A Graduation, A Special Birthday, A Miracle, & Three Songs

                      

"The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it."
Proverbs 10:22

So many blessings to thank God for today!

A Graduation

Just a few days ago, our dear boy, Zach, graduated with his two-year degree from Bible College! We are beyond proud of him and the way He loves Jesus and has a desire to spend his life serving Him. I don't mean to brag by what I am about to say, but I say it to bring glory to God—

Zach graduated with zero debt and a 4.0 GPA. He plans to take a break from school until after the first of the year, then is praying about continuing to work toward a Bachelor's degree in Christian Counseling. We are earnestly praying alongside him for Divine guidance and would deeply appreciate your prayers for a revelation of God's will, too.

A Special Birthday

All glory to God, He spared me to see another birthday. I am SO incredibly blessed and grateful beyond what words can express. I am so thankful God understands the gratitude our words cannot convey.

Kevin and Zach spoiled me plumb (as we say in the south😂) rotten. I have been off refined sugar for many years, but I do occasionally break the rules and indulge, especially on birthdays, Christmas, etc. Kevin and Zach usually bake me a sugar-free cake with sugar-free icing for my birthday, but this year, Zach bought me a pecan pie, and it is absolutely delicious! I am still savoring every bite and making it last!😋

A Divine-intervention Miracle

Three days before my birthday, Zach and I were on our way to work, and I was driving. We were on the interstate, and it was before dawn. We came up over a hill, and all of a sudden there was a semi-truck that had come to a dead stop, parked, mostly IN our lane! I started to swerve over into the left lane beside me when I saw that I couldn't because of a solid white wall right next to us—it was another semi-truck driving alongside us! I don't think the driver was even aware of our predicament or what was going on. I had NO where to go. Literally nowhere. As we edged closer, to my dismay I realized that the driver of the semi-truck in front of us was standing outside his rig, right next to the cab, right there in our lane! I tell you, I did not know what to do! There was no time to pray. It all happened SO fast. What happened next is nothing short of miraculous. Somehow, God squeezed our car in between the man standing beside his truck and the semi-truck in the left lane beside us, and we came through unscathed. I am not exaggerating one bit when I tell you, it is a downright miracle Zach and I are here, still living, breathing, and uninjured. 

I was so shaken up, that I couldn't get past it, and several days later, I am still having flashbacks. As I sat there, under the wheel, shaken to the core, I kept asking Zach if I had hit the semi-truck driver who was standing outside his cab. That is how close it was. I couldn't understand how God got us through, and the enemy kept torturing my mind about it. All I could think of was the phone call my dear husband would have received, and oh, my. It just literally broke my heart in two. Later, as we relayed the story to Kevin, he relayed a story of his own to us. As he sat at his desk at work that morning, (far before he knew anything about what we were going through) the thought crossed his mind about two policemen walking in and telling him that something had happened to us. He said when the thought presented itself, he began to pray and ask God to protect us. I tell you when he told me that, I just couldn't hardly believe how God had answered prayer and come on the scene for us. He is a faithful God who absolutely hears and answers prayer for His trusting children. I will never be able to thank Him enough for His mercies that are new every morning. Praise His holy name that He protected the brittle, fragile thread of life for us one more time. 

Three Songs

I've been busy uploading some of my favorite songs to our Mountain Hope YouTube Channel. I would absolutely love it if you would visit & subscribe! When I'm not playing and singing with the band, I've started multi-tracking here at home and adding harmony vocals. The problem I was running into was that I needed backgrounds to add to the lyrics of the songs since I can't very well video myself singing two different parts at the same time! I know there are those who are much more computer-savvy than me who know how to do that sort of thing. Me, not so much!

 So, as I looked online one day for photos, it hit me that I personally know one of the best nature photographers ever, so I reached out to my dear friend, Marilyn Moseley, to see if she would allow me to use her photos. Without hesitation, she so kindly agreed and even extended them to me as a gift, without charge. Marilyn is one of the sweetest, most precious saints of God that I personally know, and I hope if you haven't checked out her blog, her YouTube Channel, and her book, you will take the time to do that right away. Marilyn is one of my personal prayer partners, and she and I have prayed through together over many a burden. Marilyn, thank you from the bottom of my heart—for your precious friendship, the countless times you have encouraged me and prayed with / for me and my family, and thank you for the use of your amazing photos. Your God-endowed gifts are such a blessing to all who know you, and I am eternally grateful that God allows me to sojourn this Christian walk with you, my friend.

Once Marilyn blessed me with the use of her photos, I began in earnest and have uploaded three songs. I'd like to give you a little background on each of my choices, so far.

By the way, if there is a song you would like me to record and upload, please feel free to email me at homespundevotions@gmail.com or leave it in the comments below.

#1. One of my dear Mom's favorite songs was "Jesus Is All the World to Me." Mom absolutely loved that song. Over the past few years, it has also become one of Zach's favorites, and it has been such a blessing to him. So, when I asked him what song I should upload next, and he asked me to do this one, I was so happy to try to honor his request, as I love the song, too.

#2. Growing up, bluegrass music was such a huge part of our lives. Mom and Dad had it playing a lot of the time—both in our home and in the car. If we weren't listening to it, the three of us were singing it often. Larry Sparks was one of our many favorites. Looking back, Larry had a really big impact on my style of singing, and to this day, I love hearing him sing. One of the songs we listened to so often was "Green Pastures," and when Kevin recently asked me to sing it, I was thrilled.

#3. Another of Mom's favorite songs was "Heaven Will Surely Be Worth it All." So much so, that we asked our friends who sing together as a family to sing it at her graveside service. They did such a beautiful job. The words are just so comforting to me. I hope they will be to you, too.

What are you going through today? Do you feel that your burdens are so heavy, you are ready to fall? Do you wonder when the trials will end? Jesus understands. 

I often think of how He stumbled on the way to Calvary and how even He needed help carrying His cross. (You can find a song I wrote about it here.) My heart goes out to Jesus in an immeasurable way when I think of that anguished scene. But had He never experienced the full gamut of pain and emotions we encounter in this life, He could never have fully comprehended how hard it is to be one of us.

Life is hard. The powers of darkness seem to have been unleashed like never before in history. Evil is so prevalent everywhere we look. It feels palpable like you could cut it with a knife. Sometimes I wonder how much worse things can get, and my heart becomes so overwhelmed. Hopelessness threatens to consume me, and then I remember that this world is not our home. We are citizens of a heavenly country where there will be no more pain, tears, or evil, and that wicked, vile adversary called the devil that we all fight will be cast into the lake of fire, never to torment us again.

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.' And He that sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said unto me, 'Write: for these words are true and faithful.' And He said unto me, 'It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.'" Revelation 21:1-7

"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever." Revelation 22:1-5

What a comfort to know what is waiting for us! The part that stuck out to me the most was this, "And they shall see His face."

As the song says, "Heaven Will Surely Be Worth it All." When we see Jesus' face, all these heartaches, distresses, hurts, sicknesses, pains, and sorrows will roll away, as if they never happened. 

Keep your eyes on Jesus. Look to Him as never before. When you begin to feel like you can take no more of this evil world, just remember He is there waiting for you to welcome you into your real home—your eternal home. Once you get there, none of this will matter. Cling to the old, rugged cross. Live as close to Jesus as you possibly can. Separate yourself from this evil world, and allow Him to lead your every step.

One day, He will lead you safely home.