Category Archives: Holidays

Father’s Day Miracle

We spent this last weekend celebrating Father’s Day.  It was a wonderful weekend and we didn’t want it to be over so fast.  We are thankful for the hard work Dad does to care for the needs of our family.  So our efforts to celebrate him this past weekend seems to pale in comparison.

We have another Father to celebrate too.  Our Father God is also a GOOD FATHER!  He spends our entire lifetime caring for our needs.  He knows what we need even before we ask him.  He meets our needs over and over and our cup overflows with his goodness and blessings.  He is amazing!  He can do anything!  Don’t forget to thank him.  Don’t forget to celebrate him.  He is good and his mercy endures forever.

One of our favorite songs is “Good Good Father”.  If you haven’t heard this before, I would encourage you to take a minute and listen to this video:

Be sure to check out our Father’s Day Weekend story about all the fun times we had with Daddy on Saturday and Sunday.  In the story I am writing today, I wanted to share with you our wonderful Father’s Day Miracle that happened on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, we drove to a place along the river and took a drive around the adjoining lake.  We tried to find a quiet place along the shore with access to fish and with shady cover.  Most areas are privately owned and there are many houses all around the water’s edge.  We ended up returning to a little cove we had fished at six months ago.  Though it was a quiet spot in December, it was jam packed in June for Father’s Day.

We eventually found a small piece of shoreline with a few trees that we could use.  It was just what we needed. One of our boys got out his binoculars and did some bird watching.  Another one of my sons put up his hammock in the shade of the trees. The rest of us set up our fishing poles and got busy casting them out into the water as far as we could.

Then after about an hour, some people next to us ended their Father’s Day get-together and after they left we were able to spread out more and have a larger area of shoreline to fish, and now more trees for shade, and we acquired the use of the picnic table too.

I love fishing.  It is one of my favorite activities.  This is something I did with my dad growing up.  He loved to fish too.  He died many years ago.  But I have fond memories and think a lot about him on a day like today, especially because it is Father’s Day and we are fishing.

I am so glad my husband and kids like fishing too.  It was a hot day to be out fishing.  We spent about four hours in the heat, casting our lines.  One casting reel of one of the fishing poles broke when it fell on some rocks.  We also got some gear caught on a log out in the water, etc.  As usual, we kept Dad busy fixing things.  Despite the heat, we kept faithfully casting our lines even though we only had a few nibbles.

The younger kids got bored and eventually fished by hand for minnows with small hand held nets.  They actually caught a few.

During this time of fishing with my family, I prayed and sang to Father God quietly.  I felt so full of joy.  Even though it was hot, and even though I had not caught a single fish.  I was still filled with joy over the blessings Father God has given me.   I noticed as I sang, what appeared to be 100 small minnow size fish would show up very close to me in the water.  It was strange because when I didn’t sing and I just walked along the shore, the kids and I would notice maybe five to ten little fish nearby.  But when I would sing, nearly 100 would suddenly appear and stay until I stopped singing.  I have never seen fish do this before.

One of the prayers I prayed was to ask Father God to send fish to bless my husband for Father’s Day.  I wanted him to have a good experience fishing today.  I wanted him to catch a fish.  I wanted him to go home with some good memories and good sized fish to eat.

I asked Father God for a crazy request, and I knew that nothing is impossible with God and if it happened then no one could say it was their skills or their fishing gear that led to the outcome.  When my prayer would be answered, all you would be able to say is that “Father God made it happen”.  I prayed He would send a whole school of fish all at once for us to catch so that no one could deny that He had blessed us.  For several hours I believed without a doubt that He would send the fish.

My youngest son also started telling me about how he believed Father God was going to send fish, because He said he knew that “Father God could do anything”.  He was so happy when he said that.  I agreed with him.

I told him the story about the men in the boat on the lake who had fished all day and all night and hadn’t caught anything.  Then Jesus of Nazareth, Yahusha HaMeshiac, called out to them from the shore and told them to cast their nets on the other side.  They were so discouraged and basically said what is the use?  But then they obeyed and trusted him.  Next thing they did was haul in so much fish the load almost sank their boat.  They had to call for help and have more men bring their boat to help them too.  That was a miracle!

“Simon Peter told them, “I’m going fishing.”
They said, “We’ll go with you.” They set out in a boat, but throughout the night they caught nothing.  Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples didn’t realize it was Jesus.  Jesus called to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”  They answered him, “No.”  He said, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”  So they did, and there were so many fish that they couldn’t haul in the net.  Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked) and jumped into the water.  The other disciples followed in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they weren’t far from shore, only about one hundred yards.  When they landed, they saw a fire there, with fish on it, and some bread.   Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you’ve just caught.”   Simon Peter got up and pulled the net to shore. It was full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three of them. Yet the net hadn’t torn, even with so many fish.   Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples could bring themselves to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.  Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish.”  John 21:3-13

Then my son said “Mom, did you know the son of God can feed millions with bread and fish?” I agreed with his wisdom and faith at such a young age of only six years old.  Then he continued to tell me the story about how Jesus of Nazareth, Yahusha HaMeshiac, fed 5,000 men plus women and children with 5 fish and 2 loaves of bread.  After he prayed and blessed the fish and bread, he divided it and fed all the people.  Then his followers collected 12 baskets full of leftovers.  My son knows the truth and he knows Father God and His Son will feed you when you are hungry, and he can feed you in a special way that is bigger than anything you can imagine.

“When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion for them and healed those who were sick. That evening his disciples came and said to him, “This is an isolated place and it’s getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said to them, “There’s no need to send them away. You give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here except five loaves of bread and two fish.” He said, “Bring them here to me.” He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them and broke the loaves apart and gave them to his disciples. Then the disciples gave them to the crowds. Everyone ate until they were full, and they filled twelve baskets with the leftovers. About five thousand men plus women and children had eaten.” Matthew 14:14-21

So we continued to trust Father God for our bounty of fish, even though it got later and later and the sun was starting to go down.

While the younger kids enjoyed trying to catch minnows in their little nets, the older boys enjoyed other activities to pass the time.  One of the boys whittled sticks.  He found several buoyant very hard sticks to whittle and play with that must have spent a long time in the water before they washed ashore .

Another one of the boys just enjoyed watching the water and wildlife from his hammock and enjoyed relaxing. Another one of the big boys had brought binoculars and enjoyed bird watching.  There were geese, a variety of ducks, herrings, etc. to see.  Before long, a huge four foot tall snowy egret with a huge wingspan flew in and landed very close to us.  He was so thrilled.

About 7:30pm, a boat pulled up to our fishing spot.  I was a little irritated that they pulled up right in the middle of us fishing.  The boat was carrying three men.  One of the men jumped off the boat at the shore and walked up the hill to retrieve his truck and trailer.  As he passed by our fishing poles, folding chairs, and picnic table, as he kept walking hurriedly, he quietly asked do we need any fish and he kept walking up the hill.  He never stopped, but just spoke as he went.  I thought at first he was being friendly and saying “Hows the fishing?” Which seemed a little insulting after pulling a boat right through the middle of our fishing poles.  But then as I thought about it, I was sure he didn’t say that, but instead said ” Do you want any fish?”  He kept walking at a fast pace, so it was hard to hear exactly what he said.

He walked to the back of the parking lot to his vehicle.  Then he backed his trailer down to the boat dock to pull the boat from the water.  We were not fishing at the boat dock, the dock was around the corner in deeper water.  So the boat entering our shallow water fishing spot was really out of the ordinary and is enough to scare any and all fish away.

I felt disappointed.  All of my family felt it too.  They all looked back at me and then at the boat several times as if they didn’t know how to feel.  I felt that if Father God had brought the fish in to take our fishing lines, surely this boat had just ruined our only hope of catching anything. However, I was making a big mistake, because that very disappointment showed that I was at risk of forgetting how big and amazing my Father God is.  I swallowed my discouragement, and put on a smile, and eventually I mustered up a friendly wave to the other two men in the boat as they drove their boat away.  We are told to forgive, pray for and bless others, no matter how they treat us.  So I let the dissapointment go.  I now waved at them with a genuine blessing of peace and kindness.

Internally, I thought to myself “Where was my faith?”  I had just trusted Father God to bring us a school of fish, and I know He is God and if I put my complete trust in him, then why would I doubt his ability to overcome a boat that might disrupt his answer to my prayer?

God is AMAZING!

Before we knew it, the three men we had just seen come to shore in a boat, were now in the parking lot above us.  Their boat was securely on their trailer and they were doing the last steps of putting their gear away before leaving.  They asked us if we had “something to put some fish in?”  I said “we have a cooler”.  They said “is it cold?” and I said it had a little ice left from chilling water bottles earlier and that we would stop and get more ice on the way home.

Next thing I knew, there was fish being pulled out of the belly of their boat.  I wouldn’t have believed what I was seeing had I not said the prayer and trusted Father God to answer my prayer earlier.  I knew without a doubt Father God had worked a miracle for me.  He proved it was him.

It wasn’t a special fishing pole, or special gear, or the right spot along the shore, or anything that I could have done to “bring in the school of fish all at once”.  No, instead Father God answered my prayer His way, by sending three men on the water enjoying Father’s Day together.  They were lead to show up in the middle of our fishing trip in the middle of our fishing poles and stir the water and bless our family with their school of fish they had caught.  It was truly a miracle that only Father God could have done.

This Grandfather, Son, and Grandson trio of fishermen just kept pulling out more and more fish from the boat.

I told the men what had happened.  I told them all of it.  I told them how I trusted Father God for a whole school of fish that would arrive all at once.  I told them how my youngest son believed fish were on the way too.  I could see their shock and amazement on their faces.  I told them that I knew Father God had sent them.  I shared with them about the prayer I had prayed and how I had trusted Father God to answer my prayer.

Then the oldest Father in the group said “never doubt what Father God can do, he can do anything!”

 

YES! Father God is amazing! He is a good Father! He can do anything!

“Stay united with me, as I will with you — for just as the branch can’t put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine, so you can’t bear fruit apart from me.  I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who stay united with me, and I with them, are the ones who bear much fruit; because apart from me you can’t do a thing.  Unless a person remains united with me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up.  Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned up.  If you remain united with me, and my words with you, then ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you.  This is how my Father is glorified — in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be my disciples (talmidim – student teachers – followers).  Just as my Father has loved me, I too have loved you; so stay in my love.  If you keep my commands, you will stay in my love — just as I have kept my Father’s commands and stay in his love.  I have said this to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy be complete.  This is my command: that you keep on loving each other just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends.  You are my friends, if you do what I command you.  I no longer call you slaves, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is about; but I have called you friends, because everything I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, I chose you; and I have commissioned you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that whatever you ask from the Father in my name he may give you.”  John 15:4-16

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Father’s Day Weekend

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Father’s Day.  Seems dad’s just don’t get enough special days though out the year.  I heard recently some folks are trying to do away with calling it Father’s Day and have put forth legislation to change the name to “Parents Day” so it is more “inclusive”.  Such a shame though to take the focus away from Father’s.

We spent the whole weekend celebrating Father’s Day.  Why not?  He works so hard to care for the needs of our family.  Dedicating this entire weekend just to him pales in comparison.

Father God is also a good father and He spends our entire lifetime caring for our needs.  He is amazing!  He can do anything!  I want to encourage you to not forget him.  Don’t forget to thank him.  Don’t forget to celebrate him.  He is good and his mercy endures forever.

On Saturday, Daddy opened a couple of gifts we had picked out and some that were made for him.  One of the special gifts this year we have been focusing on has been learning “skills” from outdoor survivalist Creek Stewart.  For Dad’s birthday a few months ago, we got him a bimonthly subscription to Apocabox, and he will get six of these boxes during the year.  So for Father’s Day, we stayed with that theme and we ordered him a bow drill from Creek Stewart, so he can learn to make friction fire, also a folding saw for cutting tree limbs, and a Special Edition Apocabox.   However, the Apocabox had not yet arrived before he opened his gifts Saturday morning so I figured the box might be here by Monday.   We told him it would be coming, and we gave him his other gifts and he was quite pleased.  We gave him the Creek Stewart bow drill, a collection of some fire tinders that were hand collected by one our boys including homemade charcloth he made, an extra large coffee cup that says “make it happen”, a swiss army military style clipper set, and his favorite chocolate pecan turtles.  One of our sons is working on a special paracord bracelet that is still in progress, but not finished yet.  Another one of our son’s made him a beautiful leather bag.  I will post a story soon about him creating the bag.

We got ready to leave to take Dad to lunch.  We had a few plans including taking him to lunch at a Mexican restaurant and then take him to Cabela’s to get a new fishing pole.  To round out the special weekend, we planned to take him fishing on Sunday afternoon.

Just as we were planning to leave the house Saturday, the mailman brought a package.  My husband met the mailman in the driveway and he was beaming ear to ear when he got back in the house with his box.  It was the Special Edition Apocabox from Creek Stewart, and he (and our boys) couldn’t wait to open it.  I will post a story soon about this box.

After looking through his Father’s Day gifts and spending the morning together, we went to lunch.  We ate at a place we have eaten at a few times for special occasions such as birthdays.  We had actually been there two weeks earlier to celebrate our oldest son’s eighteenth birthday.  They make delicious tasting Mexican food and our whole family enjoys it.

After lunch we took Daddy to Cabela’s to look around and see if he would like a new fishing pole and gear.  Our family has some fishing gear, but with eight people in the family, and with little ones, some things get broke and we all share what we have, and sometimes Dad is so busy fixing the poles, lost gear, tangled gear, or re-baiting them etc, that he doesn’t even get to fish.  We thought it would be nice to get a new pole just for him.

Cabela’s is a very interesting sporting goods store.  On this day, they had set up a pool in the parking lot and were giving Kayak lessons.

Another cool feature inside the store are the wildlife animal displays and the huge aquarium.

But at the end of our time at the store, the only thing he really wanted was a tee shirt and a flashlight.  So we came home without a fishing pole, but we enjoyed spending time with him anyway.

After we got back home Saturday, we ate some Father’s Day cake our daughter made.  Then we spent time in our back yard trying to make a fire by hand with Dad’s bow drill. 

My husband had our 13 year old son assemble the Creek Stewart Take Down Bow Drill.  He was thrilled to get to assemble it. These bow drills are custom made by hand.  They are made so you can disassemble “take down” the bow and put it into your backpack to carry with you on camping trips.

My son had also made a tinder “nest” for this special occasion.  He is learning so many skills and I am very proud of his efforts.

After it was assembled, they headed to the back yard to practice.

The two of them worked together to run the bow drill.

They had smoke coming from the friction several times.

But each time they would check for a “coal” from the smoke, there was not a coal.

But they did have lots of ground up and smoking wood dust, created by the friction of the two sticks, that could become a coal in the right conditions.

I don’t know if you have ever tried to make a fire by rubbing sticks together, but it is not easy.  They tried for a long time.  They tried up on a table so it was easier on my husband’s 50 year old back.  But when that wasn’t successful, they moved it to the ground.  They also tried making it on a flat rock.  But it proved to be too difficult this evening to get a friction fire going.  We plan to re-watch Creek Stewart’s video about how to use the bow drill to create a fire and then “make it happen”.

Later after dark, the family all went back outside and played with flashlights. Dad got out his new flashlight, and the boys got out their flashlights and they all played around seeing who’s light could shine the brightest out into the yard and go the farthest down the driveway.  As they get bigger and older, it seems Dad might be feeling a bit challenged.  But Dad’s new light won the “farthest” competition with the flashlights and he felt very proud to still be the top dog!

Sunday morning, we got up and made coffee and pancakes.  Knowing we had plans to take Dad fishing later, we played around the house for a bit, and we watched a few videos together.  There are some really good weekly videos on youtube that show current events each week.  There are also some wonderful bible teachings.  When we have time, if we are home on a Saturday or Sunday, we watch some of these bible teachings, and videos that show current events worldwide, including world wide weather events (hurricanes, floods, volcanoes, earthquakes, mudslides, etc), and some that focus on events in the USA.  It is a good way to catch up on the news from a Christian worldview, something you don’t get on regular TV.  It helps to see what is happening in current events, and understand from a Christian worldview what is happening and how it lines up with bible prophesy.  We are told in the scriptures to watch and to understand.  We are living in the end times, and though we don’t know the day or hour it will all take place, I would encourage everyone to try to keep a watchful eye however they can and learn as much as they can.

Then we headed outside to load our fishing gear and cooler into the van and headed out to find a fishing spot and to enjoy the rest of the day with Dad.  We stopped along the way to get a bag of ice, bread, lunch meat, chips, bottled waters and Gatorade.  We planned to have a lunch picnic.  It was 95 degrees out today and we wanted everyone to stay hydrated.  We drove around for about two hours looking for just the right fishing spot.

Finally we found a nice little spot along the water that faced away from the sun, and it had some shade trees.  This seemed like a good spot to put our fishing lines in.  Shade trees can be a blessing, but you can also get your lines tangled in them when casting.

But it was so hot outside, we were sweating while just standing still, and having that little bit of shade from the trees was important.  Eventually we realized the fish don’t like the heat either and we were not catching anything.  After several hours of trying on our part, the fish were just not biting on our lines, other than an occasional nibble.  Then, not long before dark, we had a Father’s Day miracle.

We didn’t get home until very late, and we were all tired, but it was a great day.  Despite the heat, we had fun just spending time together as a family and we enjoyed each other’s company and enjoyed the special day and our special Father’s Day Weekend with Dad.

Be sure to read the next post for an amazing outcome to our Father’s Day weekend:  A Father’s Day Miracle.

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4th of July

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July with family and friends!

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”   Psalm 33:12

May the Lord God bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon you and give you peace.  In Jesus name, amen.

Be blessed!

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Happy New Year 2017

Happy New Year!

May you seek first

this year of 2017

JESUS

He is Yahuah,

the King of Kings and Lord of Lords,

the only begotten son of God the Father,

the only way to eternity with God.

Seek Jesus,

while he may still be found.

 He is right at the door.   

May your New Year

2017

be filled with Jesus

and blessings beyond measure!

 

 

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New Beginnings

I’m spending time reflecting on this past year, as 2016 winds down and 2017 begins.  It has been a busy year.   Many goals have been met, and some left unmet, as life events have come and gone.

Normally at this time of year, I spend time prioritizing and writing goals and setting new routines for the year ahead.   I still have much left over from last year that I want to achieve in this coming year.   It would be easy to feel disappointed.  But if I allowed myself to be disappointed in areas I see a lack of progress, it would be non-productive at this point.

I can’t be disappointed that I didn’t get it all done, because truly no one can do it all.  It is a lie to believe that you can do everything you want to do.  Unless you are financially wealthy, there is a reality for most people that puts some boundaries and financial limitations on goals.  No one knows what tomorrow may bring or what next week or next month will look like.  We can try to shape the future, setting goals and new routines, but the truth is that the future is not 100% within our control.

If you are discouraged about a lack of progress toward your goals, don’t let it get you down.  Your value is not in the goals you achieve or don’t achieve. Your value is not in the amount of money you earn.  Your value is not even in what other’s think of you.  Look for your answers in God’s word, the bible.

Your true value is what God says about you.   You are fearfully and wonderfully made.  He knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb.  He was there when you were knitted together.  He knows every hair on your head.  He knows what you need before you do.  He is always there ready to assist you in the challenges you walk through in life.

TRUST

I  have come to learn that the true measure to look at your life with is what Jesus said. Everything about life and eternity is summed up in his words.  If you want to know the truth, FOCUS on the words of Jesus in the scriptures and I promise it will change your whole entire perspective!

Jesus taught us to pray this prayer with complete trust in Father God:

“Our Father, who are in heaven,

Hollowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done.

On earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation.

Deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory.

FOREVER!

Amen!”         (Matthew 6:9-13)

 

Don’t Worry Be Happy!

I am thankful my life is 100% in the hands of God the Father, and I don’t have to worry about the future.   I am thankful that HE knows the future and I can trust Him completely even though I do not know the day or hour of events in my own life until they happen.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek.

For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  (Matthew 6:24-34)

I am thankful for the new year ahead.  I am thankful for new beginnings, and I am thankful that I am totally secure in spending eternity with God through salvation in his son Jesus who gave his life for me and rescued me from sin and eternal damnation.  I have hope and I have a future in HIM!

I am ready for the new beginnings that Father God ordains for my life. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  I am not the author of my story.  I am not my own god.  He wrote the story and he knows it from start to finish, and I trust him with my life completely.

I encourage you today to pray to Father God, to lay down your worries, and trust him with your life, your goals, your desires, and trust him with all of your new beginnings too.

Be blessed!

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Happy Labor Day

Happy Labor Day America!

Labor Day

image source

I am thankful for all of those persons who forged ahead, labored, and helped to build America into the great nation she is.  Here is a link to wikipedia learn more about the reason for this holiday.

    God Bless You

             &

    God Bless America!

 

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Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July America!

May God keep you, shine his face upon you, bless you, and give you peace, always and forever, until the day of His return!

God bless America!

 

A few gifts for you to enjoy:

My Beautiful America by Charlie Daniels

Gather Band singing The National Anthem

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