Whom Shall I Fear (The God of Angel Armies)

What a powerful message!  A very dear friend and brother (Isak, love you so much brother) shared this with our family as he has been going through a very difficult time with his health.  The song delivers a message of truth and helps put your focus back upon the Rock. 

"The more unsatisfactory my "performance,"
the more He calls me to share His yoke.

I should know by now that mine makes me tired and overburdened.

I should learn of Him: "I am gentle and humble in heart.""

- Elisabeth Elliot, Keep a Quiet Heart -

~Brittany

Courage

"Courage is not the absence of fear

but the willingness to do the thing we fear.

There's a big difference between fearing and willing."

~Elisabeth Elliot, Keep A Quiet Heart~

~Brittany

Peace and Contentment

Breanna and I have been so blessed by several of Elisabeth Elliot's writings.   A while back we had gotten "Keep a Quiet Heart" in from the library, but had to return it before we were done.  Mom was so sweet and bought the book for us and surprised us by leaving it on our bed along with a sweet note. :-)  (Thanks so much Mom for all that you invest into us. <3 )  Here are a few sections from what I read yesterday that stood out to me.  I hope some of you are as blessed by it as I was.

A spirit of calm contentment always accompanies true godliness.  The deep peace that comes from deep trust in God’s lovingkindness is not destroyed even by the worst of circumstances, for those Everlasting Arms are still cradling us, we are always “under the Mercy”.

It isn’t troubles that make saints, but their response to troubles.  Even miracles can’t make us holy.

Everything about which we are tempted to complain may be the very instrument whereby the Potter intents to shape His clay into the image of His Son—a headache, an insult, a long line at the check-out, someone’s rudeness or failure to say thank you, misunderstanding, disappointment, interruption.  As Amy Carmichael said, “See in it a chance to die,” meaning a chance to leave self behind and say YES to the will of God, to be “conformable unto His death.”  Not a morbid martyr-complex but a peaceful and happy contentment in the assurance that goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives.

~Elisabeth Elliot, Keep A Quiet Heart~

~Brittany

Mid-Year Families Farming/Fellowship/Health Get Together

We were very blessed this past Saturday to be a part of some wonderful fellowship with wonderful people.  So thankful to Thomas and Emily for all their hard work in hosting the event!

 The men having discussion over lunch.

I love this picture; so precious.  Reuben loves Tayte.

(And Tayte's pretty fond of him too.

Can't wait to see him as a daddy someday.) :-)

 Though we didn't get pictures of everyone, Breanna and I so enjoyed

getting to talk with all of the young gals.

Precious little baby belly. :-)

Sweet Aunt Emily helping Rosie write her name on her cup.

The kids all had lots of fun!

Thanks to the young adults who kept an eye on them and made their play more fun!

Our gracious hosts, who also happen to be a birthday couple this week.

Happy birthday Thomas and Emily!!!

You are a precious couple, and we're so blessed to know you!

Rosie and Essie both really enjoyed holding William and Hannah's dog.

Sarah was  carrying him around like a little baby doll.  To cute. :-)

Sweet Bree holding little Reuben.

She's a wonderful big sister, and is always helping out with all the little ones

at church or at gatherings.

The day was filled with lots of fellowship, fun and encouraging conversations, and great food contributed by each family.  We had demonstrations of soap making and tortilla making, target practice, along with lots of discussion about health, farming, spiritual encouragement, and much more.  We are looking forward to the next time and what other interesting things will be discussed and learned and how everyone will be encouraged!

~Brittany

Overcoming Fear, Worry and Anxiety

What a wonderful series of messages for ladies on overcoming fear, worry and anxiety by one of our all time favorite pastor's wife, Becky Morecraft. 

Click Title below to go to Sermon Audio and hear the series.

Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety by Mrs. Becky Morecraft

Loving Truly

Roses are my favorite flower.  But one thing about them, as beautiful as they are, is that they always, without fail, have thorns.  I suppose they are kind of like us.  We all have a beautiful side, but also a side that is not beautiful at all.  But that ugly side is just as real as the beautiful.  Now, in Christ we are growing and being sanctified each day, thus we should see more holiness and love in each of our lives.  But that does not erase the fact that we are sinful, fallen creatures.  That is why we need the Savior.  We have a choice in dealing with each other.  Everyone likes to see the beautiful side of people, and that’s usually the side that we do see at first.  But at some point we’re going to see some not to pretty things in each other.  We will see inconsistency, lack of love, imperfect performance, sin.  Now here is where the choice comes.  We can choose to walk away because we don’t like to see those things in people.  After all, why would you put up with that when you could just go be with someone who always looks good, right?  We can just jump from one shallow relationship to another without ever having to learn to truly love people.  But that’s just not reality.  It’s not biblical.  It’s easy to love the lovely, but we all know that we aren’t always lovely.  We fail, sometimes badly.  It is in those moments when we must choose to love with Christ-like love.  Christ loved us while we were yet sinners, when we still hated Him and were completely walking in sin.  He saved us and continues to pour out His grace and love upon us, even as we fail.  If we cannot love each other like this, then what do we really know about the love of Christ?  He who has been forgiven much loves much.  If we aren’t very forgiving, maybe we should take a closer look at ourselves.  You can’t really love someone for who they are until you see their faults, their failures, their bad side.  It’s easy to love the lovely, but can we love truly?  Love is a powerful thing and can have a great influence over people.  But it is also sometimes not reciprocated.  In those times we must just continue to love as Christ loves us.  Ours is to obey, the results are up to God.  If we are to be representatives of Christ, then we must love as He loves.  We must love unconditionally.  We must love truly.  Because we are all equally in need of the unconditional, true love and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”  - 1 John 3:18

 ~Brittany

~Brittany

Thoughts to ponder for women . . .

A few statements from Elisabeth Eliot out of her book Let Me Be a Woman.

You can’t make proper use of a thing unless you know what it was made for, whether it is a safety pin or a sailboat. 

Chapter 5 page 13

And as the bird easily comes to term with the necessity of bearing wings when it finds that it is, in fact, the wings into freedom – so the woman who accepts the limitations of womanhood finds in those very limitations her gifts, her special calling – wings, in fact, which bear her up into perfect freedom, into the will of God.

Chapter 8 page 23

I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize

the Lord is able to carry out His will,

and His will is mine.

It makes no matter where He places me, or how.

This is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest positions

He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult, 

His grace is sufficient."

~ Hudson Taylor ~

I was very blessed by reading this on another blog this morning, and am seeking to apply it to my life.  The Lord is so good to remind me to simply trust in His faithfulness!  I hope this quote is a blessing to some of you as well!

~Brittany

Calling, Minstry and Delight of a Parent

One of my parenting verses:
Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
(Php 2:16-17)

What a blessing it is to be a parent to Brittany, Breanna, Tayte, Elizabeth, Titus, Esther and Sarah! 
When upon the time that my life is called to end upon this earth, may I be able to say:
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
(3Jn 1:4)

~Brittany

~Brittany

Elizabeth made her first pillowcase a while back.

She's well on her way to become a great little seamstress!

She was so tickled when she got it finished and had it on her pillow. :-)

I love this picture of her.  So her - always a cheerful, happy, ray of sunshine.

~Brittany

"We need winds and tempests to exercise our faith, to tear off the rotten bough of self-dependence, and to root us more firmly in Christ. The day of evil reveals to us the value of our glorious hope."
- Charles Spurgeon -

"Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley. He changes not! Live nearer to Christ than to any person on this earth; so that when they are taken, you may have Him to love and lean upon."
Robert Murray McCheyne

"Settle it, once and for all -- You can never lose what you have offered to Christ.  It's the man who tries to save himself (or his reputation or his work or his dreams of success or fulfillment) who loses.  Jesus gave us His word that if we'd lose our lives for His sake, we'd find them."

~ Elisabeth Elliot ~

~Brittany

~Brittany

~ Sweet Friends ~

 ~Brittany

Our sweet, hard working guys.  The Lord has been so good to provide steady work for both of them since our move.  Here they are in their new uniforms.  We're very blessed that the Lord has allowed them to work together.
~Brittany