It is finished...

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
--Acts 20:24


"...As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." 
--Joshua 24:15


I did not miss being on discipline. I was up late each night scrubbing and cleaning the whole house and everything around it, including the rocks again, and this time the bottom of our big yellow school bus. Then one night Nick told me that I was in charge of discipline and I thought that was great because I would be telling everyone else on discipline what to do. The first night I was in charge we had to stay up until 1am because the guys were acting up and I was in charge of keeping them in line. Turns out being in charge of discipline was the worst job yet.


This cycle of things kept up for about 3 weeks and I was just about ready to give up. I was mad, I hadn't seen Meagan or Beckett in almost a month. I told God that 5 months was enough and that I was ready to go. I told him that I was tired and I needed help if I was going to stay. Knowing that he will help me if I just ask is comforting. The morning after I begged God for his mercy Nick called me into his office. He told me that he had talked to my dad and they would be in town that weekend for me and Meagan to go look at a house in Saginaw, TX. 


In other words he was telling me that I was off discipline. Also this meant that I would get to spend the day with my family. That Saturday marked me being there for 5 months. I went out fundraising early that morning so that I could be back by noon and meet my parents and Meagan at the Men's home. I was so happy to see them. It was exactly what I needed and once again I stood in awe of what God was doing in my life. 


We went and looked at the house and immediately we found out that living in Texas was going to be a bit more expensive than Arkansas. We then went and checked out some apartment complexes. We liked a few of them but I just couldn't believe it was so expensive. Oh well, I knew God would put us where he wanted to. We had run out of time but we drove past one more and I told Meagan to check into that one and if it was a certain $ amount then we would live there. We went back to meet up with my parents and watch the end of my first Razorback football game of the year. I didn't like missing most of the football season, but that was a very very small sacrifice and in the big picture really not a big deal. For those people who know me personally they know for me to give up college football was a huge deal. :)


Hanging out with them was perfect but it came to an end after a few hours and I went back to the men's home. I met them at church the next morning and cried out to God on their behalf. Thanking him for what he was doing and asking him to anoint them and bless them. After lunch the next day they were gone and it was back to life at the men's home. I was still teaching from time to time, hitting the streets daily and giving Jesus everything I had because he gave me more than everything I asked for.


Two more weeks went my by and my family was back in town and this time Nick let me stay the night with them. I got to feed and hold Beckett....Thank you Jesus. I got to watch the entire Arkansas vs. Mississippi St. game and just spend quality time with my family. Oh yeah, and I got to eat some amazing food which by now was a wonderful blessing, and I got about 8 hours of sleep...Thank you Jesus. After lunch the next day they headed home. It wasn't all that sad for the first time in 5 and a half months. Meagan was coming back late Tuesday night to stay the rest of the week at her friend Holly's house because they were heading out of town.

Thursday of that week was Thanksgiving day and what a blessing it was. All of the men from the home headed to the Church around 6am and set up shop with haircuts, food, and clothing to give away to the homeless citizens of Ft. Worth. Meagan also came to help and did she ever help. I didn't know how Meagan would react, and honestly until that day I was afraid Meagan wouldn't pray in public. I was witnessing to a few of the men and women who were smoking across the street and I glanced over to the front doors of the Church where I saw Meagan praying for one of the homeless women. I could have jumped up and down screaming I was so excited for her to receive her blessing. It was then that I knew Meagan and I would have no problem taking on the world, which is what we were about to do in less than two weeks.


After spending 12 hours at the church ministering and blessing the homeless we got the day off Friday (during the 6 months that I was there we got 3 days off). I got to go eat with Meagan for lunch and then got to watch football the rest of the day. We had a normal weekend and after lunch Sunday I said goodbye to Meagan knowing that the next time I would see her would be the day I was to leave and complete my 6 months. 


The next week went by with no real major hiccups, it just seemed to take forever! My last weekend and then my final 3 days had approached. I got up early Wednesday morning and went about the morning, already being packed of course. It was me and another guy that got to the Men's home on June 11. After the morning Proverbs, all 60 of the other guys circled around me and him and cried out to God on our behalf. I then spent the next 30 minutes staring out the front door for Meagan. She arrived and I met her outside and just about squeezed the life out of her I was so happy. 


We headed to Benton mainly to pack up all of our stuff and move into our apartment Meagan had found. I was nervous though, I still had some unfinished business to take care of. The true test of faith was about to be right in my face...