"Savior Like A Shepherd Lead Us." Dear Mothers, Do Your Children Hear His Voice?

Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

Dearest Mothers,
Please teach your children to listen to the Lord Jesus. His sheep hear His voice and follow Him!
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."(John 10:27-28)

"Savior Like A Shepherd Lead Us"

Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use Thy folds prepare.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.
We are Thine, Thou dost befriend us, be the guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray.
Thou hast promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be;
Thou hast mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse and power to free.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.
Early let us seek Thy favor, early let us do Thy will;
Blessèd Lord and only Savior, with Thy love our bosoms fill.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.

Words: At­trib­ut­ed to Dor­o­thy A. Thrupp, 1836.
Music: Brad­bu­ry, Will­iam B. Brad­bu­ry, 1859
To listen: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/l/slaslus.htm

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
(Psalm 80:1-3)

Mothers, Teach Your Children To Think About Jesus All The Time !

Dearest Mothers,
Life is so short! I remember an old saying, "One life will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last."

One life will soon be past.. Have you thought about that very much?

One day your children will be grown and leave home.

One day you may find yourself looking into a mirror and thinking, I was once young.

One day you may wonder where the time went and how you spent your years.

One day you will die and face your Creator...

One life will soon be past.

"Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, "I have no pleasure in them"... before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. . . The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Ecc 12:1-7,13,14)

Remember God, our Creator!

It seems to me many, many people have forgotten their Creator, in fact it seems they would like to avoid remembering Him all together. A person can forget God and ignore His promptings to think about Him or seek Him by keeping busy with numerous activities. For most people it is more comfortable to play a game, watch a video, do crafts, be "busy" on the computer, do sports, go shopping, visit friends, go to church and church activities, etc... But remember our Creator? Do you doubt this? What is it we women talk about when visiting with a friend, in a group meeting/gathering, at home with our children, or with our husband? Is it about our Creator Jesus Christ? Is He prominent in our conversations?

How can we expect our children to think about Jesus Christ the Lord and love Him if we don't? Our children are watching and learning from us.


If we say,"Oh I do remember God every day! I talk to Him and read the Bible almost everyday. I love Him!" But as the old saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." How does your daily living show that you love Jesus and remember Him?

Think about a young girl newly engaged and in love. Her mind is on the young man she is going to marry and wants to talk to him and of him all the time. It does not take very long to learn what is important to a person. If the Lord Jesus is in your mind all the time, you are going to want to talk about Him.

We say we love Jesus and to obey Him is important to us. We sing, "He is everything to me." But please, please take a serious look at what you are communicating to your children. Does Jesus Christ the Lord saturate your day? Do you talk about Him in your daily activities and living ? Do your children know that life should be centered around Him in work, play, meals, sleep, and in all things we do?

Are you reminding your children daily that He is their Creator and we owe everything to Him, even our breath? It is not possible to talk about Jesus Christ the Lord too much!


We need to obey God in training our children properly for Him. Get away from the Worldly ideas of teaching your children through entertainment, empty books and recordings that forsake the truth about God. They deny any knowledge of God and actually produce an anti-God spirit. Even things that might seem cute or harmless can be wrong if they are replacing the things of God.

Teach them God's way! Remember your Creator! Point them to Him daily and continually! Please read this scripture carefully and pray for wisdom in training your children for Him.:

"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth." (Deuteronomy 11:18-21)


Our children need to learn the truth about God. He is most important in every aspect of life. Nothing compares to Jesus Christ and knowing Him. All else pales in value and excitement. Why waste time in things that are perishing when we can invest our lives in eternal things! Teach these eternal things to your children!

"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2Co 4:18)


HE knows our thoughts...

"O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether"...
(Psalm 139:1-4)



Mothers..........get serious about raising your children for Jesus,

One life will soon be past.
Only what is done for Christ will last!

Mothers, Teach The Bible and The Things of God Diligently To Your Children

Dearest Mothers,

Are you a godly mother that wants her children to grow up knowing whom they can go to in life's distress and trials?

Do you want to point your children to the only One who can save them and deliver them from, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life?

If you are that kind of mother then I plead with you to take the Word of God seriously and apply it to your life and in training your children for Him.

How? Follow God, not man. Follow God's word and His teachings. To sum it up, Obey GOD!

Let's take a look at the Word of GOD to see how important this is.

Firstly look at Psalms 78:

"I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God". (Psa 78:2-8)

We have the Bible to tell us the things of old, "Dark sayings from old."(Here dark means "deep". )

"Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come."(1Co 10:11)
We have the Old Testament and the stories so rich in the power of God for an example to us. (Did you catch that? EXAMPLE TO US.)

Read Wonderful Bible stories to your children. Please avoid the cartoon type character Bible stories, these may impress the child with a feeling of pretending, they simply are not serious. The Word of God and Bible stories should be received with great respect and gravity of mind. An excellent Bible story book for children that I have found is, "The Bible in Picture For Little Eyes." by Kennith Taylor. The older publication is best, which might be found on a used book site.

Do not hide the things of God from your children! Tell the children of how God moved and proved Himself faithful to the Children of GOD in the Bible. Tell them of examples in your own life and others the powerful working of GOD. Speak to them often about it! Read wonderful Missionary stories of how God worked and moved through their lives.

"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children-- (Deu 4:9)
"tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done."

We should tell them:
"so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God". (Psa 78:2-8)

Oh precious mothers! Please ask God to help you to get a hold of this understanding! IT IS POSSIBLE to teach your children the way of the Lord in this day and age. YES! God would never instruct you to do something that was not reachable. In Him you can do it!

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deu 6:5-9)

Oh I'm so earnest for you!

"For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober."(1Th 5:5-6)

Be sober dear mothers! Follow GOD diligently!

A suggested site that is good for Bible Story Lessons and helpful in teaching children:
http://bibledrivethru.blogspot.com/

Do Your Children Know That Only Jesus Can Satisfy their Soul?

Dearest Mothers,

Now that Christmas is over and the gifts are all given,
Are you finding that your children are satisfied?
Are they happy now?
Or
Are they looking for more gifts and more things?

Gifts and things can never satisfy,
Nor bring happiness to the soul.
There will always be a desire for something else.

Jesus Christ the Lord is the ONLY ONE who can satisfy.
We must teach this to our children!

Only Jesus Can Satisfy Your Soul


The world may try to satisfy
That longing in your soul.
You may search the wide world over
But you'll be just as before.
You'll never find true satisfaction
Until you've found the Lord,
For only Jesus can satisfy your soul.

CHORUS:
Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.
Yes, only He can change your heart
And make you whole.
He'll give you peace you never knew,
Sweet joy and love and Heaven, too.
For only Jesus can satisfy your soul.

If you could have the fame and fortune,
All the wealth you could attain.
Yet, you have not Christ within,
Your living here would be in vain.
There'll come a time when death will find you,
Riches cannot help you then.
So, come to Jesus, only He can satisfy.

CHORUS:
Only Jesus can satisfy your soul:
Yes, only He can change your heart
And make you whole.
He'll give you peace you never knew,
Sweet joy and love and Heaven, too.
Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.
Yes, only Jesus can satisfy your soul.

Lanny Wolfe

Do Your Children Praise Jesus Christ On Christmas Morning?

Caption says,"I am so glad Jesus came to Earth
to die for me so I can get these nice gifts."

Dearest Mothers,

I hear this all the time now, "Christmas will be here soon!" "I can't believe Christmas is in one week!"
Yes, everyone is excited and scurrying around to prepare for a day to celebrate. Celebrate? What?
Some are actually thinking about the Lord Jesus and celebrate His coming to earth..but how many are actually doing that?
Not many, not many at all, in fact very few actually are thinking about the birth of the Lord Jesus.

How many children wake up Christmas morning and think, "Oh praise GOD, we are celebrating the Lord Jesus' birth today!"
Well if you are honest with yourself to face the truth, you will have to agree with me that for most people Christmas really isn't a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but a celebration of gifts and family get-together.

Some families might slip in a Bible reading in the morning, before they open presents. But when the children open their presents do they say, "Oh thank you Lord Jesus, I'm so glad you came to earth to die for me to save me from hell and destruction!"??? But what do they normally do... LOOK FOR MORE GIFTS!

I am not against families getting together and showering each other with gifts and love, that is wonderful! But when it is done in such a fashion that actually tramples under foot the things that are holy, I object! Making the things of God that are holy a common thing is wrong. The children cannot discern the holy from the profane if the parents can't.

If Christmas affords an opportunity to proclaim to the World that Jesus Christ came to earth to save sinners, great! But wait a minute, how often do you hear this? In Church? And wait a minute again, aren't we suppose to be proclaiming the gospel story..ALL THE TIME?

Please be careful about what you make Christmas into, there are dangerous traps that come with the hoopla of Christmas.
Some would like to say it's a "Holy day" but what is holy about it? Does God call it holy?

What are we doing to our children when we tell them that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ when all they discover are gifts showered on them? What do you think goes into those small and tender minds? "Christmas-Jesus' birthday-gifts-ME!".
Oh yes, some parents try to turn the tide and teach their children to give to others, but at the same time they are being given gifts too. It goes in a circle.

I know not everyone celebrates Christmas like it's a "Give me, what can I get" day... but again please be careful. How are your children being influenced?

Consider searching the roots and customs of Christmas. . . it might surprise you.

I Want The Best For My Child

The Best For my Child?
Time, Love, Prayer and Obedience to God!

I want the best for my child. The very best for him is to teach him the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. The very best for him is having Parents that will listen and obey God in their living and in training him. God has made it very clear how to raise a child, there is no need for confusion. Obey God, do what He says in His Word. The Lord says: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."(Mat 6:33) That is clear instruction isn't it? In everything that arises in life and also at the beginning of each day, seek God, call upon the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of any known sin. Jesus will give help and strength if you ask Him. Meditate upon His Word, pray often to Him. Ask Him to show you any selfish areas in your life that need to "die". Dieing to self is an important part of being an obedient child of God. Jesus gives clear instruction about dieing and denying self:

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?"(Luke 9:23-25)

These are just two verses that give clear instruction to us and of course the Bible is filled with instructions and guidance for us. Why not teach these things to my children? They are capable of learning and understanding. I don't want to limit my growing child's mind with simple silly entertaining activities for tools of learning, but rather with the sincere milk of the Word of God!

The Lord Jesus Christ brought me to faith in Him and repentance of my sins, washed my sins away with His shed blood and saved me. He gave me faith in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. He saved my soul from the wrath of God that I deserve. He gave me His Holy Spirit and I am His forever. His yoke is easy and His burden is light, I am His servant. I gladly and happily serve Him with the joy He gave me, my joy is full, it is His joy!
It is because I am His that I desire godliness and righteousness for my children. I desire them to be saved and be godly. Therefore, I want to do right and raise them according to God's Word. Through the guidance of His Spirit, following His Word, I learn how to raise my child. God has given guidelines in His Word with His standards and instructions to follow. He has given to us a type of 'How to' book, He is very clear and forthwith about this subject. I know to trust the Author of this book, He is all knowing, all wise, and perfect, so I take what He says very seriously and desire to follow and obey Him.



I'd like to go through a few verses of this wonderful guide Book and talk about them. Here are some of my thoughts I'd like to share:

My children are given to me by God to raise them for Him. My husband and I are responsible in their training to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, (Eph 6:4) And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Admonition, means: "mild rebuke or warning" in the Greek. It also means "calling attention to".

The verse begins with: "Fathers provoke not your children to to wrath." I believe God addresses the Fathers first because the weight of the responsibility falls on the fathers. Yet, I believe that mothers are also required to follow the same instruction. I am an older women teaching younger women, so it is the mothers I am talking to.

Let's look at ways parents can, "provoke a child to wrath":

Not showing my child respect:

Your child is a person created by God and given to you to train for Him. Keep in mind that children have not yet learned to hide their true nature which sometimes is very ugly. The sobering thing is, we see ourselves, our own nature in them. When we detect an ugly nature in our child it can make us angry, especially if we see ourselves in them. What ever way we respond to them, to correct or discipline, it should be with respect and love for the child.

To be respectful does not mean to ignore or softly chasten a child that is acting in disobedience, for that is not respectful to them at all! Respecting my child means that I love my child enough to be his friend and instruct him with biblical discipline.(Pro 27:6) " Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. " My child is in need of training, what if I hugged him and kissed him when he was naughty? What if I gave him a small rebuke, a little pat on the bottom and a gentle, "No". Am I being a faithful friend to this child whom I love and adore? Think about this, am I a friend or an enemy to my own child?

Oh mothers! Train your dear children the biblical way! If my child is naughty, I will take him to a place away from the rest of the children, make him sit with me and ask him what he did that was naughty. If he is too young to answer, I will tell him, but if not, I will ask him questions until he admits to me that he was naughty. Then after the confession of the disobedience I will ask him again if God has something to say about it, and let him answer, or explain to him what God says. Since he has disobeyed God first: "Children obey your parents in the Lord" (Eph 6:1) I point out to him that disobeying God is very, very bad. Next I will tell my child that God has also given Mommies a command to spank him if he is naughty, I need to obey God too. Here are some scriptures from Proverbs about spanking:

"He that spares his rod hates his son: but he that loves him chastens him betimes,(early)."Proverbs 13:24 , "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.",22:15 "Withhold not correction from the child: for if you beat him with a rod he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod And deliver his soul from hell." 23:13+14,"The rod and correction give wisdom: but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother."29:15

When I spank my child using a thin rod, I have him bend over and tell him the number of spanks he is about to be given, say three or more. If he holds still he gets three spanks on his bottom, if he does not hold still more will be added. If the spanking was not given with a good "sting" the child will probably get angry and not sorry. It is very important he knows that a spanking hurts, it's something he does not want to happen again. After the spanking I let him cry a few minutes then ask him if he is sorry for disobeying God and Mommy? If he affirms this, I ask him if he would like to tell God about it to ask for forgiveness. If he is very young I'll help him pray. After him, I pray and give a hug and kiss for comfort, then have my child go directly to anyone he offended to ask for forgiveness.

Yes it takes time, it's not easy. It is very well invested time! The need to spank will come much less frequently as it instills in the child a respect and understanding of the responsibility he has to God in obedience. A well trained child is a delight to be around!

Another aspect of provoking a child to wrath concerns the other sibling. If a mother sees her child being disrespectful to his sibling and does not properly, biblically discipline him,( or allows him to "get by" with it), it will cause deep resentment in the heart of the sibling and a feeling of anger and dis-respect toward the mother. I must also mention that the naughty child will have a sense of dis-respect toward the mother as well and a feeling of insecurity because in his heart of hearts, he does not want to "get away" with being naughty. If I do not biblically train my child, I am cheating my child out of wisdom and knowledge and the fear of the Lord. I am allowing him to be foolish, I am willing for him to go to hell,(Prov. 23:13+14) I am causing my child to feel insecure and angry at me.

Do I love my child enough to chasten him? Better yet, do I love and fear God enough? God says a rod, God says start early, God says do not with-hold it, God says it will give him wisdom and could work to help save him from hell. Do I believe God? If I obey God and follow His commands and rules He is faithful to work in the heart of my child to bring forth an understanding of and fear of God. That is something I long for and want for my child.
You can go to a web search and find out all different aspects and ideas concerning spanking a child. There are some very harsh and angry reactions on this subject. No matter what the outcry might be from those who have their own experiences or ideas, no matter how they might twist and reason, I believe God. Yes, I believe God, He is trust worthy and His guidelines are faultless.

When I take time to discipline my child and do it biblically, I am showing him respect and love.

There are so many other ways of showing respect, they all take time, but well invested time. Here are a few ideas:

Build a friendship with him or her: Reading to him, (especially the Bible and Bible stories), playing games, showing love and affection, looking at him and at his eyes while listening to him when he talks to me, or when I talk to him. Teach him to help me in my house work, or give him responsibilities and show gratitude at his efforts. There are so many ways to build a friendship, which is another way to say, "win his heart!" Biblical discipline will also help you win his heart, because it shows God's love for him. Children feel blessed and happy after a biblical spanking. The discipline cleanses their conscience, assures them of your love and care for them.
It is so very important to incorporate the Lord Jesus in all your activities through-out the day.
Talk of Him, ask God to show you creative ideas how to bring Him into every subject. Point them to Him always.

How much does God want you to talk about Him to your children?

"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates," (Deu 11:18-20)

Dear sweet mothers, I have done this, not perfectly, but a great deal. Oh, there are no words to express the flood of joy that filled my heart as I spoke of Jesus and His wonderful love, incorporating Him into activities, school work, cleaning, playing, walking, gardening and a multitude of other things. Now I talk of Him to everyone! He's the One I want to talk about! My days are full of joy and excitement because of Jesus! Why would I want to go back to plain and boring worldly things? Knowing Jesus Christ in true fellowship with Him is life indeed!

A Mother Can Provoke Her Child To Wrath By Her Disrespect To Her Husband:

Oh mothers! Your children are watching you! What kind of example have you set before them?

Am I respectful to my husband? Do I reverence him in all things?

Ephesians 5:22"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." "Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything," ... .."Wives, likewise be submissive to your own husbands..."

Your children are watching you! If I am dis-respectful to my husband in any way, and do not honor him, but then turn and expect my children to honor me, my children can easily be provoked to anger. If they see me talking behind his back, or disregarding things he has asked me to do, how am I setting an example to my children of honor and obedience?

How important is it to God for you to honor your husband?

"Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything," ... .."Wives, likewise be submissive to your own husbands... Ephesians 5:23+24"


Let us fear God and obey Him!

The Story of How God Blessed My Daughter With A Godly Husband.

I cannot but rejoice for what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for my dear daughter Leah. It is an amazing story and I know that many of you have been waiting for this post. I have been anxious to share!

This will be a long post, but it is a wonderful story of how God brought two godly young people together in His way and timing:

It Began:

Last year, 2009, Leah and Michael were considering whether or not they should go to the OSA missions trip that was being held in LasVegas. Michael really wanted to go, Leah was not too interested, but was willing to go if God made a way for them. They had gone to an OSA mission trip 2 years before in Alabama and had been greatly blessed meeting people truly on fire for the Lord Jesus Christ. These are people who, like us, do all they can to reach the lost with the gospel... as well as expose the horrors of abortion and plead for unborn children lives. They decided to pray for the funds and not say anything to anyone about it. They had been reading George Mueller's testimony of God's provisions, and were impressed to only seek God and not man for the funds. The very next day a dear friend walked up to them and offered flight and motel expenses for the trip if they wanted to go!

Mick,(my husband), and I could see it was clearly God's will for them to go and prayed for His will to be done. One day while walking and praying about the trip I asked God again why He wanted them to go when I heard Him speak to my heart. He told me Leah was going to meet her husband while on the missions trip. I didn't expect something like that, but I had such a peace in my heart that it just made me thank Him. I shared this with Mick, but not with anyone else. We both just wondered and resigned it to God and prayed for His will.

Michael and Leah went on the trip and came back being greatly blessed and excited about the opportunities they had been given. Leah didn't say she had met anyone, so it seemed I was wrong about hearing from the Lord. A few days after they came back, Leah told me she had forgotten something that had happened in LasVegas. As Leah and Michael were walking toward a group of people whom were part of OSA, she noticed a young man she had not yet met. As her eyes fell on this young man she heard the Lord Jesus say in her heart, "There is your husband." Leah was so shocked at what she heard and tried to shake it away. Leah is not the type of girl who looks for guys, she has always been very sensitive to keeping herself for the man God has for her. Leah decided to ask Michael to introduce her to this young man, they had a quick hand shake and that was all there was!

When I heard the story from Leah, I got very excited. Leah told the story to Mick and in just a few hours he had them get ready for another missions trip with "Missionaries to the pre-Born" which was being held in Detroit MI. where they thought the young man would also attend. I am sure the Lord moved Mick, we have been careful to look to the Lord for direction in any decision made for Leah and Michael. We felt confident in His leading now. On that trip, the young man was not there. However, during the time in Detroit, Leah and Michael met many wonderful young people on fire for the Lord Jesus. They wanted to keep in touch with them and Face Book seemed to be the most popular way so they made their own accounts. After a few weeks Michael had a friend request from someone he didn't know, but seemed familiar. Leah and Michael both realized at about the same time it was, the young man, and his name was Patrick. Soon afterward Patrick requested Leah to be his friend. Mick and I were very cautious about the whole Face Book thing. If the Lord had not made it so clear to us this young man could very well be the man He had chosen for Leah, we would not have been open to her chatting with him AT ALL! We watched both Leah and Michael's interaction with Patrick. As we checked out Patrick's wall and info, we noticed all his posts and comments were very godly and Biblical. We watched and read all the chats, Patrick was very respectful and kept them wholesome with good questions and answers. As time went on we could see he was not only loving Jesus but also very like-minded as we.

Soon Patrick was contacting Michael through phone calls. I talked with him too and was encouraged by his respectfulness. His conversation always pointed to Jesus and the Bible. Then Patrick asked to come for a visit in December. We live in Northern Wisconsin, snow and cold is a huge factor that time of year. We told him he was welcomed, but just the day before he was to arrive a winter storm hit here and he had to cancel. . .

...............................................

Leah's side of the story:

About 2 years ago Leah met a dear couple who are missionaries to Mexico. Leah had been looking for direction from the Lord for her life, she was already 20 years old, she had expected to have met her husband by now. But God was doing a wonderful work in her heart, and she became settled into willingness to not ever get married if the Lord should so will. Please read Leah's post on marriage and get an idea of her thoughts on the subject of marriage at that time.

Leah prayed about whether He would have her as a missionary. She started learning Spanish, and looked into a language school in Mexico. The school teaches Spanish to prospective missionaries as they live in the culture and around the people. While seeking the Lord about it Leah heard the Lord tell her to go learn the Language in Mexico, and then get out and go back home. Leah planned to go January 2010 if the Lord opened the doors for it.

Leah occupied herself at home with work and helping me around the house. We are involved in Pro-Life and gospel work which is also a large part of our lives each week. Leah served her family, sewing Daddy's patches on his work pants, cooking, cleaning, gardening and canning many different types of fruits and tomatoes. Time passed and Leah kept seeking the Lord Jesus, praying about Mexico, and keeping a servants heart. Leah has always blessed me and as she grew older she blessed me not only as a wonderful serving daughter, but also as a dear sister and friend in our Lord Jesus. We shared some wonderful joyful times together with fellowship in our Lord Jesus. I know it was Jesus who gave her the patience to wait on Him and to have such a loving attitude, even when times were difficult.

I hope you take some time and read this post by Leah in her blog, Glorious Hope. It will give you a good idea of her heart for the Lord Jesus: Marriage.
Also to learn more about the trip to LasVegas read this: in Leah's blog. You will see what I mean about her, she was loving Jesus then and she is loving Him now.

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Patrick's side of the story:

Patrick had committed himself to purity and godliness even as a young teen. He kept his eyes and heart for the Lord. At 15 he began to pray for the women God would someday have him marry. He learned to work hard and kept his mind on wholesome and godly things. He kept involved in Pro-life and gospel work which were and are an important to Patrick and his family, going weekly to plead for unborn children and give the gospel at abortion clinics. He worked at various secular jobs and learned what it means to be persecuted for his faith in the Lord Jesus.
Several years ago he noticed there was some property for sale near his parents home. One day as he passed by the property he heard the Lord tell him to buy it. The land would be for him and his own family one day. He obeyed and began and started to improve the property. By the time Patrick turned 23 he felt ready for marriage, and wondered if a girl he and his family had become acquainted with was the right one and he was given permission by her father to court her. He soon realized she was not the right one and was thankful he had not given his heart to her, not even holding her hand. Patrick prayed for direction. As he turned 26 he wondered about another girl he had met through a Ministry group. The friendship with her was very long distant and he prayed continually for direction. About this time Patrick learned OSA was having a Missions out reach in Las Vegas, he was not very interested in going but prayed about it. A friend of his family wanted Patrick to go with him and offered to pay for the trip entirely. Still Patrick was doubtful if he could go because of his job. Amazingly Patrick was given the time off from work with no difficulty, so he realized the Lord wanted him to go.

While at OSA in LasVegas a young man named Michael him came up to meet him, then Michael introduced his sister Leah to him. Patrick was uneasy,wondering, who was this girl and what did she want? He politely shook her hand and then turned and left very quickly, it seemed to him that Leah was chasing him.

When Patrick returned home he remembered Leah and told his family about a girl named Leah that was chasing him at OSA. Patrick wanted to keep himself for the girl God had for him to marry, he didn't want anything to do with a girl who would chase him!
Patrick still wondered if the girl he was keeping a long distance friendship with was the one for him. She was going to be at "Missionaries to the Pre-Born" tour in Detroit MI. and he wanted to go, but things didn't work out with his job. Patrick had a Face Book account and kept in touch with people through it, including his long distant friend who he wondered about. One day he noticed Michael and Leah on Face Book and became "friends". Some where in this frame, the Lord showed Patrick the other girl was not for him. He felt so weary of looking for the right one, so he just threw everything before the Lord and asked Him to show him, he wasn't going to look anymore.

As weeks and months passed Patrick began to notice Leah. He noticed her godliness and love for Jesus. He noticed her respect and clarity in her thoughts and reasoning's. Suddenly he understood, the Lord wanted Leah to be his wife, he felt very sure of it. In Patrick's own words on a chat he said, "Then I started finding myself comparing girls I thought I might be interested in and Leah and still didn't think of it until the Lord just really spoke to me and I asked him could it be you are trying to tell me she is the one? and it was then that the Lord really started guiding me and reminding me of things he had revealed to me during this process that revealed that about Nov. I think end of Oct."

Here are some of the things the Lord reminded Patrick of:

• God had told him several years ago he was going to take his wife to Mexico, learn the language and get out.

• God had put it into his heart to have 12 children to raise for God.

• Once when Patrick had become very sick he dreamed he was married and his wife brought him some food. In his dream his wife looked like Leah.

• There were a few other things that made Patrick understand that Leah was the one...

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Getting back to January of 2010:

Leah kept looking for an opening to go to Mexico, but the door never opened. Now, Patrick decided to re-schedule his visit to Northern Wisconsin. He finally arrived at our home after a very long 14+ hour drive. We all instantly loved Patrick. His love for the Lord Jesus was obvious to us. He and Mick really, "hit it off" and the 3 days Patrick stayed was a joy. Patrick showed great respect to Mick and I, he was kind to Michael and was very respectful to Leah, hardly looking at her. (He told us later how hard it was not to stare at her, let alone just look at her.) , Patrick was very cautious to keep from showing interest in Leah. The second night here, Mick and Patrick sat in the kitchen talking until after 2:00 a.m. At this time Patrick asked Mick if he could court Leah. Mick told him to wait and we would pray about it. He also told him not to say a word to Leah about it. Patrick respected the request and when he had left Leah still had no idea that he was even interested in her. Leah however felt a tug in her heart so she fasted and prayed with a aching heart for several days afterward. Leah kept looking to the Lord, it was her desire to keep her focus on Him and not on Patrick.

Nearly 2 weeks later Mick had a talk with Leah about Patrick, and Mexico. He revealed to her Patrick wanted to court her, and even take her to Mexico some time after they were married. The look on Leah's face was priceless, she was so happy! Mick called Patrick and let him know he could court her. We learned after talking to Mick, Patrick went out to his property and rejoiced in the Lord and unto the Lord for a good long time, thanking Him.

And so. . . began the courtship which lasted for 4 months, and they were married May 29, 2010. During the courtship and Betrothal, with all the visits, phone calls, chats, they remained pure in their relationship. Both had committed to not kissing nor holding hands until they were married. The wedding was beautiful, God honoring and a great blessing. It is such a joy to see two godly young people brought together by God.

This is my account and testimony of Leah's blessing from the Lord. Leah waited on the Lord for many years, she was sure He was going to have her married at 18, but God knew she was not yet ready for Patrick, nor Patrick for her. It is and was all God's timing, which was perfect. They both have been greatly rewarded for their patience and purity. Now we feel as if the heavens have been opened upon us and blessings are being poured on us, Patrick and Leah have announced, they are with child! Blessings and praise to God forever!