Thank you Jay and Cindy

Yesterday Miriam and I (Jo) were hanging up fliers on the mailboxes around our apartment complex for an event we are doing next week. As I got out of the car to hang up a sign, I heard a cat meowing. I don't care for cats so I just thought it was under a car or something and I drove off. As I got to the next mailbox, I felt God's Holy Spirit tell me "Go back and look for that cat". You might think this was just my conscience but my conscience doesn't care for cats, so I believe it was Jesus telling me. Anyway, I went back to looked for the cat. I heard it coming from a drain/sewer so I looked down it. I could hear it crying out but couldn't see it so I walked across the street and saw it down at the bottom of the opposite sewer. It was about six feet down and Miriam got a little scared. A passer by helped me take off the grid and as I went down to grab the tiny kitten Miriam started to cry because I had to go quite far down. I picked it up and drove home with it shaking.

I have no idea about cats so I washed it in the sink and Macie got a towel for us to wrap it in. It was shaking and in it's little small voice crying out for help. Macie called our friendly neighbors Jay and Cindy to come over and help, they had taken in a stray cat before so they were sure to help us out. They were round in minutes with cat food, a bed, litter box and medicine. They didn't even speak to me, walking straight up to 'Nala' (that is the cats new name). Cindy held it close to her face and started loving on it. Jay checked to see if it was sick, had fleas etc and both of them surrounded it with love.

It is now 9:25 pm the next day and as Macie and I sit in our living room worshipping and praying to our God there is a little, beautiful kitten running about and playing. Nala was a pathetic, wet, little kitten that had tried so hard to crawl out of a sewer her paws were all scratched off. But because two of our neighbors showed love to her she is now an adorable (temporary) pet for my two princesses Macie and Miriam.

Jay and Cindy saw the gold in something I didn't. Because of their expression of love I now see why people love kittens.

My prayer is that I would see everything with eyes like Jesus, or Jay and Cindy. He sees the gold in us when nobdy else does. I sometimes work in a neighborhood in Charlotte where 'crack heads' and prostitutes walk down the streets; I wonder what gold is in them? When someone is rude, arrogant or selfish I will try to look past that and try to find the gold. Our heavenly Father made us all to shine. But because of this sinful world and the effects it has on us people sometimes look like pathetic, lost, beat-up kittens. Love draws out the gold in all of God's creation.

As I finished writing this Nala came and sat on my lap. We are looking for some people to love her and give her a home because we are moving to England shortly.

Thank you Jay and Cindy

Preparation

We leave our home in Charlotte in a little over three weeks on the 15th November and will spend 2 weeks in Atlanta with Macie's family before we fly out to England. We are selling things, giving stuff away and letting go of anything we don't need or want to take with us. It is amazing how much stuff we have that we do not use or do not need.

Two weeks ago I (Jo) spent alot of time trying to arrange/set things up for when we arrive in England. Getting try outs with teams, having a back up job, getting in touch with ministries I found on line etc. I had moments of complete discouragement and fear of failure. I was simply trying to be a good husband and be as prepared as possible. I felt God tell me "Do nothing, depend completely on me". This is very hard for a man who loves to bring home money for his beautiful wife and daughter.

When I spend time with God in his word and praying I am filled with so much peace about a pretty illogical move I am taking my family on. Charlotte is such a great and happy place for us. We have wonderful friends and great ministries we love being apart of. I am able to play professional soccer and Macie gets to sing with the 'Charlotte oratorio' which is her passion. We love it here and God really does use us to impact peoples lives, he has shown me the fruit. We have absaloutely nothing we can see waiting for us in England. We are moving in with my parents when we get there and that's all we know.

How do I know it is the Lord calling us? Abraham was literally called (audible voice I think) by God to leave his country, Elijah had encounters with God, Moses saw him face to face, Paul had a vision on the road to Damascus and John had his revelation in the final book of the Bible. How do you know God is calling you to do something?

1. The Lord's call never contradicts his word!
2. The Lord's call will always take faith.
3. The Lord's call will not always seem rational and may sometimes be scary.
4. The Lord's call is always for the advancement of HIS kingdom.
5. Whenever you truly get on your knees in prayer and ask God about the situation you will have peace.

I am confident of this call the Lord has given our family. People might simply think 'Jo is going back home to live in England'. I have not lived in England for 7 years, I have only visited since I became a Christian so the 'new me' has never lived there and I really honestly do not consider it home. My eternal home is in Heaven but on this earth I consider home where Macie and Miriam are, that is not in England yet.

If you feel God 'calling' you to do something, whether it's as simple as giving a friend an encouraging word, going back to church after a long time avoiding it, or something as big as moving your family to a new country with no promise of a job. Step out and do it! We are only given the chance to show God our faith in him while we live on this earth. When we get to heaven there will be no more need for faith because we will be in his presence all the time. Prove your faith and love to God while you still can.