To Be Continued...

Hi! Today has been a hard day for our family! We said goodbye for now to our dear spiritual son and friend, Steven. Many tears have been shed as we have grown very close to him this past 10 weeks.

You would think after saying good bye to Esther-3 times, Damaris-1 time, Steven-2 times, it would get easier but it doesn't. Saying goodbye to Hannah in 12 days will be even harder:(

Today the Lord reminded me of how his Father must have felt when He sent his Son to the cross. I was also reminded how Jesus wept out of compassion for his friend Lazarus. So tears are a natural part of our saying goodbye for now.

My last words to Steven today were "I'll see you again soon, if not here then in Heaven."

Won't it be great when we get to be with all those believers whom we dearly love for eternity! I can't wait!

So life goes on, we can't push the pause button or the rewind but we can look back with many great memories.

I know that my life was changed this summer over 10 incredible weeks that the Lord ordained.

So until we meet again! We continue on...

Blessings

Happy Endings and New Beginnings

August 1st has come and gone and we now have a high school graduate in our home. As I sat in the service I couldn't help but think about what

I was doing 18 years ago. I was waiting for Hannah to make her arrival in this world. Now in 17 days we she will depart from our home to attend Bible College.

Steven departs for the summer next Monday. It doesn't seem possible that he has served with us these past two years. He has one semester left at Moody and then will begin the application process with Village Missions.

As I look at all the changes coming up the Lord has been speaking to me about how I should respond. I am happy that my kids want to serve the Lord and that leaving is a natural response.

My greatest joy is to see them walking with the Lord. I look forward to see just what the Lord will do in each of their individual lives.

Change seems to be happening all around. This past week Jon received a call from Village Missions asking him to become an Assistant District Representative for four churches in our district. Jon accepted and we are humbled by how the Lord is leading. We are thankful that we can stay here in Red Cloud and pastor this dear church family the Lord has entrusted us with.

So as we prepare for this empty nest of ours. We are thankful for the years we have had with Hannah, the two summers we have had with Steven and the 10 months we had with both Esther and DeeDy. God was faithful to answer our hearts cry for a family. How He put it together is truly a miracle in itself.

May the Lord Bless you this week as you seek Him.

Blessings

VBS-Very Blessed Service!

Hi!

This past week was our community VBS. Five years ago four of the churches in Red Cloud banded together to provide a VBS program for our community. Our church hosted the first one five years ago so it was our turn again to host it this year.

Steven Washburn our intern with Moody Bible Institute and VM (aka our spiritual son) needed to do an summer outreach in order to fulfill the requirements of his internship with us. So we assigned him to be the director of VBS this year. As we began the planning this summer Steven commented that VBS should stand for Very Busy Schedule, my thoughts were Very Blessed Service. You see I was saved at age 7 during the VBS that my home church sponsored for two weeks in June right before wheat harvest. Since serving with Village Missions a passion of mine has been to provide a quality VBS where kids come in contact with the Word of God, some for the first time in their lives. Seeds are planted that may come to fruition at a latter time when a kid remembers something they were taught at VBS. One of my passions is exposing kids to Gods word. That is why I help out in our Team Kids program during the school year. I'm not a teacher but I love being part of the support group that helps kids come to an understanding of what God's word says and how it can be applied to their lives.

This past week at VBS I took on a role that I hadn't done before. I was a group leader for Grades 1-3. I had prayed about my involvement and this is where the Lord was directing me to be. I knew going into the week that it would have its challenges. I knew many of the 13 kids I had charge over very well and knew just how they operated. I also knew that not too many people would probably volunteer to take this group because of many behavior issues. So even though I was tired going into the week, I stepped out and walked by faith into my role as their leader. You may ask me why I would even attempt to put myself in this position. Because I am concerned with their souls. I think if we would look at people in a new and different way we would see their lostness first and see what is really at stake. Eternity in Heaven or Hell.

Today in our church service we were sharing about VBS and I felt the Holy Spirit say "Ask them to pray about helping with the Team Kids program this fall." So I stepped out in faith and asked our church people to consider if the Lord may be calling them to help this fall. After church two men came up and said they wanted to be a part of our Team Kids program this fall. This has been a five year prayer of mine that we might have some willing men to step up and help the three women and several teens who have been leading this group for the past several years.
I have been asking the Lord to show himself to me and He really did this morning as I was blessed with these men volunteering for service.

Psalms 37:3-7 says "Trust in the LORD and do good;dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD;trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.

That is what I have been doing in so many things, just waiting and praying that God would move. It isn't up to me to know when and how He will do it, but to wait patiently and watch where he is working. He was working this past week during VBS. What a joy to see a girl come to know Jesus as her personal Savior, To see kids excited about the Bible Teaching time and to see 25 adults working together in the unity that only Christ can bring. On the last night when I was tired and spent out and ready to come home, one little girl who challenged me each night with her behavior, wrapped her arms around my waist and told me thank you and that she loved me. Wow! Was that Jesus at his best speaking to me through her that it was worth it all.

So as I close this for this week, I would ask for your prayers as this next week is very busy with graduation plans as Hannah will be graduating from our homeschool next Saturday, August 1st. I sure don't know where these past 18 years have gone but I do know that I have a heart full of memories as the Lord has allowed me to train and build into her life over the years. I know I will shed an ocean of tears as this stage of our lives comes to a close. Happy tears of what the Lord has done as I have waited on Him to work!

Blessings,

Deb

The Passion of my Heart.

Hi! It has been several weeks since I have written. Our lives have been crazy and I am well on the road to exhaustion but the Lord keeps giving me the energy that is needed to keep on going from moment to moment.

Many of you know that Jon's mom fell on July 3rd and broke her hip. After a rocky start, she is doing well and is in our local hospital recovering. Pray that we would know what the next step is for her. Change is hard for anyone and especially when you are 83 years old.

Last week we drove to Nisland, SD for our VM Mini Conference. What a beautiful place to visit. What a great time of fellowship too. It was so encouraging to hear how the Lord is working in the different places where He has called each one of us to serve. One of the best parts of our whole trip was being together as a family, since this is the last time we will travel with Hannah and also with Steven before they head off to school. Good memories were made and Great fun was had!

I have been praying alot lately as I look towards what the Lord has for our future as empty nesters. I have to admit I have had oceans of tears come from time to time as I grieve this stage of motherhood as I know it coming to a close. Life will be different but I know that the Lord has a new and good thing planned for Jon and I.

Watching each of the young adults that the Lord has placed in our lives, as they grow in their spiritual walk is so thrilling for me. Each of them has sought out the Lord in their lives and their salvation expereinces and daily walks are so different from each other but we all have a bond that draws us together and His name is Jesus!

As I have prayed and pondered over what is next, the Lord keeps calling me back to the passion of my heart and that is mentoring believers in His word and in His ways. I had the opportunity to share with the VM wives that were at our conference on the subject of mentorship. As I shared my story of how I was mentored as a young girl, young woman, and wife and mother and how I have been mentoring others over the years, that small fire with in me was fanned into a growing flame. The next morning one of our mentors asked Jon and I if we might be open to mentor young couples interested in going into ministry. We said we would be interested and now we are praying about how that may all come about. Our hearts cry is just to be available to the Lord and His leading.

But for now I will focus on the next thing which is the Community VBS which is being hosted by our church this week and Hannah's graduation which is right around the corner on August 1st.
I have much to do and my energy levels are low but I am trusting the Lord to do His work in me. Anything I do on my own will be fruitless.

I will close with a verse that relates to the mentorship I have received in my life over the years.

Proverbs 19:20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in latter days.

I am so blessed to have the people who have poured out their lives into me over the years. I pray that I will be able to be like them as I share in the ministry of mentorship.

Praying you each have a goldy week.

Deb

When life is upside down

Hi!

Have you ever had a day, week, month or year when you truly wondered just what the Lord was doing in your life.

I have had such a week this past week. I was tired, my Fibromyalgia has been kicking me hard, I had a bad attitude about circumstances and I was frustrated by many little things. All of this came crashing down on Thursday. Words were said that I can't take back, My attitude affected others and I was just angry over circumstances that I had allowed to go on for too long.
It wasn't a pretty picture of what a godly woman is to be. As I sat stewing in my mess the Lord in his power orchestrated a whole new series of events that would once again stress me out and put more responsibility on my plate that I really wanted to handle.

A day out with my sister on Friday in Hastings turned into a family crisis when Jon's mom fell and broke her hip. After I waited three hours in Hastings for our local hospital to arrange to transport her, the ambulance finally arrived in Hastings and my frail mother in law said to me. "Debbie I was using my walker when I fell." At that moment the Lord gave me grace to put all these issues aside and just minister to her. Just the day before we had had words as she went somewhere without her walker and my response had been "Mom if you break your hip we will really have problems." The Lord already knew that this would happen and that He would put me to the test of showing grace and love or just being upset over our circumstances. All of this couldn't happened at a more inconvenient time. We are to be gone next week to a VM Mini Conference, then we come home to VBS and then the following Hannah graduates from our Home School. God knew and he also wants me to look to him and not myself to get through these next weeks and months.

This morning in my quiet time I read the following devotional by Elizabeth George.

Is this a time when nothing is going the way you planned? Keep on loving the Lord and fulfilling His purposes no matter how undesirable or unexpected your circumstances are. God's prophet Jeremiah told the bewildered people of Israel in their exile, "Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit." (Jeremiah 29:5). Was he making light of their situation? Not at all. He was essentially saying, "Hey bloom where you are planted!" Serve God regardless of your circumstance. In that same Jeremiah passage God promised that He had plans for the people of Israel--plans to prosper them and to give them hope and a future (29:11). Claim God's promise to the people of Israel... and to you!

Father, I'm excited about seeing what You have planned for my future. Even though my life isn't rosy, I know You're in charge. I'm ready to bloom for you! Amen

So if you are at the point where you don't know what is next. Remember Christ is in charge and already knows what is next for each of us.

Praying you are encouraged in the Lord today.

A Life of Prayer and Faith

Hi!

The news this past week has been filled with the death of famous people. Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays... People from around the world loved them and felt a connection with them in their personal lives. People say they were good or even great people, but what made them great? Their money, Their fame...

This past week a friend of ours went to be with the Lord. Tim Bushman was found in one of his fields near his farm in Perryton, TX by his son and the cause of death was electrocution. His dear wife Tina posted about his death of Face Book and said that they didn't question the Lord's goodness in Tim's death. Tim loved Jesus. Tim's life was centered on telling others about Christ. Although he wasn't famous and I doubt if he had many earthly riches, his spiritual bank account was filled with people he had led to the Lord. His family said they prayed that Tim's death would bring about many converts for Christ's Kingdom. So on Saturday 600 plus people gathered to celebrate Tim's life. What a testimony of how the Lord can use one man for his purposes when he is surrendered to do His father's will.

In my quiet time on Thursday I read the following from Andrey Murray's "Devotions on Prayer"

The Salvation of Souls

Christ's power to save depends on unceasing intercession. "The we can spend our time in prayer and preaching and teaching the word... God's message was preached in ever-widening circles.
The numbers of believers greatly increased" (Acts 6:4,7) After the apostles spent time away in continual prayer, the number of the disciples multiplied greatly.

As we spend time in intercession, we will see more conversions. Christ is exalted as sinners repent. The church exists with the divine purpose and promise of conversions. Don't be ashamed to confess your sin and weakness and pray to God for more conversions both here an in other countries. Plead for the salvation of sinners.

Pray in deep humility. "Yes, Lord... but even dogs are permitted to eat crumbs...Woman... your faith is great. Your request is granted." (Matt 15: 27-28)

True humility proves its integrity by not seeking anything but simply trusting His grace. And so it is the strength of a great faith. Don't let your littleness hinder you for a moment.

Andrew Murray

So my friend today I am praying for converts. I am praying that the life of our dear friend Tim will bring people to Christ. Tim was the real deal. He didn't have money or fame but he had a great faith! How will you and I be remembered when it is our time to go be with the Lord. I pray that I will be known as a woman of prayer and of great faith!

Blessings,

Deb

Father's Day

Hi!

Today was once again a day of celebration in the lives of two men in my life. First of all my dad and then my husband.

When I think about what these two men mean to me I want to weep knowing the influence they have had in my life over the past 46 years. It was my heavenly father Jesus who chose these two men to be part of my life.

First about my dad. My dad has been one of the most influential people in my life. He taught me how to work hard during the work week and then rest on the Lord's Day. From him I get my drive that powers my earthly life. From my heavenly Father I get the drive that powers my future! I am thankful that my dad made sure our family was in church every Sunday and that I didn't have a choice if I wanted to be there or not. Because of his commitment I heard about the Love of my heavenly father and gave my life to him when I was only 7 years of age. He sacrificed a lot and always encouraged me to be involved within our local church. I am thankful for this now that I am married to a pastor and involved as a team mate in the ministry the Lord has called us to. This past spring my dad struggled with a heart problem. Many times I thought that this may be the last time I see him or talk to him. I wanted him to know that I Love Him and that I am thankful that the Lord chose for me to have him as my dad.

Now about my husband. Many of the traits that I admire most in my dad, I find in my husband, Jon. And others are traits I love just about Jon. He loves the Lord. He loves people. He is passionate about the word of God. He is determined and empowered to communicate God's word to the people the Lord has chosen to hear it. He knows how to have fun and looks at life through a different set of glasses than I do. He has been the father who Hannah needed in her life and he has fathered her well. And because of him and his influence on her she came to know the Lord at age three. She has many of his traits which are a blessing from the Lord.

He has been the spiritual father that Esther, DeeDy and Steven have needed in their lives. I love to watch him talk to them. He always takes the time to communicate with each of them. His desire is to see them walking passionately with Christ. His love just spills out when he is with our kids. I love and respect this man of God that the Lord gave to me 20 years ago this August. What a gift!

Scripture tells us in James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Today I am thanking my Lord for the perfect gifts he gave to me: my dad, my husband, a my four children.

Praying you find time to thank those gifts the Lord has placed in your life. Maybe one of them will be your dad or husband.

Blessings to you!

Deb