The Six Wonderful Words My Husband Said...

I couldn't imagine doing anything else...were the words that came out of Joel's mouth yesterday as we drove home from a wonderful evening at Waypoint.  This is where God wants us right now and Joel is so excited to be learning something new everyday.  There were two guys who graduated the 1 year program, and two who graduated the Servant And Leadership class yesterday afternoon.  We have two new guys in the program as of today.   The ministry continues here as it does where each of you are, work, school, church or at home.  Just like I have learned about tithing, "It's all God's money, no matter how much I actually give, it is all His."  The people around us, our family, our jobs, our "ministry", it is all His, no matter where He has us serving.  We just happen to be here at Waypoint for a season, seeing God do some huge things.   We have not closed off the rest the world though.  We are still apart of our church in Commerce, still open to meeting one on one with people who are not ready to go to a recovery program, and still wanting to be in relationship with the youth at our church. 
     Joel's words were a blessing to hear.  No wife wants her husband to feel useless or without purpose.  When your husband is following after God's will for his job, family and life why not jump on board.  So here we are working with other men and families to show them that they too have a purpose, and will be blessed to be part of God's plan.  So we are praying today that the men here and you there, know that you are were you are supposed to be.  Whether selling insurance, teaching school, preaching, or cleaning the house, may you know that God has you right were He wants you. 
Praise God for His guidance, "And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord." Acts 11:21

On a day like this...

You might think it is a regular Monday.  The rain outside signals that the traffic might be tough to get through tonight.  You had a great weekend and a pretty good thanksgiving, but Monday means work.  So what do you do between the hours of 8am to 6pm?  Joel and I are starting our days off with a drive to Waypoint, where we sit in a staff meeting where someone describes the ups and downs of the Men's House where 20 men live, eat, work, and experience life's changes.  We sit and hear who needs prayer, who needs to forgive and who needs to be forgiven.  On a day like this these men struggle with attitudes, past relationships, hoping for chances of new relationships.  So on a day like this they wonder "will I make it?", "Can I survive long enough to see if this Jesus is real?", "Will my wife forgive me, or my children?  Can God forgive me?".  On a day like this these men are living a life that might seem very unlike yours or mine.  Or are they?  Do you you struggle with these same questions or these same thoughts?  I know I have.  So on a day like this Pray...stop and talk to God.  Know that He is real.  He cares and desires to help you through the toughest storms.  On a day like this lift someone up who you know is in need of a miracle.  Because these men are hoping for one.  I want to see miracles.  I believe in the power of prayer and God's plan of restoring His people to Himself.
Love, Tara

Journey

Life is a journey...He promises to never leave us or forsake us.  So why do we get it in our heads that we think we are by ourselves.  We (me) think that the only way to find the solution is to figure out a plan and stick to it.  However, we all know that life doesn't work to our plan.  So we pray, we plead, we try to comprimise with God. 
He is constantly tring to mold me and break me of my own plan, my own selfishness, my own pride.  I am at the mercy of The Potter.  I have many goals, but one prize.  The prize of being with God for eternity.  The journey there will have lots of curves, twists, speed bumps and road blocks.  But He promises to NEVER leave us...
May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us,
1 Kings 8:57

So I say all this to encourage each of you that this journey we are all on is to not find inner peace, but to be in a real growing relationship with Him.  He will show you more of Himself as you seek after His face. 

He is showing me so much while being here at Waypoint.  He is showing me who I need to be. 
Thank you for joining us on this journey,
love, Tara & Joel