Directing My Paths

Today has been a day like no other. Today God's Sovereignty was magnified. I know God is All-Knowing, and He knows the beginning to the end. But sometimes I don't experience it so strongly in my life. Today was a day that I couldn't have missed it. It was a billboard in front of my face. Down to the details of things, God showed me He was in control. No wonder so many forefathers said Providence instead of God.
Our forefathers had a better handle on the Sovereignty of God. May I never forget this day and remember how God directs my steps. How I must, must stay focused on Him to hear Him tell me which way to go. And to obey without question. Providence has a reason and I must trust Him......

• When He gives me direction, when my child is hurting.


• When He makes me hesitate or wait, before just doing.


• When He prompts my heart to make a phone call.


• When He directs me to visit someone.


• When He reveals a need to me.


• When He desires for me to step back from a situation.


• When He allows someone to share their fear, to speak the scripture He puts on my heart.


• When He prompts me to pray

In all these ways, and many more, I am learning to trust. It is a life long process; I haven't arrived. But I am trying to have my eyes and ears more open.

What Kind of Builder Are You?

The Builder

A builder builded a temple.
He wrought it with grace and skill;
Pillars and groins and arches
All fashioned to work his will.
Men said, as they saw its beauty,
'It shall never know decay.
Great is thy skill, O Builder!
Thy fame shall endure for aye.'

A teacher builded a temple
With loving and infinite care,
Planning each arch with patience,
Laying each stone with prayer.
None praised her unceasing efforts.
None knew of her wondrous plan,
For the temple the teacher builded
Was unseen by the eyes of man.

Gone is the builder's temple,
Crumbled into the dust.
Low lies each stately pillar,
Food for consuming rust.
But the temple the teacher builded
Will last while the ages roll,
For that beautiful unseen temple
Was a child's immortal soul.

Author unknown

Psalm 57:7

Psalm 57 has just been a precious psalm to me since March.
Reading it gives me strength, hope, and comfort. There is much going on that I choose not to share on here, but one thing is certain: My Jesus cares and wants me to cast all my cares upon Him.

Last week this verse spoke loudly to me:
"My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise."

Keeping my eyes on Jesus, keeping my heart clinging to Him, isn't always easy when life swirls around me like an angry storm at sea. There are days I feel so weak, so drained, so empty.....But my Lord promises many things and I cling to those promises.

This verse "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise." It rallys me to keep my eyes looking up and my heart clinging to the One who deserves all the worship and praise. So I will sing......and I have made myself sing some nights especially when fear stalks around me and life seems to overwhelm me.

And thank you to all of you who pray for me and the boys. You just don't know how much those prayers hold us up some days. Hugs to you all!

Father's Day Recap

There has been so much going on with extended family that this year's Father's Day creeped up on me. There was several things I intended to do that didn't get done. Yet over all, this 7th Father's Day without Jim was a good day.

Everything was our normal Sunday morning till after church. We went to Pizza Hut and ordered our family order of cheese sticks cut in half like Daddy used to get after church. Then we headed to a special place Daddy would go on his lunch breaks and read his Bible. It is near the river and we observed wildlife after we finished eating. We stopped by my folks' place to drop off something for my dad. He was resting which was okay. (He has been going through radiation treatments after having a tumor removed.)

Then we went home planned to watch the Daddy movie. It didn't want to work in our VCR, so we watch a home video of Jim's high school graduation open house. It was funny and interesting to see everyone so much younger and see what car Daddy had. Then we watched the Daddy DVD that my in-laws made us. There are various songs set to a slide show of picture of Jim. It is precious! I cried some, but they were sweet tears. Jim was such a loving husband, a devoted, and fun-loving father. And the pictures show it.
After this, Snapp wanted to try on Daddy's boots. So we looked through 2 tubs of clothes. Snapp tried on Daddy's boots and 2 different pairs of coveralls. We also found the winter hat that is in "That Hat". It was just sweet time.
Later after church, we went for a walk and crossed the walking bridge. It turned out to be such a good day.
Earlier in the day, Snapp had said to me he loves Father's Day. I was a little surprised by this. He said he loves it because he feels closer to Daddy on Father's Day. Isn't that neat? It is a special day to him instead of a sad day.

Thank You, Lord, for just being so faithful. For turning what could be a sad day into a special day. You are so awesome.

Don't Quit

Here is one of my favorite poems.

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

Look for the small miracles and you'll find, they're everywhere.