God's Goodness

So, one would wonder how we have been able to remain sane through all of our struggles and trials.  You may ask how we have managed to put one foot in front of the other in the face of our intense grief and our losses.  You could be asking, why would we even want to go on??

Well, I can answer that question.  This is the answer:

"I called Your name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.  You have heard my voice.  You drew near on the day I called to You and said 'do not fear!'" Lamentations 3:55-57


That's only one of the many reasons we are able to live life again, to actually smile and laugh and go on.

You see, we believe in a God Who is sovereign, and Who is totally in control.  We believe that the God Who breathed the world into existence carefully and conscientiously crafted our lives too, from the very first breath we took to all of the days written for us in His book.  We have firm proof that He even knows the very number of hairs upon our heads, and that we, His handiwork, are far more valuable in His eyes than even the sparrows......

"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from the Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31


We believe that He is in control of our lives, of our destinies, of what happens to us.  You may ask why, if He is so loving and so good, why would He allow such things to happen to His beloved? I have an answer for that too......"I am the true vine and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."  Pruning is no fun! Pruning hurts very, very badly. But He does it for our good, so that we may live richer, fuller lives in Him.

We believe that when He asks great hardship of us, He carries us through.  We believe that though the waters rise dangerously high, and the winds shriek deafeningly, He protects us.  He says, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you.  I have called you by your name, You are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you, for I am the Lord your God."


And elsewhere, even the apostle Paul, whom the Lord Jesus chose as one of His intimate followers, was afflicted! See here: "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed.  We are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed.  We are always carrying about in the body the dying of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body.  For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh"


See, He makes promises to us.  He has a covenant with us, and it's an everlasting covenant! He will never, never break His promises to us.  Everything He does is right and good and true and fair, and it is not in Him to go back on His word or break His vows to us.

But you must know, it is not easy for us. We doubt! We fear! We question and rage and ask and even walk away from Him for a bit.....But He stands still.  He is always willing to hear us.  And He is willing to hear you, today, this minute.

If you are hurting and wondering and questioning in your heart as to why you are in the circumstance you are in, call out to Him, friend.  He is there.  He hears.  He even understands deeply your struggle, for He Himself, the God of the universe, had to give up His one and only Son! So, let me just close this post by assuring you with some more verses that yes, indeed, He understands every one of your tears, and each wrenching pain you feel!

Turn to Him today!

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine." Psalm 33:18-19


"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18


Psalm 91

It's Done

Heh heh heh....ha ha ha......ahem.

Yes, I did exactly what I envisioned for my blog, by myself......

I'm a bit chagrined and embarrassed that I didn't poke around or try to find things out on my own before I sent out the SOS.  But, I'm just not like that, especially when it comes to the computer.  I look at the thing in question, and if it doesn't look obvious to me, then I ask for help.  I know there's someone around here who will help me, or, in this case, out in Bloggy Land who could potentially help.

I feel much better now.

Help Needed

Can anyone out there tell me how to do a header that has links you can click to find out more about me and my family? You know, like the cool blogs that have things like "About Me" "Our Story" "Our Family" and so on, and when you click on them you go to a page on the blog where you can read all of that.  I don't  know if I'm describing what I want very well......but my profile has gotten a bit too long for the sidebar, and I want to put it elsewhere.  I really, really wish I had the money for a custom blog design, but alas, I have no money for that.

So, will some kind reader please walk me through the process to make my blog better??

Thanks in advance!

Checking In

Hey there, peeps!

I must apologize for not keeping up my blog better.  I had every intention of keeping you all informed and up-to-date when Pennie was born and as she grows......but I am so horrible at posting pictures, it's a wonder that any of ya'll even keep reading!

I wanted to tell you that I'm in the process of making my blog better, with more pictures and even recipes.  And I do want to let you all see Pennie! Trust me, she is cuter than a speckled pup! We do have pictures, and I resolve to be better at posting them.  I've recently read about watermarking pictures, and I may learn how to do that so that my pictures and my blog stay safe.

Speaking of Pennie, I had the opportunity to weigh her on a real live baby scale last Friday, and she weighed in at 10 lbs 12 oz! She had doubled her birth weight! I bet you she weighs even more now.  She is so strong, holding up her head and pushing up on her legs.  She is out of newborn diapers, which she wore for the first 7 weeks of her life.  They still fit her, but they're a bit short.  So, we graduated to size one! ((Tear)) She's now wearing 3-6 month clothes, but they are kinda big still.  She's smiling and finding her voice.  She's sleeping right next to me on the couch, all bundled up in her warm, cozy blankie.  I just absolutely LOVE her, and I tell ya, I can't stand much more scrumptiousness around here!!

So, just be watching for the changes here.  We have so many cute pictures and I want to share them with you.  And recipes?? Ya'll, anyone who knows me knows I love to cook, and I have so so so many recipes that I've created, and I want to share them with all of you.  I AM the Paula Deen of my town! HA!

Stay tuned!

Crucified

"If you and I are truly following in the Master's footsteps, we too must be willing to risk apparent failure in the eyes of the world; and, harder still, must often be content to be misunderstood by our fellow-Christians. It is only when we have learned the faith and obedience which leave all consequences with God, that we can know the power and deep joy contained in these words, that once sounded so terrible.........

'I am crucified with Christ'"


E.A.G

Excerpted from Springs in the Valley by Mrs. Charles Cowman, April 3rd

3 Things

I got this fun idea from my friend Kathryn's blog.....and I thought I'd do it to!! Here goes!

Three names I've been called:
Mama
Honey
Babes

3 jobs I've had:
cashier in a craft store
maid in a hotel (I cleaned the suites)
making tacos in a small town

3 places I've lived:
Huntington Beach
Castle Rock
Irvine

3 TV shows I like: (I don't have cable or satellite...)
Good Eats
Diners, Dives, Drive In's
Emeril

3 places I've been:
Mexico, twice
Texas
California

3 places I want to go:
California
France
Maine

3 foods I like:
Strawberries
Salads
avocados

3 things I'm looking forward to:
doing something fun with my family soon
making a CD with my husband
getting a full nights' sleep

3 pets I've had:
Ocho (a chihuahua)
Gracie, a blue heeler
Licorice, a black lab

3 entertainers I like:
Celine Dion
Harry Connick, Jr
Michael Buble

3 Christian artists I like:
Charlotte Ritchie
Allison Durham Speer
Marshall Hall

3 drinks I like:
Kona Mocha Big Train with Macadamia nut, blended
Blue Sky Cola
My mother in law's Christmas Tea

3 pet peeves:
the sound of chewing
anyone touching my feet
talking back

3 favorite movies:
Anne of Green Gables series
Little Women
The Sound of Music

3 favorite actors:
Christopher Plummer
Will Geer
The Moore brothers (wait, that's more than three......)

3 favorite actresses:
Kelly Martin
Tyne Daly
I don't have a third favorite!

3 book I like:
In The Company of Others
At Home in Mitford
Home to Holly Springs

3 role models:
my husband
my mother in law
my dad

3 accomplishments:
having 4 of my 8 children without pain meds of any kind
marrying my husband
going wheat/gluten/and mostly dairy free 4 1/2 years ago

3 goals in my future:
getting healthier
being a better wife
allowing the Lord to equip me to raise my girls up to be good wives/mothers (good luck, Lord!)

3 words that describe me:
outspoken
melancholy
intense