Walking forward into the foggy night...

Faith is weird. It feels like jumping out of a plane and has the same payoffs... Intensity. Thrill. Fear. Relief on landing. And we don't jump like the suicidal desperate... we jump with the most reliable, most amazing, never failing parachute you can use. It would be stupid to throw yourself into the abyss of life trusting everything to "work out" because you would quickly be proven wrong. But like a child on the edge of a pool, jumping into the arms of a loving parent, we trust. Trust and blind faith are two very different things. So trust we have, and God has once again, and in miraculous ways proved Himself trust-worthy.

At this moment, I write from the edge of a hopeless situation. Human hopelessness is so easy to attain. It can come very easily, and I have to keep using my "trust" to fight it off. On the other hand... we have come so far in the last week. I wrote of our needs last Monday. A staggering $1200+ defecit that we didn't have. To be raised in one week. With no possibility of Sarah being able to earn it. With no real possibility of me finding a way of making that kind of money. Our families would love nothing more than to help us, but are unable to financially. We were at the end of our ropes... or at least a few inches up. Well, the next day, our church responded with a $125 donation. Then came a generous gift and loan from a dear couple to us that equaled $500. The next day, we received a thanksgiving card with $200 in it from a couple that doesn't read the blog or know directly what we're going through! On Wednesday, our pastor gave me the church's donation, but in the meantime, someone had added $100 to the gift! We found out yesterday, that one of Sarah's relatives is planning on giving Sar a late but welcome graduation present of $100! Thus bringing the money that's coming in to $1025!!!
And that's before my Starbucks check!

Is that incredible or what?!?! What an amazing God we serve.

UPDATE!!! While I was typing... I just got this phone call!

Well, the stressful situation that I was describing earlier has just come to a relative close! When Sarah and I added up our pennies and dimes yesterday, and realized that we had the money now to get out of Tanglewood, get their referral (saying that we have paid them in full) and get our approval with Summer Grove across the street going, we wrote the check that minute and took it to Tanglewood's office. The girl there was in no hurry to do anything, and said that she'd post the check in the morning and slip the receipt under our door. Well, I had no doubt that she'd post the check, but I didn't think for a second that I wouldn't have to go over and pry the receipt and referral out of her hands when I got home from work on Thursday. (today) Anyway. I went to work this morning, and worked a princess (4 hour) shift till noon, and came home. On arriving at Summer Grove to check their progress, I found that Tanglewood hadn't answered their phone all day, and weren't responding to the faxes Summer Grove had been sending all morning! I went over, only to find the office closed with no explanation! On the first of the month! (Which is apparently the busiest day of the month for apartment people.) I did find the maintenance person, and she tried to be helpful, but she said that she hadn't seen the office manager all day. The maintenance girl gave me a receipt for the check, so at least I have proof... (it took her all of one minute to get the receipt.) but she couldn't help with the needed referral. So I went back to SG and brainstormed, then went home and looked up Tanglewood's corporate owner's number. I called them, explained the situation, and they called the property manager at home. She apparently had a family emergency, and decided not to tell her coworkers or anyone else that she wouldn't be in. Needless to say, they looked up our file on their server, called Summer Grove, and gave us the needed referral!!! So we're in! You heard it here first! We've been packing, and tonight a mix of baristas from Starbucks and people from church. (Baristas are not, in fact, people.)

Anyway... I've got alot to do! But that's the update for now! Thank you thank you thank you for your prayers and thoughts. We love all you guys!

Peace!
Jim