Consider this!

It doesn't matter if you get what you want when you pray, it's that you prayed and you get to participate with God in his plan. You may not see things because you didn't pray for it. Prayers can be like dreams that will never come true, if you don't pray for them.
What will today hold?

Little Surprises!

Drove around Highland Park.
Came to church and was able to give something away that was sitting in my desk drawer unused for months to someone in need - great feeling for BOTH of us!
Then was surprised to hear that one of my small group members was out on Saturday circling and looking for properties for a thrift store meanwhile the wife was scared for his well being because of the area he was in!
My wife is open to selling the house to my daughter and my daughter is still interested.
I sent out an email to a partner of mine asking if he would like to get involved in the homeless hookup.

What a great weekend!

The past few days not to mention weeks or months seem like a world wind. I think it was last Wednesday morning that I did a prayer walk around the house. I couldn't keep track of the number of circles I had made so I used sticks and placed them on the side walk to keep track. Then Thursday morning I couldn't sleep so I got up a 4 am and did the prayer walk around the house again with sticks. Pamela woke up and got scared because she didn't know where I was. She came down and looked outside to find me walking. She was quite taken back by it all. She proceeded to go back to bed. I encouraged her to read The Circle Maker so that she might better understand my bizarre behavior.

That evening she explained that she had freaked out that wed morning when she came outside to see these sticks there on the sidewalk in front of the house arranged in a way that scared her to death. She couldn't figure out who put them there and why they were in some sort of order.

Friday we had a tornado warning and the thought had occurred to me that God might answer my prayer by taking out the house and we get paid for the replacement through the insurance. My prayer walk had been that God would sell our house by the end of February without us putting it up for sale. The crazy thoughts that go through your mind as you try to figure out what God is up to. No tornados no answers but keep praying through!

Saturday morning  I got up and thought about fasting today. Why not I have the weekend to myself lets do it. Not too much time had passed when the the thought had occurred to me to sell the house to the kids. I need to share this with Pamela. I decided to get creative and texted my kids. I told all four of them that I was taking a survey! I wanted to know where they might want to live if money and occupancy were no hindrance. I haven't heard back from all of them yet but, Mary Alden had said on the James river. That was interesting from the fact that the river is only a mile away from our house.

What a bizarre concept to sell the house to the kids now before we pass it on to them in a will or something. How much did we spend on rent when we started out before we bought our first house? How cool would it be if even one of the kids had an interest in owning the house. The house would be divided up any ways to our kids why not now, rather than later. Who knows? An interesting concept that would go against anything normal. Could it be set up as a positive thing for the kids now and allow us to move to another part of town. Maybe we could rent a place for a while as we looked for another house.

I then went to Northminster to pray and walk. The Lord laid on my heart that this was holy ground and I needed to pick up the trash. I am convinced that there is something special about the city block around Northminster. The Lord pressed this upon me several weeks if not months ago. When I brought the staff out to do a prayer walk he spoke to me to say pray that this church would be filled!

The past few days I have felt the need to pray that the church would be filled by the end of this year!

I think it was this past wed morning that as I turned into the neighborhood headed towards Northminster Church I saw a little old lady walking down the street. I thought it strange that she would be out so early in the morning. As I began my walk around the block I saw the little old lady dropping clothes off to the Free Market which serves the less fortunate. How cool was it that she got up so early just to drop off a blessing for others to have.

 The other day I went and bought trash bags and started my walk picking up trash. I noticed what looked like a homeless guy sitting on the steps. He got up and asked me if there would be reading of scriptures today at the church. I told him that I didn't work there. He proceeded to talk about the weather and how windy it was. He said he had given a coat away to a friend today. I offered him a coat. He refused.

I then felt guilty that I didn't offer a response to his request for the reading of scriptures. I confessed it to God and requested that I might find him again as I went around the block to my trunk to get a coat.

Then I proceeded to circle the church again! As I came around the corner there was the gentleman headed for the baptist assoc building across the parking lot. I went across the parking lot to catch up to him. I asked if he would like a coat to take to his friend. He said yes.

He introduced himself as Elijah Winston. I asked if he wanted scripture read to him and he said yes. We went to my car and I asked what scripture he wanted to hear. He asked for the book of Romans, I proceeded to read him the first chapter.  He then would take notes and after I finished reading he would cite back to me the points that he got out of it. He was very thourough.

He then asked to be read the story of Moses. I proceeded to read him the first two chapters of exodus. After I finished he again read me his notes. I couldn't help but get chills as I was reading to him and as he read back to me his notes. I asked if he had a bible and he said he did in his bag. I also asked if he knew Jesus and he said that he loved Jesus! Loved Jesus!

He then asked for a ride to his friends house to drop off the coat. I took him in the car to a house on Chamberlayne ave not to far away. He went up to what looked like a vacant house, but before he could get to the door a woman came to the door and asked what he was doing.  She seemed to be maybe the house nurse or sitter. She also pointed out where he lived. She received the clothes to give to Elijah's friend. I then proceeded to take him home. As I dropped him off he asked for a business card and said that he would see me again. I don't doubt it!

I then drove around Northminster again and then decided to go visit Charles. Charles is a former drug addict from the streets. He spent over 30 years on the streets. I took a chance to see if he was out back working on his car, he was. I got out of my car to his surprise and hung out with him for about an hour as he worked on the brakes on his car. I asked him if we could just hang out so I could get to know him more.

He started to let down his guard a little bit. He would try to let me know about his past and see if I was taken back by it. Nothing seemed to phase me too much. I asked if he would be open to getting together on a more regular basis. I did offer to take him out for breakfast and he said he would do that. I told him to call me next week and we will get together. I will be praying!

I hope this day keeps getting better!

I also need to keep this journal going as God keeps showing up!

By the way Cassie just called and got confirmation that we need to start the thrift store. She put out furniture for sale in front of her house on 4th ave and someone said thanks for pricing it low so that they could afford it. Boaz and Ruth were priced too high!