To Whom It May Concern...Thank you!

One of the two Stop & Shop Cards I

anonymously received in the mail.

Two weeks ago I got paid!

But it was significantly lower than I thought it would be. Since Christmas ended, finances have been tight for me. Hours at work got cut and more things got taken out of my salary check for The Navigators. Things were tight and I didn't even know how I was going to get groceries for the week.

Once again I found myself nervous and praying. How was I even going to eat? Could I actually make it this time? Bills were also looming over my head, including a monthly pledge that I had to a missionary. The thought of canceling a payment for this month

Then two things happened. One of them was that I visited some friends of mine who are partnering with me in what I'm doing and they gave me a whole lot of food when they heard I was in need. Their mindset was that God has blessed them when things were tight for them, so they in turn wanted to bless me in this season when things were tight for me. So to them...thank you very much!

Now the second one was very shocking: In the mail last week I received an envelope with no return address on it. Inside it were two $20 gift cards to Stop & Shop! I couldn't believe it! I don't know who that person is, though I'm sure I'll find out one day. Thank you very much, whoever you are! You are truly a blessing!

It's interesting how over and over in the Bible we're told not to worry and not to fear, yet when things get tight we always do. The popular passage in Matthew 6, Jesus tells us how God provides for tiny birds daily who don't have food pantries in their nests. He then tells us how God clothes insignificant flowers that die every year. And then He asks us these things: "Are you not more valuable than they? Will He not much more clothe you -- you of little faith?" (6:26, 30).

God does provide! When we give sacrificially, like what my friends did, God provides. When we honor Him, He honors us. Even at times when we don't honor Him, He STILL honors us. It's called grace, which is poured out on us thanks to Jesus.

So thank God for His provision and THANK YOU , Mr. Mystery Person for following Him. This verse is for you:

"Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce, then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine" (Proverbs 3:9-10).

Counting Blessings (a Thanksgiving post)

This post is dedicated to all my partners in ministry. You know who you are! Thanks for your support!

Early in the summer before I headed off with EDGE Corps, I did a journaling template by Mark Driscoll on having time of Silence and Solitude with Jesus. (to view the template and blog post, click here) The first part of the template was interesting: "Recent Evidencesof God's Grace," which is where you list times in your life when you have seen God be gracious and to thank Him for it. Mark confessed that he is oftentimes a pessimist, so doing this helps him get off on the right track.

I definitely know what that is like. Oftentimes in my prayer life and thought patterns I can be like that, saying, "God, please do this, I'm stressed about that, this person worries me..." I can be such a pessimist, which is why I'm thankful for those friends of mine who tell me to "lighten up and quit worrying so much."

This past weekend I took a bunch of college students to a preview weekend for EDGE Corps, the program I've been involved in. The weekend was great fun and I felt like I encouraged a lot of students, especially those who were nervous about the fundraising aspect of the job. Surprisingly, in sharing with them I found myself encouraging one person: ME!

So here is a list of recent blessings for me in raising support these past few months:

- Financially speaking, I have raised 97% of my part-time salary in monthly pledges.

- I have housing closer to the ECSU campus, which has been graciously provided by one of my partners at a discounted rate (SEE PHOTO!)

- I have a part-time job to make ends meet for me financially, which one of my partners helped me get.

- I have had some great meetings with people: getting to know them, their families, their ministries, their burdens, etc.

- I got chances to catch up with old friends when I called them/met up with them.

- I have gotten to know friends a lot better through support meetings and continual communication with them.

-I have gotten much closer to some of my family members.

- Members of both my immediate and extended family have been blessed, encouraged and are getting drawn closer to Jesus since I started raising support.

-I have loving parents who are incredibly supportive of my ministry and help me out so much I actually have to sometimes decline their hospitality!

-Hundreds of partners are praying and interceding for me. There is one partner in particular who taped my picture to the right bottom corner of his computer screen so every time he sits down to use it, he takes a moment to pray for me!

So to my partners. My FRIENDS. THANK YOU! I thank God for you and your eagerness to support, to pray and to sacrifice for the good of the Kingdom. I rejoice over the fact that I am partners with you. I cannot do it alone. Of course I need Jesus' power in my life, but part of Jesus' empowerment in this ministry comes through great people like you!

Thank you all! God bless you!

-Steve