Psalm 23 states, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."
Each week, the faculty members here at ICS-Uijongbu meet in groups of 3-4 teachers, called 'Barnabas Groups', to pray for each other, the school, and any other personal prayer requests that are shared. This week, as we came to a close, my group leader slipped me a Post-It note with a few words scribbled on it. It contained these words: "Where God guides, He provides." You see, I've been sharing in our group how God has been explicitly providing for our needs during our transition to California, and this phrase is something that he has said aloud many times.
I've told you about the Cadillac, and the house for rent that have been set up. I've mentioned how God provided uncharacteristically inexpensive airfare for my family and I. I've shared about how Bethany Baptist is going to provide $4000 in transition expenses. And it has been communicated how my Grandparents in Texas are going to be helping by sending us the surplus from the life insurance policy from my Aunt Beth. And here is where we come to the title of this post..."my cup runneth over."
I recieved another email from Pastor Rushing this past Sunday in which he said that some church members want to give us their Mitsubishi pick-up truck as a second vehicle. I replied and told him my initial response was yes, but that I would need to talk it over and pray about it with Dulcy, my only reservation being the cost of insurance and fuel for a second vehicle. I also asked if there would be any furniture in the house for rent that had been set up. Then, on Monday, I recieved his reply which said that a number of church members are saving furniture items in the event that we would need them upon arrival in California.
I've been quoting, reading, and mulling over Psalm 23 for the better part of my Christian life, as it is one of the first passages that my parents and grandparents began drilling into my head (in a good sense) as a young child. But it is only now that I truly realize the reality of its truth. This is my angle, here: It is one thing to experience the blessings God gives us as a result of our using the gifts He has given us to serve Him. It is a completely different galaxy from that in which I find myself now. God is providing my family's needs solely within His riches, and through no device that can be logically explained by any thing that we have done. He is providing our needs, and we aren't lifting as much as an eyelash to "help" Him. All we 'did' was say, "Yes, Lord."
Now you may be thinking, "Sam, how can you just be realizing this now?" Well, it is true that this is God's M.O. He provides for our needs, and whether we 'help' Him or not is inconsequential. But being across the Pacific Ocean, we truly begin to have the very real sense that we are not in control. And with that realization, we begin to appreciate more and better understand the idea that God is laying out our table before us, and we can see how our cup is running over. Indeed, we will be in the presence of those who oppose our God and King, but He is showing us that we already have a close-knit battalion with which we will be joining in waging spiritual warfare. And with that knowledge, we are ensured that goodness will follow us all the days of our lives, and that no matter what may happen or where we may be, we will dwell in God's presence.
I am currently talking with two schools in the Martinez area. Faith Christian Learning Center in Oakley, CA., and Tabernacle Baptist School in Martinez, CA. Ms. Margaret Bridges contacted me again today saying that there is a possibility of a 6th Grade position at her school, and that she would need to meet with me as soon as we arrive this summer. I am still waiting to hear back from Pastor Roche on what my responsibilities would be at FCLC. So, please continue to PRAY that God will guide me to just the right position.
Please PRAY that God will give Dulcy and I wisdom concerning this offer of a second vehicle. While we understand that having two cars is 'almost' a necessity, we don't want to overtax our budget.
We had to put our Husky, Loki, to sleep yesterday. He had been struggling with poor health, and we had been working with him. But yesterday, Dulcy took him to the vet, and we found out that he had cancer, which was the reason he was having so much difficulty. The vet told us they had treatments they could administer, but after they were finished (at least $400 later), there was no guarantee that he would get better. So, since he was in so much pain and discomfort, with no likelyhood of improvement, we decided to put him down. Michael was really attached to Loki, as their personalities were well matched, and he is taking it pretty hard. Dulcy was the one physically with Loki at the vet, so it was a rather emotionally taxing time for her, too. PRAY that Michael will be able to put this behind him, and remember Loki for all the good times they had together. The silver lining is that we have been praying about what to do with our dogs (we still have a cocker spaniel that is in good health) and the move. So, this is an answer to prayer, albeit not the one we were expecting.
Another praise I haven't shared in its entirety, I think, is that Randy Lounds, our high school principal, and I have been asked to convert our presentation on love and school/classroom discipline, that we gave at the teacher's conference in Hong Kong, into a magazine article to be published in the Fall '09 edition of ACSI's Christian School Education magazine. Originally, it was going to be their online publication in which it would be published, but that has changed. The deadline has changed, too, from April 15th to August 15th. So, that is an additional praise, as we are both VERY busy right now. Continue, though, to PRAY that we will meet this deadline in good fashion.
That's about it for now. God is good. If nothing else comes through these posts, I pray that truth will resonate in your hearts and minds by reading them. It's one of the devil's chief tools to get Christians thinking that God doesn't care, and desires to be uninvolved in our lives. It's also very easy to selfishly fall into that trap. I pray that you will not.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey
Each week, the faculty members here at ICS-Uijongbu meet in groups of 3-4 teachers, called 'Barnabas Groups', to pray for each other, the school, and any other personal prayer requests that are shared. This week, as we came to a close, my group leader slipped me a Post-It note with a few words scribbled on it. It contained these words: "Where God guides, He provides." You see, I've been sharing in our group how God has been explicitly providing for our needs during our transition to California, and this phrase is something that he has said aloud many times.
I've told you about the Cadillac, and the house for rent that have been set up. I've mentioned how God provided uncharacteristically inexpensive airfare for my family and I. I've shared about how Bethany Baptist is going to provide $4000 in transition expenses. And it has been communicated how my Grandparents in Texas are going to be helping by sending us the surplus from the life insurance policy from my Aunt Beth. And here is where we come to the title of this post..."my cup runneth over."
I recieved another email from Pastor Rushing this past Sunday in which he said that some church members want to give us their Mitsubishi pick-up truck as a second vehicle. I replied and told him my initial response was yes, but that I would need to talk it over and pray about it with Dulcy, my only reservation being the cost of insurance and fuel for a second vehicle. I also asked if there would be any furniture in the house for rent that had been set up. Then, on Monday, I recieved his reply which said that a number of church members are saving furniture items in the event that we would need them upon arrival in California.
I've been quoting, reading, and mulling over Psalm 23 for the better part of my Christian life, as it is one of the first passages that my parents and grandparents began drilling into my head (in a good sense) as a young child. But it is only now that I truly realize the reality of its truth. This is my angle, here: It is one thing to experience the blessings God gives us as a result of our using the gifts He has given us to serve Him. It is a completely different galaxy from that in which I find myself now. God is providing my family's needs solely within His riches, and through no device that can be logically explained by any thing that we have done. He is providing our needs, and we aren't lifting as much as an eyelash to "help" Him. All we 'did' was say, "Yes, Lord."
Now you may be thinking, "Sam, how can you just be realizing this now?" Well, it is true that this is God's M.O. He provides for our needs, and whether we 'help' Him or not is inconsequential. But being across the Pacific Ocean, we truly begin to have the very real sense that we are not in control. And with that realization, we begin to appreciate more and better understand the idea that God is laying out our table before us, and we can see how our cup is running over. Indeed, we will be in the presence of those who oppose our God and King, but He is showing us that we already have a close-knit battalion with which we will be joining in waging spiritual warfare. And with that knowledge, we are ensured that goodness will follow us all the days of our lives, and that no matter what may happen or where we may be, we will dwell in God's presence.
I am currently talking with two schools in the Martinez area. Faith Christian Learning Center in Oakley, CA., and Tabernacle Baptist School in Martinez, CA. Ms. Margaret Bridges contacted me again today saying that there is a possibility of a 6th Grade position at her school, and that she would need to meet with me as soon as we arrive this summer. I am still waiting to hear back from Pastor Roche on what my responsibilities would be at FCLC. So, please continue to PRAY that God will guide me to just the right position.
Please PRAY that God will give Dulcy and I wisdom concerning this offer of a second vehicle. While we understand that having two cars is 'almost' a necessity, we don't want to overtax our budget.
We had to put our Husky, Loki, to sleep yesterday. He had been struggling with poor health, and we had been working with him. But yesterday, Dulcy took him to the vet, and we found out that he had cancer, which was the reason he was having so much difficulty. The vet told us they had treatments they could administer, but after they were finished (at least $400 later), there was no guarantee that he would get better. So, since he was in so much pain and discomfort, with no likelyhood of improvement, we decided to put him down. Michael was really attached to Loki, as their personalities were well matched, and he is taking it pretty hard. Dulcy was the one physically with Loki at the vet, so it was a rather emotionally taxing time for her, too. PRAY that Michael will be able to put this behind him, and remember Loki for all the good times they had together. The silver lining is that we have been praying about what to do with our dogs (we still have a cocker spaniel that is in good health) and the move. So, this is an answer to prayer, albeit not the one we were expecting.
Another praise I haven't shared in its entirety, I think, is that Randy Lounds, our high school principal, and I have been asked to convert our presentation on love and school/classroom discipline, that we gave at the teacher's conference in Hong Kong, into a magazine article to be published in the Fall '09 edition of ACSI's Christian School Education magazine. Originally, it was going to be their online publication in which it would be published, but that has changed. The deadline has changed, too, from April 15th to August 15th. So, that is an additional praise, as we are both VERY busy right now. Continue, though, to PRAY that we will meet this deadline in good fashion.
That's about it for now. God is good. If nothing else comes through these posts, I pray that truth will resonate in your hearts and minds by reading them. It's one of the devil's chief tools to get Christians thinking that God doesn't care, and desires to be uninvolved in our lives. It's also very easy to selfishly fall into that trap. I pray that you will not.
In His Service,
Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey
