I AM BLESSED OF GOD with House and Home and Family

A visit to Maryland...

My son, Jeff [34], and my Dad, Paul [almost 95]

My granddaughter, Josssara Makenna [almost 2],  me and my Mom [Kay] 

This was my Mom's 93rd Birthday [January 2013]

Her grandson, Pastor Jeff!

My Dad, Paul, enjoys the company!

My house is now complete with all the renovations 

from the June 30th derecho storm!

A side/front view! 

We built this house in 1973 and in December it was 39 years old.

The back where the OAK TREE fell - all put back!

My new shed. Another Oak Tree demolished the old shed.

One last view of the back with the new shed.

Psalm 126 

A song of ascents.

¹ 

When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion,

    we were like men who dreamed.

² 

Our mouths were filled with laughter,

    our tongues with songs of joy.

Then it was said among the nations,

    “The Lord has done great things for them.”

³ 

The Lord has done great things for us,

    and we are filled with joy.

⁴ 

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

    like streams in the Negev.

⁵ 

Those who sow in tears

    will reap with songs of joy.

⁶ 

He who goes out weeping,

    carrying seed to sow,

will return with songs of joy,

    carrying sheaves with him.

I have so much to be thankful for. My Insurance Company [AFI] was great! A special 'thank you' to all the workers who helped with each and every task to make this job complete. I applaud you!

GOD provided everything needed to make all things new again! I praise HIM above all else for seeing me through this long and grueling process. It was a huge lesson in 'TRUST' -- but these kinds of lessons usually are! What I learned the most was to keep my focus on GOD HIMSELF. Whenever I was overwhelmed it was simply because I took my eyes off HIM and put them on some circumstance that was too hard for me. NOTHING is too hard for the LORD! [Gen. 18:14] I'm glad HE was in charge. HE is on the THRONE and  SOVEREIGN STILL! HE IS MY FAITHFUL GOD! The LORD has done great things for us and we are filled with JOY!

Of House and Home Family --- I am truly blessed of GOD! Thank you for all your prayers.

Living in the Fullness of JOY,

Stephanie

Psalm 126

Spiritually Homeschooling Our Children

2 Timothy 1:5
I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. [emphasis added]

What does the statement:
"Home school your children, spiritually." ... say to you?

__________________

Beth Moore is the author of that statement from her Believing God Bible Study video session. I remember hearing her talk about it the first time I did Believing God. Now, after 4 years of teaching that Bible study over and over again - this statement never gets old. She reminds us that we have to be very careful not to allow others to raise our children for us. While it is good to take our children to church, SS or send them to Christian Schools [as I did mine] whether lower level or even Christian colleges, homeschooling them spiritually is a parent's job [and often a grandparent's as well]. Beth makes a statement in that series that I believe is worth repeating here:

Please join me over at Titus 2 In Action hosted by Sonya Thompson, then click on the link for Mighty Warriors to see the rest of the story........

Choosing JOY, Stephanie

Back to BELIEVING GOD

I am amazed at God's faithfulness to me. Many of you have been praying so earnestly for me while I am going through these different tests concerning my back. I am upright for the moment fighting off the headache that accompanied the Myelogram yesterday. The LORD gave me so much as I read His word from my past journals - He spoke volumes. He brought me back to the BELIEVING GOD study [Beth Moore] again - where He got a hold of my heart for good. There has been no turning back since that day 3 years ago.

This is just a glimpse of what God showed me today in the order He gave it. I had asked Him one question this morning concerning a personal matter in my life. I asked Him, "When, Lord?" Here are just a few of the answers He gave.

Psalm 4:7
Thou hast put gladness in my heart... I thought I felt unexpectedly happy! [from a post-it note verse]

EXPECT MIRACLES

Psalm 131:1-3
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel [Stephanie], put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.

Isaiah 43:10
"You are My witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and My servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe Me
and understand that I am He.
Before Me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after Me.

Faith to BELIEVE!

Psalm 32:7-8 7
You are my hiding place;
You will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.

John 11:40
Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

I read these words below from my own hand - penned back in early February:

Psalm 46:10 NASB
Cease striving and know that I am God.

"Yep. Be still and know it ourselves. Don't default into our past. Don't jump the gun for our future. Just behold and know...
BEHOLD
... Instructions will come when the time is right. In the meantime just BE--- even though being is so much harder than doing." [Beth Moore]

JUST BE...

a prayer I had written:
Lord--- I will trust Your heart as You hold my hand. I will keep Your commands and be faithful to You alone. I will rest in the reality of the Mighty God that You are - until You show me the next path to take. I will wait.

A note written from LIVING WATER by Brother Yun:
"Jesus came to bring the kingdom of God to the earth. He came to completely transform individuals, families and nations from the inside out - a radical revolution that would change the world through obedient, blood-bought servants who are willing to bow their knee and say, 'Lord, after all You have done for me, what would you have me do for you?"

From another Believing God Journal:
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. [all Scripture emphasis added]

"Suffering is a compulsory part of human existence...[God] uses it in a way of empowering and purifying His people... [and] frees me to believe Him more!... Why? Because I'm free from what scares me most about visibly, vocally proclaiming that my hope is resting entirely on Him. There have been times when I've been afraid He wouldn't come through for me, dignify me with a 'yes', and prove faithful to me. But if I'm convinced that God really loves me and has certain priorities for me that may take precedence over the perceived desires of my heart, then I am safe to walk by faith... Yes, we are safe with God---- safe to believe Him for miracles, even if they come in ways we weren't expecting or didn't particularly want. Neither His dignity nor ours is at stake. We are His priority, and our trust in His sovereign will places us on the firmest ground there is." ~ Beth Moore [my emphasis added]

I hope this will help us all to EXPECT MIRACLES and BELEIVE the God who is the same yesterday, today and forever - our JESUS CHRIST, the NAME above all names!

Choosing JOY in suffering,

Stephanie
[Kneeling in Prayer]