Joseph

David's message today on Genesis 37 - 50 was simply awesome! We finished up Genesis this week in our reading plan! Even though I'm reading all the study notes in the ESV Bible I am just blown away each week by how much more there is to the text when I hear David's messages. It is nice to have just read the text that he preaches on each Sunday so the story line is fresh on your mind because he runs through it so fast but the implications that he shared were so powerful. Please download it (Monday) and I would even encourage you to print the notes, too, so you don't miss how Joseph's life parrallels with Jesus. One of the big points was how God takes the sins of the destroyers and makes them the means of their deliverance.

During the message today I kept thinking about how I completely missed God's hand orchestrating all the evil I dealt with at my previous job. Not that I was a "pure servant" like Joseph was but I wish I had had more faith at the time. I was so negative and miserable and never just accepted that it was just a period of pain and suffering that I just had to get through. That would have been a great opportunity for me to witness to others and I didn't. But he has completely delivered me from that "hell on earth" and I am so thankful for his mercy and blessings. Mandi's song, "I Already Know" was the perfect follow up after the message! Such a beautiful reminder of Who is in charge and why we have no reason to worry.

Throughout the week I listened to John Piper's sermons on Genesis while I was driving and walking the dogs. That has been a good compliment to the reading and I hope I can keep it up and listen to all of his sermons through the year. He is a very wise pastor and I am learning a lot from his messages, too.

We have passed the 21 day mark so I believe the "habit" has been formed, yeah!!

On to Job! (for some more pain and suffering)....

Care For Orphans

Wikipedia's definition of "orphan" An orphan (from the Greek ὀρφανός) is a child permanently bereaved of his or her parents.[1][2] In common usage, only a child (or the young of an animal) who has lost both parents is called an orphan.

In certain animal species where the father typically abandons the mother and young at or prior to birth, the young will be called orphans when the mother dies regardless of the condition of the father.

I looked up the definition of orphan today....I had memorized James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world," back when we studied the book of James. It sticks with me often.

I took on a new foster puppy last night and wondered if by chance a homeless dog is concerned an orphan. According to Wikipedia they are, not sure if God's definition is the same as theirs, but sure, why not? I just thought that was interesting. I never thought of dog rescue as a "Christian" ministry but why can't it be?

My sweet Roscoe (as a puppy) I rescued last May. Abandoned at 3 weeks old.

Sarena (now Ryleigh), first foster pup, now happily living in Florida with the Greens. She was found almost dead at a very young age curled up in the media on 280.

Meet Tawny, my sweet new foster girlie! Approx. 8 months, 38 lbs, and sweet as can be! She has been roaming the streets of downtown Birmingham for several weeks and some guys found her and started to take care of her. I have her now, until she gets adopted! She follows me around everywhere but loves Roscoe and is gentle with Shrimp. She has heartworms but will start treatment next week!

Why anyone would be so irresponsible with puppies is beyond me! If you don't want your dog to have puppies get them fixed! Otherwise it is YOUR responsibility to take care of their puppies and find them homes!

Operation World: Africa

I really love Operation World! It can be hard to keep up with it on a daily basis, but I am committed to doing it and it is worth it. Over the first couple of weeks of the year the book focuss on the world as a whole and each of the continents. Sometime in February I think it will begin to focus on individual countries.

This week has been Africa. Africa was already on my heart this week, for a few reasons, so I was kind of excited. The little girl that I sponsor lives there so I am always remembering her in my prayers and it was neat to learn more about where she lives and what the prayer needs are there. 2. A friend from choir was on a mission trip there and I had been praying for her. Then the 3rd came up on Tuesday morning when I got an email from a missionary that we just commissioned late last year who will be working in a mission hospital for 2010 and 2011 primarily with HIV patients.

I had just mentioned to the church that I would like to offer assistance with any missionaries that needed help filing their tax returns and he wrote me right way and said that was an answer to their prayers. I have been praying for him and his family all week. I am so thrilled that God is able to use me to help make their lives easier while on the mission field, even if it's with something so small! I hope that he will share prayer requests with me so that I can be praying for specific needs while his family is there for the next two years.

Some bits of info. on Africa/Prayer Needs:

*Africa has 12.9% of the world's population

*Income per person is $660 which is 2% of USA

*71% of the world's AIDS cases in 1999 were in Africa. By 2000 a moderate estimate was 25 million infected with HIV and 12.25 million orphans due to AIDS. 

*2,110 languages spoken in Africa, at least 297 of which the Bible has not been translated into yet.

*Millions are being evangelized and responded, but non-Christian customs and worldviews have invaded the Church. Syncretism is a major problem in many areas. Thorough-going repentence and renunciation of sin and the works of darkness are often lacking and many Christians are not free from the fear of witchcraft and evil spirits.

*Islam is the major challenge for Christianity today - both the 160 million Muslims north of the Sahara and the 157 million in sub-Saharan Africa. The use of oil-funded education, aid projects and grants and a well-orchestrated drive to give Islam a role in Africa's political life has had some success.

Wow, condensing all that I covered this week was harder than I thought. There are so many more prayer needs that I didn't even mention. I am learning so much. Please take a few moments and pray for Africa. My favorite quote at the beginning of the book says, "When man works, man works; when man prays, God works." Kindda cool knowing that we aren't completely helpless. When we intercede on behalf of others God is able to do mighty things just like in this week's reading when Abraham intercedes for Lot in Chapter 18 of Genesis. Pray for the missionaries there and for Judele, too!

FPU: Radical "Accounting" Part 2

Ok, so I wanted to clarify that the church does not completely leave you on your own for “Sacrifice Our Money for a Specific Purpose.” The church has been advertising “Financial Peace University” for several weeks that will begin January 31st. A few months ago I started thinking about writing “life stage” specific small group lessons on financial planning for the church. I knew that this was going to take a great deal of time and when the Radical Experiment was first mentioned I was so bummed that I couldn’t have it done in time.

Then I heard about the FPU coming up. Dave Ramsey has a great program and there really isn’t any sense in trying to re-invent the wheel. I really am passionate about helping those in my faith family with their finances and plan to write some small group lessons in the future. However, I could not pass up the opportunity to offer to help with FPU. Yesterday I had the privilege to have lunch at David and Christy Wilson’s house to discuss the plans for the upcoming FPU along with Wayne Buckner and his wife and son. David has been facilitating FPU seminars for several years and this is Wayne’s first one. Glenn Andrew is also helping facilitate and he has done this several times, too. All three of these men appear to be successful Christian businessmen who, by experience, are able to help mentor others to achieve financial peace. I am so excited to be working with these men as I know I will be able to gain a great deal of wisdom from them.

However, I just knew that God was going to be able to use me in a unique way to reach those going through the program. As a financial advisor I, of course, have additional financial planning resources but also I am going to go through this program with them. My plan is to go ahead and start reading the chapters in the 13 week seminar so that I can hopefully incorporate some additional help relating and scriptures to each session.

This is going to be somewhat challenging since tax season is rapidly approaching and I thought it was going to be a struggle to get my reading plan done during tax season! I feel confident, though, that if the Lord led me to serve in this capacity then He will also provide me with the time and ability to see it through. In addition, I know that I will learn a lot and will be challenged to make my personal finances an even bigger priority in the process.

Last night about 50 people showed up for the “FPU preview.” If 4,000 people committed to the Radical Experiment (and I just pulled that number from the sky) then that means only 1.25% showed up (I know, there I go with those numbers again, I can't help it). Although we were very pleased with the turn out and had to bring in more chairs, I pray that those that serious about the Radical Experiment will be coming on the 31st or will at least seek wise counsel on how to go about practically sacrificing their money for a specific purpose. (by wise counsel I mean the Word, someone they trust that is a Christian, God, etc).

Please, please pray for those going through this program and for our team facilitating it.

Radical "Accounting" Part 1

The Bible Reading Plan seems to be the most talked about piece when it comes to the Radical Experiment but I am not going to neglect the other very important components. Today I want to address “Sacrifice Our Money for a Specific Purpose.”

As an “accountant” (I’m not really an accountant I just say that this time of year), I love numbers. I love to know statistics, percentages, all of that. I guess I should have known that I was going to work with numbers when I was a child because my dad, who worked in the prison system, would get the Florida Department of Corrections annual statistics report and I would read it like a book. For some reason I was so fascinated with learning about what counties had the highest crimes, race, gender, age, the types of offences, how much crime had increased since the last year, decade etc.

Anyways, the church has done a remarkable job providing resources for the other four areas of the Radical Experiment but I feel like this one you are just kind of left hanging (This is not entirely true, see FPU entry next). There are links to books, websites and sermons under “Resources” on the website that are definitely great tools but I wonder just how many people are taking advantage of those. Maybe I am just critical (in a good way) because I know a good bit about financial planning.

Personally, I started thinking about this in November when Radical Experiment was first presented. I have accumulated some good and some bad debt that I am trying to tackle with a vengeance and there doesn’t seem to be enough coming in. As I continued to think about it and pray about it, I began to realize that although debt repayment is extremely important, serving God by caring for those in dire need is even more important and cannot be neglected. By being obedient to his Word, you are actually allowing God the opportunity to bless you. That is very hard to do because as a financial planner I desperately want to get out of debt (the bad debt especially).

I have not made any major changes in my spending yet. I decided to sponsor a child but that honestly does not feel like much of a sacrifice, now that I’m two months into it, considering it costs less to sponsor a child than it does to feed my dogs each month. I decided I needed to look at the numbers, the percentages, the facts on where my money went in 2009. I try to do this each January but this time with Radical Experiment in mind. I have an Excel spreadsheet that I keep up with how much I spend in different categories each month with a percentage column that totals what percentage of total spending that category is. I try to be as exact as possible, which means if I go to Wal-Mart and spend $50 and bought toiletries, dog stuff, and groceries I put a roundabout number for each of those categories on the spreadsheet so it’s pretty accurate.

As I analyzed the amounts I spent in each category in 2009, I was able to make a concrete goal for 2010 that I can monitor throughout the year. My goal is to double my 2009 giving (percentage, not dollar amount) to God’s Kingdom. By having a goal like this that I can monitor, I will be able to make sacrificial choices throughout the year to help me attain this goal and if by year end I have not achieved it I will most likely sacrifice my Christmas bonus (if I get one) or even Christmas presents from my family to achieve this goal. It may not seem like much to some, but for me having a goal like this makes a big difference.

I (heart) Kindle

I have wanted a Kindle for over a year now but I did not get one for a few reasons. 1. There were things I wanted more than a Kindle for Christmas and my birthday and I try to save my "toy" wants for Christmas and birthday. 2. I was studying for the CFP exam and did not have time for leisure reading so I didn't know how much I would use it and 3. When I almost got one with some of the bonus money I got from passing the CFP exam I wisely decided I needed to use all of it for paying down debt and didn't get it. SO, I finally got one this Christmas! Real "radical" of me, I know. But, as always, I can justify it. 1. It was a gift. 2. Books are so much cheaper on Kindle 3. No shipping on book purchases. 4. No taxes on book purchases. Seriously I'd say more than 90% of Kindle books are $10 or less, some are even free!

So, what does this have to do with the Radical Experiment? A lot, actually! It's called convenience. Don't get me wrong I am very proud of the leather ESV Study Bible my dad got me for Christmas, too. It will mainly be my "Sunday" Bible and for once I will actually underline and write in it (although I'm gasping as I saw that) but when it comes to the daily reading plan the Kindle is the perfect companion.

For the past two nights I have taken my Kindle to the gym and have done my reading while doing cardio. It takes about an hour to get read the text and the study notes, which is exactly how long I do cardio! I am all about some multi-tasking! That doesn't mean I'm not giving God my undivided attention, either. I can totally zone out to whats going on around me and zone into the Word.

There's more. The ESV Study Bible for Kindle has all the articles AND when publishers publish a Kindle version of something they have the option of enabling this computerized voice to read to you (it's funny because it doesn't always pronouce words correctly so I usually follow along with the words when I can) and Crossways enabled this feature. That means that when I'm in a bind for time....like say...the month of March and half of April I can have it read to me while I am driving, getting dressed, or whatnot. It's not ideal for reading the Bible, but tax season doesn't last forever, so worst case scenario it may just have to do.

I can (and do) underline texts and make notes on the Kindle and a feature that I use often, I can move my cursor on a word and the definition of the word will appear because the Kindle comes loaded with a dictionary. SOOO cool!

All of that for $9.99. No tax. No shipping. I am such a nerd but I bet you want one now, too! I am so thankful for parents that give great presents!!

Any who, that's my "Radical" thought for the day.

In the Beginning....

I think I am really going to like this reading plan. Yesterday I read Genesis 1 & 2 which, to be honest, I wasn't all that blown away by what I read. God created everything, then he rested. That's amazing, no doubt, but it's a little too factual for me. Today however, I read John 1:1 - 3 and Psalm 8 and 104. Psalm 8 and 104 were especially great for a few reasons. One, there was elaboration on God creating everything and I appreciate the details. Also, I thought Psalm 104: 15 was interesting. "and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart." Wine does, in fact, gladden the heart of man (in moderation), my mom has told me something about extra virgin olive oil being good for your face, and bread is, in fact, good for your heart. So drinking a little wine lifts your spirits, putting oil on your face will make your face shine and eating a healthy amount of bread is good for your heart. Good pratical stuff, huh!

Another reason I appreciated the scriptures read today is that the first line in Psalm 8 has had me singing "How Majestic Is Your Name" by Sandi Patty all evening. Then the rest of Psalm 8 is obvioulsy where one of my favorite FBC Jacksonville songs is from. Unfortunately I can't attach a hyperlink to the FBC version of it though because they are somewhat technically challenged when it comes to their music department. (they do have HD screens/cameras and are televised live on the internet and on cable tv, though). Hope they come around soon because I think I'm missing quite a few Pastor's Conference CDs! (hint, hint, dad) Sandi Patty's version will have to do as my hyperlink. I will sing these songs of praise to the Lord this week!

I really LOVE when I find out the Biblical inspiration for music! This was a special treat for me today! I am so thankful for the time that Jim Watkins, our choir director at TCABH, allows in choir practice for the song writers within the church to share their inspiration for the songs they write for us to sing. It makes singing them have so much more meaning! For instance, you can check out the amazingly talented Mandi Mapes songs on the book of Ruth. Each of the songs go along with each of the chapters in the book of Ruth. She wrote and sang each song during the Love Story series that David did this summer. This was by far my favorite 4 weeks. The way David left us hanging each week was so thrilling and her songs were icing on the cake and fit so beautifully with the story of Ruth!

Back to work tomorrow after 4 days off, so no telling when I will write again. Love to all!

Radical Day 1

Leading up to January, ever since David first talked about the Radical Experiment, I have been so excited about starting it. I've always wanted to read the whole Bible in a year. I've always known that I needed to pray for the world but it seemed too big to really think about doing so I didn't really even try. I've always known that missions were important. I've always known that a commitment to a local church and small group of believers was important. I've always known that giving money to God's kingdom was important. Basically I have always known what I needed to do to make my relationship to Jesus a real commitment in my life but for the most part it was all head knowledge. Realistically I just tried to get by in life, go to work, exercise, balance time with friends and family, unwind in front of the tv, say your prayers and go to church on Sunday. I read my Bible some, prayed for the world some, never thought about personally going on a mission trip, and was commited to the church, a small group and tithed when it was convenient for me.

Today David laid out the all the details for the Radical Experiment and I have to say I came home today thinking, "What have I just committed myself to? How on earth am I supposed to pray for the whole world in a concentrated manner, read and study the whole Bible in 365 days, memorize 52 verses, set a cap on the amount of money I spend on myself, spend 2% of my time in another context spreading the gospel, and be commited to my church and a small group. All of that on top of working a full time job, jumping into tax season, taking care of two precious pups, keep a clean house, cook, go to the grocery store, maintain relationships with friends and family, etc, etc, etc." The adversary is really trying to freak me out right now and it's almost working but I know that God is going to show me the way to juggle "life" with Him as the center. That is very comforting to know that He is going to hold my hand every second of every day as I go through this! Knowing Him is the ultimate goal in this and the more time I spend with Him the more I will know Him and the more I will realize that there is nothing in this life that is more important than that.

It takes just 21 days to develop a "habit." That's why when people start a new workout plan they just need to push through the first month and then hopefully their new workout plan and eating habits will stick. I know that if God can get me through January then this won't be so "radical" anymore, it will just be my way of life. On January 1st, 2011 I won't just wake up and say, "Whoa, glad that whole radical thing is over, now I can go back to putting myself first, watching endless tv, ignore the lost and the poor." The habits I form over the next few weeks will ultimately be the way I live my life moving forward and that's pretty awesome. I don't exactly know what that will look like on a day to day basis for me but I'm just about to find out! Please pray for me as I begin this journey!