I'm not! But He is!!

God is good.

God is wise.

God is gracious.

God is patient.

God is just.

God is merciful.

God is faithful.

God is enough.

God is MORE than enough.

God is sovereign.

God is the "I AM". [See Exodus 3, John 8]

And just as God is "I AM", I...am not. I am not worthy that I should be called a child of the Most High. I am not deserving of such a tender & faithful Father. I am not righteous or holy, that I should expect the blessings of eternal life. I am not anything good apart from Christ.

But my heart is full tonight of the God who IS!!! The last couple of weeks have brought such an outpouring of His lavish love and blessing on our lives. Not only as He has financially & materially provided for us (a friend dropping off prayed-for household necessities in bulk; clothes, cases of diapers & wipes, and a $100 gift card left on our doorstep in early morning hours; a $600 gift from people in our church family, $200 gift from a faraway missionary friend, $50 from another church family, and just yesterday an anonymous $50 gift card in time to pay for our gas that we needed to travel to Dartmouth) - but as He has taken care of our hopes & dreams, for they are precious to Him, too, as we seek His face!

We followed His leading to announce that it was time to close up the Bible House about 3 weeks ago. We were bummed, because we really enjoyed what we were doing! To be able to spend our time and our available resources to bring the Word of God to those in our community!!! A dream job, indeed! But He had an even BETTER plan. When Will started calling our distributors to tell them he was closing the store, most of them told him that he could actually just keep the accounts open even though we won't have a store front. Which means that people (like you!) can still order from the "Jaffrey Bible House". It's just that the Bible House will look pretty much identical to our apartment, because people will pick up orders from our home instead of from the shop underneath our home. He is allowing us to continue our "dream job" in a different form, while enabling Will to find other employment! It's a win-win-win - I think that's what it's called, anyways...

And our sweet Elizabeth had a procedure done up at Dartmouth today, which revealed that she "most likely" does not have Hirschsprung's disease (we're waiting to hear back for the official news). The procedure was an intense one, and while there was crying (on Elizabeth's part), and while the mother's heart in me was nervous as all get-out that there would be long-term trauma...overall it couldn't have gone much better than it did. I praise God that He loves my daughters even more than I do, and that He promises that when we stay our minds on Him in times of trouble that His perfect peace keeps us. And while it looks like there's not an exact diagnosis of Elizabeth's problem, we know that God created every single cell in Elizabeth's body just the way He needed to so that her life would bring Him the most glory. And so her life, and ours as parents, has become a walk of faith (like it is with every child!). 

And so, even when circumstances seem pretty unfavorable, ah! we glory in the truth that God is the Great 'I AM'. And He is all good things. He is leading us His way, which is perfect to grow us to be more and more like Christ. No matter what joys or trials lay ahead of me and my dear family, we know that each one is for our good and His glorious Name's sake.

God is. good. all the time.

Selah.

For the glory of the Great 'I AM',

Lisha

And Now What?

Sometimes, God asks us to do things not because He plans on making them "successful" the way the world sees success, but because He's working something out for another time - something we can't see yet.

[I think that bothers some people. Whether they claim to follow Jesus or not. The idea that God will not always financially prosper us when we obey Him is a frightening concept for people who place a lot of their security in money. Does it bother you?]

Obedience to God always brings blessing. He says so in His Word, therefore it is true. Those who are obedient are promised blessings and prosperity. But blessings and prosperity are not equal to money, the newest cell phones, cable, new clothes for you or your kids, a cushy house, your new SUV, or great health. The greatest blessing from the Lord that we can receive is to be close to Him, and if a struggling business, or losing a baby, or a chronic health condition is what will bring me to that point of closeness, I will walk through it in faith that He knows what is best.

And now what? We don't really know. In 9 days, we'll pack up and close the Bible House. So far, there's no other employment; Will has applied but we're waiting. And through it all, God will continue to be faithful.

My prayer through this time is that you, dear friends, see clearly the hand of God's provision and His unyielding faithfulness even when we fall short of His glory (which is often!). Do not look at what we've done as a waste, for nothing in God's economy is wasted. He is conforming us to the likeness of Christ; He is using our story to draw people to follow Him for eternity! How can there be anything more blessed or prosperous than that?!

For His glory!
Lisha :)

Faith and the Force.

"I don't see it, Lord. I can't see what You're doing!"

While I was praying this morning, that cry escaped my lips. It's one of desperation. And it's true.

I can't see what God is doing. Or what He's going to do. The Lord seems to be closing the door on what has been an exciting season of our lives with no clear indication of what's next. He has brought us a little closer to an answer for Elizabeth's digestive woes, but that answer is not shaping up to be a pleasant one.

And in the quietness of my heart after this passionate plea for Him to at least let me in on where's He's going with this, a whisper to my soul - a verse:

I want you to walk by faith, not sight. [see 2 Corinthians 5:7]

How many times has God let us down? Even though it feels like He is right now - His track record for provision and guidance has been impeccable. Perfect. He has never forsaken us. I don't need to be able to see how He's using our lives in the minds & hearts of the people around us. I don't need to know what we're going to do in a couple of weeks. I don't need to know right now whether or not Elizabeth has this rare disease they're testing for. I need to trust Him - that He knows what is best and that He will not allow anything that He has not already purposed to use for His glory and our good.

Remember the scene in Star Wars when Luke is trying to defend himself against that zappy-ball thing?

notetoelf.blogspot.com

When he's attempting it with his own resources and senses, he gets zapped. But when he covers his eyes and lets the Force move him, it's no longer a problem. That's the visual I had in my head when I was getting ready this morning...which is weird. Star Wars is not usually my go-to for explanations of my spiritual life. While I don't believe the movie is a strong allegory for the life of someone who's following Christ - it kind of explains how I feel right now. So watch out, world! I'm putting on my helmet, and letting God guide. It's a lot more exhilarating, and much more effective, than trying to work it all out on my own.

Walking by faith,
for His glory!
Lisha :)

I may be sharing this post at one of these helpful homemaking link-up parties!

[If this post has encouraged, inspired, or blessed you, please comment or share it with a friend!]

Come and hear...

Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will declare what He has done for my soul!
I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.
But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer,
nor His mercy from me!!
[Psalm 66:16-20]


I feel like now is a grand time to declare what the Lord has been doing for my soul these past few months! He has been renovating my life in so many ways! Bear with me; my thoughts are unorganized. I'm about to pour out what's on my heart & mind...

My desire to know more about who God is and what He has done and is doing and will do is intensifying. Some people can't start their day without coffee; I find that I can no longer start my day well unless I've had ample time to read the Word and pray. What a difference it makes! No, it doesn't magically make everything go well; I mean that it makes a world of difference in the way that I react to what is happening around me. I still have days when kids pee on the floor or sisters fight or break things or scream at me or lie. I have days when people I love die or end a friendship with me or I'm berated for the choices I've made. But in all those things, there is a peace that passes all understanding; there is patience with some to spare; there is on my tongue the law of kindness and wisdom - all mine from the Lord if I'm but willing to take time to ask for it!

God is bringing peace and restoration to our marriage. I tend to be stubborn, selfish, and critical often with Will. And the Lord is convicting me and softening up this ugly heart. I am finding that the more I let the Word of Christ dwell richly in me - the more I just am so overwhemingly grateful for the gift God has given to me in having Will as my husband (corny joke time: I married God's Will!! pahahahahahaha. OK.)

Even though Elizabeth is testing her ability to be both openly AND passive-aggressively defiant, and Abby spends quite a bit of time some days standing with her face to the wall, and Hannah has a blatant disregard for the term "no" - I am finding joy! real joy! in loving and training my girls how to be women of the Word of God and enjoying the privilege of being their teacher (and all of the other roles that I get to fill). When I get frustrated with them (which happens often some days, especially those days when I haven't fed my soul with Scripture!) and snap, mock, or yell at them, God is teaching me and humbling me by giving them such forgiving hearts. A wife and mom - what a noble calling, for them that are called!

And most noticeably (for me), is the increase of faith in God as Jehovah-Jireh (The God who Provides!). Will and I were obedient to God's call on our hearts over a year and a half ago to start the process of opening up His Bible house here in town. We don't know what we're doing in the way of running a business - we just follow His lead. And there have been periods of time when we haven't heard His voice as clearly because like Peter, we've stopped staring at Jesus and instead looked around to realize He's got us doing something dangerous. "Lord! Save us! We're drowning! We don't have an income to rely on! Bills are due! Girls need shoes! Phones are shut off! Jesus! We can't do this - it's not natural!!"

And the reason it doesn't seem natural to leave a decently-paying job when you have a wife and three small girls at home to open a Christian bookstore in the middle of a recession is because IT ISN'T NATURAL. It's super-natural. All that has been accomplished through the Bible House is because God alone has orchestrated it. We're not faithful superheroes. We are a couple of ordinary, uninteresting people whom God has chosen to render others speechless and uncomfortable.

We have seen God's miraculous doings. When we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, He adds unto us that which we need.

Lately, our faith in this area is being tested. We are going through a deeper refining. Though the Lord has always been faithful to provide for our true needs (food and clothing), it has been His way for the last four months to not allow completely for rent, hot water, electricity, college loans, car insurance, and other things. We have not shared this before - partly out of pride, for which I beg your forgiveness - and partly because we did not want people to think we felt that God was not providing and/or being unjust. Will recently made the decision, however (and I believe it's a wise and obedient one) that if the Lord does not provide all of the money that we need to pay late and next month's rent on time (January 5th), that he is going to take that as the Lord's sign that we are to close the store and move on to the next chapter of God's story for us. We are praying for a miracle!! To us, the amount that we owe is so great, so insurmountable, so impossible that it gets so easy to get sidetracked from the truth that God owns all of the money everywhere ever and can meet that need in a heartbeat. All of those weeks when we made less than $100 might have been because He wants to display His ability to provide huge things now.

I grapple with the reason why He hasn't done it yet. If He hates debt so much, why hasn't He allowed us to pay each of our bills on time?! We don't need more than that; just enough so that the collection phone calls stop and we don't live with the real possibility of being evicted. But God is sovereign, my friends, and everything He allows (good or bad) is used to glorify Himself and to make us more like Christ!!! And that is one of my deepest heart's desires, that I identify with Christ so much that people look at my life and their minds are blown because they see that Christ is REAL and ALIVE, working in my life!!! and that He came to set them free from their slavery to sin if they would just accept that gift!!

Bookstore or no bookstore, whatever God has for us in the coming days/weeks/months/years, I trust Him completely and absolutely. He may ask us to close the store because He's got something more amazing for us - another way that we can live a life that is dedicated to sharing the hope of Jesus with people full-time - or He might provide the thousands we need in the next two weeks because He wants Will to stay behind the register for now. We don't know. We are waiting on His answer. And His answer will be perfect.

Come and hear, you who fear God. We are not doing anything extraordinary. We are following Jesus. And He is worth everything we've 'given up' and He will be worth whatever else we have to leave behind to go where He leads us.

By His grace, and
for His glory alone!!
~Lisha

Labor Unions...

An excerpt...


"Well guess what? Someday, everyone will be dead. Everyone ever will be brought before the Sovereign Creator God to account for everything they've ever done. He is not interested in pay rates, witty status updates or the accumulation of junk - those things have no place in the next step of His plan. Of greater interest to Him will be how hard you tried to live according to His Word. Imagine if He asks you how many people you've shared your testimony with - would you know the number? Would it be zero?"


Visit my husband's blog - the official blog of the Jaffrey Bible House - to read the rest of this pretty amazing post. Not only because he's my husband, but primarily because he leans on Truth.


And please, come by and see us on Saturday if you're in the area. We're celebrating one year of the Bible House adventure and we'd love for you to see and hear our story of God's glory in our lives - and to share yours!


For His glory!
Lisha :)

The Bon Jovi Allusion (or: Livin' on a Prayer)

Hi, friends:

Will and I live dependent upon God's ability to respond mightily to prayer. Without a "steady" form of income, we rely on the Lord quite literally for our daily bread. and everything else you can think of. 

Rent.

Electricity.

Heat.

Gas.

Hot water.

Emergencies.

Diapers & wipes.

The Van.

Clothes and shoes.

Homeschooling books.

Cleaning supplies.

Paper goods.

Bathroom supplies.

...et cetera.

Like missionaries who are out 'in the field' - whether stateside or worldwide, we do not always know where the money we need is coming from. Unlike missionaries, we don't raise our own support. We consider ourselves to be a missionary family of sorts - offering the Word of God to the community around us full-time! Will's job is to be available for anyone who needs the Bible and to provide solid biblical resources (books, music, curriculum, in-depth studies, research volumes, etc). Because we are not joined up with any missionary group,  people rarely think of us as in the mission field!

We believe that God has called us to this mission (and it IS a mission, my friend. We have an enemy who hates what we do and throws discouragement and doubt at us daily). We are passionate about it; we counted the cost before diving into this venture and we are thrilled to be used of God in this way! 

We've had people tell us before to let them know if we need anything. Well, we do have a few things that we've run out of in the last couple of weeks. I'm asking that if you are so inclined - please pray with and for us. Along with this list, we've got some bills coming up that we are trusting the Lord to provide entirely for. We have seen and lived miracles of provision before, and know that the Lord will not forsake us now! 

[We have woken up to cases of diapers left on our doorstep. We've come home from church to find $543 in cash tucked in Hannah's carseat. We've received envelopes in the mail that simply say "FROM THE LORD" where the return address should be, with $100 gift cards tucked inside. We've prayed for a van, only to find out shortly thereafter that one had already been bought for us. Customers sometimes leave money with Will "for whatever needs we have." Friends - our God is REAL and He provides for His children!]

The other way you can help? Consider ordering your Bibles, books, music, jewelry, gifts, etc through the Bible House! Will can order almost anything and usually does not charge shipping (unless you need it super-fast). If you're part of a church group, you always get a 10% discount, whether its churchware, Bibles, curriculum for VBS/Sunday School, books for a study group, etc. Supporting us as we minister to the community allows us to...well...to continue ministering to the community! Bible Houses don't generate oodles of money. In fact, Bible Houses tend to operate on a very meager budget in the strength of a God who has access to all the resources on planet Earth [but who is waiting on and pleading with His people to pray!!! Just ask, people!].

Here's a brief list of material needs. Most important to us is that we are conformed to Christlikeness - not that our material comforts are met! I list only for those who have repeatedly asked what they can do.

-diapers (sizes 5 and 3) and wipes (the unscented kind). I handle a lot of poo on a daily basis.

-handsoap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.

-paper towels & toilet paper

-plastic wrap & aluminum foil

-sneakers & pants for Will

-sneakers (sizes 9, 9, & 3) & warm tights for the girls

God has taught us much about being content in all situations and about what TRULY constitutes a need. For example - cell phones and paper towels are NOT a need. They are modern conveniences. Food and clothing are needs. For His pruning and His joy I am so grateful!!! I would not trade this lean season for any other right now. Think of all the miracles we'd be missing if we 'made enough money' to cover all our own needs! Praise be to God alone who has used "not having enough money" to teach our daughters (and us!) that He can be trusted to provide in the most extraordinary ways - often through people and circumstances we never would have imagined!

You may have a cozy, comfortable, generic, risk-free, do-the-same-thing-every-day life. Trade that in for abundant life in the Spirit! Trade it for God's purposes! Trade it for never-a-dull-moment-in-Christ! Seek God's face, and His hands will guide you and show you the extraordinary things He can do with a life that is yielded to His plans!!

Living on a prayer,

for His glory!!

Lisha :)

A Very Hunter Update

...And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen! [John 21:25]


I feel like this verse is more than adequate to sum up what has been going on in our home and hearts over the past year. If I listed all that Jesus has done, you'd be reading this for a long, long time! And though I want to share all He's done, I know you have other things to do and other blogs to be reading and Facebooks to be checking, and I have a home that needs cleaning and a puzzle that needs putting together - so I'll cover the highlights.


Highlight #1: The Bible House is still open. Oh, friends, that the Bible House has not closed again is purely by the staying hand of the Lord and His blessing!! The inventory is still small, because we find that certain companies and indivduals (like our landlord) would appreciate that we continue to pay them what we owe - thus, no splurging on massive amounts of Bibles, books, music, etc for the store yet. We pray and hope that some day the Lord will provide for those things, but for now about 80-85% of the business we do is still from special orders and church groups, so having a large inventory isn't necessary. I cannot explain to you how thrilling it is to be used of God in this way - to be running a Bible bookstore right smack in the middle of downtown Jaffrey - when really Will and I have no business running a business. We have no business degrees, financial training, or anything that would qualify us to do this, except that God has asked us to do it. It may not be a success the way you define success, but we know that God is being glorified because we are walking in obedience to His calling on our lives!! And that is 'success' enough for us!


Highlight #2: Elizabeth is doing much better. As many of you remember, Elizabeth was hospitalized for about a week up at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD), because of some lifelong digestive troubles that got grossly out of control. I'll spare you the details if you haven't already heard them, but since we came home we have been so thankful that the Lord has been healing her slowly and surely. We've been taking her to see Dr. Josh at Jaffrey Chiropractic and we have been very pleased with the results that we've seen from good chiropractic care! So good, in fact, that Hannah has also started seeing Dr. Josh - she loves being adjusted, and we've seen major progress in her movement since she started going. This ties into...


Highlight #3: Hannah has the same struggles as Elizabeth did when she was younger. Low, low muscle tone and hyperflexibility mean that Hannah (at 10 months) has not rolled over yet, nor can she bear any weight on her legs. We praise the Lord that we have already walked this road with Elizabeth. The doctors at Dartmouth had prepared us to expect that Elizabeth might never walk or speak - and look at the work the Lord has done in her! So, whatever the outcome with our sweet Hannah - we know that the God who created her did it perfectly [see Psalm 139:13-14] and His purposes will be accomplished through her whether she ever walks or not [see Romans 8:28]. But we are very hopeful that Hannah, like her sister, will be fully mobile and talkative in a relatively short period of time!


Highlight #4: We have been without a van since April. The week before Elizabeth's trip to the ER that ended up in her being transferred to CHaD, our van sputtered out completely after a few months' time of almost-being-dead. And since we didn't have the money to a)have it towed, b)have it fixed, or c)fill the tank with gas anyway, it's been sitting there for the last five months. The Lord has been mighty and gracious to provide transportation to and from the grocery store and to do laundry about once every two weeks. Running errands, play dates, and other side trips have not been able to happen. And, if I may be so bold - spiritually speaking this is one of the best things that has ever happened to me (and consquently, my family). God has taught me how to love being home - really BEING home instead of being a 'stay at home mom' who is outside of her home more often than not. [Read my post Busy, busy, busy to get a glimpse into the work the Lord's been doing in my heart over the past 5 months!] I've gotten used to not having a way to get around whenever I want, and now that I've adapted, the Lord has seen fit to send the money and resources to fix our van. We received an amount of money recently equivalent to the garage's estimate of what it's going to take to fix the van. The garage called tonight, and as long as I can pay to register the van (pray with me! We don't have the money!) soon, the van is done and just waiting for us to pick it up! 


Highlight #5: Elizabeth and Abby start kindergarten very soon! At home! Yay! The theme for this year's curriculum for History/Geography/Reading is Intro to the World: Cultures. Science is an experiment-based introduction to biology, earth science, & physics. Bible stories, Memory Verses and the Firm Foundations weekly study make up the faith curriculum! Sonlight's Language Arts focuses on learning to read, and we use Alpha Omega's LIFEPAC Math program - which you can order through the Bible House!


There are many, many more great things which He has done. Our marriage, which has been rocky over these past many months, is being renewed and restored by a God who is about the business of binding up broken hearts. We are seeing the fruit of His Holy Spirit grow in our sweet children as they come to terms with their own sin and process the message of the gospel. He brings people into our home who need the love and hope of Jesus Christ poured into their hearts - and He has been pleased to let us be the hands, feet, and words of a Savior who rescues to the uttermost they that come to Him in faith!! He has miraculously provided for each of our needs in our most desperate hours (like when we can't afford toilet paper - toilet paper! Have you ever taken that for granted!? - and a friend shows up with a bag full of the stuff on your doorstep when you're down to the last roll!!). God has supplied toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, paper towels, soap, diapers, wipes, and iced coffees [ok. That last one isn't a necessity...] in direct answer to prayer when we lacked the money for them. And although He has not provided all of the money to pay off all of our bills yet, we know it's because He doesn't recognize "cell phones" and "car insurance" as needs. But He has not once left us without food or clothing or shelter. He has not ever failed us. And we are so thankful to be His and to be daily dying to self to see Jesus Christ magnified as the Lord of our hearts and home!


Friend - oh, friend! Trust Him in all things. Following Him to the ruin of life as you know it is exciting and beautiful. And it is of eternal worth. 


All for His glory and honor!
Lisha :)

Miracles

Oh, that I had all the time in the world to explain the wonderful things that God is doing in, for, and through the Hunter Family right now! It has been a while since I've had the time to write; for those of you desiring an update in our lives, allow me to catch you up. Prepare to be amazed by the workings of our God! :) 

Amazing thing #1) We are only 15 weeks from welcoming the tiniest Hunter into our family! Besides Abby, who is convinced that we're having a bird of some sort, we are all excited to see whether God has blessed us with a little girl...or a little boy. Either way, what a treasure the Lord has given us! 

Amazing thing #2) Back in early May, we learned that the small retail space downstairs from our apartment was opening up, and Will & I felt (after two years of prayer and waiting!) that the Lord was prompting us to begin re-opening the Jaffrey Bible House. We rented the space (although, miraculously, the landlord did not charge us for the first month of rent because we weren't in business yet), and we registered the name of the business with the state of NH. Since then, Will has been given -for free- access to all of the shelving he needs from a local business that closed a while ago. We just got word today from another friend that we have free greeting card racks as well - we just have to go pick them up! We have no opening date for the store yet, because we are trusting in God's timing for this project, and He is taking longer that we thought - however, since it has not really cost us any money yet, we're okay with however long He takes! 

The story is miraculous, not because of us, but because the Lord has chosen to do huge things with not much. We have no start-up capital; we did not take out a business or personal loan for this venture (our personal convictions about God's stance on debt kept us from going that route - we did not want the glory for this business to go to the bank, but to God alone!). So far, starting up the Bible House has cost us only $50 - to register the name. God has given us 1) a computer, complete with a point-of-sale system, scanner, credit card machine, receipt printer, and cash drawer, 2) hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars worth of free professional shelving, 3) free rent until this month, 4) a friend who has kindly agreed to help us with bookkeeping. 

We have nothing to offer this business. You must understand that even though I was a math major in college, I have no gift for accounting. Will worked in Christian retail for 4 years and has a talent and desire for helping people find what they need, but neither of us really has any sort of business sense. As previously stated, we have no funding. All we bring to God is a deep desire to serve Him, and to trust and obey Him completely. And it is a sweet place for us to be!! 

The last thing we have to wait for now is all the money for the books and other items we'll be carrying in the store. We don't know what the amount will be, but we trust absolutely that God will provide each and every dollar we need. 

Even though God has delivered most of these things to us for free, our journey has not been without cost. There are family and friends of ours who have chosen to distance themselves from us, at least for a time, because they think that what we are doing is nutso. And, from a worldly, temporal perspective, it totally is!! But God, all throughout history, has proven that He delights in using the underdog to accomplish His purposes. If we have nothing, and yet accomplish much for God, it's because it's ALL God's doing, and He gets the glory and honor that He alone and rightly deserves. We are so thankful that this looks like an impossibility to most of the people we know - because when the Bible House all comes together (and it will!), God alone will be responsible! 

Amazing thing #3) [which is directly related to Amazing thing #2] Will gave his notice at Teleflex about a month ago, because he felt that he could not keep working full time there and still give the energy needed to start up the Bible House. So we have been without a "reliable and steady" income for a few weeks now. And you know what, you who may doubt the very existence or the promises of God? We have sought first the kingdom of God and His righteousness alone, and He has been faithful to give us every single thing we need (food, enough money for bills, and clothing)! [see Matthew 6:33] A couple days after Will left Teleflex, we received an anonymous letter in the mail with a $100 gift card for groceries. Then we received another $150 in the two days after that. A few days ago we received another check in the mail. Sometimes, God chooses to provide for His people through a career; sometimes, though, He asks us to give up the "security" of a job so that He can show His provision in ways that we never would have expected!!! Our daily dependence on Him is glorious; we cannot, nor do we, trust in riches - we trust in the One who provides! 

Amazing thing #4) With the coming of this new child, comes the need for a larger vehicle - at least, if we want to be legal about it [which we do!]. The Volvo, though it has served us well for the last almost 10 years, cannot fit three car seats in the back. So we began praying for a van. Now, some people would pray that God would allow them the loan for a van, but I've already stated how we feel about debt. We prayed that God would bring us a van that we could afford to pay for with cash. Which, when you factor in the "no-income" thing, left us with not being able to afford much! 

We claim to serve and worship the same God who SPOKE the world and all of creation into existence. We claim to serve and worship the same God who parted the Red Sea for the nation of Israel, who used a small boy to slay the giant Goliath with one stone, and who -beaten and bloody and nailed to two pieces of wood- openly mocked and utterly defeated the devil and death. So, if He is the same God, and we know He is (His Word says that He NEVER changes), then He who also owns all of the vehicles on the PLANET EARTH could surely bring a van to us that didn't cost much! 

We got a call on Friday. Someone bought a van for us, and is currently paying for all of the work to be done on it. It's coming to us from Virginia. Dear friends, I do not pray to or worship or lay down my life and my wants for a false God who does not exist. I do not cry out to a vast cosmic conciousness. I do not bow down before an idol that hangs on a wall yet cannot hear me. I worship and have willingly laid down my life for the only God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who created me and knew I would be born sinful and came to earth to rescue me - the only God who has the power to hear prayer and answer it, faithfully and completely! 

Will and I have been called nuts. And so we are. But we are privileged to be nuts and be a living testimony to the power and honor and glory of the God of the universe. If you know Jesus Christ, my encouragement for you today is to remember that God is so, so much bigger and so much more powerful than you can ever imagine! If you do not know Jesus Christ, let our lives be a witness to the awesome majesty of God and the joy that comes from giving up your life for Him! 

For His glory, 
Lisha