Under His Wings

FOR TODAY October 20, 2008...
Outside My Window...Today was a cool, but sunny fall day.  It was beautiful outside.
I am thinking...I am not sure what I am thinking.  I have been feeling attacked today, perhaps it is spiritual warfare from the banquet and from caring for my friend.
I am thankful for...My  like-minded community of friends to share the Biblical holidays with.
From the kitchen...My husband made his special chicken-rice-bean dish for me to take to our festival dinner so I would have something to eat.
I am wearing...a sweatshirt and jeans.
I am creating...knitting a pair of mittens for a friend's daughter for Christmas.  They will be just like Laura Ingalls ' from "Little House on the Prairie"
I am going...Oh, I am just going to rest and take it easy for awhile.  The last few months have been exhausting for me.
I am reading...still reading "Finding God" by Larry Crabb and "The Committed Life" by  Esther Jungreis
I am hearing...the O'Reilly Factor on tv, my son at the other computer and my husband flipping the newspaper in the kitchen.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:Josh is planning to go to his buddy's concert tomorrow night and to play in the pep band on Thursday.  I plan to work at the center again this week.  We had a wonderful banquet last Saturday evening.
Here is picture thought I am sharing..my husband, myself and my son in our sukkah celebrating God dwelling with His people during our Feast of Tabernacles celebration yesterday.  It was a little cooler this year than it has been in years past.

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You can read more of "The Simple Woman Daybook" from others  here.

FOR TODAY (October 13, 2008)...
Outside My Window...It is a cool rainy evening after a lovely, sunny fall day.
I am thinking...Ir's time to go and rouse my husband to get ready to go to work for the night.  I wish I could let him sleep, but I am glad that he has his job back.
I am thankful for...the Goodness and Faithfulness of God which I have seen over and over again in the last few months through my husband loosing his job and getting it back again; also through the situation we had of taking in a friend who has needs which we are not equipped to help her with.  God provided grace over and above what we could ask or imagine.
From the kitchen...I haven't had to make much in the kitchen lately.  We went to a surprise anniversary party on Saturday night and they sent us home with a huge tray of cut veggies which we have been putting on salads ever since.
I am wearing...the same capris I had on  in  August when I wrote this daybook and a red t-shirt.
I am creating..Just finished knitting an ipod cover. I was asked to make a pair of mittens for someone for a Christmas gift.
I am going...to get my bangs cut sometime this week, they are driving me crazy.
I am reading...the Torah portion, the "Messianic Moadim Devotional", and "Finding God" by Larry Crabb which is one of my daughter's textbooks in school
I am hoping...that the snow that I have heard is in Montana and Wyoming already will in no way hinder Hannah and Danny from coming home over their break at Christmas time.
I am hearing... Bill O'Reilly on television and Buck preparing his lunch for work
Around the house...I blew out the belt on my vacuum cleaner today.  I vacuumed up the nob to the air conditioner today and it severed  the belt in my vacuum cleaner.  While that happened there was not a little smoke that came out of the bottom of the cleaner which made for a very smelly.....oh about a half hour.  I had no idea that the nob of the air conditioner was on the floor.  Who would have ever thought that was where a nob would be?
One of my favorite things...was to be able to surprise my brother-in-law and his wife at their anniversary party.  We drove 3 1/2 hours to their party and they were so happy that we had come.

I also had the opportunity, this morning, to testify to the faithfulness of God and I love doing that.  There is nothing in me but His grace and I have seen it over and over again in these last few weeks.  I have seen it so clearly.  My He be blessed!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Tomorrow I will be going to the crisis pregnancy center to help with some of the final things that need to be done before our fundraising banquet on Saturday.  Then  Buck and I will be attending the banquet.  I am praying that those who attend will be blessed and that they will get a heart for the ministry of the center and want to bless the center in return.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...Actually, I have two today which I took last Friday during the high school Homecoming Parade.

You can read more of "The Simple Woman Daybook" from others here.

For months I have been trying to get into my blog to write an update.  We have had so much going on and have seen so many ways God has worked, learned so many lessons.  But, I couldn't get into my blog!  Having gotten a new laptop earlier this year, I couldn't remember the password to get into my blog to access the page to write.  For some reason I came in tonight and tried a couple of different possible passwords and here I am!  I'm in!

So now I can give some updates as to what has been happening here.  My husband has been back to work for about two to three weeks now.  He got his job back exactly six weeks to the day that he was fired.  We were at no point worried that God would not provide for us or that we would loose our home or go without.  The day after Buck was fired we were given two deer for our freezer, two bushel of peaches, and three bags of corn.  The Lord sustained us and continually gives us grace to walk out what He calls us to do.

As I have mentioned previously, we have had a homeless woman living with us.  She has been with us for four months.  It has not been easy and there have even been times I wanted to give up or pull my hair out, but invariably God would give the grace to turn around and take the next step.   He is so good.  The time has come for our house guest to move on which is a difficult transition for her.  I pray that God will give her the grace that He has shown me.  I believe He will because I know that He has shown Himself faithful to her if she chooses to see it.

Hannah is doing well in Spokane.  She has had no problem acclamating to college life although she does miss us, but I wouldn't want it any other way.  Hannah loves her classes at Moody Bible Institute, especially her Intro. to Counselling class.  She found a job at a coffee shop in the mall which she also loves and works about 23 hours a week.  One of the assignments she has to do for class is to visit a number of area churches before she decides on the church she will attend for the rest of her time in Spokane.  She and her boyfriend have attended a number of different churches including Greek Orthodox and Emergent.

Josh is doing well.  He is now officially 1/2 inch taller than his dad.  He travels on his moped 4 times a day up to the high school to participate in four different bands with four different instruments: trumpet, baritone, tuba, and trombone.  This is his last year of Bible quizzing so he is working hard and memorizing the entire book of Luke to try to finish strong.

Then there is me.  I am still volunteering at the crisis pregnancy center.  Other than that, my time has been mostly taken up lately with my friend who has been living with us, but this will hopefully change after this week.  I am looking forward to writing more, knitting more, reading more and loving on my family more.

For His Name's Sake.

FOR TODAY (August 18th, 2008)...

Outside My Window...The sun is bright, the day is close, as my mother-in-law would say. It is definitely an August day.

I am thinking...of my daughter,Hannah, who left last evening on a long road trip to Spokane, WA where she and her boyfriend, Danny will be attending Moody Bible Institute for the next school year. We talked to them today about noontime and they had made it as far as Montana. My husband, son and I were all very teary yesterday when they left.

I am thankful for...wonderful, blessed friends who gave me a wonderful day celebrating my birthday today.  The ladies from my home fellowship group gave me a lovely breakfast tea on the enchanting sun room of one of the ladies.  It looked as if it came right out of a Country Living magazine.  They each took time to bless me and it was wonderful just to spend time together.  In the afternoon the ladies from the Bible study that I teach celebrated my birthday and it was a delightful time just to be with them also.  What a blessing to feel loved.

From the kitchen...My breakfast tea was served with scrambled eggs made with summer squash and parsley sprigs.  We also had a wonderful apple crunch made with oatmeal and granny smith apples.  Being gluten and sugar free makes for a trial when other people try to cook for you.

I am wearing...I am wearing a brand new pair of denim capris that are a size smaller than the ones I had on this morning.  They were on clearance at Fleet Farm.

 I am creating...strengthened relationships and a place of shalom for my family by the grace of God. Perhaps I will say more about this at another time.

I am going...to visit my mother on Thursday.  She will be having surgery on her back on Wednesday if all goes as planned.

I am reading..."The Committed Life" an inspiring book by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis who talks about walking out the principles found in the Torah and how this applies to all of mankind.

I am hoping...

I am hearing...the women's gymnastic competition on television since I am finishing this post at a later time than I began it.  The Chinese girl just finished her uneven bar performance and there is a tie for first place.

Around the house...my dear husband is playing Risk on the other computer across the room and my son has gone to bed.  Since the last few days have been busy with getting Hannah packed and loaded to leave for school and then today was spent celebrating, my home is a mess and tomorrow will be spent doing laundry and trying to get things back in order.

One of my favorite things...is spending time with the ladies at my Bible study like I did today.  They are all older than I am being in their 70s and 80s.  After our Bible study, which is currently in the Book of Acts, they have to have their social time in which we always have coffee and some kind of dessert.  Then we sit over our coffee and solve the worlds problems.  We do a pretty good job, too, if only someone would listen to us, lol.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: after getting things back in order, I plan to spend sometime recharging my batteries, spending some extended time with the Lord and preparing for days ahead which I will write about in the future.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

This is a picture of Hannah and Danny that Hannah took when they had just bought a new point and shoot camera earlier this year.

This post is inspired by my blog friend, Beth. You can read Peggy's original Simple Woman's Daybook here.

For His Name's Sake.

We recently painted our kitchen which hasn't been painted for several years.  Here are some pictures of the process and the result.

Josh made the Hebrew stencils by hand and then did the stenciling on the soffet for me.

Of course, the Hebrew reads from right to left and the transliteration goes like this, "Shema Israel, Adonai, Eloheynu, Adonai, Echad."

The other wall in the kitchen has the English translation from Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one!"

And one last look at the finished Hebrew lettering:

There is reason for joy and celebration today. "Remember His wonders which He has done..." Psalm 105:5 25 years ago today my beloved and I were united as husband and wife. Here is a picture of me in my wedding dress.

We were married in the little church called the Lone Rock Congregational Church in Lone Rock, WI. So many memories and a wonderful man to share them with. The rabbis say that uniting two people in marriage is like parting the Red Sea. Well, God did that miracle once and He is doing that miracle again in us and we bless His Name. He has brought us through times of hardship and sickness, of the joy of new babies and the joy of just being the two of us alone together. We love laughing when no one gets the joke but us. We love talking about the Lord and reading His Word. We love blessing others in any way we can. I came across a saying once that said, "We may not have much, but together we have it all."

"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

For His Name's Sake.

My class is finished.  I sent in my term paper last night.  The class was extended six weeks and Tim still didn't get to cover all the things he wanted to cover.  The final exam was last week.  The class on worldviews also started last week, but I am just auditing that one.  Writing the paper was stressful for me.

Hopefully, I can get back to writing here soon.  Hannah has some friends coming tomorrow and I have to clean the house.  I also have my time at the center this afternoon.   I feel wiped out.

I couldn't exactly get the best angle for a picture last night.  Altogether we had 13 people at our table for dinner.  As you can see we had a handful of teens and a handful of younger children.  

This year on Wednesday afternoons my son's best friend comes while Josh is at jazz band and sits upstairs doing schoolwork for about an hour until Josh gets home.  We then feed the boys supper and they spend sometime together before Mark leaves for youth group.  Generally, Josh does not attend youth group any longer since we are no longer attending the church.  Last night we had extra guests for dinner.

Wednesday afternoons are also the days that Hannah spends with Toni, the young gal that she has mentored for the last four years.  Occasionally,  Toni brings a friend along to bring to youth group as was the case last evening.

Now for the extra six people.  Yesterday, my good friend, Lori called and asked if I would watch her five children while she went to the chiropractor and ran a couple of other errands.  Lori is expecting her sixth child at the end of Oct. and has been having back pain.  So they ended up staying with us for dinner.   So this was one hopping place again last night.  But, this was only the beginning of the excitement.

Immediately after dinner all the teenagers left.  It was bowling night at youth group so Josh went with Mark, Hannah dropped the girls off and then she had to go and play piano for the community theater practice which her roommate is the choral director for.  It's amazing how much quieter a house can get when there are only five children there.  Whoa!

Lori and I decided to take her children to a park in town that has gotten new playground equipment.  To get to this park we had to drive across town and over the bridge.  We also had to park on the far end of the park because of some construction that was being done to the road directly near the park.  As we drove over the bridge we noticed two small children, a brother and sister team, walking over the bridge alone.  Lori said aloud in the car, "Where is your Momma?"  And her youngest daughter replied, "Where is your Momma, " because the children didn't really know why Lori had said this.  Both Lori and I realized at the time that the children were obviously way ahead of their mother, but didn't think about stopping to check on them.

We got to the park about 6:45 p.m. and knew that we only had about half an hour before it got dark on us.  We kept the children within eyesight and chatted as we only get to see each other at Bible study.

It wasn't long before it started getting dark.  I'm not sure of the time it was when a boy about the age of 9 came up to us on a bicycle with the two children from the bridge and asked if we had a cell phone because these two children had left home to come to the park and didn't know how to get back home.   We learned that the girl, age 6, had fallen into the water and had somehow hurt her toe.  Besides being cold, she was frightened.  Her brother was 4.  Thankfully, the girl knew her phone number and we were able to call her mother who didn't even know that they were gone.  As far as she knew they had been outside playing and she was just about to go and call them into the house.

The sky grew more dark as we waited for her to come and it became difficult to see.  When she finally came and it was time to leave the little boy began to run off again.  My friend's five children all walked very close to her as they have been trained to do.

As we walked back to Lori's van I told her children that they had blessing in obeying their mother.   When they obey their mother they don't have to worry about getting lost,  possibly drowning, their mother not knowing where they are,  or being cold and afraid.  God in His mercy protected those children.  I don't know how that little girl got out of the water.  That park is on the Wisconsin River.  Surely it was His Hand.

For His Name's Sake.

Last week was a week of change and mixed emotions at this white house.  Our daughter, Hannah, moved into her own apartment.   While this is a good thing and it was time and she was ready, it is also a bittersweet thing.  When you have homeschooled your children from birth and they have been in your home practically 24/7 it is strange to have them gone.  I know it is commonplace for me to say, "It seems like just yesterday she was just a baby, " or "They grow up so fast, "  but it is really true.   I remember all those times when I thought the toddler days would never end, when I had a strong-willed daughter and a baby boy with ear infections.  I thought I would never make it through.  My, oh, my!  Where did the years go?

Here are a couple of pictures from the last couple of weeks.

I wanted to take pictures of Hannah's last day at home.  My children weren't too keen on the idea.

Contemplating a decision.

Josh on his new moped.

I bless the LORD for my children.  They are a work of HIS grace in my life.  In their lives.  People keep telling me that it is because I spent so much time with them and poured myself into them.  But, there are so many ways in which I fell short.  I still fall short.   I just keep pointing them to Him and telling my children that one day their dad and I will have to give an account for how we raised them.

For His Name's Sake.

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day the Lord Himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counsellor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then, in every tribulation,
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation,
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till with Christ the Lord I stand.

I've been thinking a long time about what I can write next. Today this hymn by Lina Sandell is going through my mind. I've been thinking a lot about what has been happening in peoples' lives, what I see going on in the church, and some things that have been happening in my own life. Perhaps it is because of pain I experienced as a child that I am tend to focus on pain in the world now, I don't know. But, I want to tell you a story now about an anonymous woman who God carried through many difficult trials.

She lived in an age very different than mine. It was a time that was much more moral and everyone went to church. She was raised by loving and devoted parents. She knew the Lord from and early age and was teaching the Bible even in her teen years. She married a man that she met at work whom she thought knew the Lord also, but she was soon to learn differently.

She lived through her husband's unfaithfulness, but God remained faithful to her. She was a hard worker and helped her three sons grow through the demands that their father placed upon them. Her husband would not allow her to go to Bible study and would sometimes drive away from church without her if she chatted just a little too long.

One day this woman found herself in a crisis pregnancy. Her youngest son was nearing the end of high school and her husband wanted no more children. He took her to consult for an abortion. She sat through the consultation and did not say a word, but the Lord was her defense and the two of them drove away.

For the next eight months the woman was confined to the attic. When she was not cooking for the other members of her family. No one knew about her growing belly except her pastor and his wife. While in the attic she talked to Jesus and to her daughter. She knew, in her heart, that it was a girl. And Jesus met her there.

When she was eight months along she went into labor. Her little girl lived only a few hours before she died. The baby's father wept.

"I see suffering as a gift from my Father," she tells me now. "I kneel beside my bed and I place the gift in my hands lifting it up to Him. I ask Him, 'What do you want me to do with this gift?' "

For His Name's Sake