Thankful for His Sovereignty

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions,

that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves have been comforted by God

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.

For we were so utterly beyondour strength that we despaired of life itself.

Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.

But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.

On him we have set out hope that he will deliver us again.

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessings granted us through the prayers of many.

2 Corinthians 1

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

"therefore I will hope in Him."

Lamentations 3

14 Things I'm Thankful For......

1. My Family

for kindness, laughter, care, patience, and love they have, which I only begin to realize.

2. April blue bonnets.

3. Rainy Days,

cold dark wet rainy days, the kind that you want curl up on the couch with a cup of tea.

4. My beautiful nieces and nephew ( and I hope more to come).

5. Honest friends.

Proverbs 27:17

6. Good books.

Such as Mother, Laddie, Gladys Alyward, The Hiding place, First We Have Coffee, and on and on.

7. Our church, GfBC,

for their preaching and fellowship.

8. Sleep!

Now more than ever, 10 hours to be exact.

9. A good movie with some of Mica's popcorn , and watching with family

10. The beloved kitties, Maggie and Benny!

We sadly have to get rid of them due to Dominic's and other peoples allergies. :(

Does any want two cute, indoor cats?

11. For tough times that we go through, that shape and mold us, and strengthen our trust in Him.

12. On the edge of the Dark sea of darkness.

Thank you Loyd family for showing us this book.

13. Music.

And not just music that talks of man and his greatness, but of God.

14. Most of all God for putting me in such a family, and blessing me!

Emily's Joke

This is Emily, our dear cousin, who is more like a little sister to us. She is very good at dramatizing things, British accents, and making her brother (and us) laugh. I hope you enjoy her joke as much as we did. In fact, we've enjoyed it so much that we quote it at least once a week :).

We love you, Em!

In Christ,

Micaela

"And do not grow weary..."

"And let us not grow weary of doing good,

for in due season

we will reap, if we do not give up.

So then, as we have opportunity,

let us do good to everyone,

and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

Galatians 6

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Here is just a fresh look at this encouraging passage of scripture.

So many things come to mind when I think of growing weary of doing good:

Corrie and Betsy Ten Boom, missionaries, George Muller, Sarah Edwards, David Brainard.

These people, and many more like them, are all known for their steadfastness, patience, and faith. But I know that there were instances in which they just couldn't go any further. And whether it was this passage or another that they clung to, they didn't give up.

After all, what would The Hiding Place be like if Betsy decided that she had hid enough Jews and prayed that God would never send them another? How many lives would George Muller not have ministered to, if he just sent the orphans away? I realize that in each of these situations, God's will would have been done with or without those people.

My point is that these examples didn't allow themselves to be bogged down with the cares and burdens of this world; they didn't throw in the towel or tell the Lord they were finished. They grasped His word and held tightly onto Him, because they knew that He was the only sure foundation for their lives.

Yes, being hospitable is tiring; yes, your life will be very busy and sometimes stressful when you minister to others. You can feel weighed down and tired when you carry someone elses burden, but isn't this what believers are called to do? This ought to be our joy and desire. Not because we want to appear holier or better than anyone, but because we truly love our brothers and sisters in Christ and want to encourage and uplift them in a way that truly will: by prayer and always pointing them back to the scriptures for their every comfort, consolation, hope, and peace.

That is a true friend.

So, what am I working on?

Being grateful for every opportunity to do good to others, giving a testimony by my works of what He has done in my life; no matter what the time frame.

Being grateful that He is using me in their life and simply serving in the way that He sees fit and for as long as He sees fit.

"We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Thessalonians

Camping at the Falls'....

I think I've been unofficially become the camp-picture-posting-person

Ok, I admit it when I first looked at the Falls I said " that's it?". But actually when I got down there and wet my feet, climbed the rocks, and felt the wind blow, I soon changed my opinion. So now I present to you the pictures:

Well this isn't when we were camping, but at my grandma's house.

Our first day at the campsite, and all of us campers that got their early walked down to the river and some of us waded in. The water was cold and refreshing!

On our way up from the river and Becca, Laura, and I decided to sit on this old tree and try to look in deep theological thought. :)

Oh yes, did mention that Sophia came with us? Also on Saturday morning Nicole, Mia, and Dominic came down to spend the day.

On a walk down to the river, on Saturday morning.

The girls cooling off.

Dominic!

One the previous pictures above showed the girls cooling off, well, this is how the men cool off!

No, actually they just wanted to get in for fun. :)

That day was a lot of FUN!

Mia being a goof.

On the trip home mom just saw this butterfly on dads shoulder!

Hello Spring!

Wonderful things that can only happen in the spring

Tulips budding :: Daffodils opening :: Spring Campus Visit :: Carolina's birthday
Hopeful visits to dear friends :: Flowing, bright skirts :: Swimming :: Planting bulbs and hoping they grow Fresh berry pies :: Walking without sweaters :: Linen capris :: Ratatouille varieties Green covered neighborhoods :: Outdoor parties in the park :: Strappy sandals (which also present a reason for fun toe nail polish!) :: Dinner outside with candles and tablecloths
Fabulous craft projects :: Freshly painted windowsills :: geraniums
old movies (right, so they can happen all the year round, but they've been happening quite a bit around here lately :) :: Spring Conference mit Russell Moore

Anyone like football?

Annually, My dad hosts a football game to kick-off the new year. This is our fifth year to host this event. Besides a few nicks, bruises, sprains, thrown-out backs, and mud-splattered clothing, everyone usually remains unharmed by the end of the game. I don't usually like watching football but this game is the one I will watch. Not only do I get the chance to work on my photography skills, but it is also good for a laugh. My good friend, Cameron, created this video for us (by request), in honor of this year's game. Cameron is quite the expert on filmmaking and so, he was the perfect man for the job. Thank you, Cameron! We greatly appreciate it.

Enjoy the video!

In Christ,

Micaela

P.S. you will need to pause the music at the bottom of the page so as to get the full effect of the movie.

So we do not lose heart...

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

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This is the stuff my treasures are made of :)

2 Corinthians is one of my favorite books in the Bible; each passage is so encouraging and uplifting, somehow I end up feeling as if I could have the strength to go through most anything afterwards. This chapter (2 Corninthians 4) in particular, is one that I treasure because it truly brings purpose to each difficult situation in our lives. How can I be overwhelmed or weary when I read that I will not be crushed, driven to despair, forsaken, or destroyed? It is such a comfort to know and be reminded that "...we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh..."; this is what brings me purpose and hope, and I pray that I may always be reminded of this even in the midst of terrible (or small) afflictions and trials. I pray that whatever the circumstance, I would "never lose heart" because I am being inwardly renewed, day by day. Not because I pulled myself up by my bootstraps or found some great new self-help book. I want to be entirely dependent on the Lord, each day. Which also reminds me of another sweet passage, in Lamentations 3. What a beautiful reminder of His faithfulness in our lives.

I feel like there is so much more I could say about this chapter, it really is so rich in meaning and encouragement. But I think if I wrote any more, it might take away from the sweetness of this passage :)

I pray that whatever situation you are in, that you would be inspired to turn to the Word of God for your peace, comfort, and hope. Perhaps through this chapter or to a different one that may pertain more to your situation. And if you are content and happy where you are, if you're not really in a trial or afflicted, I pray that when you are you would cling to the comfort His word brings, and that you would be completely satisfied in Him.

"For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.

For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."