Standing Strong

Wow!  I guess you all could tell I was going through a rough time last post!  Praise God I feel much better!!  Thank you all for praying!  

  I am doing great!  God is so good and so faithful!  My mom's visit went really well, we went through some great things while she was here, prayed a lot and saw God move!  I miss her dearly and since she has been gone, I feel so strong and so encouraged in the Lord.  

  We had another visitor, my midwife's daughter, from America (the lady that delivered Gabe).  What an amazing visit!  I was again so encouraged and just felt the spurring on of the Lord as she was here.  I think that moving to Thailand has been wonderful for our family, of course it has, because it is the Lord's plan.  However, things have been harder, and it takes constant communion with the Lord and those serving Him to stay focused and on task (anywhere!).  I am speaking, right now, of raising children, not of ministry to the thai people.  I feel that sometimes we get so anxious in life to 'minister' to others, but our first ministry is and should be our own family.  I have been able to see weak walls around our home, God has opened them up and brought the plan of the enemy into the light for me.  We have to stay in constant prayer for our families or the enemy will sneak in.  Let's get in this together and not let the enemy steal what the Lord is trying to do in our families.  The first and greatest ministry to non-christians around the globe is an 'On Fire, Jesus loving, Holy Ghost family'.  We cannot get too busy to recognize the needs around us, in our family.  We need to think, where is our Passion?  Is it in the right place?  Where our passion is there our heart will be also. 'Be on guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position'.  (2 Pet 3:17)  Are we meeting all of our families needs, not just physical and spiritual, but what about emotional needs?   Sometimes we can get so preoccupied with making sure everyone is having fun and being bathed, fed, educated... but what about their emotions?  Let's slow down a little and sit back and observe.

  I am just spilling beans here...what God is doing here...so take it if you need it.  There are 5 primary ways of communication:  1. Righteously responding in a timely manner. (Eph. 4)

2.  Receive Hurt, but hide it--an Enabler (not good!  produces passive/aggressive behavior)  3.  Eye for an Eye/Tooth for Tooth  (If you fight fire with fire, don't be surprised if you get a bigger fire)  4.  Revenge says 'I will train you to never do that again  5.  Redeeming!!!  The greatest!!  We are all called to be a redeemer in every relationship that causes us pain/frustration.  LET'S DO IT!!

This is so easy to read and understand, but so difficult for so many of us to act out!  Lord, help us all to be better communicators in every relationship that we are in. 

  Around the house--- I fried my bread machine a couple of weeks ago, big bummer for me!  I plugged it in to the outlet, wrong wattage--why???  I forgot!  So, Carolyn taught me to make some yummy bread by hand, and believe it or not, I am not sore afterwards!!  It is actually quite simple.  I made some really nasty cream cheese last week, I think I will try to use it in something?!  It was fun though, just to try it.  Also, tried to make some ginger ale --- yuck!  I had the children all psyched up for it, then it was another bummer- oh well, fun anyway.  There is an extra lot beside the house and we are about to clean it off, granted permission today, but still unsure if we can grow a garden on it-- heading that direction though.  We really want the children to learn to work outside.  We found some bee hives only 2 hours away, so we are going to try and get those in a couple of weeks, then teach myself and the children to care for them... can't wait.  Please pray that this works out, they are really excited about it.

  Homeschooling-- going great!  Trying to keep it up for a while longer, until Thanksgiving.  Reporting grades this week.  I still can't believe I have a 5th and 1st grader!!  My goodness, we are all getting old!!!  I am sitting here listening to Christmas music and it soooo makes me miss America!!  I love you all and can't wait until we meet again-- face-to-face!!! Until next time--- Blessings to you all!!!

Prayer Request:

  Please pray for a lady I met at ballet.  I have taken her a Bible for her 14 yo son who has been reading it daily.  She says she doesn't understand why he likes the Bible so much.  He reads, then prays, then reads, then prays!! :)  He became interested in the 'Good Book' after watching 'Fiddler on the Roof!'  She tells me she is buddhists and doesn't understand why this book makes him so happy!!  Praise the Lord!!  

  Please pray for my house helper (Pee Nee)  and her family, who have seeked our knowledge concerning black magic that they practice, but were unwilling for us to pray for them!  

 Peter and his wife Noi continue to come over to our house!!  

Pee Mon, our 1st thai teacher, came for prayer last week for her mother who is in the hospital in Bangkok!  

Pray for our family that we would continue to be strong and fight the good fight, withstanding the enemy and his tactics, not letting darkness creep in, but continuing to stand in the light of our Father!!  

John goes to meet with pastors of Korat in the morning.  

Blessings and Fire to you all again!!!