Dr. Seuss appreciation because he rocks!

Trusting God when you don't know what the heck is going on

 

 In the Bible God tells us to fear not over 300 times.  He also says to trust Him over 150 times.  That's a powerful command isn't it?  But we humans, even the most faith filled, have a very hard time trusting God when life seems to be out of control or horrible things happen.  It's very easy to have faith and not fear when life is all skittles and rainbows.  When the storm comes however and you can't see through the darkness to the other side, that's when The Lord really stretches and grows your faith if you let Him.

Recently I went through a major health breakdown.  I was literally terrified and what made matters worse is that the doctor couldn't give us a solid answer as to what was wrong or what would fix the problem.  It wasn't like getting diabetes and then you could have a way to not only fix or help the problem but you also knew what the problem was.

During this time it was one of the most horrible and painful, yet most freeing experiences I have ever had.  It is because all I could do was cling to Jesus.  I had to give up all control that I thought I had and just trust that somehow things would be OK.  Many times I thought of Job and what he said, even though You slay me still I praise You. 

I too praised the Lord through my storm, even when I thought I would die. I had no hope, nothing left to me but trust and faith.  And the Lord was faithful to me.  He blessed me and my family countless times through my ordeal and was with me every moment.  God used this horrible time to grow my faith in Him and learn to trust Him even when things looked hopeless.

Now we are going through another storm.  My husband was laid off his job two months ago and we couldn't find any work locally but we had many offers out of state.  We didn't know what to do, we don't want to move but that seemed the only option.  Bills were and are piling up with no way to pay them.  At the same time we have ended up having to leave our church that we love and feel is part of our family.  

Through all of this what I learned this summer has held me in good stead.  I have the peace of Christ, which  truly surpasses all understanding.  If I were to tell anyone all the things we are going through they would think, and rightly so, that I should be freaking out and sobbing into my pillow ever night.  But I'm not.  The only reason why is because God has given me peace which is a fruit of the Spirit.  And every day I thank Him for giving it to me so I can face this storm.  

Here are some verses that I clung to through the worst of it

Romans 5

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Phil 4:7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Trusting God is one of the hardest things we can do when life falls apart, but I can say this with perfect honesty, letting go of your illusion of control and giving it all to God will never disappoint and having this peace gives you a freedom you never had before.

What? Noooooooo Albino Brain Chiggers are attacking my town!!!!!!!!!!

Thats right everyone two inches of snow and its the third day of spring!

Pics around our place

Just some pics around and about the house

my started tomatoes and pepper

I have to say that a perfectly roasted chicken is a thing of beauty!

A new gravy boat I bought at the antique show, I love the pattern!

all three kittens sleeping in a heap

baby chicks have arrived

Well our chicks have arrived at last!  We ordered them through Murray McMurray Hatchery, which in my humble opinion is one of the best hatcheries in America.  They have very high quality chicks and the good breeding shows.  So far we have only lost one chick which is pretty good because you can usually bet on a loss of 10%. Believe it or not they come in the standard mail and do just fine!

The kids just love them and are so excited to see their own chicks growing.

Mommy is looking forward to a ton of fresh eggs in a few months.

Wouldn't it be great if we could dress like this again?

Looking at these simple yet feminine and lovely dresses I think how great it would be if we as women could dress like this again.  It seems like fashion today either makes you look like a drudge in a uniform of jeans and shirt or makes you look like a streetwalker.  Where is the middle ground?

At an Antique Show

I went to an antique show with my sister yesterday and had a blast!  It's the first antique show I've gone to since I was a little girl so it was lots of fun.  We just looked around enjoying the booths and chatting.  Sister

 stuff!

My sister in front of a remodeled camper. I tried to make this look like one of those great old 50's photographs that look so retro. They had several of these on display and were so cute!

A lovely display of vintage and antique aprons. The lady was very nice and let me take a picture.  The one she is holding up is a Victorian apron.

An amazing tin dollhouse

These picnic baskets remind me of one my mom had that my sister and I played with and took outside to have tea parties and picnics.

A antique coffee table covered with matchbooks.  The reason I took a picture is because my great grandmother made one of these and it became a family heirloom.  The one here is almost exactly like it and came from the same town and had matchbooks from where my grandmother lived.  Could it be another one she created?

Small Town Truths

Sadly I have come home to this too many times and I'm pretty sure the dog was thinking the same thing