Blessing

This past week I was blessed with the money to buy a Nikon D70!

How I had the money in my account I'm not quite sure. Yes I've been frugal with money since quitting my main job, but I've also had a lot of expenses that I couldn't avoid.
The only difference in my money spending is that since June I have actually been tithing at least 10% like I should have always been doing. Before ten percent was just so little to give and I needed it so much that I just gave ... well a lot less if any at all. Mark 12: 41-44 and Luke 21:1-4 is the story of a poor widow who gives a pennies worth, all she had ... It's one of those things that when talked about I was in full agreement but never went through with. No cash, too large of a bill, forgot. There were always reasons not to.
I've needed a new camera for some time now, but have never had the money. I've always known that if I wanted to be blessed I had to give and yet I rarely did and never when it caused my to be concerned about money for my own needs. I can be a little dense sometimes.
In June something changed. I went to a BigStuf conference/camp in Daytona, Fl for one week as a leader with Jarvis Student Ministries. There a speaker told everyone how he had come to realize the impact he could make by cutting down on expenses and actually giving tithe and trusting that there would be enough to take care of his family. I realized how much money I did have and how much of it I didn't need.
As I've been giving these past few months I have found that I have to depend on God more. Not knowing if I'll have enough money to go eat out several times a month has really opened my eyes. This past week God told me to give 25% of my paycheck to someone. Now my paycheck decreased drastically two months ago so 25% is nothing compared to my once 10%. So it wasn't the amount that made me cringe and want to hold back; it was what I was left with. I battled with it for almost an entire day. When I finally decided that I would do it it was because I knew I had to trust Him and His word that if I blessed others out of faith He would bless me ... somehow, even with something as simple as happiness.

Well God has blessed me ... in so many ways.

Hearing Hope

Pulling forward
Pushing hard
Waiting for the day break to come
Silently hearing
Desperately hoping
Waiting for the clouds to fade

Rain
I can hear the sound of rain

Falling neatly
Almost silently
Replying to all the desperate pleas
Filling the void
Opposite is the answer
Opposite is best

Day
Day break has come