God's blessed me Again

As some of you know, I have been longing for a cello for quite some time. 

A Beautiful cello with a flamed back.  That sings with a low, vibrating voice.  So I can play with Sarah on her violin.  So I can play with Mom on the piano.  So I can play with Sarah on her violin and Mom on the piano.  So I can “jam” with friends. (is it jamming when it is more of an orchestra? )  To just play for myself and learn a new instrument……..

Did I say for quite some time?  Let’s just say that my Sister bought some books for me.  Two books, in fact, on how to learn the cello.  Did I say when she bought them?  Back at Christmas.  Yup, so for 9 months I have been longing for a cello.  Well, that’s not true.  I mean, she did buy books at Christmas for me, but she bought books because I obviously wanted to find a cello then.  So for at LEAST a year I have been longing for a cello.

Over a year.

I have been watching Craigslist like a hawk. 

Searching, looking, listening, drooling, dreaming, asking questions of everyone I know….gaining all the information that I can about cellos.  I had even gone so far as to call a local cello teacher to see when she had openings for lessons. 

Are you getting the picture?  For over a year. 

As I looked, however, I just wasn’t finding it…..all the cellos on the internet didn’t have the flamed back that I desired so badly.  They just didn’t look nice at all.  That, or they weren’t in my price range.  Did I say that I had a price range?!?!  Did I say how much a good cello costs?!?!

Impossible hurdles.

Something would have to give.  I would need to drop my list of “wants”.  That flamed back?  Well, it didn’t have to be.  A better brand?  Well, how about one that just plays well and sounds nice.  Not beautiful, but nice. 

In other words, “Quit being picky, Rebecca.”

It’s not like I want to go play onstage.  I just want to enjoy it for myself.

Are you caught up now?  Do you understand how much I was longing for this, the battles of “should I, or shouldn’t I” that I was going through?

Due to life, I had stopped checking Craigslist every other day.  For some odd reason Mom had been on and found a couple of cellos listed.

Did I just say a couple?!?! When I couldn’t find one?!?!  :sigh:  Mother’s can ALWAYS find things…. :D

So I called and set up times to go look at them.

Option #1 was a cello that came from a good, well-known place in town.

Option #2 came with a hard case.  With Blue lining.  (Did you know I love the color blue!!??)

Being the wise woman that I am (yup, I’m tootin’ my own horn….) I begged my sister to come along…..at the price of Panda Express. (Which she loves. and I don’t. J)

We went and viewed option #1 first and although it was a lovely cello, it was just “eh”. 

After we walked out Sarah tells me, “It’s nice, but it has such-and-such which could be an easy fix or a more complicated one.”

Onto cello option #2.  Wait, did I mention that I was going to go look at this cello on Sunday?  But the lady called and said that it was gone?!?  You should have heard me Saturday night when I heard the news.  I was pretty torn up about it.  Very torn up.  Ask my siblings.  Or the friends we were with that night.  I couldn’t stop talking about how bummed I was!

Well, that deal fell through for the lady, and the cello was again on the market!  The lady called, and I scheduled to go look at it with Sarah after we had played the option #1 cello.

As we were getting directions to her house, she was so cute and said to come through her gate which was a “hobbit” gate to her little house which she called the “Shire”.  Cute, right?!?!  And I do like LOTR, so it was a little “plus” to the day.  Makes you smile.

We walked inside to view the cello. 

And it was gorgeous.

With flames

Beautiful flames on the back and sides.

Did I say FLAMES!!!!

:big grin:

The lady told us she had just tuned it, and I asked her to play it for us. 

It was love at first sound.  I didn’t want to admit it because I wanted to just really listen and use my discretion and not be fooled into buying something just because it was beautiful. 

But it was.

Beautiful AND sounded so well!

I told my family that I was NOT going to make a decision tonight, but that I would come home to sleep on it. 

That didn’t happen.

After the lady had played it, Sarah had played it, and I had played it, I looked at my sister and mouthed “what do you think” while the lady’s back was turned.  She nodded an emphatic “yes”.  But I couldn’t believe she had said that!!  So again when the lady turned her back I looked at her and asked “yes?!” and she nodded very hard and mouthed “yes”.

(Did I mention how wonderful my sister is??  She didn’t have to give up her valuable time to go trekking across town to look at cellos after a day at work.  She didn’t have to be there to support my decision and be that person to confirm what I knew.  Because if she hadn’t gone, I would still be at home wondering if I really should….but she did.  And I am so thankful and grateful for her!)

I now own a cello.

After over a year of waiting, dreaming, and praying, I own a cello.  With a hard case!  That is lined in blue…

God once again showed me how He loves to lavish us by giving me THE desire of my heart!!  He had no reason to, I was going to be happy without it, but He did!  He doesn’t do it all the time. There are times when He knows better than we do, and we don’t get it.  I just needed to hear it this week, needed to know once again how the God I serve is a God who loves me and DESIRES to show me His love.  I needed to watch Him orchestrate me finding a cello……

A beautiful cello with a flamed back.  That sings with a low, vibrating voice.  So I can play with Sarah on her violin.  So I can play with Mom on the piano.  So I can play with Sarah on her violin and Mom on the piano.  So I can “jam” with friends. To just play for myself and learn a new instrument……..

*pictures to follow.....

Mature Femininity- Mark Hamby

I received this in my inbox this morning and just loved it!  Of course, it also hit me over the head.....but we won't mention that part.

At the heart of mature femininity is a freeing disposition to affirm, receive and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to a woman's differing relationships.

-What’s The Difference? by John Piper

I have read this quote again and again and still have not been able to fully understand what Piper was trying to convey. What does he mean by 'mature femininity frees a woman to nurture strength from a worthy man'? I really hit a wall when I tried to unpack this so I asked one of the women on our staff if she could help. Here’s what she wrote: I think it means that it is freeing for a woman to support the strength and leadership of men rather than taking on the leadership role herself because it allows her to participate in the goal in an essential way, yet without the burden of final responsibility that I think God made only men to carry. This role is carried out in different ways, according to the relationship the woman is in: a wife, daughter, sister, or secretary all are different positions where a woman can serve and support the leadership of the man in that relationship, in the ways most appropriate to her position. I have experienced that in my own work: when I am in a position of too much leadership, it is a burden that hangs heavily on me because I'm a supporter, not a leader. But when I am in a supporting role, although it may be more limiting in some ways since I have to follow the leadership of whoever I’m working under, it is ultimately freeing because it takes away that burden of responsibility and enables me to focus on what I do best…nurturing the idea and bringing the details to life in a way that only I can do. When we as ladies want to usurp these areas which God has designed more particularly for men, it takes away from our ability to affirm and nurture… it takes strength and wisdom to recognize our calling as women and to delight in it; this is ‘mature femininity’. But if we can delight in it, we’ll complement the leadership of men in such a way as to enhance our own calling to the fullest.

Making ready a people prepared for the Lord, Mark Hamby  What are your thoughts on this?  Do you agree?  Have you read John Pipers book? If you haven't, I highly recomend it!  ~Rebecca *SO* excited!  Mark Hamby is coming to this years CAPE convention!

God's Love

As some of you who follow me on Google+ know, I was lucky enough to go with my dad to a trip to Portales.  He went to work a booth with his job at the NM Ag Festival, and I went along for the fun and to spend time with him.

I really like traveling, going places, seeing things, meeting people, and being with the ones I love.  That's why our bull sale season is always a fun time for me (travel!).  On top of the travel and time with Dad, I was really looking forward to the Ag Fest.  I mean, anything to do with cows has got to be good, right?!

Unfortunately, it was pretty slow there.   Maybe the beautiful weather had everyone home doing odds and ends before NM’s windy spring hit.  Who knows?  But it was very, very slow.

When you are in a situation like this (at least for me) you start thinking about ALL the things you could be doing at home!  Especially with the lovely weather!

BUT

(Yes, that was a huge conjunction with no sentence for my dear, English-loving friends!)

BUT

God had something in mind for me.  He blessed my socks off!

Josh and I have been working together on my horse Queenie.  We took her to a trainer for about a month, and now she is home for us to finish her training.  I must admit I am proud of her.  For all the bad things we did (unknowingly!) when she was younger, she has a lot going for her.  Still, she is a green horse (green meaning untrained) being trained by green trainers!  We had some GREAT help from a friend, and she gave us a lot of great exercises to be working on.

However, we were getting to a point that we had learned almost all those above-said exercises.  We were almost to a point that I didn't know how to move forward.  I know what kind of a horse I want by the time we are done- one that can work cattle easily, listens to what I want, and responds right away and enthusiastically.  However, getting that horse from point “A” to point “B” was something I didn't know how to do!!

So what does my Loving God do?

He opens the doors for me to go to Ag Fest with my daddy, in spite of battling a cold a few days before leaving.

He places me at a slow-paced Ag Fest where the sessions looked more interesting than just sitting there.

God gives me a session called- get this..........“Advancing the Green Horse”.

Yup.  That’s right. “Got a green horse?  Want to keep working it but don’t know how?”!!!! "

I was able to sit for about 4 hours watching and listening as this great horse trainer showed us several different exercises for getting your horse from point “A” to point “B”!   They all made so much sense- get your horse to do this in the pens, and he’ll then do this in the pasture.  So exciting to this Cowgirl!

God even blessed me with time to ask a question about an issue that Queenie was struggling with and getting it personally answered by him!

Really, this story isn't about horses, or horse training, or Ag Fest.  It is about God who is a loving Father and took the time to show me that He is watching me, taking care of me, and staying one-step ahead of me!

Are you there right now?  Are you in a situation where you have no idea what to do next?  Where to turn?  Keep your eyes open.  What may look like a boring, wasted ride somewhere may be your ticket of answers.  With God, who knows!

And if you are on that boring, wasted ride and nothing happens.  Look around you.  Maybe it was NOT what you needed but that you needed to go in order for someone else to be blessed.   My dad really had a pretty wasted trip when he could have been at the office working on some big things- but it is what I needed.

As God showed us in Christ’s Birth, God doesn’t mind moving a whole nation to get one person somewhere!  Keep your eyes open, you just might see something.

In Christ’s Love,

Rebecca

A New Day Has Dawned!

This was the devotional I found in my inbox from Mark Hamby today.  I thought it a great post full of food for thought!  How privileged we are!  God is the ONLY God who has Risen from the grave and conquered death!  He is Risen!

Have you ever considered why Mary Magdalene was the first to enter the tomb after Jesus's resurrection? Early in the morning she approaches the tomb; she stoops as she enters and weeps. There she sees two angels, one at the foot of where the body had lain, and the other at the head.

The mercy seat in the OT had also had two angels, that were made of gold, one on the left and the other on the right. The priest, the only one allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, sprinkled blood upon the mercy seat. Even he entered with fear and trepidation, because if he did not follow the specific requirements laid out by God, he would die. They may not have realized it at the time, but they were enacting one of the most important scenes yet to occur in human history.

And who would have thought that the first to enter the holiest of holies in the NT would be, not a righteous ceremonial cleansed priest, but a woman who previously dirty, unclean, and whorish, whose actions give us now a picture of true holiness. And there as she stoops, weeping, you have the two angels, one on the right, the other on the left, and the blood stained clothes of Christ left behind in the center.
 

This once-defiled woman is now stooping in a posture of humility and worship in the Holy of Holies, replacing the privileged priest. A new day has dawned! The doors have now been opened to come into His presence. All who are willing to stoop in a posture of humility are welcome.

Absentminded or Absent?

Yes, I have been "gone" a while.  Whether from Absentmindedness or just being absent, you decide. 

Life has been good.  Correction.   My Lord has been good!  He has been very gracious this season and Blessed us abundantly!  

"What?!?!" you ask, "Isn't He ALWAYS good and gracious"??  

Yes, pat yourself on the back for noticing my sinful ways and let me finish.

Thank you.  :D  

For those of you who know us, there have been some tough times in our past.  Not awful, for that would be putting down those who have had worse.  Just plain ole tough.  
Between the possibility of losing the ranch, the economy being unstable which made Dad's job unstable, to relationships really struggling, the loss of a beloved Bampa, and the struggles of new phases in life, it hasn't all been "hunky-dunky".  

I wouldn't go back and change any of the lessons we have learned, though, for they have all been lessons we needed to learn and hear.  You cannot be made into a pot without losing a bit of clay.

Our Lord, as He always does, was gracious enough to make that season only a season- though not a "season" of 3 months only!  He is gracious to bring the rain and the sun that beats its rays upon us to grow for our time, but then summer settles in where there is the slightest of breaks.  The fall will be upon us soon, and I long to see the results of His work that He has done upon us!  

Or have they already come.  No one knows but One.  and I am sure for each it is a different season.  

In the meantime, our time has been most delightfully spent.  The ranch is now in a stable condition.  (yay!)  We now cannot say we own any part of it.  It is truly the Lord's ranch!!! 

Psalm 50:10

"For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills."

He has taken care of it just as He gave it to us.  But of course, it wouldn't have happened without us doing our hard work and part of it.  Joshua has truly stepped up this year and taken on the brunt of the labor, allowing Daddy to be faithful to his work.  
Josh has matured so much this year- both physically at a strapping 6 foot- and in everything else.  He has stepped across the threshold and left boyhood behind in the way it was planned. We couldn't be more proud of him!  He has such a servant's heart I don't know where there is room for anything left in his body....

With the ranch doing well, we took off over Thanksgiving weekend to spend a much needed vacation!!  For this family that hasn't had one in 6 years we were all in ecstasy!  :D  We drove out to LA, California and spent some delightful days seeing the sights and just relaxing with our family.  :sigh:  (see some pics here)

~We just got back from a delightful party at a friends house, and instead of just doing boring introductions, the hostess asked that we share what God has been teaching us lately.  

I have been thinking about that a lot (actually before the party, but that party brought it to the front of my mind if you know what I mean).  I think what He has been teaching me can be summed up in a beautiful hymn that I have been memorizing.

    Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! 
 Thou art the potter, I am the clay. 
 Mold me and make me after thy will, 
 while I am waiting, yielded and still. 

 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! 
 Search me and try me, Savior today! 
 Wash me just now, Lord, whiter than snow, 
 as in thy presence humbly I bow. 

 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! 
 Wounded and weary, help me I pray! 
 Power, all power, surely is thine! 
 Touch me and heal me, Savior divine! 

 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! 
 Hold o'er my being absolute sway. 
 Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see 
 Christ only, always, living in me! 

 This song speaks to me of how I must be willing to be as wet, yielding clay in His hands if I want to be made into a vessel for Him.  It shows me that He is powerful, so powerful, yet gentle with me.  :sigh:  It has been a good song to learn for me in this season of life.  I also love the melody (which you can hear here!) as it is very calming. 

The Lord has been showing me more about Him as He truly is.  Not just who I have made Him in my mind.  He has been asking me to be willing to give all up to Him- something very hard to do for a first-born perfectionist, type-A personality!   

Ahhh!  If I can only put into better practice what I learn from my Master!  

Well my friends, it is a late night and to bed I must go.  I pray the Lord is Blessing you abundantly this Christmas season!  May He remind you of what you need to remember, and show you what you need to be shown! 

~Rebecca   

Mark Hamby- The Process

Here is yet another piece of golden wisdom from Mark Hamby.  I have had the pleasure to meet the man, and although very focused and not your "soft, sensitive" fellow, he follows the Lord completely and with such humbleness!!  There is much to learn from a man of God like him and I hope you enjoy this tidbit of wealth from him as much as I.   ~Rebecca

The Process 

Today I was reading a devotional written by Oswald Chambers and it smacked me right between the eyes. So if you don't like someone taking a swing at you, you may not want to listen any further. If you can take it, then this is what Chambers had to say:  

"Often, Christians think that if Jesus Christ compels them to do something, He will lead them to success in the endeavor, if only they are obedient to Him. If you agree, then you are in for a rude awakening; our dreams of success are not God's ultimate purpose for us. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is not of primary importance. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God often sees as the goal itself.

If I can stay calm, faithful and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish-- His purpose is the process itself.

God's purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience and trust are the goal, then each moment as it comes becomes the real standard of success."

I think it was Theodore Roosevelt who said that success was failure upon failure with great enthusiasm. He may have been closer to the truth than he realized.

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own" (Philippians 3:12).

Pug Figs- Mark Hamby

Ever wondered why Jesus cursed the fig tree that did not bear fruit?  Now you can know!!!  Mark Hamby is with Lamplighter Publishing.  I highly recommend joining his e-mail list!

Pug Figs   

"One of the puzzling miracles of Jesus' teaching was the cursing of the fig tree because it didn't have fruit; yet the text in Mark 11 states that it wasn't the time for figs. It seems to me, at least on the surface, that the poor tree didn't have a standing chance. I have speculated for years about this unusual scene but recently I found the answer as I was walking through Herod's coastal seaport of Caesarea.

When I arrived in Israel to make preparations for our Lamplighter Guild-Israel tours,it was early spring. When Jesus came upon the fig tree it would have been during this same season. It is true that spring is not the time for figs but the first fig tree I saw was full of figs. You see, in early spring a pungent and bitter fruit appears known as a pug fig. In Hebrew, pug means premature baby. (1) The leaves would be sparse at this time of year but these early pug figs would be in abundance.

Pug Figs in Israel (Photo by Mark Hamby)

Pug figs were also the forerunners of the later sweet figs that one could eat. (2) If there were no pug figs there would be no edible figs in the fall. (3) Poor people or those who were very hungry would eat these first fruit figs though the taste was not desirable. (4) When Jesus comes on the scene he is hungry but finds only leaves--no pug figs.

The reason Jesus curses the tree is because the tree was not functioning as it should by providing fruit for the poor and hungry. Another reason is because the tree was full of leaves which represented a life of hypocrisy--it looked good on the outside but had no fruit within.

The fact that Jesus performs this miracle right on the heels of cleansing the hypocrisy of the temple now makes perfect sense; it also serves as a reminder that our lives need to be in a perpetual state of fruitfulness. We never know when God may need to pluck a few figs for some hungry travelers who need our assistance."

In Christ,

Rebecca

Wonderful Blog Post

I have been following this young man's blog for a while now and have enjoyed his posts.  This one I thought very good and wanted to pass it on.  Take the time to read it.  It is worth your time.  :)

"My Life, My Passions, My God"

Blessings!
Rebecca

THIS is what I want

Reading through this book by Brother Andrew has really opened my eyes to what a Passion for my Lord looks like.  I want it sooo badly I ache inside.  But it is an ache with the knowledge that it can be so.  I too, can have a passion that will burn down forests.  I pray for that!  I pray for a man who is so on fire for the Lord that he will burn me.  It sounds funny to say it that way, but if you will look at it like it was intended I hope you will see what I mean. 

This video was just amazing.  These guys are Warriors of the High King of kings.  I encourage you to watch this video.  Believe me, it won't be a waste of your time.  I even watched it a second time to really take in what was said. 



What do you think?  Do you agree with what he says?
HIS Daughter,
Rebecca

Merry Christmas!

I pray you have a wonderful day tomorrow and that you remember the Best Gift of all, Jesus coming down from His place in Heaven and becoming a mere man to ransom us. 

I realized that although Christmas we spend it with family and eating dinner, it is really the preparation of the time before that we focus on Jesus the most.  And it should be, we spend more time that way!  Just as we are preparing our gifts for the ones we love, so God was preparing a gift for those He Loves.  What a precious gift it was, too!!!!!

Here are a couple of things I want to share....

1) the Mark Hamby devotional that came today.  Amazing how twisted things can become over time!  Much like gossip we twist things around until they aren't true!  Although we can't know for sure, I believe Mr. Hamby has it pretty close...

Away in a Manger 

It's amazing the assumptions we make through the years--so much so that, in our minds, fiction becomes fact. Here are a few myth busters that will surprise you:

Myth #1: Mary rode to Bethlehem on a donkey. Nowhere to be found in the Scriptures.

Myth #2: The innkeeper sent Mary and Joseph out to the stable because there was no room in the inn. Nowhere in the Scriptures is an innkeeper mentioned!

Myth #3: Mary and Joseph tried to check in at an inn. The word INN is better translated guest room. Most families had a guest room attached to their homes.

Considering that generous hospitality was part of the culture, and that a few hundred people that would have comprised this Bethlehem village, it would have been most unlikely that Mary and Joseph would have been turned away.

Not sold yet? Picture this. A typical home back then consisted of one large living room, a separate but attached guest room (the inn), and one additional room, open to the living area, situated about three feet below the living quarters, like a split level. The peasants used this room to house their animals at night in order to avoid theft. A trough or manger was dug into the living room floor, which allowed the larger animals to stick their heads over the partial wall to drink and eat. Can you picture this? Jesus was born in the living room!

To turn away a pregnant woman would have been unthinkable in Middle Eastern culture. The baby Jesus was not turned away--He was welcomed into someone's home because there was no room in the guest room where Joseph had originally planned on staying!

What really happened? May we become like the Bereans of Acts 17 who received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Pretty interesting, eh?

2)  I have fallen in love with this song!  It is so beautiful!!!  I love how the song is NOT in a minor that makes you want to cry or something.  This one just makes my soul sing.

"Was anyone able to look past the stable, and not see a child but a King"

~Rebecca

What's a Girl to do? Part 1

I have a question.  What is the Highest calling a girl/young lady/woman can have? 

For the longest time my answer would have been; To be a wife and Mother. 

Is that really the answer?  Is that really the highest calling a female can have- no matter the stage in life?

After much thought (and lots of conversations with Mom and Sarah!!) I would now answer that question;

To Serve God where ever He needs me. 

God doesn't call us to be wives and mothers.  He call us to serve Him.  Now, I would believe that the greatest thing would be to serve Him by being a wife and mother.  That would be my greatest joy!  That is what (I think) is the desire of my heart!!!  For all of you who are wives and mothers, treasure it.  As a single girl, I envy you, but God has been cultivating my heart to realize that that may not be right on my horizon.  It may be in the future, or it may never be.  What am I to do now?  The answer has changed over the years.  (It will probably keep changing as I add experience to my answers.)

I know a wonderful woman who is now in her 30's and teaches school.  She is single.  She does not live at home.  She hasn't lived at home in years.  She felt that God was calling her to be a teacher. 

Now, although she doesn't live at home she seeks her parents guidance in all things.  She knows she is always welcome at home and there is always a bed for her.  She is honoring to her parents.  She is honoring to God in her actions.  She follows God- not her heart.  The key in her situation is that she has not removed herself from her father's authority, protection, and leadership. 

Is she in sin? 

I think not.

She does the things we as homeschoolers and Christians have been preached against doing for years.  She doesn't live at home.  She isn't staying at home wearing denim skirts and "serving her father". 

In reality, she is serving her Father. 
Which one is better? 

I believe that she is doing right.  We don't have a surplus of Christian men ready for marriage.  What are we young ladies supposed to do? 

I think my friend has an answer.  Not THE answer, but one of the many answers.  Do something, but do it serving your Father first, than your Daddy second.  Honor both of them.  Seek His counsel and his counsel.  If there is ever a time when you are holding back from telling your parents something, then you should wonder why.  If you don't want to tell your father, question if it is truly good.  There is probably a reason that you don't feel comfortable.  It probably isn't right.  (for the most part)

Make sure you are accountable, and then go.  Go serve your Father and your father.  Go be a blessing!  You don't even have to leave home to do it.  Your singleness is a blessing.  Someday when you have children you won't be able to work at your local hospital comforting hurt ones.  Someday when you have a husband who needs you at home you won't be able to go to the Seniors center and play chess.  You won't be able to pursue some fun things you like often.  You won't be able to serve in your community as often.  You won't be able to help some women with young children.  It is harder to do that in the marriage stage of life, not impossible but harder.  When you are married your focus is your husband and children.  It should be!

However, when you are single you can go take fun baking and cooking classes.  You can learn photography.  You can learn sign language.  You can get a job and store up money for when you get married- and bless your family by buying groceries once a month while you live at home.  You can serve mommas in your area by cleaning the house with them.  You can pursue higher academic learning.  You can learn an instrument.  You can teach your siblings. You can volunteer at the hospital.   You can help your family more...........

The possibilities are endless!  Above all Serve God.  He will show you and your parents what He wants you to do. 

Alright, I wrote up more, but you will have to wait for me to post part 2 later. 

In His Perfect Love,
Rebecca

Thankful

We are going to have a wonderful Thanksgiving this year....

We Sold part of the land on our ranch!!!

I know that sounds funny to be thankful for, but it means we can stay here for many, many more years.  We also get to keep the house & headquarters, so that is a big blessing.  Try moving a HUGE shop.... yeah right. 

For those of your who don't know, we bought this ranch 7 years ago.  Buying it was a feat of God in itself.  The couple who owned it were older- in their 80's.  He was getting alzheimers and wasn't doing well, and she broke her hip.  They needed off the ranch and near their son.  Yes, a beautiful ranch that the sons and daughter didn't want.  (the siblings had their own places which I understand, but I don't think I could have done it)  

When you are selling a ranch you don't have many serious lookers, so they knew we were serious and kept coming back to us.  Dad was so smart and wrote up this beautiful letter letting the couple know that we were a family operation that would just love the blessing of buying this ranch.

We got it.

We think it was the letter.

We were able to buy it only because my dad had another good job as a mortgage lender.  (he says he works to pay for his hobby- ranching. :D)   Well, 7 years ago mortgage was booming. 

And as we all know, it crashed after that.  Although we really worked hard, and Dad did all he could, we just couldn't keep up with the mortgage on the ranch. (the only way to get a ranch is if you are a millionaire or inherit it)

The ranch had plenty to keep us and more, so after much prayer we decided to try and sell a part of it.

After 2 and a 1/2 years of different parts, to different parts or the whole ranch we have sold 2/3 of just raw land.  Believe me, we had any and all options up for sale at the end.  Whichever God sold we were going to take it. 

And God worked out the perfect one.

And it is SUCH a blessing. 

And it is all God.

And I still can't believe it.

And I am going to miss the pastures we are selling.

And we are going to have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

And only God could have kept us here for many more years than we should have been.

And even though we aren't out of the red zone, we are close enough to (with God's help!) handle it.

And we have had lots of rain to keep us through the winter.

And we have a bunch of heifers (female cows that haven't had a baby yet) to stock up with.

And we have plenty of room to expand our herd, even though we sold land.

And only God could have kept us here so long.

And I am so happy and sad at the same time.

And I am so excited to see this finally happen.

And I can't wait to get a dishwasher!!!  (Washing dishes by hand isn't bad, it is just SOO time consuming!)

Ahhhh, life is full again.  Our time of renewal is here.  It has been a loonnnggggg couple of years.  In all things God was good.  It was a time of growth and I am thankful for it.  I am just glad to be finished with it.  I hope.

Living in the Amazing Power of my Lord,
Rebecca

Warrior

I want to be a Warrior.

Yes, I am a young woman, but I want to be a Warrior.  I want to be highly trained and good at what I do.  I want to fight! 

You have probably guessed it, I want to be a Prayer Warrior.  Although I am still in the learning stages, I am being trained by The Best Warrior out there.  I have personal training with Him whenever I am ready to listen. 

 I fight things that sound scary, things that should be in books.  But they are in a Book.  I am told to fight them. 

Ephesians 6:11-12
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Vs. 18
"With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints..."

Even though you may never see me in battle array, I am constantly covered in it.  Even though you may never see me fight, I do.  Even though I am a woman, I fight- and I hope I fight well!  I do it with a large company.  I do it by myself.  I am a Warrior.

Even writing this up I get a stirring of heart to "go to battle!" with the call of my Lord wringing in my ears.

A favorite song of mine which I can't seem to find online, (we have the CD) is Battle Song by Holy Smoke.  It is a stirring song that depicts what we do in everyday life- we go into battle. 

I know who my General is and which side will Win- do you?

A Warrior For the Victor of victors, Lord of lord's, and King of king's,
~Rebecca

Praise/Prayer Request!!!!

I have a praise!  We have heard from our realtor that we could be closing in under 2 weeks.....


Wow.  What a praise that would be.  We have had the property on the market for 2 years this November.  Before that we had been trying to sell a really small part for 4 years.  It has been a long, long time.

I can't wait to write down the whole of what our experience is, but that will be for later.  Right now I am trying to praise God for what He is going to do, while holding myself back so I am not hurt again.  That is hard to do.  It really looks like this is going through.  Going through quickly.  Right before our last chance to hold onto our dream. 

Is God amazing or what? 

I ask you, I ask you hard!  To please be praying for everything to go through.  For us to be delighting in Him for what He has done.  God has reopened our eyes to the glories of the headquarters and the things we can do to change it to what we would enjoy (adding a bathroom!). 

This will cut down dramastically the load of pressure on Mom and Dad.  It would be so nice for that to happen.  It is hard on them, but it is harder on us to watch them go through this. 

I appreciate it, and thank you.

In Christ, the Mighty God,
Rebecca

Prayers

I would appreciate your prayers for a dear friend of mine.  She has had a tough year.  4 months ago her father died, 3 days ago her dear friend and cousin passed away, and today she learned that she just miscarried another baby. 

I know the pain she is going through right now.  You wonder where God is right now.  You know He has everything under control and that it is all going to work out for His glory.... but you just wish you could have one good thing..... 

People are always saying "trust in God, He will take care of you!".  It is nice to hear that, but you are trusting in Him.  You can trust someone while you are hurting.  You can ache while you know that God is a Loving God that knows what you are going through.  But it still hurts.  And aches.  And you have bad days. 

I just ask you to be praying that God would refresh her spirit.  That He would place His hand on their family in a way they can see.  That she would be blessed beyond measure.  That God would give her the desires of her heart. 

In Christ,
Rebecca

Great Commercial!

Yes, it is good.  There is a good ending. :)  Bet you can't guess what it is till the end!!!

(it is clean, so grab your kids or siblings, they will get a lot out of it!)




In Christ,
Rebecca

180 Movie

Did you know there is a holocaust going on in America today?  We talk about it all the time.  We don't use that word for it, there is another term used to make it "politically correct". 

If you don't know what I am talking about, watch this video.  (for age 14+ unless edited by parents.  Talks about adultery, etc.)

humbleness from another author

I found this article from Forever His Servant really refreshing .  Refreshing in a good way.  A reminder, if you will.  It is good to take time and step back and ask yourself why you are doing things.  Are you doing it to bring glory to yourself?  That kind of glory won't last!

Or are you truly seeking to bring glory to God?  That kind of glory isn't recognized.  It is the kind you don't see.  But, it is truly the longest lasting!  When you are in heaven you will be there forever, and that glory goes with you! 

What are you seeking? 

In Christ's Amazing Love,
Rebecca

He is Great

In my personal Bible reading I am doing a chronological order of reading through the Bible. (which my sister tells me is great when you get to Kings and Chronicles!)  At the moment I am in Exodus.  The Israelites have left the Egyptians with Moses and are stuck between the Red Sea and all of Pharaoh's mighty army. 

Here is a beautiful section that I hadn't appreciated before;

Exodus 13:21-22
"The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.  He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people."

 I just really liked the last sentence.  He did not take away His Guidance from before them.  If He can lead the huge crowd of Israelites without leaving them, how much more can He lead me (If I listen....)???

Then in Exodus 14:14 Moses tells the people;
"The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent."

Ahh, this was just a balm to my spirit.  I have been worried lately about my husband.  What am I doing wrong that he isn't here? This was my reminder that I have nothing to do about finding my husband.  Nothing!  I just have to be silent.  My God will be fighting for me- and I do believe He is a better fighter! 

How can I be worried about how God is going to be bringing about my husband?  (or my future if I never get married) God was able to conquer the entire Egyptian army without anyone's help.  I just have to be willing to lift my arms.  :)  I have to be willing to listen and go stick myself in a bind between the Egyptian army and a huge sea.  I have to be willing to follow my Lord completely.  Then He will fight for me.  All I will have to do is walk across dry ground to the other side (oh, and maybe admire the fish on each side of me...) and give God the glory.

The other part I loved that tells how God fought for them was in Exodus 14:19-21

"The Angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 
So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land so the waters were divided."

Of course, I wanted to quote the entire rest of the chapter.  It is really a unique story.  One I really enjoyed this time for some reason. 

Anyway, back to my sharing...

I just enjoyed reading and seeing the Awesomeness of God.  I mean, He kept back the armies from each other for a day!   He then goes on to conquer the Egyptians completely so that they fully realize that God was fighting for the Israelites. 

Through all of the things going on in my family's life right now, it was a good reminder to me that I have a Champion Warrior on my side fighting for me.  As it says in Romans 8:31;

"If God is for us, who is against us?"

Blessings,
Rebecca

The Amazing, Extraordinary, Spectacular....

DNA!!! 

"When it comes to storing massive amounts of information, nothing comes close to the efficiency of DNA.  A single strand of DNA is thousands of times thinner than a strand of human hair. 
One pinhead of DNA could hold enough information to fill a stack of books stretching from the earth to the moon 500 times!
Although DNA is wound into tight coils, your cells can quickly access, rearrange, copy, and translate the information stored in DNA.  DNA even has a built-in proofreader and spell-checker that ensure precise copying. Only about one mistake slips through for ever 10 billion nucleotides that are copied.  If only our word processors were that good!"  Answers in Genesis article.

Here our wonderful Creator made something that we can hardly compete with.  We can't even make a computer that small- let alone complex!  I stand in awe every time I read how amazing our bodies are- and we didn't even think it up!

We get the Answers in Genesis magazine which is just amazing.  If you don't get it, you should check it out.  The earth is an amazing thing which is fun to learn about.  AIG gives you that from a Biblical, literal 6-day creation standpoint.  Wonderful, wonderful.

My brother, Caleb, came running in telling us about the thousands of sizes thinner than human hair, and that you can put a pin-pricks knowledge in books from the moon and back 500 times. 

Needless to say, we didn't believe him. 

So he promptly ran and grabbed the magazine and read us the artivle. His exuberance reading the article was wonderful. I wish you could have seen him.  It was priceless. 

Filled with Awe in our beyond-comprehension Creator,
Rebecca