Answered Prayers

     On Sunday, our pastor was telling us how quick we often forget answered prayers. We forget the little things that God does for us. Satan likes to attack our lives in every way he can to tear us down. He wants us to forget all the good things that Gods done in our lives, and all the prayers that we asked to be answered, that were answered.
     I used to make a list of all my prayer request, and then write down the date when they were answered. I haven't done that in a while... maybe I should get back into doing that. We often forget the little things such as God answering our prayers about finding a job, or a spouse, or giving us a child. I know for me, I've often forgotten to thank God over and over again for giving me what I asked for. The Bible says in James 4:2, "...You do not have because you do not ask."
     Even though God already knows what we want/need, he still wants us to ask Him. He wants us to have that deep relationship with him, that we can still go to him with everything. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you..." ~Matthew 7:7
     I'm reminded of the hymn: What a Friend we have in Jesus...

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh what peace we often forfeit,

Oh what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In his arms he'll take and shield thee,

Thou wilt find a solace there.

     So, remember to thank God for answered prayers, and to continue to ask him for things that are according to his will. He'll answer... in HIS time.

I'm thankful and grateful that God answered our prayers,
and blessed us with a baby. We're excited to welcome him
into this world in the next couple weeks! <3

Almost There!

     As the weeks get closer to my delivery of this little boy I carry, I'm reminded of Gods goodness every day. Gods goodness to bless even me, a sinner, with a child? A child that I can call my own, a child that my best friend in the world, and I can share together? A child who's father is the best man in the world and the love of my life?!
     In the preparation of delivering a baby, I've been super busy. Buying things that I'll need for delivery and birth, and getting things ready and "set up" for the labor and delivery has kept me busy.
     I'm 36 weeks into my pregnancy now. There's a couple of the ladies in our church, including myself who are all due within a couple weeks of each other, so it's been great to grow with them, and to learn new things from other mommies in the church.
     The more I think about it, the more I'm grateful that God has somewhat prepared me to be a mom by the way I grew up. I helped take care of my youngest brother, who's now almost 8,  and helping my sister, who's almost 14 has given me some practice that I wouldn't have been able to do if I didn't have them in my life.
     Having babysitting jobs throughout my life has also been super helpful, and to know how to take care of things when they go wrong, or merely how to change a diaper... every little piece of my life, God has used in some way or another to help prepare me to be a mother. On top of that, having a mother who's wonderful example has been to lead us all in the ways of the Lord. I feel truly honored and blessed to have everyone in my life who's been able to give me wisdom and advice on what they've learned. I'm thankful that I know what I do, and I know that we still have a ways before Josh and I will feel like we know what we're doing, but I feel like we've got a great start thanks to family and friends. :)

     Prayer Requests:

• Labor/Delivery will go smooth without any complications.
• God will grant my husband and I with patience and perseverance as we learn how to be parents
• God will grant me with strength and calmness as I endure labor.
  
  
  

 Video Below of Baby James moving... at the end. He usually stops moving when I get the camera out, but this time I caught him giving me a kick. ;)

The Struggle is real

      I struggle. Every day I struggle to live out my faith, to love others well, to be Christ-centered, and to live intentionally for Christ. Every day I desire to read my Bible, and sometimes it does happen. But more often it doesn’t. Every day I desire to pray, and sometimes I pray for long periods of time. Sometimes it’s one sentence. Every day I long to be perfect, to have my life together, to accomplish everything on my to-do list. And every day I fail because I need Jesus to be made perfect in my weakness.

     Because of my personality, and not feeling very confident in myself, and who I am, it makes it a challenge every day. The struggle is real. You can't just call yourself a Christian... you have to live it out... daily! You have to constantly be on your knees in prayer, and repentance. You have to come to the foot of Christ, daily, and humbly seek His face.
     Recently, my husband was struggling with some personal things. I can't tell you how many times I cried out to God. I can't tell you how many times I've woken up in the night, and prayed that everything would be okay.
     Day's passed, and I hadn't read my Bible, except for the Bible verses that I send to my husband, every day, via text. I don't go to God in prayer as much as I should. I struggle. I struggle on a daily basis. I struggle to be the good wife that God wants me to strive to be, knowing that when I please my husband, I please God. I strive to make my home warm and inviting for all that enter, and I try to keep my house clean, so that when my husband comes home, he feels relaxed. I struggle with being a good wife... almost, too much. I'm a people-pleaser, and when I know that someone isn't pleased with me, I try to fix it. What I have to realize is that I can't fix everything. In fact, without Christ's help, I can't fix anything.
     The Christian walk, is a daily struggle. It's a struggle to keep my priorities straight, and to make sure that Christ is the head, in every area of life!
      It's a daily struggle to put on a happy face at times, when I've been crying all night long. I struggle to be like the Proverbs 31 woman. I fail... every day. My husband can tell you first hand, I don't have the greatest memory, so I forget a lot of things.
    I'm tired, and I'm worn. I struggle every day.
     Yesterday, my pastor talked about Prayer, and to never give up praying. In 1st Samuel 1, we see that Hannah prayed unto God, and never gave up hope for having a child. In Daniel 10:12, we read, "Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words." Don't give up! Keep praying! Keep striving to serve Christ daily! You will struggle, and you will fail at times, but don't give up! Yes, the struggle is real, but so is my God! Give God your daily struggles, anxieties, and fears; for He is mighty to save! (Zephaniah 3:17)
     2nd Corinthians 12:9, "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness'..." 

• How do you deal with struggles?
• In what ways do you feel like you've become stronger in God? 
• Can you give any Bible verses that have helped you when you're weary or struggling?

The Power Of Prayer

     When we pray, what do we usually pray about? Is it things we want or need? Is it to heal someone over sickness, doubt, loneliness, anger, or bitterness?
     Recently, I was looking over my old prayer journal's; A journal that I started writing in, a couple years ago. of my prayer request, struggles, concerns, and thoughts to God. Looking back on them always amazes me how faithful God really is... even in the dark times.
     I couldn't help but look back on my life, think, ponder, and reflect on how God had used every instance for His glory. At the time, I didn't understand it, but after looking through all my journal entries, I have those "ah ha" moments that God brought back to my mind. Those moments of confusion, and chaos became clear to me, what God was doing.
     Reflecting back, I wondered, was I praying out of love, or pure selfishness? Was it from my heart, or out of hate and anger? Sometimes, it was a mix of emotions, and sometimes out of peacefulness and tranquility.
     God hears every prayer that we say... whether on paper or out loud. Prayer is conversation with God. Prayer can be the internal voice that directs the external action. The weather may be bad, and the economy may be bad, but even then God is still good!
     Have you ever had those moments when you want to cry out to God, "I need help!" but fear and pride get in the way? A pride that says, "I can't do it!" When it should be, "God, I need help, only You can do it!" That silent plea inside us all to surrender, unto Christ.
     "I practiced what I call, "Let go and let God." I took my hands and cupped them in front of me, held them up, and verbally put inside those hands everything I was fretting over and didn't have any answers to. I said out loud as I held up both hands, "There it is, Lord, I give it all to you."... As I dropped my arms to my side, a wonderful feeling of serenity suddenly spread throughout my entire being. I now had peace in the midst of the storm." ~ Dale Galloway
     "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer." ~ Psalm 4:1~
     "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 4:6-7~
     "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." ~ Colossians 4:2~

Guest Post: Surrendering

Today's Guest Post was wonderfully written by Joshua Narwold! I hope you enjoy reading it just as much as I did! Enjoy!

When we pray, it’s natural to ask for the things we want; and the Lord loves to bless His children. How do we react, though, when His answer is “no”—or even “not yet”? Unbelievable as this may be when we recognize God for the all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful being He is, it’s often easier for us to trust our own vision for the future than to step out in faith and sacrifice that vision to Him.

Not long ago, as a man in his mid-20s with a renewed desire to serve the Lord, I couldn't help but feel as though I was “behind” somehow. I’d had a (somewhat blurry) image of what I wanted, which included the “right” job and marriage to a beautiful, godly woman; but I’d expected to have those things already, and I wasn't getting any younger.

Through a providential series of circumstances that tested my faith and brought me low, God revealed the true state of my heart. My life had always been in His hands, but only if it matched my expectations. I had tried to plot out my future without truly surrendering it to Him, and I had virtually nothing to show for my efforts.

For the first time, I began to acknowledge the very real possibility that His plan might look different from the “perfect" picture I had in my head. I continued to ask for specific blessings but no longer assumed that it was in my best interests for Him to answer as requested. I asked Him to reveal His will for my life rather than simply giving me the things I thought I wanted.

That’s not an easy transition for any of us to make. It takes trusting someone we can’t see with a future we don’t know; and at least for me, that kind of trust doesn't come naturally.

The words of Matthew are a comfort: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself” (6:33-34). The Lord knows what we need and is faithful to fulfill those needs (Ps. 23); and when we accept Him as the author of our story, He begins to draw our desires closer to His perfect plan.

These things take time; and even as the Lord sanctifies us in this area, we will continue to struggle on occasion with surrendering our every desire to Him. In history, this struggle is probably best represented by the biblical story of Job. If anyone had reason to doubt the power or goodness of God, it was this man; he’d had nearly every earthly blessing stripped from him as if in a moment. Listen, though, to the words our Lord as He put it all in perspective for Job:

“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (38:4-7)

I’m sure Job shouted for joy as the Lord not only restored his blessings, but doubled them. May we do the same as we experience the hand of God moving in our life; and may we ultimately say with the psalmist, "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever" (Ps. 73:25-26).

Defying the Darkness

     We are called to be a light in darkness. Sometimes, the light feels like it's being overtaken by the darkness, and we feel like we're drowning in the darkness. This past Sunday, our pastor did a sermon about the Spirit of God, and light vs. darkness. The spirit of God will move where it wants to, when it wants to.
     Have you ever been in the store, or out walking, and you pass by a group of teenage kids who make you feel very nervous? As Christians, we're called to be the light in the midst of darkness. It helps me when I pass by a group of kids, who I get nervous around, that I just pray. I pray for each of those individual in that group as I pass by them. Our Light needs to shine for the whole world to see!
     Below is a couple verses about light shining in the darkness. I also posted a video done by LampLighter, that my mom showed me a couple years ago. It has a wonderful message; Enjoy!
     "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shine." ~Isaiah 9:2~
     "...and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." ~John 1:5~
     "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." ~1st John 1:5-7~
     "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord." ~Ephesians 5:8-10~

Warning: Video may be too scary and intense for younger children

Doing Good for who?

"...what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

 ~ Deuteronomy 10:12-13~

"...for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." ~Philippians 2:13~

"You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." ~Revelation 4:11~

"Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this; That he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the Lord." ~Jeremiah 9:23-24~

"...we ought to obey God rather than men." ~Acts 5:29~

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men..." ~Colossians 3:23~

"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ." ~Galatians 1:10~

Update on my brother

Thank to all those who've been praying for my little brother. I'd like to give you an update. My dad wrote this to our family and friends, so I'm just copying and pasting what he wrote. Since he knows the medical field more than I do.:)

Elijah had an accident today that involved the log splitter. He will be okay, but he has lost the tip of his wedding ring finger (he isn’t getting married yet-we will figure that out later). We spent the evening in the ER. They did X-rays that showed the accident had taken the top of the bone and the top and side of his flesh completely off. He was a brave one...once they numbed his finger-he went from screaming to talking, laughing, and joking. He will probably have to have surgery. If this happens they will have to shave more of the bone off to make a skin flap to close the wound. He will no longer have a nail on that finger and it will be a little shorter than the rest. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors, strength for Amber and I, and our finances. We have not met our deductible and it will likely cost many thousands of dollars.

 

We thank God it wasn’t worse, he is resting peacefully, and he proudly displays a big bright orange bandage around his fingers. 

 Update #2

Hello everyone,

It is a true blessing to see the body of Christ at work. I have seen many request and questions, so I will try to address in this update. But first the pictures...

 

Picture 4-This is the x-ray, notice the top of digit #4 (ring finger) missing. Bone and flesh are significantly exposed.

Picture 1-A close up of his new dressing. He has exchanged his orange finger in for a green one. I think this might make him a better gardener...(levity is a good thing in our house)

Picture 3-Elijah showing off his new green dressing. Notice the shirt he is wearing “Live for Adventure”, I think he got more than he bargained for...

Picture 4-This is Elijah relaxing with newly received gift. Todd Strawser brought over some homemade get well cards which were enjoyed by all of us.-Thanks Todd!

 

Today Amber took Elijah to the hand Surgeon (an “in-network” provider-Praise God! That will save us $1000 on our deductible). He wants to do surgery on Friday morning. Elijah had no appreciation for them taking off the bandage to see the wound. You might think he really liked the orange bandage, but really it had stuck to the wound and opened it back up-poor little guy! They did get him to stop screaming; Amber took it pretty hard, but for a different reason. Work kept me from attending.

 

The surgeon has an “A” and a “B” plan for the surgery: “A” plan-try to save the nail bed, shave the bone, and close the wound with what is left. “B” plan-take a graft of skin from the fat pad down below his pinky finger to close the wound. Elijah will be going under general anesthesia (a danger in itself) because of his age. They are estimating 45 minutes OR (operating room) time.

 

We are continuing antibiotics and minimal pain meds. He is in good spirits and likes his new bandage better than the first. :)
Thank you all for your prayers! We're hoping that Elijah will be well enough to go to the zoo on Saturday for his birthday. Praise God it wasn't more serious! :)

How faithful would you be?

This past week, I was posed with a question....
how faithful would you be to God, if you lost everything?

Recently, there's been many fires in our area. My sister, who's 11, is deathly afraid of fires. A couple nights ago, you could smell lots of smoke in our house, even though the fires were over 40 miles away. It was late at night, when I was reading on my bed. Everyone else was sleeping. My sister climbed down the ladder and sat by my bed. Quietly, she said, "Cait, could you pray with me." Realizing she was still scared the fire would burn our house, I jumped out of my bed, and said, "Sure!" I held her in my arms and prayed with her that night. She went to sleep fine after that. But, I couldn't help but ask myself what my mom asked me the day before, "How faithful would you be to God, if you lost everything?"

Again, I was posed with that same question, yesterday, when we had to put down, our dog. It was the only death I experienced that I understood what was happening.
We had a fire in our backyard a couple years ago that burned down our shed, everything in it, and one of our chickens. In Job 1:21 Job says, "...The Lord gives, the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord." So, what will we choose to do when the time of loss and heartache comes? Will we be faithful to God, and know that His plans are better than our plans?

You can fill in the blank, but, "How faithful would you be if you lost ________"?
This got me to really think!
I looked up all the Bible verses that talked about God being faithful to us. Here are just a few:
Deuteronomy 7:9, "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who
keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments,
to a thousand generations."

Deuteronomy 32:4
"The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He."

Hebrews 3:6
"but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are His house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope."

God's Mighty Hand!

There's something about praying on your knees.
This past week, I've heard some bad things happen. They happen all the time... right?!
Yesterday, I heard about a tornado in Oklahoma. I don't know all the details, but as I was listening to the radio, some verses came to mind in Job chapter 38:22-41, and 36:26-33.

"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved for the time of distress, for the day of war and battle? Where is the way that the light is divided, or the east wind scattered on the earth? Who has cleft a channel for the flood, or a way for the thunderbolt, to bring rain on a land without people, on a desert without a man in it, to satisfy the waste and desolate land and to make the seeds of grass to sprout? Has the rain a father? or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb has come the ice? and the frost of heaven, who has given it birth? Water becomes hard like stone, and the surface of the deep is imprisoned... Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that an abundance of water will cover you? Can you send forth lightnings that they may go and say to you, 'Here we are'?...

Job 36:26-30, "Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; the number of His years is unsearchable. For He draws up the drops of water, they distill rain from the mist, which the clouds pour down, they drip upon man abundantly. Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thundering of His pavilion? Behold, He spreads His lightning about Him, and He covers the depths of the sea. For by these He judges peoples; He gives food in abundance. He covers His hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark...."

These are just a couple verses out of the Bible that talk about God's awesome weather patterns! I couldn't help but think of these verses when I heard about the tornado. One other one comes to mind in Jeremiah 10:13,"When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, and brings out the wind from His storehouse."

Finally Back!

Hello all!
Wow! I have had quite a week!

I have been babysitting a family in our church who just had their 9th child, so I went over and spent the night there from Tuesday-Friday.

I got to learn so much about how they run the house, do school, chores...etc... (don't worry...I got lots of rest time too ; ) )

On top of that it's our church potluck tomorrow after church...so that's a batch of brownies, and meatballs. And then after church, I have to come home and make 70+ Banana Bread/Muffins for a conference that our pastor's putting on at his house, and then on Monday morning bright and early I go to help with the meals for the conference...after that, because it's labor Day...our church is having a big get together, so...you guessed it!...more desert to make ; )

These are the days that I actually like! I don't mind being so busy and occupied that you can't think of anything else to do...if that makes sense.

After this week, do I get to take a rest...probably not! Life keeps happening! You know the saying, "I've got things to do, places to go, and people to see"? Well, that's how I am right now...at least that's what I feel like.

So...earlier this evening, I sat in my bed and I prayed to God. I thanked him for the busyness of my day, but I also prayed that God will help me to put him first above everything else in this world...yes, even in the chaotic times!!!
...Have you ever felt this way? Felt like your whole life was so busy that you didn't even have time to pray for 5 minutes, or do your Bible Study that day? I have!!! Especially recently; I want to do other things, and then it puts the "things" in front of God! So, maybe in the chaotic times...pray to God, ask him to give you the time. Let him know how you feel...he listens and cares!

In our family, all of us notice that if we don't do family worship consistently...all of us are more grumpy, irritable, and stressed! So, when you feel this way, I would suggest that you pray...wherever you are, and whomever your with. Pray to God in this world of Chaos...He's listening and is right there with you! : )

God, give me the Strength to Stand!

Recently, a friend of mine told me some things that she needed prayer for. I felt so special, to know that she trusted me by telling me her hurts and pains.
Sometimes in life, all we need is a shoulder to cry on, or someone to tell us that it's going to be okay. We need the strength to stand, and sometimes, God gives us friends to show us just that. God is our ultimate Strength!

So, when we need strength...where do we go to? Whom do we turn to?
My siblings this past week, have had this dry cough. For my 14 year old brother, Austin, it's not as big of a deal, but for my 4 year old brother, Elijah, he coughs so much at night that he can't breath, which scares him, so he cries...keeping specifically my parents up all night! So in the morning, my parents need Gods strength to get through the day. They can't make it without Him.

When we are most desperate, we cry out to God, and God strengthens us to get back up again and stand. So, maybe you have a friend whose struggling. Maybe their struggling to put food on the table, maybe their struggling financially, or maybe their struggling in some other way. Whatever they are struggling in, offer to pray for them, and see if there's anything else you can help with; whether it's cooking for them, offering to watch their kids for the day, (whether you feel like it or not) or something else. Show a little encouragement to them, and let God use you to give them the Strength to stand! And the next time you feel weak, pray to God,
"God, give me the Strength to Stand!"

Fire!!!

Fire!!! There are, as of what I know 6 fires in Colorado...2 of which are within 45 minutes of us...scary! One in Colorado Springs area, and the other one in Fort Collins...I've been thinking...We all know that God ordained where the fire goes before it even starts...so, why now? Why here? I don't know about you, but maybe it's time for America to wake up!!! Wake up with the fact that not only is God in control, but he is Sovereign over everything!!!

Our pastor told us that the state of Colorado has more divorce rates than any other state in America...let's think about this for a minute...in the Bible when the Israelites were being taken into the wilderness, it says over and over and over again, "...They did what was right in their own eyes". Could it be that this is happening again? Could it be that God is giving a wake up call as a warning?

Today we found out that a few of our friends are being evacuated from their homes because of the fires. I remember our first fire that we had in our backyard...

We had been going to our church for about 10 months, and it was in the middle of March 2010 and we had been invited to go to a friends house after church for a meal. They lived about 1 hour away, so we drove down there after church. About a hour or so after we got there, my dad got a call from our neighbor..."You barn is on fire! The Firemen have it almost out." Quickly my dad got some more information...they had no idea what happened...but we did! We live in a small neighborhood (yes, we can have chickens) and we had at the time 4 chickens. My mom was very cautious about them getting cold, so we had a heat lamp in their little house at all times in the winter. We think that one of the chickens flew up onto the clip on heat lamp and knocked it down, thus making the fire. The fire burned down our shed, our neighbors bushes, a few of our trees, and also some of our garden. It also managed to get a chicken burned a little. (enough to where it not only was shaken up from the experience, but was blind for a few weeks. We didn't think she would make it.) Apparently our neighbor was taking a walk, when he saw our shed was on fire. He took some quick action, called the firemen, and had many neighbors helping in the mean time getting the chickens to safety.

So...yes, we lost almost everything valuable in that shed. We decided that since the Firemen had it under control at our house, there was no use going back home, so we might as well enjoy the time with our friends. We had windows that we accidentally ordered that the insurance payed us back for, a bunk-bed, some of my mom's antiques, and quite a lot of other things. Guess what? (It was a blessing in Disguise) The insurance covered everything that was damage!!! (times 10!...it seemed like!) We decided to help a few friends out financially, save money towards silver, savings, and of course tithing and other things. God blessed us richly.

So, my point? We may not always see what God is doing...but the end result? (no you may not end up getting money in the end) A closer walk with God!
So, trust him, even when it's to foggy to see ahead!

National Day of Prayer

As many of you know, National Day of Prayer is on Thursday. Year after year I have seen how our Nation has just stopped praying and believing in God. Many of you know that Obama will not allow National Day of Prayer in the White House. I pray that God will have mercy on his soul.
Here is a poem that I think I shared before, but I thought it would be appropriate.

The following is a poem written by Judge Roy Moore from Alabama. Judge Moore was sued by the ACLU for displaying the Ten Commandments in his courtroom foyer. The Judge's poem sums it up quite well.

America the beautiful, or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims' pride; I'm glad they'll never see.
Babies piled in dumpsters, Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty; your house in on the sand.
Our children wander aimlessly poisoned by cocaine
choosing to indulge their lusts, when God has said abstain.
From sea to shining sea, our Nation turns away;
from the teaching of God's love and a need to always pray.
We've kept God in our temples, how callous we have grown.
When earth is but His footstool, and Heaven is His throne.
We've voted in a government that rotting at the core,
appointing Godless Judges; who throw reason out the door.
Too soft to place a killer in a well deserved tomb,
but brave enough to kill a baby before he leaves the womb.
You think that God's not angry, that our land's a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait before His judgment comes?
How are we to face our God, from Whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do, but stem this evil tide?
If we who are His children, will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face and men our evil way:
Then God will hear from Heaven; and forgive us of our sins,
He'll heal our sickly land and those who live within.
But, America the Beautiful, if you don't - then you will see, a sad but Holy God
withdraw His hand from Thee.

~Judge Roy Moore~

Martyred

Martyred:

This last Sunday,
our pastor, “Kevin Swanson” announced to the congregation that there was a
martyr who died for his faith this last week.
To be honest, I didn’t think that
“Martyrdom” happened very often. I thought that…sure people would be put in
prison, or beaten, but…killed...for their faith? Wow! I pray that God will have
mercy on those that have wronged.
It’s sad, isn’t it? We have so much
in this world, and yet so little. We have hot water for showers, food to eat, a
roof over our heads, a bed to sleep in, blankets to keep us warm, a car to get
us from here to there, (most of the time) and so many other things. We have
money to go places, and see things. There are so many people in this world who
don’t have that kind of stuff. They are lucky if they just get to sleep in a
bed, and they are blessed if they get 2 meals a day. Can you imagine?
Some people that are poor, know that
they are blessed to be alive. Do we know?
I know that there’s no such thing
as, “What if?” but let’s play the game for just a minute. Imagine yourself as a
Missionary, or even someone who just wants people to know the Gospel. Would you be willing to teach the Bible, even
if you knew that it could kill you? If someone asked you to recant your faith
or be killed, which would you choose? If someone tortured you brutally until
you recanted your faith, would you give in?
What does it mean to be a “Martyr?”
Do you remember Steven in the Bible?
...he was stoned to death for his faith.

Let’s pray for:
those who are serving in other countries and states to bring the gospel to
those that need it. Let’s pray that God will have mercy on those people who
have done wrong. Let’s lift our cries up to the God who is in control of
everything, and has a purpose and a plan for everything.