"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Eph 3:20

This is the song of my heart right now because God has just done something far more abundantly than I could ask or think in our lives.  As most of you know, we sold our home in June 2005 to move here to attend seminary.  For the past year and a half we have lived on the God's provision of equity from the sale of our house.  When we left Northern California, we really thought that we would have enough to get us through the three years of this seminary program.  It didn't take long for reality to set in.  We added a new baby, pay an enormous amount of rent for the pleasure of living in the Los Angeles area(though we are so incredibly grateful that God granted us a house to rent in a desireble and safe area with wonderful landlords), are paying for health insurance with a high deductible and in general nothing ended up costing what we had budgeted.  Additionally, because of the addition of a baby and the fact that we have four small children, BW has not been able to take as many classes as he would need to finish in 3 years.  It has been a joy to see how God has provided for our "wants" as well as our needs in the past year and a half:  Hand me downs given in both clothing and homeschool curriculum just when we needed it, money sent either anonymously or without request, gifts of things that family or friends knew we needed or wanted, discounts for extracurricular activities, etc., but as we looked to the future we just couldn't see how the ends would meet.

All that to say that this was going to be the last year BW was going to be able to attend seminary full time.  He was a public school math teacher by trade and though he wouldn't have a problem getting a job, no school district in the area wanted to hire him part time so he could attend seminary.  After looking at different ways to cut expenses, we were pretty resigned to the fact that BW was going to have to work full time during the school year and load up on summer school classes meaning we would graduate around the time that our oldest started college(ok-a bit of an exaggeration there but you get the idea).  So we had been praying that God would make another way..

BW will be taking an Associate Pastor position at a 100 person church about 20 minutes from the seminary(around 35 minutes from where we currently live).  He will be in charge of their children and family ministries and working about 10 hours per week.  He will receive a salary PLUS the use of the church's parsonage!!!!  This means that we will have NO HOUSING COSTS!!!!! A savings of about $20,000 per year.  In addition, part of his salary will be eligible for a tuition matching fund from the seminary saving us $1800 per year in tuition.  Plus we will be able to minister again in a smaller church which we have missed a great deal since coming here and BW will be gaining minstry experience that will serve him well once he gets out of seminary.  Now THIS plan is nothing that we ever could have come up with ourselves!!!!

Now, I have to admit that even in this amazing turn of events that I fluctuate between complete and utter awe of God's goodness and WHINING!!!!  Buuuut God, now I have to move again, just when we finally got settled and the kids will miss their neighborhood friends and my homeschool group is here and all my friends live nearby and the kids will have to start at a new church and it's not as nice a neigborhood and I don't know where to grocery shop there and the house has no pantry or linen closet and the closets are small and the carpet is going to be hard to keep clean and I don't feel like I know enough to be a pastor's wife yet and I'm not going to have time to put up my christmas decorations .... 

So what does God do?  He continues to shower us with blessings - we found 2 matching sets of bunkbeds on craigslist with 3 mattresses for $300 (a huge blessing as the kids will all continue to share a bedroom and we need all the space we can get) and we found a baker's rack on ebay that will perfectly match my dining room set that has an extra cupboard and the seminary couple who are leaving (to take a sr. pastor position in Massachusetts - please be in prayer for them too) sold us their awesome cubbies from ikea (perfect for our new homeschool/playroom - did I mention I've never had a homeschool room???) and a dresser for me (I've been using the dresser BW had when he was a little kid) and their refrigerator to go in the garage (so I can be prepared as we will probably be hosting more events).  It's so amazing how sinful I really am!  I am just like the Israelites who were just freed from captivity in Egypt and saw the Red Sea parted and within a couple weeks are complaining that they don't have food or water - and then God gives them manna and they whine that they want some meat!  I used to wonder how they could be like that and then I look at myself and I know that if I were there I would have fit right in!  I am so humbled that God chose to save ME, that His Son died on the cross so that a big whiner like me can have a relationship with Him and spend eternity with Him.  I praise Him that he is changing me enough to see my complaining heart and desire to take my complaining thoughts captive and give Him the glory He so richly deserves.  I also understand that those to whom He has given, much will be required.  I hope and pray that our family will use this opportunity to further His kingdom and that He will be glorified through it. 

Please pray continually for provision for the other students at the Master's Seminary.  Many have come with no savings like we had.  Many have left their dream homes and stable jobs to live in cramped apartments.  Men are trying to study to learn to preach the Word of God, work full time, and be the spiritual leader of their home while their wives are trying to stretch the dollars they have as far as they can and care for their children(and/or get ready for more children - the phrase around here is "seminary surprise" and there are cute little bellies everywhere!) and learn to be content.  It is a joy to hear the graduates give their testimonies and hear how God uniquely provided for each individual family and each situation and, though it was hard, how God gives each strength to persevere. 

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever. Amen" Rom 11:36.

-J