A HOPE AND A FUTURE

A friend recently made me aware that I might be able to encourage my blog followers with some of the experiences that I've recently gone through. So I've decided to do a series of posts to update, explain, encourage, and testify about the results of our recent "leap of faith."

Many of my readers are in ministry in one form or another, so I hope you can benefit from these next few posts or at least identify and add a hearty "Amen!" to my words. If you are not in some "official" ministsry, I hope that you will be blessed and uplifted in whatever your calling in life.

The picture I chose today reminded me of spring and the hope that this season brings. Here in Michigan we have little evidence of the change of season as yet, but today for the first time, I noticed some of the spring flowers' stems peeping through the ground. Tulips we planted in faith last fall were finally popping up! That's a sure sign that it won't be long until the promise of our hope, at least in the form of blossoms, will be coming. I saw the first purple crocuses in my big English garden today! Yet, our weather is still not very warm and the sunshine is sporadic.

As most of you know we recently resigned our pastorate with little to no idea of what our future would hold and about as much idea how we would make a living. At nearly 50 years old, (my birthday is this Wednesday), we weren't sure how wise it was to take such a risky step, yet we were sure the Lord was leading us. We are still in the infant stages of this move and can only testify to what we have already seen, not the complete working out of God's will as yet.

As spring approaches I am reminded of the long winter we've just come through and how it's not quite over yet. This seems to mirror our own experience in some ways. We have the sense that all is not yet shaken and sifted to "settle out." I keep getting a picture of someone panning for gold and the pan has a screen in the bottom. Water and sand are shaken through the screen to sift out the treasures. Some of the "water and sand" in our situation is still being shaken out, but we expect to find a gold nugget before it's all said and done. Does that make sense to anyone? I hope so. Or think of a glass container filled with half water and half dirt. When you shake it up, it looks muddy, but as things settle, the dirt settles to the bottom and the clear water rises to the top. It eventually becomes so clear you can see through it!

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Like the coming spring, Clint and I are living with our eyes directed toward our future and hope in a way we haven't exercised in a while.

More thoughts tomorrow on how this "leap of faith" is working out! Blessings, LORI

A TRIP TO THE JUNGLE

Here's a few pictures of our weekend! Did we go to Africa?

The church we spoke at was having a banquet with a "jungle" theme! The ladies of the church did a wonderful job of transforming the church into a very jungle like place! The decor was beautiful! This went right along with what we were going to speak about since I told the story of a very significant incident I experienced while in Africa. Clint followed up with preaching. Many people came to the altar for ministry and we were humbled to serve them in the name of the Lord! Thanks to those of you who prayed for us!


How do you like my African skirt? I bought the zebra outfit while in Kenya. The cloth thrown over my shoulder is a traditional apron, the name of which has slipped my mind. Ladies use them as aprons and for carrying things, including tying them over their shoulders for babies to ride in!

No, that's not Clint standing beside me!

BOOKINGS, BOOKS, AND BOOK MARKS!

I know this picture is a bit hard to view because of the lacy contrasts, but I wanted to share another of my winter projects with you.

These are the tatted Bible BOOKMARKS that I've been making. Occasionally I vary the design as I did in the one on the left. When completed, they are pinned to my lace pillow (used for bobbin lace) for stretching. After they are stretched and pressed they are ready for sale or gift-giving! Very easy to make and low cost! These make great gifts and I never keep them in stock for long!

Praise the Lord with me for the provision He has already set in place as with very little effort, Clint filled three of the four Sundays on the February calendar with preaching dates (BOOKINGS) at various churches! It feels like a confirmation from God in the direction we were sensing! The little tatted bookmarks will go well if we start a traveling ministry where we set up a BOOK table. Some friends told us they have been "seeing us for a month or more" (before we resigned) in traveling ministry and having my books offered on a book table! Amazing! May the Lord's will be done! Blessings, LORI

CRITICAL REVIEWS

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SO MOSES SPOKE THUS TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; BUT THEY DID NOT HEED MOSES BECAUSE OF ANGUISH OF SPIRIT AND CRUEL BONDAGE. Exodus 6: 9



Today's verse might seem a little different to you until you read the entire post. But first, here are some pics I took this afternoon. The first one is the English garden in the drapings of fall! Quite a bit different from the glory of spring.




Here is a pic of our property looking west from the house. The woods are very pretty right now. We own a strip of land behind the woods on the right of the picture as well as the field of alfalfa in front of it and more acreage in front of the house and to the right of the picture. The English garden is to the front and left of this pic.




Now to refer back to the verse. I said I was going to begin going through my Bible and posting about verses I had underlined for various reasons. This particular verse always stood out to me. Even though Moses had received good news instructions from God, the Israelites were so beaten down that at first they could not even hear Moses wonderful declarations of their freedom. It is possible to become so oppressed as to miss all the good around you and forsake your very freedom! Take time to read this verse in context and apply it to your life. It seemed appropriate to me today since I had a hard day in alot of ways. It just seemed like nothing was going right. I can't even comprehend what 430 years of slavery would have done to the spirit of a people, when I started to get really down after just a few incidents all in one day. It just seemed alot of things converged today to make it a real tough day to remain focused and thankful. However there were also many good things that happened. Why do we tend to focus on the negative and let it begin to drag us down?

One of the good things was that we received our first invitation since we began sending out our letters making ourselves available for evangelistic meetings and preaching outside our church. Actually, the invitation came for Clint and for that we are thankful and humbled that the Lord chooses to use us in any capacity. Also Clint received an email from a person that heard his sermon yesterday and was so impressed that they asked if he posts outlines of his sermons or has a website! What nice confirmations to all his studying and diligence in preaching.

The economy here in Michigan is especially challenging right now. It has affected many people in various negative ways and our family is not immune to the difficulties it has presented though we have tried diligently to live above it and have done a fair job of it with the Lord's help. I'll not go into detail, but suffice it to say that some things due to the economy challenged some of our family today and I grieved for the difficulties these folks had to deal with.

To top that off, I received a critical review on "The Fields of May" from a store owner. A year ago this person had gotten a book to review as a possible addition to their inventory upon my request. They called me today to say they weren't interested in carrying it. When I asked why, they seemed hesitant to tell me. They finally said that books that have people doing all the right things and then all the right things result, are not always to their liking. I have received this same basic comment or criticism in various forms about 5 times since the printing of the book. Actually it's pretty much the only criticism I have received. Most reviews and comments I get are totally the opposite. People love the book for the very reason this person criticized it--that good wins out and diligent, consistent Christian living is rewarded with happiness and smooth sailing. I think we are sometimes as a society so inundated with the negative that we can't believe there could actually be good results from good living. It's the sowing and reaping principle. You reap what you sow. Yes, life has its ups and downs--as did my day, but I was trying to set an ideal in "The Fields of May," for people to strive for. The next two books in my series have alot more conflict as I've already shared in the courtship posts, so maybe I'll quit hearing this comment with those that are coming up. Just in case you've not read "The Fields of May," the conflict that takes place in that story is more of an inner conflict of waiting, wondering, and whether or not the main characters will decide to do God's will God's way or be disobedient.

Rhiannon and I are getting ready to go to Tennessee on Wednesday for our annual girls' vacation. We are so excited. I hope to find a way to post on this blog while I'm gone, but in case I can't, to all you followers, please do not give up on me! I appreciate that you take time to care about the things I have to share. This is a form of ministry for me. Just know that for 10 days or so there may not be much heard from me--not because I'm not full of things that the Lord is giving me to share, but because I am not sure what computer access will be available! I hope you will ponder the verse I shared today and the next time you are "down," you will remember that things are not so bad that the Lord will not lift you out of them allowing you to live on the higher plane of His goodness! Don't miss the freedom He has for you because of "anguish of spirit." Blessings, LORI