Our Big Screen Dreams

i’ve always wonder why i have so many financial testimonies to share but not as many salvations, healings, etc. it isn’t like i’m not seeing those things. i think the reason i have so many financial testimonies is because it has been a long road getting to where i trust God over my finances. YEARS! when we struggle with something, like i did (ahem – sometimes do) with finances, we take more notice to results regarding those things.

i think after college is when i became a penny pincher. for years and years and years i was in bondage to my checkbook. i could never make enough. i could never save enough. i would (well, i still do) plan for months in advance and freak out thinking “we’re never going to make it!” i would see the bills dwindle down all that we had. i would watch others, who weren’t even neccessarily serving the Lord, prosper and think “why aren’t we?” every now-and-then, esp in the beginning of me going to my current church, as i would write out my tithe check i would think of all the things i could be doing with the money. oh, by now i could have paid off every ounce of debt i ever had…BUT, truth be told, if i wasn’t tithing i know that money wouldn’t have gone where i thought it would (toward debt). we would most likely waste it…come on, you make more you spend more. but month after month we write the check.

in case you don’t know, tithing is 10% of your income. your GROSS income. anything that come in. earn it by working, sell your stuff on craigslist, ANY increase.

why do we tithe?? man, i could fill this screen with reasons and scriptures that I’ve been taught over the last 7 years (well, taught my wole life but applied the last 7), but let me focus on the verses that most clearly spell this out. Malachi 3:8-12

8Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me. But you say, In what way do we rob or defraud You? [You have withheld your] tithes and offerings.

9 are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation.

First of all, according to v. 8 and 9, by NOT tithing we are robbing God and are cursed because of it (not curse like God harms you; but His full protection isn’t surrounding you– like going into battle without your armor). I’m not sure about you, but I don’t want to rob God. I don’t want any curses on my life, I don’t want to live without His protection. God gave me all — Jesus, a blood sacrifice atoning for my sins — why would I rob Him of what little He asks.

But WHY do I LOVE tithing??? Look at what God promises to those that tithe…and I think my amplified bible says this all best….

10Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts.

12And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

Verse 10 starts off very obviously reminding us that we are to bring ALL our tithe to the storehouse (church). All = gross income. But here we go….He will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing SO BIG that there won’t be room to receive it. Hello? anyone else out there want to be abundantly blessed? Have opportunities put before them that might not otherwise come around?

Verse 11 He stands up for us against Satan. Casting down Satan’s attempts at stealing our finances (did you read my testimony from needing surgery?? did God not provide exactly what we needed??).

Verse 12 And Nations will call you BLESSED and HAPPY. People will see and recognize God goodness and blessing. I want to continue sharing these stories so that GOD’s greatness can be shown.

But, I have to finish this blog by saying this…you cannot just give to God to get. These blessings come from the heart. When you are giving from the true abundant love for God in your heart, then He receives that. He knows your hearts intention if you are coming and giving only to get. ((and please, don’t make me revisit the God doesn’t punish you topic again))

Sometimes, when you start, you may not feel like giving. I already told you I didn’t feel like giving. Tithing was hard for me to learn. I loved that money and wanted to spend it. But, I wanted to obey God more. As the time went by, embarrassingly – years, my heart changed and I began to see that as I gave, it was returned to me…in many ways. Opportunities, finances, desires.

My point here – Honor God. Take your tithes to your local storehouse (your church). Watch as God places people, opportunities, new jobs, etc in your path….

of course, i have nother financial testimony to share soon….although most of you already know what it is!

This week I’ve been playing a lot of “one year ago.” You know, where you sit around and ponder what you were doing this time last year. Obviously, I’m doing that this week as this was the week that Starlet made her entrance (Sunday is the actual date). This was me one year ago…

(www.keriduckett.com)

And while you can expect a Starlet recap soon, this isn’t the post.

While I was rocking Starlet tonight and reflecting on this year I got weepy (yes me) at all that God has done for us.

About a year ago, EP big contract was coming to close. There was all this talk that it would be extended and blah blah blah, but both of us had in our spirit that something wasn’t right. So much so that we even didn’t purchase a car that we both really wanted. (But thats a whole other topic) Around this time I began asking my BSF group to pray for provision that God would put us right where we needed to be.

Imagine my surprise when we got a call about a film when Starlet was ONE WEEK OLD! The film was in Kentucky and would be six weeks of EP being gone. EP came to me and said, “This film is all your call. I won’t take it — say the word.” I began to pray but it didn’t take long to hear the answer. Here I had prayed over and over for provision and God was handing us our provision. The problem? It wasn’t my idea of good timing. Reluctantly, I mean REALLY reluctantly I told him to go. He left when Starlet was four weeks old. I mean, we still had no routine, Stunt Boy was still adjusting to evenings…it was crazy MANY MANY nights (and days for that matter) of both kids taking turns crying…but i KNEW he had to go.

Once EP got there, within days actually, the call came in that the contract we had been hoping would be extended was on hold indefinitely. I was angry, I was sad but then I was relieved. God once again knew right where we belonged. Had EP not taken that job, had I told him to stay, we would have had no income whatsoever 5 weeks after Starlets birth. None-zip-zilch! But since we yielded to the Holy Spirit and took everything to God in prayer we were provided for!!

We have rights as believers (and especially as tithers)…. Jesus already overcame the devil on the cross so that we may, among many things, PROSPER! The enemy cannot continue to steal from us. We must often stretch out of our comfort zone for God’s true greatness can be shown. Where is he telling you to go that you aren’t going?? Imagine if you obeyed….

on my mind tonight. i really want to start sharing some of our wonderful testimonies regarding jobs and finances. had you asked me three years ago if EP would be doing this full-time and if i’d be staying home i’d say NO WAY, but here we are. God cares for us…He always always always provides. We are faithful in our giving and we firmly believe that by not robbing God we are constantly under His wings of provision. this is only the most recent story…it isn’t even my favorite one, but it was on my mind tonight about how perfectly God coordinated things.

EP needed a job recently. its funny to say that because he always needs a job a guess, but the nature of this business you have lots of jobs every year…it’s just getting them lined up right. ANYWAY, by the way we live and budget we knew that our money would run out on a certain approaching date. its okay to admit this, i know many people who would never admit to money being close to gone, but again, this is the nature of the business, what you are failing to see is that my husband hasn’t worked in 7 weeks. I mean, how many people can say that….again…not my point here.

okay, so the date was on the calendar. lots of projects in the pipe (there always are) but nothing ready to rock’n'roll…even a few we were fairly certain would go. EP started reaching out to things he wasn’t so sure about but was wanting to do because he is the provider in our home. Project 1 he spends at least a week or two talking, planning, meeting, budgeting with these guys and suddenly they “went another direction.” {Can I interject something here, I’m not sure in the entire time he’s been doing that this has happened for far in the process of his help} We were really upset, naturally. We kept saying, “That must not be where we need to be.” It’s easier to say than to feel, but we must confess these things until they are in our hearts (but that a whole other blog). Project 2 comes along. Not even a producer role so EP’s a shoe in, right? Plus he knows people on staff/crew….. nothing. i couldn’t understand, where were we supposed to be, Lord??

this is where the rubber meets the road in faith. we knew the next project was there. we knew that even though these things didn’t come about that there had to be something better out there. i sent off a check one day and finally broke. my email to EP only said, “I’m starting to freak just a little bit.” may first we wouldn’t make our payroll payment.

our tax refund showed up in our account before we had expected – just a day or so after my email. it was enough to carry us through the next month. yall, we weren’t even expecting to GET a return (last year we owed!), much less one that could cover our expenses for a month! then, out of the blue, EP gets a call and nails a job, has a check in the bank and is out of town within a WEEK!!! a job paying more than the two small projects would have paid and a project with better credit aka the role he is used to playing – producer. Praise the Lord!!

but the story doesn’t end there. what about the refund money?? naturally, i start configuring the 8-zillion ways to spend it. but neither of us feels like we can spend it yet. is it any wonder at all that the refund covers the surgery i just found out i need to have. imagine if we would have not yeilded to the Holy Spirit and spent the money WE wanted to. Now, we can pay in cash! is it how we want to spend that money? absolutely not!! but its exactly what we need. (phil 4:19 my God will supply all of your need according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus) PRAISE THE LORD!

Recap: Better job, more money, tax refund instead of paying, perfect amount for surgery ALL AT THE RIGHT TIME!

i can’t wait to share the next….maybe i’ll start writing it….