Thankfulness

I am thankful for my dear friends Dale and Rhonda Towle. Dale had been my pastor for the last year before I got married and he is who we asked to marry us. Their whole family mean so much to me. They have been such a blessing to us and God has used them in our lives so much! Rhonda is a very dear friend and we know that we can talk to them about anything and they will give us Godly advise. They have been a huge encouragement to us before we got married and through some of the things we have faced since we have gotten married. Please join me in praying for them. I long to see God bless them and their ministry!

Fear

Today I have been thinking about fear.  I never really understood people who lived in fear. There are a few things in life that I fear and I guess the biggest thing is the unknown.  I was thinking about it this morning and there really is no reason to fear the unknown!  God knows what is best for us and our lives.  Whatever you face he is there to help you if you will just trust him.  This is something that I need to remember.  As I was laying down trying to sleep I was thinking about how afraid I was of the unknown.  And I was laying there crying our to God to help me.   Sometimes it is so hard when I am so far away from those that I used to turn to but then i realized who I needed was God.  He is the only one who can really cast out the fear and he is the only one that is always there for you!  God gives us family and friends but there are times they are at work or are miles away and you can't turn to them.  The thing that I always loved about my friends is they would always take me by the hand and lead me back to God and his word the only true place for comfort and security.

I often why God allows things to happen and really it is to teach us to trust him.

The other thing that i fear is what people think.  But friends it really doesn't matter what others think of you.  What we need to focus on is what God thinks of us and if we are living our lives so to please him.  There are things in my life that I could change to please others but I stopped and looked at what the Bible says and what God would do.  There are things that Rick and I had to make decisions on that we had to go to God and see what he would have us to do.  There are days when we will sit and talk about things that God has allowed to happen in our lives and we see how hard and uncomfortable some of the things have been but we can look to God and see that this is his will and that he will be there with us and he will help us.

I just heard this song sung!  I will rest in him!  He will be my GUIDE!  He will show us the path and he will make it clear to us!


Rest In Me
Kevin Inafuku


When confusion fills my life and my world inside is torn apart;
When the road just seems too rough and discouragement just grips my heart,
I lift my eyes and see, the One who died for me
Is standing there beside me, and says so tenderly,

Oh, be still, My child, and know I’m your God.
Rest to know the King of Glory is on your side
Let Me bear all your pain and carry your load,

Oh, be still, My child, and rest in Me.



When I lose the ones I love, and there’s no one there to stand by me
Or when all I have is gone, my dreams, my plans are all destroyed
I lift my eyes and see the One who died for me
Is standing there beside me, and says so tenderly

Oh, be still, My child, and know I’m your God.
Rest to know the King of Glory is on your side
Let Me bear all your pain and carry your load,
Oh, be still, My child, and rest in Me.

Oh, be still, My child, and know I’m your God.
Rest to know the King of Glory is on your side
Let Me bear all your pain and carry your load,
Oh, be still, yes be still, just be still, My child, and rest in Me.

Our Weekend and this Week!

God blessed us with a very nice relaxing weekend!  We spend it with Dad and Mom Stelling at their house.  They had a open house for us so I could meet Rick's family that couldnt' make it to the wedding.  I really enjoyed getting to know more of his family!  It was really neat to be welcomed into the Stelling and the Ferrin family!  They were all so welcoming and loving!  Barb and some of the others made a very tasty meal and fed us well.  There were 14 of us there and we sat and talked and laughed!  It was a time of great encouragement and Christan fellowship!

Now we are back home and getting some things settled in at our apartment and getting ready for company!  some of my friends and family are coming from Rhinelander this week and this weekend!!!  I am really looking forward to it.

I am working on getting things caught up this week.  I was sick most of last week and had a migraine on Monday last week so I got behind in some of my housework.  I got one load of laundry done today and I have another one in right now!

The weather is so beautiful this week!  Rick and I went for a walk yesterday and it was so awesome!  Rick has been working on his truck for the last few months and the end is coming into sight!  It will be so nice when he gets it all done! 

I have been reading Inconceivable by Carolyn and Sean Savage.  Talk about a book that make your emotions go all over the place.  My heart broke with this family as they found out that they were caring someone else's baby through a mistake when they had IVF  done.  But at the same time it helped me with some things that I have been struggling with.  I just pray that God will help me as I continue to lean on him and trust him with my life.  He has so richly blessed us with this baby that we are carrying and I am so excited to see God work in our lives!  Pray for us as we seek God's will for our lives!

Rowyn

She finally got to put her dress on!

Aren't they adorable?

A wonderful Weekend!

Rick and I went back to my hometown for 3 days and it was such a blessing and encouragement to spend time with those we love and are loved by.  To fellowship with some very dear Christians.  The wedding was very pretty and we saw lots of friends there!  It is hard to believe that some of the little kids that I used to watch and hang out with are old enough to be married now! 

I found out some sad news while I was gone and that is one of the children that I used to babysit (who is married and has a child) has left her husband and is dating someone else now.   I was just reading a friends blog and she was talking about someone who's marriage was struggling and it brought to mind a few conversations that I have had recently people telling me that the first year of marriage is awful, and that if you can make it through on year you will be ok.  I heard that from so many people in the last 9 months and it puzzles me because Rick and I have not had any trouble between ourselves and yes I know that we have only been married for 3 months.  But we have never fought, we have never argued.  I am not saying that it all has been easy but the pain and trying times have come from the outside and rumors that people have spread about us.  But we have learned not to let these things bother us as we know the truth will prevail!  Our God is so faithful!  I hear rumors that people think things aren't going well between the 2 of us but when I look and see where it comes from I laugh people who never see us or talk to us.  If you ask the people who REALLY know us they laugh and say they must not know you!  Rick and I are having great fun together and it has been such a blessing to learn to know each other more and watch God work in our lives.  I have seen Rick grow so much in the time that we have been married.  He has learned to stand up for what he thinks is right and I have watched him come out of his shell and make many friends!  It is such a blessing to have so many Christain friends.

We also had breakfast with Rowyn and her parents on Saturday.  Rowyn has a lot of stories to tell and loved looking at the Ultrasound pictures.  She can't wait to see my baby!  She is hoping to come over her and stay for a few days.  I can't wait!

God's Goodness and Faithfulness!

I must say a lot has been going on but God has been so faithful to us.  You know that ever since we got married Rick has had almost no work but we have been able to pay all of our bills!  God has so blessed us with Christian family and friends and I see that he has been blessing us for being faithful to him.  God has always taken care of us and even though we were given extra bills to pay we have always had enough!   God is never late!  It has been such an encouragement to both of us to see how God has taken care of us a family just starting out!

We have a wonderful apartment to live in.  With the nicest Christian family as our neighbors.  Who are always their with kind words and helpful encouragement.  There are days when we wonder why God lets things happen and they are there to pray with us.  When we had the scare with our pregnancy Cheryl was right here praying with us and offering help and advise!  We did see the baby on ultrasound last week and everything looks good.  The baby looks healthy and is very active!

I am really looking forward to this weekend!  We are going to go to Rhinelander and visit our friends and family again!  There is a wedding on Saturday afternoon.  I get to spend some time with my best friends the Conjurskes and Towle Girls!  That is going to be so much fun!  And I can introduce Rick to some of my friends that he hasn't gotten to meet yet.   We are going to go out for breakfast with one of my families (I have lots of families that have adopted me!!!)  I can not wait to see Rowyn again! 

Then next weekend Mom and Dad Stelling are having a meet and greet and I get to meet some of Rick's family that couldn't make it to the wedding!  I am really looking forward to it.  I think we might go look at some baby stuff too! 

We have found a nice church here that we have really been blessed by attending.  Rice Lake Baptist Church is the name of it.  I am looking forward to getting to know the people there more.  I am looking forward to making more friends as I don't really have any over here yet.   ( I do have a few and I am so thankful for them!!) 

Today I am getting ready for the weekend washing clothes, and trying to pack.  Rick is going up to his moms to hopefully work on the truck!  It will be so nice when he gets his truck running again.

Please pray for me as there are days that I do have a hard time adjusting to things being so different than we had planned.  I know that God is in control and I know that his plan is best.  There are times when I miss the apartment that we built and the dreams that we had for the farm but God has something else in mind.  The days that are the hardest are when he goes to work on his truck and I can't go with.  In God's time things will work out.  Pray for healing for all involved!  We are just so thankful that God brought us together and that he has helped our love to grow so strong for each other and for Christ as we went through the fires!  He is so faithful!!!  I am just so thankful that we have the apartment that we have now!  A place that we can call home and that is ours and where we can be a family just the two of us as God intended!