God's Presence and Guidance

"His promise is, 'Lo, I am with you alway.'  Let there be but a moments leaning of the head upon that gracious bosom, and a reception of His divine love into our poor cold hearts, and we are cold no longer, but glow like seraphs, equal to every labor, and capable of every suffering.  If we know that Jesus is with us, every power will be developed, and every grace will be strenthened, and we shall cast ourselves into the Lord's service with heart, and soul, and strength; therefore is the presence of Christ to be desired above all things.  His presence will be most realized by those who are most like Him.  If you desire to see Christ, you must grow in conformity to Him.  Bring yourself, by the power of the Spirit, into union with Christ's desires, and motives, and plans of action, and you are likely to be favored with His company."

- Charles Spurgeon -

(taken from his Evening Meditation for December 26th)

"Tremble no, for 'the LORD shall guide thee continually.'  There are no dilemmas out of which you shall not be delivered if you live near to God, and your heart be kept warm with holy love.  He goes not amiss who goes in the company of God.  Like Enoch, walk with God, and you cannot mistake your road.  You have infallible wisdom to direct you, immutable love to comfort you, and eternal power to defend you."

- Charles Spurgeon -

(taken from his Evening Meditation for December 27th)

~Brittany

Go Do Good

The Christian's Hope ~ An Eternal Perspective

I was very blessed by reading this tonight, and hope that maybe it will encourage some of you as well.

The minor afflictions and major troubles of this life can mount up to seem like a wall of obstruction and discouragement on so many levels but nothing believers are called to deal with, face, endure is to be compared with what our Lord has planned for them who love Him.

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered
the heart of man what the Lord has prepared
for them that love Him.

1 Corinthians 2:9

If this life was all happiness, ease and triumph, we would come to love being here so well that we would forget this world is not our home and what’s more, is passing away. If we never faced hardship, this world would be to us the prison it is to so many . . . a gilded cell we would never want to leave.

But no, the longer we live and the more that challenges mount (physical or relational . . . persecution for some) the more clear the illusion of this world becomes so that we see on the horizon a future far brighter than any passing moment we experience here.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:15

The Christian’s hope is not in this life. I’m reminded just now of a few lines from an old hymn I love . . .

“My God, I Thank Thee” by Adelaide A. Proctor.

I thank Thee more that all our joy
Is touched with pain,
That shadows fall on brightest hours,
That thorns remain;
So that earth’s bliss may be our guide,
And not our chain.

An eternal perspective reminds us not to love the world.

- written by Matthew L. Jacobson, on his website: Matthew L. Jacobson, article entitled: A Question for Dr. Stephen Hawking: What Do You Hope For?

~Brittany

Trust ~ The Heart Word of Faith

Trust in the Lord and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity!  - Psalm 37:3

"Trust also in him."  - Psalm 35:5

The word trust is the heart word of faith. It is the Old Testament word, the word given to the early and infant stage of faith. The word faith expresses more the act of the will, the word belief the act of the mind or intellect, but trust is the language of the heart. The other has reference more to a truth believed or a thing expected.

 

Trust implies more than this, it sees and feels, and leans upon a person, a great, true, living heart of love. So let us “trust also in him,” through all the delays, in spite of all the difficulties, in the face of all the denials, notwithstanding all the seemings, even when we cannot understand the way, and know not the issue; still “trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.” The way will open, the right issue will come, the end will be peace, the cloud will be lifted, and the light of an eternal noonday shall shine at last.

 

“Trust and rest when all around thee

Puts thy faith to sorest test;

Let no fear or foe confound thee,

Wait for God and trust and rest.

 

“Trust and rest with heart abiding,

Like a birdling in its nest,

Underneath His feathers hiding,

Fold thy wings and trust and rest.”

 

- Streams in the Dessert, Vol. 1, December 15th

~Brittany

A New Song ~ Praise

This passage has been a blessing and encouragement to me lately.

~Brittany

Exhortation on Worry ~ Looking with Eyes of Thanksgiving and Faith

"Be careful for nothing."

Philippians 4:6

Do you cross rivers before you come to them, dread troubles that never come, expect evil from the Lord instead of good?  In other words is your soul full of unnecessary care?  For that is what the word "careful" means - unnecessary care.
"Do not worry" is a plain and simple command, but it is such a difficult one to follow.  M. D. Babcock has given a few beneficial suggestions for the person who feels defeated because of the common ailment of worry.  "The anxious Christian hurts more than himself; he hurts the faith of those who know him and the good name of his Lord Who has promised to supply all his needs.  There is nothing which we cannot pray about.  Go deeper into the text: 'But in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God.'  What we can take to God we can trust to God.  What we put our fidelity into, He will perfect by His faithfulness.  While we work for the best, He works the best for us.  We may not succeed as we hoped; we may have discipline we little expected, but the Father knows what His child needs.  What God has for us to do we can do, or to bear we can bear.  Is there not enough in His ocean to fill our pitcher?  With the need of every day will come His promised supply - 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
"Do not forget the words further on in the text: 'with thanksgiving.'  Be on the lookout for mercies.  Blessings brighten when we count them.  Out of determination of the heart the eyes see.  If you want to be gloomy, there's gloom enough to keep you glum; if you want to be glad, there's gleam enough to keep you glad.  Better lose count in enumerating your blessings than lose your blessings in telling your troubles.
"Unbraid the verse into three cords and bind yourself to God with them in trustful, prayerful, thankful bonds, - Anxious for nothing, Prayerful for everything, Thankful for anything - 'and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.' "  (from Thoughts for Every-Day Living.)
- Steams in the Desert, Volume 2, December 10th
~Brittany

This morning's meditations...

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
(Luke 6:36-38)

~Breanna

Free Downloadable Messages by Elisabeth Elliot

Wow, so excited tonight when a sweet friend, thank you Mrs. Karen Gray :-), shared this link with us to download or listen online to quite a few messages by Elisabeth Elliot!  Elisabeth Elliot is a favorite author of mine, and I've been so blessed by reading several of her books, including- Passion and Purity, Quest for Love, Path through Loneliness, Keep a Quiet Heart, and Let Me Be a Woman.   She is simple and very real in her style, cutting straight to the heart with the truths from God's Word about who He is and what He requires of us as His disciples. I hope you all will enjoy her as much as I have and be incredibly blessed and encouraged!  Happy listening! ~Breanna 

Click Here to View Messages by Elisabeth Elliot!

The Triumph of Our Faith

"Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hands"

- 2 Kings 3:16-18 -

To human thinking it was simply impossible, but nothing is hard for God. Without a sound or sign, from sources invisible and apparently impossible, the floods came stealing in all night long; and when the morning dawned, those ditches were flooded with the crystal waters, and reflecting the rays of the morning sun from the red hills of Edom.
Our unbelief is always wanting some outward sign. The religion of many is largely sensational, and they are not satisfied of its genuineness without manifestations, etc.; but the greatest triumph of faith is to be still and know that He is God.
The great victory of faith is to stand before some impassable Red Sea, and hear the Master say, "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord," and "Go forward!" As we step out without any sign or sound--not a wave-splash--and wetting our very feet as we take the first step into its waters, still marching on we shall see the sea divide and the pathway open through the very midst of the waters.
If we have seen the miraculous workings of God in some marvelous case of healing or some extraordinary providential deliverance, I am sure the thing that has impressed us most has been the quietness with which it was all done, the absence of everything spectacular and sensational, and the utter sense of nothingness which came to us as we stood in the presence of this mighty God and felt how easy, it was for Him to do it all without the faintest effort on His part or the slightest help on ours.
It is not the part of faith to question, but to obey. The ditches were made, and the water came pouring in from some supernatural source. What a lesson for our faith!
Are you craving a spiritual blessing? Open the trenches, and God will fill them. And this, too, in the most unexpected places and in the most unexpected ways. Oh, for that faith that can act by faith and not by sight, and expect God to work although we see no wind or rain.
--A. B. Simpson
- Streams in the Desert, Vol.1, December 7th
~Brittany

Christian Cheer

"Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds."

~ Psalm 149:5 ~

"Yes," said Amos R. Wells, "let all Christians sing, even on beds of pain.  Let all Christians sing, even songs in the night, even songs in prison, like Paul and Silas.  Few lives are so songful as they might be and should be.  Most lives are groanful.  Most lives are full of complaint, meditated if not uttered aloud.

"As Phillips Brooks once cheerily said, ' True religion sings here, and will sing more hereafter.  Distrust your religion unless it is cheerful, unless it turns every act and deed to music, and exults in attempts to catch the harmony of the new life.'  We read of the mystical 'music of the spheres,' that unheard anthem of praise made by the stars in their majestic march through the sky.  May it not be made, not by the stars at all, but by praiseful human hearts?

"It is always possible to find an excuse for good cheer, a fine reason for singing.  Here is an excuse that Oliver Herford once thought up:

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December;

A magnificent thing

And sweet to remember:

"We are nearer to spring

Than we were in September."

I heard a brid sing

In the dark of December.

"Yes, and in the same vein, however gloomy our surroundings may be, we can always remember that we are one day nearer heaven than we were yesterday - one day nearer our eternal joy and peace.

"What if it is dark around us now, and cold, and stormy?  The endless spring is drawing near!  Flowers are coming, bird songs are coming, soft breezes adn blue skies are coming!  Every dark day brings the bright days nearer."

",We cannont weigh or number our blessings, neither can we weight or number our feelings of gratitude to Thee, O God."

- Streams in the Dessert, Vol. 2, December 4th

~Brittany

Beautiful Music . . .

Thank you Rachel Gray for sharing this!

They also have a couple of new songs that you can download for free, that are also just as lovely, at:

http://noisetrade.com/heatherschopf/even-there-upcoming-cd-2-free

A few thoughts on waiting...

Waiting means “Steadfastness, that is holding on; patience, that is holding back; expectancy, that is holding the face up; obedience, that is holding one’s self in readiness to go or do; listening, that is holding quiet and still so as to hear.” 

~S. D. Gordon

“I do know that Waiting on God requires

the willingness to bear uncertainty,

to carry within oneself the unanswered question,

lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one’s thoughts.”

~Elisabeth Elliot

~Breanna

Thanking God today for....

 Thanking God today for...

...the bountiful supply that He has given us.  

Our needs are always met and overflowing!  God is so good! We always enjoy looking over the table and seeing the many things that were either grown or produced from our home, all things that truly are only because of the grace and faithfulness of the Lord! 

 

 ...Each and every person around this table (including sweet Mom who is taking the picture)!

What a precious gift family is, and that God would chose to put us all together.

...Some of the things that remind us of special friends and their love and friendship that we are so blessed to have in our lives.

...the fun things that you do as a family that make you smile!  :-)  Tayte especially was really wanting to shoot guns, so off they went to get some clay pigeons and a sling. :-)

 ...this little gal that is getting bigger every day!  She was having fun shooting the bb gun, in case you were wondering. :-)

 ...three of the most awesome guys I know!  (And Tayte's amazing other half :-)!)

Love each one of them so much!

 ...the gift of having such a devoted and loving mother, whose steadfastness and diligence to the Lord has taught her children more than imaginable.  Wonder if anyone hit that clay pigeon???? 

 ...for a dad that constantly, steadfastly, diligently and selflessly loves and cares for his family with undiminished fervor and strength.  A man who seeks God earnestly and strives to uphold the truth.  We thank God for his leadership and love!

 ...this precious, energetic gal whose smiles make our hearts warm so often!  She got quite the thrill out of getting to shoot, with Daddy's help, of course. :-)

 ...each of these precious people that bring joy to each day! The many personalities and the special uniqueness of each one adds a special spice to life to make-up the beauty of being a family.

 ...amazing parents that love each other more the older they get!  I love seeing the twinkle in their eyes when they look at each other!  They model Christ and the church in such a beautiful way.  I feel so blessed to have the privilege of watching their example every day!

 ...these gals right here, their love and friendship...no words can describe how thankful I am for them!  

 ...the fun of just being together!   Yep, even if all four of us gals never hit a single clay pigeon.  Not a one.  The guys thought we were...is amazing the right word????  :-)

 ...sisters!!!!  Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters! ;-)

 ...the blessing to be able to enjoy doing an Alexander favorite- chilaxin' with a movie, everybody snuggled up on the couches! :-)  It was a new movie and no one thought it was the best movie ever, but that wasn't what mattered.  It was being together, all of us cuddled up to each other, that's what made it the best!

...this precious couple, the Jr. Alexander family.  :-)  What a delight it has been to have Martha become part of our family and to watch Tayte and Martha begin a home together.  They are both so so precious!  We were so glad to have them with us tonight!

...And I could keep going of things that we are thankful for, but that gets some of the highlights for today. :-)  Without the mercy of the Lord, none of this would be possible and existing.  It is only His mercy and grace, His faithfulness that is new every morning.  Great is His faithfulness! 

~Breanna

Testimony of thankfulness this Thanksgiving Day!

  

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Truly we have so much to be thankful to God for!  "Count your many blessings, name them one by one!"  And our blessings truly are many!!!  I want to share with you one of the things that we are thanking God for today.

Thanksgiving provides such a wonderful opportunity to seek to touch the lives of those around you with the gospel message, while showing appreciation for them and the things that they do. This year, with the bounty that the Lord has so graciously given to us, we filled the house with the wonderful smells of cookies and cinnamon rolls and printed some tracts talking some about Thanksgiving, thanking people for the ways that they have served and blessed us, and most importantly sharing the gospel message, the most important blessing of all.  With a family joined effort, we sent out to 18 government officials the tracts and then packaged up the baked goodies with tracts and took them around town and to where Dad and Tayte are employed.  It was a very small attempt to touch the lives of those right around us, those that we have influence with.  But God can take the very tiniest of our endeavors and use them for His glory, as I want to share with you.

 

The lady at the library was so touched, "blown away" as Brittany worded it, that someone would give something to her, thanking her for what she does.  She said that no one had ever brought something to her there at the Library.  It was just a small plates of cookies...but it touched her with the love of Christ in a way that apparently she hasn't experienced much of. 

When Dad got home from work last night, he had an amazing story to share with us from the day.  He said that at one of the breaks, they all were called to come and wait at the clock out.  One of the owners then came and said he wanted to share something with them that a friend had given him.  And he pulled out the card that we had just given him that morning.  And read the gospel message to those men that have probably never heard the true gospel, that have probably never been confronted with their sin and their need for a Savior.  That one little card touched more people than we would have been able to reach, men that would probably never have read something like that.  Men that many of them are hardened by sin.  And they were all read the gospel message.  It brought me to tears as Dad shared.

I share these stories, in no way seeking to elevate our family for doing this, because we are learning so much and fall so short!  But I share these stories to hopefully encourage you all, as we were encouraged, that even the smallest of our efforts to reach others, God can take those and use them for His glory.  I was reminded last night of the passage where it says that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think.  How true that is!  We were praying as we sent those tracts out that God would be glorified and use them however He would for His glory and honor.  I never would have dreamed that He would use it to reach a whole factory of men that would be more difficult to reach with the gospel message.  But with God, nothing is impossible!  And those who heard that message, they may be but seeds that were planted, but God can take those small seeds and use them for His glory.  I was humbled and in awe that God would take our small efforts and bless them and use them for His purposes.  It also encouraged us that it is so worth taking the time to show love to others and to do our small part in showing the world around us the love of Christ. We are often to apathetic towards people, so self-focused.  Why are we not being the hands and feet of Jesus as He called us to be?  Why are we not taking more seriously showing the love of Christ?  It's not about us, what we can get out of life, what makes us happy.  "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)  May His glorious Name be magnified!!!!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!  "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
(Ephesians 3:14-21)

~Breanna