Big Gifts that are Too Big to Ignore

I am bummed I haven't been updating this blog. There have been SOOOOO many gifts to remember... And prone to forget I am. Lord, here are just a few to share...

325. Thank You, Father, for granting me a free copy of the book Revolution in World Missions. I think that book will become one of my top ten as I am being greatly challenged and provoked to live more for You by being bolder in doing what I can to share the Gospel with the world. In fact, thank You for helping me to see my neighbors as those You bled and died on the Cross for. That picture helped me deliver some of our garden tomatoes to Javier and to now pray for him. Would You grant another opportunity and help me to seize it when I see it!

324. Cloth diapering is actually going well! Surprisingly it is not that big of a deal. But, I will need more to realistically fully do it with two kids. Yet, I praise You and thank You for allowing me the finances to get some diapers to try it out and also a willing hubby that supports my stinky ideas that will hopefully save us MUCH!

323. William attended a Men's Retreat on Saturday and was so blessed by his response to my question of how it went: "Excellent! It was an outstanding Men's Retreat!" Lord, oh to see You at work in my hubby is just electrifying! Thank You for this retreat and how You will and are already working in the lives of the men of our church. I have no doubt the wives will benefit from that time investment!

322. Lord, I am loving my new Bosch mixer! I can almost see a day when I won't need to run out to the store and get bread for lunch! What a tremendous difference in the texture and even taste of the bread with this machine! And our homemade pizza is DELICIOUS! We'll have to get a pizza stone one day to make it even more authentic!

321. SSR Time! We started another idea of Papa's that he got from a radio program he heard over the summer. We are calling it SSR which stands for Special Sabbath Rest. Basically, it is our way of making Sundays a day that is different from every other day by having a special time (30 minutes for our current season) in the afternoon to do something that allows us to REST in Him. We've explained it to the kids as a time similar to our morning Quiet Times but special because it can involve something we don't get to in our morning QT like reading a book about God, journalling about what He's done, having an extended time of prayer, listening to something that can grow our affections to for Savior, etc.

320. Our Family Worship Time led by and spearheaded by our own Papa is a great hit! I love that William has decided to read through Psalms, have a time of prayer, and then worship time. The kids are now at the age of being capable of actively participating. In fact, even Kadin shared his prayer request - for help staying in his bed at nighttime. Lord, thank You for these precious times as a little family. Thank You that William is being led to continue growing in his parenting and training of our kiddos. Thank You for our kiddos response to these times. May this be a sweet memory they have of growing up, us reading Your Word, praying, and singing songs to You... constantly.

319. Paloma has made it through TWO Sundays without me being called to get her!

318. I officially have a "Mother's Helper!" And not just any old mother's helper! I have the best, dare I say, most sought after 17-year old in our area to help me in any way I need it. Raquel already knows the kids b/c she's been serving us by babysitting for us every care group not at our home. We had our first day of her helping last week and I walked in with our groceries to a mopped floor and all dishes washed AND put away! I actually cried a bit I was so overwhelmed. Lord, You alone know just how meaningful this service is to me. May Raquel (and her parents!) be blessed for their great kindness.

317. Received an ENORMOUS deep freezer from the Dancas a couple nights ago. Wow! When I emptied our current side by side freezer contents into it is maybe filled it an eighth full! It's so big I can't reach the very bottom! Your gifts are so much more than we can imagine!

316. Baby #5 had an irregular heartbeat about a month or more ago but it doesn't seem to be anything to worry about. So grateful for Norreen (the midwife) and her calm yet swift response. Thank You that I can go to a midwife opposed to a doctor as that better suits our needs/desires. You are kind to grant us this, Lord!

The Harvest Begins!

293. The harvest is coming in! We're getting zucchini, lettuce and the tomatoes are almost ready too! All this is possible from a generous blessing of "seed" money a friend sent us out of the blue. Charity & Ryan, your gift continues to bless us and is also allowing us to bless others! Thank you!

Our Week

290. Had a chiropractor appointment which included a 25-minute massage! I'm still in shock at how quickly I'm feeling better since starting back up at the chiro! Lord, I am so, so grateful You have made a way for me to go again. You are merciful to me!

289. Made it to my midwife appointment without problem and b/c Papa-Bear is home I was able to go solo.

288. Daddy was off today! Always a gift having my Hubby around all day. He's my favorite person to be with...

287. New fence completed! Already enjoying the extra benefits! And how sweet the blessing is knowing that we were able to pay cash and not incur any debt. (We paid off all our debt just over a year ago. Well, not 100%. We do have a mortgage but hope to pay that off long before it's due!)

Food, Kids, and a Car

276. Thank You, Lord, for helping me with my impromptu Baking/Prep Day today! I had fun baking Super Power Muffins, Banana Bread, rolls, and making and then freezing hamburger patties for Papa-Bear to throw on the grill on warmer weather days, and one batch of Kidney Bean and Ham Soup which I froze for a later meal. Yippee! I certainly felt Your nearness and know that I could only do this by Your grace. Thank You for always being so kind to me.

275. Joshua asked if he could pray at bedtime this evening and this is how he began, "Dear Lord, please help us children to become Christians." I was stunned! That is all him speaking to God on his own. Joshua, Saraina, Kadin and I then had a short but special conversation about how to become a Christian. Well, two-year old Kadin wanted to pray then. His prayer included, "Help Joshua and Nay Nay and Mony to obey." Afterwards, Kadin asked Saraina if she wanted to pray. She simply said, "No. I'll pray when I become a Christian." Thank You for conversations like those that remind me that there is no aspect of our lives that go unnoticed by You. Draw their hearts, Lord... for Your glory.

274. A full, sweet day being Mommy to my kiddos. Lord, thank You for all of our kiddos.

273. Papa-bear purchased a new-used car to replace the Jetta. So far, things are going well with Lil Red. He got a pretty stripped down maroon 1995 Geo Prism. The car has incredibly low miles and was kept in a garage. Lord, thank You! You faithfully provide for every thing we need. Not one detail is overlooked by You. And thank You, Lord, for a husband that desires to please You in all things, especially by the way he stewards the money You are entrusting to us.

Farewell, Rudi!

272. I purchased Rudi, our green Jetta, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey back in 1996 during my first year teaching. I purposely got 4-doors because though I was extremely far from being married, I wanted her "to see children." Well, the ole girl almost made it to see Baby #5!

Rudi had her final commute home on Thursday night when William called from about 10 minutes away to tell me that the car sounded like the back wheels were going to fall off and he had no rear brakes. Poor gal crossed over into the "unreliable" category but made it to over 192K miles.

But, the reason for this post is to thank God for 12 years with that car! What a gift! We are so grateful God had allowed us to drive that car way longer paid for that not. We certainly have gotten our money out of that car. And to show how God is more than generous, we sold the car in less than 24-hours and didn't even need to leave our house or post an ad anywhere. The guy next door ended up being the buyer (after about at least 10 calls from people simply driving by) for the grand price of $425! Praise God!

Only God could work out such a story. Alejandro, the new owner, simply backed the car out of our driveway and parked her in the driveway next door! Lord, You are amazing!

Stewarding

260. What a joy it is stewarding what God has generously given us. And, Lord, You have blessed our small attempts greatly.

Thank you for...

~split chicken breast on sale for 97 cents a pound

~free chocolate (after sale and coupons)

~$50 cash from selling our old TV stand on Craigslist

~buying books for our Home school from the gift cards earned through Swagbucks

~free soda

~Raisin Bran on sale for 29 cents a box (after sale, in-store coupon, and manufacturer coupon)

~family that encourages this frugal lifestyle

~cheap spices that make simple foods rich in taste

~8 pounds of rice for $1.98

and the list could go on and on.

Lord, you are so kind to provide us with everything we need and so, so, so much more. You are so good to me.

Pops, Home Schooling, Plumbing

249. My Prince and I have such fun together.  Being married is wonderful!  What a gift from You!  Last night we decided (impromptu, of course!) to rearrange our main floor!  Looking forward to seeing you after your night meeting, Pops!

248. Started officially home schooling the kiddos this week after Hubby and I sat down and talked through our goals and thoughts.  I am sure we will re-evaluate as we continue to move forward but we are beginning with a unified vision.

247. Plumber fixed our leak!  Did a great job!  And we got a very good rate for his services (Hubby knows the guy through his job).  To top it off I was able to pay guy in cash.  Yipee!  Paid in full means no seeing it later on a credit card statement!  Thank You, Lord God!

A Long List of Blessings

240. Knowing there are many praying for me

239. Money to register for a Marriage Retreat in MN and BLee all set to watch the bigger three!

238. An American Express gift card we didn't know we had that has $$ on it!

237. A scheduled date night this evening!!!!!  I love time alone with my hubby!

236. time to blog!

235. Saraina asking me for a hug a lunchtime.

234. Paloma not spitting up lots anymore and settling in to a nice schedule that works well with the other kiddos.

233. Joshua asking to "do school" constantly.

232. Impromptu conversations with other adults.

231. Fun Christmas gifts the kiddos got from random fam members.  They will make homeschooling and home managing a bit more manageable.

230. The minivan working.  William has had to take it to work every day this week since it has been so cold and the Jetta won't start.

229. Reading an article for care group on Judging Others.  Not done but already grateful for what I have already read.

228. The sound of child's creative play.  Kids really don't need much to have fun.

227. A home with heat and warm, clean clothes for each of us to wear.

226. Attending the homeschool meeting of my church.  Those women are such "powerhouses" of the faith and so encourage me as a mama.

225. Sleep in my own bed.

224. Kadin David's 2nd birthday.  For more on our little manimal, go HERE.

223. a new computer (we're MAC peeps now)

Savings!

217. Went to the grocery store this morning with the kiddos. The kiddos did another GREAT job. It's always a training opportunity when I take them with me shopping! (Training for them and me!) But aside from the blessing of the kiddos doing well, look at all the Lord provided for us!





All that abundance!

Here's the specifics:

2 cans sweetened condensed milk (for dulce de leche!)
1 hothouse cucumber
2 loaves bread
2 dozen eggs
1 bag hamburger buns
2 bags of salad mix
1 pack food coloring
6 boxes jello
1 box red velvet cake (for Saraina-bug's bday! She picked this out!)
1 avocado
1 box Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
4 Kraft Deluxe Mac-n-Cheese (for those rough days!)
3 cups of yogurt
2 bags of shredded cheese
2 boxes Life cereal
4 boxes Strawberry Mini Wheats
1 jar FrogRanch all natural salsa (couldn't pass up! Was marked down to 65 cents!)


And the grand total? $35.29! Praise God! I saved $47.32! AND I earned $5 off my next shopping trip! Talk about exceedingly, adbundantly more!


That IS a gift from The Giver! Thanks You, O Great God!

Couponing

208. Thank You, Lord, for growing me in the area of home managing and home making. The gift I want to thank You for tonight is for granting me energy, resources, and joy in trying to lower our our family's grocery budget. I pray that You would keep me on guard for my temptation to hoard and be all-consumed with this endeavor. You have so blessed me with a husband who supports me in couponing, far-reaching and surprising resources to obtain them, and even with the ability to learn how to do it. May You be glorified through this new thing of mine.

A Colloquy on Rejoicing

from Valley of Vision, A Colloquy on Rejoicing (portions)

Remember, O my soul,
It is thy duty and privilege to rejoice in God:
He requires it of thee for all his favours of grace.
Rejoice then in the Giver and his goodness,
Be happy in him, O my heart, and in nothing but God,
for whatever a man trusts in,
from that he expects happiness...

Art thou seeking to rejoice in thyself
from an evil motive of pride and self-reputation?
Thou hast nothing of thine own but sin,
nothing to move God to be gracious
or to continue his grace towards thee...

Sorrow for self opens rejoicing in God,
Self-loathing draws down divine delights...

Let God be all in all to thee,
and joy in the fountain that is always full.

Gifts I recognize...

206. Focusing on MY sin. That's the only way to see how great the Lord is and to see Him at work in my life!

205. Yesterday was a "great" day. My first attempt at getting PJW on a schedule (of sorts, more for my santity than anything else) went well. Able to spend some quality time with the bigger kiddos. Able to be semi-consistent in training/disciplining kiddos. Able to have Circle Time with kiddos. Made it through the rough period (4pm - 7pm) - I struggle greatly in getting dinner on the table, everyone fed (including PJW who always needs to eat again as the bigger kids are eating!), everyone ready for bed and in bed. But we had a peaceful evening routine, for the most part.

204. financial gift from distant family. Totally unexpected, totally not necessary or deserved. Totally and completely a result of God's work in those family member's lives. (You know who you are. We are so thankful to God for your generosity!)

203. $275 in Babies R Us gift cards from William's job for the arrival of Paloma Joy! Diapers are expensive and this is a TREMENDOUS help and gift from God!

202. Bethany will be moving in this weekend to stay with us for a year. (I know. News to just about everyone!) We truly believe (though adjustments will need to be made all around) this will be a blessing to her and our fam. I am so excited - which is a miracle and a blessing from God!

201. took Paloma off Zantac after only 24-hours. Grateful for WDW's leaderships there and our unity in that decision. The Lord provided another option (we're trying Colic Calm) and we have peace to give that a try. Overall, I am just thankful that God is sovereign over our little girl's life and in fact loves her way more than we ever could. And, He is faithful to provide for His children. Thank You, Father, for watching over every part of her life!

Financial Gifts from THE GIVER

The theme for tonight seems to be on God's gift of financial blessings. These gifts from God are ALL UNDESERVED and handsdown show me just how well He knows us, our needs, and our desires. Seriously, these gifts have nothing to do with how well we maintained our budget or how wise we are to make some of the choices we have made. NOPE. These blessings, like all gifts, have been given simply to allow us to point back to The Giver whom alone is worthy of all our adoration!

27. Our house. Every day when I walk down our stairs I am AMAZED that we live in this house and are better off financially now than we were back in MD living in our 3rd floor condo.

26. Found a very special card from my Dad in the mail today which had a check to go towards a home project or fence for our backyard. The kiddos inquired at lunch why I was crying from opening up the mail and all I could think to tell them is, "... because God is so good to us... to me. He loves us so much that I can't help but cry happy tears."

25. Received a $20 refund from (what must-have-been) an overpayment on a medical bill!

24. Hubby went to Meijer at 6 AM to buy the picnic table we've wanted for awhile. We found out it was on sale at Meijer beginning 6 AM today for less $$ than any place else we'd seen it. Plus is came with a free umbrella! Oh- and he was able to use an additional $5 off coupon I had been holding "just in case." Only the Lord could orchestrate such a thing!