning my day around all that I feel needs to get done, I should be reminding myself that one of these days I'll come face to face with Christ. I need to be planning my days around growing closer to Him, deepening our relationship, and discovering His plans for me everyday. It suddenly becomes quite clear that my to do list isn't quite as pressing as I once thought it was.

Fan or Follower

I thought I'd start by back tracking just a bit to catch up on the happenings of Phil and I as of lately. We're excited that we've finally found our home church (Southbrook Church) and were able to really get plugged in there around New Years. At that time, our pastor was just starting a sermon series that ended up shaking both Phil and myself. As a church we started discovering the differences between being a fan of Christ as opposed to true followers of the Lord. We uncovered some harsh truths about our own lives and inevitably also our new marriage. What we discovered was that although we longed for a Christ centered marriage and had sought to prepare ourselves for this during our engagement, now that we're actually living it out we have missed the mark completely. We were simply fans of the concept, but never actually let go of the control of our marriage in order to truly follow what Christ has planned for us. At that point, we decided it was only right for us to accept a challenge from our pastor for a 1 year commitment to becoming true followers of Christ. Over the next year we're focusing on using 5 tools to help us in this process, which include:
1. Reading the Bible: cover to cover this year
2. Praying: daily and deepening our prayers
3. Missions: locally and internationally
4. LifeGroups: committing to a small group
5. Tithe: giving back to God

So, how's it going so far?? AMAZING! But more on that later...

Getting Started...Finally!

So, after much thought, I have decided to finally start this blog. The idea came after quite a few people suggesting keeping a journal through mine and Phil's search for employment. That we would undoubtedly be able to look back on these times and find Christ's hand throughout the process, growing our relationship with Him throughout the way. We are so excited that we have already been able to discover God's fingerprints in many ways, not just through our search for jobs, but in our own lives and new marriage. We decided to share some of our experiences with others in hopes that you too would be able to find some fingerprints of your own. Also, this is simply one of the easiest ways to keep in touch with family and friends who we otherwise don't get to see very often.   Enjoy!