My Not so Typical Week

Last week was definitely NOT typical!! God poured out his blessings on this family so intensely! Not that He doesn't do that on a continual basis;  our every breath depends on His grace and His mercy! So much evidence of answered prayer and His Hand and Spirit working in one week was simply amazing!


The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. Psalm 126:3


It went something like this:


Monday:  must have been rather mundane as I don't recall any special details worth mentioning. Probably got lots of laundry done as well as three meals, gardening, general pick up of house and property after the weekend...stuff like that.


Tuesday:  Hannah returned home from a long visit with our cousin Robert in South Carolina. Grace and Sarah picked her up at the airport and they returned with lots of goodies and groceries. It was good to have her back!

Jeff and Laurie, sister and brother in this life and in the Lord!

Wednesday:   We got a message that Jeff's sister Laurie and niece Maddy were coming for a visit. That got us to thinking that we might be able to pull together a family gathering to honor Jeff for his 51st birthday. In the end we had a wonderful surprise birthday party evening with Laurie & Maddy, his brother Brad and family, Daniel & Teagan, his co-worker Brett and of course, all of us! Brad BBQ'd hamburgers and everything turned out great. It was fun getting the house and food ready on such short notice. Of course, I never could have done it without my girls. I love spontaneous, impromptu happenings like that...everything always goes so well.

Here's Hannah (on the lower left)graduating
from her CNA training course

Thursday:  Hannah had an interview with the hospital in Portola for a CNA position and was hired on the spot! I am so happy that she found a job that will put all of her hard work and study to use right away! I know God will use her to minister to the old folks in the long term care unit as well as the people she'll be working with.

Grace's boyfriend Clayton and his sister Lorene arrived around 4:30 for a three day visit. After a short introduction Grace, Clayton and James rushed off to Reno to look at a truck James had found on Craigslist.

Sarah, Lorene and Grace

Clayton getting to know Grace and Seth:).

Tom , Katie and her famous Banana Cream Pie

Tom and Katie announced their engagement and set Oct. 7th for the happy occasion. We got the wonderful news that Katie had decided to be water baptized the coming Sunday. We rejoice to see God blessing  their lives.

Hooking up the trailer

Cattle round up

Friday:  Jeff went to work, as did James. The older young people went and moved our cows from one pasture to another.  Jeff's sister came over for awhile. The kids enjoyed some volleyball and croquet.  That evening Katie and the Kellingtons came to meet the Helmuths and we all played Volleyball. Finally, James came home with his new truck.


Our dear old friends and neighbors Nils and Helen Norden came for visit.  I was glad when Jeff challenged them on whether they are ready to meet the Lord.


Saturday:  Plans were to get up early and attempt to hike to the top of the Sierra Buttes. We didn't get up early but most of us (not including me) did make it to the top.  Clayton, Lorene and Grace traded off carrying baby Abigail in a back pack. At one point due to supposed near starvation the group was "forced" to devour little Abby's banana flavored "graduate" puffs. Thank God for His provision!!:) I probably would have made it had I not forgotten my hiking boots :(. Most of the trail was covered in snow. My silly but brave, daughters (excluding Hannah who brought shoes) and Lorene tried to hike it in flip-flops which proved impossible so they made it in bare feet! They report that the numb feet really helped them when it came time to transverse over areas of manzanita. :) 
Back home we enjoyed coffee that never tasted so good and rejoiced that we had had the fore-site to stock some pizza's! :)

Kiss from Mom

Seth's Baptism in the Feather River

Sunday:  Up and at it early, since either Sarah had mis-set her alarm clock, or someone had played a dirty trick, we prepared for church at home followed by Seth's baptism at the river and a potluck fellowship meal. We had a wonderful time in the Lord rejoicing in Seth's new relationship with Him and our friendships with one another. I think there were around 50 people here for that. What a blessing! Some of the young folks went for a photo shoot at the Beckwourth Cabin. More great times playing volleyball and croquet followed. Clayton took Grace for a 5 mile walk later that evening which about wiped her out. After that, at around midnight, he and his sister left to drive back to South Dakota. 

Clayton and Grace at the photo shoot

I say that was our  "not so typical week" but, God is always blessing His children isn't He? One thing He's showing me is to pray, pray and keep praying for He indeed answers our cries! For far too long I've been a skeptic, obediently praying, often because there is no other hope, not in Faith believing.  It's kind of like what's happening with me in the garden. For many years I'd plant seeds, because I thought I should at least try to have a garden, not really thinking they would sprout but always surprised and overjoyed to see the fruit.  I'm learning to plant in Faith, knowing that God will give sunshine and water and that there will be growth. I wonder if God gets as much pleasure from pulling out the weeds of doubt and sin in my life as I do pulling the weeds in my garden?

                      
                 The LORD will indeed give what is good,
                 and our land will yield its harvest.
                                           Psalm 85:12