May 29, 2008

I'm behind, behind, behind in posting my blessings for Thailand. So much so that I think I've forgotten a few which is what I didn't want happening. Here goes what I can remember:

• Let me first preface this by saying I am a blonde. When I was in South Dakota to graduate, I met with the Chancellor of the school to go over some last minute details. As we talked, he asked me if I knew why I didn't have to pay the fee most graduates do. I didn't quite understand what he was talking about, but as I sat down on Monday to do my banking statement, I realized Great Plains never cashed my check. It took me over a week to figure out the impact of that conversation we had in the chancellor's office. So there's an extra $60.00 I thought was gone out the window!
• Last Thursday night, I was over at my brother's house helping him with all the wedding plans. Before I left, he handed me $100.00 to celebrate my graduation. It was unexpected, but very appreciated!
• There is a missionary family from Mexico at my church right now. The wife came into the office yesterday so I introduced myself to her and she asked me if I was the Anne that went to Thailand. When I said yes, she replied, "We were praying for you!" Isn't that such a blessing? To think that a missionary I've never met before (face to face) was praying for me while I was in Thailand last year was just incredible. It made me stop and think how many other people (such as yourselves) really are praying for me!

I read in Jeremiah 2:6 last night these words:

"Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?"

I can say that very same thing. The Lord has brought me: 1 - out of the land of Egypt, 2 - led me through the wilderness, 3 - through a land of deserts and pits, 4 - through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, 5 - through a land that no man passed through and will continue to lead me!

Each step I take, through all sorts of terrain, the Lord is leading me along!

April 26, 2008

So I've been a little lax in posting blessings, but this one (though it may seem small!) is worth mentioning. The point of this blog is to praise the Lord for each blessing, no matter the size. The Lord gives, and I have the opportunity to praise His Name!

Well, two weeks ago, one of my students agreed to replace my gas tank "door" on my car (long story short: it froze over back in the cold months and I tried to pop it off with my key when at the gas station and promptly broke it off because I was trying to pop it off on the wrong side!)

So anyway:o).

Now that the balmy, spring weather is here, my student very nicely fixed it for me. He's into cars so this was right up his alley. Well, I knew the Lord was prompting me to pay him, but I kinda cringed inside and said, "Lord, I only have 10 dollars for the whole week!" But I decided to follow the Lord and gave Luke the 10 dollars for his effort (the verse "for the labourer is worthy of his hire" came to mind) and trust the Lord to provide.

Fast forward to last Saturday (4/26/08). My mom and I went to pick up my grandfather's 87-year-old cousin for a family bridal shower and naturally the topic of when I leave for Thailand came up. I told her and didn't think anything more about it. After the shower was over and as we were dropping her off, Ruth said, "Now I know it's not much, but I want you to take this money and put it towards your trip." Would you believe that the money she handed me was a $10 bill?

Go ahead and try to convince me that God doesn't provide. I simply won't believe you because I've seen Him provide for me ever so faithfully.

Each step, hidden or not, is truly being led by the Lord!

April 25, 2008

It's been silent here on the blog for the past couple of weeks, but not in my world of travel agents and discount tickets. It is now unofficially official! I bought my airline ticket (one-way!) to Bangkok, Thailand for $796.40. Let me tell ya, with the rising cost of fuel, it's not getting any cheaper than that.

So after leaving Thailand on August 16, 2007, I shall, Lord willing, enter Thailand on August 15, 2008!

Each step... each step!

April 10, 2008

A couple of weeks ago, I travelled to Illinois with the high school for a week long competition. Having previously discussed the fact that I would not be paid while I was away, I said that was fine and went to Illinois with the teens.

So imagine my surprise when I received my paycheck today and noticed that my hours were incorrectly figured. I mentioned this to the main secretary and she got this goofy grin on her face and then told me I got paid for the time I was away! Isn't that like the Lord to provide in an unexpected way? Just this week I had to take $100 out of the bank for an urgent need, and I was discouraged. Almost my whole paycheck (minus tithe & faith promise and gas money) is going in my savings fund for Thailand, and here I had to take some money out. But the Lord so generously gave back to me today and I praise His name!

More and more the Lord is showing me that it's a step at a time... nothing more, nothing less.

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

~Luke 6:38~

April 2, 2008

Last year around this time.... you know, tax time.... a really smart man in my church agreed to figure out my taxes for me, and I ended up getting a super-big refund! That refund had a big part in funding last year's Thailand trip. I knew this year I wouldn't be getting as big of a refund, but today I sat down with said really smart man and got a refund amount figured out. Now don't laugh, but this is such a blessing to me because it shows me the power of my God! I was praying my refund for this year would be enough to cover an airline ticket (one-way) and would you believe that it is just enough to cover the ticket? Based on what I checked out on the Internet tonight for flights (and remembering that there is a shipping fee to get the paper ticket to me), the refund is exactly what I need.

Isn't the Lord so good?!?!

I truly delight in all the blessings He has given to me and here is just another prime example of Him directing my footsteps... right down to the toe prints:o).

March 24, 2008

I was away on a trip to Illinois for this whole week, but I have a blessing to share from the beginning of the week!

To make a long story short, I am graduating this May from a Baptist College in South Dakota. I only just found that out 2 weeks ago. I wasn't sure if I had enough credits to graduate, so I was planning on taking an extra class and paid for it, thinking I might need the credits. When I found out I didn't need to take the class, I asked for a refund on the money I paid, and was given the complete amount back! This does tie into Thailand, I assure you! I have a graduation fee coming up that I needed to pay, but with this refund, I'll be able to cover half of the fee needed!

Another big blessing is that I've been praying for quite a while about graduation and all the expenses it would entail. The cheapest flight I could find was over $300.00 and that didn't include a rental car, hotel, etc. Well, it "just so happens" (ha! Nothing "just so happens" with the Lord!) that my brother is getting married a week after I graduate, and my other brother and sister-in-law would be coming in for that wedding, so my sister-in-law agreed to drive with me to South Dakota and back, and then said I could drive home with them to PA!

So all that I needed was a one-way ticket to Chicago, and the Lord provided that too for such a reasonable price (to the tune of $78) which a dear friend bought for me. As I've seen the blessings roll in regarding graduation, I knew the Lord was answering prayer in a mighty big way. I thought this trip to South Dakota would cost at least $600.00, but so far it's only cost $105.00. Isn't the Lord so good?!? The remainder money can all be saved and put towards the Thailand fund.

This might not have been my "typical" post, but I can see the Lord moving and directing my very steps ... all the while showing off His great miracles!

I just read this verse this morning and thought it to be so applicable and true:

"O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." ~ Isaiah 25:1

March 16, 2008

The blessings just keep rolling in! If you don't read my other blog, here is a blessing that the Lord gave to me today, and I am so thankful!

One blessing that the Lord has given to me is in regards to my Faith Promise Giving. Isn't it neat that the Lord gives the burden for a specific dollar amount, provides the money for the offering, and then continues to unload more blessings on top of it all!

Sunday was that way for me. I was excited to write out my check for tithing and faith promise. The Lord has shown Himself very faithful in the past ten years, and then gave me an added blessing Sunday night. A dear lady in my church handed me an envelope and inside was $125.00 from herself and her daughter. But what blessed me even more so was the fact that she wrote that she was praying for me and I know it's true!

Every step I take is because of the ever-faithful God! What a mighty God we serve!!!