Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

After years of longing for another baby, feeling our family was not complete but resigning to the fact that it must not have been God's will for Seth and I to have any more children . . .   

Imagine our surprise to one day learn that I was expecting again after eight years!  

Well . . . how time flies.  That precious little girl has now turned my favorite number . . . 10!

What an absolute joy this young lady is to our family.  

It seems so unreal that she could possibly be ten though. 

It was such a special birthday, as her Grandma was here from Ohio to help bring her into double digits.

Everything is always special when Grandma and Annabelle (Grammy's dog) are around.  :-)
Birthday's are kind of a big deal around our house.  The birthday person gets to chose all three meals of the day and we try to spend the day doing special and fun things with them.
Elizabeth menu for the day:

Breakfast

Scones with fresh strawberries and whip cream

Poached eggs

Lunch

Potato Soup 

Bread sticks

Supper

Chicken Club Pizza

Steamed Broccoli

We surprised her with a special tea party in the afternoon, that was so special.

Elizabeth is such a joy to do anything for because she is always appreciates every little thing.  She has a very grateful, sweet spirit!

 We went around the table and shared with her in what ways she was so special to us and then Breanna read an encouraging word to her from Keep a Quiet Heart, exhorting her in her walk with the Lord.  What a blessing to have older sisters!  Both Brittany and Breanna mean the world to her.  They invest so much into her.  She is truly one loved little lady! 

Through out the day we let her open her gifts.

Seth resurrected an old computer that still had XP on it so that she could enjoy a writing program that we bought for her.  Daddy surprised her though with a special story that he had written just for her about a horse.  Oh was she delighted!

Many special moments and gifts from everyone.  Titus spent his own money and bought her a flashlight!  She was thrilled!!!

It is always so special getting cards and gifts in the mail too from Grandparents and friends!!

The evening was extra special too as Tayte went and picked up Martha to join us for the evening.  They all had such fun searching for the huge bag of candy that Tayte and Martha hid and then had to follow their map to find it.  We then did water balloon toss and then finished the day off around a camp fire singing songs and praying.  What a special day for a special little lady!

Happy Birthday our little joy!  We love you SO much!!!  May you continue to grow and serve the Lord with all of your heart, soul, strength and mind!

I still can not believe she is 10!!! :-)

This is such an amazing quote!  So true!  I have so seen the Lord doing this work in my own life!

"He does it in the hope that, when we have found our rest in Christ in time of trouble, we shall learn to choose abiding in Him as our only portion; and when the affliction is removed, have so grown more firmly into Him, that in prosperity He still shall be our only joy.  So much has He set His heart on this, that though He has indeed no pleasure in afflicting us, He will not keep back even the most painful chastisement if He can but thereby guide His beloved child to come home and abide in the beloved Son.  Christian! pray for grace to see in every trouble, small or great, the Father's finger pointing to Jesus, and saying, Abide in Him."

~ Andrew Murray ~

~Brittany

~Brittany

Seeing someone’s faults allows you to love them more truly.

~Brittany

Learn the divine skill of making God all things to thee

This devotional was too good not to share!  How we need reminded of this in the Christian life so often!  How quick we are to seek broken cisterns to satisfy us instead of going to the ever flowing Fountain!  He is OUR God- have we learned to "make use of (our) God"?

"God, even our own God."
Psalm 67:6

It is strange how little use we make of the spiritual blessings which God gives us, but it is stranger still how little use we make of God himself. Though he is "our own God," we apply ourselves but little to him, and ask but little of him. How seldom do we ask counsel at the hands of the Lord! How often do we go about our business, without seeking his guidance! In our troubles how constantly do we strive to bear our burdens ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord, that he may sustain us! This is not because we may not, for the Lord seems to say, "I am thine, soul, come and make use of me as thou wilt; thou mayst freely come to my store, and the oftener the more welcome." It is our own fault if we make not free with the riches of our God. Then, since thou hast such a friend, and he invites thee, draw from him daily. Never want whilst thou hast a God to go to; never fear or faint whilst thou hast God to help thee; go to thy treasure and take whatever thou needest--there is all that thou canst want. Learn the divine skill of making God all things to thee. He can supply thee with all, or, better still, he can be to thee instead of all. Let me urge thee, then, to make use of thy God. Make use of him in prayer. Go to him often, because he is thy God. O, wilt thou fail to use so great a privilege? Fly to him, tell him all thy wants. Use him constantly by faith at all times. If some dark providence has beclouded thee, use thy God as a "sun;" if some strong enemy has beset thee, find in Jehovah a "shield," for he is a sun and shield to his people. If thou hast lost thy way in the mazes of life, use him as a "guide," for he will direct thee. Whatever thou art, and wherever thou art, remember God is just what thou wantest, and just where thou wantest, and that he can do all thou wantest.

~Spurgeon

 ~Breanna

God's promises are suited to our every need- take them to the Lord

"Remember the word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope."—Psalm 119:49.

HATEVER your especial need may be, you may readily find some promise in the Bible suited to it. Are you faint and feeble because your way is rough and you are weary? Here is the promise—"He giveth power to the faint." When you read such a promise, take it back to the great Promiser, and ask Him to fulfil His own word. Are you seeking after Christ, and thirsting for closer communion with Him? This promise shines like a star upon you—"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Take that promise to the throne continually; do not plead anything else, but go to God over and over again with this—"Lord, Thou hast said it, do as Thou hast said." Are you distressed because of sin, and burdened with the heavy load of your iniquities? Listen to these words—"I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions, and will no more remember thy sins." You have no merit of your own to plead why He should pardon you, but plead His written engagements and He will perform them. Are you afraid lest you should not be able to hold on to the end, lest, after having thought yourself a child of God, you should prove a castaway? If that is your state, take this word of grace to the throne and plead it: "The mountains may depart, and the hills may be removed, but the covenant of My love shall not depart from thee." If you have lost the sweet sense of the Saviour's presence, and are seeking Him with a sorrowful heart, remember the promises: "Return unto Me, and I will return unto you;" "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee." Banquet your faith upon God's own word, and whatever your fears or wants, repair to the Bank of Faith with your Father's note of hand, saying, "Remember the word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope."
~Spurgeon Morning Devotional ~Breanna 

~Brittany

Tests of Christian Life

“Blessed is he that watcheth.”  - Revelation 16:15

“We die daily,” said the apostle. This was the life of the early Christians; they went everywhere with their lives in their hands. We are not in this day called to pass through the same fearful persecutions: if we were, the Lord would give us grace to bear the test; but the tests of Christian life, at the present moment, though outwardly not so terrible, are yet more likely to overcome us than even those of the fiery age. We have to bear the sneer of the world-that is little; its blandishments, its soft words, its oily speeches, its fawning, its hypocrisy, are far worse. Our danger is lest we grow rich and become proud, lest we give ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world, and lose our faith. Or if wealth be not the trial, worldly care is quite as mischievous. If we cannot be torn in pieces by the roaring lion, if we may be hugged to death by the bear, the devil little cares which it is, so long as he destroys our love to Christ, and our confidence in him. I fear me that the Christian church is far more likely to lose her integrity in these soft and silken days than in those rougher times. We must be awake now, for we traverse the enchanted ground, and are most likely to fall asleep to our own undoing, unless our faith in Jesus be a reality, and our love to Jesus a vehement flame. Many in these days of easy profession are likely to prove tares, and not wheat; hypocrites with fair masks on their faces, but not the true-born children of the living God. Christian, do not think that these are times in which you can dispense with watchfulness or with holy ardour; you need these things more than ever, and may God the eternal Spirit display his omnipotence in you, that you may be able to say, in all these softer things, as well as in the rougher, “We are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

- Charles Spurgeon, Evening Meditation for April 26th

~Brittany

Serving God Through Music and Singing

Some in our family is reading through the Bible chronologically this year, which is neat, because it provides a nice overall perspective.  This morning, as I was read in 1 Chronicles, I read some commentary notes on part of it by Matthew Henry.  It was very good, and brought out some really neat thoughts.  I wanted to share them here for all of you, hoping you'd enjoy reading it as well.  It was a great encouragement to be God-focused with our music, and to put our best into singing the praises of the Lord.  May the rest of your week be blessed!
~Brittany

Matthew Henry’s Commentary Notes on 1 Chronicles 25:1-7:

Observe, I. Singing the praises of God is here called prophesying (1Ch_25:1-3), not that all those who were employed in this service were honoured with the visions of God, or could foretel things to come. Heman indeed is said to be the king's seer in the words of God (1Ch_25:5); but the psalms they sang were composed by the prophets, and many of them were prophetical; and the edification of the church was intended in it, as well as the glory of God. In Samuel's time singing the praises of God went by the name of prophesying (1Sa_10:5; 1Sa_19:20), and perhaps that is intended in what St. Paul calls prophesying, 1Co_11:4; 1Co_14:24.

II. This is here called a service, and the persons employed in it workmen, 1Ch_25:1. Not but that it is the greatest liberty and pleasure to be employed in praising God: what is heaven but that? But it intimates that it is our duty to make a business of it, and stir up all that is within us to it; and that, in our present state of corruption and infirmity, it will not be done as it should be done without labour and struggle. We must take pains with our hearts to bring them, and keep them, to this work, and to engage all that is within us.

III. Here were, in compliance with the temper of that dispensation, a great variety of musical instruments used, harps, psalteries, cymbals (1Ch_25:1, 1Ch_25:6), and here was one that lifted up the horn (1Ch_25:5), that is, used wind-music. The bringing of such concerts of music into the worship of God now is what none pretend to. But those who use such concerts for their own entertainment should feel themselves obliged to preserve them always free from any thing that savours of immorality or profaneness, by this consideration, that time was when they were sacred; and then those were justly condemned who brought them into common use, Amo_6:5. They invented to themselves instruments of music like David.

IV. The glory and honour of God were principally intended in all this temple-music, whether vocal or instrumental. It was to give thanks, and praise the Lord, that the singers were employed, 1Ch_25:3. It was in the songs of the Lord that they were instructed (1Ch_25:7), that is, for songs in the house of the Lord, 1Ch_25:6. This agrees with the intention of the perpetuating of psalmody in the gospel-church, which is to make melody with the heart, in conjunction with the voice, unto the Lord, Eph_5:19.

This good work of singing God's praises Samuel revived, and set on foot, but lived not to see it brought to the perfection it appears in here. Solomon perfects what David began, so David perfects what Samuel began. Let all, in their day, do what they can for God and his church, though they cannot carry it so far as they would; when they are gone God can out of stones raise up others who shall build upon their foundation and bring forth the top-stone.

Creating Order by Faithfulness in the Little Things

"If we are trying to work out our own prideful agendas, we will be frustrated and will fall. However, we can create order by being submissive stewards of the work God is doing in the world. If we do that, we are working out the order He already possesses and is already exercising, then control no longer weighs heavy on our shoulders. Additionally, we can also leave the outcomes in His hand and focus on the present process (practicing faithfulness) rather than on our successes or failures. Faithfulness doesn’t imply large, impressive deeds. Faithfulness is all about doing what’s in front of you – your own duty, however humble that is – reliably and earnestly. Faithfulness does not evaluate how a duty ranks in the public eye or whether or not the duty will earn credit; faithfulness steadily fulfills its calling."Rejoicing in Repetition: In Housework by Mystie Winckler

~Breanna