Thanksgiving rest

This year Thanksgiving looked a little different for the Sharpmack family; the theme of our thanksgiving could have been something like, 'rest in our thankfulness'. While I am sure we could have gone to a friends house or even crunched numbers to figure out how we could travel to be with family, instead, we chose to rest.


It is interesting how the hustle and bustle of the holidays; the excited emotions and the focus on tasks, such as who is cooking what, keeps us from focusing on the simple. Instead of all those distractions we chose to focus on a simple day of rest and thanksgiving. It is because of my opportunity to rest (literally laying on the couch, looking out the window with no distractions insight) that I was able to truly reflect on all that the Lord has done; health, love, friends, family, memories, future goals, and security. Of course, things are far from perfect and so often my mind is overwhelmed with the distractions of situations I cannot control...but on this unique Thanksgiving, I realized why the Lord emphasized the importance of rest so much that he encouraged an entire day to be filled of it. It is with the resting of our mind, our body, and our spirit that we are truly able to focus in on the beauty of our saviour and the blessings only He can provide.


So why might God have encouraged a day of rest? Perhaps it was to encourage us to leave our worries behind, to leave our self centered thoughts behind and to truly acknowledge Him and to encourage a thankful spirit.




Exodus 31:15 "For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord."

Family

Family has been the theme for Sharpmacks these last few weeks. My mom and sister came to visit at the end of October. How awesome it was to be able to show them around a once familiar town. Memories came flooding back as we drove by our childhood home, school, and church. And to think, my sister and I are now grown with "adult" lives; so much time has come and gone- lessons learned, friendships made, marriages legalized. I am so thankful that the Lord's hand has been on us as we have taken over the driver's seat and followed the signs into adulthood.

In addition to my mom and sister visiting Boise, we also had the rare opportunity to travel to Washington where we were able to surprise my Grandma for her 80th birthday. What a special time of reflecting. We looked back on where our family came from and why we are the way we are based off of many generations of decisions made before us. What a testament to generational faith.

One day after I left my family at the airport to fly home, Mike and I returned to pick up Mike's mom. Mike's mom had never been to the midwest so, needless to say, we had so much fun showing her Boise, taking her to the foothills, and finally exploring the beautiful mountains of Idaho. Showing her our new life felt so fulfilling and she was gracious to hear and learn all she could about our new home.

As Mike and I grow older and as we live further away, we cherish our family all the more. While 'family' may show signs of craziness, be difficult to live with [at times], or not always see eye to eye, we do know that family will always love each, offer grace and mercy inlight of each other short comings and will always stand by each other.

So go hug some family!

2 trips, 1 month

In the last month of us living in Idaho we have had the opportunity to go on two trips with the Idaho YD staff. Our first trip was to City of Rocks, a national reserve in southern Idaho. There we had a special time of meeting the staff, debriefing from the summer, and brainstorming for this next year as we have more staff to utilize. Currently, there are two other couples besides us and one single man who are in the process of raising support; God is certainly building up our team to accomplish great things for His glory!

Our second trip with the YD staff was just this last weekend. We all crammed into the van and traveled 10 hours up to Anacortes, WA for the 40th anniversary of Youth Dynamics. It was in Anacortes in 1970 that YD was founded by Paul and Connie Evans. Since then countless numbers of students have been challenged, pushed and encouraged to trust Jesus with everything.

It was at the celebration dinner that we all dressed up in 70's garb and told stories of students who have been changed because of God's work in using YD. What a blessing it was for us to hear those stories, to meet current staff, past staff, volunteers and alumni. It was through this weekend that God challenged Mike and I to push forward, to seek the Lord for our financial support, and to trust that it will come in His timing. No matter how long it takes for us to raise our full support, we do know that we are so excited and thankful to be used by God to help transform youth's lives in the Northwest!

Oh Sweet Idaho

After two years of praying, waiting, and trusting the Lord, we have finally made it to Idaho! Even in the midst of our doubting, worrying, and at times, unfocused faith, God has been faithful to take us to a place where we can serve with full devotion.

We have meet the YD Adventure team which includes 3 other couples, two of which are still raising support like us. We are excited to see how this team that God has brought together will gel and serve together as one. We have already had many great conversations and laughs!

Two other important pieces of God's plan have come together for us. First, we are thrilled to have found a home of our own. We are renting a 2 bedroom duplex in Boise. It doesn't feel like home yet, but after everything gets moved in our home will begin to feel lived in! Also, I (Sheila) have been offered a part time position with Huntington Learning Center. I will be a lead tutor! Overall, I will be overseeing the tutoring program at two schools in the community and I will also have the opportunity to tutor students of all ages. I am sure it will be an adventurous school year!

We are thankful for your prayers and would humbly ask for you to continue to pray for us as we continue to raise the rest of our support. We are currently at 64% and looking to wrap up the rest of the support in God's timing. In it all, we thank the Lord for His continued provision. It is only because of His faithfulness that we are here and ready to serve.

Blessings and well wishes from Idaho.

Idaho!

After a year of waiting and trusting, the Sharpmack's are moving to Idaho! Our POD is being delivered next Friday and we begin our 3 day drive on August 31. While we are excited for this new adventure, we must admit that there is apart of us that is quite nervous. We have yet to secure permanent living arrangements, jobs, or 100% support...yet we know this is God's direction for our lives. We trust that as we trust Him, He will be faithful to provide.


We are currently at 55% of our support, so Mike will get to take a half salary and work 'part time' for Youth Dynamics Adventures until we reach that 100% mark. I will be looking for teaching opportunities or anything else God chooses to bring my way. To sum it up, we are pumped for this next phase of ministry and we are so thankful to have family and friends who pray for us and encourage us often. While we are so nervous, we know we would much rather be exactly where God wants us...and right now, that is Idaho.



We will keep you posted on this crazy journey called life!

September 1

We began praying about the idea of moving to Idaho and joining

Youth Dynamics Adventures 8 months ago. The idea of serving others, challenging students and seeing God move in the lives of others was a thrilling thought and one that the Lord has finally brought to reality.

For many different reasons we have finally set a move date for September 1st. After many months of waiting and preparing, there is light at the end of the tunnel. We are excited for the new adventure yet nervous to take such a leap of faith. (Moving across country seems to be getting more intimidating the closer it gets.)

As we prepare for this new journey, we would appreciate your prayers in a few areas.

1) We are currently at 54% of our full support. Please pray that we would continue to have opportunities to share with others about YD Adventures and that we would raise the full 100% quickly.

2) We will be loading a POD the weekend before we move. We pray that all of our belongings will fit and no other preparations will need to be made.

3) We both will be looking for jobs when we move to the area (until we reach 100% support Mike will be working a part time job as well as serving with YD Adventures). We pray that we would be able to find jobs quickly and be obedient as the Lord leads.

4) We will also be looking for housing as YD Adventures does not offer housing for staff. We have temporary arrangements, but will need to find permanent housing as soon as possible.

5) We pray for safety as we travel; we pray for opportunities to trust the Lord; we pray our marriage will be protected during a time of transition; and we pray that we will serve the Lord however He asks us to.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. We truly couldn't set out on this journey without you!

Omaha

We took a trip to Omaha to do some support raising and thanks to our dear friend Donna, we were able to bring our fun loving dog, Bear! We love traveling with him; he always makes a car ride that much more exciting, plus he gives us an excuse to stop more often and enjoy the beauty along the way.

I can't believe I am old enough to be watching my friends have babies! I have known Jennifer since high school, we roomed together in college, and now I celebrate as she brings a little one into the world! Congrats Jennifer!

I don't get to see my brother very often, so when I do it is a treat! I hope someday I can talk him into moving to the Boise area.

In a nutshell, we had a quick but good time in Omaha. Mike was able to meet with quite a few friends and we look forward to seeing how God will work.

Encouragement

While June was a difficult month for us emotionally, God is good and provides encouragement just as it is needed! Yesterday Mike had the opportunity to speak to his home church about Youth Dynamics Adventures. We got to talk to many people about the ministry; wow, fellowship with other believers is always so encouraging!

We also had a surprise fun day on Saturday. We went out with Mike's parents for the day and we stumbled across a professional road bike race. I am sure most of you are thinking, "what is the big deal about that?!". Well, in the last month Mike has really taken up road biking as a hobby. While road biking isn't necessarily something I am interested in, it was so fun to see Mike enjoy watching great athletes compete at a sport that he is just starting to learn more about.

In the midst of the hard days, God is faithful to provide just the encouragement we need! Thank you Lord for lifting our spirits!

Vulnerable

I believe that it is important for us as Christians to be vulnerable with others as we struggle through life; to not sugar-coat our happenings, to not mask the hurt. Through being honest with our lives, the Lord is lifted high; He receives the credit as we grow and move through life's deserts.

Here is my recent journal entry; a chance to be raw.

I got the call as I was driving home from Dekalb. I was quite strong for the call itself, the ladies gentle voice telling me that I was a strong candidate....just not the one they chose. Disappointment filled my eyes and overflowed into a fountain of tears. "Now what?" was my first thought... I was so sure! I really thought that this was the job the Lord had prepared me for -excitement had even begun to fill my soul.

Slowly my disappointment turned to anger- why Lord would you even take me through this process? Why would you give me hope...to then take it away? Did you not hear my cries? Did you not hear my prayers? I thought you were the God who answered...who gave us the desires of our hearts?

Still today I don't have answers...to be honest, I don't even really feel his whispers, but I know to push forward [such is the Christian life]. I know better than to doubt God's goodness or even His existence; He has carried me through before. I know He is preparing, carving, remolding me for something I have yet to know.

What I do know is that God is faithful to encourage. I stumbled onto Psalms 91; an encouragement to me as I sit in this valley.

~The Lord is my refuge.
~He is my shield.
~I will not fear.
~His angels will guard me.
~I am not forgotten!

Painting

In recent days we have been quite blessed by Mike's painting skills. Mike has been able to fill in on a paint crew for a few days here and there and he has also been able to complete his own jobs! While Mike doesn't necessarily enjoy painting, he does love the financial blessing of his work.

Mike said the other day that he kind of feels like the disciple, Paul. God blessed Paul with a skill that could be used in any city along his journey. I am sure there were days that Paul wished he wasn't a tent maker, but his skills came in handy financially as well as relationally.

Painting is a skill that the Lord has given Mike during this time of transition and Mike has been obedient to use it as we raise support.

Blessed

Recently, Mike and I listened to a series on prayer by Louie Giglio. What an incredible communicator Giglio is! God has really used his sermon series to challenge us in our prayer life. In fact, we encourage you to search him on the internet and listen as well.

Anyway, at one point in the sermon Giglio spoke about how often we pray that God would bless us. We as Christians pray, "Lord, please bless us as we go through this day. Bless us as we sacrifice and serve you in ministry" or we pray, "Lord, please bless me with that new car and that extra bonus check at the end of the month. I have worked so hard that I deserve it."

As I search my own heart, I often find myself praying similiar prayers such as, "Lord bless us, get us to 100% support quickly." Now the point of Giglios sermon wasn't to say that we can't ask for God to provide for us, but rather he was trying to make the point that we as Christians are more than blessed. We are blessed by Christ's ultimate sacrifice on the cross; we are blessed everyday that God gives us life rather than death; we are blessed by God's unfalling love for us; we are blessed by grace and mercy each hour of the day. So is it really prudent of us to ask for the Lord to bless us when we are already more than blessed?

I am sure there are many theological arguments for the above question and I would love to hear your thoughts, but either way, I do know the next time I kneel in prayer discouraged because of my present currcumstance, instead of praying that the Lord would deliver me and bless me, I will thank the Lord for blessing me abundantly because indeed I am blessed!

Prayer Letter

Dear Prayer Warriors and Ministry Partners,

Recently Mike and I have been challenged by a few individuals to continue to let our prayer requests be known and to continue to build up a strong prayer team- it is certainly not by our own efforts that we can achieve anything of worth. So first of all, thank you for your prayers; they are felt and answered in God's timing. Second, here are a few ways you can be praying:

1. That Mike and I would continue to generate contacts specifically for raising monthly support.
2. That Mike's church in Crystal Lake would see the power in YD Adventures and pledge to support us.
3. That we would be sensitive to opportunities that God places before us to share our ministry with others.
4. That I would be able to find a full time teaching position for the fall.
5. That we would continue to be encouraged and continue to fully trust in God's timing and not our own.
6. Lord willing, we would be able to move west by the end of the summer.
7. That we would continue to learn and grow from the lessons God has instore to teach us.

Just as we need your prayers, we would also like to be praying for you. Please email ssharpmack@hotmail.com if you have any prayer requests that you would like us to be praying for. We would love the privilege to pray for you.

Sincerely,
Sharpmacks

The Battle

Today is June 1st, the day that Mike and I set as our goal date to be at 100% support. Currently we are at 32%. We are not discouraged, frustrated or angry; more like anxious, impatient, and ready to be with YD Adventures full time. I think about how excited Mike and I are to begin this adventure; we tap our feet and stare at the calendar watching each day go by, believing we are ready for the battle over souls... believing we are soldiers ready to fight.

As soldiers of a mighty commander, we train and train and train some more. We face our lessons, tasks, and missions head on; all for the sake of the battle. We sit in the bunks with anxious hearts ready to face the bigger mission with boldness and confidence. We even say, "Commander, I am ready, can't you see my skills are the best?" Yet our commander makes us wait until He thinks we are ready. He knows what His soldiers are ready for, capable of, and prepared for. He knows when our skills are the best and when our skills will save our lives. Thankfully, He knows the exact right time to put us on the battle field; for if it were up to us, we would begin prematurely with heart and ambition but we would not have the skill, wisdom or knowledge to fight for the long hall. This is a battle for the kingdom of God and it will not be won over night.

So today, June 1st, we wait patiently, we train hard, and we wait on His timing because He is our great commander and He knows far better than us when we are ready fight.

Family

My sister and brother-in-law came through Chicago on their way back to South Carolina after attending a wedding. They weren't here for long, just a few days, but Mike and I loved taking them exploring on the northshores of Chicago. It is funny how the older we get, the more important FAMILY becomes. It just seems like it was yesterday when we were children fighting over who got the barbie; now we are married and actually enjoy spending time together. Funny how time changes our perspective!

28%

Thank you to all who are praying for us. We have felt those prayers and seen God answer them! We are now at 28% of our full support and we are feeling energized!

God recently used a passage in the Old Testament to encourage Mike and I in this support raising process...perhaps it will encourage you as well.

"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's...You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you...Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." ~ 2 Chronicles 20:15b,17,20b~

Pretty much perfect

What a wonderful night of celebration; 3 new supporters, a beautiful night, the first campfire of the season, Bear's first Smore (without chocolate, of course), and Chacos!

The Process

Wow. What a ride this last month has been for us! Mike has had some great opportunities to talk with churches and small groups about Youth Dynamics Adventures. We have also had some great face to face meetings with couples who have been very encouraging!

We just returned from a trip to Omaha, Nebraska where we were able to reconnect with friends, hear what God has been doing in their lives, and also share more about our opportunity for ministry. While the support raising process has been slower than we would have hoped, we have certainly learned that God's timing is much better than our own. (Although, at times, we must admit that we do forget that promise.)

Currently we are at about 20% of our support. Our goal date to be at full support has been June 1st...and we continue to shoot for June! Yet, in this entire process we have come to realize that we are not in control.

Itching

It has been quite warm here in Chicago this week; it even hit the 80's one day! With the warm temperatures comes a desire to hit the rapids and enjoy the beauty of rivers and lakes.

Of course, you would expect Mike to pull out his kayak and play in it as if he really were on the river. He practiced his side to side moves, his roll moves, and his steering moves all on the grass in the backyard. Just because there isn't access to water does not mean you can't kayak!

I guess it is pretty safe to say he is itching to get to Idaho and share his passion with others!

Meditate.

I have been unable to sleep lately. I toss and turn, my mind running a million miles a minute, fretting and worrying over things I can't control or change.

Last night was one of those nights. After hours of not sleeping, when I really wish I was sleeping, I got up to go to the bathroom and regroup. As I walked down the hall, a soft whisper in my head said, "Meditate on my scripture, meditate on Proverbs 3:5-6." As I climbed back into bed, I closed my eyes and began to recite the verse that I had memorized so long ago. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your path straight."

The first few time I rambled off the verse hoping that I would quickly fall asleep, but after about the tenth time I began to focus on each word and the importance of it in my life. Trust....wow, something I obviously am not doing a very good job of if I am still awake fretting over the impossible. All... I am certainly not giving it ALL to Him...if I am still awake. Understanding... I can't even begin to understand, it is evident that my plans are not God's plans otherwise we wouldn't be living with my in laws (even though I do love them!).

I continued to meditate on each word, allowing myself to be refined by the Holy Spirit; to be disciplined, challenged, and renewed. To be honest, I don't remember if I was able to meditate on each word before I fell asleep. But I can say that I woke up this morning disciplined and ready to start again.

So the next time you can't sleep, try meditating on scripture. More likely than not, He will put you in your place and you will get a good nights sleep!

Chicago

We are now into our second week of staying in Chicago with Mike's parents. Last week we had the opportunity to show my sister, Mandy, and her husband Chicago. They had never been to the windy city, so we enjoyed taking them downtown and to a few of our favorite places. It was sad to see them go and even more sad to say goodbye, but the journey goes on and we look forward to our next adventures with them.

Now we are support raising full time; making phone calls, sending out emails and meeting with family and friends. In this support raising process we have been humbled and stand in awe; our God is incredible! We are now at about 15% of our support and the Lord keeps bringing contacts our way. Isn't it quite amazing how God directs and brings all things together for His glory!

We will keep you posted as our journeys continue!

Temporary Goodbyes

We said our temporary goodbyes to the Jann family. Mike and I babysat these cute kiddos quite a few times and we will miss their goofy, fun-loving spirit!

The Blewett family took one last 'family day trip' to Charleston before Mike and I leave for Chicago. We had a great time visiting the beach and Fort Sumter! We will be back to visit, but not for a while.

11.44%

Praise the Lord!

We are at 11.44% of our support! While we know we have a long ways to go, we want to rejoice and thank the Lord as we go through this support raising process... not just when we are 100% fully supported.

Thank you to those who support us, pray for us and love us. Thank you Jesus for being our provider and care taker!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever!"

~1 Chronicles 6:34

South Carolina

It is hard to believe that we have been living with my parents in South Carolina for 9 months already! When we came to stay with my parents back in June, we never would have guessed that 9 months later we would still be here. Funny how God works.

How bitter-sweet this time has been. Oh how Mike and I wished that we could have jumped from Mike's graduation straight into full time jobs again, yet, the Lord was good to mold us and reshape us. His plan, while difficult at times, has been much more rewarding than our own. I am reminded of James 1 as it is such a reminder that our plans may not be God's plans...and when things may seem difficult, we should consider it all a gift from Him, for they prepare us for the days ahead.

While South Carolina has brought it's ups and downs; sweet memories with family, new friends to stay in touch with, times of questioning God, and many hours waiting on the Lord, we will soon be leaving here. How bitter-sweet!

Mike and I will be moving up North where we will be back in familiar territory (Yankee territory). Come March 15 our new city address will be Crystal Lake, IL. We will enjoy some time with the Sharpmack family as we continue to raise support; all with the same goal still in mind. Full support by June 1st. Idaho bound and excited to see what else God has planned.

Thank you South Carolina for all the love, support, and new friends we have found here.

The Magic Button

Words can't begin to express what an amazing time we had in Fort Worth, TX. Mike and I drove the 17 hours straight thru last Wed. in order to be at the conference bright and early the following morning. Looking back, we wonder if we were crazy! Really, 17 hours straight thru?! We won't be doing that again any time soon.

As for the conference, Boot Camp by Body Builders, Youth Dynamics could not have picked a better conference for us to attend. While we know that we will never be prepared enough for this journey, we do believe that this conference has prepared us enough to feel equipped to share our ministry opportunity with others. We look forward to the opportunity to sit down and share our ministry passion with others and to see how the Lord will provide- what an opportunity to leap off the edge and trust that God's mighty hands will catch us!

If we have learned one very important lesson from this conference it is that we cannot, nor do we want to, go onto the ministry field without invested ministry partners praying and supporting us. At the beginning of the conference the speaker asked us, "if there was a magic button that you could push and you would be financially funded immediately, would you push it?" Almost everyone in the room raised their hands. Of course we would push the button! The speaker shared that his goal was to help us see that ministry partners aren't just investing in us financially, but that they are the core of our ministry. Without them and God at work in all of us, our ministry would not survive the long hall. At the end of the conference the speaker asked the same question about the magic button; it was amazing to see that not one person raised their hands. We finally realized what we would miss out on by pushing the magic button; an opportunity to team together to transform lives for the glory of God.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

We drove the 900 miles to Chicago for the new year. What a fun time we had celebrating the new year and Christmas with the Sharpmack family. The snow was so beautiful and made us miss our favorite sport of skiing. Bear was also introduced to snow and he loved it! He enjoyed running through the 10 inches, but his favorite thing to do in the snow was to eat it! Although the snow was beautiful, we will admit that the -4 degree weather would not have been missed!

Now we are back in South Carolina enjoying a little warmer (but not much warmer) weather. We are catching our breath before we drive a little over 1,000 miles to Fort Worth, TX next Wed. for our support raising conference. We are in the process of finishing up our 24 hours worth of "homework" where we have learned so many encouraging things about raising support from a biblical perspective. We have been so encouraged by our home study that we are very anxious to get to our conference and learn even more!

Thank you for all your prayer and support. We would appreciate your prayers for safe travels and a wonderful time of learning at the conference.

We will keep you posted!