I SHOT MY FINGER WITH A NAIL GUN
Yes, I testified last night at Fuel that I shot my finger with a nail gun. It went to the bone and hurt like a nail gun with a 16 penny nail to the finger should. It bled, it throbbed and is a little stiff to move. The worst part; it is my left hand, the hand needed to steer the car on Saturday! I had the team pray for it last night and it is doing well today. I need to go get a tetanus shot though; I haven't had one in 10 years. Yuk!
Why would I be using a nail gun? Good question. Melinda and I made a decision last November we would sell our house in Lake Stevens. This was a long prayed about and thought out decision because God gave us that house in 2003 and it was our dream home. We honestly never thought we would leave and now the sale closes next Friday and we have to get a new place to live. So why do I have a nail gun? Because I am building a new place to live! I know it sounds crazy, but I really like to frame buildings. I've done it since I was in high school and working with saws, squares, wood and nail guns is just plain fun! My little project will not be done until about the middle of October, but Melinda and I are going to live...at the church? No, I'm teasing...we are going to do a little RV'ing (like Eddie on Christmas Vacation) or rent a house from some friends for 6 or so weeks. Pretty cool.
Why would we sell our house God gave us? It goes back to Luke 12:15, "And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." Possessions really don't mean that much to Melinda and I. We've been blessed in many ways, and we are thankful for what we have, but what we have are tools to reach people for the Kingdom. In November we felt the Lord telling us to down size our life. We heard him instruct us to get our finances unencumbered so we can be more flexible to do what He requires of us. We are selling our house because the Lord told us to, and we intend to give more of our lives and resources to the Kingdom in the coming years. We are believing for huge things for our church and the ministry each of us has been called to.
Where are we headed? We are moving back to Monroe and closer to the church. We purchased a piece of property and are building a home on it over the next 18 months. The house will be smaller than the one we sold and it will be built with developing leaders in mind. There will be spaces conducive to large groups so we can host dozens of people for the Kingdom.
What about the Northern Region Reach Teams? We will still be overseeing the Northern Region--Lake Stevens, Arlington, Marysville, Machias--for our Reach Teams. There are just way too many great people we have met, so we will be back up there a lot; eventually, building a GRID2911 in that city. We love Lake Stevens and will definitely want invitation from our friends to enjoy the atmosphere in the summer.
How can you help Melinda and I? Pray for us daily. More than anything prayer, being at prayer, and helping people is the most important thing anyone can do at The Rock. As you can imagine, my schedule is crazy right now. It includes, get up, go to prayer; lead at the church, meet with people, lead teams, prepare messages; than at about 3-4pm go to the property, build; at dark I go to the race shop, check in on team and car; finally I go home, sleep. Not to mention Melinda has been packing our entire house. Together we are looking at each other thinking, "God is amazing."
God has a rhythm with Jeff and Melinda and we often go through major change every three years or so. This is just a part of His rhythm and we are excitedly awaiting what the Lord will do with us after this season.
