The driver's side window on the blazer has been broken for months - it wouldn't roll up or down. Thankfully it was stuck in the "up" position, but it made it really difficult to check the mail because you would have to drive a little past the mailbox so you could open the door, then open the mailbox. We thought the problem was the actual switch itself, so I ordered the whole unit (the buttons for all four doors and the master lock - $55). I was proud of myself for figuring out how to pull off the old switch assembly and install the new one . . . and it still didn't work. I hate it when that happens! So yesterday Daphne took the blazer to a garage here in town that specializes in everything related to glass in a vehicle, run by a friend from church. In 10 minutes she was on her way, with a working window. What did he do? He took out a big hammer and whacked the motor a couple of times, and it worked like magic. Apparently the gears on these things get stuck occasionally, and they just need a little "coaxing" to start turning again. I love it. Of course, this is the life philosophy of some of my Redneck friends back in Alabama: "It's not working? Well, whack it harder! Oops, I guess that was a little too hard - looks like you just bought yourself a new part!".
Speaking of Rednecks, it's funny that now that we're back in the States (where people have some appreciation for Redneck humor), I haven't felt the urge to bring out my alter-ego "Billy Bob". I'm not sure why - maybe I am too concerned about keeping up the image of sanity and maturity that I've carefully built here in Conifer. I used to love dressing up like BB and telling Redneck jokes like these:
You might be a Redneck if:
- Going to the bathroom in the middle of the night involves putting on shoes and a jacket and grabbing a flashlight.
- You dated your daddy's current wife in high school
- Last year you hid your kids' Easter eggs under cow pies
- The Salvation Army declines your mattress
Ok, I'll stop there. It's kind of like an addiction -- once I get going I can't stop.
Our church is growing by leaps and bounds. We're about to celebrate our two-year anniversary since the church started here in Conifer, and we'll mark the occasion with a big dinner on August 30th. The menu will be Chicken Cordon Bleu. I told the guys who are going to be cooking that I expect them to serve the meal while speaking French - but they didn't think it was funny. One remarkable statistic: since the first day the church held a service up here, we have had visitors every single Sunday - even through two summers, which is usually the slowest time of year. We just started a Saturday evening service, and between that one and the two services on Sunday morning we were about 290 people. That many not seem like a lot, but as soon as September rolls around we'll hit 350 at least, and each service will feel full. It's an exciting time to be a part of this church.
A couple of Sundays ago I was preaching on the subject of the church in Acts 2. In the middle of the service I was hit over the head by the Holy Spirit about the very topic I was talking about at that moment. The point I was making was that the church in Acts 2 was characterized by a spirit of sacrificial giving, and every person gave up their own property and belongings so that no one in the church had any needs. The issue God spoke to me about was this: the team that came together to start this church made a commitment to God and to one another that none of them would receive any salary until the church was on its feet financially. To accomplish this amazing feat (especially since there are eleven full time staff, not including Daphne and I) they chose to pool their resources, sell their cars, and live together to save money. Today these 11 young people live together in two homes, eat their meals together, and share the use of 2-5 old, battered vehicles (depending on how many are working at any given time). They each receive $20-30 in spending money each week, and that's it. They are living the Acts 2 model. Is it easy? Far from it. They have their share of problems and conflicts, but they sit down and work it out every time. Here is where God spoke to my heart two weeks ago during my sermon: Michael (the pastor) and the whole team had agreed that they would start to pay us a salary before any of the rest of them because they felt that we had different needs as a family (a home mortgage, older kids in school, etc). The church was planning to start paying us next month. The problem was that every time I thought about receiving money from the church while the rest of the team was willing to serve voluntarily, I had a check in my spirit. My heart was just not at peace, and Daphne felt the same thing. As I was speaking that morning, I sensed the Lord saying to me, "Jim, are you willing to put some skin in this game like these kids? Can you trust me to provide for you and Daph and the girls? If so, then tell the church not to pay you until the rest of the team starts to receive a salary." I talked it over with Daphne, and we agreed together that for now we will live only on what the Lord provides through our few supporters and what I can earn through Storm Guides and my artwork. To be honest, we've had to dip into our savings for the past several months, so this is a big step of faith for us - but as soon as we made this decision we both felt the Lord's peace. We don't have to know where the money will come from; we just need to trust in the One who owns all the world's resources to begin with.
We used to think we lived by faith when we were on staff with CCC. In reality, our faith adventure only truly began once we left staff. We've never had to trust the Lord like we're trusting Him now - and you know what? It's AWESOME.
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