HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD?

This morning my dad comes by~
I am barely awake~
oops~
and he says to me that we need to go to Wal Mart and shop for the homeless because it's cold outside.
I make him some hotcakes and perk right up.
He says that the tribe may, MAY be willing to give us some money towards the homeless.
K....
So, after taking Jenna Schu home (Maddie and Cece's best friend) I head across the freeway to the Windsor Wal Mart.
I go inside and there's my dad with a big grin on his face.
He says that we need to go and "shop" for $5,000 worth of "stuff" for the homeless. !!!!!!!
(I know, can you imagine?)
Has anyone ever dreamed of being able to go on a $5,000 shopping spree?
Here's the catch.
There must be a catch (?)
Dad says that we'll make a "mock" receipt of the items needed and then take it up the tribe to see if and when they could fund it, if possible.
k, still pretty exciting!

So, Dad and I and Maddie and Cece are off!
We've got ideas~ we pack everything we can think of~
I call Deb and Gina and Rudy and ask them for ideas~
I don't have Brian's phone # or Tonie's (I have a new phone) so I'm not feeling adequate of what to get~
I get over that feeling and keep throwing things into the cart.
There.
That MUST be enough.
I add it all up....
Only $1700~ huh?
C'mon, it's got to be more than that!
NOPE!
So, we figure on just getting 175 beanies instead of 75 beanies and 75 packs of socks instead of 5 packs of 15 per pack socks, etc.... there....
To make this long testimony -shopping-day short~
Advance forward a couple hours from shopping and phone calls to Deb (did I say callS...and Gina... and Rudy....)
Dad says, okay!
I'm off to the tribe and he's got the "mock" receipt~
nothing promised but could I follow him up there to pick up bags of groceries left over from their distribution last Monday night?
Sure.
We go to the tribal office.
It's all the way in Healdsburg.
There are dozens of grocery bags (!) and again, I make my phone callS to Deb, Gina, Rudy....
If I pick these up is there anyone who will go take them out?
We tried to get in touch w/ Hope Windsor's Pastor Dennis because he is ON FIRE for Christ and I thought that would be the easiest person to not have to explain that I had groceries ready to go that he could just hand out to the Milky Way Outreach~
but I didn't have his number and I knew Shawna was out of town....
so who stepped up?
Deb and Pastor Mike!
PHEW!
They'll take them out!
Gina lets me know of others who need food.
The Broyles called yesterday needing food for someone~
so, thank YOU JESUS for providing again.
THANK YOU JESUS.
We finish loading the groceries into the car.
Maddie, Cece, my dad and I.
Dad says, "Hey, the tribal board is meeting would you come speak to them?"
GULP.
No, make that a DOUBLE GULP.
Sure.
Maddie and Cece and I pray.
I call Rudy.
Rudy's prays.
Deb and Gina have been home prayin all day~
so I decided to just GO and not call them again.
Isn't it a good feeling to know you have friends who are lifting you up in prayer?
K.
Donaghys are in Colorado... keep praying~
can't call them~
but figure Rich would say, "GO" if I did call him~
no backing down.
We go in to the board room.
Dad starts talking~
Cece chimes in.
She tells them about how the outreach started w/ the bags last year.
Maddie tells them THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Dad handed out the receipts to the board of the things we wanted to pass out to the homeless.
They're sitting around this huge, long table~
LORD, are you sure you made my mouth?
I thanked them again~
They ask some questions about the homeless outreach.
Maddie, Cece and I all chime in and answer their questions~
We tell them about Daddy's friend Brian who goes under the bridges to visit his friends who live there and we talk about the Tenderloin in San Francisco and Skid Row in Los Angeles~
we mention Gurneville and how much they could help us put a dent into the great need for those that are homeless here.
More questions.
More answers.
THANK YOU JESUS.
What seemed like a long time only took minutes~
Approved.
GULP 3 TIMES.
We hug some of the ladies.
They said please bring us pictures.
AMEN.
I invite them out.
One member says, "I'd rather write you the check."
I said, "That works too! Thank you, because I really can't write the check!"
We walk out.
Dad is grinning.
Maddie and Cece~ just another day serving the Lord for them.
Me?
I still can't get over yesterday, or the day before, or the week before...
What is today?
Dad says, let's go meet at Wal-Mart, they are sending someone down right now to charge it all and then you can shop.
GULP, GULP, GULP, GULP, OKAY.
We get in the car.
More phone callS.
Gina! Deb! Rudy! Can you believe this?
(Rudy by the way I forget is working so he didn't pick up!)
We go to Wal Mart, back in Windsor~
Teri Bennett calls me~ she helps me with sizes~
Lord, please help me, I'm not a shopper and I don 't want to let anyone down with these choices, but it's got to be purchased...
it's cold outside~
Jump ahead~
from 10am to 5:15 we shop 'til we drop.
We have a dozen carts and a roller thing filled.
Sleeping bags, jackets, rain coats, cold weather coats, socks, underwear, beanies, gloves, tents, tarps, boots, sanitizers, tampons, bags, crackers, blankets, sweat pants, jeans, tshirts, outdoor blankets...
all sorts of things (!)
Deb and Mike and Myles show up to help us with the grocery bags~
Anthony and Rudy and my Dad and Bryce and Brett and Davis (nephews) show up~
and there's Pastor Russ and Ter~
ah, thanks for the divine appointment JESUS because the girls and I are pooped out from shopping and it's starting to look like it's going to rain~
and we've got to get all this "stuff" into the cars~
We get home and JESUS sends Marc (thanks) and he helps us all load it into the garage.

JESUS, THANK YOU.

Will you pray with me?
You see, I only have 12 more minutes before we are heading out to pick up the RAVEN Box Truck and go to Costco~ another miracle I haven't even told you about~ by 8:00 pm.

LORD, Father God~ your plan is perfect! I am amazed by YOU. I thank YOU JESUS for what you have stirred up~ so many, LORD. I LOVE YOU JESUS! I ask tonight that you would pour out your blessings upon my dad and my girls~ and I ask that YOU would pour out your blessings upon the Dry Creek Band of Pomo Indians who have contributed $10,000 of food and $5,000 worth of "stuff" in the past week alone. Let that casino money be used for YOUR GLORY to help others be reminded that YOU are faithful in providing clothes and food and shelter to the least of your brethren. I love YOU JESUS. I thank YOU that my dad is being used by YOU~ my children~ my nephews, my husband, my friends~ ALL 4 U JESUS. I thank you that you answer prayers. Lord, I ask that the HOLY SPIRIT fills up others to come and see and be a part of what YOU are doing! Send the laborers LORD, please! Go before us tonight as we head over to Costco. Thank YOU for dying so I can live. I love YOU. In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, in the name of JESUS CHRIST, AMEN.