Terribly Interesting

Hi friends of Gomer, life here is full. My three little blonde blessings take up much of my time and I don't always get to do all of the things I would like to do, like blog. Forgive me and let's go forward together. We didn't get much done here in January, but we did what God set before us to do. I have been working in the bathroom a bit. You can see in the picture what the wall looked like before drywall, with drywall, will texture, and with bead board. I honestly do about five to ten minutes of work in here at a time. It's pretty hard for me to do the actual work without a two year old sneaking in the room and slathering her face and hair with drywall mud. Let me tell you what though. God's grace abounds to us in February. Yes, it does every other month as well. This month, it abounds in volunteers! We have skilled people coming to work here about 15 days out of the month. I made a little wish list of things that would greatly benefit Gomer. Let's ...

My grace covers you. Though you feel such a burden from your own sin, I still lift that yoke. I set you free. You are free from the chains of sin and death. You are free to live a life as one beautified and given worth by Christ. You do not need any other symbol of importance or authority. Your currency in this life is in how much I give to you. Spend it well. Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is  worth less. Psalm 60:11 For more on this segment, see this post .

Do not worry and do not be afraid. I am with you wherever you go. I have not abandoned you. I have not forsaken you. I am there. Trust in Me. Disregard your self-sufficiency. I will sustain you in time of trouble. I will sustain you in your joy. Keep Me in the forefront of your life. Ask Me what I think first. I bless the man that is faithful to me. Trust   in   the   Lord  with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6 For more on this segment, see this post .

I wasn't completely sure what to expect when I opened this book. I didn't know if this would be another book that focused on people getting gold teeth or clucking like chickens. I am just being honest. I think the devil tries to distract us from true miracles in the simple lives of people with outlandish things that do nothing to remind us of the grace and provision of God. This book does not male a mockery of the goodness of God. It does quite the opposite. It shows the intimate miracles that God performs in the lives of those who love Him. Sometimes, it shows how God reaches in to the lives of people who are running from Him. It is story after story of healing and provision. There are so many different testimonies of how people would be healed from sickness with no medical explanation. There are stories of physical protection in dark alleys. Countless times we see God's providing hand show up with exactly the amount needed. Each story is ended with the person...

I want all of you. I will not leave you alone on this journey. Do not think that you have fallen into a a situation by chance or at the hands of an angry God. You have come into a thing safely in My sovereignty. I want to work out something more wonderful than you could ever imagine. I will show you. Ask Me what I am doing. Ask Me to show you where you can bring about My work in this place. Remember, I very often us pain to allow people who are blind to see. [ David’s Prayer ] Then King David went in and sat before the  Lord , and he said:“Who am I,  Sovereign   Lord , and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 2 Samuel 2:18 For more on this segment, see this post .

A few years ago, I wrote about some people I know in the blog post Pastor On Trial.  I recently read the book about the trial of Matt Baker because my mom was reading it and I thought it would be something we could talk about. It gripped my insides and flipped them inside out. I know, to think that the enemy has not infiltrated and tried to take control of the church is ridiculous. Of course he is in there. To see how far he will go is truly maddening. I knew much of the details of the trial being so close, but there were details about Matt's upbringing that I had not heard before. In the end of it all, I felt desperately sad for everyone. People were quoted in the book as saying that they couldn't believe a man of God could do this. I didn't feel that way. I thought long and hard about my own depravity and the unrighteous nature that grips us all. I prayed that this whole thing would be used of God to reconcile people to Himself. I'm praying for Matt and b...

So, I'm a pretty big deal. Perhaps you didn't know. Case in point, my mom hands me this article she saved for me the other day about the church my great-grandpa helped build. He was a Norwegian settler by the name of Jens Jenson. In this article is a story about the King of Norway coming to visit the church and see the Norwegian settlement that is now known as the Norwegian Capitol of Texas. I said, "Hey, I was there that day." I turned to my husband with an air of self-importance and asked if I had ever told him about the time I met the King of Norway. I am sure King Olav V was quite taken with me. Sure, I was seven and I couldn't understand anything the man said, but I am positive he was overcome at our meeting.  Really, it was neat to me to grow up in this little area among people of the same heritage. There were so many traditions that we adhered to as a family and  Smörgåsbords   we attended. My grandmother had seven brothers and 6 of them were preache...

Well, friends of Gomer, the fun never stops around here. Thursday night, I was just finishing up packing to go to Carolina Creek with Denbigh and the band for him to lead worship for mid-winter retreat. Then, I got a call that my stepmom had fallen. My dad thought she had a stroke and she also had a severe case of the flu. As soon as morning came and the sleet let up, I was on the road with my three girls. The hospital released her the next day and she is expected to make a full recovery. I am so thankful for that. I really didn't help much. I was simply available. I hope it speaks volumes. I very often look around this house and see things that need worked on. I get frustrated when things are so out of sort because we are always in restoration mode. Then, I remind myself that life is a vapor. The only thing going forward from this life is locked inside of human beings. That is where the true work is and we must forsake all else to get to that work. Now, I'm not giving yo...

The time for sitting idly by has come to an end. Lay out in prayer for those you love. Beg me to have genuine feelings of grief for others. Ask me to break you and mold you into a person of compassion. When I tell you to speak, to ask, to serve do it with great mindfulness of your of depravity without Me. Put another before yourself by considering their needs, the reconciliation to Me as greater than your comfort or indulgence. Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the LORD your God. Jeremiah 26:13 For more on this segment, see this post .

Y'all, my eldest daughter and I just read Sarah Whitcher's Story in homeschool. I cried at the end of it. Really. I know it's a read aloud for second graders, but I loved the story. This little girl was lost in the wilderness for 4 days and the search party couldn't find her. Her mom and dad prayed and prayed. God answered by giving a man from miles away that had never met her a dream about where to find her. He had never been to the area before, but was able to follow the landmarks of the dream. He found her where she had been sleeping with a bear that was guarding her as though it were her cub. By all accounts the story was true. What I learned was that God is faithful and He goes out of His way to let His children know the HE hears them. He hears us.

So, I don't know exactly what the "dirty south" is, but I like saying it because it makes me feel wild and crazy. If I am saying something bad, don't tell me. I want to keep living vicariously through my verbiage. Really, it has nothing to do with anything that I am writing except for the fact that I am in southern Texas and have drawl. Let's get on to the story then, shall we? I love to cook and I love to make things from scratch. I always thought that I cooked quite healthy. After losing more than a handful of babies, I started having some problems with my metabolism, liver, and pancreas. When I was pregnant with our last girl, I went to a dietitian. This changed my life. I had been really tired for some time and under her care I learned that I didn't eat enough, but I was eating too much at one time (I only ate about twice a day). I set out to eat six times a day and change what I was eating. I discovered My Fitness Pal. It helped me track what I was...

  Well, we have had some serious bouts of sickness here. We were sick before Christmas and then recovered. We went to visit family and were given sickness and fever again. Everybody went down. Even sweet baby Chayah was fighting a 101 degree fever. Right now, as I type this, all the Cherry girls are sacked out and rubbed down with Vick's. Here's to hoping we are on the mend and can get back to work soon. Nothing has been done here but constant tending to of people and wiping down of surfaces. So, I experienced a miracle this week. I asked God for some provision and it showed up. It didn't just show up, it showed up in our bank account. I am thankful that Jesus hears our prayers and stirs the hearts of saints to be His holy pocketbook. We also have a grand group of people coming to work on our house for three weeks starting in mid-February. They are retired people who help with Christian causes. How awesome. My prayers for this next year are to grow what w...

How was your Christmas? Full of merriment and fun? Full of deadlock traffic and a car filled with stuff. I'll be honest, sometimes Christmas overwhelms me. There is so much that must change hands for some people to feel happy. I sit in my house completely overwhelmed by all the remnants of the holiday. Where shall I put it all? Do we really need all of this? So, I begin sorting through all we have for what we can share because we genuinely have too much.  I must say, it is not fun to pack up five people for a week and live out of a suitcase, but I truly enjoy being with family. I love that just for a moment we can get some of them to turn off the tv, talk to us, and have an elegant dinner. That is special to me. I get tired of complaining and backbiting that is so common today. My favorite thing is to share a lovely meal with a friend or loved one and share what we are thankful for, things we are enjoying, and who we love.  Christmas can be hard as I want my brother...

Behold, I am doing a new thing, sweet child. Embrace the newness and freshness of this coming year as a reminder that your sins have been forgiven. You sit enveloped in the mercy of My Son. How great is the grace that embraces you. Let this be the year that you share it with those you deem the least deserving or cause the most irritation to your personal life. Remember, as you walk into this season of newness, that you need grace as much as everyone around you. It is only by My grace and mercy that you do not do the things that others do. Even what you have, I gave to you. "...the love of God is shed abroad in our  hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to  us." Romans 5:5 For more on this segment, see this post . Have a blessed New Year!