Quiet Joys

This is my story; this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long . . . 

~Fanny Crosby

The Summer is already ripening toward August and I thought that I would share some pictures with you of the quiet joys and scenes from our lives here over the past few weeks. . . :-) These are some of the things that have brought happiness to my heart or just some happenings here . . . there is joy in knowing His presence in the quietness in a very precious way --

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him
He also will hear their cry and save them.
Psalm 145:18-19 NKJV

Zinnias from the garden . . . their bright faces gladden my heart . . . 

The strong, steadfast beauty of the sunflower, lifting its great face toward the sky . . . my sister planted these all around her tiny house last year and she inspired me! :-)

Corn and the other vegetables ripening remind me of His faithfulness to provide for mankind . . . 

My daughter eats these little cherry tomatoes as fast as they ripen! :-) I have to beat her to them! ;-)

She will eat these too as soon as they ripen; she loves to bite into them like apples .. . :-)

. . . then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Leviticus 26:4 NKJV

The cone flowers delight me and remind me of my Mom's beautiful perennial garden back in RI . . . she placed a love for the beauty and preciousness of flowers in my soul . . . 

The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.

Isaiah 40:8 NKJV

These little ground squirrels love to eat underneath our bird feeder--the ones below are part of a litter of baby ground squirrels . . . 

But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?
Job 12:7-10 NKJV

I love Autumn; it is one of my favorite times of year, so in anticipation we planted a lot of pumpkins :-). Now if only the resident groundhogs don't eat them all . . . ;-) 

My Mom planted a cherry tree for the birds . . . unfortunately a raccoon also likes it and the fruit is just too tempting for him ;-). He broke the trunk twice now--we are trying to protect it with this fence . . . 

Last year, there was a soybean field across the street from us; this year it is corn. Truly, all of creation points to a merciful Savior . . . may He give us eyes to see it . . . 

Have a blessed week, dear friends! 







You might find me on these link-ups:

Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Messy Marriage,  Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, SHINE Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party, Oh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Linkup, Writer Wednesday, Tea and Word

My Eye is Not On the Density of the Fog

A very dear friend and man of faith wrote to me and my husband recently. His simple, sincere words of encouragement reminded me of a story that I had read about George Mueller a few months ago. It was a story that "stuck" with me and that challenged me to hold fast to the Lord, even when circumstances seem to contradict His leading and clear direction. Such a situation happened to me about a year and a half ago when my husband and I were seeking the Lord in His opening up a place for the ministry He has led us to pursue (you may read more about that HERE). This is the story that I read about George Mueller. 

When I first came to America, thirty-one years ago. I crossed the Atlantic with the captain of a steamer who was one of the most devoted men I ever knew, and when we were off the banks of Newfoundland be said to me:

"Mr. Inglis, the last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, one of the most extraordinary things happened which, has completely revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. Up to that time I was one of your ordinary Christians. We had a man of God on board, George Müller, of Bristol. I had been on that bridge for twenty-two hours and never left it. I was startled by some one tapping me on the shoulder. It was George Müller:

"'Captain, he said, 'I have come to tell you that I must be In Quebec on Saturday afternoon.' This was Wednesday.

"'It is impossible,' I said.

"'Very well, if your ship can't take me, God will find some other means of locomotion to take me. I have never broken an engagement in fifty seven years.'

"’I would willingly help you. How can I? I am helpless.'

"'Let us go down to the chart-room and pray.'

"I looked at that man of God, and I thought to myself, what lunatic asylum could that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing.

"'Mr. Müller,' I said, 'do you know how dense the fog is?'

"'No,' he replied, 'my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God who controls every circumstance of my life.'

"He got down on his knees and prayed one of the most simple prayers. I muttered to myself: 'That would suit a children's class where the children were not more than eight or nine years old.' The burden of his prayer was something like this: 'O Lord, if it is consistent with Thy will, please remove this fog in five minutes. You know the engagement you made for me in Quebec Saturday. I believe it is your will.'

"When he finished. I was going to pray, but he put his hand on my shoulder and told me not to pray. "First, you do not believe He will; and second. I believe He has. And there is no need whatever for you to pray about it.' I looked at him, and George Müller said..

"'Captain. I have known my Lord for forty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to gain an audience with the King. Get up, captain, and open the door, and you will find the fog is gone.' I got up, and the fog was gone!

"You tell that to some people of a scientific turn of mind, and they will say, 'That is not according to natural laws.' No, it is according to spiritual laws. The God with whom we have to do is omnipotent. Hold on to God's omnipotence. Ask believingly. On Saturday afternoon, I may add, George Müller was there on time."

~Herald of gospel liberty, Volume 102, Issues 27-52

My eye is not on the density of the fog . . . these words have been playing over in my mind this week. When God calls us to do something, to believe that He will do something according to how He has led us and spoken to us, it will come to pass. This is what my friend wrote in his e-mail, this is what the Word of God strongly teaches us, this is what the Holy Spirit presses upon our hearts even when human logic seems to contradict His leading. 

The hand and voice of God led my husband and I out to the Midwest from our comfortable, cozy, coastal New England residence. 

He opened the door for a place to begin our ministry here, after living in a drafty, dingy rental house for a little over a year--and after seeking Him in prayer for over 16 years (yes; 16 years)--at the time when every single door appeared to be shut to us and I felt like my prayers were pounding on the iron door of Heaven. 

It was at the point when I let go of human logic and wisdom and what seemed to be the wise, prudent thing to do (to buy a temporary house in town while we were waiting for Him to open up a permanent place of ministry--maybe in the years to come, I thought) that I quietly humbled myself before Him in prayer. He led me to pray and fast in a specific way for 21 days and at the end of that period of time the door opened in such a miraculous way that I sensed His Presence and direction so surely and perfectly that I could only sit in the quietness before Him and thank Him over and over. 

He is God. He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above and beyond all that we ask or think. We limit Him through our unbelief, through our logical assigning of what we think He is able and willing to do. 

If God has truly called you to something--for me and my husband it was to create a place of rest for God's people--He will do it--be sure of your calling--pray, seek Him diligently--it is usually something that you don't feel qualified to do! But He is able. And as the friend that I mentioned at the beginning of this e-mail reminded me and my husband many years ago, He does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called. 

Are you called to raise children well--with a Godly foundation and heritage? Do it, and don't be distracted by the things of this world. Are you called to serve in a certain capacity in the church and you feel weak and unable to step forward? Take the first step, by the grace and power of Almighty God. Are you called away from your comfortable home to go to an unknown place, called to uncertainty and trial? Press into His calling and you will find His sustaining grace and the everlasting arms beneath. 

There is nothing too difficult for the Lord. And what we see as difficulties are only the places where He makes His glory shine brightest. 

So trust Him--and place your eyes upon Him, not on the density of the fog. 

You might find me on these link-ups:

Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Messy Marriage,  Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, SHINE Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party, Oh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Linkup, Writer Wednesday, Tea and Word