to always rejoice, despite the circumstances...

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:14

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

Psalm 97:12

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

Psalm 96:11

Weeping may tarry for the night but joy comes with the morning...

Psalm 30:5

Thank you, Father.

banana muffins = gratefulness

Banana muffins...they're what our neighbors just brought us. It was the husband, wife, and their daughter and they came to welcome us. And as I sit here typing (quickly I hope, as I am really supposed to be doing school work) I have the sweetest feeling of peace and gratefulness of God's provision. This has been a wild year. One of relocating back "home" and leaving "home." One of moving four times, entering a new season of schooling for our boys, me returning to school, hubby changing jobs and starting a new business. I am not going to lie, it's been a bit of a weary road, a lot of face to ground crying out in prayer, and waiting. The bulletin board for the church up the road read, "I am waiting patiently on you Lord, so please hurry!" or something like that...oh, yes, can't we relate.

This is just a note, remembering He is faithful. Trying to mold our lives is not the same as allowing Him to mold our lives, even with the best of intentions. He continues to remind me that He can be trusted and His path is good. God has blessed us abundantly this year. I can say this with the humblest of hearts, grateful beyond measure. Life is not perfect...that is not what His provision has been. It is seeing God at work in our hearts and seeing His love lavished on us, be it through the help of a new small group with moving, bread and cheese dropped off with joy from a tired and terribly busy uncle, finding quiet and peace with the ocean breeze while at a child's birthday party, the leaves gently swaying outside of my bedroom window, not being upset last night when the almost two year old, who was in bed, made the most unpleasant of messes...and needed yet another shower, a heartfelt talk at church with new friends, the Gospel spoken in church boldly and clearly with love, and banana muffins...
There is much to be said about relationships and being intentional in love...and seeing it.

 I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.~Psalm 116:1-2
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[e] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

Day 12 intentionally

...the sweet gift of this...our winter.
...with a humbled and grateful heart.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26 ESV

Day 11 intentionally

The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. ~Psalm 50:1

sunrise

Thankful with a humble heart that I have the privilege of seeing such beauty.  The Father's love is everlasting.

day 8- intentionally

...coffee, devotional, light only from the Christmas tree, little one asleep on my lap...good morning :)

(prayer from here: http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/encouragement/)

Dear Lord, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Christmas, help me to pause and focus on what really matters. Help me to experience the joy of Christmas in my heart. Thank You for sending Your son. In His Precious Name, Amen. 

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5 ESV

prayers of the faithful...

About a year ago, a precious older woman from my church went home to our Lord.  She came faithfully to church every Sunday, despite health problems.  I would often see her a couple times a week at the Y, exercising (her, not me) chatting with her, my little ones in tow.  She would speak of her family, a mama of boys (special connection with her there), grandmother of boys, great grandmother of boys (and one girl!) wife, mother and grandmother of military men.  But every Sunday, she was there, usually only with a daughter-in-law, no sons, or grandsons ever present.

Then she passed unexpectedly.  And that following Sunday after her service, I sat in the back of the church and looked.  And what I saw brought more tears to my eyes than the sadness of her being gone.  There before me filling pews upon pews was her family.  Sons, daughter-in-laws, grandsons, wives, great grandchildren, nephews.  And this precious mother of boys-there was no mistaking her family, I don't think I've ever seen a family with such strong facial features resembling one another -there is no mistaking who's family they belong to!

And in my heart, I felt the Lord gave me just a glimpse of the greatness He has for this family and what He would do and was doing.  My heart rejoiced at the joy she would have of knowing what was answered to years of prayer for her family, the legacy that would come from her faith and devotion to our loving Father.

Today, I watched, tears running as her grandson and his wife, pregnant with a great grandson professed their faith, professed their need for Christ, professed their sins and their great love for Jesus and were baptized.  Within this year of her passing, her sons and their families have returned to the church, family members have been freed from strongholds, a grandson and his family have moved to another country as soon-to-be missionaries, granddaughter-in-laws have accepted Christ as well as great grandchildren.  And it continues, I could go on and on.  I have been blessed by this family and by their testimony.  It is a humbling honor to see the great things of our LORD and what He is doing in this precious family.

May we never doubt the prayers that He hears, the prayers we sing, we cry, we yell, we whisper out to Him.  This precious woman did not see it with her own eyes but with faith she believed, and He answered in His timing.  We praise Him!

"but God has surely listened
       and heard my voice in prayer."~Psalm 66:19

a long prayer...

There is something that speaks powerfully to my heart...prayer.  Unspoken and spoken words lifted up to a heavenly Father that rejoices and weeps with us.  A Father who knows His creation and every hair on their heads.  The One who knit us together in our mother's wombs, every stitch intentionally, fearfully and wonderfully made.

I prayed with the little ones in Sunday school this morning and one sweet 5 year old blond round cheeked precious face said, "that was a long prayer."  My heart smiled and I said with joy how I do pray long (and I am really trying to remember who I am with when I'm praying-a work in progress!) but how much I really enjoy praying.  She smiled and went along with another conversation and a few others chimed in about prayer.

Well, can I say how the Lord blessed me (just one of the ways of course!)  We're sitting in the service, little one asleep in my lap, big ones coloring, dear one next to me and our new pastor begins to pray.  He prays, heartfelt words to our heavenly Father.  Words of encouragement, words of joy, words of compassion, words of truth, words of our Lord.  And when he finishes I think, "that was a long prayer," and I pause for a minute and smile, "he has a heart for prayer."  Yes, we all have a heart for prayer but I believe the Lord has created us in different ways and some of us pray short, pray long, pray in song, pray quietly, pray loud, pray the scriptures only...all in the own way He created us to.

And my heart quietly smiled today, seeing he prayed "a long prayer."

A beautiful post about prayer by Ann Voskamp @ a holy experience.

Be blessed in our precious saviour, Jesus Christ.  May your prayer life be rich in Him.

 ⁸ By day the LORD directs his love, 

       at night his song is with me—
       a prayer to the God of my life.-Psalm 42:8 (NIV)


~Bree

in the every moment...

Looking at this little one,
lashes long,
cheeks and nose round.
Wisps of hair frame his tiny face,
Pudgy,
yet delicately boyish fingers.
Sweet belly
breathing in and out
God given life.
Legs outstretched
then curling back in
mama's belly position
Sleepy one
seeking mama's comfort.
Just an ordinary moment,
but knowing...
it is a blessing,
he is a blessing.
Praising our Lord,
for His blessing.
Looking to our Jesus,
in the sweet moments,
in the every moment...

Slow down and see Him in the every moment...
God bless you friends:)

Psalm 139:13 (New International Version)

 ¹³ For you created my inmost being;
       you knit me together in my mother's womb.

We praise Him!

Spencer
We're so thankful!!!! Our sweet boy arrived 1 week late but the best part is he arrived on his daddy's birthday. We're so thankful for your prayers! The delivery went well and what a miraculous moment to see this precious little boy the Lord knit together in my womb. To Him be all the glory!

So on to getting into a bit of a routine and some sleep:)

God bless!

precious moments...

...Playing Monopoly with the 5 and 6 year old...the 5 year old lands on Jail (just visiting). 6 year old says to 5 year old, "look you're telling people about Jesus!"

-The Lord is awesome! He uses all to His glory, those both in and out, all is possible with God, for He is our strength, our rock and our fortress! All through the love of Jesus Christ, our saviour!

Happy Mother's day to all!

God bless:)

And number 4 is....

Our precious Baby #4! We're excited at the honor of prayerfully raising a precious new warrior for the Lord! Four boys-good stuff!

God bless!

Bree, Scott & boys:)