Great Feeling!!

YAY!! I just got off the phone with the company we financed our Dodge Neon through. I JUST PAID OFF OUR CAR!!! WHOA! Such a great feeling! We bought the car brand new when we were just 19 and 20 years old, for $17,000 - yeah, we paid way too much for a neon - but hey, live and learn right?!?! Anywho! I am just so thrilled that we just made our last car payment on our Neon! YAY!
Had to share!
CYA!

Crazy Love

Last week we began hosting our small group, reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. This was the book that we were involved with a small group through Southeast Christian and it helped motivate us to move to Clear Creek. It's a great book - and great discussion.

The fellowship was great! We have one couple, and a single who have committed to the small group. Not too big, but sometimes that works out better for discussion.

Topics that struck out to me in the beginning of the book and through the first chapter:

• We need to stop blaming America for the problems that the American church has today. We should in fact blame ourselves, because we are the American church. Speak up and stand for biblical truth.
• We serve an incredibly diverse and creative God. Did you know that there are more than 350,000,000,000 galaxies? That a caterpillar has 228 separate and distinct muscles on its head? The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." ~Psalm 19:1-4

• Stop talking at God, instead take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word. Solomon warned us not to rush into God's presence with words. That's what fools do. And often, that's what we do. We are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry.
• When we pray to God picture what John describes in Revelation 4. He describes the One seated on the throne with two gems, "jasper and carnelian," and the area around the throne as a rainbow that looked like an emerald. John describes "flashes of lightening" and "rumblings and peals of thunder" coming from God's throne.

Next time you approach God in prayer, picture Revelation 4 in your mind. See how it changes your prayer life. We are to fear God. You'll find yourself more in praise and worship rather than selfishly requesting needs. Not that we shouldn't bring God our burdens, but sometimes, that's all we ask for. We pray out of emotion, only when we are in need of something. Don't ever get into that rut. Remember who God is, fear Him. I challenge you to read Revelation 4 and next time you approach God in prayer vision that picture in your mind.

Post your comments on how it changes your prayer life with Him!

Confirmation

I love receiving confirmation from God! Over this past weekend, we got a bit snowed in - Pineville was dumped with about 8 or 9 inches of snow - so it gave Dan and I some really great quality time to talk about some things that we had been planning for a while. For the past 4-5 weekends, we've been in Shelbyville dealing with our house, so to actually be at home for a weekend was really great! And, the power didn't go out this time, so we were able to take the boys sledding! It was great!

Anyways! (I'll get off track if I'm not careful! Sorry, I'll get back to what I was posting about!)

Well, first off, we were able to finally finish putting our thoughts together to host a small group at out cottage! We'll be reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan and doing a Bible Study along with it. Before moving to Pineville, Dan and I were involved in a small group through church, and this was one of the studies we did. It's really great, and I'm really excited about hosting it! It will begin on February 18th!

Secondly, during our conversations together, I was explaining to Dan how much I would love to host / facilitate / coordinate Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University (FPU) again. (I facilitated 3 sessions of this program during my time with CUB) It is a great program and I am very passionate about it!! Based on Biblical principles, the program teaches you how to save, pay off debt, stay out of debt, and how to budget. I've presented the idea to the bank that I currently work for, but they turned it down. Dan suggested that I offer the program to the people on campus. One thing that I was hesitant about offering the program on campus, was the cost of the membership kits that the participants are required to have to go through the program, which is $100. Dan mentioned that he may be able to speak to one of the Deans about trying to lower the cost. So, the next day, I met with my "lady mentor" and through our conversations together, I explained mine and Dan's ideas to her. She did tell me that a financial program is highly needed on campus, and that a committee was trying to get something together but it never followed through. Later that afternoon, Dan was able to meet with the dean he had in mind, and the dean actually had the FPU Folder on his desk!! After Dan explained everything to the dean, the dean told Dan that the school has been looking into doing FPU for a while, but never had anyone to teach the program!!! AWE!!! NOW THEY DO!!! So after we work out the details, within the next few months, I will be able to teach FPU again and offer it on campus!!!

Like I said, I love receiving confirmation from God!

Showing!!

I just found out that the house has its' first showing today at 4:00!! Hopefully all will go well! I'm praying that the family looking at it will like the house, make an offer, and buy it!!! (Keepin' my fingers crossed!) We'll see?!?!?

I'll keep you all updated!

Check It Out!

I am so excited to introduce you guys to.... My New Blog!! Have no fear, I will continue to regularly post on this blog as well.

My new blog serves a new purpose that I felt wouldn't flow well with this blog. So check it out! You can either find it on my profile or the address... womanfollowinggodsplan.blogspot.com

Let me know what you guys think!

CYA!