By Faith

I am a morning devotions gal, I prefer to start out my day with the Lord. There was one season where I transitioned to having my quiet time in the evenings before bed, but that only lasted a short while and I returned to having my time with Jesus first thing. I believe there is sweet power in giving the first part of the day to Jesus and I could not measure the power that opening His Word in the morning has had on my life. There have been times when the Lord has awakened me with a certain scripture text or principle on my mind. Those are precious moments from the Spirit. 

Recently, I awoke with “faith” in my mind. This train of thought led me to Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Then there is the heart cry of the confused disciples in Luke  17:5, “...Lord, Increase our faith.” So, how is faith increased as the disciples asked for? Taking the passage in Romans, faith is increased by hearing the Word of God, and by spending regular, disciplined time taking in the scriptures. It is sitting at His feet just as Mary did in Luke 10, choosing that “better part” and trusting in Christ from Whom the increase comes. 

Looking up “faith” in Strong’s Concordance, I gained a beautiful definition and keener insight into meditation. Faith- "persuasion, moral conviction of the truthfulness of God, reliance upon God for salvation, assurance, belief”. Is that not beautiful? Moral conviction of the truthfulness of God, assurance that what He has said is true and it will come to pass because He has said it and He is God. My “treasure hunt” then led me to a loved and one of my most well-referenced passages, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…” 

Think how this is all intertwined. I desire increased faith, assurance, and deep conviction as to the truthfulness of God. I want this for a strong and sure foundation to stand on in the trials and pain of life. That comes about by hearing the Word of God, by intimate, consistent, and intentional time abiding with the Savior, the Giver of faith. With the increase of trust in the character of God, I use that moral conviction to cast down the imaginations and lies about the character of God that Satan hurls at me in an attempt to dissuade me from my assurance and thus weaken my faith. Faith is intricate, but how beautiful it is!

The longer I walk with Jesus, the more time I spend abiding with Him, and in His Word, the Lord keeps His promise and increases my faith. When the tempests swirl, my assurance stands firm because I know Him, I have been with Him, I have proven Him and His promises and I pull from the “bank” of His past faithfulness in my human weakness and need for assurance. What a gracious Father! He knows our frame, He remembers that we are dust, and instead of asking us to just blindly walk on in this faith journey, He gives us opportunities to try His promises, to test His Word, if you will, and then the next temptation, the next grief that He allows, we can harken back to what we know about His character from His Word, but also what we have experienced for ourselves. People talk about blind faith. I do not have blind faith. Far from it! I have experienced God, I have witnessed His working in my heart, in my life! He allows my faith, His faith in me (Galatians 2:20) to grow and increase with each passing day as I seek Him, place my trust in what He has said, and allow the Spirit to produce that moral conviction of the truthfulness of God in my heart.

“For I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12

Book Review- Secure in the Everlasting Arms

One of my all-time favorite authors is Elisabeth Elliot. I was introduced to her writings back in the fall of 2015 while hunting through our church library shelves. I pulled Mrs. Elliot's book, "Passion and Purity" (I highly recommend this book, but would advise it for those 18+ and it to be run through your mother due to the frankness in some of the chapters) from the bookcase. I was in a season where some distinct, plain, Biblical guidance was helpful in dealing with thoughts regarding a young man I had met earlier that year, and the book looked interesting, so I carried it home. I almost inhaled it! I returned the church's copy and obtained my own and proceeded to begin collecting other books by Mrs. Elliot. While I do not agree with everything that Elisabeth Elliot held to (what author except the Divine Author will you ever?), I have again and again been encouraged, strengthened, and blessed by her writings. 

As I look back over the shelf of my collection, "Secure in the Everlasting Arms" stands out. "Secure in the Everlasting Arms" is broken down into 7 sections with titles such as "Finding Contentment", "Joy and Sorrow", "Missionary Stories", "Marriage, Courtship, and Singleness", and "Do the Next Thing".  Most chapters are 2-4 pages long, making it an easy read to progress through, even if you only have a few minutes to snatch up the book. There has been more than one moment when I needed encouragement in a specific area and opened "Secure in the Everlasting Arms" at random. In His kindness, the Lord has directed my eyes to the exact place where I received help and comfort.

"God's all-encompassing love has become the theme of Elisabeth Elliot's long life. For thirteen years she opened her daily radio program, Gateway to Joy, with her signature words, "Underneath are the everlasting arms," and now she offers this new collection of her reflections about the security we can find in God's love." (from the back cover)

Mrs. Elliot passed away in 2015, but the legacy that she has left us by her faith-filled example and many books continues to bless and encourage. 

Summer Devotional - Daily Grace

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work...being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God." 2 Corinthians 9:8.11

In this passage, the words "all, every, and every thing", are all the same Greek word and one of the definitions is "daily". I loved that!

"And God is able to make daily grace about toward you; that ye, always having daily sufficiency in all things, may about to daily good work...being enriched daily to daily bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God." 

The beauty of this greatly comforted and encouraged my heart. Daily grace, daily sufficiency, good works being daily given strength for, and daily being enriched by His grace. 

Rest in it today, girls. Revel in it. It is beautiful and it is enough. The Arm of Strength is available and longing to be your sufficiency and guide as you press forward to the good works He has for you today. 

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassion fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." Lamentations 322-23

Family Life - March & April

I should post about March and April before it is time to publish May and June! The last several months have been full of much activity, travel, and work. In mid-March, I began a 10-week, online course in Biblical Counseling, I continued traveling frequently to my grandmother's to progress the cleaning out, Emma, Stephen and the kids came for a visit early in April, and we began working on preparing our home for a remodel, and more. 

They were full months and there were times when I was quite overwhelmed with the needs at hand, but as I think back on them, I trust God's timing. He did not put any pressure upon me that His grace did not accompany. If I had decided to hold off taking the online course when I did (God's fingerprints were all over the decision), I would certainly not have taken it until next year, if at all, and I would have missed all that the Lord had for me and taught me in it. It was taxing, working through lectures and assignments alongside the many other pressing needs of the weeks, but it called forth a need in me to call out to the Helper, my Strength, and Guide. 

So, whatever it is that you are facing today, dear sisters, whatever hurdles He has lovingly placed in front of you, remember that they are too big for you and that God does give us more than we can handle, but you have a Father, Who will carry you and offers help. The hurdles are not to daunt us or cause us to doubt, but they are encouragements to cast ourselves upon the Lord, remember what we know to be true about His character, and rest our faith in that. I love the quote by Charles Spurgeon, "I have learned to kiss the wave that slams me into the Rock of Ages." Be encouraged, be upheld by Him.

One of the many joys of spring is the chance to get more walks in 
on the farm.

All of us girls enjoyed carrying Caleb around while Emma,
Stephen and the boys were visiting. Auntie life is a blast!

It was precious to see how much James loves being with Dad.

Snapping a picture with Caden before he headed back to college
for the spring semester.

Puss-Puss gifted(?) us with 6 kittens!. 

The Skelton family are faithful cattle customers, but also some
very dear family friends. It is always a happy day when they
come to the farm. The rest of the family was off in separate 
places, but we snapped a quick picture with Denise. 

For Mom's birthday, we took off to the park for whiffle ball and
volleyball.

Taking a load of cleaned and sorted house items to our storage container. 

Guess How Much I Love You?

 

    Little children's books can be such treasures, can't they? So many baby books are full of sweet innocence and pure happiness. I have several titles that I would be happy to add to my collection of "hopefully needed someday", but there is one that stands out strongly. "Guess How Much I Love You" is a delightful baby book. Big Nut Brown Hare is putting Little Nut Brown Hare to bed and junior asks a childlike question, "Guess how much I love you?". Big Nut Brown Hare responds that there is no way he could guess the correct answer to that and then Little Nut Brown Hare, instead of going on to bed, begins a series of attempts from Little Nut Brown Hare to show the size of his love for his father. However, Big Nut Brown Hair always can outdo him. 

    Recently, I was struggling through a moment of feeling discouraged. I think it was related to feeling single, but it may have been just an overall feeling of being overwhelmed with life. I was walking back to our girl's room for few moments of (hopefully) undisturbed quiet and as I headed down the hallway in that direction, the sweet voice of love covered my heart with these words, "Guess how much I love you". If I was not already on the verge of crying, I certainly was then. Tears filled my eyes as the comfort of the Holy Spirit's question spread a soothing balm over my hurting heart. 

    I could not guess. It would be impossible. No measurement is even close to being able to describe or compare to the love that God has for me...for you. John 15:13 says, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." No man has love like Jesus has loved. No one can or will ever be able to come near comparing to the depth of that love. Earthly love is precious. I anticipate the man and marriage the Lord will bless me with. I pray for the children that the Lord may, in His kindness, entrust to me. I am grateful for the friendships I am gifted with and sharpened by. In all areas of earthly relationships though, they are simple, beautiful, pictures of Himself. They are pieces of His character, Who He is; they are representations of His love. And just like Little Nut Brown Hare, I can, and should, attempt to show my Heavenly Father just how much I love Him, but I will always fall short of the purity of His love for me, He will always outdo me, and for that I am thankful.

    "Guess how much I love you?" has become a sort of anthem for me lately. It is my reminder that I am covered with a love that cannot ever fail and is better than any love that this earth filled with broken people can offer.  

"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword...Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:33-35, 37-39

Spring Devotional - His Fulness

"Mine eyes fail with looking upward." Isaiah 38:14

"Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but Thou, O Lord, how long?" Psalm 6:2-3

"My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest." Psalm 55:4-6

And I answered and said,

"...of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." John 1:16

"For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Colossians 2:9

"For it pleased the Father that in Him (Jesus) should all fulness dwell..." Colossians 1:19

"And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Ephesians 3:19

"And (God) hath put all things under His (Jesus) feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all." Ephesians 1:22-23

Because of WHO He is, I can KNOW what I have. 

For once I was empty, but now I am filled. And not with vain things to profit nothing and satisfy not, but with the fullness of Christ have I received and been filled with, being that I am IN CHRIST! Oh, glorious truth! May I walk my day, conscious of what fullness and grace I have received from my Lord. 

Today, I am filled with all the fullness of God, according to my sonship in the Father, and according to the grace bestowed upon me. 

Family Life - January & February

 Hello to all my readers! I apologize to all of you for my recent neglect of this corner of my world. How is it that we are already facing the latter half of March?!? Where have the weeks gone? I hope they have been sweet and productive weeks though, and I am sure that many of you agree with me when I say that I am excited to welcome a beautiful spring! Spring is my favorite season (closely followed by fall) and it is lovely every year. Isn't it wonderful the Lord created His children to continually enjoy the beauty of new life? We never get weary of seeing trees bud at the beginning of each spring, hearing birds chirping, the warmth of the sunshine, new grass shooting up, and in my world, baby calves testing out their legs and racing each other around the fields. What a loving Lord we have Who left us, even in the sin-stricken world, such beauty in creation and allowed us to experience the utmost joy in observing the sweetness of spring. Who is so amazing as our God (Psalm 77:13)?

Here is a glimpse of what the tail end of winter looked like in the Smith home and on Heritage Family Farm...

Isn't she a sweet Peach?

An amazing, faithful farm crew doing evening chores.

In mid-January, a winter storm hit pretty hard. Temperatures dropped
after rain moved through and we received more inches  
of snow than was predicted. Thankful for the safety for the cattle
and crew we, once again, received from the Lord.  

As difficult as winter storms are, they are also some really sweet
memory-making times. Here Olivia, Hope, a friend, and I are,
all bundled up and preparing to bag feed to take out to the individual
fields of cattle to give them an extra boost during the frigid temperatures. 

Emma was due with Baby #2 on January 27th, but Baby was in no
hurry to make his appearance and postponed his arrival until almost
2 weeks after his expected date! Mom and I ended up going down several
days before he arrived to give a hand with James' care and allow Emma to 
get some extra rest before the birth.

I am working on polishing my photography skills and took advantage
of an available model.

Baby #2's arrival went so much faster than James' birth. Emma began
contractions and worked to keep them active throughout the rest
of the day. They left for the birthing center around midnight (I 
followed as soon as care had arrived to stay with James) and Baby Caleb
arrived right at 6am!

I reveled in the joy of caring for James.

Right after returning home from North Carolina, I took off again
to help my cousin represent a ministry at a church event. My cousin
recently stepped into the role as executive director of Speak for the Unborn, 
a pro-life ministry intent on equipping churches and individuals to clearly 
present the gospel to those of a pro-choice mindset as well as those who 
are contemplating an abortion.

That is a summary in pictures. Other parts of the month I spent cleaning out my grandmother's house as we are preparing to sell it. It can be a challenge as I tackle the large task of sorting, organizing, distributing, and removing, and it is also a bitter realization at times as I take apart the house where so many memories originate. There is something uniquely special about a grandparent's house, is there not? Many changes in our family in the last several months, but I am thankful for a Father Who does not change and Who has promised,

"The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works." Psalm 145:17