My prayer this morning

Out of Any Circumstance - I will Call upon God

Out of Any Circumstance

As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. (Psalm 55:16)

Yes, I must and will pray. What else can I do! What better can I do? Betrayed, forsaken, grieved, baffled, O my Lord, I will call upon Thee. My Ziklag is in ashes, and men speak of stoning me; but I encourage my heart in the Lord, who will bear me through this trial as He has borne me through so many others. Jehovah shall save me; I am sure He will, and I declare my faith.
The Lord and no one else shall save me. I desire no other helper and would not trust in an arm of flesh even if I could. I will cry to Him evening, and morning, and noon, and I will cry to no one else, for He is all sufficient. How He will save me I cannot guess; but He will do it, I know. He will do it in the best and surest way, and He will do it in the largest, truest, and fullest sense. Out of this trouble and all future troubles the great I AM will bring me as surely as He lives; and when death comes and all the mysteries of eternity follow thereon, still will this be true: "the Lord shall save me." This shall be my song all through this autumn day. Is it not as a ripe apple from the tree of life? I will feed upon it. How sweet it is to my taste!
-Charles Spurgeon, Faith's Checkbook for August 28th
~Brittany

~ Set the Date Dinner Party ~

After bringing to completion everything necessary, we were thrilled to have a special dinner with the Morton family on Friday to "Set the Date" for Tayte and Martha's wedding!  It was a precious evening full of excitement.  Everyone is feeling so very blessed right now.  May the Lord bless these two as they come together!

Mom planned a special table setting for the evening,
complete with roses and chocolate.

"Set the Date" napkin rings made by Mom.
We enjoyed lots of talking during our meal around a nicely full table.

After dinner we started talking about possible dates.

Gathered back together after some discussion.
Praying for the Lord to give clear direction.
It was so amazing.  After praying as a group, and more discussion,
the parents talked separately and came back with the same date.
The Lord is so good to guide!

Mom had prepared a special banner to write the decided date on.
Here Tayte and Martha are filling in the date.

And here it is!  October 25th!

And here is a very happy couple!
So excited their date is set!

Precious, beautiful Martha.
We have grown more and more fond of her over the past year,
and more and more thankful for the Lord providing Tayte with such a jewel.

Martha's engagement ring.
Photo credit to Adeline.  She has a real gift with photography.

 We made a special cake for the evening.
Photo credit to Adeline.

 Before cutting the cake we asked for a picture of the couple with their cake.
Tayte, being the ice cream lover he is, grabbed it first; funny boy. :-)

And here they are with their cake.

Very happy!

So precious.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening, especially Tayte and Martha.
They are so thrilled to have their wedding date set
and are anxiously looking forward to it!
Now everyone is busy planning for the special day.

Date is set!!!

October 25,2014

More coming soon!  

Awesome Free Resource

http://www.genevanpsalter.com/music-a-lyrics

Little blessings come from a variety of sources!  Today someone commented on one of our YouTube videos of Elizabeth singing her own rendition of Psalm 117. They shared this source with us.  WOW!!!  We love singing scripture songs!  It is a great way to put God's Word to memory.  We have heard many Psalter CD's and to be honest they just were not our style.  This is beautiful!!!  Neat thing about it is that you can download it for free!  Check on the bottom of the site.  

Thanks to the sweet person that shared this site!  

A Good Dog is Truly a Blessing!!

This morning the children were in the garage exercising and a small snake went right in between Titus's legs.  We called Daisy in and once she saw it, she fully knew what to do and promptly took care of it.  It was amazing to watch her.  She is so protective of us.  I can not tell you how blessed we feel that God has given us such a fantastic dog.  He knew exactly what our family would need here in Georgia, going ahead of us several years before in giving her to us.  Once Daisy killed the snake, Titus opened the garage door and I told her to take it outside.  She promptly picked it up and took it outside.  We were so impressed to say the least!  

The master-strokes of the Divine Artist!

I was so blessed by this when I read it!  What a good reminder!  ~Breanna

(Charles Spurgeon, "Flowers from a Puritan's Garden" 1883)

"We would have speedy riddance of trouble--but God does not think it fit to grant our request. Showers that come by drops and soak into the earth, are better than those which come in a tempest and hurricane!"

The gradualness and long continuance of a trial, which are its sharpness and bitterness--are also, to a large extent, the causes of its usefulness. If the sharp affliction came and departed with a rush--we would be rather swept away by it, than softened and saturated by its influence. To push a crucible among the glowing coals and snatch it out again, would answer no purpose in refining--the metal must tarry in the furnace until the fire has done its work.

Perhaps the reader has long lived in the perpetual grip of affliction, and now feels himself to be quite weary of the endless torture. Let him not faint under the lengthened process--the highest degree of benefit is accruing to him, from the continuance of his adversity!

In the later part of a trial, every stroke brings forth a tenfold result, and operates with a greatly increased efficacy. It would be a pity for the Lord to stay His hand, when it is working with such special and marked result. All the preceding affliction has only worked the heart into a fit condition to receive the master-strokes of the Divine Artist! The foundational colors have hitherto been laid on--but the second and finishing touch is now being given! Therefore, do not ask God's hand to cease, but rather pray that its work may be carried on with power, and the Lord's glory be seen in it all.

It will not cease raining yet--and why should it, so long as the soil is being softened, saturated, and fertilized by the falling drops? Let patience have her perfect work--and how can that be, useless the tribulation runs its full time?

Lord, make me ready to tarry for the vision, however long it may be delayed. Your way of trying me is the best. I would not hurry Your hand, if I could!

Exciting Moments in Ohio

While in Ohio, getting the remains of our things that we could not take in our last trip last summer while moving, attending one of our precious friends wedding, Seth completing some work and visiting with Grandma and others, our little Esther began learning to ride her two wheel bike.

Sarah Morton is now Mrs. Jonathan Manring!

 

Their wedding was simply elegant and so focused upon the truth that marriage is truly a covenant relationship ordained by God.   What a blessing to be able to attend one of our dearest family friends youngest and last daughter's wedding and to be able to see so many of our dear brothers and sisters in Christ.  I can not begin to tell you the joy of that special evening.  Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Manring!  Our deepest love and blessings to you both!

A sweet friend, and another special friend's new baby.

It was so precious to get to talk with you again, Anna!

Saturday Seth and the children loaded up the remainder of our items that our sweet neighbors had allowed us to store at their houses.  They so enjoyed getting to see our old neighbors and the folks that bought our old house.  Mom and I went to Fort Wayne grocery shopping and had a special time together.  :-)

Sunday we worshiped with our dear brothers and sisters of Keefer Creek, where we use to attend before we moved.  Oh, how precious that was.  Pastor Lederman is preaching through the book of Romans currently and was in the sixth chapter verse 13.  His exhortation to not yield our members to unrighteousness was a powerful and needed message.  It is so easy to make soft choices and not even realize how we are yielding our members to unrighteousness.  The love and warmth that we received from everyone was so touching to us.  We so love these people!  Elizabeth also got to see her super special friend Mr. Donald.  He is one of the residents of the nursing home where the church meets weekly.  I think he was as thrilled to see her as she was him.  We were just so blessed in every way!

Sunday evening we were so blessed to have been invited to join our precious Amish friends for supper and their evening service of singing.  Our old neighbors were truly the best we have ever had.  Even though we are not Amish they embraced us from the very moment that we moved in and even though we have moved away they continue to pour so much love out to us.  We were invited to dinner, received an angel food cake and the most delicious cinnamon rolls that ever a soul has made!  We so do not deserve all the love that people give to us.

 

Saturday evening chatting at the road.  The joys of rural northwest Ohio. :-)

Monday was a super special day as we got to spend the entire day with my brother and his awesome family!  I have the BEST big brother in the whole wide world!  He is the neatest guy one could ever meet!  The little children had such a great time playing with their cousins.  My sister-in-law of course must be a special lady because she is married to my brother.  :-)  Sonya is an incredible woman.  She inspires us so much!   We really enjoyed catching up and being spurred on in the area of discipline in our own lives.  It was such a special time catching up with Alli and Nick.  So many sweet memories shared over the years.  We are just so blessed!

Dad and Uncle Merrill grilling.

Lots of things for all us ladies to talk about!

Such precious times ~ you really miss them afterwards.

Brittany getting in some cuddle time with Katie.  Such a sweetheart!

All the little girlies playing dress-up. :-)

Sitting around talking, laughing, and catching up.

Precious time.  Miss you all so much already!

Bell and Katie Bell

These two have really enjoyed corresponding since our move.

Hayden, Nick, and Ti, riding fourwheelers

which Titus thoroughly enjoyed!

Nick, you're growing up into such a precious young man. :-)

Love listening to the guys tell stories and seeing them laugh. :-)

These two have been friends for a long time!

 Sarah, Dani, and Esther

Three sweet little cousins

that were glad to get to spend some time together again!

Bree, Alli, and Britt

It was sure nice to be together again!

Loved all the talk time with you, Alli, and hearing about

what your up to and planning on being up to.

This picture always makes me miss you.

Tuesday we spent the day at Grammy's helping her do some things that needed done outside.  What a fun day!  We cut her pampas grass, weeded all the flower beds, purchased flowers and planted them in the various different places, sucked all the the leaves out of her flower beds and just truly had an awesome time.

 

We stayed at my mom's house and I assure you she showed us so much patience and love.  She lives by herself and to have eight people ages forty six to three is quite a change for eight days.  Only a deep and great love could possibly had gotten her through our evasion.  She spoils us soooooo much!  We love you Grammy!!   Thank you for being such an extraordinary and loving person!  We are so blessed that God gave you to be my mom / our grandma! 

There were three things that we were hoping to do after getting to see all the special people that God has placed in our lives.  They were: 1.  have pizza from Hometown pizza (the best pizza around) 2.  Go to our favorite thrift store in Bryan ( you get to fill a whole bag for only $9.99)  and 3.  Go to the thrift store in Hicksville ( they have awesome prices and we always find things at both of these thrift stores.  Well  Wednesday, Breanna had made plans with their old piano teacher to meet for coffee, oh was this a blessing.  It was so good catching up with her and being so spiritually encouraged by her.  She was and is such a blessing in our family's life!

 Love you Connie and thank you for taking time to meet with us.

After we left the coffee shop . . .  we got to go to our favorite thrift store in Bryan, our bag was overflowing! :-)  Then we visited one of our most precious Amish friends that we used to be so close to.  That was such a special time!  One final stop for the day before heading back to Grammy's, who kept the younger ones at home with her while the older girls and I were out.  We made a quick stop at our favorite thrift store in Hicksville and were blessed again to find many items.  We had two bags and our bill was $15.  All their blue tags were even half off so a lot of the items were only 50 or 65 cents.  We have got to keep looking for thrift stores like these in Georgia.  :-)

Oh and just for the record, we had Hometown pizza on Saturday night!  It was awesome, as expected!!!

My precious hard working husband was working Tuesday and Wednesday in Bryan for his old company then he and Brittany took off at 4 in the morning Thursday to go to their Dover, Ohio plant to finish up the work that he needed to do. 

True Ohio Beauty ~ Farming at Sunset

Took this picture on our way back to Grandma's Thursday evening.

So sad I didn't think to take any while we were working,

as it really was a special time that I enjoyed getting to spend with Dad.

This picture was taken with Tayte especially in mind. :-)

Thursday night our two little cousins spent the night at Grandma's with us.   Wow, was that a full room!  But the kids had so much fun. :-)  Friday morning we said goodbye.  So hard, we always have to think about the next time we'll see each other, which usually isn't too long thanks to Grandma who braves the trip so often down to see us. :-)

We had to make a stop in Shipshewanna, Indiana at our old bulk supply store.  It was great to get stocked back up on things!

Then it was on to our other Grandma's house to see Dad's side of the family.  It was very sweet getting to see everyone again, except for a couple of our cousins who couldn't make it who we missed.  Dinner was awesome.  Grandma prepared some wonderful dishes that Mom got recipes for that evening, and our Aunt made her fantastic pasta salad.  The rest of the day was spent in fellowship; again catching up on everything and sharing new things and stories.  It was precious time that we were so grateful for.

 Grandma with Aunt Serena, Dad, and Aunt Tonja

Three of her four kiddos.

 Sarah singing a song for Grandma.

Such special time :-)

I love Grandma's smile here, like she's drinking in the moment.

Closing down the evening

We girls and Zariah, our cousin Kayla's little girl.

The little girls had so much fun together.

Ti and Grandpa  :-)

Grandma with all the little kiddos  :-)

We spent Friday night at Grandma's house and then took off early, or as early as these Alexanders could do :-), Saturday morning to head back home.  We got to spend some extra time with our Aunt Serena as she rode with us until we got to Kentucky.  We then got to see all of her children, some of whom we hadn't seen in years.  We took a nice little break talking with everyone for a while before taking off again.  Then it was home, sweet home.

We were so blessed to get to see everyone that we did and to do all the things we did.  The Lord was very good to make provision for everything to come together the way it did.  And we were very glad to see Tayte when we got home, who we missed very much while gone. :-)  We are already looking forward to when we can make a visit back to Ohio again. 

A beautiful quote!
May we each show true love and grace to our brothers and sisters in Christ, realizing that in different ways at different times we need them to show us the same!

"Let us never set down men in a low place,

as being graceless and godless,

simply because their faith is feeble and their love is at times cold.

Let us remember the case of Thomas,

and be very kind and of tender mercy.

Our Lord has many weak children in His family,

many dull pupils in His school,

many raw soldiers in His army,

and many lame sheep in His flock.

Yet He bears with them all and casts none away.

Happy is that Christian who has learned to deal likewise with his brethren.

There are many in Christ's church, who,

like Thomas, are dull and slow,

but are yet real and true believers."
-- J. C. Ryle --

~Brittany

"How is this world all around us ever to learn

that God is all in all

unless we are faithful in our witness?
In a time when everything in the world seems to be vanity,

God is depending on us to proclaim

that He is the great Reality,

and that only He can give meaning to all other realities."
- A. W. Tozer -

“Idleness gives great advantage to the tempter.

Standing waters gather filth.”
- Matthew Henry -

“Let no man think himself to be holy because he is not tempted,

for the holiest and highest in life have the most temptations.

How much the higher a hill is, so much is the wind there greater;

so, how much higher the life is, so much the stronger is the temptation of the enemy.”
- John Wycliffe -

~Brittany

"What is the deepest root of your joy?

What God gives to you?  Or what God is to you?"

- John Piper -

"People may be consecrated, gifted, devoted

and yet of very little use because they are undisciplined."
- Hudson Taylor -

 "One of the marks of a false prophet

is what he does not say." 

- Charles Leiter -

 “Without Christ
life is as the twilight with dark night ahead;
with Christ,
it is the dawn of morning
with the light and warmth of a full day ahead.”
- Philip Schaff -

~Brittany

"In any relationship of depth and value

trust must be established."
- Matthew Jacobson -

~Brittany

~ A Precious Moment ~

A precious moment of Tayte and Martha reading the Bible together.

These two are so dear.

We could not be more blessed.

~Brittany

Look back, believer: think of your doubting God

when He has been so faithful to you -

think of your foolish outcry of "Not so, my Father,"

when He crossed His hands in affliction to give you the larger blessing;

think of the many times when you have read His providences in the dark,

misinterpreted His dispensations, and groaned out,

"All these things are against me,"

when they are all working together for your good!

Think how often you have chosen sin because of its pleasure,

when indeed, that pleasure was a root of bitterness to you!

Surely if we know our own heart we must plead guilty

to the indictment of a sinful folly;

and conscious of this "folishness,"

we must make David's consequent resolve our own -

"Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel."

-- Charles Spurgeon --

"Man has a claim on God,

a divine claim for any pain, want, disappointment, or misery

that will help to make him what he ought to be.

 He has a claim to be punished,

and to be spared not one pang that may urge him toward repentance;

yea, he has a claim to be compelled to repent;

to be hedged in on every side,

to have one after another of the strong, sharp-toothed sheep-dogs

of the Great Shepherd sent after him,

to thwart him in any desire,

foil him in any plan,

frustrate him of any hope,

until he comes to see at length that nothing will ease his pain,

nothing make life a thing worth having,

but the presence of the living God within him;

that nothing is good but the will of God;

nothing noble enough for the desire of the heart of man

but oneness with the eternal.

For this God must make him yield his very being,

that He himself may enter in and dwell with him."

-- George MacDonald --