A Blessed Life

JEHOVAH is greatly to be praised - how He has blessed my life richly with such a wonderful family and fellowship from other believers. There are many things He has taught me already this new year, and I would like to share some things with you.

"Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me." ~ Psalm 119:92-93

Delighting in the LORD has been on my mind the last few weeks. Is the living Word of God my delight and joy? The psalmist says that unless the law of God had been his delight, he would have perished!

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." ~Psalm 37:4

Then I found some things GOD delights in! These are things I want to be found faithfully working toward.

"They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight." ~Proverbs 11:20

" Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight." ~Proverbs 12:22

"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight." ~Proverbs 15:8

We celebrated Mom's birthday this month. How blessed we are to have such a virtuous example to us girls. Mom is my closest confident, my encouragement, her example of seeking after God and delighting in His Word has greatly inspired me - I don't know how to thank the LORD enought for the wonderful mother He has blessed our family with!
Mom got a lot of birthday cards this year and lots of little presents - the little ones love to cut and paste together creative gifts.

Amanda and I got to make a couple loaves of bread last week. It was a fun sister project.
Our wonderful friend and bass player has been over a lot to practice music with us as we prepare for our trip to Arizona. He always seems to find something new to show the little ones though. :)


Samuel and Hannah have worked up a piano duet that gets practiced several times a day. It is fun to hear the little ones starting to fill our home with music too!

We were blessed to enjoy fellowship with our Bible study group this Monday and celebrate Mrs. H's birthday!
It was neat to share a meal together and fellowship with each other.
Even though Greg was just getting over a terrible ear infection (extremely painful - thankfully the LORD got him through that and he had a great opportunity to rest!) he was still able to practice music with us as our trip is coming up so quickly!
Our amazing bass player, dear friend and brother in Christ. We are always blessed to have him come to our home as we have frequent practices during the week.
As Emily was playing her solo, Amanda posed for a picture. This year, Amanda has worked up a beautiful violin piece that reflects her love of classical music.
Hannah has been diligently practicing her pieces she is doing for our trip to Arizona. Her beautiful smile encourages us all to continue in our practices! :)
I think maybe Hannah was playing her solo as I waited for the next song. :)
Emily does a beautiful job on her piano pieces, whether she is accompanying Amanda on her classical piece, playing the chords for "There is a Reason" or playing along with our "Lovers Waltz". God has given her a beautiful gift of expression on the piano!
I am so thankful for Mom and her wonderful backup piano parts. She adds so much to our music. Leah snuck on her lap as one of the others had a solo. :)
Samuel and Rebekah have their duet completely memorized and it is sounding really good! :) I love to see them working together.
Amanda, Emily and I held our last FCH class with our dear little ladies yesterday. We all enjoyed making celebration cookies as we were completing the baking course in our book!
Even Leah got to join our class for a little bit. Each girl got to add her own ingredient and help stir it in.
Everyone got to have a special part in the baking and cleanup! What a blessing to have a small part in encouraging these young ladies to prepare their lives for being future keepers-at-home.
Some of the most encouraging times we have, though, are opening up the Word of God and reading a devotion aloud with the girls and studying the lives of women of God. There we talk about ways we can work on change and pray.

What special girls we have the privilege of working with!

Sweet friends
We are so blessed to know these dear girls.
Our last Future Christian Homemakers class until we get back from Arizona. We had a special afternoon with these dear young ladies!


This morning, during our family devotions, everyone had a chance to share what they learned from their personal devotions, and several of the verses and thoughts came from Proverbs. Mom shared a verse from chapter 17:3 "The fining-pot is for sliver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts." And from her commentary by Charles Bridges, she read a really good thought that I wanted to share with you:

The gold must be put into the furnace. So mixed is it with dross, that the workman's eye can scarcely discover it. Till it has undergone the fire, it is unfit for use. None of us know ourselves, until 'the fire has tried every man's work'. Painful indeed is the purifying process. The flesh trembles at the fire. Shall we not commit ourselves with well grounded confidence to his wisdom, tenderness and love. Is not any furnace, that purges away our dross of earthiness, that brings us to know ourselves, our God - a mighty blessing? Nothing but dross will perish. The vilest earth will be turned into the finest gold. No refiner ever watched the furnace with such exactness and care. Strange as it may seem to see the gold left in the fire, he that put it there would be loathe to lose it. He 'sits' in patient watchfulness, moderating the heat, and carefully marking the moment, when it shall be brought through the fire, and set out in all the sining of the purifying trial.

The part that hit me most this morning was that God is moderating the heat and watching - knowing exactly when to take us out. But without the heat of the fiery trial, we cannot be purified. What are the trials God has placed in my life? Am I THANKING Him for them, knowing that He has specially ordained them for my life to shape and prepare me for greater things? I was reminded on Monday night by a friend that PRAISE is everything. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. ~1 Thessalonians 5:18 Even through a trial or pain, still God should get all the praise and glory. There are Christians around the world who are praying to have the privilege to SUFFER for the Name of Christ! I was reminded to thank the LORD for what ever circumstances God allows in my life, whether they seem good or hard in my own eyes.

Emily is such a wonderful sister. She and Leah have a lot of fun together.
Today, Greg and Leah played some piano together while Mom worked on stuff for Arizona.

Often, Hannah and Rebekah work on their chores together - including feeding the chickens in the snow! :) I saw after they were done, Hannah was running Rebekah around in the sled. They were so happy today for the snow as we have not had any this season (to speak of).
When we girls packed the trailer a couple days ago, we didn't think we'd need our crock pot until we left, but my meal today required it, so when I asked if the kids could run an errand for me, they were more than delighted to have an excuse to put on snow stuff and tread through the blowing snow. They had a great idea - Leah was the bearer of the crock pot on her little sled! :)


Another verse that caught my attention from a conversation yesterday at the H. house (we got to help package more carrots) was Jeremiah 2:2b "Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown." JEHOVAH loved it when the children of Israel followed after Him in the wilderness for 40 years... and they went after Him only WHEN their source of food, water and security were tried and taken away from them - then they realized their great need for the One who created them. This make me think and ask myself how much am I seeking after God? He loves to be pursued ... am I wholeheartedly seeking after my Maker and Redeemer - at ALL times, or just when I am really desperate and at the end of my "rope"? And look at this verse!! "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. ~Psalm 119:2

If you could pray for Dad - he is on a business trip and will be traveling home Friday. We pray the weather is decent so he can drive home once he arrives! Thank you.

Keep seeking after God with your whole heart! There are blessings for those who obey and fear JEHOVAH!

To end this post though, I would just like to share the words of a beautiful song that a friend gave me a copy of which really spoke to me this week.

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That he should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss -
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen one
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life -
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart -
His wounds have paid my ransom.

Through Christ Alone,

~Dani