God's Mercies

I know it has been too long since I've posted. It has been busy here! My in-laws came for a nice visit and after that, we had a week totally absorbed in preparations for our preschool ministry's annual Easter Egg Hunt. I always say that when I "retire", the person who succeeds me must have a large family, because it takes ALL of my family to pull off half of the stuff I do in my work at church. Anything from needing a last minute substitutes, to recruiting teen helpers, to stuffing 2,000 eggs for the Easter egg hunt! (and so much more.)

Mark continues to see steady activity in the business. We have not yet been able to write ourselves a paycheck, but the work is definitely heading in the right direction and we're getting closer to that goal. I've asked you repeatedly to pray for consistency in the work, and the Lord has given us that. Please make sure to praise Him and thank Him for that!! Now, I ask you to pray for continued consistency, and increase in the work!

I need to ask Mark to look at our books and confirm this with hard figures.... but, it seems that we finally got over our hump in the business around the time we gave our testimony at church. After we shared, Pastor asked everyone to pray for us, and I felt in my heart many sincere prayers that were prayed that morning! We also know many people at church were not aware of our situation until that day, and have been praying for us ever since. So, my bottom line is that I think that the the improvement in the business has a direct correlation to the power of prayer!

Now I must share an exciting discovery. In my Bible study I read this passage in Exodus 23. It is passage where God gives his assurances to the Israelites and tells how He will help them, but also an explanation as to why their progress in the Promised Land would be slow.:

"I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land."

The Message puts verse 30 this way:
"Little by little I'll get them out of there while you have a chance to get your crops going and make the land your own."

I see a direct correlation between this passage and our lives over the last year. Mark and I wanted and expected this business to take off faster than it has. Of course, just as Mark was diving into the industry, the housing market began to soften and eventually declined. But, even more frustrating was the fact that we felt God opened the door for the business and we knew He was capable of making things happen quickly. So, why didn't He? Perhaps it is for the same reasons He did not drive the inhabitants of the Israelite's land all at one time. He did it little by little because He wanted Israel to become stronger and better established in the land. It would be a gradual, but effective process. They would gain control of each part, as they were ready, and the slow progress would allow them to posses a land in good condition that could fully support them. He wanted them to be ready.

It made me think of our son, learning to drive. We first had him drive in a parking lot and learn how to maneuver the car. Then we took him to easy side streets and let him experience just a little traffic and stop signs and all of that. Later, we let him drive on busier streets and slowly progressed to the point where we thought he was ready to drive alone. But, even then, we had rules. No passengers for the first three months. Only driving familiar areas until he was confident. And so on... We knew we it would not benefit him to throw him in and let him learn everything all at once. We knew the process should be gradual in order to produce the best outcome.

Likewise, a slow start to the business has had its benefits. We have had time to develop better marketing tactics, to test different things and learn what works. We've had time to better define our vision for the business, to develop our own ideas on how things should be done.... to make it our own, rather than a carbon copy of others. Mark has had time to nurture great relationships with Realtors and to become a valuable information resource to many of them. He can take as much time as he feels he needs for an inspection, he doesn't have to rush off to another one. He has had time to take lots of classes and get more certifications and be better educated in the inspection business. He has had time to write Continuing Ed courses and teach them, which has been very valuable in developing meaningful relationships with Realtors. If he had become very busy immediately, it sure would've felt good, but would he have the strong foundation that would keep us going for many years to come?

So here is my new thought for the day.....

God, in His wisdom, often delays mercies because we are not ready for them.

Thank you, friends, for your patient prayers, love and support. It would've been easy to forget about us by now, or to be frustrated by our slow progress... but you continue to remember us and help us along. Thank you!

Let me count the ways....

I cannot even begin to recount all of the blessings we continue to receive from the hand of God each day. I'm sure you have noticed that I don't post specific stories quite so much these days, and it is not because God things aren't happening... but more because we've moved to a different phase in our situation. We've come to the place where we are typically asking God to meet that day's needs, and then thanking him each day that He has! We cannot always point to exactly how it happens, but we still have not had our oil and flour become empty. I just wanted to take a few minutes today to share some things He has done over the last few months.

We still receive gifts of various kinds from time to time. I am so humbled by the generous and amazing people of God, who have reached out to us, loved us, supported us with gifts and prayer, blessed us with notes of encouragement, etc. Thank you to each of you for every way you have blessed us.

Our family had the flu a few weeks ago. It was just after our COBRA coverage ended, so we had some pretty expensive medicines and doctor visits to contend with. That week we received very generous gifts that helped us SO very much in meeting the needs we had. In addition, a friend of mine gave me a BIG grocery sack of soups the week before! God provided the soup before we knew we had the need!

I have a friend who has won a grocery gift card from her work THREE times now during these many months. She has passed these on to us, and they have been a true blessing.

I have been volunteering at a community clothing closet in order to get free clothing there. This has helped several times when the kids or I needed something specific... I have found almost everything I've looked for while there.

Our bread ministry continues to bless us and helps others in the community. I deliver the leftover bread to a family in need, and am almost always blessed back with something in return.

Our daughter, Hannah, doesn't have a job (she's still a little too young for one) and she has a pretty active Shepherd's Group at our church. Unfortunately, everything this little group does seems to require money. But, God has been very faithful in providing the funds Hannah needs to participate in most of these outings. Just last week, she was completely penniless and was wanting to go ice skating with her Shepherd Group. That week, she received a card with $5 inside. Not quite enough, but she was $5 closer! Then, a couple days later, she was called about a babysitting job. Turns out they needed her to babysit several hours that Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon was the Shepherd Group outing! She did the babysitting and then had plenty of money to go, thanks to God's perfectly timed provision!!

I will also say that our freezer and pantry never seems to run out of food. We are completely amazed at how this happens. God multiples what we have and sometimes brings food from unexpected sources!! Same with our bank account. Mark can tell this story better than I can, but one day he looked at our bank balance in Quicken and in seeing the scheduled payments that would go out in the next few days, he could see that we'd be in the red by the end of the week. Next time he checked, some how, some way, there was money and we were not in the red even though we had made no deposits. How? Who knows, but Mark firmly believes it was a miracle.

Well, I could go on, but this post is long enough! Just know that God's Word is true and our God is faithful!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.....
Phil. 4:6

Before I close, I want to tell you how God is answering your prayers for our business. I've asked you to pray that the work would become more consistent. Well, for the last 2 months that is exactly what has happened. Mark has had an inspection each week! He is getting wonderful feedback from Realtors and customers. Things are going well. Keep praying! We need the consistency to continue and we also need for the amount of work to increase. We are getting closer to being able to write ourselves a paycheck!

With God All Things are Possible

This has been one of my favorite scriptures throughout the many months of challenges and struggles. There is another scripture that frequently comes to mind, too. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." These verses are a source of comfort and inspiration to me, and the other day I was reminded of just how powerful God's Word is.

I was at WalMart and was very slowly trying to make my way down a crowded aisle with my cart. As I was trying to maneuver around a pole and avoid bumping anyone, a woman suddenly put her hand out and grasped my arm. I stopped. She was looking down at my purse, which was sitting in the seat of the shopping cart. With great emotion in her voice she slowly read the scripture that is embroidered on it out loud, "With God all things are possible." Then, she looked up at me with wide eyes and said, "I needed to see that today." I smiled and said, "Me too." We exchanged smiles again and I went on my way.

Don't you just love the Word of God? It is a soothing balm. It is God's tool and is so powerful.

I mentioned already that I won a blog contest, and I should've shared the link to the store in case you are interested in getting a scripture quote or something else for your walls. It is from: Quote the Walls. I am going to order the "...all things are possible... " scripture. My scripture purse was also won in a blog contest, and it came from Leigh Gray's blog.

Isaiah 55:11 tells us that God's Word will not return void. Here is how The Message puts it:

"Just as rain and snow descend from the skies

and don't go back until they've watered the earth,

Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,

producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,

So will the words that come out of My mouth not come back empty-handed.

They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them."

Draw Near

The video of our church's services is up on the web site now. The title of the sermon is Draw Near. Unfortunately, it doesn't allow you to fast forward, so you do have to watch the music portion of th e service. Not that it is necessarily bad, but it makes it a little harder to have time to view it. I must say, it is well worth taking the time to watch it though. Dr. Blankenship's sermon was amazing and his wife's testimony at the beginning was just as incredible. Keep your hanky handy.

You can also download the mp3 through itunes (here) or though the church web site. I think that the mp3s only have the testimony and sermon, not the music.:

Let me know what you think in the comments!! By the way, Sherry's book, Draw Near: One Pilgrim's Journey Through Grief into the Lap of Jesus is available at Amazon.

Also, just a quick mention that I won another blog contest on the fabulous Pennies In My Pocket blog!! Check it out for information on bargain shopping and saving money. It is so funny, of the two blog contests I've won, both prizes have been items with the scripture "Everything is possible with God." I think God is trying to make sure I don't forget it!

When You Pass Through the Waters

I mentioned before that our pastor is doing a series of messages on the Grace of God. He had a guest speaker come yesterday and he preached a powerful message. His family went through a trial of immense proportions. I will share a link to where you can view the sermon online or listen as soon as it becomes available (probably Wednesday).

The focus of the message was this passage, from Isaiah 43

"...Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
"For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior..."

I'm sure I have read this passage before, but it truly touched me in a new way. One thing our speaker pointed out is that this scripture says "WHEN YOU pass through the waters....". It doesn't say IF. This is a certainty of life --- we will encounter trials and difficulties. No one escapes it. But, there is another certainty in the life of a believer. We should not fear when we pass through the river of trouble because He has redeemed us and we are His. What a precious thought! God has staked claim over a believer's life. We can be certain that when we pass through trials He will be with us. We are never alone in our difficulties, in our miseries, and in our pain!

Think about that for a moment. The One and only true God.... the One Who is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient is with us at every single moment. And this is the One Who has claimed you for His own, and promises to love you always. He says that even though He will not spare you from troubles in life, He will not allow them to defeat you. He simply will not allow it! That is a pretty powerful promise.

Birthday

It is Hannah's birthday Monday. She wanted to have a birthday party and I told her she could have a gift OR a party.... so basically saying if she chose a party, that would be her gift. Because she LOVES to hang out with her friends, the birthday party sounded much better than anything she could unwrap, so she chose a party!

One event she looks forward to EVERY year is Winter Jam... it is tomorrow and she really wanted to go. I had $50 for the birthday party and I told her that if I had $10 left after buying what we needed, I'd give it to her to buy a ticket to Winter Jam. However, by the time I made her cake and bought stuff to make chili for the party along with a couple bags of chips, there wasn't anything left.

She talked about Winter Jam every day and I told her we'd just have to take that request to God and see what His answer would be. It was starting to look like she wasn't going to be able to go. We ran some errands and she mentioned it several times when we were out, and I was trying very hard not to feel bad about it. I just felt God would take care of it even though it was the "11th hour". When we got home, there were two birthday cards in the mailbox with money inside. I said to her, "I knew God would come through!" and she just smiled from ear to ear.

Grace for Grace

We shared a few minutes at church on Sunday about our experiences over the last 19 months. It was somewhat overwhelming trying to decide what to say.... how to condense 19 months in just a couple of minutes! It was a good exercise, however, to think again about all that has occurred, all we have learned, all the ways God has provided for us physically, emotionally and spiritually. I know that our faith has grown in ways that it never would have outside of a trial. We have come to know God so much better and have come to love Him more.

For me, the last 9 months of starting a business has been more difficult than the 10 months of job hunting before that. I think that is because the time of searching for a job allows you to always be looking towards something that might just be your light at the end of the tunnel. While, building a business... well, I guess I just feel like we were thrust back in the middle of a long tunnel again. We believe God opened up the doors for the business and it is hard to understand why He still is not using the work we do there to meet our physical needs. It was what I fully expected, and I have had to readjust my thinking a serious bit! I have come to believe that God is just taking our trust level up another notch. Having gone a long 19 months without a paycheck is unbelievable. There is absolutely no way it could be possible without God mastering the whole thing. I should testify again to you all.... our flour and oil still are not empty!! We have not missed a payment, we have not missed a meal. It doesn't make sense when you look at it from the natural.... only within the supernatural is it possible.

If you have a chance, listen to the FBC podcast. (Yes, we've entered the 21st century at FBC! Just go to the itunes store and search our church's name.) Pastor is doing a series of messages about God's grace. The first two were wonderful. One of the things he talked about this Sunday is that every need in our life is an opportunity for God to share His grace.

He also talked about how God provided water, manna, and quail for the Israelites when they were wandering in the dessert. They were instructed to collect the manna every morning, and they couldn't store it up for the next day or later. Pastor compared that to God's grace. His grace is "new every morning". God's grace from yesterday is not for today. Every day that you experience grace in your life it becomes easier to trust in God in many ways, but you can't depend on yesterday's grace for today, or store today's up for tomorrow. "Fresh needs, fresh supply". It was such a great explanation of the cycle I find myself in during the struggle to remain optimistic and to continue to trust in God when things aren't going the way I would like them to. It is frustrating to me when I'm running on empty.... I feel like I'm being weak and failing. But, after Pastor's message I have a new understanding of this... each day I must go back to God for another measure of grace... enough grace to get through the next day. Or on a really bad day... enough grade to get through the next hour.

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Lam. 3:20-22

"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another."

John 1:16 (NIV)

Remember when the Israelites were at the edge of the Promised Land for the first time? They sent spies in and two came out saying the land was wonderful, while the others came out spewing doubts and fears.

The Israelites responded to Moses: "Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart. They say, 'The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky.... "Deut. 1:28

Then I (Moses) said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." Deut. 1:29-31

"In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God." Deut. 1:32 (The KJV says, "In this thing you did not believe the Lord your God.")

While we wait and struggle and hope and pray for this business to grow...... there have been many moments when I have been like those brothers in the above verse... I have been counting the giants, calculating their height, and factoring our odds. But, God reminds me that we must not react in fear when God has opened the door. In the past, He has gone before us in the "desert" and met our needs over and over again. Quite honestly, the giants are still pretty scary... we ARE the little guy in the picture, but we have a great big God!!

If you look back at the early days of this blog, you'll see that God has performed small miracles in our lives for months and months, we've witnessed His love, power and provision in our lives, we've experienced amazing answers to prayer. God will continue to go ahead of us, fight for us, and carry us when we need to be carried until we reached our "promised land".

I am choosing to trust God "in this".


----

On another front, I never did share that God provided a wonderful Christmas for our family. We had plenty of food, gifts under the tree and family in our home. I had prayed and asked very specifically for something regarding Christmas that I don't feel I can share the specifics of here.... but God answered that prayer in exactly the way I asked. I know God is not our Santa Claus and He sometimes says no to our requests. But, this is one time when He said yes in a big way and showed me once again that is working on our behalf each and every day.

Happy New Year!

I have been horrible about writing this month, but things have been incredibly busy. I just thought I'd take a quick moment this morning to update everyone.

Mark had some business in the month. We were very thankful for that. We need continued growth and consistency in the work, so please continue to pray about that. He'll have a few inspections close together, and then nothing for 6-8 weeks. As you can imagine that isn't bringing the income we need! Just pray, pray, pray! I do have to say, I received some assurance through a radio show I listen to regularly.... they were saying that 2 out of 3 Realtors are putting their licenses into referral right now and many people in real estate related fields are getting out during this housing market slump. BUT, (they said) when the market does pick up again, there will be bigger pieces of the pie for those who manage to hang on through the slump. Many people have said to me that it was "bad timing" for Mark to get into this line of work right now. That does appear to be so on the surface. I often say that God's timing doesn't make sense in our economy.... but HE knows what is around the corner. Maybe, just maybe it was the PERFECT time. If we can just hang on until the market picks up, then he just might have a better shot at making a very good living at this, than he would've if he'd tried at another time! Please continue to pray for God's provision and that He'll bring as much work as possible to us.


Hope in the Lord. . .

Have you never heard or understood?
Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to those who are tired and worn out;
he offers strength to the weak.
Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up.
But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength.
They will fly high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

I will learn to fly!! (Yes, I'm STILL learning!)

Thank You

A box arrived.... wow! How did you know Mark's favorite candy... and our teenagers' favorite coffee... and our affinity for a bowl of fresh nuts in the wintertime?

God-selected gifts on a God-selected day. He knew we needed a little encouragement.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity!

Not what we wanted to hear...

Mark didn't get the inspection.This is one of those days when we just have to yield to the Almighty's sovereignty and know that He is in control even when it doesn't make sense in our earthly economy.

When a man doubts the sovereignty of God he shows himself to be Adam more than at any other time. He is saying, “God, I do not want you to run things; I want to run them.” But when a man says, “Yes, Lord, You can do with me what You please; You created me,” he accepts the sovereignty of God.

..... What is required of us is that we be so yielded to God that we can understand the nature of the place where He has put us, the nature of the assets He has put at our disposal; and that we should say to Him, “Lord, I would be faithful as I am, where I am, for Thee.”

excerpt from sermon by Donald Grey Barnhouse

Pray Today

Mark got a call a couple of days ago for a bid on a commercial inspection. He NEEDS this job... please pray that God will open the doors.
Thank you for standing with us in prayer!

We Have a Secret Santa

We have a secret Santa and I have no idea if he/she reads this blog, but just in case.... thank you!

“ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Power of Prayer

Apparently someone came into the church office saying that they had ordered too many turkeys for their staff (or something like that) and wanted to know if they knew of people who could use them. The church staff took several for our church's adopted Christmas families and for others, including our family. I know the turkey is nowhere near as dramatic, but it made me think of a George Mueller story. He is the man who ran an orphanage completely through his prayers and the Lord's provision.

Here's an excerpt telling this story from George Mueller: The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans (Christian Heroes: Then & Now) :

“I hate to bother you, Mr. Muller,” began the matron, “but... the children are all ready for breakfast and there is not a thing in the house to eat. What shall I tell them?”

George stood up. “I’ll take care of it."... [He] reached down and took [a little girl's hand] hand. “Come and see what God will do,” he said. Inside they found three hundred children standing in neat rows behind their chairs. Set on the table in front of each child were a plate, a mug... and spoon. But there was no food whatsoever to be seen....

“...where’s the food?” Abigail asked in a whisper.

“God will supply,” George told her quietly, before he turned to address the children. “There’s not much time. I don’t want any of you to be late for school, so let us pray,” he announced.

As the children bowed their heads, George simply prayed, “Dear God, we thank you for what you are going to give us to eat. Amen.”

George looked up and smiled at the children. “You may be seated,” he said. He had no idea at all where the food he had just prayed for would come from or how it would get to the orphanage. He just knew God would not fail the children. A thunderous din filled the room as three hundred chairs were scuffed across the wooden floor. Soon all three hundred children sat obediently in front of their empty plates.

No sooner had the noise in the dining room subsided than there was a knock at the door. George walked over and opened the door. In the doorway stood the baker, holding a huge tray of delicious-smelling bread.

“Mr. Muller,” began the baker, “I couldn’t sleep last night. I kept thinking that somehow you would need bread this morning and that I was supposed to get up and bake it for you. So I got up at two o’clock and made three batches for you. I hope you can use it.”

George smiled broadly. “God has blessed us through you this morning,” he said as he took the tray....

“There’s two more trays out in the cart,” said the baker. “I’ll fetch them.” Within minutes, the children were all eating freshly baked bread.

As they were enjoying it there was a second knock at the door. This time it was the milkman, who took off his hat and addressed George. "I'm needing a little help, of you could, sir. The wheel on my cart has been broken, right outside your establishment. I'll have to lighten my load before I can fix it. There's ten full cans of milk on it. Could you use them?" Then looking at the orphans sitting in neat rows, he added. "Free of charge, of course...." [pp. 166-168]

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power
and produces wonderful results.
(James 5:16, NKJV)

Please continue to prayer for us. Prayer is one of our most powerful resources!

Jehovah-Jireh

On Sunday, I told God I was tired and I was very sorry to act like an Israelite again... but I really needed to see His hand in my life, to see His assurances again. I didn't ask for anything specific, just for God to show Himself. Yesterday (Monday) a grocery gift card arrived in the mail. God, apparently, had already set the wheels in motions to answer my humble prayer before I even prayed it.

I get frustrated and impatient. I'm exceedingly human in my responses to life and frustrations. God just keeps whispering to me, "I am your provider, I'm Jehovah Jireh."

"Jehovah-jireh," the Lord will see to it, the Lord will provide.

Thankful Thinking

It is Thanksgiving this week, and we have so much to be thankful for, don't we? Yes, our economy is getting a little scary, and the war that will not end continues, and violence and difficulties are all over the world...

Yet, we can have confidence in the ONE and only Father of the Universe. He is in control of our world and our circumstances. This week, Laine's Letter encouraged mothers to be Thankful Thinkers. She shared how her mother lived her life in this way, even during days of homelessness, when her family lived in a Volkswagon van for months and months. Being thankful in those circumstances would require supernatural strength and fortitude. I would guess that it would only be possible in a woman who was intimately acquainted with God... and woman who sat and drank from His Word on a regular basis. I pray that I can be that kind of woman.

This has been one of the hardest years I've faced, especially the last six months or so. But, can I still be thankful? You betcha. Here is my "Thankful Thirteen":

1) Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Cor. 9:15)
2) God's love and faithfulness in each and every circumstance of my life.
3) My Family... they are the very best in the world.
4) Our granddaughter. I am in awe of her beauty and of the love we immediately feel for this little one. We are thankful to have her with us this Thanksgiving!
5) Our military. I am thankful for the service men and women who work to protect our freedoms and make unimaginable sacrifices each and every day.
6) Our military families. Thank you for your sacrifices, past, present and future. I do not know how mothers and wives of soldiers do it. You are my heroes.
7) Food to eat. We received a generous gift that will give us a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner here at home, and more.
8) A Christmas tree in storage that we will pull out this weekend, stand in a corner, and then walk down memory lane as we hang each ornament and reminisce. I have ornaments from my grandparent's trees, ornaments that have been gifts to me from friends and family, some my children made.... it is a pleasant annual ritual.
9) A caring church family. So many of you have helped us through the last year and a half. You have given supportive words, gifts, love, encouragement, etc., etc. What would we do without our brothers and sisters in Christ?
10) The Word of God. I drink thirstily from it daily. How different life would be without it's reassurances and hope.
11) A roof over my head. Our home has some problems, but it is warm and dry and I am thankful for that!
12) Clothes to wear.... I'm amazed that God provides in this area so faithfully. Even when we haven't had money to buy clothes, He helps me find a way.
13) Generous grandparents, who have helped our kids not feel the brunt of the job loss as greatly as they might have... they have provided them with things that they need, assistance for youth trips, school expenses, etc.

Today I pray this beautiful prayer over each of you who have been so supportive, loving and caring towards us. God bless you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

I thank my God every time I remember you.
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy
.....And this is my prayer:
that your love may abound more and more in knowledge
and depth of insight,
so that you may be able to discern what is best
and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ—
to the glory and praise of God.
Phil. 1:3-11

Amen and Amen

***

Be Strong and Courageous!

Our pastor preached on Hezekiah yesterday. In 2 Chronicles, it tells of the time when Hezekiah learned that the king of Assyria was coming with his army to attack. The kids and I recently studied the Assyrians and the textbook we have called them some of the first "terrorists" in history... they were very brutal and very feared. I can only imagine how Hezekiah and those around him must've felt when they heard this news. But, Hezekiah was strong in his faith and he encouraged his people to be strong:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said." (2 Chron. 32:7-8)

Pastor shared this list that he called "The Positive Value of Trials and Tests":
Trials and Tests:
1) Keep us dependent on God -- 2 Chron. 32:7-8
2) Reveal the true nature of our spirit
3) Purifiies us
4) Strengthen us ("Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish." Is. 38:17)
5) Glorify God
6) Encourage others.

I can say amen and amen on all accounts. We never learn full dependence on God until life's crutches are swept away and we find ourselves either sprawled on the ground or throwing our whole self on God's mercy and allowing Him to hold us up. In addition, we won't know the true nature of our faith until it is tested-- This is when we make a mental choice to be "strong and courageous" -- a decision we an only make because we know on Whom we lean!

Pastor's third point is that trials purify us... When a refiner is working to purify silver, he will put the silver over a fire. The silver melts and eventually the dross (the impurities) will begin to float to the top. This allows the refiner to skim those out and the silver become more pure. It is a perfect picture of trials.... they may at times bring out the worst in us. But, then the ugliness we hide inside of us comes to the surface and God will help us remove it from our lives. This is where the rubber meets the road.

I don't know if Pastor purposely put the above points in the order he did, but I almost see it as steps to success... first we have to be fully dependent on God... if we are able to do that, then our faith is proved strong. Then, we find ourselves being purified through the trial... and finally, we find ourselves and our faith strengthened by our experience! As we work our way through the trial, we can use the experience to bring glory to God and to encourage others. I've found this to be true in my life. Because of what we've experienced, I've had numerous opportunities to encourage and minister to other women whose husbands have also lost their jobs, or who have dealt with other difficult losses.

Nothing is wasted in God's economy. If you are experiencing a trial, then know that God has allowed it for a reason and will help you through it and eventually use it in your life for some good purpose. He is there and waiting for you to lean on Him, but He doesn't force Himself on us. He waits for us to choose. Putting your trust in Him throughout a difficult or long trial, sometimes only happens through sheer willpower. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking trust and faith will bubble out of us automatically when we need it, but rather it can be a battle to get there. I hope my blog never gives anyone the idea that I don't have down times. I literally have to fight to keep doubt and uncertainties at bay and some days it is more difficult than others. It IS a spiritual battle "against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil" and just like the scripture says we must, "put on the full armor of God so that we can stand our ground." (Eph. 6:10-18)

Most of all, remember that God is trustworthy and faithful, even when we are not. He is always there and waiting to take our full weight upon Him at any given moment. There is never a pit so deep that He can not rescue us. His arm is never too short. Put your trust in Him, even if is only by sheer willpower. He will not fail you.

With Thanksgiving....

I'm happy to report that Mark had two inspections this week. Thank you for your prayers! It is odd how they have come... seems like always in bunches of 2 or 3 and then nothing for weeks and weeks. We really need consistency in the work, so please continue to pray. I'd love to see this turned around through the power of prayer!

I always feel leery about sharing too many details about our financial situation.... and yet we want to everyone to know how God continues to provide, so that He receives the glory. Can I just say that God showed us again that He is keeping our flour and oil from becoming empty? We needed some money for living expenses and found a way to do that, and then God replaced that money very quickly. Praise God! We also received an anonymous gift in the mail, which will go to groceries. Thank you. God is so faithful.

Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 4:6

.....

God Blesses

Unfortunately, no work recently. The dry periods are pretty discouraging to be quite honest. I've been praying for God to make the work more consistent. Please pray with me about that. When the housing market recovers, things should get easier because Mark does get enthusiastic responses from folks he has worked with. We need wisdom to make good decisions in the interim.

On occasion, we still have blessings pop up when we need them most. Whenever possible, I buy groceries when God has provided cash to do so. It is extraordinary at times, how it comes into my hand. Recently, a friend again won a drawing at work and got a grocery store gift card. She passed it on to me and it was such a tremendous blessing as I planned and prepared to squeeze the biggest benefit out of that card! Another friend gave us a sack of groceries with cheeses and vegetables and nutrtious home ground flour. Since we use a lot of Panera's bread from our bread ministry (great w/ the cheeses) and because we have a vegetarian in the family, it couldn't be more perfect for our needs. Other times, help might come from book sales or extra work or selling school things we aren't using anymore. God is very creative in His provision.

I love to find ways to spend only $40-50 a week at the grocery store. Sometimes I'm not able to do it, especially weeks I have to buy meat, but it is always my goal. Some people have asked how I do it and maybe some day I'll start a web site just for that. But, it is definitely a challenge and I'm always learning more.

The bread ministry is good. We've been able to help many people who have serious financial difficulties. Most recently, our son became aware of someone who has absolutely no food, but works during our bread distribution time We're working out a way to make sure he gets bread each week. We only have maybe 6-8 families pick up bread at the church, but between deliveries and people who come by my house to get bread, we're probably ministering to more than a dozen families who need assistance.

Our second son's band has released their first CD. It is great! I can tell you how to buy one or listen to samples of the music if you contact me.

God bless you!!

Believe God to be Huge

I am just finding it amazing how God seems to be providing for my studies for the Western Civilizations CLEP test. At Precept class last night, Kay Arthur’s teaching centered on a time line on a portion of the time period I have been studying. So, now I have our pastor's teaching at church, my Bible study on Daniel, and my Bible study on Revelation ALL pouring into my history studies. Is that cool or what?

On a whim decided to listen to some of Beth Moore’s teaching on Romans today. Here is a rough rendering from my notes on one small portion on her teaching on faith. She was teaching out of Romans 9:

Warning: This is literally from my notes, so yes, the wording isn't always so smooth... but I think you'll get the idea!

You cannot exercise faith when God won’t give you credit for it…. I am convinced that God will bless our faith, even when He cannot bless our request…. I think there are times when (we are praying and acting in faith for something he cannot give us) and He looks at us says, “You are so darlin’ and that was so good. But, I really cannot do that for you, because that would not be best for where I’m going and how this plan has to pan itself out. But I want you to know that you really made me grand and I’m going to bless you for that because you got out there, you took the risk. And you tried to ride that wave.”

…. God wants you to know that you have something in you, which you do not think you have in yourself… We have it within us to be mighty, mighty warriors and if we get everything we ever ask we are never going to be mighty warriors. When we get out there, and in spite of things not going as we hoped, we still say, “MY GOD IS FAITHFUL…. And, Lord, I confess to you, I don’t have a clue as to what you’re doing…but I know Who You are…. and when I don’t know what to believe you will do , I know Who I can believe You are. And I’m going to believe you to be huge.” (I know the wording on the last two sentences are rough, but I hope you'll reread it, if necessary, to get what she was saying... it is powerful.)

Believe God to be huge and He will credit it to you every time.