Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The Lord is Good!
Well it has been a while since I wrote on my blog and thought it was due time. I have been very excited with all the changes that are taking place. Last December Jonathan proposed to me and we set our wedding date for January 5th 2013! It coming up quick now. Only 25 days away. I am super excited for what God has in store for me and the children. The Lord has brought us through some very rough times. Some which I would have never deamed possible. But the Lord saw fit. And now PRAISE THE LORD He saw fit to bring Jonathan to us. We have been very busy getting things together as the day quickly approches. Wow the LORD IS GOOD!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Snow White
Well tonight was interesting. We watched a movie. Abigail picked Snow White. She did good through the whole movie up until. Snow White lay poisned in the coffin. She just cried and cried. Then when Snow White awoke she brightened up and said she alive she alive. Well then she was hopeful. (I believe she was thinking Snow White came back to life, maybe daddy will too.) I talked to her about how the movie is fake its not real. People cant come back to life when they die. She started to get sad again. But I'd rather her know now instead of hoping that daddy will come back to life becasue of some fariy tale she watched. It was just hard to see her sad little face.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Penrith is getting a church
I was contacted this week by the missionary in England. (Always great to hear from them) Well when Luke and I was over there on our survey trip we were praying about working in a town called Penrith which is about 30 miles from the Scotland border. There is a community center there called Evergreen Community Center and there were park benches out front Luke and I sat on those benches and prayed that the Lord would use us in someway to start a church there. Well in a round about way the Lord used us. After Lukes accident I really began praying about the people in Penrith I could not get them off my mind and still cant. When I went over last summer to England one of the missionaries asked me to share a testimony about the accident and how the Lord was using me now. I also included in there about Penrith and how despretly those people need the gospel little did I know the Lord used that testimony and began working in a couples hearts about going to Penrith. This last week they went and secured the Evergreen Community Center to start Penrith Baptist Church! Praise the Lord. Today I just got news that the first service is going to be held in April 2011. Great news. The Lord is answering my prayers. Its hard because it is not Luke and I going to be there and starting the church but praise the Lord even though Luke is gone his name is still carried on there in England. I am hoping and praying there might be a chance I can get out there to see the church in action. Please pray with me about the possiblility of going over for another visit.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Flash Backs
Today while I was driving to pick Abigail up a tow truck pulled onto the highway with a 15 passanger van in tow. The van appeared to have been a in roll over car accident. I looked up at it with tears in my eyes remembering back to the pictures I was saw of the van Luke was in that night. This van that was in tow I have no clue how many people might have gotten hurt or what really happened but if it was an accident the people who ever they are, are probably in bad shape by the looks of the van. I remebered all the faces of the men who came out of the van Luke was in and how bruised and banged up they were. Seeing this van in tow brought back a huge wave of grief today. Pray that the Lord will use this experience to help strengthen us even more.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Snow snow snow
Last night was crazy. On the way home from church a teenager was driving in front us and was purposly making himself slide. Abigail saw him and got very scared. She started screaming and crying. Then while we were driving we slid just a little and then Andrew started in screaming and crying. Which didnt help me and made me very nervous. When we got home Abigail wouldnt stop crying she didnt let up all night long. When asked what was wrong she would tell me "mommy never leave like daddy" "I hate the snow make it go away." This went on until bed time. She fell asleep then 20 mins later she was awake screaming to make sure I was there. I would comfort her back to sleep and 20 mins later up screaming again. I finally gave up and slept at the foot of her bed. Well woke up adn put tons of blankets on her so she thought I was still holding her and never heard a peep out of her the rest of the night. Although I left her about 4:30 this morning and she woke up @ 8:30. So we got about 4 hours of good sleep. Better than none. And today has been much better. She has enjoyed looking out the window and seeing the snow on the grass.
Small Step-Big leaps
What seems lke just a little step to others in this life. I a great big leap of trusting God and holding on real tight.
He brought us down a journey that all dread to go down. But by His grace we're pressing on by jumps and leaps and bounds.
The Lord is always there with us though man may fail to see. His hand at work in our lives is a master piece you see.
Although we may stuggle day to day God's Grace is still the same. It's all suffiecent, never ending, enduring just the same.
He brought us down a journey that all dread to go down. But by His grace we're pressing on by jumps and leaps and bounds.
The Lord is always there with us though man may fail to see. His hand at work in our lives is a master piece you see.
Although we may stuggle day to day God's Grace is still the same. It's all suffiecent, never ending, enduring just the same.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Throns
My Sister in law had this on her blog and I just fell in love with it.
Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes when she pulled open the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind. Her life had been as sweet as a spring breeze and then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a "minor" automobile accident stole her joy. This was Thanksgiving weed and the time she should have delievered their infant son. She grieved over their loss. Troubles had multiplied. Her huband's company "threatened" to transfer his job to a new location. Her sister had called to say that she could not come for her long awaited holiday visit. What's worse, Sandra's friend suggested that Sandra's grief was God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder "Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered.. "For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended me>? For an airbag that saved my life, but took my child's?" "Good afternoon, can I help you?" Sandra was startled by the approach of the shop clerk. "I...I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra. "For Thanksgiving? I'm convinced t hat flowers tell stories, "she continued.. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?" "Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everthing that could go wrong has gone wrong." Sandra regretted her outburst, and was shocked at what the clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you." Then the bell on the door rang, and the clerk greeted the new customer...."Hi, Barbara, let me get your order." She excused herslef and walked back to a small workroom, then uickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greanery, bows, and what appeared to be long-stemmed thrny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers. "Do you want these in a box?" asked the clerk. Sandra watched was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciateve smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouln't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said, as she gently tapped her chest. Sandra stammered, "Ah, that lady just left with...uh...she left with no flowers!" "That's right," said the clerk. "I cut off the flowers. That's that special. I call it the Thanksgiving Throns Bouquet. Barbara came into the shop three years ago, feeling much as you do today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had just lost her father; the family business was failing; her son had gotten into drugs; and she was facing major surgery. That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk. "For the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too much debt to allow any travel." "So what did you do?" asked Sandra. "learned to be thankful for thorns, "answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and I never questioned Him why those good things happened to me, but when the bad stuff hit, I cried out, 'Why? Why me?!?!' It took time for me to learn that the dark times are important to our faith! I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of my life, but it took the thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfor! You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, adn from His consolation we learn to comfort other." Sandra sucked in her breath, as she thought about what her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God." Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" the clerk greeted teh balding rotund man. "My wife sent me in to get our usual Thankgiving arrangement...twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator. "Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind telling me why she wants a bouquet that looks like that?" "Four years ago, my wife and I nearly divorced," Phil replied. "After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace adn guidance, we trudged through problem after problem, the Lord rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she had learned from "thorny" times. That was good enought for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "proble" and give thanks for what that problem taught us." As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommened the Special!" "I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life" Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too...fresh." "Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that the thorns make the roses more precious. We treasure "God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remeber that it was a crown of thorns taht Jesus wore so we might know His love...Don't resent the thorns." Tears rolled down Sandra's cks. For the first time since the accident, she lossened her grip on her resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns. pease," she managed to choke out. "I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute." "Thank you. What do I owe you?" "Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart...The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."
It read: "My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant." Praise Him for the roses; thank Him for the throns. God Bless all of you. Be thankful for all that the Lord does for you. "Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.." We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and Duct tape. God did it with nails.
Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes when she pulled open the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind. Her life had been as sweet as a spring breeze and then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a "minor" automobile accident stole her joy. This was Thanksgiving weed and the time she should have delievered their infant son. She grieved over their loss. Troubles had multiplied. Her huband's company "threatened" to transfer his job to a new location. Her sister had called to say that she could not come for her long awaited holiday visit. What's worse, Sandra's friend suggested that Sandra's grief was God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder "Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered.. "For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended me>? For an airbag that saved my life, but took my child's?" "Good afternoon, can I help you?" Sandra was startled by the approach of the shop clerk. "I...I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra. "For Thanksgiving? I'm convinced t hat flowers tell stories, "she continued.. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?" "Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everthing that could go wrong has gone wrong." Sandra regretted her outburst, and was shocked at what the clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you." Then the bell on the door rang, and the clerk greeted the new customer...."Hi, Barbara, let me get your order." She excused herslef and walked back to a small workroom, then uickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greanery, bows, and what appeared to be long-stemmed thrny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers. "Do you want these in a box?" asked the clerk. Sandra watched was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciateve smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouln't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said, as she gently tapped her chest. Sandra stammered, "Ah, that lady just left with...uh...she left with no flowers!" "That's right," said the clerk. "I cut off the flowers. That's that special. I call it the Thanksgiving Throns Bouquet. Barbara came into the shop three years ago, feeling much as you do today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had just lost her father; the family business was failing; her son had gotten into drugs; and she was facing major surgery. That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk. "For the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too much debt to allow any travel." "So what did you do?" asked Sandra. "learned to be thankful for thorns, "answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and I never questioned Him why those good things happened to me, but when the bad stuff hit, I cried out, 'Why? Why me?!?!' It took time for me to learn that the dark times are important to our faith! I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of my life, but it took the thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfor! You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, adn from His consolation we learn to comfort other." Sandra sucked in her breath, as she thought about what her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God." Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" the clerk greeted teh balding rotund man. "My wife sent me in to get our usual Thankgiving arrangement...twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator. "Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind telling me why she wants a bouquet that looks like that?" "Four years ago, my wife and I nearly divorced," Phil replied. "After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace adn guidance, we trudged through problem after problem, the Lord rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she had learned from "thorny" times. That was good enought for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "proble" and give thanks for what that problem taught us." As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommened the Special!" "I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life" Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too...fresh." "Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that the thorns make the roses more precious. We treasure "God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remeber that it was a crown of thorns taht Jesus wore so we might know His love...Don't resent the thorns." Tears rolled down Sandra's cks. For the first time since the accident, she lossened her grip on her resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns. pease," she managed to choke out. "I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute." "Thank you. What do I owe you?" "Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart...The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."
It read: "My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant." Praise Him for the roses; thank Him for the throns. God Bless all of you. Be thankful for all that the Lord does for you. "Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.." We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and Duct tape. God did it with nails.
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