United States CFM Churches and Lack Thereof

I figured this would be an interesting topic to research. The states highlighted in green are the states without a fellowship church. (Green means GO, lol) The number beside each state represents the amount of churches in each state.

Next I might research other countries...unless someone knows of another website listing them.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Alabama 1

Alaska 2

American Samoa 1

Arizona 61

Arkansas 2

California 112

Colorado 23

Connecticut 1

Delaware 2

District of Columbia 0

Florida 26

Georgia 6

Guam 4

Hawaii 5

Idaho 3

Illinois 10

Indiana 2

Iowa 2

Kansas 3

Kentucky 2

Louisiana 0

Maine 0

Maryland 2

Massachusetts 4

Michigan 2

Minnesota 1

Mississippi 0

Missouri 3

Montana 0

Nebraska 1

Nevada 10

New Hampshire 1

New Jersey 2

New Mexico 37

New York 6

North Carolina 18

 North Dakota 2

Northern Marianas Islands  0
Ohio 4

Oklahoma 5

Oregon 12

Pennsylvania 6

Puerto Rico 3

Rhode Island 4

South Carolina 5

South Dakota 2

Tennessee 7

Texas 105

Utah 18

Vermont 0

Virginia 9

Virgin Islands 0

Washington 14

West Virginia 1

Wisconsin 1

Wyoming 0

*Based on Prescott's 2015 Pastor's Directory

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EveryDollar - New Free Budgeting Tool by Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey has released a FREE budgeting tool, EveryDollar. Since I base my budget on his income allocation budgeting system and have blogged about that before, I thought I'd share a review of his new tool.

I must say I'm impressed with how easy it is to use and set up. My husband and I transferred our April budget over quickly and easily.

I like that it combines the budget and envelope system. Well not really the physical envelope system, but the general idea as it shows you how much you have left in each category at the click of a button.

The only thing I still had to use my notebook for was the savings breakdown. (I use my digital OneNote notebook instead of a physical notebook now.) Since we budget by the month it was fine and not a hassle.

I hope you'll try it out for yourself!

*Well I posted this without ever reading the help section on EveryDollar. I decided to check if it had an option for the savings account breakdown and IT DOES!
What is a Fund? explains the process to adding your savings goals to EveryDollar.

I'm off to try it out now!

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Have you heard of open.church?

Most Christians and even some non-Christians have heard of the Bible App. But did you know the makers of the Bible App also provide lots of great free resources?

They have curriculum you can use for preschool as well as training materials for the teachers! And it's all FREE!

Not only do they have resources for children, but they also have resources for church leadership!

• Develop me - Goal setting
• Church metrics - Great resource for pastors
• Online church - Start an online ministry
• Kids and youth - 5th-12th grade curriculum
• Worship music - Original music
• Creative - Graphics, videos, etc

Plus lots more! And did I mention it's free, lol! I hope you find something useful for your family, church, and ministry.

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The Marriage Box

We had a great marriage workshop at church tonight! My husband used an illustration called "The Marriage Box" that really struck me. I don't want to forget it, so I thought I'd post it up & share it.

THE MARRIAGE BOX

Most people get married believing a myth; that marriage is a beautiful box full of all the things they have longed for: companionship, romance, sexual fulfillment, intimacy, friendship, laughter, financial security.The truth is that marriage, at the start, is an empty box. You must put some things into it before you can take anything out of it. There is no love in marriage; love is in people, and people put it into their marriage. There is no romance in marriage; people have to put it into their relationship. A couple must discern what things work to improve their relationship and form the habits of communicating, giving, sacrificing, sharing, loving, touching, serving, and praising. In other words, keeping the box full. If you take out more than you put in, the box will always be empty!

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Treadmill Desk

I thought I'd post about my latest health kick, my treadmill desk. After my 40th birthday last year, I got discouraged about losing weight because well, I didn't have much success. I exercised almost every day and only lost about 10 pounds! They say weight loss is 80% food and only 20% exercise and I believe it now, lol! But I'm not one to give up easily, so on to the treadmill desk.

To be fair though, I am very healthy! I had a full check up including a pelvic sonogram, a mammogram, and every blood test imaginable. Doctor said I am in great health! Thank God! Only one small problem - I'm obese. Technically obesity isn't a sickness but can lead to health problems in the future. My goal is to lose enough weight not to be considered obese.

So what's a treadmill desk?

Basically a desk attached to a treadmill. Here's a picture of mine. I originally had a different treadmill my husband got me for Mother's Day, but it broke. The company replaced it, and the desk I had before didn't fit the arms of the new treadmill. So, alas I had to buy a new desk. The last desk I had was just scrap wood I covered with an old dress of mine. You can actually see it on top of my new desk. (Black & white material with pink accents)

I like this metal desk much more because it has lots of room to store all my stuff. And I like this treadmill more because it has buttons on the arms for speed and incline, so I don't have to worry about not reaching the control board.

Since I'm just starting back walking, I'm doing about 3 miles a day at very slow speeds. If I'm doing a lot of typing maybe 1 mph -1.3 mph, but if I'm just surfing the internet or reading then 1.5 mph. So far so good! I hope to increase my walking to about 5 miles per day soon.

Here are some more pictures...the last one is my view from my desk when I look to the right. You can't really tell, but I can see the Caribbean ocean from my treadmill.

 

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Budgeting Ideas from a Missionary

December - Time to start planning next year's family budget. I thought I'd share how our family plans our annual budget as a practical and hopefully helpful blog post. A budget is not something we often think of when imagining the life of a missionary, but as a missionary it's definitely needed!  We get finances once a month and have to make that stretch.

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty,
But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.
Proverbs 21:5

A little background first. Before I gave my life to Jesus, these budgeting concepts were foreign to my husband and me. As a matter of fact the first year of our salvation, we lost our house and our car due to bad financial decisions. We had a bank account but never balanced our check book...just looked at our ATM balance and went from there. Can you say bad idea, lol! Neither of us are from prosperous backgrounds or even from middle class America. Although my husband does come from a hard working background, I don't.

We first started learning about budgeting when Pastor Gordon asked Pastor Andy Anderson to do a financial seminar for us in Corpus Chrsiti, TX (Where we got saved). It was a real eye opener for us and really helped us. Pastor Anderson went over all the budgeting forms and so forth, but what was so helpful was the preaching that accompanied the practical helps. Since then, I've read countless books including ones from Larry Burkett and Dave Ramsey which I encourage everyone to do as well.

Allocation Spending Plan

When we lived in the U.S., I made up this form. If you click on the link or the picture you can download it and use it for yourself. That form is for a yearly budget with weekly paychecks. I don't use that anymore as we are now on a monthly budget. However if you are on a weekly or semi-weekly budget the excel spreadsheet is the way to go as it does all the math for you. It's based loosely on Dave Ramsey's idea of having your money allocated before you get it.

The following is based on keeping our budgeting simple and quick. Instead of a computerized budget I now use a simple notebook.  The basic concepts are the same, so it will work on computer or paper.

• First I title the 1st page "Savings 2014" and title the second page "Monthly Expenses".
• Then I turn to the 3rd page and title it January 2014 and do that with the consecutive remaining months for the next 11 pages. 
• Immediately after "December 2014", I start titling the pages "Grocery List Week 1" and continue for 52 pages until "Grocery List Week 52".
• Next we pray about what God would like us to give to support conference, give to world evangelism (at conference & our church), for revivals, birthdays, Christmas, our anniversary, and any other needs we might have. The reason we start planning now for conference is that when we 1st got saved we heard an offering illustration at conference one year that never left our memories. The pastor said something to the effect that if you are sitting here wishing you could give but you don't have any money it's all the times during the year you should have been setting money aside that are to blame. We hated the inability to give when our hearts were so moved!
• Once we have a base number for everything we need to save for, we then determine the dates we will need the money available. So for example our anniversary is in March. We divide the amount we determined by 3. For conference it's 10 because our conference is in October. We continue down the list for every item.
• Next we go to the second page and write down our income and expenses and a general estimate if it fluctuates like the electricity bill. Now we have a general idea if we can afford all that we want to do. If we can't we rework the numbers say for birthdays or stuff like that. The general budget is done.
• Now before every month begins we turn to the appropriate page and write down our income at the top and start subtracting expenses such as tithe, offering, W.E., savings, rent, and so forth. Very similar to my income allocation sheet but on paper and only 1 column because we only get money once a month. By this time we have the electric bill and other bills that fluctuate so it's more accurate than the general budget.
• I make a second column for  groceries and write the weekly dates. For instance in January, I would write 1/2/14 on first line then 1/9/14 on the second line and so forth. Next to each date I write amount we will have available for groceries.
• The way we determine available amount for groceries is by dividing whatever is left after expenses and savings by 4 or 5 depending how many weeks are in the month. Sometimes it's not very much so that is where the weekly grocery list becomes very important.
• I then turn to the weekly grocery list and make a list based on amount of money available. Since I have an Android phone I then quickly type my grocery list into my Google tasks, so I don't have to take the notebook with me.

Numbers might seem high bcuz our money is 2BZ to 1US.

Now for some tips!

• Always start with prayer!
• Keep your money separated in envelopes that way when it's gone it's gone. Here are some links where I explain cash envelopes: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• When it comes to finances as in other areas of life remember most things are a trade. Before I buy something impulsively , I ask myself "What am I trading this for?" 
• When it seems easier to eat out than to cook ask yourself, "What am I trading this for?"
• If you have more month than money consider buying fans and turning off your a/c. (We do that.)
• Only use your a/c at night. (If it's unbearably hot we do that.)
• When you don't have much money left in your gas budget take a bus or walk. ( We do that.)
• Eat leftovers for lunch or dinner depending on which one is the big meal you cooked for. ( We do that.)
• If you don't eat your leftovers by the next day freeze them. Buy freezer bags and save for when you don't have time to cook. ( We do that.)
• Use coupons or buy a discount card at your local store. ( We don't have coupons here, but we did buy a discount card from our local grocery store.)
• Buy used clothes. ( We do that.)
• Shop for your fruits and vegetables at the local market instead of grocery store. (Yep, we do that too, lol!)

I'm sure there are many more tips, but this post is really long already! :-)  If you have any tips, ideas, or questions please leave them in the comments below. God Bless!

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Great Pastor Warner Quote

Musing: what's important about a person NOT the color their skin, but what will make big difference: are you thin-skinned or thick-skinned?
— Harold S. Warner (@pstwarnerCFC) August 23, 2013

So true! Living in Belize has really opened my eyes to prejudice...and being a pastor's wife has helped me to grow a thick skin, lol!

Acts 17:6 - 31 6 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

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Free or Low Cost Online University for Missionary Kids is Possible!

My daughter recently graduated from homeschool at the age of sixteen while living overseas in Belize. We were a little concerned about her continuing education but were trusting God to provide.

As missionaries finances are very limited, so being able to afford college as a foreign student just didn't seem possible and sending our young daughter to America without us was not an option.

The solution: Online university classes!

I started looking into different Texas universities that offered online degrees and classes. After contacting different schools, I found this informative website http://www.utcoursesonline.org/

I called and spoke with a lady who was able to direct me and helped me choose University of Texas of the Permian Basin as my daughter's home campus. I also came across this article claiming U.S. News and World Report named UTPB 46th in the nation and first among Texas public universities for online bachelor’s programs. 

I looked into their freshmen admission requirements  and since my daughter was homeschooled the entrance requirements were a little tougher. Also since we are currently serving in Belize, I wondered if we would still be considered Texas residents since the school fees are considerably higher for non-residents. In addition, we wanted to apply for financial aid. I called the school and the admissions clerk was very helpful. He explained to me that since we were still considered Texas residents with the IRS, DPS, banks, etc. we should still qualify for resident fees. To make sure, I also contacted FASFA and confirmed with a representative on the phone. She was very helpful and stated that we qualified as Texas Residents for FAFSA.

Once that major hurdle was out of the way, we started the application process. Thank God my daughter did well on her ACT exam because as homeschoolers we could not provide class rank or TAKS test scores. Within a month she was accepted!

Part of the reason we chose UTPB was because of The Falcon Promise. They promise free tuition for four years for Pell grant eligible students with an income of $60,000 or less. We knew we would still have to pay for her books, supplies, and miscellaneous expenses. We almost didn't apply for any other scholarships because most required for you to live on campus.

I'm so glad we decided to file for scholarships anyway. My daughter was awarded the Freshman Merit Scholarship Award and the Book Scholarship. We received the letter while our daughter was at our church boot camp in Texas. We almost missed the deadline to accept the award. The financial aid office was very helpful and allowed us to fax the acceptance letter along with a Home Housing Exception Certificate stating my daughter lived with us in Belize and would not live on campus.

Once she was accepted, we noticed she would have to attend freshman orientation and meet with an advisor in person before she could register for any classes. Well, that wasn't going to happen, so I called admissions once again. The clerk directed me to email to my daughter's advisor with our situation. The advisor was very helpful and immediately pulled the registration hold and advised my daughter over email.


So I guess the moral of our story is don't quit asking for what seems impossible. God is faithful and will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!

My daughter starts classes next Monday, so please keep her in your prayers!

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Are God's Love and God's judgement (wrath) opposites?

We heard a great sermon last night during revival asking us if God's love is unconditional. Pastor Martinez left the question for us to wrestle with and through, but he made a great case for why it isn't unconditional. That sermon stirred up a bee's nest in our congregation. We had visitors who said they would not return. What about that question did not sit well with people?

Well I'm not a theologian, but I think it's because of the phrase unconditional love, it's meaning, and how it is being used today. Originally, I thought God's love was unconditional, and I could think of scriptures quickly that spoke of God's love for me. However, no where in the bible does it state that God's love is unconditional. And I realized the answer is not as clear cut as I thought.

According to the website http://www.acts17-11.com/cows_unlove.html, the phrase unconditional love didn't become mainstream until the 1960s during the LSD drug culture. Read the following excerpt from the same website:

God's love is truly amazing... God's love is unilateral: He loves the unlovable and gives His glory to them. God's love is completely undeserved. God's love is unfailing for those in whom He delights: who respond to Him and receive His Son. But, God's love is clearly not "unconditional"; for wrath and eternal damnation will come to those who reject His Messiah and His Gospel. Let us be sure to be found in the position of receiving God's love, and not His judgment. Let us heed the conditions clearly set forth by our Lord so that we can be at peace with Him. And let us shout the message of these conditions from the rooftops so that others might be saved, rather than retreat into thinly veiled license, universalism, or anything else that "sets itself up against the knowledge of God" (2Cor 10:5).

That statement is where I got my blog post title.  Are God's love and God's (wrath) judgement opposites? I did a little research on the web and most people who site God's unconditional love are pastors who are Calvinists or proponents for homosexuality such as this person who left the following comment on this Campus Crusades (Calvinist) blog about God's unconditional love:

We naturally respond with great relief and gratitude when we read scriptures that tell us that our sovereign Lord God loves us unconditionally and that Christ paid the sin debt of the world in full. This must include the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered. Like all of us, we are saved by a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and a commitment to do as Christ commands us? Is it not a sovereign act of God to declare us all righteous by faith in Christ? Is it not the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit (God) to begin our sanctification process to bring us to God, lest any of us should boast? Then why to we use the word of God to oppress and condemn a segment of people created in the image of God when God love us unconditionally. Also why does the fundamentalist church use scripture to condemn and discourage people from having a saving faith and a prayer relationship with God, whose Grace we all depend upon?

Isn't that comment insightful? Scary how the human mind can take a statement (not in the bible) and twist it to mean what they want. I'm pretty sure based on last night's sermon that this is the type of unbiblical (is that a word?) thinking pastor Martinez was trying to turn our minds from.

While reading and researching further I came upon an excellent article by Timothy Lane that explains what my thoughts were in asking whether God's love and God's (wrath) judgement were opposites.

http://www.theologynetwork.org/doctrine-of-god/the-wrath-of-god-as-an-aspect-of-the-love-of-god.htm

Here is a small excerpt, but I recommend you read the article it in it's entirety. (Emphasis are mine)

The second experience was more recent, At a church service the reading was from Romans chapter 12. "Love must be sincere," began verse 9. The next word came as a shock. "Hate." "Hate what is evil." For most Western Christians hate is the last word that would be associated with love. But a love that does not contain hatred of evil is not the love of which the Bible speaks. It is most fitting therefore that a volume on God's love should include an essay on the wrath of God. This is necessary, not because we need to balance God's wrath with his love, as rival attributes, but because God's love itself implies his wrath. Without his wrath God is simply not loving in the sense that the Bible portrays his love.

What did I decide? 

Is God's love unconditional in the way that Calvinists and homosexuals infer when they make that statement?  NO.

Are God's love and His wrath opposites? NO, because God's love must include God's wrath.

Therefore, in my opinion IF you were to include God's wrath in God's love then you could rightly say His love is unconditional. Sadly, most people will not include God's wrath in His love and will miss out on eternity.

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How to add cfmpics Instagram slideshow to your blog

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...but here it goes anyway.

First go to Snapwidget. Then fill in the information similar to the above picture. Size depends on where you will add it to your blog. If you are adding it to a sidebar then 200px seems about right. Just play around with it until you get the size you want. 

Next you will click on get code. Copy the code and open up or switch to your Blogger layout screen. Click "Add a gadget" and choose "HTML/Javascript". Paste your code and title your gadget. 

Click save and you are done. Now you can move your gadget anywhere you would like on your sidebar.

However, if you want to add the slideshow to a post you will click onto add post instead of Blogger layout. When you are ready to add the slideshow click on HTML and paste the code. Click save and publish and you are all done.

Let me know if you have any questions.

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