Israel and New Breed

I'm listening to a new album that I bought on Itunes (available also at Christian bookstores) called A Deeper Level, by Israel Houghton. Great music, even greater worship. I just got a device to plug my ipod into my car, and I love being able to listen to all this praise and worship music as I drive my delivery routes. If you have never heard Israel (often listed as Israel and New Breed), check out "Let it Rain" and "Say So" on YouTube. Amazing!

God in my Hurting

I believe in Divine Healing, and I’m thankful for the supernatural touch of God that cures our diseases and restores our physical bodies. I’m grateful for the shed blood of Christ that provided that healing to us. I have prayed for healing, proclaimed healing, and had the proof of God’s healing in my life. Friends and family members have also experienced this miraculous healing, and love to testify about it.

But . . . what about when God doesn’t heal?

I have other friends and family members who long for the healing touch of God, but for reasons only He knows, God doesn’t heal them. These are people of faith and faithfulness to the Lord. They have obeyed the scripture in their pursuit of healing, but the healing they desire hasn’t happened.

This past week we sang a new worship song at church (new to me, at least), and I found myself contemplating the words of the song: “God in my hurting, God in my healing.” Given the choice, I’d much rather have the healing, thank you very much. But God is sovereign, and even when He doesn’t heal, He is still there with me in the trial I face. In fact, I’d venture to say that for every verse in the Bible about healing, there are probably ten more about God’s grace in the midst of our suffering. God’s provision, God’s sustaining hand, God’s protection, God’s attentive ear to our cries—all of these permeate the scripture as a testimony of those who may not have known God’s healing, but they knew God in their hurting. From David in his expressive Psalms to Paul who begged for release from his “thorn in the flesh,” the writers of the Bible knew that in their pain, He was still God.

God in my hurting means that He walks with me through the troubles; He is rock-solid and faithful, even when I am weak and faithless. I can trust Him to work in my life, even if it is not through a miraculous healing touch.

“Gideon’s lamps were revealed when his soldiers’ pitchers were broken. If our pitchers are broken for the Lord and his gospel’s sake, lamps will be revealed that otherwise would have stayed hidden and unseen . . . . Out of affliction’s dark come spiritual light.” (John Bunyan)

Budget - No one's favorite word

Since I've been searching for full-time employment, I've been taking the opportunity to educate myself at the local library. I've checked out books on promoting yourself in interviews, networking your contacts, and negotiating your salary. All of these books have been interesting and informative, but I came across something in the salary negotiation book that has really stayed with me.

Jack Chapman (Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1,000 a Minute) says that when it comes to money, particularly the amount the boss has already decided to pay a certain position, there are three governing rules: budget, fudgeit, and judgeit. Budget is the actual amount that approved or set aside in the finances of the company. It is pre-determined and fixed.

Fudgeit is a cute term for the plans we make when we go over our budget but determine to fix it somehow elsewhere in the budget. "I can afford this new dress if I eat mac 'n cheese for the next two weeks" or "If I get the upgrade package on this computer, I'll pay less in peripheral expenses." We rob Peter to pay Paul, because we really want something that overextends us to a manageable extent. We fudge the numbers until it works.

Judgeit is Jack Chapman's term for spending a ridiculous amount, with no way to rearrange the numbers, but for something that we judge to be worth it in the long run. For example, someone could buy a house that is too large and too expensive, but choose to operate a home-business in the basement (saving rent elsewhere). It may take a while, but eventually the buyer believes that good judgment will pay off. Someone could purchase a luxury car, believing that clients will be so dazzled with his car that he will gain contracts. A boss can be so impressed with a prospective employee during an interview that he will pay more than the budgeted salary, judging that this employee will actually bring more money or efficiency into the company in the future.

I was reflecting on this recently, because it applies to personal budgeting, and so many other areas of life! For me, my nieces are a judgeit category. When I'm tired or when I have other things I should be doing (like blogging), I still have little kids that want me to read a book to them, or play on the computer, or watch a movie on my bed. I don't always have time budgeted to do that, not even to fudgeit with other things on the schedule, but I know that in the long run, I won't regret having spent time with them while they're young and in awe of such a great aunt.

Whether you count coins, calories, or calendar squares, these three principles--budget, fudgeit, and judgeit--are worth consideration.

July 4th Outreach

We had a great outreach day at the Severna Park Festival and Parade, thanks in a large part to our Outreach team volunteers (Rob and Alma pictured). We had perfect weather--maybe the best July 4th weather I've ever seen. This year, in addition to getting our contact surveys we also used our booth to promote our God in the Great Outdoors event and our Screen on the Green outreach, both upcoming in July.

In order to draw people to our booth, we had a balloon artist, which was a pretty good draw to families with young children (photo below). We participated last year for the first time, so this year's event was our sophomore attempt, and with each event, we gain experience and wisdom. I was pretty happy with our day!