Through the Blogging Years
Thank You for your many prayers for those of us here at Abundance House during the past eight, almost nine years, we've been publishing a blog. First we were A Mother's Rewards. Then Living Large on Less joined the family. Finally we have returned to writing one blog and it is indeed a house of abundance!
Many adventures have befallen our family throughout our time together. And I am not referring to the adventure of adding another baby, though we have had our share of that type of adventure too. During the years of blogging I have felt strongly impressed to focus on the blessings of God in our lives rather than lamenting the hardships. That doesn't mean there haven't been any difficulties or trials though. There have been many.
Today I am writing to intentionally give God thanks. It isn't Thanksgiving yet, but I can't wait until then to say Thank You; I can't wait even one more day. I have to say Thank You now, this day, this moment. So many voices are crying, moaning, groaning, sighing, whining, shouting, arguing, lashing out! The noise of all of the unpleasant voices seem to choke out any bit of goodness, but not today. Not here. Not on this blog. Today, right now, on this blog, there is a woman standing up, facing the voice of evil in the eye, and saying NOT IN THIS HOUSE. NOT HERE. NOT NOW.
Today, if you listen, you will hear a voice of praise going forth from this blog to the world singing out the praises of Him who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light. And His light truly is marvelous. The Light of God shines forth casting out every shadow, every bit of darkness from its path. Today I join with the Psalmist in saying "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Today I stand strong in the Lord and the power of His might and declare to the nations that God, He is God; there is no other.
What has God done that is so wonderful? I am SO glad you asked! God has saved and kept me. More than once He has healed me. He leads me and guides me through life in practical and supernatural ways. He provides, restores, refreshes, and loves me perfectly, better than I could do for myself. Continually He is teaching me new things, both practical and fun. He is patient with me always. He never tires of communicating with me. He doesn't sigh in frustration because He understands me perfectly. He corrects me but does so lovingly in a way that makes me thankful He has. He provides me with adventure and challenges that keep me always going forward, always seeking. He doesn't let me stagnate or grow dull.
God allowed me to be the answer to my mother's prayers for a child. He allowed me to be raised to serve and live for Him. It is He who placed me in an extended family filled with lovers of Jesus who provided countless examples of what His grace looks like in the nitty gritty of the everyday. From them I have learned that with God all things are possible, and there is never anyone so far gone that God can't save them and turn their mess into a message and their tests into a testimony of Him.
He placed me in a covenant of marriage that is beyond my imagination and dreams. He rewarded me with seven children to grow more like Him with. He not only created those seven children, but He healed them and has kept them alive and well. He has placed me in a family and community filled with people who are lovely, beautiful, and full of great potential, people who spur me on to become more like Jesus every day. They are people I can pour out His love to and grow in His grace and knowledge with.
During over 26 years of marriage, our family has moved at least seven times. Throughout each of these moves, there has been a loving church family, caring friends, and a safe place to land while navigating new territory, both on earth and spiritually. In one new place, God caused random friends to separately give me books and magazines from new ministries. This new reading material led our family into new truths from the Bible that led us into greater freedom and increased revelation of who God is. We went from viewing God as a dictator who demands His own way to experiencing that He is love and extends great grace. What freedom! What deliverance! What healing! has followed in the years since those reading materials entered our home!
Every where we live, He is there preparing the way before us. Whenever sorrow or hardship come, He is there comforting and providing for our every need in ways beyond explaining. For example, while living at one place, a mother of 15 children brought groceries to our family of only four children every Friday afternoon. Time and time again, one of my young children would comment during the week that such and such a food item would taste good, and without fail, that very item would be in the groceries delivered on Friday! Every. single. time. Broccoli. Apples. Oranges. Even cinnamon rolls, ice cream, and chocolate milk! Don't even try to tell me that God doesn't care about His children's every need.
In one of the communities we lived, the childrens' ministry was exceptionally good. The leaders weren't afraid to teach children the complete truth in God's word. They didn't water it down for the children. If God said He has given us power, the children were taught exactly what God said. Consequently, when a goldfish belonging to one of our youngest died, one of the other children began to pray over that goldfish in the name of Jesus, and the goldfish came back to life and lived a long, full life! True story.
Time after time I have been able to witness God's marvelous care and provision in the lives of My Beloved AND in the lives of each of our children. Every single time there was going to be a new baby in the house,God faithfully prepared each one of our hearts to receive the new baby with joy and gladness, even numbers five, six, and seven! My Beloved has been supernaturally delivered from accidents that "ought" to have been fatal numerous times, a number of those within the past year.
No matter how much I share with you of God's greatness in this post, there is more that hasn't been shared. So much goodness. So much grace. So much mercy. So much patience. So much joy. So much love. So much of God has been extravagantly lavished upon me throughout my life. I feel like one of the authors in the Bible who wrote that if all of the miracles and deeds of Jesus were written there wouldn't be room enough to record them all.
If each of us would look back through the years we have been living on this earth, I would imagine that each of us could tell of God's marvelous love for us. Yes, we have each faced hardships and challenges. Each one of us has most likely suffered in some way. Yet, in spite of the awful, often in the middle of the struggle, if we look closely, we find love lights pointing the way to the Lover of our souls, Jesus. Everywhere we look, He is there. Every day, if we choose to see, we find Him.
What if we pause for a moment and consider what would happen if every single believer in Jesus were to begin sharing their thanks for all He has done for them. What would the voices we hear sound like then? Can the voice of irritation scream loud enough to drown out the voice of true thankfulness to God? I don't think it can. As a matter of fact, I know it absolutely cannot. What if each one of us deliberately, intentionally choose to give voice only to the good things God has done and refuse to even mention any of the hardships, unless recalling how God delivered us from them? If we quit talking about the bad things and only spoke of the goodness of God would the enemy be rendered silent?
Here in my house, the children are currently traveling through one of those seasons where they are re-testing the waters to see if the boundaries are still in place. It is not a pretty season of parenting. It is rather loud and often unpleasant. I would much rather snuggle in and spend pleasant moments of fun with my children than have them attempt to engage me in conflict. However, a few seconds spent remembering the goodness of the Lord causes a quiet song of calm strength to arise in my heart. No longer does the clamor of the children's voices create stress, for their mama remembers how God has led her through days like this before. She remembers His faithfulness and rejoices, even in the middle of whining, even though she detests whining.
Could even a few Christians silence the chaos the screaming of the world's voices just by remembering God's goodness and declaring His faithfulness? Could the enemy be silenced by a shout of praise to the Most High God? If Jericho is any indication, yes, the enemy can be silenced by our thanksgiving and praise. What if believers in Jesus chose to actually believe Him and obey His Word? What would happen then? Is anything too hard for our God? NO! With God ALL things are possible!
Let's rally the troops! Let's gather the saints! Let's give thanks to our God and declare His faithfulness to ALL generations! Let's silence the enemy with our thankful praise! Let's talk about Jesus!
Many adventures have befallen our family throughout our time together. And I am not referring to the adventure of adding another baby, though we have had our share of that type of adventure too. During the years of blogging I have felt strongly impressed to focus on the blessings of God in our lives rather than lamenting the hardships. That doesn't mean there haven't been any difficulties or trials though. There have been many.
Today I am writing to intentionally give God thanks. It isn't Thanksgiving yet, but I can't wait until then to say Thank You; I can't wait even one more day. I have to say Thank You now, this day, this moment. So many voices are crying, moaning, groaning, sighing, whining, shouting, arguing, lashing out! The noise of all of the unpleasant voices seem to choke out any bit of goodness, but not today. Not here. Not on this blog. Today, right now, on this blog, there is a woman standing up, facing the voice of evil in the eye, and saying NOT IN THIS HOUSE. NOT HERE. NOT NOW.
Today, if you listen, you will hear a voice of praise going forth from this blog to the world singing out the praises of Him who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light. And His light truly is marvelous. The Light of God shines forth casting out every shadow, every bit of darkness from its path. Today I join with the Psalmist in saying "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Today I stand strong in the Lord and the power of His might and declare to the nations that God, He is God; there is no other.
What has God done that is so wonderful? I am SO glad you asked! God has saved and kept me. More than once He has healed me. He leads me and guides me through life in practical and supernatural ways. He provides, restores, refreshes, and loves me perfectly, better than I could do for myself. Continually He is teaching me new things, both practical and fun. He is patient with me always. He never tires of communicating with me. He doesn't sigh in frustration because He understands me perfectly. He corrects me but does so lovingly in a way that makes me thankful He has. He provides me with adventure and challenges that keep me always going forward, always seeking. He doesn't let me stagnate or grow dull.
God allowed me to be the answer to my mother's prayers for a child. He allowed me to be raised to serve and live for Him. It is He who placed me in an extended family filled with lovers of Jesus who provided countless examples of what His grace looks like in the nitty gritty of the everyday. From them I have learned that with God all things are possible, and there is never anyone so far gone that God can't save them and turn their mess into a message and their tests into a testimony of Him.
He placed me in a covenant of marriage that is beyond my imagination and dreams. He rewarded me with seven children to grow more like Him with. He not only created those seven children, but He healed them and has kept them alive and well. He has placed me in a family and community filled with people who are lovely, beautiful, and full of great potential, people who spur me on to become more like Jesus every day. They are people I can pour out His love to and grow in His grace and knowledge with.
During over 26 years of marriage, our family has moved at least seven times. Throughout each of these moves, there has been a loving church family, caring friends, and a safe place to land while navigating new territory, both on earth and spiritually. In one new place, God caused random friends to separately give me books and magazines from new ministries. This new reading material led our family into new truths from the Bible that led us into greater freedom and increased revelation of who God is. We went from viewing God as a dictator who demands His own way to experiencing that He is love and extends great grace. What freedom! What deliverance! What healing! has followed in the years since those reading materials entered our home!
Every where we live, He is there preparing the way before us. Whenever sorrow or hardship come, He is there comforting and providing for our every need in ways beyond explaining. For example, while living at one place, a mother of 15 children brought groceries to our family of only four children every Friday afternoon. Time and time again, one of my young children would comment during the week that such and such a food item would taste good, and without fail, that very item would be in the groceries delivered on Friday! Every. single. time. Broccoli. Apples. Oranges. Even cinnamon rolls, ice cream, and chocolate milk! Don't even try to tell me that God doesn't care about His children's every need.
In one of the communities we lived, the childrens' ministry was exceptionally good. The leaders weren't afraid to teach children the complete truth in God's word. They didn't water it down for the children. If God said He has given us power, the children were taught exactly what God said. Consequently, when a goldfish belonging to one of our youngest died, one of the other children began to pray over that goldfish in the name of Jesus, and the goldfish came back to life and lived a long, full life! True story.
Time after time I have been able to witness God's marvelous care and provision in the lives of My Beloved AND in the lives of each of our children. Every single time there was going to be a new baby in the house,God faithfully prepared each one of our hearts to receive the new baby with joy and gladness, even numbers five, six, and seven! My Beloved has been supernaturally delivered from accidents that "ought" to have been fatal numerous times, a number of those within the past year.
No matter how much I share with you of God's greatness in this post, there is more that hasn't been shared. So much goodness. So much grace. So much mercy. So much patience. So much joy. So much love. So much of God has been extravagantly lavished upon me throughout my life. I feel like one of the authors in the Bible who wrote that if all of the miracles and deeds of Jesus were written there wouldn't be room enough to record them all.
If each of us would look back through the years we have been living on this earth, I would imagine that each of us could tell of God's marvelous love for us. Yes, we have each faced hardships and challenges. Each one of us has most likely suffered in some way. Yet, in spite of the awful, often in the middle of the struggle, if we look closely, we find love lights pointing the way to the Lover of our souls, Jesus. Everywhere we look, He is there. Every day, if we choose to see, we find Him.
What if we pause for a moment and consider what would happen if every single believer in Jesus were to begin sharing their thanks for all He has done for them. What would the voices we hear sound like then? Can the voice of irritation scream loud enough to drown out the voice of true thankfulness to God? I don't think it can. As a matter of fact, I know it absolutely cannot. What if each one of us deliberately, intentionally choose to give voice only to the good things God has done and refuse to even mention any of the hardships, unless recalling how God delivered us from them? If we quit talking about the bad things and only spoke of the goodness of God would the enemy be rendered silent?
Here in my house, the children are currently traveling through one of those seasons where they are re-testing the waters to see if the boundaries are still in place. It is not a pretty season of parenting. It is rather loud and often unpleasant. I would much rather snuggle in and spend pleasant moments of fun with my children than have them attempt to engage me in conflict. However, a few seconds spent remembering the goodness of the Lord causes a quiet song of calm strength to arise in my heart. No longer does the clamor of the children's voices create stress, for their mama remembers how God has led her through days like this before. She remembers His faithfulness and rejoices, even in the middle of whining, even though she detests whining.
Could even a few Christians silence the chaos the screaming of the world's voices just by remembering God's goodness and declaring His faithfulness? Could the enemy be silenced by a shout of praise to the Most High God? If Jericho is any indication, yes, the enemy can be silenced by our thanksgiving and praise. What if believers in Jesus chose to actually believe Him and obey His Word? What would happen then? Is anything too hard for our God? NO! With God ALL things are possible!
Let's rally the troops! Let's gather the saints! Let's give thanks to our God and declare His faithfulness to ALL generations! Let's silence the enemy with our thankful praise! Let's talk about Jesus!
Remembering His Faithfulness with Thanksgiving,
Abundantly Blessed