Dog treats or deserved gifts?

You all know that as I came back to the states, I has a "shopping list" of sorts to acquire quickly and to enable me to get my life started... SHOPPING LIST: 1) House (someplace to live) 2) Job (a way to make money) 3) Car (a way to get around)

I hit the ground running. I started talking with my old boss two months before I left Asia, to reconnect and find out about plugging back into a company that I worked at before and wanted to work for again.

Many of you remember that I totaled my car just before leaving for Nepal, so I had the money from insurance for it. I began looking for a car within that price range. I started putting feelers out for possible room mates and places to stay.

First, the lesson, then the car

In talking with a friend about wanting a car, I asked her to pray. I also said that I knew that God would bless me, since I had just spent a year overseas, working for him.

She corrected me slightly and said something to the affect of "No I think God will give you a great car because HE loves you and wants to give you good things." I didn't have time then to think on it or talk to her further about it, but I did remember.

The next morning as I kaud ub bed, I began to rumenate on what my friend had said. Does God see me like a dog that gets treats when she has performed well? Does he withold good gifts until I do good things, THEN release His blessing? If God loves me (which I beleive) and I am His child, then won't He give me good things because He loves me, and wants to give me things I will love? Or will He withhold that until I do something deserving of the gifts He can give?

Obviously, I decided that God DOES love me, and will give good things to me because He loves me, not because I have done something deserving of gifts.

SO... right after this time of reflection, I checked the internet to see if there were any cars that I might like. There were several things about a car that I really wanted and wasn't willing to budge on. As I turned on the computer, and looked for cars in my make, moedl and budget, a car populated that looked perfect. I was the first person to contact Sebastian about his car, and therefore had first dibbs to check it out. Good thing too, since the car was priced so cheap, there were 2 other offers to buy the car at the asking price without even seeing the car. I was able to do a lot of investigative work to find out from the mechanic whether or not it was treated well.

Sebastian gave me 15 minutes to see the car and test drive it before the next appointment.

I knew it was my car when I saw it, and gave him money for it, then and there! After taking it to my mechanic, he aggreed that this is a good car, that has been taken care of! whew!

hi-ho hi-ho it is off to work I go

I signed up with a couple of temp jobs to try and get by while looking for jobs. I had hoped to work at Avnet on my old team, but knew that things have not been so easy and there was a hiring freeze. My old manager tried and tried to get me into a position there, but to no avail. My resume however was sent to a couple other people within the company, and I was asked to go to a couple interviews. They went well, and at the second, was asked approached by my old boss. She said that they would soon have some openings and that my name was on the top of the list of people they wanted to interview.

It took a couple weeks, but finally, I have ended up with the job that I wanted all along. Again God has given me what pleases Him, but has made me VERY happy in the process! I start work on the 22nd of September, and am able to look more seriously into apartments and room mates!

God has so blessed me and rocked me by giving me what I had desired, that I am starting to dream real big regarding housing. The Father hasn't forgotten one small detail about the job and car that I was hoping for, so I have LOTS of faith for what He will give me as far as housing.

Be praying with me about this, mostly because I am kinda homeless until I find a place. Obviously I would like to find something soon and FINALLY feel settled in, but realise that I am not working on MY schedule, but HIS!

Thank you all SO SO much for your support and love and encouragement while I was gone. I am so blessed to have you all lifting me up. As you can see, I have changed the look and feel of this blog. I hope to continue to update this and send out prayer requests for my life and ministry that will continue to happen!

Those of you that have supported me financially over the past year, PLEASE consider supporting one (or some) of the REALLY great Nepalis that are working with Y- Nepal. I have been with them over the last year and can vouch for their hearts and ministry and responsibility.

If you would like to support them, it is SUPER EASY, all you have to do is use the SAME envelopes that you already receive, but put their name on a stickey note to mail your check.

It is VERY difficult for Nepalis to raise support, as they come from large families and small churches. The only way that most survive is the generosity of foreigners who want to see the nation of Nepal changed. The four people I would really like to commend to you, and some photos are on the side of the post, with info about their ministry.

If you do decide to support them, let me know, so I can tell them how generous MY supporters are!