As some of you may know, Melanie and I have been taking part in an "Experiencing God" Bible study. One of the tenants of the study is that God is always at work and we should be watching to see where that is and join him as he reveals where he is working. The study states that this will lead to a "crisis of belief". This study is messing with my mind a bit- it is by Henry Blackaby and in it so far he states that God normally asks you to do God-sized tasks, I know OK I get that, but how do you know for sure it is from God- Blackaby suggests that God will confirm what he is telling you through circumstances, the church, scripture, and the holy spirit. This is where we are stuck at the moment. Blackaby then states that how you respond to God's invitation says what you believe God can do and who He is. Let me describe to you some of the recent events of our lives.
In June Melanie and I moved across country to Morgantown, WV which we love, Melanie immediately got a job as an Administrative Assistant, I was hired about a month ago as a Care Coordinator for Valley Healthcare- which required that we purchase a second car on credit. We both are enjoying where we are at but with this bible study came a struggle- as we have begun to watch where God may be speaking things have happened.
At first I was looking at little things-AKA trying to be more aware to ways God was giving to share my faith throughout my day. But this week something strange happened that I may have just shrugged off except that we are going through this study- Melanie got a call when she was at work from the organization that we went to Asia with several years ago- They stated they were in need of long term teachers in Asia. Most people see what God might be calling them to(ie missions) and are scared to death at the prospect- but Melanie and I are particularly bent and both of our personalities find the prospect of new cultures, traveling, and doing something for God amazing. So here is one of our big dilemmas- While we both would love to go we want to know if it is something God wants or just us. If we were to go then it would be a "God-sized" task requiring us to raise support in massive amounts which I cannot even comprehend- but I know that if God does want us to go then he will take care of everything and increase our faith in the process.
So here is what I want from all of you who may read this incredibly long post- I want your comments, feedback, suggestions, prayers- I know this is a great deal to ask, but thank you for your support.
Much love,
Ira
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Waiting...
Friday was my last day of work at Trinity Behavioral Healthcare. My office family(co-workers) really sent me off well. They really made an effort to make me feel cared for and appreciated- they decorated the entire office for an aloha party- balloons, streamers, lays(the necklace thing you get on tropical islands), we had food all day and one of my coworkers even wrote a sarcastic poem including several inside jokes we all shared-really made me feel special/cared for.
It is now Tuesday- we move on May 29th and I am realizing that while I like being at home with Melanie- I am the type of person who really needs to be working/doing something or I get bored/ start to feel useless. I still have plenty to do, but I am glad I offered to the family if they had any projects to do I would be there.
In other news a friend of Mine Terry S. is puting together a Fish Fry on May 16th at his church(Cash Baptist church) to benefit a sister church and another pastor friend of ours Paul C. Paul's church has gone over budget on their new building which they had initially planned on being in by Christmas 2008. The initial plan was to have mission teams who would come in do most of the labor and thus cut down costs- but due to the economy not many mission teams have gone out and they only have the foundation and main support beams up so far and have opted to hire a professional contractor to finish the work- but this will put them over budget- so if any of you are not busy on May 16- the fish fry will be going on at 6pm for $5 per plate including fish and all the home made trimmings.
Something else that I am incredibly excited about is that this Saturday May 9, 2009 My amazing wife Melanie will be graduating from Williams Baptist college:-) woohoo.
With all the extra time I have on my hands now I picked up a book I had to read as a freshman in college for a book review, but now I am actually pushing myself to take it in and learn from it. The book is Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. I am only a few chapters in and I am realizing the depths of wisdom this book has to offer. I just finished a chapter on meditation, surprisingly it really is pushing me to expand the way I perceive prayer and how I seek after Jesus. I wanted to share a quote from the book which really stood out to me so let me know what you think:
"True Godliness does not turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it"
This book is helping to push me and show me practical ways to seek God and to gain a greater passion and desire for Him and his word.
I hope this has been encouraging,
Much love,
Ira
It is now Tuesday- we move on May 29th and I am realizing that while I like being at home with Melanie- I am the type of person who really needs to be working/doing something or I get bored/ start to feel useless. I still have plenty to do, but I am glad I offered to the family if they had any projects to do I would be there.
In other news a friend of Mine Terry S. is puting together a Fish Fry on May 16th at his church(Cash Baptist church) to benefit a sister church and another pastor friend of ours Paul C. Paul's church has gone over budget on their new building which they had initially planned on being in by Christmas 2008. The initial plan was to have mission teams who would come in do most of the labor and thus cut down costs- but due to the economy not many mission teams have gone out and they only have the foundation and main support beams up so far and have opted to hire a professional contractor to finish the work- but this will put them over budget- so if any of you are not busy on May 16- the fish fry will be going on at 6pm for $5 per plate including fish and all the home made trimmings.
Something else that I am incredibly excited about is that this Saturday May 9, 2009 My amazing wife Melanie will be graduating from Williams Baptist college:-) woohoo.
With all the extra time I have on my hands now I picked up a book I had to read as a freshman in college for a book review, but now I am actually pushing myself to take it in and learn from it. The book is Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. I am only a few chapters in and I am realizing the depths of wisdom this book has to offer. I just finished a chapter on meditation, surprisingly it really is pushing me to expand the way I perceive prayer and how I seek after Jesus. I wanted to share a quote from the book which really stood out to me so let me know what you think:
"True Godliness does not turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it"
This book is helping to push me and show me practical ways to seek God and to gain a greater passion and desire for Him and his word.
I hope this has been encouraging,
Much love,
Ira
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Dealing with adulthood.
It is an interesting occurance to come to a point in which after carefully budgeting you realize that no matter how carefully you plan or prepare; things may just not work out as easily as you plan(before I go any further, no Melanie and I are not pregnant). We are planning on taking the truck into the shop to get checked out and see how much it will cost to get it in decent (roadworthy) shape. Knowing what is wrong(front differential leak, oil leak, needing new tires, possibly brakes, possibly shocks, and any other possible problems which may come up to be fixed) I am afraid that it may take much of what we have in savings/ tax refund which we were planning on using to move with after Melanie graduates.
This situation reinforces the idea that scripture has about planning for the future in that no one knows what will happen in the next minute much less the next week or months or years. I found it interesting this morning when our pastor touched on the verse in proverbs that states not to lean on our own understanding- great timing.
As for now I will do my best to focus on trusting that God is in control over what I can see and what I cannot see. I guess I am learning the difference in knowing in my head and understanding from experience. Hard lesson, but I know that what is often is hard is what is most beneficial.
as always Much Love,
Ira
Oh and also the GRE went very well I made 610 on the verbal section and 510 on the math section, 1120 total- I guess I will report on the essay portion when I get the results.
This situation reinforces the idea that scripture has about planning for the future in that no one knows what will happen in the next minute much less the next week or months or years. I found it interesting this morning when our pastor touched on the verse in proverbs that states not to lean on our own understanding- great timing.
As for now I will do my best to focus on trusting that God is in control over what I can see and what I cannot see. I guess I am learning the difference in knowing in my head and understanding from experience. Hard lesson, but I know that what is often is hard is what is most beneficial.
as always Much Love,
Ira
Oh and also the GRE went very well I made 610 on the verbal section and 510 on the math section, 1120 total- I guess I will report on the essay portion when I get the results.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
GRE
I am going to take the GRE today- please pray for me. I will update on here afterward at some point!!! hope you all are having an amazing Saturday!!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
back in the swing of things--
Well for those of you who follow my Twitter you know I have been trying to get back to running... well after taking 4 days off I went running this afternoon and increased my distance to a grand total of 1.5 miles......at a ten minute mile I am not fast right now or going long distances yet but I am starting to get back into the act of running. Even feeling that first little bit of runners high.
I am finding more and more that when I have people to run with who are faster and can run farther than I can, I am more motivated. I have been running on the tread mill because I am a pansy and it is flipping cold outside...ranging from 20's to 30's- too cold to just jump right into-maybe next year I will be accustomed to the cold and will be able to run long distances and not feel like my lungs are about to burst.
In other news I am scheduled to take the GRE on Feb. 21 and I feel completely unprepared...I have study aides but it is hard to take the first step of opening or getting those out.... I did however find out that my sunday school teacher's wife is a math teacher= sweet....I am really struggling to regain the ability to do advanced math- like I know what has to be done to solve the problems but not how....hopefully w/in the next month I will have a new confidence...
anyway I hope everyone is well.
Much love, Ira
I am finding more and more that when I have people to run with who are faster and can run farther than I can, I am more motivated. I have been running on the tread mill because I am a pansy and it is flipping cold outside...ranging from 20's to 30's- too cold to just jump right into-maybe next year I will be accustomed to the cold and will be able to run long distances and not feel like my lungs are about to burst.
In other news I am scheduled to take the GRE on Feb. 21 and I feel completely unprepared...I have study aides but it is hard to take the first step of opening or getting those out.... I did however find out that my sunday school teacher's wife is a math teacher= sweet....I am really struggling to regain the ability to do advanced math- like I know what has to be done to solve the problems but not how....hopefully w/in the next month I will have a new confidence...
anyway I hope everyone is well.
Much love, Ira
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!!!
New year time for a new post.... so I have spent a little time in reflection on events of the last year and as I look back at choices and actions I have done in the last year all I can do is strive, hope and pray to do better. I am floored by God's patience w/ me as I feel like all I seem to do is fail Him. I have been attempting to read the bible through since my junior year of college as my quiet time and I am now in Acts at the begininning of the new year and it makes me so humbled as I read of Paul and how bold he was about his faith....talk about living in light of eternity, so often I find that I am a poor pitiful man worrying about what people who are dying and going to hell will think of me if I talk to them about my Savior- who cares what people think- God give me the wisdom to be so in awe of you that you are on the tip of my tongue no matter the context I am in at the moment. I am so thankful that God made Salvation a process in which day by day as I seek him I am made holy....
I really miss having running partners who not only push me to get stronger w/ physically running distances but also those who encourage; push me to grow and point out truth to my life spiritually. A very wise man pointed out to me once that truth will either make you mad or make you holy---I really need to get back into a running routine before moving this May so I can just join back into that time-I need the extra push and encouragement.
Well we have had a busy fall this last year and it has made both Melanie and I stressed at times so we are using some extra cash(this is an illusion there is no such thing as extra cash) and going to Branson for a one night getaway today. So I guess if you need us you can call the nuclear phones.
As always much love,
Ira
I really miss having running partners who not only push me to get stronger w/ physically running distances but also those who encourage; push me to grow and point out truth to my life spiritually. A very wise man pointed out to me once that truth will either make you mad or make you holy---I really need to get back into a running routine before moving this May so I can just join back into that time-I need the extra push and encouragement.
Well we have had a busy fall this last year and it has made both Melanie and I stressed at times so we are using some extra cash(this is an illusion there is no such thing as extra cash) and going to Branson for a one night getaway today. So I guess if you need us you can call the nuclear phones.
As always much love,
Ira
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Time running out...
It is now December 14th and I am really starting to feel the holiday crunch with Christmas shopping and looking at the busy schedule Melanie and I have for the next several weeks/lifetime. We had our first weekend in a while that we could actually spend with each other and not worry about the busy events we had covered our calendar this weekend. We really needed it and it was really nice. We just stayed home most of the day on Saturday, watched movies, talked, and just spent time together which both of our schedules had put a strain on. It occurs to me that if I am not careful I may spend an entire day w/ my wife and not have spent a single second pursuing to grow together, maybe even spending the majority of the day seeking my own gain. This is so incredibly screwed up as I think of what I am commanded to do in Ephesians 5:25-33
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[c] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
I have to be incredibly intentional or I just become the average husband instead of my wife's dream come true and instead of giving up my rights and showing love as I should to her- I turn to my natural selfish self and become rude and snap at my wife over the smallest little infractions on what I incorrectly perceive as my rights.
I am encouraged as I know that this is not a problem which cannot be solved because I look at those who have gone before me who have set an amazing example and minimum standard.
This idea that my marriage is something I have to be incredibly intentional about when my wife is physically there in front of me reminds me how much more intentional we have to be about our pursuit of God.
As always I hope this is encouraging to you all,
Much love, Ira.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[c] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
I have to be incredibly intentional or I just become the average husband instead of my wife's dream come true and instead of giving up my rights and showing love as I should to her- I turn to my natural selfish self and become rude and snap at my wife over the smallest little infractions on what I incorrectly perceive as my rights.
I am encouraged as I know that this is not a problem which cannot be solved because I look at those who have gone before me who have set an amazing example and minimum standard.
This idea that my marriage is something I have to be incredibly intentional about when my wife is physically there in front of me reminds me how much more intentional we have to be about our pursuit of God.
As always I hope this is encouraging to you all,
Much love, Ira.
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