Praising God Yet Again!

Have you read Margaret Penner Toew poem, "God Answers"? Here's just a bit of it.

"Neath the soil inn utter darkness there's a subtle silent stirring . . .

In the stillness God is working out the answer to your pleadings, . . .

When the fullness of the time - His time- has come
you'll have your answer . . . "

I have found this to be soooo true!

In His time . . . . years later after praying on and on or not even praying consciously, in the fullness of time, my answer comes. Soooo many things have blossomed this way!

I remember talking with God over each child . . . asking for grace and physical strength because I just didn't think I had it in me to care for a child, then another, and then another and so on. Do you know how God did it? No, He didn't take the "mountain" away, but day by day He gave me what I needed, not before, but it was there as long as I leaned hard on Him!

And some days I would wonder and say, "You said, Lord, that Your grace is sufficient, but why don't I find it true?" It was those times I wasn't leaning on Him as hard as I ought! But when I faced another mountain of a day, climbing those steep, rocky paths and CLAIMED God's promises, it was then that I proved Him true! Oh, the riches we have in Christ!!! The unspeakableness of it all as it washes over my heart anew . . . God is soooo good. And I speak that phrase with all meaning!

And so, today, I give you a recent testimony of God's strength being enough for me.

Yesterday, I somehow thought would be a good day to do up my waiting tomatoes. I didn't really want them sitting in my freezer waiting for next week when I get back from a very special weekend (Ladies Retreat) andthen the next Friday we leave for VA for a week and a half. (For those interested we will be spending most of our time with Loren and Kendra, in Ferrum and plan to attend the church in Floyd on the 23rd.) I just wanted them done and out of the way. I made spagetti sauce again . . . It takes so long to cook down even with adding tomato paste! But it's done, all 18 quarts.

I also had some laundry pilling up to be done . . . you just can't let urine saturated clothes and blankets sit around too long.

The daily round of bottle feeding, pamper changing, owies to kiss, encouragement to shower, discipline to bestow, arguements to settle, questions to answer, etc. is always there no matter what goes on.

My husband was also having a birthday, his thirtyeth mind you As cell groups were planned that evening I wanted to share a birthday snack\party for him. So a cake was in order, and I tried a new reciepe of some taco cup thingies which he said were a winner.

On top of this all I did not eat anything since breakfast . . . Remember the Bible says not "if" you fast but "when" (and I say this only for you to understand how much God's strength upheld me this day!)

And the phone kept ringing . . . arrangements for traveling etc for this weekend and all kinds of other odds and ends.

God enabled me to not get frustrated, not to worry about getting everything done . . .

HE EMPOWERED ME!

And I can only say it was His strength, just as He's helped me through each day recuping from cancer, adjusting to being a newly wed, being pregnant, adjusting to becoming a Mom, having more babies, fitting into a new community, learning to train children, etc.

God is THE ONE!

He can truely satisfy ALL your hearts needs, and empower you for His work! (And homekeeping is His work!)

He is my ALL in ALL!!!

I SING HIS PRAISES!

And today I look back . . . God has given me my hearts desires! I prove that promise to be true also!!! Though I still dream and desire more . . . It is there, I know it, beneath the soil, sprouting and in His time it will come.

"In my weakness He is strong;

In my need He leads me on.

When I come to the end of all I am,

And when I place my trust in Him,

That's when His strength begins . . . "

-Part of Mike Harland and Cary Sshmidt's song, "In My Weakness"
Sung by the Soundforth singers on their cd "A Quiet Heart"
who by the way sing, "We Are Not Alone" which haunted us all at Krystal Yoder's funeral.
"Bear" otherwise known as Keith Yates thougth that adjective described it as well as it could. He had us play it over and over and over!!!
They also sing "Be Still My Soul" in the most becomeing melodious way!!! Our top two favorite songs right now!

"Ask, and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you . . ."
Just don't expect it to happen overnight . . . though it could!! Our God is God of the impossilbe!!!