YOu know everyone everyone everyone loves comfort. But as a follower of Christ there are many times He doesn't let us cruise in the slow lane where it is comfortable and well known. And to put a more twist on it (which will be off the subject but it just popped in my head) there are times we will be riding in His fast lane but God wants us to rest and has us set our cruise control on slow. Either way it is not in our comfort zone.
So for weeks and weeks and weeks I have had blog worthy news. The type that you long to write about if you are addicted to blogs/online journals. But with news such as this can come criticism and that is where I swayed from writing such news. So as I write this please remember the wonderful saying from Bambi the movie "If you have nothing nice to say Don't say anything at all" With that said hehehe: . . . . drum roll please.
Joel and I are starting our own non-profit organization. Some of you know this already or know that it has been coming for some time but others may not. SO anyway for years the Lord has put this vision in my mind and heart. He has even sent me two people who have never met in two different states two different times prophesy to me about our ministry. It was word for word the prophesy. For the past four years God has put this idea in my head and has been preparing both JOel and I for a time such as this. We are excited and pumped. And even now GOd is working behind the scenes to get things ready and done for the ministry He wants us to start.
When we got done with the three churches we both thought we would have time to chill and relax but that is not the case at all. JOel and I are just as busy or more busy then when we were doing the churches. We have been doing paper work to get an organization started and to be tax exempt. It is a long process with paper work piled high to heaven. We have been very prayerful and excited with each step.
Joel and I will be moving to STockton California and every time we tell some one this or someone hears about it from friends and Family they always say how bad STockton is crime wise or how bad it has been hit by the economy. It is true Stockton has gangs and is pretty rough in areas (we don't know how bad but we do understand a bit from living there for 6 months and living in a really bad area in Los Angeles) But also STockton (as we hear by word of mouth) has been hit the worst in the nation for house foreclosures. And from a friend who lives there it has been hit the worst economy wise in the state of California. WOw God. SO God couldn't have picked a better time for us to go. TO Go and help with those who can't make ends meet and to share Jesus CHrist who loves them dearly and wants a relationship with everyone.
Another God thing is that JOel has been missing his family like crazy especially since Sarah is suppposed to be having our neice any day now. SO I made arrangements and then woke up at 6am to get a ticket for Joel to see his family. AFter that I spent some quiet time with God and got this overwhelming peace about this idea. What if Joel were to get a bus ticket after seeing his family to a mission/organization that does only vehicles and drive it back. SO I talked with Joel about it and he said I need to start working it out. SO we both did some contacting and they agreed to donate a mini bus to us. Can you believe it. They sent pics and we are so excited it is too perfect. Buses whether small or big have only one door in the back which would have been fine with us a bus is a bus but it is has double doors in the back and on the side by the double doors a wheel chair lift. Which for picking up food is awesome if the food is too heavy. And it is diesel and in California if the vehicle isn't deisel you have to take a smog test every year. GOd is so awesome. SO we are waiting to see when we can pick it up!!! So the bus will be for retail/grocery store food runs. We will take all the seats out except two. Man God is so awesome. What an awesome God we serve.
Before the bus I was freaking out to God where do we start. I mean how do you start a food minstry plus other cargo/goods like construction, paper and other items needed for outreach. Where do you start. I started to panic. Then the Lord spoke and said Dess you start at grocery stores. You know grocery stores you did them for years." WOw I calmed down right away. I did pick up and procure grocery store food for years at Friend SHips. I was firmilar with it. So with the bus all we have to do is pick up food 6 days a week, collect some food for Joel and I to eat and then pass it out the same day to families who can't make ends meet. Well give it to the church so they can pass out the food and share the love of Christ. I am getting pumped just writing this. SO we don't need a warehouse to start or building or refrigerators to start because we pick up the food and give it out the same day. WHen I described this idea to one friends he immediatly pointed out that is sounded just like Manna to him. ONly getting what you need for the day. Day to day provision!! What a cool idea!!!
Our goal is to have a organization that picks up surplus goods (construction, toys, clothes, linens and other needs people would have that can't make ends meet) and food and then give it to Christian groups and churches so they can reach out to their community while sharing the love of Christ.
Joel is leaving Monday and my emotions are kicking in and not very happy but I love him and want him to see his family and if God permits drive the bus and meet me in California. Which means if Joel is just seeing his family then I will see him in a week but if we get the bus this time around then I wouldn't see him for two weeks. Aww emotions.
SO that is life in the fast lane with God. WE are working on paper work, a bus, paper work for the bus, moving to California, JOel going to see his family and being away from me, and everything else that goes on with our lives surrendered to God.
WEll that is mostly it. There are a ton of other things God has done over these past few weeks but it is just too much to write.
If you think about it pray for a place for Joel and I to live. That is on my heart the most and even in my prayers I feel God is hiding what I should pray. But God gave me a verse from Romans today that said something like "WE don't know what to pray for but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us on our behalf to God because He knows the will of God" And I was like that is me I have no idea what to even pray for (?a house, an apartment, an RV, Trailer????) so I am saying "Let your will be done Heavenly Father on earth as it is in Heaven." and "Thank you Holy Spirit and Jesus for interceding on our behalf to our Heavenly Father." What an awesome God we serve not only does He provide but we are interceded for!!! I am in awe.
God has also given the whole Psalms 37 for a time such as this. I love it. It talks about Do not Fret (it says that three times) and after it says do no fret in one part it then says for it only leads to evil. Then it talks about people that trust in God or God's righteous people or those that seek God will inherit the land. THat gives me peace as well. ONe of my all time favorite quotes from that Psalms is Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart.
The other Chapter in the bible the Lord has given me is Isaiah 58. Later in that chapter is says "If you spend yourself on behalf of the needy God will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land." And that is where I feel the USA is going towards a sun-scorched land.
SO I just wanted to leave you with that. We love you all. Thank you for your prayers we need them!!!!
IN CHRIST ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE,
The Butlers
Friday, February 27, 2009
Monday, February 02, 2009
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!
Hey Everyone,
WE ARE DONE WITH THE THREE CHURCHES!!! Yeah. It is exciting to have finished such a big responsibility. It was a crazy three months and Joel and I learned so much about ourselves, church in general, and life as a christian. I feel we have grown in ways we could have never if not for being over these three churches.
I think for me one of the biggest challenges was learning there is a nasty side to religion. That some people go straight by rules and judging instead of mercy and love. Oh they think they are being loving but really they are judging you and condemning you for your walk with Christ. Aww that was hard. Especially for me as a women. I felt really judge and closely looked at because I was a women talking in church and helping Joel lead congregations. I even condemned myself but when I finally studied scripture and went looking for what God thought I was blown away by things. I didn't get all the answers but I walked away feeling better about me talking in church. And that GOd wasn't going to strike me down at any moment for teaching.
For the first two months Joel and I really prayed and put it out there to God that if this is what He wanted us to do for a long season Joel and I were willing to step up if it was Dad and Mom's time to step down. Boy are we glad that God gave us the okay to move on and that it is still Dad's time to be a pastor. That was a huge relief. Joel and I don't feel even the tiniest calling to being pastors. For three months we had no idea what we were doing. But as the bible says where we are weak God is soooooooooooo strong. And both Joel and I felt when we didn't have a clue to what we were doing; God really stepped in, Got the Glory and made us look good.
If you were to ask us how we feel we would tell you that we are so glad it is over. And for the people hearing that they always ask "Oh it wasn't that great?" and we are like no it was great, the people were great, and we had a great time. But when something is not your calling or you are not trained in that thing it is a lot harder.
Then when we told people in the congregation that we are just not good at being pastors they look at us like we are crazy and tell us we are. But where they saw us suceeed and what not It was God all the way. I can't even tell you how many times Joel and I didn't have a clue to what we were doing and it ended up looking like we were called to be pastors. Which is just not the case. God is SO awesome that when He asks you to do something and you are obedient and willingly God will do the impossible through you.
So for these last three months Joel and I did 3 services a sunday, preaching and all. (No one ever taught us how to run a service, the whole service or teach us how to preach but God was there) We did three bible studies and three prayer meetings a week (again no prior schooling for this) WE had three movie night outreachs to the community and we brought new worship music to the congregation. We went to hospitals and loved on the sick. We went to two funerals of church members. I mean these whole 3 months were just out of our league But God is good and enabled us to do the impossible.
I am not saying anything of this to brag I am telling you all this because God is so good that He can use any one of you and us to do His bidding and do the impossible. He will enable you even when you don't have a clue on what you are doing. All you have to do is seek Him out. I would spend time with the Lord almost every day and God would give me ideas on what the church needed in prayer or He gave us the idea of movie nights and He gave us the idea to play one new christian worship song on Sundays. It was all the Lords idea Joel and I would have never thought of it but it turned out great. I thought they would stone us or kick us out with the new "loud and fast" songs we were bringing but they loved them and thanked us for them.
Wow our God is awesome and I am glad He showed me/us if we just step out and obey Him NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.
To GOD BE THE GLORY,
The Butlers
WE ARE DONE WITH THE THREE CHURCHES!!! Yeah. It is exciting to have finished such a big responsibility. It was a crazy three months and Joel and I learned so much about ourselves, church in general, and life as a christian. I feel we have grown in ways we could have never if not for being over these three churches.
I think for me one of the biggest challenges was learning there is a nasty side to religion. That some people go straight by rules and judging instead of mercy and love. Oh they think they are being loving but really they are judging you and condemning you for your walk with Christ. Aww that was hard. Especially for me as a women. I felt really judge and closely looked at because I was a women talking in church and helping Joel lead congregations. I even condemned myself but when I finally studied scripture and went looking for what God thought I was blown away by things. I didn't get all the answers but I walked away feeling better about me talking in church. And that GOd wasn't going to strike me down at any moment for teaching.
For the first two months Joel and I really prayed and put it out there to God that if this is what He wanted us to do for a long season Joel and I were willing to step up if it was Dad and Mom's time to step down. Boy are we glad that God gave us the okay to move on and that it is still Dad's time to be a pastor. That was a huge relief. Joel and I don't feel even the tiniest calling to being pastors. For three months we had no idea what we were doing. But as the bible says where we are weak God is soooooooooooo strong. And both Joel and I felt when we didn't have a clue to what we were doing; God really stepped in, Got the Glory and made us look good.
If you were to ask us how we feel we would tell you that we are so glad it is over. And for the people hearing that they always ask "Oh it wasn't that great?" and we are like no it was great, the people were great, and we had a great time. But when something is not your calling or you are not trained in that thing it is a lot harder.
Then when we told people in the congregation that we are just not good at being pastors they look at us like we are crazy and tell us we are. But where they saw us suceeed and what not It was God all the way. I can't even tell you how many times Joel and I didn't have a clue to what we were doing and it ended up looking like we were called to be pastors. Which is just not the case. God is SO awesome that when He asks you to do something and you are obedient and willingly God will do the impossible through you.
So for these last three months Joel and I did 3 services a sunday, preaching and all. (No one ever taught us how to run a service, the whole service or teach us how to preach but God was there) We did three bible studies and three prayer meetings a week (again no prior schooling for this) WE had three movie night outreachs to the community and we brought new worship music to the congregation. We went to hospitals and loved on the sick. We went to two funerals of church members. I mean these whole 3 months were just out of our league But God is good and enabled us to do the impossible.
I am not saying anything of this to brag I am telling you all this because God is so good that He can use any one of you and us to do His bidding and do the impossible. He will enable you even when you don't have a clue on what you are doing. All you have to do is seek Him out. I would spend time with the Lord almost every day and God would give me ideas on what the church needed in prayer or He gave us the idea of movie nights and He gave us the idea to play one new christian worship song on Sundays. It was all the Lords idea Joel and I would have never thought of it but it turned out great. I thought they would stone us or kick us out with the new "loud and fast" songs we were bringing but they loved them and thanked us for them.
Wow our God is awesome and I am glad He showed me/us if we just step out and obey Him NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.
To GOD BE THE GLORY,
The Butlers
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