Blind Faith

Our service today at church was awesome!

One thing I love is hearing stories that move me, inspire me, give me chills. Today, our pastor told one.

Some background: Our church has been holding services in the gym at a local college for the past 8 years. The lease is running out and will not be renewed, so the church is in need of a building. They have searched and searched and searched and searched. They finally found one but need a lot of money to buy it. In researching, the pastor found out that 87% of the church members give less than $50 per month to the church.

So, 2 weeks ago, he had a service about it. He had never talked about money before, but felt that it was a big problem because the members cared more about money than their church and God.

Today, he told us that after the 11:30 service on that day 2 weeks ago, he was praying to God that no first time visitors were at the church that day because he didn't want to turn them off. Then a woman and a man walked up to them. The woman said:

Hi. This is my first Sunday. (Our pastor cringes). The service was good. My husband and I have been married for 4.5 years and we have been doing it "our" way and it isn't working. We need God in our lives. God spoke to me today and told me that I needed to do something. I need to give you my wedding ring, and you are to sell it and use the money toward the building. We paid $16,500 for the ring.

Pastor Matt: No, no, I don't want your ring.

Woman: Listen, you must take the ring.

Pastor Matt: OK, ok.

So he took the ring and the woman and her husband left. The next weekend, there was a marriage retreat at the church. Matt had the ring with him and told the story of the woman who was called to give by God and followed him on blind faith, even as only a first time visitor to the church.

Later, a man at the retreat came up to Matt and told him that he wanted to buy the ring. He told him that it was probably only worth half of what she paid for it, but that he wanted to buy it for $17,000. Pastor Matt said deal.

Then, after the man wrote the check and handed it to Matt, Matt was handing the ring to the man when he said "No, I don't want the ring. There is just one thing you need to do. You need to give that woman back her ring."

At this point during the service, I am balling. I look around and others are too.

Blind faith. God called to the woman and she LISTENED. And she was blessed.

Amazing, isn't it?

Hairspray. Sweet.

My sis Kel was in Minnesota for the last 7 days with her boyfriend Greg visiting his family and friends. We were looking at pictures this evening when she stopped to tell us a story about Greg.

They drove for three hours from a place they were visiting in Wisconsin to go to Greg's good friend's wedding. Upon checking into their hotel, they had 1 hour to be totally ready to go. Kel started to get ready and realized that she didn't have her hairspray. She asked Greg if he would mind checking out the hotel gift shop to see if they had any to buy. So, awesome guy that he is, he slipped on his flip flops and headed out.

25 minutes later, Kel was a little panicked because Greg hadn't returned and she was worried about him! Just then, he walked into the hotel room, completely drenched in sweat, holding a grocery bag.

"Honey, where did you go?!" Kel asked.
"I went to get you hairspray, but I had to run the whole way because it was kinda far to the store and I knew we didn't have much time to get ready." Replied Greg.
"Oh my goodness, I just wanted you to check the gift shop! Thanks so much!"
"Well, you said you needed it."

Some people I know are just awesome. Awesome enough to run two miles in flip flops for some hairspray.

:)

"Why do I only live with a Mom?"

Tonight on the way home from picking Brenden up from Jason (Ethan is away at church camp), he blurted out "Why do I only live with a Mom?" HUH? I asked him to repeat the question. He asked it again before clarifying by saying "I mean, why don't I live with a Mom and a Dad?" Insert sound of my heart breaking here.

See, Brenden turned 2 just two short months before Jason and I separated in December 2004. He doesn't remember that he ever lived with a Mom and a Dad, together. To him, life has always been about back and forth and up and down, and sometimes sideways for that matter. In choosing the best dad for my son I failed him. I failed both of them.

We were driving and I was caught off guard and I didn't do a good job of explaining it to him either. What are you supposed to say? Well, kid, your dad is a cheater and a liar and wanted to live with someone else instead of me? No. So I told him that his dad and I used to be married but we got a divorce. To this he said "Huh? Why'd you get unmarried?" His little voice was so small, so innocent. All I could muster up was telling him that we didn't get along. He didn't understand that. So I told him that we weren't happy together and he seemed to be okay with that explanation.

Then he changed subjects to my iPod.

Poor little guy.