Wait, Patiently Wait

Author unknown

Wait, patiently wait,
God is never late;
Thy budding plans are in thy Father's holding,
And only wait His grand, divine unfolding.
Then wait, wait,
Patiently wait.

Trust, hopefully trust,

That God will adjust
Thy tangled life; and from its dark concealings,
Will bring His will, in all it's bright revealings.
Then trust, trust,
Hopefully trust.

Rest, peacefully rest
On thy Savior's breast;
Breathe in His ear thy sacred high ambition,
And He will bring it forth in blest fruition.
Then rest, rest,
Peacefully rest!

He Leadeth Me

In pastures green?  Not always!  Sometimes He

Who knoweth best in kindness leadeth me
In weary ways where heavy shadows be.
Out of the sunshine warm and soft and bright--
Out of the sunshine into darkest night,

I oft would faint with sorrow and affright

Only for this--I know He holds my hand.
So whether in the green or desert land,

I trust, although I may not understand.
And by still waters?  No, not always so!
Ofttimes the heavy tempests round me blow,
And o'er my soul the waves and billows go;
But when the storms beat loudest and I cry
Aloud for help, the Master standeth by
And whispers to my soul, "Lo, it is I."
Above the tempest wild I hear His say,
"Beyond this darkness lies perfect day.
In every path of thine, I lead the way."
So whether on the hilltops high and fair
I dwell, or in the sunless valleys where

The shadows lie, what matters?  He is there.
So where He leads me, I can safely go,
And in the blest hereafter, I shall know
Why in His wisdom He hath led me so.
                              --John F. Chaplain

The Weaver's Plan

Author unknown

My life is but a weaving, between my God and me;
I do not choose the colors, He worketh steadily.
Of't times He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful in the skillful Weaver's hand,
As the threads of gold and silver in the patterns He has planned.

Trials of Your Faith

by Gloria Roe
Trials of your faith

Are more precious than gold.
Each battle you win,
You add riches untold.
At the end of your strength,

In Christ you must stand.

And the medal is won

For the Master's hand.
Trials must come;
God has promised them too,
But when you trust your own strength
He can never help you.
Trust in the Lord
For His Word is true;
For God also promised

To see you through.
Trust and obey,
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus --

He will see you through.

Rainbows of His Grace

by Jalisa Wenger - Used by permission

Tears were streaming down our faces
Like a show'r of rain.
In our aching hearts we carried
So much grief and pain.
Many questions had no answers -
"Oh, dear Father, why
Did our Kendall have to leave us?"
This our troubled sigh.

"We'd have loved to keep him longer...
Care for him each day...
Hold him in our arms and love him...
Watch him grow and play..."
Many were the dreams we'd cherished
For the coming years.
Then we saw just shattered fragments
Through a veil of tears.

Now as I reflect years later
On that time of pain,
I thank God for all the rainbows
Glistening in the rain.
Many blessings He has given
That we wouldn't know
If He had not taken Kendall
Many years ago.

God used trials to refine and
Make us purer still.
Though it was a painful process,
'Twas His perfect will.
I thank God He did not leave us
Like we used to be.
He gave us deeper meaning,
To Him glory be!

"Deep compassion fills my heart, Lord,
Since we've walked this road.
And I long to comfort others
Who now bear grief's load.
And I pray that though it's raining
In their hearts today,
They may see the rainbow colors
Of your grace some day."

Precious Gems

I picked up a very disappointed 3 year old from preschool today.  It was a make up day, due to all the snow days they had.  She didn't understand why they didn't do her makeup. ~ Alicia in West Virginia

It was very windy and the electricity went off.
Greta (5), had her own version of it: " A possum crossed the road and a tree fell on it!" ~ Martha in Oregon

 

April 1st: By 8:00 a.m. Jocelynn (6) had dumped the Lego box into Si's (8) pants drawer (after dumping the contents onto the floor), and Silas had put salt into the sugar canister. I instituted a "No pranks without permission" rule. Si immediately asked me if he could put super glue on Dad's alarm clock. This is going to be a long day! ~ Beth in Ohio

My husband, Rob, often makes comments about my night owlish ways. Last night as we were on the way to the beach, Carter (3) fell asleep around 9, and I groaned saying, "I would be up with him the rest of the night."  Rob made some remark about how I stay up all night anyway, so it shouldn’t matter.  Eva (7) immediately piped in and said, “That’s because mommy is nocturnal, Daddy.”  She sighed and continued, “I wish I were nocturnal.” ~ Elizabeth in Virginia

 

I was heading out the other evening to do a facial. Before I left Carter (3) gave me a big hug and a kiss, and Mia (5) gave me some good advice: “Don’t get pulled over tonight, Mommy,” she said. ~ Elizabeth in Virginia

 

Mia (5) was upset at me the other night because I wouldn’t let her have any candy. “Well, when you are old and I have to take care of you, I won’t let you have any candy either. And I am going to eat it ALL BY MYSELF in front of you!” ~ Elizabeth in Virginia

 

Sitting in a parking lot I hear a loud hot rod pass. Karlie (10): "Wow! That is a cool car, Mom!  It has no hood and a video camera sticking out!"  Ha!  So cute!  She was embarrassed when I told her it was the motor.  I told her it was cute!  ~ Julie in Washington

 

On Sunday at church Malakai (6) was singing during worship so I leaned in closer to hear his sweet little voice sing...The Alphabet Song! ~ Danielle in Alabama

 

 

Teens

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Teaching Teens Financial Skills

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Study Reveals Teens are Stressed About Money

Teens are worried about more than just what they're going to do on Saturday night. A new study reveals they're anxious about money. Learn what's causing their anxiety and find out what parents are saying about it.

Unplanned Pregnancy

If you know of anyone struggling with an unplanned pregnancy, or hurting from a past abortion, free counseling and other resources are available:

1. by checking a phone book for a Pregnancy Resource Center

    and contacting them

2. by calling 800-A-FAMILY (800-232-6459).

The Empty Nest - Notes & Quotes for Parents & Children

by Lois Breneman

Ladies, as your children leave the security of your home and go off to college, here are some quotes that may encourage you as moms, and a few to share with your children and young adults.  I believe the most important things we can offer to our children, as they leave home are a continued godly example in our life and marriage, unconditional love, respect, constant prayer and wide open doors of communication. 

As your children leave home, Talk Less - Trust God and Pray More!

Commit your children to God in the Security, Safety and Strength of the LORD!

It is comforting to know that the God who guides us sees tomorrow more clearly than we see yesterday.  -- Author Unknown

'Difficulty' is not a word to be found in the dictionary of heaven.  Nothing can be impossible with God.  -- Charles H. Spurgeon

As your children seek to know God's will for their future:
To have God in our life, doesn't mean sailing on a boat with no storms, it means having a boat that no storm can sink!  -- Author Unknown

Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you. -- Warren Buffett

Success is to stand in the presence of God, unashamed.
If we are praying diligently for our children, we can be confident that God is faithfully working behind the scenes, even when we don't know the details of His working. - Lois Breneman

The Five Finger Prayer

1. Your thumb is nearest you.  So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you.  They are the easiest to remember.  To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty.'

2. The next finger is the pointing finger.  Pray for those who teach, instruct, and heal.  This includes teachers, ministers, and doctors.  They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction.  Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger.  I reminds us of our leaders.  Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators.  These people shape our nation and guide public opinion.  They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger.  Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify.  It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain.  They need your prayers day and night.  You cannot pray too much for them.
5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others.  As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you."  Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself.  By the time you have prayed for the others four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.