hope and prayer

Hi everyone!  I wanted to kind of deviate from my regular posts and just bring up some things that I think we can all be praying for.

• Obviously, the priority on everyone's mind right now is Hurricane Sandy and those affected by it.  Specifically, let's pray for the families of the people who have died, and also for the continued safety of everyone in harm's way because of limited electricity, flooding, high winds, etc.
• I also wanted to bring up the deaths of two preschool children who were killed when their school bus crashed yesterday.  I can't imagine the grief that their families are feeling right now!  Also continue to pray for four other children who are in the hospital, as well as the driver of the bus, who must be dealing with some incredible guilt and grief right now.

I also wanted to post this video, which is Barlowgirl's last song ever as they have chosen to go in a different direction apart from the music industry.  I've loved listening to their music over the years, but I was so glad they put out one last song.

 

God is so good in how He always sovereignly works in our lives so perfectly.  I feel like He's really been teaching me to hope.  On the last day of 2010, I posted about how my "word" for 2011 was going to be "hope".  You can go there to read about why exactly I chose that, but I've continued to feel that God is teaching me to hope in Him, and not be afraid to have hopes and dreams for the future, because He'll do whatever's best.  Even if it sometimes doesn't feel like the best at the time, it will be the best.  Over this past week, the Lord has been bringing this thought to my mind again, and I just loved how perfectly this song fit in with what He's been teaching me.  His timing is amazing!

Anyway, I hope that this song encourages you and that you'll pray for those things which I've brought up in this post.  I'll be posting another 20 random posts "post" soon; talk to you then!

Djamsel and Majoie

This is a post I have been dying to make for a few weeks now, but I had to wait for something to come in the mail.  And today it did!  Today I received my info packet on my new Compassion child, Majoie.  And so today I'm going to post about both of my Compassion children, Djamsel and Majoie.

I'm not sure why I haven't already done a post about Djamsel.  I never really thought about it until recently.

I started sponsoring Djamsel in April 2011.  I only had enough money for one month's sponsorship, and after about two months of looking for a job I hadn't had any luck.  However, I felt God was leading me to start a sponsorship, so I went onto the Compassion website to look for a child.

I really had no idea where to start.  At any one time, there are several thousand children waiting to be sponsored through Compassion.  Thankfully, there are ways you can narrow down the search, and I decided to specifically look at the children will mental or physical handicaps.  There were only about twenty of them, and I think I clicked on Djamsel's picture first.  The second I saw him, I knew I wanted to sponsor him.  He was the child for me.

Djamsel lives in Indonesia with his family.  The sight in his left eye is defective, as you can see from his picture.  He's nine years old.

It took about six months for me to get my first letter from Djamsel.  I'd already written to him two or three times.  I was ecstatic to finally hear from him, and since then I've gotten several more letters.  He calls me "mama Sarah". ;D

I have been sponsoring Majoie for exactly one week today.  Once again, beginning her sponsorship was a matter of trusting in God to provide, and I know He will.

This time around, though I considered sponsoring another handicapped child like Djamsel, I instead decided to look at the children who had been waiting the longest for sponsors.  The first child to come up was Majoie, and I just fell in love with her.  She had been waiting for a sponsor for 257 days.

I finally got Majoie's sponsorship packet today (yay!).  She lives in Togo with her family, and she's five years old.  I can't wait to get my first letter from her!

So that pretty much sums up my sponsorship stories for now.  I hope you enjoyed reading them, and I'll continue to update on Djamsel and Majoie when anything happens.

to please Him

Tomorrow I start my second semester in college.  I'm taking 16 credit hours with math, sociology, western civilization, Spanish, and philosophy.

I'm pretty nervous, but I was comforted by this devotional from Amy Carmichael this morning.

*The only thing that matters is to please Me.

   Have you noticed that if you go to sleep with the thought of Him whom your soul loveth, you waken—at least often it is so—with some little word from Him, a verse from His Book, or a hymn, or just a simple word that tells you nothing new, but somehow helps.

   “The only thing that matters is to please Me”—that was the word that woke me a few days ago, and it has not gone away. When the thought of the things that I cannot do comes and tries to trouble me, this little simple word comes at once. The other things seem to matter. I often think they do matter. But they are as though they did not matter in comparison with pleasing our Lord Jesus.

   The word—that simple word—reminded me of those other words, “All that pleases is but for a moment. All that grieves is but for a moment. Only the eternal is important.” Are any of you tried about anything? I think if you listen you will hear Him say, “The only thing that matters is to please Me.”

-- Amy Carmichael

* excerpt taken from Edges of His Ways by Amy Carmichael, page 15

99 Balloons

What wilt Thou give me?

Hi everybody!

There was a specific reason I wanted to write on my blog today, but I can't remember what it was, so I just thought I'd do a little update about how things are going lately.

Yesterday was my art history midterm.  I am seriously being over and over again shocked at God's goodness.  I have been dreading this midterm ever since the semester began.  It was the only midterm I had for any of my classes (for all the rest I have periodic exams), and this is the only test we have besides our final for this class, so it's pretty just based on those two tests.  I was so nervous about it, in fact, that I memorized the first four pages of vocabulary words I needed for the midterm within the first two weeks of starting school. :) But I was so ready for it!  Over the weekend I was feeling a little nervous because I didn't even really know what to study (we were going over ten chapters--was I supposed to everything about every one of them?), but when I woke up I read the little devotional for the day that I have in this devo book by Amy Carmichael.  I've talked about it before; it's called Edges of His Ways.  I wanted to post the devotional for yesterday because it was just so cool how God ordained it for that day.

*Gen. 15:2: Lord God, what wilt Thou give me?

   When thinking of the further reaches of prayer I came on this, the simplest of all, like the words of a small child before is has learned not to ask for things for itself.  If the friend of God could speak so to his God, we may in all simplicity do so too.  "Lord God, what wilt Thou give me?"

   Just as a child passes from the less to the greater in desire, so we find in our Bible that the desire of man, as he walks further on with God, grows and grows till we come to such words as Paul's, words that reach far beyond any earthly good--"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings"; and soon that other word follows, so often forgotten in hurried prayer: the first good thing promised is not the thing for which we prayed, but peace.

   "Lord God, what wilt Thou give me?"

   "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus."  Is not peace an answer?

Isn't that awesome?  I'm not saying that I wasn't a bit anxious throughout that day, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be (plus, I think I did really good on the test!).  God is so faithful!  He gives peace and strength and whatever else I may need, all the time.  He is so good.

Start considering joining The Voice of the Martyrs on November 13th, the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.  To learn more about it you can go here.  I'm posting a video from their website below; I think it's sort of a promotional thing for this day of prayer, to get you started thinking about it.  I thought it was really interesting.

I also wanted to post another little thing from Amy Carmichael (I love Amy Carmichael; she was such an inspiration!).  This one is from A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot.  It's not really inspirational or anything, but it just stilled my soul and made me stop for a moment to pray for those little children around the world that evil people use for harm.

**Just how horrible [what she was saving little girls from] she (Amy) did her best to put into words.  Things as They Are has a picture of a half-naked holy man.  "This photo is from death in life," she writes, "a carcass, moving, breathing, sinning...  I knew something about the man.  His life is simply unthinkable.  Talk of beasts in human shape!  It is slandering good animals to compare bad men to beasts.  Safer far in a tiger's den than that man's monastery.  But he is a temple saint--earthly, sensual, devilish.  Now put beside him a little girl--your own little girl--and leave her there--yes, leave her there in his hand."

Take some time today to lift up to the Lord those helpless, little children and the people who do them harm, as well as the people who work to help them.

* excerpt taken from "Edges of His Ways" by Amy Carmichael, page 193
** excerpt taken from "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael" by Elisabeth Elliot, pages 170-171

just the fringes

Read about what's behind this video here.  It looks the best if you make it full-screen!

"The departed spirits tremble

Under the waters and their

   inhabitants.

"Naked is Sheol before Him,

And Abaddon has no covering.

"He stretches out the north over

   empty space

And hangs the earth on nothing.

"He wraps up the waters in His

   clouds,

And the cloud does not burst

   under them.

"He obscures the face of the full

   moon

And spreads His cloud over it.

"He has inscribed a circle on the

   surface of the waters

At the boundary of light and

   darkness.

"The pillars of heaven tremble

And are amazed at His rebuke.

"He quieted the sea with His

   power,

And by His understanding He

   shattered Rahab.

"By His breath the heavens are

   cleared;

His hand has pierced the fleeing

   serpent.

"Behold, these are the fringes of His

   ways;

And how faint a word we hear of

   Him!

But His mighty thunder, who can

   understand?"

Job 26:5-14

whisper it to thy saddle-bow

I wanted to share this video I saw on facebook today.  It's so cute!

I have a devotional book by Amy Carmichael that I read every day.  It's called Edges of His Ways.  There's a paragraph or two for each day, or sometimes just a poem that she wrote.  I loved the poem for October 11th, and wanted to share it.

Have I a fear that Thou dost know?

Fear of weakness, fear of failing

(Though Thy power is all-prevailing)

Or a haunting fear of bringing

Care to others?

“Share it not with a weakling

Whisper it to thy saddle-bow,

And ride forth singing.”

Many fears can murmur low:

Fear of ills the future holdeth

(Though, indeed, Thy grace upholdeth),

Dulling fear and fear sharp stinging,

Fear that tortures.

“Share it not with a weakling

Whisper it to thy saddle-bow,

And ride forth singing.”

-- Amy Carmichael

And finally, I found this song by Building 429 the other day, and wanted to share it too.

God is so good!

I know, I know--I have been posting WAY too many videos lately, but I just keep finding more and more that I like!  However, along with the videos, I wanted to give an update on how college life is going!

It's busy!  I have four classes Tuesday and Thursday, and then I also work Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.  Still, it's all going a whole lot better than I expected so far!  I got an A+ on my first psych exam, and 10 extra credit points for my first art paper!  I was thrilled. :-) Otherwise, I had a math exam last Thursday, first English paper due this Tuesday, next psych exam on Thursday, and first art take-home quiz due on Thursday.  Lots going on, but God is so good!  He continues to astound me over and over again with His goodness.  Not to mention He has made it so that I love my classes and feel like I'm learning a ton!

And on to the videos!  The first is this beautiful worship song by Audrey Assad.

Second, I had to share this.  This little boy is just so CUTE! (I feel like I'm using A LOT OF CAPITAL LETTERS AND EXCLAMATION POINTS IN THIS POST!!!!!!!!!) :D

If we would all stand together

Children of the Heav'nly Father

I found this poem today at this website, and I have just fallen in love with it. With what love our heavenly Father cares for His children!

Children of the Heav'nly Father

Children of the heav’nly Father

Safely in His bosom gather;

Nestling bird nor star in Heaven

Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish;

In His holy courts they flourish;

From all evil things He spares them;

In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever

From the Lord His children sever;

Unto them His grace He showeth,

And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Though He giveth or He taketh,

God His children ne’er forsaketh;

His the loving purpose solely

To preserve them pure and holy.

Lo their very hairs He numbers

And no daily care encumbers

Them that share His ev’ry blessing

And His help in woes distressing.

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers:

Your Protector never slumbers.

At the will of your Defender

Ev’ry foeman must surrender.

-- Lina Sandell

Never forget those who were lost ten years ago.  Take some time to be away with the Lord today and lift up the families and friends who continue to grieve.  May He still use this tragedy for His glory and the salvation of many.  Pray also for the soldiers who continue to fight in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for the families of those who have died in combat.

The Conversion of S. Paul

A blessed conversion, and a strange

Was that, when Saul a Paul became:

And, Lord, for making such a change,

We praise and glorify Thy name.

For whilst he went from place to place,

To persecute Thy truth and Thee;

(And running to perdition was)

By powerful grace called back was he.

When from Thy truth we go astray,

(Or wrong it through our blinded zeal)

Oh come, and stop us in the way,

And then Thy will to us reveal;

That brightness show us from above

Which proves the sensual eyesight blind:

And from our eyes those scales remove,

That hinder us the way to find.

And as Thy blessed servant Paul,

When he a convert once became,

Exceeded Thy Apostles all,

In painful preaching of Thy name:

So grant that those who have in sin

Exceeded others heretofore,

The start of them in faith may win,

Love, serve, and honor Thee the more.

-- George Wither

Laboring as to the Lord

Happy Labor Day, everybody!

Around here, holidays like Labor Day don't do much to change our daily life.  Daddy works at home, so it isn't like this is a special day off of work, and with Ellie being homeschooled she takes about one day a week off.  Rachel and I are only going to CNM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so we didn't get a day off of school.  But today has just been amazing so far!  I have all of my homework done, so what I've been doing today is just stuff to get a little bit ahead.  Mama, Chloe, and I went to Walmart to get stuff for our Labor Day cookout and, wouldn't you know it, God blessed us with three mountain bikes, one each for me, Rachel, and Ellie, on sale for just $29 each!  We've all been thinking that it would be nice to buy bikes, and these are just fantastic (fantastically cheap too)!  This afternoon we went and tested them out all together, and then made shish kebabs while Ellie made chocolate chip zucchini bread (amazing).  Right now I'm taking a break from psychology before we go eat dinner together.  The rest of our evening plans include a Bible study together, maybe some singing, as well as making smores, using up some leftover fireworks, and watching a Steven Curtis Chapman DVD we've had for about three months and still haven't watched.

My point to all of this is just to say that, amidst all the hubbub of starting college and continuing on at McDonalds and everything else, there is peace in the Lord.  He is showing me how He will set me free from worry and stress if only I'll give it all to Him and realize that, really, what is there to worry about?  The worst thing that could happen is that I fail all four of my college classes (I dropped my chemistry), and if that happens I can just retake them or do something with my life that doesn't require a degree.  I want to take care of orphans, after all, and raising kids doesn't require a college degree.  Teaching kids does, though, and that's what I'm leaning towards majoring in now.  If that's His will for me, God will see me through!  In the end it's all a matter of perspective.  Why on earth would I worry?  It won't add a single hour; rather, it will waste the hours God has given me in which to glorify Him.  Let's use this time wisely, and labor for Him.

And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

 Luke 12:22-32

Be Still, My Soul

I wanted to post this song today because there are a lot of changes going on in my life.  I'm going to be starting college in seven days, and tomorrow I'm turning eighteen!  It can kind of be a lot to take in at a time.  I never thought I'd even get to my senior year, much less be through with it, graduated, and starting college!

Thinking about all the new changes has kind of had me worrying about, well, everything.  I heard this song a few days ago, and I really liked it because it just brings peace to my soul, reminding me of God's faithfulness and steadfastness.

When I put all of this in the perspective that God is in control and all that matters is that I glorify Him in all of this, go where He leads, and rely on His strength, trusting Him for whatever happens, all this change is kind of exciting!  I'm sad to be leaving my "kid years", but excited to see what God has ahead!

Speaking of what He has ahead...

ALL my books.

My chemistry book is still wrapped in plastic.  I don't really want to look at it. :E

My intimidating math calculator.  I have no idea how to use it.

May God be glorified in it all!

A Tea Against Suffering

I looked out at the silent congregation. It was, for a moment, as if I were back in my church during the war on the day when the Iron Guard bullies filed in with their guns. Menace was around us, not only in the place where Rugojanu was taking notes.

I continued, “Don’t let suffering take you by surprise! Meditate on it often. Take the virtues of Christ and His saints into your life. The pastor I spoke of, my teacher who died for his faith, gave me a recipe for a tea against suffering, and I will give it to you.”

I told them the story of a doctor of early Christian times who was unjustly imprisoned by the emperor. After some weeks his family was allowed to see him, and at first they wept. His clothes were rags, his nourishment a slice of bread with a cup of water every day. His wife wondered and asked, “How is it that you look so well? You have the air of one who has just come from a wedding!” The doctor smilingly replied that he found a remedy for all troubles, and his family asked him what it was. The doctor told them, “I have discovered a tea that is good against all suffering and sorrow. It contains seven herbs, and I shall number them for you.”

“The first herb is called contentedness: be satisfied with what you have. I may shiver in my rags as I gnaw on a crust, but how much worse off I should be if the emperor had thrown me naked into a dungeon with nothing at all to eat!

“The second herb is common sense. Whether I rejoice or worry, I shall still be in prison, so why fret?

“The third is remembrance of past sins: count them, and on the supposition that every sin deserves a day in prison, reckon how many lives you would spend behind bars—you have been let off lightly!

“The fourth is the thought of the sorrows that Christ bore gladly for us. If the only Man who ever could choose His fate on earth chose pain, what great value He must have seen in it! So we observe that, borne with serenity and joy, suffering redeems.

“The fifth herb is the knowledge that suffering has been given to us by God as from a father, not to harm us, but to cleanse and sanctify us. The suffering through which we pass has the purpose of purifying us and preparing us for heaven.

“The sixth is the knowledge that no suffering can harm a Christian life. If the pleasures of the flesh are all, then pain and prison bring an end to a man’s aim in living; but if the core of life is truth, that is something which no prison cell can change. In prison or out of it two and two make four. Prison cannot stop me from loving; iron bars cannot exclude faith. If these ideals make up my life, I can be serene anywhere.

“The last herb in the recipe is hope. The wheel of life may put the emperor’s physician in prison, but it goes on turning. It may put me back into the palace, and even put me on the throne.”

I paused for a moment. The crowded church was still.

“I have drunk barrels of this tea since then,” I said, “and I can recommend it to you all. It has proved good.”
* excerpt taken from "In God's Underground" by Richard Wurmbrand, pages 194-195

Hello, goodbye

This past week has been pretty fun, not too busy but enough to keep it from getting boring.  On Sunday we said goodbye to the Waite family, which was really sad, but I'm so excited for them going to Cameroon that it makes it a little bit better.  Still, when I think that I just said goodbye to them for two years, it's not all that great.  God is good, though!  His timing and His ways are perfect.  Here's a couple pics from that.

Worship practice

Ruthie!

Right before I dropped my pick inside the guitar. :E

The quilt that the women of the church made for the Waites as a thank you gift for all they've done for us.



The label on the back of the quilt

New video

Yesterday I played this song as a prelude at my church.  It was all going really well until the middle of the second verse, when I dropped my pick inside the guitar.  It was very embarrassing.  I had to continue on strumming with my thumb, but in the end it turned out OK!  Anyway, I decided to record a version of it, mostly because I just love this song and can't seem to find a version of it that I like.  Enjoy!

Love Has a Price Tag

We eat breakfast with Mr. Smith, a very handsome man with white hair, ruddy skin and bright blue eyes. He is wearing a blue shirt and blue sweater. He tells us a story which brings into sharp focus the words of the wedding vows—“in sickness and in health, for better, for worse.” His wife has been a patient at Milledgeville for three years.

“When she first got sick I carried her everywhere. I did. The doctor said, ‘She’ll get worse, every week and every month. So if you want to go on any trips or anywhere, go now.’ We had some good times, me and her. But the doctor said, ‘You cain’t stand it. You won’t be able to stand it.’ Well, I said, ‘Ah’m’on’ hang on long’s I can.’

“I took care of her for five years, but I lost fifty-two pounds just from worry. I was so tense they broke three needles tryin’ to put a shot in my arm. Well, I carried her to twenty-five doctors but they couldn’t do nothin’. It’s brain deter’ation, they told me. I did everything for her. I dressed her and fed her and everything, but it like to whup me and if it hadn’t of been for the good Lord I’da never made it. Doctor said, ‘I’da sworn you’d never last six months.’ But a lot of people were prayin’ for me. Oh yes. But finally I had to give up and put her here.

“She cain’t do nothin’. Cain’t move or speak or hear. She’s in the prebirth position, legs and arms locked, heels locked up tight behind. You cain’t straighten her out. But I come every other day. I go in and kiss her ‘bout a dozen times, jes’ love her to death. I talk to her. She don’t hear, but she knows my touch.

“Well.” Mr. Smith finished his story. “I work for the florist here. Volunteer work, you know. I go around the wards, carrying flowers.”

We went later to see Mrs. Smith. If ever there was a sight to confound a man’s love for a woman, to strain to the breaking point the most potent human passion, we saw it in that stark white crib—a crumbled scrap of inert humanity. But there is a love that is strong as death, a love many waters cannot quench, floods cannot drown.


-- Elisabeth Elliot

* excerpt taken from "Love Has a Price Tag" by Elisabeth Elliot, pages 109-111

How deep is His love

These past weeks have been hard.  Ten days ago, there was the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan.  Then there was the nuclear crisis there as well.  Along with all of this rocking the world, in some cases quite literally, things were going on in the personal lives of some of the people I know.  Last Tuesday night one of our church elders was taken to the hospital with stroke-like symptoms.  He couldn't speak properly, and over the course of a few days we found out that he was sick with herpesviral encephalitis.  It's a very serious disease, and we didn't know whether he would live or not.  Then, last Wednesday morning, we got another phone call and found out that one of our church father's had lost his father that morning.  His dad had very poor health, but they still weren't expecting his death quite so soon.

Yet even in the midst of all of this, there is hope.  In Japan, we know that God is taking care of those people just as He sees fit, even though we don't understand it.  This morning our church elder was released from the hospital, and is expected to make a full recovery.  And for the family who lost a father and a grandfather, there is the promise that they will see him again in Heaven.  Just a few years ago he came to Christ, and they are looking forward to not only seeing Jesus in His kingdom, but seeing this man too.

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.'

Jeremiah 29:11-14

How great is His love!

Japan tsunami

I want to ask you all to join me this morning in lifting up the people of Japan after this terrible earthquake and tsunami this morning.  With Hawaii and California scheduled to be hit later on today, please also pray for the people there, especially in Hawaii as it's around 3 AM there and it's a race to wake people up and warn them to get to high ground before the tsunami hits.  You can go here to learn more.

The Shelter of God's Promises

I originally got The Shelter of God's Promises from Book Sneeze because I thought the cover looked cool, and it would probably be a good idea to review some of God's promises.  I didn't expect the book to be what it was.  It was excellent.  In most books I've read that talk about God's promises, the author just gives a couple of verses applicable to a certain subject, tells you to "press on and be strong", and that's about it.  One of the things I most enjoyed about this book was how Sheila Walsh used a different passage of the Bible for each promise and explained it more fully, expanding it to show just how amazing each promise was and is.  One of my favorite chapters was probably the one whose basis was the Samaritan woman, and just the love and mercy Jesus showed to her.  All in all I think this was a great book, and would recommend it to anybody who's looking for something to read!