It's the small things

Sometimes prayer about small things makes a big impression.

Though I'm trying to break this bad habit, I made the mistake of waiting to pack for a conference the night before I left town. As I was packing, I realized that none of my tubes of toothpaste were under 4oz, and there was no way I was going to check a bag at $25 to take my toothpaste with me.

I arrived at the conference the following night and knew that I would not be able to go somewhere to buy toothpaste in the near future. I actually didn't notice any stores on the drive from the airport to the conference center. So, I asked God, Would you please get me some toothpaste? I felt like God said that he would.

Sure enough, I mentioned to my roommate--whom I didn't know before that night--that I couldn't carry on any toothpaste with me, and he generously offered for me to use his toothpaste. Plus, he found a airplane-approved, mini toothpaste tube in his bag to boot.

Thanks, God.

He opens doors

Yesterday, I went to the bank to ask some questions about a student loan. The associate who helped me was really chill and friendly; for that setting, we talked a lot more than was typical. As we were taking care of business, he had to leave his desk and consult with someone else.

While I waited for him to come back, I was thinking, God, I should talk to him about Jesus. I want to, but I don't want to awkwardly force the conversation that way. (After the fact, I realized that talking about the amazing King of the Universe doesn't require a smooth lead-in, but anyways...) Would you please do something that will open up a conversation about Jesus?


The guy comes back, and as we were wrapping things up he looks at me and says, What brought you out here? There was God, answering my prayer. I told him that I moved out here with eight people to start a new church, to which he replied, Bad ass! He asked me what type of church it was, but he lost interest as I told him about it. Right when I started talking about Jesus, he told me I should come back to get his friend's sister's information because she was looking for a "spiritual leader."

Praise God for that answered prayer! Even when I don't see things rightly, he honors the desire to see his name glorified. It makes me believe that he will do something like that again.

A good reason to create a blog

As much as I fought against the idea of creating a blog, praising God was a good reason to do it. I don't praise God enough, so I hope that this blog helps me--and anyone reading--praise him more.

Starting out, most of my posts will probably be personal reasons I have to praise God. With time, I hope that I'll pray more for other people and share praises that have to do with other people's lives, too.

Praise God!
A couple nights ago as I was trying to fall asleep, I was listening to a sermon by Bill Johnson, and in the sermon he said (para-phrasing from my imperfect memory) that if we believe God when he tells us what his will is--even when our knee-jerk reaction is to think that it's impossible--then we get to receive miracles from God by his grace.

I thought, "Wow, that's incredible but so true. Look at salvation: Jesus offers to forgive us of all of our sins if we believe in his sacrificial death & resurrection and declare him as our Lord." Breaking it down -- Salvation through Jesus is God's will. We believe God at his word and exercise our faith. Then we receive the miracle of salvation by his grace. It's incredible but true.

Then, I heard the Spirit say, "I'm going to give you $500 tomorrow." At first, I was shocked--eyes wide and mouth open. Despite my shock, I believed that he could do it and thought, "Ok yeah, that would be awesome." Before I fell asleep, I started to think that I had suggested the idea of God giving me $500 to him rather than the Spirit speaking that idea on his own. I fell asleep, and didn't think about what I had heard until the next day.

The following afternoon, my friend John called me to catch up and see how things were going with me. During the conversation, he asked about my job situation and support-raising. I told him how the process was going and that I was still a long ways from meeting my budget. John then told me that he and his fiancee Kirsten (another friend of mine) wanted to give to the work I was doing and said that they wanted to give me $500.

"No way!!!" I said to John. The encounter with God from the night before popped into my head. "God told me last night that he was going to give me $500 today!" We laughed and talked a little while longer, but inside I was in silent awe at what had happened. Things like this have not happened to me very often, but God is in the business of doing miraculous, loving things.

How is something like this possible? Who could have done it? No one but God.