"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:11
From Kevin, Zachary, and me ~
We wish you a Merry Christmas filled to the brim with God's most precious and special blessings!
Thank you for being a part of our online family! So many of you have become so dear to our hearts over the past eight plus years of blogging that you truly do feel more like family than friends.
Thank you for the many emails, comments, and gestures of encouragement in response to my last blog post. You have warmed and blessed my heart more than I could ever put into words. I continue to press on and seek God earnestly day by day concerning His perfect will. I am sure He will make it known to me as I continue to search for Him with my whole heart. To those of you who are faithfully praying for me, sending notes of encouragement, and continuing to loyally support my efforts, I send a huge hug and much gratitude, and I humbly ask you to please, please keep me in your continued prayers.
A few of you know this, but for those who don't, I regularly host online youversion Bible studies. I would love to have you join in with us! It is completely flexible, you are not on any time constraints, and you can do it at your own pace. Depending on what I have going on, I sometimes fall several days behind, but I just catch up as I am able - that is just how flexible it really is. The group God has woven together there is a great blessing to me, and we have been continuing to study together for several months now. As one study ends, the Lord leads us on to the next, then the next, etc. If anyone would like to join us, please email me at homespundevotions@gmail.com. I would love to welcome you to our study team and have you share your own thoughts and perspectives with us!
At the end of each lesson, we are given space to comment on what the day's lesson has meant to us on a personal level, and after reading an especially impactful lesson in a study called, "Who I Am in Christ" today, I shared with Zach some thoughts God had impressed me to write. After hearing it, he walked in to the kitchen where I was seated in front of my laptop. The pleading look in his eyes melted his mama's heart as, among some other comments he said, "Mama, PLEASE don't shut down Homepun Devotions! Please keep sharing what the Lord gives you."
So, at our dear boy's request, here it is - I hope it is a blessing to you.
"For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." Hebrews 12:3
"I don't know how many times I have read this or heard it preached on through the years, but I NEVER got this until right now. The "contradiction of sinners against Himself" is what jumped off the screen at me today. Everywhere Jesus turned He was told He was not who He really was. Hardly anyone believed Him. Those in His own hometown tried to push Him off a cliff. All they could see is that He was Joseph's son, Mary's son, or the brother of His siblings. They could not see past His humanity to who He really was.
When He was in the wilderness being tempted by satan for 40 days, this is one of the main tactics satan came at Him with, "IF You are the Son of God" trying to place that doubt in Jesus' mind. His true identity was continually under attack all throughout His earthly life and ministry. There was a constant "contradiction of sinners against Himself" that He had to deal with and keep squelching the lies and believing the truth about who He was.
Sound familiar? If Jesus' true identity was constantly being contradicted by sinners & satan, do we think we will get by with less? Jesus said, "a man's foes shall be they of his own household" in Matt. 10:36, and in Mark 6:4, He said, "A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house." Familiarity breeds contempt, and often those we grew up with and those who saw us in our past, sinful life have a difficult time believing who we are now in Christ. They see only the failures and issues and are blinded to the fact God has made us new and can use us mightily. Also, satan will continually throw our past up to us, but that is NOT who we are now. God sees us through the lens of His own Son's blood that was shed on the cross, and that is how we must learn to view ourselves and drown out those who contradict that with the truth of who GOD says we are today."
So, don't ever forget how special you are! No matter what is said about you, who turns against you, how the enemy tries to bring you down, when you try and fail, or where your insecurities lie. Remember that it is GOD who defines you, and you are His extraordinarily special child. It was for YOU that He sent His only begotten Son to be born in the lowliest of circumstances on that first Christmas night so long ago.
Have a wonderful Christmas, and keep your eyes on Him!
Much love from our house to yours!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
(Thank you to my special friend, Priscilla, for sending the beautiful Christmas graphic!)
Update on Kelly:
Kelly is home from the hospital and continuing to improve!! Isn't God so good? Please continue to keep her and family members who are caring for her in your prayers. God has brought her a long way, and we know He is able to complete her healing process. Thank you so much for your prayers!
Congratulations to you, Kitty, and we will be getting your book in the mail to you within the next few days, Lord willing!!!
SO happy for you, and I know you are going to love this book!!
To all who didn't win but would like to have a copy of this book, please stop over and visit Marilyn's blog, as she is giving away some of her books there, also! Her giveaway ends on Thursday, June 25th, so you still have plenty of time to enter!!
You can also order Marilyn's book by clicking HERE.
I also wanted to share the latest update on my nephew, Brian.
My sister called me from his room a little while ago, and there has been a slight improvement, all glory to God!!!! They tried removing the respirator, and Brian is now able to breathe partially on his own!!!! This is SUCH great news!!! I know it is GOD Who is answering the many prayers going up for Brian. He is still on the respirator, but we are believing that things are heading in the right direction.
The doctor said that the fact that Brian is breathing partially on his own is a sign that there IS brain activity going on. Hearing that brought such great relief!
I want to thank all of you who are praying and emailing and being so kind and supportive to my family and me. Truly, you dear readers are some of the best people on the planet! God bless each one of you for helping to bear our burdens.
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
I Corinthians 15:57 (KJV)
Today as I read the Thanksgiving Day proclamation made by President George Washington in 1789, my heart was saddened to think about how very far we, as a nation, have strayed from God and the vision of our founding fathers. I am SO grateful to God for allowing our great country to be founded upon the the Word of God and by men who believed in Him and trusted in Him for guidance and wisdom, and it burdens my heart to see the disdain so many have for Him now.
The United States of America absolutely was founded as a Christian nation, and no matter how much people try to rewrite history, the past can never be altered.
I heard there are those who even want to change the name from Thanksgiving Day to some other title. It seems to go against the cultural tide to even acknowledge that there is a God, let alone to show gratitude to Him and thank Him for all He has done. No matter who turns their back on Him, He will always be God, and He will always be so worthy of our praise and gratitude. How I praise Him today for the many blessings He has bestowed and continues to pour into my life!
I hope each one of you have an abundantly blessed Thanksgiving Day, and I trust you will enjoy being reminded of how our very first President set aside and designated this special day as a day to praise our awesome Creator!
"By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation."
"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor – and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be – That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks – for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation – for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war – for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed – for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted – for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions – to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually – to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed – to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord – To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us – and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789."
"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all."
Ecclesiastes 9:11
(KJV)
As I contemplated the process of closing out yet another year of life,
I began to think of it as AD 2017, and I delved into the meaning of "AD".
This abbreviated term is often misinterpreted as "After Death" of Jesus Christ,
but, in actuality, "AD" means "anno Domini" and the full phrase translates,
I think it is safe to say that the amount of worry I have carried and the tears I have cried this year
far surpass a lot of other years of living combined.
It started on January 1st...the very first day of this year,
when my niece, Kristen, who was expecting her first child, collapsed in the Emergency Room,
only to find out that she had a blood clot in her lung.
What followed was an intense urgency placed upon my heart to personally pray her and her unborn baby through the pregnancy and delivery.
It was something that I could not shake off or dismiss, because Kristen is, and always has been,
very near and dear to my heart.
Though I knew I had no control over any part of the outcome of her ordeal,
I was bound and determined to do all I could to move God on His throne on behalf of her and her unborn baby boy, often asking you, dear friends, to join with me in fervent prayer.
(Which, by the way, you were ever so faithful to do, and I am eternally grateful for you.)
The outcome God permitted was a definite response to the many prayers prayed.
More about the little miracle guy and pictures later.😃
During the time of Kristen's trials, several other extenuating circumstances began to arise,
that required more of me than I felt I could even begin to give.
Time after time, I have been forced way past what I thought were my "limits".
God stretched me in so many ways this year, I realized my "limits" were just points the flesh part of me never wanted to have to go past or deal with.
As much as I did not want to walk past those points, God had other plans,
and each time He forced me forward into places I did not want to go, it became evident that I was not walking at all, but being carried by arms that refuse to let go.
I know it sounds insane, but the only way I know to describe the way I have felt, at times this year, is that it was like I was having an out of body experience.
It was almost like it wasn't even me....going through the motions, stumbling along, doing what was required on automatic pilot, completely numb and void of feeling.
We end this year much different than we started.
Kevin no longer has an earthly father.
It is a hard thing to watch the effects and depths of his grieving this first Christmas/holiday season without his Dad.
His Mom's struggles remain and loom enormous after a horrific car wreck, in which she totally lost control, hit a rock wall, fractured her neck, and mangled her right arm.
Aunt Vaida's lung cancer is back, and she continues to fight this awful disease.
All three of my dear sisters stand in the face of severe testing... one, still reeling in the aftermath and ongoing chaos from her home's direct hit from Hurricane Irma,
one, whose whole world was turned completely upside down when her husband, LD, passed away just four days ago...none of us can believe he is gone...the grief is so raw and near-unbearable,
and, one, who continues to suffer from complications after surgery this year.
My cousin, Danny, and his wife, Vickie, both died within eight hours of each other.
Another cousin, Billy, lost his only son, Chris, during 2017.
Our dear, precious family dog, Paige, passed away after suffering terribly.
We will never, ever forget her.
There are a host of other personal things...things that have shaken us to the core and come close to knocking us off our feet this year.
Our future feels very shaky and uncertain heading into 2018.
Things we counted on to be there, can be counted on no longer.
So many chapters closed...so many heartaches and changes...seeming to come from so many angles.
Someone said it is a compliment when God allows extreme anguish.
That satan fights hardest against those he considers a threat.
That God entrusts hard things to those He can trust the most.
I'll be honest.
None of this feels like a compliment.
It feels like way too much at one time.
More than once, I have said, "I can't take anymore".
More than once, God has proven that when I can't go another step, He is strong enough to pick me up and carry me...issues, hang-ups, burdens, included.
I started this post talking about this being AD 2017, the year of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As we wrap up this beyond-difficult year, the point God is trying to get across to me is that the year 2017, along with every other year of life, was His...to do with as He chose.
To order, direct, orchestrate, and allow every detail, according to a plan that is so far above anything I can comprehend.
The moments, hours, days, months, and years are His.
Psalm 31:15 says,
"My times are in Thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me."
It is not for me to dictate when and how things occur in this life.
I have NO control over anything at all.
There is a "fullness of time" for every event that happens to each and every one of us.
"That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him..."
Ephesians 1:10
"But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law..."
Galatians 4:4
We can't rush, nor delay the things that God reserves unto Himself.
If I had my way, none of my loved ones would ever suffer, and I would never be separated from any of them through death.
They would all live to a ripe, old age, in well, healthy bodies, and I would spend every possible moment with them.
Accidents would never happen.
Phone calls that bear bad, shocking, shake-you-to-the-core news would never occur.
All would be well.
Always.
I don't always get my way.
That is a fact of this life, and the sooner I accept it, the easier it will be to navigate through all of the things that are "not my will".
We live in a fallen world, so far inferior to the home Jesus has gone to prepare for us.
As long as we are here, there will be many things to endure.
Jesus said,
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
None of us are exempt from the human condition.
"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
Matthew 5:45
At the end of this year, our hearts are broken shattered.
LD's passing left my family and me completely stunned, and my tears flow like a river.
We all had so much faith for his earthly, physical healing, and when it didn't happen the way we wanted it to, we are left reeling from the shock.
I'm not even going to pretend that I come close to understanding why God took LD right now.
We will miss him forever, and the hurt is going to linger for a long, long time.
He was such a strong, necessary part of our family, and there is just this big, deep void now.
There are no words.
As we mourn and pass through this season of enormous grief,
there is a bright spot that illuminates all of our hearts and souls.
His name is Eli, and, as promised, here is a picture of the little guy.
I love this picture!
He was looking up at the Christmas lights.
And, in this one, it looks like he is ready to take on the world!
Isn't he a dollbaby?
An aunt has the right to brag, you know.
To God be all glory for the amazing gift of little Eli!
He is our symbol of hope, in the midst of so much darkness and pain.
We suffered deep, deep losses this year, but God sent a precious angel to earth to show us that life must go on, in spite of all.
It sort of reminds me of the year 2000, in some ways.
God took my dear Dad to Heaven in June, but He sent us precious Zachary in December.
It's hard to say this, but "the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
Job 1:21
To each of you faithful, precious readers and friends, I say,
Happy New Year!
May God bless each of you in a special way every, single day of 2018.
I end this final post of 2017 with five of the songs that have helped sustain me countless times.
They truly express how I feel right now.
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward."
Psalm 127:3
(KJV)
In my last post, I shared two of the many times God has laid a heaviness upon my heart to pray,
even though I wasn't sure for whom or what I was praying.
One of the times I mentioned was the night before I found out my niece, Kristen,
who was expecting a baby boy, collapsed in the ER from a blood clot in her lung.
Many of you have followed Kristen's journey, and you have fervently prayed for her and her precious baby, and you are already aware that last month, God answered our many prayers!
Little Eli was born, perfectly healthy and beautiful and just amazing,
and his sweet Mommy came through the C-section delivery just fine.
Oh, how we have praised our dear Lord for this amazing answer to prayer!!!
He is SO worthy of all praise, and He has proven, once again, that there is nothing too hard for Him.
Recently, little Eli and his grateful family celebrated his ONE-MONTH BIRTHDAY!!!!
Isn't he just a living doll????
What a little sweetheart!!
Also, MORE GREAT NEWS!!!!
Kristen had a CT Scan yesterday, and guess what, dear friends??
The blood clot in her lung is GONE, praise God,
and she was able to go off the blood-thinning shots!!!!
We cannot praise God enough for the amazing miracles He has performed!!!
Precious Eli and his Mommy, Kristen
Every time I think of all God has brought these two through,
my heart just fills to overflowing with praise to the God Who can do anything!!!!
Praise His wonderful name!!!
Kristen, so graciously gave permission for me to share some photos of the little birthday guy
and their sweet dog, Harley!
Be still, my heart!!
This is SO adorable!
Such a happy, little guy!
Have you ever seen anything so cute??
So many times, I have to break down and cry as I praise the dear Lord for the mercy He has extended to my dear family and me.
How we praise Him for the precious, dear, sweet gift of baby Eli, now one month old!!!
I just wanted to share an update on him for all of you prayer warriors who have helped to
pray us through!!
So many times, I have come here, so heavy-hearted and desperate for God's help,
and I have asked you, dear friends, to pray.
So many times, in answer to my plea, you have taken our burdens as your own,
and you have bombarded Heaven for my family and loved ones and me,
and you have reached the throne of God and touched His heart on our behalf.
It gives me so much joy to share the results of the prayers YOU have prayed!!!
I want to encourage you today.
Whatever you need can be found in the Source of all of our strength.
God is still alive and well, and He is still listening for the prayers and cries of His children.
"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers..."
I Peter 3:12
I am now working on a post that will be entitled "According to your faith",
where I, once again, delve into the subject of prayer.
I hope to share it with you soon....we have had a lot going on in our family and lives,
and there hasn't been a lot of time for blogging lately.
God knows when the time is right for a particular post,
so, stay tuned!!
May He bless each one of you, meet all of your current needs,
and keep each one of your hearts turned towards Him.
I love and appreciate each one of you,
I cherish each comment you leave here,
and I am praying for every, single person who will ever read these words.
"He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles."
Job 5:9
(KJV)
I just want to praise God and report that Kristen and baby Eli are doing very well!!!!!
Oh, this little guy is so precious, and he just grows cuter and sweeter day by day!!
What a blessing from God!
(To read first post about Baby Eli's entrance into this world, click HERE!!)
We cannot stop praising Him for this amazing miracle.
Isn't he just adorable?????
And the look on the faces of his dear, sweet parents just melt my heart!!!
Have you ever seen anything so precious in your entire life?
This is one loved and cherished little baby boy!!!!!
I tell you, I look back over the last several months and all of the worry and fear and trauma my dear niece has endured, and I just feel like I could never, in a million years, praise God enough! The outcome is exactly what we prayed for and believed God to provide.
"Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
And their eyes were opened..."
Matthew 9:29-30
We would still appreciate your continued prayers that God will keep them both safe and well
and not allow any more blood clots or complications.
Our family is so appreciative of every prayer you have prayed and ways you have reached out to us during this awful trial.
We love each one of you so much and praise God to have such an amazing support system.
May He bless each one of you abundantly!!!
Dear friends, I do not know what you may be going through today or what type of heartache
you may be called upon to bear, but I just want to encourage you.
God is still on the throne.
He still loves you.
Your life may not be void of problems, trials, sorrow, hurt, and disappointment,
but He is WITH you, through it all.
We live in a fallen world.
We suffer.
We are betrayed.
We cry.
We question God and ask Him why.
We struggle, because even in our most doubt-filled moments, we still know and believe that He has the power to prevent hard things from coming into our lives, and that is one of the main causes of our confusion and disillusionment.
We believe that God is in control, and He has the ability to stop bad things from touching our lives,
so why in the world doesn't He do that?
Why does He permit such?
I do not, nor do I claim to, have the answers.
I ask the same questions more often than I care to admit.
I don't know the mind of God.
His thoughts are so far above mine, that the two cannot, nor will they ever, be reconciled.
But, this I do know.
God never promised we would not go through difficult things, but He did promise to go through them with us.
And, He does.
Even when it doesn't feel like it.
Even when we cannot sense His presence.
Even when things seem to only get worse when we pray.
He is there.
"...lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Matthew 28:20
I do not know why my dear niece had to go through the anguish she has endured,
but I do know this.
When I look at this picture, I see the end result of her suffering.
A perfectly-formed, completely healthy, happy, contented, precious baby boy
who makes this face when his Mommy kisses his nose!
"...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
Psalm 30:5
Oh, PRAISE GOD!!!!!
There is a beginning and an end to every trial, my friend.
Your morning will come.
The end result will be beautiful.
God is now working on your behalf.
Even though this season my be beyond difficult, this too shall pass.
Please keep encouraged, always, and let me know how I can pray for you.
I want you to know that as I compose this post, I am praying for every, single person who will ever read these words.
You are loved.
Don't ever forget it.
************************************************
And, in case you haven't noticed in the upper right sidebar,
I also wanted to let you know that the goal has been met for the Cooper family to pay off the remainder of Megan's funeral expenses!!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to each one who made this happen!
The family would like to share this message with you.
"We, the family of Josh and Megan Cooper. would like to thank EVERYONE who helped in any way with Megan's funeral expenses. There are no words in our hearts that can express how thankful and blessed we are for everything that everyone has done for us through this time of sorrow. We truly appreciate the many prayers for the family, especially for Josh and little Sierra, the acts of kindness and sympathy, food, flowers, donations, cards, visits, phone calls, and kind words spoken to our family. We truly appreciate it very much!! May God bless each and every one of you."
The Family of Josh and Megan Cooper
********************************************
And, speaking of prayer, I now leave you with a very special picture and story, followed by a beautiful song sung by my all-time favorite singer, Ricky Skaggs.
I first heard him sing on Moon Mullins' bluegrass program when I was 14.
You just remember moments like that.
Mom and I were parked in front of Dad's work, listening to the radio while waiting to pick Dad up,
when this voice came on the radio.
It was the kind of voice that just makes you stop and pay attention.
From that moment until this, he has been, and will always remain, my favorite.
Several years later, Kevin and I fulfilled a lifelong dream when we went to Nashville for our honeymoon.
While there, Ricky Skaggs was filming a "Hee Haw" episode, and we were so blessed to be able to attend as members of the live audience.
After the show, he was kind enough to stop and talk to us and give Kevin time to take this picture.
The day Kevin and I met my musical hero, Ricky Skaggs
Let Ricky's song remind you that somebody's prayin' for YOU!!
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
Psalm 46:1
(KJV)
First of all, I want to PRAISE GOD for hearing and answering the many prayers YOU, dear readers,
have prayed over the past few days for the precious nine year old, little girl who has a mass in her stomach.
At the time I asked for prayer, my family did not want to disclose the identity of the little girl,
as my dear sister, Sharon, (her grandmother), had just undergone major surgery and was suffering from complications, and we did not want to alarm or worry her or add to her physical distress.
Now, that we have GREAT news, I will tell you that the little girl is none other than the one I have referred to here on the blog as "Little Miss", my niece, Kim's daughter, Kyla.
Little Miss Kyla
You may remember this sweet picture I shared with you here in 2012.
Two people SO dear to my heart, my precious Mother and sweet "Little Miss" Kyla.
This picture was taken three weeks (to the day) before Jesus called my dear Mom home to Heaven.
The doctors have determined that the mass in Kyla's stomach is BENIGN.
PRAISE GOD for this wonderful news!!
I have to believe that dear Mom is watching over us all, and the many prayers she prayed for all of us for so many years are still being answered.
Kyla does have an epigastric hernia, and she has to have surgery on July 28th.
We would surely appreciate your continued prayers that all will go well with her during the operation.
We cannot thank you enough for your faithfulness to pray.
We realize the outcome could have been very different, and we have no words to express how grateful we are for God's mercy!
Please continue to pray for my dear friend, Priscilla's family, as they walk through these days of grief,
after the tragic and sudden death of her 26 year-old sister-in-law, Megan.
Megan died in a car wreck on her way home from work last week and left behind a husband, Josh, and a precious seven-year old, daughter, Sierra.
Josh, Sierra, and Megan
Sierra and her mommy, Megan
My heart just breaks as Priscilla tells me how little Sierra goes in and lays out her Daddy's clothes for him, and how she is so concerned with the grief of other family members.
She is truly a precious, loving, little girl, who now has no mother to love and care for her.
Dear friends, PLEASE continue to lift up this dear family in prayer.
Megan did not have life insurance, and the family is left with a lot of expenses that must be paid.
If anyone feels led to reach out and bless them in any way,
please contact me privately.
As a side note....
Many of you will remember THE BROWN FAMILY and how prayer requests and updates concerning them and their tragic August 2014 car accident were the main focus of Homespun Devotions for such a long time.
The same dear friend, Priscilla, who just lost her sister-in-law, Megan, is the same person who personally knows the Brown family and who originally notified me of their need for prayer.
Priscilla is one the dearest and truest friends a person could ever have.
She has prayed my family and me through countless trials, afflictions, and distresses,
never, for a moment, turning her back on us or shying away from standing by our side,
regardless the cost.
She is one of the most faithful, dedicated, intercessory prayer warriors I know.
She not only prays for us and others, but I happen to know that she often gives up her daily food and adds fasting to her prayers, never seeing anything she does as a sacrifice or wanting any attention drawn to it.
She was a precious, beloved friend to my dear Mom for many years,
often calling her to encourage and lift her spirits during times of pain, abandonment, and despair.
She is one of the few people you can call or email anytime, day or night, and you know, without a doubt, you will find someone on the other end of the computer or phone who will drop everything and fall to their knees.
Through all of life's ups, downs, sorrows, and joys, Priscilla is there, she is a treasure, and friends like her are precious and few.
I cannot begin to say how much Kevin, Zachary, our extended family, and I love and appreciate her and her faithful friendship, love, support, encouragement, loyalty, and prayers through the years,
and it is our prayer that God will reach down and comfort her and her dear family now,
I would so appreciate your continued prayers for my dear niece, Kristen,
and her precious unborn baby boy, as the day approaches when they will do a C-section on July 5th.
Kristen's dear, unborn baby boy
We continue to believe with all our hearts that God will bring Kristen and her baby through
and allow both of them to be alive, healthy, and all to be well, in spite of all.
(For those who do not know, Kristen has a blood clot in her lung, has had to be on blood thinners throughout nearly her entire pregnancy, and is suffering from tachycardia. She will be taken off blood thinning medication on July 4th, the day before the C-section.)
We ask that you will please continue to pray that God will not allow Kristen to go into labor before July 5th, due to the risk of giving birth while on the blood thinner.
I anxiously look forward to the day that I can share an amazing victory report with you,
telling you how God has answered the many, many prayers you have prayed for so long!!
Jesus said, "According to your faith be it unto you."
Matthew 9:29
My faith says that Kristen and her baby will LIVE,
that they will be in GOOD health,
and they will both have a HUGE testimony to share for many years to come!
Again, I believe Mom's faithful prayers over us all for so many years are still being heard,
and I feel that she is watching over us all.
More and more, I can see and come to greater appreciate the invaluable worth of a praying mother,
and it makes me want to be ever more diligent to pray over and for our own precious son.
Many of you already know about the awful trials that our dear fellow blogger and friend, Kelly-Anne and her family are facing.
They lost their home and everything in it on June 7th.
It is just heart wrenching to see the devastating pictures and read of the pain and loss in Kelly-Anne's latest blog post HERE. Dear friends, PLEASE PRAY that Kelly-Anne and her family can find a permanent place to live that would accommodate her and her family's needs, along with their beloved pets.
Surely, we know God sees all they have suffered and lost, and He has promised to supply their needs.
It is a complete miracle that Kelly-Anne and all of her family members and their pets were
able to get out in time, and that none of them were harmed.
Eight people died in the fires that swept around their home, including their little 3 year old neighbor whom Kelly-Anne and her family used to babysit.
Oh, it is so sad!
May God have mercy and open the right home for Kelly-Anne and her family in the aftermath of all they have gone through and lost.
Please pray!
What would we do without Jesus?
To whom would we turn in such times of need and grief and loss?
I am so thankful for the precious Word of God and the comfort it provides.
It is on that note that I leave you with 30 more Scriptures for your Massive Scriptural Arsenal,
along with a song that has encouraged and sustained me through recent trials.
"For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."
Isaiah 41:13
"...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Matthew 28:20
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me."
Psalm 138:7
"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life."
Job 33:4
"For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him."
Isaiah 64:4
"For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations."
Psalm 100:5
"Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands..."
Isaiah 49:15,16
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Galatians 6:9
"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
Romans 8:15
"Be still, and know that I am God...:
Psalm 46:10
"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
Mark 11:24
"He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."
Psalm 24:4,5
"For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the
singing of birds is come..."
Song of Solomon 2:11,12
"And the LORD, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."
Deuteronomy 31:8
"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him.
Psalm 103:13
"And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."
Exodus 33:14
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me."
Psalm 23:4
"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22,23
"My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up."
Psalm 5:3
"And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace."
John 1:16
"Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust."
Psalm 16:1
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
Romans 8:26
"The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places."
Habakkuk 3:19
"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."
Isaiah 43:19
"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"
Matthew 6:26
"In the day when I cried Thou answered me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul."
Psalm 138:3
"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
Romans 8:32
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
Jeremiah 29:11
I come to you tonight with yet another plea for earnest prayer for my dear niece, Kristen.
Her time of delivery is drawing very near, and there is much concern over the outcome.
She is still on the blood thinning medication, due to the blood clot being in her lung,
and there is great risk to both her and the baby for her to go into labor while on the medicine.
Yet, there seems to be no other choice.
There is still confusion as to her exact due date, which makes this even more complicated,
because she needs to be off her current medicine and switched to another one for a certain span of time before giving birth.
Timing is everything, and with them not being able to know a certain due date,
the risk is huge.
I'll tell you the truth, my heart can easily become overwrought with fear when I hear of the comments that are being made by her doctors, as they explain the "what ifs" and gravity of her situation.
But, I must look to the One Who is in ultimate control, and Who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20)
Please, PLEASE pray.
I know so many of you are already faithfully doing that, and I just have no words to tell you how much my family and I appreciate it.
We will all be so glad when this is all over, and we are just trusting GOD for a wonderful outcome,
both for Kristen and for her precious baby boy.
I can't thank you enough for helping to lift them regularly to the Father in prayer.
I want you to know that I am praying for so many of you and your requests, also,
as the dear Lord brings you to mind and reminds me of your needs.
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:2
What a dear blessing that we can bear one another's burdens and fulfill the law of our dear Lord!
I SO look forward to posting a victory report filled with praises to God for the amazing miracle He has performed for Kristen and her baby!
In Matthew 9:29, Jesus said, "According to your faith be it unto you."
My faith is believing that God will spare Kristen's and her baby's lives to a ripe, old age in good health, in Jesus' name.
May He do the same for each of you dear readers, too, regardless what you are facing in your lives.
"As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He saith unto the ruler of the synagogue,
Be not afraid, only believe."
Mark 5:36
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
"And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint..."
Luke 18:1
(KJV)
How we praise God that my dear niece is home from the hospital!
We just cannot praise Him enough for all He has done, is doing, and still going to do for her.
They did another ultrasound, and they said the little guy is VERY active and that he seemed as happy as a clam!!
Oh, it was SO good to hear that!
Praise our dear, awesome, loving GOD!!
There are still major concerns, obviously, and a couple of things I would like to ask you to continue
to pray about.
Her doctor told her today that she is not out of the woods,
and, in spite of her already being told the blood clot is "enmeshed" and not likely to travel anywhere else, there is, in fact, a chance that it could move from the lung to the brain.
This news was so unsettling, disappointing, and, needless to say, terrifying.
It is hard to imagine her having to walk through fear each day of the remainder of her pregnancy.
She also found out that the blood thinner takes from six to seven months to work,
so she will need to stay on it via self-injections twice daily.
There is an underlying concern, obviously, of what this could do to the baby,
and all of this is laying heavy upon her heart.
We would so appreciate your continued prayers, dear friends.
We are SO grateful to God for you and for every prayer you are praying on her behalf.
We know GOD can do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think,
and we are expecting Him to continue to heal and dissolve this blood clot
(even quicker than the doctors are telling her),
and that He will spare Kristen and the precious baby boy's lives.
I can't wait for the day that we can just praise Him together as we announce
the smooth delivery of a perfectly healthy baby boy!!
What joy will fill all of our hearts when the trial is past and the welcome sounds of a newborn
baby's cries ring out in Kristen and Mike's home!
God is in control.
Of this, we are certain.
In times like these, my mind often goes to the words of this dear, old hymn written by Edward Mote.
God is surely our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble!
How we praise Him for all He has already done!
May He bless each one of you and meet any needs you have.
He is a faithful God!
Up to this point, we did not know the gender of the precious little one she is expecting,
and, of course, we would have all been ecstatic, regardless which gender it turned out to be,
but it was so exciting to find out, and to hear the words, "perfectly healthy" in front of it
just made us greatly rejoice together!
GOD is hearing and answering your many prayers, dear friends!!
That is ALL there is to it.
Kristen is feeling better, the baby continues to thrive, in spite of all,
and GOD deserves all of our praise, as always!
There are still major concerns, of course, and I wanted to share them with you and beg you to keep praying.
Kristen remains hospitalized, and the medicine that the doctors now have her on takes 6-7 months to work.
This means that she will have to continue to stay on it, via two daily self-injections,
for the entire remainder of her pregnancy, and possibly, even a bit after that.
Needless to say, she is very concerned about the impact and effect this could potentially have on the dear baby she is carrying.
While they are telling her that it is low risk, any parent will understand the level of anxiety even "low risk" would cause an expectant parent to feel.
We know and realize that God does not need medication to heal.
We are pleading with Him to just dissolve this blood clot, in spite of what she is being told, and that He will continue to spare Kristen's life and not allow the blood clot to travel,
and that He will just shield and protect the little guy and keep him safe all the way through a full-term pregnancy and perfectly smooth delivery.
Can we ask too much of our God?
"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?"
Jeremiah 32:27
I know God has His all-seeing eye on Kristen and this baby.
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."
Jeremiah 1:5
This morning, Kristen and I talked about the amazing testimony this little guy will have one day
and how she will have so many stories to tell him of the things GOD has brought him through!
I keep thinking of the time the blind man was brought to Jesus, and His disciples asked Him,
"Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."
John 9:2-3
Sometimes, God allows hard things to happen in our lives,
for the sole purpose of providing an opportunity to demonstrate His awesome power to fix our problems.
Even though it is hard to see right now, I truly believe, with all my heart,
that this is the exact reason this is happening.
Literally hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people are hearing about Kristen's trial,
and that same number will hear about her victory and how GOD brought her and the baby through.
The One Who will receive ALL glory will be GOD.
To Him it is due.
In spite of man's mistakes and them being the cause of this trial in the first place,
God is going to turn this test into a major testimony of His goodness, power, and ability to heal.
"I can't wait to read the birth announcement telling of a happy, healthy baby and mama when the time comes for her to be delivered. :)"
I could not agree more, Suzanne, and I can't wait to write that birth announcement, either!
So many of you have shared in the carrying of this burden, and I will be so happy and grateful when we can all share in the victory and rejoicing together when God answers all of our prayers!
I tell you, I have just wept as I continue to watch the overwhelming influx of emails that keep rolling in to our inbox and the precious comments you are consistently leaving here on the blog.
I want you to know that every, single prayer you pray and every, single act of kindness you extend to us is GREATLY appreciated by Kristen, Mike, Sandi, Kevin, Zach, the rest of our family, and me.
I have forwarded your emails on to Sandi, so she can feel your love and also share your dear words of comfort with Kristen and Mike.
To say that we are most grateful is a huge understatement.
I am completely humbled and blessed beyond words to know that there are so many who care,
who will pick up our burdens and help bear them to the throne of grace,
and who will reach out to us in love during this difficult time.
Kevin, Zach, and I were talking about this blogging journey and how many things have happened in our lives during the time I have been writing Homespun Devotions.
It has touched us deeply, time after time, as so many of you have prayed for us and lifted us to the Father and stood by our sides through the good and bad.
Though we still haven't met many of you in person, you have become very dear to our hearts,
and we consider you precious friends.
Do you know what?
I am going to share a secret dream of ours with you.
It is a dream that has been brewing and simmering in the back of my mind for the past couple of years...a dream that Kevin and Zach share with me.
Our dream is for the three of us to do a blogging tour together.
To come and visit so many of you dear friends and meet you face to face in person.
To spend an hour or two with you and pray together over shared needs and burdens.
To help you in some way, if possible.
To maybe even share a cup of coffee or tea or possibly treat you to a meal at one of your favorite local restaurants.
Who knows?
Maybe this is one of the reasons God is freeing us up and continuing to deliver and free us from so much bondage and so many encumbrances.
Psalm 37:4 says,
"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
I believe that when we live our lives in perfect alignment with His heart and His Divine will,
He actually PLACES the desires in our hearts that He wants us to have, in the first place.
One day, I sat down and wrote out a list of the states where many of you live,
and I realized that it would be an amazing and extensive tour to come around and visit all of you.
It would be a big undertaking, but, hey, a girl can dream can't she?
Especially, when she is in personal relationship and on first-name-basis with the Dream Maker...
the Dream Giver...the Dream Originator Who placed the dream in her heart in the first place!
For now, we will continue to follow God's lead, as He steadily urges us to downsize, minimize, and let go of the excess in our lives.
We want to be ready for whatever He has for us to do next.
We've had the feeling that all of this preparation has been leading up to something great,
and we want to redeem the time in between now and then and use it wisely,
so we are 100% ready when He reveals our next assignment.
So, may we all "occupy" until He comes. Luke 19:13
May we all be found faithful!
Please keep Kristen and the baby and our family in your continued prayers.
You will never know how much we appreciate each and every one of you!
God bless you all and meet any needs you have at this time,
and if we can pray for you, specifically, please let us know.
