God is faithful, even when I'm not.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us RUN with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2

That, may be my favorite verse of all time.  It is always good  to remember all God has brought you through.  Oh I so easily forget!  You know, I still drive around Minnesota and think, wait..... I'm in Minnesota??  I had forgotten all the miracles that God did to get us here.  So I read them again, here.  I'm so glad I did, because I have been really wondering why we live in this frozen tundra.  I've been saying... this weather is not fit for humans!  We must be insane to live here!  I really, really do not like winter.

But, I'm so very thankful.  I have many things to praise God for.  This Minnesota life is not perfect but we are blessed to have it.  I want to keep my eyes FIXED ON JESUS.  I pray God will help me throw off all that hinders and not be entangled in sin.  Thank you Lord for all you have done for me!!

Ransom

Deuteronomy 6:6-9  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Most nights of the week I read the Bible to my girls and then we discuss what we have read.  Some nights, Lauren is at work or out with friends, so it will just be Portia and Sophie and me.  Those nights we go into Portia's room or Sophie's and read on their bed. 

I truly love those nights, I think Portia opens up a bit more and Sophie sits there and follows along with her finger as if she is really reading too.  They are like little sponges.

Each night we read one chapter or sometimes if it's something they are really getting into I'll read two.  I absolutely love Hebrews and I really love chapter 9, I think it's paints a beautiful picture of the blood of Christ and what that means for us as Christians.

When we got to verses 14 and 15, there is the word ransom.  I stopped and asked the girls do you know what ransom means?  Portia shook her head no.  So I said well this is a sad illustration but, if a little girl got kidnapped, the bad guy would call the parents and demand, oh maybe $500,000 and then when the parents pay the money,  he would set the little girl free.   I said that money is called a ransom.  I could see Portia did not like that illustration, but she said... well, like if I was kidnapped would you pay $500,000 to get me back?

Oh be still my heart, just typing that brings tears to my eyes... I said, with tears in my eyes, YES, I would give all I own , I WOULD GIVE MY LIFE to get you back, I would die for you Portia!  I would die to set you free!

And in that moment, it was a realization that even my 10 year old got and it sunk in just a bit deeper for me as well, that is what Jesus did for us!!  I said Portia how much more is God's love perfect, than my human love for my daughter.  Jesus loves us so much he gave his life for us to set us free from sin! 

And SHE GOT IT.  I saw the click in her eyes.  I looked at Sophie who was on the verge of tears cuz mommy was crying and she just looked at me wide eyed with her Bible in her lap.  I'll never forget  last night. 
We went on to talk about sin and how some people don't think they are really sinful and they are good people and they just don't need a Savior.  How they think, well I've never murdered anyone and never robbed a bank and I help people so I'm ok.  Portia said, but how can they think they don't have any sin?

It's such an easy trap to fall into, well I really am not that bad and I'm better than so and so.  But the Bible says... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God~Romans 3:23.

Last night my daughter realized "the good news", that Christs blood is available to all who choose to receive it as payment for their sins.

This is such good news that we should not keep it to ourselves!!

Isaiah 55:11  so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Love and Lollibags

I love this gray chevron, especially with the pink flower.  I think that is the extent of color choices for chevron.  The gray and yellow are my favorites.

I bought this vintage floral fabric in Oregon.  I love it.  Actually I bought it from a lady who is very dear to me.  She became like a mom.  She now has liver cancer and is having surgery Wednesday to remove part of her liver.  Thank you for any prayers you send out,  I appreciate it.  Recently she gave her life to Jesus Christ, I am so grateful and amazed by God's mercy!

Today I was reading in Romans about Love.

Romans 12:9-21

Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil;  cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with God's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you;  bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice;  mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written:  "It is mine to avenge;  I will repay," says the Lord.  On the contrary:  "If your enemy is hungry, feed him;  if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.


Well I have a ways to go, how about you?  I'll start with being joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  And let me clarify, it won't be me, only God can do those things in me. 

Enjoy the rest of May, summer is almost here!!

I miss home

June 16 will mark one year ago that we drove out of our farm in Oregon.  It was so exciting but also bittersweet.  I love a new adventure but I also like same ole boring.  I am truly grateful for all God has done with this move.  My husband has a wonderful job, my son's have both found work with company's that offer a lifelong career.  My family is here.  We have found a nice little church......
So why do I miss home so much?  It was very hard to leave Oregon, but I was under the impression that since it was a God thing, I would love Minnesota.
But still yet, I know God does not promise us happiness, but he does take care of us, and that he has done.  This verse keeps popping into my mind:

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:12-13

I think I am supposed to be learning this, to be content and rely on God's strength.  I am so grateful that we had those years in Oregon, met the people we did and had the experiences we had.  On to the next adventure!  (whatever it is)

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers

friends

I just chatted with an old friend today, she has something very happy going on in her life right now.  I have known her since 4th grade, Tami.  As I was thinking back over the years, I realized that in all the states I have ever lived in, God brought me a wonderful best friend.  They are all different, we each have different relationships, but they are all best friends. 

When I was in 4th grade my family moved down to Arizona from Minnesota.  I met Tami and we became fast friends.  We only lived in Arizona for 2 years, till we moved back to Minnesota when I was in 6th grade.  How could I have possibly made a life long friend in the 4th grade after knowing her for 2 years?  It is simple, it was God.  After I moved away we wrote letters, lots of letters.  When I was 19, I went to visit her in California where she moved.  Then when I was 22 she came to visit me in Minnesota.  When I was 26 I went to see her when she lived in Tennessee.  The last time I saw her was 11 years ago, in Vegas,  she had just had her second child, I was pregnant with Portia but didn't know it yet.

Tami got me through my first abusive marriage and divorce.  I helped her through her first marriage and divorce, when her husband abandoned her.   She helped me through my mom's death.  We have had so many life altering experience's in our friendship, I am tied to her for life.  We don't talk very often, as a matter of fact it can be years in between our phone calls.  But it doesn't matter, I can call her and it's as though we just saw each other a week ago.

When we moved to Oregon in 2002, God brought Heidi into my life.  We are just alike, we hit it off instantly.  I only lived there for 9 years but they weren't lonely because of her.  We were blessed enough to be pregnant at the same time.  Our husbands traveled all the time at the same time so we always took the kids out to eat. We would have slumber parties, she even brought her dogs..... We traveled together, she helped me decorate my first home in Oregon, that was just a couple blocks from her house.  Then when we moved to the farm, she let me cry on her shoulder.

And of course there is Rach, do I need to say anymore?  I have talked about her a lot.  I have known her since 2nd grade, but we became best friends in 6th grade.  We have certianly been through the wringer together.  We went through our troubled teenage years together.  She is my prayer warrior, she has prayed me through many, many situations.  We always laugh so hard we can't breathe.  I just don't know what I would do without Rach.

God is so good to us, isn't he?  These 3 women couldn't be more different from each other, but they are all equally important to me.  Thank you Lord for girl friends!

Merry Christmas

Last year at this time I was living in Oregon with the farm for sale and I was wondering if I would spend the next Christmas in Minnesota.  Now that year has gone by so quickly and here we are, nothing short of miraculous and I find myself forgetting how much God really has done for my family.  I was telling a friend the story of our move and I knew I wasn't remembering some details so I went back to my the move stories and reminded myself and thanked the Lord once again for all He has done, not just in the last year but in the last 9 years.

I was thinking the other day about Jesus being born in a stable, which I would assume is just like a barn.  I know our barn in Oregon was always very stinky, sometimes I just could not stand to be in there if the boys hadn't cleaned it.  I'm sure they didn't have pressure washers and nice shovels to clean the stables back in Bible times.  And I thought about having my children in a clean hospital with medication and comforts.  I wondered how Mary did it!  I have always thought Jesus birth was some huge deal back then with a bright warm holy light surrounding the clean stable with the softest hay and clean cloths to wrap Him in, isn't that how the Christmas songs make it seem?  And a choir of angels to soothe baby Jesus..... You don't think about the details of what a birth is, when you think of Christmas.

Then I thought, you know, I bet it was your average birth, no one brought Mary a hot meal after, it was probably a pretty horrible experience in a barn.  They were young and alone.  That stable had to be dirty and cold.  But I think that is how God works, He takes the average, unassuming person and situation and makes it His own.  It was a quiet night. 



I am so thankful that Jesus was born just to be a sacrifice for us.  It is overwhelming to think about.  I am so grateful!  Have a very Merry Christmas!

Treasures

Today my 15 year old daughter was on facebook live chatting with some of her facebook friends.  Her and I had just gotten done talking......I said to her remember the most important thing is to share the gospel!  Ask someone if they know where they are going when they die, and then you can tell them how to get to heaven.

Now...... I said that thinking well, she probably won't do it, but at least I am telling her to and maybe someday she will!  Not so, she made quick work of it!  She immediately put her status as: Is Jesus YOUR Savior?
And then she asked a boy through live chat if he knew Jesus as his Savior.  He responded with curse words and insults and told her she was a whore and what's up with this f'ing Jesus crap...

So I showed her this verse:

Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I then explained to her that everytime she tells someone about Jesus, she is "storing" up rewards in heaven.

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


I don't know about you, but my heart is so longing for home.  Home with my Savior.  I have lots of exciting things going on in my life, but I will gladly leave it behind to go home.  But then I think of all my unsaved family and friends and I know there is much work to be done here.

God has been whispering the treasure verse in my mind for months and months, it is always popping into my thoughts.  That tells me I need to do more, to be about His work.  I pray God will give me boldness to do just that!

my heart is happy

My oldest child has asked me to wake him up early Sunday mornings so he can attend church with the family.  Need I say more?

When I am sitting in church and I look to my right and see all my children in a row, and throw in a couple of nieces and nephews..........sigh.  Thank you Jesus.

The Move part 5

If you have not read The Move parts 1-4, find them under the label "The Move".   I left you with "THE CONVERSATION".  Hubby and I were on a walk, which is when we have most of our important conversations, hubby says  "I know I'm going to regret saying this, but......." and that is what started it all!
 Hubby had taken a boys trip to Minnesota with our sons last summer and talked with my dad about our property, nothing unusual, but one thing led to another and the wheels started turning.  So hubby told me his "plan" that day on our walk...... If we could get this much for the farm and find a house for this much, then I could find a new career, maybe go back to school, whatever, etc.. etc....  It snowballed from there and before you  know it, we were here. 

We started looking for homes in Minnesota online, and we found one that seemed to have everything we wanted and we decided to try and buy it.  But God was not having that and it just didn't seem like the wisest move.  So we let it go.  And boy am I glad we did, because just 4 months later it had gone through foreclosure and we ended up getting it for over $100,000 cheaper than it had been in the fall.
Thank you Lord.  But buying it was not an easy process, (aka: trying to get a loan when your home is for sale, government red tape on a foreclosure...).  At times we thought, are we losing it?  are we out of our minds???  After all, there has not been even one showing on our farm, but deep down we knew God was going to sell our farm and we knew this was God telling us to move, so we took a leap and bought it.
WHEW, that's over.  Now we wait for the farm to sell.  We waited and waited and waited. And I'll tell you what, I was a basket case, just ask my best friend, she listened to me fret and despair almost daily.  But she always had an encouraging word and prayed for me.

So one day I told God, or rather, I asked God, if it was his will, I would really like to be in Minnesota as soon as the kids are done with school.  I wanted them to have the whole summer to have fun and get to know their cousins again before the new school year. But I just didn't see how God was going to accomplish this!  I mean that was in April and I knew it would take a long time to close on the farm and would if the buyers had a home to sell?  How was this all going to happen???!!!

But sure enough one day we got an e-mail from our realtor saying, I have a couple flying up from California to see your property, on April 30.  We were so excited we could hardly stand it!  That was two weeks away, how would I get through those two weeks?  Would if they didn't want it, then what??

Maybe it's time to start listing the miracles God has done through this whole process.

MIRACLE: hubby and I being on the same page about going back to Minnesota, how about me even wanting to go back..?  Yes that is a true miracle.

MIRACLE:  after we decided to put the farm up for sale, hubby gets a call from a previous customer in Minnesota offering him a job!  They drive their motorhome out for service even though they could have gotten it done in Minnesota and we have dinner and discuss the position.  Customer says, I believe God sent us out here to talk to you.

MIRACLE: God provides an incredible deal on a forclosure.

MIRACLE: my oldest son is able to transfer with UPS to Minnesota, a position opened up  in the EXACT TIME FRAME we needed.  (unheard of)  Oh, we flew him out Friday June 3, and he just started today!

MIRACLE: the buyers are cash buyers, no need to wait for them to sell a home or get a loan.

MIRACLE:  buyers are willing to close early and let us stay on the farm rent free till the kids are out of school.

MIRACLE:  God answered my time frame prayer, it is TO THE DAY, the exact time frame I wanted!

MIRACLE:  we have a home to move into, no apartment needed till we find a home.

They are endless, I tell you ENDLESS!    Glory to God for all of this, for all he has done!  And it's not because of anything I am or have done, nope... I am just a sinner saved by his grace.   I am not super spiritual, I haven't stepped foot in a church in almost 2 years.  God is just good.

Thank you for all of you who wrote to me and told me you were praying...it helped more than you know!

We are driving back and we leave June 16, the day after the kids get out of school.  So I may be absent for a while, so we can pack up and ship out! 

Thank you Jesus.

The Move~part 4

Where were we?  Here is part 1 and part 2 and part 3.............
I left you with this post and said more on that later.  So in September of 2010, I was asking myself, Lord, is that you?  Oh how I wish God would audibly answer those questions, but he does not.  So I was forced to just trust and "go with it".  I should say we, because hubby was in this too. 

When we moved to Oregon from Minnesota I could not have been happier, I had always wanted to go on a big adventure like that and move out of state.  Well it was truly an adventure, I had severe culture shock arriving in Eugene.  But we really grew to love this place, so much so that I began declaring over the years that I would NEVER leave Oregon, not for ANY reason whatsoever, not even if something terrible happened to my husband and I was left out here all alone......NEVER EVER would I leave such a beautiful place!  I am a little over an hour from the coast and the dunes, two things which are my world favorite's!  The mountains here, which they call hills, are just a wonder to see everyday.
Not to mention, we left behind us: freezing winters, misquitos, gnats, tornadoes, humidity, boring flatlands, Minnesota accents.  Well I don't realize I still have that last one, but everyone still says to me, you must be from the midwest....
So imagine my suprise and shock and horror when in late 2008 or maybe 2009, I began hearing things.  I began to have this super tiny, quiet, still small voice in my mind saying.  minnesota   I would just brush it off and not think twice, cuz honey this girl ain't EVER going back there!  Oregon is it.  And a month or so would go by and I would think.............what would it be like to go back to minnesota  I just could not figure out what was wrong with me, thinking these things.  Because I would literally feel devastated even thinking about having to go back there.  That is how much we both love this place. 
Hubby and I would say to each other,  do you think we will ever go back to Minnesota?  And we were both so adamant that, NO, NOT EVER, NEVER will that happen!!!!  We PROMISED each other we would always stay in Oregon.

***disclaimer**** to my family... Of course I missed you all terribly, my heart would ache that I could not go shopping or to lunch with my sister and that my kids could not go to grandpa's house for a visit, and not to forget my best friend, I missed her so very much. 

So I never said a word to hubby about these whispers because I knew they were just passing thoughts and nothing more.    I wonder if God will ever send us back to minnesota someday?  Nope, I knew that answer right away.  Even in September of 2010 after I got back from The Creative Connection Event in Minneapolis, I said to hubby, ugh, yuck, I do not want to go back.  This was after hubby and I had "THE CONVERSATION" that opened the floodgates and we both knew the second the words were said, that we had crossed a line.........more on that in part 5.  I was in such    minnesota   denial.
All during 2009 and 2010  the events of my other posts, begin to happen and I am not linking anything together in my mind at that point, because I am not giving those tiny thoughts any time of day, because it's not what I want. 
But a real turning point for me, was the Lord, is that you? post.  It altered the way I think, to say the least and slowly everything started to make sense.....only STARTED to.  I do not understand God or his ways.

There has to be a part 5 because, hubby and I, well we thought this was all going to go rather smoothly and easily.  I mean don't things go smoothly when your in God's will?  Or you THINK your in God's will .....right??  Were the whispers of    hawaii   the ones I was supposed to be listening too?

Food Friday~Super Fudge (it's healthy)

When I was in 4th and 5th grade my family lived in Arizona.  During that time my mom had gone to a health food class.  And our lives were instantly transformed, I mean that in a funny way....

We went from eating Doritos to wheat germ, from drinking pop to raw milk.

Now that I am older and know the benefits of that I really appreciate all my mom did.  But I don't think we stuck with it very long.  Probably to many complaints from the family, just like I hear.

And now you can't even get raw milk anywhere, it's illegal!!  Which is ridiculous.

This recipe is from my mom's health food days.  I have such fond memories of it, I'm not sure why, I do love it though.  The original recipe calls for peanut butter, but since Sophie is allergic to peanuts I used almond butter.  But it's better with peanut butter.

Super Fudge

1 C honey

1 C chunky peanut butter

1 C sunflower seeds

1/2 C raisins

3/4 C carob powder ( I used organic cocoa powder)

1 C sesame seeds (I used less)

1 C unsweetened coconut

Heat honey and peanut butter till smooth on low heat.

Quickly add rest of ingredients, which have already been mixed together. 

Pour into greased 9x9 pan and chill.

Cut in pieces.

I adore this recipe, for many years I didn't have it and I searched my recipe files for it but could not find it.  Then I wrote a letter to my grandma and asked her if she remembered this fudge and she had the recipe!!

Please pray for me, I am super duper stressed.  I am grateful our farm is sold, but the stress is giving me migraine after migraine and I cannot function with them.  We have to be out of the farm in 3 weeks and there is oh so much to do!  And to top it off I have sick children.  Portia was sick last weekend and Sophie this weekend.  Sophie even got a trip to the ER.  I'm not sure she really needed it but the nurse on the phone sounded very sure of herself when she told me to rush her to the ER even call an ambulance if I have to.  Which scared me.............  I am grateful that she cared, but now I have the ER bill.  Oh well we would do anything for our children, wouldn't we?  Yes.

She has a double ear infection, fever, maybe starting migraines, sore throat, and lets top it off with barfing, YES!!!

Well we must be thankful in the good times as well as the bad.

So thank you Jesus for all these things and for all you are doing behind the scenes that I cannot see.  I am grateful I cannot see it all, because I may just go off the deep end if I did.

Amen.

and amen.

The Move~part 3

If you missed it, here's The Move part 1 and The Move part 2...........Ok so part 2 wasn't really about "the story", but I called it part 2 anyway.

Well the closing has already moved from May 31 to June 1.  Not bad, only one day, but I don't like that.  I don't like it one bit.  This is such a huge ordeal for us that I want each and every detail to stay neat and tidy in the appropriate boxed section it was meant to be in!!

PLEASE no more changes, PLEASE!  But, alas, I know there will be more changes to come, little bits of testing.  Shall I call them "opportunities to grow"?  Or how about "character building"?  Or should I just stick with my "lessons"?
And why do lessons have to be so darn painful?  I am getting off track, lets continue..........

Almost a year ago, I wrote this.  Now some of that angst, I knew, I knew, I knew was God.  So that gave me a sense of peace.  I don't know how I knew it, but I did, in the pit of my being, I knew my changing relationships were God doing something, something BIG.

So on the one hand I was crying weeping over changing friendships and leaving my church,  but on the other hand in my spirit I was excited, thinking ok, God would not be doing this, unless big changes were coming!

OH     little did I know.

So not even a month after I wrote the above linked post, I wrote this.  More on that, in The Move part 4.

The Move~ part 1

I have waited so long to be able to say these words, and those of you with a house for sale KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING!!!  I have several blogger friends that are selling, have just sold or have moved into the new house and are still waiting to sell the old.  It is a gut wrenching, hand wringing, trust testing, emotional experience, no?

Well, here goes......we are closing on our farm on May 31, and I would really like to be able to tell this story in that time.  But it cannot be in one post, there are to many miracles to share.  And when I say miracles I'm not talking parting the Red Sea kind, it's the little occurences, that you almost have to do a double take to make sure you read/heard/thought right. 

Now, mind you, there are HUGE things occuring here, but it's the little things that are the biggest sometimes.  I am going to link up to old posts now and again, because God has seemingly woven this tale together over quite some time and I hope I don't lose you as I am trying to tell it.  It is all there in my mind, but sometimes I don't convey my thoughts exactly right.  I have to remember that you have no idea what has been happening.  I've wanted to shout it from my farmhouse rooftop, and at times whine and complain about all this waiting and trusting. OH wait I did whine and complain didn't I?

I have experienced Mt. Everest highs and Death Valley lows in the last few years, I say few because honestly I don't even remember when this all started, but the further into it I get, the more I realize, God started this process long before I had any notion of it at all!

Remember this post?  This is a precious gift from God.  It may be neither here nor there as to what is happening now, but I did always wonder why God sent us to Oregon.  I don't know if this is only part of the reason or the whole reason, but it meant the world to me to discover this.

And that is where I'll begin........

pending

I know so many questions, right?  I promise I'll have a LENGTHY story in the weeks to come.  Until we are closed I can only show you this happy picture!  The things God has done over the last 6 months are truly miracles.

waiting

Isaiah 30:18

 ¹⁸ Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
   therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
   Blessed are all who wait for him!

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Romans 8:23-25

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Psalm 40:1

I waited patiently for the Lord, he turned to me and heard my cry.


Are you waiting for something?  I am.  I think it is safe to say we are all waiting  for something.  I decided to see what God says about waiting.   I guess I am supposed to be doing it patiently.  I would also assume that means, no complaining or being negative while I wait.  So I'm thinking I will have to keep learning this waiting lesson.

Help me to wait on you Lord, and to trust you.

Christ is Risen! Happy Easter friends!

Beautiful Terrible Cross by Selah is one of my favorite songs.  I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend and know that Jesus Christ died for YOU and he rose again.  Please accept this wonderful gift today, for today is the day of salvation!

Colossians 2:13b-15
God made you  alive with Christ.  He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us;  he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

It's the little things

You may think that it's the BIG things that are grand, that leave a lasting impression, that happiness clings only to those occasions.

Maybe that tropical vacation you know will change your life, if you could ever go on it.  Or if only your husband would make a grand gesture and proclaim his undying love in a letter or daily swoon over you.  Maybe an exceptional child who becomes a doctor....... And I know those things would be terribly nice, but really,  hopes pinned to the grand things make you miss the sweetest tiny things.

I forget who was over the other day, maybe it was my "showing" that finally showed up, but I was sitting on the sofa and little Sophie was standing behind me, her arms wrapped around my neck.  She was like a sweet garland of grace.  She whispered in my ear..... oohh I lub you mom... .... and kissed my neck, all the while making affectionate noises, like you would do as you are seeing a precious little puppy.  I wanted to reach around and grab her and return the favor, but I was listening to an adult talking to me, and I knew if I did scoop up my little girl I would have shed a tear for how precious she is.  And I kick myself thinking about it, forget manners, I should have done it, who cares about an adult going on and on about themselves, my little girl was showing true love!

And then you have the day that is not going so well, you know, one thing after another, it seems to become a way of life.  I went to pick up  my migraine medicine at Target, got home, changed, got comfy, started to do my "home stuff", went to put away my medicine.....thought it felt a bit light, checked the box, only 2 of the 6 tablets were in the box!  OH no, I had to drive back.

I wasn't too happy, but I got in the car and put in one of my favorite CD's and I drove slow and listened to some  hymn's sung by Selah.  Fairest Lord Jesus, Beautiful Terrible Cross, My Jesus I Love Thee, I Have Decided.........Instead of getting madder that I had to waste time and gas money driving back to the store, I listened to words of peace and God's love and was reminded of all my Saviour has done for me. 

I rested.

Then I got to the store and they were so sorry, they gave me two $3 coupons to use off my next visit to Target.  That may not seem like something to celebrate, but to me it was!

The little things.

Who doesn't love the sunshine?  It is warm, bright, healing, it is happiness in a ray.  In Oregon after it rains all winter and your spirit is so low and hopeless that the weather will ever change, there it is, the sun will peek out and oh the JOY!

Who would have thought a tiny ray of sunshine would bring such extreme happiness.  It's the best in the springtime, when you are longing for warm, dreaming of summer, you think you will just die if a warm day doesn't show up soon.  It's like filling up your gas tank (only for free).  If only the sun would come out for a few hours you could make it till June.

Is this a secret I'm just discovering?  Or have I known it all along, only to get sidetracked with so much bad news, bad moods, bad circumstances and rain that I just cannot see clearly for a while, really till I dig myself out?  I think that must be it, I've always known it's the little things, but there are times when they are easy to see and times when I am lost and it takes a great effort to find them.

These little things are staying with me longer too, I will think of them days later.  I think of Sophie hugging me and it still makes me smile.  Last week I woke up to see my hubby going out to get the Sunday paper for me, see he never used to do that, and I complained about it and now he does that for me, every rainy Sunday.... that is what makes me feel loved.

And I am still over the moon that my little girls accepted Jesus as their Saviour last week, but that is not little that is HUGE.

I wish for you to have a little thing brighten your day!

Little Children

Matthew 19:14

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

A couple nights ago, I was reading Proverbs to the girls, it's just so full of practical wisdom.....  We started talking about when they accepted Jesus as their Savior.  Portia couldn't remember saying the prayer and I remember she did, but regretfully I don't remember much else.  So I said, well would you like to pray again?  She said, Yes!

So I held her hand and she repeated after me.....

She believes Jesus died on the cross for her sins, and rose again 3 days later.

She asks forgiveness for her sins and for Jesus to be her Savior.

And that she will live her life for Him.

You know I'm not perfect and I dont' know the perfect prayer but I know her heart was willing and wanted to.   She was so excited after we said Amen.  I said Portia your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life!

And everyone in heaven is celebrating you!

So we were done and Sophie came up to me all sweet like.  Her countenance was so tender and calm....she held out her hand and said, I want to.

I about fell to tears it was so precious!

I said, ok.

Sophie held my hand and closed her eyes REAL TIGHT. 

She repeated the prayer after me and she smiled the whole way through.

Now I don't know if she will remember it and maybe  when she is older I'll say,

remember when...........

and we will pray again.

But I do know, that every child is precious to Him and we are to be like children in our belief in God.

I am so happy that I have been beside each one of my 5 children when they have become saved.

It is the GREATEST JOY to know my children are saved.

I pray for them all the time that they will turn to God and never forget Him.



Could you?

I love free stuff.

One day I was online and I saw that I could get a free book.

Well I love books, I love to read and I love free.

So I requested my free copy of

Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand.

Honestly I haven't read it yet, but I did also request to receive The Voice of the Martyrs monthly newsletter.

From reading that I am astonished by the amount of persecution going on in the world today.

Christians being tortured and killed for Christ.

And the question has haunted me......Could I die for Christ?

I would like to think I would, but then you really start to think about it.

What if you were tortured, a slow and painful death?

Would I deny Him?

What if you were burned at the stake?

Would you say anything to get out of it?

I came to the easy conclusion that I would die for Christ.  Easy because I have never experienced it.  I'm sure I don't understand the magnitude of what it means. I should say I pray God would give me the grace I would need in that situation to accept death rather than deny Him.........BUT,

Just leave my kids alone, don't torture my babies.

That opened another door in my mind.  Isn't that exactly what God did for me?

He allowed his child, Jesus, to be tortured and put to death.

Do you grasp that?

I don't, my mind about shuts it off, because I cannot fathom that sacrifice.

It brings me to tears.

It is very humbling.  It is also very humbling to know that torture and death await many christians around the world, today, tomorrow, it will keep happening.

Will that ever come to America?  I hope not.

I pray if I ever was in that position that God would give me the strength to die for Him.
I have read that the Christians in these countries...like China, Sudan, etc... they WANT to die for Christ, they consider it an honor!  There are no words, that is so humbling.

You may also go to http://www.persecution.com/ and request your free copy of Tortured for Christ.

Please pray for those being persecuted.

This may seem like a depressing post, but in light of this, doesn't your bad day, look a little brighter?

**********************************************************

I started reading Tortured for Christ.
I was brought to tears as I read how this man suffered in prison.
I keep thinking what can I do?  What can I do?

I found something!  Go to http://www.prisoneralert.com/ and you can write letters to Christians in prison.
It is so easy, you click on phrases and it prints it with a translation.
The letters may not always be allowed to the prisoner, but how encouraging would it be if 100's of us did write and God placed them in the prisoners hands!
I imagine if I were in their place, a letter like that would be life altering, oh how encouraging!


 



Fruits of the Spirit

Galations 5:22-24
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.  Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature it's passions and desire.

Well, I do belong to Christ Jesus, yet I really have a hard time displaying the fruit of the spirit!  Why is this so hard?  So as I'm starting to think of my resolutions for next year, (did I even accomplish those for this year?)  I am thinking, this verse takes care of it all.

Exercise and eat right??  Self Control
Forgive someone??  Love
Be a better mom??  Patience, Gentleness
Better wife??  Kindness
Trusting God??  Peace, Faithfulness
Pray and read the Bible more?? Self Control

I guess that covers it.
Doing,  is so much harder than saying.....so please, bear with me.