Of Life and Letting You Know I'm Still Blogging...

I've been informed that I need to show my 'face' around this blog soon and that I am missed...(how lovely)! So here I am...letting you all know that I am still here, I'm still going strong and that I've simply been busy with life in a measure greater than normal, but totally at peace in it because God is in that busyness. I'm learning, ever so slowly but surely, that where He calls, He also equips.

We enjoyed our time at Bible School. Such special memories we made as we rented a house and spent the week with my nieces from MO, a friend from church here in NY and the ladies in our family for most of the week (until the rest of my family came the end of the week). I carry the memories of counsel room times with sweet and burdened young ladies very heavy on my heart. I am committing them often to the Lord Jesus, who knows them far better than I ever can and can help them far deeper than I ever could, but I counted it a privilege to have been a counselor at Bible school. It blessed me greatly to see 'my young people' being fed deeply from the Word and excited about what they were learning and hearing. Oh, that it will take root in their lives and bear much fruit.

early morning photo at the airport before she left NY last week

Our family is also excited

 to see the Lord's hand at work

 in the members of the household who came to us over the past few years.

 We are privileged to have

 heard and heeded God's call to 

open our home as a respite

for these dear ones for a time 

of discerning, resting and wrestling 

over life's struggles in their lives.

 It has been quite a journey, 

but we love what God is 

doing in their lives and 

we love being a part of it.

Kristina, (on the left in the above pic)

served in the Middle East

for a month this fall,

and we enjoyed having her here 

last week to rest and share about

her experiences there, before moving on to another place of service.

For those of you who 

read this post about the

farewell/commissioning service

that we hosted for Marie,

I suppose it is in order for me to share that

the Lord, at the 'last minute' closed the door

on her plans to go into service in Arkansas,

by bringing a young man into her life whose

intention is courtship. So, after prayer and counsel, she chose to remain home with us. 

(We are happy about that)

I'll just add this, for whatever it can mean to you:

The need to disciple other is real.

It is a field of service often neglected.

Not everyone is called to take 'strangers' into their homes,

but we all can be part of discipleship, if we but open

our hearts and lives in the way needed to do so.

May the Lord depend on you? We are all needed

to work together in His Body, the church,

to fulfill the Great Commission,

of which discipleship is the 'half' that is

often overlooked and neglected.

I'm not sure why...

but I raise up a cry that we pray the Lord

of the harvest to send for reapers,

and then be willing ourselves to

serve in whatever capacity He calls us.

We may be 'just a fingernail' in the Body,

 but wow, 'fingernails' are very missed if they are absent!

The other day,

we ladies of the household,

enjoyed spending some time

with my husband's side of 

the family,

making noodles.

Can you tell which ones

were made with

farm-fresh eggs?!

In my resting moments,

I have actually been

browsing the seed catalogs

that have graced my

mailbox recently.

We've had such beautiful

spring-like weather,

I'd be ready to go out,

pull back some mulch,

and throw a few seeds into the dirt!

But I will wait 'til the proper time', as I heard in this sermon the other day.

God blessed me with that sermon at the right time, 

confirming to me things that the thoughts He was pressing on my heart

over the past few years of disappointing experiences

are indeed the learning curve He has had me on.

It made me so deeply grateful that I have been

saying 'yes' to Him in steady, trusting surrender.

After hosting Marie's friend, Noah,

and a few brunches with church friends

at our house,

and in the lull between the next

wave of company,

my daughters and I have been

tackling some deep cleaning 

in this old farmhouse.

I am so thankful that we are

ALL well

(including the daughter who had

Lyme disease),

and able to work together in these things. Moraccan mint tea after a morning of

cleaning sure hits the spot.

And what of the boy?

Besides doing a fabulous job

in school,

and finding blessed relief

from some

long-time health issues we 

had been dealing with in him,

he has been keeping very busy

making lego

choppers, tractors,

dump wagons,

levers on said dump wagons, etc. I am glad he has something constructive to

keep his busy brain occupied, after chores and school are finished.

I was the happy

recipient of 

this lovely pontsettia,

thanks to my

darling husband.

It came at a 

very crucial time 

for me, too,

besides the fact

 the pointsettias are

awesome winter cheer,

and that flowers from

the husband are

always a welcome

thought,

my father had recently

announced a 

serious health need,

and it left me

feeling devastated

and in desperate

need of my Father

in heaven

to calm my heart

and give me

perspective and 

direction.

Well, that's a condensced

version of the happenings

since my last blog

on Nov 17.

I share, to let you know

where I've been and what God has been
up to in our lives. He is faithful.
He is the solid Rock on which I stand.

All other ground is sinking sand.

I have many blog posts rolling around in my heart.
Hopefully, in the next few weeks,
I can share, as the Lord directs and if He tarries.

Love and blessings to you all,
Marcia