The Lord has kicked it into high gear for us and things are happening very rapidly now. Please be patient as I try to keep this blog as updated as possible. It seems that right about the time I get an update written, something new and exciting happens. Knowing that God is a God of order and not of confusion or chaos, we are trying to remain focused upon Him and keep calm as the pace picks up around here.
Here is the latest. The senior pastor from St. Paul is very excited (to say the least!) to meet us. He and Tim have been in contact through email regularly over the past few days. Just yesterday he invited (very heavily encouraged!) Tim and I to join him for the Upper Mid West Pastors' Conference in Wisconsin. The conference is less than two weeks away! He mentioned (and we agree) that it would be a great time to meet some of the other Calvary pastors in the region, gain additional support and prayer partners as well as learn some very valuable feedback from men and their wives who have started Calvary Chapels in their area. Over the many different emails Tim has received from the pastor in St Paul, he continually says, "just get here!" He offered to take care of everything (conference fees and registration, hotel and meals) to get us there except for airfare, encouraging us that where God guides He provides. Thinking that this was too much, too quickly for it to work out and maybe we would just go to the conference next year, we half-heartedly began to pursue making it to the conference. Fortunately, God doesn't work the way our minds can "logically" think things out.
First, Tim asked if he could get the time off from work with less than the two weeks advance notice usually needed. It got approved. We said, "Okay, Lord, let's keep going." My parents get back from a week long trip the day before the conference. Childcare? Check. We found airfare that will get us to the conference on time and we have a very tentative approval from our pastor to reimburse us for the cost. Wow, okay. So I guess we're going to Wisconsin in 12 days (http://ccappleton.org/pastors-conference/). In less than 24 hours all the details of travel, food and accommodations have been worked out for us with little to no cost. God continues to blow our minds. This is what happens when you live your life fully surrendered to God and sold out for Him. He can do above and beyond what we ever thought possible!
"But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26
Update 04/17/2013 - Praise God, nearly all of our conference expenses have been paid for. Thank you Jesus! Where God guides God Provides.
