Sounds like real money

Last week we were in Washington, DC on a home school field trip. It was really inspiring to see all the monuments and historical artifacts.

Since I tutor several subjects for home schoolers, including economics, I have been watching the growing government debt with concern. On the train into DC one day, we met an accountant who works as an auditor for a private auditing firm.

His company is charged with overseeing the books of the General Services Administration. After telling a little about his story, he said, "There is a big margin for error," in his audits. He went on to say that a discrepancy of $130 million to $150 million doesn't merit much attention. "So they just write that off?" I asked. Yes, they do, he said.

To his credit, he was also appalled. He is an experienced accountant who has only been working in Washington for less than a year. It seems like he wants taxpayers to know what's really going on inside the Beltway. He still lives in Georgia and commutes to DC during the week.

His story tells about just one department of the government. All the other departments and agencies must also have huge "margins of error." Since I like to balance my checkbook to the penny, it makes me uncomfortable to think about undetected mistakes.

It shocks me to think that potentially billions of dollars can be written off in the accounting of all these government checkbooks. Can you imagine the temptation to embezzle? You could take a million dollars a month, and NO ONE WOULD KNOW IT!

Bi9 government has many drawbacks, not the least of which is that no one really knows all that's happening. Somebody must be supervising all this bureaucracy. The auditors are, and they are watching money disappear by the hundreds of millions.

No wonder we need to spend $1.4 trillion more than we have this year.

Washington, DC

I haven't been to D.C. since I was about 10 years old. It was a cool visit then. I'm excited to go see the Capital again tomorrow. My older daughter's 10th grade (home school) class is going on a field trip, and the rest of my family is going along, too.

I really don't know what to expect to be different. I just love history. I had a dream recently that I met the president. Not counting on it really happening, but that would be very cool.

They are supposed to be voting on all the Obamacare stuff this week. Maybe I can tell them to keep the government out of the free market.

Even so, I am so glad to be an American. I am really inspired by the principles on which our country is founded. I do hope that we can return to them.

Surfing

It seems like life comes in waves. Right now we've got a few waves to ride. We have a group of 18 people going with us to Catalyst Conference, and some of us are leaving in about an hour and a half. We've also got a wave of opportunity for Crossroads as we purchase a new building. That is opening up all kinds of possibilities for ministry and worship. Then, this weekend my daughter is in a play, Mulan, her first acting experience. That has been a blast for her.

Life doesn't get boring, that's for sure.

For now, I'm praying for our group attending Catalyst to hear the voice of God. He wants to take all of us to a new level -- individually and as a fellowship. These are exciting times!

I'm grateful for the waves God sends our way. Sometimes I think I'm going to drown, but he always pulls us through. And I would not have it any other way.

Coming Together

It has been an amazing week of seeing God's plan coming together. We have been working for weeks to get a purchase contract on a foreclosed building. Finally we got a contract in hand on Monday. We have also been working on financing, trying to get a loan approved for the purchase.

So, on Monday we get the contract to purchase. We have until Oct. 5 to sign the contract, and until Oct. 9 to prove that we have the money to make the purchase. Well, we are moving through this process by faith, trusting God to work out all the details.

Then yesterday afternoon I have a meeting with our current landlord. He says that they want to give us plenty of notice, and that they want their building back by April 1. Looks like God is closing that door. No longer do we just have a feeling that we need to leave the Long House; now we know for sure.

When I come home from that meeting yesterday, I get the email saying that our loan with the NC Baptist Foundation has been approved! Only God could put together such a series of events.

There is a great feeling of affirmation from God when things work out like this! When we move forward in faith -- knowing that unless God shows up, we're in trouble -- God can really get the glory.

Now, I'm eager to believe God for the next amazing feat. He's changing the world, and we want to be part of it! He does amazing things in powerful ways. He wants us to ask him, so that he can deliver and bring his kingdom!

Praying it up

We continue to wait for some pieces of the puzzle to fall into place as we seek to purchase a building. God has led us to this point. But it is nerve-wracking.

It helps me to chill out, realizing that God has everything under control. If he doesn't want this deal to work out, then he has something better for us. I don't know what it could be, but then 6 weeks ago I knew nothing about this new building. That's how God operates. He's constantly at work behinds the scenes. He pulls out surprises.

He will not forget us. He calls us to himself, to trust in him, to pray.

Meanwhile, he is mightily at work in the people of Crossroads. It's a win all the way around.

Quantum Faith

God takes our faith to new levels. Usually it happens in leaps. That's where we are at Crossroads. As God leads us to find new meeting space, we are suddenly looking at purchasing a building. We have to take our commitment to new levels.

Lots of people are stepping up with the effort already. People are dreaming about the possibilities, planning how to give, organizing fund raising events, offering to do construction work. This process is a fantastic opportunity to trust Jesus. He tells us to ask him for anything for his kingdom, and he will do it.

Maybe it would be more comfortable if our faith could grow gradually. But so often God thrusts us into new territory. And we just have to rise to the occasion. His Spirit gives us the power we need.

Our faith is taking Quantum leaps. We are ready for our opportunities to Change the World to go to a whole new level!

Stretching the Band

We, the Crossroads Praise Band, were supposed to give an outdoor concert today, but the event was canceled because of all the rain. Actually, to call it a concert is a bit of a stretch -- we were to be the band at the Wells Fargo Employee Day in downtown Winston-Salem. We were to have two 45 minute music sets, and play while the employees had fun with their families.

We had a great time learning some new songs. Wells Fargo had asked for a country theme, so we had to learn some fittin' songs. Although I'm not a big country music fan, these songs were lots of fun to learn and play. The vocal harmonies are easy to pick up. And of course the chord structure is easy.

So, we worked hard, learned some new songs, had fun, and didn't get to play. Now we are just looking for a place to do these new songs. We got stretched, and that's good.

Maybe we can play at the Crossroads Silent Auction, coming soon.