God's Economy Has Exactly Enough

We are 3 days away from our planned departure; leaving America to tell other cultures the truth about Jesus Christ. We still need final clearance from our sending organization. We are waiting on God and fully expecting Him to provide the remaining $169/mo.

The following is the most encouraging and God glorifying letter we have received. Click on the post title to listen to me read the letter to you, or continue reading below.

Dear Jeff and Heidi,

We continue to be thrilled about the faith walk you are currently taking for the Lord. We know, and have been in your shoes in other areas, that when we press into the Lord in belief that outweighs logical circumstance the Lord always uses it to 'stretch and bless'. One of the reasons we knew God was calling us to support you was because of this dangerous faith... the kind that really does move mountains. We would like to share our testimony in becoming connected with you, and hopefully encourage you towards God's soverign hand as you wait for the Lord to finish opening doors!

God laid a very clear conviction upon us regarding the use of birth control several years ago. Both Christopher and I recognized the need to submit to his leading. This was scary, totally unknown, and not a little bit outside of our comfort zone. However, we knew we could trust our Lord, and so - we took the plunge. We already had 2 children. Within 2 years we had 3 more. Yum... hello, God? Yeah, remember us? The ones who are trying to serve you and are only succeeding in going INSANE? Okay, just checking.

Not the smallest concern in the jumble was our finances. We had long before become convicted about debt spending, and living within our means but, like most consumer Americans, had not always walked that line obediently. Added to that was the debt we were incurring from multiple births, closely spaced. To say we lived hand to mouth would be an understatement.

I must admit that during this time my husband continued in faith that the Lord would always provide for our needs. I became aggitated, depressed, and irritable. Christopher challenged me to really press into God, and give this issue to Christ. I got on my knees, cried out to the Lord for help in understanding what exactly he wanted from me, and gently ;) reminded him that these were HIS children. Using scriptural promises, and the faithfulness to tithe I chose to believe the Lord would work this out, but I asked the Lord to give me a scripture that I could pronounce as my own. Christopher just had an annual review, where his boss intimated that a promotion might be in the works. I asked that God would work a miracle, promoting him two positions, rather than one. That extra money would finally give us the overage we needed to succesfully pay off our debt.

I prayed. I prayed some more, and during one of my prayer times, on January 18th, 2007 the Lord spoke to my heart with this scripture:

Leviticus 19:23-25.

Now, you two might be mighty in scripture memorization, and immediately know what this little gem says... I didn't! Eagerly, but with a little fear over the possibility that I heard indigestion, rather than the Holy Spirit prompting my heart, I turned to the passage.

"When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruits as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten. And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, to increase its yield: I am the LORD your God."

I wept, as God opened my eyes for his plan. I believed that the raise was going to come through, and that for three years the money would be forbidden to our use, by merit of debt repayment. The fourth year we would need to tithe it, and the fifth year it would finally see its use as "investment income," something we could use for our retirement portfolio. I was thrilled that God had so clearly answered my prayer. Christopher was nervous.

My husband is an incredibly faithful man of God, and his concern was valid. I had just come off of a mountain heaped in despair, postpartum, and not a little struggle with the Lord. To lay claim to some random promise about the Lord paying off our debt as a sign of his devotion to us was... well, looney. Afterall, the Lord didn't owe us anything. To add to this was the very real issue of how exactly the raise would come into effect, namely the double promotion. Christopher works for the Department of Defense, where everything is regimented in steps. You don't skip a step. You aren't promoted out of turn. You put in your time, and at the specified date of tenure, the completion of the step, the fulfillment of the term you are given what any other DoD civillian is given - your wage as agreed upon by Congress. Not a lot of personal growth potential. Christopher reminded me of all this, and then gently asked me what I would do if the raise didn't come through.

I had to think about that question. What would I do if the raise didn't happen. I realized that God was asking me to believe - to believe that he was capable, and to trust him, even with the scary idea of "failing". The Lord was still sovereign, was still reigning, was still in control of our future, and would still provide. I knew that, and knew that would not change. Christopher was convinced that I was not holding onto a name-it-and-claim-it promise, and encouraged me to wait for the Lord's movement, but still gently reminding me that the government doesn't work the way I was determined it needed to for my miracle. But isn't that the essence of a miracle?

On June 15, 2007, nearly 6 months later, Christopher received his raise, and double promotion! The extra amount the second half of that promotion provided us was $266 a month. The Lord multipled it supernaturally, and before the three years were up we had not only paid every dime of our debt but added 2 more children and bought a house! We were stunned by the goodness of God. It was a phenominal reminder that when we agree with God about his provision for our lives, he really does come through in amazing ways. Our fears are still somewhat present when we think about future children, how we will provide for them, but we have such a tremendous testimony of his blessing that we know all things will work together for our good.

But there is a second part of this story, and that's why we wanted to share it with you. The stipulation, as given in the passage, was that we would be given this gift of a fruitful tree, but in the 4th year the Lord required its fruit to be tithed. We spent the three years paying off debt asking God to share with us his vision for the year of tithe. We knew when God provided the promise to us in January of 2007 that he had a specific purpose for the money. In September of this year we began praying earnestly for God to reveal the purpose for our tithe year. Because of his bounty towards us we were ahead of 'schedule' and looking forward to fulfilling the 4th year of the scripture even though technically we were just barely over the 3 year mark.

Then we had this great family, the Frazees, come speak at our Christmas in October!

Christopher and I left that Sunday so taken by your desire to be real with a mission that wasn't clear-cut. You were following God in belief that he would take care of your provision, even when the culture surrounding you said that wasn't very practical. And your pursuit to see children as a blessing, even when that blessing can mean very real inconveniences, was incredibly refreshing to our hearts. The Lord works mysteriously. We almost didn't go to that church service. But we believe that it was your family, and your the desire to meet the needs of the Mali people, that the Lord sovereignly chose our money to support all along. We were so excited.

When we got home that night it didn't take long for us to agree that you were meant for our tithe year. We quickly went through the steps of signing up with World Venture for our support promise. In the back of our minds we had always assumed this time of added giving above our regular tithe was something that would last a year, as the scripture in Leviticus alludes to - "...And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy... but in the fifth year you may eat of it..." Then something remarkable happened. Christopher again prepared for another annual review. Our hearts were turning towards allowing God complete freedom with this money, and in the midst of that burgeoning desire a possible pregnancy reminded us of the need to trust his provision. We knew it was time to sink or swim. Either we believed God for his hand in our lives and knew that he had a greater purpose for our money, or we took a giant leap backwards, forgot so much of the good God had already shown us, and clamped our fists shut. Praise the Lord, he won out!

Suddenly, "eating the fruit to increase its yield" took on more meaning than our retirement portfolio. It meant allowing that money to bring in the harvest waiting in Mali! As soon as we made the decision to stay with you for the long haul (encouraged by your continued faithfulness in setting your sights on the "impossible" for your financial support) our own concerns for another pregnancy, and the financial provision necessary for it, vanished. Such a gentle reminder that God is so good! We are not currently pregnant, but welcome the Lord's timing. And Christopher is once again blessed in his work, creating the money we need for our financial needs at home. In fact, another double promotion is likely on its way!

I hope that this brings joy to you, as it has to us. We see the sovereign plan of the Lord working to create community in his children, as they lay their needs before his throne. We are bursting with excitement to be in your back pocket as you travel to Paris - on Christmas day!

With Love,

The Randalls

Christopher, Trisha, Hannah (11), Bethany (9), Caleb (6), Leah (5), Mary (4), Josiah (2), Phoebe (7+ mos)

Julie Phillips cf fundraiser

This is the most recent video I've done. It really enjoyed it though it was just like a taste on the tip of my tongue of what I'd really like to do. Praise God that He keeps giving me little opportunities to work on small projects, reminding me of how much I enjoy it. It was a real privilege to hang out with Julie, who sincerely loves God and has hope, believing that He has lovingly planned out her life.
I think my wife's voice sounds pretty good in this video too!

Monterey Bay Aquarium Church

What I say on this video doesn't sound quite right. I really meant to highlight that God is at work providing for our needs.
There is a lot more to the aquarium, but I edited to a song, and these are the clips that matched the mood of the song. I really like this song from one of my favorite movies, "Life Is Beautiful."
Thank God for FBC Monterey. They are really a blessing to us.

We like trees!

Heidi and I just shaved our mailing list a little. So now we're saving trees and about $14 in postage for each mailing we do. We love sending people real mail, and we love getting real mail. But if you've moved fully into the digital age or if you loath paper cuts let us know, and we'll just send you our newsletters via e-mail. heidibelle@gmail.com

Recession Rewards

These are five points that make this recession God-glorifying. They were taken from a recent John Piper sermon. Some of your Ojai/Goleta folks may have heard them as I shared them on our most recent visit.

1. He intends for this recession to expose hidden sin and so bring us to repentance and cleansing.
2. He intends to wake us up to the constant and desperate condition of the developing world where there is always and only recession of the worst kind.
3. He intends to relocate the roots of our joy in his grace rather than in our goods, in his mercy rather than our money, in his worth rather than our wealth.
4. He intends to advance his saving mission in the world—the spread of the gospel and the growth of his church—precisely at a time when human resources are least able to support it. This is how he guards his glory.
5. He intends for the church to care for its hurting members and to grow in the gift of love.

Princess in Training

Check out Harley's blog ➜

Back With Our Boys

We had a great trip down to Ojai, CA. Heidi and I took Harley and Zechariah, and Drew and Joe stayed with Jeff's parents.
You wouldn't even believe how good Zechariah and Harley were! On average we were in three different homes each day, and they just played happily and quietly while we talked and talked until we were blue in the face.
Our trip was like a visit to the amusement park for me. There were constant ups and downs, but my heart was in all of those experiences. I have such a deep and abiding love for the church. So it just sucks my energy out, the good and the bad. I pour myself into it. It is utterly fulfilling and wonderfully draining.
Check out Drew's Blog. I just put a video there. I'm also going to post on my blog tonight. I heard something a pastor said about missions, and it got my wheels turning in a good way so I think it will help me communicate what I've been wrestling with. Check back on March 11 for my new post.

Caleb's 1st Birthday

This is a little out dated. Caleb was born on December 31st 2007. He's walking and starting to talk and taking the world by storm now. We will definitely miss spending a lot of time with family when we're overseas. Luckily, my parents and all of our siblings love to travel! We expect to have a lot of visitors in Mali! Maybe France too.

Swim Lessons 08

This was a hard video for me to edit. Drew's scream for help on the video is so primal that it tore my heart out each time I heard it.
I'm proud of my boys. They do what we ask them to do, even when it's really tough. I pray that it builds trust in them for when their Father asks them to do difficult, insurmountable things.
Pray for us, especially our kids, that we would obey and glorify God as we follow Him in this adventurous mission to Mali, West Africa!
I know people like to see these videos. I'll put another one up soon! Oh yeah! I wanted to thank DrewB and Heidi for the work they did on this video. They don't enjoy it like I do, but they did a great job, and it means a lot to me.

Wolf's Bane

As the stunned fog cleared from reading heresy written by someone I believed to be in love with Jesus, I wrote this on an envelope just as it poured from me.

I believe:
God is Holy, set apart, and His very nature ordains glory and praise.

Mankind was created by God chiefly to glorify Himself.

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.

The chief method in which God glorifies Himself today is through the proclamation of truth about Himself by His Church/Body in word and deed.

Jesus' clear instructions were to go to every ethnicity and language making disciples, baptizing, and teaching obedience.

The Spirit provides unity among believer that goes beyond all barriers.

The church (catholic, worldwide) should seek equality.

I hope it's okay to post someone's article...

THIS WEEK | January 31, 2009

Profound witness

Charity: Giving money in tough times says much about Christian security | Rusty Leonard and Warren Cole Smith

William Lobdell's recent book Losing My Religion chronicles his conversion to Christianity—and his subsequent rejection of Christianity after a decade of covering religion for the Los Angeles Times. Many of those stories had to do with Christians and the way they handled money.

"Evangelicals don't give anywhere near 10 percent of their income to charity," Lobdell said. "Only a very few, often on the fringes of mainstream or evangelical Christianity, behave with their money as if they believe the Gospel is actually true."

The data suggest that Lobdell is only half-right. Studies by Syracuse University and others make a compelling case for the generosity of theologically conservative Christians. Philanthropy expert Arthur C. Brooks said that the most important predictor of charitable giving is religious commitment. But even Brooks admits that "very few" Americans practice the biblical tithe.

That's a shame, according to Randy Alcorn, whose books on giving include The Treasure Principle and a book on Christian giving that some consider to be a classic: Money, Possessions, and Eternity. In an interview with WORLD, Alcorn says that giving is a "powerful witness of the gospel" that he calls the "greatest form of evangelism." According to Alcorn, "the words charity and grace come from the same Greek word, charis. When we give, we are both experiencing and sharing God's grace. God's grace is the lightning. Our giving is the thunder. Thunder is both a result and a testimony of the lightning."

Alcorn said that giving in tough economic times is particularly important for the Christian. "For one thing, in tough times Christian charity is needed all the more," he said. "For another, the testimony of that giving is even more profound. Giving in tough times tells the world that it is God's providence—not a large checking account—that is the source of our sustenance and security."

Alcorn lives these principles. All the royalties from more than a dozen books he has written go to charity. He said that in 2008 that amounted to about $750,000, and since he began the practice more than a decade ago, the total exceeds $4 million.

It's possible that Christians are getting this message. According to Philanthropy Journal, arts and cultural organizations have seen giving declines. And high-profile ministries such as Focus on the Family have announced layoffs and budget shortfalls. But the nation's largest Christian relief organizations—including World Vision, Compassion International, and Samaritan's Purse—all report 2008 giving increases.

So, if Christians were giving sacrificially, would that make a difference for atheists, agnostics, and skeptics such as Lobdell? "If you get outside of the Christian bubble," Lobdell said, "you find a lot of people who want to believe, and perhaps even did believe, but who are disillusioned. What they read in the Gospels is not what they see in the church."

He added: "Would seeing Christians give sacrificially make a difference with me? I'm not sure. Would it make a difference with those disillusioned? I think it might."

Giving big

Even as the economy slips into recession, the nation's biggest givers keep on giving. According to Philanthropy Journal, at least 16 people made gifts of more than $100 million in 2008. That's the largest number of such gifts since the magazine started tracking these mega-gifts more than a decade ago. The total amount of these 16 gifts exceeded $8 billion, a record amount.

That's the good news. The rest of the story is this: The biggest gift on the 2008 list was a single $4.5 billion bequest from James LeVoy Sorenson, an inventor and investor who left the money to his family foundation in Salt Lake City. If you take out that single gift, 2008 was down slightly from 2007.

Also, some question whether giving to a foundation set up and largely controlled by the giver is really giving. Al Mueller of the Christian group Excellence in Giving said, "Why do you consider a gift to your own foundation a 'gift'? Until someone besides you benefits, it is a gift in the eyes of Uncle Sam only." — Warren Cole Smith

Copyright © 2009 WORLD Magazine
January 31, 2009, Vol. 24, No. 2

A picture of my heart in the form of a sermon.

I hate for my most recent post to be largely of content from someone else, but every once-in-a-while somebody says what you're thinking and feeling better than you do. John Piper has done that for me on several occations. When he talks about a Holy Ambition, who I am resonates with what he says. When he calls people to be senders in the church's effort to reach all people, I dream about the power God intends His people to have. Piper's sermon on Col. 1:24 gave God-glorifying purpose to a long-time attraction I've had to suffering.
If you want to know me better, if you want to better understand what God has called our family too, I really encourage you to listen to these sermons. It is an investment... almost three hours of listening, but that's what we want. We want people to invest in us. We want people committed to taking the gospel to unreached people through us, whatever suffering and sacrifice it will take.