God's Thoughts - Dinner #67

     A month has gone by, and I still can’t help but be awed and amazed over the birth of our little Jacqueline Grace . . . Wow! Our God is SO good!  Psalm 139:17-18 declares, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand . . .” How very many thoughts our Lord had concerning this Tiny Bundle!  And how perfectly incredible that our God – the God of the entire universe- takes the time to THINK about US!

     Having kept a careful watch on our ultrasounds, my doctor had already been concerned about our daughter’s slow rate of growth, and warned us that she might have to face some time in the NICU.  I had wondered about the details of Baby #2’s delivery, and played endless scenarios through my mind, but only the Lord knew the events that would unfold.   Jacqueline came into the world exactly 3 weeks before her due date.  When I think back upon it all, now, my heart wants to sing with the words of King Solomon, “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time . . .” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)  We had good health insurance, and a doctor whom I greatly admire . . . Our 18-month-old was able to be lovingly cared for by her Grammy, while we were in the hospital . . . A dear relative had brand new preemie outfits shipped to us, immediately, when she heard that our Baby Girl would be so tiny . . . And even though she was born at 37 weeks, Jacqueline weighed JUST ENOUGH to keep her from requiring a stay in the NICU!  We were able to start out the new year by going home from the hospital, as a family!

     Psalm 31:19 says, “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” And that’s exactly what our baby’s arrival was like – like taking carefully stored presents off a shelf, one after another – each one, a special blessing and answer to prayer.  Some of the Lord’s answers regarding our Baby Girl had been “yes” or “no”, some had been “wait”, and some were greater than anything we could have imagined!

Was there a reason that God closed all job possibilities in Virginia, last October, and gave us peace about staying here a while longer? Yes, indeed! If we had left in OUR OWN TIMING, Jacqueline would have surprised us before the 60 days that it usually takes for a new health insurance plan to go into effect!  More than likely, we would not have even had time to choose a new doctor, yet!  Isaiah 55:8-9 declares, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

    Things are quite busy 24/7 in the Kelley Household, right now, but my heart is just so full of all that God has done for our newest Baby Girl!  In Mark 5:19, Jesus told a man, “ . . .Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee . . .”  What has God done for us? He has blessed us with Jacqueline Grace!! Weighing little more than a 5lb. bag of sugar, at her birth, she went from sipping milk on a plastic spoon, to drinking with a preemie bottle nipple – no IVs necessary, praise the Lord! A month later, now, she is growing, eating, and doing great!  Usually gobbles down 3-4 oz. at a time, and lets you know REAL QUICK when she's suddenly starving! SMILE! Her big, beautiful eyes warm the heart, and make this mommy want to touch her hair, kiss her little cheeks, and rub noses with her, for all eternity! And this is only the beginning!  Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil . . .”  What wonderful plans God has for your life, Little Jacqueline!  What wonderful plans He has in store for EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US!!

     God Bless & Happy New Year!

Another Year of Blessings - Thanksgiving 2012

A – ANSWERS TO PRAYER - Granting us sweet peace that the Lord wishes for us to stay here, in Tennessee, for Jacqueline’s birth.  We know that moving to Virginia, and taking that next step towards missions, will all come in God’s perfect timing! (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)

B – BAPTIST INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS, INC. - My husband and I were able to attend a wonderful week of missions training at CAMP BIMI.  We thank the Lord for granting us the finances, the vacation time, the babysitting, and the health that we needed!

C – CHICK-FIL-A – Their chicken sandwiches were one of my only real “pregnancy cravings”, during the “nausea months”. We are also grateful for the stand this company recently took, regarding the Biblical definition of marriage.

D – DEVELOPMENT - Brooklyn reached many important milestones in her little life, this year, including sitting up, crawling, eating finger foods, walking, signing, talking, and climbing! K

E – ELECTIONS – My candidate may not have won, but I had the right and privilege to vote!

F – FELLOWSHIP – Our hearts have been encouraged many times, during precious evenings of Christian fellowship in our home.

G – GOD’S WORD - My grandmother purchased a Children’s Bible for Brooklyn, and she absolutely pours over all the illustrations. It used to be that we only read a story or two before bedtime, but now she asks for it before naps, as well! K We are so thankful that she already enjoys the Word of God!

H – HEALTH INSURANCE – We now have a much better level of coverage, through Brandon’s work, than we did before.

I – IN-LAWS – When talk came of possibly moving, my husband’s parents were more than willing to take us into their own home, for as long as it might be necessary.  I’m thankful for the love that they show our family!

J – JACQUELINE – God is growing us, once more!!  We were even able to surprise BOTH sets of grandparents with the news, at the same time! Due in January of 2013 with our Baby Girl #2!

K – KROGER – What a blessing this nearby grocery store has been! Their coupons, sales, and service have been invaluable, during these first few years of our marriage.

L – LITTLE ONES – How blessed I am to be able to stay at home with my babies! The work I do isn’t always easy, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world!

M – MAGAZINES – The Lord opened the door for one of my “Dinner’s In The Oven” ladies’ devotionals to be published in issue #84 of ABOVE RUBIES Magazine! 164,000 copies were printed and shipped worldwide.

N – NO MORE NAUSEA – With God’s grace, I came through 6 months of pregnancy nausea and weight-gaining difficulties.

O – OVENS – After going 17 days without one, last month, I learned to greatly appreciate having an oven that works!

P – PROGESTERONE – I am so grateful to have an ob/gyn who carefully checks hormone levels, and made sure, early on, that I had the necessary medication to help sustain this pregnancy! 

Q – QUALITY TIME - There is something so sweet and peaceful about just being able to spend some time with my husband!! Meals, conversations, movies, snuggles, laughter . . . Thank You, Lord, for days off to re-connect as a family!!

R – RECOVERY – We each had bouts with various viral infections, food poisoning, sinus troubles, and other illnesses, this year, but are thankful that each one only lasted for a season. 

S – SOY - Brooklyn has now successfully transitioned from soy baby formula to soy milk, to some whole milk dairy products!

T – TAX RETURNS – The Lord allowed us to pay off Brandon’s remaining 2011 school bill!

U – UNEXPECTED PROVISION – Once again, we have seen a year where the Lord met our needs in numerous and unexpected ways!

V – VOWS – Enjoyed reading the true story of a Christian couple who stayed together through extremely difficult circumstances (“The Vow”– By Kim & Krickitt Carpenter).

W – WALKS – I’ve been able to get some good pregnancy exercise, pushing Brooklyn in her stroller, while having the opportunity to meet many of the neighbors on our street.

X – XXXOOO – With God’s help, our marriage becomes only stronger and our romance sweeter, every day! I love you, Brandon David Kelley!!

Y – YELLOW – I enjoy my husband’s love of football, and the way that he has been teaching our daughter how to say “Steelers” and “yellow” before she’s even 2-years-old! K

Z – ZANY FUN – We’re still young enough to enjoy a great deal of spontaneity in our lives, and are lovin’ every minute of it! K

Thank you for letting me share another year of God’s marvelous blessings! - Kristen Kelley

Refreshing Your Spirit - Dinner #61

     Two weeks ago, my husband and I returned from a missionary training course at CAMP BIMI in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  If I could describe that week-long camp in one word, it would be “refreshing”.  What a blessing it was to our hearts!  I had attended the camp before, when I was in high school, but there was something about being able to leave the day-to-day world behind, that was so much more meaningful to me now than it was back then!  I didn’t have to cook meals! I didn’t change any diapers or prepare any bottles! I didn’t have to fight to “squeeze in” a devotional time!  I didn’t have the distractions of television or the internet! I think EVERY ONE of us needs some life moments like those!

     In Psalm 51:10+12, David cries out, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me . . . Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation . . .” When was the last time you closed out the “day-to day”, and just spent some time alone with God? When was the last time you played an inspirational CD, just for the sake of refreshing your spirit and reminding you that GOD IS GOOD? During our week at camp, I began reading through the book of Hosea. Hosea 2:15 says, “. . . and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth . . .”   Are there certain hymns or praise choruses that take you back to a specific camp meeting or Bible college dorm house? Jesus wants to RENEW YOUR JOY and to bring that musical rejoicing back to your heart! Hosea 6:3 declares, “. . . he shall come unto us as the rain . . .” Just as the rain refreshes and waters dry ground, the Lord Jesus desires to REFRESH OUR SPIRITS.  Will you allow Him to?

      Do you know what one of the most refreshing elements of CAMP BIMI was, this year? The TESTIMONIES of the other campers! Our electricity went out for several hours, during a storm, this past week, and as I used one candle to light another candle and another, I was reminded of those testimonies.  Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Just like being lit by someone else’s candle or being sharpened by their piece of iron, it is a BLESSING to hear how God is working in other people’s lives, and to know that He can do the same for YOU! If you cannot physically “get away” and listen to the stories of others, then I encourage you to READ them in biographies and autobiographies! Take note of the life examples that preachers use in their sermons! And let your spirit be lifted by the knowledge that our God is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

     Are you feeling dry and parched in your spirit? Are you caught up in the whirlwind of dishes, and laundry, and meal preparation? I have to admit that, since returning from camp, I have been overwhelmed on several occasions.  I need this reminder just as much as you do! In II Corinthians 4:16, Paul tells us that we don’t have to live a “parched” life. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” I thank the Lord that He is in the business of REFRESHING AND RENEWING, if we will but allow Him to work in our lives! 

Rejecting A Blessing - Dinner #58

     We say it aloud during tearful farewells and  joyful occasions . . . We write it at the end of letters . . . “God Bless!”  How DOES the Lord bless us? With provisions, with safety, with good health, with children . . . When we pray, “Lord, please bless our marriage!” or “Lord, please bless our family!”, do we really mean it?  Is it possible that God might WANT to bless us, but that we are in some way REJECTING the blessing?!  

    For about the first six months of married life, my husband and I paid our bills, bought our groceries and our gas, and then gave to the church “as we were able”.  Things didn’t work out so well that way, and again and again, we felt guilty.  There just wasn’t enough “left over” for the Lord!  We both knew what the Bible teaches about giving by faith, but it can be very hard to do when you’re first starting out, and just trying to keep a roof over your heads! A new year came around, and we determined that we would give FIRST, and trust the Lord to take care of us.  Do you know what we saw happen? We saw God stretch our groceries further than ever before! We saw God give enough gas every week to keep us from running out!  We saw God provide insurance coverage that paid for the delivery of our baby girl! And the list goes on and on . . . Malachi 3:10 “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”  The Lord truly keeps His Word!  He was more than ready to bless us - we just needed to trust Him more!  Are you forgoing tithing, and missing out on a blessing?

     Our Heavenly Father does not only bless financially.  He also blesses with babies! Psalm 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Do you know what the sad thing is? This, perhaps more than any other blessing, is one that Christians say they'd, "rather not have."  God says, “I want to reward and bless your marriage, by giving you children.”  God’s people say, “We’re going to do all we can, with whatever the world has to offer, to ensure that doesn’t happen.”  God says, “But I have plans for your family. Plans to use you in a mighty way.” God’s people say, “We have our own plans.  Only so many children, spaced only so many years apart. No more, no less.  We can’t handle more than that.”  God doesn’t bless where He will not provide! Don’t you know that He will take care of you? That He will strengthen you? That He will enable you? Proverbs 10:22 “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” Children are not a mixed curse-blessing! It is the world that has caused us to view them that way!  God’s description of a blessed man is one who has a growing family! Psalm 128:3-4 “Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house; thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.”  When Job was being doubly blessed by God, at the end of all his trials, God gave him more children! Job 42:12-13 “So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning . . . He had also seven sons and three daughters.”  Are children a blessing you are currently rejecting?

     God’s special will for us is a path that is blessed!  In Matthew 23:37, the Lord Jesus laments, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Is there some way that God wishes to bless you, but you aren’t obeying His voice? Isaiah 48:17-18 “. . . I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.” What tremendous blessing could YOU be missing out on?

     Who is to say that one blessing is greater than someone else’s? ALL blessings from God are heavenly blessings!  There are some whom God desires to bless with more financial security than others . . . There are some whom God desires to bless with more children than others . . . There are some whom God desires to bless with more good health than others . . . But God lovingly desires to bless EACH AND EVERY ONE of His children! Are you a Christian lady who likes to “pick and choose” your own blessings? Or does your heart anxiously desire every single blessing that THE LORD desires to send your way? Please do not reject God’s blessings to you!  May you have a heart that is ready to RECEIVE them! 

Christmas Blessing - Dinner #41

     After more than a week of feeling nauseous and dizzy, and needing extra sleep, this month, I was pretty positive I was expecting a baby, again.  Things eventually proved otherwise, however, and my excitement of being able to announce to family at Christmas that we were having another baby, came to an abrupt end.    Do you know what happened in my heart, through all of that, though?  The temporary tears of disappointment only made me want to love on our Baby Brooklyn all the more!  It made me want to treasure being her mother, and thank God for blessing us with her, all over again.  We did not know if I would be able to have any children, but God gave her to us!  Psalm 113:9 “He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children . . .” Becoming a mother is a joyful, happy thing!  Brooklyn’s smiles, her giggles, her little chirps and gurgles brighten our days with such joy!  What sunshine, those ladies who desire no children, deny themselves!  Psalm 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”

      The best present of all, that very first Christmas in Bethlehem, was Jesus Christ, God’s Son – the promised Messiah!  Have you ever stopped to think what would have happened if Mary had said she and Joseph were too poor to raise children?  What if she had said she was just too scared to become a mother?  What if she had told God she didn’t want to have any babies?   ALL babies are blessings from heaven, but this One most of all!  Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”  Mary had a willing spirit to carry a very special Baby within her womb.  She rejoiced to be given such a task! Luke 1:46-49 “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.  For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.”

     Jesus could have come to earth as a full-grown man, but that wasn’t God’s plan.  He allowed Mary to conceive the Messiah without ever having been intimate with any man.  He allowed her to feel His Holy Son kicking and moving within her womb.  He let her watch Jesus eat His first solid food and take His first baby steps.  This was something very special!  Mary was allowed to be Jesus’ mother!  She was not holy or perfect.  She, herself, needed a Savior!  But she “found favour with God.” (Luke 1:30)

     Will any other woman on earth have that same blessing? No.  None of us will ever give birth to the perfect Son of God.  Jesus came to this earth just once as a little baby.  When He returns, He will be coming in power and glory, as He Who died and rose again.  Only Mary will ever be known as the “mother of Jesus”.  He was truly her little “Christmas Blessing”.  If we are mothers, we each have “little blessings” of our own, however!  I, and no one else, have the blessing of being Brooklyn Elizabeth’s mommy.  You are blessed to be the mother of YOUR children. 

     How precious it is, if we are able to have our children and grandchildren gathered around us, this Christmas!  As December 25^th quickly approaches, I want to encourage you Mommies to hold dear the child blessings in your life!  Family should mean more to us than any present we could ever receive.  And, above all, cherish the birth of the Father’s Only Son, - the Emmanuel of all mankind!  

GOD BLESS & MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Looking Back - Dinner #36

- Thanksgiving 2011 -

     Ever since I was a teenager, I have enjoyed creating a yearly “Thankfulness List” when November rolls around. It always utterly amazes me to look back and see all of the many things I have to praise the Lord for in a year! This year, as I reflect on what God has done for our little family, I want to share these blessings with all of you! Psalm 34:3 “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”

I THANK MY LORD JESUS FOR . . .

·        * Providing EVERY SINGLE item and piece of furniture that our Little One would need when she arrived.

Matthew 6:32 “ . . . for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”

·        *  Giving us enough financial stability for me to end my job at the daycare, and become a stay-at-home mommy.

Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

·        * Allowing us to have insurance for our baby’s delivery, just in time.  We didn’t end up having to pay a single cent for our time in the hospital!

Isaiah 40:11 “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”

·        * Giving Brandon the opportunity to complete his undergraduate in missiology.  Even though he had to end his master’s studies, mid-semester, this fall, we pray he’ll be able to resume in 2012.

Proverbs 16:16 “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!”

·        *  Blessing us with the most precious baby girl we could have ever hoped for.  We celebrated our 1-year anniversary on June 19^th, and Baby Brooklyn Elizabeth arrived on June 20^th! She weighed 6 lbs. 4 oz. and was 21 inches long. We praise the Lord for a very smooth delivery, and are also grateful that all the grandparents were able to see her within the first two weeks of her life.

Psalm 139:13-14 “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

·        *  Supplying for our needs as our family grew this year, sometimes sending us help in amazingly unexpected ways.

Psalm 34:9-10 “O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.”

·        * Bringing Brandon and I closer than ever before as we entered our second year of marriage. We feel more and more blessed to be together, with every passing day.

Song of Solomon 5:16 “His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend . . .”

·        * Giving Brandon favor at his work and allowing him to be promoted to assistant manager, shortly after the baby was born. 

Psalm 90:17 “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”

·        * Answering so many prayers regarding Brooklyn’s weight, and giving her Mommy and Daddy wisdom one step at a time concerning her health needs.  After two months of struggling with weight loss and allergic reactions, after she was first born, she is now officially our “Chunky Little Monkey”, weighing over 13 pounds. SMILE! 

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God . . .”

·        * Allowing me to start a blog for the “Dinner’s In The Oven” ladies’ devotionals, as well as a children’s book review blog entitled “Pika’s Preschool”.  God gave me an open door to advertise both websites at our public library, this fall, and has already led internet users from Russia, Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, to explore these pages!

Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day . . .”

     Even now, as I review this list, my heart says, “Praise the Lord!”  We are also thankful for each one of YOU! You encourage our hearts, show us your love, and pray for us continually, and we do not take that for granted! May God bless you and your precious families! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

What Else Do You Need? - Dinner #24

     Time and time again in these past few months, we’ve seen God miraculously provide the items a new baby will require.  Just this week, my loving in-laws sent a used changing table our way that was exactly the size we needed!  The Lord had literally plopped it right in their laps, and then even provided a way for it to travel down to TN to a “nesting” mama! SMILE!  Now that the baby showers are over, it is such a sweet blessing when someone asks me the question, “What else do you still need?”  Did you know that God wishes to ask you the very same question?  WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED? 

     In Psalm 81:10, the Lord declares, “ . . . open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Through the years, I’ve heard different pastors say, “Specific prayers get specific answers.”  Make your needs known to God!  Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”  Do you know that God truly WANTS to bless you?!  And He PROMISES to take care of you!  Philippians 4:19 - “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  In Joshua 23:14, Joshua reminds the people that, “ . . . not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.”  And what has God promised concerning YOU?  “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” 

     This time last year, my husband and I were praying and wondering about how we would get the furnishings for our new home.  I wanted to be willing to live with anything, but deep down inside I was fearful of ending up with a couch donated to Goodwill that was secretly infested with fleas or spider eggs! LOL!  I wanted to be a grateful and understanding fiancé, but, on the other hand, I was a WOMAN! SMILE!  To keep my attitude right, I had poured out my heart to the Lord about it, on more than one occasion.  I did not know all of the details, but He already had a plan in place – a perfect plan!  Matthew 7:10 tells us, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”  Do you know that God understands even the WISHES of your heart?  Almost every major piece of furniture in our house today was given to us by loving people – for FREE!  It is previously-used furniture, but it’s CLEAN and it’s BEAUTIFUL, and I LOVE IT!  SMILE!  So often, the Lord wants to go above and beyond our NEEDS, to grant us even the simple DESIRES of our heart – because He is our Heavenly Father, and He LOVES us!  Psalm 37:4 - “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

     As Easter Season approaches, I have been reminded of the familiar praise chorus, “Oh How He Loves You And Me”.  Part of that song reads, “He gave His life, what more could He give?”  Jesus already gave us the most precious gift of all – He gave His own life for us!  But despite that – despite that wondrous gift He has already given the world – He tells each one of His children: “ . . . open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.”  What a loving Savior we have!  The perfect Son of God died on the cross for OUR sins – for the wrongs that WE do - and yet He daily DESIRES to ask us, WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?

 

New Praises - Dinner #20

     Wow!  At the start of a new year, do you ever take the time to sit down and think about all the worries, problems, and trials you faced in the previous year, that God brought you through?!  This year, my husband and I sat on the couch New Year’s Eve, and just reflected on the many, MANY things we had on our plate going into LAST year! As of last January, Brandon didn’t have an off-campus job, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to pay off his school bill, we didn’t know if I’d be able to get time off from teaching to do our marriage counseling in VA, I didn’t have a job lined up for me in TN, we hadn’t found a place to live, neither of us had a reliable vehicle in our own names . . . On top of it all, we were trying to plan a wedding together with BOTH of us out of state, but not even in the same state! LOL!  Do you know what? EVERY SINGLE one of those mountains of last year are not even there any more! God brought us through EACH and EVERY ONE, and provided for our every need!!

     In Psalm 77:11-12, Asaph declares, “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.  I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”  Here in January 2011, those merciful provisions of last year are such a beautiful reminder that HE DOES and WILL take care of us!  As a newlywed couple with a little one on the way, you can only imagine the stresses and fears we have on our list for THIS year!  What do you have on your own list?  How are you asking God to come through on YOUR behalf in 2011? Guess what, Ladies?  This year carries with it a host of new worries and prayer requests for all of us – Faith allows those to become praises we’re looking back on at the beginning of 2012! NEW THINGS TO PRAISE HIM FOR!

     Sometimes when we are facing big difficulties, it is almost as though we have to be reminded of Who our Lord really is! Who is He?  Psalm 77:14 declares, “Thou art the God that doest wonders . . .” Why do we think our problems are so big before us? Our God is the God of miracles! Who is He?  Ephesians 3:20 tells us, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think . . .” Our God is an awesome and amazing God, capable of more than we could ever imagine!  I Corinthians 2:9 says,  “But as it is written, EYE HATH NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN, THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM.” 

     It is the start of a new year, Ladies.  I challenge you to make a list of all those insurmountable things you already see before you in the next twelve months – all the challenges you already know you’re going to have to face – and then stand back, look to Heaven, and hear the Father say, “Be still, and know that I am God . . .” (Psalm 46:10)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Precious Blessings - Dinner #8

     How have you always regarded children?  Do you steer clear of church nursery and children’s ministry assignments?  Are you a young lady who openly declares that you hope you never have a baby?  Or are you a happy mother of three or four? 

     The Lord Jesus Himself loved children!  Mark 10:13,16 “And they brought young children to him . . . And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.”  We also see in His Word that children are so very dear to God that He knows them before they are even formed in the womb, and has a particular purpose for each of their lives!  Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

     Sometimes I hear young couples going around talking about how they hope they won’t have any children for a long time.  The truth of the matter is, Christian couples should have the strong desire to become parents, for parenthood is a BLESSING from God!  We look down on the Communist countries that limit the amount of children their citizens may have.  It makes us infuriated!  But then, we turn around in our own selfish society, and often regard children as a financial burden and a nuisance!  How have Christians allowed such wrong thinking to influence their minds?  Children are blessings!  Whether they are your own children or children you have the privilege of working with, they are BLESSINGS! 

Luke 1:7, 13-14 “And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. . . But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.  And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.”

     Zacharias prayed to the Lord to give them a child, and God told him that when the baby was born, he would have JOY AND GLADNESS!  This wasn’t something to be upset or financially worried about! Zacharias wasn’t going around in complete distress over how this was going to affect his “retirement plan”!  It was an event that brought rejoicing in the Lord! 

 

Genesis 21:1-2 “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said . . . For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken unto him.”

I Samuel 2:21 “And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters.  And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.”

     Both of these verses speak of a “visit” from the Lord.  Does that sound like chance or just an unexpected accident to you?!  Something that “just happened”?  Whether or not a child comes as a “surprise” to you, they are no surprise to God!  Each one is truly part of His perfect plan!

Ruth 4:13 “So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.”

     If God has allowed you to have children, you must realize that this is a GIFT from the Lord! He has GIVEN them to you! 

Psalm 113:9 “He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.  Praise ye the LORD.”

     Becoming a mother is a joyful, happy thing!  It hurts my heart when I hear Christian ladies jokingly say of one of their children, “We weren’t planning on that one.”  What message does that send to the child?  That you didn’t really want them at first, but now you guess you’re glad that God had other plans?  Why wasn’t your heart in the right place to begin with?!  No baby in a Christian home should ever be regarded as “unwanted at this time”! There are some women in the world today who are on their knees, weeping before God, because they want a baby!  If the Lord has opened your womb and given you children, don’t take that blessing from the Lord lightly, even if you feel it is not in “your timing”! That visit from Him is in HIS timing!    

     Genesis 33:5 “And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.”

     If you decide that you want nothing to do with children, what numerous blessings are you denying yourself?  What untold blessings are you denying the world?  Once, when I was attending a teaching convention, the head speaker for the preschool department used the second half of this verse to remind us that the children in our classroom were also blessings from the Lord.  She declared that each year of teaching, even the more difficult students to reach, were children “which God hath graciously given”.  That verse stuck with me more than anything else said in that conference, and was an encouraging reminder on many occasions. 

Psalm 78:4 “We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.”

     There needs to be a “next generation” so that we can pass onto them the praises of our God!  They need to hear the truth of God’s Word!  Who are the children that God has placed in YOUR care?  Are they your own?  Are they school students, or boys and girls you’re reaching through a church ministry? Whether a mother, a wife, or a ministry worker, it is important to have a right view of children.  Each and every one is truly a precious blessing from the Lord!