Pitch your tent toward God

Pitch your tent toward God... not what is evil.

Over the weekend I heard a remarkable sermon about pitching your tent towards the good in life. I have never heard a sermon specifically about a tent. Who knew it would have such an impact on my current life?  It is very difficult for me to hear every sermon or testimony with kids in a small church. However, this night in particular, God opened my ears and allowed me to hear what was meant for me. It was definitely meant for me! I learned there is no time to settle! Don't settle and pitch your tent towards something negative that is involved in your life. There is time to move! As an example in Genesis 13, Abram pitched his tent in the wrong direction and ended up being tempted and losing his wife. In any circumstance in your life that is filling your heart with sadness or negativity... Just Turn your tent in a different direction! We should not settle in a place God has created for us to simply pass through. When we make decisions that limit God and his providence for our lives, we are building tabernacles in a land where God has called us to simply pitch a tent & grow! Your happiness is dependent on your outlook on life. Which can be toward the good or the bad. It's our choice! I chose to turn my tent around! Away from the evil that brings me down and doesn't bring me happiness. With my tent being pitched towards evil it  brings negative thoughts. It brings a disturbed mind & causes me to stay in this tent that is in the wrong direction even longer. Being pitched in the negative direction will cause my sight for the positive to get foggy. I will lose my FAITH and Hope little by little. When God sends a message and you have heard it with open ears and a desiring heart, GRAB A HOLD and DON'T LET GO! Move that tent! Don't settle and be destroyed little by little. Move your tent during the storms! Through the tears & fears! It's time to turn your tent around and Pitch it toward GOD! It's my turn!

Love & Prayers

Brenda

Genesis 13-19

With GOD all things are possible

Today I'll share a testimony from 2015. This year was my daughters first year of public school. We had many struggles this year with sickness. Our son had also just turned one. He was young and his immune system was fragile. Yet it seemed we only of had a few weeks of wellness and health in our home throughout the whole school year! We went to God in prayer every time our children got sick. However, our FAITH had grown weak and our trips to the doctor had grown larger. Our nighttime prayers began with, "God you know seeing our children constantly sick hurts our hearts so much." Instead of our usual, "God we come to you tonight with love and thanks for our children". How did I forget to be thankful no matter the situation? It's true, I did. I had forgotten how to Thank God for the good things even with the bad. It caused our house to suffer spiritually and physically. We had missed church quite a bit due to our children being so sick. My husband and I were questioning what we were doing wrong. We began to seek him for answers and relief. We began to take our kids to church even when they were sick and sat them on the front bench requesting prayer at the beginning of service. If God didn't come by like a mighty rushing wind, we still were looking for the small things that happened in church to give us FAITH that something good was coming. The children were still constantly sick and our FAITH was struggling.
One particular morning, during this trial, my husband calls me with disturbing news. This new job he had been at for 2 months was making him retake a test from his college years in order to secure his job. This test was one you normally take a whole semester to study for. One that wasn't suppose to be retested for another few years. Here we were at another crossroads. They gave him one week to study and test. If he did not pass within this deadline, it would cost him his job. When my husband told me the news my heart dropped to my feet and I instantly called out to God. I told my husband, there is a reason this is happening. I'm not sure why but I know for sure God wants us to be closer to him or he wouldn't give us all of this to deal with. He wants us to draw nigh to him so he will draw nigh to us. My husband was in agreement. Something had to change. My prayers started changing from here and there throughout the day to every. single. second. of the day!! My Bible was opened all day, not just when I had time! I was seeking for his guidance!! I was desiring for his presence!
My husband had to study all weekend so I was taking care of my sick kids by myself with little to no sleep. My house was hard to live in with a studying husband in one room with two sick kids in the other. There was no time for cleaning. The weekend was here and my husband had barely came out of the room from studying. It was church time on a Saturday night. I thought for sure he would stay here to study, it is a 90 minute long test. 5:30 comes by and he walks out of the room. Let's get ready. We're going to church! I happily get my very tired and weak kids ready and we head out the door. We walk in the church doors filled with FAITH and determination. That night service was great! We gained FAITH and encouragement. That next night, Sunday, we was off to church again with sick kids and a very exhausted husband from studying all night and day. Our desire was still there. God came by and gave my husband a wonderful blessing. I cried and cried while holding both of my children. It was beautiful seeing God bless him. When I thought things were looking up, I was wrong. After church, my kids hit rock bottom. My sons fever was reaching 105 and started to have the shakes. I was crying out to God. "What else can I do?" "Where are you?" That day was the day my husband had to take his test. He had left early that morning and told me he would call me when he was done. We had many prayers going up from loved ones for him and my children. That morning I packed my kids in the car and drove them to the doctor that was 50 minutes away when God was right there the whole time. I left that doctors office with antibiotics and no answers. I was so frustrated. I drove home with my sleeping kids in the backseat. My dads testimony came to me. When God spoke to him when he was driving me and my siblings home from a singing one late night. My dad looked in his rear view mirror and saw us sleeping. Dad said how can they be sleeping on a night like this? When it's late and cold and I'm tired and miles away from home. He said God told him just as you have faith in me, your heavenly father, that I will guide you safely through this life to your heavenly home. So do your children trust you, their father, to take them safely home. Tears were falling down my face. It was like God had opened my eyes. I had to fully, FULLY, give it to him. All of my cares, worries & doubts. I was still holding onto them but wasn't aware of it. I needed to TRUST him! I needed to have FAITH that my God knew exactly what he was doing. I pulled up in my drive way. Put my kids in their bed. Opened up my bible and walked outside on my front porch. I sat there and cried. "God, where are you?" After I said that, I had a out of life experience that I had never experienced before. It was like God had cleaned my mind within a second after asking him where he was! I had tears of doubt on my face but my mind had stopped. God had took my mind, my eyes & my ears to show me PEACE. My eyes were clouded but my ears had opened. I was hearing the birds singing. I was hearing the wind gently hit the limbs on the trees. My eyes looked up to the trees swaying and birds and leafs falling to the ground. That's when God spoke to me through this experience of nothing else existing but his creations. "I've been here all along. I'm in the breeze that moves the trees. I give the birds their song. I tell the sun when to shine." I am not  stretching the truth! This is a REAL experience that happened to me!! My mind had never been so at peace before. God had renewed my mind. I knew God had just gave me the answer. He renewed my FAITH! I look down to my Bible. Guess what it was on? Matthew 19. My eye hit Matthew 19:26.  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
I about shouted the house down. I went inside to my home with sleeping kids waiting for my husbands call. I get out a notebook and pen. God was giving me words to a song. How do you know that it was God? I'll tell you. I didn't have to research words. I didn't have to put any music to it. It was coming to my head faster than I could write it. The chorus was: He is the God of all things possible. He gives me hope for tomorrow. He will NEVER forsake me. Through the fire and the flames. He brings the rain. I know God is in Control. He is my stronghold. I was stepping on the clouds that reach the mountains of Glory when I got the call from my husband. HE PASSED!!! Praise Jesus and his glorious name! How did I ever doubt him? My kids woke up with a different demeanor to them. It could have just been my own demeanor that changed! HA! I wasn't looking for sickness. I was looking for healing. That's just what God gave me. He allowed my children to get well and not just for a day or two.
That song that God gave me was one of the last ones that was recorded for my families written CD.
www.thebirdsongfamily.org/music.
One of the easiest and quickest songs we had yet recorded. God blessed us with a great CD that brought us many blessings. Testifying to his children of what God has done for us.
To God be the Glory.

Love & Prayers
Brenda

Great is thy FAITHfulness

Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

FAITH...such a huge word. Faith has many definitions. Faith, to me, is a personal relationship and something I need everyday. I desire to have peace, happiness & faith in all things, good or bad. I find peace in expression. Writing & discussion. Such as songs, poetry & journals. So why not a blog? Worth a shot! 
Your story could be the key that can unlock someone else's prison. So let's share our testimonies! This blog will most likely touch base with all factors in my life that involve struggles, learning & faith. I tell myself many times throughout the day, "Have Faith" or "It's ok". I always find myself back at "The Rock" that is always higher than I! Great is thy FAITHfulness! I hope you continue to join me as I relate my life to my relationship with Faith.

Love & Prayers

Brenda