When Todd and Leslie made their initial All-In faith commitment two years ago, they felt the Lord leading them to give a large portion of their savings as a sacrificial offering.

Going All-In, especially giving up that additional security, was certainly a challenge for Todd and Leslie who have had anything but income stability throughout the last couple of years. While Leslie stays home with their two children, the family lives off of Todd’s income from a job at a young company that unfortunately has been close to going bankrupt several times throughout their All-In journey.

There have been times a paycheck didn’t come when it was supposed to, and Todd and Leslie have had doubts if they could continue giving what they committed to. But through it all, God has still given Todd and Leslie a peace about their financial security as they learn to obey and trust him.

Looking for ways to go All-In in all areas of their lives, their family has found ways to cut back on comforts and conveniences as they seek to make financial decisions that test their faith and honor God.

“We’ve set a new standard of living,” Leslie said. “Before, making these changes was a sacrifice, but it’s getting to be almost normal and comfortable. Now, we’re asking what else can we cut.”

Todd says their family is encouraged by the parable of the widow’s offering in Mark 12, where Jesus commends a widow for giving all she had to offer, even though it was only a few cents.

“What matters is not how much you’re giving but that you’re being stretched and relying on God,” Todd said. “We recognize that God owns everything, and all we have is his. We’re just stewards who use our money to honor him and further his kingdom.”

Todd and Leslie said they’re praying about what their next chapter of generosity will look like and how they can use what they’ve been given to serve God and others.

“God’s work is never done, so we can’t ever be satisfied with our level of generosity,” Leslie said. “We have a long way to go, but it’s encouraging to see how we’ve grown so far.”

“God has a long-term perspective,” Todd added. “Even if we don’t see the full effect of our giving and serving immediately, we know there will be fruit later. We just have to allow him to use us in small ways now.”

by Abbey Temple, Summit Volunteer Writer