Saturday afternoon found me at a friend's house... a friend who very graciously offered me the use of her house to have a little picnic/party. The sweet thing about this friend is her mom and 6 sisters (yup - 6!) had been in Tennessee for the past 7 weeks, but chose to come home for two days for my little party. This mom is leaving tonight after church with her son to go back down to Tennessee. When she told me that she came home *just* for my party, I started to cry. Here is friendship expressed! I was very humbled and grateful that she came home.
The party was a chance for me to begin to say good-bye to my church family. It was very nice to be able to sit around talking with dearly loved saints and then to play volleyball as well:o). Although everyone couldn't come, I enjoyed my time with the ones who could!
This morning in church was very sweet too... my last Sunday morning service for a while. One lady (who is almost like the grandma-for-everyone-at-church) gave my mom some money to pass along to me. I dearly hope I'll be able to see her before I leave on Thursday. Another lady, who is the mom of a few of my students, and I had a wonderful opportunity to chit-chat for about 15 minutes. That was my "good-bye" to her, because I know I will not see everyone Wednesday night to say good-bye. A third good-bye was said to a man who used to have a store across from my house and now has cancer. Bro. W. is greatly loved by my family and has helped us so much over the years.
And now, another good-bye has to be said. I probably will have very little time to blog this week and so I'm closing out the posting on this blog. Thank you blog readers for encouraging me over the past 8 months... just to see all the blessings in black and white has shown me my Father truly does care about each step I take!!!
I will resume all posting at my other blog ~ From My Perspective ~ and really do hope that you will join me over there to keep up with all that takes place in Thailand. The Lord has done great things for me whereof I am glad!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Friday, August 01, 2008
August 1, 2008
My blessing for today was my passport made it back to me - safe and sound and attached inside was my year-long multiple entry visa! Praise the Lord! This was the last major thing for me to do before Thailand.
Next step?
Pack it all up! I head for the airport in less than two weeks!!!!
Next step?
Pack it all up! I head for the airport in less than two weeks!!!!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
July 24, 2008
I posted on my other blog about the money necklace that my friends gave to me last Thursday...
... but I didn't post about my prayer card blessing! I really wish I would have a copy of it on my home computer so I could post a picture, but you'll just have to take my word that it turned out really well! Katie (pictured above with me) has been given a special talent of doing computer graphics and design, and she sweetly labored over my prayer card and put in her own special touch. Once Katie finished it, I was going to have it sent out to be printed (to the tune of $30.00+), but after talking with one of the guys on staff, we figured out that we could print the cards at church for a fraction of the cost! So that's what happened. Instead of paying the said $30.00+ and waiting 10 days for the cards to come in, we were able to print them for slightly over $3.00 and I immediately had them in hand! Another added benefit was I was able to determine how many I wanted printed, not a pre-determined amount set by the printing company. I've already started distributing them to my church family and friends, which has also prompted a flurry of "when do you leave?" questions:o). If you would like to receive a prayer card, feel free to e-mail me and I'll mail one out to ya!
One more thought... my Sunday School teacher mentioned this on Sunday morning: when the children of Israel were crossing the Jordan River, the river receded at each step the priests took. It wasn't like the Red Sea which was parted by Moses; each step was really a step of faith. How applicable! How like our God to continue that same pattern all these years later... each step I take ~ guided by His Hand!
... but I didn't post about my prayer card blessing! I really wish I would have a copy of it on my home computer so I could post a picture, but you'll just have to take my word that it turned out really well! Katie (pictured above with me) has been given a special talent of doing computer graphics and design, and she sweetly labored over my prayer card and put in her own special touch. Once Katie finished it, I was going to have it sent out to be printed (to the tune of $30.00+), but after talking with one of the guys on staff, we figured out that we could print the cards at church for a fraction of the cost! So that's what happened. Instead of paying the said $30.00+ and waiting 10 days for the cards to come in, we were able to print them for slightly over $3.00 and I immediately had them in hand! Another added benefit was I was able to determine how many I wanted printed, not a pre-determined amount set by the printing company. I've already started distributing them to my church family and friends, which has also prompted a flurry of "when do you leave?" questions:o). If you would like to receive a prayer card, feel free to e-mail me and I'll mail one out to ya!
One more thought... my Sunday School teacher mentioned this on Sunday morning: when the children of Israel were crossing the Jordan River, the river receded at each step the priests took. It wasn't like the Red Sea which was parted by Moses; each step was really a step of faith. How applicable! How like our God to continue that same pattern all these years later... each step I take ~ guided by His Hand!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
A week of blessings.
The blessings are abounding, and now I need to jot them down!
My first blessing is this: I've needed new contacts for a while, so I scheduled an eye appointment with my doctor. Total cost of what the appointment would be? $109. Total cost of the contacts? $22 a box. After telling a friend this, she recommended 1-800-Contacts. I put my prescription in with them and the total cost came to $79.99, including shipping. That was less ($19.99 a box) than what my eye doctor would charge ($22 a box) and I didn't have to pay for the appointment! Total savings? $117.01!
Onto the next blessing: I called my cell phone company the other day and asked about putting a "hold" on my plan for when I'm gone. At first the guy said that he could only do 90 days for me. Then he put me on hold and talked to his supervisor. He came back and said he could put a hold on my phone for 6 months and at the end of that 6 months, I need to call again to see if I can get an extension. My plan would have expired in January, but once they put a hold on my plan, it will just continue on as happy as can be where I'll actually be using it when I return:o). Total savings? $250 over 6 months!
My third blessing: I did a yard sale last Saturday, even while having a sprained ankle. You see, I have some pretty amazing friends who came and loaded all my stuff up and set it out at another friend's house. We started at 8 and were done by 5 and almost the whole day was spent sitting around talking. My targeted goal was $150, and I made $148. I still have lots of stuff left over, so we're going to be doing another yard sale before I leave for Thailand. The Lord answered my prayer because this yard sale covered the cost of my contacts and some luggage as well!
Another blessing I have is this: I've been doing the MyPoints program for a while now and just redeemed some points for a $25 gift card to Walmart. After I did that, I got an e-mail saying I could receive another $25 gift card if I sign up for a MyPoints credit card. All I had to do was activate it and use it once and now another $25 gift card is on its way to me. $50 in gift cards are going to come in handy when I start preparing to buy for my trip!
My fifth blessing is this: I switched my car insurance in February and knew that I would be getting a new card here in August. For some reason I thought it was only a 6-month policy so I was planning on having to pay for car insurance... which would have been due the day after I leave! Well, I got my new card last night... but no bill. I was a little confused at first, but then realized that I actually paid for a whole year of insurance back in February, instead of only 6 months! The Lord is so good because now I'll only have to pay it in February, not in August!
God is so good to me and I want to do what the psalmist said: "in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee." I praise the Lord for all that He has done and is doing in my life!
Job 31:4 says, ~ "Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?" That is exactly what the Lord has done for me as I take it step by step... He is seeing my ways and counting my steps!
My first blessing is this: I've needed new contacts for a while, so I scheduled an eye appointment with my doctor. Total cost of what the appointment would be? $109. Total cost of the contacts? $22 a box. After telling a friend this, she recommended 1-800-Contacts. I put my prescription in with them and the total cost came to $79.99, including shipping. That was less ($19.99 a box) than what my eye doctor would charge ($22 a box) and I didn't have to pay for the appointment! Total savings? $117.01!
Onto the next blessing: I called my cell phone company the other day and asked about putting a "hold" on my plan for when I'm gone. At first the guy said that he could only do 90 days for me. Then he put me on hold and talked to his supervisor. He came back and said he could put a hold on my phone for 6 months and at the end of that 6 months, I need to call again to see if I can get an extension. My plan would have expired in January, but once they put a hold on my plan, it will just continue on as happy as can be where I'll actually be using it when I return:o). Total savings? $250 over 6 months!
My third blessing: I did a yard sale last Saturday, even while having a sprained ankle. You see, I have some pretty amazing friends who came and loaded all my stuff up and set it out at another friend's house. We started at 8 and were done by 5 and almost the whole day was spent sitting around talking. My targeted goal was $150, and I made $148. I still have lots of stuff left over, so we're going to be doing another yard sale before I leave for Thailand. The Lord answered my prayer because this yard sale covered the cost of my contacts and some luggage as well!
Another blessing I have is this: I've been doing the MyPoints program for a while now and just redeemed some points for a $25 gift card to Walmart. After I did that, I got an e-mail saying I could receive another $25 gift card if I sign up for a MyPoints credit card. All I had to do was activate it and use it once and now another $25 gift card is on its way to me. $50 in gift cards are going to come in handy when I start preparing to buy for my trip!
My fifth blessing is this: I switched my car insurance in February and knew that I would be getting a new card here in August. For some reason I thought it was only a 6-month policy so I was planning on having to pay for car insurance... which would have been due the day after I leave! Well, I got my new card last night... but no bill. I was a little confused at first, but then realized that I actually paid for a whole year of insurance back in February, instead of only 6 months! The Lord is so good because now I'll only have to pay it in February, not in August!
God is so good to me and I want to do what the psalmist said: "in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee." I praise the Lord for all that He has done and is doing in my life!
Job 31:4 says, ~ "Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?" That is exactly what the Lord has done for me as I take it step by step... He is seeing my ways and counting my steps!
Monday, July 07, 2008
June 28, 2008
Within the past week and a half, I've had some money given to me by a couple of people. Do you remember my grandfather's 87-year-old cousin who slipped me a $10 at a family bridal shower? She gave me $5 last Saturday at a family reunion and I just kept thinking, "Little is much when God is in it!"
Then before choir practice on Sunday, a friend of mine handed me a note that really encouraged me! On the left side of the card she had attached some money to the card with an elephant sticker. How appropriate! Elephants are a common sight in Thailand (so common that I saw a few outside of the mall:D) and are also known for their memory! So thank you M. for encouraging me and helping me along with my trip!
M.'s sister has been a big help to me in getting my prayer card done! She e-mailed me a couple of options and I just want to praise the Lord for the talent and skill he has given K. in this area! What a blessing!
One more thing. While at summer camp this past week, Bro. Richard Mick was preaching and said, "you know, some people are afraid God is going to call them to South America or Africa or, or, Thailand!" As I was talking with him later, I shared all that the Lord has done to prepare me to go, and he was a real blessing and encouragement to me. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!
In about 5 weeks I'll be boarding that plane for Thailand... but until then, there are lots of steps I need to take and I'm sure the Lord will guide them all!
Then before choir practice on Sunday, a friend of mine handed me a note that really encouraged me! On the left side of the card she had attached some money to the card with an elephant sticker. How appropriate! Elephants are a common sight in Thailand (so common that I saw a few outside of the mall:D) and are also known for their memory! So thank you M. for encouraging me and helping me along with my trip!
M.'s sister has been a big help to me in getting my prayer card done! She e-mailed me a couple of options and I just want to praise the Lord for the talent and skill he has given K. in this area! What a blessing!
One more thing. While at summer camp this past week, Bro. Richard Mick was preaching and said, "you know, some people are afraid God is going to call them to South America or Africa or, or, Thailand!" As I was talking with him later, I shared all that the Lord has done to prepare me to go, and he was a real blessing and encouragement to me. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!
In about 5 weeks I'll be boarding that plane for Thailand... but until then, there are lots of steps I need to take and I'm sure the Lord will guide them all!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
June 15,2008
Two Sundays ago, I mentioned to my friend that I would be willing to work for her (she has Cerebral Palsy) if she had any extra hours. She immediately replied that she didn't have anyone working the next night (Monday), so I said "sure!" The next day she called to tell me one of her regular workers stopped working for family reasons, and that unexpectedly opened up some hours - for me! Now I realize for her this wasn't necessarily a good thing, but God provided a temporary fix for the problem and the timing worked out perfectly. I'm slated to work for her two nights this week as well as a Saturday in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure how many hours I'm eventually going to get, but this is such a testimony of God's provision. Isn't He good?!?
I just love seeing the Lord work in my life and then being able to share it with you all! As He leads me, I am following. There are still 51 more days until I leave for Thailand and I'm looking forward to what the Lord has in store:o).
I just love seeing the Lord work in my life and then being able to share it with you all! As He leads me, I am following. There are still 51 more days until I leave for Thailand and I'm looking forward to what the Lord has in store:o).
Sunday, June 08, 2008
June 8, 2008
Two friends and I were planning a trip to Ohio to visit the Longaberger Basket place. In the middle of last week, we switched from going to Ohio to going to Boston (there's a reason behind it, but would take a little time to explain). I'm fine with either because I just wanted to spend time with my friends:o). Well we thought it would be best to find a fourth person to go along with us, but the three people we asked couldn't go. So we figured we would still have a good time and proceeded to make hotel reservations.
Well today a fourth person was found! That in and of itself is a blessing to pretty much us girls because you faithful blog readers could probably care less as to who is going:o). But the blessing is that this girl has family right outside of Boston! So we just went from paying $60.00 for the hotel rooms (per person) down to $0.00 (we'll bring a hostess gift with us!).
Isn't the Lord good? He knew we were asking the wrong people to go with us because He knew Sarah's family would graciously open their home ~ for free! So all that hotel money goes right back into the bank ~ to the Thailand fund.
Each step I take along this Thailand journey is being directed by the Lord ~ even to the point where He closes one door and opens another!
Praise the Lord!
Well today a fourth person was found! That in and of itself is a blessing to pretty much us girls because you faithful blog readers could probably care less as to who is going:o). But the blessing is that this girl has family right outside of Boston! So we just went from paying $60.00 for the hotel rooms (per person) down to $0.00 (we'll bring a hostess gift with us!).
Isn't the Lord good? He knew we were asking the wrong people to go with us because He knew Sarah's family would graciously open their home ~ for free! So all that hotel money goes right back into the bank ~ to the Thailand fund.
Each step I take along this Thailand journey is being directed by the Lord ~ even to the point where He closes one door and opens another!
Praise the Lord!
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