Spring Giveaway II~Forget-Me-Not Faith
April 26, 2010 by jillnovak
Filed under The Girlhood Blog
We are giving away three Forget-Me-Not Faith Cd’s by Jill Novak* and three beautifully designed Forget-Me-Not bracelets by Donna Jones.
To enter: Leave a comment telling us about a special time in your life when God met a need or answered a prayer and your faith grew as a result. Mothers, daughters and grandmothers are invited to leave a comment.
May God be glorified as we remember what He has done, what He is doing, and what He is going to do in the future.
Names will be drawn on May 7th. This is a very special giveaway, so tell your friends to join our facebook fan page and leave comments, too.
*Forget Me Not Faith Workshop on CD ~ God is writing “His” story every day, and its right at the end of your fingertips. This workshop by Jill Novak will inspire you to record your family’s spiritual journey with purpose and clarity. Reflections, observations, prayers, testimonies, tributes, poetry, and letters can all be preserved in a Book of Remembrance (Malachi 3:16) that will strengthen your faith and make an eternal impact for generations to come.
Blessings,
Jill
We have lived in TN for over 25 years, although my husband is originally from MN and I hail from MA. About 10 years ago we began to pine and itch for heading somewhere back up north to introduce our growing family to 4 seasons and the pleasures of snow, but interview after interview over the years yielded nothing. About 2 years ago I finally realized that perhaps I was “kicking against the goads” and needed to quit telling people who asked that I was “originally from Massachusetts but we live in TN for now” – it had been over 20 years after all! My husband finally agreed, and we set our hearts here and put down deep roots, learning to embrace all that God has here, and it has been rich.
Until 2 months ago, when my husband learned that the only way to stay with his company was to accept a fabulous promotion in, yes, Minnesota! We were dumbstruck, why now? I prayed for God to give us a reason to stay and to show me if this was really Him or “just a test.” We were in denial because we finally didn’t want to leave TN. While my husband was busy sending out resumes to companies that would allow us to remain, I searched my email data banks and contacted a gal who home schools in MN, I had read an article she published last August and we had emailed back and forth a few times, but by now had lost touch with one another. I wrote to her, asking if she remembered me and told her that there was a slight possibility that we would be moving up there.
Four weeks ago, my husband and I were up early sharing coffee time and making breakfast for our family. I mentioned that I wanted to check and see if she had written back to me yet, and said something like, “I think her name is Stacie something, oh yes, her email is Blair and Stacie Wenndt, her name is Stacie Wenndt.” My husband slowly turned around and had a very queer look on his face, asking me what her husband’s name was again…I shot a quick email back to her to inquire if her husband had traveled with a music ministry by the name of Carpenter’s Tools to Hong Kong about 25 years ago with my husband. A few hours later, she responded in huge internet exclamations that, yes indeed, her husband was the very same person! It turns out that our husbands were intimately acquainted after spending a year together in an 8 person ministry team, and had lost touch during the 25 years that had elapsed. We sent pictures back and forth of family to one another, and as the laughter slowed down I quietly realized that God had answered my prayers. He had gone before us to provide a kindred spirit friendship – their children are the same ages and sexes as ours, fellow home school folks, similar interests, etc. He surely does know every hair on our heads!
My husband accepted the promotion, and is now traveling back and forth. He had dinner in their house 2 weeks ago amidst a joyous reunion, and the children and I are packing up boxes and washing windows. The pain of separation is still great and at times seems overwhelming, but our faith has been increased greatly by knowing that God truly has made a place for us, and there is now no fear of the unknowns of the future, for God dwells there too!
Nine years ago I prayed about leaving my fulltime job to be a stayathome mom. I knew my husband felt strongly that we needed my income so I I really talked to Jesus ALOT about this. I wanted to be cheerfully submissive so the whole idea would be from my husband’s heart. The Lord answered every prayer along that journey!! The Lord is so amazing: The last day of my two weeks notice was the day before my baby’s first birthday. We now have a 6 year old little girl and wwe are happy homeschoolers. Our God is faithful!
When I was newly saved (in my early 20s) I was single and money was always tight. Trying to pay of credit cards, I had to choose between a bill or groceries. I chose the bill. That night at church there was an envelope with my name on it where I usually sat. Inside was fifty dollars. I started praising the Lord then and there, tears streaming down my face. I had not told anyone of my financial need, only the Lord. My young faith was strengthened mightily that day and I ate for a month.
Dear All,
God has granted me the requests of my heart with a precious baby boy. Each day his life is so precious. This gift, my heritage from the Lord, wouldn’t be so precious without walking a terribly, difficult journey of loss. It represents the contrasts in life. Dark, light, night day. Without the pain on the journey, the joy wouldn’t be so great. After being told I would never again have a baby without the help of an egg donor and choosing not to accept this option, I was devastated to think that I may never have any more children and that in some way my gift of being able to give life to another child was gone. It is so hard to walk this road without feeling that in some way my worth as a woman was affected. It was in walking this road to discover God’s truth found in His word, to embrace and walk this by faith, that I found victory in knowing His love for me. My worth was not based in whether or not I would be having any more children, rather in His love for me. Then as I walked through 2 subsequent losses of miscarried babies, truly miracles to me, after being told I could never have any more children, my faith was tested supremely. As I chose to not believe the lies of the enemy that God had somehow forgotten me or why had these things been allowed to happen to me, rather that God loved me and had a plan beyond what I could see, I would CHOOSE to believe HIS TRUTH. In the midst of accepting my circumstances I found peace in my circumstances, but I also was granted the gift of my baby boy. The Healing for my Heart was the greater gift I would say. Amazingly within my circumstances today, I still struggle to rest in Him and His plans. I am thankful for the opportunity to remember this journey and His faithfulness, to hope and believe, to let my faith grow deeper to result in a deepened faith and surrender to my Heavenly Father.
We have struggled financially over the past few years due to job losses. There are many instances where God answered an immediate need, but one particular instance comes to mind. We had one day to get through until my husband was paid and there was very little in the fridge or cupboards. I made a list for what we would need to get through that night and the next day. I knew that we would not have enough to cover it, but went out ‘in faith’. Lo and behold, as I came to each item that I needed I found that they were marked with a large 50% off sticker. As I filled my basket and calculated the items in my head, I knew that there would be enough to cover the entire list. I almost started weeping in the grocery store because I knew that the Lord was right there providing for our daily bread. Moments like that can grow your faith by leaps and bounds!
It took four years for my husband and I to have a baby. There was no reason just the Lord’s timing. After I finally came at peace with my circumstances, I found out the next month that we were expecting. Since that time, we’ve had 4 beautiful children and we are very blessed.
This circumstance above has been a good reminder for me because my husband has been job searching for a year now. It has been 6 months since the last interview and just recently we got our hopes up about a job. It would mean a big move for us, but we were okay with that. But now, we are having to “wait” again. So reading the other responses and then reflecting back on my own “waiting” over 11 years ago, has helped me to remember the Steadfast Love of our Lord and that He has not left us nor forsaken us – He’s just working all things our for our good.
We just bought some land so that we can raise chicken, goats and sheep and someday build a home to live there. We have been so busy getting our other home ready for a renter that we needed to take time and enjoy each other.
The children and I decided to go to the farm for lunch and spend time with Libby our family dog. When we got there some cows were resting in the barn but they were not supposed to be there because they need to be in the other pasture because they have already been on our pasture long enough. I did not think anything of it so I left things alone.
Our daughter Melodie wanted to take Libby for a walk because Libby has never been there and Anthony, our other son wanted to go along. I was walking with the baby when I heard some yelling from my children. I quickly went to see what was wrong and Libby was trying to get the cows to play but they did not like Libby around because they do not know her. The cows do not belong to me so that means they will not follow any command that I give.
Melodie, Anthony and Libby come running because one of the momma cows have had enough. At the same time a friend and her two daughters show up. She takes the baby and my children and the dog run up to the top of the hill. I told my friend to please stay with the children so that I can put the cows to the other pasture.
As I went down I picked up a broken limb from a nearby tree. I prayed and asked God this…Dear Lord, these cows do not know me but you have Dominion over them would you please turn them to the other pasture.
As soon as I asked God to do that the last cow became the first cow and they all followed one another in a uniform lime to the other pasture! Then I noticed one more cow.
God there is one more left. Would you please turn her to the other pasture also…just as soon as I asked she turned and went to pasture!!!!
God took care of me and my family with His righteous right Hand!! God is so good and if He can take care of my needs with some cows I know He cares to take care of all of our needs if we just trust Him.
Hi- WOW, so many times God answered my prayers but one sticks out when asked… My family (husband, daughter and myself) were getting ready to move. We were awaiting responses from job applications and I was starting to get worried and impatient. I did what I could, pushed my husband to do what he could and yet I was still not satisfied. Finally, when I thought all hope was lost, I realized I had not talked to God and ask for his help. I prayed, cried and prayed some more asking for forgiveness and guidence and help. No joking- the next morning we were called with a job offer.
That was when I realized that when we put our lives in our own hands nothing get accomplished, but when we allow God to take care of us wonderful things happen.
I started praying for a little sister when I was four years old. I had one younger brother and my mom had just miscarried a little girl; although I was too young to understand all the way, I wanted a sister. Over the next 8 years, my mom was pregnant 4 times — two more boys, then twins (I really counted on at least one being a girl, but…no, it was twin boys!), then a little girl, Zoe, who, although born at only 27 weeks, was doing quite well in the hospital until she inexplicably contracted an infection and died suddenly. I was heartbroken. But I kept praying. And then, two years afterward, I found myself with not one, but three sisters through adoption. Hard times aren’t over, but I cling to God’s promises still and I know He won’t fail me whatever happens. In fact, I just may have found an older sister…if she will agree. And I think she will.
God is working miracles.
Just over nine years ago our son was born, from day one I knew something wasn’t right and no one would believe me. My sister even tried confronting me stating that I was just wanting something to be wrong with my son. I was so frustrated, so tired, so discouraged but I kept trotting back to the dr’s over and over. Finally, I was vindicated! It just about crushed me. My son doesn’t have a “label” but he’s an extremely friendly trusting sort-of autistic child who has a global muscle delay. At age 3 he had the muscle development of an 18 month old.
God sent me an amazing friend through that struggle of a time. She held my hand, sent me notes and would call – just to pray with me. Tracy was my lifeline from God with skin on. She held me as I cried when my own family wouldn’t listen to me when I said something wasn’t right with my son. She challenged me to go back and be more assertive with the dr’s. She cared for me. Our two older daughters have been best friends since they were born. They act more like sisters than friends. LOL. Last week Tracy and her family had to move away for a job, they now live over 7 hrs away from us. My daughter and I are both hurting with our friends being absent in our daily lives.
I know that this is just a time, a small time compared to eternity that we won’t be as close to them and I’m thanking God for sending me this precious friend and taking her away. I’ve learnt how to stand on my own two feet and become the parent I need to be advocating for our son in the school system. I am looking at her moving away as a graduation of sorts from God. I know I can do this now without her daily in my life. Will it be as much fun? Not likely and that’s ok. God has used her to grow me into the confident woman/mother that I am, and for that I am forever grateful to God for His tender mercies.
Almost 8yrs ago we were expecting our 7th child and would outgrow our mini-van. We had contacted my bil, who was a car salesman in Ohio (we live in MN) and he had found us a new 15 passenger van and had arranged a loan for us. We really didn’t want any debt as the year before we had paid off almost all our debt. My husband’s boss said he knew a homeschool family who had just purchased a new van and would call them to find out what they were doing with their old one. We prayed hard, but figured we would still need to come up with money to buy it. The next night, this homeschool dad called us and told us they wanted to give the van to us! That night I went into labor and our daughter was born the next morning. God provided a van for us and His timing was perfect!
When my husband began a new job at a small Christian school, our home was one of the classrooms. Our kitchen table, refrigerator, and stove were only a step or two away from our bed. It was a cozy little place! Then our first child arrived and the need for a little more space and greater privacy -the students played basketball outside our window in the mornings and we heard the lessons for the first grade class next door – became a greater desire. Though I had never done this before, I felt led to write specifically what kind of house we would like as a prayer to the Lord. I did this. Top on my list was a house with many windows and lots of trees in the yard. Little did we know that right around the block was an abandoned house that fit the list I had written. It had many windows, many trees and even a gazebo in the yard. Though it needed repairs and cleaning up, it fit our needs perfectly and became a place that now holds many special memories. I learned that God cares even about the little details and delights to meet our needs in personal ways.
My husband has servrd it the united states navy for almost 16 years,and god always sees us through every move we make.3 years ago when the housing market crashed we recieved orders to move to Groton,ct.Our house was on the market and I was stressing out.2 weeks before we moved our house sold for cash to my neighbors mom. I was so relieved, was able to move with him and no longer had to stress out.