when GOD speaks; LISTEN!

I have a lot of thoughts, but let me see if I can organize them and get them to where you can understand them.

Kirk, who grew up on lake LBJ has suffered for 10 years without owning a boat. When in Lubbock, he was miserable due to the lack of water. Now that we have been in Waco for starting 3 years where there are lakes everywhere, he definitely wants to get a boat. However, those things tend to cost money. Kirk has always dreamed, wished, desired, wanted - however you want to put it, he wants a boat.

Then God has gradually been talking to Kirk. Just things happening at our church (good, on the move much needed things) and Kirk has had a change of faith and has matured even more than he already was in Christ. But Kirk still wants a boat.

We have been looking on craigslist everywhere for a boat. We decided to put Kirk's inheritance money from his papa, who taught him to ski and fish into a pot for the boat. We also added our income tax return to that pot. We have the money, but it's just finding the right boat. We keep looking. Kirk is also frugal and hates to spend this money on a "luxury" item.

Today it all broke out. Kirk found the boat we have been "dreaming" of, right boat, year, make, size, and dollar amount. But it is in Dallas. We would have to wait until baseball practice is over and miss church to get it. We call the guy back to tell him we are on our way and it had sold (in an hour)! Frustrated that we missed the deal, we headed on to church. We went to eat at Panda Express, and Kirk's fortune cookie read "Don't pass up a good oppurtunity." We laughed hard and for a long time. Kirk is still mad that he did not purchase that boat without even going to look at it. Later on after we had the kids in bed and had spent lots of time transporting things into the attic, we turn our tv on and oddly enough it is on Joel Olsteen (SP?) We watched it for a while b/c I have a student who imitates him. Then he out of nowhere makes this comment: If God gave you a dream, then you have to have enough faith to accomplish that dream. He would not give you a dream if he did not want you to achieve it.

Now, I am not promoting good ol' Joel, but it was just how it all played out. What is God telling us? We don't know, but we are listening a lot more than we were before. I love how God puts messages out there for us to read in other places than the Bible. He talks to us more than we know or realize. We just have to be listening. "When he calls my name, I will hear him. I'll be somewhere, listening for my name."