August 2007

The Arrow

Volume II, Issue 4

Greetings from Westchester County, New York. We are finally settled and I can now resume our monthly newsletters.

Shoutout

THE SHOT

First, it has been our experience that God prepares us for change. Almost a full year before we actually left Arizona God revealed to me that a move was on the horizon. This early “warning” allowed us to prepare for the changes that would come along with a move. Beginning last September we began researching various potential locations for our move. By the time we determined that New York would be our destination, we had already accumulated much information about the area to which we would be relocating.

Just as God prepared us for the change in our life, Jesus prepared the disciples for the ultimate change. “I go to prepare a place for you”. John 14:2. And it has been my experience that God constantly provides us with glimpses of what He has in store for us. For many of us, the problem is we either miss the clues or choose to ignore them because they are not pointing in a direction we intend to go. The Four Spiritual Laws are correct: God does have a plan for your life. The question is will you pay attention and be obedient as he prepares you for the changes he has for you?

As a part of preparing us for change, God will reveal to us the purpose of the change. As my wife and I prayed and meditated over this move, God revealed to us several reasons for moving us when He did and to where He moved us. Understanding God’s purpose makes accepting change easier.

We feel blessed that God revealed His purpose to us as we moved. Many times purpose does not come into focus until well after an event has taken place. In the past we have discussed how God gives “silly instructions”, that is, instructions that defy common sense. Commands to build an ark in a desert, or to attack a city (Jericho) by marching around the walls, come to mind as prime examples of “silly instructions”. Yet after the fact God revealed to His people that He had a purpose for his commands.

Finally, we note that God provides for us in change. Time does not permit me to list all of the ways God has provided during this transition. One example – On average houses are three times more expensive in New York than Arizona. Our initial internet searches did not turn up any desirable homes in our price range. We finally put together a list of homes to look at on our first house shopping visit, and the last house on the list turned out to be a very nice home in our price range. For some reason this house, which was much nicer than many other more expensive houses we viewed, had been on the market for over a year. My wife and I firmly believe that God reserved this house for us.

Provision was the second reason for Jesus’ talk with the disciples in John 14. As he prepared them for His departure, He assured them that He had made provision for them. Our testimony is that if God is directing a change in your life, He will provide for you as you make that change.

WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON?

An opportunity to work with the men at the Trinity Baptist Church in Honolulu, Hawaii. Most of the men in this church are either active-duty military or retired veterans. At the time I was with them they had over 20 members stationed in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Many of the men at the conference had been deployed into the battle zone. Praise God, they have not had a member killed in action. It was humbling to talk about commitment and other such subjects with men who have signed up for such a significant commitment and have risked the ultimate sacrifice.

WHAT'S COMING UP?