It's a Crazy Life!

So much of this post will be copy and pasted from my other blog (http://welcomedchaos.blogspot.com) since I REALLY have no time to write two blog posts right now. I promise to write more blogs in the future for our dear family and friends to read.

So time has come and gone since I last was able to blog. Things have been insane around here. I read a quote a few weeks back that sums up the very thing that we have been trying to learn for about a month: Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says--'I cannot stand anymore.' God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him,' -Oswald Chambers.

For a few years, we have been praying for Jeremy to find a new job. At first his search was just in the area and then, when he couldn't find a job, we broadened the search to Florida. After the birth of our son, we decided to search in North Carolina and Indiana where our families live.

Jeremy almost had a job in Raleigh, NC and we were so close to moving there but that didn't work out. When Raleigh didn't work out, we tried to find a larger apartment to rent in Clearwater. We found the perfect place. A quiet condo with 24 hour security. We would feel safe enough to have Jack there. We were so excited and made plans to move and sign paper work and everything. A couple of weeks before we were supposed to move, Jeremy found out that his job would be giving pay cuts. We were devastated. What was God trying to do??

Little did we know, God was working out every detail according to His plan--not ours. A few weeks went by and we were told about a job up in Indiana near where my family lives. We were sure that it would not work out. Jeremy went through many interviews with the company in a period of weeks. Each one seemed to be getting better and better. Finally, on Monday (March 5th), they told Jeremy that they wanted to hire him. Jeremy said that he would like to visit the company before officially saying he'd take the job. So, we were Indiana bound that following Wednesday. He had an on-site interview on that Thursday and agreed to take the position. So, we will be moving to Indiana in a week and a few days!

We are excited about this adventure that the Lord is taking us on and thrilled that we get to do it together! It will be wonderful to see our families more often. We will miss the friends that we have made in Florida and are very thankful that we have Facebook to keep in touch! We might even take vacations to Clearwater! We know our way around . . . why not?? :o)

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we scurry about these next few weeks. When we get settled, I promise to blog more often. Since we'll be in a bigger place, I will be doing more crafts that I find on Pinterest. I will share as often as I can. See you in Indiana!!

Trials, Triumphs and Teething

It has been a while since I've written a post. Things have been crazy around here. We have been super busy and not just with Jackson. One thing for sure, I have been embracing my new role as a mom. Sometimes it's a little bit difficult to keep up with the other things that I need to do.

As I have mentioned before, we are fortunate enough to have help in our responsibilities at church so we have managed to cut back with some of our teaching. With that is still some level of worry. Not to mention, I miss teaching the kids full time. It's just not the same. Now when I see them, I wonder how they grow so fast--even when I see them every week!

We have been going through many trials since our new little guy came into our lives. Trials with him and trials with life in general. Our families have gone through struggles and our friends have gone through struggles. One thing for sure, God has been there for me, to help me in my struggles. He continues to show me the areas that I need to work on. I try to live my life in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. So often I fail. It seems like that has been happening a lot in my life lately. I often wonder if the things that are crashing down around me are a result of something that I have done wrong in my life. If not, at least the Lord is using it to cause me to reevaluate my life or the people that I let in my life. Now that I have Jack, I need to keep my focus on God and what He wants for my life. I want my son to grow up knowing the God that I grew up knowing. I want him to learn to love the things that makes God happy and hate the things that God hates. It is my responsibility to teach Jack and raise him up in a way that would bring glory to God.

Alright, so (now that I am a mom) my posts will probably consist of writing about Jack. He is our life and I can't stop looking at him every single minute of every day. He is growing so fast. He just turned 4 months old yesterday. I wonder where the time went.

Along with Jack growing like a weed, he has also started the process of teething. It has been so crazy and I here that it could be a long time before any teeth even pop up. Oh, great. Jack is normally a pretty good baby. He only cries when he's hungry, sleepy or has a dirty diaper. Now that he's teething, I feel like I gave birth to a monster. I call him my teeny tiny teething monster. It really isn't all that bad now that we have figured out different ways to keep him occupied and different things for him to chew on at different times. I have discovered that he loves Finding Nemo and chewing on his burp cloths.

We just started Jack on rice cereal once a day. At times it seems like he enjoys it and then there are times where he looks like he might be sick. He's pretty comical at times. Every time we feed him it is a messy experience but I love it. The look on his face is always priceless.

A mom's work is never finished and the little guy needs me. He desperately wants to be moving but can't figure out the whole crawling thing yet. Until next time, if you're having trouble, find something to chew on!

Adam and Eve had many advantages, but the principal one was that they escaped teething.

-Mark Twain

Remembrance

I sit here watching my little guy swinging in his swing and fast asleep. I can't help but think back to the day that he was born. Tomorrow he will be 12 weeks old. I can't believe how fast time has gone. Every day that I celebrate this new life, I can't help but think back to the lives of those I've lost.

August was one year since we lost my Grandma Martin. Life without her has continued on but not without thoughts of what she might be thinking or saying if she were still here with us today. I thought of her the day that Jackson was born. I could just imagine her excitement as she received the phone call that her great-grandson was born.

This month will be five years since my brother, Phil, passed away. I know I post about this every year, but it is really laying heavy on my heart this year. For those of you who don't know, about a month after my niece was born, Phil found out that he had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I was devastated. Why would this happen to my family . . . to his family? I didn't understand at the time. Now that I think back, I know it was all in God's sovereign plan. I wish so much that my brother could meet my little son. I can imagine him saying, "I can't believe my little sister has a kid of her own." I wish he were here so that he could see his nephew. At least I know that both he and my grandma are smiling down on little Jack.

The last week, I have also been reflecting on the lives lost on September 11, 2001. I remember that I was in college and had just gotten out of my 8 o'clock class when a friend told me that a plane had crashed into one of the towers of The World Trade Center. I remember going to the snack shop and watching the t.v. in there just as the second plane crashed in the the second tower. You could hear a pin drop, it was so quiet. We were all in shock. That is when we knew that this was more than just an accident. Our country was under attack. In chapel, the president of our school told us that classes would be cancelled for the rest of the day. I don't remember much else from the rest of that day, other than I was able to call my mom on the phone and talk to her. It took a while to get through with my calling card (I didn't have a cell phone back then). I just remember that I was a little scared and we talked about how something like this could happen to a country like the United States.

So, this month is a month of remembrance for me. Remembering the birth of my son, the lives of my grandmother and brother, and the lives of those lost on September 11 and the days following. We don't know why God chooses the paths for us that He does. But we do know that He does it to show His sovereign will. Here are some verses that I have found helpful in the past:

Philippians 4:6-Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Psalm 20:7-Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Jeremiah 17:7-Blessed in the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.

Nahum 1:7-The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.

Psalm 18:30a-As for God, his way is perfect.

Psalm 27:1-The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 37:3-8-Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret--it only causes harm.

The Lord works in mysterious ways . . .

This week has been quite the interesting week. And it's only Tuesday!! I have been struggling with the many burdens of pregnancy. Since I am in the 3rd trimester, my emotions are going crazy again. Along with that, I am very concerned with all of the things that we have yet to accomplish before Jack comes to live with us. Yesterday was a VERY self-focused day. Everything that could go wrong, seemed to go wrong. I felt so alone. I began to be very worried about the lack of "stuff" we had for Jack which, in turn, made me worry about labor and delivery. Not sure why, but it did. Now, this is not the focus of my blog post today, but I will share with you only a little bit about my concerns.

I have pretty much come to the conclusion (and have know for a long time) that labor and delivery is going to hurt and hurt BAD. I know that there is absolutely no turning back, nor do I want to. I do not regret the decision of ever knowing about Jack. He means the world to me, and I haven't even officially met him yet. However, my flesh gets the best of me and I tend to worry a lot at times. Such is the case here. I can't seem to get it out of my mind. Because of that, other things have fallen by the way side. Certain chores and responsibilities have become neglected despite my recent blog posts about life management.

Okay, so I told you that this post is about something totally different.

The Lord has already used several people in my life, just in the last two days, to turn my focus toward Him. For that, I am thankful! The first instance occurred around noon yesterday. I was reading a blog post from a friend. Now, remember, I had already been well into my self-pity party. She was talking about the chaos of life and how important it is to rely on the "Person who promises peace." It was just what I needed to get a slap back into reality! If you're interested in reading her blog, you may do so here. I trust that you will find it encouraging. It is so nice to have friends! I'm speaking to ALL of you!

A few hours later, I was back into my pity party. Then, my mother called. All she had to do was hear something in my voice and she asked if I was okay. I couldn't keep the tears from coming. To make a long story short, my parents (my dad is home on Spring Break this week) had some very encouraging words to say as well. I was told to read Psalm 139. If there is ever anything that you are struggling with, I encourage you to go to that passage in the Scriptures. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways (vv. 1-3). Of course, don't miss out on the rest of the passage! It is just as vital.

Not too long ago we decided to switch cell phone companies and plans to save money for Jack's arrival. We do not have a land line, so cell phones are our only means of communication in the even of an emergency. Because of the switch, we have been fortunate to have unlimited texting! Now before, we never really saw a need for it, nor did we even care to join the texting phenomenon at all. But I must say, when you don't have time for a phone call (or think you might be bothering someone) texting is the way to go! Yesterday, I was able to text with several of my family members--almost all at once! It was such a blessing to me. Later in the evening, I was also able to Skype with one of my aunts (and a cousin!) who lives in Indiana!! Ahhhhhhhhh . . . Technology!! What did we ever do without it??

Also, let me say, I have the best husband in the world! I don't want to leave him out of yesterdays encouragement. While, he has been having his own issues to deal with this week, he still manages to encourage me. He is my very own personal cheerleader. He wouldn't like it that I used that term to describe him! Every day he tells me that I can go through with this. That I will be great. There is slight hesitation on my part, but I think I'm starting to believe him.

That brings me to today. I know this is getting long but I don't want to leave this part out at all. I decided that I was going to listen to a sermon. Some of you may know that my brother is a youth pastor. I went into my iTunes playlists and I managed to find a sermon that he preached a couple of summers ago at the church that we grew up in. He spoke on Ecclesiastes and how Solomon sought out the meaning of life on earth. He had all of this "stuff." Are you seeing where I'm going with this?? He had fortune and mansions galore. He even built them for other people!! So, what does Solomon conclude? Our fulfillment is ultimately found in God alone. Not in our academics. Not in our amusements. Not in our accomplishments. Not in our possessions. It's okay to be happy but our satisfaction should be in God. God gave him wisdom and he had the wisdom to figure out the True meaning of life. Solomon says, Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man (Ecc. 12:13).

So, my thoughts?? Well, in light of eternity, whatever happens in the delivery room happens. I can't really control it. Whatever I don't get done before Jack comes, it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that my focus is continually on God and God alone. He is where I get fulfillment.

My brother ended his sermon with this quote by missionary, Jim Elliot. May it also be our prayer each day. God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life that I may burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life but a full one like You, Lord Jesus.

More Trials??

"God never moves without purpose or plan...give thanks to the Lord though your testing seems long, in darkness He giveth a song... O Rejoice in the Lord, He makes no mistake. He knoweth the end of each path that I take, for when I am tried, and purified, I shall come forth as gold." -Ron Hamilton

Today, the words of this song are flying around my head. There is so much going on in our lives that, sometimes, it makes it harder to trust. But I have to remember Who brings us in and out of each trial. I can't help but focus on the example of Job in the Bible. (I'm sure that I have made a reference to Job before in my blogs, but we can all use a little reminder once in a while, can't we?)

I really don't want to go into great detail about the specific trials that we are facing right now, that isn't really what is important. The important thing is how we are dealing with our trials. We all handle them differently. My main focus is to make sure that I am handling them exactly how God wants me to handle them. With an upward focus on Him and His Word. Trusting that He, and He alone, will get me through each day. Don't get me wrong, it's often difficult to remember this, but, through each trial we face, God purifies us. The more we want to be purified, the easier the next trial may seem.

Does it always seem that God is around when we face our trials? No, not always. Sometimes it feels as though He cannot be reached. But, I promise you, He IS within reach. We must open our eyes and focus upward. He will always be there to guide us. I encourage you to read through the book of Job. Study the trials that he faced. He had a lot taken away from him but he still chose to trust and love God. Why can't we do the same for the little that we have that is taken away from us? Job 23:10- But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

Casting All Your Care

I suppose I haven't written in a while. Has it really been 2 months?? Time sure is flying by these days. There are times that I lay in bed wondering where all of the hours in my day went. I guess that's why I'm writing this post at one o'clock in the morning. I have just been thinking about what life is going to be like with a third person living with us.

Oh! This reminds me to update you all on a few things first. At the end of January, we found out that we are going to have a BOY!!!! We are very excited and have been preparing for him ever since. That is one of the many reasons why our posts have been non-existent. Anyway, we cannot wait for Jackson Carter to arrive in June!

So, it has been a few days since I even started this post and I think I am finally ready to finish it. This brings me to why I started writing this post. So much has been going on these last few months. It seems like every time I think that I am finally content where God has me, He shows me another area in my life where I need to be more content. "And be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" Hebrews 13:5.

In a few months, our lives are about to change forever. We will be adding another member to our family. No longer will I only be focused on making my husband happy but my child as well. I have been reading a book by Elizabeth George called Life Management for Busy Women. In one of the chapters, she discusses managing your children. She shares the "guidelines" that she used when raising her own children. It has been very encouraging these last few weeks as well as a nice reminder of what God requires of parents. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matthew 6:21.

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. I Peter 5:7

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's hard to believe that this day is almost over. Thanksgiving is always a time for us to look back on the year and remember what we're thankful for. This year, we weren't able to be with our families. It was a little difficult for me because I wasn't able to meet our new nephew. His name is Samuel Phillip and he was born on Sunday, November 21 at 2:41pm. He was 9lbs. 15 oz. and 22 1/2 inches long. Once we get some good-quality pictures of him, we'll certainly write another blog post!! We are so thankful for our families and we missed not being with them this year.

We are also very grateful for the friends that God has placed in our lives. We were able to spend Thanksgiving with a few friends from our church and it was such a blessing. We really had a blast with them today!

Lastly, we are thankful for the life we have in Christ. We would be nothing without Him and on a road to destruction and eternal damnation. Sometimes we take our salvation for granted, but we truly are thankful for Christ's sacrifice for us.

James 1:16-18 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Fall is almost in Florida!

Okay, so it has been a while since I have written. Sorry about that. A lot has been going on around here. I will try to fill you in on the happenings of our summer or most of it, that is. Some of it went by in a blur. You will see why in a moment.

So, in June we celebrated our four year wedding anniversary!! That is quite an accomplishment--although, it doesn't seem like we have been married that long. We were able to really do anything special this year since Vacation Bible School fell on that same week. We were bummed about that (or, at least, I was) but we had a lot of fun with the kids in VBS. We were put in charge of the games and we really enjoyed it this year.

Forgive me, for I cannot remember exactly what happened in July. Oh, well.

In August, we had to make an emergency trip to Indiana. After 92 years, my Grandma Martin passed away. It has been a very rough time for my family. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to cope with her loss. We miss her very much. Thankfully, we know that we will see her again someday.

September came a little earlier than we thought it would. Yes, I know it comes the same time every year, but it REALLY came earlier this year!! I had to travel back to Indiana for my cousin's wedding. I was also able to help my parents a little bit with things that needed to get done around their house and my grandma's house. After I arrived back from Indiana, we started our Wednesday evening kids club (Winner's Circle) at church. This becomes the time of year when it really starts to get busy and stressful. (Though it seems like the summer has been full of nothing but stress.) We don't have as many kids in our Wednesday night class as we did last year. We are trying not to get too discouraged about it. God has been doing a great thing in our church family and we pray that He will do great things in Winner's Circle this year as well.

It seems as though September has brought a lot of prayer requests too. So many things are happening around us to people we love so dearly. Galatians 6 says, "Bear one another's burdens," and that is certainly what we have been doing. We have been lifting our friends up in prayer. It has truly been a summer of growing. September has also brought a lot of work to us: Jeremy is diving into another catalog season and he has been doing some freelance work here and there, there are more preparations for church going on, and we have been busy trying to find (and add) more "space" to our house.

So, now it's officially October! This is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather starts getting cooler here in Florida and it is even more enjoyable to go to the beach. (Jeremy had a day off last week and we went to a beach that we have only been to one other time. We found the biggest shells!!!) We are excited about the next couple of months. We will be getting a brand new nephew soon and we can't wait to meet him! We will be in North Carolina for a wedding around the time of his arrival and we hope that he comes while we are there!!! So, until next time, take a look at some of our summer memories.

Helping with our church VBS on our 4th anniversary.

VBS game time

VBS kids

My last picture with Grandma Martin.

Lunch before Grandma's Funeral.

My cousin, Ken, and his bride, Jessica.

My God Is Near

Jeremy and I have the privilege of singing the special this Sunday morning at our church. We get to sing quite often though, since our church is so small. Anyway, a lot has been happening all around us. Struggles with our Nation, in our jobs, in our church, with our friends, with our families outside of the home, within our homes, and, sometimes (okay--MOST of the time), even spiritually. I'm not just speaking of me and Jeremy. I am sure that there are many of you out there who are struggling in many of these areas as well.

The song that we will be singing on Sunday is titled: My God Is Near (written by a friend of ours, Mac Lynch). I won't go into detail about why this is so special to me now. I am sure you might understand when you read the words. Below the words to the song, I will add a verse passage that I recommend you all to read in which this song was based.

My God Is Near

Make me know Your presence, Lord, the King of glory here.

You know each thought and action, hope, anxiety and fear.

How can I hide from Thee? Can darkness hide iniquity?

Oh, how can I unfaithful be, when You are very near to me?

When God is near, all the world seems far away.

When God is near, every fear is set aside.

When God is near, how can I stray, how can I falter?

I'll stay upon the altar. I know my God is near!

Make me know Your presence, Lord, when I feel so alone.

You know each trial and testing, pain, the hurt that is "unknown."

Oh, why can I not see Your hand so firmly guiding me?

Oh, how can I untrusting be, when You are very near to me?

When God is near, all the world seems far away.

When God is near, every fear is set aside.

When God is near, how can I stray, how can I falter?

I'll stay upon the altar. I know my God is near!

Based on Psalm 139:1-12

It's a Wonderful Life

So, this week has been awesome so far. First of all, the weather is getting a little cooler so things won't be all hot and sweaty . . . at least for a little while longer. Second of all, I have been able to hang out with a couple of my friends this week!

Yesterday morning, my friend, Jaimeé, came over for a while. We have been trying to get together for coffee at least once a week. Sometimes it doesn't always work, but we try. It has been fun actually hanging out with someone.

Then, late this afternoon, my friend, Heather (from college), stopped by! She is in Clearwater for her brothers graduation. It was really nice to get a chance to talk with her. It is always encouraging when I get to see the people that I went to school with. Most of them were there with me in some of the most difficult times in my life.

Tomorrow morning we will going to Clearwater Christian College's graduation ceremony. It will be bittersweet. We are excited for two of the students (Sarah & Ryan) who have been helping us at our church over the last four years. It will be sad because we are not sure that we will see them again this side of heaven. But . . . at least we'll get to see them tomorrow.

I know that the week will end fantastically because my mom is coming tomorrow night! She will be here for Mother's Day and I know that will be fun for her . . . me too . . . as she will be staying a whole week! Hopefully we will be able to go to the beach a few of those days. :o)

Also, Jeremy has just informed me that he is taking next Friday off. We very rarely get to spend time together, so that is a real treat!

I'm so excited, I don't think that I will be able to sleep tonight.

Just a thought for today . . .

The will of God will never leave you where the grace of God cannot keep you.

Happy Monday!

Thought for the day

Just meditating on this passage today . . .

II Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Cleaning rituals, enthusiasm, and faith . . .

I am in the middle of cleaning our house from top to bottom. We have some friends coming to visit us tomorrow evening and they will be staying with us for a few nights. We are so excited because these are our first overnight house guests that are not family!

So--a part of my cleaning ritual is to listen to music. I don't know, it kind of gets me in the right mood because, come one, who really likes to clean?! I must admit it, there is a sense of satisfaction when it's all over and everything is spotless. But, to really have a cheerful heart about it, I need to listen to Christ-centered music. As I was dusting (one of my other cleaning rituals), a song came on that really got me thinking about our upcoming revival at our church, which then caused me to start thinking about my life and the sin and struggles that I face every day. I must confess, this doesn't happen every single time I clean. Usually I am so focused on the tasks that lay ahead. But God was tugging on my heart today and I am SO GLAD that He did!

You see, sometimes I feel so weak. I am not a perfect person. Whether I am out shopping, at church, or cleaning at home, I am constantly sinning. Can you honestly say that you can't sin for even a second? Even wrong thinking is a sin . . . you know, like when you can be so disgusted at your 4-12 year olds for their lack of enthusiasm in the lesson during Children's Church. Well, how many times have I lacked in my enthusiasm for spiritual things? Christ died for me! Even if I was the only person on earth, He still would have died for me! I can at least be enthusiastic about that! So, what song caused all of this thinking, you ask? My Faith Still Clings . . .

My sin is great, my strength is weak,

My path beset with snares;

But Thou, O Christ, hast died for me,

And Thou wilt hear my prayers.

Refrain

To Thee, to Thee, the Crucified,

The sinner’s only plea,

Relying on Thy promised grace,

My faith still clings to Thee.

The world is dark without Thee, Lord,

I turn me from its strife

To find Thy love a sweet relief;

Thou art the light of life.

Temptations lure and fears assail

My frail, inconstant heart;

But precious are Thy promises,

And they new strength impart.

Unfold Thy precepts to my mind,

And cleanse my blinded eyes;

Grant me to work for Thee on earth,

Then praise Thee in the skies.

Bow the Knee

This past Sunday evening our church had a singspiration and a time of testimonies. One of my friends sang a solo. I wasn't able to be in there during it because I had to go to the fellowship hall to get the food ready for afterwards. Our church just recently starting recording the services digitally so Jeremy let me listen to the part of the service that I missed. When I heard the second verse of this song, it fit perfectly into my life the last few months. The words are below and you can listen to the song here.

There are moments on our journey following the Lord

Where God illumines ev’ry step we take.

There are times when circumstances make perfect sense to us,

As we try to understand each move He makes.

When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him.

Bow the knee;

Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see.

Bow the knee;

Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.

And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan,

In the presence of the King, bow the knee.

There are days when clouds surround us, and the rain begins to fall,

The cold and lonely winds won’t cease to blow.

And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel;

We are tempted to believe God does not know.

When the storms arise, don’t forget we live by faith and not by sight.

Bow the knee;

Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see.

Bow the knee;

Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.

And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan,

In the presence of the King,

Bow the knee;

Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see.

Bow the knee;

Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.

And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan,

In the presence of the King,

Bow the knee, bow the knee, bow the knee.

Bow the knee . . . . .

Our life prayer

Lately we have been thinking about how long we are going to be here on the earth. We thought it might be a good opportunity to explain why we have chosen Our Vapor as the title for this blog. Don't ask us why we never took the time to explain it before, I guess maybe we just thought everyone would search every inch of our blog to find out why we do what we do. Then I started asking myself, Do I do that on every blog that I read? Sadly, the answer is no.

We chose Our Vapor because that is exactly what life is . . . a vapor. If you read James 4:14 (at the top of our page), you will understand why we say that. We are only here on this earth for a short time and we don't know what tomorrow holds for us. (Coincidentally, our pastor spoke on this very thing Wednesday evening.) We don't want to be downers, but we realize that one of us, or both, might not wake up tomorrow. If that should happen, we want to be prepared to meet our Savior.

So, with that being said, here is our prayer for our lives:

O Lord, Thou art my King, and who am I to question Thy way? Whatever the loss, whatever the cost, draw me closer to Thee everyday.

O Lord, Thou art my life, and who am I to understand why you died on a tree for a sinner like me? Lord, to self make me willing to die.

O Lord, Thou art my all, and who am I to walk without Thee? My sin I forsake, Thy cross I will take. Now Thy servant, dear Lord, make of me.

He knoweth the way that I take. A knew heart within He'll create. That I may walk worthy and come forth as gold. He giveth and taketh away. -- Mac Lynch

Don't Be Afraid

Mac Lynch

When deep water curls around you and fear replaces faith,

When the floods would seem to overwhelm God's promises of grace,

When the fires seem overtaking and all seems torn and tossed,

Trust His Word, O truly listen, here Him say, "All is not lost."

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid.

I have redeemed you; you are mine; don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid, don't be afraid.

You are a precious child to me; don't be afraid."

I am with you thru the water, I'm with you thru the flood.

They will never overwhelm you: I have bought you with My blood.

Even though you walk thru fire, I'll go with you all the way.

I'm your Savior, truly listen, here Me say, these words I say:

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid.

I have redeemed you; you are mine; don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid, don't afraid.

You are a precious child to me; don't be afraid."

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I feel that songs or books must never be a replacement for scripture. However, sometimes God uses a them to encourage us, remind us, or bring us back to Him. The song above is a song that God used to encourage me in the last few weeks. No matter how overwhelming life can be, all I need to do is trust His Word because He has promised to go with me through every trial and test.

Just say "no!"

I am starting a new phase of my life today!!!! I'm so excited. Are you ready for this? When someone asks me to do something that I really don't want to do . . . I'm going to say NO! I have been so busy lately because I don't want to hurt people's feelings by not doing something. Well, not anymore. If I don't want to teach an extra class or don't want to go to an extra activity, I am going to tell people. If someone calls me up to babysit or go somewhere and I don't want to do it, I'm going to say no. If they don't like it, well, that will be their problem, not mine. I don't mean to sound rude, but I am only one person. Just because I don't have kids, doesn't mean that I'm not a busy person. 

My responsibility first in life is to God. If I feel that my life isn't glorifying God because I have too much going on, then I am going to make some changes. My second responsibility is to my family, not my church. WAIT! What?! Yes, that's what I said. God, first. Family, second. Church, last. I don't have to go to EVERY church function. That's not what is important in life. My personal relationship with God is important, but the activity after church just isn't as important to me. I would rather spend time with just my husband. I hardly get to spend time with him very much because there is always something else that people say we have to do.

So, from now on, I am in charge of MY life. No one else is going to tell me what I "need" to do. If I feel like I can't do something, I am going to say so and people will just have to be okay with that. Boy, are they in for a surprise!! 

What should you do when you feel unfairly treated or wrongly accused?

Good question, right? If you're reading this and you're a Christian, you probably are thinking about things that you shouldn't do. But what happens when you don't have time to prepare? I tend to fight for myself. Is this bad? No. Not really. But how you go about defending yourself might be bad. I try to think, "how would Christ want me to act and what would He want me to say/do?" Well, okay, that is a good start . . . but what happens after the fact? It's all laid out in the open and, to be honest, you feel that you could never be around that person again. All is forgiven, but things will NEVER be the same. 

I was thinking today about Job and his trials. He went through so much. His children died, he had sickness, and maybe worst of all, his friends failed him. If you don't have any friends, what are you going to do, right? Well, Job handled it very well. He didn't give up and die. He didn't curse God . . . even when everyone around him (including his wife) told him to. Even though all of this happened, Job still said, "but he (God) knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold."

I was also thinking about I Peter 2:19-24 which talks about Christ's suffering on the cross. Verse 23 says, "when he (Christ) was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him (God) who judges justly." Christ went through far worse. The trials that I go through aren't so bad in comparison. At least I have Someone who is there to hold me up when I am treated wrongly. I don't go through it alone. And in the end, those who have wrongly accused others, will be held accountable for it. 

The hardest part of this blog post comes right here. The Bible tells us in Luke 6:27-28, "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." This is probably the hardest commandment given. It's certainly one that I struggle with the most. How can you love someone who has treated you so poorly? Sometimes praying for that person is the last thing that I want to do. But it's commanded. Christ showed His love for me by dying on the cross for the wrong things that I have done. He loved me even though there were times when I was younger where I tried to fit in with the "cool kids" at school. He loves me even when I don't talk to Him or when I carelessly forget His Word. Why can't I love those who have wrongly accused me? It's simple, I guess I just forgot to ask for His help. You can be certain that I won't forget Him anymore! He is my life and He is my all! 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." Hebrews 12:1-3

Just a reminder . . .

Colossians 2:13-14- "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;"

The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

by S. Trevor Francis

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!

Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!

Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love

Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!

How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!

How He watches o'er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;

How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o'er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!

'Tis an ocean full of blessing, 'tis a haven giving rest!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, 'tis a heaven of heavens to me;

And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!