Hearthstone Companion

Amanda: Noel has died.  This is how I found out on Saturday. A dear friend sent me a private message. Those words are etched in the front of my mind and I can't seem to stop thinking about them. It is so sad and tragic- and also my worst nightmare. A friend, a family that is dear to my heart, is living my worst nightmare!!! I have to say though, that I feel a sense of unity between the body of Christ, as we all pray together for the Shepley family!! Everyone who knew Noel, knew that he was a godly man, husband and father. He had a servant's heart- and was so kind and caring. He loved to pray for people, and he also loved to share the Word of God.  How can a man like that, be gone, in the blink of an eye??? We do not know God's plan yet- but He does have one. That we can know for sure. In the case of any loss of a loved one: Even though we have been shaken to our core over the loss - Our Hope is Unchanged Even though we grieve alongside the family- Our Ho...

It has been a year since I have written in my blog. What a year it has been.  In July, towards the end of the Polk County Fair- I was feeling pretty yucky, and was also missing my "time of the month". So I was suspicious, and told Bill I had better take a pregnancy test.  We got home from County Fair on Sunday afternoon- unloaded everything and went straight to Hy-Vee to buy a test. We got home, and I took the first one- Positive. So I took the second one- Positive. OH MY WORD!!! I'M PREGNANT!!!  We were very happy!!!  We took our parents and my grandparents 4 roses- one for each grandchild (from us). :) :)  We made the boys a cake and wrote on the cake- "Baby Pitts #4 coming soon.". They were also excited. So then comes my months and months of horrible morning sickness. It is very hard to home school and feel horribly sick day in and day out. It isn't like having the flu- and knowing you'll feel better in a few days. This was ...

As I was reading in my Bible about the whole judgment day/rapture prediction, I had the most wonderful image pop into my head. First let me start by saying, that Harold Camping cannot predict when the Lord will return. No one knows when He will return.  However, it could be at ANY time. It could be tonight, May 20th. It could be Sunday morning May 22nd. But there is no way for any human to be able to know a time and date. I was reading Mark chapter 13, and everyone always recites the beginning of verse 32, but rarely do you hear the end. I know I have read it in the past, but it was brought to new light for, and gave me an overwhelming sense of JOY and PEACE. Mark 13:32 says, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  (emphasis mine) Wow!!!! I have never thought about the fact that only God the Father knows when they day and hour will be. Not even the Son, Jesus, knows. Then it got me thinking...... It could ...

"It is a good thing, to give thanks unto the Lord" Psalm 92:1 I decided to make a list of all the things that I am thankful for regarding Sadie. Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for myself (like I am doing), I decided I need to focus on all of the wonderful things that I remember. Sadie was a gift from God, a gift that I will cherish forever!!! What I am thankful for: 1. I first and foremost, am thankful #1 to God, for giving me a love for horses and the ability and gifts to work with them, and #2 to my parents for letting me grow up, having horses, and most of all Sadie. Thank you mom and dad!!!! I love you both more than words can say. Lots of little girls love horses, but not many actually get to grow up with them. 2. I am thankful that 21 years ago, we went to look at a Palomino gelding in Monroe, Iowa. Because he was already sold, the man showed us a little blue roan pony mare. I will forever have the image stamped in my head, of the first time I laid eyes on...

I have really been seeking out God's will for me and my family the last couple of weeks. I have been praying and praying and then praying again. I have been searching his Word, and searching and then searching again. I want SO bad to just know that what I am doing, is in the center of His will. I don't want to be anywhere but there. So, I agree with my 6 year old who said, "Mom, I wish Jesus had a phone, so I could hear him talk to me." ME TOO Ethan!!! Me Too!! I wish I could just call up to Heaven, and say, "God, I am trying to decide between these 2 things, which one do you want me to do." Then, I'd do it!!!!!!! So I have just been trying to rest in Him......and continue to pray and seek what He would have me do. I know that he will give me an inner peace about one more than the other. The two things I am trying to decide between, neither are bad, neither are negative, both are positive, I just want to do the right thing. I opened a b...

I have been going on quite a rough road lately, being faced with my control issues, and not REALLY trusting God with ALL things. I mean, I would say I trust God, but if I did, I wouldn't feel the need to control everything. I have also had a double whammy this week. 2 books I am reading both touched on the issue of controlling mother's. On one hand, it seems to be more common than I thought- I am not alone!!!! But then, it is so hugely convicting!!! I will share what my books talked about. "It is as if I were sitting in the back seat of a Land Rover in a little car seat that had its own steering wheel. I was turning the wheel left, then right, but I never realized that my steering wheel wasn't connected to anything. One day I looked up and realized that I wasn't the one driving. I finally saw that although I have a steering wheel, I can give up control. My driver (God) is totally in control. He has been on the road. He knows the way. He sees ahead to the very e...