Well, Hi!

: ) "Well, hi!" If you went to college with me, you might remember a certain guy who was associated with that greeting. He might not have been the only one. He's just the one I remember. Probably because I fell in love with and married him.  : )

Well, this guy and I are embarking on an adventure the likes of which I never could have dreamed up on my own. And things are moving like a roller-coaster click click click click clicking up a big hill and I'm holding on tight and holding my breath. It seemed like just a minute ago we were safely in line and all of a sudden we're strapped in and climbing up a hill ready for the ride of a lifetime! Let me explain.

At the end of January and through much of Spring we had about 20% of our fundraising pledged. It took from then all the way to the end of July to get to 45%. Let me help you with the math... that was about 6 months for the next 25% increase.

As of today we are just over 70%. Our pledged support has jumped another 25% in less than one month. A significant portion of that has come in even just this week and we know there is more coming. Almost every day now we hear of someone new who has given or is going to. It is overwhelming. It is humbling.

It is GOD.

As things have sped up so quickly it has made me take another good, long, hard look at what we're doing.  It is hard to accept so much sacrificial giving.  It is scary to be invested in. But this good, hard look has been good because God has used it to remind me again of some really, really important truths.

1. People are investing in God's Kingdom - not Lowell & Melissa's Kingdom.
2. I can't do anything without God.
3. God doesn't expect me to.
4. God does expect me to trust Him and seek Him and expect to find Him.
5. God plans to do things through us as we walk with Him, abiding in His love and power - whether we realize He is using us or not.
6. God will supply all of our needs one day at a time.
7. I can do all things through Christ.
8. He really has called us to this.

He really has called us to this.  That is perhaps the biggest reassurance for me of all right now.  As things go from "somewhere out there" to "coming around the corner!" we need to have the peace that comes from knowing this was not our idea.  So I am grateful that He is gladly confirming that to us.  He is wildly confirming that to us.  And I'm excited to see what's next... because I think after we get off the first part of this ride, we're going to be like Toby when he got off of his first roller coaster this summer.

Grinning from ear to ear proclaiming for all to hear:  "THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!"