Kickstart-ing

Have you ever heard of Kickstarter? It's a brilliant concept that allows people who have creative ideas - games, albums, inventions, projects and such -to let the world know what they are doing and be a part of the upstart.

Say you have a game you think the world would love: Propose the idea on Kickstart. You include all the information people would want in order to fund your idea. Let's say you need $10,000 by December 31st in order to even begin making this game. People are able to pledge whatever amount they want in support of what you are doing. Now most times if you pledge "X" amount, you get a copy of the game, album, or a certificate saying you were a supporter. The brilliance in this is that if the goal is met by your deadline, they are charged the amount pledged. If you don't make the amount needed, you know there is not enough interest, they are not charged, and you don't have to deliver on your idea. It's a safe way of finding out just how popular your idea really is without the up-start investment.

Stay with me now....

As we invested in a game recently which Ruel and Elijah can't wait to play (*Merry Christmas* to you, honey!), I began to wish people knew how close what we are doing in moving to Ireland this is. Yes, we are going: This is what God has called us to. However, we can't go until we hit 100% of our funding.

Thankfully, we don't have a set in stone deadline that keeps us from going if we haven't reached our goal by that time. But we do have a date we have to be out of the house we are living in now. Being that we have already sold all our furniture and household items, this makes it a little more "serious" if our support is not reached by then.

No, we won't be sending you a game to play, music to listen to, or other tangible item. What we can give you is the promise that you are investing in the Gospel. I'm not saying that to be overly dramatic  It's the truth. God has called us to minister to those in Ireland: To show them how to have a real and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That is the Gospel. And that is what we will be doing in a place that desperately needs it 24:7.

This is how I see it right now. I feel like we are a living, breathing Kickstart project. Our one consolation is that I know because of the promises we have received, we will never see that "Funding Unsuccessful" icon on the corner of our lives page.

But won't it be amazing when we see the bold print: FUNDED!
:-)

The Sower and the Seeds Anew

This morning as I was reading the parable of the sower and the seeds in Mark 4, the Spirit brought a fresh meaning to me. Yes, this is about the sowing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (We know because He explained it!), but a new meaning came to me too: As Ruel and I have been talking and sharing about our family's call to Ireland, I realize we have been sowing seeds. Seeds of ministry, partnership, and passion.

Some of those seeds will fall on hard ground.
Some will fall in shallow soil.
Others will grow up in thorns that will choke them out.
Still, others will produce great crops of differing amounts!

Now, we are not so petty as to say this can only be applied to financial means for us - though I'm afraid sometimes it may seem that way to others. These crops come in the necessary form of money, yes. But also in prayer, fellowship, and spiritual support. Most have no idea the stress involved in following God in this way... We were greatly blessed by a brother in Christ this week, who admitted he can't help monetarily, but ministered to our souls by sympathizing, encouraging, and praying over us. He spent precious time with us.

I love the life of Scripture.
And I long to share that with the Irish.
Seed scattered......