Here's a quick nutshell of what we've been up to over the last four months:
I learned how to make bread
Ché earned a 3.85 GPA
Our daughter received Principal's Honor Roll her entire 7th grade year & was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society
I traveled to TX for the National Sexual Assault Conference
I got a few hair cuts
My sons gave their hearts to the Lord and shared their desire to be baptized
I heard Ché's testimony for the 4th time in March about being financially cleared at WAU.
I walked into a Christian school & left with enrollment paperwork to complete.
I made an appointment with the Treasurer of that school for the following week.
The Treasurer shared with us some good news about scholarships and financial aid for our family.
We started purchasing uniforms for this new school!
Even though our children were accepted, received a handsome financial aid & scholarship package, uniforms are being purchased and we can see them attending this Christian school I was still saying 'i believe it's time for our children to start Christian education'. I was not bold enough to just say "We Out!" It is a terrifying thing to be so sure about doing something even if you don't have the resources presently in the bank to pay for it. Listen, I have a secret...there are a lot of things that you will never have the resources to pay for (salvation, grace, mercy, favor, righteousness etc...), but there is always more than enough faith! Hallelujah!
WE WON'T GIVE UP!
Today, I want to testify that our children are on their way to attend their first year of Christian education. Hubby & I are excited about how much more our children will grow. I am personally anticipating a shift in our household that will create more reasons for our faith to become sight! I anticipate a shift in how we look to & at God. I am expecting a shift in how we speak about our life, circumstances, and challenges. I am expecting a shift in how our family relates to each other and grows in our relationship with God this school year!
Today, I want to testify that our family is shifting in ways that I would not have imagined because we are taking up our beds & walking! Because we dare to reach for the hem of Jesus' distressed jeans! Just because we dare to hope for better - hope for more!
Today, we refuse to give up on the promise that The Lord has written into existence! We know that our children are priceless and our desire is that their academic environment be parallel to their home environment. We want our children to be able to pray before exams out loud with their classmates and teachers. We believe our children will experience a LIVE, HONEST, AMAZING & BOLD supernatural encounter with Jesus Christ. We want their academic pursuit to be just as important as their spiritual pursuit. So, we out!
I want to encourage you and your faith. It has certainly been done for me - tag you're it. If your family desires to make the shift to Christian education your family is experiencing financial strain and/or hardship, I invite you to do the following:
Seek God first (Matthew 6:33)
Listen to what God is saying (Proverbs 1:8-9)
Confess to the Lord your fears, worries, doubts and frustrations about the possibility (Psalm 34:4)
Speak out loud & Write down God's Promises (they are ridiculously encouraging & empowering)
Listen to what God is saying (Proverbs 22:17)
Follow God's instructions based on His written word (bible) & spoken word (John 8:12)
Don't give up on what God is saying to you and your family no matter what (James 1:2-4)
Going to a Christian private school can be expensive but faith can cover expenses that you didn't even know were necessary! Faith is currency and I pray that you always go to God for where, when, and how to spend your faith!
Today is a great day to leave your doubt. That's what this moment is really about for all of us. God is inviting us to walk on water, and turn our backs on doubt. Doubt is whack - it causes us to consider the mountain and give up even though relief is on the other side. Doubt is the kind of stumbling block that will have us to believe without a shadow that the mountain is too much for God! Doubt is a dream killer! Doubt is the enemy's way of trapping us into a cycle of self-destruction!
Let's tell our God about the mountains in our way then look at the mountain and tell that mountain about our God! God can give us what we need (faith) to rearrange the mountains, hills and valleys! Following God requires that we live some stuff behind. The kind of stuff that will prevent us from fully following. We can't follow God and be doubtful too. Let's make up our minds right now to abandon fear and doubt! Let's be out!