Trusting

This is a devotional sent to me by a good friend....what an encouragement!

Trusting God During Difficult Times
by Susanne Scheppmann

"For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:5

Devotion:
Horrified, I placed the phone back in its charger. My mind reeled. What could I say to one of my dearest friends after this new tragedy had struck? First, she experienced the loss of a fourteen-year-old son to brain cancer. Now her eldest son, only eighteen, had been discovered mugged and murdered. Incomprehensible.

She asked, "Why?" I had no answer other than, "I don't know, but I cling to the factual knowledge that God is good, regardless. Tragedies in this life are beyond our understanding this side of heaven."

I believe Jesus is good, and that knowledge sings from the depths of my soul. This nugget of truth is more precious than life itself to me. We have been taught and recognize that faith is not something we can necessarily see, hear, feel, taste, or touch. It is stepping out of our comfort zones and trusting God--regardless of how we feel emotionally. The Bible explains, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).

The true story of Horatio G. Spafford demonstrates this type of faith in God's goodness. Spafford wrote the familiar hymn, "It is Well with My Soul" in 1872 after his four daughters drowned, soon after his own financial bankruptcy. He, somehow, held onto the fact that despite the outward circumstances, God was good. He wrote, "And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight." He knew that his faith was not in vain, and that someday he would see the meaning and purpose of all the tragedy surrounding his life at that moment.
For myself I think my greatest lesson of faith has been in the acknowledgement that God is good--all the time. Oswald Chambers wrote, "Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God's character must be proven trustworthy in our own minds."

There will always be moments of uncertainty. I find comfort in the words written by David Jeremiah in My Heart's Desire:

You may sometimes feel awkward and uncomfortable, and find yourself saying, "Is this really true? I don't see anything in it. I don't hear God's voice. I don't feel His presence." There are days like that for all of us. The pursuit of God has no shortcuts. You simply must keep walking, keep seeking, and keep yearning. Keep at it, and you won't be disappointed.

God is good, even as I mourn with my friend. I have witnessed her grief, anger, and doubt. But throughout the passing months, I have watched her cling to Jesus with hands wet with tears. My friend believes God is good all the time even when she can't feel it with her emotions. Her faith rests in the fact, "The Lord is good and his love endures forever."

Dear Lord, grant me the faith to know that You are good all the time, even during the most difficult circumstances of this life. When I am weak, lift me up. Enable me to accept the love and comfort from others who love me, but let me rely on Your everlasting love for me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Visit

Last weekend Addy, my mom and I went down to Port St. Lucie FL to visit my great grandmom.  We have not seen her since last July and I wanted Addy to meet her Great-great grandmom.

What a blessing it was to see the joy on my Grandmom's face when she played with the baby.  Doesn't she look great for 94 years old? 

Pure Comfort

Whats the perfect comfort food for a miserable, rainy day?

Banana bread!!

This is a simple recipe that I have had great success with!

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 Cup chocolate chips
  

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Whats your favorite rainy day comfort food?

Cheese!

Psalm 127:3-5

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

The Explosion

I had big plans for this blog.... but between teaching, pregnancy, and the birth of our sweet baby girl it was put to the wayside.

Now that I have a smidgen of free time during the week I am hoping to re-enter the blogging world.

The Explosion

Being a mommy requires you to wear many hats. Nurse, circus clown, dry cleaner, janitor...the list goes on. Yesterday morning I felt like a worker at a toxic waste site. Every Wednesday and Thursday you will find us girls at my parent's house. I teach music lessons in the evenings and my mom will watch the baby for me. Both Addy and I had just had our breakfast (well for Addy it was her 2nd breakfast) and I was playing with my baby girl attempting to hear that beautiful little giggle that bring such joy to my heart. I guess I was wiggling her around a bit too much because in a moment I was covered in spit-up. Fast forward a few minutes later: Mommy is in a new outfit (always bring extra!) and I decide to give Addy a much needed bath. Bath is ready and as I remove her diaper.....*squirt* Great! Now the bed and the baby are soaked! I quickly rip off the sheets to keep it from soaking the mattress and then get the wiggling, now-naked baby into the tub. Cleanliness here we come! (or so I thought)Within a minute of putting her in the tub I start to see bubbles. Not to concerned, just gas right? WRONG! She pooped! GROSS!

After the tub was cleaned out, the baby bathed, dressed and happy I just sat with my re-heated mug of coffee and had a good laugh.

I love being a mommy.