tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81791360296922097592024-02-23T21:04:40.008-05:00READY TO BE OFFEREDCounting the cost; embracing the joy . . . Biblical encouragement for believers who are striving for a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.comBlogger289125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-59157278051603869492024-01-10T08:22:00.001-05:002024-01-10T08:35:50.574-05:00Nothing is Too Hard for the Lord<p> <span style="font-family: georgia;">Dear Friends, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The last post that I wrote about <a href="http://www.readytobeoffered.com/p/ministry.html">our ministry here</a> detailed the difficulties that we have been undergoing. We were stuck at a roadblock, unable to move forward in the way that we believed the Lord was leading us. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSAkQKQYcdZy3_PNHeNY2925ExmpfIlvqWgf76e6w9scVMvq5ncXe4V7Lb2MTx5zNMM7cWYw4diIl6YJ4z92jyUrkt5KP4TY6hcvA6TObdPH9jAu3N0aHiRwuyrRops3O_SOYff_wTFPEFv0S7sWeewZ0Q8-CPkNu8BIhRStSNAAFLqIyjB5dvPtV5gI/s960/406332627_880640503435671_8946653569542084210_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="660" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSAkQKQYcdZy3_PNHeNY2925ExmpfIlvqWgf76e6w9scVMvq5ncXe4V7Lb2MTx5zNMM7cWYw4diIl6YJ4z92jyUrkt5KP4TY6hcvA6TObdPH9jAu3N0aHiRwuyrRops3O_SOYff_wTFPEFv0S7sWeewZ0Q8-CPkNu8BIhRStSNAAFLqIyjB5dvPtV5gI/w440-h640/406332627_880640503435671_8946653569542084210_n.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My heart was heavy for a number of months and I felt baffled, laying the whole situation before the Lord morning by morning. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Local ordinances and laws were blocking the way; we were unable to move forward. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Finally, we decided that perhaps building onto our own home was the only way. We continued to pray and to seek the Lord's direction. <a href="http://www.readytobeoffered.com/2023/06/forward.html">I wrote about this decision on my blog. </a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I felt uneasy in my spirit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Whenever I feel this way, I sense that it is the Lord speaking to me, telling me to stop and wait and to continue in prayer. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">For many months, the way continued to be closed to us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">However, through a series of unusual circumstances, the Lord showed us a loophole in the law that would require us to rezone our property but that would also enable us to go forward. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Step by step, the way slowly opened to us. Our land was surveyed, we submitted our request to the local town board, and then to the county board. It was a long and tedious process that took many months. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZch85PT3RnJNeShVMmtQZHSRd793Stq1I_oT0jECyEztXXT_iRu4Rf-IyWM2RtZSMuuNHRM93InHZFUwLz2zCiRIjl5A-4poeeOFSzGhRcS7sOWZwArcZe_LqjrKCTd8oZk76lIOD2zAgFwm87KPw5gsvz7uk2dxiqeEzQ-kcUGwyMPC43rz-Jh2cu-A/s1200/f8e7691f13af17dfe1e84c20af84aad0-1346953043.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1200" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZch85PT3RnJNeShVMmtQZHSRd793Stq1I_oT0jECyEztXXT_iRu4Rf-IyWM2RtZSMuuNHRM93InHZFUwLz2zCiRIjl5A-4poeeOFSzGhRcS7sOWZwArcZe_LqjrKCTd8oZk76lIOD2zAgFwm87KPw5gsvz7uk2dxiqeEzQ-kcUGwyMPC43rz-Jh2cu-A/w640-h454/f8e7691f13af17dfe1e84c20af84aad0-1346953043.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>At the end of the process, our request was approved. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And here we are. At the end of a long and winding road of many tears, prayers, doubts, fears, and faith in a mighty God who is able to do great and mighty things when there seems to be no way. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And now we go forward with grateful hearts. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we begin to make plans to renovate the Missionary House. I will continue to provide updates here as the Lord leads me and as I am able to. If anyone would like to join our prayer group for our ministry where I post more frequently, the link is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/614072309016617">HERE. </a></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLSbJhh0NX4JYQVpYyYNjP7DijGMHVlWdtaDopt4kNPPjn2UBqra6TdA_YdTpwOYf37FBZohPbK1Q6b9y6Bo6vXEI7tALlFegnrc109r8kVaL99wYLmQMzgILU9-BZcqJ7WyG7QmtzP8BjBo6u-arZW8O9ODQInKeJWwFDl3ucZJJWG37yrA1m-0WfEo/s737/25d894a12b0e2b6972d3f96eb0987fa0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="562" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLSbJhh0NX4JYQVpYyYNjP7DijGMHVlWdtaDopt4kNPPjn2UBqra6TdA_YdTpwOYf37FBZohPbK1Q6b9y6Bo6vXEI7tALlFegnrc109r8kVaL99wYLmQMzgILU9-BZcqJ7WyG7QmtzP8BjBo6u-arZW8O9ODQInKeJWwFDl3ucZJJWG37yrA1m-0WfEo/w488-h640/25d894a12b0e2b6972d3f96eb0987fa0.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Praising the Lord for all that He has done,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Rebekah </span></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-85223736816015009582023-11-29T06:20:00.000-05:002023-11-29T06:20:04.805-05:00Every Living Thing: A New Devotional <p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm excited to share a project with you that has finally come to completion. <i>Every Living Thing: Devotional Readings Drawing Our Hearts Near to God Through His Creation</i> is a compilation of devotional entries intended to encourage us in our relationship with our Heavenly Father and to open our eyes to His handiwork and movement in creation all around us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This devotional was a joy and quite a journey to write. The Lord placed its completion upon my heart and I've been working on it in the bits and pieces of my time, especially in the early morning hours when my children are still asleep (I always find that this is the best time for me to write without interruption :-) ). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Every Living Thing</i> is a 31-day devotional and may be purchased on Amazon or directly through me. It is available in paperback or as a Kindle Ebook. The link for Amazon is below. Please reply in the co</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">mment section if you would like me to send it to you directly. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Every-Living-Thing-Devotional-Readings/dp/B0CK3Q8D6B/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1KTDO635J9P8C&keywords=Every+Living+Thing&qid=1697625885&sprefix=every+living+thing%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-5">Amazon </a></span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxQBvRqr8bWbl02vuBCoBg0zZt7m0c6ynJWHcdxR_zM3FoP-ymtXPdd6yCq5jFcR9XnmxovR2ofGAlphVAjUGrI1TvUmIAQrb0690Df5Gqwpf7GIL9EUNpmQZNrkLORvEvaSX4KVrnZv2BCYpTYDbGueGHeZzF0UuiOpktGxtSPbGRr4KKlraI4G6mls/s940/386840029_1295397954424055_2514185981703131413_n.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxQBvRqr8bWbl02vuBCoBg0zZt7m0c6ynJWHcdxR_zM3FoP-ymtXPdd6yCq5jFcR9XnmxovR2ofGAlphVAjUGrI1TvUmIAQrb0690Df5Gqwpf7GIL9EUNpmQZNrkLORvEvaSX4KVrnZv2BCYpTYDbGueGHeZzF0UuiOpktGxtSPbGRr4KKlraI4G6mls/w640-h536/386840029_1295397954424055_2514185981703131413_n.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDnOkc8n8QxVNH0ggYrn97b_a7j5bAv0bz1NkprSB9XYcqewgR9RVr4d5OLIawAEZgCD9Dqbo1PzB3j9pZHkgxxBa-0gIuBgrHWSVr8GoBgGPO3RNs8TKVYeehXenBX2RsNRD4BVJq0ZmSVXIp-FtdUvZnFWVKLIoSCJKAO_Wz0qnfYNHVSePu95Vfxg/s914/61+yVOrGmiL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDnOkc8n8QxVNH0ggYrn97b_a7j5bAv0bz1NkprSB9XYcqewgR9RVr4d5OLIawAEZgCD9Dqbo1PzB3j9pZHkgxxBa-0gIuBgrHWSVr8GoBgGPO3RNs8TKVYeehXenBX2RsNRD4BVJq0ZmSVXIp-FtdUvZnFWVKLIoSCJKAO_Wz0qnfYNHVSePu95Vfxg/w420-h640/61+yVOrGmiL.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-2583601637333130312023-10-17T06:54:00.002-04:002023-10-17T06:55:32.368-04:00In Loving Memory of Tippy<p> </p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20Hz9WxzezzC0tqv46191RA86ok5Mq17EsQGyT3YykId2UKPv-LhCV8etLS0y8E-63vkkPgftECasli-w48SJ0WiFlNd0JfC6AfjoYddyhgMXLnT-Bt0rvSV3OGAV1JL2ngmmbnWyC4iQ_aXRQBSB0N0dlSJNtGXnOEOXov6xKcHQaGlSZLl4Q4TXV84/s5074/DSC_0001.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="5074" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20Hz9WxzezzC0tqv46191RA86ok5Mq17EsQGyT3YykId2UKPv-LhCV8etLS0y8E-63vkkPgftECasli-w48SJ0WiFlNd0JfC6AfjoYddyhgMXLnT-Bt0rvSV3OGAV1JL2ngmmbnWyC4iQ_aXRQBSB0N0dlSJNtGXnOEOXov6xKcHQaGlSZLl4Q4TXV84/w640-h504/DSC_0001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">This summer, we took in another dog. His name was Tippy; we had acquired him from an Amish family whose son has been helping me mow the grass and do yardwork this summer. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I noticed Tippy every time I would drop the boy off at his home. Tippy was obviously older, and tried to keep up with the two other Australian Shepherds that he lived with. He was a mutt, probably some kind of mixture between a fox terrier and a beagle, but we weren't absolutely sure. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Tippy was toughened by years of living outdoors and in the barn through summer and winter; he would approach my van barking, and then sidle up to me and rest his head against my leg after I opened the van door so that I could pet him. He was hungry for attention. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">One day, I asked my young Amish friend a question about Tippy, and he replied, "Do ya want him?" Apparently, they didn't have much use for Tippy anymore as a farm dog and were concerned that he couldn't make it through another winter as he had had a difficult time making it through the previous one. I probably should have asked more questions, but I didn't. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Eventually, a few weeks later, we took Tippy in. My husband brought him home, a look of bemusement on his face as he rolled into our driveway with Tippy on his lap. Tippy was anxious in the car and the only logical thing that the dog could think to do was to join my husband on the driver's seat! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">He was anxious from the beginning, a bit of a distracted dog, who never quite knew what to do with himself. At first, he wanted to roam our land, chasing anything that moved, including our pet rabbits, until we taught him that all of this frantic activity was out of bounds.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">He had never lived inside of someone's home before, and much to his delight, he found our couch a welcome respite for his old bones and arthritic joints. He also liked to sleep under my daughter Debbie's dollhouse; it seemed he felt safe beneath the table that supported it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">At first, Tippy did well living in our home, but as the days and weeks went by, we began to experience problems. Tippy would grow extremely anxious when we would leave the home to run errands and began chewing our furniture. It eventually turned into frenzied behavior, and I realized that it was becoming a serious problem when he tore apart our couch one day while we were gone. His behavior increasingly became worse and worse, intensifying, but only when we left the home. He could not handle being left in any enclosed space if people were not around and we realized that he had severe anxiety issues from his upbringing.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3lsWyFyKxHGsp1LBIt0_YiCBLIMZU9cUqAvA3v_fF03CfsnLn-cn7VfTtDXFY2ktuZBSADfCP669Y27aC7jeHpj7wdOyKzAbzAQ9w-VIdfArGfOhRPtmNoPsFYPIGr7tsunumQm8v8S8Kxw2v6JhV6rLzesvCtt4TEe45-S2OjKBctmLi87SMJxqpqA/s2437/DSC_0028.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2437" data-original-width="1495" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3lsWyFyKxHGsp1LBIt0_YiCBLIMZU9cUqAvA3v_fF03CfsnLn-cn7VfTtDXFY2ktuZBSADfCP669Y27aC7jeHpj7wdOyKzAbzAQ9w-VIdfArGfOhRPtmNoPsFYPIGr7tsunumQm8v8S8Kxw2v6JhV6rLzesvCtt4TEe45-S2OjKBctmLi87SMJxqpqA/w392-h640/DSC_0028.JPG" width="392" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Other problems arose. He was infested with fleas, a fact which we realized once our other dog started scratching and rolling on the carpet. He had severe parasites which we had to deal with with a de wormer. He began going to the bathroom all over the floor and eventually we realized that he had kidney issues. His stomach became swollen and distended. Tippy was half-crippled and was missing most of his teeth, but he still managed to climb on tables, destroy furniture, bay for hours like a beagle who had cornered a coon, and finally learned how to turn our stove on when we were not home. This was the last straw. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">One day, I came home and heard a clicking noise. Going into the kitchen, I realized that the stove was on, an open live flame that could have caught our home on fire. I knew that something must be done. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nothing had worked. We had even tried a kennel, but Tippy went wild in it, bending the bars with his teeth and bleeding from his mouth. When we would return home, he was hyperventilating, and I was concerned that he would end his own life in a terrible way. I knew that he was old and worn and that he had led a hard life. There was nothing left to be done for him here; we had exhausted every viable option.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And yet, now I was closer to Tippy. I felt sorry for this poor, pathetic animal who had led such a difficult life. And yet, because his health and behavioral problems intensified, I finally made the difficult decision to have him put down. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We buried Tippy along a quiet path near the back corner of our property, his old, scarred, worn body laid to rest beneath a beautiful oak tree covering. I cried for him and laid flowers on his grave, feeling that I had let him down. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We buried him on the first day of fall, a beautiful day, and I thought of how he would have loved to be outside enjoying the loveliness of it. But he was gone. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Early in the morning, I would walk down the path alone and talk to him, telling him how sorry I was that I could not help him. I felt so much pain in my soul because I could not see him through his problems. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">During this time, I talked to the Lord, struggling with this situation and wanting to know if Tippy's little life would be redeemed in some way. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some may disagree, but I believe that the Bible teaches that no life is wasted, and that the Lord will renew even His creation, the creation that groans because of the weight of sin and death. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I asked the Lord to reveal to me if Tippy's life would be redeemed, that his years of suffering would not be wasted, and my heart was torn in the wondering anguish. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And there was silence. Silence on that beautiful fall morning that I talked to the Lord about it. I thought that maybe He would show me a deer or another living thing to validate His promise. I looked around me, but only silence and the murmuring of the tree's branches in the gentle breeze. Perhaps it was over for Tippy, I thought, for every living thing that dies because of sin and death in this often cruel world. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2vRV3NuGU_zdV_nyRb3xmDaOJpeCPmXuZERzhDObvaRXugSFJ_UfncQQghyphenhyphenCgeUQRQxy8Jf3OXMGNIfsAIQyTn5SKjMUEI_U6rWmIfET5EE68tapxrVmKq7Si59L-B9Qrdvwz-u51frOTdlTm_jfYTDi4Qhi-r7ws_Nl8fxhyuE5U6nAKs7HcYWZjJo/s2048/Tippy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1777" data-original-width="2048" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2vRV3NuGU_zdV_nyRb3xmDaOJpeCPmXuZERzhDObvaRXugSFJ_UfncQQghyphenhyphenCgeUQRQxy8Jf3OXMGNIfsAIQyTn5SKjMUEI_U6rWmIfET5EE68tapxrVmKq7Si59L-B9Qrdvwz-u51frOTdlTm_jfYTDi4Qhi-r7ws_Nl8fxhyuE5U6nAKs7HcYWZjJo/w640-h556/Tippy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There was beauty all around me as I walked the path back toward our house in sadness, but I could not connect with it that day. There was an emptiness, a loss, a void, that only Jesus could fill in His time and way. Some things are like that. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Time does not heal every wound in this life; there are scars that we carry that only heaven will erase, and they will be erased because of the scars on Jesus' hands and feet. My hurt would not be healed that day. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The next day I was driving home with my children during a downpour. In the Midwest, the skies are vast and when it rains, it often comes down in torrents. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The rain began clearing in some parts of the sky, and all of a sudden, as though stretched over our home in the great, vast distance, a massive rainbow appeared in the sky. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I knew that the Lord was speaking to me about Tippy. I knew that He was speaking to my broken heart the truth that all life would be redeemed. He sent the rainbow into my vision at that time to remind me of His promise. It was not an accident or a coincidence. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Tippy died on the first day of fall, the season of dying that is beautiful at first, but ends cold and bare and lonely, as everything withers around us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But I am waiting for spring again when I may place flowers on Tippy's grave and know that the Lord will fulfill His promise--that my sin and the sin of the whole world will never stop God from redeeming His creation. It <i>will be </i>redeemed on the day that He makes all things new.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm reminded of one of my favorite scenes in the mid-90's television series, <i>Christy</i>, in which a little boy from the Ozarks tearfully asks the older and wiser Quaker lady "Miss Alice" whether or not he will see his beloved dog again after the animal dies. She, wanting to be theologically accurate, reminds him of the verse in the book of Ecclesiastes where it states that the souls of people go heavenward, but the bodies of animals go into the ground. But then she adds, thoughtfully, that who knows what the Lord has in store for the little boy's dog, as </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,</span></i></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text 1Cor-2-9" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; position: relative;"><span class="oblique">Nor have entered into the heart of man</span></span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text 1Cor-2-9" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; position: relative;"><span class="oblique">The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”</span></span></span></i><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">I Corinthians 2:9</span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">The little boy then responds with hope in his voice, (paraphrasing) "that sure seems like I will see my dog again." </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">Nothing with God is wasted. And He knows the pain in our hearts that only heaven and the fulfillment of His promise that every tear will be erased. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">He is the Healer of all things and the Redeemer of all things.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">Tippy's little life will not be wasted. I trust Him for that. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>In loving memory of Tippy. </i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Born: ?</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Died: September 23, 2023</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-45428736378918558032023-06-29T12:25:00.000-04:002023-06-29T12:25:24.994-04:00Forward<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>It is only beyond what is humanly reasonable and possible that we see the glory of God.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">~Lilias Trotter</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">~~~~</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>There are three stages to every great work of God; first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">~Hudson Taylor</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><h1 class="quoteText" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></h1><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcb4IKGG9O_JA4JWq7ciK2nFdOYhsmZU3SQUssskKKoTOWveFSarZxgB_RS3PEQkTKhozk9a_fXYZ6o9uwQbwFOEZJ4aXneFvFWgFd29GRcjr-iMBQrE2JGYwdhn_lzfFKbR11XeS-rgzzallOggx_ZB-NODdnZXiI1lrPCH79iEjK6zKYqW8UJR_lPs/s846/open%20window3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcb4IKGG9O_JA4JWq7ciK2nFdOYhsmZU3SQUssskKKoTOWveFSarZxgB_RS3PEQkTKhozk9a_fXYZ6o9uwQbwFOEZJ4aXneFvFWgFd29GRcjr-iMBQrE2JGYwdhn_lzfFKbR11XeS-rgzzallOggx_ZB-NODdnZXiI1lrPCH79iEjK6zKYqW8UJR_lPs/w426-h640/open%20window3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I feel like I've been standing on the banks of the Jordan for a long time. The water has been washing over my sandal-clad feet and I smell the fresh clean breeze of change around me. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm ready to step in, Lord. Lead me. But I need You to part the waters.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-size: 1.2rem; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">And the </span><span class="small-caps divine-name" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><i> said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward </i>(Exodus 14:15).</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">I believe that the Lord led us here; He never leads us to leave us. His name and reputation are at stake. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">The Lord will part these waters for us.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">We will go forward. Because of Who He is. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAtpZOESxrgdUrQ3M9aU9DIV4nA_QmEJx57JEvqg3KXPsQAuqbWEWV5U5ZfiPxCChG8E-gGUtjjpeBV8-QKDRaubJlqUpkCVEMjsjDmBdHchwk8Tve3HwdbtLX1rL6X2ekrpyJ2CYgqXljL2fCPSYlVZ_sV55fYAdputAzkTetyTPSZpGv57LA-uyMXw/s4194/DSC_0226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="4194" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAtpZOESxrgdUrQ3M9aU9DIV4nA_QmEJx57JEvqg3KXPsQAuqbWEWV5U5ZfiPxCChG8E-gGUtjjpeBV8-QKDRaubJlqUpkCVEMjsjDmBdHchwk8Tve3HwdbtLX1rL6X2ekrpyJ2CYgqXljL2fCPSYlVZ_sV55fYAdputAzkTetyTPSZpGv57LA-uyMXw/w640-h610/DSC_0226.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><i>Is the work God's work? Has He called you to do it, and equipped you for it? Be sure on these points. Take time to consider and pray and find what the will of the Lord is. Then when the difficulties have been considered and the needs fairly measured, and the clear conviction remains that God calls you to rise and build, then put your hand to the plough and never look back </i>(Streams in the Desert)<i>. </i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Please pray, dear friends, for wisdom and direction in <i>going forward</i>. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKnLYnGjSS750R-y81fi3dtEFBZtZEUlWAbPdrytm27Z2tG91AXwuMS3OK9NQ-M8zvPSVcKlUfO8IUyUNsLmTkOd6wOikKXEVtFdUyAO9mBezyuBRPjbtSlOBlZ7_kT2cGBIEeYzqxybuA3h-uxSn1IzFTiaKWigMCQ4MsbyENwPsut79yDpep3R0Feo/s2050/Hudson%20Taylor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="2050" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKnLYnGjSS750R-y81fi3dtEFBZtZEUlWAbPdrytm27Z2tG91AXwuMS3OK9NQ-M8zvPSVcKlUfO8IUyUNsLmTkOd6wOikKXEVtFdUyAO9mBezyuBRPjbtSlOBlZ7_kT2cGBIEeYzqxybuA3h-uxSn1IzFTiaKWigMCQ4MsbyENwPsut79yDpep3R0Feo/w640-h244/Hudson%20Taylor.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">I had shared a little while ago that we had decided on adding on to our home with a living space for those who came to Herrnhut rather than focusing on renovating an outbuilding on our property. We had come up against opposition in going forward in the former direction regarding the building and residency codes in the county in Wisconsin where we live. </span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Please pray for wisdom in how the Lord wants to lead us forward now. We need His direction and guidance.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Another need that has been upon my heart is the need for someone to help to take care of the grounds here. I do much of the work myself with the help of my children, family members, and the help of a local boy. My husband works long hours doing construction and driving for an Amish crew, and so his time is taken up with that. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">I am unable to do some of the "heavier" work here, especially with the upkeep that I am already responsible for. I am praying that the Lord in His timing would <i>send someone</i> to help with the grounds. This is just a need that has been placed upon my heart; I am not certain how or when the Lord will supply this need. Please pray for His guidance and provision. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">We are grateful for your continued prayers. Our God is merciful and faithful to provide our needs. This work is His. We commit it into His hands. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">For Jesus,</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Rebekah </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-37049222656223881982023-05-31T07:04:00.002-04:002023-05-31T07:04:38.528-04:00A Ministry Update ~~ As Promised! :-) <p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Oh, that I had in the wilderness</span></i></span></p><span class="text Jer-9-2" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"><div style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">A lodging place for travelers . . .</span></i></div><div style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Jeremiah 9:2</span></div><div style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><div style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>We should not shrink from opportunities where our faith may be tried. The more I am in a position to be tried in faith, the more I will have the opportunity of seeing God’s help and deliverance. Every fresh instance in which He helps and delivers me will increase my faith. The believer should not shrink from situations, positions, or circumstances in which his faith may be tried, but he should cheerfully embrace them as opportunities to see the hand of God stretched out in help and deliverance. Thus his faith will be strengthened</i>.</span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">~George Mueller</span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Dear friends, </span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As many of you are aware, I've been asking for prayer for many months now. Our family has come up against great difficulty in going forward in renovating the outbuilding on our property for the ministry of hospitality that the Lord has called us to in the Midwest. </span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We learned that according to the zoning ordinances in our county, we are not permitted to have what the county labels a "second residence," even though it would be used only for guests as part of our ministry. We have petitioned the board, asked many questions, and spent much time in prayer over this roadblock. </span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We believe at this point that the Lord is leading us to build on to our home instead of renovating the outbuilding that we had planned to renovate. We intend to create a living area (general room/sleeping area/bathroom) for missionaries, pastors, and other believers who desire to come apart for a time of rest and refreshment in the Lord. This would eliminate the "roadblock" of a second residence and enable us to go forward as the Lord has called us. We are committing this to Him in prayer and trusting His perfect plan. </span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Please pray for us as we move forward in this direction. We are very grateful for your prayers! </span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">He always makes a way--and He is able--the doors that He shuts no one can open and the doors that He opens <i>no one can shut</i>. </span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We trust in Him and know that we will see His goodness in the land of the living as we wait for Him. </span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thank you for your continued prayers. </span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">For Jesus,</span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Rebekah </span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">*To learn more about our ministry, click <a href="http://www.readytobeoffered.com/p/ministry.html">HERE</a>. </span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="x1e56ztr" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxB19nkFt2Pa_5uQinPbs0SaIfWzTmzIk6U77IK3ktEX4a4rmLyV8O1ZVprAYPcA7r9YhKd8o05f3DDjiNEQdEFESWzvwIwu5lIS9vbMuoDkv6s2joLAH1tk4yE53kTdCq0_I7Z0Or3jVzZqG5SCrK27m0U4n1tzxuIsL5pt7OlXjkxrtQ3eGRV7S/s581/Prayer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxB19nkFt2Pa_5uQinPbs0SaIfWzTmzIk6U77IK3ktEX4a4rmLyV8O1ZVprAYPcA7r9YhKd8o05f3DDjiNEQdEFESWzvwIwu5lIS9vbMuoDkv6s2joLAH1tk4yE53kTdCq0_I7Z0Or3jVzZqG5SCrK27m0U4n1tzxuIsL5pt7OlXjkxrtQ3eGRV7S/w622-h640/Prayer.jpg" width="622" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><br /></div></span>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-64543641355465818852022-10-11T07:34:00.000-04:002022-10-11T07:34:59.861-04:00Summer of Mercies and a Ministry Update~ Summer 2022<p><br /></p><p> <span style="font-family: georgia;">Here we are; the fall is already upon us, and winter is just around the corner. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-ASeuivLO6iIoBsvb69XjVmzR1HMuFJLq8MjavshUma8aD0F1Nbq99_h-BY62uj5hqeHgvy57JlqwCsGm4mym2FQ0QI4YYgOrU0602oAvoEwU-CQblxrkesmc1_vLbc3X5e-KkaLySO4aTIjiJsAgIsEsNXB60mAYOCqQwuhcUaQ_zSLvrgwKa2b/s1200/Autumn1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-ASeuivLO6iIoBsvb69XjVmzR1HMuFJLq8MjavshUma8aD0F1Nbq99_h-BY62uj5hqeHgvy57JlqwCsGm4mym2FQ0QI4YYgOrU0602oAvoEwU-CQblxrkesmc1_vLbc3X5e-KkaLySO4aTIjiJsAgIsEsNXB60mAYOCqQwuhcUaQ_zSLvrgwKa2b/w640-h480/Autumn1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I wanted to share an update with you all as well as to thank the Lord for His mercies . . . Time slips by quickly and I don't want to forget to share these things with you . . . </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ETP2QXRzJKcrJVYtSJY4rEBGjNS8AWUe2J0X2Ft-OHFBurpbKfr7ksM1K63esnPtXPLcLYB9oILUA22RuJjU7Iksz_p-f7PiGH3a-vC1f5VF53SNkJhB68WJNLBk6nqwQhG0vUjRLEKrQ7rcE2ekfkw8JyuUcoiRzjEvb5daRJvWk_RfYbhwa3cx/s1600/Harvest-Time-Lambourne-Berks-Henry-Hillier-Parker-Oil-Painting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="1600" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ETP2QXRzJKcrJVYtSJY4rEBGjNS8AWUe2J0X2Ft-OHFBurpbKfr7ksM1K63esnPtXPLcLYB9oILUA22RuJjU7Iksz_p-f7PiGH3a-vC1f5VF53SNkJhB68WJNLBk6nqwQhG0vUjRLEKrQ7rcE2ekfkw8JyuUcoiRzjEvb5daRJvWk_RfYbhwa3cx/w640-h412/Harvest-Time-Lambourne-Berks-Henry-Hillier-Parker-Oil-Painting.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We had a full summer, and I'll share a few things which either brought gladness to my heart or that the Lord spoke to me through~ some are happy and some sad . . . the Lord uses sun and rain to grow His children . . . have you found this to be true?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf9tMUolv9RQuffPBK6iA01trUnuN8bKG2O_HZqDC2vHsjs-8HAm2rQymcMJiRbs8JjlfhQUEQWLmvbfFMpC_FMm74dt1_bpf02u53xfjBecZiFysaftBmoD8pvaybvL1utzYfpeMg7mntNcemTLBljHiSg6IzpNZNdSLho3lIt22MNDXWQLXzFm9/s526/homestead.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf9tMUolv9RQuffPBK6iA01trUnuN8bKG2O_HZqDC2vHsjs-8HAm2rQymcMJiRbs8JjlfhQUEQWLmvbfFMpC_FMm74dt1_bpf02u53xfjBecZiFysaftBmoD8pvaybvL1utzYfpeMg7mntNcemTLBljHiSg6IzpNZNdSLho3lIt22MNDXWQLXzFm9/w640-h640/homestead.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>Working in the garden</i></b>. This continually brings joy to my life. The preparing, the planting, the weeding, the watering, the harvesting, the storing . . . joy! My children and my niece and nephew are an abundant help to me outdoors. We have spent hundreds of happy hours working together. I am so grateful for each of them (the hours and my helpers! :-)) . </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We began to learn how to can and preserve a few years ago as well, and it has been a blessing to learn how to store food for the cold winter months ahead. We are still learning, and it continues to be a happy activity! :-) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DWbvZhhVxaqqHBSoRrnN7r70cyxeGv79c2L2xaemhHj3KvI3ZN6wCaB0-Yn8XbkSthCQgCYhx7hAOkkqm0zHhSAfYkeakt9oFeyIlB5o7wub7exLF9sJrbvPjtgoPw7i06EPJV6xTPElX23Q3w0vbssD7cRRQiIv-Tc3qqKT0Z_uPNB5YuBoYEBW/s3713/DSC_0024.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3713" data-original-width="3570" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DWbvZhhVxaqqHBSoRrnN7r70cyxeGv79c2L2xaemhHj3KvI3ZN6wCaB0-Yn8XbkSthCQgCYhx7hAOkkqm0zHhSAfYkeakt9oFeyIlB5o7wub7exLF9sJrbvPjtgoPw7i06EPJV6xTPElX23Q3w0vbssD7cRRQiIv-Tc3qqKT0Z_uPNB5YuBoYEBW/w616-h640/DSC_0024.JPG" width="616" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Chickens (and a duck). </i>This past spring, we raised a few chicks and then converted an old milk house on our property into a dwelling for them. This has been a fun project and we have learned so much about taking care of chickens! My nephew, Simeon, was invaluable in helping with this project (he is my right-hand farmhand--haha! :-) ) The duck was given to us a little later by a friend and it is a happy addition to our menagerie as well!</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFQ8hGzajcvtvxjWXrXMD2mKP4lTptIGPaHgij-piQ2C13rw8r2AHzgY9EVZtEYumShJ3O00wvUEK3ZU36qbejpFweMDTUB8__yMOuVMFmxxrrz9Q8P8jlPezFQF4Qh6EmcLId01TRfIhXuacfNpDL7FaMNahR3h8Bk9N2vvCa3JPMudMWxwgu_lj/s5939/DSC_0811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3296" data-original-width="5939" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFQ8hGzajcvtvxjWXrXMD2mKP4lTptIGPaHgij-piQ2C13rw8r2AHzgY9EVZtEYumShJ3O00wvUEK3ZU36qbejpFweMDTUB8__yMOuVMFmxxrrz9Q8P8jlPezFQF4Qh6EmcLId01TRfIhXuacfNpDL7FaMNahR3h8Bk9N2vvCa3JPMudMWxwgu_lj/w640-h356/DSC_0811.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><b style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Spending time with my littlest nephew</i></b><span style="font-family: georgia;">. Oh, I love him! My sister gave birth to a sweet little one (Phinehas Enoch) last November, and his first year of life has been a joy to my heart and to our entire family. What a blessing to watch a baby slowly grow and learn and become curious about the world around them! What a joy to be able to love them. He is sweetness, determination, and cuteness encapsulated into a tiny human being! <3</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4vbVPMdMSaGq80nF58oyykxteeu2I0CLYFxbKGEH5YzvZRxQ6fP1BAdPNW75ookORn90HzVdWR3MeNlApNlS3Y9ZYabmrbzMCJsnh5kjhaNA0LnGsTKTNeovqT2q9l_80G7XrKhFFR4Df3kv6BzI477kBaQP0ilNtFhD91kaRo8fTEg9l2NOOv5B/s945/Children.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4vbVPMdMSaGq80nF58oyykxteeu2I0CLYFxbKGEH5YzvZRxQ6fP1BAdPNW75ookORn90HzVdWR3MeNlApNlS3Y9ZYabmrbzMCJsnh5kjhaNA0LnGsTKTNeovqT2q9l_80G7XrKhFFR4Df3kv6BzI477kBaQP0ilNtFhD91kaRo8fTEg9l2NOOv5B/w508-h640/Children.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>The unchangeableness of God my Father</i></b>. With so many changes taking place in the world, this truth is a great comfort to me. "Though all around my soul give way, He then is all my hope and stay . . " I am grateful for a Lord who does not change. He is faithful; and He is who He says He is with no shadow of turning. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg35KMK1Xv3gZYL1gSxp4yH2Vz5MsNGccX8v7EimmkSb4aQy6Kla07wSF669YmWleRV5-ec751rTxfeRuvyvMnng714RqIw0im0Igv2m6CAZtN2khDzmN8sV-uWkUGp5nxxllepfIRDDCPp6Y8X_3R_SE0Fs0arm5i7rI_EBehaGjOQ47NX3_DO1zr/s5940/DSC_0041.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5940" data-original-width="3900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg35KMK1Xv3gZYL1gSxp4yH2Vz5MsNGccX8v7EimmkSb4aQy6Kla07wSF669YmWleRV5-ec751rTxfeRuvyvMnng714RqIw0im0Igv2m6CAZtN2khDzmN8sV-uWkUGp5nxxllepfIRDDCPp6Y8X_3R_SE0Fs0arm5i7rI_EBehaGjOQ47NX3_DO1zr/w420-h640/DSC_0041.JPG" width="420" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>My friend, Angela, went home to be with the Lord</i></b>. My close friend, Angie, lost her battle with breast cancer very recently; she was only 39 years old. I have known and loved Angie for quite a few years now, and her death was a difficult change to accept. I have strong peace and assurance that she is absent from her body and present with the Lord, but the road through the valley of the shadow is still a lonely place. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjae9D_NOP8MZ-jjWt6ovGKbuRhADaqXoIgAtX_0Q5BCG7aPVds2HPkasYh1PsxDDrAIXvev-tATaunHF6Tu-wIOxUueoUi3vEGwbshydK4Tvz2ZyqYr1_yUjCOGxgIGXh9CSRIevvxocNG4-X90ucAOz2II0-894fFbwV3iWfOHf_yn46TpWvkfezG/s947/Ang3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjae9D_NOP8MZ-jjWt6ovGKbuRhADaqXoIgAtX_0Q5BCG7aPVds2HPkasYh1PsxDDrAIXvev-tATaunHF6Tu-wIOxUueoUi3vEGwbshydK4Tvz2ZyqYr1_yUjCOGxgIGXh9CSRIevvxocNG4-X90ucAOz2II0-894fFbwV3iWfOHf_yn46TpWvkfezG/w486-h640/Ang3.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>~An Update on our Ministry here in the Midwest~</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We have come up against a "roadblock" in going forward with what the Lord has called us to here in Wisconsin. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The outbuilding that we had prayerfully intended to use for guests to stay in is being considered a "second residence" according to the building codes in our county. Under these codes, this is not allowed unless we subdivide our land or attach the building in some way to our home. Both of these options are not possible. We have met with our local town board and submitted a letter requesting a variance and are still waiting for a final answer after many months. For this reason, work on the Missionary House has halted while we wait. Please keep this situation in your prayers as we believe that this is a spiritual battle and that the Lord is able to remove this roadblock and allow us to continue to go forward. Please pray that He will part the waters before us that are barring the way. He is able. We are grateful for your prayers . . . </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOlqicKWc0DX99Yzhjo05AsMW8SXci0-2QLy8E3nFBrviHikvotqLgJVGw8uda5b_f-vY_LkG3ok6KujRUimx9wlDWqdzFeOeWDTmwY31HzENTCgAn5yq2n_Ek9LMlkGE2vzMrYxmHCYSbr8eUdp_Tq9xCyyjQOvkpwP7ZvxPDu15fp5ojiJm-OK8/s6016/DSC_0815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6016" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOlqicKWc0DX99Yzhjo05AsMW8SXci0-2QLy8E3nFBrviHikvotqLgJVGw8uda5b_f-vY_LkG3ok6KujRUimx9wlDWqdzFeOeWDTmwY31HzENTCgAn5yq2n_Ek9LMlkGE2vzMrYxmHCYSbr8eUdp_Tq9xCyyjQOvkpwP7ZvxPDu15fp5ojiJm-OK8/w640-h426/DSC_0815.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'll leave you all (hopefully! :-) ) with a smile. My daughter, Debbie, asked if she could have this large zucchini that grew in our garden this year. She dressed it up and lays it to sleep in her cradle in her room at night. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It made me laugh! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OAma_yJUaAJVSw5piWgpw6rApUBKWOS7lapajFq7rw6iP92MX7YblYLZXi13TaL8hLXJalAi_B6jX1dO3e5xZyOHORGc-_xPaxINoD1PIpxvatUnA5h3LhLwQxdMszlF5Cq4jX0UcIEgSSkhdLiqiZc-y65eDBNKEHkNvmu3LgtrLE-HMxCil9jy/s3970/DSC_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3970" data-original-width="3639" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OAma_yJUaAJVSw5piWgpw6rApUBKWOS7lapajFq7rw6iP92MX7YblYLZXi13TaL8hLXJalAi_B6jX1dO3e5xZyOHORGc-_xPaxINoD1PIpxvatUnA5h3LhLwQxdMszlF5Cq4jX0UcIEgSSkhdLiqiZc-y65eDBNKEHkNvmu3LgtrLE-HMxCil9jy/w586-h640/DSC_0237.JPG" width="586" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Lord bless each one of you and keep you in His love and care . . . </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">~Rebekah</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-92060945208722508982022-01-22T08:28:00.005-05:002022-01-24T07:20:45.137-05:00Fall and Winter of Mercies~October 2021~January 2022<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hello friends! I realized that it's been quite a while since I wrote one of these posts. Looking back through photos of the past few months, I wanted to share some of the ways that the Lord has been working in the details of our lives here. I'm thankful for His hand of mercy in everything surrounding me. Even when I don't see His hand, I trust that He is at work bringing all of the details of our lives together and making them beautiful in His time; praise Him. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">So much has taken place over the past few months--things that have have caused my heart great joy and other things that have brought sorrow. He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. We accept what comes from the Father's merciful hand and trust that even "behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face." </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here are some of the things that have brought gladness into my heart over the past several months . . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">My 13-year-old nephew built this compost bin for me out of scrap lumber and materials that we had in our basement (he did this in a few hours!). The panels slide! He has been such a help to me over the years and the Lord has really blessed him with a gift in working with wood. Thank you, Lord for helpful Simeon. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCHz-ackK3Y7IFSPjbQxP9ZlsHZh3p7rA7Ey2PkEuyvSLarAenpoTZK3sU3M3-WB_bjSyRvyprjIWoyCbFQXYVEh8wr8kslAxpTY00LJMV8mxRW94FT2ElamlvkJkyTr5gMlaRcUFXMUvHNDJT0D9gf_P6boe2GFBgVuL5VB5jh-XTtpBoXIJ3aFjf=s3716" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3716" data-original-width="3703" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCHz-ackK3Y7IFSPjbQxP9ZlsHZh3p7rA7Ey2PkEuyvSLarAenpoTZK3sU3M3-WB_bjSyRvyprjIWoyCbFQXYVEh8wr8kslAxpTY00LJMV8mxRW94FT2ElamlvkJkyTr5gMlaRcUFXMUvHNDJT0D9gf_P6boe2GFBgVuL5VB5jh-XTtpBoXIJ3aFjf=w638-h640" width="638" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjgRFlXbHY950IDzisIZHpF2ZvUDN0mNQcehdfreAVqcigqQsRvqdDdrPk8Sm9rnoVcyn2mGybOBsim1oNTuJHhIe93Mp42HNEJpl8n0AVEmHPGfDq-eKDhUY8BKH5MbpfPDobGyRphcdb59YdzHKwR_hOCMa1iTTBWw7iIsyPfAgfeSrWJX0VFscQ=s3454" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3454" data-original-width="3059" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjgRFlXbHY950IDzisIZHpF2ZvUDN0mNQcehdfreAVqcigqQsRvqdDdrPk8Sm9rnoVcyn2mGybOBsim1oNTuJHhIe93Mp42HNEJpl8n0AVEmHPGfDq-eKDhUY8BKH5MbpfPDobGyRphcdb59YdzHKwR_hOCMa1iTTBWw7iIsyPfAgfeSrWJX0VFscQ=w566-h640" width="566" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwtXqvPkUjiSasj2ZqDAdzG1HaWeuGbpnHcTUJAKWFd8oLrvrLk0nh3ZiCrQzD35hurMahHqElg496q65isgkEK0e-TabuM9aCzgVAnlc0AtWU307VHFpra14zLW01nJoy7jEXBV4Gum1Eq8T6nfiQ5XwtsCPCTlO--XvtLT1VmDPR9G4EwUbOW3ig=s3950" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3950" data-original-width="3917" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwtXqvPkUjiSasj2ZqDAdzG1HaWeuGbpnHcTUJAKWFd8oLrvrLk0nh3ZiCrQzD35hurMahHqElg496q65isgkEK0e-TabuM9aCzgVAnlc0AtWU307VHFpra14zLW01nJoy7jEXBV4Gum1Eq8T6nfiQ5XwtsCPCTlO--XvtLT1VmDPR9G4EwUbOW3ig=w634-h640" width="634" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhciCP0_GGDwrpbZtFSBgWsRsgH92x904QPF_4DcqS6oyZJ1X6_l8UI-Gq9JsdV1OfH9XMHgWOaQkLMwdtq4MUV-wqpEIG2XqwZGv12Wjbct3OUlJLX9aMhQxuHolzuUc55aVhONufz5OzNT9PlZp3wyJYLM9eR9pqhnLrM2MmS_SmrJp4VmjJxWYol=s3796" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3796" data-original-width="3097" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhciCP0_GGDwrpbZtFSBgWsRsgH92x904QPF_4DcqS6oyZJ1X6_l8UI-Gq9JsdV1OfH9XMHgWOaQkLMwdtq4MUV-wqpEIG2XqwZGv12Wjbct3OUlJLX9aMhQxuHolzuUc55aVhONufz5OzNT9PlZp3wyJYLM9eR9pqhnLrM2MmS_SmrJp4VmjJxWYol=w522-h640" width="522" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My niece drew this sweet card for my birthday back in October. I love to look at the beautiful drawings and paintings that she creates. This one is of our dog, Daisy. Thank you, Lord, for my ever-creating, creative niece! :-) Thank you, Lord for giving me 39 years of life. Truly, every breath is from You; thank You. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjq87T2zn12d-qfJhJEDqOjGUXVsRk0uITZnHk2rODkcnQC9sVPtdFy19NFbK7zV6vtmmvTzvDPaFq9jWB7OETms9cMYqFLLyNV4BuOS-tNM4fcWx9H7omUhW-yHt5-P3do8QHizI7cFnFeducF8_DERmUMJ_S3M_J2fvaK2FdLl2dnad6Q87GSPrzU=s5046" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3959" data-original-width="5046" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjq87T2zn12d-qfJhJEDqOjGUXVsRk0uITZnHk2rODkcnQC9sVPtdFy19NFbK7zV6vtmmvTzvDPaFq9jWB7OETms9cMYqFLLyNV4BuOS-tNM4fcWx9H7omUhW-yHt5-P3do8QHizI7cFnFeducF8_DERmUMJ_S3M_J2fvaK2FdLl2dnad6Q87GSPrzU=w640-h502" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">We always have cinnamon buns on Christmas morning; it's a tradition from my childhood. I cherish these traditions and hold them dear to my heart. Thank You for traditions and memories, Lord. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW6oCfmpry5Y6XlTt9bVtvVR58XmvRb_auubZj-xzQaZw0kO5o3Y3b0-VPOlQntBas4iwBiKZk9hqS_ZGxMKdBd58qFmV6abEAyoItE0SRHPmiB73ByVx2XH21imoCd1I1mu4RSCenJCRf5nEu6_Ys3u0ryWMsJwgTuNv-BHtiWGj4L6lsy0vf8NcI=s3776" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3458" data-original-width="3776" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW6oCfmpry5Y6XlTt9bVtvVR58XmvRb_auubZj-xzQaZw0kO5o3Y3b0-VPOlQntBas4iwBiKZk9hqS_ZGxMKdBd58qFmV6abEAyoItE0SRHPmiB73ByVx2XH21imoCd1I1mu4RSCenJCRf5nEu6_Ys3u0ryWMsJwgTuNv-BHtiWGj4L6lsy0vf8NcI=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I asked my husband to buy me this glass for Christmas. I know; I know--it's for an alcoholic beverage. I don't drink--just a personal decision (waiting for the best wine in heaven ;-)) but this glass reminded me of one of my favorite Christian films and expresses my love for simpler days and simpler times. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA5h9g7cE4ZjmpzAjn0eO4r31TLaMiwGrbN2IVyl87TFPnxQmG8pnoO3CG-Dwcw4NVn2Ldv_Cj183i2D4jIKVUsuZNNLEhMXokq3FuUvNztHdu8qtEwMOuLbvY2PzFXuj5xlEiWjP8GLZDt57xkamGgsP5DYbOwTTU21dvKqS5sY5giU6-rpeXIlQz=s4249" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3788" data-original-width="4249" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA5h9g7cE4ZjmpzAjn0eO4r31TLaMiwGrbN2IVyl87TFPnxQmG8pnoO3CG-Dwcw4NVn2Ldv_Cj183i2D4jIKVUsuZNNLEhMXokq3FuUvNztHdu8qtEwMOuLbvY2PzFXuj5xlEiWjP8GLZDt57xkamGgsP5DYbOwTTU21dvKqS5sY5giU6-rpeXIlQz=w640-h570" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A friend gave us this grape juice concentrate that she canned, as well as buttercup squash seeds for the next planting season. I'm very excited to plant the seeds in the spring--and to try the concentrate! The Lord has brought so many precious people into my life who have enriched my days in so many countless ways. Thank you Lord, for friends who share their knowledge and gifts from your earth. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Below is a photo of a chicken soup that my children and I made from some squash that she also gave us! </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLej_qlnNC5M78XKhMxzrQQA3mG_5yvoEbcYZctC0D5_FUj0hzqqtqAOVsDJGQFY43mKG7cst7SMSh6qVr6quIdvVVSxb3bnh7QmuNOSfv00WoBuwV7qmXkin1wdwqknReOxchn8KX2etcHvafSlKpEudbDf7Y178SQzRaOeioQx77hGJI0ZAIT5gK=s4003" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3636" data-original-width="4003" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLej_qlnNC5M78XKhMxzrQQA3mG_5yvoEbcYZctC0D5_FUj0hzqqtqAOVsDJGQFY43mKG7cst7SMSh6qVr6quIdvVVSxb3bnh7QmuNOSfv00WoBuwV7qmXkin1wdwqknReOxchn8KX2etcHvafSlKpEudbDf7Y178SQzRaOeioQx77hGJI0ZAIT5gK=w640-h582" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The birds that my Mom feeds during the year bring so much joy into our lives. The following are a few photos of these beautiful creatures outside on our birdbath and in the bushes. They daily remind me that if the Lord so cares for the birds, how much more will He care for His beloved children? Thank You, Lord for these constant reminders. </span></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOCHVOSiZhXehiVIbgxivdDsLHvi4rez9VehR4931sA2MisAMnx1oiVwvTqgq8ztbEE0uKDyT_WswsR_1iHb6Ntn5BFpKaqJ1B3Sfi5p7aPez6drcY04RWo0VpoOi3G7hHP65lYdN-gD8yOow4QPIl4xebn298UUuhLAR-pM4DfdSAz0YiA0X7KIRE=s2445" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2445" data-original-width="2277" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOCHVOSiZhXehiVIbgxivdDsLHvi4rez9VehR4931sA2MisAMnx1oiVwvTqgq8ztbEE0uKDyT_WswsR_1iHb6Ntn5BFpKaqJ1B3Sfi5p7aPez6drcY04RWo0VpoOi3G7hHP65lYdN-gD8yOow4QPIl4xebn298UUuhLAR-pM4DfdSAz0YiA0X7KIRE=w596-h640" width="596" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tufted Titmouse</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt4zgDrUxB0YQnseoUnM_gcvYmdceKVKr-tArNecAj_T8cRB236ZllTcDnK727V5Pul08jqCe0CB4GD24ucUIL7ScvGRsuabSaUmMRC6W8PVRsTsv2PttJfXCEi9RKTRbKb2bz9B1iZrb123qRH8uZWgso-PZVlF8R1Mmwg4tUwR2RuTvy5Kbat5b9=s3519" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3093" data-original-width="3519" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt4zgDrUxB0YQnseoUnM_gcvYmdceKVKr-tArNecAj_T8cRB236ZllTcDnK727V5Pul08jqCe0CB4GD24ucUIL7ScvGRsuabSaUmMRC6W8PVRsTsv2PttJfXCEi9RKTRbKb2bz9B1iZrb123qRH8uZWgso-PZVlF8R1Mmwg4tUwR2RuTvy5Kbat5b9=w640-h562" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Bluebird <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzP0XUFCx8d_sdinCeGdIOpjZNsMg9aBwqZvTPV41URchde47ILodfAKKtsjpfMxXaipooGTkgRPzRdoD6qsDhvhAEIUewqaS9OlB9JTOA-04vxcXWbCLqG-45NReLHEcO-ITeQKUA9msh6pa5FDMSNvAFaPcN-QE7lqKfyH02jOu0rB7lQAQraZgx=s2413" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2078" data-original-width="2413" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzP0XUFCx8d_sdinCeGdIOpjZNsMg9aBwqZvTPV41URchde47ILodfAKKtsjpfMxXaipooGTkgRPzRdoD6qsDhvhAEIUewqaS9OlB9JTOA-04vxcXWbCLqG-45NReLHEcO-ITeQKUA9msh6pa5FDMSNvAFaPcN-QE7lqKfyH02jOu0rB7lQAQraZgx=w640-h552" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Goldfinch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMx7GK_Km3Tbq4Pd8e4Lz1-DX8RISAifgWUocgv7Ur3YER-VCgnPVGr21n6S9TBKLZF41Cd6vnmaps6c019iPyPEkq9aZjsBDV_BacKVsyx61vikxa35F3IHUA1RFtdH1NyZxRjR2rlctA00ea8lScykWeHinrTbNERP3I4yzQPqdPXZnFHEk6qE6A=s2224" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2224" data-original-width="2032" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMx7GK_Km3Tbq4Pd8e4Lz1-DX8RISAifgWUocgv7Ur3YER-VCgnPVGr21n6S9TBKLZF41Cd6vnmaps6c019iPyPEkq9aZjsBDV_BacKVsyx61vikxa35F3IHUA1RFtdH1NyZxRjR2rlctA00ea8lScykWeHinrTbNERP3I4yzQPqdPXZnFHEk6qE6A=w584-h640" width="584" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Bluebird </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My brother-in-law got my name for our gift exchange for Christmas this year. He is a very creative individual :-). His gift made me laugh! He had decorated a huge silver tub to look like there was soil inside of it. Then, he "planted" different gifts inside that I had to "dig" out with garden gloves and a garden shovel. Here were two among many of his gifts that made me laugh--he knows that I survive on coffee and have always loved these Little Debbie Cosmic brownies. He taped the meme to the back of the Dunkin' Donuts gift card :-). I'm so thankful for the family members who the Lord has given to me; thank you Lord, for their presence in my life and for the laughter and encouragement and joy that they bring to me. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><img border="0" data-original-height="3871" data-original-width="4792" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR1f-Kyw0APWf6BaKi9GxkzTe4yeSUy3YaRC3qD2IGu5TeOtej7otatSS3-4h9K5x8x_7sRD-ZaORi4tfuwUyoFx32IH9mZ5dHsit8O5zhJK_oi803ja-Cypm54gD2jAeU5bt38XO1ry2Lt_KhViPA5JHU6ZDiDqA40SXy_xQJSYPCdwARdlLPqCzi=w640-h516" width="640" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And finally, here are a few photos of birds and wildlife around our property. I like to leave my perennials up during the winter so that the birds may enjoy the seeds! My Mom spreads seed for the wild turkeys and likes to tie leftover Christmas trees around the house for added protection from hawks for the birds. I love to watch her take so much care for the little birds and creatures. We have harsh winters here in the upper Midwest, and the creatures struggle to survive. Thank you Lord, for my Mom's tenderness towards Your creation. Thank you for giving us a way to show mercy to the birds and animals. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuLhQh2TU1EQHe67v00p85z5oZsnHIkkQ_5WRgABGCECplU_t_h3w1PJJvCJAnJ4g7uhsrAdNdfKhNYquZfbKHRcXwQ9fn80W9EOmHHlW_23rQ3lAe-0EDa52TsYM79z2STXfjOr17yohMKHz_W1gfT7w8rSfl5vcqKM4Z6jUwArfKbF-CvGOt_wm7=s4690" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3792" data-original-width="4690" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuLhQh2TU1EQHe67v00p85z5oZsnHIkkQ_5WRgABGCECplU_t_h3w1PJJvCJAnJ4g7uhsrAdNdfKhNYquZfbKHRcXwQ9fn80W9EOmHHlW_23rQ3lAe-0EDa52TsYM79z2STXfjOr17yohMKHz_W1gfT7w8rSfl5vcqKM4Z6jUwArfKbF-CvGOt_wm7=w640-h518" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7yHUljvBz4lszAlSW_vKBhZxm5mjr2HBukPMa7LUau3nJ-rWzye1nO__nDuxrFyIty-FhBaaUoZML_KU_bzKx6Uup1yBQU0bfIUe7YWESKMEmLJ8tTX7rQYK_59RtcOI1Ra74zOOt7EV2LVzbGcPKhG1ufHAKo6rdsFxugKJxrB6IqTQN1oYJ2Z70=s4574" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3666" data-original-width="4574" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7yHUljvBz4lszAlSW_vKBhZxm5mjr2HBukPMa7LUau3nJ-rWzye1nO__nDuxrFyIty-FhBaaUoZML_KU_bzKx6Uup1yBQU0bfIUe7YWESKMEmLJ8tTX7rQYK_59RtcOI1Ra74zOOt7EV2LVzbGcPKhG1ufHAKo6rdsFxugKJxrB6IqTQN1oYJ2Z70=w640-h512" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSJcfdbl20UsN6QY5lFCTqdXXVtI3eKeHhVxsWHFR9WU8BXDgHxtjU9nXNJTm_9eovYOJ5Ba9RnketiFTHh_QM3UAtBZEdo3YeKpEZl4zuFsgh50U8J6dxeS5JSgcsqpoLfXgvO8XgH9xbmFZNSxzoPilw_6F3uCma7tQQ8c4VvZrMJ5X9_ksu5-eC=s4593" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3018" data-original-width="4593" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSJcfdbl20UsN6QY5lFCTqdXXVtI3eKeHhVxsWHFR9WU8BXDgHxtjU9nXNJTm_9eovYOJ5Ba9RnketiFTHh_QM3UAtBZEdo3YeKpEZl4zuFsgh50U8J6dxeS5JSgcsqpoLfXgvO8XgH9xbmFZNSxzoPilw_6F3uCma7tQQ8c4VvZrMJ5X9_ksu5-eC=w640-h420" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzuYtglwZWkQMAsVvKIdOEe05Mix9RrmvVxHWqT0cWXUEgEKg8R3ezSW_3Iwyidvj6nZEUEbZqlLeUyL2hb0eLyb6p1QTRn0Zy4kyc0CD7nx4sfnqOpkDGc8drr4GdhwmHr2eooQeCMwaRwRI85Xa5HSCGZVhObWaBfih9q2u4xomR0PhtrAqlm-TH=s4427" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3945" data-original-width="4427" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzuYtglwZWkQMAsVvKIdOEe05Mix9RrmvVxHWqT0cWXUEgEKg8R3ezSW_3Iwyidvj6nZEUEbZqlLeUyL2hb0eLyb6p1QTRn0Zy4kyc0CD7nx4sfnqOpkDGc8drr4GdhwmHr2eooQeCMwaRwRI85Xa5HSCGZVhObWaBfih9q2u4xomR0PhtrAqlm-TH=w640-h570" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBNwGmf8rqW5bggXAi3eVQVZY1qi6xTvKyBBFkOuEvXu2DOuCwyaepCixhC_yH8vNdgLUWmSuK0iKkVKGRDmo3Vbi3VwO4TQQ7qtWOi10XZsNtRTh0Z9O_cbUIP7XY984SyC1nQ5MlmAzZSMm_Kd4SlNphshnVA1qnC3RMjonPk-7w9iueZ0qZ4vmR=s3826" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3826" data-original-width="2803" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBNwGmf8rqW5bggXAi3eVQVZY1qi6xTvKyBBFkOuEvXu2DOuCwyaepCixhC_yH8vNdgLUWmSuK0iKkVKGRDmo3Vbi3VwO4TQQ7qtWOi10XZsNtRTh0Z9O_cbUIP7XY984SyC1nQ5MlmAzZSMm_Kd4SlNphshnVA1qnC3RMjonPk-7w9iueZ0qZ4vmR=w468-h640" width="468" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And there you have it . . . I'll try to share another update soon, the Lord willing, and hopefully include an update about our ministry progress here. The Lord bless each one of you and keep you in His loving care. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><br /><p></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-28331381105296352912021-10-01T10:34:00.001-04:002021-10-01T12:29:26.938-04:00Summer of Mercies and a Ministry Update<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Oh these days passing swiftly bring changes I know </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">And as time marches on, from this place we must go . . . </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZVZGBHHQZDmNWjL2od7FdYnUQ_o2BTbYvcOMCR5EF5TJLqhG6hndXe0wYWMiQZkPI5Qs1XNR8hd-eTN1kEJL8P0-oVEYPwx452YAhojVXdJWbJtMGHPlMliQMc6lRWA_WdT2nimpd1k/s2048/DSC02364.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZVZGBHHQZDmNWjL2od7FdYnUQ_o2BTbYvcOMCR5EF5TJLqhG6hndXe0wYWMiQZkPI5Qs1XNR8hd-eTN1kEJL8P0-oVEYPwx452YAhojVXdJWbJtMGHPlMliQMc6lRWA_WdT2nimpd1k/w640-h480/DSC02364.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ocean (about 7 years ago in Rhode Island)<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixhYQPUvZrHzysSfzKItx2LjKLI0rcsDpdOW-RF3XN83FCBf62CdqA_KruBljKm5pqjgM9qU_F9NrBZ-KlcG86clqazrJao7m5fnj5mn-jnQLkl6uEDd5YiYaNR-MUzqC5OQewnFeCb8/s2048/DSC02361.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixhYQPUvZrHzysSfzKItx2LjKLI0rcsDpdOW-RF3XN83FCBf62CdqA_KruBljKm5pqjgM9qU_F9NrBZ-KlcG86clqazrJao7m5fnj5mn-jnQLkl6uEDd5YiYaNR-MUzqC5OQewnFeCb8/w480-h640/DSC02361.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ocean near my home in RI</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's been about about 6 years since I left my childhood home in Rhode Island and moved to the "great unknown" --the Midwest-- many of you know the reason, but for those who do not, <a href="http://www.readytobeoffered.com/p/ministry.html">this was why--</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I dearly miss my "wholesome island upbringing," and have yet to go back to that dear place, but the Lord has given me many joys in this new place as well. For these, I am grateful, even though at times I grow lonely for my "old haunts," such as Burial Hill in Plymouth Massachusetts, Colt State Park, and the beautiful woods that I walked in so many times as a girl and young woman growing up in the tiny Ocean State. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxz8Of3cMaowunah7IsHzA0XzTRtEwb5dSYoqjrnDunRvqwixK9npW5QC65ToeRKO4csQRT0l0OXloPVozHIjqzYwZtlwczDggSFYHY-jEm4dUNlQrkvhJ6nl0by6gXrwGuVx5r5Nu2Y/s2048/DSC02739.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxz8Of3cMaowunah7IsHzA0XzTRtEwb5dSYoqjrnDunRvqwixK9npW5QC65ToeRKO4csQRT0l0OXloPVozHIjqzYwZtlwczDggSFYHY-jEm4dUNlQrkvhJ6nl0by6gXrwGuVx5r5Nu2Y/w640-h480/DSC02739.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woods near my home in RI</td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The realization hits me every once in a while . . . you can never completely go back to the place where the Lord has called you from . . . even though you can treasure the memories and place any hurts in the loving hands of the Creator. One day, our Lord will wipe every tear from our eyes. For now, He stores those tears in His bottle and keeps them in that sacred place of His great love and compassion. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I have found His beauty here in the Midwest where He has called our family. He gives joy in this place through the great vast skies, the beautiful sunsets, the fields of wildflowers, the shy deer and other wildlife, the fertile earth so eager for the gardener to cultivate. Here, He gives grace and beauty. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6trTD97zFLbPIL-eASFLT4avLeY4kI7jxI_waQbCCfjC-3fMK4SdIuBOOE5GH1lpD6r81nmVSpPS_ZMNYdJhT2mgtFEVkIWs_gdo9MaE-YwdXiwb7vzd2zxbMihk2IEPg0gm-u6cO9cc/s3008/DSC_0063.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3008" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6trTD97zFLbPIL-eASFLT4avLeY4kI7jxI_waQbCCfjC-3fMK4SdIuBOOE5GH1lpD6r81nmVSpPS_ZMNYdJhT2mgtFEVkIWs_gdo9MaE-YwdXiwb7vzd2zxbMihk2IEPg0gm-u6cO9cc/w426-h640/DSC_0063.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field behind our barn</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's been a good, long whole since I've given an update on our lives and ministry here in Wisconsin, and so I felt that it was time to do so . . . :-) The summer was busy with outside work, and I'll try to be more consistent during these quieter fall and winter months. No promises, but I'll try. :-) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">On the home front, we've been ever-busy in the garden, from early spring until late summer (and are laboring, still! :-)) This is a project that I and my children, Deborah and Elisha, mostly work on together. It's good for them and for me. :-) I will admit that sometimes I have to be pulled out of the garden like a stubborn carrot as dark approaches. The warm months are so short here and the winter is so long; I like to "drink it all in" while I may!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYrORqNvI1h-N1t1UZQwaFRrLmMSmjZv_KPNRAJHrPTOi-QPk5keyyzwu2k6hSJmcnBIRTYsLPXzyB9IlGbKHX6KlpgR0I79LUQ3mUWrZsw1cPRBpbOn_xwsLMuPRBs02-DvxDHRHXYM/s4595/DSC_0008+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3891" data-original-width="4595" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYrORqNvI1h-N1t1UZQwaFRrLmMSmjZv_KPNRAJHrPTOi-QPk5keyyzwu2k6hSJmcnBIRTYsLPXzyB9IlGbKHX6KlpgR0I79LUQ3mUWrZsw1cPRBpbOn_xwsLMuPRBs02-DvxDHRHXYM/w640-h542/DSC_0008+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5Zey1X-nMJauUqUPw3jKHnb4jPVvRszevCBb86I-3TD6aZCRaqqeWaXxWHgdgzvJR0K9yo8YgI3yT5M7f9AQDqUUDZQ64NaD3dNn3gzE7uBmG6ixca_sQrAGiFuHetZraDAl5WswpqU/s5667/DSC_0084.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3896" data-original-width="5667" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5Zey1X-nMJauUqUPw3jKHnb4jPVvRszevCBb86I-3TD6aZCRaqqeWaXxWHgdgzvJR0K9yo8YgI3yT5M7f9AQDqUUDZQ64NaD3dNn3gzE7uBmG6ixca_sQrAGiFuHetZraDAl5WswpqU/w640-h440/DSC_0084.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuouqb7gZbjUqN3VHicIFK5cxtZ3Nur7p3gpOn0K0jfCNHWpI3UdT-8txccRxXBQxevEIS6egpRIOL-48ABbGGai2oJY4JEy_8IAvogxb_3Roq7So2q0slJ6RB5OKBEWqmWwX8nA2CUc/s4723/DSC_0125.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4723" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuouqb7gZbjUqN3VHicIFK5cxtZ3Nur7p3gpOn0K0jfCNHWpI3UdT-8txccRxXBQxevEIS6egpRIOL-48ABbGGai2oJY4JEy_8IAvogxb_3Roq7So2q0slJ6RB5OKBEWqmWwX8nA2CUc/w400-h294/DSC_0125.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We have a little farm stand as well, and that is a fun family project. It's enjoyable selling produce and baked goods through the summer months. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmoBPqFeylO5nwLSFn8IgrgpqIWehghi6aysBRhGuSa_Q5B6Xq_nES4ZPee_DKQ7QZMN0mqDn3T48Sy25EJLIIcwAESxw1BqmVZdQApQ-vOBLL9a7VfYRu_65W5oYXpRJ9itOCL1qlBc/s6016/DSC_0326.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6016" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmoBPqFeylO5nwLSFn8IgrgpqIWehghi6aysBRhGuSa_Q5B6Xq_nES4ZPee_DKQ7QZMN0mqDn3T48Sy25EJLIIcwAESxw1BqmVZdQApQ-vOBLL9a7VfYRu_65W5oYXpRJ9itOCL1qlBc/w400-h266/DSC_0326.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now that we've started back up homeschooling, we don't have quite as much time to spend outdoors . . . but we are already looking forward to next year's garden, the Lord willing . . . </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">On the ministry front, things have been very quiet. I've grown familiar with these "waiting times" that the Lord gives, and am eager to see what He will do next in our lives here with Herrnhut. We have completed the "first phase" of the Missionary House and are concentrating on the second phase right now--putting in a septic system and then later, heating the Missionary House. Please pray for us as we move forward in the direction that He has for us; we covet your prayers. Please pray boldly that He will send His showers of blessing in due season; He is the Lord of the "growing" of this ministry and of the harvest. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhTQAXrRuX2rmfhLRNLF2HoYdl1dxUntAWG-wNdSDv0Q9lz4PoK75AZamXl_c0HCAfwnW4G56tBbj4i7GbIGccYtsGiYC-vl1RfnrNwiXWFBm_5AwNU-Shc_rw6obSo56OIaB2LYGlJU/s4031/DSC_0073.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3340" data-original-width="4031" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhTQAXrRuX2rmfhLRNLF2HoYdl1dxUntAWG-wNdSDv0Q9lz4PoK75AZamXl_c0HCAfwnW4G56tBbj4i7GbIGccYtsGiYC-vl1RfnrNwiXWFBm_5AwNU-Shc_rw6obSo56OIaB2LYGlJU/w640-h530/DSC_0073.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Progress on the "Missionary House"--</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">That was a brief update, but I'll continue to share with you as I'm able . . . we are grateful for your prayers, as always . . . </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBmW3Kqi3Po_XqaDR5mWzfsmBYfKmJAlLJ9E4k045sj13z-ncUee6FvBdpArUkkvZ61O29EIS1t5WMota3IITAGy27yMJS6iQX0XcIWcqwEIU0dU2jEJctGmYiiV0DV8QetFvcTq2_eA/s5621/DSC_0809.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3981" data-original-width="5621" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBmW3Kqi3Po_XqaDR5mWzfsmBYfKmJAlLJ9E4k045sj13z-ncUee6FvBdpArUkkvZ61O29EIS1t5WMota3IITAGy27yMJS6iQX0XcIWcqwEIU0dU2jEJctGmYiiV0DV8QetFvcTq2_eA/w640-h454/DSC_0809.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Many changes have come into my life (perhaps into yours too, friend), and I've found that only God can give the grace that is needed to accept those changes . . . Some changes I have embraced; others have been more difficult, and as I struggle with the difficult ones, I find strength in the truth of these words written by one of my favorite missionaries, Amy Carmichael--may you find strength in the God of these truths as well, friend . . . We walk together on this path of life that ever stretches toward our true and lasting </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">home--</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>He said, I will accept the breaking sorrow</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Which God tomorrow will to His son explain</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Not vain the word, not vain--</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>For in acceptance lieth peace.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bZmkqB_EY6I_CU3sabq5XsD7dUODe1nCTDo1MlHAhrL0_cZEqTG0ng1lQWIFcBV-X_41qbnGGY2UWkiEyeQZ2QozMhpBn1JmqR_uEv3lrSsO7vYHaceNxDvPv7oQ2hyphenhyphencbYh0Q8qyt_g/s1822/DSC_0240.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1822" data-original-width="1588" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bZmkqB_EY6I_CU3sabq5XsD7dUODe1nCTDo1MlHAhrL0_cZEqTG0ng1lQWIFcBV-X_41qbnGGY2UWkiEyeQZ2QozMhpBn1JmqR_uEv3lrSsO7vYHaceNxDvPv7oQ2hyphenhyphencbYh0Q8qyt_g/w349-h400/DSC_0240.JPG" width="349" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-style: italic;"><br /></span><p></p><br /><br />Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-86623904029052669012021-07-09T08:01:00.001-04:002021-07-09T08:07:47.498-04:00A Month of Mercies ~June 2021<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm sharing this month's post a bit on the tardy side . . . but I didn't want to skip a month, so here it goes . . . :-) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My children have been enjoying listening to <i>The Sound of Music</i> soundtrack and Maria's words are on my mind this morning~~"Let's start at the very beginning . . " ;-) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Lord has blessed me over the past month with joy over all of the growing things in our garden as well as in others' gardens . . . this was one of the first open tomato sandwiches of the year~~does anyone else enjoy eating these? I never liked tomatoes as a child, but now I really love them. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uZW6k_Isw8a5BeksvOicDmpmwvO1t1qWNBsvDVsJs5Mt7c1zi8D97wlbBZlwe0lv6N12Bsqgo1jtiplBkxHd_rmNm7Bo9MBAUhZKSWC1KBLLJ9tzwKU3HP_Q7i8wuZxvLCyJBrTm1cc/s3346/DSC_0803.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3346" data-original-width="3115" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uZW6k_Isw8a5BeksvOicDmpmwvO1t1qWNBsvDVsJs5Mt7c1zi8D97wlbBZlwe0lv6N12Bsqgo1jtiplBkxHd_rmNm7Bo9MBAUhZKSWC1KBLLJ9tzwKU3HP_Q7i8wuZxvLCyJBrTm1cc/w596-h640/DSC_0803.JPG" width="596" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm so thankful--and continually amazed--at all of the goodness that the Lord provides through the garden. Keeping a garden--tending and planning and weeding and harvesting it, has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. It's taught me so many lessons about life in general and the Lord's working in all things. The hard work is good for me and for my kids. And putting one's hands into the soil after the harsh Wisconsin winters is a respite to the soul. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Tgtbj3spbdZGTpoID9zqtE34BUjWpGt2pAZLqhyFN3-BNtkUzvnFmSfbcisy9rwUtlzusgdv36bAWL7o2cvuQkhMlOtIWlDpC1iHJf8Mi1C4bXC3d917LsdxPAOhSkUASJzPKlCCUNs/s5791/DSC_0850.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3828" data-original-width="5791" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Tgtbj3spbdZGTpoID9zqtE34BUjWpGt2pAZLqhyFN3-BNtkUzvnFmSfbcisy9rwUtlzusgdv36bAWL7o2cvuQkhMlOtIWlDpC1iHJf8Mi1C4bXC3d917LsdxPAOhSkUASJzPKlCCUNs/w640-h424/DSC_0850.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2slVUo_gW9rfHKZfRQsbk_lHVQ54voQJ-1aWOeTz8OaAy08eisxhwQyt9jvApkY6i41LfZnfDATx4oqU9RovrxHm3KiSteziFENTT9SiFe3AhQIloxrP3NNreEiqG2A9rY9L7KLpOOE/s4943/DSC_0849.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3999" data-original-width="4943" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2slVUo_gW9rfHKZfRQsbk_lHVQ54voQJ-1aWOeTz8OaAy08eisxhwQyt9jvApkY6i41LfZnfDATx4oqU9RovrxHm3KiSteziFENTT9SiFe3AhQIloxrP3NNreEiqG2A9rY9L7KLpOOE/w640-h518/DSC_0849.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVQkEoCpM_okZKpZGgjQD32N55zXW8QUgYpUrd98mifBUo36HpoCN41rVaOU_A5NPImBm4JWffD05tIY6tiWQD1_pffGCDz02LRr-5LNDVDpe2rj1S3cyiyFtKiwp9GsEgh9QLSWImv4/s5936/DSC_0597.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5936" data-original-width="3748" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVQkEoCpM_okZKpZGgjQD32N55zXW8QUgYpUrd98mifBUo36HpoCN41rVaOU_A5NPImBm4JWffD05tIY6tiWQD1_pffGCDz02LRr-5LNDVDpe2rj1S3cyiyFtKiwp9GsEgh9QLSWImv4/w404-h640/DSC_0597.JPG" width="404" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisENybTEvKUj1jifx3NK277aVETrEPE0bZpnkq_2JHprZQBztvoofdAOBGDdRx_M_sJ-oWRm7dRQmmthLPbZ7h_4EjsbPa0oSx9K7EcNtkdRLI-9Aj3E4m9OMA1F1p9hXwpf7XfIrGa64/s5984/DSC_0823.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3941" data-original-width="5984" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisENybTEvKUj1jifx3NK277aVETrEPE0bZpnkq_2JHprZQBztvoofdAOBGDdRx_M_sJ-oWRm7dRQmmthLPbZ7h_4EjsbPa0oSx9K7EcNtkdRLI-9Aj3E4m9OMA1F1p9hXwpf7XfIrGa64/w640-h422/DSC_0823.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXztJ7MEFEi_Gf5R90Yn1dD5lK8wonVZ5kiwLRxoBPlNlKiHWVYns-XUyzLreOLBN-eAWoRDb1TX4-Oomkmdi8iV59GdT4JM3JykQwe-UtEiXcz8pNkRVjagp-KwI1uo_8-H01f2KgFk/s5865/DSC_0820.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3533" data-original-width="5865" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXztJ7MEFEi_Gf5R90Yn1dD5lK8wonVZ5kiwLRxoBPlNlKiHWVYns-XUyzLreOLBN-eAWoRDb1TX4-Oomkmdi8iV59GdT4JM3JykQwe-UtEiXcz8pNkRVjagp-KwI1uo_8-H01f2KgFk/w436-h265/DSC_0820.JPG" width="436" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A reminder to me this month in my kitchen to cast all of my cares upon the Lord~ He knows all things and He alone is the One who can help us in all of our struggles and sorrows . . . </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXztJ7MEFEi_Gf5R90Yn1dD5lK8wonVZ5kiwLRxoBPlNlKiHWVYns-XUyzLreOLBN-eAWoRDb1TX4-Oomkmdi8iV59GdT4JM3JykQwe-UtEiXcz8pNkRVjagp-KwI1uo_8-H01f2KgFk/s5865/DSC_0820.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fpbJXqKogtTWhdsEHNee4Fpw6M32VwTF-gwTRtx8Jn4dgGB_QsrCzU8MOLFUeQTrSNQtsk1J3QcLKxZpJtd8DdawqWn_hw-QEbGNOzs1acSJcCmE-wSiMUyZ_Wvn07yZNoD7m9Q3MD0/s4093/DSC_0835.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3983" data-original-width="4093" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fpbJXqKogtTWhdsEHNee4Fpw6M32VwTF-gwTRtx8Jn4dgGB_QsrCzU8MOLFUeQTrSNQtsk1J3QcLKxZpJtd8DdawqWn_hw-QEbGNOzs1acSJcCmE-wSiMUyZ_Wvn07yZNoD7m9Q3MD0/w640-h622/DSC_0835.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hollyhocks blooming in the flower garden bring joy to my heart . . . </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6soKrHzvhcPdV4bKqiog3YQNJjSLvVwc0-tBoV4QB8GlMfXt7iaMw-eJnQCu-WGPyrXgEovXAosijDCx34L3mK1LJsDfayNnAWK9YVs4CzzhFMLm2vRL8Nu91eZ8HqSHsQMO9clFaHg/s3346/DSC_0803.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjoR5CCyMydkb9Gww1EQGka7ViB8eUVIJgwry5w6dGXeLkD1hBJ94JfbdSkxPe8WTBfFdPr5UEqfngxLPfbSJCxITBuHCfrXtvLY2RSf7u3ylFpTW9u6KR3nxsEyZRG08hOFHAQugNcY/s4453/DSC_0810+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3906" data-original-width="4453" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjoR5CCyMydkb9Gww1EQGka7ViB8eUVIJgwry5w6dGXeLkD1hBJ94JfbdSkxPe8WTBfFdPr5UEqfngxLPfbSJCxITBuHCfrXtvLY2RSf7u3ylFpTW9u6KR3nxsEyZRG08hOFHAQugNcY/w640-h562/DSC_0810+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIupy4T5hNxY4RVRbvC4nupsTrcI1YsEFO1zU87_H1NskbdxMdGr_cvU4wHLiYPb-8LHTUmaVXw6diU7jR5NJovTAr69cVHuL9Xa8rRU_b9TuAayh0mzYm5DUZJIIgc_u6dkhyvabtcA/s3723/DSC_0790.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3723" data-original-width="2305" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIupy4T5hNxY4RVRbvC4nupsTrcI1YsEFO1zU87_H1NskbdxMdGr_cvU4wHLiYPb-8LHTUmaVXw6diU7jR5NJovTAr69cVHuL9Xa8rRU_b9TuAayh0mzYm5DUZJIIgc_u6dkhyvabtcA/w396-h640/DSC_0790.JPG" width="396" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Laundry hanging on the line . . . my children can reach the clothesline now, and are a big help to me in this . . . my niece will often run over too, and help me when she notices me taking the laundry down. I'm thankful for willing helpers . . . </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6igbwLUrSYuhD3avUtRUwk9y_QXizNzRszvOJIMpVDblpq76xo9t8ZIx9BcG0aJcTrnV35x18urOWWm-fI-G58driWKeYFcrTgA3csWO_HFSW5x9I8NWHXYLaAdNBQ6TB54EDgsZyzM/s1923/DSC_0789.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1473" data-original-width="1923" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6igbwLUrSYuhD3avUtRUwk9y_QXizNzRszvOJIMpVDblpq76xo9t8ZIx9BcG0aJcTrnV35x18urOWWm-fI-G58driWKeYFcrTgA3csWO_HFSW5x9I8NWHXYLaAdNBQ6TB54EDgsZyzM/w640-h490/DSC_0789.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've been sewing a bit more lately . . . this has been a blessing in my life . . . I love the smell of the fabric and the feel of it in my hands as I guide it under the needle . . . </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzHOq_j_KEs19ZAqY3goCWzV3IOj89SM3hUu7BWsWTMSwP7hevA0owSkO4gBFRdbCpCnXXEhzwkSNK2r-V3VwqyfiWYAJZDMcLQRr2E56uL3OPwwzYlITA3UZFYLIxy2DSjGorETo6Wk/s5877/DSC_0789+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3851" data-original-width="5877" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzHOq_j_KEs19ZAqY3goCWzV3IOj89SM3hUu7BWsWTMSwP7hevA0owSkO4gBFRdbCpCnXXEhzwkSNK2r-V3VwqyfiWYAJZDMcLQRr2E56uL3OPwwzYlITA3UZFYLIxy2DSjGorETo6Wk/w640-h420/DSC_0789+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">My sister taught my children and I how to can strawberry jam last month! I'm thankful for her taking the time to patiently teach us, and for the fun time that we had making it! Thank you, Lord, for sisters, and for the sweetness that they bring into our lives! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9Wh4U9elsidteyTlEkYwSfqdkKBqpEhLl6PYuo5L29DYS8lV7FvwC7I1x5N-Q-tdOTiepyNURa11pizLBd-tQEcBKI6hepIBxQlam3Qds0PQ0GfdX23UZOjUmfeicUN6mHdlPnWdfuE/s5726/DSC_0788+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3717" data-original-width="5726" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9Wh4U9elsidteyTlEkYwSfqdkKBqpEhLl6PYuo5L29DYS8lV7FvwC7I1x5N-Q-tdOTiepyNURa11pizLBd-tQEcBKI6hepIBxQlam3Qds0PQ0GfdX23UZOjUmfeicUN6mHdlPnWdfuE/w640-h416/DSC_0788+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">And finally, I'm thankful for ripe blackberries in our field! My kids love to pick a few here and there and eat them . . . the birds and wild animals love them, too! It amazes me continually to see how the Lord provides in so many different ways for His creation--from the seeds to the berries to the bugs that the birds eat . . . He is a merciful Provider. And if He so feeds the birds, how much more will He provide for His children? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">So there I'll conclude for this month . . . how has the Lord spoken to you and blessed you throughout your days, friends? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>I will be glad and rejoice in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy name, O Thou Most High.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i> Psalm 9:2</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1vst9x6SpnE6oslnack3wr5P1pfRDQe9zQlbK0DiGT6enjswKAJfUQJMh-zEF4RdhwBUo9tqM0FTROQOSHwnGW5AAx5ypnCQLJ03hWzcSXtF2D34XvOa3LGxPBBwsy67dZWGM8FQw9Y/s4825/DSC_0785+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3589" data-original-width="4825" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1vst9x6SpnE6oslnack3wr5P1pfRDQe9zQlbK0DiGT6enjswKAJfUQJMh-zEF4RdhwBUo9tqM0FTROQOSHwnGW5AAx5ypnCQLJ03hWzcSXtF2D34XvOa3LGxPBBwsy67dZWGM8FQw9Y/w640-h476/DSC_0785+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-88788070009361058862021-06-01T08:22:00.001-04:002021-06-01T08:22:12.715-04:00A Month of Mercies~~May 2021<p> <br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><span class="text Ps-145-9" id="en-NKJV-16330" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;">The <span class="small-caps divine-name" style="font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> is good to all,</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;" /><span class="text Ps-145-9" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;">And His tender mercies are over all His works.</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="text Ps-145-9" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Psalm 145:9 NKJV</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="text Ps-145-9" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="text Ps-145-9" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Another "Month of Mercies" post headed your way . . . I'm so thankful for everyone who stops by this little blog and I pray that the Lord may use it to encourage you . . . </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Each one of you</i> are an encouragement to me in my little corner of this great big world that the Lord made. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This month, the Lord showed me His mercy and faithfulness in many ways . . . including . . . </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The peonies beginning to bloom . . . I love the sweet smell of these rose-like flowers. I can imagine their fragrance emanating in the Garden of Eden. I will say that they also make me think of Rachel Lynde's funny quote in Anne of Avonlea about the "other girl's showy good looks . . ." Those of you who have read the book or have watched the movie know what I mean! ;-) </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PA2O8bgq8cJbIPA2KMoPPmXWxMyJkgUWEcW2amn2ojnSJ0eLvSU7cS6OEQjYNhkMbFwoNQj8BYGtYjDpx5K4FuaRNosjHbl5U6O3FObOhG_zlk64YPb1ClrpDuyOG81XdhAQSOI7JfE/s5433/DSC_0464.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3771" data-original-width="5433" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PA2O8bgq8cJbIPA2KMoPPmXWxMyJkgUWEcW2amn2ojnSJ0eLvSU7cS6OEQjYNhkMbFwoNQj8BYGtYjDpx5K4FuaRNosjHbl5U6O3FObOhG_zlk64YPb1ClrpDuyOG81XdhAQSOI7JfE/w640-h444/DSC_0464.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabdQUVIcdld-iepjjL0lBx6oII8G39Ytm6dGV_WGiMDhTFLQqTtB6j0noE-A-YSCRyRQM1uSq6AVyEhsFUO1i83gnQH6GSSFY_aTIPoFwADPEUQmUL75O5NqJU2LVABk9EPxqrovPfv8/s5313/DSC_0463.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3556" data-original-width="5313" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabdQUVIcdld-iepjjL0lBx6oII8G39Ytm6dGV_WGiMDhTFLQqTtB6j0noE-A-YSCRyRQM1uSq6AVyEhsFUO1i83gnQH6GSSFY_aTIPoFwADPEUQmUL75O5NqJU2LVABk9EPxqrovPfv8/w640-h428/DSC_0463.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Clematis climbing up the porch and filling in the space around it with loveliness . . . </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatoXhk-jNK2fRRY0YfiKOmQrd298qJ2pOvuaUwzA9p1gbNSoCYR9g8IGIxg4Lh5JqMOqJRkHjB9mfxLWrNrGMHW-xOKT6du9Cid8SG-dvkqpKq78sPbYxR7_eRHR4gn_m1SggvY2tFvY/s5620/DSC_0456.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3889" data-original-width="5620" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatoXhk-jNK2fRRY0YfiKOmQrd298qJ2pOvuaUwzA9p1gbNSoCYR9g8IGIxg4Lh5JqMOqJRkHjB9mfxLWrNrGMHW-xOKT6du9Cid8SG-dvkqpKq78sPbYxR7_eRHR4gn_m1SggvY2tFvY/w640-h442/DSC_0456.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">A redwing blackbird's nest discreetly hidden in a bush on our property. I always try to notice where the birds are nesting so that I can remind my children not to play too closely to them! The precious birds! They are welcome here anytime! </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDwlYCWvUFyjfMVu4H_8-SJkjBgT4aTfnrWtUqMFjx3PJLbjjhtYm6mh5xnqoWbqBZ7fP0e9WH0BVvVpAcniNOWrBXn_J1t_i88fXEj70T77GRSqVpG6uagPKlRo95bYTvF_ZLQmyOs4/s5125/DSC_0448.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3743" data-original-width="5125" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDwlYCWvUFyjfMVu4H_8-SJkjBgT4aTfnrWtUqMFjx3PJLbjjhtYm6mh5xnqoWbqBZ7fP0e9WH0BVvVpAcniNOWrBXn_J1t_i88fXEj70T77GRSqVpG6uagPKlRo95bYTvF_ZLQmyOs4/w640-h468/DSC_0448.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our little farmstand brings me joy. Working on it with my children is one of my favorite parts of spring and summer . . . </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19-bwQLuGmdo9I5iMdLwSlCsTkeUJaOEbNO_H_OJHGP5r1uL8-LaKHsTXaeiuTVv1a7lu-OzvY0ml-p3j7R_pSfSecTDhcnFjlbnDgM4rzL_noUv_8k2N3kZY8VpxEjgwcffrHsy7-Fs/s5478/DSC_0443.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3832" data-original-width="5478" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19-bwQLuGmdo9I5iMdLwSlCsTkeUJaOEbNO_H_OJHGP5r1uL8-LaKHsTXaeiuTVv1a7lu-OzvY0ml-p3j7R_pSfSecTDhcnFjlbnDgM4rzL_noUv_8k2N3kZY8VpxEjgwcffrHsy7-Fs/w640-h448/DSC_0443.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hollyhocks getting taller . . . </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFDVti2IzJpn0KWxWO6oqeawsxndWSRZH8aQIO78fVZx1LMm0llhEZmYrOs5rNozQQGmToVlvYJGOu4wezfs8SX7VK9GEdPz5o_KiayGXJ7z7730ZHXqwwia7ZnjZDhWchXPoqNXACrs/s3539/DSC_0441.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3421" data-original-width="3539" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFDVti2IzJpn0KWxWO6oqeawsxndWSRZH8aQIO78fVZx1LMm0llhEZmYrOs5rNozQQGmToVlvYJGOu4wezfs8SX7VK9GEdPz5o_KiayGXJ7z7730ZHXqwwia7ZnjZDhWchXPoqNXACrs/w640-h618/DSC_0441.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of my favorite hymns . . . a reminder to me that He is the lovely One and tenderly clothes His creation . . . (And yes; it's supposed to be "fairer still the woodlands!" I realized that afterwards . . . :-) </span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupTixeK0S1-eBa3MKiAfYfCZnfgcF4funEime2VUi5d5JSHLoYu-JffR7CfDDDIsT7dFPQII4OWPMq-8rHwfDFYdotcLxrSjQ5dd846tFOXL94s0nyTFt5jwgYZ-qCoCw90b3bhePZOY/s4783/DSC_0430.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3546" data-original-width="4783" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupTixeK0S1-eBa3MKiAfYfCZnfgcF4funEime2VUi5d5JSHLoYu-JffR7CfDDDIsT7dFPQII4OWPMq-8rHwfDFYdotcLxrSjQ5dd846tFOXL94s0nyTFt5jwgYZ-qCoCw90b3bhePZOY/w640-h474/DSC_0430.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">We put this little board on the corner of the front entry way of our home--my Mom and husband's idea--my husband later added a little edge to it as well for safety--We noticed the birds trying to nest there and that they didn't have quite enough space--so we made some! There is always room . . . this photo is of a sweet little barn swallow checking out the rental accommodations! </span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCJIi_qvXH90tajHhAC9yAYSjxOv_TtRME0X40fimG9Y6Cd4VywGhs2vAf10NBtE7A5HbPayo4L3IEA9kE9WCiPksnC7VxZHxqVTStQwUdNw6Kiai6XIf_qTnhKSX9fRjLP-bUtU0_D4/s4749/DSC_0426.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3123" data-original-width="4749" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCJIi_qvXH90tajHhAC9yAYSjxOv_TtRME0X40fimG9Y6Cd4VywGhs2vAf10NBtE7A5HbPayo4L3IEA9kE9WCiPksnC7VxZHxqVTStQwUdNw6Kiai6XIf_qTnhKSX9fRjLP-bUtU0_D4/w640-h420/DSC_0426.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We walked through a graveyard in a nearby town on Memorial Day weekend with our children . . . I am always reminded by graveyards of how very short this life is . . . each day is precious and a gift from God . . . "Only one life, twill soon be past--only what's done for Christ will last . . . "</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZLBWWJsI9jObs6LxeP84g0ngm9FBHH96ATxAh5F2V8nH9Cy0TFPZACcLecXBo4iH_DzLJarw1gEOqDiACHrTpCPNK8EcRSoOsPiikBhXytQI-1whGQFfjsAHbpA7zg6W0UwYMPj6h3o/s4165/DSC_0477.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3772" data-original-width="4165" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZLBWWJsI9jObs6LxeP84g0ngm9FBHH96ATxAh5F2V8nH9Cy0TFPZACcLecXBo4iH_DzLJarw1gEOqDiACHrTpCPNK8EcRSoOsPiikBhXytQI-1whGQFfjsAHbpA7zg6W0UwYMPj6h3o/w640-h580/DSC_0477.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And we can take nothing with us but Jesus . . . </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgxdKj5dAnxxzdD98Kbz8H43w3Rx0vQXinEHqFXpjuYEFFxwpul0qlsB3BrHRYH2emZAJ7ExQYI0d_1klfCBM0qTTgENAkNgcKbzZL4uWTJzaFZxfYv5RO5gwD1qGE9iSRXP7v_Li1To/s6016/DSC_0475.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6016" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgxdKj5dAnxxzdD98Kbz8H43w3Rx0vQXinEHqFXpjuYEFFxwpul0qlsB3BrHRYH2emZAJ7ExQYI0d_1klfCBM0qTTgENAkNgcKbzZL4uWTJzaFZxfYv5RO5gwD1qGE9iSRXP7v_Li1To/w640-h426/DSC_0475.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And finally, the garden brings so much joy to my heart . . . we have planted and tucked all the precious seeds into the ground--now we wait for Him to bring the harvest . . . </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUySr07QZpbgUT3OnevPbTDxuBYt8ett6a-TFM-ONHxXsrwXw82JJTG_0nzMWGdp-c4Od99-Ln86ZWKgcL4uVAOo1Tfn1uG-4XfIFBLC1tMjgf7lNm18vHqYsgDSFh0pesGzXSpUQGuiE/s5841/DSC_0472.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3905" data-original-width="5841" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUySr07QZpbgUT3OnevPbTDxuBYt8ett6a-TFM-ONHxXsrwXw82JJTG_0nzMWGdp-c4Od99-Ln86ZWKgcL4uVAOo1Tfn1uG-4XfIFBLC1tMjgf7lNm18vHqYsgDSFh0pesGzXSpUQGuiE/w640-h428/DSC_0472.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">May the Lord bless each one of you, dear friends . . . He is faithful and willing to work in our lives as we surrender all things to Him . . . </span><p></p></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Until next month if the Lord tarries . . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-58034997555968027412021-05-06T07:19:00.001-04:002021-05-06T07:19:45.805-04:00The Lilac's Agony and Joy<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RxzLGosBT83Uzj5_AtykYehSM2Ks28Yb2c178GLh5CRHS2i0iL3mgKbplo9JtQviw3sZle8QSC5M7BhjybS7uvYAoNZb7iBy4bFl9WqOGuhe0vpiwGLj2tAkXEEQvA7mjzBBbX1LW84/s2858/DSC_0337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1925" data-original-width="2858" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RxzLGosBT83Uzj5_AtykYehSM2Ks28Yb2c178GLh5CRHS2i0iL3mgKbplo9JtQviw3sZle8QSC5M7BhjybS7uvYAoNZb7iBy4bFl9WqOGuhe0vpiwGLj2tAkXEEQvA7mjzBBbX1LW84/w640-h432/DSC_0337.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>A short time ago, I was reading about how lilac
bushes are able to thrive despite harsh winter conditions. This information
interested me as we have several lilac bushes on our property as well as very
cold winters in the area where we live in the upper Midwest. Through the winter
months, the ground is iron, covered over with snow. The cold and wind are brutal, the temperatures plummeting into the negatives for days at a time.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And yet, in the warm early days of spring, the
lilac bushes begin to bloom. Frozen and dead to the world during the winter, in
the spring their lavish blooms delight the earth with beauty. They emanate a
most delightful scent; the air is filled in the spring with the sweet aroma of
lilac blooms. They are a treat to the eyes and to the heart that has been rendered
winter-raw. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My children gather these blooms in the spring
and use them to adorn their sandbox confections and creations. They love to
climb into the lower branches of their aged arms. Their lovely smell always
delights me as I hang laundry to dry outside in the sweet spring wind. I marvel
at the splendor that the Lord has clothed just one lilac bush in! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Their beauty appears most radiant after the
harshest months of the year. I am reminded how the Lord often brings us through
trials and discouragements in order to strengthen and test our faith. He
desires that beauty in our lives will shine through these hardships and reflect
the spring grace of our Creator, the Father of mercy and redemption and the One
who brings life from death. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Just
as the lilac endures to the end of winter, so we are also called to endure the
trials that He brings into our lives. Hebrews 12:9-12 says, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">us,</span> and we paid <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">them</span> respect. Shall we not much
more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For
they indeed for a few days chastened <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">us</span> as seemed <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">best</span> to
them, but He for <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">our</span> profit, that <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">we</span> may be partakers of His
holiness. Now no</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><sup><span style="color: #4a4a4a;"> </span></sup></u></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless,
afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have
been trained by it.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Therefore strengthen
the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths
for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be
healed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">He calls us to endure—through His
enabling strength. He brings beauty out of pain and hardship in our lives when
we submit and yield to Him. He promises the “peaceable fruit of righteousness”
when we are trained by His hand through trials and chastenings. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">These chastenings do not seem
pleasant at the time (Hebrews 12:11), but in the end they bring forth the marvel
of His grace in our lives when we have been softened and molded by them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Just as the lilac bush bears
beautiful blooms in the spring, so will our lives show forth His beauty through
the testing and trials that He lovingly sends us as a Father who wants His
children to bear fruit when we yield in surrender to His Fatherly discipline
and love. </span><span style="font-family: Baskerville Old Face, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4VtjZPmx4d6YDm_XfrS_W9xnvg_bD1HhUdILLSHNScHCaYut6BSQQg72WveHQWp9ooEJaXmK4OKG-jY2jWlgif5SXAtd3QKckp4SAz6JJveLnSpdHhx21qtImPR8dMf9yXxrHZ63K10/s2947/DSC_0335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1909" data-original-width="2947" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4VtjZPmx4d6YDm_XfrS_W9xnvg_bD1HhUdILLSHNScHCaYut6BSQQg72WveHQWp9ooEJaXmK4OKG-jY2jWlgif5SXAtd3QKckp4SAz6JJveLnSpdHhx21qtImPR8dMf9yXxrHZ63K10/w640-h414/DSC_0335.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-25436106034996155682021-05-01T08:19:00.002-04:002021-05-01T08:19:26.296-04:00A Month of Mercies~~April 2021<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>This is my Father's world,</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>The birds their carols raise,</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>The morning light, the lily white,</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Declare their Maker's praise. </i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>This is my Father's world,</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>He shines in all that's fair;</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>He speaks to me everywhere.</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>~</i>Maltbie Babcock</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm sharing another "Month of Mercies" post . . . This past month has been so full . . . we've been busy finishing up homeschooling for the year, cleaning up our property, and working on many projects outside. How good the Lord is! To give us these days of warmth to, as our Amish friends would say, "redd up" outside and to prepare for planting! </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>I praise Him this past month for . . . </i></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: georgia; text-align: left;">My Mom's much-anticipated Easter breads that she makes every year . . . this year, my daughter Debbie, and my niece, Betsy, helped her to prepare them. What a delight when these come out of the oven! It's an Italian tradition that we all hold dear to in our family--one that delights the taste buds and the heart! </span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTtAEyexo3IHFnS0HkBuLe-1vUiI-MAJ03uZzy9ZQuUfNR3af4lTcPFxL_AuCIUN8mrPQRtakcMstYsPvflPuSzWIht8BcffOk4y8uLGJaIu1VTEkjkzkyHhpjubDMwcddSSzddY-ATI/s3008/DSC_0074.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3008" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTtAEyexo3IHFnS0HkBuLe-1vUiI-MAJ03uZzy9ZQuUfNR3af4lTcPFxL_AuCIUN8mrPQRtakcMstYsPvflPuSzWIht8BcffOk4y8uLGJaIu1VTEkjkzkyHhpjubDMwcddSSzddY-ATI/w640-h426/DSC_0074.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our sweet outdoor friends . . . this bunny is very friendly and you may see him here relaxing under this bush . . . waiting patiently for me to plant the garden . . . ;-) The little rascal!! But we love him . . . </span></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XYlP86rsEwvbFqF4mqmgLCLe_Ro8jOTTHmch4TTwMRfnMQrh7tT0waUomsR4hyeWXTzTjHpbilJD8wLFOqW4RvnBMclTiWhqBJMyBdHGu40tDPX7UPNd9YXQGFvE9SmlYcxhq7S_Kzs/s1195/DSC_0213.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="863" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XYlP86rsEwvbFqF4mqmgLCLe_Ro8jOTTHmch4TTwMRfnMQrh7tT0waUomsR4hyeWXTzTjHpbilJD8wLFOqW4RvnBMclTiWhqBJMyBdHGu40tDPX7UPNd9YXQGFvE9SmlYcxhq7S_Kzs/w462-h640/DSC_0213.JPG" width="462" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Speaking of the garden, it has been tilled; hooray! </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeh7m9AzCDLeiHEtAtO7q7wOcqB7oNRMVyNR9GFson6Pc_xq2nXTijE93LaCvz4C-PofVWMgoG9h-EeY2RklLhHWYehsYdSbMu5agco4fxkl1f-5I6pn8EkEZ36VAriGsuzkbDVAxwbTI/s3008/DSC_0172.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3008" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeh7m9AzCDLeiHEtAtO7q7wOcqB7oNRMVyNR9GFson6Pc_xq2nXTijE93LaCvz4C-PofVWMgoG9h-EeY2RklLhHWYehsYdSbMu5agco4fxkl1f-5I6pn8EkEZ36VAriGsuzkbDVAxwbTI/w640-h426/DSC_0172.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">My nephew, Simeon, helping with the tilling--he's a great help to me; always asking me, "Auntie Bek; what can I do?" </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fJCwfxXxpoFka3UQVvzxTopAJmHTvzPMnjTkd2zTBvW2kV6jjihno9kPj_7L2buAtlsiNe1b24L0vl1EENrK9lPFwxiP-EE_DgJOlLMVf9Dkky2pmB3NJjGr9GrAtUWSuNnTnkU2mhk/s3008/DSC_0168.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3008" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fJCwfxXxpoFka3UQVvzxTopAJmHTvzPMnjTkd2zTBvW2kV6jjihno9kPj_7L2buAtlsiNe1b24L0vl1EENrK9lPFwxiP-EE_DgJOlLMVf9Dkky2pmB3NJjGr9GrAtUWSuNnTnkU2mhk/w640-h426/DSC_0168.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">More tilling and cleaning up, too . . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDGvQcj8E1IpN-wQSJs129VQHF-gPX1CwhPPe6IWh9XK1DzU-K6pLJEW3gKYPkRMJkfyTUwQZwHMxeCMy6XRTtw38rse_h3kXxqGLelWZKli5hgw7dHIO1nwNkvfsk_298bDrp1NzY1U/s2431/DSC_0159+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="2431" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDGvQcj8E1IpN-wQSJs129VQHF-gPX1CwhPPe6IWh9XK1DzU-K6pLJEW3gKYPkRMJkfyTUwQZwHMxeCMy6XRTtw38rse_h3kXxqGLelWZKli5hgw7dHIO1nwNkvfsk_298bDrp1NzY1U/w640-h412/DSC_0159+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5O-hw0YdW1JjY93T32iyaMsD1nR3JyaSKKqonMDgi9cKm2mrPTdhAkV7jtPk33JirSY70UFg5Y_ULk7B2gYTjuLdEShUhYIga66A5rO9XFhBVLRPnpDYrgIlt6i8Qc2zOUxMDAVTMOA/s1801/DSC_0149+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1309" data-original-width="1801" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5O-hw0YdW1JjY93T32iyaMsD1nR3JyaSKKqonMDgi9cKm2mrPTdhAkV7jtPk33JirSY70UFg5Y_ULk7B2gYTjuLdEShUhYIga66A5rO9XFhBVLRPnpDYrgIlt6i8Qc2zOUxMDAVTMOA/w640-h466/DSC_0149+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2vgCHE-IbKmjropvSl6QVKcTvD3cqY0z60FOq7ya1ZnlHtCpZs2WxfOUBJUXrPZ6zAslT5SfYsRiv0LeLrk8DxiVfvNtEgHjaJ4L9z5H1YBeQQz5FE6KRo0RgssUG7z4uQbRad5k0MI/s3008/DSC_0141.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3008" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2vgCHE-IbKmjropvSl6QVKcTvD3cqY0z60FOq7ya1ZnlHtCpZs2WxfOUBJUXrPZ6zAslT5SfYsRiv0LeLrk8DxiVfvNtEgHjaJ4L9z5H1YBeQQz5FE6KRo0RgssUG7z4uQbRad5k0MI/w640-h426/DSC_0141.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUOupmx4hktD8nP3aBba4wXQ7DyzX8pqS8a6K8ZCK0d2gNWQHYqQmlEQgJ8Y0RwfNSNSAHwL_AN4GZICBZhRQ5F0cc5tFrwVnOiAyoWIe-L4boCdOMFkS-wz-KPWzmk_4yy4WpsC6DxY/s956/DSC_0114.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="956" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUOupmx4hktD8nP3aBba4wXQ7DyzX8pqS8a6K8ZCK0d2gNWQHYqQmlEQgJ8Y0RwfNSNSAHwL_AN4GZICBZhRQ5F0cc5tFrwVnOiAyoWIe-L4boCdOMFkS-wz-KPWzmk_4yy4WpsC6DxY/w640-h638/DSC_0114.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The return of the precious hollyhocks . . . </span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Jp-JmIQjkEOoEn0-TcRrLzyFir7oas8F1eqrEHomFCwND9TjSbw_jydf4T4voykL9swMh067QUYbTtJb1KeAb5alitSCIlqdYptx2xuS9JuOw5RxqSKFNfYFq0CrGaY2YNwIcjZeyBg/s2169/DSC_0109.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="2169" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Jp-JmIQjkEOoEn0-TcRrLzyFir7oas8F1eqrEHomFCwND9TjSbw_jydf4T4voykL9swMh067QUYbTtJb1KeAb5alitSCIlqdYptx2xuS9JuOw5RxqSKFNfYFq0CrGaY2YNwIcjZeyBg/w640-h430/DSC_0109.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">And here is the row of daffodils that I mentioned in my last post . . . </span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkg8edoNfbNNmZNxy19zihrjHurkcnLWvPVTiG6bjlFRUflIxfrv5yFtVHdMFqF0Uuqyk_0q0Jtu77b5PIBGkVHd1HV-jyNy6Y5yEl3SdPoBNdmEi87HZt5j4HDGT297astAe3j5ZR5g/s1849/DSC_0106.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1849" data-original-width="1056" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkg8edoNfbNNmZNxy19zihrjHurkcnLWvPVTiG6bjlFRUflIxfrv5yFtVHdMFqF0Uuqyk_0q0Jtu77b5PIBGkVHd1HV-jyNy6Y5yEl3SdPoBNdmEi87HZt5j4HDGT297astAe3j5ZR5g/w366-h640/DSC_0106.JPG" width="366" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">This made me smile . . . my little 8-year-old daughter put Jesus to sleep in her room beside Eric Metaxas's book that she found on my bedside table . . . </span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBoPenUl6Zn3JnYdfwu9fFO54f4dGNij3tU9UmXhU_yO7aEGz_KmjST3a0WI1SInc8rRvI5uSMnvSuKj5cNj-ZFyukFOeDTlnRt3jYRAspSoi-1kEhm8AtuxC8xOV5GrfibU5NoDRuC4/s2467/DSC_0078+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2467" data-original-width="1768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBoPenUl6Zn3JnYdfwu9fFO54f4dGNij3tU9UmXhU_yO7aEGz_KmjST3a0WI1SInc8rRvI5uSMnvSuKj5cNj-ZFyukFOeDTlnRt3jYRAspSoi-1kEhm8AtuxC8xOV5GrfibU5NoDRuC4/w458-h640/DSC_0078+%25281%2529.JPG" width="458" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Breads baking in the oven for Easter . . . </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWj0UUgZb5Wtes1bn0200yqr59pwAype9oI84YYFgUGG02oIyRSgpqhwTJ5FX_zIaFvF-aG8j9KBp3OZWUypbqOmH68E5RjpuXDFKvDYyz8bdE1NrXVn_Y0Kt37OwJjvhK9S3a7lM6Os/s2159/DSC_0075.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1677" data-original-width="2159" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWj0UUgZb5Wtes1bn0200yqr59pwAype9oI84YYFgUGG02oIyRSgpqhwTJ5FX_zIaFvF-aG8j9KBp3OZWUypbqOmH68E5RjpuXDFKvDYyz8bdE1NrXVn_Y0Kt37OwJjvhK9S3a7lM6Os/w640-h498/DSC_0075.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Work on the Missionary House has begun and the "First Phase" is complete! We praise God for how He is providing for the ministry and bringing His beautiful plan into fruition . . . </span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfhY37mfi9us8rrSWKCVKHAEVzegi60EMeuxnJ5iUG_HTY0SxjEuqbIS1God_m7eqsZo6a52PhW91dv8n4q1D-CEDd7mPiuwg5yhUidqiRpFGi3DVb68WlpmDHQZnymGSgdxernEa7s8/s2367/DSC_0183.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1887" data-original-width="2367" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfhY37mfi9us8rrSWKCVKHAEVzegi60EMeuxnJ5iUG_HTY0SxjEuqbIS1God_m7eqsZo6a52PhW91dv8n4q1D-CEDd7mPiuwg5yhUidqiRpFGi3DVb68WlpmDHQZnymGSgdxernEa7s8/w640-h510/DSC_0183.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Tulips blooming outside after the long, long winter . . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XdjXeWKUECb9bK8R_fy3dbmof5yzsSM2lr-u2xUGvXBR4jqe24sRCSdVswhQW9AFRqb1fw7xdpSS8lOGZ9JizR9eilcL6cj4KrtT3k8CG9ApFe4wsOgw30tjYTes064xRylF23czD8A/s1822/DSC_0240.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1822" data-original-width="1588" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XdjXeWKUECb9bK8R_fy3dbmof5yzsSM2lr-u2xUGvXBR4jqe24sRCSdVswhQW9AFRqb1fw7xdpSS8lOGZ9JizR9eilcL6cj4KrtT3k8CG9ApFe4wsOgw30tjYTes064xRylF23czD8A/w558-h640/DSC_0240.JPG" width="558" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Praise the Lord for His mercies . . . truly, our Protector never slumbers and He works out all things according to His plan and love for His people . . . We bless His name. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-84171321915526271082021-03-31T08:10:00.004-04:002021-03-31T08:10:52.063-04:00A Month of Mercies~~March 2021<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Morning by morning, new mercies I see </i>. . . March 2021</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Instead of sharing a weekly update on this blog's Facebook page as I've done in the past, I decided to share a monthly update HERE instead. I had been telling about how the Lord had moved and worked in my life in words and pictures every week, but it has been difficult to keep up. Therefore, I felt led to do this on a monthly basis on my blog instead, and then to share it with you all! I pray that it is a blessing to you. Truly, it is good to give praise to the Lord--this practice lifts my heart and reminds me that the Lord is at work in His people's lives in both great and small ways. Blessed be His name!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So without further ado, this past month the Lord has blessed me and spoken to me through~</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">~Starting my flowers indoors with my children . . . this always brings gladness to my heart as we push the tiny seeds into the soil and wait for the Lord to cause the light of the sun to shine upon the plants and to cause them to grow. There is so much of the grace and mercy of God in planting . . . </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbqrOQPVnalDsu7X7h9TZ_7S4saSGvJ-rkG13pHikp9iFWAPHuxydlq_Q_HuMqNvWCkWKxa6UU-My6lsDMi4bqyqoQLHhm_MzkyE4ObwyewW9RQYg73bXDtFd0D6W1B4SrK7aCb38HlU/s2994/DSC_0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1883" data-original-width="2994" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbqrOQPVnalDsu7X7h9TZ_7S4saSGvJ-rkG13pHikp9iFWAPHuxydlq_Q_HuMqNvWCkWKxa6UU-My6lsDMi4bqyqoQLHhm_MzkyE4ObwyewW9RQYg73bXDtFd0D6W1B4SrK7aCb38HlU/w640-h402/DSC_0042.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">~Remembering that HE is our strength and our song through all of the trials and difficulties of life . . . this world is not our final resting place~~</span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfIlNhnTbLyp0L8lmSsW_oyoZFuawphHi7uVngL8zaQ5y7X1fTR46DuBvW-XXHc_Hr_AffJfpMKJYUNxQoqrQL4BReqfb_3YwGLR59U2YMhZhsUxRfS6SlSpORqiKuJqikaKt20U34uU/s2712/DSC_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1929" data-original-width="2712" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfIlNhnTbLyp0L8lmSsW_oyoZFuawphHi7uVngL8zaQ5y7X1fTR46DuBvW-XXHc_Hr_AffJfpMKJYUNxQoqrQL4BReqfb_3YwGLR59U2YMhZhsUxRfS6SlSpORqiKuJqikaKt20U34uU/w640-h456/DSC_0046.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">~We celebrated the Passover at our church this month; what an incredible blessing~~ these were the cupcakes that we brought to share for dessert after we celebrated the Passover meal. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxcBBn8wP-yRu4ccAGUc3Lu1E81K-NTa3ogNvZgp6yLiVF8z0zrDRQ7eH8vLbEmGzBAxoFjSfNh7R1_BfgQz9jfdwjXm6NzjHkOlj_ZC3rToRZH_vwHnl23j4x-aXYmSSbpryl4Qevkg/s2875/DSC_0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1958" data-original-width="2875" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxcBBn8wP-yRu4ccAGUc3Lu1E81K-NTa3ogNvZgp6yLiVF8z0zrDRQ7eH8vLbEmGzBAxoFjSfNh7R1_BfgQz9jfdwjXm6NzjHkOlj_ZC3rToRZH_vwHnl23j4x-aXYmSSbpryl4Qevkg/w640-h436/DSC_0048.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">~Daffodils blooming near our home . . . and the anticipation for waiting for our "row" of daffodils to bloom.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMePTMo8FIRm7FYMBBaLam4IDHL9UVQztAZMneHU9oiPjZmwqVjD-D-1ubIqviNpE1BOHrPiALMn6oJZWGsUCqH9-RtkcnPZ8D02dC3nS7HBSGLf3rgTnuKAfKpqWdwtf1sOMfnQ0uOa0/s612/DSC_0052+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="411" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMePTMo8FIRm7FYMBBaLam4IDHL9UVQztAZMneHU9oiPjZmwqVjD-D-1ubIqviNpE1BOHrPiALMn6oJZWGsUCqH9-RtkcnPZ8D02dC3nS7HBSGLf3rgTnuKAfKpqWdwtf1sOMfnQ0uOa0/w430-h640/DSC_0052+%25282%2529.JPG" width="430" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXG8402g4eW0BuDY9JBXuTToLQTd-CYjyR0DYpCK4S1lUcnIl2Y4hMKHwD3-XwWxsMVIoRm0Hcls_rFURXf3bTG6xUBJBL7bFc8rfxQIMBRV8muJFUOKucs-SunVcYK8DBfE-QqWbDqE/s2149/DSC_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1817" data-original-width="2149" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXG8402g4eW0BuDY9JBXuTToLQTd-CYjyR0DYpCK4S1lUcnIl2Y4hMKHwD3-XwWxsMVIoRm0Hcls_rFURXf3bTG6xUBJBL7bFc8rfxQIMBRV8muJFUOKucs-SunVcYK8DBfE-QqWbDqE/w640-h542/DSC_0054.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_UjptoT6G3dHmGZCMPEqla0ybu-5V9gvp-OeAJyCucSmqei8ijwtHb0bFSISp48TwbtSOXMEOR9DSjCnAbIW4sm2TIL6NPxHus-IXIU6TTrZNMxqSCvmsvDqHYRpWjXBnysd6-kIb6A/s1799/DSC_0055+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1485" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_UjptoT6G3dHmGZCMPEqla0ybu-5V9gvp-OeAJyCucSmqei8ijwtHb0bFSISp48TwbtSOXMEOR9DSjCnAbIW4sm2TIL6NPxHus-IXIU6TTrZNMxqSCvmsvDqHYRpWjXBnysd6-kIb6A/w528-h640/DSC_0055+%25281%2529.JPG" width="528" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">~A friendly Robin sheltered on our front step during a late snow . . . </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBUSNIG8xlW4KaAfgueORIDTXKSonltNtCzpCDkOWDBRDh1bZXNryST8YyEhQ3wkXdMQGx1C0nIFZ9GfwFMiN4lkyDW7Cf63xSH9SoSAwArvhyPVdclCSEk2_Sy-4xNaaE6yVeTqLsUk/s1101/DSC_0742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="1101" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBUSNIG8xlW4KaAfgueORIDTXKSonltNtCzpCDkOWDBRDh1bZXNryST8YyEhQ3wkXdMQGx1C0nIFZ9GfwFMiN4lkyDW7Cf63xSH9SoSAwArvhyPVdclCSEk2_Sy-4xNaaE6yVeTqLsUk/w640-h538/DSC_0742.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">~And finally, work HAS BEGUN on The Missionary House (a piece of our family's ministry here in the Midwest). More details to come on that later :-). This has brought great joy and hope to my heart in the midst of a very difficult year of sorrow over the direction that our country has taken . . . </span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4PDTr0DOYEEibk-VpwdDOKpU7xp0Z2oHk2LHVV0BaYsYSUe6xEmuYBgNwAztjQcPHgbvMzCyJDg1c1vtG_z05Kg5GwBV6AiqzscX6SNcuOA7cRTq7M_i98tozOebf4Egc0AUJPBWvyM/s3008/DSC_0745+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3008" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4PDTr0DOYEEibk-VpwdDOKpU7xp0Z2oHk2LHVV0BaYsYSUe6xEmuYBgNwAztjQcPHgbvMzCyJDg1c1vtG_z05Kg5GwBV6AiqzscX6SNcuOA7cRTq7M_i98tozOebf4Egc0AUJPBWvyM/w640-h426/DSC_0745+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hJDYkuDXaEAfwbaQ6CjZpo65VEh_V4scE565JhGqhIIKtK-Jh0vKrN4aLDAqfdvXQrkaeE6zeXXwvfJqQSxpdkQVrO-QWjV5P4JtDNoSy7309I7fEsrT3aamZAUY0AlTKdT7GOun-W0/s2852/DSC_0755+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1911" data-original-width="2852" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hJDYkuDXaEAfwbaQ6CjZpo65VEh_V4scE565JhGqhIIKtK-Jh0vKrN4aLDAqfdvXQrkaeE6zeXXwvfJqQSxpdkQVrO-QWjV5P4JtDNoSy7309I7fEsrT3aamZAUY0AlTKdT7GOun-W0/w640-h428/DSC_0755+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9j2Vcvp7UyQ1ZIyH9dwIelhyphenhyphenJL2-1Pc0n5l9Ckji8P1ctfv2Ge-3yIliRMSUf63KgweNExHEFB0jFDUpa5zy5vLz0Wldxt7ncufpyRYFOuO6JaLMOx6fHwzDwCwD4KW6F1C6vDxo6TC8/s3008/DSC_0757+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3008" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9j2Vcvp7UyQ1ZIyH9dwIelhyphenhyphenJL2-1Pc0n5l9Ckji8P1ctfv2Ge-3yIliRMSUf63KgweNExHEFB0jFDUpa5zy5vLz0Wldxt7ncufpyRYFOuO6JaLMOx6fHwzDwCwD4KW6F1C6vDxo6TC8/w640-h426/DSC_0757+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXtf6dURl4riXdXqfYbZptFUr094jdgsTenr9OV5qQzChukTfOyY7wXbGKTcTceiK6p_rmmAedYInNQTc2WgrxJH6zSiblcOvtSTvs5y7vtZSASxN8lWXWg_X9NJqBpeQC15S7Rs58wc/s2950/DSC_0768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1729" data-original-width="2950" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXtf6dURl4riXdXqfYbZptFUr094jdgsTenr9OV5qQzChukTfOyY7wXbGKTcTceiK6p_rmmAedYInNQTc2WgrxJH6zSiblcOvtSTvs5y7vtZSASxN8lWXWg_X9NJqBpeQC15S7Rs58wc/w640-h376/DSC_0768.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: georgia;">Praise the Lord; He lives! He moves and works in our lives. I pray that you will have a very blessed Easter . . . I would love to hear about how the Lord is moving in your life as well . . . the Lord bless and keep each one of you . . . </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-7963343112019452412021-02-24T12:53:00.001-05:002021-03-01T08:29:09.046-05:00Ministry Update<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I wanted to share an update on our ministry in the Midwest as well as thank all of those who have been faithfully praying for us. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBG8yNXY3VwAFPql-OfObD-xLHsrJWdHyEgGqEyWr1b4i60KVDHoqYl0iQkQfnlp4TRkBM3ffFQWNH6_RVcpF6eSU2ef55Hemjbia3fvX2EN5Ei17SR4NyvltsF8DEV4tHhBl3z2a7PHg/s2864/DSC_0605.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1900" data-original-width="2864" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBG8yNXY3VwAFPql-OfObD-xLHsrJWdHyEgGqEyWr1b4i60KVDHoqYl0iQkQfnlp4TRkBM3ffFQWNH6_RVcpF6eSU2ef55Hemjbia3fvX2EN5Ei17SR4NyvltsF8DEV4tHhBl3z2a7PHg/w640-h424/DSC_0605.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view outside <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Right now, we are in the throes of winter and eagerly anticipating spring. We have extremely harsh winters here, which makes us all the more thankful when the sweet spring days come. Just recently, I was reading about lilac bushes, which apparently are able to thrive in extreme conditions. There are many, many lilac bushes in Wisconsin! And they flourish, despite the bitter cold winters that we experience here. This fact about lilac bushes reminded me that believers are called to press into the One who is the cleft of the Rock during the harshest times that we face spiritually. We may trust Him to bring life after the chilling winter winds have threatened us with despair. Just as the lilac bush is one of the most beautiful sights in the springtime, so may our lives gracefully reflect the glory of Christ through adversity and hardship. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tC7nWThliTlIjQxjmUTKWGwHsFYHIW_fveZAIa9y5Z8IXPwX-FESQVTYsjAtk84ot51yykzFrA2by9lt0mLuVFtcqu5PqFVcUYmblmM4GKG8z8IodwoVY6oJxLdY0Z-4krK1BmgHDwA/s2571/DSC_0028.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2278" data-original-width="2571" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tC7nWThliTlIjQxjmUTKWGwHsFYHIW_fveZAIa9y5Z8IXPwX-FESQVTYsjAtk84ot51yykzFrA2by9lt0mLuVFtcqu5PqFVcUYmblmM4GKG8z8IodwoVY6oJxLdY0Z-4krK1BmgHDwA/w640-h568/DSC_0028.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hummingbird near the Missionary House drinking honeysuckle</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>O Christ, He is the fountain,</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>The deep, sweet well of life:</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Its living streams I've tasted</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Which save from grief and strife.</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>And to an ocean fullness,</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>His mercy doth expand;</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>His grace is all sufficient</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>As by His wisdom planned.</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">~Anne Cousin</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've shared with you before about an outbuilding on our property which we have affectionately named "The Missionary House." We've been focusing our prayers on that building, asking the Lord to provide the means to renovate it for guests to stay in. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Last summer, I felt that Holy Spirit was asking me to take a step of faith in using all of the earnings from our small farm stand that my children and I run during the spring/summer months toward the renovation of the Missionary House. We usually use this money toward pint-sized projects/our families needs when things are tight, and so it was a step of obedience for me to trust in the Lord to set it aside. I took a large pickle jar and began putting all of our earnings in it as the spring and then summer wore on.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Next, I set a goal on paper and in my mind to complete "Phase 1" of the Missionary House. This would be part 1 of 4 parts--the storage area that is leaking and needed to be re-roofed and framed. I was hoping that what was set aside during the summer would be enough for that particular project. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Unusual things began to happen after I had made the decision to use the money from the farm stand for Herrnhut. I hadn't shared that I would be using this money for our ministry with anyone other than my husband and a few very close immediate family members who I asked not to tell anyone (that was what I believed the Lord had laid upon my heart to do). </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">My sales in young spring perennials that I dug early in the season went way up. Many people stopped by to buy hollyhock plants that I started in the house. And on two separate occasions, neighbors knocked on my door, one of them asking to buy a hanging plant that was just a decoration on the farm stand! It confirmed to me that the Lord was indeed blessing the earnings of the farm stand and had indeed led me to put them aside.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">At the end of the summer, I was hopeful that we might have enough to begin the project. And yet, we fell short. I brought this to the Lord and waited. Miraculously, in answer to prayer, He unexpectedly provided through gifts that were given toward Herrnhut over the winter months, as well as a gift from a family member that was not designated for Herrnhut but that we decided to use toward this project--exactly enough to complete phase one in the spring. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We praise God for His provision and for His faithfulness to answered prayer. We are waiting at this point for our Amish friend to contact us when he is ready to begin the work in early spring. And we praise God! </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUGuoNZ21xTgBG35-HDRalAEA1NgbKki8vhcer7mPSSDrpaQC-B2m6rj7GNe0OKSxOVWp1dTar-Wky1VQ73wXCD43Ihl7Ate6PQNtGdo7gS6kDn4gDRvFVx5-q-0KDWHtXkG3RoEHAOU/s3008/DSC_0219.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3008" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUGuoNZ21xTgBG35-HDRalAEA1NgbKki8vhcer7mPSSDrpaQC-B2m6rj7GNe0OKSxOVWp1dTar-Wky1VQ73wXCD43Ihl7Ate6PQNtGdo7gS6kDn4gDRvFVx5-q-0KDWHtXkG3RoEHAOU/w640-h426/DSC_0219.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South side of the Missionary House</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I am hoping in the next update to share photos with you all of the work that will be done on the Missionary House. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. I am always amazed at how the Lord provides for us exactly in His perfect timing. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We continue to be grateful for your prayers. The Lord bless each and every one of you. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-51661660914030962802021-02-03T07:43:00.002-05:002021-02-03T07:43:48.305-05:00Wednesday Hymn~O God Our Help in Ages Past<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: georgia;">Our God, our help in ages past, </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our hope for years to come,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our shelter from the stormy blast, </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And our eternal home.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Under the shadow of Thy throne</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thy saints have dwelt secure;</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sufficient is Thine arm alone,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And our defense is sure.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Before the hills in order stood</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Or earth received her frame,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">From everlasting Thou are God,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">To endless years the same.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Word commands our flesh to dust,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Return, ye sons of men."</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">All nations rose from earth at first,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And turn to earth again.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A thousand ages in Thy sight</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Are like an evening gone;</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Short as the watch that ends the night</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Before the rising sun.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The busy tribes of flesh and blood,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">With all their lives and cares,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Are carried downwards by the flood,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And lost in following years.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Time, like an ever rolling stream</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Bears all its sons away;</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">They fly, forgotten, as a dream<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Dies at the opening day.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Like flowery fields the nations stand</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Pleased with the morning light;</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The flowers beneath the mower's hand</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lie withering ere 'tis night.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our God, our help in ages past,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our hope for years to come,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Be Thou our guard while troubles last,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And our eternal home.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">~Isaac Watts</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPigfPfusrt1YXUJzKMXyYDEAgQ26sI_6pvxZejajJqIjK1YwkvAzP2il1SVD95_tcHlNn5dABV2sHajeoNX9znryC0aOhZHi5RHmvZ12Onc2Rx_HBVgjQjRBjv-jJbDpVVrugJLTbJjo/s1920/nature-3170918_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1271" data-original-width="1920" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPigfPfusrt1YXUJzKMXyYDEAgQ26sI_6pvxZejajJqIjK1YwkvAzP2il1SVD95_tcHlNn5dABV2sHajeoNX9znryC0aOhZHi5RHmvZ12Onc2Rx_HBVgjQjRBjv-jJbDpVVrugJLTbJjo/w640-h424/nature-3170918_1920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-41215041319021175902021-01-05T07:33:00.000-05:002021-01-05T07:33:39.286-05:00Too Much Rubble <p> <span style="font-family: georgia;">A few days after Christmas, I assessed our situation. It was Monday, and I hadn't decided when we would start up homeschooling again after a few day's Christmas break. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNXMYkWZSCDQh0JLzWWxdOLWDNFWokRNzVzcGi8ua8OVdp9Vv_LNwx2O_fQvnD_bljaG6jjBNdsdWLnEtc_bv6OtaDSBqyYWnYYl98n_M2UdsfFScqHgF4UZU1aUPymXtKps2yXgvvtU/s960/wall2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="960" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNXMYkWZSCDQh0JLzWWxdOLWDNFWokRNzVzcGi8ua8OVdp9Vv_LNwx2O_fQvnD_bljaG6jjBNdsdWLnEtc_bv6OtaDSBqyYWnYYl98n_M2UdsfFScqHgF4UZU1aUPymXtKps2yXgvvtU/w640-h408/wall2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I looked around at the after-Christmas clutter in our bedrooms, the decorations that needed to be stored and put away, and at the general disorder around me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And I decided that we needed to "clear the rubble" before we began to "build the wall" again. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It would be difficult and frustrating to delve into our studies when there was so much "build-up" all around us. And so I told my two children (much to their delight), that we would be taking a few days to clean and organize before we delved back into our books. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We needed to clear the rubble before building the wall. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3LrMBko3TTzQNjRx0fyF39A1-ekqQO3Uwo6fr1v75QorElH1Vg2KQqgZul5iIqbHjNlpMJskAc6u5E0XimkdN3LhA7CESjjvjF7SVS0cOnkyReY9yv5gWncYuV9iZILMbwAoCuUY3z0/s960/wall3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="960" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3LrMBko3TTzQNjRx0fyF39A1-ekqQO3Uwo6fr1v75QorElH1Vg2KQqgZul5iIqbHjNlpMJskAc6u5E0XimkdN3LhA7CESjjvjF7SVS0cOnkyReY9yv5gWncYuV9iZILMbwAoCuUY3z0/w640-h424/wall3.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text Neh-4-10" id="en-NKJV-12370">Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.” </span></span></i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text Neh-4-10" id="en-NKJV-12370"> </span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text Neh-4-10" id="en-NKJV-12370">Nehemiah 4:10 NKJV<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Isn't this true in our lives? The "walls" of whatever it that the Lord has called us to need to be built. They need to be physically or figuratively built; they need to be spiritually built and strengthened through prayer. The walls need to be built.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">What has God called you to build, friend? Is it the spiritual foundation of your family? Is it the strengthening of your devotional life? Is it a ministry or a special project that He has placed upon your heart? What walls are you building? And are they surely the "walls" that the Lord has called you to build?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyJrGfbTeEyYN7lc6K3PuSt8xir7RdzclAgifqv0v9FpgxtINYQjQIRvGD8C4hBQl1Mu774SzXjm8VqxxQ2NxGiDNfMPQu-bmWUu4DqRtBYtFm7YzfsM285Rc2SX7k004o9SRR4URDuc/s960/wall4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyJrGfbTeEyYN7lc6K3PuSt8xir7RdzclAgifqv0v9FpgxtINYQjQIRvGD8C4hBQl1Mu774SzXjm8VqxxQ2NxGiDNfMPQu-bmWUu4DqRtBYtFm7YzfsM285Rc2SX7k004o9SRR4URDuc/w640-h480/wall4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've found, so many times in my own life that I need to STOP and re-access what I am building. Did the Lord really call me to a project or to an endeavor, or am I building the "walls" of my own fancy and design? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">When He HAS indeed called me to a project or to a work, is there clear ground around my feet, or "rubble" that I may trip over and "mess up" the wall that He has called me to build? This "rubble" may take on many shapes and forms--it may be distractions--spiritual or physical distractions that need to be "cleaned up" and dealt with. It may be a besetting sin that "trips us up" and needs to be repented of at the foot of the cross. It may be the "extra clutter" of things and activities that the Lord has not called us to and doesn't want us to pursue, even if in appearance they seem like a "good" thing. As Oswald Chambers says, "Beware of the good that is the enemy of the best." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTYCEQ8oT9A-ZdUhnor5ODzczS_7_8o17N6VvUeynrvQDZ0DBkF6nxgcMVQB-ivVPgC3TJDgj3lR42aPW2r8aJklZUYWXmHBZpKYLL1o9jD0tOZ-Yr0IX31CkXPtLqxO56PwHszolOUc/s887/wall5.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="887" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTYCEQ8oT9A-ZdUhnor5ODzczS_7_8o17N6VvUeynrvQDZ0DBkF6nxgcMVQB-ivVPgC3TJDgj3lR42aPW2r8aJklZUYWXmHBZpKYLL1o9jD0tOZ-Yr0IX31CkXPtLqxO56PwHszolOUc/w640-h520/wall5.webp" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Clear out the rubble, friend. Tidy up your spiritual house. Deal with things quickly with the Lord. Keep short accounts. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And then "tidy up" your physical house. Has the Lord called you to eat in a healthier way to serve Him better? Clean out your refrigerator; get those offending foods out! Has He called you to wake up a little earlier to spend time with Him? Has He called you to go to bed a little earlier so that you may serve Him better during the day? <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Has He called you to "show hospitality?" Give your kids a dusting rag and a broom and together physically clean out the rooms in your home. It will be easier to fulfill His calling when we are obedient to Him in the day to day "tidying" of our homes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Has He called you to take the spiritual lead in your home? Dust that Bible off--pick out a good family devotional and clear that rubble of kid's complaining and "lack of time," and pursue the spiritual growth of your home with the simple spiritual "tools" that the Lord has given to us--a Bible, and hymnal, and a mind that can memorize God's Word and hide it in our hearts. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We don't need all the extra things-the "rubble" is holding us back. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the summertime, often my kids will try to start building something in the sandbox while all the other sand toys are lying around and cluttering up the project area. I often tell them--"you can't build with all of this clutter; clean it out first." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And how true this is for us as well! So come before the Lord. If you can kneel, do so--if not, spread out your hands to Him and ask Him what it is that He has called you to do. Make a list. Get rid of the things that He hasn't called you to, that are just the "rubble" of an extra burden or activity. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGgryuEO-xHZcy1mUvIEa5wiVEITHcj1CFKAgkpoTjITlVMqSvrHFDr36eF90jCu94Ww31QFXEXMYgj8I78FJMqEerKzMVKJ4AcHra-08IXkc1-2lXFnh585njPE8VlJ4uJZ1_T03O9s/s960/wall7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGgryuEO-xHZcy1mUvIEa5wiVEITHcj1CFKAgkpoTjITlVMqSvrHFDr36eF90jCu94Ww31QFXEXMYgj8I78FJMqEerKzMVKJ4AcHra-08IXkc1-2lXFnh585njPE8VlJ4uJZ1_T03O9s/w640-h426/wall7.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And then get up and build. He has given you the tools. He has given you His Spirit. He will strengthen your hands and your heart. And through your obedience, you will know His smile and pleasure. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text Isa-35-3" id="en-NKJV-18324">Strengthen the weak hands,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-35-3">And make firm the feeble knees.</span><span class="text Isa-35-4" id="en-NKJV-18325"></span></span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text Isa-35-4" id="en-NKJV-18325">Say to those who are fearful-hearted,</span><br /><span class="text Isa-35-4">“Be strong, do not fear!</span></span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text Isa-35-4">Isaiah 35:3-4a NKJV <br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text Isa-35-4"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text Isa-35-4"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text Isa-35-4"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080073131X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=080073131X&linkId=3f46d3e42400c6f2ab5a93a10e7e0e2c">Book Recommendation--this is an excellent one to start off the new year--</a></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="text Isa-35-4"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080073131X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=080073131X&linkId=3f46d3e42400c6f2ab5a93a10e7e0e2c"><i>Discipline: The Glad Surrender</i>, by Elisabeth Elliot</a></b></span></span></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-66359183496204546722020-12-02T07:36:00.000-05:002020-12-02T07:36:04.012-05:00Wednesday Hymn<div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Come, Thou long expected Jesus</span></i></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i><div style="text-align: center;">Born to set Thy people free;</div><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;">From our fears and sins release us,</div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;">Let us find our rest in Thee.</div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;">Israel's strength and consolation,</div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;">Hope of all the earth Thou art;</div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;">Dear desire of every nation,</div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;">Joy of every longing heart.</div></span></i></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Born Thy people to deliver,</span></i></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i><div style="text-align: center;">Born a child and yet a King,</div><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;">Born to reign in us forever,</div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;">Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.</div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;">By Thine own eternal Spirit<br /></div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;">Rule in all our hearts alone;</div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;">By Thine all sufficient merit,</div></span></i></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><i>Raise us to Thy glorious throne.</i></span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">~Charles Wesley</span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHnKnjqKhYi5YMPbfYn5ltGNSOeR8dqEzMISIA8hn6y0i2UF1cAR5RCirNBnXZ-HcZQI3gtDWcGqxfQpFZIZhYPUIE3u4aKmvZGDXF8KUJzPxA7afoLvOxQF550NDw59rFr7XePl5huA/s851/Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="851" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHnKnjqKhYi5YMPbfYn5ltGNSOeR8dqEzMISIA8hn6y0i2UF1cAR5RCirNBnXZ-HcZQI3gtDWcGqxfQpFZIZhYPUIE3u4aKmvZGDXF8KUJzPxA7afoLvOxQF550NDw59rFr7XePl5huA/w640-h236/Christmas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Book Recommendation for the Advent season: </span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0664234291/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0664234291&linkId=318dd2f2612cfcd50c639b5e531bfb59">God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas </a></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0664234291/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0664234291&linkId=318dd2f2612cfcd50c639b5e531bfb59">Written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHRBmC1hxHZRqPSeE17qGGkLuV8IDtLgwdV2JbFxZ3EEsegq5EM1z6eP_fEerux8_Op4nBW3wJoqoT_IAQ2xrHfgEFkmPYbTjy5SbCVCKgOF1a28fnzL38C6U6Q5EoLKIqNTZBkcAIVQ/s293/Dietrich+Manger.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="184" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHRBmC1hxHZRqPSeE17qGGkLuV8IDtLgwdV2JbFxZ3EEsegq5EM1z6eP_fEerux8_Op4nBW3wJoqoT_IAQ2xrHfgEFkmPYbTjy5SbCVCKgOF1a28fnzL38C6U6Q5EoLKIqNTZBkcAIVQ/w201-h320/Dietrich+Manger.webp" width="201" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-56206007730589503102020-11-30T07:53:00.000-05:002020-11-30T07:53:03.486-05:00Encouragement for Monday<p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: left;">There are three</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: left;"> stages to every great work of God; first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.</span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: left;">~Hudson Taylor</span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGArhmPq9FN_Dv5lup9dMRW3ir_-5Of3kSpJDmudAvFmabq4cLYkqaAotWGK0PbMGzgrxUc2qhcbPD6JIDUS05bxBvSRKIuBAaY64W0rjJ__rXJAdfZBxnbbxYDQAYlTf9WpmhGllQiwg/s960/hope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="960" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGArhmPq9FN_Dv5lup9dMRW3ir_-5Of3kSpJDmudAvFmabq4cLYkqaAotWGK0PbMGzgrxUc2qhcbPD6JIDUS05bxBvSRKIuBAaY64W0rjJ__rXJAdfZBxnbbxYDQAYlTf9WpmhGllQiwg/w640-h540/hope.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: left;"><br /></span></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Have you read Hudson Taylor's Biography? This book will be an encouragement to your faith~~</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802456588/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0802456588&linkId=2d513d8bbd4a07d12654fc0f3d6e6710"> Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret</a></span></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-31927948192083987272020-11-28T08:22:00.001-05:002020-11-28T08:23:00.554-05:00Scripture Saturday~~Habakkuk 3:17-19 <blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> "Though the fig tree does not bud</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">and there are no grapes on the vines,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">though the olive crop fails</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">and the fields produce no food,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">though there are no sheep in the pen</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">and no cattle in the stalls,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">YET (emphasis mine) I will rejoice in the LORD,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I will be joyful in God my Savior.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Sovereign Lord is my strength;</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">He enables me to tread on the heights."</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">~Habakkuk 3:17-19 NIV</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAPqu5wpsPEt-S_HNWVyoqH-DTSMRuFgnwgnQ1ZvXARYue11Fcy7fHfW2EKoQ5f7AwLGtaFn7KiPnyHTGZ97rXBLdhqHs73QuyI35X8oGz1O0XZvrrcxzQxX1YnOOu9k8_7YcvPiJ_OE/s960/robin-1192321_960_720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="960" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYAPqu5wpsPEt-S_HNWVyoqH-DTSMRuFgnwgnQ1ZvXARYue11Fcy7fHfW2EKoQ5f7AwLGtaFn7KiPnyHTGZ97rXBLdhqHs73QuyI35X8oGz1O0XZvrrcxzQxX1YnOOu9k8_7YcvPiJ_OE/w640-h472/robin-1192321_960_720.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="poetry top-05" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative;"><p class="line" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-width: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="text Hab-3-17" style="position: relative;"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p></div><div class="poetry top-05" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; min-width: 0px; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative;"><p class="line" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-width: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="text Hab-3-19" id="en-NIV-22788" style="position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; left: -4.4em; line-height: normal; position: absolute; text-align: center; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;"> </span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="indent-1"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span></div></span></span><p></p></div></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-15617668734792643082020-09-17T07:51:00.000-04:002020-09-17T07:51:42.839-04:00The Secret Place of Thunder Book Release!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDjra8Y9x71lGZqai4bjIaRtH_rOV8UyT_b2uC2QMoedkA1_aA0MqpOIF0pQ7lcACt4oKmBZdiIHC24eDCq_WZe1MDc0k3wqHPVXY4u_v4yOdR5KBWYOZYVD5gDC57uvu3bmqIpWEkoo/s2048/The+Secret+Place+of+Thunder+blog+tour+header+graphic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDjra8Y9x71lGZqai4bjIaRtH_rOV8UyT_b2uC2QMoedkA1_aA0MqpOIF0pQ7lcACt4oKmBZdiIHC24eDCq_WZe1MDc0k3wqHPVXY4u_v4yOdR5KBWYOZYVD5gDC57uvu3bmqIpWEkoo/w579-h326/The+Secret+Place+of+Thunder+blog+tour+header+graphic.jpg" width="579" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">About the Novella:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">The mountains have imprisoned
her long enough...<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Edna Sue O’Connell came back to the
Kentucky hills out of duty and can’t wait for the chance to escape again. Her
work as a horseback librarian in rural Appalachia provides enough income for
her invalid father to survive in the midst of the Great Depression, but it
affords her with little else.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When an opportunity arises for Edna to take on an
additional book delivery area, she spies a glimmer of hope that she might find
a way out of Willow Hollow after all… and that she might actually make
something of her life apart from the tragedy that has filled it thus far.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But the new routes give Edna more
than she ever bargained for. Slowly, she finds that the mountains contain many
valuable secrets – if she has the grit to meet them.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwu_6cYUhltQcBTEsFfTvH8Sfums_Fe-CIyWdbaywYyXRFVZU642CubazqcYhX2eqeIc0fZhUdfPg5EJaerahhyphenhyphenEDqy1aF0ZJpzmLji8izcoDTVnbK645lf55tkj8RNqA6OvF3HGfaNQ/s961/Secret+Place.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="960" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwu_6cYUhltQcBTEsFfTvH8Sfums_Fe-CIyWdbaywYyXRFVZU642CubazqcYhX2eqeIc0fZhUdfPg5EJaerahhyphenhyphenEDqy1aF0ZJpzmLji8izcoDTVnbK645lf55tkj8RNqA6OvF3HGfaNQ/w372-h342/Secret+Place.jpg" width="372" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>My Review:</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>What an incredible book! There were many facets to love about it, but I'll share my three favorites--close attention to historical detail, the centrality of the Gospel message, and finally, the poignant, engaging story line. </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Every time I read one of this author's books, it becomes "one of my favorites" of hers. This one was no exception. The research into the historical period that she wrote about (including tiny details that fleshed out and really "explained" the time period and location in the Appalachian mountains where the book takes place) was fascinating for me. The book was well-researched and important details were carefully and engagingly highlighted without making the book boring in any way, but rather enhancing the story. The Gospel message was clearly given in a simple and winsome way. And finally, the story line was phenomenally engaging. This book was difficult to put down. I also loved the way that the author wove the hymn "He Hideth My Soul" into the story; it was really beautiful and touching. </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>I give this book 5 stars because as usual, this author delivered a poignant, powerful, Gospel saturated, sensitive, compelling story that left me once again at the feet of Truth. I am looking forward to her next release with great anticipation! </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>About the Author:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Alicia G. Ruggieri grew up breathing in the salty air of
coastal New England. She now writes grace-filled, Christ-centered fiction from
her home in Wisconsin, where she lives with her husband and sweet second-hand
mutt. She loves old graveyards, dusty libraries, and excellent cannolis ~ not
necessarily in that order.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCt0AcWSxAuV1YVD0FJbGDvRYdM4QFww6Z1JlIDdEKLZlz3Sv8WWGAuCud2qVPBjojQ33sPWwLZUe2jlXTrvngtgZE_pDISKlvxA2Ebo1G1CgiwfmEl6-6nfWELJvdJJS8v6Udfo04sdA/s250/Alicia1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCt0AcWSxAuV1YVD0FJbGDvRYdM4QFww6Z1JlIDdEKLZlz3Sv8WWGAuCud2qVPBjojQ33sPWwLZUe2jlXTrvngtgZE_pDISKlvxA2Ebo1G1CgiwfmEl6-6nfWELJvdJJS8v6Udfo04sdA/w374-h369/Alicia1.jpg" width="374" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">About the Series:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>The Secret Place of Thunder</i>
is part of the <i>Librarians of Willow Hollow</i> multi-author novella
collection. Each novella stands on its own but is connected to the others in
this historical Christian fiction series set in 1930s Appalachia.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Other books in the <i>Librarians of
Willow Hollow</i> series:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B5NZPTY"><i>A Strand of Hope</i></a> by
Amanda Tero<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B7Z15FH"><i>I Love to Tell the Story</i></a>
by Faith Blum<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BDTP47G"><i>Hearts on Lonely
Mountain</i></a> by A.M. Heath<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Come along as four packhorse
librarians find adventures outside the books they carry! </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Links:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Purchase the Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BFBF93T">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BFBF93T</a>
-- Available in e-book and softcover<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Author’s Website: <a href="http://www.aliciagruggieri.com/">http://www.aliciagruggieri.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Author’s Facebook Page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AliciaGRuggieri">http://www.facebook.com/AliciaGRuggieri</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Author’s Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aliciagruggieri">https://www.instagram.com/aliciagruggieri</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Find <i>The Secret Place of Thunder</i> on Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54151965-the-secret-place-of-thunder">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54151965-the-secret-place-of-thunder</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<h1><span style="font-family: georgia;">Release Week Giveaway!<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">To celebrate this release, Alicia is giving away an
Appalachian music CD, a mini Appalachian Breakfast soy candle, and a set of
whimsical bronze bookmarks! (Due to shipping costs, the giveaway is limited to
the continental U.S.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <a class="rcptr" data-raflid="6a4015a019" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6a4015a019/" id="rcwidget_kr6afgr3" rel="nofollow">A Rafflecopter Giveaway</a> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>(Click on the link above or the photo below to enter! :-) )</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6a4015a019/?" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="1181" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5hGXrz31QqExrFGcHviXXCgeU3yRDz_VjB4LK_gxlT_-xcVdDz7jkc4sTm9fvNSPkUSTRTZ5MQ-8oFn75stX9MJUWa6WMZZ4bOlq3tXiczGiWFxUdwX0CzgMgKVlitsmpiMRuRzAsGQ/w559-h490/The+Secret+Place+of+Thunder+giveaway+graphic.jpg" width="559" /></a></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Blog Tour Stops:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">9/15 Welcome to
the Tour at A Brighter Destiny – <a href="http://www.aliciagruggieri.com/abrighterdestiny">http://www.aliciagruggieri.com/abrighterdestiny</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Amanda
@ <a href="https://amandatero.com/blog">https://amandatero.com/blog</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Raechel
@ <a href="https://godspeculiartreasurerae.wordpress.com/">https://godspeculiartreasurerae.wordpress.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">9/16 Kaitlyn @ <a href="http://www.maidensformodesty.com/">www.maidensformodesty.com</a><u><span style="color: #0563c1; mso-themecolor: hyperlink;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> J.E.
Grace @ <a href="http://bizwingsblog.blogspot.com/">http://bizwingsblog.blogspot.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">9/17 Rebekah @ <a href="http://www.readytobeoffered.com/">www.readytobeoffered.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">9/18 Jane @ <a href="http://www.janemouttet.wordpress.com/">www.janemouttet.wordpress.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">9/19 Connie @ <a href="https://connie-oldersmarter.blogspot.com/">https://connie-oldersmarter.blogspot.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">9/20 Abigail @ <a href="http://readreviewrejoice.com/">http://readreviewrejoice.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">9/21 Tara @ <a href="http://www.towerintheplains.wordpress.com/">www.towerintheplains.wordpress.com</a><u><span style="color: #0563c1; mso-themecolor: hyperlink;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Ryana @
<a href="http://www.lifeofheritage.com/">www.lifeofheritage.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">9/22 Wrap-up
& giveaway winner announced @ <a href="http://www.aliciagruggieri.com/abrighterdestiny">http://www.aliciagruggieri.com/abrighterdestiny</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Thank you for stopping by! :-)</b></i></span></o:p></p></div><p><br /></p>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-28961637271505412062020-07-07T07:35:00.002-04:002020-07-07T07:35:33.573-04:00Snapshot of a Person of Faith~~Corrie ten Boom<br />
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<span class="authorortitle"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Corrie ten Boom, among other things, is a beautiful example of living
joyfully and casting every care upon the Lord. Many believers are familiar with
Corrie ten Boom, or at least with some of her quotes. For anyone who is not
familiar with her, Corrie ten Boom was a native of Holland who endured
incredible suffering during WWII under Hitler’s takeover of her country and of
his subsequent persecution of the Jews in Holland as well as other countries.
Corrie and her family hid Jews in their home, were discovered, and she, her
sister and brother and father were sent to concentration camps. Only Corrie and
her brother (who passed away shortly after he was released) survived. The Lord
used Corrie’s joyful witness in the midst of suffering and sorrow to speak to
many countless people about the love and forgiveness of God and His peace in
the midst of suffering. If someone has not read any of Corrie’s books, I would
encourage you to go and find one; any one! (A list will be included at the end of this post). Her joyful, loving, down-to-earth
example is like a balm for the soul. Corrie encourages her readers to trust in
God for everything. She says, “Worry will not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it
will empty today of its strength.” Corrie knew the Word of God; she had huge portions
of it memorized and the Lord’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>joy through
His Word radiated from Corrie. She believed God’s promises literally and often
saw His hand at work in horrible circumstances. Corrie tells a story about one
time in the concentration camp when she was discouraged and asked the Lord for
a sign of His goodness. He showed her one single flower outside her window and
her heart was cheered. Corrie believed God’s promises and leaned upon Him
continually for strength; He was her strength and she trusted in Him. If we
believe the promises of our Heavenly Father, as Corrie did, it is difficult for
worry to gain a stronghold in our lives. Corrie taught that God may be trusted,
even through the most difficult of circumstances. He is the living, risen
Savior who holds tomorrow in His hands. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="authorortitle"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In her subsequent ministry after she was miraculously released from the
concentration camp, Corrie continued to depend upon the Lord as she traveled
and spoke to many people about the joy of the Lord and of His work in the lives
of sinners. Often, she felt weary in the work, but she pressed on, hoping and
depending upon her merciful Savior, and taking the strength for each day that
she needed from Him. How many of us often need a refreshing
touch from the hand of the Lord? We grow weary in the day to day business of
taking care of our families and children. We love the work that God has given
us, just as Corrie did, and yet sometimes we get worn down by the strain that
it takes upon our strength. We can cry out to the Lord in these times, just as
Corrie ten Boom did, and He will give us fresh supplies. He will put a new song
in our mouth and as we press into His purposes in our lives ~~serving Him by
loving and training up our children and being a servant in our family—He will
refresh and revive us and cause His fresh springs of water to flow through us.
Sometimes we feel like we cannot take another step forward, whether physically
or emotionally. And this is where the strength of the Lord comes in. We don’t
have the strength in ourselves to go forward, and so we take from the
fathomless resource of His strength. And we are filled and useful to Him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="authorortitle"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What about us? Do we trust in the Lord as Corrie ten Boom did? Do we rely
upon His promises? Do we trust, as the old hymn says, that He “will lead His
dear children along” or are we worried and fretful, fearing what may come
tomorrow? May we rest in our merciful Savior and be filled by His sustaining,
strengthening grace!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I serve a risen Saviour, He's in the world today<br />
I know that He is living, whatever men may say<br />
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer<br />
And just the time I need Him He's always near<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He lives (He lives), He lives (He lives), Christ
Jesus lives today<br />
He walks with me and talks with me<br />
Along life's narrow way<br />
He lives (He lives), He lives (He lives), Salvation to impart<br />
You ask me how I know He lives?<br />
He lives within my heart<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~Alfred
H. Ackley</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Encouraging Books Written by Corrie ten Boom: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: large;">(Clickable links to Amazon)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0800794052/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0800794052&linkId=b962c36eaa7ce682705641e5d4fe1c52" target="_blank">The Hiding Place</a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0800722523/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0800722523&linkId=48920e57fed4080875c3ffa43f977abd" target="_blank">Each New Day</a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0515089931/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0515089931&linkId=bad0761fff33be0076e45ad6b4a8c0aa" target="_blank">Tramp for the Lord</a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C9KO50K/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00C9KO50K&linkId=0b0458864761e7cb2e6814ccab623e0c" target="_blank">In My Father's House</a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310271541/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0310271541&linkId=14e0c002f04f6583b0e649f09783fec5" target="_blank">I Stand At the Door and Knock</a></i></span><br />
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Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-45373803658295064092020-05-04T07:58:00.001-04:002020-05-04T07:58:12.986-04:00Children and Hollyhocks<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My dining room is full of hollyhocks. Last year, I had the grand idea of planting 400 pots of these lovely flowers--the former owners of our home grew old fashioned hollyhocks on our property and I love their sweet, simple beauty. We have a farm stand; I sell flowers there sometimes, and so last fall, I collected thousands of tiny hollyhock seeds with the intention of planting them in the early spring to sell on our farm stand. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I dried the seeds painstakingly and protected them from the little mice that sometimes appear in the attic of our old farmhouse. I collected yogurt and other plastic containers as well as pre-used plastic flower pots. They quickly began to fill our little milk house (where I keep some of my gardening things). In the early spring, I began to fill pots up with my two children and my niece. 400 pots in an attic is a lot of pots! I realized this mid-job. And yet, undeterred, we carried on. At the end of it all, we filled a little over 300 pots with garden soil; then came the job of sorting the seeds and planting them in the pots. This took several days. At the end of it all, when my little seedlings started to sprout, I realized that the attic wasn't providing enough light! There is one large window in our attic and many of the plants weren't getting the light from that window--they were looking sickly--I would say that they were looking green and sickly, but plants are supposed to be green ;-). And so, I decided to transfer the over-300 hollyhock babies into my light-filled dining room (well, at least when the clouds aren't hiding the sun here in the sometimes-temperamental Midwest ;-)). I set up folding tables in my dining room and made a kind of greenhouse there--I could watch the plants and water them and pray that they would grow being right before my very eyes as I home schooled my two children at our dining room table. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I went through this process, a lot of thoughts went through my mind. I do a lot of gardening, but have never grown plants on this "grand" scale, and well, I was learning all along the way! I believe that the Lord teaches us His lessons through everyday, very common things, and all sorts of "lessons" came into my thinking. Many of them were related to my children and I began making connections between growing these 300 plus hollyhock babies and raising them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wanted to share some of the little lessons that the Lord brought to my mind and my heart as I tended to my hollyhocks; they were an encouragement and a reminder to me--I pray that they will also be to you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The soil must be deep and have good drainage~~</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had to fill over 300 pots and containers to grow our hollyhock seeds. I had all different kinds of containers, some gifted to and some acquired by me. I realized that the "shallower" pots were not going to allow my seeds to grow properly into plants, so I tried to select the ones that would allow the roots to go down deep enough to be established. The containers that didn't have holes in the bottom (such as yogurt containers, etc.) required them for drainage, and so my nephew used his drill to put drainage holes into the bottoms of them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The same is true for children. Our homes are like our "pots." The kind of "pots" that we have will determine strongly what kind of "plants" or adults our children will become. Our homes (growing containers :-)) must be deep spiritually. They must contain the rich, nourishing soil of the Word of God. They must be filled with the fertilizer of truth and righteousness mixed alongside the minerals of mercy and forgiveness. We "water" our little seeds in our homes with love and wholesome words, with the refreshment of loving discipline and with words of exhortation and encouragement. And we never want that "water" to be stagnant, sitting at the bottom of the pot, creating a moldy mess--it is needs to be clean, clear, and flowing, creating and causing the seeds to come out of their shell and emerge into the light. Our words and actions in our homes should effect change and transformation, not stagnation or frustration. How many of us need help in this area? I know that I do! Only the grace and work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and homes will make a transforming difference--creating peace out of chaos. Our "wells" are not deep enough--and often they run dry. The Holy Spirit is a daily, living resource to tap into--where the life-giving water that always flows runs continually. When we admit that we are not able, not capable, and reach out our hands to Him, He fills our empty" "watering cans" with His water. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Hollyhocks and other plants need light to thrive and grow</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another lesson that I learned as I planted and watched my little hollyhocks sprout up is the importance of light. I thought that our attic might be a good place to keep these little hollyhocks--it has a good sized window and a fair amount of light. But the more that I watched my hollyhocks develop, the more that I realized that the light there just wasn't enough. Many of the hollyhocks in the corners of the attic had weak stems and looked sickly. I quickly assessed the situation and decided that the hollyhocks needed an exodus downstairs into my dining room (where there is a lot more light) if they were going to survive and thrive. My kids and I tromped up and down the stairs, transferring all of those little seedlings before it was too late. I think that this step of action saved them from certain death--they began to lift their little heads up and their stems looked less "see-through." They were becoming more hearty. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Isn't this true of our children, too? They need sunshine in their lives--creativity, meaningful conversations with adults, someone to read to them, someone to imaging and to play with them, someone to encourage them in their creativity and in their daily work. They also need the sunshine or light of being daily taught about Jesus --It's fascinating in a very simple way that Jesus is called "the Light" of the world." What does light do? It illuminates darkness. Bringing Jesus perpetually and continually into our conversations with our children and into our daily actions as we walk with Him as a Friend in our homes brings a sunshiny glow to our children's upbringing--a joy that can only come through the Holy Spirit of God and His sustaining influence in our lives as He illumines our darkness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do you crave this kind of light? I know that I do~~call out to Jesus and He will teach you how to bring His light into your home~~He never turns away anyone who asks. We can try to create a "spiritual home atmosphere," but it is only when we invite the Holy Spirit in that this will become real and alive. Let the sunshine of His sweet presence fill your soul early in the day--spend time in His Word--talk to Him--and then bring that sunshine into your home as you talk to and teach and discipline and love your children. He will help you; He will do the work as you obey Him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Hollyhocks need water </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh, yes! This is important! As a busy mom, often "watering" was one of the last things on my mind. I had to keep reminding myself to water those little seedlings in the attic, and then to continue to consistently water them after they made their short journey downstairs. It's truly amazing what a big difference a little water makes! A couple of days of neglect and my little seedlings were looking pale and weak. As soon as I watered them consistently, they thrived. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Isn't this true in a child's life as well? At times, we grow "busy" with all of the responsibilities of daily life. We live in a world that encourages this kind of busy, rushing and racing around. We also deal daily with all of the distractions of technology--often we "connect" with people who we don't really know to the neglect of those closest to us! Friend, often I need to remind myself to be "busy" with what is truly the Lord's work--making certain that what I am doing is really His will for my life. At times, I've been sidetracked and distracted by the cares of this life, or caught up in some project or interest that is a weight and a worry to me. During those times, I've sensed the Holy Spirit lovingly and firmly drawing me back to Himself, to what is <i>really important</i>--to "feeding" the little sheep that He has given to me. Often, we are throwing water all over the place--little bits and droplets here and there when we should be concentrating on the specific purposes that God has called us to in our lives. One of these if we have children, is the souls of our little ones. As believers, this should be one of our primary concerns and focuses of our life. How do we "water" our little ones? The answer is TIME and consistency. We give them our time, we teach them in the ways of the Lord, we bring them alongside of us as much as we are able in our projects and pursuits, we deal with discipline issues rather than ignoring them; we pray daily for their souls and encourage them to walk with the Lord in their little lives. And when we "water" our children daily, without neglecting them, we will see the miracle of God's hand causing them to thrive and grow in His time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The little seedlings need to be supported and established. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is probably one of the most important lessons that I learned in this whole process. As the little hollyhock seedlings began to pop out of the soil, they were leaning--their weak stems weren't strong enough to hold many of them up. My Mom suggested that I put a little more soil around each one of them and gently push the soil near the base of the stem to support the plant and to encourage it to "straighten up." It took me about a week to painstakingly go through almost every little hollyhock plant and to gently reinforce it's stem. At the end of the process, some of the little plants died, but most of them started looking a little stronger and perking up. It was worth it to take that week and to meticulously go through almost every plant. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was one of the strongest lessons that struck home to me as it relates to children. Sometimes there are "weak spots" that we see in the way that we have raised our little ones. It may be a discipline issue, it may be a parenting issue on our end in some particular area. Maybe we should have been more consistent in another area. Our children's "stems" are a little weak and we're not really sure how their final "hollyhock" is going to look! Instead of despairing or allowing discouragement to overwhelm us, the answer comes in painstakingly strengthening the "stems." No matter how long it takes--or how tedious it becomes--the God of all grace is with us to help us. Perhaps our little seedling's root is not deep enough--we should have pushed the seed in further--perhaps our little seedling did not get enough water or light. The answer is not to give up hope and just let come whatever may--to allow the plant to flop over. The answer is to strengthen the stem of the plant. We do this through prayer--praying over the mistakes we may have made in different areas with our children (and we have all made mistakes; we have all fallen short!) And we do this through carefully doing right in those areas that the Lord has shown us we need to work on. Day by day. Moment by moment. Dealing with the issues--not ignoring them--strengthening the stem. Pushing the rich soil of consistency around the base of the stem. Praying to the Lord to strengthen the little plants and being faithful. The Lord will bless us and our children if we truly want them to love the Lord with all of their hearts and to grow in His ways. He is a God of grace and He will bless us as we obey Him in our lives with our children. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The plants must be hardened.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After all of the careful days of watering, watching, and protecting, comes the "hardening" phase in the lives of plants. There comes a time, just before the plants are transferred outside completely, that they must adapt to the cooler temperatures that they may face outside, away from the gentle, protecting care of the home and its pretty "unchanging" temperature. And so the plants need to be brought outside for increasingly longer periods of time to get used to being "away from home!" :-) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Children also need to be "hardened" (and by "hardened," what I don't mean in this context is made less sensitive to the things around them, but more sensitive in His strength through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit). They need to grow strong in their faith when "cooler" winds test them. They need to embrace their faith as their own, and not merely as the faith of their parents. I believe that the greatest thing that this generation needs is young people who take the Lord seriously, who hold the promises of Scripture to heart, who are not afraid to stand in a world that will hate them and persecute them for identifying with Jesus Christ. Our children need to be "hardened." They need to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power without, finally, our support. I pray this for my children--that they will be willing to stand against the powerful flow of this culture and remain faithful to Jesus Christ until the end. How do we hope that they will do this? Well; ultimately the outcome is in the Lord's hands--but through out daily example, we may encourage them to take a stand against the wickedness of the culture around us. We may instill the principles of Scripture and the theology of the hymns of old into their minds and their hearts. And ultimately, we may be on our knees, imploring the Lord to make our children strong in Him and trusting Him to work in and through them. He is the One who does the work when we humbly come before Him. We need "hardened" (strong, courageous, hearty, bold-in-love) Christians in this world more than ever. And they will be the salt and light of their generation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The plants will ultimately reflect His mercy and grace</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When all is said and done; when the hollyhocks are brought outside and planted in the warm, receptive soil, when their roots take deep confidence, when their green stems spring up and their beautiful faces reflect the light . . . they are reflecting the mercy and grace of their beautiful Creator . . . we were only the hands and mouths and feet and hearts that God used, by His grace alone, to plant and to protect and to encourage and to nurture. He does the work in and through us as we yield to Him in the process of bringing our children up by His grace. Each step is grace. Each milestone is a mercy. It is all of Him. And the glory of the flowers that we grow reflect the One who formed their very seed and pronounced it good. Praise be to God for His grace and mercy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you made any mistakes as you grow up your hollyhocks? We have all made mistakes~~thank God for grace, recognize the mistake, and correct it, as He helps and enables you~~get your hands back in the soil and press on through the strength and grace that He alone gives. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Children and hollyhocks; there are so many wonderful comparisons that can be drawn between "growing" the two. I pray that the Lord will bless these lessons to your heart as much as He has blessed me in teaching me and sharing them. <3 </span>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-9822659902402046812020-04-09T07:47:00.000-04:002020-04-09T07:47:20.485-04:00Come~~Celebrate Easter with Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>~~A Special Guest Post Written by my Mom, Debbie Roque~~</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Way back yonder in the “good old days”, some of my fondest
memories were at Easter. Easter was a wonderful time. Let me introduce you to a
bit of my past. Now that I am “old”, my mind wanders at times into memory-lane...
</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
good memories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My
childhood was far from perfect, but there were some lovely memories. My thoughts
go back to church, Easter egg hunts, a special meal, and my new patent-leather
shoes. </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
remember walking to the little Baptist church in my town with my three sisters
and brother behind my mama. We looked like little ducklings all in a row. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My feisty five-foot mama made sure we got some church in us.
It was a long walk, but I don’t remember minding it at all. There was a sweet
smell in the air; everything seemed to be blooming, I remember passing all the
neighborhood houses and the steeple bell ringing in the distance. How simple
life was. We had our little Easter hats on, with the elastic bands and the
little ribbons flying in the breeze. My little brother had his bowtie on.
Almost everyone dressed their best. We believed it was irreverent not to.
Easter morning was one of the most special days of the year. Some day our
“EASTER MORNING” will come and oh, what a happy day that will be! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now mind you, I didn’t always have a new pair of shoes on
Easter. My mama didn’t have much money, but when she had a little extra, she’d
buy us a new pair of shiny patent leather shoes, because it was a special day.
I must say the excitement of new shiny shoes was exhilarating, to say the
least.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoeQxkYHLw7vbCjWmpDGX9bu9Yw7Dsu-sZdfUuvdtDaLsqiQ72BjY6QeiuhKLVaxGKQb2PMduX7z9YUeeYsRYXOOyWZbuxAksTC_oVqUBflP4ix0YHnlOuWDuR_YKK2SztJmKzxcwiKE/s1600/girl-996635_960_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="960" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoeQxkYHLw7vbCjWmpDGX9bu9Yw7Dsu-sZdfUuvdtDaLsqiQ72BjY6QeiuhKLVaxGKQb2PMduX7z9YUeeYsRYXOOyWZbuxAksTC_oVqUBflP4ix0YHnlOuWDuR_YKK2SztJmKzxcwiKE/s640/girl-996635_960_720.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I remember arriving at church, seeing people walking,
smiling, coming from all different directions while the church bells were
ringing. I can still hear the bells! </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Two of
my sisters and I would sing in the little choir loft that held a handful of
elderly people. Funny how fast time has flown; now I’m elderly. </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
would try to hide behind one of the elderly women because I was somewhat shy. I
can remember sitting in the pew and seeing the sunlight streaming through the
stained-glass windows. We would sing that great hymn: “Christ the Lord is Risen
Today – Hallelujah!” The pastor was a sweet, jolly, somewhat-older man. He
smiled and shook our hands as we walked out of the church. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<v:shape id="Picture_x0020_4" o:spid="_x0000_s1029" style="height: 72.6pt; margin-left: 0; margin-top: -.1pt; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-relative: page; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-relative: page; mso-wrap-distance-bottom: 0; mso-wrap-distance-left: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-right: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-top: 0; mso-wrap-style: square; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 105.75pt; z-index: 251662336;" type="#_x0000_t75">
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And
then we would start our little journey back home, skipping, hopping, and
jumping, finally arriving to a delicious meal consisting of ham and lasagna.
For us, it just wasn’t a holiday if you didn’t have lasagna on the table! </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
wonder if all Italians think that way! We would open our dime-store Easter
baskets with a small package of jelly beans, a paddleball, and I think some
sort of coloring book with a tiny box of crayons. We didn’t have much candy in
those days, so the jelly beans were yummy even if some were the color I didn’t
particularly like; I ate them just the same. I remember my aunts and uncles
coming over for desserts, oh, so many Italian pastries and other wonderful
sweets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Good memories last a lifetime. Memories are good for the
soul, especially the older you become, the more you ponder and reminisce, and I
pity the person who doesn’t! </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<v:shape id="Picture_x0020_5" o:spid="_x0000_s1028" style="height: 127.5pt; margin-left: 33.8pt; margin-top: .9pt; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-relative: page; mso-position-horizontal-relative: margin; mso-position-horizontal: right; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-relative: page; mso-wrap-distance-bottom: 0; mso-wrap-distance-left: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-right: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-top: 0; mso-wrap-style: square; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 85pt; z-index: 251663360;" type="#_x0000_t75">
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_5" o:spid="_x0000_s1028" style="height: 127.5pt; margin-left: 33.8pt; margin-top: .9pt; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-relative: page; mso-position-horizontal-relative: margin; mso-position-horizontal: right; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-relative: page; mso-wrap-distance-bottom: 0; mso-wrap-distance-left: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-right: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-top: 0; mso-wrap-style: square; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 85pt; z-index: 251663360;" type="#_x0000_t75"><br /></v:shape><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
can remember an Easter egg hunt that took place in town at one of the schools. The
older kids would hunt in the woods behind the school and the younger ones would
be on the grounds. Eggs were strewn all over the grass. Prize eggs were placed
in the woods and also on the grounds.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4ReI2R53BjMkfTbcg2FmTFCUTJYvj5J6nKBzt_vDP7VzTDmy17hD3n-8SkskHAeGltl42Gg1_CTtXW-MdkpkXuAn59GysEG_UxiWdXRyYCltH39WyrukBMiWAyBtKgG3qU_sIHYsPjk/s1600/Easter6.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4ReI2R53BjMkfTbcg2FmTFCUTJYvj5J6nKBzt_vDP7VzTDmy17hD3n-8SkskHAeGltl42Gg1_CTtXW-MdkpkXuAn59GysEG_UxiWdXRyYCltH39WyrukBMiWAyBtKgG3qU_sIHYsPjk/s640/Easter6.webp" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Easter bonnet contest that took place with the hunt was
so exciting. I couldn’t wait to make my hat about two weeks before. I believe
the Easter bonnet hats had to be homemade. Now folks, understand my mama didn’t
have much, and was somewhat preoccupied with difficulties and so I could come
and go as I pleased up to a point. I was quite determined to create a
“masterpiece” Easter bonnet with all kinds of odds and ends, little do-dads,
pieces of paper, etc., until the hat pretty much looked like a very tall
steeple on top of my head!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On the day of the hunt, my sister and I arrived at the
school. I had my homemade hat all prepared. Lots of kids were there. I arrived
to see such an array of beautiful hats with flowers and all kinds of creations.
Different nettings, bright colors, etc. I wasn’t intimidated in the least. I
wanted to win a prize. We all gathered in a huge circle and walked slowly as
the judges made their decisions. I was trying very hard to hold that hat in
place on my head from falling! </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The childlike person in me wasn’t distracted by those
beautiful hats, I was really proud of my towering steeple! When my sister and I
talk about it now, well over fifty years later, we start laughing and laughing.
I always ask her the question, “Why didn’t you tell me my hat looked so
‘different’ from the others?” She was always the one my other sisters and I
looked up to because of her maturity. Her answer is, “I don’t know; I wasn’t
even thinking about it.” Then we start laughing again until our sides ache and
tears run down our faces. Then when I catch my breath, I lovingly rebuke her
for not telling me how comical my hat looked! </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Then
we laugh some more. Good memories. We all have them – something to talk about
as the years have passed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now, mind you, I <i>did</i> win a prize! YES! Whether the
judges pitied me or not, I was the proud recipient of a box with a chocolate
fruited egg in it. I was so proud of that hat and so ecstatic. The simplicity
of being a child. It certainly was an “original”, and wasn’t the Lord good to
me! </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I felt
like I was in heaven with that little prize. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now my sister left the school because they were ready to
finish up the event, but I still lingered because someone said that a prize egg
had been left in the woods. And so once again I was determined to find that
prize egg, even though the hunt was over! </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
truly believed it was out there, and I think it’s still out there! </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My sister came back to tell me to come home for supper – and
why in the world was I still there? I told her that I was still looking for the
prize egg. Yes, my friends, I was still searching for the prize! </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> My
sister and I laugh about that, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<v:shape id="Picture_x0020_7" o:spid="_x0000_s1027" style="height: 101.7pt; margin-left: 0; margin-top: 31.15pt; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-relative: page; mso-position-horizontal-relative: margin; mso-position-horizontal: left; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-relative: page; mso-wrap-distance-bottom: 0; mso-wrap-distance-left: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-right: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-top: 0; mso-wrap-style: square; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 152.55pt; z-index: 251664384;" type="#_x0000_t75">
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Good
memories. It’s good to ponder. Lingering, pondering, just staying awhile. And
so I sit here wondering what was it like when Mary Magdalene wept at the tomb
of Jesus? In the Book of John, chapter 20, the disciples went back to their
homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. Sometimes lingering isn’t all
that bad. I lingered for a prize egg. Lingering can be a means of hope in a
longing heart. With a childlike faith, knowing that the prize egg was there, I
stayed behind. Hoping, lingering, watching. Do you ever wonder what it will be
like when that great day, “EASTER MORNING”, will come and HOPE will become a
reality and the great promise is fulfilled and you can cry, “RABBONI!”? All
things will become new. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHc0AV79dyNQJCdfNYCosYO2E77BX7cxPailQJ7mhQxIh0ShGUEDy0Lf6QBwl9w0YV9GmE0swSTDtYhfW0vT_lmz0x8qwJdIhJxfCo_ZMafXYdjLXhrGEnpGWv0zMYr84kMSEcs3tnnc/s1600/Easter5.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHc0AV79dyNQJCdfNYCosYO2E77BX7cxPailQJ7mhQxIh0ShGUEDy0Lf6QBwl9w0YV9GmE0swSTDtYhfW0vT_lmz0x8qwJdIhJxfCo_ZMafXYdjLXhrGEnpGWv0zMYr84kMSEcs3tnnc/s640/Easter5.webp" width="640" /></a></div>
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<v:shape id="Picture_x0020_8" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 114pt; margin-left: 277.5pt; margin-top: 1.1pt; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-relative: page; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-relative: page; mso-wrap-distance-bottom: 0; mso-wrap-distance-left: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-right: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-top: 0; mso-wrap-style: square; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 171pt; z-index: 251665408;" type="#_x0000_t75">
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</w:wrap></span></v:imagedata></v:shape><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And so we wait. We wait because we know that we will indeed find what
we have hoped for. And He our Hope, our Jesus, will wipe away every tear from
your eyes. There will be no more death or mourning, or crying or pain, for the
old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And so, my friends, what good memories do you have? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-52956174950230599572020-04-06T07:40:00.001-04:002020-04-06T07:40:54.288-04:00How Much is Too Much? Discernment, Modesty, and the Value of Blushing <div style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"But how few women today have such control over their tongues or emotions, as my mother did, pondering holy things in their hearts, without blabbing about them, without telling 'three hundred of their closest friends.' We overshare today, more than people need to know, not discerning those things we should rightly regard as precious and holy before God."</span><br />
<i style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">~Valerie Shepard (speaking about her mother, Elisabeth Elliot)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Recently, I came across a quote that spoke volumes to me and I found myself inwardly nodding and agreeing with the wisdom of its words. I wanted to share some insights based on that quote with you . . . It's the one above. It's a quote taken from Valerie Shepard's recent book detailing her mother Elisabeth Elliot's and her father Jim's correspondences to one another. I've been helped in my spiritual walk by Elisabeth Elliot since I was a teenage girl; she has so much Biblical, excellent advice for women (and men as well). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We have come to a place in the Christian and secular world where we are prompted to share <i>everything</i>. Nothing needs to be a secret. Nothing is sacred. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Social media has enabled this; we all have a "platform;" and this is not in and of itself a "bad" or wrong thing. Social media gives us an opportunity to share the Gospel, to direct people toward resources that will encourage their souls. It allows us to connect with one another, even though it often encourages those connections to be on a shallow level. But again; there is nothing wrong in and of itself with "connecting" with people and sharing our faith, ideas, and convictions with one another. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The problem comes when social media becomes a place to share and air <i>all</i> of our emotions, impulses, cares and fears <i>unhinged</i>--in a way that either <i>draws attention to oneself </i>or that <i>shows a lack of modesty or discretion</i>. The problem comes when we have not put whatever it is that we are going to share through the filter of the Holy Spirit directing each of our steps. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do our "friends" really need an excess of updates on how we are spending our time, raising our children, preparing our meals, relating to our husbands, eating, exercising, listening to music, and the list goes on? We have to ask ourselves honestly--is this "sharing" helping or hindering our spiritual walk? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sometimes it may help. There are times (and the Lord gives us discernment to understand when) sharing about our personal experience or about some detail in our lives may help another believer. If you have a freedom from the Holy spirit to share a detail about your personal life, by all means, go ahead and obey His prompting. But before we share, let's ask ourselves, in our own conscience before God, is this necessary? Am I sharing this detail to draw attention to myself or to the Lord? Am I sharing this detail in order to help another believer in their walk with the Lord or to elevate myself? Am I sharing this detail in order to preach the Gospel through my life or am I distracting other believers away from the Gospel? We have to ask ourselves these questions before we hit that "share" button. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Again, some sharing is good--asking for recommendations from other believers, seeking others to pray about a political or personal situation, photos of your family within reason if you have the liberty from the Holy Spirit to do that, sharing a Scripture or a quote that encourages others in their faith, a funny meme that lightens the mood of a difficult situation or that brings a smile to someone's face on a hard day--these and other things may all be used or prompted by the Lord for <i>good</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But there is a severe and mind numbing lack of discretion among Christian women (and men) today in terms of <i>what </i>and <i>how much </i>we have come to feel comfortable sharing on social media. Again; the problem is not the sharing--it is the <i>what</i> and the <i>how much</i>. Let no one misunderstand me--what I am<i> not saying</i> is that a person can never share about their lives on social media, but do we really need to share <i>so much</i>? So much that it seems to be the focal point of many people's lives? So much that we know more intimate details about virtual strangers than the people closest to us? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Friends, there is a lack of discernment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lately, I've been appalled, truly, by people sharing publicly in forums with both men and women married and unmarried, <i>intimate</i> details about their romantic lives with their spouses. These details might be appropriate in a private group of married women, but in a public forum where virtually <i>anyone</i> may be party to the information provided, this shows a serious lack of Biblical discernment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We have begun to trample sacred things. We are forgetting how to blush. We are placing our precious jewels on the common tables of the public marketplace and selling them cheaply. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are details about how you and your husband express intimacy that the whole world need not know--truly. Apart from a marriage book on physical intimacy that is labeled as such, there are details that are <i>not appropriate</i> to share between a mixed audience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This kind of "sharing" cannot please God. It cheapens our Christian witness and compromises the beautiful feminine mystique that God has given to women. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To be honest, I feel uncomfortable with some of the "kissing" pictures that I see~~I have no problem with a sweet photo of a husband and wife, but some of the more "suggestive" ones have made me question the "sharer's" discernment. Why does the world need to see (in a very intimate way--sometimes with--usually the woman--posing in a sexual manner in front of other men who are <i>not</i> her husband) how you and your husband express that kind of affection toward one another? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Consider the women of God in the Scriptures--Sarah, Rebekah, Esther, Mary--women who conducted themselves with incredible dignity, grace, and discretion, who <i>quietly</i> lived without directing any focus upon themselves. Rather, their focus was upon God; their hearts were caught up in serving their husbands and children and in reaching out to those around them with kindness and love. Their focus was not "me-centered" but Christ-centered. Consider their lives and examples. Mary alone is an excellent example of modesty, mystique, and discretion--after the birth of Jesus, she did not "blab" about everything that happened; rather, she pondered in her heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How often do we do that? How often do we merely ponder in our hearts the things that the Lord is showing and teaching us? Why do we feel the need to share <i>all </i>the little intimate details of our souls with the world at large? Some things should be kept quiet, sacred, carefully cherished. Mary understood this; do we? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How much is too much? In this world of social media and sharing, how much is too much? There is no specific answer. Each person individually must make that decision in their conscience before God; we answer to God alone and will give an account for the witness that we showed and the way that we used the precious time that He gives us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few years ago, I felt the Lord speaking to my conscience (and this was an individual decision <i>that would not apply to everyone</i>--it was just the way that the Lord spoke to me personally) not to share pictures of my children on social media anymore. I felt in my heart that all of the "showing" needed to be spent living and loving them for their soul's good and that it was a potential distraction for me to post pictures of my little ones. It is of course, not wrong to put pictures of your children on social media and I enjoy seeing the photos that others post; I just have a problem with the <i>excess</i> of it to the exclusion of other things and believed that the Lord was leading me personally in this way; it helps me to focus on the Lord without that added distraction. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm thankful for the many women and men who do model discernment . . . they have been an encouragement to me to seek the Lord and to be careful about what and how much I share on social media. There are many women and men who use social media for good~~and it can certainly be used for good. It can be a means to share the Gospel. It can be a means to connect with family and friends. It can be a means to share how the truth of God and His Word are impacting a person's life. And the list goes on. I know many women and men who use social media with care and discernment and these people are a blessing and an encouragement to me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How is the Lord leading you, friend? Allow Him to come into your secret places, like water running clear--we are often free to let other people come into these places, perhaps even complete strangers--social media allows us to do that--but not our Heavenly Father! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We need to be washed afresh with the holy wisdom of God's Word. We need to hold things as precious and sacred rather than shouting them all the time from the rooftops and blabbing them in public forums. We need to kneel quietly before God and ponder alone all that He has done for us. I need to do this; you need to do this. May His Spirit teach us and soften our hearts. And may He give this generation of women the gift of discernment and discretion. That His Gospel may be spoken through our lives day by day--to the glory of God and to the saving of souls. </span><br />
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You might find me on these link-ups:<br />
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<a href="http://www.blessedbutstressed.com/" target="_blank">Inspire Me Monday</a>, <a href="http://maryanderingcreatively.com/" target="_blank">Literacy Musing Mondays</a>, <a href="http://www.themodestmomblog.com/">The Modest Mom</a>, <a href="http://www.raisinghomemakers.com/">Raising Homemakers,</a> <a href="http://www.classicalhomemaking.com/" target="_blank">Classical Homemaking</a>, <a href="http://www.awisewomanbuildsherhome.com/">A Wise Woman Builds Her Home,</a> <a href="http://www.w2wministries.org/">Woman to Woman Ministries,</a> <a href="http://www.hollybarrett.org/" target="_blank">Testimony Tuesday</a>, <a href="http://www.jenniferdukeslee.com/" target="_blank">Tell His Story</a><a href="http://www.mydailywalkinhisgrace.com/">,</a> <a href="http://www.impartinggrace.com/">Imparting Grace</a><a href="http://www.preparednessmama.com/">,</a> <a href="http://www.3dlessonsforlife.com/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a>, <a href="http://darlingdownsdiaries.com/">Good Morning Mondays</a>, <a href="http://countingmyblessings.com/">Counting My Blessings</a>, <a href="http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/category/the-homeacre-hop" target="_blank">The HomeAcre Hop</a>,<a href="http://www.lifeoffaithblog.com/"> Mommy Moments Link Up</a>, <a href="https://aimeeimbeau.com/" target="_blank">Grace and Truth Linkup</a>, <a href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a>, <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/" target="_blank">RaRaLinkup</a>, <a href="http://janiscox.com/" target="_blank">Word of God Speak</a>, <a href="http://mommynificent.com/" target="_blank">Booknificent Thursday</a>, <a href="http://holleygerth.com/" target="_blank">Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp</a>, <a href="http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/" target="_blank">You're the Star Blog Hop</a>, <a href="http://www.homesteadingwithheart.com/" target="_blank">Homesteader Hop</a>, <a href="http://crystaltwaddell.com/" target="_blank">Fresh Market Friday</a>, <a href="http://www.crystalstorms.me/">Heart Encouragement Thursday </a>, <a href="http://www.jaimewiebel.com/">Sitting Among Friends Blog Party</a>, <a href="http://www.ourholidayjourney.blogspot.com/">Fabulous Warm Heart Party</a>, <a href="http://www.susanbmead.com/" target="_blank">Oh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Linkup</a>, <a href="http://www.becomingpress.com/" target="_blank">Writer Wednesday</a>, <a href="http://www.meghanweyerbacher.com/" target="_blank">Tea and Word</a></div>
Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8179136029692209759.post-13247104636437314892020-03-27T09:05:00.003-04:002022-11-30T06:03:07.437-05:00Ideas for Home ~~Redeeming the Time<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few weeks ago, I shared a blog post titled <i><a href="http://www.readytobeoffered.com/2020/03/making-best.html" target="_blank">Making the Best</a> </i>and wrote about how our acceptance of our situation reflects a surrendered heart toward our Heavenly Father. So many times, "acceptance" of our situation is a hard pill to swallow~we all need the Lord's "humbling" hand and that heavenly perspective given to us at various times of our life~~what a mercy that the Lord is patient with His people . . . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And now, we come to a time when many of us are "stuck" in a situation that is beyond our control. A virus that no one has ultimate sway over has spread to our country and most of us have been "sent home," so to speak, in order to stop the further spreading of this illness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whether we like it or not, and whether some of the sheltering measures are "right" and in the best interest of our country or not, <i>here we are </i>and our acceptance of our situation will determine the attitude of our heart (ultimately) toward God. We can "stay home" in our "pouts," or we can make the best of the situation. It will be a daily and hourly choice for us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our family lives in the rural Midwest and we home school our children and stay home a lot (much of this is due to the fact that my husband and I share a vehicle and he needs it to go to work) but I do get out with our children occasionally--usually once or twice a week to run errands and then during the weekends for church, etc. :-). Our Governor issued a 30 day sheltering order and so we are anchored here at <i>home </i>for now. Oh; how I am missing my occasional Dunkin' Donuts coffee! But don't worry; my husband has kept me well supplied with creamer so that I can make my coffee at home . . . I figure that this 64 fluid ounce bottle should last me at least 3 days in proportion to my coffee consumption . . . ;-). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">During this time, I've been thinking about some creative ideas that might encourage you as a family as you stay home for the next (indefinite) amount of weeks . . . these are ideas and activities that our family has benefited and been blessed from over the years or that we have benefited from individually. Maybe one or several of them will pique your interest and be a blessing to you and to your family during this time . . . please feel free to share your ideas below in the comments as well! </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Read good books</b>. If you don't normally read to your children, use this time as a training ground. Set aside a half hour or an hour (or two!) to read to your children from good literature appropriate to their age level. Pick a few chapter books to read together and discuss them together as a family. Set a timer and give each child a pile of books to read (or one really good chapter book for an older child) for times that you're not reading together. <a href="https://www.aliciagruggieri.com/book-recommendations-for-young-people/" target="_blank">My sister has compiled an excellent list of books to choose from for this purpose. Print her recommendations out; this will really bless your family!</a> And <a href="http://www.readytobeoffered.com/p/looking-for-good-book.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> is an adult book list that I've compiled, if you are looking for a good book to read on your own! </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Memorize Scripture.</b> This is a wonderful time to memorize Scripture together as a family or individually. Plant the Word of God in your child's heart from the time that they are young and it will have a lasting effect upon their lives. Use the extra hours that the Lord has given to your family during this time to place the Word of God in your hearts through Bible memorization. And it doesn't need to be boring! Set a goal of a certain amount of Scripture verses that your family can memorize together and then decide together on a reward for your children or for the entire family when the goal is reached. My children and I have done this together over the past several years and it has been an incredible blessing to them and to me. The Word of God will always bless and will never "return void." </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Plant a garden. </b>We are "exiled" ;-) at home at the perfect time to pursue this! If you have a small yard, put together a few boxes with scrap wood and fill them with garden soil. If you have a larger yard, plan a bigger garden if you would like to. This is a great project to work on with your kids over the next few weeks, from starting seedlings inside to tilling your soil and readying your garden to plant. Talk together about what seeds to plant and research how to grow the different vegetables and herbs that you choose to grow. Get your hands in the soil and thank the Lord that you and your family can spend some time outside together during the long days at home. It will also give your family a fun summer project to pursue together as you weed and take care of your plants.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Plan and prepare a puppet show or skit.</b> This past winter was a long one for me and for my kids who were home a lot. We decided to use the month of February to plan and prepare a puppet show and special celebration of Purim. This lightened up the long winter nights at home as we made puppets, read the Book of Esther together, and wrote the script together for the play. We invited our family over and everyone brought a "Jewish dish" to share for the day of the play. This was such a blessing to us all and helped to get us through those long days of winter in the Midwest. This time at home is the perfect opportunity to do something similar with your kids. Pick a story from the Bible or a favorite book and plan and prepare a puppet show or skit. Use the time at home to develop closeness with your children as you work on a project together.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Watch a good, edifying film</b>. A verse in the Bible that has always convicted me is "Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things . . . " (Psalm 11:37). There is so much "froth" available to us that we need to sift through it and find the things of substance. It's funny, but some things we know are just "wrong" and we stay away from them. But we also need the Lord to give us the discernment to turn our eyes away from what the Word of God terms "worthless" things--things that won't benefit our soul and will just drag us down with distraction and meaningless nonsense. As humans, we are all prone to this . . . how we need the grace of God! However, in my "travels" I've also come across many films that edify me (and others as well, I'm sure) in my faith and point my gaze toward my Heavenly Father. The following are some films that have really blessed and nourished my heart and that I would heartily recommend to you for watching during this time of social distancing. These are all in the Christian film category--there are many "secular" films or films without an overt Christian theme that I love as well, but I'll only include the "Christian" ones on this list for now--Here a few of my "favorites"--a lot of these would be great to watch for a fun date night in with your spouse--they are not (in my opinion) for young children (except maybe certain parts of the Ten Commandments). But they are wonderful for young adults/adults . . . here you go! :-) </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> ~<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XWMRZ3G/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07XWMRZ3G&linkId=dbbf56a778554889282cf6d9974e515e" target="_blank">Bella</a></b>: One of my favorite films with a strong pro-life message that is not "forced." A sensitive look at a young woman's life as she considers having an abortion. This artistic film is a beautiful one with careful well-executed humor in light of the overall heavy theme of the film in general. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> ~<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082LV662W/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B082LV662W&linkId=51e01d830df1ea746627295ce908ce77" target="_blank">Old Fashioned</a></b>: Those of you who know me well know that this is one of my absolute favorite films--one that I could watch over and over again. I love the sensitivity of the male character in this film and the way in which he treats women in general with love and old-fashioned respect~~something very rare in today's society, even among believers. You may read my review for that film <a href="http://www.readytobeoffered.com/2016/08/old-fashioned-sweet-sensitive-christ.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> ~<b><a href="http://love%20comes%20softly/" target="_blank">Love Comes Softly</a></b>: Another sensitive, beautiful film based on one of Janette Oke's novels. I love the theme in this film of "beauty from ashes" and again, the way in which the male character treats the female character with sensitive love, compassion, and patience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> ~<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XXQ6W8/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B002XXQ6W8&linkId=b0ef7d2d9e7a5a72d719532c0c160b4c" target="_blank">Chariots of Fire</a></b>: If you have never seen this film, you are missing out on one of the best films ever made (in my opinion :-)). <i>Chariots of Fire</i> tells the story of Eric Liddell, Olympic athlete (and then later a missionary to China) and his decision not to participate in the Olympics on the Lord's Day in accordance with his personal convictions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> ~<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026KS3XI/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0026KS3XI&linkId=5697d8532732c0af477362a895e4869e" target="_blank">Fireproof</a></b>: This film has more of an overt Christian message which is done in an evangelistic way. This is a great film for couples and reinforces the importance of being faithful to marriage vows. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> ~<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J0XJC2/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=readytobeoffe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000J0XJC2&linkId=c99aac53d89d25007e5f8be99619b682" target="_blank">The Ten Commandments</a></b>: Such a great, classic film! A wonderful film for families with older children. The Ten Commandments tells the story of Moses and of how the Lord used him to deliver the Israelite people from slavery in Egypt. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I hope and pray that these ideas/suggestions will be a blessing to you! May we each of us continue to keep our eyes fixed upon the One Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life amidst all of the chaos and uncertainty and be on our knees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Much love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rebekah </span></div>
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You might find me on these link-ups:<br />
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<a href="http://www.blessedbutstressed.com/" target="_blank">Inspire Me Monday</a>, <a href="http://maryanderingcreatively.com/" target="_blank">Literacy Musing Mondays</a>, <a href="http://www.themodestmomblog.com/">The Modest Mom</a>, <a href="http://www.raisinghomemakers.com/">Raising Homemakers,</a> <a href="http://www.classicalhomemaking.com/" target="_blank">Classical Homemaking</a>, <a href="http://www.awisewomanbuildsherhome.com/">A Wise Woman Builds Her Home,</a> <a href="http://www.w2wministries.org/">Woman to Woman Ministries,</a> <a href="http://www.hollybarrett.org/" target="_blank">Testimony Tuesday</a>, <a href="http://www.jenniferdukeslee.com/" target="_blank">Tell His Story</a><a href="http://www.mydailywalkinhisgrace.com/">,</a> <a href="http://www.impartinggrace.com/">Imparting Grace</a><a href="http://www.preparednessmama.com/">,</a> <a href="http://www.3dlessonsforlife.com/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a>, <a href="http://darlingdownsdiaries.com/">Good Morning Mondays</a>, <a href="http://countingmyblessings.com/">Counting My Blessings</a>, <a href="http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/category/the-homeacre-hop" target="_blank">The HomeAcre Hop</a>,<a href="http://www.lifeoffaithblog.com/"> Mommy Moments Link Up</a>, <a href="https://aimeeimbeau.com/" target="_blank">Grace and Truth Linkup</a>, <a href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a>, <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/" target="_blank">RaRaLinkup</a>, <a href="http://janiscox.com/" target="_blank">Word of God Speak</a>, <a href="http://mommynificent.com/" target="_blank">Booknificent Thursday</a>, <a href="http://holleygerth.com/" target="_blank">Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp</a>, <a href="http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/" target="_blank">You're the Star Blog Hop</a>, <a href="http://www.homesteadingwithheart.com/" target="_blank">Homesteader Hop</a>, <a href="http://crystaltwaddell.com/" target="_blank">Fresh Market Friday</a>, <a href="http://www.crystalstorms.me/">Heart Encouragement Thursday </a>, <a href="http://www.jaimewiebel.com/">Sitting Among Friends Blog Party</a>, <a href="http://www.ourholidayjourney.blogspot.com/">Fabulous Warm Heart Party</a>, <a href="http://www.susanbmead.com/" target="_blank">Oh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Linkup</a>, <a href="http://www.becomingpress.com/" target="_blank">Writer Wednesday</a>, <a href="http://www.meghanweyerbacher.com/" target="_blank">Tea and Word</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Rebekah Nealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06486092247540955608noreply@blogger.com0