Monday, January 22, 2007

A Praise and some Trials and some more Praise!

I just wanted to update on a situation. It was pretty much marked up to hopeless, but the Lord is seeing fit to bless! We had been bathing this family in prayer and we are definitely seeing the results! What looked like the end of the road for an unequally yoked marriage with children involved has taken a miraculous turn. The wife's willingness to trust the Lord and be obedient is winning her husband over. She has gone ahead to the states with the children and left her unsaved husband "in the church's care" (they are moving from here to the states- she just went ahead--now). We have been taking him meals and talking with him. My husband took a meal over Saturday night and the husband immediately asked when the services start the next day....better yet, he went! PTL!!! He is SO good! So, I will truly rejoice in my recent trials as I test my shield of faith.

Trials...well, I can't go into all of them, but here are some of the little ones ;) I am struggling with yelling again :( I hate it...I could chalk it up to stress, but that would just be lying to myself- the stress is just pulling the blinds off my eyes to my "heart" condition. Yes, instead of taking the time to re-train and lovingly correct...I yell...no excuse. This is a self induced storm.

And then , starting Friday, which of course, Brian had duty all night and then had to work all day Saturday :) (still smiling) Lily was running fevers which Tylenol only took the edge off. Ayden started in too...then there was some concern because Brian has just gotten a smallpox vaccine- which it turns out would not cause something like this. Sunday, the kids were still running fevers...which brings me to today. I took Lily in finally because I feared she was getting pnuemonia...and I was right... Lily has pnuemonia *sigh* but she did get some good antibiotics that should wipe it out. So, either these trials are to serve as a "burning bush" to get my attention, or we are just "exercising" our faith and strength in the Lord. Either way, I need to be in fervent prayer and Bible study.

Another praise is for one of my good friends the Lord has provided me here. She took care of my two oldest girls so I could take Lily and Ayden to the Drs. The poor thing went to take 3 of hers and 2 of mine to get something to eat, and discovered she had a flat tire! So, she loaded the 2 littlest in her double stroller and they walked to Popeye's! It is a good little distance! I felt so bad, but God is so good to provide friends who are willing to "walk" the extra mile to help a sister in Christ. PTL He is good!

8 comments:

HsKubes said...

Praise the Lord that He is working in this family. I will continue to pray for them.
I will also be praying for your family with this sickness being there. I know how that's tough on the child, siblings, and the mama.
I will be praying for you, too, that the Lord will give you the victory over yelling. I come from a long line of yellers and know that is not an easy thing to do. What has helped me is memorizing Scripture that pertained to anger. For instance, Jamess 1:19,20 ~ "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."
I would repeat this over and over and over again when I felt the 'heat' bubbling up. And I posted this verse in my bathroom so I would see it every morning and throughout the day. And I also sought the Lord and committed myself to being more faithful in training... laying everything else aside and focus only on training the children (which I find I have to have a "refresher course" once in a while, too). I will continue praying for you.

Thank you for stopping by and leaving the comments you did. We sure covet and appreciate your prayers.
I was thankful that my husband read those books for the children. They have enjoyed listening to him reading aloud.
You asked about wisdom on sanity during deployment...
Constant fervent prayer;
daily quality quiet time;
remain active/faithful in church;
keep a prayer journal where you write out prayers/conversations with the Lord (making Him your best friend and companion);
avoid talking on the phone, computer too much with friends and family, instead take advantage of the time to focus intently on your children (getting to know them even more, training them, having fun with them, bonding more with them, etc...);
talk about Daddy with 'happy' speech and make him lots of cards, etc...;
catch up on some reading that will benefit you as a wife, mother, homeschooler...

When/if yours goes, please let me know. I'd love to pray for y'all.

Well, I'm off to start my day.
Thank you, by the way, for adding me to your links! *Ü*

Praying for you ~
Christina
HsKubes' HomeSchool Haven

Ashleigh Baker said...

Love you, Heather. Lifting you all up daily. Praising the Lord for good things, even in the hard times... good friends, good praise reports, and even good antibiotics for scary pneumonia! :small smile: I'm wishing for that Starbucks trip you mentioned today...

Heather said...

(((hug))Christina- the Lord has used your response in a mighty way (before I even had a chance to read it I might add)...I will post about it above. Thank you dear sister in Christ.

Ash- you are always such a blessing...def. seeing the results of your prayers. Thank you dear friend..rain check on the Starbucks date? :) love you-heather

Kristi said...

Heather, from struggling mother to another, you are in my prayers. We all fall short in one area or another when it comes to our children. I second what Christina said. Bathe yourself in prayer and scripture memorization. Pastor Goodman preached just last night that knowing scripture in your head is helpful, but it must be embedded in our hearts to take effect. That spoke volumes to me last night.

I hope this family you mentioned will be able to mend the tears in marriage.

Praying for all of you! Love you:)

~Kristi

Grafted Branch said...

Popeye's?! In Japan? No way! Really?

God has blessed you with a good friend.

Free In Christ said...

Heather, You are in my prayers always. I think of you often. Your friend is so blessed to have you near, I will also pray for this situation, that God can heal the hurts there.

You are so blessed to have friends to help, when there is no family around, when you children are sick. I hope they are getting better.

About the yelling thing. Oh, how timely your post. That is the exact thing I am catching myself getting back into. I know it is so easy to make excuses for ourselves, i.e. I'm tired, the kids are just driving me crazy, blah, blah, blah. You are so right, we are wrong. But aren't you so glad that the Holy Spirit gently nudges us back into line. It hurts at first, but when we listen we are so blessed, as are our families.

Thanks for the honesty in your post. Hey, I'll be praying for you concerning this.

P.S. Thanks to hskubes, for the scripture verse. I will take that to memory. I too come from a line of "yellers". T

Have a blessed day.

Mishel said...

Praise the Lord about the family we have been praying for!!

Christina's comment was excellent...can't really add anything to that!

I do hope Lily will be well soon...I will add her to my prayer list.

I know you have much on your plate right now Heather. I am praying!! Love you!

Unknown said...

I was wondering why we hadn't seen you Sunday.... Well I hope all the kids get better and I will be sure to pray for Lily especially. She is so darn cute I love her in 2 yr olds Sunday nights. Hope everything works out for you this week. I will keep you in my prayers. See ya hopefully Sunday!