Being Reminded by God


This morning as my husband was preaching he mentioned 1 Peter 5:7.

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 

And God whispered,

“She is twelve now.

She is alive.

She is healthy.

She is sitting right beside you.”

Gratitude filled and almost spilled.

I put my arm around her and pulled her close and kissed love on her smooth soft cheek.

She looked at me a bit stunned.

She doesn’t remember.

But I do.

She doesn’t remember at the age of two, being in the ICU at Children’s hospital fighting for her life.

She doesn’t remember her lungs filling with fluid.

She doesn’t remember being tested for everything under the sun, from Lyme disease to scarlet fever.

She doesn’t remember the rash that covered her and the high fever that raged.

She doesn’t remember being on the edge of anaphylactic shock.

She doesn’t remember that WE. WEREN’T. THERE.

BUT GOD WAS…

She doesn’t remember that Daddy and Mommy were on a survey trip, literally on the other side of the earth.

She doesn’t remember that her father had just preached “Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you.” And then in within moments being asked by God to

LIVE.

IT.

OUT.

She doesn’t remember how we prayed and begged God for her life. It was very literally…

ALL WE COULD DO.

We could not get there faster. We could not hold her. We could not kiss her brow while the fever waged war within her. We could not whisper in her ear that we loved her and that Jesus was taking care of her. That the Great Physician was in control.

All we could do was CAST OUR CARE ON HIM and trust him and his love and care for her… and us.

“For indeed he was sick nigh unto death:
but God had mercy on him;
and not on him only,
but on me also,
lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.”
~Philippians 2:27

She doesn’t know that we could not get home any sooner. We were already scheduled to leave the very next day. But it would still take 48 hours to get there. That THAT fifteen hour flight across the Pacific was the longest in our lives because we had no contact to know her condition. We did not know if it had improved or gotten worse.

If she had lived…

or …

We have told her.

She has heard the story of how God intervened and even the doctor’s still can’t explain what she had or what caused it or what exactly made it stop and go away.

She knows the story, but she doesn’t remember it like we do.

God remembers.

O how I need him to remind me of it.

EVERY.

SINGLE.

DAY.

(The first photo was taken in Scotland, A WEEK after being released from the hosptial. We arrived home to a little girl sleeping soundly in her crib safe and sound …and healthy. In less than a week we left for Scotland. The second photo was taken this past May.)

***edit*** As she read this post she commented, “almost spilled? I should think it puddled.”  Totally in love with her literary mind and how it shapes the way she expresses herself.

Cardboard Bullies

At the Relevant Conference, I was introduced to Blessings Unlimited. I truly like the products they offer. 
This is my favorite: 

Isn’t it beautiful?
Each piece with a blessing to be thankful for.
So I decided to take the plunge into becoming an Independent Consultant. I paid my money and received my ‘business kit’. It arrived and my husband carried the boxes into the house and

there.

they.

sat.

Taunting me to fail.

“You’ll never be good at this.” They whispered.

“You wasted your money.” They glared at me when I walked by, big cardboard bullies just daring me to open them and unpack the treasures inside.

So they stayed there.

Every time the whispering began I countered it with, “God, help me with this. I feel overwhelmed and I don’t want to be a quitter… AGAIN.”

I even called the ‘home office’ and asked about sending them back to their dark cave warehouse.

I could have… but… I didn’t.

My husband encouraged me to try.

“Try it. Ask God to bless it. You may feel better about it after your first Gathering.”

I have found one person willing to extend some grace and attempt my first Gathering.

So I have jumped off the cliff into the unknown world (to me) of small business and even set up a Blessings Unlimited website. (At the moment the intro is hard to read with no line breaks. Working on fixing that. Not sure what happened. I followed the directions and saved it in HTML but…?)

ANYWAY… Click on over and check it out! You have Christmas shopping to do right? I’m sure you will find something for someone on your list. (wink wink, shy smile)

If you think on it… pray for me as I wade into the ocean of sales.

The Most Valuable Gift

This holy tide of
Christmas
doth bring
redeeming grace!
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy,
O tidings of
comfort
and
joy!

Nineteen years ago today,
if you had told me I was going to be the mom of four kids,
I might have laughed in your face.

Nineteen years ago today,
if you had told me I was going to be a missionary in a foreign country,
one only half-steps away from being a third-world country,
I might have asked what you had been drinking
-and might have asked for some myself.

Nineteen years ago today,
if you had told me I was going to be a pastor’s wife,
I might have wondered what had caused you to loose your mind.

Nineteen years ago today,
I was living my life for myself.

Nineteen years ago today,
I had no idea what grace was.

Nineteen years ago today,
I was on a my down that broad road
headed straight for hell.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God:”
~Ephesians 2:8

Nineteen years ago, on Christmas Eve,
Christmas music took on a much deeper meaning.

Nineteen years ago, on Christmas Eve,
I sat in a very small room,
at the time used as an office,
now a hallway.

Nineteen years ago, on Christmas Eve,
I received the most wonderful gift ever.

Nineteen years ago, on Christmas Eve,
I received redeeming grace.

Nineteen years ago, on Christmas Eve,
I received new life.

Nineteen years ago, on Christmas Eve,
I received a new purpose.
That gift was
the gift of God
…that would be
Jesus.



He is life changing.

When I was at the Relevant Conference, I was introduced to the DaySpring collection ‘Jesus is the Gift.’ I was offered an opportunity to receive one of their products in return for writing a review for it.

I was so happy to open the box I found on my porch and find this:



I *heart* this new addition to my holiday decorating. I like pitchers because they are functional as a pitcher and also as a vase.
Did I tell you I *heart* snowflakes as well?
This pitcher is a wonderful way to testify of our Savior and decorate at the same time!

I was compensated by DaySpring for this review by receiving this pitcher.
This review is completely my own genuine opinion.

Click on over and see the rest of this collection and so much more!
You won’t be disappointed, of that I am sure.

Gratitude: Making His Deeds Known

For all things are for your sakes,
that the abundant grace might
through the thanksgiving of many
redound to the glory of God.”
~2 Corinthians 4:15


O give thanks unto the LORDcall upon his name:
make known his deeds among the people.

Sing unto himsing psalms unto him:
talk ye of all his wondrous works.
~Psalm 105

All things are for our sakes, our good is always his priortiy. God’s abundant grace is displayed for the world through us as we outwardly give thanks to our Living God. The thanksgiving of many will contribute greatly to the glory of God, our Savior and Redeemer. Testify to all, of what the LORD has done.

And so I choose this daily task for HIS GLORY…


Thank you God for the following gifts from my week:


161. Kids up early
162. Two doing schoolwork before 7:30 AM (with not a word from mama)
163. The bookmark link finally worked!
164. Finally reading Ann’s book for review
        (You all may get sick of hearing about it from me,
I just want to shout about it to everyone!
Yes, it is THAT good and so clearly God-blessed.)

165. One Thousand gifts by Ann Voskamp
166. Grace is for Sinners by Serena Woods
167. Sally Clarkson‘s books picked up at the Relevant Conference
168. The sunlight on the horizon just before sunrise
169. The yellow, red, and orange, still clinging to their branches
170. The view of the horse farm’s rolling fields and
171. the sight of the perfect ‘mowing lines’ stretching across that vast expanse
172. The nurse at the doctor’s office showing interest in the ministry in the Philippines
173. The quiet in the car while the kids happily eat their lollipops
174. a son unprompted thanking his daddy for serving our country
        and wishing him a happy Veteran’s Day
175. All the veterans who gave of their lives for our freedom
176. singing in a large choir
177. new eye-glasses, finally
178. PW’s lasagna recipe
179. an unstressed afternoon of cooking
180. All (except the smallest) devoured it
181. the depth of God’s Word
182. Pepsid AC
183. today’s early morning fog
184. my smallest hugging me tightly
185. looking up with bright blue eyes
186. and a wide smile
187. and telling me, “God made me.”
188. I asked, “who is God?” and she answers with a confident, “JESUS!”
189. my house is a mess … thank you God for a warm home to enjoy
190. Thankful that God remembers I am but weak flesh but my Spirit is willing

Rejoicing over the gifts God has blessed us with as a community over at Ann Voskamp’s “A Holy Experience.” Click on over, read and rejoice with us. Jump right on in and start your own list!


Gratitude: "I was a baby?"

This morning as my daughter picked up a book with her baby picture on the front, I asked if she knew who the baby was on the cover. She exclaimed matter-of-factly that it was her older sister.
“No, that is you sweetheart.”
“I was a baby?” Her eyes growing larger.
Smile. My heart expanding and overflowing with love.
I love watching her discover and process. The selfish part of me doesn’t want her to grow up. I want to freeze her right here so she will always fit on my lap and want me to read to her and rock her. But the rest of me loves seeing the fascination in her eyes when she learns something new.
I am finding myself including her new discoveries among the many gifts that my heavenly Father rains down on me each day.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called in one body;
and be ye thankful.”
~Colossians 3:15
Thanking God for these little daily gifts:
141. A soft warm Golden,
142. laying across my toes,
143. keeping my feet warm.
144. “I was a baby?”
145. from my almost 4 year old.
146. The cacophony of 3 kids doing school work, all watching their own dvd teachers, answering all at the same time.
147. The reaping of the harvest in the field next door interrupting our daily tasks, taking it in stride and not getting stressed.
148. seeing it as a teaching opportunity instead.
149. Boys watching with fascination as the combine vacuums up the field of soy beans.
150. A warm dog wedging her nose under my arm while I type.
151. A son understanding the concept of getting school done by starting early and staying focused.
152. not needing to buy any more diapers or pull-ups
153. grace
154. Listening to my little girl sing
155. “Jesus Loves Me”
156. while helping her daddy wash dishes.
157. “grateful for the gift of hope”
158. written inside the lip of my coffee cup, reminding me with every sip
159. the depth of His redeeming love
160. His mercy unending
Linking up late again. I can’t seem to get my Multitude Monday post up on Monday! Linked up with the Gratitude Community hosted by Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience.

Hiking Toward Home