To be continued.......

     For some time now a fire has been burning in my heart. A fire to see people healed. To witness exponential growth followed by exponential growth.

     I have experienced church in a intimate, round the campfire with a guitar way, boxes of tissue empty as our souls become exposed. Fear  pushed away as a new bravery takes hold. An intimacy with those around me that has left my soul aching for more. I have experienced this. God is preparing me to bring others to this kind of place.

     I have long searched for a location. Kind of a silent dreaming of what might be. A few months ago, maybe more, the idea of using my shop as a meeting place became a prospect. God planted a seed I hadn't considered before. There are obstacles of course, some of which I have yet to overcome. So being the man of faith I am I simply told God; if you want this to happen you're gonna have to make it happen. You know that we have no ability financially to do these things.

     So that was kinda my fleece. If God put into place the heat and insulation for the shop and needed repairs in the house bathroom then I would know for sure I was hearing God and not my own idea. Shortly after this someone I knew offered to pay for everything and help to get it done. Suffice to say I was not expecting so quick an answer from God. Of course it isn't that simple. The money he was getting fell through soon after.  He is helping as he can though.

     For those that don't know I collect old bmx bikes, mostly from the 80s. They hang in the rafters of the shop and a few elsewhere. Two of these are complete bikes I've had for maybe 17 or 18 years ish. They just hang out like time capsules of my formative years. When I sell a bike the money is sequestered away and used only for more bike stuff. Recently though I sold the 85 Hutch and bought six bundles of r21 insulation for the shop ceiling. I realized that I must be willing to sacrifice as well. God will do His part but I must do mine. About a month later the other bike sold. I had planned to do more insulating with this money, but.......as I sat listening to some missionaries speak God asked me to give that money. The question God asked was, do you trust me? Will you give this money away and trust that I will provide? I have not as of yet because Chris needed to understand why first. If I buy more bike parts no big deal, but if I donate the money that's kind of an out of left field kind of thing and explaining to her what I'm doing is part of the necessary good communication in our marriage as well as making her a part of what is happening. I'm working on my run on sentences but I still have to use one here or there. You're welcome. So we are almost caught up in the story, almost. I know God usually provides in a way that I can't see ahead. Something off the radar. I strained to see how He might do it this time. Two days after being asked to give this $275 up a person asked if I would list their small motorhome for sale online as they don't know how to and they would give me 15% of sale. I didn't need to be bribed to do this but whatever. Whether I get paid from this or not, it's more about God showing off. Like, here's your proof kid. Here's your fleece. Anyways, the listed price is $2000 and 15% is $300 so after negotiating with buyer it would be about the same as bike sale. God is really good at showing off.

     Like I said in the title, this is to be continued. Writing this, putting this out in the public sphere, is a bigger leap of faith than the money. I don't normally tell people things until they are concrete. I also don't have a great track record of follow thru. Great at starting but after that not so much.

     It's easy to know God is speaking and follow that in my own life. Or to say later, see, God spoke and I obeyed and look what happened. Or, I think God is leading me in that way. Whether or not a thing happens in my personal life there is no one but me to look close enough and ask did I really hear God and does the result show that? No one outside my family nucleus I should say. I have been afraid to share my dream because what will people say if it doesn't work out? If it doesn't happen? So now you know. Now you have permission and hopefully you will follow up. Or hopefully you won't have to. That the result will speak for itself.

     I welcome you to pray for this. To pray for us. This is not an overnight thing. Much water will have passed under the bridge before the bridge is complete. Chris has a good chunk of school left and this is all consuming. There is much that needs to happen on many fronts. It will take time.

     I am not a pastor. I have no post high school education in religious stuff or seminary training. I do have the education that God has given me through life. I will need to keep growing. I will need good people around me. I will need to focus on God first, keep myself well fed just as I need to right now. I don't plan to replace the church that anyone is attending. What I envision is a place of intimacy. A place where people can experience change, can find the spiritual growth that has eluded them so far. Let go and let God. I'd heard this much of my life but didn't know how it happened. This can be that place where people experience that. Maybe for the first time in their life.

     Hopefully more facilitator than leader. Teach to fish rather than giving out fish. Then people should be able to take this and do it themselves. Anyways, that's what I see now and things never turn out as pictured so I guess we'll see what happens. Thanks for taking a peek in to my story.