Searcy, Ministry & Broken Cars, Oh My!

Well, folks, it's been a few weeks - and let me tell you - it has been an adventure. A few of us from CIA Tampa headed up to Harding two weekends ago for the CMU Workshop: Get Lit - Passing the Torch; what a blessing to be among so many people with the same goal and purpose. Among the highlights of my weekend are Jonathan Storment's Keynote (listen here: Passing the Torch: Moses to Joshua), Patrick Mead (see links here: 2011 Searcy CMU Audio), and praising as a part of for a brief moment, and with the ACB Praise Team from Lindenwood & The Crossings Church.

Anyways, to probably the greatest lesson I learned on the trip & the story behind it. This, mind you - is a lesson I have been taught before, but apparently when God spoke it, I didn't remember, so He reminded me just what he can do with a humble heart.

We left at 5am on a Wednesday morning; on the way up to Harding which is, give or take 900 miles from Tampa, FL to there...at about the Florida-Georgia border line - my car (which is an automatic) stopped shifting out of first...result? Using overdrive to shift manually the rest of the way there...lucky for us it was mostly interstate.

I worried about it the whole trip up and the whole time we were there (despite my calm demeanor).

We left Sunday AM at 5:30 Searcy time...my RPM gauge/tachometer doesn't work. We get to Alabama and my tire basically shreds. Cue stopping on the side of the road with Kelly and Coach to change my tire to the spare, GPS navigating to a Wal-Mart and paying $93 for a new tire I did not want to buy. It ended up being a 20 hour drive home...

Long story short, the repairs on my car were upwards of $500 +labor that may dad was going to wipe out by fixing it himself; I made my parents take the car home to Orlando and I borrowed my mom's for a few days - I got a call later that week that my car looked/shifted fine and that my tachometer magically worked. Considering that car had over 100,000 miles on it and a good 7 years, I was wondering how much more money I could stick into a used car over what I originally paid, without being frustrated.

God provided. BIG TIME.

I worked out my finances and determined that with a special college rebate incentive Toyota offers recent college graduates, and a special 1.9% financing rate with deferred payments that we saw advertised coupled with a gift that my grandpa gave me to put towards "something special" aka not my student loan repayment...that I may be able to get a new car.

Well, I now own a beautiful 2011 Toyota Corolla S with upgrades and a pretty legit looking spoiler & sport front end, it's my baby, and I'm so blessed to have it. May I use it, ENJOY it and remember God's provision for me. And if that wasn't enough, I am now able to work more hours at work since we are short-staffed right now - I'm telling you people....when you give it to God WHOLEHEARTEDLY, He is not a God who delays in giving blessings to His children.

It is my first "adult" purchase in which I am responsible for a huge investment; it has taught me to sacrifice things I used to take for granted (Qdoba, Wendy's, Steak n' Shake...) and appreciate how our Father loves us and helps us to mature in life - prepared for every good work. Just like my first new car here, I have a new start. :)

Also, I passed my Harding class with an A. Praise God for that, too.

I've had a very good week so far, been able to spend time with and talk with some special people in my life and also some girls that I love and adore, and...

Plus, tomorrow, my girl Careda and girl Becca are joining me for FREE QUESO WEDNESDAY at Moe's.


God is good [Romans 12:1-2]
Memorize it.
Learn it.
Love it.
Practice it.