If We Choose The Lord He Will Do Great Things! Happy Anniversary My Sweet Man!

Hello sweet ladies,

As I said last year in my post, prepare your brain!

Okay........... I know this probably doesn't look right,..........and you know what, it isn't.

But when you come to a day.........

and you give the Lord all that you have.............

lay it at His feet.

God Almighty...........

will take that life ..............mold it with His Hands

and make Beauty for Ashes.

Happy Anniversary My Sweet Mr. Phil, 36 years!

Our family verse is:

Isaiah 61

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,

² to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

When I was a young lady in my early 20's I didn't live as the Lord would have me to live. I loved going to church, but I had to go back home and live in a home that did not know Jesus. I look back now and my Momma and real Daddy didn't know what it was to live for Christ. Alaska was a very hard place to be raised in. It was the place called the Last Frontier. And it was..........very rugged. I loved my parents, even though my life was not perfect in our home. There was a lot of alcohol, because that was just what you did. When you don't know anything different, you love what you have, that was life to me. I sympathize with the children with hurting homes, but do you know they still love their Mommies and Daddy's, that is just the way it is, because that is all they know, right or wrong. That is their family. That is another story for sometime. I started going to church when I was 15 and accepted the gift of salvation and chose Jesus Christ to be my Savior. I found myself pregnant at the age of 2o. After my siblings and I watched our parents divorce, our worlds fell apart. They believed the lie that it is "better for the kids" Wrong! I am not blaming my disobedience on my parents, but it did have a huge impact on my life. I don't care how old you are it rips at the very fiber of who you are. I ended up having a little boy. He was my everything. He name was Jason Christopher. So 70's name. I never married the young man (Praise God, two rights would have not made it right) and I raised Jas by myself in Alaska. It was not a glamorous life. Remember my parents were divorced. It was hard and very lonely. I lived in a little two room apartment alone. It wasn't the way the Lord intended for me, but I learned a lot during that time. Scripture teaches to be married to your husband and then have children. He is right. I loved my little boy though. He gave me a purpose to think about someone else besides myself.

A year later I met my Mr. Phil. I introduced him to my Momma and Step Dad and she took one look at him and thought I had lost my mind. Heehee! I had, I was in love!!!!!!! She loved him later on more then she loved me. Smile. My Phil would tell you that he was not a Christian at the time. He would tell you that he "knew" all the stuff, but he had never accepted the gift of eternal life. I should have not persued the relationship since I was a believer, but I did. The scripture is very clear on that also. We ended up moving down to Kansas, thinking we would always move back. We were not married at the time. That didn't go so well with the Kansas farmers. (I write in last years post a little more) Anyway, we got married August 16th. That is why Jason is in the picture with us. I felt I could not wear white, that was my personal conviction. I made our clothes as you can tell. We were definatly from the 70's. I look back now and feel for my precious husband and son! I MADE THEM WEAR THAT!!! We giggle so much about it now. A gift.........from God! The day of my wedding was the highlight of my life. Jason who was adopted by Phil Jason tells people, when he has to explain (sometimes your choices follow you forever)......... that his Daddy picked his Momma and himself. He says we were blessed. It is so true. Phil accepted Christ when our second son Joshua was born. Josh was born onChristmas Day. Scripture jumped out at Phil. God wooed Phil to Himself. Our life changed. It wasn't that Phil and I weren't "good people." It was that we were lost. We both wanted to learn all we could about a family and marriage. The Lord directed us to a precious church. We learned so much and My Phil started leading his little family. We have 3 older sons Jason, Joshua and Jarad, who are married to precious ladies and then 13 years later after the last son, we had our first girl Tressa and 3 years after that we had another girl Taylor. We love Jesus, family and want to be a witness of His grace. I look back on our life and I see that the Lord has used everything to shape us, not perfect just a free!

I am thankful He gave me you, My Sweet Man and it has been Good!

Happy Anniversary!!!!!!! I will love you forever!!!!!!

This Monday our anniversary will be a little different.

We will be sharing our day cooking for the Football Team, as we work in the college kitchen.Heehee, now that will be a different kind of celebration! We will probably be to tired for any romantic little dinner. Smile!

P.S. I decided to put this up today. Life will be a little hectic tomorrow. Please pray for our family, as we go out and love these kids and faculty! I have been a stay at home momma all our 36 years. I have made it a place of refuge for my family, now my time will be stretched. I so don't want to loose that. I am so grateful our whole family will be going out together. God is sooooooo in the details. I love Him.

I hope our life will encourage those of you who are having tough times in your marriage. Stay true to the commitment you have made. Give the hurt to the Lord. He will take it and make itBeauty for Ashes. If He can do it for My Phil and myself. He will do the same for you. Hard yes, but right. Obedience to His word is the key.

You can read my post last year here if you like.

I heart you ladies............you are the sweetest gifts from Him!

Hugs from the farm!