He is not Silent

No, I'm not talking about the book - though it's good and you should read it!  I'm talking about how sweetly the Lord has encouraged us this week after the disappointment of last Sunday.

1) Monday was a holiday so James was home from work which allowed us to just rest and be together as a family.

2) We're in a CJ Mahaney mood of late and listened to this sermon this week.  I picked it because the title was "The Sustaining Power of the Gospel" and it turned out to be about how not to be disheartened and so appropriate right now.

3) As we began studying the Sunday School lesson for this week, we discovered it was titled "From Failure to Direction."  It details how the Lord brought Abram and Sarai from failure (their disobedience in conceiving Ishmael with Hagar) to the fulfillment of his promise (in the birth of Isaac).  While our situation, I don't think, is a product of our disobedience this served as a reminder of God's calling on our life and that it is up to him, not us, to see that it comes to fruition.  Again, how appropriate.

4)  I won a free ESV Study Bible!  In true Bible-hoarder fashion (I'm only partially kidding, we have like 20 Bibles around here) I entered to win an ESV Study Bible via a friend's ministry's facebook page and won.  This is something we simply couldn't afford but is a nice blessing right now and will come in handy both now for personal study and in the future when Lord willing James does get called to a church.

5)  The fellowship of sweet friends this week has reminded us of just how much the Lord cares for each of his own. 

6) We've had the opportunity this week to bless others: to share the gospel with a stranger, to encourage a man I overheard sharing the gospel with a lady at the grocery store to persevere in his walk with Christ, to talk to and love on a few lonely grandmas who stopped me to check out Hudson while out running errands, and to pray with/for dear friends.  This has been especially helpful to our hearts as it reminds us that life isn't about us, but about worshiping the Lord and serving him. 

 

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,

and therefore exalts himself to show mercy to you...

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,

"This is the way, walk in it,"

when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

Isaiah 30:18 and 21

My sous-chef for the evening.