MEAN WHAT YOU SAY !!!!!

During some quiet time with the Lord, I asked Him to let me be a blessing to someone today....I assumed in my own mind it would involve my grand dogs , or I really wasn't being honest with God, and didn't really mean what I had said!

Literally, a couple of seconds after I had uttered my proud prayer, the phone rang. It was a call from someone I hadn't seen for many years . This was someone that was a sandpaper person in my life so I was immediately on high alert and defensive. We had a little small talk, and then she said, "I need to ask a favor of you"

My normal response in my thought bubble was NO!!!!!!

I really didn't want to do any "favors", but" I said If I am able..... " and she explained that a friend of hers had a broken wrist and needed a ride to an ortho hospital . Would I take her? She told me her friend was rather difficult , very fearful and a germaphob . I reluctantly agreed and was given this persons number to call. As we were ending our conversation my friend said "thank you for being a BLESSING !! Well, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out! I realized in that moment, what a hypocrite I was!

I repented of my false pride and offensive heart. I realized that I need to mean what I say and not pray with my own selfish agenda that wouldn't make me uncomfortable!

I had my own plans for My day which didn't involve leaving my house.I quickly called this person and explained that I could help her out  . I was told the time of her appt. and where to pick her up.  .She told me she doesn't allow anyone in her house because of germs and came out to my car .My thought bubble was thinking thoughts like "how will she even come in my car, then".

Well. this was an opportunity to be a blessing so I asked God to be strong in my weakness! 

We had a little conversation and explained some of her fears.I asked if I could pray for her and she was receptive! Before she left my car I asked her who was picking her up. She told me to just wait for her...So I did...   one and a half hours.. I guess being a blessing isn't always convenient . When her appt. was finished she got in the car and told me she was having surgery the next week, and asked me to bring her to the hospital!       I was shocked but told her that I would be available.... the hospital is almost an hour from my home!Then as we were heading back to her house, she asked me to take her shopping..I was starting to get a little antsy to get home as I had Three dogs to let out.(as Im dog sitting for my daughter....a great big hairy shedding great Pyrenees). After she shopped , I dropped her off and she said thanks for being a Blessing! She had me carry her groceries to her garage and told me to leave them there, and when I did she reached in and took a salmon out of her bag and told me she got that for me because she knew I wouldn't take money She had no idea ,but I do love salmon!!

After I got home, I started to laugh! God has a sense of humor and He wants us to mean what we say! He is so good that even when correcting us,He turns around and blesses us!!!

Thank you, Lord that you bless us to be a blessing ! Thank you for loving me and understanding me in spite of myself!! 

Proverbs 11;25

'whoever brings blessing to others will be enriched, one who waters will himself be watered.'

 The quarantine continues ...........

2020 ! I thought this year would be the year of clear vision ....as in 20/20 vision. I realize that we still have  four months until we hit 2021 , but wow!

In the middle of a pandemic, divided nation, to mask or not to mask, and what does blm and Antifa really stand for??? Many friendships have been destroyed and businesses have suffered! It's been a year most of us cannot wait to see end!

I need to remind myself of positive things going on...not the violence or police defunding , political unrest, etc. but instead  looking at the good and great things happening. Right now, people are having to determine what they believe and to know if they have a faith that is worth living for and dying for!              

In my own life, this year has had many ups and downs...heartbreaks and mountaintops !!!!  

We had five of our children graduate this year......two became R.N.s,one graduated basic training in the airfare, another from w.c.t.c. as a dental hygienist and another as a machinist from w.c.t.c.

due to the pandemic ,we weren't allowed to celebrate their achievements with other family and friends...Wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time!

Then, our youngest son got married. another wonderful life event but only five people were allowed at the wedding... sad because we have 14 children, plus spouses, and grandchildren plus our daughter in laws side of the family!

It is now 2022, and we are still being held hostage by the "pandemic"......There are vaccine mandates everywhere, families are being divided over the vaccine and the world is in absolute turmoil !!!

I don't know what the future holds, but I do know who does!

God's promises are YES and AMEN !!!!

He is the lover of our souls and the lifter of our heads!

I will stand on His promises and trust Him for His Grace, even in the middle of the muddle!

 Jesus alone is our way maker, promise keeper, light in the darkness! He is the answer! Help me, Lord to be still and know you are God!!!!

on being humbled!!!!

Humility= having children!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When giving birth to our firstborn child, I got toxemia (blood pressure rises,spilling protein, and possible danger for mom and baby.............so during delivery, a doctor (when I was in transition) came in with a class,since they had been studying toxemia. On any other day I would have said "GET OUT", but at that point I just didn't care.(oh yeah, this was after 36 hours of labor).
this was my first intro. to parenting humility............Of course, it gets better... being pooped on, puked on, talked back to, kids getting in trouble at school, etc.
When I was expecting our ninth child, I was humbled yet again...     but this time I spoke up. The Dr. wanted to do an amniocentesis on me because the Dr. thought she may have had downs syndrome. I knew what this entailed , so I refused this test! I was mocked and intimidated, and was told I needed to be prepared....even was told I could choose to end the pregnancy! At that point I told the Dr. that that was NOT an option!
I went home and was trying to figure it all out and be prepared. Then, I prayed !
I was still trying to help figure out how this would all work because the children were all young.
I decided to take a bath,   and when I got in the tub I heard in my heart..You don't trust me! TRUST ME were the next words!
Jill Briscoe's words echoed through my mind..."You can't He never said you could! He will, He always said He would"
Thats when God totally took the fear, and worry out of my heart!
I repented and realized I couldn't figure this out so I knew that God would supply all that was needed!
Bethany was my ninth child , but it didn't get any easier!! She was a breech baby, and the Dr. said he wanted to try a natural birth... but an anesthesiologist was standing over me in case things went wrong .
When I was in hard labor once again the medical students came in to observe as they were studying breech births! More humbling!!
My little beautiful baby girl was born safely..... butt first! When I would go to the nursery Id just tell them that the baby with her legs over her head was mine!
She was perfectly fine AND the Dr. later apologized to me for being rude!
He had also said that I was getting too old to have babies.....I was 35 at the time! Since then , I had five more children, with the last one born when I was forty five!
Nine boys, five girls! All creative , strong willed, confident, loving, artistic, some are great ballerinas, and I wouldn't trade any of them even with lots of drama and trauma and YES total humbling on my part !
It isn't always easy but I know Bill and I were obedient to what God had spoken to both of our hearts about having children.
For me, and the children I have learned... we haven't arrived. We are ALL in the middle of our testimony !!!
Jesus understands and He prays for us!!!
He ever lives to intercede for you"   Heb. 7:25
Thank you, Lord for helping me stay humble!!! I really need this and you gave me 14 children that make sure I don't start getting prideful!!!!!

Learner...that's me! Sometimes fast , but mostly slow!

I am a Christian! I wish I could say that I've "arrived"...but the more I learn, the more I know I don't know!

I used to try to keep my house spotless (who was I fooling)? As soon as the house was clean, I'd make the children load up in Vanna White and go for a lonnnggggg drive. Christa says she is scarred for life from me playing Irish music on our drives!

The truth is I needed the house to be clean and I knew if we stayed there it was hopless...so we drove! I now realize that my insides weren't clean so I tried to keep control of my surroundings!

This was a losing battle, and the more children that we had the harder it became!

I tried to get involved in alot of good activities, thinking that would help. Teaching children's church, being in Women's ministry, teaching adult classes, being on the missions committee all good things...just not God's best for me. I found out I was trying to show God I was needed............

Spring 2020: Quarantine Edition

 It's 2020 ..... an abnormal new normal!!!
We are under quarantine in the United States..... stay at home orders, only essential business, parks are closed, churches, schools, and for us my family! We have a family of sixteen. Add to that nine spouses or significant others, and five grandchildren....we could be arrested for getting together!
It's almost Easter and everyone goes to church and gathers here to celebrate our RISEN SAVIOR!
This year it will be very quiet and small with only five of us here! I don't know how to cook small....
That's only the half of it! Everyone is getting cabin fever as the weather gets warmer, the sun is calling as well as blue skies and green grass.
Last week, my husband Bill showed off his phone proficiency (at least he gets an A for trying) by getting our church service on zoom.... I told him to just do audio, but he did video as well .... so everyone could see each other. I just told him to not include me in his video!
After a bit, Bill went upstairs to get ready for a shower.......hmmmmm , can you see where this is going??? 
As Bill was climbing the stairs, my daughter Sarah saw Bill heading up the stairs in his pajamas.
The problem was Sarah was at her house because she was on the church video ...Sarah started texting my daughter Elisabeth (who lives here) to warn her because she could tell that this could REALLY become a situation!!!
Elisabeth started laughing so hard she was having a hard time yelling at Bill to turn the video off...and Bill made it to the bathroom, and he finally heard Elisabeth warning him that everyone that logged into the church service could see him.
THANK GOD that people only saw his p.j.s and his face!
Elisabeth couldn't stop laughing, and I was so embarrassed for him! 
When he finally finished showering and came downstairs he was laughing about it too.....
It's really true about a little knowledge being dangerous!!!
As Proverbs 17:22
"Laughter does good, like medicine"
We all had a good dose!!

That was just part one..... Bill and I decided to get curbside service at a nearby restaurant for breakfast.We got our food, and went by the church that we had our first date at. We drove by the pond that is one of our favorite prayer places.
We were about to eat and Bill saw another person pull up so of course Bill wanted to say hi. He got out of the car and they exchanged pleasantries, and then we finished our meal and decided we would go by a lake....... that is if we could find one that was open....these stay at home rules are really stressful!
We got on the road and there was a really loud clunk on the trunk of the car, really puzzling, that is until I asked him where his phone was..We went back and sure enough , it was lying in the middle of the road! At first he only found the case but finally found the phone. Someone had already driven over it so it was not only broken, but curved into a smile shape.So, ....change of plans! We first went to the phone store, but because of the pandemic all non essential businesses were closed. Bill has all of his business contacts on his phone, so he needed to have it.Next, we headed to Best Buy as they had curbside service. He picked out a phone, but they wanted our social security numbers and the computer didn't accept either one of ours...my daughter later told us it was probably because they would use his tax number for a business account....MORE FRUSTRATION!
Bill needed to have computer access, so he decided to buy a laptop for his business. 
I have been asking for a laptop for years and he asked the salesman if they had anything Id like. I just happened to have a picture on my phone of the one I've been wanting and of course I asked if I could get it in ROSE GOLD! They said I could get it in two business days delivered to me.. so here I am writing on my lovely new laptop!
Romans 8:28
"all things work together for good to those who love God"

Now for part three
Bill and I didn't let all the strange events ruin our day...We went by three lakes, but more importantly enjoyed some much needed time together!
Then to top off the day had ice cream!

On Monday, Bill took his ruined mess of what used to be a phone to the phone store.....Got a new phone, but no data could be saved. In typical Bill fashion though, he pointed out that the case he bought for his old phone was guaranteed for life.... and would they stand by their promise....Well, this story ends where it started ...
Proverbs17:22
"Laughter works like good medicine" (I don't think the employee knew Bill was serious)

All the best,

Laurie

It's SPRING!!!!!

When Elisabeth was a little girl, she was constantly changing outfits, and dancing around the house.
When she was about three, I could tell she had really taken in our homeschool talk from the day before and the new season of Spring coming upon us!!
On this...the first official day of Spring there was a terrible snowstorm, with freezing temperatures....but what I saw when I entered the family room in the morning??? Priceless!!!
There was Elisabeth dancing around in pure delight singing It's Spring! It's Spring!! .....in her little bikini!
Now, that's faith!!!!!
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

The wisdom of a child!

Years ago, we would load up Vanna White (our sixteen passenger van) for the weekly trip to school.
On these daily trips we would pray. I felt like I was doing a very important thing with the children and helping them to start their day putting God first. We would take some time thanking God, and some time asking for His intervention.
After one time of (what I thought was deeply spiritual prayer)I asked my son Matthew ....who was five at the time, how many children he was going to have when he grew up. He just looked at me with his big blue eyes and said NONE!!!!! They cost too much money!
In that simple reply from Matthew, he taught me how wrong I had been praying! Panic prayers...manipulative prayers and putting the focus on our situation rather than our God....the Sovereign of the universe!
With that simple sentence from Matthew, I saw clearly how I wasn't really trusting God, and I tried to bring  Him to my finite circumstances....didn't work as He is infinite....in love, provision wisdom....EVERYTHING!
My praying started changing by my putting the focus on God and not me! I learned how to pray and stand on what God says and not to trust my feelings! I apologized to all my children and am so thankful that my sweet Matthew...a boy of few words..spoke up, told the truth...... and set me free!!!!!
A pastor I respect says it like this
"Don't tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems how big your God is"!!!!!!
Bill Johnson