Everyday Provision

I haven't posted on here in a while, and part of the reason is I haven't had any "BIG" prayer requests answered lately. I haven't felt like anything God has done is worth sharing. Wrong! :-) God has been doing so much for me lately! I got plenty of sleep last night in a comfortable bed. I have eaten two filling nutritious meals today, with the virtual guarantee of a third one. I am dry amid the pouring rain we have been having thanks to our cozy house. I have a wonderful family that I get to spend my time with. God is continuing to prepare the way for my internship in the fall and for a possible summer job. Even in the "little" things, He has faithfully provided!

Thanking God for His faithfulness,

~Mac

School and Future

As CJ said, we've been terribly lax about updating this blog! I haven't really had any single big prayers answered in the last several months, but I have had quite a few smaller ones answered:

1. I still have yet to fail a class or test! I got 2 As on my 2 classes that I have finished since September and I passed the Marketing Communications TECEP. So far everything has transferred smoothly, so that's a real load off my mind :-)

2. All of my classes lined up so that I can finish my schoolwork in April!

3. God has been making things clear about what I should do for at least a year after I graduate, and has been opening the doors for that to happen!

Yes, He is good :-)

~Mac

A New Van! (x2)

For the last few months we had been searching for a replacement for our 2001 Chevy Express 15-passenger van. Since we calculated that we will need a 15-passenger for several more years, we needed to upgrade sooner rather than later. Well, a few weeks ago, we found the perfect new van! It's a 2010 Express with a bigger engine, FlexFuel, better mirrors, and other exciting additions. We got several thousand dollars for our old van as a trade in. It's perfect for our family!

Then, yesterday, the dealer contacted us to get some paperwork straightened out, and mentioned that our old van had been sold - to a family with 12 children who have been looking everywhere for a good 15-passenger van! The father drove almost 6 hours to get it, and was very happy with it.

2 answers to prayer for 2 families! How cool is that? :-)

Contentment

This is something I've been praying for for a long time - specifically contentment in my current life situation. It's so easy for me to get caught up in the "what-if"s and the "I can't wait until"s and to become dissatisfied with where I am in life now. It has been a gradual process and it is still a continuing battle, but God has been granting me more and more contentment. It's a great feeling to simply do what God has set before you in the present - and feel excited about it! :-)

~Mac

Guidance for the Future

I know I already posted a bit about this, but something else happened yesterday that was so neat I want to post on this topic again! I have been praying about the future and that God would show me what I should do for my career and for my ministry. I have talents in music and audio recording and production that I know God has given me to use. I was just having trouble figuring out exactly how I would get into such a competitive industry, and how I would attract clients. I didn't have a sense of whether He wants me to use them as a ministry, as a part-time job, or as a full-time job.

This is where the answered prayer comes in. :-)

A few months ago I scored a movie for some friends of ours and they were very impressed with it. They've been talking about me and my work to a lot of people :blush: and they heard about a couple who work for a ministry that uses media to reach people in other countries and in the US with the Gospel. They invited me to a presentation that these people were doing. As they presented their ministry and the work they were doing, I got very excited - I could see the vision and also how my God-given skills could be used to minister to others! I talked with the husband, who is an executive producer, and he mentioned several jobs in the ministry that match my abilities (and my Life Purpose Statement! :-) ). He also said that they offer internships, and gave me the info that I need to follow up. I'm going to keep praying about it, but God is definitely showing me that He has a purpose for my talents and that He has a plan to use them for His glory and work! Very encouraging and exciting :-)

~Mac

School and Job Questions/Worries

If any of you are like me, you have occasional bouts of worry - worry about school, work, future, etc. I've been going through one of those recently - I still don't know exactly what God wants me to do after I complete my degree, and I'm having a hard time focusing on school (which is going very slowly right now because I'm in a sort of gap between tests and final classes). Needless to say, these items have figured prominently in my prayer life over the past few weeks! Funny how much more you seem to pray when life isn't going according to your plan (or if you have no plan) :-P

I really wasn't discerning any obvious answers. Until the last few days.

I got an email with answers (or at least next steps) to several of my education questions. I researched jobs and found some that are promising opportunities when I'm finished with my degree. But even more than that, I received a bit of the peace that passes understanding. It was like God was telling me, "I have a plan for you - just because you can't see it right now doesn't mean that it isn't there." It's a wonderful thing to be free of fear and worry, knowing that God is in control! And when He answers some of your questions - well, that's icing on the cake :-)

~Mac