He delights in blessing His children

You never know what a day will hold for you. But God always knows! We don't know if it may be our last day on this earth, or if we will win the lottery! I woke up yesterday morning to a rainy Wednesday. We had swimming lessons planned, and church in the evening. That's it. Nothing special about this day. But God knew!

We came home from swimming lessons and there was a message on my answering machine. "Hello, this is Sharon. Just want you to know that Sonja is in town, and we'd like to know when you are available to get together and spend time with her." WHAT???????????? My niece from Florida is in town?????? How cool is that? I had no idea she was planning on coming! YAY! We ended up spending 8 hours with her, and getting the thrill of taking her places and surprising others who had no idea she was coming either! How fun! I never knew a rainy Wednesday could turn out to be so fabulously special! Thank you Jesus! I believe He delights in surprising His children this way. I love you, Jesus! Thanks for the incredible blessing!!!!

What a great God we serve!

The whole stolen dinner thing last night SO aggravated me, that I knew I could not go to bed last night without working through it. So, I found a GREAT NEW PREACHING SITE, found a good message by Rev. Tim Pedigo, and when it was done, I began to pray. I prayed, I danced, I spoke in tongues, I worshipped with all my heart! When I was done at 2am, I went to bed. This morning, I felt so great in service! Thank you Jesus for the gift of forgiveness. Thank you that we can come boldly before your throne of grace and ask anything in your name. You are awesome! I'm going to church this evening expecting GREAT things from my GREAT God!!!

THIEF!

Well... tonight was a first for me. I had to work from 2-11 at Hannaford as I always do on Saturdays. I have worked there for 15 months, and this has never happened to me until tonight. I went on my first 15 minute break. I had a soda and I took a couple bites of my mac and cheese I brought for dinner... there was a lot... I brought a whole BOX. Anyway, 2 hours later, I went up for my meal, and MY ENTIRE CONTAINER of mac and cheese was GONE! Someone ate ALL my dinner and neatly returned the empty tupperware container to the fridge. AHHHHHHHH!!!! What am I supposed to eat for dinner????? I'm here until 11pm, and I am hungry NOW... at 6:30pm! I was not impressed. I went downstairs to file a complaint. The evening manager was kind enough to give me a $5 gift certificate so I could eat. THANK YOU ERIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I appreciate you! I feel so bad that the store had to give me a five dollar gift certificate to replace a meal that cost me 33 cents! I hope whoever ate it really needed it and appreciated it..... I am not impressed. Hard to trust your co-workers when that kind of stuff happens.

Well, I'm done venting. Work was fun tonight other than having my dinner stolen from me. I love working with Ashley and Kate! We always have fun! It's good to enjoy your work! Have a lovely evening! We are taking our little upstairs neighbor Taylor to Sunday School with us again tomorrow! Praise the Lord!

Quick post

Hello all! Just a quick little note. The boys and I went to my mom and Ray's camp today to visit with my sister and her family. They are here for the weekend from Maine. It was so nice to see them, and the boys had a great time together! Unfortunately, it POURED and THUNDERED and LIGHTNINGED, and POURED and THUNDERED and LIGHTNINGED, and POURED some more..... yeah. It was definitely an indoor occasion. The boys were a little bummed... but in between the lightning storms, they ran out onto the dock and caught fish in the pouring rain! They had fun!

Tomorrow is the big plane crash drill at the airport... I believe my husband will be one happy and relieved training coordinator when it is all OVER! Talk to you soon!
Me

God answers prayer...

I just have to share this with you all! I went into the kitchen to make breakfast for my boys this morning, and flicked on the radio as I do every day. Just as I turned it on, I hear Karlo (the DJ) saying, "We have on the line with us Jim Rubinate from the Barre United Pentecostal Church". COOL! Seems that YESTERDAY, Jim called and spoke on the air about their need for a new meeting place. They have a daughter work in Chelsea, and the building they WERE using is no longer available because it is about to undergo major renovations. So Jim asked the listeners to pray and ask God to provide a building for them to meet in. Jim came on the radio TODAY to announce that in less than 2 hours after the broadcast, they received a call and had a place offered to them... it's a huge warehouse type building...PLENTY of room for the work to grow! Is our God awesome or what???? I'm thrilled I got to hear that testimony on the radio!

In other news, my husband and I are struggling with an error I made regarding cub scout camp. I told him that camp was Aug. 3-7.... turns out it is Aug. 7-12. This is BAD. My husband is going as a chaperone. Aug. 3-7 was his short week at work, and he only needed to use ONE vacation day to do it... but Aug. 7-12 is his long week. Now he has to use FOUR vacation days, and THAT means we won't have enough vacation days to go to Maryland to see his dad for Christmas. This is not good. We are discussing and praying, wondering if it will be possible to go or not... we are really bummed about the prospect of not going. We shall see.

Well, my boys are begging me to go drain the pool, which is full of grass and beetles. So, duty calls! Have a wonderful weekend! I am going to visit my sister at our mom's camp this weekend, so I likely won't be blogging until Sun. or Mon.! Blessings!

Watching the cousins

Hello! I am watching my niece and nephew this evening, and my boys are thrilled to have their cousins hanging with them! Meghan is 5 and Michael is 2. We went in the kiddie pool in the backyard (which is c-c-c-cold!!), and Mike had blue lips and chattering teeth, but REFUSED to come out of the water! They had a blast! Then we came in and danced to our neighbor's vacation bible school CD! Now, we are watching a family movie from two years ago... Michael was just a baby! So cute! Life seems to go by so fast..... Here is a picture of Megs and Mike taken last week...


Meghan and Michael by the campfire.

I really need to go watch the kiddos.... have a great evening all!

New School

Today, the boys began swimming lessons... level 3 for Nick, level 4 for Adam. They had fun! After their lesson, we decided to go visit Adam's new school. I don't know anyone over there, and know nothing about the layout of the school. So, we went exploring in the school! How fun! We found his classroom, and important places like the nurses office, library, cafeteria, music room, etc. Then we went upstairs and found his best friend Josh's classroom. Then out to the playground! They have a very old playground, but will be putting a new one in soon! I am so nervous about sending him to school with older kids... their was profanity graffitied on the pavement of the playground, so my son and I had a talk about choices, and being a good influence on others, not letting the bad kids influence him to make wrong choices. I think we have done a fairly good job raising him so far, and I trust him to make right choices.

On the way home, we stopped at the library for some books and a couple movies. Looking forward to a nice relaxing afternoon. I love being a mom!

Sunday news

Hi all! It is a nice, relaxing Sunday afternoon... life it good! Adam has Josh over, Nick has Stephen over, and they are all playing in the little pool outside, cooling off on this humid, 90 degree day. I just read all my friend's blogs, and I have to tell you... you should check out Sandy's latest post dated today, July 17th, about the oneness of God. It is fantastic!! She writes from an angle I never considered. I intend to study it out myself.

In other news, my sister and her family are coming to visit next weekend! YAY! They live in Maine, and we don't see each other very often. We will be congregating at Mom and Ray's camp on the lake. How fun is that??

Taylor, our upstairs neighbor's daughter, came to Sunday School this morning with Adam and Nick. She was so excited to come! She really seemed to like it, and made new friends, and says she wants to come again next week! YAY! So glad we can have a part in introducing her to Jesus Christ!

Well, time to go for now. I need to call and check in with my grandparents in Maine. I really really want to go to Maine and talk to them about their souls... about God... they are 87, and not well health-wise. Please pray for me! I must share the truth with them!

Bye for now! Gotta go make sure the boys aren't drowning each other.
Michelle

VT Rail Day

My family is off on an adventure today! Jason and the boys are riding the train for FREE for VT Rail Days. I got to ride with the boys last year. This time, it's Dad's turn. :) Anyway, they will be going right in front of my house, but I won't get to see them... I'll be at work. :( That's okay. Maybe I can get my neighbor Chris to stand outside and wave to them! Anyway, I'm off to work! See ya later!
Michelle

This post is purely for my OWN benefit. I am working through some fear.

I am hearing rumors that are making me fearful. Our new landlord (who has yet to even come show his face around here in the 3 months since he bought our buildings) just jacked our rent up $65 per month, and rumor has it that in January it will be going up another $100 MINIMUM! I can guarantee you that the families living here with young children can NOT come close to affording that kind of rent. I am fearful.

But the Bible is clear. 2 Tim. 1:7 says "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in Love, for perfect Love casts out all fear." So, as a Christian, why am I so afraid? After all, the Bible also says in Phil. 4:19, "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

I can tell you why I am fearful. It is because of the verse found in Mal. 3:10. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it." We are NOT faithful to pay our tithes because of our spirit of fear. Fear that if we DO give the money, which OBVIOUSLY leaves us very short with regard to rent and all other bills, that the money will NOT come... that blessings may come in other forms, and not in the form of the CASH we desperately need. I am desperate to overcome this fear. I am desperately afraid because of the foolish spending habits that happen in our household. Here are some more verses I will pray and stand upon...

1 Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of GOd, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for he cares for you."

Matt 6:31-33 "Therefore, take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? for wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father KNOWS that you have need of these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."

If we have to move out, I will be heartbroken. I love it here! I don't want to leave. God, please make a way where there seems to be no way. Help us. We will do our part. Please help us.

In Jesus' name,
Michelle

Lazy days of summer

After all the hectic pace of getting ready for and going to church camp, I have a week of down time that is just so beautiful! The boys and I have been sleeping in and just chillin'. Yesterday we went to a local campground to visit Jason's cousin Mike and his family. Adam and Nick don't get many opportunities to visit with Casey and Ryan, as they are from Massachussettes. So we went up to the campground and swam in the pool and had dinner and just had a wonderful time visiting and reminiscing and catching up on life. Ahh, the wonderful days of summer.

Today, we are going to a state park on the lake for a picnic lunch with Jack and Julie. It's going to be a wonderful time! Temps are in the upper 80's and sunny sunny sunny!!!! I am really looking forward to time with my sweet mother-in-law! I love them both so much!

Tomorrow, it's back to the campground for a day with Mike and family! I know we are doing something every day, but it doesn't feel busy. I'm not rushed or pressured to be anywhere at any certain time. There are no pressing responsibilities... just fun! Life is good. But without Jesus, life is nothing... empty. Even when you do all the "fun stuff", there is still an aching emptiness.... I'm so thankful for Jesus!!!

Have a great day, y'all!!!
Michelle

Sovereign move of God

We had an impromptu VT churches rally in Jericho this evening. Wow. God is so amazing! We had an 8 year old receive the Holy Ghost, and 3 were baptized! God moved sovereignly BEFORE the preaching, and then Bro. Merrick preached a powerful message called "The Grain and the Grainery". I hope it will get posted on our church website so you can hear it! It was awesome.

In other random events of the day, Josh King (Adam's best buddy) asked if he could call me mom... what a sweetheart! We had a fabulous after-church fellowship at Ben and Stacy's house. It's so good to hang out with God's people!!!! I am getting bolder about witnessing at Hannafords and inviting people to church. Today I invited Darin. We'll see.

Well, I am blogging at 1:32 am, which is not necessarily a good thing. Time to turn in, I think. Be bold for Jesus!!!
Michelle

Pics from Camp!

Well... here we go! Here are some pictures from our incredible week of church camp! We'll start with the concert, as most of the pics are too dark to see well.


Jason's solo "He Reigns"


Stacy directing the choir- you go girl!


NH/VT District Choir- powerfully anointed!


Proud brothers - Jason and Ben after the concert.


Next, we'll add in a few pictures of the pre-campers, ages 4-8, that Jason and I were teaching. We had a train theme... Salvation Station! The kids just loved it!


Conductor and Engineer Ziter - precamper teachers


Geoff and Olyvia receiving the Holy Ghost in precamper service! YAY!!!


Salvation Station - all aboard! This is our puppet theater.


Our Holy Ghost party! The three holding the cake are the new members of the Kingdom of God!


Our precampers singing the Sunday School Rock in evening service for the grownups! They were awesome!



Finally, some pictures from evening services! Altar calls were powerful, with many receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and many others being healed, including Sis. Davis, who got up out of her wheelchair! She has severe MS, and has not had the strength to stand in over 4 years! What a fabulous miracle!



Altar call on Tuesday evening. Many people seeking God!


Sis. Davis gets up out of her wheelchair! A miracle!!!!


Sis. Davis stands up and worships God!


Sis. Davis and Sis. Deval rejoice together!

Our two boys, Adam and Nick, had a great time! This was their first experience with camp, and they really observed and took it all in. They made a ton of new friends, and learned to pray and seek God in a deeper way. They can't wait to go back next year!


Adam and Nick being their goofy selves! (Also pictured: Josh, Andrea, Breanna, Meghan, Jared, Nick, Adam, and Shelby)


All in all... here is what I walked away from camp meeting with in my spirit : I will not be a timid, ashamed Christian anymore! Jesus is coming, and the world needs to KNOW and be READY! I will arise and be bold... if they reject me, it's not really me they are rejecting... it is Jesus Christ and His salvation they are rejecting, just as the people in Noah's day rejected salvation and refused to get on the ark. The Junior Crusaders were taught by Bro. Jay Stirnamen, and his first crusade involved a cell phone call from Hell... VERY convincing! I choose NOT to go there, and I choose to bring as many to heaven with me as I can!

Also, I came away being fully convinced of WHO I AM... I am a child of King Jesus, and I am His ambassador to a world of lost people. I will not walk with my head hung low, and I will not be ashamed of who I am and who I represent! I am royalty! So are the little precampers that received the Holy Ghost this week! We were empowered to take New England for the Kingdom of God and there is nothing that can come against us or stop us! Praise God! I know this post is long.... I know it does not even BEGIN to scratch the surface of what took place in Lyndonville, VT this week... but know this... I am going to heaven. I LOVE this life I live for Jesus Christ! I am assured of my place in the kingdom, because I have had a new birth experience... repentance, water baptism in Jesus' name, and receiving the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues as the Spirit of God gave me the ability. The words to the Sunday School Rock that our precampers sang go like this: I love Jesus, Yes I do, I love Jesus, How about you?

Well, how about you?

Blessings!
Michelle

Exhilarating exhaustion!!

WOW!!!!!!! I'm so tired, I could sleep for 3 days straight, I think! WOW!!!!!!! There is no way to put into words what we experienced at camp this week... at least not in my exhausted condition, anyway. I could never do it justice right now. But I will tell you that GOD met us in Lyndonville in a POWERFUL, DEEP, and AUTHORITATIVE way!!!!!! WOW!!!! Tomorrow, I will attempt to put into words the fabulous experience we had at campmeeting. My own, comfy bed will be close to heaven after sleeping in a college dorm bed all week! :) YAY! We have loads of pictures, so I will post a few in the next 2 or 3 posts. Our pre-campers were a total blast! Three of them received the baptism of the Holy Ghost! Geoff and Olivia (age 8) got it in our pre-camper class, and spoke in tongues for 30 minutes! Cool!!!! Samantha (age 6) received it in evening service that same night. All the hard work and lack of sleep in preparation was totally worth it!!!!

Nighty-night for now....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I'll report in tomorrow!
Love you all!
Michelle