And it starts...

Welcome. Well - here I go. I said I would make an complete commitment with my finances to make a difference. I am not sure how God will use my money, but I will be confident that the cash will make a difference somewhere. There is still a part of me that wonders just what I was thinking when I agreed to this. On the flip side, there is a part of me that is excited towards the possibilities that will arise. I know this weekend is gonna be a HUGE test. This is a pay week for my wife, and she gets paid just once a month. So to start fivething (5%), well - gonna be quite a lot of numbers in that amount field!! I think I will excuse myself to the bathroom just before GBTG so I can't tackle the usher and take my check back.

I finished filming my testimony yesterday with Tim Sutherland and TJ Friesen. Man, I love Tim, and I can say that even after he chided and berated me during filming. Ok...only kidding. It was great to have Tim there. Putting my thoughts and fears down on paper to keep my mind organized was simple. To express them in a way that not only made sense, but also kept me from tripping on my tongue, was difficult. Tim would ask me challenging questions to keep me thinking in new directions, and he helped me relax and get down to the deep thoughts and feelilngs I had. I'm a guy - emotions are easy, as long as I don't have to tell them, think about them or deal with them in any way, shape or form. :) TJ worked the cameras - he promised that he used the Brad Pitt filter, so I can't wait to see my gorgeous self 10 feet tall on the main screen.

So you are here - now what??? Well, I hope you hear what I say and can identify with my fears, worries, hopes, dreams.... everything. I am in no way perfect. Far from it, in fact. I just know that I have many changes I want to make in my life and my battle with money in one of them. My struggle with my finances just happens to be one that I am sure you and I have in common. How does God want me to survive on my salary? How can I honor Him and still live comfortably? How can I drop my worries and fears and just follow Him, all the way? That's what I hope to explore and communicate. Please comment, ask questions or make suggestions. While this is my path, I want others to join me on this journey.

As I find tools or links, I'll post them on the sidebar. Visit them for help, ideas...whatever. If you find something cool, let me know - we need to share. I will also post my weekly giving and the correlating percentage on the side so we can see how I do. Somehow I don't think that YTD will ever hit $17,400 (man...who are those people and would they like to adopt me???? :) ), but God tells us (Mark12:41-44) it's not the amount, it's the commitment, sacrifice and joy of getting to give. That's what I want.

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