Friday, March 02, 2007
God will provide
Requesting your prayers during this time of my financial challenge.
May God lead my thoughts, word and deeds.
May the rent be paid in full and a major debt that has come due.
I thank God for using this to develop my faith and increase my support network.
John
John 10:00 AM
Thursday, March 01, 2007
God is My Provider
The apartment manager said that I need to bring a money order for 550 dollars to the office on Friday March 2. This is for my February rent plus penalty charges. Otherwise they will file for eviction.
Pray to the Lord Jesus Christ and believe as you pray that this need will be met on time.
THANKS
John 4:42 PM
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Looking to Jesus
This is a season for me to look to Jesus by faith as never before.
The lessons that God is bringing into my life from various sources say this.
It is amazing when the prayer workbook I have been studying says what I need that day.
The Holy Spirit has been reminding me of promises in the Bible for this situation.
God is even using secular sources to help fine tune my thinking.
As I read the Bible it says in many ways that trails come to test our faith.
The tests are unpleasant but the purification of our faith.
It is not possible to please God without faith.
Thankfully Jesus is the author and finisher of my faith.
All of that theory abstract and distant but lately it ahs become real and close.
During recent days I have prayed more and better than in years.
Previously I tried hard to enter into the spaces of prayer that are easy during this trail.
Previously I would pray 15 minutes and it seemed like a long time.
Lately I have prayed 30 to 60 minutes and it seemed short.
I know better than ever that God is my source.
My help comes from God only.
He uses people to do His will as He pleases.
My challenge is to look to Jesus by faith from moment to moment.
Mostly I feel the amazing peace from God.
But when I do not that is a reminder to pray immediately.
He wants me to both be totally dependent on Him and take action steps daily.
I contacted the ones God directed me to contact.
So far there has been 200 dollars contributed.
That big collections agency payment is scheduled for today.
Ideally there needs to be 200 dollars more by Pay Pal before the bank closes at 600.
That is in about 2 hours.
I talked briefly with the apartment manager.
She gave a short extension.
The need the February rent immediately.
Then they will be patient with the March rent.
Again I ask prayers for God to guide my thoughts, words and actions.
Also please pray for God to guide my prayers and Bible study.
As I pray God keeps pointing me back to the posters.
The mind maps need some work.
Then I will print them out and laminate them.
The first ones can be ready as soon as tomorrow, Thursday afternoon.
Those visual aids will pave the way to meet with supporters face to face.
It has been nearly a year since I did this last.
Like my friend said I need to aim to see eight people as soon as possible.
This is a season of transition.
I am looking to Jesus to provide the funds to both survive and start the online business.
Maybe God has been guiding you to contribute at this time.
If that is the case then here is the link http://fourbridges.org/Donate.html
Surely God is working all this together for my good and His glory.
THANKS for your prayers.
John 4:35 PM
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Workable Weekly Report and a Major Crisis
I have been requesting prayers for many months about a weekly money report.
It has been mentally and emotionally exhausting process to get here.
I have spent more time using financial spread sheets this month than in half my life.
The final product is fairly simple and flexible.
DISCIPLINE
During my entire life time I have rarely been on top of my finances.
The longest time was when I sent a summary each week to a few friends.
The disciple of keeping the figures up to date was very helpful.
But with the template I used then I could not recognize the bills coming due.
There were times that unexpected automatic payments led to over draft charges.
The current system takes that into account.
This is a template that I can work on as well as my administrative assistant.
CATEGORIES
The categories used in the weekly report are a mirror of what is on Mevlopes.
Therefore by tracking with the weekly I can easily use both.
I can put what was actually spent in each category as the weeks unfold.
Then it will be easy to copy that to a monthly report of planned vs. actual.
I admit that there are more categories than for the average single person.
But I want to make plain where my money is going.
I spend zero on vacation, clothes and savings.
That needs to change.
Years ago I spent zero on entertainment and recreation.
Now I have included Netflix as an important part of my week.
SHEBAA
Months ago I had made a weekly money report for Shebaa.
I adapted many of those design features to my weekly report.
I shared her report a few times but did not keep it current.
I have recently made revisions to her weekly report and will launch it again soon.
I will offer a way for people to opt into having access to this.
That report will be for intercessors and donors.
PERSPECTIVE
My weekly money report gives both the weekly and monthly perspective.
There is a color code of yellow for caution and green for best value.
From this spreadsheet a person can easily compare and contrast factors.
CRISIS
I am facing the largest cash flow crisis of my life.
God used that discomfort to motivate me to complete the weekly money report.
There are three large bills coming due soon and not enough money yet.
I ask for your fervent prayers.
Two of the bills are for the rent for February and March.
The other relates to several medical emergencies that Shebaa had months ago.
She came to my door after midnight several times.
There were medical emergencies and complications.
I have been through dozens of these events in the last two years.
She needed medication so she could eat and sleep.
I gave her the money expecting that the fund raising next week would cover that.
I did not raise enough money and automatic payments hit the account.
They honored the payments and charged for each over draft.
This added up to several hundred dollars.
I moved my banking to another account I have.
I kept hoping that the car would get fixed and I could go see donors.
After a while they froze the account and then they closed it.
It is in collections.
I have dealt with collection agencies before.
Most of them gave reasonable terms of like 50 dollars a month.
This agency demands 355 now and 137 in a few weeks.
They say that not only will this go on my credit report but also the check services.
They can freeze my use of my current account.
CAUSES
The causes of this crisis are just a climax of what has been brewing.
The bottom could have dropped out any time in the last seven years.
It is a wonder that I was not evicted long ago.
Somehow God has sustained me.
I do not know how.
My records are very spotty.
For years I did not want to keep good records for fear that it might stop the blessings.
But this is the season to change my ways and keep accurate records.
I have interpreted this sustaining grace as a sign from God to continue.
There have been various plans and preparations to launch a ministry.
None of those got off the drawing table.
All are still valid in terms of concept.
It is my hope that after one gets going well I will bring the others online.
It has been almost 11 months without a car.
Currently all that is needed is to replace the oil pump.
All during these months there was always just one more thing.
The lack of a car has hindered face-to-face fund raising.
A friend said that I could invite donors to the seminary to eat and meet.
I also could use the bus and I have become that desperate.
SOLUTION
I am continuing to attend the weekly Crown Financial small group.
I put in a request for a free budget coach from Crown.
They said it can take a month to make a match.
In the short term I need some people to show the mercy of God to me.
I need the 550 dollars for February rent by tomorrow, Wednesday.
Then March rent of 520 dollars is due on Saturday the third.
The 355 dollars for the collection agency is needed also tomorrow, Wednesday.
I have been asking for prayers for the completion of the mind map posters.
Right now they are half way finished.
After this cash crisis is past I can focus on that.
The first version could be ready as soon as Thursday evening.
A friend that is an evangelist challenged me to meet with eight people.
He raised 50 thousand dollars last year by meeting with donors face to face.
He believes that after I have met with eight then the ice will be broken.
I will have some momentum.
The presentation will improve with practice.
Some of those people will contribute and some will provide good referrals.
I have already set one appointment for March 19th.
TESTIMONY
During these thirty years as a Christian I have learned some lessons the hard way.
Ultimately God is committed to His own glory and not my comfort.
God is glorified by meeting the needs of His people when no human way could work.
Most of the Bible stories told to children are about the intervention of God in a crisis.
Consider Daniel in the lions den, parting the Red Sea, feeding the 5000, etc.
God uses the prayer of His people as part of the process.
On the weekly money report are two key sentences.
I wrote these first for Shebaa but I recognize how they can apply to me too.
Those two sentences follow.
The purpose of this spreadsheet is for enrolling prayers and funds.
And the expected results are testimonies about the faithfulness and goodness of God to provide.
The consistent use of the weekly reports for Shebaa and I will lead to needs met.
God will be glorified as He uses members of the body of Christ to meet the needs.
Pray for God to guide my prayers and actions.
I know of a few people I will call.
Please pray and ask how God might use you at this time.
Here is the online link http://www.fourbridges.org/
John 6:45 PM
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