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.

An Update

Some of our friends and family check here for updates on the business and our family, so today I thought I'd do that.

Mark taught his first class for the Board of Realtors and it went very well. He received lots of positive feedback and even had a couple of inspections come to him the next few days through Realtors who attended the class. Teaching is one of Mark's strengths, so it makes perfect sense for him to use that skill to "market" the business. Please pass Marks name along if you have friends buying or selling a home. I've put a link to the business website in the links to the left (I think you have to scroll down a bit to find it.) While I'm at it, I might also mention that you should test your home for Radon! We did ours and found out it was very high, in spite of the fact that we had it tested when we bought the house some 10 years ago and it was okay then. Radon levels can change over time and the EPA recommends testing every-other-year. You can have mitigation done to bring the radon down to safe levels if you find out it is high. Mark did a radon test in another home this past week that was really, really high. You can do it yourself inexpensively with a kit from your local hardware store. The type of test Mark does is more expensive because it is a continuous electronic monitor with some anti-tampering safeguards. The type from the hardware store is okay if you're doing your own house outside of a real estate transaction.

Now on to praisin' God, I've had some book sales (the Missouri history curriculum I wrote several years ago) and did some babysitting.... I love it when God brings a little cash to my hand for groceries! Until the housing market picks up, we just keep praying that God will bring the provisions for our family. And, He always does.

The kids are studying for some CLEP tests right now, and I decided to study along with them and try to finish up my degree. We're currently studying World Civ I and am trying to do it without spending more money on materials. God provides again... did you know that a lot of the stuff on the World Civilizations test is Bible history? And guess what? Our pastor is currently teaching a series of messages about the very things we are studying for the World Civ test. Plus, my study of Daniel also covers much of the same material (Example: Did you know that Nebachadnezzar suffered from Lycanthropy? Yep, that was on the CLEP practice test.) Additional materials, I've been able to find at the library. God provides! I've blown away daily by my Daniel study. I hope to share some of it with you later.

God bless you all and we still covet your prayers for God's provision and for His direction in our lives .


"So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward.
For you need endurance in order to do God's will and so receive what is promised."

Hebrews 10:35-3

Holy, Holy, Holy

I received my purse Saturday and it is sooooo cute! But, what I love best is the scripture-- a simple verse, but so profound. Perhaps God chose it for me, so that every time I pick it I'll think of His love, power and provision in my life.

I've been studying Revelation in my Precept Bible class this quarter and it has been awesome to do this course again. I went through it before in 1994 and it has been interesting to pull out my old books and revisit my notes, especially in light of today's world, post 9/11. In addition, I have been doing Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy by Beth Moore. To study those two books side-by-side.... WOW! All of scripture has an intricate pattern and works together to reveal our Lord and Savior in mind boggling ways.

I have been doing a lot of praying about my present trials and I think God is using it to make me desperate to know Him better.... Take away all the crutches in life, and what do you have left? I was very moved while studying Revelation and seeing the those who sit around His throne day and night continuously worship and say, "Holy, Holy, Holy".

These creatures see all that God does.... they see all of His judgments, they are intimately acquainted with His character, they know Him in ways we will never know Him this side of heaven. And they are still so awestruck they continually worship and tell God how holy He is!

"Day and night they never stop saying:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come."
.... (they) fall down before him who sits on the throne,
and worship him who lives for ever and ever.
They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."

Does this not sound like a God we can trust to carry us through the darkest of times?
Does this not sound like a God worthy of all praise and honor?

.

How cool! I won?!!!

When I was given the "Fruit of the Spirit Graphic" to display on my blog a few months ago it kind of opened up the blogosphere to me. Yes, I'd been keeping a blog for over a year, but I guess I never realized there was a whole blogging community of Christian women out there.

But after receiving the Fruit of the Spirit Graphic, I started visiting some of the other sites that display the graphic... from time to time, I've browsed and following little rabbit trails throughout various blogs. I've found some amazing spiritual content out there and some just plain ol' great writing, too! One day I came across a blog with cute little purses embroidered with scriptures for sale. I showed my daughter and we oohed and aahed over them for a while. A few weeks later, I saw that Iris of Sting My Heart was giving away one of these cute little purses... but I never win anything and I didn't really consider entering. But, you know how some thoughts become nagging? Well, I thought about it several times during the day and ended up talking myself into going back to the blog and posting to enter the drawing.

Guess what? I won! It is such a blessing I cannot even tell you how much! I think God hand- picked this one for a little encouragement. The last few weeks have been some of the toughest of the last year for me. God knew... and God blessed.

Of course, it was just a terrific ending for a beautiful week after the birth of our little princess-grandbaby on Wednesday!

Thank you, Iris and God bless you! (I hope you had a wonderful birthday!)

We're Royalty!

We have a granddaughter! And she is beautiful, of course!

A friend of mine sent me an ecard with this verse.....

"Children's children are a crown to the aged..." Prov. 17:6

If I can just ignore the "aged" part for a minute.... what a thrill to have my first "crown".

.

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD!

I never would've guessed that God would use Habakkuk to encourage me. It just seems like a doom and gloom book. But, when I got to the very last section of chapter 3.... THIS:

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength,
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.

In "today's terms" Habakkuk is saying... the bank account may be empty, the pantry may not have any food, the labor may not produce any income.... yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will find my joy in the Lord of my salvation. He makes me sure-footed in the rockiest of places... He is my strength.

I later read the first chapter of Oswald Chamber's biography. I won't go into the context for brevity's sale, but Chambers was quoted as saying, "I don't care what God DOES, it's what God IS that I care about." The writer went on to explain that God's actions can be very confusing, but God Himself never is.

It is just another reminder that I give circumstances way too much power in my life. I might even have to admit that sometimes I focus too much on what God does.

Sometimes I just need to sit and adore Him and nothing more.

The God We Worship Can Save Us from the Fire

I can never get over how kind and generous so many people are. We are also blessed to see the Lord answer numerous prayers.

First of all, two friends who had lost jobs, found new ones! We prayed and prayed for this and are so very thankful to the Lord. Mark and I understand what they went through... we empathize with every person we hear about who have entered this little "club" that no one wants to belong to, and I pray fiercely for them. One of these families had endured a two year long job search, and the other only a few days. You never know what God will ask of you. It goes to show that everyone's story will be different. If you compare our story with each of the above, they are all decidedly different. There are no cookie-cutter Christians. God has differing and beautiful plans for each of our lives.

When we encounter a trial:

• God may choose to deliver us from the fire, which builds our faith.
  
• God may choose to deliver us through the fire, which refines our faith. (1 Peter 1:6-7)
• God may choose to deliver us by the fire into His arms, which perfects our faith. (Hebrews 12 1-2)

Now, on to report more of God's goodness.... God's people are the most amazing of His creation.... :-)

• A card came in the mail with a gift for school supplies and a few days later it was followed by a small package.... the movie "Facing the Giants" was inside with a note saying that they thought we needed our own copy. How incredibly thoughtful! I know I will watch this again and again because God has used it for great encouragement when I've been down
• Every week, I deliver bread to a family in need. This family has been blessing us back with their excess produce.
  
• Someone else shared some delicious cheese and several other goodies with us.
• Wonderful people from church gave us a bunch of baby clothes and things their daughter had outgrown, for our soon-coming granddaughter. I feel bad that we cannot do more to help prepare for this precious little one's arrival... so it was a very sweet feeling to have something to give to my son and daughter-in-love to help out.
• Some ladies at church hosted a baby shower for our daughter-in-love.... it really helped to fill in those final items that were needed.
• I mentioned my birthday a few posts ago... but I don't think I mentioned that I had the nicest gifts in the world. First some money gifts from our parents and grandparents -- I got something I wanted (to help me keep positive thoughts) and then something I needed... actually my daughter and I both needed shoes, so I got some for each of us. Mark was at his parents the week of my birthday and so my mother-in-law sent a birthday cake she made and comfy pajamas (which I also needed!) with Mark when he came home. The kids all had extremely thoughtful gifts for me, too. It was a blessed day.
  
• We thought we didn't have dental insurance, but one day I noticed our insurance card still said "dental" on the front. We checked into it and we do still have coverage, at least until our COBRA runs out. Great timing, because our daughter needs to have her wisdom teeth out. However... remember the problem we were having with her congenitally missing tooth? Well, the problem has grown into an extremely complicated and expensive one. Please mention this to the Lord in your prayers. We have no idea how this could possibly work out! But, God surely has a way and we need to have His guidance in it.
• Mark has gotten a little bit of business, but it is still very far from where it needs to be. He's spent his time doing lots of marketing, improving our Internet presence, taking courses for more certifications, writing a Continuing Ed class for the Board of Realtors, etc. But the fruit is still slow in coming. The housing market is sluggish, so that is a major ingredient. Mark is terrific at doing the inspections and the Lord opened this door... so I have no doubt that this will work out eventually. But, there are difficult decisions to make while waiting for business to come and this is heavy on my heart. Please pray about this if you think of us from time to time. God needs to clearly direct in this situation.

Psalm 126:4-7 (The Message)

And now, God, do it again—
bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
So those who planted their crops in despair
will shout hurrahs at the harvest,
So those who went off with heavy hearts
will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

.

Seeing His Power

I was reading a beautiful sermon by John MacArthur today and although it is all terrific, I thought I'd share just a paragraph. It might minister to some of you as it has me. He was preaching on Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

He (the Apostle Paul) found his contentment in the manifest strength of Christ that comes to the believer when he has exhausted his human resources. Now let me translate that into what I'm saying...contentment is a byproduct of distress. Contentment comes when you experience the sustaining power of Christ in those times when you have no human strength. To him who has no might, God increases strength. If you've never been there, maybe you've never experienced it. Paul says, "I'm content, I've seen the power of God." We should be praying, you know, for enough distress in our life, for enough difficulty in our life to cast us on Christ that we might see His power explode in our behalf and therein to be content.

We've definitely seen God's power explode in our behalf. Not only in meeting our physical needs, but ministering to us and pulling us close to Him so that we would grow stronger in our relationship with Him. I cannot imagine a better classroom for learning to trust God and to love Him better.


You can read the whole of the sermon here.

I Must Go Through the Valley

I've shared this quote from George Muller before, but it just came to mind today and I felt compelled to share it again.

"I desire that you may taste the sweetness of that state of heart,

in which, while surrounded by difficulties and necessities,

you can yet be at peace,

because you know that the living God,

your Father in heaven, cares for you."

Don't you think it is true that when life is going along smoothly with no major bumps in the road, sometime our human response is to put God in the passenger seat? As Christians, we know He is there, we love Him, and we still believe. However, we may not be putting our lives in His hands like we should.

But, then we come to a place where the road drops off and we find ourselves in a treacherous valley. We can keep driving and try to make it on our own, but that is a pretty frightening experience.... and most likely will lead to failure. Or we can put God back in the driver's seat (where he belongs anyway!) and enjoy the sweet peace and comfort that comes from being fully dependent on God. When we are willing turn the wheel over to the One who knows the way, He will guide us through the darkness and minister to us day by day.... This is the sweetness of the state of the heart that Muller speaks of. Eventually we will find ourselves on the mountain, wallowing in the glory of recognizing all that God has done and how great He is.

What are the lessons of the valley?

Besides the sweet peace I mentioned above, here are some of the things I've learned in our experience....

One, is that God uses the valleys to show us things in our lives we need to change. Unfortunately, dark times often reveal the worst in us, putting our weaknesses and failures under the spotlight. But, this spotlight view can lead us to making some needed changes. And if the dark times came because of our weaknesses and failures, this can be a compelling catalyst for change. These things bring us closer to becoming the person God wants us to be.

Two, God uses the valleys to test our faith. God doesn't need the test, WE do. Difficult times help us to learn the reliability our faith. Faith cannot be seen... but the results of faith in a difficult situation can be seen.

Three, difficulties and trials give God the opportunity to demonstrate his love, power, and provision in our lives. If our lives are free of difficulties, we never have the opportunity to truly experience and see these attributes of God. And when God does display His glory in this way, our faith is then taken to the next level.

I confess, our journey is not one I would wish for, yet knowing what I know now...

it is also one I wouldn't want to miss.

"I must go through the valley,

to stand upon the mountain of God"

(Song: Mountain of God by Third Day)

How Great is Our God

Mark has two inspections scheduled this week after having many, many weeks passing with nothing. One resulted from Mark's visit to a real estate office and another resulted from the breakfast meeting he spoke at. Please praise God for those!!! Continue to pray that the Lord will bring business.

Five or six months ago, I put the movie "Facing the Giants" on reserve at the library. There was such a long line of reserves I didn't get it until about 2 weeks ago. I had seen the movie when our church showed back in March... it was great with wonderful life lessons. But, recently I had been unraveling like an old sock, mentally and spiritually -- so in God's impeccable timing, He used the movie to remind me of some things and encourage me.

The death crawl scene reminded me of what God is doing with me. I cannot see what is ahead or how far I will have to go in this "crawl". If I knew I might be be too afraid and I also might be defeated by my self-perceived limitations. We just need to continue to go forward, do the best we can, and leave the results up to God.

Today is my 39th birthday (ha-ha... yep that may be a little "off") and it is also 14 months since Mark's job ended. God is a miracle worker.... we are still in our home, we still have food, we have every need met. Praise God!

Name above all names
You are Worthy of our praise
and My heart will sing how great
Is our God

~*~

Shape Your Worries Into Prayers

I don't use The Message for serious Bible study, but I do enjoy looking up specific verses in it to get the "essence" of the verse in every day language. I thought the way Peterson worded this passage from Philippians 4 was great!

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

Mark spoke at a real estate meeting this week, and as is common for the speakers to do (to help get his foot in the door for the meeting, I think), he offered to bring breakfast. Mark arranged with our sons' boss to do the food for the meeting, and our sons volunteered to do the serving (off the clock) to keep costs down. Their boss had already told us he would do the breakfast at a bargain rate as a favor to the boys (they are good employees :-) ) --- but after the meeting he wouldn't let Mark pay him --- said that it was his gift to help get the business going. Praise God, what an amazing gift!! Mark thought the meeting went well and felt the breakfast made a great impression --- it could help to position himself in the forefront of Realtor's minds and we hope will eventually bear fruit.

As I mentioned before, the kids needed clothes for their youth mission trip and it has been a matter of constant prayer for me. I went back to the clothing closet today and they helped me find some clothes for the kids! Praise God for his provision! The kids leave the day after tomorrow, so it was none too soon! The people at the clothing closet wouldn't let me pay, saying that my volunteering took care of that. So, God provided again in a terrific way.

Also, the kids are getting to do some work at church to pay off the balance of their trip. Every immediate concern I have has been met in some way.

Please pray that God will speak to us clearly about what we need to be doing right now. Thank you and God bless you!

Letting Christ displace worry....

Past Due Post!

Everyone keeps telling me it has been waaayyy too long since I posted. I know! It just seemed there was little to share and God and I were spending some good Bible study time together anyway. He has been teaching me a lot. I will share some of my Bible study notes next time I write.

I was praying again for God to encourage me, to give me a boost that would help me continue the race. I admit, I'm very weary some days. Some good things have happened since I started asking the Lord for that. For one, the kids really need some clothes for the World Changers trip. The church that used to have a bread ministry started a clothing closet, and they notified me of this about just about the time I was praying about the clothing. I went and volunteered there this week and looked for Hannah and Parker. Nothing found yet, but I am going back next week. I feel certain God will provide what they need.

Today we had the first distribution of bread at our church. It was such a blessing to be able to help some people. I personally know how much good bread helps stretch the food budget and I felt so privileged be able to help other families. I held some bread back for a family I know who has a much more difficult financial situation than we do and cannot drive... When we closed the distribution there was still some bread leftover, so I added that to the bread I'd set back for them. Turns out, someone had given them a freezer! She had room and they were very excited to get the bread. She, in turn, gave us some produce she had an excess of. Then, back at church, one of the secretaries invited us over to get a whole bunch of tomatoes from her garden. And tonight, my parents came with a bunch of produce from their garden. We are blessed with plenty to eat right now and I just have to say it again... God is good.

I thank you all for your support over these many months..... for those who have given gifts, sent notes of encouragement, prayed numerous prayers, shared words of affirmation... you all are instruments of God and demonstrate His love to us in many ways. We thank God for you.

Moods Go By Kicking

Things have been so busy here I haven't done much "blogging". But, I thought I'd share a list of the many blessings God has provided us over the last few weeks, so that you can see -- just as we have -- that God does care for his children.

I know I will forget something, since I'm trying to recall several weeks.... but I'll do my best!

1) Someone bought a ticket to the Women of Faith conference here in St. Louis, but then couldn't go and gave it to me. I don't know who you are, but thank you from the bottom of my heart. I think the greatest benefit to me was just getting to laugh so much. I didn't realize until the conference just how long it had been since I'd had a good belly laugh. Also, the speakers were great and it truly reminded me once again that God can take any circumstance, no matter how terrible, and use it to His glory.

2) A couple of weeks ago we were getting low on food and were low on cash. My prayers were answered yet again. My parents came to watch my son's choir performance and brought a bunch of food. We also participated in Angel Food Ministries that week, where we got a lot of freezer items. Shop 'n Save ran their $10 off a $50 purchase and I shopped carefully and got everything on my "need" list... my total (before coupon) came to $50.03! :-) The cashier was impressed. My son bought some produce when he got paid. Our kitchen suddenly became well stocked and the food has stretched a long way!

3) We received an anonymous money gift (thank you!) some time ago.

4) We received a Trader Joe's gift card and a loaf of delicious pumpkin bread (thank you!).


Mark had an inspection on Monday but nothing else since then. We are learning just how slow the housing market is, and it is a huge blessing that Mark has gotten the few inspections that he has. Please continue to pray that God directs business our way.

The bad news is I had a bit of a minor car accident. Not much damage, but the truth is any added expense right now hurts and stresses me out. I was feeling low.

God's timing is impeccable, as I read this His Utmost for His Highest devotional shortly after:


"There are certain things we must not pray about - moods, for instance. Moods never go by praying, moods go by kicking. A mood nearly always has its seat in the physical condition, not in the moral. It is a continual effort not to listen to the moods which arise from a physical condition, never submit to them for a second. We have to take ourselves by the scruff of the neck and shake ourselves, and we will find that we can do what we said we could not. The curse with most of us is that we won't. The Christian life is one of incarnate spiritual pluck."


Most days I do well in not focusing on physical circumstances, but then something will happen to rock my boat and toss me into the sea of self-pity. I must learn to make liberal use of my "boot". :-)

Fruit of the Spirit

A fellow blogger named Trish contacted me yesterday saying that my blog had been nominated by someone to display the Fruit of the Spirit graphic. Not knowing exactly what that meant, I looked at the links she supplied me with and found that I wholeheartedly agreed with her objective... to bring glory to God. Trish asks that people who accept this graphic post on the topic of the Fruit of the Spirit, so last night I studied Galatians 5 and thought about what I should share...

This is not a "pat on the back" for me and I wouldn't have wanted to participate if it were -- I can take no credit for anything that is in my blog. Everything that has happened this last year is ALL GOD; from the cross in the wallet, from unexpectedly getting bread on Tuesday because God knew we wouldn't be able to get it on Friday, to having a broken freezer start working again, to having someone meet us at the grocery store with a gift card when I didn't have enough money to buy all that we needed.

My husband's unemployment for the last year has been a blessing. I now understand what James is saying when he tells us to consider it all joy when we encounter various trials. Developing the fruit of the spirit in our lives is much more important than our comfort.... please understand that I am not saying that this is something I have done, but rather something the Spirit has done. The Holy Spirit is the producer, and the presence of fruit is not a demonstration of my faith or dedication or anything of that sort. But, rather, it is merely proof of my dependency on God. What better way to become totally dependent on God than to sweep away the crutches in our life, and see if we do still stand. This is when we must sink our roots deeply into the well-spring of our Father and draw our strength and sustenance from Him. This is when we learn the reality of our God and all He is willing and able to do! Not just in meeting our physical needs, but rather more importantly, developing within us the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Trust me, I do not have these things within my own nature. The dark times really do have to come in order for us to learn the most profound lessons of our faith. This is when we see that WE do not produce the fruits of the Spirit --- we discover them. They take us by surprise.... you draw close to God and.... WOOOOSHHH..... there they are.

This has given me an opportunity to reminisce. To look back over the last year..... what an amazing God we serve! You may or may not have noticed by now that I've put some links to old posts within this post. These link back to some of my favorite "wow" moments in this journey. If you look them over, you will see that I've had my share of days when I was SO totally discouraged, frustrated, and worried. You see, those are the times when I started trying to draw on my own strength. That is when the fruit begins to shrivel up, when joy fades and patience is unattainable. But, when I quit trying to do things in my own strength, and rather pull myself into the Father's lap.... that is when I look around and..... surprise!! There are the fruits. There is the evidence that I have finally released my white-knuckled grasp on the controls of my life and put it back where it belongs.

Thanks, Trish, for this opportunity to look back and remember what God has done. Thank you to whomever nominated this blog. I hope that the Fruit of the Spirit graphic brings new people to visit this blog so that....

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." I Peter 1:6-7

Give Thanks

Mark booked another inspection yesterday! Give Thanks!

Our son's band is doing very well and this weekend will be competing in a Joy FM contest at Six Flags. They say it is a search to find the best undiscovered Chrisitian band... bands sent demos to Joy FM and they chose the top five to come compete in the contest. Wishing we could go!!! But, we will try to listen on the radio.... You, too, may want to tune in on Saturday from 2-4 pm.

Psalm 100: 3-5

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Thank YOU God!

Please give thanks with us... Mark booked two inspections this week!

One of them is what I'd call a God-coincidence.... A Realtor in San Jose, CA called Mark because his client had just put a contract on some commercial property and needed to have an inspection done. The coincidence is that the building is in Monroe City, which is where I grew up and where my parents live. And, the fact is, some parts of the inspection have to be sub-contracted, especially in a commercial inspection. Mark has those sub-contractors lined up here. But, obviously, doing an inspection in a city 2 hours a way is not something those sub-contractors here are interested in doing! So, Mark had to line up different sub-contractors for this work, and because my parents live in Monroe City, he was able to call them and get some recommendations.... and within a few hours had assembled a team to do the inspection. He called the Realtor with a quote and soon they called him and booked the inspection. What are the odds that someone in California would pick HIM to call out of hundreds of Missouri building inspectors? And out of all of the cities in Missouri... what are the odds that Mark would get called about doing an inspection in that particular city?

I think that God may just be reminding us that His arm is never too short..... He is always in control.

Please continue to pray for our business and that our attitude and spirits will be right in the process! God bless you, friends!

Update for today...

I've been asking God to provide some business for us, but have not had any more other than the one inspection. I keep repeating to myself the quote from the Matthew Henry Commentary that goes something like this, "We should not pray so much for the removal of affliction, but rather to make right use of it". I ask that you will pray that for me... that I would be satisfied with God's use of the "affliction" rather than being impatient for God to remove it.

Some good developments: Mark has been scheduled to speak at some real estate meetings over the next few weeks. Also, the Board of Realtors is going to allow him to teach some continuing education courses for Realtors. Teaching is "his thing", so this is good. He has been working on writing a course the last two weeks. Even though there is no income from the classes it is good exposure for him and sets him up as an expert in Realtor's minds.

All of our physical needs are met at this time, please thank God for that miraculous thing! And, please continue to keep all of us in your prayers. May I especially ask that you remember our kids in your prayers? I'm starting to notice this affecting them more. Thank you, dear friends!

But God....

Let me tell you, there is no reason for us to have food on our table. None. But, God is a miracle worker. For the Isralites He provided manna from heaven; for the multitude listening to Jesus, he multipled the fish and bread; the widow at Zarephath, He did not allow her oil and flour to run out. He still does miracles today. We have had food in our freezer that has stretched so much longer than it should. I have had to buy very few groceries the last few weeks... we are blessed!

Last weekend we had family here for Paul's graduation. It was funny because after graduation every relative insisted on giving us money to order pizza for everyone... and none of them would take the change back. That change has actually turned out to be what bought our groceries this week! So, we say thank you to God for that provision! I didn't even realize at the time how much we'd need it this week, but God provided it before I even had to ask.

When I look at our situation from MY point of view, it seems impossible for our needs to be met now for almost 12 months... but God... don't you love that phrase....
BUT GOD never lets us down.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:26

Yet, I continue to behave like an Israelite. I'll be so glad when I am free from this affliction (probably not until heaven). I have SEEN His miracles, but I still have times when I slip back into despair, disappointment and grumbling. I know the problem... I start to focus on the obstacle and the "have nots". When I do, they become my giants and it causes me to forget what my God can do.

I have begged God to end this trial, but apparently God has His reasons for allowing it to continue.... maybe it is because the more desperate our situation gets, the deeper my caring and understanding for families with ongoing financial needs. This includes missionary families who subsist completely on financial gifts from fellow Christians. What we have experienced for just one year, is what many missionaries experience for their entire missionary career. Won't you remember a missionary family this week and ask the Lord to provide the funds for you to make a financial contribution to a missionary family? I just feel certain He will provide if you ask! Maybe that family is praying for God's provision right now, and YOU will be the tool God uses to bless them.

*

Where is the rain? (Mark)

I asked Kelly if I could write the entry for today, because I'm struggling, and I would like to ask a personal favor to all of you who have been following this blog.

If you happen to think about us for some reason, can I ask that you lift us and our new business up to the Lord in prayer?

I've found it very frustrating recently that virtually all of the work I have been doing has not returned any fruit. Of course I've been spending quite a bit of time reading and studying and taking different classes to make me a better, more educated inspector. I've also been spending time trying to develop additional web interest in our web site, and also been marketing to Realtors.

Many of my conversations with Realtors have seemed to be very positive, but I've yet to receive any business from them. (Only 1 inspection so far that came from a Realtor I used to work with.)

On the positive side, I've arranged to do 3 separate presentations over the next 2 months to 3 different Real Estate offices, as well as made some preliminary progress towards teaching some C.E. courses to Realtors at our local Board. These should give me some positive face time, however these aren't inspections and there is no revenue tied directly to these marketing activities. I know businesses take time to get going, and maybe I'm just being naive, but I would have expected some sort of return on investment by now.

It's personally also been very hard to define productivity. When folks ask "how's business?" I don't know how to respond. On the one hand, it's a blessing to have things to do, and have a pile of stuff to handle in your in-box, but on the other when there aren't any bookings or revenue you can't say "business is great!".

I know the Lord has made a promise to our family that our flour and oil would not run out until the rains come. He has been faithful in that, and I still believe it. I also believe that He has given us a message that the rain is coming. In my humanness however I can't help but wonder when that's going to be. The bible says that a thousand years is like a day to the Lord. (That scares me a little because even if he said "tomorrow", does that mean the rain coming "tomorrow" or in 3007.)

Would you please pray that the Lord would bring the promised rain to us very soon? I believe our motives are pure. We desire not only to provide for ourselves in a godly way, but we also want to provide for and bless others as you all have been a blessing to us.

Pray also that if it is his will for us to continue this trial longer, that he would once again be clear in his direction for our paths and make his will known to us? Helping me to be patient and wait for His timing.

Be strong and courageous!

I always wonder if I should post when I don't have any big news to share, but I decided to go ahead and post about what God has been showing me the last few days. Maybe it will encourage someone in similar circumstances.

It is SO easy to dip into despair when feeling disappointment and discouragement. When things don't go as expected or as desired, we start to wonder where God is and why He allows a trial to continue.

Where is God?
It's no secret. His answer is right in His word....

"I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,"

It is neat if you look at the Greek, you find five negatives in that verse. So it is more like:

I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER desert you, nor NEVER will I EVER forsake you."

That is a promise any believer can hang their hat on. We have to walk by faith rather than live by feeling.... He will NEVER leave or forsake us!!

When Joshua and the Israelites were preparing to take the land God had given them, they sent spies to check out the land before they went in.

The spies saw giants and fortified cities, and...

all of the sudden their God had become too small to handle human giants.

They panicked. They missed out on the blessing to come. They forgot their God is omnipotent.

Forty years later, the Israelites returned and prepared to enter the same land and encounter the same giants and God repeatedly exhorted them, "Be strong and courageous!" (Joshua 1: 6,7,9)

This time, it was different. They proceeded in faith rather than listening to their feelings. They entered the land and faced the giants. What can I learn from them? To be strong and courageous, because our God is omnipotent and our God reigns. It continues to boil down to trust. Do I trust Him enough to believe that we will be okay even though my mind keeps telling me to panic? If I don't, I could miss out on the blessing, like the Israelites did for forty years!

Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,
for the LORD your God goes with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deut. 31:6

Those who hopefully wait for Me....

I apologize for the length of time between posts. We've had illnesses and all kinds of busyness going on here! A bit slower tonight so I made an effort to get on here and share a little bit. One thing I wanted to share is that we were very hopeful God would bring us "rain" these last few weeks. As you can imagine we're kind of like thirsty people who've been on a long trek across a desert... parched and dying for water. And, because we're so thirsty it is hard to be patient for that first drink and hard to wish for anything less than drenching rains! But, through a scripture in II Kings I felt God was telling me that rain WAS coming, but until then, He would continue to provide and none in our house would "go thirsty". There have been other scriptures I could share, I'm trying not to be too lengthy... I'll skip ahead to this week when I was praying.... "Lord, we are waiting and waiting and everyone knows we are waiting and are expectantly watching to see what You will do! Isn't it time??"
The Lord gave me this scripture:

"...you will know that I am the LORD;
Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame." Isiah 49:23

God will move in His time and everyone WILL know that HE is LORD.
I read the same verse in The Message, which puts it this way:
"No one who hopes in Me ever regrets it."

So we continue to wait and we will not lose hope!

It is hard to be brief when God has done so much! Mark and I had been concerned about our money situation and the fact that we were hadn't had any business yet. We used retirement savings for startup costs for the business and it seemed to increase the pressure and stress level for us. But, as we prayed... God supplied:

1) A generous gift from a friend will take care of many of our needs this month.
2) Mark finally got paid for a real estate transaction that I mentioned previously.
3) A dear friend sent money saying, "Please use ALL of this for your son's birthday!" I wasn't going to get Paul a birthday gift and was praying about whether to do a party at our house. I like to do a party for our kid's 18th birthdays because it could be the last one they spend at home with us. Turns out that the money my friend sent was exactly the amount we needed to do what we wanted to do for him.... half went for a gift for him, half for food and cake to celebrate at our house with his friends. I don't think she even knew exactly when his birthday was, but her gift arrived the DAY BEFORE! To top it off... I went and spent $10 of it at the Dollar store on cups/plates/etc. Then, I sent Mark to Costco with the list of food items I wanted him to get there for the party... the total came to just a few cents less than what we had left to spend!!
4) Another friend gave us some groceries and a book I had been wanting to read! What a luxury!
5) We met with Pastor about starting a bread ministry... we're having more and more people with job losses at our church... I'm burdened about that. Pastor was very receptive to the idea!
6) Several of us have needed doctor visits the last few weeks, and our mysterious "credit" there paid for them all.

I've saved the best for last. Mark got his first inspection today! We'd been praying that would happen this week!! Of course, he did a lot of inspections in Ohio, but this is the first one through our own business here.

Keep praying that that rains come!
They are over the horizon, I hear them coming!!

Moses and Aaron and Hur

Could I ask you to REALLY pray for us this week!!? Could you agree in prayer with me over these things:

That God would bring work THIS month for Mark.
That God will begin to support us through this work, rather than through gifts from others.
That He would bolster us up and give us peace.... emotionally this has been a very difficult week... waiting, waiting, waiting. We have to wait for the jobs to come.

Don't get me wrong, we are still believing God to do a miracle in this... we're just tired and we are like Moses when he needed Aaron and Hur to support his arms during the battle between Israel and Amalek. I'm sure Moses had no doubt that God would prevail in that battle, he was just weak and tired and needed support. Likewise, we get tired, emotionally, spiritually, physically in this situation..... and we need to you hold up our arms for a little while.

On the upswing, I'll mention that God has again provided over the last week and a half in some amazing ways.... from a bag of groceries from a friend, a box of cleaning supplies from another, and a generous financial gift from another.... All meeting needs we had prayed about. Mark should get some money soon for a real estate transaction, too. I believe God has set everything in place to keep us afloat a little bit longer while waiting for the work to come. This morning, before we even received that financial gift and before the real estate transaction was completed, in my quiet time I read a scripture in 2 Kings that God used to tell me.... although we are still waiting and aren't going to see rain quite yet, that He will provide what we need until that time.... and I still believe He is assuring me that rain is on its way..... Just over the horizon!

Please take a moment to hold up our arms.... say a prayer for us today! Thank you SO much!

Oh, that You would bless me!

Our business partners from Ohio came to Missouri for a few days to help us with marketing and other things. They were supposed to come Monday and Tuesday, but they called and postponed the trip to Friday/Saturday. I was disappointed because I'd been keeping Mon/Tues open on my calendar, but Fri/Sat were definitely NOT open, which meant I couldn't participate much in their visit. However, hind site being 20/20 I think that it was a God-thing that they didn't come until the end of the week. Mark and I were plugging along earlier in the week, getting business things taken care of and feeling pretty good. But, by Thursday we were both a nervous wreck and stressing over a number of things Mark was having trouble getting set up.

Thursday was just a really frustrating and down day. But, when the guys arrived from Ohio on Friday, Mark told them the things we'd been struggling with and they settled us down, gave us some good advice, and helped us to see what needed to be done NOW and what could WAIT. Truly, the visit was well-timed and just what Mark needed to proceed to the next level of the business start-up activities. I thank God for his perfect timing!

Mark has had some very good meetings with people in the area who are key to his doing well in this business, and we believe that these will start producing fruit soon (you can pray about that!).

You might also thank the Lord for protecting our son who wrecked our car on Saturday night. He wasn't hurt.... but the car was. Financially, I think it won't kill us because Paul will pay the deductible, and he does have a job. You might just pray that the insurance issues work out smoothly. They asked some questions that concern me, but we'll just have to see how it all plays out.

Would you pray Jabez's pray for us??

Jabez cried to the God of Israel, saying,
"Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my border,
and that Your hand might be with me,
and You would keep me from evil so it might not hurt me!"
And God granted his request.

1 Chronicles 4:10

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Sensitivity to God's Voice

Last week I allowed my mind to dwell (too much!) on concerns about how long it will take to begin making some money in our new business and, I admit, I was worrying. There have been so many needs in our home lately between clothing, illnesses, and various household needs.... I had to keep reminding myself that God had once assured us that He would not allow our flour and oil to become empty until the rains come again. Saturday, I was mopping the kitchen and thinking about the various things we needed and the "enemy" was attacking and putting fear and doubt in my mind as to whether the assurances had really come from God. I prayed about some needs and "reminded" the Lord about the situation. In God's fashion.... Sunday (the very next day), a woman walked up to me and said, "God laid it on my heart to give this to you." It was a lovely card with a money gift inside.

Again, I find myself marveling at how a person who walks closely with the Lord can hear His voice and just know what they need to do. And more amazingly, they just do it, rather than doubt it! Sometimes we tell ourselves to wait until we're sure.... until God writes it on the wall or bonks us on the head or something... but he rarely works that way. It reminds me of a beautiful passage I read the other day.... (yet again in the story of Elijah!)

11 And He (the Word of the Lord) said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;

12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire
[a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice.

13 When Elijah heard the voice, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah?

from: 1 Kings 19, Amplified Bible

We are blessed to have friends, family and church family who have responded to God's still, small voice in so many ways. I pray for the same sensitivity to God's voice in my own life. You all are an example to me in many ways!

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Glorious Lord

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter. Ours was very different than "normal", but it was a good celebration of the resurrection.

I wanted to share about how Lord has been providing for us most recently:

Mark has returned from his training and we are working on marketing materials and a variety things that must be in place. He was able to get pass the exam and do other things needed to become certified. Things are going pretty smoothly so far... we covet your continued prayers.

Answers to prayers and God's provision:

I prayed about the kids needing some new clothes (we should put bricks on their heads, I guess!) Parker's jeans were getting plain embarrassing (and beyond being fashionable) with all the gaping holes. God provided a gift for a few new clothes, AND Parker worked a lot the last few weeks so he was able to buy himself some clothes, too.

God provided a giver who called the church and paid for our kids to go on the next two youth events. Hannah had been talking a lot about her desire to go to these events and worrying about paying for them. She worked a lot at the church nursery over the last 3 months, but when she got her paycheck it still didn't add up to enough to even pay the total of even one of those events. I told her that she would just have to trust that God would provide for her to go if HE wanted her to go and advised her to pray about it. God did just that, and now she can use the money she made for her meals during these events.

Paul and I had to go to the doctor a few times over the last few weeks. When Paul went, they told him he didn't have a co-pay, which I knew wasn't correct, but I thought maybe they were going to just bill us. Then when I went the next week, I was told we had a credit. Not sure how this "credit" came about, but we are thankful.

This is my rallying cry right now (from 2 Kings):

"Up on your feet! Eat and drink—celebrate!
Rain is on the way; I hear it coming."
~*~

This and That...

Our son is in a band and the band was asked to play on Easter day at a local banquet center. The owner said that the band members should bring their families for a complimentary meal. We will have a very nice Easter dinner without having to worry about the cost! When we are offered something that is more of a luxury than a need, I always have qualms about accepting.... but the fact that this is an "exchange" for work... well, it is just a perfect solution to the situation. Praise God for His provision!

Please pray over another issue this week, I won't say more, but I know you'll pray!

My daughter-in-love is doing well! She is still having morning sickness, but she is now in the beginning of her 2nd trimester!

Thank you, for all of your prayers and concern for us. We have definitely learned who are friends are and that we have the dearest ones in the world!

I Remember You...

I admit it, I was feeling down for the last several days. We feel that we are proceeding down the path God has laid before us, yet I was praying that God would reassure me that he would care for all of our needs between now and the time when this business can support us. He reminded me of the many things He has done... the cross in the wallet, the spending money for my kid's mission trips, going to the grocery store with very little money but leaving with everything we needed, his provision of cleaning supplies, and most of all God's reminder of His assurance that He will not let our flour and oil become empty until the rains come again.

I ended up rereading through much of this blog. May I suggest, whether you are going through a trial or not, to consider keeping a spiritual journal? For Mark and I, it has helped us to look back and remember when God spoke to us or provided for us during these difficult months. It is no surprise really.... God seems to put a lot of importance in remembering. He is often telling the Jewish people to remember this or that. Many times in the Bible he'll have them make a visual reminder -- for example, when He instructed them to make piles of rocks as a reminder of the day they crossed the Jordan on dry ground. In addition, if you get out a concordance and look up the word REMEMBER you will find a long list of scriptures. WOW! Remembering IS something God wants us to do.

I received great encouragement through remembering.... but to top it off, when I went to the mailbox yesterday I found that someone had given us a gift to help with groceries. (Thank you!)

I am praising Him, not just for this gift, but just for WHO HE IS! That He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient... that He is loving and kind. That He sent Jesus as our Savior. Through Jesus we can have a direct and close relationship with God. We don't have an impersonal God!! We can know Him intimately and can talk to Him and walk with Him every day.

From Psalm 63:

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.

7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

~*~

May the People Know that YOU, the LORD are GOD

I was about to write a request that you pray that our tax return arrive because we needed it to live on this month. But, just as I started to write our mail carrier came and it was here, finally! I resisted the temptation to worry about the money by turning it back to prayer whenever I felt worry coming on! I learned we were running out of money about the same time I noticed our dog's food was almost gone. As I often do, I said, "Lord, I know you see that!" About two days later, we received some WalMart gift cards in the mail so we bought some food for them and some food for us! God is a God of lovingkindness to even have concern for our pets.

We have made our decision. We're proceeding with the business and April 9th will be the official day we begin. I was reading the story of Elijah yesterday.... where the flour and oil were promised to not become empty until the rains came again.... I noticed that the passage is in I Kings. I told Mark it was an interesting coincidence that the company just happens to be Kingdom Inspections Network Group (KING). :-D Not that it necessarily means anything, but a neat coincidence that made me smile.

I was moved by the prayer of Elijah in the following chapter when he wants the Lord to move to show that Jehovah is the ONE TRUE GOD after a long drought......

...."O God, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make it known right now that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I'm doing what I'm doing under your orders. Answer me, God; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are God, the true God, and that you are giving these people another chance at repentance."

Immediately the fire of God fell and burned up the offering, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and even the water in the trench.

All the people saw it happen and fell on their faces in awed worship, exclaiming,

"God is the true God! God is the true God!"....

Elijah said to Ahab,
"Up on your feet! Eat and drink—celebrate!
Rain is on the way; I hear it coming."