A Day in the Life (Oct 29, 2021)
Good evening sister saints!
Glory to God for another day to give back to Him! We've been having some rainy days 🌧️☔ .
It looks rather bleak doesn't it? But there's a good possibility that there will be some sunshine ☀️☀️☀️ coming behind it. It makes me think of something I've been wanting to share with you sisters... The hope is there for others.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
I know it can seem hopeless and look pretty bleak when you see person after person either reject the truth, ignore it or do nothing about it but we have to remind ourselves that the hope is there for them if they repent. I'm here to share with you that we have seen people who have come into our lives wanting to serve the Lord and then turn away back into some of their sin only to come back out of it stronger on the other side and pressing forth in truth and holiness. Those such people are very rare but they are out there. Our God is a mighty God, one of redemption, remember that. He's there for any who come to Him, brother Jim and I are living examples of that, and so are you sisters and the brothers out there. Let us make sure we keep our focus on the Lord, and not get stumbled by other people, but just remember there's hope for all.
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Acts 17:27
Brother James said I could put a message of love and encouragement on here for a sister who who lives in one of the Carolina states who was just blessed with the birth of a new baby. I just want to say that I'm rejoicing in the Lord for you and your family! Glory to God knowing that there is another precious soul being raised in the admonition and truth of our Lord. I pray that someday the distance and separation will be overcome, all to the glory of God. And know this, if the sisters and I were able to, we would be there to help you with all your Titus 2 duties as you adjust to this new addition to your family.
Much love to you:-)
And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8
I'm sitting in the van 🚐 in this parking lot as I type....
...while brother James went into the hardware, building store to get a few things. 🛒🪚🔨🔩 One of the biggest things I learned in this van life was to be able to go with whatever the day brings. When I was living in the house 🏡 I used to have somewhat of a routine, it would change from day to day but for the most part I knew about what I was going to be doing and when I would be doing it. (I used to love to write out a list 📝 the night before of what I would be doing the next day.) In this van 🚐 life on the road, I've learned how to do things in bits and pieces:-) It's been a big flesh killer for me but one that has helped me be able to do a little bit here and there (like popping on the blog when I can, adding some here and there) and be content and thankful in it. I just thought I would share that with you because maybe that will encourage some of you who are super busy and can never seem to get one project done before you have to do something else. Let us have a mind of thankfulness unto God for all things. That helps us overcome some of these small things that really don't matter.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33
It looks to me like the post office worker overcame a small issue 🩹 on the vehicle and still uses it, probably being thankful that the damage wasn't worse :-).
🫒🍪🧀🔪
Help yourself to some of our lunch:-) 🍽️ Praises of thanksgiving to our Father for allowing us to have such a variety of healthy foods. Speaking of which I did some more flesh killing. I'll tell you a story about it....
I've been wanting to find a way to heat up rice packs so I can use one at bedtime 🛌 and was experimenting in various ways when I asked brother James if the generator could run a low watt microwave. We have a couple very small low what heaters that would use in the super cold weather so we figured a microwave would be about the same. We found one for an awesome deal and picked it up. To test it out to see if it would work on the generator I cooked a couple potatoes 🥔🧈 🧂 for dinner.
It cooked them just fine so I knew it would work on a rice pack that I plan to sew very soon. So not only will I have a way to heat up a rice heat pack at any time of the day, there are other ways I can cook 🥘 that will save more propane and not heat the van so much in the summer. Here's where the flesh killing part comes in....
When I was born again and was learning more about all the chemicals and such in foods etc, I read how microwaves worked and stopped using the one we had. For many years I chose not to use one and just went about life as normal. Until today, when we decided to get that one for my heat packs and I'm now going to use it to cook some foods also. Yep. And I'm rejoicing over it all as it will be a great blessing in our life. Instead of worrying about spinning molecules tearing themselves apart or something, who knows if all that is true, I'll be focusing on the things of God 📖🕯️ while I go about my Titus 2 duties, thankful for all things. My God is bigger than anything on this earth.
Let's lay out some more flesh killing...
Brother James has some projects to work on 🔨🔩🪚 and this was the only way to transport the lumber...on the bed. I was sharing with some sisters how it used to almost make me cry in the past, having had to strip much away in this van life, and today it's like I get a quick little cringe and it goes away. Praise God for a heart of thankfulness because it overcomes much!
Speaking of a heart of thankfulness, I'm going to share something else I'm thankful for. I'm in the middle of testing out this keyboard on an older tablet I had and it seems to be working well. It runs off bluetooth and has an instant response time so it's like using my chromebook but with a touch screen and it toggles between different devices. Some getting used to for sure but I'm so thankful it seems to be going well because it saved us a lot of money. Brother James chromebook 💻 is giving him problems and I've been looking all over for another one (low end that doesn't $cost$ much) and most of the stores are sold out so this is seeming to be a cure to the problem. (We don't spend much on equipment and get by just fine:-) In fact I was just telling a sister that we got this table for 1 cent several years ago and this keyboard was free from some survey credits. We try to encourage others to be very frugal with the money the Lord has blessed us all with and it's great to kill our flesh and not indulge it in everything even if we can afford it or just plain want it. Anyway, we all have make our own decisions in this area but remember, people are watching everything you do.
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Colossians 3:23
If we do all things as unto the Lord, we will be a good witness unto Him to the world around us. The world sees through the hypocrisy of the luke warm believers, we hear it all the time from the people on the streets and the homeless especially.
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Philippians 2:15
Let that not be named among us and let us walk as an example to those who might be coming after us.
I'm thankful for this day to share part of our day, encourage you, lift up our praise to the Lord who has given us the blessed hope of being with Him forever if we are truly His child and born from above. (Test yourself in the GOSPEL to see if you are.)
Much unfeigned love to my holy obedient sisters who are working out their salvation with fear and trembling.
Hold fast sister saints,
Sister Deb