March Musings - Day 7

Sometimes it's too easy to look at the clouds ahead, the stop signs, the red lights, and just feel discouraged. It's hard to keep going when everything seems against you!

That's when you take time to stop, and look back on what God has done for you. <3

Don't get discouraged by the darkness ahead, travel in faith knowing God has you. He will see you through it to end! Count the many things He has done, and thank Him for it! There is a purpose for everything, and if you keep going, He rewards the faithful.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."

Hebrews 10:23

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfect of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:1-2

(I also highly encourage you to read Hebrews 11!)

Don't give up, weary traveler! God is with you!

March Musings - Day 3

"But he knows the way that I shall take;

when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

My foot has held fast to his steps;

I have kept his way and have not turned aside.

Job 23:10-11 (ESV)

I read this a couple days ago, and these verse have stuck with me! They've encouraged me in many ways, and I'm glad to have read them. We drove past the major power lines today. Normally that wouldn't be of any consequence as they cut through several near by fields. But today they had some pallets fashioned in such a way that they had created a vast road alongside the power lines so that they could do some work. It made me think of these verses.

God knows the way we should take. Sometimes it's the paved path; sometimes it's a path put down before us, plank by plank. We might not even know the next plank or step that we have to take, but if we stay on His path, when trials come, we will come out as gold.

I encourage you to stay on God's path, even if the paved one seems easier, His way is better! Don't lose faith, just take one step, one day, one plank at a time! <3

The Reason I Live (a guest post)

{by Naomi H.}

One of my favorite verses in all of Scripture is 2 Corinthians 4:5-6. It says that “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

This verse is a verse that I quote almost every day. It reminds me that my identity is not in the things of this world, but in CHRIST ALONE! HE ALONE is my light, my life, and my salvation. He is my everything, my strength when I am week, my light when all is dark, and my friend when I feel alone.

On the other side of the coin, it also challenges me to evaluate my life and see if I am showing Christ the way that I should. Are all of my words, actions, and even thoughts Christ-honoring? Do I respect and glorify Him with everything that I do?

An old friend of mine had a gift for writing poems. Although the friendship is long over, the poem has stayed with me through the years. I entitled it “Faith Sings a Melody”. Every now and again, I dig it out and read it. It reminds me that the Christian walk is not a destination, its a life long journey. A path that brings us closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Faith sings a melody, glorious and free

In Christ my faith I’ve put, it’s time to lean on He

Who’s died to pay my debt, no more chains on me

A song which rings aloud, for all the world to hear

Now this song I cry, as Christ does now draw near

I’ll sing it loud I’ll sing it proud, best of all to make it clear

I’ve faith in Jesus Christ, my life He does lead

This passion and this love, his commandments I shall keep

This greatest book of all, a blessing now to read

This faith now does tell me, He is stronger than I

And on this mountain top, I lift his name on high

And soon the day to see His face, I know it does draw nigh

Naomi is a good friend of mine, who I met through John. She is going to college for nursing, loves hedgehogs, and has a beautiful heart for Christ! I'm so proud to call her a friend! Best part of it? We are twins in so many ways...including the fact we both love Psalm 27!

Dandelion Christianity

A Dandelion:

A flower pesky, hard to remove, and constantly spreading it's seeds. It is not a pretty flower, like a rose is. Yet compared to a rose, a dandelion is much hardier. A dandelion can be found anywhere, from gardens, to palaces, to a meadow, or a sidewalk crack in a city. Anywhere and everywhere their seeds can grow, they do so.

Dandelion Christianity?

Jesus says in Matthew 28:19-20a, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

Dandelions do the finest job in my opinion. They are firmly planted, whether in areas of fertile land or literally between a rock & a hard place. They just need the sun (or Son as the case may be) to grow. They spread their seeds the same way we are called to spread the gospel.

Today I want to challenge you to be a dandelion.

Stand firm where you are right now (1 Corinthians 16:13)! Be a light to those around you, even if you're not the best at sharing the gospel, because your actions will speak louder than your words (Matthew 5:13-16). Don't let the trials of life crumple you just because you're a rose that can't take the stress of life, but let God use you to spread love and grace to those around you.

Show others that you're not afraid of the life on this world, for Jesus says in John 16:33, "I have said these things to you, that you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

Dandelions aren't the prettiest, the fanciest, or the greatest flowers on this earth. But they are practical in the fact they know their job and do it well. Lastly, I ask you to remember this: some flowers last after they have been picked, and they keep the appearance of being alive inside, but on the inside they are dead. If you pick a dandelion, they wither within the hour. If you leave God, or give up when times get tough, you will wither just like the dandelion.

Be a dandelion in a world of roses.

No One Told Me

No one told me I'd be sick for a year

and my love of dancing and singing would veer.

No one said that a daily migraine would be

something constant to keep sanity.

No one asked if I'd like to be sick

or if my tears would fall till my cheek was slick.

No one informed me that my fatigue

would feel like I'm constantly hiking a league.

No one questioned if I'd like this at all

but would you want to hang out this fall?

No one needed to ask me a thing

or tell me that this wasn't a one time fling.

No one let me know

that God would make me grow.

No one could tell me that my heart would break

and that some days I'd feel like a fake.

No one would say about the intimacy

I'd grow with God infinitely.

No one should ever get sick for a year

and let their favorite hobbies veer.

No one wants to have a migraine every day

yet I'd never ask God to not have His way.

No one knows that if it weren't for this

I wouldn't know letter writing bliss.

No one mentioned that this trial

would make me fight to find joy each mile.

No one explained each day I'm blessed with 

is truly a gift from God, (and that's not a myth).

No one comprehended how this would be

effective to my testimony and future ministry.

No one treasures sickness of such

yet I do as I have been strengthened so much.

No one may be able to say

Moriah lived joyfully each day.

Yet I pray that someone will say,

God worked on her faithfully each and every day!

Poem by Moriah Peters ~ Written the other day when pondering the past year as I've dealt with pneumonia, mono, and frequent migraines.

Photos by Josh Vanosdell ~ Hello, my name is Joshua Vanosdell. I'm just a beginner photographer. I was born and raised in Louisiana but now live in New Mexico. Thats where most of my pictures are taken now. It has been a culture change for me in New Mexico, but it has its perks. I've been living there now for 5 years and I just love it. If you want to check out more of my photography you can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Google+.

What I have been up to! And other Ramblings

I took a bit of an impromptu blogging break this month with life being so crazy! I was getting stressed out Saturday night so my friend Neona suggested that I journal to sort things out and destress myself. I then came up with the brilliant idea of using a journal T-Tot gave me to make myself a to-do list/day planner so I can mentally see everything I need to do.

It wasnt until I started working on this that I realized it wasnt Paris but Venice! And I have had it for a whole year lol

This is my verse for the year!

I split up everything into seasons!

I am also sprinkling in Bible verses just because! :~)

Its already been a huge help! And if you notice in the picture before this, blog is checked off....and you guys are the lucky ones to receive that checkmark!

The back of it has the note T-Tot left for me Christmas 2014, and the calendar for this year in case I need it! :~)

I shall resume Beautiful Blessings now that I have a journal to remind me about it. ;~) And someday Ill continue the hats...someday lol! We shall just wait and see!

Today's Beautiful Blessings:

~ A journal to keep myself sane!

~ Verses that mean a lot to me!

~ Seeing God's hand in many a thing recently!

~ And growing a bit stronger in my faith each day <3

~ Remembering the lovely Saturday I had this past weekend!

Mono: Seven Things I Have Learned!

As we near the 9th month since I came down with mono last winter, I was thinking back about all that happened, and all that I learned. How am I doing now? Well, I'm still getting migraines. I'm slowly regaining my stamina and strength. Its taking a while, but as Ive told several people, God will heal me completely in His timing! So now, Id like to discuss seven things Ive learned while having, and recovering from, mono!

1. Mono is very depressing to have. You cant go anywhere. You have no energy. You watch everything you love to do fall by the wayside. I got very depressed during the mono. I remember I would just cry some days in my bed because I didn't feel up to doing anything else. Sometimes even getting dressed made me cry! Praise God for the day He came to me, held my hand, and got me out of the depression! Isaiah 41:13 was an incredible encouragement! As I read through my journal during this time, I wasn't very depressed on the outside...and it wasn't until God pulled me out that I realized just how much I was! God is so very good! 
2. Sleep. Constantly. Tired. Exhaustion. You actually grow to dislike being in your bed because you're in it so much. And the couch for that matter. And sleep....golly when I first had the pneumonia (got that first during all this illness) I remember one day I slept 9 hours, got up for 3 or 4, went to bed for another 5 and was up for another 3 or 4 before I went back to bed for the night. You actually count down hours until you get to take a nap. I also recall a day in which I was thinking about the future and planning naps, 3-5 YEARS in advance! (Not normal for me, in case you want to know. lol!)
3. I said this a little in the first thing, but, you miss out on a lot. I missed dance, and Church! I couldn't do St. Patrick's Day, and ended up not doing my ballet recital either. I went to Irish Step once during all this, and my teacher told me I looked dreadful...which I did! It was very hard for me to give up dance! I missed Church for 7 (or so!) weeks in a row! And when I first started going to Church again, sometimes I had to go home early because I felt so bad. 
4. I missed seeing people during this. I had one friend who would come and visit a couple times a week, and I was so thankful for that! I didn't have a lot of energy, but its always nice to have someone to chat with for a little while. Some friends came from out of time during this, but I couldn't spend much time with them because I just felt so dreadful. I did spend a couple hours with them one afternoon, but when I got home I went to bed for the same amount of time! I was so thankful when my birthday came! I started planning it in early March so I had something to look forward to! I got to dress up and spend the evening out with my friends! I was wiped out the next day but it was worth it!
   
5. God changed me during this! My faith is much stronger than it was when it started! As I read through my journal, preparing for my post, I was amazed to see how much I praised God through it all! God was faithful through every bump and trial! (2 Thessalonians 3:3) He helped me through all the tests I had! I was scared when I had all the various tests scheduled for various things, but God gave me a boldness! Psalm 138:3! As my one friend told me, during this, I went from being a scared chicken to a bold bunny!
6. Prayer! Prayer is so important! It kept me together as it was one of the few things I could do! I was able to pray for others as well! I also (and still am) was so thankful for the people at Church who prayed hard for me while I was sick. Some of them still are praying for me since I'm still battling the migraines. Prayer is powerful. Never doubt the power of prayer! Prayer has gotten me this far through this chapter of my life, and it got me through all the battles. Ephesians 6:12 comes to mind. I am so thankful for prayer!
7. Encouragement kept me going! Notes, birthday cards, get well cards, emails, messages, hugs, small gifts, time to nap from Mom, pictures from the kids, and so much more was such a blessing! God was so good throughout it all! 

God was so good, is so good, and continues to do so much for me! Psalm 116:12 comes to mind. So many things to be thankful for about the mono! I grew spiritually, it happened during my junior year of high school instead of my senior, and just the fact God is always with me...will never leave me or forsake me! So I can say with confidence, the Lord is my helper! (Hebrews 13:5-6 if you want to look up the exact verses!) Through the trials you're going through right now, remember God is with you! Turn to Him and ask Him to help you! As I end this, I shall leave you with 2 Corinthians 12:8-10. It was one of my favorite passages throughout this!

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (ESV)

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

Other posts about my mono and pneumonia:

Pneumonia, and Why I'm Thankful For It

A Mono-logue!

Just write....

It's one of those beautiful spring days in which you just want to write.

(Our first daffodil! Spring is so vibrant and lovely!)

I'm not even sure what I'd like to write, but I'd love to do so.

So here I sit and type.

(And eat my breakfast. ;~)

The kids are outside playing so the house is quiet..

I've been wanting to write, but haven't been able to figure out what.

I wrote about being sick with mono back in March, and I think I have begun the road to improvement.

Throughout this mono I've come down with pneumonia, a cold, a couple migraines, and I think now I have another cold.

This is definitely a test of my patience, faith, and steadfastness in God.

It is so easy to get down, depressed, and discouraged about oneself.

If God hadn't seen me through this, I'd be a mess!

I laugh to myself because I am a mess.

I'm far from perfect, but God is perfect!

I've been thinking about Psalm 138:3 (ESV) this morning:

On the day I called, you answered me;

my strength of soul you increased.

I've called to God so many times to help me through this.

Every single time I've called, He has answered.

He has been strengthening me in every way.

And I can't thank Him enough.

God is so good!

Psalm 73:28 (ESV)

But it is good for me to be near God;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

that I may tell of all your works.

I'm not sure how I'd like to wrap up this long rambling post.

Remember, no matter what you're going through, look to God!

Sounds cliche, yet it's the best decision you can make!

And now I shall go enjoy this lovely spring weather with a book and some tea!

Au revior!

Safe in Strong Arms

We like to feel safe. We like to know who we can trust and who we are safe with. We usually feel the safest in strong loving arms.

This past week in Sunday School, a little girl in the class I work with, told us a story when we were talking about trust and trust falls. She recounted her tale with shining eyes how her big strong brother would always catch her if she did one with him. She had so much trust in his strong safe arms. She knew that he would always be willing to protect and take care of her.

My sisters personally like being in safe in Daddy's arms. Every day before he goes to work and when he comes home, they clamor for hugs. Sometimes they ask for two or three because they love getting a great big bear hug from Daddy!

One day when they were getting hugs, I thought I'd like one too! So I went up to my Dad and he picked me up, giving me a great big hug. That day shall always be a memory for me. In fact, the day he did that, I wrote the following poem:

Sweet Daddy of Mine
He gives them all a hug goodbye,
as he heads out the door. 
As he turns around he sees me, 
standing in the middle of the dining room floor.

He gives me a great big hug,
and whispers in my ear:
"You have grown to be such a young lady,
with the passing of each year."

He jokes I've gotten way too big,
so I say he should shrink me.
He puts his hand behind my shoulders,
and puts his other behind my knee.

He holds me in his arms,
the moment marked in time.
Then he sets me down,
this moment now etched in rhyme.

I personally love getting hugs from my friends and family. I feel safe and loved in their arms. As I pondered these things, I realized how awesome it is to be safe and be able to trust in God's strong arms. I pursued the topic a bit, and came across the following verses.

Jeremiah 17:7 (ESV)
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.

Isaiah 26:4 (ESV)
Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.

Psalm 118:8 (ESV)
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in man.

Knowing that I can put my trust in God's safe strong arms, I feel safe! I know He will protect me through the good times and the bad. If I go through a trial-filled time, then who can I turn to? God! I know He's always there for me. I can put my complete trust in Him.

Hebrews 13:6 (ESV)

So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear;

what can man do to me?”

How can you Pray for the Girls in your Life?

I've been meaning to finish up this series and it's been 2 months since I last wrote a post for it! I'm hoping to have it finished up by next week!

For this part of the series, I asked my girlies what they usually need prayer for most:

Guys and the emotions that go with them
God's direction
Worry
Attitude
Confidence
Strength
Self image
Health
Arguing
Self control
Obedience cheerfully
Procrastination
To be closer to God/Hungering for God/Staying strong in God's faith

Each of these things are daily struggles and when you pray for, pray with them, it is such an encouragement!

"Knowing that someone is praying for me, usually brings me a peace, knowing I'm not in it alone."

"I feel stronger."

"I would feel stronger. It really tends to help me when I know that someone cares enough to pray for me in a hard situation. It is effected in a positive way. I tend to be able to say no to myself easier, and it gives me joy."

"I'd love it if someone was praying for these things. It makes me feel loved and it also makes me feel like I'm not alone in my struggles. It's a great feeling to know that someone is on the sidelines rooting for you and praying for you. When someone is praying hard for me, I can see it. Loads start to feel lighter and my prayers start to slowly get answered. Whether it's a yes or a no to a prayer, it'll still be answered in some way. Sometimes it takes a while, but something always happens. Sometimes I'm shown the purpose for a situation or I'm given more wisdom. Prayer always works in the way it's supposed to for that situation."

Now, one of them gave an interesting point, and I'd like you to think about this carefully. When you pray for someone, it should be done in a loving-kind way. Don't pray for, pray with. Praying for is when you're asking God 'for' something and/or on behalf of the other person. Praying with is when you are both praying in agreement for the same thing.

"I think my attitude on people praying for me changes with the person who is doing the praying. If, say, a person I find to be self-righteous or hypocritical is praying for my faults to be absolved, I might not truly appreciate their prayer. More likely, it would completely get on my nerves; however, if I truly have a relationship with the person and know that they will not hold my faults against me in a "I am holier than thou" type of way, then the prayer is greatly appreciated, much wanted, and much needed."

Prayer is so important. Take time today to pray for the girls in your life. Tell them you're praying for and with them. And as I said, it's such an encouragement to know someone is praying for you.

Galatians 6:2 (ESV)
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Waiting for Prayer to be Answered?

 

Waiting for prayer to be answered is hard. We WANT things to be instantaneous, when things NEED to be in God's timing. So when we have to wait, we look for ours prayers to be answered instantaneously instead of in God's timing. (Now, sometimes God chooses to answer instantaneously, but this post is about waiting.)

Psalm 27:14 (ESV)
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

As I gathered my thoughts, my mind flew instantly to Abraham, Hannah, and Job. These great men and woman of the Bible waited for prayers to be answered for a long time before they were.

Abraham:
Genesis 12:1-4 (paraphrasing) says that Abraham (then called Abram) was 75 when God said to him that he would be made into a great nation, that he will bless Abraham, his name would be great, and he would be a blessing. All he had to do was wait and trust. So that's what Abraham did. In Genesis 15:5, God told Abraham that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars. Abraham was almost 99 at this time. And so he waited. Yet as he waited, he decided to take things into his own hands. You can read about this in Genesis 16. This was not the wisest move. Doing your own thing, instead of waiting for God's timing is never very smart. Eventually God did answer their prayers, but the wait and lessons during the wait did affect them.

Psalm 6:9 (ESV)
The Lord has heard my plea;
    the Lord accepts my prayer.

Hannah:
Hannah wanted a son. (1 Samuel 1) Actually, she didn't just want one, she desired one. She was one of two wives, of a man named Elkanah. Peninnah, Elkanah's other wife, had children, but Hannah didn't. She was teased relentlessly by Peninnah. She was filled with such sorrow that she went to the Temple to pray. With complete faith, Hannah told God that if her heard her cries, she would give him the child. She prayed with such fervor that the priest, Eli, thought she was drunk. When she told him that was pouring her heart out to the Lord, Eli said that her prayers would be answered. Sure enough, Hannah was finally able to conceive and Samuel was born. When he was weaned, she took him to the temple and gave him to serve there (1 Samuel 1:24-28). Her prayers were answered!

1 Peter 3:12 (ESV)
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

Job:
If anyone knew how hard it was to wait for prayer to be answered, it was Job. Job was a righteous man (Job 1:8). God gave Satan permission to test him (Job 1:9-13), and so, he was afflicted with horrible tragedies. First his donkeys & oxen were attacked and carried away and his servants were killed (Job 1:14-15). Within moments of that happening, fire came from the sky and burned up his sheep & his servants (Job 1:16). Yet again, within the same moment, all of his camels were taken away, and his servants killed (Job 1:17). Then he got the news that his sons and daughters were feasting, when a mighty wind blew up and the house collapsed in on them, and they all died (Job 1:18-19). Yet, Job remained steadfast in his Faith (Job 2:3). Yet again God let Satan test him (Job 2:3-8). This time he was afflicted with several different illnesses. His wife told him in Job 2:9, that he should curse God for letting all these horrible things happen. The following verse, Job 2:10, says that Job refused. Satan continued to tempt him, by using friends to twist his thoughts, yet through it all, Job remained steadfast. Waiting and knowing that God would answer his prayers. It says in Job 16:17 that his prayers were pure. In the end his prayers were answered, and his life restored.

James 5:11 (ESV)
Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

So, with all that being said, let's summarize. 
When we are waiting for prayers to be answered:

 We should never take things into our own hands (Genesis 16). 
We should know God always answers prayer (1 Samuel 1:20), though they may not always be answered the way we want them.
We should remain steadfast in our Faith during this time (James 5:11).

I pray that this will help you somehow, someway! 

*I must add that I can't take credit. Towards the end of writing this post, I was really struggling, but God helped me through it, and I can't thank him enough!*

A Cry of Roses

Roses are beautiful!

Each one is unique in it's own way.

This is a cry of roses. These roses may not be here next year. These roses are on the property of LeTourneau Christian Center. The camp is celebrating it's 80th anniversary this year. Over the past 2 years (2012-now), they've been trying to raise $850,000 dollars to buy the deed of the property so that they can apply for a grant in order to update and keep the camp going. Right now they have until Dec. 31st to raise this. As of now, they have about $105,000. I ask that you share, give, and pray that they will be able to raise the money to keep this camp going.  I've been to this camp, and the time I've spent there has impacted me to grow in my faith in God.

God's timing is powerful. I have faith that they will have the money in his perfect timing.

Please pray, share, and if you are able to give, please give!

Sometimes.......... (a poem)

Sometimes.

Sometimes we're strong.

Sometimes we fly.

Our faith is so strong, we touch the sky.

Sometimes we're fearless, cheerful and brave.

Sometimes we serve with a smile and a wave.

Sometimes.

Sometime we're weak.

Sometimes we fall.

Our faith is so weak, we cry over it all.

Sometimes we're fearful. upset, and scared.

Sometimes we leave with sadness and wish we could care.

Sometimes.

Sometimes we remember.

Sometimes we recall.

God is higher than it all!

God is with us, 

he will not forsake us, 

his power is mighty, 

and we are his.

He will always be there when we fall.

To him we can turn when we're upset at all!

God is mightier than the world combined,

because he made us,

because he loves us,

because he cares.

Sometimes.

Sometimes we forget. 

But God's still there.

His arms are open, and his smile is fair.

He's waiting for his precious child to come.

He's ready for his precious child to say, 

"God, you are the one."

The Power of Prayer

Prayer is important.

Prayer is powerful.

Prayer was something I never payed much attention to until I realized how important and powerful it is. 

Here are a couple examples of how powerful prayer can be:

Several nights ago, one of the girls came down stairs around 10pm, crying. She had a nightmare and was shaking like a leaf. We cuddled her, and gave her hugs & kisses. After a few minutes, she and Daddy went upstairs. As she headed up the stairs, she asked Daddy to pray for her, because she knew Daddy would.

Yesterday was a long day. I was watching the girlies while Mom went to physical therapy for her ankle. Us girls were rehearsing some dance pieces for an upcoming show. While we were doing this T-Tot hit her ankle extremely hard on our wooden hope chest in the living room. She fell to the floor in pain. As I gave directions to the other girls, grabbed ice, and the phone in case I needed it, my first thought was "God. I need help." I flew through my mind of people who I could call, but no one (in my head) would be available. As I sat on the floor, rocking her, and icing her ankle, I was praying so hard. I was praying so hard. Within minutes I hear our door open. Mom wasn't supposed to be back for at least another hour, and I hadn't been able to get a hold of her. Who came in? Grandpa! Grandpa had to drop of his trailer at our relative's mechanics, and thought he would stop in to say hi! I was so thankful that God had provided for our needs. He looked at her ankle, and suggested we elevate it on the couch. He helped me make lunch, and he stayed  at the house with the girls while we took her to get x-rayed. Thankfully she just has a bad bone bruise.

Prayer is so powerful.

Matthew 21:22 

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

It's becoming such a big part of my life, that I can't imagine life without it. 

How does prayer effect your life? 

(I drew the picture a few years ago)

30 Days of Love: Day 24

1 Corinthians 13:13

Now these three remain:
faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.

 

Find a quiet time today to remind them that you'll always have faith & hope in God that your love for them will never change.

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #15 Homemaker

Proverbs 31:10-31

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

¹⁰ An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
¹² She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³ She seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
¹⁴ She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from afar.
¹⁵ She rises while it is yet night
    and provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She dresses herself with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
¹⁸ She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
²⁰ She opens her hand to the poor
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is known in the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
²⁵ Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷ She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands,
    and let her works praise her in the gates.

I challenge you to wear strength and dignity. To open your hands to the poor and needy. To speak with wisdom and teach the kindness of the Lord. To fear the Lord. As I write this I can see trumpets in my head, as a fanfare as we have completed the devotions I have written. I challenge you girls to start your own journey of becoming a young woman of faith!