To every one of you who gave, shared, sent words of encouragement, or just cheered on the entire crazy TWO DAYS it took to hit the goal and help us get a new family car: I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Today I’m feeling less anxiety than I have in a long time — not because there’s money in the bank but because I was reminded that there are friends who have my back in so many different ways.
I love you all.
D
Wish you and your family the best Darrell. I give you a lot of credit for being humble enough to let us know about your needs. Blessings!
Amen
Thank you for letting us help.
This ^^.
I concur.
That’s what friends are for.
Darrell, if I had the money, I’d buy you a new Jaguar (and put it in your wife’s name, natch) and a Mont Blonc writing instrument. Until and unless that becomes possible, though, I hope you can get a safe used minivan with the funds on hand.
😀
That’s great Darrell! Still plan to help
If this isn’t what the body of Christ—and, hey, just the internet and a community like this—then we’re doing it wrong.
You keep being awesome, Darrell. Not sure what we’d all do without the incredible little community you’ve built here.
That should have been “If this isn’t what the body of Christ is for“…
Where’s an edit button when you need one?
Darrell,
Are you going to leave the gofundme open? If so, today is payday for me. I was not able to before today.
It’s still open. 🙂
Good. You hit the goal, and that’s awesome. But $3,000 will only get you so much car. I’d love to see 4-5 times that amount come in.
YAY MAG! DITTO!
Yeah, we got our four year old van with motor and transmission still under warranty for $7500 cash. If Darrell could get something like that, I’m sure it would be a better long term option. I’m down with being generous for a good cause!
Glad to hear it is still open. If it is open this evening when I get home from toiling, I’ll send some $$ your way.
Thank Goodness for this. I’m happy for you and yours. Now Darrell can keep up on his Bus/Van Ministry.
Your welcome from the heart of my bottom.
Double take… good one.
Don’t be an ass, Scorp.
🙂
In the end, I would expect nothing less.
Actually Darrell, thank you. I found this site years ago in the early days and was astounded and appalled. Left a comment or two, trying to bind back on your heavy burdens that you had escaped and which I couldn’t bear myself.
No, I didn’t hang around and troll. I actually sat back, shut up and listened. I can’t tell you how much of a different person I am today largely because of that choice. Because of you. Because of you all. From the empathy of Pastor’s Wife to the banter of Big Gary all the way to the snark of Scorpio (fist bump), you have dragged me into the light of understanding true freedom in Christ.
And you know what? It’s wonderful! It’s beautiful! To all you former fellow “souls in prison”, it is so vastly worth it all. All the mockings, the cold shoulders, the thunderings of rage you will experience… all will “turn to silver glass.”
So thank you, Darrell. Thank you for showing even in how you handle commenters here that unity is not found through cookie-cutter conformity, but through truly embracing each others diversity with joy and abandon. Thank you for the laughter, the tears, the memories. Thank you for gently bringing this scared and halting soul out into the brilliant sunshine, the pure air. Thank you for going back in to bring more out even though you’ve been wounded by those you’ve tried to save. Thank you for being there for us. And now thank you for showing us how to receive with grace as well as give with grace. Gotta meet you some day. Shoot, we need an SFL get-together!
P.S. Please keep me in y’all’s prayers. I’m not totally out of the woods yet… it’s complicated.
+1
It is complicated. But you said it well.
At I hope you dance…
Please respond to me if possible. I believe that we may have grew up together and I would love to catch up and find out who you are.
Sure, I’d love to email you. What’s your email address?
Ken.prozconstruction@live.com
Dear I Hope You Dance …
Welcome to the breadth, depth and oceanic freedom of God’s glorious kingdom of grace!
I had to smile at your post because your first reaction was entirely correct. Grace is at once truly astounding and appalling! LOL!
Blessings!
Christian Socialist
Thanks for filling out my 6 page questionare so I could make sure you are still KJV Only. As long as we are on the same page about that and you aren’t using that NKJV then I will always be happy to send money!
Have you had the chance to review the 24 page questionnaire that I filled out in order to court your daughter? I am hopeful that you find me to be a suitable potential mate. I will be in fervent prayer that the Lord guides you in your decision that will greatly influence my course in my search for a helpmeet. My inner city bus and puppet ministry is only one upstanding Christian woman from being a reality.
I once had to fill one of those out. I was a missionary. The prospective church was where my cousin was a member. They sent me a 10 page questionnaire. About half of the questions were related to Bible versions and how far removed I was from people who might possible use another version. I decided that I would be honest. I admitted that I used the NKJV in my personal devotions. This was 1996. I never heard back. Go figure.
The mail is so slow!
My favorite item on a questionnaire for missionaries seeking support was something to the effect of “What does your wife wear in bed at night?”
The only reason I can think of for that question (other than just free-floating perviness) is to completely humiliate any supplicants in order to show them who’s boss.
Well, BG, it depends on what night of the week it is. Fridays is thigh-high leather boots, a riding crop, and a gas mask. Tomorrow it is fuzzy handcuffs, purple platform boots, a metal-studded leather thong, and Kiss face paint. TMI?
BG, crazy shouldn’t surprise me anymore, but do they seriously ask questions like that?!
Yes, they do, or did. Some bigwig at some meeting with pastors went off on a rant about how “some of them” would not dream of letting their wives wear pants in public, but allow them to wear pajamas (separated leg parts), which were CLEARLY 😉 “men’s apparel” and thus, ungodly. So, a bunch of pastors were afraid that they would look weak on that standard, and sent questionnaires to their missionaries asking this question.
A similar thing happened when Schaap pointed out that the KJV wasn’t inspired; it was a translation. People like Bob Gray (TX) went bonkers, and churches of his ilk mailed all of the supported missionaries to ensure that they “toed the line” regarding the KJV.
I’m sad to say that I helped with this a bit at a former church — the responses were interesting; they ranged from “Just like Dr Jack Hyles wrote, I believe that a man cannot be saved unless he is led to Christ with a KJB” and that he absolutely rejected the concept that Schaap taught to much more reasoned replies.
This is the sort of patent unreason and irrationality that marks the fundamentalist movement as a whole. Though not everyone has such idiotic beliefs about Bible versions and translations, every fundamentalist has his or her own place of unreason and irrational belief, placing that belief above reality, above decency, above love.
Of course, you could say that about a lot of people. But Christians have no excuse. After all, they claim God to be their Teacher, their Inspiration, their Savior, and the giver of all Truth (to them).
Did it ask what the male missionary wear in bed as well? Or do the “Standards” hypocritically apply to Wimmin? For the record, I wear a suit – my Birthday suit 😉 🙂
Ironically enough, the death penalty form is 24 pages long…
Had you trusted in Jesus for the money, you would have raised it faster!
Hahahahahahahahahahaa!!
Have you ever noticed that when Jesus shows up he looks an awful lot like other people?
Maybe he is other people……
Dear MiriamD:
You wrote: ‘maybe he is other people……’
I reply: ‘A-HAaa!
Christian Socialist
Hebrews 13:2 “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
Matthew 25:40 “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
It is a wild and exhilarating notion!
“God put a million, million doors in the world
For his love to walk through:
One of those doors is you. . .
Oh – we bring the Kingdom come
Oh – with every act of love.
Jesus help us carry You;
Alive in us, Your light shines through.” (from the Jason Gray song)
“I woke up this morning,
Saw a world full of trouble now;
Thought, how’d we ever get so far down?
How’s it ever gonna turn around?
So I turned my eyes to Heaven;
I thought, ‘God, why don’t You do something?’
Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty,
Children sold into slavery;
The thought disgusted me.
So, I shook my fist at Heaven,
Said, ‘God, why don’t You do something?’
He said, ‘I did, I created you.’
I’m so tired of talking
About how we are God’s hands and feet,
But it’s easier to say than to be,
Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves,
‘It’s alright; somebody else will do something.’ . . .
I’m gonna do something!
If not us, then who?
If not me and you?
Right now, it’s time for us to do something!
If not now, then when?
Will we see an end
To all this pain?
It’s not enough to do nothing;
It’s time for us to do something.
We are the salt of the earth.
We are a city on a hill (shine shine, shine shine).
But we’re never gonna change the world
By standing still.”
(from the Matthew West song “Do Something”)
+10! Love that song!!
Excellent!
“Baby, baby, baby, oh, I’m like baby, baby, baby, oh…” from the Justin Bieber song.
Whooooo! I gotta remember that statement!
Galatians 6:10
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Everyone has said what I feel inside. Thanks everyone. And thank you Darrell.
the Admiral
Does Fundme stand for fundamental? You think they would support my blog ministry?
Once I have….what was it you called it, money? I’m donating to this site. It’s been a refuge these past couple years.
I think I probably speak for a lot of your readers when I say it’s a wonderful thing to have the opportunity to tangibly give back to someone who has been such a constant source of help and humor and encouragement to us.
I read somewhere God is love, so whenever love is evident, well…
And I just saw the update on the gofundme page. Wow Darrell. I think you might need some duct tape for that.
Perhaps even some baling wire.