Under His Wings

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.

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'm currently working on a second post regarding covenant obligation.  But, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with projects I have going on right now.  I am trying to work on my term paper for the soteriology class, trying to knit and trying to learn a new way to eat.  I have been finding more and more things that have been triggering migraines since I did the candida cleanse in November and the list has grown to include beef and possibly nuts.  We have found that wheat is in many more things than you can ever imagine including spices, rice milk, and commercially canned soup.  At least I don't have a migraine today!

And we are not getting any snow.  In southern Wisconsin they are getting a lot, up to more than a foot where my sister lives near Milwaukee.  Josh is in Wisconsin Dells with a couple of families from our fellowship group and they are staying an extra night because of the storm there.  Of course, this is nothing compared to the severe weather in Arkansas and Tennessee.  Right now I am thinking of Beth and her family and hoping that they are ok.

This afternoon is my time to volunteer at First Choice.  I pray that the Lord will give me compassion and sensitivity to the needs of the clients that come in.  I pray that I would have discernment and wisdom and a listening ear.  I pray that I would be on God's agenda and not my own.

For His Name's Sake.

What's been going on since Hanukkah?  Well, we have had quite a bit of snow.  The first snow storm here yielded around 14 inches and then we got another 8-1o shortly after that.  Last week it rained here, but we didn't get the thunderstorms and tornadoes that went south of us.  It snowed a couple of inches again last night so everything looks white again.  Hannah keeps telling me she hates winter, but I find it is better to just take each day as it comes and not complain.  I don't tell her that.  Hopefully, it shows.

The beginning of the new year has been slow at the crisis pregnancy center.   Right before the holidays we were busy.  I did a couple of pregnancy tests on that were negative.  Unfortunately, I don't think I convinced the girls to stop having s**.   They keep telling us to pray for more clients.  They are going to train more volunteers in the next couple of weeks.

We are currently learning about the covenants in the salvation class I am taking online.  The midterm was posted last night.   How would you answer these questions?

• Discuss the issue of mankind's inability to know or to believe in God.
• Discuss the doctrine of election.
• How would you answer a person who argues that if God chooses who will be saved, then there is no need to evangelize anyone?

These are just part of the midterm. I have a week to answer the questions.  For my term paper I have chosen the topic, "The Doctrine of Salvation in the Emergent  Church"  so I have been reading a couple of books from  emergent writers which has been interesting.

I have made some inroads as far as knowing what my migraine triggers are.  I have found that  gluten is a major trigger and red dye.   I have been on a diet of no sugar, no dairy, and no wheat since just before Thanksgiving.  There have been weeks in this process that I have had a migraine every day and have been more able with the restricted diet to pinpoint the problem.  This is good news, but it also means learning news ways to cook.

I have also been doing a lot of knitting and have just finished one sock of a pair I am making for Hannah so when the other sock is finished I will take a picture to share with you all.

May the grace of Messiah be with you all in this new year.

For His Name's Sake.

My family and I are going away for an overnight this evening so I need to be busy getting ready.  I will announce the destination when I return because it is top secret.

In other news......I am taking an online class taught by Tim Hegg at Torahresource.com on the Biblical Doctrine of Salvation.  We are two weeks into the class.  Hopefully when I return I will be able to share a few thoughts on what we have covered so far.  When I share my thoughts it helps me learn.

After some months I finally was able to contact a good friend of mine who recently moved to Canada.  I had several varying email addresses for her and I finally found the one that worked.  I am so excited to be in touch with her again and I was able to give her my blog address.  "Hi, Joan!"

I pray that you all have a wonderful weekend and I will reveal our secret destination when I return.  Perhaps even with pictures.

Here it is almost the end of July and I have not updated again for a couple of weeks. I hate it when I do that. This morning I am feeling the after affects of migraine medication, but want to update on summer happenings.

Josh passed his driver's test a few weeks ago so he is now driving his moped to the library and to the park to play disc golf occasionally. What more could a 16 year old want? We made a trip to the doctor's office last week to confirm that the rash on his neck was indeed poison ivy which has now spread to his elbow and his opposite hand. While we were there the nurse measured him and he is now officially 1/4 inch shorter than his dad at 6'2 3/4 inches and still growing. At least he has slowed down, I think.

Hannah is working at camp this summer. She took the young girl that she has mentored the last few years and is in some of the pictures that you see on my blog. They have been up there for two weeks and have two weeks for sure to go and possibly will stay an extra week as staff is short that last week of the summer. They have been doing accommodations work, cooking, dish crew, and working in the canteen. Yesterday during our prayer time in our home fellowship group one of the women prayed for Hannah and it was the first time that I realized how much I miss her.

Yesterday was my dear husband's birthday. I guess I'll put this picture of him up because

he likes it. How blessed I am to have someone to have shared so many wonderful and happy memories with, someone who has a servant's heart, a man of God who has a sensitive heart and seeks to please the Lord. I pray that the LORD will bless Buck as he walks in faithfulness after God.

I have been leading Bible studies and working at the crisis pregnancy center. The board approved to hire an assistant director and an administrative assistant, but the woman that was going to be the assistant director is not going to take that position so they are looking for someone. I have been asked to put in 5-8 hours a week in addition to the 4 hours that I am already putting in and these hours would be administrative hours, answering phones, etc. I see this as an opportunity to disciple women in a casual setting. However, since I am reading in the book of Numbers about the children of Israel not trusting God regarding the Promised Land, I really want to hear from God on this issue. I do NOT want to just jump into anything ahead of Him. My first priority is to my husband, my children and my home. My husband has already discussed with me that he doesn't mind me spending more time there. If God's Presence doesn't go with me, I don't want to be a part of it. I guess there are more questions in my mind that I am not ready to ask here. Please, if you feel led to pray, pray for me.

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.

This week my daughter and I have been involved in training to volunteer at the Crisis Pregnancy Center which will be opening in April in our community. It has truly been a life changing event. When all is said and done we will have gone through approximately 20 hours of intense training covering physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual areas of crisis pregnancy and post-abortion syndrome and how to minister to women in these situations. It has been pretty overwhelming and I think that it will be a ministry that will challenge me like I have never been challenged before.

For His Name's Sake.

I really have been trying to update for awhile. I have about 5 posts half-written that have either gotten interrupted or I just haven't had the words to finish. Right now I am waiting to see if my dear husband is able to settle down enough to get some sleep. He was called into work early tonight. He went in about 6:30 pm and about 9:00 pm he came home whiter than a sheet with a migraine and vomiting. I gave him some pain medication, but he can't keep that down. I am waiting to see if he can get to sleep otherwise I will be making a trip to the ER with him yet tonight.

After my trip to the neurologist last week I found out that not only do I probably have sleep apnea, but I am anemic as well. No wonder I have been tired all the time. I thought I was just lazy.

Let's see what else has been happening here? Not a whole lot, I guess. Hannah went to a bridal show today with the photographer that she shoots with. They had a good day. Hannah will be going up to see another photographer friend in the next couple of weeks who also does weddings and this friend is going to teach Hannah some more things, technical things regarding photography so she is looking forward to that. She will attend a bridal show with her also.

Josh has finished driver's ed so he is back on his normal schedule which we like because we don't have to get up as early. He's still plugging away at the Book of Acts for Bible quizzing. He and his dad recently bought a foosball table.

In Bible study we just finished Acts 15 where the Gentiles have been brought into the covenant with the Jews without having to go through a ritual conversion. What grace God has given to be in covenant relationship with Him. In Chapter 13:38 we read, "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you..." This would have very different meaning to a first century Jewish person than it does to us today. It would entail a national forgiveness. It speaks of the character of God. He is a forgiving God. It is part of His nature. And in order to be in a covenant relationship with His people He has to forgive. He promises that when there is repentance and turning back to Him then He is willing to forgive and restore the relationship.

We reap the benefit of that. When we embrace the God of Israel we reap the benefit of that forgiveness and that restoration. We reap the benefit to some extent now, but there is much more coming in the future. He does this all for His Name's Sake. Those of us who life for His Name's Sake must reflect His character and seek to forgive those with whom we are in relationships with. Modern psychology tries to tell us that it is for our benefit and to some extent that it true. But, more importantly is the fact that it reflects God's character. It shows the world who He is when we seek to forgive and restore and live for His Name's Sake and not for our own.

Some pictures from the last few weeks:

New foosball table

Hannah playing with her dad

Josh found a warm, quiet corner to read in

Well, it's quiet here so I don't know if I will be going to the ER or not.......Hopefully, my dear husband can sleep this one off.

The banquet is over.  There was excitement in the air.  Three of the women who spoke had had abortions in their past which brought me to the realization that not only will the First Choice Pregnancy Resource Center be saving babies lives, but it will be saving women's lives as well.  Even though we had about 10% of the people we had expected not show, 0ver $33,000 was given in pledge and money which is wonderful.  The new executive director of the center also spoke and she has a wonderful vision for the future.  It was a good night.  More pictures will be coming in the future.  For now I am going to bed and I am going to crash for a couple of days.