Trusting In God Completely

There are times in this life when our trust in God is put to the test. I know that I must trust in God completely, no matter what comes my way, for life gives us unexpected events everyday. I had a very surprising thing happen to me today that I never saw coming. I know that only God can and will get me through this. I know that God has better things planned for me because He tells us so in His Word, the Holy Bible.

I must say that I am not prepared for what happened in any way, shape or form, but I know that God will provide as He always has. When we encounter something that we never saw coming it kind of blindsides us. Next time I will have to learn and be prepared. Hopefully though there will not be a next time. Either way I will be prepared for the what ifs that tend to crop up along the way in my day to day life. There is always something that comes along that we need to tend to such as a vehicle breaking down, losing one's job, a hospitalization, an emergency, an accident or so many other problems or events that can come up without a moments notice that can cause a crisis within one's life if they are not prepared. I am not prepared but I know that God will see the children and I through this as He always has.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Morel Mushrooms

God Is God

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.

Blessed New Year

So here it is, the New Year of 2009. Last night the children and I attended , what we call here in Kentucky, a Watch Night Service. It is seeing the old year out and the new year in by fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Church house. We had an enjoyable time in the Lord. There were three groups that sang and we had dinner during break time and fellowship. It was a good time in the Lord for all who attended.

" The Quisenberry Family" was there to sing. This is a family of brothers,sisters,cousins, nieces and nephews that sing together as a Gospel group. They sound so beautiful together and they sing acappella( without instrumental music). They have the natural harmony of a family of singers that only comes from being a family. I enjoy listening to them sing and tell them how much I enjoy their singing and I encourage them to always continue to sing for the Lord. They invited me to sing at their Church in mid-January. I told them I would be there.

"Jesus First" also sang at the Watch Night Service. I love to hear them sing. Sister Ann, bless her heart, had some recent hard decisions to make that cost her to severe some ties with some of her family members. God told us that if we serve Him in the way He wants us to serve him then we would lose family members, friends, spouses and even be persecuted for serving Him. It is all worth it. Sister Ann and I talked concerning this. She is an inspiration to me and we both know that if something is not of the Lord and goes against the Lord then we are to have no part with or of it. Sometimes this means stepping across and losing family members or loved ones. But as long as one stays true to Jesus Christ, the lord god then it is all worth it. Brother Bernard, Sister Ann's husband, asked me if my brother and I would start singing with them when they went to singings. I told him I would ask my brother to see what the Lord leads him to do. He is already in one group and several other groups have asked us to join them but so far the Lord is leading each of us in different directions. We will have to pray and do as the Lord God directs us to do. Follow His lead and not that of our own. God is good.

Our little country church house was filled to capacity last night for Watch Night Service. I am ever so thankful that so many people came out to fellowship in the Lord with us. This is a true blessing from God above to know that these people love the Lord. They would rather be int he Lord's house, worshipping and fellowshipping with the Lord and his children than to be out in the world with the devil and his ways. God's children know how to have a good time in the Lord. There is nothing better than fellowshipping in the Lord together, singing His praises, praising him, praying to Him as one voice lifted to Heaven and being in the Lord's presence. God is awesome. I thank God for all He has done for each of us and know that as long as we continue to serve Him He will greatly bless us.

God will use us, His children, in His service if we make ourselves useful to Him. If we have a will to be used for the Lord, He will use us. It is far better to reap the harvest that God has for us by being His than it is to reap the reward that the devil has for those who serve him. The reward from God is eternal life in glory with Him, in peace, Love, harmony and worshipful praise and service of and to Him. The rewards for serving the devil are eternal life and everlasting torment in the lake of fire. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Each one of us has to choose whether to live our life for the Lord or for satan/the devil. I choose the Lord. God gave His all for each one of us. The devil would not die for our sins as Jesus did. No greater Love is there in this world than to give one's life for their brother. Jesus died for our sins, the redemption for us, the ultimate and supreme sacrifice. No one else could do this but Jesus for He was and is God in the flesh. He conquered death, hell and the grave.

How many of you are willing to stay true to God, even unto death ? If you are asked today,this very moment to deny Christ to save your life or the lives of your children and family, would you deny Christ ? Or would you be true unto death to the Lord ? The Lord stayed true to us. Are you willing to do for the Lord what He did for you ? If one can not give their all for God then we are failing Him. In this New Year of 2009 why not make the commitment to give your life over to the Lord. Ask Jesus' forgiveness for your sins, repent,and be born again in Him. Stay with the Lord, be true to Him and turn from your sin and do not go back unto your sin. Do not become as the dog who returns to his vomit or as the swine who returns to the wallow. Stay clean with Jesus. Stay pure for the Lord. With God all things are possible, know this for a certainty. The Lord God/Jesus gave us the guidelines within the pages of His Word, the Holy Bible in how we are to live. Follow His guidelines and you will not be led astray. Follow His guidelines and you will make it to glory someday.


May this year of2009 be the time you find the Lord and stay true to Him. May the Lord richly bless you in this New Year and always. Blessed New Year.

Mocha

One of the hardest things we have to tell our children is about the death of a beloved pet. Zak and Elizabeth went with their Dad for the weekend to share a belated Christmas with him as the children and I spent Christmas with my parents at my brother, Bill's, home. Then Christmas evening we spent with my ex-in-laws at their home since my ex-husband does not visit with them it fell to me to bring the children over for Christmas for their other grandparents. Which I am glad we went to see them as they needed us to visit them, which we need to do more often.

Back to telling our children of something we would rather not have to tell them of. All our cats were here when I returned from Church this morning. We have quite a few cats, all of which we love dearly. They are each so individualistic that it is a joy to be around them. Well Mocha is,or was,my daughter,Elizabeth's,tom cat. He was about 2 years old. A beautiful black camera ham, is what he was. He would talk when you picked him up. He had quite a personality to him, all which I contribute to him as having been half Siamese.

I called my Mom as I do every Sunday after Church and spoke with her for about an hour. Then I prepared all the food for the animals, our cats, dogs and chickens for their feeding time. I went out and fed them and checked the eggs. I realized that I had not seen Mocha when I fed the cats. This is highly unusual for Mocha not to be here. He is a stay at home, front yard tom cat. I placed the empty food containers on the front steps and turned around to go look for Mocha and saw him lying beside the road. He was dead. He had been run over. It had not been too long before I went out to feed them. I knew this from the warmth that was still present within Mocha's crumpled body. His beautiful yellow-green eyes that once glowed with warmth, light and mischievousness would see no more. He would talk no more to us as we petted him or played with him. Our little miniature black panther. I dug him a grave and buried him in our pet cemetery so the children would be able to place flowers on his grave anytime they choose to. I said a prayer over him and asked the Lord to help me break the news gently to the children. The children love their animals as a family member, for they are a part of our family. We love them. They are precious and dear to us. I pray that the Lord will give me the right words to say to help ease the sorrow and grief they will feel from Mocha's death.

As the Bible says there is a season to be born and a season to die. This applies to all living things. We love, we hurt, we lose those we love. It is all a part of the cycle of our lives. Even though this is how it is, to be born and to die, it still hurts when we lose someone or a dear pet that we loved so well. The picture is of Mocha. God bless his little soul which has returned back to the earth.

Fellowship

Yesterday I attended an appreciation singing. In all 12 Gospel singing groups showed up and there were also several individual singers who sang. The singing started at 3:00 PM and did not get over until close to 11:00 PM. Around 5:00 PM we had a break for the chili supper so all in attendance could eat and fellowship together with the singers and each other. I can not recall all the groups that sang but a few of them were "3:16","New Image","Old Kentucky Sound","Jesus First", "Redeemed","Set Free","The Long Branch Singers","The Quisenberry's" and more. I sang with my brother,Jim. Several of my extended family members were also at the singing.In fact some of them have their own groups that sang yesterday.

I was blest as I got to visit with quite a few people. It is wonderful to fellowship with others in the Lord. We had a great time in Jesus. This gathering gave me a chance to catch up with family, friends, brothers and sisters in the Lord. I received so many hugs and well wishes that my heart was overflowing with the love that was given freely from all who attended yesterday.

I got to hold a little baby that was only six weeks old. She was so precious. Her mom,dad and extended family are so blest with this gift from the Lord. She is the granddaughter of my magistrate and long time family friend and leader of the gospel group my brother plays with. This family does so much for the Lord. They are the ones ,Depresto,JoAnn and family, who sponsored and setup the whole appreciation singing. They work so hard to spread the Lord's word and I really appreciate all they do for the Lord, especially JoAnn who is often the one keeping it all together behind the scenes, may God continue to shine His many blessings upon you all. I thank God for the group "3:16" and for them allowing all the other Gospel singers to use their sound equipment. That was an awesome blessing and may God doubly bless this group for their unselfish giving. Sister Lavern and Brother Walt for helping out and for staying true to the Lord. Brother Walt makes an awesome Potato Soup by the way. It was just a blessing to fellowship and share in the joy of the Lord with all these dear people.

Our County Judge Executive was in attendance also. He made a speech about the singers and appreciating all we do to share the Lord with the community. He did not know I was there until he looked out and saw me and he acknowledged my being there. When he got through with his speech he came around and gave me a big hug and asked how everything was going and about my family. I asked about his family.He is a good man that I have known since I was young. Last year when we had the big snow he came out and personally plowed our road to check on me, Zak and Elizabeth. He pulled up in front of my home and said to me," Nancy I got to thinking about you and the children being out here all alone and I wanted to check and see how you all were doing and if you needed anything." That blest my heart. To know that , even with his own family, being home with his wife and children, he still thought about others and went out of his way to help out. Lord please bless my friend and Brother is Christ, the Judge, and his family with your wonderful blessings.

We all must do our part to share the Lord with others and to help each other out. The Lord Jesus tells us that if we know someone who is in need and if we do nothing about it, when we are able to help them, then we are sinning.Proverbs 3:27-28 speaks a little on this,Matthew 7:9-12 also speaks upon this, there are several other places within the Bible that speak about treating others the way that you would like to be treated and helping others. So many people turn a blind eye and heart to what the Lord tells us to do within the pages of His Word, the Holy Bible. They think they can pick and choose only what they want to apply to their life and throw the rest of God/Jesus' teachings out. That is not how it works. The Bible, God's Word, is to be taken as a whole. It is our road map, our instruction book to living life as God/Jesus wants and asks us to. It is not pick and choose it is all within it applies to everyone.

I thank God that He is an ever present part of my life. If it were not for the Lord I would not be here today. If it were not for the Lord I would not be able to sing His praises and share Him in fellowship with others. I thank God that He has placed so many people within my life to share Him with and that will share God with me. I made some serious promises to God and all my friends, family, brothers and sisters in Christ know that I abide by my word. The Bible teaches us that a person's word is that person's name. If one does not keep their word what does that tell another person about that other one ? That is something every person who makes a promise to others and to God and does not keep that promise needs to realize that they are saying they are not trustworthy. Don't make a promise if you can not keep it. If you make a promise you had better keep it.

I am looking forward to the Watch Night service we are having at the Church I attend. My friends and fellow Gospel singers" Jesus First " will be singing that night. We are going to sing, pray, fellowship and have something to eat together. We are going to fellowship in the Lord. There is nothing more wonderful than fellowshipping and sharing the Lord with others. God is to be praised. He deserves to be praised. If it were not for God/Jesus none of us would exist. We would not be allowed to enter into Glory with Him if Jesus had not died on the Cross at Calvary. To think about the great sacrifice that our Lord made for us I can't help but thank my Jesus for all He has done. Even doing my best for Him, in His service, falls short of all He did and gave for me, His very life's blood. Thank You so much Jesus for loving such a lowly creature like me that You died for me. Oh Jesus, You are so precious to my heart and soul that I do not want to live without You in my life. I am home within You and I will never leave. For nothing nor no one can give me what You have and do for Your Holy Spirit fills me in a way nothing else nor no one else ever can or will. I desire no man , nor no thing for they can not compare to You, My Lord. What You give and have to offer can not be given or come from anyone or anything else and that is what makes it so special is that it comes from You alone. I Love You Lord Jesus. Thank You for all.

The Light

Dawn turns to daylight
Daylight turns to twilight,
Twilight turns to dusk,
Dusk turns into the darkness of night.
Yet even within the cloak of night's darkness,
There is light.
Light given by the moon and stars.
Even in the midst of a night sky darkened with storm clouds,
A faint light can be seen.
It is never completely, totally, dark.

Life begins the moment we are conceived,
Within the darkness of our mother's womb,
Yet there is a warm glow of light that we can see,
Though we know not where it comes from,
Least not at the time we are safely cocooned,
Within our mother's womb,
The light is there to start us on our journey,
To lead us to the next phase into the unknown.

We are born into a world of light,
So much light that we cannot fathom,
The depths of why it is so light at this time of our birth.
We know that this light was with us in the womb,
Yet it is so bright upon our arrival into this world.
As time goes by, we grow, we learn,
The light starts to diminish as we become older.
Why is this? Why has the light diminished from what it once was ?
It seems to have become hazy, even clouded at times.

We journey from our young years into adulthood.
For some the light is truly bright, and it stays that way.
While, for others, the light gets clouded out or even lost along the way.
What happened ? Where did the light go?
Why do some keep the light while others lose the light and their way ?
Without the light to guide us it is so easy to lose sight.
Have you noticed that when the light is not in your life,
There is something missing, a part of you is lost ?
Do you go searching for the light,
Trying to find something, anything, that will bring the light back.

You see we come from the light,
As we are born and then age,
The things we encounter in our life tend to overshadow the light,
Only because we allow it to be overshadowed or darkened.
We do not stay true to the light for so many things get in the way of the light.
Our cares, our worries,our very lives get in the way of the light.
Our sin is what truly darkens the light,causing us to drift away from the light,
Yet that light is still there,waiting to be found again and restored


There is only One thing, One person, One absolute means to find the light.
There is only the One true way,
To be found within the presence of the light again.
That true way to the light is Jesus Christ.
He is always with us from before conception, even unto death.
He is waiting for us to return to Him for forgiveness.
Once we are forgiven, we know and see the light again.
The light is God, the light is Jesus.
In finding the Light of the Lord, renewed again, we are welcomed home into the Light.

Given to me this day, December 26,2008, by the Lord God.
Nancy J. Troini

The Lord blest me with this writing, here this evening, as I sat at the computer pondering. It has been quite awhile since the Lord has blest me with a writing as such. I have let my life become too busy, at times, to receive the blessing that God is trying to give me. This is something that we all do, we become too busy and do not do as God told us to do, " Be still and know that I am God". Sometimes we need to just be still and listen for and to God for He will speak to us if we allow Him to. Some people say that God does not speak to people anymore, well God is speaking, it is we who are not listening,people. He is right there waiting for each one of us to be still and know that He is God.

Psalms 46:10
10) Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

John 1:1-14
1)In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2)The same was in the beginning with God.

3)All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4)In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5)And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6)There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7)The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8)He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9)That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10)He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11)He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12)But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13)Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14)And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.