WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED

Many times we have been asked, how do you make it? On the other side, we have been judged that we must be in some kind of sin or not on God's Path. This journey we have been on belongs to God. We made a decsion to choose, admit we were sinners and asked Christ into our hearts and became born again Christians. Each at our own time and in our own way. When He called.

I asked Christ into my life as a child. I grew up in a very loving, caring and Christian home. I had a horrible experience happen to me at a church, from that yet I experienced even more pain and as a teen, I wondered off the path, yet, I never blammed God, I blammed myself. This was crazy but after an abuse has occured, one doesn't think as they should.  In the midst, I never felt happy as I knew deep inside I was sinning. I didn't do awful things but in my home, in my own heart, they were. I blammed myself and worked hard to make up for those sins which no man can do and deep down, I knew I couldn't. I finally reached the point, where I felt His arms just hold me and let me know I was alright with Him.

 See, Christ was always there, He hadn't left and I was still going to Him and He worked a miracle in my heart as I was able to forgive.  My mothers death brought me full circle back. Chris grew up going to church but he never accepted Christ and didn't have the same experience. We were in love and Chris always had the softest heart. That is what attracted me to him in the first place.

Later, after our children were born, we sent our son to Jake to Blue Ridge Bible School in which was such a blessing. As often as I tried to bring my husband to God, I wasn't getting anywhere. It was through Jake's songs, scriptures and school productions and an awesome group of teachers that God had placed in our life that started making an impact on Chris. It would take geting out of the dead church and going to one that actually taught God's Word and where you brought your Bible, the way I had been raised that Chris first heard Jesus calling him. Through the minster, Pastor Phil Hopper and Abundant Life Baptist Church in Lee's Summit Missouri that we would discover more than just a place to go on Sundays but I place we were Broken before God as the birth of our third child and the fact is, our children and all the suffering has been the biggest blessings in our lives and everytime we suffer, we are again being blessed.

 We learned there how to feed ourselves, how to study the Bible ourselves. Not Bible books or even studies though that is fine, we had to go to Him through his Word and Prayer as an individual and a family.

We learned how to build a relationship with Christ and to know that everything He does or allows is for our good. We have had a few remarks like our family is like Job in the Bible. No we are not. We are far from that. There was a time, we felt like Job and wondered why or how much, did we bring this on ourselves, have we been on the wrong path? Even now, Satan will whisper that lie in our ears. It is absoultly not true and of course we want our kids to be healthy but not if it meant we would not know Jesus the way we do know. Does that mean God knew we were going to be difficult? I don't think so, I know Him and all He has ever done is bring us joy.

We are sad and scaed and upset many times and wonder about the future and what we will do or how will they make it, will they marry, will they have children, will they die, will they be sick all the time, can they work or will we need to take care of them, should they have children, should they marry, who will marry them, should they go to college, what should they become? Will they have families, should they have families and that is when we have to stop. One day at a time, yet we are as Christians to act responsible and through prayer, allow Him to show us the path we must take. No one can do this for us. Yet, God does use people to help us.

These are the blessings I speak of, the many strangers who feel the need to lend a hand and we know we have never had to do anything alone. He has always provided help. Blessed assurance is what comes to mind when I look back over our time.

 We are so aware of the time we have and the bond we have grown since we have been more secluded but we also are aware that when we are the happiest is when we are with others. Yet we made it through this very hard time, we have to believe we will make it through again and again. Becoming a Christian doesn't mean your walk will be easy, it just means you will have Him to walk with.

Making an impact on other lives and helping others brings the greatest joy and our kids want and miss it. Jake wanted to go on a Mission trip so bad but you know, it is the everyday living that is our mission. Some are sent to far away lands and other's to preach in a church, most of us are just regular people who could touch another each day in some kind of way. 

The point is we have ben blessed so much. Look at Paul,  who lived much of his life in prison but he was so blessed and wrote the Word of God! He had joy and he was never alone because Christ promises to never leave or forsake us. Do we look at Paul and say he was cursed, he lived his life in prison and then beheaded. He was blessed! At everyone of His disciples, we see great persecustion and horrible death's. Still, they never waivered and stayed true to their Savior.

We thank so many who have been such impacts in our walk. Those who took us under their wings and prepared us by giving us the basic ways to feed ourselves. We thank all those from many walks of faith, walks of life and loved us enough who reached out and because of that, three lives are able to seek the best care and change if Christ calls us to do so. Freedom to make decisions in Him and we know for everyone who have touched our lives, God will bless.

We don't see health care as a Bibilical threat and in fact, we are shocked that so many would be against children, like ours, having insurance coverage no matter what. I simply cannot believe that He would not want His people to do whatever it takes. I know the issue is Life but Abortion is only one way to kill a baby, a child, a teen and young adult. We also feel that discrimination because we have stepped out in the Public, employeers stay away from us. We do not know any other reason and if you were in our very shoes, would you not feel the same way.

As for myself and my prayer for my family and the family of God, We all just want to finish the race. We pray everyday this prayer, Lord just let us make it through this trial, this month, this week, this day. We want to please my Lord. Help us to show other's your stregnth not our weakness, if however we do, let them know they are those I trust the most in and everyone of us, needs another to help us fight the good fight.

                                2 Timothy 4:7

  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have keep the faith