Wow!
I haven't posted on my blog in quite some time. It has been rather hectic with everything that has gone on in the past few months since my last post. God has been watching over us, this I know for a certainty.
First off I want to thank all my friends, family ( both in blood and in the Lord), and all who have kept us in their prayers and who have helped the children and I in our time of trials and needs. God does hear and answer prayer. This is a fact.
Much has transpired since my last blog post. In late January through the first few weeks of February we had a violent ice storm that passed through our area. This caused much damage to trees, electric lines, phone lines and all utilities in a widespread area. We were without electric and heat in our home for 2 weeks and without phone service for closer to three weeks. A lot of damage was done to the land and trees but God protected everyone.
In the early morning hours, still darkness, of January 27, 2009 our electric and heat went out due to the ice build up on the trees and lines going down. The children both piled into bed with me where we stayed and prayed until daylight. You could hear the creaking of the tree branches when the wind blew as they were laden with ice. The branches were scraping against our trailer and also draping the ground due to the weight of the ice upon them. It was eerie sounding. Zak was scared as was Elizabeth. So I told them we needed to pray. We prayed aloud and called upon the Lord to watch over us and keep us safe as well as our family members throughout the storm area, friends, and all who were affected by the ice storm.
We have huge old Oak trees all around our trailer. Mighty Oaks as the bible calls them. One of these Oak trees the children and I dedicated to God years ago. We call it " God's Tree". It is His. The weight of the ice, as I said earlier, was causing the trees to creak eerily. A lot of branches were breaking and falling. I kept praying that the Lord would keep any branches or trees from falling on our trailer. Eventually we did fall into a deep sleep until morning. When I got up I looked out and saw our two huge White Pine trees had been brought down by the ice storm. At first I said ," Oh No!" But I stopped and I said," Thank You Lord for not letting those trees fall on us." By all rights and means they should have fallen on the trailer but God heard and answered our prayers and He caused them to fall away from our trailer. God did what we prayed to him for.
I got dressed and went outside. It was beautiful yet it was dangerous out. I could hear trees breaking in the woods all around us, one after another. It sounded like guns and cannons going off. As I watched our Oak trees sway and creak with each breeze I raised my hands to the Lord and first I praised Him for keeping us safe and then I asked Him to continue to protect us and all those who were in the path of this storm. I did not care if someone drove by and saw me as I intended to do what I was doing and that was pray to God aloud, with my hands raised to Him. I knew that prayer and thankfulness was what was needed. I knew that God had kept us safe.
Later that day Elizabeth and I went out to feed the animals and to water them. They were all okay. God had protected them and kept them safe. I knew He would though. He cares for all His creatures. When we went down to feed our rooster, Daffodil, I realized again and was awed by how God had protected us. Laying across the back end of the chicken pen was a huge branch off one of our Oak trees. I looked up and just said , " Thank You Jesus." That Oak tree branch was from the Oak tree that was directly over my bedroom. It is where Zak, Elizabeth and I were sleeping in the morning hours and praying. That branch, had it hit the trailer, would have came through the roof and hurt us. But God had tossed it over 4o feet away from our trailer, down towards the back end of the chicken pen. Only God's hand could have done this. He saved our lives. He protected us. He stood guard over us, throughout, while we slept and trusted in Him. When Elizabeth and Zak saw this, their faith in God was increased. The Lord watched over us. That is Love.
Our neighbors came by to check on us as we could not get out due to trees down on the road. One neighbor brought us an old kerosene heater that we ran for a few hours until it ran out of kerosene. Another neighbor brought in sleeping bags for us. he came through the field on his tractor. Another day he came in and removed trees from the road but two trees he could not get off. One day the children's Dad, George,showed up at the trailer. He had parked his vehicle and walked in on foot. The children went back out with him to his vehicle at the end of the road.I packed my SUV and drove through the field in the tire tracks of my neighbors tractor and went to my cousins, who had a wood burning stove. George followed me and brought the children up. then he left and went back to Bowling Green to his home. He was worried enough about us that he came in to get us out to warmth. The children and I stayed at my cousin, Mary Helen's, for two nights and went to church with her that Sunday. Her church found out we did not have heat at home and they gave us a new kerosene heater. So we went home that night.
We stayed home until my birthday of February 4th. Then we went to my parents as it was supposed to get below zero, which it did. We stayed with my family until we came home on Saturday morning. We found out that the water pipes had thawed and had broken. We had close to an inch of water standing in the house and about 4 inches of water in the vents. I threw the main breaker , even though we did not have electric back yet. Reason being I did not want it to come back on while we were getting the water out of the house. That would have been bad. I called the insurance company to get them to send out an adjuster. He came on Valentines Day to assess the damage. I am now waiting for the check to be sent back from the mortgage company so we can get the floors redid. It was a mess in here but we are alive and much is to be praised for to the Lord. Even though we had a lot of damage I have not and will not let it bother me as God Loves us and He protected us with a mighty hand. That is awesome.
One of my friends said it best when she heard what all had happened. She said to me," Nancy all this that you have gone through yet you still have a smile on your face and you praise God." I was like," Yes. He protected us. It doesn't matter about things, for that is exactly what they are " things". God protected us, we are alive. I have much to praise Him for and smile about."
It does no good to let things bother you. When we let things bother us, get us down, we are not able to serve God as He wants us to. Why let some stand in the way of my serving God. I want to be able to serve God in the best way I can and if I am down in the dumps, I sure can not serve God the way I should be. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. God protected me and so many others, so yes, I have much to smile about. Thank You, Jesus.
Something like this ice storm and the way God protected so many people, lets one know how powerful God is. When God sets an appointment it will get people's attention. God says ," Hey I am the One in control. Your little things are going to stop. Stand still and know that I Am God."
People, God is in control. He is the One Who is in control. Not you, not me, nor anyone else. Only God is truly in control. If you don't believe that, one day God will show you in a way that you can not ignore it. Will you be prepared when that time comes ?
God is awesome. He is top be praised. he is in control and god is all powerful and Almighty. He is the great I Am, Alpha and Omega, the author and the finisher of our faith. God is God and He does not change. Hear what I say, God does not change. He is the same, today, yesterday and tomorrow and always. I rejoice in Him and praise His Holy Name, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
I have much to be thankful for. I am alive. I have breath to breathe. My children are alive. We are the Lord's, bought and paid for by His precious blood. My life is not my own, it is God's. My children's lives are not their own. hey belong to God, dedicated from the moment of birth to be His and to be raised for Him and to His service. God is Love and God is my life. Thank You Jesus. Amen.
