Let us do the right thing, Lord...

Finding God's path for your life...man, could it ever be easy? Obviously not!

That's what we are smack dab in the midst of right now. We are loving the fact that we are assistant pastors in Defiance. Sure, there are the normal problems, but nothing we can't handle with the love of God. For the majority, the people are hungry, the church is on the move...and we fit right in like family members.

Now here's the rub...we live over 30 miles away from the church...more like 35-40 miles. That's a heck of a trek every Sunday, let alone other times of the week. Since we are at the YMCA now for services, we are setting up on Saturday nights. That's hard for us to get there at the drop of a hat, and even if we can make it, the gas money will soon kill us. Now I'm coordinating kids' ministries on Sunday morning, and I'd like to, eventually, be close by the do visitation, etc. during the week. The midweek kids' and youth ministries (Russ' babies) are starting soon, and then, once warm weather returns, we are planning a LOT of outreach activities. Add those miles up sometime. It's mind-blowing. Now I'm checking with Pastor about "Sweet Mondays", the ladies' group. If no one is heading it up, I'd like to. My mom did it, why can't I? And Russ wants the mens' prayer breakfast to "Break Out"as soon as it can...but we are far away. Every time we men tion to Pastor Larry that we can do this or that, he shuts us down, saying that we'll wait until we live closer.

Russ has already applied for some jobs. He hasn't heard anything, but it has also been a holiday week, plus we had holiday shutdowns for the funeral of former President Gerald Ford. It could take some extra time. He has also registered with the Job Services in Defiance, and could hear something from them anytime.

On my side, I won't be looking for a job quite yet, because my hands are so full with the kids. I may do music lessons once we move (a distinct possibility), and maybe return to Pampered Chef next fall or in a year or so. But I need to consider moving Isaac to a new school, praying that the program is as good as or at least comparable to Wood Lane (I've heard good and bad about Good Samaritan, the school in Defiance). Then there is Emma, who starts preschool in the fall. Do we consider the county preschool for her (that would be at Good Sam), or something else?

I've been studying Oswald Chambers' book, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST, starting this week. Yesterday's devotional spoke hard to me:

"He went out, not knowing whither he went." Hebrews 11:8

Chambers writes this: 'Have you been "out" in this way? If so, there is no logical statement possible when anyone asks you what you are doing. One of the difficulties in Christian work is this question -- "What do you expect to do?" You do not know what you are going to do; the only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing. Continually revise your attitude towards God and see if it is a going out of everything, trusting in God entirely. It is this attitude that keeps you in perpetual wonder -- you do not know what God is going to do next. Each morning you wake it is going to be a "going out", building in confidence on God. "Take no thought for your life, ...nor yet for your body" -- take no thought for the things for which you did take thought before you "went out".'

'Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you Who He is. Do you believe in a miracle-working God, and will you go out in surrender to Him until you are not surprised an atom at anything He does?'

'Suppose God is the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him -- what an impertinence worry is! let the attitude of your life be a continual "going out" in dependence upon God, and your life will have an ineffable charm about it which is a satisfaction to Jesus. you have to learn to go out of convictions, out of creeds, out of experiences, until so far as your faith is concerned, there is nothing between yourself and God.'

Holy Cow! I thank God for men like Oswald Chambers, who wrote from his heart, out of his experiences. I want to "go out"...daily. Lord, you helped my belief in 2006. Now help my unbelief.