Meet Dan & Becky
Dan and Becky James met in a high-school band in Florida, were engaged while Dan was serving in the U.S. Army, married after he returned from Desert Shield & Desert Storm, and were called out of military life and into full-time vocational ministry in 1992. Dan pursued ministry training, completing a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies (specializing in Youth Ministry) at Liberty University. While at Liberty, their first son was born. In 1997, they moved to Texas, continued their studies at Southwestern Seminary and Dallas Baptist University, and took positions as Youth/Worship Pastor and Children’s Ministry Director. Their time in Texas saw them serve in two communities for 10 years, and also gave them the joy of adding two more sons and a daughter to their family. In 2008, they returned to Florida, and walked through a season of joblessness, bankruptcy, and spiritual struggle. But God was faithful to restore them and provide a home, renewed purpose, and a greater understanding of the depth of His love and trustworthiness. Now, celebrating 34 years of marriage and having graduated all of their children into adulthood, Dan and Becky are experiencing the joy of God leading them into new areas of ministry. Becky now owns a seasonal business, providing swimming instruction for students with special needs. Over the last 7 years, the Lord has opened the doors for them to travel the world - sometimes separately, sometimes together - preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God. These travels have given them a love for the beauty of the many members of the Body of Christ, and a compassion for the places that the Bride of Christ is frayed, burned out, and struggling to keep the flame alive. With over 25 years in ministry, over 30 years of marriage, and having parented 4 kids to adulthood, Dan and Becky have personal experience with the struggles of walking with Jesus through everyday life. Their walk has uniquely equipped them to help others not only be reconciled to God, but to walk daily in abundant life, full of the oil of the Spirit and the fire of His love. Their heart is to, as the wise virgins in Matthew 25:7, prepare the spotless bride of Christ, helping her to trim away all that would dim her flame or cause it to sputter and smoke, allowing the oil of the Spirit to burn bright and clear.
What does our name mean?
Taken from Matthew 25:7, our name, “Trim the Wick” speaks to the realities of life as a believer and what we believe we are called to do to help the Bride of Christ to be both wise and prepared as we await Jesus’ return.
The parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) sees expectant brides, awaiting their groom…but he is delayed. In the waiting, they keep their lamps burning. Their lights don’t go out, but the longer the groom is delayed, the more their wicks get charred, hindering the oil from being fully absorbed. The flame dims. Parts of the wick dry out, curl, become so much more soot than oil-saturated-cloth that they fall off. The flame dims. Smoke rises. The virgins doze off…but then, the cry rang out! The bridegroom was here!! All of the virgins awoke with a startle and “Trimmed their lamps”.
This phrase encompasses all that it takes to prepare a lamp to burn cleanly and efficiently: trimming the wick, filling with oil, and then setting it aflame. It literally translates to “put their lamps in order.”
Step one of preparation is trimming away those charred, burnt ends off of the wick. An untrimmed wick is unable to absorb oil even if oil is available. Often, it is unable to sustain a flame at all. If it does light, the flame burns only dimly, and puts off a lot of smoke, burning eyes, staining surrounding materials, and potentially throwing fallen embers that set destructive flames alight. It’s a sad picture of the state of many believers today. So many have had their lamps filled with oil, have gone to the right place to meet Jesus, but have burned for too long without tending to trimming away the burnt parts of disappointment, overwhelm, hurt, hopelessness, loneliness - you name it. Their lamps are not in order. Their flame has become small and dim at best, smoky and destructive at worst. That is not the Bride that Jesus is returning for. He is coming for a beautiful bride, spotless and without wrinkle, shining with a clean, clear, bold flame.
It is our mission to come alongside our fellow “virgins”, the other members of the Bride, to help them cut those things away that would hinder them. To help them identify where their charred places are and to encourage them to boldly wield the blade (the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God) that would bring them freedom and power to shine. Only once this step is done can they then take up the extra oil and be filled to the full like the wise virgins in the parable. It is our heart that none would know the disaster of being unprepared and missing the Groom when He comes.
The parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) sees expectant brides, awaiting their groom…but he is delayed. In the waiting, they keep their lamps burning. Their lights don’t go out, but the longer the groom is delayed, the more their wicks get charred, hindering the oil from being fully absorbed. The flame dims. Parts of the wick dry out, curl, become so much more soot than oil-saturated-cloth that they fall off. The flame dims. Smoke rises. The virgins doze off…but then, the cry rang out! The bridegroom was here!! All of the virgins awoke with a startle and “Trimmed their lamps”.
This phrase encompasses all that it takes to prepare a lamp to burn cleanly and efficiently: trimming the wick, filling with oil, and then setting it aflame. It literally translates to “put their lamps in order.”
Step one of preparation is trimming away those charred, burnt ends off of the wick. An untrimmed wick is unable to absorb oil even if oil is available. Often, it is unable to sustain a flame at all. If it does light, the flame burns only dimly, and puts off a lot of smoke, burning eyes, staining surrounding materials, and potentially throwing fallen embers that set destructive flames alight. It’s a sad picture of the state of many believers today. So many have had their lamps filled with oil, have gone to the right place to meet Jesus, but have burned for too long without tending to trimming away the burnt parts of disappointment, overwhelm, hurt, hopelessness, loneliness - you name it. Their lamps are not in order. Their flame has become small and dim at best, smoky and destructive at worst. That is not the Bride that Jesus is returning for. He is coming for a beautiful bride, spotless and without wrinkle, shining with a clean, clear, bold flame.
It is our mission to come alongside our fellow “virgins”, the other members of the Bride, to help them cut those things away that would hinder them. To help them identify where their charred places are and to encourage them to boldly wield the blade (the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God) that would bring them freedom and power to shine. Only once this step is done can they then take up the extra oil and be filled to the full like the wise virgins in the parable. It is our heart that none would know the disaster of being unprepared and missing the Groom when He comes.
The Vision
- Trimming the Wick (Cutting away the old, burned, frayed, parts so that the oil can be taken up and burn clean)
- Filling with Oil (Being full of Holy Spirit, Exercising Spiritual Gifts, Strengthening Marriages & Families, Restoring/Building Up/Encouraging Pastors & Leaders)
- Burning Bright (Touching flame to flame, Uniting the Church across geography, culture, economy, & language)