Kathy,

Years ago, in our roofing business we hired a man probably in his early
30's. A nice clean cut younger man, who just happened to have a
congregation. Of course it was quite challenging for him in the
construction field as not only was it hard work, but I think there is a
major run offf  between sailors and construction guys in the International
Cuss Off Competition and etc. if you get my meaning. The worse we were, the
better we were, in the eyes of those who took part in such backwards
mentality. Anyway,  another younger man who I'll call the captain, was
probably the captain of the cuss off team as well as the bar brawling team,
local motorcycle gang team and etc., who also worked with us, really
clashed with this young pastor. However one day the captain showed up in
the pastor's congregation one day. Now I  won't say he was responsible for
bringing the captain to salvation, but even in their daily clashing, there
was enough affect to bring the captain to church that Sunday, and who
really knows what that meant to the captin that day. So perhaps Greg's
congregation responsibilities do not just lie in the four walls of the
church. Paul still earned his keep for the most part I believe. I think
there is a great benefit of a pastor being intimate  with the daily
struggles and successes in the community. I'm not saying that the
congregation is not to supply sustanance for the shepherd, but I'm not
sure  pastor's are meant to be removed from the rubbing against the sheep
and carry the scent of the sheep as well the flock the scent of the
shepherd.   I know some tend to think you aren't a real pastor of a real
church if you don't have a full salary to sustain your needs, but  I think
those who are not in touch with the common man's way of living and etc. and
protected from housing and household maintenances and etc. lose the ability
to have compassion, and concerted efforts are needed to keep that fire
alive. Faith to me would be acting with or without agreeing with what God
is directing, guts to me is the same thing minus God. But I do know what
you are saying. God will reveal what to do when the time is ripe.

Brad


At 07:49 AM 11/26/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>Brad,
>Warning, Warning!!  Incoming chunks of pumpkin pie, straight at
>ya!  Duck now and you lose!
>
>          I'm with you on the car thing.  I'd rather get something
>else too.  The question is, will the bank let us?  We had been trying
>to crunch numbers so that, maybe Greg could stop working for the post
>office within a year.  This job, while it is nice, and part time, can
>still end up robbing the ministry of valuable time.  We have started
>saying, "you know, we weren't called to Maine to work for the post
>office, but to do ministry."  Well, at this point, we can't see
>quitting.  Financially, we couldn't do it, but buying a different
>car, or even getting the old one fixed, pushes back the ending date
>at the post office even more.,  God knows what He is doing, of that
>I'm sure.  I just pray that we are quiet enough to listen and brave
>enough to follow, whatever.  Maybe you guys should pray that we will have
>guts.
>Kathy
>
>
>At 01:54 PM 11/25/2005, you wrote:
> >Kathy,
> >
> >Cool story. See? Romans 8:28 in live performance here. For what it is
> >worth, I'm thinking if it were me with the van issue? I'd also be thinking
> >if I'm going to continue to put money in a car? I'd rather put it in a
> >payment for a reliable one than continually repairing an older one. I'm all
> >for keeping the old ones running, I have one myself, but when the scale
> >begins to tip towards a money pit, it is time to move on. Lordy Kate! I
> >thought you were going to say you were going to adopt a troubled child or
> >something. Kate? Yikes probably have to duck the incoming chunks of pumpkin
> >pie. Oh well I'll just open my mouth, my big mouth even more, no sense
> >letting that good pie go to waste, w a s t e. But I know it will show up on
> >my waist, w a i s t.
> >
> >Brad
> >
> >
> >Brad
> >
> >
> >
> >At 01:10 PM 11/25/2005 -0500, you wrote:
> > >Hi Guys,
> > >         You know that old saying, "every cloud has a silver
> > lining?"   Well,
> > >I thought that you might like to hear the story of the silver lining
> > >of our car problems.  It's kind of cool.
> > >         Our church has begun attempting to connect with kids who have
> grown
> > >up in the foster care system, but have now turned 18 and are being
> > >turned out, so to speak.  I didn't know very much about this problem
> > >before this summer.  One of our deacons saw a news story about these
> > >kids right before a deaconate meeting and he came in and told
> > >everybody about what he had seen and then asked, "Can't we do
> > >something?"  So, we've been learning what the need is and what we can
> > >do in response to his question.
> > >         You just don't think about this kind of stuff.  Some
> > foster families
> > >agree to take care of these kids until they graduate without
> > >compensation, but lots of kids just get released in to nothing.  They
> > >have no family to go back too.  They are dependent on whatever social
> > >agencies that they can find to tteach them how to do finances, obtain
> > >learners permits and drivers licenses, all those daily living skills
> > >that we as parents just pass on, a lot of these kids don't have
> > >because there isn't anyone to teach them.
> > >         Well, our church always puts on a thanksgiving ffeed the Sunday
> > >before Thanksgiving.  There's always tons of food so, our first event
> > >was to invite these kids and their social workers to dine with
> > >us.  It went pretty well.  We gave them gifts and so forth and I
> > >think that they had a good time.  As they were leaving, one of the
> > >social workers mentioned that there was one girl who is living in a,
> > >kind of homeless shelter for kids, who had no place  to go for
> > >Thanksgiving.  Greg spoke up right away and said that we could take her.
> > >         We also had been invited to dinner with an old retired
> > pastor in the
> > >area who has been a tremendous support to us, not the former pastor
> > >of this church, for any who remember my past stories.  Anyway, Greg
> > >knew that this guy is big hearted and he knew that one more mouth to
> > >feed would be no problem.  Greg basicly told me,  "We're doing this!"
> > >So, what could I say.  Of course, it was no problem.
> > >         Then, our van died again while Greg was delivering mail on
> > >Monday.  We had just gotten it back from having the transmission
> > >worked on, for the fourth time in three thousand miles.  The van does
> > >have 213,000 miles on it, so I suppose it is getting near its
> > >end.  This time, however, it looks like it may be the coolent
> > >system.  Anyway, we ended up having the car towed to a mechanic who
> > >won't be able to look at it, probbly until this next Monday.  Since
> > >we just bought our first second car, a station wagon, last summer, we
> > >had hoped that the van could make it through the winter, but facing
> > >reality, Greg decided to stop at the same dealer again to shop around
> > >for a replacement van.  This dealer has been really good to us.   His
> > >mother attends our church, and he, the dealer,  has also on
> > >occasion.  Unfortunately, Greg didn't get their until near closing time.
> > >         You need to know that all week, I'd been wondering about
> > the seating
> > >arrangement in the station wagon with our extra passenger to attend
> > >Thanksgiving dinner. I wanted her to be as comfortable with our crew
> > >as ppossible.   Well, Greg found a van, that is pretty cheap and he
> > >started home with it to show me.  It began to snow, and I mean snow
> > >hard.  The dealer is less than ten miles from our house, but it took
> > >more than a half hour for Greg to get home.  When he arrived at
> > >our  house, it was like a blizzard.  We all checked over the van, and
> > >it will do, If we need to buy one.  Greg thinks that it will work
> > >well for a mail vehicle, which would be its main function.  Anyway, I
> > >suggested that he turn around and head right back or he'd never make
> > >it with the weather getting worse and all.  Then, Greg decided to
> > >call and just ask if they needed the van back that night.  The dealer
> > >said, "no.  Go ahead and keep it until Friday and give it a real
> > >test."  So, we did.  We ended up with a nice, spacious van to take
> > >Jen with our family to Thanksgiving dinner.  Oh, the snow, it cleared
> > >up about an hour after Greg called.
> > >         He had already cancelled Thanksgiving Eve services as well,
> however
> > >because of the weather so we had a very nice evening at home doing
> > >nothing.  What a gift to be thankful for.
> > >         By the way, just in case you're wondering, Chris was not with us
> > >yesterday.  He was probably with Nicki, but we don't know.  We
> > >brought him a plate of thanksgiving dinner, but when we got to his
> > >room, no one was there.  Greg dropped it off to him this morning.  He
> > >said "Thanks," but didn't say anything about how he had actually
> > >spent his day yesterday, so we'll just have to leave it alone and
> > >trust that he was in the Lord's hands.
> > >   As far as what we are doing with the car, we still have no
> > >clue.  Greg is going to see if a loan can be extended to a second
> > >car.  I wish that we didn't have to go into further debt, but even if
> > >we get the old car running again, that will take money as well and
> > >then, there will always be that nagging concern while Greg is
> > >delivering mail that it will break down again.  Plus, this is the car
> > >that Matt drives and he isn't an experienced driver like Greg, so he
> > >could really get stuck somewhere with out much clue of what to
> > >do.   It has been towed five times since june.  Hurray for tripple A
> > >,, but that has been used up for the year as well.  Fortunately, the
> > >transmission repairs have been under warrantee, but new problems will
> > >mean more money, so it looks like, either way, we're going to pay
> > >somebody something.  I just like how God worked things out for
> > >yesterday and I know he'll do it for the rest of the situation as
> > >well..  What an awesome God we serve.
> > >Kathy
> >
> >Brad
> >
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Brad

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