The Fire of Affliction

For my dear friends:

We prayed so fervently that God would preserve your little one to you this time. It is so hard to even know how to feel, watching you and Mark go through this again. It hurts us to know that you are traveling through this pain, but we will not fear because we know Who is leading you. He can soothe when we cannot, and we know that He will not forsake you. You have been good parents to this little one, doing everything in your power to help him/her along. We love you very much.

"Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean." Numbers 31:23

"... will my 'good hope through grace' stand the test of such an ordeal? Will my 'joy and peace in believing' crumble into nothingness under the fierce heat of tribulation? Can the 'strong consolation' which God gives me disappear as a vapour when the flame of affliction touches it? Or, if I should lose my best and dearest treasures, can the hot furnace of bereavement burn up all my strength and comfort? ...

We can sing of His love when the heat is most vehement, and glorify him by proving that promise true, 'When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.' This is why the command is so frequently heard, thrilling through heart and life,'Ye shall make it go through the fire...'

- taken from Susannah Spurgeon's Free Grace and Dying Love

Book Meme

Andrea from The Flourishing Mother tagged me for this fun meme. Thank you, Andrea.

There are five rules to participating in this meme:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).

2.Open the book to page 123.

3.Find the fifth sentence.

4.Post the next three sentences.

5.Tag five people.

Here is the book I will be using (I HIGHLY recommend it):

The One-Year Book of Christian History By E. Michael & Sharon Rusten / Tyndale House What happened on this date in church history? From ancient Rome to the twenty-first century, from peasants to presidents, from missionaries to martyrs, this book shows how God does extraordinary things though ordinary people every day of the year. Each story appears on the day and month that it occurred and includes questions for reflection and a related Scripture verse. A remarkable journey through church history that will both instruct and inspire you! Spanning 2,000 years, 365 stories about peasants, presidents, missionaries, martyrs, and others show how God has accomplished extraordinary things through ordinary people---every day of the year. Encouraging Scripture and thought-provoking questions help you apply what you've learned to your own life.

p123 6th sentence: "Graham was honored and recalled another funeral that gave him hope that he would see his friend again in heaven: 'Before his mother's funeral service, he talked with me for a few minutes about her faith.'

'Dick, do you have that same kind of faith?' I asked.

'I believe I do,' he said quietly ... that was his Quaker way, to keep piety private...'"

I'm not going to specifically tag anyone because I know this meme went around before, and I have no idea who has already done it. If you'd like to, consider yourself tagged!!

Hopefully before the week is out (I know, I have three days) I will post another Treasured Moments ;-)

Some questions I ask myself ...

We sang a beautiful hymn in church last night that has been playing through my head ever since!

Gracious Spirit, dwell with me!

I myself would gracious be;

And with words that help and heal

Would Thy life in mine reveal;

And with actions bold and meek

Would for Christ my Savior speak.

So often, I have ungraciousness residing in my heart. If only I would keep a constant reminder that my actions should always reflect Christ! Are my words like balm to a wound? Am I aware of myself, or do I see myself as His instrument?

Truthful Spirit, dwell with me!

I myself would truthful be;

And with wisdom kind and clear

Let Thy life in mine appear;

And with actions brotherly

Speak my Lord’s sincerity.

Sincerity is hard to come by these days. If I wish my daughter to be truthful and real, I must mirror these traits so that she will see the Lord through me.

Tender Spirit, dwell with me!

I myself would tender be;

Shut my heart up like a flower

In temptation’s darksome hour,

Open it when shines the sun,

And his love by fragrance own.

Does my husband see the tenderness that so becomes a woman? Or does he always see the harried momma, the busy bee, the Martha in me? Is my conscience and heart tender to iniquity? Or am I hardened by and toughened to this world's evil?

Mighty Spirit, dwell with me!

I myself would mighty be;

Mighty so as to prevail,

Where unaided man must fail;

Ever, by a mighty hope,

Pressing on and bearing up.

Do I forget that He alone is my strength -- "a very present help in times of trouble." Do I run to my tower in trials or do I try to face them in my own strength?

Holy Spirit, dwell with me!

I myself would holy be;

Separate from sin, I would

Choose and cherish all things good,

And whatever I can be

Give to Him Who gave me Thee!

Do I truly cherish all things good? Do I strive to be set apart? We are called to be different -- for this is when our light shines the brightest.

Tagged!

Jaime tagged me ... this should be fun!

Here are the rules:

Each player starts with seven random facts/habits about themselves.People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules.You need to choose up to seven people to get tagged and list their names.

The funny thing is that I had trouble thinking of SEVEN interesting things about myself. Read these at your own risk!!

1. I am adopted! So is my sister, Neesie. Also, my family did foster care when I was younger. We had a total of 11 infants (obviously, not all at the same time) before we stopped.

2. I am a science geek. I love dissections and all things bloody. This may be why I majored in Biology in college ... although unfortunately math and chemistry came along with the Biology.

3. I really don't want to tell this one. Sigh. But I will!
I used to want to be a mortician. I read all the books about mortuary science on the library shelf.

4. I was homeschooled from 7th grade through highschool. We used ABeka Video.

5. I became a Christian when I was four! The fate of wicked Pharoah bothered me so much, that I didn't want to end up like he did.

6. I have absolutely NO sense of direction. It is quite embarassing. God in his providence, allowed me to marry a land surveyor. A patient man, my husband.

7. I used to look like a beaver when I was little. I had a 100% overbite. Thanks to my daddy for paying for braces, and to my kind dentist, Dr. Donaldson, and my talented orthodontist, Dr. Spinelli -- you would never know now.

I'll tag Beka, and Beba.

Attitude Adjustment

I need an attitude adjustment.

Here I am, queen of my home, with the responsibility to make it a warm and loving palace for the king and princess whom I live with.

Here I am, keeper of the bills, with forms to fill out, and the confusion of taxes to decipher.

Here I am, executive chef, with meals to cook and menus to plan.

Here I am, cleaning lady, with a sticky floor that is calling my name.

Here I am, wife, with a husband to listen to, and to encourage.

Here I am, mommy, with soft cheeks to kiss and yes, (four - today) very-messy diapers to change.

Here I am, research analyst, with future purchases to compare and contrast.

Here I am, administrative assistant, with a house to run while my husband studies to improve himself in his field of work.

Here I am, sister in Christ, with people to pray for and with.

Here I am, child of the King, with a loving Father in heaven Who has blessed me abundantly.

Here I am, wasting time, with a sinful spirit. I need an attitude adjustment.

What did I do today? I got anxious and annoyed. I wrote an email to Mr. S at work, bothering him with my confusion over our taxes. I wasted time getting frustrated because my calculator is out of batteries.

What should I have done? I should have paced myself. Prayed. Waited to bother my husband. Recited a Scripture or three to myself. Sang to Selena - because a joyful heart doeth good like a medicine.

I feel so much better already. The birds are chirping, and tomorrow promises to be a sunny day.

Happy Thanksgiving

About 25 years ago, an almost one year old girl was adopted by two parents. She grew up happily, and learned to love Jesus at a very young age. Twelve years later the family of three welcomed another little girl into their home because they loved her very much.

When the oldest girl was 23 years old, she met a young man whom she liked almost immediately. They grew to love each other. God blessed their love and they entered into the wonderful union of marriage.

After a year and a half, they found that they were expecting a surprise. When they met their surprise eight and a half months later, they were filled with love for her.

Now they are a family of three and are very thankful!

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!

I am overwhelmed! We may very well be moving in less then four weeks, and we are going to be away or busy for some of that time. I felt like I had everything under control, and then I started packing. I feel now, that I can never get all this accomplished in the time we have. Okay, I know I am overreacting! I CAN do it, I just don't know where to start.

I don't want Miss S to feel that her life is being turned topsy turvy. I want her to feel normalcy through the move. She is very good about playing on the floor while I am packing, but she still eats every 2 1/2 hours. After I feed her, I like to play with her a little. Then I change her and cuddle her. Then the phone rings or I have to cook dinner or .... (fill in the blank). Then its time to feed her again!

I'm sure all you mothers with more then one out there are shaking your heads and laughing at me! In fact, as I read this post, I am laughing too. I have so much to be thankful for .... a daughter to cuddle, a husband to cook for, a house to move from and to! Food to cook, friends and family to talk to, things to pack ...etc.

Ok, I just needed to air my stress, and the very airing has calmed my spirit. After looking on all the blessings that God has given us, I feel ashamed for complaining at all. Thank you Lord. You have blessed us beyond imagining.

Random Thoughts ...

1. Selena's newest nickname is "Beana Boop Boop." Don't ask me where that came from. Its better then "Poop Factory," right?

2. Last night she slept from 1am until 6am. Yes, thats right, folks. Her normal bedtime is 11:30pm but she ate and ate until 12am. Then she slept for a while and woke up screaming because she had spit up all over herself. So she finally went back down at 1am all clean and happy. If she could go 11:30 - 6am I would probably need to throw a party.

3. Mr.S's birthday is on Sunday. I won't give away his exact age, but he's approaching 30!

4. The new Peppermint Mocha coffeemate creamer is so yummy - delicious.

5. Selena is cooing in her sleep ... it makes me want to snatch her up and kiss her fat cheeks!

6. I can't remember what it is like to go out to eat.

7. On the way to the kitchen from the living room this morning, I succeeded in tripping over a rattle, the playgym and the corner of Selena's swing.

8. I have seriously thought about cutting my long hair short. Like to my shoulders. I have no time to take care of it!

9. When Mr. S was bestowing a tender kiss on Miss S, she oh so sweetly spit up INTO his mouth!



10. I can't remember what good sleep feels like.

11. Mr. S and I both walk around with white blotches all over our clothes. Yes, those are spit up stains.

12. To my horror, we have started calling each other "Daddy" and "Mommy." What happened to "sweetheart," "love," and "snookums?" Okay, we never called each other "snookums."

13. The book of choice these days is Goodnight Moon.

14. Okay, I'll confess ... when Beana Boop Boop spit up in her crib last night, I put her back in with her head facing the other way. I mean really, it was 12:30 AM!!!! Was I expected to change the sheets at that late hour? I changed them this morning, and no one was worse for the wear.

15. I love teaching Sunday School, but now I have someone to teach right in my own home!! I can't wait until she can understand Leading Little Ones to God.

A Breath of Fresh Air

This morning as I lay in bed, I felt the cool crisp breeze waft over the bed. It is strange how the wind brings memories for me. I love the fall. I used to wonder why it was my mom's favorite season. I liked summer which meant popsicles and no school. Now I understand why my mom feels the way she does.

Okay, I understand that it is technically still summer, but play along with me folks! The crisp breeze reminds me of the month in which I married my husband. It seems we have come so far in just two short years. I remember our honeymoon and those wonderful drives through the gorgeous countryside of Prince Edward Island. I remember our little cottage with the jacuzzi on the deck. Sigh ... wonderful memories.

This weather makes me want to bake, to light candles and to brew coffee. Thank you Lord for all of your blessings! I want to breathe them all in!