"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." ---- Gen. 12:1-3
We started celebrating her (whatever) year and a half birthday years ago and can't seem to stop marking the day with celebration. :-)
But her favorite foods and gifts, who could possibly stop it when it's so much fun?
My sweet child, grown now, I'm so proud of you and so very thankful that God gave you to us.
I'm thankful that I can see the Lord in you.
I'm thankful that you seek Him, daily.
I praise Him for the path you have sought to follow.
You are such joy to me.
Prudence, Happy Half-ty Birthday!!!!
I love you, Sweet-P!
My Prudence Elizabeth, now.
Today is not only my girl's half-ty birthday, but it's also the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles. If you are celebrating the feast, as we are, we hope you have a blessed time.
We have much to celebrate!!! My dear husband's birthday was just days ago. We had a wonderful time then, too!
Please, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Ps. 122:6
We have had our difficult times, sometimes struggling just to get through this life ... but the Lord has sustained us. Most of the people we knew when we wed are not married to each other, anymore. I'm so thankful we are.
This is how we met.
While I was working as an optician and my parents were working in Iran I heard about a new Calvary Chapel Church just starting, up in the mountains above Chico where I lived. The town was called Paradise. I went to the church for a few months. The Pastor was commuting to Paradise from Napa where he and his family lived while the church was getting established. Pastor Dave finally decided it was time to move his family up to Paradise and make it their home.
I didn't know it at the time, but Pastor Dave had some plans he was keeping a bit of a secret. He had a friend down in Napa. Dave told him that there was a girl up in Paradise that he just had to meet. This young man was helping Dave move the family up north and that Sunday Dave introduced us. Dave invited me to join the group after church to sight-see around Paradise and then go to lunch. I reluctantly accepted, but I had a nice time.
The next week my family came home from Iran for their summer break and they stayed with me at my house. I didn't go back up to Paradise during this time as we all went to our old family church, instead. In the last week of their visit Denny called to ask if I was coming back to the Paradise church. I explained why I hadn't been there and said I would be coming back after they left. Unbeknownst to me, he had been coming up every weekend expecting to see me there. Denny asked if I would go to dinner with him after they were gone. I accepted.
My boss let everyone at work know that he was having a staff swim party at his house that next Saturday. Everyone was to bring their spouse. I, of course, didn't have one. He said I should bring a date. I wasn't seeing anyone, so he said I should ask that nice young man that was taking me out to dinner on Friday. I couldn't ask HIM! I didn't do that sort of thing. But they prodded and pushed and said just to call and ask. I had never called a fellow in my entire life and never asked anyone for a date. But, since he was going to be here for the weekend anyway, I figured I might as well ask. I held my breath and called him. I was so embarrassed, but he said he would love to take me there, so it was set.
Denny came by on Friday and took me to dinner. We had a wonderful time. I spent much of Saturday with him before we went to Bruce's home. Bruce's wife was a good friend of mine and she said she would be checking him out, trying to figure out if he was a good guy or not. :-) When he took me home, we spent the rest of the evening talking in my living room ... before he left, he asked me to marry him. We had met on the weekend of the 4th of July (actually July 2nd) ... not seen each other for more than month and after 2 dates, he proposed on August 19th. He told me not to answer right then, but to pray about it ... he said that he had already prayed and knew that he was suppose to ask me ... well, if that were the case, then shouldn't I have felt good about it? LOL We saw each other at church the next day, then he called me every evening after I got home from work for that next week. Let me tell you... I was praying!! In the middle of the week I asked him when I was suppose to give him my answer. He said that if it were yes, I could tell him anytime ... if it was a no, then I should wait until he came back that next weekend. I said, "Well then, I guess I can tell you now."
We have always known that our marriage was made in Paradise ... And I'm so thankful that our pastor introduced us. He married us down in my old family church on December 23rd. That is what we planned so that Mama and Daddy would get out of Iran before it fell to the Ayatollah . (that is another story of it's own!) After the wedding, we spent the Christmas holiday with our families and then got off just to in time to get to Ireland 2 days before New Years for our wedding trip. It was wonderful!!
As we tried to guide our children in the path of the Lord, we realized that our way of getting to the marriage alter just wasn't what our Lord really wanted. We are so thankful that we DID get to the marriage alter ... after all, look at how the Lord blessed us!! We have our sweet Lizzy to bless our lives. What a wonderful gift from our Lord!! But we have all agreed that dating and agreeing to marriage without our parent's guidance and blessing before the agreement just isn't best for the couple, nor is it the best witness to the world. Now, we understand that betrothal is the way God set forth in the Scriptures as HIS way to the marriage alter. But, beyond all that, we have a great praise that we are still married and that our family still holds, even without all our original blessings.
I love you, my dear husband. I am thankful to our Lord that you are still here with me and that we are together. So many around us have parted ways ... but by the Grace of God, go we.
Our wedding verse (our life verse) is "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 For that, I am also thankful. I must admit that we haven't always sought first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. That is one of our sins and failings. Thankfully, God forgives us.
Well, this is our story of God's guidance and provision as so many are looking to celebrate Valentine's Day. We don't celebrate Valentine's Day, except for sharing the candy that we might get ... :-) Shouldn't we celebrate God's love, daily? Love is a choice ... God chose to love us ... we choose to love God ... we choose to love each other. We choose to keep that love ... or not.
Grace and peace unto all you who love the Lord with all sincerity.
Please, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6 (Aunt Sally :-)
The February issue of Challenging Femininity is out! And I'm really excited to see my Lizzy is the featured femina . Please, go to the FeelinFeminine site and read all the wonderful articles that have been put together.
We have had more lambs here on the Brown farm and the snow is nearly all gone ... wondering if we will get any more. I will try to post some pictures .. I know, I've said that before, but I really mean it!
Grace and peace be unto you who love the Lord will all sincerety. (Aunt Sally :-)
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. ....
O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Psalm 90:12, 14
What a wonderful day I have had. Well, actually, I've had a wonderful weekend, as well. Today was my birthday. It was such a relaxing day and perfect for me. We have been celebrating all weekend for my birthday and also for a dear friend of ours. We've had two parties and it's been so much fun. God is so good to me! I praise Him for His gifts of dear friends, love, joy and so much more. I am now officially 58. Lizzy's orchid bloomed for me and our Thanksgiving cactus bloomed from Thanksgiving until my birthday, as well. How fun to have these flowers blooming with the snow falling outside today!
My Lizzy has spent the day with me and we have just been together talking and we've watched a couple movies and simply enjoyed our time together. My dear husband had to go to a meeting today, so he didn't get to spend all this day with me, but we've had all weekend and for that I am thankful. I think both Lizzy and I have caught something. We both have the same symptoms, exactly. LOL It was good to just sit and share the day together.
Thank you, Father, for my little family. You know how to give me joy. I have thoroughly enjoyed my birthday. Thank you!
To all my faithful readers, I hope that you are blessed on your special day, as I have been on mine.
I am a head-covering conservative Christian Biblicist that embraces the whole counsel of God, meaning every word of the Old Testament and the New Testament. We have come to love learning about and keeping the Biblical feasts and Sabbath. I am loving wife to my wonderful husband and adoring mother to a talented and beautiful young woman. We home schooled all our children and I loved that, as well. Our last child is a child no longer, having graduated at 15 and she is now a grown woman of nearly 21. We live on our farm with our little menagerie of sheep, cattle (no cattle now, they are all butchered!), chickens, guineas, my daughter's horses - and not forgetting our beautiful sheep-dog Fly. I love to sew and cook, though now I am cooking gluten-free which is invigorating and very rewarding. I pray to be able to serve and encourage my family for many years to come and I intend to serve my Lord to the utmost.
