Wednesday, August 16, 2017

A Brief Update . . .

Lord, we adore thy boundless grace,
The heights and depths unknown,
Of pardon, life, and joy, and peace,
In Thy beloved Son.

O wond'rous gift of love divine
Dear source of ev'ry good!
Jesus, in thee what glories shine!
How rich thy flowing blood!
~Anne Steele

Every once in a while, I've been trying to write an update on how our family has been doing in the great Midwest :-) as we seek the Lord for further direction in our ministry here. I call it the "great" or vast Midwest, as I lived in tiny Rhode Island all of my life--Wisconsin is huge in comparison! I remember the beauty of the ocean and the smell of the salt waves, the loveliness of the old towns and villages and the tight-knit-ness of Italian and Portuguese families "back home." 

And yet, the Lord is opening my eyes to different beauties here--His creation, all un-tamed all-around, the beautiful fields and hills, the glorious sunsets, and the sound of the wind through the trees. His handiwork never ceases to amaze my soul. 

We live on almost 4 acres in the country, and we are visited by many "members" :-) of our Lord's creatures--here is one that I have met in the Midwest--a little ground squirrel visiting my flowers. :-) They are very friendly and industrious--and quick! 

My Mama always planted zinnias in Rhode Island; they are easy, she said! Their cheerful faces remind me of her beautiful garden back home as I was growing up. 



These sweet little birds were in a bush just outside of our house--daringly perched right on the edge of the bush! Their innocent expressions and determined "chirpings" :-) for food gave me joy. 



The field behind our house . . .  our neighbor "hays" this field occasionally. 



These puffy things fascinate me; they feel a little like lamb's wool. 




This little guy loves to come and visit us; I discovered that he also enjoys saltines with peanut butter ;-). 



That's a big apple for a little chipmunk . . . :-)


He resembles my expression here, when I am contemplating a full plate of brownies . . . :-)



A butterfly in the garden . . .


Hanging laundry on the line has become one of my favorite things to do . . . I love the "feel" of the sun's gentle warmth on the clothing as I fold it and the way that the clothes sway in the wind. 



This spider showed up near our flowers! I keep a safe distance . . . ;-) He is welcome to eat the gnats and flies, but not me, please ;-). 



The Lord's glory in the sunset . . . 


And these are pictures of the outbuilding that I have my eye set upon right now .  . . :-) We call this the "Missionary House." We have been praying about converting this into a place for fellow believers to come and stay. We are excited to see how the Lord is going to work through all of this . . . 


And lastly, I'll leave you with a song that the Lord has been using to minister to my heart. An old friend introduced me to this group years ago--this is one of my favorites of theirs--

https://youtu.be/CgmTYeLU7eA

As always, I am so grateful for your prayers for us. Truly, He hears the prayers of His people and "leads His dear children along." Please let me know if I can pray about anything for you . . . 

Much grace,
Rebekah






You might find me on these link-ups:


Strangers and Pilgrims on EarthInspire Me MondayLiteracy Musing MondaysThe Modest MomWhat Joy is Mine, Rich Faith Rising, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical HomemakingA Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony TuesdayTell His Story, Women With Intention WednesdaysMessy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking ThursdaySoul SurvivalGood Morning MondaysThe Weekend BrewCounting My BlessingsThe HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link UpGrace and Truth LinkupFaith Filled FridayTell It To Me TuesdaysSHINE Blog HopTGI Saturdays Blog HopRaRaLinkupWord of God SpeakBooknificent ThursdayLiving Proverbs 31Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUpYou're the Star Blog HopHomesteader HopFresh Market FridayHeart Encouragement Thursday Sitting Among Friends Blog PartyFabulous Warm Heart PartyOh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday LinkupWriter Wednesday

28 comments:

  1. Oh I love your post! You are truly living the life that my heart desires. Don't get me wrong, we are close, and we are in the country. But...I know the Lord is calling us elsewhere...in His perfect timing. I would love to come visit with you. :) It's funny how the world of blogging can draw people together, isn't it? I'm so glad you are enjoying the little things in life. I have been enjoying the crickets lately. I just love hearing them! God's music, I call them. Soon the season will come to an end and the snow shall fall again. I'll soak it up while I can. :)

    I am glad you posted an update, as I think of you and wonder how things are.

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    1. Ang, I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! You and your family are in my thoughts and my prayers as you seek after Him and He unfolds His will to you all in His beautiful timing.

      I would love to meet you and your family someday; that would bless my heart very much. <3 Yes; the crickets! they are so sweet! I love listening to them, too.

      The Lord bless you, Ang--in everything--

      Love,
      Rebekah

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  2. A cheery good afternoon to you, sweet friend! I was so delighted to find this post pop up in my inbox. I have been thinking of you since Sunday....you see, we sang a hymn written by Elisha Hoffman and since then you have been on my mind and heart. I trust you and your dear family are well.....

    Your post was such a joy to read and so refreshing - thank you for sharing.

    Much love to you, friend!

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    1. Much love to you also, Stephanie! You are in my thoughts and prayers! I have been thinking of and praying for your grandmother; I hope that she is doing better. I am hoping to write to you soon--you have been such a blessing and an encouragement in my life. <3

      I'm glad that you enjoyed the update! The Lord is so good . . .

      Have a very blessed week!

      Love,
      Rebekah

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  3. I'm glad you are finding the Lord's beauties and mercies in your new home. God is so good to send amazing gifts wherever we go; they always find us if we're open to see them. Thanks for sharing these pictures, Rebekah.

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    1. Yes; that is true, Lisa! I'm glad that you enjoyed the pictures! The Lord bless you!

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  4. Thank you for sharing the beauties of your world. I enjoyed every photo and your insights.

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    1. You're welcome, Debbie! I'm glad that you enjoyed them! :-)

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  5. Changing countryside and culture is not easy and I'm so happy for you that you're choosing to find beauty. I've had to do the same many times and I have found my definition of beauty and grace changing over time to be more encompassing and reassuring. Your place looks wonderful! God bless.
    #inspirememonday

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  6. Rebekah, what a beautiful post to share in your waiting. God is faithful and I pray He shows up and shows off for your family. Visiting from Beth's Messy Marriage linkup today.

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    1. Thank you, Susan; I am so grateful for your prayers!

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  7. Hi Rebekah,
    I'm your neighbor today at Coffee for your Heart. I enjoyed your photos of your countryside -- that barn is wonderful and what a great idea you have to renovate it! Your wildlife all around you is fascinating and fun to scroll through!

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    1. Hi Valerie! Oh, I'm glad that you enjoyed the photos! Have a blessed weekend!

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  8. Beautiful images, Rebekah! I pray the Lord will give you and your husband clear direction regarding your barn renovation. Blessings on your week!

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  9. Beautiful! I grow zinnias too, and love their crazy plastic-looking colors. Thanks for this overview of your surroundings and the introduction to your new friend the chipmunk. I have a sort of adversarial relationship with the chipmunks that live around our home, and you've encouraged me to view them with a little more grace.

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    1. Yes!:-) They are really easy to grow it seems! I like that about them :-). Haha; I know chipmunks enjoy chewing wires and things, too--they are so cute that I try to overlook their "flaws." ;-). The Lord bless you, Michele--have a blessed weekend!

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  10. Thank you for the lovely pictures. Its great that you are enjoying all of God's blessings in and around you home.

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  11. Bekki, I sooo enjoyed reading this update! I always love your sense of humor as well. :-)

    The pictures are beautiful and to me, you and your family could not be in a more perfect place. Oh how the Lord has blessed such a deserving and humble servant.

    May the Lord continue to bless the work of your hands and to guide you in this ministry endeavor.

    Miss you so much!!

    Blessings,

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    1. Thank you, Karen! Your continual prayers and encouragement have been such a blessing in my life . . . I miss you so much, too!

      The Lord bless you! <3

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  12. I am spending my quiet (and lovely) Sunday afternoon browsing some new to me blogs...and what a blessing this post has been. I love the photos (so beautiful) and the thoughts and the gentle reminder of God's rich goodness to us - right in our own backyards! I certainly do not appreciate what is right outside my door often enough! Thanks so much for sharing your blessings....I pray that you have a beautiful week ahead!

    So glad to have found your blog:)

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    1. Thank you for those words, Jennifer! I'm so glad that you stopped by; it is nice to meet you! :-)

      Have a blessed weekend!

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  13. This is beautiful, Rebekah! I found myself just kind of relaxing as I read and looked at your photos. I'm a huge critter lover! I often marvel at God's awesome imagination as I look at His creation!

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    1. Oh; that's wonderful, Deb! Yes; that is so true! His imagination is such a thing to marvel at!

      Have a blessed weekend!

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  14. Thanks for sharing this refreshing post at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com!
    Tina

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