Season of Grief

by Jalisa Wenger Used by permission   When cherished dreams, like autumn leaves, Are scattered in the wind, You feel the chill of winter's gloom And loneliness creep in.   When springtime's just a memory, Now etched with parting's pain ... When winter looms ahead of you And tears flow with the rain ...  God understands the rending grief Of dreams that had to die. But from those seeds new life can grow Beneath the future's sky.  The bitter tears that freely flow Are tears He stores away. He'll turn them to refreshing showers To bless your life some day.  The raging winds that stress your soul And cause your faith to sway Will strengthen you for years to come In God's own time and way.   Behind you, summer colors fade. Ahead, the gray unknown. But by your side, a faithful Guide— You'll never be alone.

A Quote about the Greatest Career!

Thinking of his mother, Billy Sunday, the famous preacher said:

"Being a king, emperor, or president is mighty small potatoes compared to being a mother.  Commanding an army is a little more than sweeping a street compared with training a boy or a girl.  The mother of Moses did more for the world than all the kings that Egypt ever had.  Oh, you wait until you reach the mountains of eternity, then read the mothers' names in God's Hall of Fame.  I tell you women: Fooling away your time, hugging and kissing a poodle dog, drinking a cocktail, and playing cards is mighty small business compared to molding the life of a child."

A Little Story

Author unknown

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.  There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.  Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.  Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job.  Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done!

Autumn Crafts

http://www.favecrafts.com

Thanksgiving Crafts to Make with Paper

Fall Glitter Wreath

Rustic Coffee Filter Wreath

Electric Cord Covers

Contributed by Mary Westmoreland,
mom of the new Editor of Heart to Heart, Michelle Gill
Tutorial videos on www.rebornjoy.com under the sewing tab

Do you hate seeing your ugly cords attached to your lamps?  Here is a simple way to help them blend in with your decor.

1.  Measure length of cord.
2.  Cut piece of fabric 3 times that length.  Width should be wide enough to wrap around the plug with 1/2" seam allowance.
3.  Hem ends with a 1/2" seam allowance.
4.  Sew with right sides together along the length of fabric.
5.  Turn right side out and feed the cord through it.

Elderberry Syrup

by Michelle Gill

2/3 cup dried elderberries
3 1/2 cups of water
2 Tbsp. organic ginger root (shaved or grated)
1 tsp. cinnamon, ground 
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 cup raw honey
Bring the elderberries and water to a boil and add ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.  Simmer for an hour.  Remove from the heat and cool.  Pour through a strainer.  Add the honey and stir until dissolved.  This recipe yields about 2 pint jars of elderberry syrup.

It is great for immunity.  I give my daughter 1 teaspoonful before school each day.  If we catch a cold or something, we take it every 3 to 4 hours.  It keeps for several months in the fridge.  

(I order my elderberries from www.iherb.com.  Use the coupon code WES681 to save $5-$10.  I am sure you could also get them at your local health food store.)

Michelle's Testimony

by Michelle Gill, the New Editor of the Heart to Heart Newsletter

Hello there!

I'm so excited to have the privilege of compiling the Heart to Heart Newsletter and to share myself with you.  From the age of sixteen, God gave me a heart for home, as a wife and mother.  But I did not marry for the first time until I was thirty-four!  Many lessons were learned in those years.  Marriage was definitely designed for our sanctification, because I believe I learned more in the five years  of my first marriage than in the eighteen years of waiting for it.

My first husband passed away after five years of marriage.  Our daughter was four at the time.  I went through two years of intense grief, as God had told me in a dream that I would before my husband got sick.  God loves to talk to us if we would only listen, doesn't He?

Then God brought back one of my best friends from years before, and we are newly married.  I love being married but I learned during the three and a half years in between, what it is like to be truly wed to Jesus.  He is my Ish.  It is the Hebrew name for husband.  And I can't wait to share the joy with you that He gives me!

Names mean a lot to God.  I laugh when I think of what my new name means because He is so much fun!  My middle name, Ranai, means "reborn" and my new last name, Gill, means "joy."  Reborn Joy!  Isn't that want God's about?  Redemption.  He has recreated my life in more ways than I could possibly tell you in one sitting.  First, He recreated my spirit by the filling of the Holy Spirit and second, by bringing Mark into my life to redeem my family.  Mark also brings a lot of laughter into our lives, which is a bonus.  My joy has truly been reborn, and that same joy is available to you as well, no matter your circumstances!

I look forward to sharing my life with you!
                                               Michelle Gill

Stand and See

by Michelle Gill www.rebornjoy.com
standandsee@outlook.com

II Chronicles 20:17   You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.

In things small and great, II Chronicles 20 is rich with practical instructions.  I have used these lessons many times in my life, especially during spiritual warfare.  In my most traumatic events and even in day to day living, I have found I can try to control the situation in whatever way I come up with, but the circumstances don't budge.  When I give up and plant myself in Him, I get the most fun opportunity of watching Him do His mighty thing.  Isn't it truly exciting in the end to watch Him pull out a victory in a hopeless or frustrating situation?

In verse 3, after Jehosophat received the news of many coming against him, his immediate response was to be afraid. Emotions are natural signals for us to choose our actions, not a dictator of what will be. Then, he chooses to turn to the Lord and tell others to do the same. 

The Lord's response is, "Do not fear or be dismayed.  This is not your battle, but Mine. You won't need to fight. Station yourself. Dig deep in Me. Stand. See the salvation of the Lord on your behalf."  Jehosophat responded by bowing down and worshipping. He chose his perspective.

Before the battle, Jehosophat appointed some to walk before the army, singing and praising. Do you get that? The soldiers, skilled in combat, walking into battle, are following those who are praising, not leading them. Praise enters the fire first. Things happen beyond our understanding when we choose praise (Phil. 4:6-8).

Verse 22 says that when they began singing and praising, God set ambushes for their enemies. They moved first in their faith in Him. As a result, when they walked into battle, all they saw were corpses. The Lord had indeed fought the battle for them. They blessed the Lord and all around them, people saw and feared God (Rev. 12:11). Then God gave them rest (verse 30).

Our response is so important, isn't it?  I have to choose my thoughts constantly in every situation.  Our main responsibility is to truly believe Him.  Focus, praise, believe Who He is, dig into Him, do what He tells you, and then stand and see Him do His thing!

Precious Gems

Thank so much, ladies, for your permission to include these cute quotes from your children and grandchildren! ~ Lois

At dinner, Brooklyn (4): "Mom, Chloe Beth (4) is cool! Her so pretty. And her knows her mom's password. We gonna buy stuff." ~ Lauren in Virginia

Logan (6) to little sister, 10 month old Peyton: Mmm you smell like a hot dog, pickles and a genie!  Mommy she smells so good!  ...she just had a bath, and smells like none of the above.  ~ Amanda in Virginia

I thought I had forgotten to pack my makeup bag. I said to Lucy (3), "Good thing I found my makeup."  
Lucy says, "Yeah, 'cause that would be disgusting!" ~ (Grandma) Beth in Virginia

Mom: "Do you remember what the other story that we read last night was about, Liam?" 
Liam (2): "A draaaagon!"
Mom: "Yeah, and what was the knight's name.? Saint . . .?"
Liam: (In a deep, gravely voice) "Darth Vader!"
(This kid hasn't even watched Star Wars yet . . . ) ~ Kristen in Virginia

The other night Maverick (3) and his daddy were sharing a dessert after dinner. Maverick stuck the last piece with his fork and looked at his dad and said, "Too slow, Dad." ~ Leigh Ann in Virginia  

Lexi (4): That is Un-acceptable!
...when I told her that Daddy and I were going to stay home for our anniversary... ~ Vera in Virginia

Me: Brooklyn, you are old enough for Upward Basketball this year. You make the cut-off by 3 day!
Brooklyn: (4): Yessss! I've waited my whole life to play ball!  I gonna shoot the ball and then dance everywhere when I win! ~ Lauren in Virginia 

Bedtime chats with a 2 year old (Liam): 
Liam: "Mama, is God in church?"
Mom: "Well, sort of. God's in heaven, but He can see everything."
Liam: "So is church heaven?"
How to explain this . . . 
Later ... I discovered that part of the confusion may have arisen from the fact that earlier, his daddy, Kirk, told Liam that church was God's house . . . So now Liam wants to know if he's there. ~ Kristen in Virginia

This morning while my 2nd graders were looking up this week's Bible verse, one of my sweet little girls said, "The book of Psalms is FULL of Bible verses!" ~ Cindy in Georgia