He Shows His Glory!
Monday, March 21
Not even sure where to begin...I am so incredibly blown away at the Hand of God. Several years ago, almost 10 I would say, I was dying in pain suffering through a painful divorce at only 23 years of age. I was blessed to enter the doors of New Spring Church in Anderson on a beautiful sunny day in the fall. Perry Noble as doing a series on relationships...teaching what God requires of men and women and God's design for relationships and marriage. Understanding that God requires specific things from us and promises specific blessings FOR us when we follow His word, changed my life. I knew I was called to turn my pain into His ministry. I really leaned on the words and encouragement in Mercy Me's Song "Show Me Your Glory". I added a link below for you to reference the lyrics and music.
You are probably wondering, "How is the relevant to today?" I was driving home today and the Mercy Me song came on the radio. I realized, that more than 10 years ago, I gave God everything and asked Him to Show Me His Glory!" ...and the experiences He is providing are exactly His answer to that cry from long ago. And I am wowed, I am overwhelmed, I am humbled, and I am thankful. This is a blog focused on praise, thankfulness, and a testimony to the realness of Christ's promise to provide "FULLNESS" of "JOY" ...It is SOOOOOO much more than financial - these joy's are blessings that are about children, future generations, breaking cycles of poverty and abuse, bringing families back together, spreading generosity, all on a level far greater than anyone really can imagine. In less than 14 days, the Lord has showered down on Ripple of One resource support. We have accountants, counselors, mentors, fundraisers, marketeers, that are joining with us on a volunteer basis to pour themselves into the Ripple of One ministry efforts. We have seen more donations come in that were not solicited than ever before. Other ministries are reaching out to us to bridge their world with Ripple of One so we can create a real solution to end poverty, abuse, infidelity, and starvation. The families are getting to know God's design for their life and really seeking God's plan rather than trying to follow their own desires. There is an unprecedented movement of God to rescue single moms and their children and our program is working! God is providing resources from Anderson to Oconee, that are eager and urgent to start helping now - and God is now providing the ground work to develop office locations so that we can expand the number of families that we can help. Right now we have 10 families. Many of you know that I am an Aflac agent by day - and every account that God has opened for me literally has been born out of ministry efforts in some way. Just the other day, I was enrolling a daycare. While I was there, a young man came in with his gorgeous 5 year old daughter. He had just been laid off. He looked beaten down, and aching with sorrow. He informed the director there that he would have to take her out of her program because he could not afford it for now. The director responded that he may lose his spot for the rest of the year. God spoke to me that I needed to reach out to him and share with him the hope that Ripple of One provides through their programs. We interviewed him on Friday. While we wanted to accept him in immediately, we were not sure how we would take this on financially as our current funds are already committed to the 10 families we are already serving. That afternoon, after prayer and faith and speaking out loud that we know that this situation fell into our laps for a reason - we had a donor provide $1000 to Ripple out of the blue. And of course, he was the first person we called! His child care is now taken care of for the next few weeks while he looks for employment. He has already received four referrals for work and things are looking very good! Once we get him gainfully employed, we can start to match his efforts. He is already meeting with financial counselors to get his budget straight and has already engaged with church counselors that can provide him the love and encouragement in Jesus Christ that he needs to hang on one more day. This is just one example of the ripple effect that happens when people who love Jesus get together and support God's vision to carry out His word.
People that I run into always ask "How are the ministry efforts going?"...and I wish more than anything that I could show you day to day everything that is happening in the pasture, all this preparation, that is building the palace that you will see in due time for Ripple of One. It is about the families and their children. It is not about some major flashy fundraiser to make Ripple famous - it is about the mentoring, the programs, that is what is working. The programs for the people are the solution. The time and energy in mentoring our families, building successful programs, and workshops is what it is all about. God's vision is about solutions and actions that glorify Him - not self focus and things that impress others. We know that as we take this in His vision one family at a time, the funds will come and the foundation will be strongly in place with many families that can stand before our board and our sponsors as living testaments to the end to end program that empowered them to become who God always designed them to be. Loving our families is a 24/7 commitment. That means phone calls at midnight if it is necessary. That means driving them to church if there is a need. That means taking care of the children while they attend class and workshops. THAT is His ministry. One family at a time, one day at a time...Ripple of One is God's program to show His glory through His people.
Continuing in praise to God, He has empowered the growth of my Aflac business through so many I have met in ministry and other related organizations. I am #4 in the state and I was the first to qualify for a $10,000.00 special sales award Friday. Because everything I have belongs to Him, Aflac does not even seem like work to me. My love for people and protecting them from bankruptcy due to illness is real and I know it matters to God. I still wake up every day and I can not believe that I get to do this. I am so thankful and my cup runs over watching His glory show daily. People, stories, circumstances, etc. that you simply cannot explain other than the power of God. I really feel His Spirit and presence in my life and family 24 / 7. This week, in just a matter of days, God provided a phenomenal substance abuse / addiction counselor who is passionate about working for Ripple. And then on Sunday, for some reason, the Lord spoke to me to go to church early. So I did - and I just went into the Care room to pray since I did not really know what God wanted me to do an hour early once I got there. While I was there, another volunteer came over and started talking with me about things and he asked questions about the ministry efforts. I shared with him - and he immediately felt called to offer his media and marketing expertise, which is one of our greatest needs. He had no idea what our needs were, and he shared about his video expertise and non-profit experience. Both of our worlds were just rocked when we realized that God put us together for the purpose of making progress with Ripple of One. And I can tell you, that finding two resources with professional credentials in less than a week that are willing to pour themselves out for FREE - stepping out on FAITH - only happens when you are following God's plan.
Oh, how He loves us so!
This is just a glimpse of what these new days are like. Mark 9:13.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRP8ErNo7d4
Not even sure where to begin...I am so incredibly blown away at the Hand of God. Several years ago, almost 10 I would say, I was dying in pain suffering through a painful divorce at only 23 years of age. I was blessed to enter the doors of New Spring Church in Anderson on a beautiful sunny day in the fall. Perry Noble as doing a series on relationships...teaching what God requires of men and women and God's design for relationships and marriage. Understanding that God requires specific things from us and promises specific blessings FOR us when we follow His word, changed my life. I knew I was called to turn my pain into His ministry. I really leaned on the words and encouragement in Mercy Me's Song "Show Me Your Glory". I added a link below for you to reference the lyrics and music.
You are probably wondering, "How is the relevant to today?" I was driving home today and the Mercy Me song came on the radio. I realized, that more than 10 years ago, I gave God everything and asked Him to Show Me His Glory!" ...and the experiences He is providing are exactly His answer to that cry from long ago. And I am wowed, I am overwhelmed, I am humbled, and I am thankful. This is a blog focused on praise, thankfulness, and a testimony to the realness of Christ's promise to provide "FULLNESS" of "JOY" ...It is SOOOOOO much more than financial - these joy's are blessings that are about children, future generations, breaking cycles of poverty and abuse, bringing families back together, spreading generosity, all on a level far greater than anyone really can imagine. In less than 14 days, the Lord has showered down on Ripple of One resource support. We have accountants, counselors, mentors, fundraisers, marketeers, that are joining with us on a volunteer basis to pour themselves into the Ripple of One ministry efforts. We have seen more donations come in that were not solicited than ever before. Other ministries are reaching out to us to bridge their world with Ripple of One so we can create a real solution to end poverty, abuse, infidelity, and starvation. The families are getting to know God's design for their life and really seeking God's plan rather than trying to follow their own desires. There is an unprecedented movement of God to rescue single moms and their children and our program is working! God is providing resources from Anderson to Oconee, that are eager and urgent to start helping now - and God is now providing the ground work to develop office locations so that we can expand the number of families that we can help. Right now we have 10 families. Many of you know that I am an Aflac agent by day - and every account that God has opened for me literally has been born out of ministry efforts in some way. Just the other day, I was enrolling a daycare. While I was there, a young man came in with his gorgeous 5 year old daughter. He had just been laid off. He looked beaten down, and aching with sorrow. He informed the director there that he would have to take her out of her program because he could not afford it for now. The director responded that he may lose his spot for the rest of the year. God spoke to me that I needed to reach out to him and share with him the hope that Ripple of One provides through their programs. We interviewed him on Friday. While we wanted to accept him in immediately, we were not sure how we would take this on financially as our current funds are already committed to the 10 families we are already serving. That afternoon, after prayer and faith and speaking out loud that we know that this situation fell into our laps for a reason - we had a donor provide $1000 to Ripple out of the blue. And of course, he was the first person we called! His child care is now taken care of for the next few weeks while he looks for employment. He has already received four referrals for work and things are looking very good! Once we get him gainfully employed, we can start to match his efforts. He is already meeting with financial counselors to get his budget straight and has already engaged with church counselors that can provide him the love and encouragement in Jesus Christ that he needs to hang on one more day. This is just one example of the ripple effect that happens when people who love Jesus get together and support God's vision to carry out His word.
People that I run into always ask "How are the ministry efforts going?"...and I wish more than anything that I could show you day to day everything that is happening in the pasture, all this preparation, that is building the palace that you will see in due time for Ripple of One. It is about the families and their children. It is not about some major flashy fundraiser to make Ripple famous - it is about the mentoring, the programs, that is what is working. The programs for the people are the solution. The time and energy in mentoring our families, building successful programs, and workshops is what it is all about. God's vision is about solutions and actions that glorify Him - not self focus and things that impress others. We know that as we take this in His vision one family at a time, the funds will come and the foundation will be strongly in place with many families that can stand before our board and our sponsors as living testaments to the end to end program that empowered them to become who God always designed them to be. Loving our families is a 24/7 commitment. That means phone calls at midnight if it is necessary. That means driving them to church if there is a need. That means taking care of the children while they attend class and workshops. THAT is His ministry. One family at a time, one day at a time...Ripple of One is God's program to show His glory through His people.
Continuing in praise to God, He has empowered the growth of my Aflac business through so many I have met in ministry and other related organizations. I am #4 in the state and I was the first to qualify for a $10,000.00 special sales award Friday. Because everything I have belongs to Him, Aflac does not even seem like work to me. My love for people and protecting them from bankruptcy due to illness is real and I know it matters to God. I still wake up every day and I can not believe that I get to do this. I am so thankful and my cup runs over watching His glory show daily. People, stories, circumstances, etc. that you simply cannot explain other than the power of God. I really feel His Spirit and presence in my life and family 24 / 7. This week, in just a matter of days, God provided a phenomenal substance abuse / addiction counselor who is passionate about working for Ripple. And then on Sunday, for some reason, the Lord spoke to me to go to church early. So I did - and I just went into the Care room to pray since I did not really know what God wanted me to do an hour early once I got there. While I was there, another volunteer came over and started talking with me about things and he asked questions about the ministry efforts. I shared with him - and he immediately felt called to offer his media and marketing expertise, which is one of our greatest needs. He had no idea what our needs were, and he shared about his video expertise and non-profit experience. Both of our worlds were just rocked when we realized that God put us together for the purpose of making progress with Ripple of One. And I can tell you, that finding two resources with professional credentials in less than a week that are willing to pour themselves out for FREE - stepping out on FAITH - only happens when you are following God's plan.
Oh, how He loves us so!
This is just a glimpse of what these new days are like. Mark 9:13.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRP8ErNo7d4
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