Friday Foto Friends: November~The Season of Blessings

November is here! The season of blessings and thanksgiving! Also the "season of change", according to this John Sloane Country Seasons calendar!

What a beautiful house and yard...and I guess for some of you up north, your yards probably looked like this this week. I know some of you had snow already, and possibly all the leaves have not yet fallen off the trees.  I know I just had a wonderful LONG phone conversation with one of my dearest "old" friends up in Ohio...she called me just to get caught up...something we try to do at least once a year.  She said the snow fell on top of the leaves that had fallen before she had time to rake them up, and there are still more leaves on the trees waiting to fall. I remember those days from way back when we lived up north. November is an in between month...transitioning from autumn beauty to the starkness of winter, which has its own kind of beauty, even if it is freezing cold! LOL.

Now here's a place that I would dearly love!!!I love everything about this place, except maybe for the huge mountains in the background! those might be a bit too much...but that house on the lake is gorgeous! Too big for me nowadays, but I would love to visit there!

Amen!

This is a lovely autumn garden somewhere!

And then there's this sweet little Susan Branch calendar...I love these pictures.  I guess I didn't get the photo close enough to read what it says:

"Now go outside for a big breath of fresh air~come back in and see how good your kitchen smells".

"Things taste better in small houses." Queen Victoria

"God bless thee when winds blow; Our home and all we know." Florence Bone

Here's the lovely picture from the Teapot Calendar...

"Tea! Blessed ordinary everyday afternoon tea!" Agatha Cristie.

Wouldn't you love to sit and have some afternoon tea with dear friends? I know I would.

Yes, November is the season of change...it was downright chilly this morning when we woke up, so we turned on the fireplace and had a hearty big breakfast of fried ham and eggs, grits, and toast with blackberry jam. It was yummy!

Oh, and we must also remember to change our clocks this weekend!  Fall back one hour, which means we gain an hour of sleep, so they say.  I've always felt like no matter what we gained or lost, it always takes about a week to get back to some kind of normalcy, and I really wish they'd just leave it one way or the other!  That being said, don't forget to turn your clocks back when you go to bed Saturday night! I know, it's a pain...going backwards is harder than going forwards, but if you don't do it, you will be very early to church!

Today was such a lovely day after the sun came out...it was cool but not too cold, sunny, and no humidity! Hubby was feeling well enough to want to take a little ride somewhere and get out and walk a bit.  After a month of mostly sitting and not going anywhere, we have both had cabin fever and we are so thankful to finally be able to get out and about.  So we rode back to this little boat ramp park where we've been once before, "Kenwood".  Here's a few pictures I took to show the little signs of fall here in Florida:

This Cormorant was busy diving and fishing for his dinner.

As soon as I'd get the camera focused on him, down he'd go...and then he'd pop up again way beyond where he dove in. 

This is actually where I was watching him...

This is a beautiful stand of Bald Cypress trees. They are gradually changing color and will soon drop their leaves...

These are the trunks and "knees" of the Bald Cypress Trees. I especially wanted Debbie a.k.a. "From My House to Yours",so see these trees, as she showed a picture of a beautiful clock that she has from her parents that I believe was made from the trunk of the cypress tree.   So, Debbie, this is how the tree looked before it was cut up into slabs and made into clocks!

It truly was a lovely morning, and I was so glad we were able to get out and take this little ride and walkabout this park...

They also have a beautiful picnic pavilion with BBQ grills and tables. It would be a fun place to bring the family for a nice picnic...especially if we had a boat and could go out in the water!

You do need to watch out for the Manatees.  Especially as the weather gets colder, they come into the warmer waters to stay warm, and too often they get hit by boaters who don't see them there under the water.

So today I am thankful for this season of "change", the beautiful  weather, and for my hubby's recovery, which gets better with every day, Praise God!! We are so very thankful for the ways in which God has blessed and healed above and beyond our expectations. 

Ephesians 3:20-21

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 

21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 

Have a happy November,  Friends!!

One Word for 2020

Happy New Year... Ready or not, 2020 is here!!  And with that comes the selection of a new One Word for the year...

Here was my One Word post for 2019...and the word was Abundance.  As I read back over what I wrote one year ago I realize that I didn't actually follow through with what I thought I would do in regards to learning more about abundant living in Christ...and yet, perhaps it was done for me...

One thing I have learned is that we can't make things happen to have a more abundant life...it is something that happens through life's daily routines, experiences, unexpected events, both good and not so good...God is the One Who is orchestrating our lives in accordance with His perfect plan. My schedule and time-table is not necessarily God's schedule or time-table. His plans are NOT my plans...but His plans are the perfect ones for my life, whether I see it or not at the time.

Remember this picture...the heart in the midst of the trees overlooking the pond when we first found this home?

And yet, I have experienced God's abundant love and presence in my heart and life throughout this past year in so many ways. Probably the biggest was in how He brought together all of the elements necessary for us to finally sell our home and make this huge move to our new home in such a special way.  This post that I wrote here, "A Dream Come True", probably sums it up the best.  It seems as though God went above and beyond our dreams to bring this all to pass, and I just can't thank Him enough.

This is the verse that always comes to my mind when I think of the abundant love of God:

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

20 "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 

21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

I think of this as a kind of benediction, or blessing. Our Lord is able to do "exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think..." and not only is He able, but He does do this for His children whom He loves so much.

So, even if I don't feel like I lived up to my part of the bargain to learn more about "abundance in Christ"...God did HIS part...and He truly did do "exceedingly abundantly above all that" I could ever ask or think.  And I give Him praise and glory, Amen!!

 So now, that brings us to this year,  and the new One Word for 2020.  As of this moment, I am still thinking and praying about this. 

I read a book years ago entitled "The Joyful Journey", co-authored by four different women from the "Women of Faith" ministry,  Patsy Clairmont, Barbara Johnson, Marilyn Meberg, and Luci Swindoll. Their theme verse was from Jeremiah 31:21, which says: "Set up signposts, make landmarks; Set your heart toward the highway, the way in which you went."    Their goal was "to see women live as fully as God intends for each of them....to bring light to the path and to be a source of encouragement and inspiration, always pointing the way back to God and the importance of our relationship with Him." (Foreword, page 7, The Joyful Journey)  

As I scan through many highlighted, underlined, circled verses in my Bible, I find that the word "joyful" pops out at me all the way through. So often the joyfulness comes after a season of testing and difficulties in life. God's Word teaches us to be joyful in the face of affliction and trials, and to rejoice because of His righteousness and justice. I want to walk this journey of life with a joyful heart, regardless of the  trials and sorrows of life.  

So, I believe my One Word for 2020 is going to be "Joyful", and I will  start the year with one of the very first Psalms I ever learned as a child, 

Psalm 100:1-5

"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves,

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates  with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good; 

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations."

So I am going to be watching for those "signposts and landmarks" of joy along life's pathway...opportunities to be joyful even in the face of adversity or difficulties.  No, I'm not looking for those things...they just have a way of happening without our seeking them out...so it is my desire to face each new challenge of life with a joyful heart,  knowing that the Lord, Who made me, is going to take care of all my needs regardless of what the world may say.   We are His sheep,  and we know that the Good Shepherd cares for His sheep.  So we can be joyful and trust Him no matter what.  

There you have it: JOYFUL!  Happy New Year!!! May all our hearts be joyful as we begin this brand new year and brand new decade. God is with us, so we need not be afraid to face whatever lies ahead!

Friday Foto Friends...Special Gifts in Abundance!

 So, here it is Friday Foto Friends again...We are finally through with the holidays...and yet, not totally finished.  I wonder how many of you already have all of your Christmas decorations/trees/gifts put away, and your houses are swept clean of any reminder of the wonderful Christmas memories just passed?  I am slowly lingering over things...funny...I was reluctant to even do any decorating this year, but then when I did, I have enjoyed it so much that I am hesitant to put it all away already!  It seems as though now that all the rush and busyness of the pre-holiday preparations are over, and the people are all gone back home...no more dinners, gatherings, concerts...no more baking and wrapping gifts...no more Christmas cards arriving in the mail or hurriedly sent out to someone I may have forgotten...(and I am sorry that I didn't get many out this year)...now I just want to sit and relax and enjoy the beauty of the lights and colors and sparkles...and yet...I know it's time to put away and get back to "normal"...whatever that is! Does anyone really know what "normal" is?  Isn't it just a setting on your dryer?

So, as I contemplate this clean-up that needs to take place, I wanted to share a few favorite things with you that I am enjoying...

Every year my sweet sister gives me the new "Teapot & Tea" calendar.  I actually save them from year to year because they are so full of lovely pictures, recipes and history of tea times.  Here is this year's calendar, along with a sweet little miniature china teapot and linen tea-towel! I will treasure this always.

And for my "owl" friends out there...you know who you are...I received this beautiful owl ornament...the picture doesn't do it justice as it is really silver in color, but the lighting in here doesn't show it that way.  It is very unique and beautiful...given to me by a dear friend who knows about my "love affair" with owls.  Also what makes this special is that it was created by the artist Ken Kantro , founder and designer of  "Lovell Designs" in Lovell, Maine.  We used to live in that general area, and my friend who gave me this gift grew up in that area and collects these special pieces. I feel honored to receive one as a gift, and I will treasure it.

Another dear friend must have been on the same wave-length, and gave me this beautiful calendar with gorgeous photographs of owls for each month!  Again, I feel so deeply grateful for these wonderful gifts and friends and loved ones who went out of their way to find exactly the right gift for me!  (and yes, I use all the calendars I received...they go in different places in the house where I can see them and they help me remember what day it is! LOL)

We received quite a few beautiful Christmas cards this year, and I treasure each and every one.  We were surprised at our little church to receive so many cards from the people there. It was nice that the church has an alphabetical mailbox in the foyer so that people can exchange cards without having to spend postage...I'm glad I found out about it before it was too late!

Among the many cards we received my eyes were drawn especially to cards depicting little white churches...because as most of you know, the church we attend is a very beautiful little white church that has been there in the community since the mid 1800's!   I love these cards because they remind me of our wonderful church...

Of course, we don't have the lovely snow scenes to go along with our little white church:

But we do have lovely people inside and the Spirit of the Lord is alive an well in our little white church...and that is what matters most!

So, what about you? Do you have some special favorite gifts that you received...or cards...or special memories of happy times with family and/or friends over the holidays?

Here's my sweet family on New Year's Day...we had an impromptu New Year's Dinner...

Thanks to my wonderful daughter in law, we had black-eyed peas and hamloaf! (Click HERE for that recipe!) She adapted my grandmother's recipe and spiced it up a little, and it was great. I also roasted a pork roast with sauerkraut, and we added mashed potatoes and green beans and a fresh fruit salad. Not bad for an impromptu dinner! And we covered both the northern and the southern traditions for New Year's Day, so we should have "Good Luck" all year long...actually we believe in "God's BLESSINGS", not luck...and His mercy and grace.

Ephesians 3:20-21  (NKJV)

20. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21. to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

(This is going to be my verse of the year to go along with my One Word "Abundance")

Okay...Let's go over and visit Deb at Breathing in Grace and see what our other "Friday Foto Friends" have been up to this week!!  Happy New Year Everyone!!!

2016 Advent Day #9: Joy Comes in the Morning

(This is a reprint of an Advent post from 2015, but the message still rings clear....)

Here we are again...and I can still say, "Yes, Joy DOES come in the morning!" We just need to learn to trust in and wait on the Lord to hear our prayer and attend to our needs. He always comes through, just in the nick of time...His perfect timing!

This particular story was written back in the 1970's...at a time when my husband and I and our two very young sons (before son #3 made his entrance) had left our loved ones behind and moved to another state so that my husband could attend graduate school and prepare for the ministry.  We soon found out that this would be a time of great testing...perhaps a way to determine whether or not we were really serious about this "calling" or not.  The narrative below is a portion of a larger book that I hope to complete someday, telling the tale of our journey into the ministry.  

Just prior to this excerpt, difficult circumstances made it necessary for us to leave the position we had as "house-parents" at a home for boys and move to an apartment closer to the school my husband was attending.  We did not have any "visible means of support"...and our faith was being tested severely.  Read on:

Ephesians 3:20-21  “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

We knew that we could not continue to expect our friends and relatives to come to our rescue each month to pay our rent and bring us food.  God had used them this time because our need was urgent.  We just didn't know what to do next.  John still had about six months of school left for the year.  Our experiences with finding employment hadn't worked out very well.  We needed money for groceries, gas, and utilities.  And Christmas was just around the corner! It was already December, and I hadn't even thought about Christmas for the children! Before we had left our home to come to school we had paid off what few credit cards we had and had let our accounts lapse with the local department stores.  I thought, “Well surely since we had good credit with those stores, there would be no problem in getting our credit cards reinstated in time for Christmas shopping.” 

 So I went to the local department store and filled out an application for credit. I handed it to the credit manager and she looked it over and then called me back up to the counter.  She asked me to please complete the section regarding place of employment and salary.  I explained to her that we had just moved into the area and at the present time we did not have a place of employment.  She looked over her glasses at me and responded rather disgustedly that they could not give us any credit if we did not have any visible means of support. 

I asked her to please check our credit history and she would see that we had excellent credit and all of our bills were paid off. She said it really didn't matter how good our credit had been before. She could not at present extend to us any further credit since we had no source of income!  By this time I was near tears, and yet was also fighting mad…not a good combination in a redhead! I blurted out that I hoped that SHE would have a very Merry Christmas! And with shame stealing up on my cheeks, I turned and fled out of the store.  I cried all the way back home.  John tried to console me, but all I could think about was that we wouldn't be able to buy any gifts for our children for Christmas, and that it was all that lady’s fault!!  I blubbered out that I was certain that SHE would have a good Christmas for HER kids, so why should SHE care about us? 

  Joy in the Morning Psalm 30:5  “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!”

My faith in humanity and God were at an all time low!  Why was God allowing us to go through so many trials anyway?  Didn't He know that we were only trying to do His will?  It was because of our faith in Him that we had gotten into this mess in the first place, and then our baby had been almost killed. (For more about THIS story click HERE) Now our children were going to have to miss out on Christmas!  It just wasn't fair!  I carried on like this for some time even while I tried to fix some lunch for the family. 

One of our neighbors happened to stop by, and before I knew it we were telling him our sad tale of woe.  He was very sympathetic and understanding.  But inside I was feeling some resentment toward him too! After all, he was attending school on the G.I. Bill, and had quite a nice savings account in the bank as well!  His family wasn't going to have to suffer on Christmas!  Oh, how the bitter feelings were rising to the surface and depriving me of any joy or peace!  Perhaps it was just all the weeks and months of struggle, disappointments, and stress that were beginning to take a toll on me.  Whatever my excuse, the Lord understood my heart.  Even though I was acting like a spoiled child crying because I was being deprived of some treat, God looked down and had compassion on me.  In a few moments after our friend had left our apartment, he returned with an envelope.  Inside was $60.00 in cash.  He said very lovingly, “Here, please take this as a Christmas gift from us.”   I was so ashamed for the way I had felt inside, and for the way I had acted outwardly.  I really couldn't receive his gift.  But he insisted, and we very humbly accepted.  God had provided again, and I knew in my heart that I didn't deserve such a gift.  But isn't that just like God?  Doesn't He always give us what we don’t deserve?  Hallelujah! What a Savior!"

Now, I suppose some of you are wondering how $60.00 could make much of a difference on Christmas when you have two young children, along with other financial responsibilities looming.
Here are some pictures from that Christmas morning so long ago:

Christmas Eve...

As you can see...the $60.00 went pretty far.  The tree looks a little lopsided, but it was a happy little tree.  "Happy Hobo" was smiling and ready to play...

Christmas Morning:  First Look at what "Santa Claus" brought....

Oh wow! Is all that for me????

Can't believe how small our sweet little boy was...but he sure gave the "Happy Hobo" a real workout!!

Look what we found! A NEW CAR! Only problem...there was only one...and there were TWO boys...

But when all was said and done they both had a wonderful Christmas, and never knew how close they came to not having such a wonderful day....God knew exactly how to take care of us...in more ways than toys for the kids...

Precious children our son Matthew on left, and Benton on right.

 And our Advent message for today?  Listen to these verses that God directed me to this morning in our devotions:

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

that I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Psalm 27:13-14

Don't lose heart dear friend!  The Messiah IS COMING!  The Babe in the Manger came to bring us hope...to strengthen our hearts...and to answer our prayers.  He is still living and working on our behalf today! And He IS coming again to take us home to be with Him forever in heaven. So carry on...have faith..."BE OF GOOD COURAGE!  WAIT, I SAY, ON THE LORD!"

Random Journal Day: A Letter to a New Pastor's Wife

Here it is again...Random Journal Day...the day when the bravest among us open our old journals and share things that we wrote in the past...hopefully for your edification in some form or another...

In my perusal of old notebooks and journals, I came across a copy of a letter that I wrote to a young woman who was about to become a pastor's wife.  She was already married to her husband...and he was about to become a pastor for the first time.  They were members of the church in which my husband was the pastor, and thus I was "the pastor's wife".  So I felt somewhat qualified to share these thoughts with her as they prepared to begin this new adventure.  Look over my shoulder and read what I wrote way back in March of 1990:

Dear Julie,

This is just a personal note from me to you as you prepare to begin this exciting journey into "ministry".  It appears inevitable that you will someday soon join the ranks of those privileged women known as "Pastor's Wives".  It is truly a privilege and a high calling to be the wife of a man called of God into full time Christian service.  However, there are several things you should try to remember:

• First, you are the PASTOR'S wife, not the CHURCH'S wife...your first ministry should be in the home, as a wife, mother, counselor, helpmeet, lover, encourager, and perhaps even exhorter.  You will find this aspect of your "calling" to be the most challenging, most rewarding, most exciting, and most fulfilling.  If you neglect it for any other "ministry", no matter how important it may seem, not only will you suffer, but your husband and family will suffer also.  Always remember you are to be the "helpmeet" for your husband, the Pastor, and not the "helpmeet" for the church.  All other areas of ministry must come second to that of being the wife of the Pastor.

• Second, don't let the demands and needs of the ministry rob you of your joy in serving Christ.  There will be times when you will feel a real need to get away from the "maddening crowd", and find a place of refuge and retreat.  Don't wait too long to set aside that time.  Not just for yourself, but for your husband also.  Keep your relationship with Christ alive and exciting by spending time alone with Him daily, and then special times set apart for retreat and recuperation.

• Keep your relationship with your husband alive and exciting by spending time alone with him daily, and then special times set apart for retreat and recuperation.  Both relationships are equally important, and both relationships need equal time and care.  But I warn you, you will have to remind yourself from time to time that this is most important.  Your schedules will get so hectic and wild that you will feel like a stranger to Christ...and you will feel like a stranger to your husband. Guard against this, Julie, with all your heart, and plan ahead.  Try to always build into your schedules time for rest, recuperation, and recreation.  Don't allow the pressures of the masses close in on you.  God is able to take care of their needs with or without your help...and He can use your talents and gifts best when you are rested and happy.

Your life in serving Christ will be an adventure everyday.  He has wonderful plans for you. (Jeremiah 29:11).  Just keep your eyes on Jesus.  He will never let you down.  (Hebrews 12;1-3).

"Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us..." (Ephesians 3:20-21)...

Julie, I commit you into His loving, powerful, capable hands.  Please keep in touch with us, and know that we are praying for you both daily.


As I re-read this letter written so many years ago...now from the perspective of a "old pastor's wife"whose husband has since retired from active ministry, I find myself saying "Amen" to all that was written.  I wish that I had remembered to heed my own words throughout all of our years of service in the church...there were too many times that I let the needs of the church dictate my time and rob me of my energy and strength so that I was not able to be the "helpmeet" that my husband needed most.  Looking back, I know that we truly needed to take that time out as a couple to rest, recuperate and "recreate", and we didn't do it.  We allowed ourselves to burn out and thus became weary, sad and miserable in our calling.  We listened to the wrong voices and did not heed the VOICE of our Lord whispering to our hearts to come apart for awhile and be blessed in His presence.  If I had it to do over again, I know I would try harder to listen to what God was telling me to write to "Julie" almost 25 years ago. Things might have turned out differently.  Hindsight is always 20-20. Today I am just thankful that we survived and that we still have each other to enjoy...and we still have our love for the Lord.  We are just expressing it differently these days.  And that's okay too. God understands.

Now, go check out this link and see what others are writing.

My Bag Was Too Heavy to Fly

This morning we rushed through an hour of traveling in a sleet storm to get to the airport on time to catch our flight home from Maine to Florida.  For those of you who may not know, we were in Maine visiting our son who is in the final stages of cancer.  We really didn't want to leave him, but after much prayer and discussion we decided to head home to take care of some loose ends there and then plan to head back to be with him again soon.

Anyway, the first thing we had to do when we arrived at the airport was check in with our baggage and get our boarding passes.  When I put the suitcase that we were planning to check up on the scale, it was about one pound over the limit of 40 pounds.  The attendant said I would need to remove at least a pound from the bag before they could check it onto the plane.  So I opened it up and tried to determine what I could remove that would weigh about a pound that I could carry with me in my carry-on bag.

My first thought was that perhaps I should remove the package of frozen blueberries that my daughter-in-law had given me from their own blueberry bushes, but I wasn't sure if they would allow me to take them with me as a carry-on.  While my husband took the package of blueberries to ask the TSA officer for permission, my eyes were directed to my Bible in the suitcase and I took it out and placed it on the scale.  It was exactly the weight that needed to be removed from the bag to make it the legal limit.  When my husband came back I told him we'd just put the blueberries back in and I would carry my Bible with me instead.

Our flight was delayed for a little while, so we had time to sit and catch our breath before we had to board the plane.  While we were waiting, I decided to open my Bible that was now in my carry-on bag instead of on the plane and read the devotional readings for today.  The reading for today was entitled "Acknowledging the Miracle", and the selected scripture readings were from John 4:43-54 and Psalm 30.

As I started to read the scriptures I was overwhelmed with the message of hope and comfort that God had waiting for me there. Let me see if you can understand what I mean.

"So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  

And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.

When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, 

he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son,

for he was at the point of death.

Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders,

you will by no means believe."

The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"

Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives."

So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him,

and he went his way."

(John 4:46-50)

I cannot begin to tell you what comfort and peace these words brought to me today as we prepared to head home not knowing for certain if our son would live until we could come back to be with him again.  I had tossed and turned and cried in my sleep for several days over the decision to stay or return home. Once we finally made the decision to go ahead and return home, God provided me with this wonderful assurance that our son would live, and that I could travel in peace.  

Now, I must confess to you that I do not know if this means that he is truly healed from this disease, or if this is merely God's way of bringing comfort and peace to us so that we can take care of our personal matters at home and trust that our son will still be alive and waiting for us when we are able to return. Of course, I would love to believe that he is completely healed and that he will not suffer from this devastating illness any longer and that he will be able to grow old with his wife and watch his fourteen year old son grow up to be a man and someday have grandchildren of his own to dandle on his knee. 

I find myself identifying with another parent in the book of Mark 9:23-24, when Jesus asks this father of a young son who had an unclean spirit, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." And the Bible says in verse 24 'Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, 

"Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!"

Lord, I do believe.  I know You are able to do "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think..." (Ephesians 3:20)

Whether You have chosen to heal our son completely to live a full and healthy life here on earth, or whether You have chosen to give him more time so that we can have the assurance we needed to make this trip home for now, I give You praise.  I will praise You along with the Psalmist in Psalm 30, (the other reading selected especially for today)...

"Oh Lord my God, I cried out to You,

and You healed me."

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever."

Psalm 30: 2, 11-12

Either way, I give thanks to You today, dear Lord.

Amen.

Oh, and Lord, Thank You that my bag was too heavy to fly today.

I got Your message just in time.

Oh, and by the way,  the blueberries made it just fine! I can't wait to make some blueberry muffins or pancakes with them!

It's Definitely "Good Friday...But Easter is Coming!"

Dear Friends and Family,


Many of you have already been praying for our son Matthew this week if you saw my posts on Facebook regarding him having a biopsy today. On Wednesday he had a CT Scan to see what type of lump had been discovered on his lower left abdomen. The CT Scan revealed that he had an enlarged lymph node, and also several other enlarged lymph nodes throughout his torso. A biopsy was scheduled for today to determine the reason for the swelling. The preliminary results today per the Dr. are that it appears to by lymphoma. They will not have the final results until next week, probably Tuesday, which will show more definitely what type of lymphoma, and what stage.


Obviously, this is not the results we were hoping for, but God is already at work in this situation. Matthew feels fine, and the only reason he discovered this lump was because he had some stomach cramping on Sunday, and felt the lump. He thought it might be a hernia, so he went to the DR. on Monday...and the rest is history. Hopefully they have discovered it early enough so that the treatment will be effective and curative. We will definitely be praying to that end.


Please keep Matt, Nicole and son Noah in your prayers, as this will be a difficult time for all. Please also pray for us, as we are here in Florida, which is much too far away from Maine.

We know that God is able to do "exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and eve. Amen."

Ephesians 3:20.

Thank you for your prayers.

Love,

Pam and John Steiner

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in THY sight, Oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."  Psalm 19-14

Dear Friends...This message will be brief today as I am in the middle of attending the Florida Christian Writer's Conference.  What I have discovered so far in the conference is this: 

1. WOW!!!  Such amazing people...extremely helpful and approachable...so very talented and gifted, and yet humble and Christlike.
2.  I have a LOT to learn about writing and getting published as an author.
3. Everyone has to start somewhere.  Even though I have been writing for a while...I am really just beginning.
4. I need your prayers and support more than ever!
5. I am so very thankful for this opportunity...it is definitely a gift from God.  Only time will tell what He will bring out of this whole experience, but it is my hope and prayer that whatever I do, it will bring glory to God and encourage and inspire others in their walk with Christ as well. 

I must sign off for today, but please keep praying!  Knowing that you are all "out there" praying for me and sending such encouraging words my way keeps me moving forward.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."   Ephesians 3:20-21