~ Happy New Year ~

Another Year is Dawning

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be

In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.

Another year of progress, another year of praise,

Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,

Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;

Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;

Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,

Another year of training for holier work above.

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be

On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee.

~ Frances R. Havergal ~

"So teach us to number our days,

that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

O satisfy us early with thy mercy;

that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Let thy work appear unto thy servants,

and thy glory unto their children.

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us:

and establish thou the work of our hands upon us;

yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. 

~ Psalm 90:12,14,16,17 ~

May the Lord guide us each in this coming year, draw our hearts closer to Himself, give us a deeper love for Him, cleans us and purify us, conform us to the image of Christ, grow us in our love for one another, and use us as lights of His kingdom for His glory and honor.

Happy New Year from the Alexander Family!

Poem ~ The Glory Due

The Glory Due

To give the Lord the glory due unto His name

We must be steadfast in the same.

Must not be distracted by other things,

Must not give my heart to things unredeemed.

If it is Him that I would glorify

I must my own self life defy.

The Lord demands and deserves all,

Commands our whole lives His name extol.

To give the glory due His name

I must my own self be renamed.

Before my own master, now a servant;

Christ Jesus’ disciple, steadfastly fervent.

With my whole life I wish to give recognition

To my Savior who’s blood has redeemed my condition.

So now to His name I’ll give the glory due.

By His grace I’ll keep pressing to, my whole life through.

 ~B.A.A.

~Brittany

Encouraging Quotes on Prayer and Trials from the book War Room

Recently I read the book War Room and was so blessed by it!  Many similarities, obviously, to the movie, but the book was so much better!  There were many things that I walked away with from reading it that challenged and encouraged me, so I thought I would share a couple of those with you all to hopefully be equally as encouraging to some of you.  Both quotes are from "Miss Clara".
~Breanna

Sometimes the best gifts God gives us are not the easy times when everything goes our way.  The best gifts are the hard times when your life is reduced to a couple of good questions: What is this all about? Why are we here?  God is not interested in making me comfortable or happy.  His goal is to make me holy, like His Son.  And I've never met a follower of Jesus who hasn't encountered some suffering and pain.  God doesn't tell us to pick up a memory foam cross.  It's rugged and it's heavy.  You can run and try to find some easier way, but eventually He leads you through the thorns and the briars and that valley of the shadow.  But I promise you, if you trust Him, He will lead you to green pastures and peaceful waters.  Not just when you get to heaven, but right now.  Peace and contentment in the middle of the storm.  In the middle of the disappointment and fear and anger.  The bad times are really the good times in disquise.

The goal of prayer is not to change God's mind about what you want.  The goal of prayer is to change your own heart, to want what He wants, to the glory of God.  When we pray, we participate in what God is doing.  He gets the glory, and we get the privilege of walking with Him, and in that process we are changed.  And guess what happens from that change?  He gets the glory. 

Praising God More - We Would be Happier, and He More Glorified

“O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,

and for his wonderful works to the children of men.”

- Psalm 107:8 -

"If we complained less, and praised more, we should be happier, and God would be more glorified. Let us daily praise God for common mercies - common as we frequently call them, and yet so priceless, that when deprived of them we are ready to perish. Let us bless God for the eyes with which we behold the sun, for the health and strength to walk abroad, for the bread we eat, for the raiment we wear. Let us praise him that we are not cast out among the hopeless, or confined amongst the guilty; let us thank him for liberty, for friends, for family associations and comforts; let us praise him, in fact, for everything which we receive from his bounteous hand, for we deserve little, and yet are most plenteously endowed. But, beloved, the sweetest and the loudest note in our songs of praise should be of redeeming love. God’s redeeming acts towards his chosen are for ever the favourite themes of their praise. If we know what redemption means, let us not withhold our sonnets of thanksgiving. We have been redeemed from the power of our corruptions, uplifted from the depth of sin in which we were naturally plunged. We have been led to the cross of Christ-our shackles of guilt have been broken off; we are no longer slaves, but children of the living God, and can antedate the period when we shall be presented before the throne without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Even now by faith we wave the palm-branch and wrap ourselves about with the fair linen which is to be our everlasting array, and shall we not unceasingly give thanks to the Lord our Redeemer? Child of God, canst thou be silent? Awake, awake, ye inheritors of glory, and lead your captivity captive, as ye cry with David, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Let the new month begin with new songs."

- Charles Spurgeon's Evening Meditation for December 1st

~Brittany

Impacting Verses and Quotes

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

~ Luke 9:23-24 ~

"There can be no earnest desire to know Christ, nor any holy panting after a spiritual revelation of Him while the heart is pursuing worldly object."

- J.C. Philpot -

"And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

~ Luke 9:62 ~

"There is too much at stake and too much glory to be gained for Christ to turn back, loose our hand from the plow, or become distracted."

- Paul Washer -

"We follow Him all the time or we get lost."

- Mr. Chris Pappas -

"The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
...for behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

~ Luke 17:20,21 ~

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

~ 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 ~

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

~ 2 Corinthians 7:1 ~

"Everyone wants to be clothed with power,
but no one wants to be stripped of self."

- Leonard Ravenhill -

"...Occupy till I come."

~ Luke 19:13 ~

"Have I been making a fair show in the flesh
without having a corresponding inner life?"

- Charles Spurgeon -

"A ship can be diverted from it's course by a storm and still be headed for it's destination.  It is the overall pattern that counts.
[But] if your actions are out of tune with your beliefs, you tend to change either your actions or your beliefs."

- Albert Wolters -

~Brittany

Broken Things - What God Uses

When it rises up, the mighty are terrified, at its thrashing about they withdraw. (Job 41:25)

God uses most for His glory those people and things which are most perfectly broken. The sacrifices He accepts are broken and contrite hearts. It was the breaking down of Jacob’s natural strength at Peniel that got him where God could clothe him with spiritual power. It was breaking the surface of the rock at Horeb, by the stroke of Moses’ rod that let out the cool waters to thirsty people.

It was when the 300 elect soldiers under Gideon broke their pitchers, a type of breaking themselves, that the hidden lights shone forth to the consternation of their adversaries. It was when the poor widow broke the seal of the little pot of oil, and poured it forth, that God multiplied it to pay her debts and supply means of support.

It was when Esther risked her life and broke through the rigid etiquette of a heathen court, that she obtained favor to rescue her people from death. It was when Jesus took the five loaves and broke them, that the bread was multiplied in the very act of breaking, sufficient to feed five thousand. It was when Mary broke her beautiful alabaster box, rendering it henceforth useless, that the pent-up perfume filled the house. It was when Jesus allowed His precious body to be broken to pieces by thorns and nails and spear, that His inner life was poured out, like a crystal ocean, for thirsty sinners to drink and live.

It is when a beautiful grain of corn is broken up in the earth by DEATH, that its inner heart sprouts forth and bears hundreds of other grains. And thus, on and on, through all history, and all biography, and all vegetation, and all spiritual life, God must have BROKEN THINGS.

Those who are broken in wealth, and broken in self-will, and broken in their ambitions, and broken in their beautiful ideals, and broken in worldly reputation, and broken in their affections, and broken ofttimes in health; those who are despised and seem utterly forlorn and helpless, the Holy Ghost is seizing upon, and using for God’s glory. “The lame take the prey,” Isaiah tells us.

O break my heart; but break it as a field 

Is by the plough up-broken for the corn;

O break it as the buds, by green leaf seated, 

Are, to unloose the golden blossom, torn;

Love would I offer unto Love’s great Master,

Set free the odor, break the alabaster.

O break my heart; break it victorious God, 

That life’s eternal well may flash abroad;

O let it break as when the captive trees, 

Breaking cold bonds, regain their liberties;

And as thought’s sacred grove to life is springing,

Be joys, like birds, their hope, Thy victory singing.
—Thomas Toke Bunch

- Streams in the Desert, October 15th

~Brittany

This picture was done per special request by Mom.  When some dear friends came to visit, they brought us this apple tree to plant in our orchard.  Every time we see it, it makes us think of them.  One day last month we were amazed to discover that it had a blossom on it!  Incredible!  So, Mom asked if I would try to get a picture of it and asked if I could put a verse with it about God doing the impossible.  We never know how He is working, but we do know that He works all things for the good of His children and for His glory.  So we can rest assured that, however difficult or impossible it may seem to get to the point of good and glory, nothing is impossible for Him and He is doing His perfect work!

~Brittany

Faith ~Powerful Quote by George Muller