Since then....Shannon's take

So then the phone rings on June 4th and Devon says " do you want the good news or the bad news first?" I immediately think he got laid off and sure enough that was both the good and the bad news. Devon had been unhappy there for a long time and my prayers were that he could leave there and do what God was calling him to do and that we would have security in the process. Immediately, Devon was at peace about what happened and I had to make myself believe we were going to be okay. A couple of days passed and I began to feel at peace with where our family was going. I also knew that it was going to be a long, hard road. Within just a few short days Devon got the opportunity to go on a missions trip with the high school group at Palmcroft and was gone for a week and I believe during that time God really assured me that this is what He has for us.

That is when my "mother heart" kicked in and my mind began to wonder about what I could do to help meet the needs of our family while we are raising support. I got an email from a cake club I belong to that said the Next Great Baker show was holding a casting call. I immediately thought that this could be a way God used to provide for our family and ministry. After thinking about it, I sat down and filled out the application and 9 pages and 4 pictures later, I sent it off. Within 48 hours I received an email requesting 10 more pictures of cakes showing them different things I've done. So, needless to say, from Friday night till Sunday I baked cakes. It was so awesome to see how God provided for me as I baked. I received generous donations from friends, help with the kids, and even meals! I sent my pictures off just in time and the next morning I checked my email and saw that I had received another email asking me to produce a home video and upload it to YouTube for them. I immediately sent out a Facebook message and again God worked out all the details. I was able to get the video done thanks to Michael and Cindy. God wanted to see how I worked under pressure and I am not sure if I passed but I did what I needed to do. Now I am just waiting to see if I made it to the semi-finals. If I did I will know by July 14th.

This would be an amazing opportunity for our family and, if I win, would allow us some breathing room as we raise support. I am excited, but praying for God's perfect will. On a side note, we continue to see God at work everyday in little ways such as an invitation to swim at a friends home or tickets to go to a waterpark. Brady was even able to travel to Virginia to visit his best friend, Chance Anderson. Truly, God is good all the time.

Perhaps because we feel like we are doing just what God wants for us, we are beginning to feel the attacks of our enemy. My parents informed us last week that they are getting a divorce after 35 years of marriage and several of our friends have experienced the loss of a loved one, some of them children. In spite of it all, I still choose to believe God is good all the time.

Looking forward...

Some Background

Below is an email/letter that we sent out several weeks ago that gives some context to where we have been and where we believe God is calling us to.

Hello all,

We are undergoing some major life changes and need your prayer.

About 8 months ago, God began to stir in my heart to start a new ministry. In a recent study ACMC, the ministry that I am currently with, had found that only 3% of the churches in the US have any kind of a viable missions program. It was at that time that God began to call me to reach out to the other 97%. Slowly, He began to give me a vision of what needed to happen, including impressing upon me that it was time to take a leap of faith. This was something that I did not have the courage to do. Several weeks ago, I finally gave in and began to lay the foundations for the start of the ministry. My timetable, however, was far too conservative for God. This week, since I was unwilling to jump myself, God gave me a little push. Monday, NYS laid off several long-tenured employees, including myself, due to the economy. Immediately, I felt the peace of God as He reassured me that I was in His hand and that He had something better in store for us.

Please pray for me and my family as we begin this exciting and, yet, scary journey.

There are three major needs we have right now:

1. We need to raise support to replace lost income
2. We need wisdom in structuring this new ministry and managing time wisely
3. We need lots of prayer covering for needs 1 & 2 and all the challenges we have yet to face.

If you can provide support in any of these areas or have thoughts you would like to share, please let me know. I would be very grateful and it would be a great encouragement to us. Also, if you would like to know more about our life or ministry, I would love the chance to share with you.

Thank you all for all you mean to us.

Looking forward…

Devon and Shannon