tag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:/blogs/welcome-to-our-website?p=1Paula's Ponderings #1: About the Artwork on the Homepage2019-04-30T21:50:27-05:00His Homemade Hymnalfalsetag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/57382882019-04-30T21:50:27-05:002019-04-30T21:50:27-05:00The Story Behind the Song #19: Our Perfect Dog<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/f0c67328a8dcb34bd17f22a531492981ae39dd3f/original/img-3214.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">(Romeo and Tikvah sharing Daddy's chair)</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">In April of 2017 we decided that it was time to get another dog. We’d gone almost two years without one. Tup, who was a small rat terrier type had come home with Todd from work one day in December of 2014. His boss’s crew had found her under an old church they were working on. However, she was never quite convinced that being a member of our family was part of God’s will for her life, and she ran away about five months later when we were in Wisconsin visiting family. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Therefore we were praying for wisdom in choosing another dog as we didn’t want a repeat performance. We all had our vision of the ideal. I, personally, thought it would be nice to find a puppy like the ones that we gave away years ago when our Annie had puppies. She was a mutt, but appeared to have a lot of yellow lab in her. Unfortunately her stay with us was also rather short since she killed one of our neighbors chickens when it got in our yard one day. We decided that our relationship with our neighbors took precedence over our dog. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">So here we were hoping for another dog that wouldn’t run away or chase chickens. Todd took off work in the afternoon so that we could go to the Linden pound as a family. Once we got there we discovered that they had already closed for the day. We had my laptop with us so we parked by the Courthouse and went online to check out Craig’s list. We didn’t find much there so then we looked up the Humane Society. We found a phone number and called the woman. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">She informed us that she had about 25 dogs but that they were currently unadoptable because they were undergoing deworming. Then, almost as an afterthought, she said that she did actually have one dog available. He was a boxer about two years old who had been returned recently because he had knocked over a toddler. She assured us that he was friendly, but just unaware of his own size. She then added that he had only three legs and one eye due to being shot. It was at that point that I became convinced that he was the perfect dog for our imperfect family. Todd and the children agreed and the rest is history.</span></p>1:39His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/57368892019-04-29T20:42:54-05:002019-04-29T20:52:37-05:00The Story Behind the Song #18: Running After Yeshua (A Song for Brian and Joanna)<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/ae43a4aaf8da3d488f3f284a072198614198e84f/original/img-0241-2.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">(Joanna and Brian Rocker with the Smithlets in the background)</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The following is the story behind this song as told by the bride and groom. We met Joanna through our good friend Julia Anne Mullen who married her brother Joel. Joanna stayed in our little cabin for a couple of months while doing a midwifery internship here in Tennessee. We all fell in love with her and were sorry to see her move into another place and then leave the area altogether. When we first met Brian we couldn’t help but pray that God would put the two together. We were by far not the only ones praying for this. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">OUR STORY: How God brought us together </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">By Joanna and Brian Rocker (April 8, 2017 - wedding date) </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Brian </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Blessed be our God and Father and our Bridegroom Messiah Yeshua for this great salvation and freedom which has been purchased for us! Praise first must go up at the beginning of this testimony because through this great freedom I have come to know the beauty of righteousness, holiness, and purity! Throughout these past five years or so of my new life in Messiah I can declare with full confidence that He has been preparing me for this point in time, and I am running in with fullness of joy :) Joanna and I officially met for the first time in the fall of 2014 in Israel while harvesting with Hayovel, although because in a 12 week period I was meeting roughly five hundred people, I don't remember us ever talking. I remember having a few conversations with her dad though, but after they left Israel we did not get reacquainted until early this spring, 2016. For the past three years the Father has been drawing my heart towards the miraculous and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. I have been growing in my understanding of the Divine and seeing Him work miracles through my own hands, something I see as vitally important to the freedom of mankind through the power of the Gospel. I found a training and discipleship center for this specific thing down in Dallas, Texas called Dominion Life which I began to attend in January 2016. Through my time there, growing and being discipled, I began to realize in my prayers for my future bride that my family has a huge call on our lives to walk this understanding out practically, while having a heart for Israel and the work Hayovel is doing there and abroad. But I didn't even know one person who met this description, nor did my family when I asked them their thoughts about this. I just began to pray that Father would bring this woman to me with this same heart and desire so we can accomplish together this Kingdom vision He has been birthing in me. </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Joanna </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Growing up I knew from a young age that I needed to live my life full-out for the Father. I did not want to live a "normal life" of growing up, getting married, working, having kids and then one day to die. Even as a 5 yrs old, I remember walking outside praying that God would make me like Elijah, Moses, the prophets of old. I prayed that I would make a real impact in the world for God. As I grew, this desire intensified, and I found myself led specifically to pray for a husband that hears from God, speaks into people's lives and walks in the supernatural. Towards the end of highschool I felt directed toward midwifery as an avenue for my heart for missions. Fall of 2015 God led me out to rural Tennessee to intern with a midwife. I got a lot of excellent experience and was very busy with studying, working for the midwife and assisting with births. I was content in this season and expecting to be there for possibly the next 2 years of my life. Then on 3/13/16 I got a call from a good friend, Paula Smith. She and her family had been family for me while away from my family; their home always open for me to pop in for meals, fellowship, and to play with the kiddos. She informed me that their family was going to make a road trip down to San Antonio for a "kickstarter" hosted by the Last Reformation. The Last Reformation was started by a guy from Denmark named Torben Sondergaard and his family. Their vision is to get Christians off of the couch and into living for our Messiah, like the first believers we read about in the book of Acts. For example, when the Lord told Ananias to go and pray for Paul, this most likely wasn't an out-of-the ordinary experience for him; this was just one day, one snapshot into his life. But anyhow, back to the story, when Paula called me, inviting me to come along, I explained that I was in an internship and on call for births; I couldn't just up and leave on a trip! Later that day, rather out of the blue, I got an email from my preceptor informing me that she felt it would be better for me to find a different midwife to intern under. I was floored. But at the same time, I was like, "Well, I guess I can go to the kickstarter!" lol. So I called her back and a few days later, she and her husband Todd had me and their 6 kiddos packed up in the van and on the road by 4 am. That conference changed my life. I had been to conferences before that talked a lot about working in the gifts and divine healing, etc., but this one was definitely the most practical, hands-on training I had ever been to. For example, Torben taught on healing for maybe an hour, and then said, "Okay, let's do it! Who here needs healing?" A guy that had back issues came forward. Torben prayed for him, commanding healing into his back and then asked if he felt any change. The guy answered truthfully that he didn't. At this point it's common for Christians to back down and come up with excuses like, "Well, it must not be God's timing/will." Torben encouraged us that if we don't see a change after praying once, to not take "no" for an answer. The bible doesn't say "Lay your hands on the sick and maybe they will recover," or "by his stripes you might get healed." On the contrary, these are DEFINITE promises that are not going to change due to "atmosphere" or how "anointed" you may feel in a given moment. So he persisted and prayed for the guy again and again, just short prayers, checking with the guy after every time. The guy's eyes lit up and he gave percentages; "it actually does feel 40% better!" By the time Torben was finished praying for him, the guy said that his back was 90% healed. This showed me that the guy was being totally honest and this was not staged. If it had been, the guy probably would have fallen over and been like, "I'm healed!" haha! But no, he was completely honest and by the end, didn't say 100%. But I say if you've had back issues for like 20 years and your back is 90% healed, that's a big deal! What if Torben had given up after the first time or two? After a few examples like that Torben said, "Okay now it's your turn! Everyone who needs healing, line up against the wall. Everyone still sitting, you guys get to pray for them!" At this point I have to confess something. About a year prior I went through a rough bit, feeling unattractive (okay, fat) and started dieting and exercising excessively. By the time of the kickstarter, I had not had a cycle for about a year. So I lined up on the wall and prayed fervently that God would send a woman to pray for me, lol. He did! She put her hand on my womb and commanded healing in Jesus name. It was really weird, I felt a warmth enter and fill my womb. But that was it and I completely forgot about it until exactly 29 days later when I had the first cycle in about a year. Although this is awkward to speak about here, I feel that it was an important preparation for marriage with my beloved, as we desire to have children to rock the world with. Real Rockers. :-) Not only did that conference heal my body, it also gave me a kick to be more bold for praying for the sick and sharing my faith. When I returned back to Ohio for my brother Jacob and (his lovely bride) Bethany's betrothal, I was privileged to visit with the Phelps and Massey's. Upon recounting what the Father had been doing in my life, Jacob Massey said, "Well, that sounds like Brian Rocker!" I asked who that was, and they reminded me of a young man that we had worked with in the olive groves back in 2014. They recounted about how Brian had prayed for Samuel at the previous harvest, and the miraculous healing of Samuel's right hip, right wrist, spine, two fingers and shoulder, etc. :-) I had heard briefly about this before, but had not connected it to the young man I had met previously. Some reason I had pictured an older gentleman with a long white flowing beard running through the vineyards praying the prayer of faith, lol. I happened to mention it to dad when we got home. :-) </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Brian </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">So Joanna's father contacts me in March while I am at Dominion Life and asks me questions about the miraculous and what I have been learning and growing in. So for the next couple months Mr. John and I stayed in contact sharing insight and testimonies. He asked me if I would be at Family Week in Kentucky for the Hayovel Passover celebration. When I told him I was planning to be there, he asked me if throughout the week I would go with his family to bring the healing of God to the camp. I told him yes, and was blessed to spend quite a bit of time with Mr. John and his family. This is where Joanna really came into the picture for me. Her family and I spent a lot of time together at family week, ministering healing for people, sharing testimonies over meals, etc. This was how Joanna and I became reacquainted: doing and talking about one of the biggest things the Father has been placing upon our hearts individually. However, it wasn't until one morning towards the end of the week that I felt Father speak to me about Joanna. It was during one of the praise and worship sessions where Joanna and I were across the gymnasium from one another, spending time with our Heavenly Father. I noticed a gentleman coming in with a cast on his leg. I knew I needed to pray healing over him, and so I rushed across the room towards him. About the time I made it over I noticed Joanna coming towards us as well. As she was running over to pray for this guy as well I caught myself looking at her stunned. Was she really this passionate about setting the oppressed free as I am? This is when I noticed the Father speaking to me about Joanna for the first time. He began to remind me at this moment of all the things I had been praying over my future bride about, and the things I asked Him to prepare in her for the life I feel He has called us to. He highlighted to me these areas in Joanna: things I had been learning about her throughout the week spending time around her and her family. All this revelation passed through my mind in that moment, and it was all I could do to ask Father to stop so I could focus as I prayed, lol! It was after this moment that I really began to question if I truly heard from Father here. I noticed I struggled the rest of that morning and afternoon around her, to not give away anything I felt I may have received from Him. I chose to take this into prayer. Throughout the summer I stayed in contact with her family, calling her father on a constant basis and video chatting with the family as we shared testimonies of miracles, etc. I had no intention in our conversations of anything except to share testimonies with her family. I believed if Father wanted this to happen He would reveal clearly that it's the season. While I felt I did hear from Him at Family Week, I needed to know it wasn't just some momentary feeling or thought, but truly His voice. By the end of summer, however, I knew that He had presented Joanna Lansford to me based on my specific prayers. I had no idea that Joanna and her family were also praying and considering me for marriage. </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Joanna </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Although I had met Brian at the Harvest back in 2014, it seemed that the young man I met at family week had grown spiritually by leaps and bounds. I was amazed by his heart of worship and passion for setting the oppressed free. Brian paced in the back of the Tennis Center during worship in the area that I would normally have liked to have been, lol. He had vision, something I wanted most in a man. Long before I met Brian I was led to pray for a husband that knew how to heal and hear from God. He challenged me in my own faith to new heights that I had not yet reached, and I greatly enjoyed his willingness to tutor my dad, brother, and I as we walked through the camp looking for people to speak healing into. Brian kept in touch with our family (mainly dad) over the summer, continuing to encourage us into believing for the miraculous and seeing ourselves as the new creations that we are in Yeshua. I grew more this last summer in boldness and faith than I had ever before. One day this Spring after FW, I was at a thrift store when I felt an inkling to approach a kind, older, black woman. After she had made several rounds up and down the aisle I was on, I finally got my courage together to tentatively ask her whether there was anything I could pray for her. She immediately knew exactly what I meant, and eagerly requested that I pray for her back and knees that were hurting. I simply did what I had been taught: laid my hands on her knees and commanded healing into them. I then stepped back and asked her to test them out. At this moment I saw one of the first obvious healings Yeshua performed through me. She got this look on her face and said, "Actually, they're a whole bunch better!" Her daughter who had been edging away suddenly smiled and looked less uncomfortable, lol. The lady said, "How'd you do that? Do you have a card? Can you touch my back too?" I gave her a big hug, declaring that it was just Jesus and that He loved her very much. I then commanded healing into her back, after which I watched her straighten out, take her coat off, and declare, "Now I really feel like shopping!" lol. I could tell you many similar stories of incredible things that Yeshua can and wants to do through each and every believer (Mk 16:17). It's really interesting, because my whole family senses that a lot of this spiritual growth in our family has occurred since my oldest brother, Joel, passed away last winter in a plane crash. It's almost like something shifted, and we all recognized that time is growing short; that we need to live each and every day full out for the gospel of the kingdom. As weird as it sounds, when we met Brian at family week, it almost felt like the Father was restoring my lost brother to us. Brian actually looks and has some similar mannerisms to Joel in his laughter, sense of humor, and passion for life. Joshua commented that he really enjoyed talking and discussing things with Brian, something he had missed being able to do with Joel. I had never seen dad attach to a young man like he did to Brian. It seemed like Brian always showed up at the right moments; like when dad and I were at Walmart during the windstorm, Brian helped Mom put up the awning on the camper and got her unstuck so they could make it to the Tennis Center. I guess I can relate to Isaac, who the scripture said was "comforted after his mother's death" (Gen 24:67). </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Besides all of this, the words started pouring in, something that had never happened to me before. When I was walking out the door of Paula Smith's house to drive to Family Week, she casually commented that she knew that I would be getting married soon and that she looked forward to coming to my wedding, lol. While I was at Family Week, two mother figures dear to my heart separately gave me words that "my time is soon" and that she heard God tell her that I am "a rose ready to be picked". I was kind of like, "God, that's nice, but will you please tell the guy, not me!” On the last day of Family Week dad went to go say goodbye to Brian. I stayed in the camper, helping mom pack up to get ready to go. Dad encountered Brian on the path up the hill and discovered that Brian had been on night shift since 3 AM and hadn't gone back to bed, choosing to help families to pack up their rigs instead. Not only that, but at this point it was near lunch time, and he still hadn't had any breakfast to eat! I heard all this through the camper window, as well as dad's earnest instructions to come up to our camper so we could feed him. I immediately started frying some eggs and turkey bacon. He came in and sat down, and asked me questions to get me to share about my experience at the kickstarter. It was so good to be able to share what was on my heart. With all of this going on, needless to say, this summer was kind of hard. The only thing I could do was keep on presenting and re-presenting the whole situation to the Father. A few Family Weeks back I had heard God specifically tell me that He wanted to be the one to write my love story; that it needed to be something that He made happen, with no initiative on my part. So I simply spent a lot of time in prayer and fasting, crying out to the Father. Some of the things I heard the Father whisper to me include: </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">"If you ever doubt your worth, just look at your price tag; you are worth the blood of Yeshua. Stop trying to be good enough; you already are. Stop trying to win man's approval when you have God's. Creation groans for the Sons of God to realize who they are." </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">"Even after you get married, I will still be the one you and your husband will seek. So seek me now while you are single. I will always be first & foremost." </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">"I have declared you clean. Stop measuring yourself by others' standards. When you come into agreement with what I say about you and live by my standards, then you will be truly free." When I asked the Father what standards he had for me, I felt like he specifically put two things on my heart: (1) To keep the Father first (Love the Lord your God with all your heart…) and (2) To honor my father and mother. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">"You will be more of a joy to your husband if you find contentment before you marry. You can never be loved more than you are right now." </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">So I held on to these things and just waited… </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Brian </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">At the start of the Harvest this fall I had received consent and encouragement from my family to move forward in speaking with Joanna's father about my desire for marriage. I chose in my heart to wait until I returned from Israel. That was until I sought guidance and prayer from Brayden and Tommy Waller. It was the weekend before Yom Kippur, and I shared with Brother Brayden my desire, and he felt that the two of us had hearts headed in the same direction, and he was excited thinking about the possibility! That had me really excited because I trust his judgment. The day before Yom Kippur the staff and volunteers went to the Mediterranean Sea to do baptisms leading into the Holy Day. While out there at the beach I approached Mr. Tommy with my desire, and his first reaction was a shout of joy, expressing, "That is so perfect! I can totally see that!" He then asked me if I called Joanna's father yet, to which when I answered "no." He encouraged me to go ahead that day. So Yom Kippur commenced, and that night I called Mr. John and asked for Joanna's hand. He told me that he would talk to his wife and go from there, getting back with me soon. I was joyful that I finally did it, yet I figured that I would have to wait awhile. I laid down to sleep less than an hour later, and when I did I received a follow-up text from Joanna's father telling me, "Just talked to Joanna by phone and she broke down crying." Lol, I was confused: what was she thinking? Was that a good cry or a bad one? It helped when he told me that she wanted to pray and fast over Yom Kippur before giving me an answer. Again, I was super excited, but that seemed like the longest day and a half in Israel waiting for Yom Kippur to end at her time in Oregon. </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Joanna </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Summer drew to a close, and nothing had happened to fulfill the words spoken over me. My parents encouraged me to go ahead and travel out to Oregon where I had been offered an internship as a student midwife at Bella Vie Gentle Birth Center, so I packed up and headed out. I remember specifically asking God about Brian one day while walking. I felt like He asked me two questions back, (1) Is Brian chasing after me with all his heart? (I replied, that yes, he was.) (2) Is he keeping Torah? (Again I replied that, yes, he was). Then I literally felt like I saw God give me a thumbs up sign; it was so funny! Another day while listening to God, I heard "I will send for you at the set-apart time." I wasn't sure what that meant, but I pondered it in my heart. Brian and my family were part of a messaging group where we shared testimonies and he shared stories from Israel. On Yom Teruah/Rosh HaShana, I felt led to draw back and seek the Father by staying off of whatsapp and other social media during the Ten Days of Awe. So I had purposefully cut Brian off for a while by the 9th of Tishrei, yet continued to have dreams about him while sleeping. I was actually at the birth center on a busy clinic day when dad called me. I happened to check my phone at lunch break to see a missed call and a text from daddy saying, "Someone has asked for you. Call me when you can." I stepped outside just in case it was serious, and it's a good thing I did; when daddy told me, I cried so hard that the office manager came running out to see what was wrong! I told her that I was just happier than I had ever been in my whole life. I immediately knew without a doubt that my answer was yes, but with the timing and everything, I felt it would be right to spend Yom Kippur in prayer and fasting before giving my official answer. Looking back, Yom Kippur certainly is a "set-apart" time! lol. </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Brian </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I waited with such anticipation that whole day, praying for Joanna, praying that His absolute best would be given to her. I know I am not yet walking in the place where I want to be, as the Word of God in the flesh manifesting His perfect unfailing love, yet I received assurance from my Heavenly Father that my trust is to be fully in Him and not in myself, and I am to lead her in that same understanding. I am so thankful for Abba, loving Him immensely for Who He is, with a heart of gratitude for being with me and giving me the blessing of being Joanna's husband! </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">And then the following morning after Yom Kippur commenced at 4:00 am in Israel on the Biblical Mountain of Blessing, and nightfall was beginning in Oregon. I prayed and worshipped that morning before breakfast with hopeful expectation that I would hear from Joanna soon. Sure enough, I just sat down with my breakfast when I received a text from her father asking me to give him a call. I remember getting up with a huge grin on my face, leaving my food behind, running around the meeting tent to Tommy and Sherri, and sharing with them the text. They smiled wide and encouraged me as I made what was one of the most important phone calls of my life. And to my joy, Joanna's father gave me his permission to call her, explaining how she wanted to talk with me personally. He expressed his joy that he and his wife love me and are blessed that I have asked for Joanna's hand. And so I called her...Joanna, what a beautiful sound to my ear to hear your answer on the phone: your voice beaming with a resounding "Yes!" You quoted Genesis 24:57-58, where Rebecca was asked if she would go with the servant to marry Isaac, and she said she would go. Besides being redeemed back to my Heavenly Father through the work of Yeshua, this is the greatest blessing that has ever been granted to me. I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you, sharing in our victories in ministry together as we bring the fullness of the Gospel in power to the nations, loving the least of these, and serving in the great redemption taking place in the Biblical Heartland of Israel. I am looking forward to sharing in this with my soul mate and best friend. Thank you, Sweetheart! I love you Joanna Lansford :) </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Joanna </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">This story of God bringing me my true love definitely isn't something I earned by following standards or being "good enough". It's just simply been chasing after God with everything, and Him giving me the desires of my heart. To all those out there waiting on Abba, be strong! He's got your best in mind. Seek his kingdom first, and all these things will be added to you. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I LOVE YOU BRIAN ROCKER and am SUPER excited to run alongside you! </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">CHAZAK CHAZAK V'NIT-CHAZEK! Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened!</span></p>6:27His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/57016882019-03-31T15:30:18-05:002019-03-31T15:30:18-05:00Paula's Ponderings #6: The Twins' Baptism<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/53b151cb1d9e114bb5b4dd1bbc912accc9bfa341/original/img-3184.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">On March 2, 2019 Tiveria and Tikvah were baptized at the Linden Community Center in Linden, TN. Dan Mohler spoke that weekend and invited those who wanted to be baptized to come prepared that evening to do so. Years before, the wife of my husband’s boss mentioned how neat it would be if she were to be baptized by Dan. She had seen him speak a couple of times and liked listening to his teachings. He finally came to our community and spoke and God answered the desire of her heart. Another man from Todd’s work that many had prayed for also got baptized along with two of our neighbor girls and another man from the community. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">A couple of weeks prior I was doing dishes with Tikvah and she commented that she “met Jesus for real”. I shared that at our home fellowship one Sabbath and one of the young men began praying privately for her to have the opportunity to be baptized soon. I too was praying about when we should have the twins baptized knowing that Tiveria had also voiced interest in following the Lord quite sometime before that. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Another neat aspect of the girls getting baptized that evening is that Tiveria Johnson was there with her family and her mother told her to pray for Tiveria when she went under. Back in 2003 before I was married Nancy Campbell’s first Above Rubies girls and fell in love with the name Tiveria when I met her granddaughter. I decided at that time that I wanted to name my first daughter Tiveria. How neat that the young lady that she was named after was present for her baptism. God is so good! </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I specifically did this Scripture song (Romans 6:11-14) this month because of their baptism. It is a reminder that the old man was buried with Christ so that the new man can be resurrected with Him. It is a good reminder for their parents as well.</span></p>2:18His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/57015662019-03-31T13:12:09-05:002019-03-31T13:14:30-05:00The Story Behind the Song #17: God's Calling Them (A Song for Mike and KC)<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/da94e579889b28948bb20dc77430af96accab288/original/wedding-pic.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">(The above photo was taken on their wedding day in April of 1999.)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">KC was one of the first people that I met when I arrived at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa as a freshman in the fall of 1988. She was athletic, outgoing, and a lot of fun. We took bike rides together and shared many of the same friends. I have a picture of us one halloween with her dressed up as a man and I was the bride. Back then you didn’t have to worry about people taking such things seriously. It was just a fun thing to do. I left Luther after my sophomore year to attend the Air Force Academy, but after I graduated in 1994 I attended graduate school at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis for one year. KC’s home wasn’t far from there so we reconnected and she introduced me to Bible Study Fellowship, a weekly interdenominational Bible Study, which I continued to participate in for the next seven years. We’ve stayed in touch via Christmas letters, but haven’t actually seen each other much since I left graduate school. I was invited to her wedding in 1999 and “God’s Calling Them” is the song that God gave me for them when I prayed about it. The following is her account of how the Lord brought her and Mike together and what has happened since. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“Mike and I met through a mutual friend and knew that each of us was ‘the one.” We married in April of 1999 and spent our first 3 years of marriage out in California where KC went to seminary to receive her Master’s of Divinity Degree. Mike, after a short stint in dental school, followed his call into teaching. He taught physics and chemistry for many years before landing in administration. KC and Mike now have 4 beautiful children all growing up with a strong faith in Jesus and through their Christian school and their loving church community are learning to walk in the ways of Jesus. KC is blessed to be an associate pastor at Hope Church where the family is all actively involved. Mike is blessed to be the vice principal of the Christian school the kids attend. Our vision for the future is to keep living our calling in this world – to nurture young people and to draw others into a life changing relationship with Christ. We want to be a light in our neighborhood, in our family, in our church, school and community. We believe in a BIG God and that “he who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it” (Phil 1:6)” </span></p>
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<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/fd3dcbc0f97985063198b0fff478ebcc68110597/original/dinardo-family.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(The above photo is of the DiNardo family about 18 years after their wedding - 4 kids and a dog later - still in love later!)</span></p>
<p> </p>3:30His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/57015492019-03-31T12:32:54-05:002019-03-31T12:32:54-05:00The Story Behind the Song #16: The One Who Made Us One<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/86c38401d1ae64746ae0793986b1d957c63d6fa2/original/img-2139.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">(The above photo was taken of us with the Adams Family in the fall of 2017 before we went canoeing together.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Paula’s journal entry from March 6, 2016 (Sunday): (minor modifications made) </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We just experienced the most trying weekend of our marriage. Last week I started experiencing mild pain in my abdomen which became severe on Thursday afternoon. I took a couple of Ibuprofen which had little effect and then Todd and I felt like the Lord wanted us to toss them out since I was starting to turn to them more and more. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Todd had come home to drop something off around 3:30 p.m. and found me curled up in a ball on the couch so he remained home. The pain ebbed and flowed somewhat, but then steadily intensified so that we not only contacted the A’s and J’s to pray, but Todd went and got W and K out of bed to come pray with us. This was around 11:30 p.m. I think. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I’ve never experienced such excruciating pain in my life. Although I was pretty sure that my work on earth wasn’t done yet, I found myself willing to “go home” or “sleep in Jesus,” depending on your theology. The pain finally subsided slightly just before Todd and W discussed contacting the A’s for council since they have become our closest friends in the Lord. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Todd didn’t make the call since I felt a bit better but he had me take a shot of vodka to help me sleep. I continued this habit every time the pain started to return. After the vodka we turned to wine and a wine cooler so I was in a bit of a stupor or asleep for about the next 24 hours. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Todd had J, another friend, come on Friday to help us out so that he could get some sleep too. We were still amidst the battle around 4 a.m. on Sat. morning so Todd e-mailed the A’s to let them know. Mrs. A called around 7:30 a.m. and suggested they come over and bring breakfast and lunch but not do our usual meeting as Mr. A wasn’t well either. She also offered to take me to the clinic in Linden or watch the children while Todd did. At this point we were open to that option as we knew that we were at the end of ourselves and I couldn’t drink alcohol forever. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">By the time Mrs. A arrived, the pain had gone and we didn’t go to the clinic. I spent the day recovering from my hangover and three of the A’s and Miss E kept things running with meals and child care, since Todd had to catch up on his sleep as well. They came over again this morning for several hours as I began to experience some intense pain that threatened to be round two; but it finally subsided and didn’t return. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I recorded all of this mainly so that I could make note of the lessons learned. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">1) Jesus really must love us since He chose suffering for our benefit when He could have escaped it. I knew this intellectually, but somehow physical suffering has a way of bringing it into greater focus. At one point I was looking for any way of escaping the suffering and not even love for Todd and the children kept me from considering the possibility of leaving this earthly life to do it. </span></p>
<p><br><span class="font_large">2) I think I gained compassion for those who are suffering and hope to see that translate into more prayers for those hurting, more loving prayers for those hurting, and more effective prayers for those hurting. <br>I’m more motivated to pursue the truth about healing so that we can be better prepared the next time an opportunity to pray for someone arises. </span></p>
<p><br><span class="font_large">3) Just tonight as Todd and I were talking about it I realized that while I thought I was praying God’s will the whole time, I wasn’t truly surrendered to Him. At one point I cried out that I wanted to do things His way and didn’t want to go to the hospital. Interestingly, it was after we were willing to go to the clinic that the pain subsided and this morning I even requested that Mrs. A bring pain killers if necessary since we weren’t going to go the alcohol route again (we were all out anyway). Again, I think God is trying to show me that walking by the Spirit is not as black and white as living by the Law or my little laws that I make for myself. Love must be primary and there can be no pride in love. We have strong convictions about not trusting in the medical system, but that does not necessarily mean that God will never call us to go to a hospital or clinic for some greater purpose. I need to be open to that possibility. I need to be willing to surrender even to that. I also need to not judge others who make that decision. </span></p>
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<p><strong><span class="font_large">Spiritual lessons drawn from the experience based largely on my journal entry on March 24, 2016: </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Shortly after my kidney stone experience the Lord gave me the song “The One Who Made Us One” which is a song about not throwing stones, especially at other brothers and sisters in Christ. It was something that came after pondering a conversation that I had with a friend about her visit to a local fellowship of a particular denomination that she was not a part of. She came away from the experience with a clear understanding of how this denomination differed from all others and why they in essence considered themselves a notch or two above the rest. I won’t mention the denomination, because it could have been almost any denomination. I should mention that the Lord uses my songs often times to convict me first and I think it is safe to say that at one time or another I’ve had to repent of everything mentioned in this song. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I’ve pondered and prayed about it since, feeling that there is a reason why the Lord gave it to me so soon after my kidney stones. There just seemed to be a connection. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Here is the short list of thoughts that have come to mind. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">1) As already mentioned, it is a song about not throwing stones. </span><br> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">2) When we are puffed up with pride due to our accumulation of knowledge without love, we can’t pass through the narrow way and it leads to excruciating pain in the body of Christ. </span><br> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">3) The system for purifying the blood of the bride of Christ isn’t functioning right. Something that hit me recently is that many seem to think that the bride being made perfect or pure is somehow related to getting all of our doctrine right, so we pursue more and more head knowledge without acting on what we already have which only leads to more and more pride. In truth, the only way to purify the blood of the bride is to receive a transfusion from the groom (Jesus) by grace through faith. It is not our doctrine but His blood that covers our sins. In addition I believe that true growth in understanding of God’s Word comes through believing it and putting it into action, not more research and analysis. </span><br> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">4) One way to solve the problem of kidney stones is to go to the hospital and have them blasted into smaller stones so they can pass (someone or something outside the body is often used to humble us). In the physical this is costly financially. In the spiritual it is costly spiritually. I think of the serious falls that some spiritual big wigs have taken in recent years and the enormous repercussions that their humblings have had. </span><br> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">5) In the physical, drinking olive oil can help the stones to pass. In the spiritual, more of Holy Spirit helps to bring greater humility. When we actually try to put God’s Word into practice we feel our need of Holy Spirit much more intensely and we are more likely to cry out to Him to enable us to do what God is calling us to do. </span><br> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">6) Prolonged dehydration can lead to kidney stones. Again, if we feed on the wrong foods (i.e. man’s writings) or even the right foods (i.e. God’s Word) without proper water intake (Holy Spirit), we are more likely to get stones. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Knowing that people have kidney stones all of the time, I asked God why he revealed this to me? This is what I felt He conveyed to my spirit, because I asked the right person the right question. “God, what do you want me to learn from this? What are you trying to teach me?” If our only goal is to escape suffering, we ask different questions of different people and get very different answers. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I’m sure that a medical expert or biologist could expand upon this even more, but I’ll leave it at this for now since I’m neither of these things. Another thing I want to mention is that shortly before my kidney stone experience my older sister had told me about a young man that she became acquainted with in a class that she was taking. He was in his thirties. During the course of this class the young man took his own life. While I was in excruciating physical pain due to the stones and was considering the possibility of leaving this life, I thought of this young man and grieved the kind of mental anguish he must have been under to cause him to take such action. Knowing that we in the body of Christ have the answers to such anguish, it made me sad to think of how much time and energy is wasted fighting each other when we could be fighting the enemy and saving souls. Recently we heard Heidi Baker speak and she talked about the need for love among the body. The way she put it is that if those outside the body see us loving one another, it will make the prodigals feel safe to come home. Certainly when unbelievers see us failing to love one another, they correctly conclude that we aren’t going to love them either. Lord help us. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Finally, it was only as I typed up this blog and considered what photo to use for it that I realized just how much the Lord has entwined our lives with the Adams family who ministered to us the weekend of my kidney stones. Truly He has in a very real way merged our families into a oneness that we haven’t even known in our natural families. We have pursued the Lord/Truth together for the past four and a half years. While we’ve spent most Saturdays together, we’ve spent plenty of time together outside of Saturdays as well. While we differ on some fine points of doctrine and practical application of God’s Word, we’ve learned to love in spite of those differences. They have set self aside for our sakes more times than we can count. I believe that this is the kind of unity that God wants to see among His people in the last days. I believe it is this kind of practical love that will convince the unbelieving world that there really is a God and will help to bring in the final harvest. </span></p>
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<p><span class="font_large">“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth. As you have sent Me into the world, even so I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither do I pray for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that You have sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are One: I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them, as You have loved Me.” John 17:15-23</span></p>7:07His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/56300542019-02-06T07:59:33-06:002019-02-06T22:01:20-06:00The Story Behind the Song #15: Promise (A Song for Joel and Carrie)<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/dc5272a0e6a87ac2b5529152dad6f0bf8f9f491f/original/thumbnail-5.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">This song was inspired by the union of my friend Carrie (formerly Bischel) and Joel Jensen in 1998. Carrie and I first met at an orientation banquet for Wisconsinites who had received appointments to the United States Air Force Academy. I had looked for her because a waitress that I worked with at Country Kitchen in my hometown of Viroqua, Wisconsin had given me a picture of her that appeared in a Catholic publication. Both Carrie and I were in the Cadet Chorale together at the Academy and often roomed together on chorale trips. Later we shared an apartment when we both attended graduate school during the 1994-1995 school year at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. God blessed me with the opportunity to be her maid of honor as well as sing this song in her wedding. She and Joel have been blessed with nine amazing children. Their eldest son is currently (Feb., 2019) a cadet at the Air Force Academy. Although we don’t touch bases often, I consider Carrie one of my best lifelong friends. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/9822669471c88006658938efc2cd18c7ac82e4c8/original/thumbnail-4.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Here is Carrie’s account of how the Lord brought her and Joel together and a brief summary of the past 21 years. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“Joel and I were both serving in the Air Force when we met at a two-week course while living in separate states. After class each day, several of us would go to the gym to play pick-up basketball. One evening, we needed an extra player and I saw Joel on an exercise bike and promptly asked him to join us and the rest is history, as they say. Oh, if we would have known then that we would have a family big enough for a 5 vs 5 game and a sub (or referee, which is often needed)…. In any event, it didn’t take me long to recognize, with sheer delight, Joel as the man I had been lifting up in prayer since childhood. Our whirlwind, long-distance relationship lasted 18 months. As we approached marriage and the topic of children came up (numbers, specifically), we settled on 3-5, which seemed plentiful. Fortunately, God’s grace illuminated our journey and our desire to be open to His will in all matters grew. We were blessed with 9 children in 11 years and then 4 consecutive miscarriages before my womb was closed. Each child is an incredible blessing and has taught us a different attribute of God, all while expanding our capacity to love unconditionally. As we strive to imitate His sacrificial and unconditional love, we continue to marvel at His vision for our family - and we are grateful that His will won out. Challenging? Yes. Crazy difficult? Sometimes. Worth it? Without a doubt.”</span></p>3:17His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/56226682019-01-31T23:34:17-06:002019-02-06T21:56:40-06:00The Story Behind the Song #14: Help Us Teach the Children<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/a66f276f0028843ff7773b1cf8a3e5204108bfb6/original/img-2733.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><span class="font_large">(In October of 2018 Auntie Elizabeth [my older sister] visited and helped the children learn to sew. Here she is helping Thor.)</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">This song came to me in 1996 and was inspired by my experience as a children’s leader for Bible Study Fellowship in Glendale, Arizona while I was stationed at Luke Air Force Base. In many ways it is even more meaningful now that I’m a homeschooling Mama of six. Largely due to my own educational background, our homeschooling (I like to say discipleship) goals are a little unusual I suppose, perhaps even extreme. Growing up, I was very academically oriented and although I cried out to God for direction I didn’t know where to find the answers that I sought. Therefore I made some very strange and even costly choices that could have been avoided if I had simply read the Bible and gotten to know God a little. Thankfully I did start to find the answers while a cadet at the Air Force Academy when I started following Christ, but $250K is a big price to pay when a $5 Bible could have easily done the trick ten years earlier. Thankfully God uses it all for good when it is turned over to Him and nothing is wasted in the kingdom. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">If I struggled back then with my identity, how I grieve for young people today who have even less access to the truth than I did. Therefore, these are our goals for our children before they leave our home. We want them to know God and love Him, know God’s Word and love it, know people and love them. If we can accomplish this, we believe that everything else will fall into place. If there is one thing that our children are well aware of it is that our goals for them do not include making a lot of money and living comfortable lives. We want them to storm the gates of hell for a living even if it means fasting 7 months out of the year like David Hogan does or even an early grave. While I often feel completely inadequate as a wife and homeschooling Mama, I figure it is my greatest hope of success since it keeps me on my face crying out to the only One who can do the work that needs to be done in us and our children. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“Lord, help us teach the children” as You are our only hope to do so rightly.</span></p>3:16His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/56214962019-01-31T22:07:27-06:002019-01-31T22:07:27-06:00The Story Behind the Song #13: I Will Go<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/6ab62751e4d66d79b1abc52941eb8eed87dfa4ae/original/img-3076.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">(The above photo is of Vicki, the proud Mama, Holly, and Jason, the proud Daddy.)</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">This song came to me one morning shortly before our neighbor Holly Coon was to leave on her mission adventure earlier this month. We had asked to pray for her before she left so I felt like the song was meant for her and we shared it when they came over for prayer. The above picture was taken that evening. I've lived next to the Coons for more than 13 years (15 years for my husband) and Holly has changed a good deal in that time. I love to see young people like her seek the Lord with their whole hearts and step out in faith to follow His leading. I asked her Mama (Vicki) to write a short blurb for me to put on this blog so that I didn't mess up the details. I know that they would appreciate prayers for Holly. Here's the blurb:</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">"Holly Faith is starting a great adventure! She is attending Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Disciple Training School in Townsville, Australia, then head out on a ministry outreach to the island nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG). In total, she will be gone for 6 months. <br>For the first part of her trip in Australia, she will be in a classroom setting learning Biblical truths, growing closer to the Lord and preparing for ministry outreach. <br>Once in PNG, Holly will be trekking through remote areas to bringing much needed medical aid, supplies and the gospel to indigenous tribes. She will be living out of a backpack as she hikes to villages that are unreachable by car or plane. <br>We are so excited for Holly as she trusts the Lords leading to step out in faith and leave the comforts of home to share the living gospel at the uttermost parts of the world... <br>Please pray with us for Holly’s safety, spiritual growth, effectiveness in evangelism and that she would be able to finish out her fundraising goal. <br>We are deeply grateful for everyone’s love and support as she pursues this leading! THANK YOU and God Bless!" (End of her Mama's blurb)</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I thought it would be fun to include some blasts from the past. It really does go quickly. It is hard for me to believe that Holly was so young when I first arrived here and now she is off doing this. It makes me want to savor the time that I have left with my children all the more. </span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/f24972e3be209e5a4033e3ee28a542eeea0b0bae/original/holly-and-katie-c-4.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">(Here Holly is at our wedding in 2005 helping her sister Katie get her pinwheel flower in the pot.)</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/4af8b41a396fd9a58870f9f0a7d6e9b4d1169913/original/hollys-box-car-5.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />(For a season Holly came over and played with Tevya for a couple of hours each week. I think she was about eight here. Tevya was less than one and is now twelve.)</span></p>2:43His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/56113772019-01-29T23:06:49-06:002021-08-09T20:44:34-05:00Paula's Ponderings #5: Smith Family Highlights from 2018<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/932a9a0ebc75babfff13dc257c934adedac9f09a/original/img-2265.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">(This photo was taken at the house of some friends in east Tennessee. This backdrop was conveniently located on the wall in their game room.)</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(Note: This is also referred to as our annual letter which we send out via snail mail to close friends and family.)</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Todd - He laid four more sections of culvert in our backyard and covered them by digging out the back hill, which greatly expanded our gardening area. We were inspired by attending the Adventist Agricultural Conference in Texas in January with friends. His niece got married in August in South Carolina and we enjoyed time with old friends on the way (took photo on left) and family while there, as well as new friends that we met via Candle in the Window, an online Christian hospitality network. Sadly he lost his “foster” brother at the end of October due to a heart attack, but we got to celebrate his life with family and friends in Missouri and met more friends again via CIW. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Paula - Thanks to Bandzoogle, I was able to make my idea of a family website/ministry a reality on Oct. 1st by launching His Homemade Hymnal (HisHomemadeHymnal.org). Our ultimate vision is to put the entire Bible to music with help from others in Christ’s body. Simple Church (our home fellowship) remains a highlight for me and the rest of the family as well. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Tevya - For his 12th birthday he finally realized a life-long dream (several years anyway) and we visited Grimes metal recycling center with our friends the Adams. He had a great time looking around and digging through “treasures” but in the end didn’t buy a thing. The family however did go home with several mostly functional bicycles for the price of scrap metal and he and Daddy got those up and running together. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Tiveria - One night our dear cat Titus failed to return home (not unusual around here). Tiveria was thankful when Daddy brought a new kitten (Theophilus, “Philo” for short) home from work one evening. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Tikvah - A highlight for Teeny was tie-dying T-shirts with friends for the twin’s 11th birthday. On our annual canoe trip with the Adams we collected elderberries and it was an experiment with those that led to the tie-dying interest. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Teshuvah - She enjoyed collecting a variety of new kitchen appliances this year. Tevya gave her a blender for Christmas that he refurbished and just recently she picked up a food processor and mini chopper at a second hand store. She also won first place in the Tennessee magazine art contest in November and plans to use the money for art supplies and likely some ingredients for recipes she wants to try. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/13cb549cf81b2436ac30a91f247503983c3a26f2/original/img-1615.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">(The Smithlets with Grandpa Thor and Miss Alice)</p>
<p><span class="font_large">Thor - Not surprisingly Thor’s highlight was when Grandpa Thor and Miss Alice took us to an indoor waterpark in east Tennessee in January. We had a fun few days swimming during the day and playing games in the evening. We look forward to getting with them again soon. </span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/db3152d063a752303dc5441e86ec15994c80ad5a/original/img-2752.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">(The Smithlets with Auntie Elizabeth)</p>
<p><span class="font_large">Tirzah - She learned how to ride a bike in 2018 and does it most days that weather permits. The children made gifts for each other for Christmas and Tevya made her a really festive bike basket out of plastic canvas and decorated it with gears wrapped with copper wire from old motors (very Tevya). Auntie Elizabeth’s visit at the end of October was also a real highlight with book reading, sewing, and a trip to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Favorite Smith Family Quotes from 2018 </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Mar. 8 - This evening while Todd was drinking a quart of warm saltwater for the purpose of cleansing his colon, Tevya (11) who likes to play with words said, “If that much cleanses your colon, then half as much would cleanse your semi-colon.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Apr. 2 - When the song “El Shadai “ sung by Michael Card was playing, Tirzah (4) said, “My love in my heart goes out to God when I hear this song. It really makes me cry.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Apr. 12 - “Mama, pick a hand.” Thor (6) said while holding a flower behind his back. After I chose his right hand, he brought it out from behind his back and added, “I got it when I was going to the bathroom behind the house.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Apr. 16 - Tirzah (4) showed a picture that she painted for a 95th birthday card that we are making for Wylie’s dad, the “Captain” (given this nickname due to his sailing expertise) and stated, “This is for the ‘Pirate’.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Apr. 18 - “I think the hardest thing I probably have to do in the morning is getting out of bed.” Tevya (11) </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">May 29 - As Tirzah (4) handed me the children’s pop-up anatomy book on the human body, she instructed me, “Look up what a chicken gizzard is.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">June 17 - Yesterday we met at the park for our Sabbath meeting and one of our visitors included Jennifer’s niece in her mid twenties. Tirzah (4) climbed up into her lap and whispered to her, “I’m shy.” The young lady responded, “I don’t think so”. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">July 21 - In the evenings I often ask the children if the chickens got closed up to make sure that it gets done. This evening after I had commented about the computer being plugged in, Tevya (12) asked, “Did anyone plug in the chickens?” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Aug. 31 - While driving home from the second hand store I asked the children what we should sing. Thor (6) suggested “Jesus Loves the Little Children”. Therefore I asked the children how Jesus showed His love for us. Thor (6) responded with, “He gave us Him.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Sep. 14 - During the “Who Said That Game”, when asked where Tevya was born, Thor (6) responded with, “In the toilet.” We were looking for the city and state, not the specific location. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Sep. 17 - Tirzah (5): “Thor, do you want to come eat some hickory nuts?” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Thor (6): “Sure, are they the yummiest ever?” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Tirzah (5): “Yes, one was the yummiest ever, but…I ate it.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">This morning while we were walking Romeo Shoovey (9) said, “Being the youngest of the oldest four is annoying.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Oct. 2 - The other morning while we were walking I asked Tirzah (5) why she had a yellow crayon with her. She informed me that Thor (6) had given it to her that morning to remember him by while he was at work with Daddy. She had it with her much of the day. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Oct. 26 - Mama: “That’s the problem with highly processed foods. They taste so good it makes it easy to be a glutton… That’s the nice thing about food that doesn’t taste so good, you’re less likely to overeat.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Tiveria (11): “Yeah, we could sell glutton free products.” (No doubt she was referring to Mama’s cooking.) </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Mama: “Our motto could be, ‘You only want to eat one…if that.’ </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Nov. 28 - Tirzah (5) recently hung a necklace on the bathroom doorknob as a reminder to pray for people that we’ve prayed for while out and about. Today she emerged from the bathroom and said, “I just love praying for Miss Susan because I love her.” Miss Susan is a woman that we prayed for at the end of August at a church service that we attended in Murfreesboro in order to see Dan Mohler. She appreciated our prayers so much that she actually sent us a box of gifts shortly afterwards. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Dec. 4 - Today while reading a Bible story to Thor (7) and Tirzah (5) I quizzed them on the king’s name which was Xerxes and Tirzah (5) responded with, “Bonzai”. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Dec. 7 (the 5th anniversary of Papaw’s death) - A couple days ago Tirzah (5) who was four months old when Papaw died said with a sigh, “You know, Papaw really did make life fun.”</span></p>His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/55624832018-12-20T06:02:24-06:002018-12-20T06:02:24-06:00Paula's Ponderings #4: The Power of a Child's Prayers<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/6a37360b7265fa4860a3830fd193d498bda90b9e/original/img-0298.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">The following is an article that appeared in a recent Above Rubies magazine. I told the story to Nancy Campbell in May of 2018 at an Above Rubies Family Camp that we were attending and she asked me to write it up. I did so shortly thereafter. Nancy didn't include the quote by Jim Elliot, but I am. The photo above is of Tirzah with our dog Romeo.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">“I think God is to be glorified in our asking the impossible of Him.” Jim Elliot </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">In the summer of 2017 our family decided to sponsor a young orphan through Iris Global Ministries (the ministry of Rolland and Heidi Baker). Although we did pray about it, our method for choosing him was not terribly spiritual. Because we didn't have internet at home at the time, I took the children to the park in town and looked up the ministry on my laptop. I had the children look at the pictures of those available to sponsor and decided to limit our choices by looking for a child whose name started with a “T” just like the six Smith children. They decided on a cute toddler named Toky from Madagascar. Our youngest daughter Tirzah (age 4) took it upon herself to pray for him during our daily prayers. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">After sponsoring him for a few months, I finally got around to looking up more information about Madagascar on the internet. I was surprised to learn that the country was at that very time experiencing an outbreak of the black death, the “deadliest outbreak of the plague in modern times”. In one reference I found it said that it began in August, the very month that we started to sponsor Toky. It was in late October or early November that I first learned of it and Tirzah began praying daily for Madagascar, that “the plague would die and the people not die”. She did this for about two to three weeks before I finally checked the internet again to get an update. On November 20th, I found an article dated November 17th stating that there had not been another case of the plague reported in the last three weeks. This coincided roughly with the time frame of the beginning of Tirzah’s prayer campaign. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Now some would say that it was pure coincidence that we learned of Madagascar’s plight and happened to start praying for it around the same time that the plague ended. I however choose to believe that our merciful God not only led us to sponsor a child from Madagascar at just the right time, but also heard the prayers of a four-year old girl and turned the tide of an epidemic that could have easily spread beyond the borders of this African island country. </span></p>His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/55438522018-12-07T05:11:00-06:002018-12-07T15:53:39-06:00The Story Behind the Song #12: Papaw’s Song <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/60b9e827ddcdf5127bba4fbb52811ce6cccc4847/original/p-w-thor-2.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /> </p>
<p>(Note: This photo of Papaw and Tirzah was taken a few months before he died. We're so thankful that he got to meet her.)</p>
<p><span class="font_large">This song came to me in December of 2013 when Todd and I left our oldest four children with friends while we traveled to South Carolina with our youngest two. Todd’s father had had a stroke and the plan was to see his Daddy for the last time before he left us. However, shortly after we got on the road we received the call that he was gone. It was very hard on Todd. Despite a rough start when he was young, his dad had become one of his best friends and his chief counselor. We felt the void immediately. We continued with the trip so that we could be with his family for a few days even though they decided to do a memorial service at a later date. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The beginnings of this song came to me while we were out and about running a few errands before settling in to stay at the house that his parents had purchased when they moved from Florida to be closer to Todd’s sister. They had been living with Todd’s sister while work was being done on the house that they would never move into. After we arrived at the house I sat on the end of the bed with the song going through my head wondering how to record it before it left me. I didn’t own a cell phone and I hadn’t used my hand held tape recorder in years. No “real” songs had come to me in about eight years, although I had a few silly ditties for the children. Songs seemed to come in direct proportion to the amount of time I spent in God’s Word and I have to confess that I spent very little time there once little people started showing up. This song broke the silence. I then remembered the video recording feature on our camera so I videoed the closet or my feet or something equally exciting and got the first part of the song recorded. At some later date I sat down and finished the rest. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We sang this song at a memorial service in North Carolina in May of 2014 as that is where Grammy and Papaw used to spend the hot season. They used to visit us in Tennessee in the spring for a week on their way up and again in the fall on their way back down to Florida. We really miss those visits. During the week of the memorial service we were blessed with an extended stay at Todd’s sister’s place in South Carolina due to van problems. The video of this song found on this website was recorded there on his sister’s phone. The children were ages four months to seven years at the time. Tirzah is not in the video but you may hear her fuss in the background. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The song is pretty self-explanatory for the most part, but I’ll give a little more information anyway. Todd’s Dad and Mom met sometime around the third grade and neither one ever dated anyone else (FYI they didn’t start dating in the third grade). They married when they were 19. He played football for Florida State, got a degree in baking, and became a meteorologist in the Air Force. They had five children, three boys and two girls. My husband is number four. Papaw retired as a Colonel after 27 years and they returned to their home state of Florida. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary one week before he died. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/cf9fd9ac41277d90fbdaed3aaa3f5d2086d9f45e/original/children-w-p-and-g-at-their-shop-3.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">(Note: This photo was from the "Bethlehem Walk" that their fellowship put on every year at Christmas time. Todd's parents participated for about 25 years as shopkeepers. When we visited in 2010 they did this for the last time.)</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Todd’s family had a tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas together on Thanksgiving so that their children were free to celebrate Christmas elsewhere in December. They called this event “Thanksmas”. In 2010 we were planning to travel to Florida for this purpose. Todd wanted to stay for two weeks and I wanted to stay for only one. We had four children ages four and under at the time and was in the middle of potty training the twins. I didn’t like the idea of being away from home. We had pretty much come to a compromise on spending ten days when on November 15th Todd fell off of a roof and broke two vertebrae in his lower back as well as his left hand. His parents who were in their 70s at the time daringly invited us to Florida for Todd’s recovery. They rented an RV and Todd’s boss and coworker were kind enough to drive us down since Todd had to remain on his back. This was a huge blessing since in our case when Todd didn’t work, we didn’t eat. We ended up spending four months in Florida, a bit more than my desired one week. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/8e21695b088e53d929babe4b6149e560fde234bf/original/four-playing-w-daddy-on-beach-2.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">(Note: Todd's parents lived only a few blocks from the beach so we took advantage of this.)</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">After Papaw’s death in 2013 we realized just what a treasure that four month “vacation” was. It enabled our oldest four children to really bond with their grandparents and allowed me to do the same. Some of our most precious memories as a family come from that season. I get teary eyed just thinking about it. One of the items that I sometimes gave the children for lunch was called ants on a log and consisted of celery spread with peanut butter with raisins placed on the top. Papaw liked to pop the raisins in his mouth and then say “oo…oo…ouch…oo” as though the ants were biting him. The children got a real kick out of this. Several times while we were there Papaw made waffles with chocolate chips which is something he was known for. We sometimes do the same as a way to remember him, but I’ve found it is better to sprinkle them on top since they stick too much to the waffle maker (just in case you decide to try it). </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Because we’ve given the copyright of this song to the Holy Spirit, He might lead you to use it as the basis of a song for someone that you love and want to remember (i.e. “One thing I remember about Nanna…”, etc. One of these days I’d like to put it to a video with all of the photos that we have of the children with their Papaw. You might want to do the same with yours. Songs are a great way to deepen relational grooves (see the blog on relational grooving for an explanation of this). </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Papaw’s Song </p>
<p>One thing I remember about Papaw is he made waffles with chocolate chips </p>
<p>Another thing I remember about Papaw is the raisins that bit his lips </p>
<p>Mostly I remember that Papaw loved us and made life fun </p>
<p>And I’m sure when he first got to heaven Jesus said “Well done” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>One thing I remember about Papaw is his love for his family </p>
<p>Another thing I remember about Papaw is he did projects with my Daddy </p>
<p>And every time he would visit he’d pretend to shave my face </p>
<p>And although I really miss Papaw I know he’s in a better place </p>
<p> </p>
<p>One thing I remember about Papaw is he was always making new friends </p>
<p>Another thing I remember about Papaw is he was faithful until the end </p>
<p>And ‘though once he was the “Big Man on Campus” for 60 years he loved Grammy the best </p>
<p>And although he hated to leave her he was longing for heaven’s rest </p>
<p> </p>
<p>One thing I remember about Papaw is he served Christ until his last breath </p>
<p>And I am so thankful that Jesus conquered sin and sickness and death </p>
<p>For although we surely miss Papaw this is not the end </p>
<p>For I know that the next time we see him he’ll introduce us to his Best Friend </p>
<p> </p>
<p>One thing I remember about Papaw is he made waffles with chocolate chips </p>
<p>Another thing I remember about Papaw is the raisins that bit his lips </p>
<p>Mostly I remember that Papaw loved us and made life fun </p>
<p>And I’m sure when he first got to heaven Jesus said “Well done” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 2013 Holy Spirit (via Paula Smith)</p>3:19His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/55329732018-11-29T22:39:39-06:002018-11-29T22:45:36-06:00The Story Behind the Song #11: Make Me Willing<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/7d0b5f245aad4f69b13476f9c9dcd32d4e7279fb/original/tevya-w-girls-in-sweaters-2.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Sometimes we sense God calling us to do things that are well outside of our comfort zone. To be honest it is often easier to find something else to do that is perfectly Scriptural but may not be what He is calling us to do at the time. There might be a thousand things I’d rather do that are in line with Biblical principles, but if I’m avoiding the one thing that He is calling me to do now, then I am in disobedience. That is why this song is about calling on God to make me willing. Sometimes my prayers need to start there. Then after He has made me willing I know that He can easily enable me to do whatever it is. More than once I’ve had ideas that I suspected were from God and presented them to my husband fairly certain that he would shoot them down (and rather hoping that he would). The fact that he didn’t shoot them down only confirmed to me they were of God because they ran quite contrary to our natural desires. I may elaborate on these in future posts, but suffice it to say that God blessed these times of obedience. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I believe if we really want to grow in Christ we won’t set limits on what we are willing to do. When searching His Word for answers, we must first neutralize our own desires. Too often we approach such a study merely with the desire to justify our own selfish will. We must be willing to have our idols exposed and destroyed. If we are unwilling to do so then we need to question whether we should call ourselves Christians. I believe that one of the enemies greatest tactics in this day is to have many call themselves Christians who don’t even understand what the term means. I was once one of them. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We receive the Voice of the Martyrs magazine each month and the stories in that publication challenge and inspire me to be willing to always love a little more than I’m comfortable with. That is why I dedicated this to those who are persecuted for their faith. May we one day be blessed to be counted among them. When I consider how little we are persecuted in this country for our faith, I find myself wanting to take advantage of that freedom and use it for God’s glory. I’ll admit that I’m not always as willing as I want to be and that is what this song is about. I need the Lord to make me more willing. Apart from Him, I have neither the desire nor the ability to do His will. The more I grow in Him the less there is that I am unwilling to sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom. There is great freedom in that. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(Note: The photo is of Tevya and his twin sisters Tiveria and Tikvah who were born roughly sixteen months after him. The fact that we believe God wants us to trust Him with our family size as well as with our home births has caused minor persecution for us among believers and unbelievers alike. We wouldn't change anything however. When the choice is between obeying God or pleasing man, we would be foolish to choose the latter.)</span></p>
<p> </p>
<h2>Make Me Willing (A Song for the Persecuted Church) </h2>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to be misunderstood so that others might understand? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to follow after Jesus, not in the steps of man? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to be rejected so that others can be embraced? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to fall on my knees and seek my Savior’s face? </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Refrain </p>
<p><span class="font_large">Lord make me willing to be willing </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I need Your Spirit to work in me </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Apart from Jesus, I have no power </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">To walk in the truth of my identity </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Lord make me willing </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to be made low so that others might be lifted up? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to empty myself to fill another's cup? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to get myself dirty so that others can be made clean? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to be hidden, humble, and unseen? (Refrain) </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to be broken so that others can be made whole? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to seek Christ’s kingdom and not my own goals? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to be thought a fool so that others can become wise? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to set my sights on my heavenly prize? (Refrain) </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to be wronged so that others can be made right? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to lose the battle so that Christ can win the fight? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to have myself bound so that others can be set free? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Am I willing to glorify God and stop seeking it for me? (Refrain) </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 2018 Holy Spirit (via Paula Smith)</p>5:53His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/55329572018-11-29T22:04:23-06:002018-11-29T22:04:23-06:00The Story Behind the Song #10: Purify His Bride<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/c3015977301aa7fba212bd1ed4a152a5ad5c26f5/original/img-1026.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large">This past spring our family attended an Above Rubies Family Camp here in Tennessee. While there we met a couple that invited us to attend a marriage seminar that they were hosting in another part of Tennessee in June that Colin and Nancy Campbell would also be teaching at. At the time I didn’t think much about it, but later felt like God wanted us to attend. This song arrived shortly before the seminar. God had been showing Todd a lot about the importance of the marriage relationship and it was a big part of our evening conversations after we said goodnight to the children and retired for the night. We both had suffered as a result of divorce in our past (my parents and his spouse) so we had experienced first hand the consequences of sin in this realm. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Around this time God led Todd to do an eighty day fast from marital activity. We don’t recommend this, by the way, unless it is God’s idea. One of the things that we noticed was that it was far more difficult for Todd than it was for me. I think most couples would find this to be the case. This is what we believe God was trying to teach us through this. Just as a young man who has remained pure is so very ready to consummate the union with his bride, so is Christ ready to do the same with His. However, His Bride has not prepared herself as she should. She is distracted with many things and barely even thinks of her Bridegroom. If you read in the old testament (Ez. 16, etc.) you will find some pretty graphic depictions of what His bride has been up to. Are those of us who call ourselves Christians excited about His return and preparing for it or are we treating this life more like a bachelor party? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We often get this idea that Christ must return soon because things have become so evil. What we forget is that the purpose of this life is preparation for the next. His Bride needs to be making herself ready for the wedding feast and what follows. She isn’t supposed to be partying with the world. That is what this song is about. We must not forget what marriage represents or we will take it too lightly and give up too easily. Marriage is something that we must prepare our children for early on. We must emphasize to them the importance of purity prior to marriage. We must train our daughters to submit to their fathers so that they are better able to submit to their husbands. We must teach our sons to respect, love, and cherish their mothers and sisters, not be users of women. When those who profess faith in Christ have no more power to hold a marriage together than those of the world, we are clearly not operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to repent of our failures in this realm and cry out to God for His mercy. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Todd and I have a fire in us for seeing marriages succeed because we know the destruction that results when they don’t. This song is our encouragement to anyone who is tempted to give up in the fight. God can enable you to win this battle. Don’t give in to the lies of the enemy. Marriage is worth fighting for. It is a picture of our Savior and His Bride. It is not about fulfilling our own selfishness. It is about glorifying Him. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(Note: This photo is of Thor (5 1/2) and Tirzah (4) in September of 2017. We had recently attended a betrothal ceremony where the bridegroom washed his bride’s feet. Thor and Tirzah were simply acting out what they had seen. Weddings and betrothals make great homeschooling opportunities. What a great picture of how the Bride of Christ is to be purified as well.) </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Purify His Bride </p>
<p>Refrain </p>
<p>We must remember brothers when we’re tempted to give in </p>
<p>To the lies of the devil, the deceptiveness of sin; </p>
<p>When we were still a harlot, our Savior bled and died, </p>
<p>But through His resurrection came power to purify His Bride. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>We must not take our unions lightly and the picture they portray, </p>
<p>For in them there is truth that God wants us to convey. </p>
<p>God is not merely our Maker, our Redeemer, and Best Friend; </p>
<p>He is our eternal Lover, faithful without end. (Refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Are we excited about His coming? Are we preparing for that day? </p>
<p>Or are we busy and distracted with that which rots and decays? </p>
<p>Are we seeking other lovers feeding our selfishness within? </p>
<p>We may say we love our Bridegroom, but do we really love our sin? (Refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The enemy is so busy, oh so busy in this day, </p>
<p>Destroying entire families, causing spouses to go astray. </p>
<p>We must not give him a foothold, we must repent of our pride. </p>
<p>For Christ is longing to return, but He’s awaiting His Pure Bride. (Refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 2018 Holy Spirit (via Paula Smith)</p>3:59His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/55328732018-11-29T20:55:32-06:002018-11-29T21:02:54-06:00The Story Behind the Song #9: The "Be Healed" Song<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/a02b7c06a82bf8e8703467102485e18a0f401e86/original/daddy-and-four-ready-to-swim-4.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Back in June of 2010 when our twins were about two and a half years old, Tiveria, the eldest, fell from the top of the ladder that leads to the loft, roughly eight feet. Todd and I were around a corner from each other at the time and each thought the other was watching her. We only heard the awful sound of her head smacking the floor. We both rushed to the scene and found her bleeding profusely from a gash in her head. I was so thankful that Todd was home as he responds so much better in these situations than I do. Todd commanded the bleeding to stop and had me apply a cloth to her head as I carried her around the house speaking life and healing to her. This song came to me at that time since it enabled me not only to pray for Tiveria but kept me from becoming a basket case. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Our default mode is to treat all medical conditions at home unless the Lord clearly leads us to do otherwise. Therefore as I was singing to her Todd requested prayer and resources from friends and neighbors. He located some superglue and butterfly bandages that we used in her treatment. Afterwards, however, he banned me from ever using superglue again as I squeezed half the tube on Tiveria’s head and it was a real trick to get it out of her hair after the ordeal was over. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Since then we have often sung this song for those in need of healing. One of the things that our family has begun to practice in the last few years is to pray for people while we are out and about. Wherever we happen to be, we ask God to show us who He would have us pray for along the way. We’ve been greatly influenced by Dan Mohler, Todd White and others in this regard (you can find them on Youtube). We are often drawn to people with obvious physical needs and we often use this song to pray for them. This has especially come in handy with our younger children who are the quickest to spot canes and wheelchairs and know the “Be Healed” song well. We don’t limit our prayers to physical needs, but they are often what provide an obvious open door. I’ve found that this habit has made me feel much more satisfaction after our shopping trips. Even if we don’t accomplish all that we’d set out to in the physical, I often feel that the trip was well worth it because of what was accomplished in the spiritual. Even if we don’t see people miraculously healed every time, we believe God when He says that love never fails and at the very least, we know that we are being changed. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(Note: The photo is of Tiveria two days after the fall. She still has a scar that helps people outside of the family to distinguish her from her sister.)</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The “Be Healed” Song</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Be healed in the name of Jesus, </p>
<p>Be healed, be healed; </p>
<p>Be healed in the name of Jesus, </p>
<p>Be healed, be healed; </p>
<p>Be healed, be healed, </p>
<p>Be healed, be healed; </p>
<p>Be healed in the name of Jesus, </p>
<p>Be healed, be healed </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 2010 Holy Spirit (via Paula Smith)</p>
<p> </p>0:44His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/55328702018-11-29T20:36:35-06:002018-11-29T21:10:53-06:00The Story Behind the Song #8: We Are Soldiers<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/0d7b6fb86db81c6a8e1a55bb6d3c7426294de1a9/original/dscn7071-2.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Many years ago when I lived in San Antonio shortly after getting out of the Air Force, I attended a Navigators ministry retreat with my friends and mentors Bud and Lynn Nelson. The main speaker had been in the military and spoke on being soldiers for Jesus Christ. A couple of the texts that he mentioned that weekend served as the inspiration for this song (see below). We sometimes start our morning prayers by “getting dressed” with the armor either by singing this song or by praying a similar prayer that a friend sent in the mail. Conveniently there are six articles mentioned to put on and we have six children so they have each been assigned one to mention during the prayer. </p>
<p>(Note: The photo is of Tevya when he turned seven. Our very artistic young friend Joseph made the shield and sword for his birthday.) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>We Are Soldiers </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Refrain </p>
<p>Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power </p>
<p>Put on the full armor of God and take a stand in this dark hour </p>
<p>For we are soldiers. We must endure hardship together </p>
<p>For our mission is to serve Christ Jesus, our Commander </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers and authorities </p>
<p>Against the powers of this dark world and spiritual entities </p>
<p>For all the guns and bombs in this world can never change a heart </p>
<p>So you’d better choose your weapons carefully before you even start (refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist </p>
<p>With the breastplate of righteousness held firmly in its place </p>
<p>Unwilling to compromise even when facing death </p>
<p>Trusting that the Lord is in control of each and every breath (refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>With the readiness from the Gospel of peace fitted on your feet </p>
<p>And the shield of faith deflecting flaming arrows, you’ll never call retreat </p>
<p>Though an army besiege you, you will not fear </p>
<p>For even when you feel alone, you know the Lord is near (refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>With the helmet of salvation fixed firmly on your head </p>
<p>And the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, you’ll strike your enemy dead </p>
<p>Lifting prayers up to the One who sets the prisoner free </p>
<p>For in the spiritual battlefield, the Lord is our victory (refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 1999 Holy Spirit (via Paula Thorson) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” Ephesians 6:10-18 </p>
<p>“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” 2 Timothy 2:3</p>5:46His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/55249152018-11-23T05:12:26-06:002018-11-29T21:10:25-06:00The Story Behind the Song #7: Lord I Thank You<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/8eb8eb5e0c7b726b6d8d03d6e56d5a127f7deaee/original/usafa-cadet-chapel.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">I seem to remember this song dropping into my head while walking along outside of Mitchell Hall (the cafeteria) while a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy around my junior year sometime in 1993. Although I’d grown up attending church, it wasn’t until that year that I became painfully aware of my confusion regarding what it meant to be a Christian. Someone recommended the book “More Than a Carpenter” by Josh McDowell to me around this time and it helped to clear things up. It was then that I believed that Jesus was who He said He was, did what He said He did, and that the Bible was true. I can’t honestly tell you the exact moment at which I became “born again”, but I know that at this point I had become a follower of Jesus and began studying the Bible more seriously. I was such a young believer however that when asked to share my testimony during a chapel service around this time, I didn’t have a clue what they meant and asked if I could just sing this song instead. Thankfully one of my classmates was gifted on the piano and she accompanied me. It wasn’t until years later that I began attempting to accompany myself using the guitar. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(Note: The photo is of the Cadet Chapel at the United States Air Force Academy.)</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lord I Thank You </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Refrain </p>
<p>Lord I thank You for my life </p>
<p>And I lift it up to You </p>
<p>May I use it to Your glory </p>
<p>Living it the way You want me to </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lord I thank You for my hands. May they always do Your work, </p>
<p>No matter where I am, no matter how much they hurt. </p>
<p>Lord I thank You for my eyes. May they never fail to see </p>
<p>All the suffering around me, the souls that need to be set free. (refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lord I thank You for my feet. May they always walk in Your ways </p>
<p>May they run and not grow weary even on the longest days. </p>
<p>Lord I thank You for my voice. May it proclaim the news of Your Son. </p>
<p>Although weak or rough or faltering, may it not cease until Your work is done (refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 1993 Holy Spirit (via Paula Thorson)</p>
<p> </p>3:33His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/55138552018-11-14T16:08:05-06:002018-11-29T21:20:50-06:00Paula’s Ponderings #3: Relational Grooving <p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/213dca932b61d6da65cc43ba3f20d36783beccf0/original/ngj-cover-2.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(A fun side note: A friend that I graduated from the Air Force Academy with gave me the book “To Train Up a Child” by Michael and Debi Pearl shortly after our graduation in 1994. I was a fairly new believer at age 25 and one of the first things that struck me when I read the book was my need to train up myself. I was also drawn to the “horse and buggy” community that they described. Little did I know that ten years later the Lord would lead me to marry a man in that very community just five minutes from the Pearl’s fellowship. We attended their fellowship for about four years and during that time Debi took a picture of our son Thor shortly after his birth for this cover shot of their magazine. We’ve been very blessed by their ministry throughout the years.) </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">After reading Debi Pearl’s article on brain grooving in one of their recent “No Greater Joy” magazines, I’ve thought of it often and specifically considered its impact on relationships. The following is my own theory based on my own experiences. I should note that the reason I feel comfortable writing about my early feelings toward my parents is because those feelings have changed because of Jesus Christ. My inability to love them was my problem, not theirs. However, if they had known the Lord and taught me the truth as well, my problem would likely have been dealt with sooner. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">In 6th grade, my feuding parents divorced; I had more affection for the family cat (Patrick) than I did for either of them. I bawled when discovering that living with our Dad meant giving up the cat. I don’t recall thinking twice about leaving our full-time, stay-at-home mom. I suspect that because I spent more positive time with Patrick, I developed relational “grooves” which encouraged the flow of love (or at least affection). When the guardian ad litem asked which parent we preferred to live with, my only concern was that I remain with my older sister who functionally acted as our mom despite the fact she was only 16 months my senior. Because of public school and a dysfunctional household, three daughters spent little time with either parent. When we did, we experienced a superficial connection. Is it any wonder in this day that children have a greater bond to their devices than to their parents? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Although we attended a church, the reality of God did not reside in our house, nor did we read the Bible. I personally cried out to God for guidance frequently with a heart’s desire to do the right thing. But without adults in my circle who worshipped Him, a decade passed before I found the answers I sought. My older sister (a well-behaved, straight-A student) will tell you that she actually wanted to kill both of our parents by age twelve. I don’t recall ever having feelings quite so intense, but I harbored disinterest toward both of them and eventually hatred for my dad. I remember once trying to comfort our chronically depressed mom with “Jesus loves you,” because I knew that I didn’t. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Years later, while a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy, I learned what it truly meant to be a Christian and began seriously studying the Bible after caring Christians invested time in me. Within a few years, my transformed mind acknowledged that God’s will no longer meant serving as a military officer. Although I didn’t know precisely what was next, I needed to continue to seek God through Bible study and prayer so I could reevaluate my entire life in light of the Gospel. Thankfully I had money in savings to support myself during this quest without having to look for employment. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">After about one year in this situation, I considered the possibility of pursuing missions in Africa with a ministry based in San Antonio, Texas whose leader attended the same fellowship I did. As I prayed for God’s confirmation, I felt uncomfortable with the thought of missionary goals when I knew I still hated my earthly dad. God had changed my heart in many ways, but this dark spot remained. I asked God to change my heart, hoping for a quick fix. Instead I sensed the Holy Spirit telling me that instead of ministering to orphans in Africa, I needed to return to my hometown and serve my dad. Amazingly, I surrendered to this call and actually lived with my dad for several months and later moved to a small apartment nearby. As a funeral director with his own business, I was able to work for him. He was also very involved in community service and I helped him in those areas as well. While avoiding direct confrontation regarding my radical career choices, it was clear he would have preferred it if I had stayed in the Air Force. He of course was unaware of my real goal. After about two years of actively serving my dad in his physical presence, I distinctly recall the day I felt if he died, I’d actually cry. What a breakthrough! God had answered my prayer. By serving and regularly praying for him, I theorize that relational grooves formed that enabled love to finally flow his direction. God hadn’t changed my dad; He had changed me! </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Scripture tells of the lack of love and affection in the last days. Our fast-paced lifestyle and social media training contributes to this reality. Christians fail to see the great danger lurking with the advent of the industrial revolution. When Americans started producing things without relationship, we lost the one ingredient that mattered most. God’s goal has never been more, better, cheaper widgets. His priority is love (1 Cor. 13:1-3). The enemy has fooled us into thinking that we have important relationships when we don’t. I closed my Facebook account when I realized no-one can have several hundred meaningful relationships; the attempt to do so threatens the few important relationships I do have. I found myself wanting to pray for all my FB “friends” who had problems, which meant I’d neglect sufficient prayer for my husband and children. I believe that this is one of the greatest tactics of the enemy in these last days. The devil overloads us on all sides with information, so we are rendered impotent unless the Holy Spirit makes clear the path of greatest value. Facebook “relationships” are largely self-serving and therefore don’t lead to greater love of others. If a relationship doesn’t involve sacrifice, then it doesn’t foster love. The greater the sacrifice, the deeper the groove, and the more love which flows. “Hereby perceive we the love of God because He laid down His life for us…” (1 John 3:16). We may sparingly utilize Facebook and other similar social media for kingdom purposes. Yet if we have time to spend on those efforts and don’t have time for old-fashioned face-to-face hospitality or prayer for immediate relatives, then we must consider our priorities in light of God’s Word. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We best form meaningful relational “grooves” over time as we pray for, serve, spend quality time with, and think about other people. Parents who do not do any of this for or with their children cannot expect their children to have affection for them. If family members merely sleep in the same house at night, how can we expect to love one another? The only way to navigate these treacherous waters safely is with God at the helm. Put Him at the center of our lives and thoughts. First and foremost, we must spend quality and quantity time with Him -- the source of all true love. Cry out for His Holy Spirit to lead as we can’t understand His Word properly without it. If we are not careful, the spirit of selfishness can actually use God’s Word to justify our own self-centered desires. Secondly we need to prioritize the relationships closest to us (spouse, children, friends, neighbors). If we really love these people in our inner circle, those who seek truth will flock to us when they witness our happy marriages, cheerful children, and unconditional love for those with differing views. The world will know our Christ by His love in us and draw near to what we have. If we have no love for others (are unwilling to make sacrifices for them), we need to question whether we are indeed Christians at all. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I will leave you with a favorite homemade song to date. A good friend inspired its lyrics through her daily demonstration of sacrificial love and wise words. She humbly serves her family and friends with the fruit of her life bearing witness to the truth. I think it supports the grooving theory. You can hear it sung here on this website. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We’re Not Just Growing Gardens </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(For my friend Brenda, a woman of wisdom) </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(July, 2017) </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Refrain </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Sometimes in this fast-paced world things get topsy turvy </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Many question why they’re here and what their goals should be </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">In Christ we have the answers that they’re looking for </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Lord, help our lives to show His reality </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">For we’re not just growing gardens, we’re growing children </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We’re not just building houses, we’re building men </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We’re not just making music, we’re making memories </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">And glorifying God with our family and friends </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">We’re not merely making meals, we’re making Mamas </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We’re not merely making a living, we’re making a life </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Our goal is not comfort and security </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">In the end it will all be worth any struggle or strife (Refrain) </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">For God doesn’t just value the product, He values the process </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We who are made in His image should do the same </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">More than just obedience, He wants a relationship </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">With those He created to glorify His name </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">We’re not just prepping for tomorrow, we’re preparing for eternity </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We’re not just changing behavior, we’re transforming minds </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Lord keep us from love of the world or pursuit of vanity </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">For we’re trusting Holy Spirit to prepare Christ’s bride (Refrain)</span></p>3:35His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/55124652018-11-14T04:02:49-06:002018-11-29T21:20:03-06:00Paula’s Ponderings #2: The Power of Praise and Thanksgiving <p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/32c3b49bcfbb7691e5ccdfc869959686266756ed/original/the-girls-4.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Recently a friend shared with me a story about a potentially “scary” situation that her family went through. Prior to the situation the Lord had given her a dream to reassure her that He would get them through it. As a result they didn’t have any fear and instead God was able to use it to strengthen their faith. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">In thinking of her situation I was reminded of a dream that I once had and a couple of potentially “scary” situations that God brought us through. About fifteen years ago I was in a fellowship where there was a great emphasis on praising and thanking God no matter the situation. Around that same time a friend recommended to me the book “Prison to Praise” by Merlin Carothers which also had the same message. Still around that same time the Lord gave me a very vivid dream as described below. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I was with a group of people in a large room of a very large building. I looked out the window and saw a massive fire ball rolling toward the building at high speed. I turned and said to the other people, “Quick, start praising the Lord.” At once we all began doing so and as a result the fire ball rolled right over the building without causing any harm. God seemed to be saying that as long as we continued to praise Him, nothing could harm us. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We have tried to train our children to praise the Lord and give Him thanks no matter the situation. Sometimes when they whine and ask “How come this or that happened?”, I’ll simply tell them it is because God wants them to learn to praise and thank Him amidst affliction. I have to admit this is somewhat tongue-in-cheek due to the great lack of true affliction in our lives. It has seemed to pay off, however. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">A little over a year ago our family of eight was traveling home from Wisconsin in our heavily loaded twelve passenger van. We had stayed the night with some friends in the St. Louis area and were on a large four lane highway traveling south when one of our back tires blew out and sent us spinning down the highway. Thankfully my husband was driving, not me, but he’ll admit to having no control of the vehicle. Amazingly, even though this was a very heavily traveled highway there was nobody behind us at the time and after doing a full 360 (not in a straight line mind you) we came to rest off the right side of the highway facing south, as if we had simply pulled over into the grass. The most fascinating part about the whole situation was the reaction of everyone in the van. When I turned around to ask the children (ages 5 to 11 at the time) if they were ok and if anyone was scared, they gave me somewhat confused looks as though they had no idea what they were to be scared about. Some of them even thought it was fun. Todd and I also felt no fear. In my case instead of crying out for God to save us as I would have expected, I simply calmly kept saying, “Thank you Jesus” over and over. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">As a result of this experience I realized how much the enemy has trained us through movies and other media to react with fear in such situations. In Christian circles we often hear that joy is an inward condition not dependent upon outward circumstances, but yet we often take it for granted that in “scary” circumstances we will be fearful at least initially. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">My second illustration occurred about eleven years ago with my second pregnancy. My husband and I decided early on to do home births and my first experience with my oldest son was longer and more painful than expected. As a result I found myself rather fearful as we approached the second. Therefore we spent a good deal of time praying against fear in preparation for it. Also, when I’m in pain during labor I sing a little ditty that goes like this, “Praise the Lord, Thank You Jesus…” over and over. God was good and blessed our efforts but it wasn’t until well after the birth that I realized it. An older woman from our local fellowship asked me, “Weren’t you scared?” It was then that I realized how completely God had answered our prayers. I really hadn’t been scared despite the fact that we were surprised by twins with the second one being in the transverse position initially, and we only had friends present and not a trained midwife. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Here is my own theory on fear and praising God. I think when we are fearful, God’s angels have to spend their time and energy fighting the spirit of fear instead of doing other work such as guiding a van safely to the side of the road or ensuring a safe birth. I believe when we can praise Him and thank Him in the midst of difficult situations then we are empowering the “good guys”, but if we give in to fear then we are giving power to the “bad guys”. I encourage you to try it the next time you are tempted to give in to fear. Also, I highly encourage you to read the book mentioned earlier, “Prison to Praise” by Merlin Carothers. It will inspire you to this end.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(Note: The photo is of our twin girls (Tiveria and Tikvah) on the day that they were born.)</span></p>1:20His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/55057592018-11-08T21:47:17-06:002018-11-29T21:10:02-06:00The Story Behind the Song #6 : You Are My Advocate <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/a9f89b5a5daef4f529fe44e5799c63d5fbbbf476/original/photo-for-you-are-my-advocate.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 1.4em;">For about three or four years we attended a small local fellowship here in middle Tennessee where the men had the freedom to share from the pulpit at the beginning of the service. One Sunday a young man got up and simply read a list of the various names and attributes of God in alphabetical order. I made a mental note to one day write a song using that list. Several years later I finally made the time to pray about it and this was the result. The children and I have also attempted to do sign language with the various names. The neat thing about sign language is that the sign itself often helps you to remember the meaning. I also think it would be neat to do a Bible study on all of these names one day. (Note: This photo was taken in November of 2005 when Todd and I took our first trip to Florida together to see his family after we were married.)</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>You Are My Advocate </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You are my Advocate, my All in All </p>
<p>Almighty God, Ancient of Days </p>
<p>The Alpha and Omega, </p>
<p>The Author and Finisher of our faith </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You are Beautiful, Beloved of the Father </p>
<p>Bread of Life, the Beginning and the End </p>
<p>The Bright and Morning Star, the Bishop of our Souls </p>
<p>Banner, Branch, Bridegroom, and my Best Friend </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You are my Comforter, my Cornerstone </p>
<p>The Creator of all Creation </p>
<p>You are my Defender, my Deliverer </p>
<p>The Door and the Desire of Nations </p>
<p> </p>
<p>My Everlasting Father, Faithful and True Witness </p>
<p>The Firstborn, Fortress and The Gate </p>
<p>My Good Shepherd, Governor and Guardian </p>
<p>The God on whom I wait </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You’re the Head of the Body, You’re my Healer </p>
<p>My Helper, the Holy One of Israel </p>
<p>Image of the Invisible God, You are I AM </p>
<p>Immortal, my Inheritance, Immanuel </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You are Jesus of Nazareth, the Judge and Justifier </p>
<p>King Eternal, King of Glory, King of Kings </p>
<p>The King of Israel, the King of the Jews </p>
<p>Lamb of God and Life Everlasting </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You are the Lion of the Tribe of Judah </p>
<p>Light of the World, the Lily of the Valley </p>
<p>You are the Light of Men, You are the Lord of Lords </p>
<p>Lord Jesus Christ and Lord God Almighty </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You are my Maker, You are my Master </p>
<p>My Mediator, and the Man of Sorrows </p>
<p>You are Messiah, You are Mighty God </p>
<p>Mighty One, Most High, yet Merciful </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You are Love Incarnate, the Only Wise God </p>
<p>The Name Above all Names </p>
<p>The Pearl of Great Price, the Great Physician </p>
<p>One with the Father, Only Begotten of the same </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You are my Provider, You are my Redeemer </p>
<p>My Refuge, Rabbi, and Prince of Peace </p>
<p>The Resurrection and the Life, Sun of Righteousness </p>
<p>Rose of Sharon, Righteous Judge and my High Priest </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You are my Savior, my Sanctifier </p>
<p>My Strength and the Rock of Salvation </p>
<p>Son of the Living God, the Suffering Servant </p>
<p>My Shield and my Sure Foundation </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You are my Teacher, the Undefiled Truth </p>
<p>You are Worthy, the Vine, and the Way </p>
<p>Wonderful Counselor, Word of God and Word of Life </p>
<p>You are Yeshua, and You are Yahweh </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 2016 Holy Spirit (via Paula Smith)</p>6:35His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/54927912018-10-30T16:44:06-05:002018-11-29T21:09:40-06:00The Story Behind the Song #5: Go (A Song of Deliverance) <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/6f2a3afc730752b46a9e40b25be65476028b87e8/original/found-a-weed-2.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">“And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:7&8 </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">In the spring of 2016 our family traveled to San Antonio, Texas to attend a Kickstart Conference being put on by Torben Sondergaard of Denmark. During that long weekend my husband got baptized for the third time. He grew up Baptist and was baptized once at the age of 8 and again at the age of 15. However, through Torben’s teaching Todd understood baptism in such a new way that he felt the need to do it yet again at the age of 51. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">One of the things that Torben pointed out about baptism that hadn’t been a part of Todd’s previous understanding was the fact that when you go down in the water and “die with Christ” it causes any demons that have been tormenting you to lose their grip and is the perfect time to cast them out. Therefore Torben asked that each person getting baptized specify what demons they thought needed to be cast out. While Todd hadn’t given in to it for a long time, pornography remained something that he had to continuously fight. Anger was also something that he had to fight daily. Therefore, these were the two spirits that were targeted during his baptism. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">While it isn’t always the case, for Todd this was a pretty dramatic event. He groaned and coughed and doesn’t even remember part of the battle that ensued when these spirits were told to leave. Afterwards those who water baptized him also prayed for him to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. One of the first things to happen to him after this was he received a word of knowledge for one of the other men getting baptized that day. It wasn’t until several days later when he was praying for my back that he actually started speaking in a language that neither one of us is familiar with. This is not something that he was seeking per se. He merely told God that he was open to receiving whatever God wanted to give him. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Regarding the anger, Todd noticed a difference the very next morning when he reported that it felt great not to wake up angry. I was surprised to learn that that had been the case. I knew he wasn’t a morning person, but I didn’t realize that anger had had such a hold on him. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Around this time frame we also read some interesting books on spiritual warfare such as “They Shall Expel Demons” by Derek Prince and “Pigs in the Parlor” by Frank and Ida Mae Hammond. I suddenly realized as I read these books just how many wrong spirits had influenced me and my family of origin throughout the years. I also realized that many had ceased to be a problem simply due to seeking the Lord for twenty plus years. However, I was somewhat grieved to realize that this growth could have taken place much faster if I would have had a better understanding of the spiritual realm sooner. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Because my method of application tends to be through music, it was only natural to write a song for the purpose of casting out demons. This is a song that we sing frequently in our household as a reminder not to give in to the ugly spirits that want to invade our lives. Our goal is to be completely emptied of self and all its ugliness and just be filled with the Holy Spirit. It isn’t unusual for us to put off breakfast and sing this song several times in order to try and get the spiritual climate of our home under control. It would be nice if the spirits just left and never returned, but we need to keep fighting and not get spiritually lazy. The fight doesn’t just involve casting out spirits. We must also be filled with the Holy Spirit and continue to seek God in all the ways outlined in His Word. May this song help you as you also fight the good fight of faith. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Note about the photograph: Unfortunately I am unable to find a photo of the baptisms that took place in 2016, but here is a photo of Todd and Tevya nine years earlier playing in the creek near our home.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Go (A Song of Deliverance) </p>
<p>Over the course of our history God’s children have suffered needlessly, </p>
<p>Surrendering to spirits not of Christ, leading to death instead of life; </p>
<p>God’s given the power to change our fate, </p>
<p>So lets cast them out before its too late </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In Jesus Name we say </p>
<p>Go! to the spirit of selfishness. Go! to the spirit of pride. </p>
<p>Go! to the spirit of anger, self-righteousness and suicide. </p>
<p>Go! to the spirit of judgement, legalism and conceit. </p>
<p>Go! to the spirit of hatred, manipulation and deceit. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But we say, Come Holy Spirit! Come and come real soon. </p>
<p>Come Holy Spirit; We’re cleaning house so there is room. </p>
<p>Come God of Creation, our precious Prince of Peace. </p>
<p>Come Rock of our Salvation; may all other spirits cease. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In Jesus Name we say </p>
<p>Go! to the spirit of rejection. Go! to the spirit of lies. </p>
<p>Go! to the spirit of contention, sarcasm and compromise. </p>
<p>Go! to the spirit of depression, criticism, gossip and greed. </p>
<p>Go to condemnation and all others that we don’t need. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But we say Come Holy Spirit! Come and come real soon. </p>
<p>Come Holy Spirit; We’re cleaning house so there is room. </p>
<p>Come God of Creation and fill this void inside. </p>
<p>Come Rock of our Salvation so we have nothing to hide. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In Jesus Name we say </p>
<p>Go! to the spirit of bitterness. Go! to insanity. </p>
<p>Go! to the spirit of arrogance, rebellion and anxiety. </p>
<p>Go! to the spirit of division, irritation, resentment, and fear. </p>
<p>Go! to unforgiveness and all others unwelcome here. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But we say Come Holy Spirit! Come and come real soon. </p>
<p>Come Holy Spirit; We’re cleaning house so there is room. </p>
<p>Come God of Creation, our precious Prince of Peace. </p>
<p>Come Rock of our Salvation; may our unity increase. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Over the course of our history God’s children have suffered needlessly. </p>
<p>Let us now surrender only to Christ so we can enjoy the abundant life. </p>
<p>We can have fellowship with God and each other, </p>
<p>So let’s walk in His Spirit and reject all others. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 2016 Holy Spirit (via Paula Smith)</p>4:29His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/54879942018-10-26T17:21:37-05:002018-11-29T21:09:17-06:00The Story Behind the Song #4: We're Not Just Growing Gardens<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/585e1e85a292797ff86fa2ff11f8b2891fea7489/original/img-0495.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">This song was inspired by my friend Brenda whom God often uses as a conduit to share His wisdom. I like to collect quotes and while the words of this song are not direct quotes from her, they do contain many of the ideas contained therein. Here are some of my favorites that I’ve heard her say. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“We’re not just building a house, we’re building men.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“Homeschooling isn’t so much about what we expose our children to as what we don’t expose our children to.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“Do you want it now or do you want it best?” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“When I talk I feel powerful. When I listen, I am powerful.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“You will either grow a garden or grow the gardener.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“Children will build the boat they are going to float in from whatever they find around them.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“It isn’t so much consensus that we need, but grace.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We’ve now been meeting with Brenda and her family for fellowship in our homes for almost four years and feel as though we’ve grown spiritually by leaps and bounds as a result. We meet with a small group that makes use of the resources found on the website SimpleChurchAtHome.com. I’m putting in this plug based on our own experience. I highly recommend it for those who consider themselves truth-seekers and are serious about growing in their faith.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(Note: The photo is of our daughter Tirzah (age 4) next to the sunflower that she grew in her garden during the summer of 2017.)</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>We’re Not Just Growing Gardens </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Refrain </p>
<p>Sometimes in this fast paced world things get topsy turvy. </p>
<p>Many question why they’re here and what their goals should be. </p>
<p>In Christ we have the answers that they’re looking for. </p>
<p>Lord, help our lives to show His reality. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For we’re not just growing gardens, we’re growing children. </p>
<p>We’re not just building houses, we’re building men. </p>
<p>We’re not just making music, we’re making memories, </p>
<p>And glorifying God with our family and friends. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>We’re not merely making meals, we’re making Mamas. </p>
<p>We’re not merely making a living, we’re making a life. </p>
<p>Our goal is not comfort and security. </p>
<p>In the end it will all be worth any struggle or strife. (Refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For God doesn’t just value the product, He values the process. </p>
<p>We who are made in His image should do the same. </p>
<p>More than just obedience, He wants a relationship </p>
<p>With those He created to glorify His name </p>
<p> </p>
<p>We’re not just prepping for tomorrow, we’re preparing for eternity. </p>
<p>We’re not just changing behavior, we’re transforming minds. </p>
<p>Lord keep us from love of the world or pursuit of vanity, </p>
<p>For we’re trusting Holy Spirit to prepare Christ’s bride (Refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 2017 Holy Spirit (via Paula Smith)</p>3:35His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/54833152018-10-23T18:43:35-05:002018-11-29T21:08:54-06:00The Story Behind the Song #3: Never Will I Leave You<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/91922c87bfe4ab145446693a851ee0e213dc9844/original/img-2435.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />This song "Never Will I Leave You" was originally written in 1999 for a good friend who was going through a difficult time. A few weeks ago we were recording it as a family in the living room. The children were holding our new kitten Theophilos and I asked them to put him outside in order to avoid being distracted. A few minutes later we were surprised to see him reappear in the living room. We were somewhat perplexed but simply put him back out again so that we could resume recording. It wasn’t long before he reappeared a second time in the middle of our recording session which of course was extremely distracting. I think I was the last one to realize what everyone was looking at and by that time we were all holding back laughter and couldn’t continue recording. Therefore we gave it up and just had a cheerful chuckle. The mystery was also solved and remedied at this point. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Earlier in the day Todd had done some work on the tub in the master bathroom in order to fix a leak in the faucet. To do this he had to access under the tub which meant removing a board attached to the wall next to the tub giving access to the crawl space under the house. Theophilos obviously had discovered this secret passage and was happy to make use of it. Todd tossed him outside one last time and put the board back in place which finally solved the problem. The recording however had to wait until the following evening, so much for avoiding distraction. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I thought it was meaningful that this little incident happened while recording “Never Will I Leave You”. It seemed to me that God wanted to give us a picture of just how much He wants to be with us and that it is never His choice to cause any distance between us. Rather we are the ones that often try to toss Him out and board up our hearts to deny Him access. The problem is never with Him. If we lack a sense of intimacy with God, it is due to our choices, not His.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(Note: The photo is of our two cats Triphena (Pheeny), the darker one and Theophilus (Philo), the lighter one.)</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Never Will I Leave You </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He did not promise that you would not be lonely </p>
<p>But that you would not be alone </p>
<p>He did not promise that your heart wouldn’t be broken </p>
<p>But that He’d make your heart His home </p>
<p>He did not promise that your life would be easy </p>
<p>But that He would make you strong </p>
<p>He did not promise you a road without potholes </p>
<p>But He promised to go along </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For He said, “Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.” </p>
<p>“I will be with you always.” </p>
<p>“So do not fear, for I am with you; </p>
<p>Do not be dismayed.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He did not promise you fame and fortune </p>
<p>But He promised to provide </p>
<p>He did not promise you an earthly mansion </p>
<p>But that in Him you would abide </p>
<p>He did not promise you a life of perfection </p>
<p>But He promised you His righteousness </p>
<p>He did not promise you your dreams on a platter </p>
<p>But He promised you that which is best </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For He said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” </p>
<p>“No good thing will I withhold.” </p>
<p>“I will surely help you and I will give you strength.” </p>
<p>“My child, I will uphold.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He did not promise that the world would applaud you </p>
<p>But you’d be the apple of His eye </p>
<p>He did not promise that you would not know sorrow </p>
<p>But that He would hear your cry </p>
<p>He did not promise that there would not be arrows </p>
<p>But that He would be your shield </p>
<p>He did not promise you a war without wounded </p>
<p>But He’d be your victory in the battlefield </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For He said, “Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.” </p>
<p>“I will be your victory.” </p>
<p>“For my strength is made perfect in your weakness.” </p>
<p>“My grace is sufficient for thee.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 1999 Holy Spirit (via Paula Thorson)</p>
<p> </p>4:31His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/54708562018-10-15T16:58:04-05:002018-11-29T21:26:19-06:00The Story Behind the Song #2: Child of God<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/4bfcc78ec5322760dd9f3f2b06c38b4aa77c8753/original/w-thier-bday-cake-2.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />This song was written in 2000 as a gift for my younger sister’s daughter Arabella on her first birthday. We have since used it in our family as something of a “birthday” song. I decided to post it this month (October, 2018) since our twins turned eleven on the fourteenth. They are pictured above celebrating their first birthday. The young girl at the beginning of the song is the daughter of my friend Holly who played the piano and sang with me in the song. Her Daddy was kind enough to tickle her to get the sound effects that we were after. This song remains our prayer for our children, nieces, nephews, and any others we are blessed to know along the way.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Child of God </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Refrain </p>
<p>You are a child of God </p>
<p>You are fearfully and wonderfully made </p>
<p>And the Lord has a plan for your life </p>
<p>For this moment and for always </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And it’s my prayer that you will come to know Him </p>
<p>And love Him with all your heart </p>
<p>And it’s my prayer that you’ll walk on the right path </p>
<p>And serve Him from the very start (refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And it’s my prayer that you’ll know His compassion </p>
<p>And His unconditional love </p>
<p>And it’s my prayer that you’ll keep your eyes on Him </p>
<p>And your thoughts on the things above (refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And it’s my prayer that you will know His knowledge </p>
<p>And be wise about that which is good </p>
<p>And it’s my prayer that you’ll resist temptation </p>
<p>And learn to do as you should (refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And it’s my prayer your joy will be found in Him </p>
<p>And while on earth you’ll serve Him faithfully </p>
<p>And it’s my prayer that when this life is over </p>
<p>I’ll see you in eternity (refrain) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 2000 Holy Spirit (via Paula Thorson)</p>4:22His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/54621292018-10-09T17:03:29-05:002018-11-29T21:06:56-06:00The Story Behind the Song #1: He is Love<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/26128343356526d1d79417001dacca57fce69607/original/todd-and-paula-on-wedding-day-2.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Back in 2000 when I (Paula) was in my late 20s and attending a fellowship in San Antonio, TX the young singles helped to put on a Valentine’s Day dinner. One of the married adults who helped to organize the event asked me weeks beforehand if I would share a song that evening. I asked the Lord for a song and this was the result. Unfortunately with all of the activity of the evening the woman who had asked me to share the song forgot all about it. I didn’t feel right bringing it up so I just let it go although I’ll admit to being a bit disappointed. However, a friend of mine from another fellowship that came to join us for the evening was kind enough to ask to hear the song after the event was over which made me feel better. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Five years later my husband and I along with a children’s choir consisting of about 50 of our friend’s children sang this song at our outdoor wedding on a beautiful September day in rural Wisconsin. In the past thirteen years of marriage we’ve both had ample opportunity to grow in Christlike love, especially after being blessed with six children in seven years (the first three within sixteen months). Nothing grinds away selfishness like marriage and family. God knew just what we needed to grow in Him and we thank Him for it.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">(Note: The photo is of Todd and myself on our wedding day, September 4, 2005)</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>He is Love </p>
<p>In this day and age you know that we are so confused </p>
<p>We don’t know what love is, oh but we know how to use </p>
<p>We think it’s all about ourselves and our own happiness </p>
<p>And we wonder what went wrong when we find our lives a mess </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For love is willing to pay the price </p>
<p>Love is laying down your life </p>
<p>Love is giving up your rights </p>
<p>Look at Jesus, that is love </p>
<p>Look at Jesus, He is love </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Lord says love is patient and that true love is kind </p>
<p>It depends not on appearances, for to the flesh it’s blind </p>
<p>Love does not envy but it will protect and trust </p>
<p>For we’re to love one another as the Father first loved us </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For love is willing to pay the price </p>
<p>Love is laying down your life </p>
<p>Love is long days and sleepless nights </p>
<p>Look at Jesus, that is love </p>
<p>Look at Jesus, He is love </p>
<p> </p>
<p>True love is not boastful and it is not proud or rude </p>
<p>And it is more necessary than our daily food </p>
<p>We’re called to love with actions and not merely with our words </p>
<p>For we must live what we believe, so that the truth is heard </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For love is willing to pay the price </p>
<p>Love is laying down your life </p>
<p>Love is often pain and sacrifice </p>
<p>Look at Jesus, that is love </p>
<p>Look at Jesus, He is love </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Love rejoices in the truth and in evil finds no delight </p>
<p>It is not easily angered and it longs to do what’s right </p>
<p>Love is not self-seeking and it keeps no record of wrongs </p>
<p>It’s rarely found on the T.V. or in today’s love songs </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For love is willing to pay the price </p>
<p>Love is laying down your life </p>
<p>Love is giving up your rights </p>
<p>Look at Jesus, that is love </p>
<p>Look at Jesus, He is love </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Copyright 2000 Holy Spirit (via Paula Thorson)</p>
<p> </p>5:19His Homemade Hymnaltag:hishomemadehymnal.org,2005:Post/54498582018-09-30T16:05:46-05:002018-12-19T16:33:26-06:00Paula's Ponderings #1: About the Artwork on the Homepage<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/319982/add65ea931839c4875001f376eecbb37ab8ab7b0/original/front-page-1920-x-1080.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /> <span class="font_large"> Originally we had planned to hire a young and very talented friend of ours to do the drawing for this home page. I was disappointed to learn that he was too busy but decided that God wanted us to tackle it as a family. We ended up having a lot of fun doing it and were quite pleased with the outcome. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">This is the rundown of the contributors: </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Tirzah (5) - flowers, wood (ladders and letters) <br>Thor (6) - rainbow <br>Teshuvah (9) - hummingbird <br>Tikvah (10) - tree and tire swing<br>Tiveria (10) - tree, tire wing, wood <br>Tevya (12) - trumpet (he drew 4 years ago) <br>Mama (Paula) - treehouse, wood, photoshop work <br>Daddy (Todd) - trained Mama on Photoshop <br>Crystal (10) (neighbor girl) - butterfly <br>Aunti Elizabeth (Paula’s sister) - Years ago she bought the little playhouse which is a part of a larger play set that served as the model for the tree house. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"> As one might guess, there is meaning behind the various elements of this piece of family art. The idea started with the ladder which came to mind as I (Paula) considered how stacking the three Hs for the name of the site on top of each other would look like a ladder. I then thought of the notes going up and down to suggest how the songs first come down from heaven and then go up to heaven. The treehouse reminds us of the fact that we are children of God and that we must be like little children in order to enter His kingdom. The butterfly is a reminder of the new creation that we become when we surrender our lives to Christ. <br> The hummingbird represents our philosophy of the importance of cross-pollinating with other truth seekers in order to produce more and healthier spiritual fruit. The fact that we invited Crystal to make a contribution to this drawing represents our desire to involve others from God’s family to join us in this venture. Originally I had the roots going down into a scroll with Colossians 3:16 on it, but since it didn’t fit on the page I simply put the quote beneath it. This suggests that our lives will thrive if they are rooted in God’s Word. <br> Last but not least, the olive tree was chosen because of its rich symbolism. The two main aspects that I would like to emphasize are the fact that the oil of olives was often used to give light and oil in the Bible is often used to refer to the Holy Spirit. Our hope is that as people interact with this site that they will not only gain light as they encounter God’s Word but that they will also have a real encounter with His Spirit. I encourage you to check out the article on the website thattheworldmayknow.com pertaining to this topic if you are interested in an even deeper understanding of the olive tree. </span></p>His Homemade Hymnal