Friday, April 28, 2006

LBY - week 5

How can it be we are already half way through this study?

This week we studied peace. I have to admit I was luke warm on the studies of love and joy. I don't know why. There were very good points made by Beth and the others, some of which hit home home with me. But nothing has stuck me has hard as the study on Peace.

We, as a couple, have made and been forced to make some pretty radical decisions in the last 18, or so, months for our family. Some have been filled with peace, some have not. We have gone from two, full time working adults to no working adults, to one full time working adult, with a couple of stints of with part-time working in there. Some by choice, some by force, some by necessity. Through it all, when I concentrate on God, as Peter focused on Jesus, I have had peace. When I looked around at my circumstances, as when Peter looked at the wind and waves, I began to worry, panic, fear, and cry out. Last week I cried out to God and He answered in a very real way. I was really worrying about our bills etc, I was praying. As I was praying my eyes fell on an open notebook laying by my bed, This was a total God thing, because unless I am writing, my eyes are usually closed. Anyway, I felt God telling me to list my bills. I didn't write them down, but listed them out loud, well wispering because Steven was sleeping beside me, I felt Him say "I have it covered" after I listed each one. Then later at the end of the week, circumstances looked as bad as they have ever looked. I sent out pleas for prayer to three groups of people very dear to me. Each group pledged to pray for me, my family, and the situations. Through all of those prayers, mine and those of the others, I have seen the hand of God move this week. First of all, during the day, when I'd get to thinking about this bill or that one, a song would come to my heart and I'd start singing out loud.

My God is so BIG, so Strong and so Mighty, there is nothing my God can not do!
My God is so BIG, so Strong and so Mighty, there is nothing my God can not do!
The moutains are His,
The rivers are His,
The stars are His handiwork, too.
My God is so BIG, so Strong and so Mighty, there is nothing my God can not do!



Sometimes my kids and I would sing this several times until I was filled with that peace once more. Then Thursday morning I was awakened by a phone call with great news from my husband. Imeediately I had another song on my heart. This one I only recall a couple of lines of but they are the most important "My God is so Good, (sing with me now) My God is so Good" Things are starting to look up and we are trusting God to bring us up once again.




AddieHeather*Carol
MRachJeana
JennAmandaMamaB
GiBeeBoomamaMaria
BlairHeatherNancy
JannaFlipflop Robin
SherryPatriciaTara
LaurenHolyMama!Faith
ChristyEph2810Karin
LeannRachelJanice
This is a list of the women participating in the
study and the links to their blogs. New postings on the study will be
published for the next ten weeks, between Friday 8pm - Saturday 8am.
Please feel free to visit each of us and comment.
Everyone is welcome to participate in this discussion
as we seek to live beyond ourselves. May God bless you richly from the
hearing of His word.

4 comments:

Addie said...

Maria, it awesome to see God working in your life right now. I can totally understand why Peace would be so VERY RELEVANT to you right now. You and your family have been in my prayers and I love to hear of God's faithfulness.

It's amazing how singing songs, sometimes over and over enables us to finally give ourselves back over to God. Great testimony of how God gave you peace BEFORE he began moving.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, again, for that beautiful testimony! God is indeed so good!

Robin said...

First of all, love that song. We have it too and it is one of the girls' favs. Also, I love this story of his faithfulness recounted. It just makes me breathe a heavy sign and think, "Isn't he good!"

boomama said...

Love the Veggie Tales lyrics! And more than that, I totally relate to how a song "soothes your soul" - music is so powerful, isn't it? It's inspiring to see how God is working in your heart - and in your family - right now.