I have been blessed. God's been so good to me. ... I heard this song on the way home from a youth rally we went to Saturday. I just bawled all the way through it..as usual. I have always cried during that song but ever since a ladies retreat a couple years ago, where right at the beginning of the conference they played this song and had different ladies come out on the platform holding up posters that said a trial they had gone through and then they would flip it over and it said how God had fixed that problem; I bawl! I'm telling you I could have left right then and been completely blessed and filled even before the speakers spoke. (Not that the whole conference wasn't great but it was an awesome start)
On the way home during that song on Saturday I decided to post about how God has blessed me. I always do a month long daily post on facebook every November saying something I am thankful for. But, I want to post about some divine interventions (which goes along with the sermon at the youth rally) that God has done throughout my life. They will not be in any particular order; just typing as they come to me.
Was a passenger in a car that was hit by a train -- survived
Was told I would not walk unaided for high school graduation -- was off crutches 2 days before graduation
Was told I would not be able to carry babies -- had 2 pregnancies & 2 children
Was saved as a bus kid -- became a pastor's wife
Was told my granddaughter had bilateral club feet invitro -- she was born without club feet
These are just a few of the biggies of how God has blessed and been so good to me. I just wanted to post about them. God truly is better to us than we deserve. I know certainly better than I deserve. I don't keep him in the front of my mind as much as I should. I am not as obedient in witnessing as I should be. I sin and make mistakes daily but He continues to forgive when I ask for it. He is soooo good.
January 29, 2017
January 27, 2017
Building Noah's Ark Series - Lesson 1
Noah's Spiritual Maturity - Gen. 6:9-14
I. Noah built the ark in the sunshine
- he prepared during the sunshine for the coming flood
- somewhere down the road we will have a flood - a crisis, a trial
So we need to prepare for it now while times are good
A. Prepare for financial trials
- set money aside in an ER fund - $500 to start but eventually 3 months of bills
B. Prepare for emotional trials
- read Bible daily & pray daily
- meditate on the Word & memorize scripture for future comfort & help
C. Prepare for health trials
- it is best to do what you can to avoid health problems - preventative is best for bodies, homes, cars, appliances
- take care of yourself by eating & drinking right & by exercise
***Remember - You are what you eat and you sag and bulge where you don't move!
D. Prepare for death
- make sure you are saved - your life is a vapor - we don't know how long we have
- make decisions now about your funeral & let others know
- have life insurance and/or a prepaid burial plan
- decide who will raise your kids
- have a will or a living trust
We don't know when a storm will come but it WILL come so prepare!
II. Noah let God shut the door - Gen. 7:6
- He took himself & his family & got on the ark & let God close the door but trusted God to open it again later
A. We don't have all the answers about life but we can trust the one who does
- Noah built the ark as God said
- He gathered the animals as God said
- He got on the ark as God said
- He watched the rain fall as God said
- He could believe God would open the door again as He said
B. Let God close doors for us
- follow God's will, let Him guide & direct us
I often pray "Lord open doors & close doors in the direction you'd have me to go."
- ignore the saying "When God closes a door come in through the window or kick down th door"
**When God closes the door - listen & wait until He opens it or a different door
- don't put your foot in the door to keep it open either
III. Noah thanked God - Gen. 8:13-20
- firsh thing Noah did when he got off the ark was build an altar to God and sacrifice to Him in thanksgiving
- This is the first mention of an altar being built to God
- 1 Thess. 5:18 - we are to give thanks for everything
God gives us blessings, we are alive because He allows it, He created us, He loves us
- even the trials, though they are hard to go through, are a way to help us rely on Him and draw us closer to Him, to grow in Christian maturity or to affect others around us
We can learn and grow in our Christian walk from Noah. The ark was used to help save his life and his family's life but HE had to build it! In this series we will learn to build different arks to help us in our lives.
I. Noah built the ark in the sunshine
- he prepared during the sunshine for the coming flood
- somewhere down the road we will have a flood - a crisis, a trial
So we need to prepare for it now while times are good
A. Prepare for financial trials
- set money aside in an ER fund - $500 to start but eventually 3 months of bills
B. Prepare for emotional trials
- read Bible daily & pray daily
- meditate on the Word & memorize scripture for future comfort & help
C. Prepare for health trials
- it is best to do what you can to avoid health problems - preventative is best for bodies, homes, cars, appliances
- take care of yourself by eating & drinking right & by exercise
***Remember - You are what you eat and you sag and bulge where you don't move!
D. Prepare for death
- make sure you are saved - your life is a vapor - we don't know how long we have
- make decisions now about your funeral & let others know
- have life insurance and/or a prepaid burial plan
- decide who will raise your kids
- have a will or a living trust
We don't know when a storm will come but it WILL come so prepare!
II. Noah let God shut the door - Gen. 7:6
- He took himself & his family & got on the ark & let God close the door but trusted God to open it again later
A. We don't have all the answers about life but we can trust the one who does
- Noah built the ark as God said
- He gathered the animals as God said
- He got on the ark as God said
- He watched the rain fall as God said
- He could believe God would open the door again as He said
B. Let God close doors for us
- follow God's will, let Him guide & direct us
I often pray "Lord open doors & close doors in the direction you'd have me to go."
- ignore the saying "When God closes a door come in through the window or kick down th door"
**When God closes the door - listen & wait until He opens it or a different door
- don't put your foot in the door to keep it open either
III. Noah thanked God - Gen. 8:13-20
- firsh thing Noah did when he got off the ark was build an altar to God and sacrifice to Him in thanksgiving
- This is the first mention of an altar being built to God
- 1 Thess. 5:18 - we are to give thanks for everything
God gives us blessings, we are alive because He allows it, He created us, He loves us
- even the trials, though they are hard to go through, are a way to help us rely on Him and draw us closer to Him, to grow in Christian maturity or to affect others around us
We can learn and grow in our Christian walk from Noah. The ark was used to help save his life and his family's life but HE had to build it! In this series we will learn to build different arks to help us in our lives.
January 22, 2017
What Funerals Mean
This is a post that will just be sharing my heart...something therapeutic for me. I had a jam packed week last week. I drove up to Missouri on Monday morning to attend visitation for my Aunt Ruthie that died the week before. The funeral service was Tuesday. I then drove to my daughter's house because I was already planning on a visit there to paint the nursery for my grandson, Ronan that is coming in February and host a "next gender" shower on Saturday.
The funeral visitation and services were held at Schrader's Funeral Home as nearly every relative on both sides of my family have done. I have been going to this place since I was 4 years old. I have grown to hate the place as it represents another person now missing from my life. As I stated, beginning at age 4 when my uncle died. All four of my grandparents, my dad, several aunts and uncles and distant relatives too, have had their funeral services held at Schrader's.
For me, when someone from my dad's side of the family passes away, I feel another piece of my dad is now gone. It's like another connection to him is gone. This June 3 it will be 38 years since my dad passed so you would think it would get easier but it doesn't. Even though I may not see my aunts, uncles and cousins often anymore, I still love them all and have so many memories of growing up around them. My cousins were absolutely my best friends growing up...on both sides of my family. I spent an enormous amount of time with them. Spending the night, going to school, just hanging out. In all my youth, I only spent the night with a friend from school one time EVER and that was in jr. high! I spent the night with my cousins many, many times or spent evenings or days with them, playing, swimming, singing, laughing or whatever... and yes fighting and making up! This past week, I got to spend a little time catching up with a few. My mind was so filled with memories of my Aunt Ruthie and my cousins that I had a hard time focusing on the necessary tasks at hand but the Lord helped me still accomplish what needed done.
Just because I need to express some of those memories, I'm going to talk about them now.
1. Rabbit pancakes or baseball pancakes - regular round pancakes were called baseball pancakes and then she made ones in the shape of a rabbit. (without a mold! she made them by hand) And for some reason the rabbit pancakes tasted better to a kid!!! :)
---along with that her homemade syrup
2. Poker games that sometimes went on all night at her house with my parents and some others playing which meant kids got to play
3. Eating cream cheese and saltine crackers when we came in from playing in the snow
4. Her love of Neil Diamond
5. Eating raw cookie dough as a snack (she would make a large batch of dough and roll it in wax paper and freeze it and take it out to thaw to eat or bake) Yes! I obviously survived that and never got sick! :)
6. Her sunbathing in the side yard on a blanket
7. Her dog Tie
8. Being in the car with her and driving past the Wet Willie's water slide in Fenton when we overheard on the radio that Elvis had died
9. Her laugh
10. My bridal shower was at her house
11. Her telling me how hard it is to go on vacation to the beach with people who only want to shop and NOT go to the beach! ha ha
12. Her care and support of her kids
These are just a few things. She was a special lady and she will be missed.
The funeral visitation and services were held at Schrader's Funeral Home as nearly every relative on both sides of my family have done. I have been going to this place since I was 4 years old. I have grown to hate the place as it represents another person now missing from my life. As I stated, beginning at age 4 when my uncle died. All four of my grandparents, my dad, several aunts and uncles and distant relatives too, have had their funeral services held at Schrader's.
For me, when someone from my dad's side of the family passes away, I feel another piece of my dad is now gone. It's like another connection to him is gone. This June 3 it will be 38 years since my dad passed so you would think it would get easier but it doesn't. Even though I may not see my aunts, uncles and cousins often anymore, I still love them all and have so many memories of growing up around them. My cousins were absolutely my best friends growing up...on both sides of my family. I spent an enormous amount of time with them. Spending the night, going to school, just hanging out. In all my youth, I only spent the night with a friend from school one time EVER and that was in jr. high! I spent the night with my cousins many, many times or spent evenings or days with them, playing, swimming, singing, laughing or whatever... and yes fighting and making up! This past week, I got to spend a little time catching up with a few. My mind was so filled with memories of my Aunt Ruthie and my cousins that I had a hard time focusing on the necessary tasks at hand but the Lord helped me still accomplish what needed done.
Just because I need to express some of those memories, I'm going to talk about them now.
1. Rabbit pancakes or baseball pancakes - regular round pancakes were called baseball pancakes and then she made ones in the shape of a rabbit. (without a mold! she made them by hand) And for some reason the rabbit pancakes tasted better to a kid!!! :)
---along with that her homemade syrup
2. Poker games that sometimes went on all night at her house with my parents and some others playing which meant kids got to play
3. Eating cream cheese and saltine crackers when we came in from playing in the snow
4. Her love of Neil Diamond
5. Eating raw cookie dough as a snack (she would make a large batch of dough and roll it in wax paper and freeze it and take it out to thaw to eat or bake) Yes! I obviously survived that and never got sick! :)
6. Her sunbathing in the side yard on a blanket
7. Her dog Tie
8. Being in the car with her and driving past the Wet Willie's water slide in Fenton when we overheard on the radio that Elvis had died
9. Her laugh
10. My bridal shower was at her house
11. Her telling me how hard it is to go on vacation to the beach with people who only want to shop and NOT go to the beach! ha ha
12. Her care and support of her kids
These are just a few things. She was a special lady and she will be missed.
January 2, 2017
Church is Not a Restaurant
I heard the last part of a sermon on a Christian radio station while driving the other day. I don't know the name of the preacher to give credit and I didn't hear the whole thing but the thought was really good. It was a sermon about serving in the church.
He used the illustration of when you go to a restaurant you have a waiter or waitress that serves you and does their best to give good service. When the meal is over, the server brings the check and you pay. At this point, you would find it crazy to have the manager come and hand you a towel and ask you to come to the back and help clean up dishes. You would tell them that you paid for the meal and service and did not need to do any clean up.
Now, when you eat a meal at home, as a child you more than likely were expected to help clear the table and/or do the dishes. You were expected to take part in the clean up because you are part of the family.
Shouldn't it be that way at church? It is your church family so shouldn't you take part in the clean up, the grass cutting, the
dish washing or set up for dinners, or anything else that needs done around the church? You should not just show up and expect to be waited on and then go home as though you had paid for a service. Even if you pay a tithe or give an offering, God says that is your reasonable service and God expects it of you. Maybe it is time for you to consider taking part in your church family. Participate! Church isn't a restaurant it's a family where all can learn, grow, praise, and SERVE together.
Just something to think about. Are you part of the family sharing in the responsibility or are you treating your church like a restaurant?
He used the illustration of when you go to a restaurant you have a waiter or waitress that serves you and does their best to give good service. When the meal is over, the server brings the check and you pay. At this point, you would find it crazy to have the manager come and hand you a towel and ask you to come to the back and help clean up dishes. You would tell them that you paid for the meal and service and did not need to do any clean up.
Now, when you eat a meal at home, as a child you more than likely were expected to help clear the table and/or do the dishes. You were expected to take part in the clean up because you are part of the family.
Shouldn't it be that way at church? It is your church family so shouldn't you take part in the clean up, the grass cutting, the
dish washing or set up for dinners, or anything else that needs done around the church? You should not just show up and expect to be waited on and then go home as though you had paid for a service. Even if you pay a tithe or give an offering, God says that is your reasonable service and God expects it of you. Maybe it is time for you to consider taking part in your church family. Participate! Church isn't a restaurant it's a family where all can learn, grow, praise, and SERVE together.
Just something to think about. Are you part of the family sharing in the responsibility or are you treating your church like a restaurant?
January 1, 2017
2016 in Review
Let's see. In January Bob and I closed on a large double wide sitting on 10 acres that we purchased from HUD. It was a total fixer upper so we played Chip and Jojo Gaines. I tell people all the time "Yes we have the courage to take on a fixer upper". Quite frankly we did it without a large crew. With the exception of the exterior work and floor covering and drywall textural, we did everything ourselves (oh and some friends helped us paint some). But, all the rest was done completely by us---and mostly Bob. It took 6 months. 90% of the subfloor needed replaced. Insulation under floor. Pretty much all the plumbing had to be re-done, and also the electrical wiring. It was a lot of work! It is not perfect but it is home. Living in a two room apartment for 20 months was hard but we made it work. (we were living in the church's mission apartment inside the church) It had no windows. Also, during the rehab process, I had a neck injury. I found out I have a bulging c5 disk and a ruptured c6 disk. I tried chiropractic first and it helped but only so much. He sent me to see a surgeon and he had me do neck traction instead of surgery. It helped the pain and numbness and tingling. The surgeon actually gave me permission not to do any household chores! I laughed and told him that was not likely to happen. He did say that the chores would aggravate the problem areas but I am not able to pay for someone to come in and do them for me, and would not be comfortable with that anyway. I must do traction at least three times a week to keep my neck in repair.
We got to go to both of our granddaughter's, Addelyn and Lucy's, first birthdays. Also, got told each of them will become big sisters and we are now awaiting the arrival of Ronan (Feb.) and Emberly (May) this year.
Bob and I learned a lot about hiring staff for help in the ministry. (I won't discuss the details of this)
Bob got to quit his full time job as a lineman which was 50 hours a week back in March. (BTW, we did the work on the house while he held that job the first three months and he was the pastor of a church). He is working also now as a bus driver for the local school district.
I worked hard at getting healthier over the year. You can see other posts labeled "health journey" for more information. I plan to continue this journey into this year.
I also this past fall had a cancer scare. I had found a lump in my breast and had to have extensive testing. It was a fairly long process before I got a clean bill of health but the scare for me was very real and helped me to focus on some things I needed to in my own mind.
I think that covers the high notes. It was a jam packed, extremely busy year but it seems like every year is this way.
We got to go to both of our granddaughter's, Addelyn and Lucy's, first birthdays. Also, got told each of them will become big sisters and we are now awaiting the arrival of Ronan (Feb.) and Emberly (May) this year.
Bob and I learned a lot about hiring staff for help in the ministry. (I won't discuss the details of this)
Bob got to quit his full time job as a lineman which was 50 hours a week back in March. (BTW, we did the work on the house while he held that job the first three months and he was the pastor of a church). He is working also now as a bus driver for the local school district.
I worked hard at getting healthier over the year. You can see other posts labeled "health journey" for more information. I plan to continue this journey into this year.
I also this past fall had a cancer scare. I had found a lump in my breast and had to have extensive testing. It was a fairly long process before I got a clean bill of health but the scare for me was very real and helped me to focus on some things I needed to in my own mind.
I think that covers the high notes. It was a jam packed, extremely busy year but it seems like every year is this way.
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