GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

While the year 2008 comes to an end and we celebrated the Christmas Holiday I became sad this Christmas Eve. It became very real to me that on Christmas morning it would be just Bill and I alone again. Just as things had been in all our past Christmases, no children to shower gifts with. I had told Bill a few days earlier that it had SUDDNELY dawned on me that Jerin would not be home for Christmas this year!!!
He found his love of a lifetime earlier this year and would be spending Christmas with Valerie and her family!!!

Last year was the first time we had ever had someone (Jerin) to consider as a child and shower them with gifts just as other parents all over the world do every Christmas morning… It was so precious to love a “child” in this way.
Jerin really made it fun for us.. He gets so excited over the smallest things…especially food and candy!!!
We call this our “PRETEND” Family. Bill, myself, Jerin and Robin ( Jerin is the only one that lives with us)
In reality Jerin is Bill best buddy and Jerin is my friend. Robin is my disciple/spiritual daughter.

I just want to express how the Lord has blessed my life with experiencing what it must be like to have a son!
Bill and I have been a part of Jerin’s life for about 4 years now. He came into our lives during a terrible heartbreaking separation/divorce. We took Jerin under our wing. He would hang out with us, eat with us and after a while he even was doing his laundry at our house. He was part of our family!
We had much in common with Jerin as he was the Jr High leader at one church and we were youth workers at another church. Our hearts were knit from the start.
Jerin’s divorce became final after about a year, against his wishes. He sold their house and moved into a lonely apartment. About the time his year lease was up Jerin and Bill had decided it would be great for all of us if Jerin moved into our house. He could pay some rent and that would help us out financially and Jerin wouldn’t be lonely!!! I of course had adopted Jerin as a son long before this point…!! This was so exciting though…it was kind of real….
I remember spending much time in prayer for his ministry decisions and especially about a wife!
Jerin and I had many long nights of talking about ministry, his heart and about relationships….and then about THE ONE!!! Sweet Val… All these talks felt so much like I would have wanted a mother son relationship to be if I did have one…

I said all that to say this!!! Jerin is moving out soon and my heart is heavy!! I will miss him simply just being around, although he has been gone a lot since the Engagement in September…That has been good in a way…. It will make it somewhat easier when the day does come for him to really go.
I will miss hearing the garage door go up in the middle of the night and knowing he is home safe. This is so funny.. I remember the first time he was out with Val LATE and we were worried about him and if he was ok… I did not go to sleep until I heard him come home. It was then that I knew I had a real motherly love for Jerin… I do recall other women talking about how they don’t go to sleep when their children are out…!!! Ha ha… I got to experience that!!!
I COUNT IT ALL A BLESSING!!! GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!!!
Christmas Eve this year I talked to Jerin on the phone and was telling him how I realized he was not going to be home for Christmas morning and that it made me sad…as I hung up the phone I cried that day for the first time over losing my son!
It is a joyous occasion though…. He is getting married to a wonderful young lady and so I am gaining a daughter!
I am so thankful to get to experience these things even though I have born no physical children.

I can be joyful with children and be barren!

Psalm.113
1. [9] He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.

There Was No Room in the Inn

On the night of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ Joseph and Mary sought lodging but there was not room.

Luke 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; because (he was of the house and lineage of David:)
Luke 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
Luke 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

During Christmas time we always practice the giving and receiving of gifts. This practice is a perfect picture or representation of the scripture in the Bible:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

JESUS IS SEEKING ROOM IN THE INN OF YOUR HEART, IS THERE ROOM FOR ONE MORE GIFT THIS CHRISTMAS?
Our Lord has wrapped up Eternal life for you in the Lord Jesus Christ and is just waiting or you to ACCEPT it.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

WILL YOU RECEIVE THE GIFT OF GOD THIS CHRISTMAS?

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

First Snow of the Winter!

Ahhhh as we made our early morning drive to church this past Sunday the seasons first snow was gently falling as it had been all evening! What a beautiful sight to see everything being slowly covered in PURE WHITE SNOW!!!!!
This event brought to my memory that we, the Bride of Christ, if you know Jesus as your saviour... We will be clothed in white on that great Marriage day when we meet our Jesus as one Body!
Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

As I looked up some scriptures on this I also found that as we daily wash our minds in the Word of God, the Lord is slowly purifying us from the inside out!!!! Making the inside white, and the whiter the inside becomes with His Righteousness...the more our eyes shine the light that resides on the inside...Beautiful...just like the slowly falling white snow!!!!

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

As the snow will continue to fall this winter and every winter in the years to come... let us be reminded that we need to be preparing for that day we see Jesus sweet and Beautiful face for the VERY FIRST TIME!!!!!!!!!!!! Let us be clean and prepared, like the scripture says!

Psa 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow