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MyImmeasurablyMore
God Made Wilfredo Wait But He Came Through in a Big Way
I
was laid off from my previous job on March 21, 2013. I applied for five
to seven jobs a week, received many phone calls, and went to at least
one interview per month. I would attend interview classes and resume
courses, but no one would hire me.Earlier this year during one of EBCs Sunday services, for the first time in a long time I decided to renew my salvation. Then I attended Bayside 101 and signed up for CORE. During CORE every week I was asked if I found a job, and every week I would have to say no. We would pray every week and I would always hear that I would find the right job.
At the beginning of August I decided to get baptized at Bayside’s First Wednesday service. Immediately after that I went to my first ever men’s weekend. That weekend was awesome and brought me closer to God and helped me find his purpose for me.
During September my wife of twenty one years was feeling overwhelmed from carrying all the financial burden of the household. She came to me and said it would be better for her to take care of just one person in a smaller place. Most people would argue or whimper. I started speaking WORD.
When she said the burden was too much I said, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22). When she said her income wasn’t enough to pay all the bills, I said “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:19.
Then I took her to church and Pastor Randy was starting Worry free finances and that first message in the series confirmed everything I said to my wife, and we were able to reconcile and repurpose our income. I got the chance to work a few days with a temp service and made sure to pay my tithes.
Two weeks later I went on another interview and met with the owner. Like any other interview we discussed my past and the position’s job duties, but when the owner went over his companies mission statement the last sentenced stated to honor all things in Christ Jesus.
The owner then asked me if I knew Jesus, with a smile I open my tablet where I keep my resumes and pulled out my water baptism certificate from Bayside Community Church.
What was supposed to be a one hour interview lasted over three hours and we even took the time to pray together over a few things I was dealing with. So for the first time in eighteen months I was offered a position with Pet Doors USA.
October Aerials
The
aerials don’t look very different from September. That’s because most
of the work is being done on the inside. We’ll have new pictures of the
interior coming soon.
Barbara’s Immeasurably More
For
many years, I struggled with a psychological disorder called body
dysmorphic disorder. During this challenging time, I habitually rejected
my appearance, thinking I was too ugly to be alive. Because of my
non-stop rejection toward self, I also suffered from depression, and
suicidal thinking.In the height of this battle, I came to an awareness that the only way out of my situation was to write about the torment ruining my life. When I started writing about my battle with BDD, I found it therapeutic and liberating to my soul.
In May 2010 I was broken, crushed in spirit, and very suicidal. I was crying out to God to plant me into a church where I could get help and become a healthy, functioning part of the Body of Christ.
I knew in my heart that God did not rescue my soul from 6 previous suicide attempts just to leave me in a parched wilderness.
Suddenly, the divine miracle began to unfold one Sunday morning as I watched Joel Osteen on TV. At the closing he said, “If you are ever in the Bradenton area of Florida you have to checkout Bayside Community Church.”
At that moment, God spoke to my heart saying, “That is where I want you to go.”
That same day my husband returned home from a motorcycle ride and was happy to inform me about a new church that had just recently opened on State Road 64.
He said, “I believe the name of it is Bayside Community Church.” As soon as my husband finished speaking, God confirmed what I already knew that morning.
Along with attending Bayside, I stepped out in fear and trembling for pastoral help through their Care Ministry for the suicidal thoughts that were still lodged in my mind.
I continued writing from a renewed perspective on life, which does not include suicide nor my battle with BDD. I made a vow to write myself out of my past and into a brighter, better place of healing.
I believe my life wouldn’t have improved had I not followed my heart and God’s gift to write. Last year my book, Arise My Daughter – Journey from Darkness to Light, was published. I love watching God use it to minister and help those that read it!
In a matter of weeks my situation became brighter and hope for living returned.
From there I stepped out and committed myself to Bayside’s nursing home outreach for a year. After that. I became a small group leader.
The Immeasurably More continues to add up. The publishers for Chicken Soup For The Soul contacted me and chose to publish two of my stories.
The book is called, Chicken Soup For The Soul: Find Your Inner Strength and is set for public sale October 28th, 2014.
God also opened up the opportunity to speak at Manatee Glens Walk For Life: Depression Awareness and Suicide Prevention event. It was awesome to deliver an inspiring message on HOPE!
I’ve listened, obeyed, and have done as God has instructed. It has been one amazing journey finding my role in God’s family and happily fulfilling it.
Brittany’s Immeasurably More
As
someone who grew up in the church, I have always heard, “You have to be
broken in order for God to reveal His full potential for your life.”
Ministry is all about pouring into others, but I needed to learn how to
let others help guide me towards my future.
As a second year student at Bayside College, I knew what it meant to surrender my mind, emotions, and spirit to God. However, I never experienced what it was like to be physically broken, not able to do anything about it in my own power.
One
Friday evening I was driving home with my boyfriend, Josh, trying to
make the most of my last few weeks of summer. I felt so blessed and
content with where God had me in that moment.
Every thought instantly vanished as an arm reached across my chest and my mind froze before the sudden impact. Clouds of smoke encircled my head as I tried to make sense of the last thirty seconds.
I was able to suppress my shock long enough to climb out of my car and assess the damage. The car was totaled and we had just miraculously survived a 50-mph T-Bone collision. Before the ambulance transported us to the ER, I remember my mom embracing me with tears of relief. After getting cleared from the hospital, the nurse reminded us that the soreness would be worse the next day.
Saturday turned from a day of discomfort to absolute agony in a matter of hours. As someone with a high pain tolerance, I knew something was very wrong. Five weeks later, Josh’s health was restored, but I found myself still completely dependent on a wheelchair without answers.
After multiple CT scans, X-Rays, and MRIs, doctors didn’t have an answer. Behind the tough-girl smile, I was afraid. Finally, my answers came from a spine specialist explaining that I had sustained micro tears throughout my back muscles, causing the spasms.
I was assured that everything would heal up nicely, but that it could take up to six months to fully recover from my injuries. It was both freeing and hard to hear. Nevertheless, I was determined that with the Lord by my side it wouldn’t take that long.
I wheeled myself into church one morning for prayer with the Bayside College students. Since the start of the school year, I had been unable to participate in the program.
As I closed my eyes to pray, I was taken by how weakened my faith had become and I couldn’t help but feel hopeless. As I re-opened my eyes, I saw hands from around the room reaching out to me as they began praying radical prayers of complete healing over my life.
There, amidst 50+ students, I stood and began to walk. Why? God told me it was time. You see, I had been waiting for “everything to be set in His beautiful timing” as it says in Ecclesiastes 3:11. Their radical faith gave me the extra strength to believe when my own faith was failing.
Real, God-driven miracles have a purpose beyond the focus of healing. They aren’t a showcased event but a simple cry from God to give His people just an ounce more of faith. I knew all along that my calling was NOT to stay in that wheelchair. He doesn’t want that for anybody!
I can say that God has been revealing to me that my physical brokenness has an extreme purpose. Hidden parts of my heart been opened, revealing my prideful, independent nature. I’m prayerfully learning to physically depend on God and others. Trying to understand our conditions and stages in life will never bring us peace.
That’s an attempt at mastering our own life instead of seeking our Heavenly Father. We are always enveloped in the peace of Christ’s love, but in order to seal it off, we need to simply chase after and live in light of His rejuvenating Presence.
As a second year student at Bayside College, I knew what it meant to surrender my mind, emotions, and spirit to God. However, I never experienced what it was like to be physically broken, not able to do anything about it in my own power.
One
Friday evening I was driving home with my boyfriend, Josh, trying to
make the most of my last few weeks of summer. I felt so blessed and
content with where God had me in that moment.Every thought instantly vanished as an arm reached across my chest and my mind froze before the sudden impact. Clouds of smoke encircled my head as I tried to make sense of the last thirty seconds.
I was able to suppress my shock long enough to climb out of my car and assess the damage. The car was totaled and we had just miraculously survived a 50-mph T-Bone collision. Before the ambulance transported us to the ER, I remember my mom embracing me with tears of relief. After getting cleared from the hospital, the nurse reminded us that the soreness would be worse the next day.
Saturday turned from a day of discomfort to absolute agony in a matter of hours. As someone with a high pain tolerance, I knew something was very wrong. Five weeks later, Josh’s health was restored, but I found myself still completely dependent on a wheelchair without answers.
After multiple CT scans, X-Rays, and MRIs, doctors didn’t have an answer. Behind the tough-girl smile, I was afraid. Finally, my answers came from a spine specialist explaining that I had sustained micro tears throughout my back muscles, causing the spasms.
I was assured that everything would heal up nicely, but that it could take up to six months to fully recover from my injuries. It was both freeing and hard to hear. Nevertheless, I was determined that with the Lord by my side it wouldn’t take that long.
I wheeled myself into church one morning for prayer with the Bayside College students. Since the start of the school year, I had been unable to participate in the program.
As I closed my eyes to pray, I was taken by how weakened my faith had become and I couldn’t help but feel hopeless. As I re-opened my eyes, I saw hands from around the room reaching out to me as they began praying radical prayers of complete healing over my life.
There, amidst 50+ students, I stood and began to walk. Why? God told me it was time. You see, I had been waiting for “everything to be set in His beautiful timing” as it says in Ecclesiastes 3:11. Their radical faith gave me the extra strength to believe when my own faith was failing.
Real, God-driven miracles have a purpose beyond the focus of healing. They aren’t a showcased event but a simple cry from God to give His people just an ounce more of faith. I knew all along that my calling was NOT to stay in that wheelchair. He doesn’t want that for anybody!
I can say that God has been revealing to me that my physical brokenness has an extreme purpose. Hidden parts of my heart been opened, revealing my prideful, independent nature. I’m prayerfully learning to physically depend on God and others. Trying to understand our conditions and stages in life will never bring us peace.
That’s an attempt at mastering our own life instead of seeking our Heavenly Father. We are always enveloped in the peace of Christ’s love, but in order to seal it off, we need to simply chase after and live in light of His rejuvenating Presence.
An Inside Look at Our New Building Part 4
All week, we’ve posted images of the inside of our new building but today we thought we would give you a different perspective.
If you missed any of the other images, click below to see the other parts of the series.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
As you explore the new building, the names of people that you wrote on the structure appear everywhere. It’s powerful to know that one day, as we walk through the completed structure, the names of loved ones reside just behind the visible walls.
Bayside will always be about people. As we continue to pray for people written all over the structure of our new building, we know that many will soon know the redemptive power of Jesus.
The last three images show how the new building integrates with the existing structure. The symbolism of combining the old with the new is apparent. We’ll always remember where we came from as God continues to take us into new territory.
It won’t be long until we will no longer have a fenced off construction zone. We’ll have a building where God is changing lives en masse. Thank you for all you have done to make Bayside a place where people experience God in a powerful way.
If you missed any of the other images, click below to see the other parts of the series.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
As you explore the new building, the names of people that you wrote on the structure appear everywhere. It’s powerful to know that one day, as we walk through the completed structure, the names of loved ones reside just behind the visible walls.
Bayside will always be about people. As we continue to pray for people written all over the structure of our new building, we know that many will soon know the redemptive power of Jesus.
The last three images show how the new building integrates with the existing structure. The symbolism of combining the old with the new is apparent. We’ll always remember where we came from as God continues to take us into new territory.
It won’t be long until we will no longer have a fenced off construction zone. We’ll have a building where God is changing lives en masse. Thank you for all you have done to make Bayside a place where people experience God in a powerful way.
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