God is Faithful

I'd like to share two stories of how God has been so faithful to us, just this last week.

Story #1:

 Last week, we received a $530 medical bill in the mail. It was 2 years old. I thought, "This is odd. Why am I just now getting this?" It was slightly disturbing because the bill was for when I made a visit to my OB when I had my first miscarriage in May of 2011. But I immediately gave the bill to God and surrendered it to Him. I prayed, "Lord, you are faithful. You know we don't have an extra $530 laying around. I've seen you work so many times with situations like this. You can do it again. I'm sure."

 Still yet, I knew I had to do my part and at least call the insurance companies and doctor's office about the details. To make a long story short, the accountant told me that she was going to zero my account!! 

 God is good. I knew He would come through. He did. Will you trust Him with your situation today?

Story #2:

 After we move to Knoxville, Iowa, Greg and I decided that we wanted to buy Mary Ellen and Molly bunk beds that match Lexie and Leah's bunk beds. I've been selling stuff left and right on the facebook yard sale page and God has blessed my efforts. I had made enough to purchase the bunk beds and new mattresses for them! But then one day I saw a post online that someone had two twin mattresses for $15 each. I had already planned to pay $60 each. So I got excited and thought I was going to save some money, something that I love to do! Anyway... I put myself in a situation where it was difficult to not purchase the mattresses, even though they were NOT what I wanted. Like my husband had warned me, I was probably gonna get what I was paying for. He was right. I made the mistake of not heeding his advice. I beat myself up. Apologized to him. Beat myself up so more. Then prayed for God to help me resell and at least, maybe, get my $30 back. Well, God did even better! Don't ya know? I instantly remembered that our Church District's Girl's Camp was looking for old, used mattresses for a "mattress surfing" event next week. Wah-lah!!! I was so excited. I called the camp director and she said that they would be so happy to take the mattresses and that they really needed them! I was so happy to donate them and know that God took my mistake and turned it into something that will honor Him!!! He is, indeed, so very good!!!

Missing Esther...

Last night at dinner, Leah asked me who I was going to miss the most when we moved. Before I could say anything, Greg spoke up and said, "Esther." I still didn't say anything, but was thinking, "How did he know?" 

Ya see, Esther was a lady in our church who didn't have any grandchildren and all her kids were well grown and moved away. For some reason, she took it upon herself to adopt our family as her own. She took a liking to me, I guess, when she discovered not only my love for our Lord Jesus, but also for sewing and canning. 

We have spent many days around my kitchen table breaking beans. We've spent several hours together shucking corn. She taught me the basics of canning. And of course, all those hours of working on produce and canning includes lots of wisdom gained for me!

She introduced me to some of her Amish friends and through them, our family started eating healthier and more organic foods. For the last four years now, I have developed friendships with some of the best people in the world, the Amish, because of Esther. And today, I will say good-bye to them. A real good-bye. There will be no facebook connections with them, no phone calls. It will be like I've always read in Beverly Lewis's books, we'll write letters. Hopefully, one day I'll walk out to the mailbox and find a letter from my friend and I'll have it read before I get back to the front door. 

Esther taught me how to skim cream, make butter and the best of all, make homemade ice cream with fresh-raw cow's milk!

I have so many wonderful memories of her. In the fall, she loved to pick up hedge apples near the Amish farm that we visited weekly. She said that these hedge apples would keep away spiders if you placed them strategically around your house. I just thought they looked pretty!

She taught me about flower gardening. My flower garden looks so pretty this year, and it's all because of her. She dug up "starts" from her flowers at home and was constantly bringing me flowers for my flower bed. Isn't is funny that the year that my flower bed would be it's prettiest since we've lived here, would be the year that we move? One of the ladies in our church even noticed this and mentioned it to me just Sunday night. 

Esther also taught me more about sewing. My grandma taught me the basics when I was a kid and teenager. Esther built on that and introduced me to dress patterns, quilting and digital embroidery. 

I remember when we moved to Iberia from Nashville, TN, that the move was much easier with not having to move away from my grandma. It really would have made the move so hard. I loved her so much and always wanted to be close to her. It was easier knowing she was in heaven. And so, it's the same with this move now. God gave Esther to me as another grandma. She loved us and we loved her. It will be easier moving from Iberia with her already haven made her move to heaven.

This is a picture of Esther in our church nursery, a place that she loved to volunteer!