God provides in big ways and small ways.

Over the years, the Lord has blessed our family in many many ways, and in recent weeks we've needed to rely on his hand even more - which has been a blessing!

Since August, we've had several large ticket items break down including our refrigerator, washer, dish washer, and furnace. Along with work travel and medical bills, we found ourselves with too much month at the end of the money.

On October 31, I had an appointment for Ben that would cost $45. I had $40 left in my wallet. I asked to Lord to provide the $5 I needed. Walked downstairs, opened a old purse I rarely carried, but had taken to a wedding the weekend before and there was $15. Thank you, Father.

About a week later, Susanna woke in the night crying. I went in to check on her and her little body was freezing. She always been a hot baby and got sweaty in fleece jammies, but obviously that was changing. I pulled a bag of clothes-to-grow-into out of her closet and we tried on about a half-dozen fleece footie jammies without any success. It seemed like the feet and zippers were bothering her. We finally settled on one, but when I got her in the morning she had unzipped them.

That morning, I thought to myself, "I'm going to have to figure out this jammie situation." I didn't ask for help. I wasn't praying. I simply put it on my priority list.

Just an hour later, I took Ben to preschool and a friend stopped me. She said, "Hold on. I have a pair of jammies for Susanna. I pulled these out for Paige, but they are too small for her. I think they'll fit Susanna perfectly."

In her hands were a pair of fleece, non-footie jammies. They are warm, two pieces so no zippers and fit perfectly.

I am humbled that God loves and sees our every need and sent us pajamas without my even asking. He just said, "Here's what you need." And it is perfect!

The last testimony is on a bigger scale. Like I said, our furnace had quit working Friday, October 18. We tried all the restarts with no luck, and didn't think it was an emergency so we waited out the weekend for a service technician to come on Monday.

He found the problem after a bit of investigation. Someone had put a small stick in the exhaust vent that goes to the outside of our house. That stick had worked it's way all the way to the furnace and somehow stopped it. (That vent happens to be about eye-level for the two youngest members of our family.)

The technician, removed the stick and the furnace was back in business. We thanked the Lord that we had heat again and that the problem had not been more serious.

Last week, our house seemed cold a couple days in a row and one morning we heard the furnace making a loud humming sound. I thought, "Oh dear, it's really broken this time."

I called the same company and they said they'd come out later that day. I talked with two people throughout the day who said that their furnace made a loud humming sound and they needed a new furnace.

Driving home, I started to pray, "Lord, you have been so good to us through these couple of rough months, thank you for providing what we need, but I don't think I can take anymore. Please spare us from replacing our furnace. Please let it be ok." (Admittedly, a pretty selfish and crummy prayer.)

I got home and Chuck said that the service person came and it wasn't making the noise. Hmm, isn't that how things go sometimes?

But then our house got warmer. One day went by and we held our breath, maybe this was just the calm before the storm. Two days went by. Three days and finally we accepted that the Lord had simply blessed us. Chuck and I really believe that the Lord healed our furnace. It sounds silly to say that God healed our furnace, but as I write this, it's 26 degrees outside. Not so silly.

Thank you, Father for blessing and healing our furnace. Thank you that we have heat tonight. Thank you that we have warm jammies. Thank you that you are always with us. Thank you for this season to of challenges so we could see your hand better and trust you rather than rely on our own strength. Thank you for being a loving Father who sees us and provides our every need!

Or what man is there among you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Matthew 7:18-20

Kayla sees Jesus

Kayla was around three or four and we were in middle of a Sunday morning service when she told me she saw Jesus. She had been playing quietly, but she stopped, looked up and pointed to the front of the church.

She said something simple like, “There's Jesus.”

I looked but didn't see anything. At first I thought, maybe she was looking at the picture that used to be behind the baptismal fount, but she wasn't looking there. She was looking off toward the right side of the podium.

She stood there and looked off to that side for a little bit and then started playing again.

I was awe-inspired. Everyone was busy, but here is the quietness of a little child saying, “Hey look, there's Jesus.” It made me realize God is there with us each time we worship in His house.

It is such a blessing that the innocence of our children allows them to see things that we can no longer see. 


17) But Jesus called them, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.
18) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever will not receive the kingdom of God as a little child,shall in no wise enter therein. 
~ Luke 18:17-18

A Comforting Kiss - Denise Wilton

This is really my mom's testimony (Dee Lamb). I don't remember any of it. I just remember what she told me. God gave it to her so she wouldn't be nervous about me going under anesthetic.

When I was four or five, I needed to have tubes put in my ears and in those days, they put you under to do that procedure.

My mom was nervous about me going under and she prayed about. The morning of the surgery, I got up and said, "That man kissed me."

We weren't really around any men except my grandpa (my dad was overseas serving in the military), so she asked me, "Who kissed you?"

I told her, "That Jesus man."

I went on to tell her that he kissed me on my cheek and she new that what I was saying was true. She knew that Jesus had come to visit me to let her know that everything was going to be okay.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.    ~John 14:27

Walls of Prayer

I wanted to share this testimony at prayer service last Wednesday, but couldn't remember the details so I didn't share it then. But I still feel the need to share it, so I am copying it now.

This testimony can be found in True Restoration Testimonies, page 82. It was submitted by Clara Thomas.

In Oklahoma, one of our pastors was stricken with a severe illness. He had a long period of recovery, allowing him time to pray diligently for his congregation. One night he was given a dream. In the dream he was taken by one of God's messengers into every home in his branch.

He saw that Satan was not allowed to enter the truly dedicated home. A beautiful wall of prayer was standing firmly around every home which had regular family worship. Each day of family worship added another stone of strength to the wall of prayer which Satan could not penetrate.

In the homes where family worship was observed only occasionally, Satan could creep in with sin and sorrow. And in the homes where there was no family worship, Satan freely came and went as his evil heart desired.

This made the pastor realize the importance and great need for constant daily prayer, scripture study, and daily worship in our homes.


I will call upon the Lord, for he is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
~ Psalms 18:3

Wheels When We Needed Them - Jean Schmidt

 Cars!  It’s hard to live without them!  We live close to work and a grocery store, but still, we need a car to get to church, doctor appointments, Wal-Mart, visit our grandkids, etc.  The Lord has blessed us with cars just when we needed them.  I would like to share a few testimonies about those cars.

When we were engaged, Ken had a car, but it died on our way to North Dakota to visit his family for Christmas.  For several months we had to rely on Jean’s parents for rides to Graceland and the grocery store.  But just before our wedding, Ken was able to buy a car for $35.  Think of that!  It was a decent car, not fancy, but needed tires and a few other things.  It served us for a few years and was definitely a testimony to us.

After Daniel was born, we decided to move to Independence because Sariah had so many medical appointments that it didn’t make sense to drive back and forth from north Missouri. He was still an infant when we moved, and Jean was busy caring for two babies.  Ken worked at night and was free to take Sariah to the doctor, and that worked out well. But then our car broke down and we were without wheels.  Friends came to our aid with a car they had that they didn’t use and they just gave it to us!  Once again, God blessed us.

Fast forward several years—to the time when Ken was serving Grain Valley as pastor, about 1991 to 1996.  We drove an old clunker station wagon that had no air-conditioner and the bottom was rusted so badly you could see the road under your feet while driving.  But it was big enough to get all 6 of us to church and back home (we had Ryan by this time).  Some friends at church decided that we needed a better vehicle and one night, just before Christmas, a large, beautiful van came to our street and parked close to our house.  Those friends gave us an envelope containing the keys, title, and money to license it.  What a wonderful gift!  We were so thrilled!  And we all had plenty of room and a comfortable seat to sit in.

After the van had served its useful life, and Daniel was in college and Ryan had moved to a group home, we didn’t really need such a large vehicle anymore.  Just at that time, some friends (we sure have a lot of wonderful friends!) gave us a blue Chevy Citation that was perfect for the 4 of us.  It had a shimmy that got worse as the speed increased, but when we had the tires balanced and the front end aligned, the shimmy went away.  God was looking after us again!  We eventually gave the van to a family in need of a larger vehicle.  It was good to be able to “pay it forward”.

In 2002, Jean began praying for another vehicle as the blue car was showing its age and wasn’t too reliable anymore.  On Easter Sunday, we noticed a different car at our neighbor’s house and thought they had got a new one.  When we asked them about it, our neighbor said, “Oh no, it belongs to my sister and her husband and then brought it up here to try to sell it”.  We took it out for a test drive and liked it very much.  It was a navy blue Ford Crown Victoria.  The price they wanted was just the amount we had saved, so we bought it on the spot.  How great was that—we didn’t have to go look for a car, it came to us!  We drove that car on several vacations and put many miles on it.  It was a comfortable car and got fairly good gas mileage for a V-8.  It was a true blessing.

That brings us to our current car.  In 2008, we knew we were going to have to look for another car.  The Crown Vic was beginning to “nickel and dime” us to death.  Once again, we started praying.  One night at prayer service I mentioned to Sallie that we were looking for a car to buy and told her to keep her eyes open for one.  She immediately said she knew someone who wanted to sell their second car that they didn’t need.  We went and looked at it and it was in good shape, had a new transmission, and was priced right.  It needed a little cleaning and polishing but looked fine when we were done.  We have really enjoyed our minivan and it has been very reliable. 

Who knows what kind of car we will have next time.  But we do know that God takes care of us and is even interested in providing us with cars when we need them.  Every time we prayed for a car, one came.  God is good!

A Book of Mormon Testimony - Sent by Gus Ralston

My childhood religious background consisted of various neighbors taking me to the particular denomination to worship. This did not result in any person commitment to the Lord Jesus on my part.

           

In 1967, when I was 28 years old, I was living with my Aunt Carrie and Uncle J. Baird in Grain Valley, Missouri. Book of Mormon events and characters were always discussed in their home, and I decided to read the Book of Mormon so I could participate in these conversations.

           

There is a passage of scripture in the book of Moroni which says, And if you shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth to you by the power of the Holy Ghost.

“Fair enough. I’ll do that,” I said when I read those words. I began to pray continually for the Lord to manifest the truth to me through some experience. For at least a year I prayed fervently for that experience, but nothing happened.

           

In the meantime I continued reading and studying. It occurred to me that from a theological viewpoint, the Bible and Book of Mormon were compatible. Therefore, I realized that the Book of Mormon must be what it claimed to be. I was baptized and became a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints. Then I was ordained to the office of priest in the ministry of the church.

           

Three years passed from the time my reading of the Book of Mormon commenced. I had just finished reading the book, He Walked the Americas and I was mentally comparing this book to the Book of Mormon. Suddenly, the Spirit of Truth descended on me in such power that I had to reach out and take hold of something to steady myself. This spirit was so powerful. It was physical, not mental, and it caused my very flesh to know that these books were true. Even the flesh in my little finger knew the truth.

           

I know beyond a shadow of doubt that the Book of Mormon is what it claims to be because of the totality of the experience that was mine, from the inception of the reading to the very powerful spiritual witness. Nothing would cause me to deny it!

           

The Lord may be slow in answering our prayers, but He is never late.

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. ~ John 14:17


From the book, To the Convincing by Ardie Launius page 63

The Potter's Wheel - Sallie Presler

I love pottery. I love to make pottery, read pottery books, study about ancient pottery and teach pottery. Last fall I sold one of my kick wheels so that I might have space and money towards the purchase of an electric wheel. At my age, physical strength and limited funds, I was looking for a middle-of-the-road wheel.

 For many months, I would look each day both morning and evening on Craigslist, EBay, The Star and different pottery sites for a good used wheel. In that time, many have come up for sale. Each time I was too late, out bid, or for some other reason did not get it. Each time I would pray and say, "If this is not the wheel for me, Lord, please make it so." And each time I did not get the wheel, I would simply thank Him.

The last couple of years I have been feeling lost spiritually. I knew that God was there, that He loved me and cared for me, that He knew my name and had plans for me. But, where was He? I had been asking for light and direction. It seemed He was only giving me barely enough for the present moment. I wanted to see farther down the road. I have seemed always to be on edge, almost in a stall pattern. It has been easy to see that He was sustaining me, just as He did the Israelites in the wilderness, but like them I wanted more. I had begged and pleaded. Each time, I would just feel an overwhelming amount of His love and grace, but no direction at all. I wanted a map.

About three weeks ago, a Brent B wheel came up on Craigslist. It would be a perfect wheel for me. Brent is my favorite wheel maker and the "B" is the middle-of-the-road model. The price was right; the seller lived nearby, and it was not too old. But it was Sunday.

I have been trying to keep the Lord's Day holy. I know that we each look at that principle differently and I am not judging anyone for his or her interpretation of what it means to keep the Lord's Day holy. I know emergencies come up even on Sunday. Here, I reasoned, was an emergency for me. I knew this wheel would be gone tomorrow. So I called. Apparently, I was the second to call because she had already accepted a deposit on it. I would have to wait until Friday it see if the other person came up with the money for it. Each day I felt worse. I had rationalized calling on Sunday and now felt sorry about it. By the time Friday came, I had decided that there was no wheel out there that was worth this feeling. I did not get that wheel.

One day last week, as I was praying on the situation, I remembered a book I had read by Stormie Omartian. In it she tells of giving everything to God, then asking Him to sort through it and give back the things He wants for you. I pondered this for a while. I had given my heart, might, mind, will, husband, son, family, work, home, vehicle, health, wealth/or lack of it. What had I not turned over to Him? Then it hit me...my pottery.

So after much thought, I laid my love of pottery at His feet. I told Him I did not want anything in my life that would be a distraction from where He was trying to lead me. No pottery wheel was more important to me than He is. Even pottery itself was not as important to me as He is. "Lord, do you want me to give it up altogether to better follow You?" I prayed.

Then, this past Monday morning, I sat down at the computer and opened up Craigslist. And, you guessed it, there was another Brent wheel. This time it was a CXC. That is like the Cadillac of wheels. It is professional wheel, one that would successfully center a piece of pottery six or seven feet tall. My heart leapt.

Then I looked closely at the ad and realized it had been posted on the day before... Sunday. I knew that wheel; at that low price and young age was already gone. But, I stopped and prayed that if God wanted me to have it that it would be there. I called. It was still available. The seller asked if we could pick it up in the afternoon and pay with cash only. My husband, Aaron, and I were scheduled to take our son, Dane, to the airport that afternoon and I kept thinking is there a way to pick up the wheel and still get Dane to the airport? Finally, I left that in God's hands, too, and told the owner that it would be 9:00 pm before we could be there to pick it up.

Now I realized that we wouldn't even have time to go by a bank to get cash for the wheel and still have time to get Dane to the airport comfortably. A quick check with my relatives (mother, father, husband, brother and sister-in-law) and together we had exactly the amount needed... to the dollar!

On the way back from the airport, my husband asked if I had been anxious about the wheel, thinking that perhaps the wheel had been sold to someone else during our delay to pick it up. I told him honestly, it was almost every thought I had going to and from the airport! But, I also told Him that if I trusted that God really had provided this wheel for me, it would be in His hands waiting for me.

We picked up the wheel that evening.

God desires to bless us. He is a loving Heavenly Father. And, as our pastor's wife, Donna Billings, so often prays, God blessed me with that which was "better than best."

He didn't just give me a middle-of-the-road wheel. He gave me a CXC for virtually the same price as the Brent B wheel had been. He didn't just hint at my question of whether or not pottery was part of His plan for me, He answered it in such a way that there will never be any doubt in my mind.

How great is our God?

Wherefore, seek not the things of this world; but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:38