Providential Relationships Are The Real Miracle

Posted on by Spanky Rouse
I remember the immediate anxiety that filled my heart when God whispered to me and Lara that we were to raise support…for those of you that aren’t familiar with this term “support”, it means to fund raise for your personal income instead of the typical salary based income…so that we could serve in a full time in ministry. That was almost 5 years ago and yes it still scares the life out of me some days.

Lara and I were driving home one night a couple of weeks ago and we began talking about how crazy it is that the Lord has and currently is providing for us and our family through the financial support of other people. Literally we live off the generosity of others! Believe me we completely recognize the favor of God and His constant blessings but think about it, your entire income depending on the generosity of others and their obedience to the command in Scripture to give. I can sense the anxiousness rising up in me just thinking about it now.

As we drove home that night, Lara and I talked about how insane we must be, but we found ourselves remembering the miracles God has performed for us and the weeks, months, and years He has provided greatly for us through a relatively small group of people in a less than stealer economy //Truth: He is always faithful in providing the ‘mana’ for the day. It’s still so stinking hard to live by faith many, many days!  And we find our selves praying, “God, can’t there be an easier way, maybe the lottery?!?!”…but for me there is that thing deep down inside that I know is the Spirit of God saying, “I’ll take care of it, all of it. Stay focused, eyes on Me(God). Secured and safe salary or not I got this under control”

We have been able to experience God’s presence and His provisions for us in a way that I am sure we would have in no other way been able to intimately know of. The biggest ‘win’ for the Rouse House in support/fundraising is having the privilege to be the recipients of some truly gracious people. Many who have sacrificed greatly, done without so we may not have to, and given in joy in ways that honestly seem like a miracle directly from God Himself. Our lives and our children’s are being impacted in such ways that we will never forget and that will shape our faith inside of so we may fully become who our Heavenly Father wants us to be. Providential relationships, life is no good with out them!

Two things make a relationship providential: when we hear from God through someone and when we see God in someone. When either of those things happens, our faith gets bigger. Isn’t it true that when we see God’s faithfulness in someone else’s life, it is easier to trust him with ours? That’s the power of a divinely ordained relationship. – Andy Stanley

Thank you to all of you who have been the miracles makers and answers to our prayers! 

A Father’s Love

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

For those of you who know Greyson my 5 year old son you have to read what he says with his fun little voice in mind because there is no way I can spell as he speaks. 

One of the highlights for our whole family is when we go to the beach for our big family vacation and get an icee on the beach. There are these carts that people push up and down the beach that have the Italian Ice icee but the one we like has all kinds of flavors. Mango is mine and Grey’s favorite! There is only one brand that we buy because it is amazing and all of our kids can tell which cart to go to. One day Greyson was eating lunch later than usual and he got out to the beach a little too late and the icee cart we like had pasted about 15 minutes earlier. There was another brand literally sitting right in front of us but he said he really would like the other one. I asked him if he would be willing to walk all the way down the beach to find the other one. Of course he said, “sure!” So off we went, just me and Grey.

After about 5 minutes of walking in the soft, unstable sand because the tide was almost in, I could tell he was tired and not really enjoying this anymore.
Me, “Hey, Grey you want me to carry you on my shoulder? I think we might be able to get to the icee cart a little faster that way.” Grey, “Only if you want me to.”
 So there we went as fast

as I could walk carrying this 38lb little boy while he gave me an update about every other minute of how much closer we were getting. He said he could see better than me because he was up “more higher”. Finally after 20+ minutes of walking we reached the guy just as he was waiting for the truck to come pick him up. Grey got the along waited icee but before he did he he had to say to the teenager pushing the cart, “What?! no mango flavor. Seriously.” Even though he had to settle for cotton candy flavor I am pretty sure he enjoyed it.

I asked Greyson if he wanted to start walking back or sit down to eat the icee first and he said, “I think that we should wait so you don’t get too exhausted. I’m kind of heavy you know.” So I sat in the edge of the water and Greyson sitting in my lap enjoying every drop of that cotton candy icee. I told him that I love spending time with him because he is my blessing and I love him so much. Grey let me know that alone time with me was one of his favorite things in the whole wide world too, so we should do it more. This is a snapshot in life that I will hopefully never forget.
Close to an hour had passed and we had returned back to the rest of the family and my grandmother said, “Now that’s real love.” I thought to myself, yea of course I love my son and I want to do what it takes to make him have a great time at the beach and that’s just part of being a dad. After thinking more about that statement, “Now that’s real love”, I have been pondering all that my Heavenly Father has and is doing for me, His son.
God is constantly loving on me, working things out for my good, giving me good gifts, leading me in the right ways, and carrying me through my days and all of this just because He loves me and wants to bless me. I truly LOVE each of my children and wife more than anything else in this whole wide world. Other than Jesus there is nothing more important to me each day than them and their happiness but this is just a speck in comparison to how much we all mean to God and how much He loves us. The Heavenly Father’s love for us is immeasurable in size and unimaginable in depth but completely available and satisfying to all!
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11

30 Days Fasting Snacks

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

For the month of May a group from our church have been fasting. We called it Advance 30. Over the past 30 days we have been doing what we believe is one of the most powerful things we can do to advance His Kingdom. Fasting, praying and declaring our dependence on God. Some did a straight liquid fast, some did no dessert, some no coffee, some no meat, some no tv, and the list goes on. There is one fast or one person fasting that has made the biggest impact on me. My son, Mac chose to fast all snacks for the 30 days. Let me remind you that he is only 7 years old.

Just before this big fast I had done a 3 day fast and it was really interesting to him. He asked a ton of questions over those 3 days. When we announced that we were calling our entire church to a fast he decided to do this on his own. We did not in anyway encourage or push him to do this. We really thought he was kidding and would never really do it, this boy likes to eat if you didn’t already know this, so going with out is no joke. When I was telling him about the different kinds of fast I explained the David fast of no meat and his response was, “NOOOOOO way! That would be crazy!” As some of you may remember at Mac’s 5 year old doctor check up he was asked what is your favorite food and he responded with, “MEAT! and lots of it.”

Many days he would come home and tell us that during snack time at school he would just sit there and pray to God instead of eating like everyone else. Can you imagine this 7 year old sitting there while all of his friends are eating and praying. Most of us wouldn’t be able to do that. I asked him what he prays about and he said, “I pray that God will help me to know him more and for my friend at school that I am not sure if he knows Jesus.” I was impressed that Mac wanted to fast but now he is praying that he can know God more and he is praying for his non-christian friends! I have said this over and over but I truly believe that God has His hand on this boy and is going to use him to make a huge impact on this world.

It has been 30 days and he said that he was going to even do one extra day just to finish out the end of the month since May has 31 days.  Lara and I are so thankful that we get to be apart of this amazing little boys life and that we get to experience what God is doing in his heart everyday.

Grace & Truth

Posted on by Spanky Rouse
Lately I seem to be hearing and seeing this theme of grace and truth everywhere. Is God trying to teach me something??? I think so. In staff meetings, podcast, and having to live it out over and over, grace AND truth not grace OR truth, has been a theme that is recurring.

The idea here is, do we show grace to people or speak truth. We usually lean to one or the other but maybe its not one or the other but both/and. John 1:14 says that He, Jesus became “fully grace and truth” so Jesus, the only perfect person was completely grace and the very essence of truth all at the same time.

John 8: 2-5,7, 10-11 , 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”
7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”


Don’t know if you realize this but that is hard to live out! Speak truth and be gracious just doesn’t always come naturally. Most of us would have been there picking up rocks to stone this adulterous lady. We want to make sure people get the truth part down because we think this will change lives. In reality when truth comes with out grace, love, and kindness our audience doesn’t hear the truth, they just hear BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!

Like I said this theme keeps popping up all around me. As I write this I received a call where I have to go help someone that was arrested and they should have known better, right. I am praying that God will give me the words of truth and the spirit of grace as I go meet with them. Yes you should feel guilty because of what you did but not condemned by me.

Andy Stanley, “When it is someone else we want to speak truth, but when it is about me I want grace administered fully.” I think that if we constantly remember that Jesus was all truth and all grace then we will not fail in these tough situations and conversations of life.

The Gospel Coming to Life

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

This week the staff of Ridge Church were sitting around sharing stories and talking about wins from the past weekend at the Unexpected Christmas Store (http://rousehousehappenings.blogspot.com/2011/12/unexpected-christmas-store.html) Patrick our Family Ministry Director was telling us about the lady that he was able to help host at the store Saturday. She is a mother of 2 elementary age children that attend Piney Grove school and she also volunteers there at the school. This mother was previously in the military for 10 years and she has some deep emotional and mental scares but not from what you would think. Anyone who serves our country probably has some degree of emotional damage from war and horrific combat situations but this lady’s troubles while serving our country were brought on by her fellow soldiers. She was sexually abused for many years in the military.IMG_1570

Now being removed from that environment this mother of 2 still faces her past every day. When she walked through the doors of the Unexpected Christmas Store I saw hurt, defeat, sadness, and trouble on her face. Our host team quickly greeted her when she walked through the doors and took her on a ‘red carpet’ shopping spree through this store that was set up just for her and the families at Piney Grove Elementary. Our goal was to bless them with much needed household items items and gifts for Christmas but even more importantly we wanted to let these families know that Jesus loves them and has not forgotten them during these tough times they face.

While Patrick was helping pack her car full of wrapped presents and Christmas decorations this mother that is burden with her past shared this with him. “I often feel like I’m not loved, but today I know that you guys love me and my family. Today I’m loved.” As Patrick said in this meeting, “this is the fullness of the Gospel.” Taking people who don’t feel loved, giving ourselves to them for the purpose of showing them that someone great loves them more than anything else, and then they see Christ in all of it. This is the Gospel coming to life!

“Little children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth.” 1 John 3:18
“And the King will answer them and say, ‘As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers you did it to me.'” Matthew 25:40

Risk Takers

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

I am reading and studying through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan with our community group. Every week we go through a chapter, talk about it and see how we can apply it to our lives. It is making a difference in everyone of us. This week I am reading in chapter 8 and I came across this section called “Risk Takers”. Interesting, intriguing, and gut checking for sure!

The author begins this section by asking a question, “Haven’t we all prayed a prayer like this,”. He then goes on to this prayer that sounds a bit shallow, spiritually immature but familiar. It is all about me being safe NO matter what. It’s a prayer that many of us pray daily as we get in our car or before a vacation or mission trip. Does God care about our safety or protection? Yes. Of course. But is that His ultimate goal or desire? NO WAY!

God’s ultimate goal, desire, and priority is not safety. It’s His glory! And for Him to get maximum glory it sometimes means we will have to be in uncomfortable situations, pain, and even danger. But are we willing to allow any of those in our life or do we just simply want to play it safe? Would our life really look any different if God wasn’t apart of it? Are we playing it safe? Do we give, serve, love, and live in a safe way?

If you do, and most of us do, it is probably because we need to refocus our eyes and hearts on the One. Nothing in this life can be more satisfying and really nothing could be more safe than to say God your will be done. The last sentence in chapter 7 says, “What matters is that we spend our lives”, not how much we have, where we live, or accomplish. I am glad that God didn’t play it safe and that Jesus spent all he had for this world and me.

Prayer
God bring me closer to you no matter what it takes, keep me from unnecessary harm, and help me to live my life in the way that gives You most glory.

Generosity

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

imagesAt Ridge Church and in the RouseHouse we are teaching our children how to be generous. We want to create a culture of generosity because we are called to bless others and I truly believe that when we are generous with what God has graciously given us then we are blessed.

Mac, our 7 year old son, and I had this discussion the other night before we prayed and went to bed. It went something like this…

Me: Mac how was UpStreet today?(this is the environment that he goes to at Ridge Church on Sunday mornings)
Mac: Good. We are helping Eric, the boy that lives in Africa again. We are filling up jars with money so he can have what he needs. The boys and girls are racing to see who can fill their jar up first.
Me: Cool.
Mac: I gave my two dollars that I got from helping clean up at Nana’s yesterday.
Me: Mac that is awesome that you gave what you had!
Mac: I remembered that I have a full piggy bank too so I am taking it to church next week and emptying it all out.
Me: Really? That would be great.
Mac: I think that he needs it more. You know he actually has to pay to go to school and only gets to go to the doctor a few times a year. My school is free, I have tons of toys and I can go to the doctor every time I’m sick.
Me: I think that would be great Mac. Let’s pray and go to bed.
Mac: God please help Eric get all the money he needs for stuff and God I hope he can get more than he needs………

WOW! I left that bed room full of excitement for the generosity that is growing in that little boys heart. The big kicker here is that Mac has been saving his money to buy an iPod touch but instead he is giving much of his money away. This reminds of the story in Mark 12 where the lady who had very little gave it all. God loves a cheerful, generous giver! How can we all be generous today with what we have? How different would our communities and world be if we all took this to heart today.

Mark 12:42-44
But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty(need), put in everything—all she had to live on.

Sweet Release

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

Started the day with an overwhelmed heart but looking forward to the Night of Worship at North Point Community Church. I got couple of the lines to one of the songs and was stopped by these two lines:

Running to You arms and Nothing compares to Your warm embrace

I found my self with arms raised reaching for God, tears flowing because I know that He is my only hope, and my heart is calling DAD! In that moment my mind and heart were taken to another place. I was picturing God, our Father(DAD), standing with His arms opened wide and saying, “Spanky, my son, I love you, things are going to be ok, Your mine and I am here for you.”

My mind went to the passage Joshua 1:9, ” Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Go my son, do what I have created you for! I have you and lifes situations under control. I have already taken care of everything for you. Don’t focus on the needs, struggles, and problems in life. These don’t matter, the mission I have you on is what really matters.

Exhale, laid down the burdens, surrendered and it was a sweet release. Awwwwwwww.

Mac talks to God

Posted on by Spanky Rouse
A couple of months ago Mac told us that he talked to God one night and God talked back. We half hazardly listened to him because we pray at night as a family so talking to God was normal, so I thought. Then a few weeks later he told us one night after reading the bible that he let Jesus come in to his heart. This lead us to really questioned him about what he meant by this. Just so happened that at church we were having an event where the Gospel message is explained in the best way for a child to understand.

Well, I will let Mac tell you what happened next. Watch Mac tell his story at http://www.vimeo.com/22352477.

Passion

Posted on by Spanky Rouse
It's a Girl 014I have noticed something about myself lately. I am passionate! If I believe in something or feel lead in a direction I can easily become very passionate about it. It doesn’t even matter what it is, I can get passionate about simple, insignificant things and hugly important things. If it is a new food, I can tell you all about how to prepare that food. If it is a place, I can give you all of the best reasons for why you should visit there. If it is a musician, I can tell which songs would really speak to you. If it is an idea, I can help you understand why you should follow me in that way.

I think that this is a great attribute to have especially when I need to cast vision around a mission or a project that needs funds, man power, and prayer. But, I think that it could also be dangerous. I can find myself quickly getting off track or loosing heart when the passion fades away. So, how can we stay focused, and how can I(we) direct our zeal for the important things in life. We all have to think about this so that we can look back and know that we spent our time and energy the best way possible.

Obviously, I am directing this to Christian believers, therefore I believe that we need to first have the bible and time in prayer to be our guidelines to determine where we need to focus our passions.

I think that if we ask ourselves on a constant or routine basis what am I doing or where am I focused we, can realign ourselves. A wise person once told me that I need to keep asking myself if I am being faithful painting this door or have I gone on to painting windows. Let me explain. If I am hired to paint the front door of a house but as I begin painting I notice the many windows that need some work done to them too. If the one who hired me to paint the door comes home and sees the door not finished but sees me painting these windows, they are probably going to be frustrated with me. I was hired to paint the door, right.

We have to find the one thing in life that really excites us and is worth us spending our time, energy, and money on. STICK with that. Let that be your goal and vision in life. Don’t stray from that goal. You may have to take different vehicles to get there but keep that goal in mind with every effort in life. It may even help to right it down just to bring it formally together.

Why do I feel like this is even worth talking about? I know that God has created us for a specific purpose. Each one of us He has a plan for. “The steps of a man are established by the LORD,when he delights in his way.” Psalms 37:23 He has chosen each of us to carry out His plan but in a unique and specific way. Be encouraged in that you are special to God and He wants to use each of us and He wants us to live a life worth living. Don’t get caught up in a boring and normal life!

What are you passionate about? What are you doing with that passion? How can you make much of Jesus and live a life pleasing to Him with what He has put in your heart? I would love for you to reply and share. I love hearing stories of passions. I will write about mine later.