Thursday, October 25, 2007

 House Auction Day & A Conversation with My Boss

Yesterday was house auction day… Still no word yet, but SS left a message saying he wanted to update us on what happened.

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Breaking the News to My Boss

I had been wanting to tell my boss that God said ‘Go,’ but he was in Texas for meetings on Monday and Tuesday, then stuck in all-day meetings on Wednesday.

Finally, today, I caught him before he headed into another full-day meeting. I told him, “We need to talk.”

At first, he just said, “Okay,” and started to walk away. But then, he suddenly stopped, looked at me, and realization dawned in his eyes.

He sighed, “No, we don’t.”

I insisted, “Yes, we do.”

Then he asked, “Did God say ‘Go’?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

He groaned, “Ahhh, man!” and walked back into his meeting.

Later, he told me that he had shared what I said with the executives. They immediately asked what I needed to stay and even offered me a raise to keep me. But my boss told them:

“It’s God taking her away… and we can’t compete with Him!”

Ha! I love it! 😆

Friday, October 26, 2007

House Auction Update & A New Possibility

This morning, SS called Tom to update him on what happened Wednesday. For some reason, the auction was postponed until November 28th…??

SS suspects it might be because both our first and second mortgages are with the same bank. They may have decided to consolidate the loans before putting the house back up for auction with a higher minimum bid. Who knows at this point?

But here’s the crazy part—SS and my former boss/co-worker (who are now partners) were actually planning to bid on the house to try to buy it for themselves!

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Lunch & A Possible Negotiation

I had lunch with my former boss today (which was arranged before all this house drama unfolded), and I got to share our story with her. :)

She suggested that before the next auction date, we contact the mortgage company and let them know that we have people interested in buying the house. Then, we could try to negotiate a "deed in lieu of foreclosure." This would prevent the foreclosure from being officially recorded against us.

I told her, “Don’t buy the house for us—only do it if God is telling you to.”

So, we’ll see where things go from here…

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Completely Worn Out

After lunch, I was so exhausted that when I got back to work, I shut everything down early. I went home around 3:30, went straight to bed, and slept for two and a half hours. 😴

Saturday, November 10, 2007

 "The eternal God is thy refuge." — Deuteronomy 33:27

The word refuge can also be translated as "mansion" or "abiding place," which paints a beautiful picture—God as our dwelling, our home. This metaphor is both full and sweet, for no matter how humble, our home is dear to us. Even more so is our blessed God, in whom we live, move, and have our being. At home, we feel safe, shutting out the world and resting in quiet security. In the same way, when we abide in God, we "fear no evil." He is our shelter, our retreat, our eternal refuge.

Home is also where we rest—where we find peace after the exhaustion of the day. Likewise, when life’s battles leave us weary, we can turn to God and find true rest for our souls.

This excerpt from a devotional I read today really spoke to my heart. I have been so busy lately that I need to dwell in the security and safety of my Lord. This describes exactly what I’ve felt all year—when I sit at His feet, I experience His peace, His comfort, and His rest from the weight of the world. He is so good.

Tom left for California on October 29th for the final goodbye to the house and returned on November 8th, only to leave again for the Freedom Men’s Retreat on Friday, November 9th. I’m thankful for a quiet moment today to catch my breath, go through my emails, and spend time journaling. Honestly, I’ve been busier than I ever wanted to be, so in a way, it was a good thing Tom was gone—I wouldn’t have been home much anyway!

I am so ready to be done with my job, but one of the blessings in this transition is being able to openly share what I’m about to do. People at work seem genuinely interested and happy for me, and it’s such a gift to be able to speak about my Lord and His calling—even in the workplace.

I ordered nine used copies of Letters from a Skeptic to give as going-away gifts to the people God directs me to. Each book will include a note of encouragement and a personal prayer. I pray the Lord uses this to soften hearts and draw people closer to Him.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the call that God has placed on Tom and me. I keep picturing the shoreline—the one from the Gospels—where fishermen and laborers are busy with their daily work, and Jesus walks along the water’s edge, calling out, "Come, follow me!"

Before, I imagined Jesus calling only specific people, handpicking a few from the crowd. But now, I see it differently. I see Him calling everyone! And only a few actually respond.

What if that’s what’s happening now? What if God is calling many to step out in faith, to leave behind their jobs, their comfort, their “gods,” to follow Him in a deeper and more passionate way? What if Tom and I are just two among those who are answering that call?

I don’t know for sure, but I do know that I feel the Holy Spirit moving mightily. It’s the only way I’ve had the strength to take this step. Something is happening—something big. I believe He is preparing to sweep through this area, bringing His Word, His power, and His healing to those who need it.

I am humbled beyond words.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Once again, I have to admit—I’ve been too busy. My time at work is coming to an end… well, sort of. Last week, I spoke with my co-workers, and we agreed that I would need to stay a little longer, but only in a part-time capacity, working from home. They still haven’t hired anyone to help the girl taking over my role, nor have they filled the billing position. That means she’s stuck doing it all, and I just couldn’t walk away and leave her in that situation. So, starting December 3rd, I’ll be working from home part-time.

As for the house, I think SS and DM have decided to let it go, which is fine with us. The auction is now rescheduled for this Wednesday, November 28th. We still have no idea what God has in store, but I have complete confidence that it will all work out.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on why we’re going through this process. I truly believe God is stripping away anything we’ve relied on other than Him. For so many years, my job, my credit, and even my credit cards became my safety net—my gods. And now, He’s asking us to lay them on the altar and trust Him alone for our provision.

That led me to think about Abraham. Could it be that he had idolized Isaac? After waiting so long for a son, I can completely understand how that could happen. Maybe God wasn’t just testing Abraham’s faith—maybe He was asking him to surrender something that had taken priority over God Himself. That realization hit me in a way it never had before. Suddenly, Abraham felt so human to me—so relatable, fallible, and real.

God keeps amazing me with these deeper insights into the people of the Bible, making them tangible, making them alive.

Tom and I keep going back and forth about getting licensed. Tom keeps asking, “Why are we doing this?”—and honestly, we don’t even know. In the end, we may not get approved at all. Part of the interview process requires a background and credit check, and with our current financial situation, I’d imagine our credit is not looking great. If that’s the case, we’ll be denied.

So how will this all turn out? I have no idea.

And the plot thickens! :)

Saturday, December 01, 2007

I AM FREE!! The feeling I have today is indescribable. I am so excited to serve God in a full-time capacity now. Being able to work from home, meet people daily, spend more time with Tom, and dedicate more of my time to serving my Lord and Savior is such an amazing feeling!

The last couple of days at work were pretty cool. People kept asking me about what I was going into, and I had so many opportunities to talk about my passion—my Lord—and what I will be doing with my time.

The Lord told me to buy a bunch of Letters from a Skeptic and give them away at work, so I passed out nine of them as He led. I wrote a little note in each one and let them know I’d love to meet with them after they finished the book to hear their thoughts. I feel like the Lord is going to open even more doors and use this book as a seed for His Gospel.

The house auction was postponed yet again—this time until January 2nd! SS and DM were there after all, and SS called to let me know what happened. He said they gave the same reason as before: “We are working out payment with the owners.” (It must be a canned response because we haven’t heard anything from them in a while.)

SS is amazed and dumbfounded by the whole thing. He’s never seen anything like this before and is really curious to see how it all plays out. He said he’d be there on the 2nd and will let us know what happens again.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

The Battle Goes On

Note from Linda (2022): I was working so many hours and had so little downtime that when I left my job, I struggled with knowing what to do with my time. It was very hard for me to go from full blast to medium/low speed. I struggled a lot with guilt and had a really hard time learning how to just rest!

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In my mind’s eye, before my last day at work, I envisioned my days starting with working out and then spending time with the Lord before anything else. But today was the first day I actually dedicated intentional time with Him—and even that was a battle, fighting distractions and thoughts of work and the day ahead. Thank you, Jesus, that You are an understanding and forgiving Lord!

I worked full-time from home on Monday and Tuesday and even had to drive in to meet with a co-worker. Yesterday was a lighter day—only three hours—and today E needs me to watch A for a couple of hours, so I will probably work even less.

I am also struggling with anxiety about how I spend my time, pushing myself to get things done, but the Lord keeps reminding me not to be anxious about anything. He is teaching me that each day is His and that I need to rejoice and rest in it. Whatever happens is ordained by Him, and I need to be at peace with that. Oh, the things I struggle with! It is embarrassing. But His words of peace and rest really helped me last night—I am beginning to understand and grasp that everything is in HIS control, and I don’t need to worry or stress about anything.

Today’s Hope Journal reading was Philippians 1-4, and I read it out loud. It was great! The more I read the Word, the more real and alive it becomes to me. I relate to so much of it now, and of course, Philippians 4:6-7—one of my favorite verses—is exactly what the Lord is using to remind me not to be anxious about anything. It was just another confirmation to rejoice in each day and rest in Him, knowing He is in control.

Praise You, Jesus!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 4:4-7

Monday, December 10, 2007

 A Lesson in Compassion

We had a busy weekend—watching the kids on Saturday and then attending K and S’s Sunday house church gathering after church. We had another opportunity to talk with B and K, and they invited us to their meeting next Sunday. They are going through the book of Acts and said there is a lot of prayer and movement of the Holy Spirit… That sounds good to me!

On Friday, while working out on the treadmill, the Lord revealed a little more to me about where His power comes from. Tom was trying yoga for the first time in the other room, and I was a little concerned he might hurt himself. As my thoughts wandered—like they often do—I imagined him getting injured and calling for help. In that moment, I saw myself running to him, laying hands on him, and praying. My concern and compassion for him were so strong that the Holy Spirit came through, and he was healed!

Then, God reminded me: Jesus had compassion on the people. It was that deep, internal, gut-wrenching love for them—a true desire to see them free from pain. And suddenly, I realized something painful… I don’t really feel that kind of compassion in my gut for people. What I desire most is to see the power of God work through me.

Lord, forgive me for my selfishness! I am so focused on myself—on wanting to experience Your power—that I have missed the true reason for it.

Father, show me how to have true compassion for Your people. Help me focus on their eternal souls rather than myself. Teach me to desire their salvation and healing, not recognition for myself.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.