God Stuff: August-October 2012
It has been crazy busy around here, with a house full of guests off and on all August, my sis-in-law having a new baby (their first), another sis-in-law getting married this last weekend and showing, after showing, after showing in between (house still for sale, no sheriff sale date yet so praying it sells prior as we do want to do the right thing and pay our debts properly). Not to mention various jobs cropping up here and there that have been part of God’s supplying for our needs.
Paintings have been sold, books have been sold, websites have been designed and hosted, I have helped out with appraisals (a side job I have been doing on an as needed basis for 15 years), and so on.
God has provided despite book sales slowing down (though they are still paying the bills) and while we are gearing up for the next book to be finished soon:
- monetary gifts from all sides– including one left under a box of old fashioned oats in the pantry by a house guest which was found just when we were out of money and nearly out of food. Another friend pressed money into my hand after a visit over tea. Our birthdays (Shamus’ and mine are 4 days apart in August) brought money that went to groceries and came right on time. Also a check we had been waiting on came a the perfect time to pay two months of bills.
- physical gifts of food, gas, clothes, and video games (yes, video games and what a blessing they are.:)) One friend has a huge garden and has been giving us their surplus– tons of onions, potatoes, garlic, and apples. My dad’s raspberry bushes have meant lots of pies and smoothies. Our own blueberry bush had more blueberries than we have ever seen on it– a gallon a day for months. Another friend bought us multiple tanks of gas while she was visiting. Another guest was moving across country and brought us all the freezer stuff that they wouldn’t be using (and which would make it for the trip). That freezer full of meat has continued to bless us as we can’t afford to buy any at the store (well nothing worth buying– this is all grass fed beef and free range chicken– all the weird stuff like hearts and chicken legs). Another friend brought us tons of peaches, eggplant, and herbs from her garden plus several computers that needed fixing (including one they didn’t want that we could have) and traded us fixing the computers for a family photo session– the first we have had in ages.
- blessings through many other sources– items on sale or clearance that meant we could make our funds stretch so much further, the perfect gift at the thrift shop for Issac’s birthday next week on sale for half price ($2.50 for his entire birthday present). Extra cake from the wedding reception that means Issac will have a cake for his birthday next week. Ice cream super on sale at our local Walmart so he also gets ice cream. A free cup of coffee at the dinky little gas station that just happens to be 20 cents cheaper than all the surrounding gas stations– and that coffee was very needed for Rach because she was heading to work and had a massive headache (and is the best coffee I have ever tasted– that stuff was amazing.) There have been so many cases of “exactly what we needed at exactly the right time for the perfect price” that I can’t list them all.

God is so good to us and continues to take care of us and it is exciting to hear the kids response when someone mentions no money for such and such, whatever the need: “God will take care of it. He has gotten us this far so we can trust Him to continue.” Yup, that’s it exactly.
Love you guys! Live in the Joy of the Lord!
“Though he stumble, he will not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds him with His hand… He is ever merciful and lends, and his descendants are blessed.”
sooooooo awesome! i know you’ve been busy … have thot to call a few times but knew it wouldn’t be a good time. the right time will come. we’ve had so much of the same … God providing exactly the need at the exact time. some friends are taking another one of those church financial things … and i know they’re good. our financial plan is simply trusting God for each need … b/c that’s the only way the gap between what we need and what we have is met. and God has so much more ability and resources than we ever could, even if we had loaded bank accounts. LOVE your family photo! i am thinking all of us might be ready for something like that in the next year or so … the blending takes time, and i hate to force the kids into the blend. however, we’ve seen such huge progress even the last few months that i know God is all over this. there will be that time when everyone is ready to be in one picture at the same time and call it a ‘family photo.’
so love your updates – very much encouraging 🙂
love to all of you
So very blessed by your life, my friend. Love and hugs…