When Change Comes. . .

Greetings dear friends! I hope this finds every one doing very well—did you have a blessed Christmas? We did and will.. . .Momma and sister were out of town on that special day and so Daddy, brother, and I spent the day fellowshipping with each other in a simple enjoyable way. When my family is wholly together, we will have an official Christmas. Some may be sad that we did not have a “true Christmas,” but I am thankful for this experience. It has taught me that Christmas is not a day--that celebrating the birth of Christ is something that can and should be done on any ordinary day. Christmas is far more than gifts, decorations, and family; Christmas is making the time to praise God for sending his Son. God is so good!
In a few days a new year will begin and with that many plans will be made. If you do not know me, you probably do not realize that I am a planner. I enjoy dreaming up plans—plans for my future and plans for my current days. I LOVE plans! I consider plans to be a good thing; plans allow for organization and preparation. But plans also have a downfall especially if they are not based on God’s plans. A few of you may remember that I was planning on moving to and attending a university three hours away; I had hoped to quickly gain a teaching degree that I may one day use on the mission field. A lovely plan? I thought so.  But God’s ways are not mine. After asking the proper authority, I found out that I would not be able to wear my head-covering on most of the campus. Some of you may be able to imagine the shock that overwhelmed me when I discovered this news—in very plain words heart broken could be used to describe my condition.  It took some time to be comfortable with the idea that my plans were not going to happen.  You see, I had it all planned out—I was going to work diligently through my studies, shine brilliantly as a student, remain single for at least 3 years, finish school, find a mission field, get a good job, . . . but those were my plans.

“For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD.For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8,9

Sometimes Often God’s plans differ from our own. I was so sure that I was in the will of God—I had my parent's blessing, the school was affordable, my reasons honorable. But the quote of Mrs. Elizabeth Elliot says it best, “When ours are interrupted, his are not.  His plans are proceeding exactly as scheduled, moving us always (including those minutes or hours or years which seem most useless or wasted or unendurable) toward the goal of true maturity.”  The same Creator who formed me in the womb, the same Savior who died and rose again, the same heavenly Father who daily loves and forgives me of my sins is the same God who plans my step.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 5:8

You may ask what I have learned from this experience. . .simply put, I’m still learning. However, I can say that I am learning that God is good despite our circumstances. Also, I have learned that God’s will does not always equal my will and warm fuzzy “I’m right” feelings.

^“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to . . . to comfort all that mourn; . . . to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Isaiah  61:1,2,3

Please keep me in your prayers as Daddy, Momma, and I decide what I should do with the time Christ has now given me. While I do look back on the could-have-been with some sadness, I look to the future with a hope and a smile! :o) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us strive to be the kind of Christian God wants us to be. . .even when every thing we have planned falls apart.

May Jesus bless you!!

With love,

Frannie

From His First Cry. . .

Greetings dear brothers and sisters in Christ. I hope this finds each of you rejoicing in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Yesterday, a friend shared her Christmas card with me—we both enjoyed the message very much. The picture you see is actually the front of the card and the poem below, by Lisa O. Engelhardt, was on the inside cover. I hope you may be blessed by it as much as we were! :)  May the Lord bless you this Christmas day as you seek to serve Him.

“Our Savior, Light of the World”

Rejoicing, we tell

the Nativity story,

when the Light of the World

came in brilliance and glory.

But still we remember there is more to be told -

His great sacrifice that was yet to unfold. . .

For His mission as Savior

could not be complete

until heavy nails pierced

His hands and His feet.

So may we recall

both the gift of His birth,

and the gift of salvation

He gave to all on earth.

-- Lisa O. Engelhardt

       May Jesus bless you! With love,

          Frannie

Stand Still and See

Greetings! I hope this post finds all well. I recently found this poem and was greatly encouraged by it—it is amazing to see that the things we struggle with are often the things God puts in our lives to make us rely on Him, our ever-lasting Rock. Just in case there is difficulty in reading the poem of of the picture, here it is once more. :)

“Stand Still and See”

I'm standing, Lord:
There is a mist that blinds my sight.
Steep, jagged rocks, front, left and right,
Lower, dim, gigantic, in the night. Where is the way?

I'm standing, Lord:
The black rock hems me in behind,
Above my head a moaning wind
Chills and oppresses heart and mind.
I am afraid!

I'm standing, Lord:
The rock is hard beneath my feet;
I nearly slipped, Lord, on the sleet.
So weary, Lord! and where a seat?
Still must I stand?

He answered me, and on His face
A look ineffable of grace,
Of perfect, understanding love,
Which all my murmuring did remove.

I'm standing, Lord:
Since Thou hast spoken, Lord, I see
Thou hast beset--these rocks are Thee!
And since Thy love encloses me,
I stand and sing,

-Mrs. Elizabeth Stam

May Jesus Christ bless you this coming Christmas. May we remember the blessing of His birth which led to our salvation!

With love,

Frannie

Picture Credit: “A Lovely Thought,” by Daniel Ridgeway Knight, was found at the following link:  http://www.paintinghere.com/painting/A_Lovely_Thought_2549.html

The Joyful Servant Heart

Greetings dear sisters,
I hope this finds you all well and warm during this winter season; it has gotten very cold in our area, in fact, we had our first snow today!! Praise the LORD! It is quite late tonight, but a thought came to me which I cannot pass by. I have so much to learn and am thankful for the period of singleness Christ has given me; this time is a time for me to observe and learn from various couples and also from the Word of God on what marriage is and can be.
Like many young ladies I have the desire to marry, Lord willing, my “Jim dear.” :o) I have been thinking on the characteristics, struggles, and responsibilities of being a wife. Lately, the thought of serving my husband by cooking, washing, cleaning, and raising children all sound like sweet chores I could bear cheerfully. I can imagine myself smiling sweetly while caring for my duties. But then the thought came, “DO I do this now?” Do I serve my family faithfully without a grumble or complaint? Lately, I have found myself forming a bad habit—I will serve somewhat cheerfully for about five days and then, humph, the “I’m tired, over-worked, and under-paid” attitude surfaces. Is this the faithful, loving, and servant like heart that Christ desires to give me? Or is this a slothful, sinful, and self-serving attitude? Does this character quality build or tear apart my family? Hmm. . .I afraid this attitude I’ve been displaying tears my family down.   
I find it difficult to believe that what I practice now will not carry into my future. Sure, cooking, cleaning, and serving my own family sounds like sweet bliss now, but how will I act when my kitchen is messy, my dear husband is late, the mountain of laundry appears insurmountable, and little Timmy desperately needs my attention on his math homework? Will I sacrifice what I believe are my rights? Will I cheerfully bear the cross Christ has given as He did His? Oh, by God’s grace, I hope too. But until that time, I think I need to practice serving consistently and faithfully, full of joy and peace. Some practical things I can do to accomplish my goal are: 1. Read and meditate on the Scriptures which speak about servant hood, being a virtuous woman and being a godly wife. 2. Daily give up my rights and learn cheerful, sacrificial love for my family. 3. Learn to find my joy in the Lord whether my circumstances be pleasant or not ( I think this is a big one!). :)
Dear sisters, it is my hope to be the woman I dream of being. . .perhaps you feel the same way? Let us press on in our walk with Jesus, lovingly obeying Him; He will give us the desires of our heart!! T sum it all up, here are two quotes that I truly appreciate. I have shared them before, but they fit so nicely:

“An undutiful daughter will prove an unmanageable wife.” -Benjamin Franklin

"If you would have a good wife, marry one who has been a good daughter.” -Thomas Fuller

God bless you sisters!

With love,

Frannie

P.S. The lovely painting seen above was taken from this link: http://www.oceansbridge.com/oil-paintings/product.php?xProd=62635&xSec=4053&xCmd=gallery

Oh, Dear Friends, Forsake Me Not

:o) Greetings dear friends and faithful readers—and I mean faithful. For many moons I have not pecked a worthy post, and I thank you all for graciously waiting for me. I could make many excuses about this busy holiday/Christmas season (but then again, so could you. . .), I could also make a few excuses stating that school has been keeping me busy (but then again. . .so could you. . . .). So, I will spare you the excuses and simply say how grateful I am to have readers and how grateful I am for this busy time in my life. I had a a refreshing and blessed time in Pennsylvania about one month ago. But to properly share the Lord’s goodness on my last trip I must tell you about the many blessings which encompassed me. To do that I will need to split the story into a few segments. . .it is far to long to set on one post! I hope you are blessed!
Part 1: St. Louis--Before the Take-off
The first blessing I received was that my best friend, Momma, and a dear friend, Mrs. Rowland, sewed four dresses and sent them for my trip! Friends, I cannot tell you what this meant to me—their kindness and sacrifice of time spared me many tears and stresses which I would have encountered had I been responsible for sewing. I like to sew and I like to imagine that I’ll sew dresses for my own little children, but I I strongly dislike learning how to sew. (Did I hear a literal gasp escape from your shocked heart and mouth?) :) This is something I hope to change; I know sewing is a wonderful and practical skill I must learn in order to be a blessing to my future home. But some women dislike baking, some dislike washing dishes, and I dislike sewing dresses. Anyways, I would just like to thank and bless Mrs. Rowland and Momma for being so kind and loving—the dresses are beautiful and I am so thankful for them.

The next blessing I received was my overnight stay with Daddy in St. Louis (I was flying out the following morning). While Daddy had to spend time in some classes, I was blessed to explore the St. Louis Arch.

 

The arch from an upward view.

The city and river from a high, upward perspective.

While visiting, I greatly enjoyed the general store. Seeing replicas of old books, candies, and McGuffey Readers made my pioneer-loving heart swell. Not to mention the well-made, affordable bonnets. . . :o) (Notice photo number two).

Afterwards, I happily explored the museum. I do not know as much as I should about America’s history, or history in general. I have only recently began appreciating the lives that came before me. While at the museum, I came across several good quotes (and you know I love a good and uplifting quotes).

I particularly enjoyed this quote by a migratory worker. I find this desire honorable.

 

Afterwards I was able to enter a nearby old Catholic church. I enjoyed the history of the church seeing that (I believe) it was the result of some of the first Catholic missionaries sent to the Indians. Funny how something so ancient and beautiful is now surrounded by modern city buildings.

About one block away stood the old court house in which Mr. Dred Scott’s, a black slave in the 1800’s, case was heard. His story is very interesting and I was once again intrigued by the brave lives which passed before me. Besides this, I was in awe over the beauty architecture of the building. The second photo is of an old court room.  The third is taken from the first floor looking to the roof—beautiful. Along the circular roof there were several floors and paintings. The few below were some I was able to capture:

 

After touring the courthouse, I met Daddy and had an enjoyable dinner with him. My dear Papi even indulged my simple whims and walked about two blocks of the city with me; we eventually ended up with a yummy coffee and tired feet before we made it back to the hotel. I truly had a wonderful time with Daddy and I also want to thank and bless him for being such a good protector, guide, and friend to me.

Well, friends, I had best be going. I hope to get the other parts out soon! 

May you continue to grow in the love and power of Jesus Christ,

Your sister in Christ,

 Frannie