Giving God Our Best

It's a New Year...an opportunity for a refreshed and renewed heart in Him.  This is what we each are offered.  The beginning of a new year can give a glimpse of hope and a bit of aspiration.  Don't let this occasion pass by, embrace it and get back on the road that God has for you to travel on with faith and zeal.  With Him all things are possible!

Really, this message is for me.  God has revealed this leg of my journey of life to me and I am embracing it!  Not because I can do this, but instead because I know I can't do it without Him which means I will need to draw nearer unto Him...closer to Him is where I like to be. God has called me to "know" that my husband's heart does safely trust in me (still, 20+ years later) and to put my merchandise in the marketplace.  "She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant."  Proverbs 31:24.  These aren't new callings, but are areas of my calling in which God specifically wants to use me in during this season.  He has called me unto humility and service to Him, to Walter (my husband) and to others.

During this season (His season) I know I will have great need of Him because I will be stretched spiritually,  mentally and physically. Please pray for me and I'd like to pray for you.  What has God revealed to you as you begin this new year?  

Remember, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you..HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The Pursuit of Virtue

Monday, was the second day of Virtue Family Fun Camp and so the journey begins!  Ladies, if you are in need of inspiration, encouragement and/or accountability, come join us for this summer series...Called to be...A Virtuous Woman.

I am so excited to share what God is teaching me about me.  Thus far, I know that I have been called, for the question has been posed, "Who can find a virtuous woman?"..., Proverbs 31:10a.  That is to imply that I must accept the call or responsibility to "be" virtuous.  I do, I accept my call and I know my worth, "...for her price is far above rubies", Proverbs 31:10b.  This is the value placed upon me by my husband;  I am certain that he knows I am a rare find ;) and I must reflect that worth daily.

I accept the charge to be trustworthy, "The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her...", Proverbs 31:11a.    I want Walter to be confident of my submission to him and his well being.

I choose to make it my business to know his heart and mind and to help him accomplish that which God has called him unto; I want to compliment him.  Even with my greatest desires and sincere heart, I must admit, this requires my submission to God and his Holy Spirit, first, that I may be filled with fruits that I lack.

I know that my presentation at home and in public are what makes Walter feel safe with me, not threatened, nor shamed. "...so that he shall have no need of spoil", Proverbs 31:11b.  It is a privilege to manage his affairs and to do him good.  For me, the difficulty is to be considerate of him, always, no matter what his state: physically, mentally or spiritually.  I know that my commitment and covenant unto him can not be conditional, "She will do him good and not evil all the days of his life", Proverbs 31:12.

I must be wise and discerning, willing to make sacrifices, having knowledge to make good decisions for him and our household. Wow! Lord, what a call!  I know I can NOT do this on my own.  I  have need of You continuously throughout each day, for my duties are great. I have need of my sisters in Christ as well to walk along side me that we might sharpen, inspire and empower one another.

As reflect on the Proverbs 31 Woman this summer, one of the greatest blessings I have is to embrace this journey with my daughter as she too has accepted the "call" to be a virtuous woman.  I have the pleasure of watching her pursue God for herself.  She is reading a couple of books this summer to give her wisdom and insight that she might be the woman God has called her to be.  As I engage in conversations with her and she shares what God has said to her and how He is leading her, I am humbled by her love and passion for pursuing Him and his will for this season of her life.  Won't you join us?  We meet each Monday at Lazelle Woods Park, Lazelle Rd. Virtue Family Fun Camp begins at 1:30 and includes a Bible study, book review and prayer, 3:00-4:30. Comment for more information.

The Gift of Grandparenting

To be chosen to be a mom and birth 10 children was a gift in and of itself and now the Lord has been so gracious to bless us with grandchildren and I am in awe with Jesus.  Since we have just one daughter it has been my prayer to be close to my grandchildren and their mothers and God has answered my prayer.
 
One of the greatest blessings about being a grandmother is having the opportunity to share the goodness of the Lord, intimately with yet another generation of Bowies.  It is such a joy to do life with MJ (MiKyle Jr.), which is our oldest grandson and soon with JJ (Jacob Justice) our newborn grandson.  When MJ is here during the weekday he is with us in the schoolroom, present for all the teachings and family devotions.  When he is with us on the weekends he is present for Sunday dinner and sweet fellowship.  But the times I enjoy most are when he is in the kitchen chatting with me as I cook and when he comes in my bedroom to spend one-on-one time with me.  During those times I tell him how special he is and that he is loved by God.  I remember doing the same thing with his dad and it laid a foundation of open communication and ministry opportinities and I look forward to blessing our grandchildren in the same way.

One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.  I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.  Psalms 145:4-5

Home Sweet Home

We are so grateful to be home!  The journey back home has been very long.  Along the way there have been losses, disappointments, confusion, frustration and sadness.  There has also been much joy, peace, grace, growth, sweet fellowship and love.  Through it all God has been apparrent to me.  He has ministered to my heart and mind, given wisdom and discernment and embraced me with love.  There is none like Him.  He is my provider, my refuge and my strength. I have come to know Him more intimately.  I trust the Lord for I have seen Him for myself over and over again.  Thank you Lord!

We have been home since November 3rd and our hearts are at peace here at home.  There have been no nightmares or display of discomort.  We have even enjoyed the warmth of our fireplace many times since we have returned home, God is good!

As I reflect on that which 2013 presented us with, I am in awe with Jesus. I recall our situation this time last year; we were so grateful for life, yet very uncertain of our journey home, financially and physically.   Then, the Lord led us to commit to expand our home and trust Him to furnish and rebuild it.  I remember being confident that this was His will for us and at the same time feeling blind unto His way, for we had lost about 85% of our house and about 85% of our belongings.

It was the beginning of a long leg of the journey,  a path in which I was unfamiliar (that of providing everything from clothing to furniture for our family of 10 all at the same time), but willing to walk along with Him.  In January, I began the dilligent process of replacing our belongings.  I did so as I always do when in need of something for our family, I sought the thrift stores, clearance racks and sales ads.  Now, if you are one who shops this way you know this can be a process of hit or miss, feast or famine and to find that which you are looking for takes much time and patience.  To say the least my time was limited, at best and I had to grow in the area of patience.

To accomplish this task it was necessary to develop a routine, which for me included a large mocha every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, theses were the days I commited to seeking and finding our long list of needs and wants.  Along the way I met others who were willing to share information with me as to places to shop and sales to take advantage of. 

After being told a few times about Habitat for Humanity Restore, I visited and God revealed another part of his plan, that of his provision for sinks, cabinets, light fixtures, doors etc.  Okay, I didn't know this was going to be a part of the plan and it this was unfamiliar territory for sure. To gain knowledge and understanding, I kept seeking God and following him.  This was the way in which we were going to stay within our means.   And wow!!!  I found items I never thought to look for, in places I had never shopped to now have a home that I never invisioned.  As God said he would, He rebuilt and furnished our home.

This has been a long, challenging process by which God has renewed our home and renewed our hearts.  I must say this was not an easy process for our family, but there were many blessings that we each experienced this year, times when we saw God at work...times we will never forget.  For me personally, I know He pursued me continuously and ministered to me graciously.  He gave me much wisdom and strength to accomplish that which he set forth for me to do unto His will to ackomplish his plan for our family.  Through this fire I have been tried, refined and made new, thank you God!

I want to also thank each and everyone who supported us through prayers, donations, service and fellowship.  I don't know what 2014 will bring, but I know come what may, "I can do all things through Christ who strenthens me", and thus I look forward to the days to come with much faith and hope in Him.  Happy New Year!

Baby Bowie #11...A Test Of Our Faith

It's been one week since I had my first visit to the doctor for "Baby Bowie #11" and though my hcg levels are low there has still been no sign of miscarriage.  I am grateful for my faith in God!  Last week when I first heard of the possibility of a miscarriage I was not shaken, but by the next morning I was saddened by the thought of losing such a gift from God.  I then began to prepare myself for a miscarriage, a D&C and recovery.  By Sunday morning, I was again sad, so I cried out to the Lord. He ministered to me, giving me wisdom and truth by presenting the facts to me:  you are having no sign of miscarriage currently and you are not alone, you have me through this pregnancy with you...unto the end which is yet to be seen. I accepted those truths in my heart and mind and I chose to rejoice and praise Him.

Walter and I are at peace with our decision to wait on the Lord; this is yet another test of our faith.  It is a fact that when one has a miscarriage they usually have low hcg levels and it is also a fact that God is our creator and he is the author of life and death.  We will not interfere with God's plan by submitting to any procedure before His will of such is evident.  We know the reality of miscarriage from previous experience as well as we know the reality of God's sovereignty and his favor from previous experience.  We are looking forward to another ultra sound on Monday and we are very hopeful that our baby is well.  Will you join us in prayer for a mentally, physically and spiritually healthy Baby Bowie? 

God is Faithful to Bring it to Past

Beds for Bowies Walk-a-thon was truly a success!  Let me explain what I mean by "success".  God's will was done; He did what he set out to do...provide!.   When I prayed about our bedding situation God answered me with wisdom and instruction.  He gave it to me piece...by piece.  Please know that this was not a clear road map, but instead He gave a bit a time.  As I spoke about that which He laid upon my heart, He gave me a bit more.  Now, be mindful that as I received it, though I spoke it I did not necessarily have confidence about it, but I did choose to walk in faith.  You may recall from previous blog posts that I was concerned about the number of walkers and prayer warriors or lack there of.  I had a totally different idea of success; all the more reason to trust the Lord and that which he leads you to do.


Well, I am so glad to say our God does that which He wills.  I asked for provisions and he gave me a vision and instruction for those provisions, my job was to obey.  On Saturday, July, 13th, as planned we met with others at our home for prayer.  We were able to join hands across the front of our home, yeah!!! We laid our petitions before the Lord and gave Him praise for his many blessings. At Beds for Bowies Walk-a-thon we had a total of 24 walkers, including children and we had 4 volunteers.  We collected enough money to meet our first goal which is to purchase a mattress for each one of us, thank you Lord!    It was such a day of peace and sweet fellowship...God was present.

I am in awe with God!  He has been so gracious to speak to me with wisdom and clarity AND He was faithful to bring it to past.  I can't express how humbled I am by His goodness. He spoke to my heart and I had the pleasure of seeing and experiencing His will, his purpose, his provisions unfold.

We still have some fundraising to do to meet our final goal of purchasing beds for the boys, that's 8 maybe 9 beds (see my recent post:  http://michele-fruitofherhands.blogspot.com/2013/07/children-are-heritage-of-lord.html). If you pledged to sponsor one of us for the walk-a-thon and have not yet given us your funds or if you would like to make a donation you can do so on this blog using the Bowie Fire Fund "DONATE" button located in the right hand corner at the top of the page.

We are faithful and will complete this journey by having two more fundraisers.  On July 26th and July 27th we will have a Beds for Bowies Garage Sale.  We are in need of  your unwanted household items, tools etc. (no clothing).  And on July 27th, 11:00-1:00, we will have a Beds for Bowies Home Decor Party consisting of handcrafted and renewed home decor and furniture by Fruit of Her Hands. ALL the proceeds will go directly to Beds for Bowies. Please pray for us as we continue to trust in Him.

The Power of Prayer

Many of you have been praying for us and the rebuilding of our home.  I am praising the Lord; currently our home is under construction.  Yes, work is being done!  The foundation has been repaired and the new foundation for the expansion is built.  Last week they starting framing, yeah!  Prayer changes things.  When the Lord gave me the plan for Beds for Bowies Walk-a-thon, he also gave me a vision of ones surrounding our home for corporate prayer.

We will have that corporate prayer on July 13, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. at our home as it is under construction.  We will pray for continued progress with no costly delays, safety for the construction workers and that the hands of those building our home would be blessed by the Lord.  We will also pray for each of us, Bowies, that we will be anxious for nothing, but instead trust the Lord for wisdom, patience and peace.  We ask that the Lord give Walter and I insight and discernment as things progress that we make wise decisions as the need arises and that we look to God to continue to be our strength and our provider.  Will you join us?

We need you, each of you in spirit and indeed!  The goal is to surround our home;  that will take a lot of prayer warriors. Oh, the power of prayer; can you imagine the impact!  Where two or more are gathered...God is sure to hear our prayers and I am faithful He will answer them.  If you are unable to attend please join us in spirit that morning.  If you are interested in joining our prayer circle, please contact us for more details.

All Things Are Possible With God

My plan, as a young adult was to have 2 children and then I accepted Jesus as my personal saviour and Lord.  Twenty-two years and ten children later, I am amazed that I am the mother of so many "wonderfully made" people.  Though they are all Bowies, they are obviously individuals, created in His image, what a task for Walter and I to train each one unto the Lord.  We are so inadequate in and of ourselves.  How do we do it Lord?  How do we show each one love...sharpen each ones character...pray for each one...daily?


All things are possible with God!  I seek Him continuously regarding each and everyone of our gifts, MiKyle, Elijah, Kelaiah, Nehemiah, Micah, Isaiah, Zechariah, Ezekiel, Zephaniah and Malachi.  I take my responsibility and my privilege of training our children very seriously.  As a mother I have the task of nurturing each one from infancy.  To nurture one is to know one and to know one is to spend time with one, individually as well as collectively and provide them with sustenance, spiritual, mental and physical sustenance.  What a great task with three generations of children.  I often have to remind myself...all things are possible with God.


Over the years I have learned how to group ones and how to invite ones individually into my "throne of grace", that place where they receive attention and love and my 'throne of instruction and discipline", that place where they receive wise counsel and rebuke.  Again, all things are possible with God, O how I trust Him.  Often times I am unsure if these encounters are effective, but I find peace in knowing I am in constant communion with God on their behalf.

This week I had the privilege of seeing a few of our young adults takes steps of responsibility and a couple of my younger children taking steps of responsibility; each one excepting their season of life and learning that with privileges comes responsibility.  I am in awe; in the midst of each of those situations was God...wooing with the Holy Spirit, convicting, affirming...ministering to our children and I had the privilege of experiencing it with them.  What a privilege and an honor!  It is times like these that I am inspired to press on.

As a mother, each day brings about its challenges, situations that stretch me and lead me to God for wisdom, joy and peace for this is not an easy task.  But, I must say it is a rewarding task.  I am a better person, a better servant of God all because I was chosen to be the mother of each of these Bowie children for they sharpen me and I am committed to not be weary in well doing, but instead to take up my cross daily and follow Him and be the best Mommy, Mom, Momma, I can be!

We Are Overcomers

The good news of the construction being back in process comes with the revelation of  some "shifting" that has happen to our home, another bump in the road.  Obviously, the repair of the foundation of our home was not an option.  It was very necessary and very costly.  Unfortunately, the insurance company will not cover this as it is considered "a pre-existing condition".  I pray that we don't run into any more unexpected expenses. 

What a journey of faith unto the Lord this has been for us all, individually as well as collectively; we have overcome so much in Him.  God has been so merciful to carry us every step of the way.  He has provided us with a comfortable home, we've completed our school year and are now happily engaging in Summer fun i.e. bike riding, zoo visits and park fun all with items that we were blessed with (read more here http://michele-fruitofherhands.blogspot.com/2013/06/grateful-to-god-and-his-people.html).   


Each week Kelaiah and I diligently seek to find household items, furniture etc. on clearance and at thrift stores and garage sales that I can "renew" for our home and then the work begins...sanding, striping, staining and painting.
 

Great find!  I have been pricing ottomans...$100 and up

My cost for this solid wood ottoman...$6.99 + the cost of fabric!

I have learned so much about God and myself during this season.  He has given me gifts and talents for such a time as this.  He has also given me the will and desire to embrace this season instead of begrudging it as I would if I didn't have Him.


Our God is omniscient and for that I am glad.  Because He knows all and sees all, he is aware of what will happen and thus he has a plan.  A plan to give us wisdom, a plan to give us peace, a plan to give us joy and even a plan for our provisions. To sum it up, I am in awe with His lovingkindness and grace unto my family.  In the midst of this season, in Him I have peace and by His grace...we are overcomers!

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. in the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

His Plan, My Desire....His Blessing, My Reality

A few weeks ago, as I considered the fact that our Summer was going to be spent in the temporary home and that it was my responsibility to present this to my family with joy and zeal.  My heart was heavy; I just couldn't see it.  The backyard is spacious, yet, it is void of furniture, flowers...functionality and the deck, well let's just say it's seen better days. We also lacked outdoor equipment for the children to play with i.e. balls (basketball, football, dodge ball, soccer ball etc.) and wheels (skateboards, bikes and roller blades).  In my conversations with the Lord I told him of my woes, okay, I had a pity party before Him. God's presence and his listening ear was a comfort to me; I felt a peace in my heart.


As I went about my Tuesday morning ventures of seeking items to renew, I walked right into two cute, metal beverage tables and I suddenly had a vision me painting them and placing them on that old deck covered with an outdoor carpet, flanked with a couple of cute chairs surrounded by beautiful clay pots painted by my daughter.  I walked over to check the price...$2 each!  I snatched them right up with a smile.  My Tuesday venture now had a specific purpose...decorating the deck and readying myself for Spring.  I smiled at God, for I knew it was his plan.


I decided on a color palette and set my heart and mind to the task.  I painted the tables and for the next few days, I browsed through many thrift stores for outdoor furniture and accessories.

It was my heart's desire to set the stage for sweet fellowship.  With a limited budget and the fact that I may not have use for the items when we return home I was determined to find bargains.   While looking for these items I found a few balls, a plastic bat and a skateboard.  I also picked up seeds, potting soil and flower pots, all within my budget.  I could just see what an inviting space it would be!


The week long shopping venture was tiring, but fun, as I only gave myself one week to complete the shopping, planting and renewing of the items I found because my project "to do list" was already more than I would have liked.  I also wanted my family to begin to enjoy the outdoor space and all that God had blessed us with.


Well, after a bit of soap and water, paint and clear sealant and the help of my artistic daughter, we now have a very functional space, a container garden and a few outside activities.  His plan is my reality, now we can certainly have sweet fellowship here!

Grateful to God and His People

We are so grateful for the kindness of others!  The love of God has been displayed to us over and over by His people.  It is not by coincidence that when we humble ourselves and let others know we have a need or a desire it is given us and often times the blessing is beyond our imagination.  That's God.  Through prayer and humility, I have seen His will be done over and over again.


Earlier, in a blog posted, I share that I was looking for bikes for our children.  Within hours, literally, less that 24 hours, we were offered four bikes.  What a blessing!  Our children really wanted bikes to ride this summer and we just could not for see purchasing seven bikes...yes, seven.  We generally acquire things one at a time, on an as need bases, unless it is given as a birthday gift.  So, to say the least we were in awe with God for answering our request, a mere desire, not really a need, so quickly through His people.

To say the least the Bowie children are very happy and very grateful for such blessings. I am just so thankful to God.  When He blesses, he does so  with such love and it is, as I said "beyond my imagination!

Spring Is Certainly Here...A Time To Plant

It's Spring and I am excited! As a homeschool mom, when Spring begins, I see it as a season of opportunity; a time to start a fresh and a new, a time to reevaluate myself and my children and a time to enjoy "my man".  I look forward to spontaneous games with the children, Friends Day (Tuesday evenings), S'mores and impromptu dates.

This year it shall be no different; I refuse to allow our current situation of still being in the temporary house while "our home" is reconstructed to put a damper on this season.  Though the reality of the lack of comfort and normalcy did plague me for a moment, the Lord did enlighten and encourage me.  My family needs me to be faithful, to plant the seeds of the season that we might reap a harvest in the days to come. And that I will, I am simply going to carry on as normal even the planting of a container garden. For God holds our future in his hands and it is merely my job to be a willing vessel in his plan for the Bowies.

With that thought in mind I realize there is much preparation to take place to plant seeds for our harvest.  I must prepare the land, the hearts of our children as we enter in to this season.  I must also seek and find the merchandise or furniture for our home I will invest in, renewing each piece specifically for our use. And I must daily submit my heart to Christ that I am able to work the Bowie garden so that we will at seasons end yield much good fruit.  I know the task at hand is not an easy one.


As I pondered these things I still found it difficult to know where and how to begin when things appear to be so different this year.  The Lord reminded me I am not starting life over, I am just doing life in a different place. Oh yea! I am glad the Lord laid it upon my heart, years ago, to have a family fun camp at the park. In my planning, I started there.  It has always been a foundational part of our Spring and Summer to have Virtue Family Fun Camp. We invite friends to bring a sack lunch, listen to read aloud stories, have a book review, make a craft and enjoy some playtime while the moms have a book review and prayer time.  I am looking forward to this more this year than I have in the past.  I so want our children to make good memories during this transitional time in our lives.  For myself, I look forward to growing in Christ with my sisters in Christ and having prayer time in the park, which will be an extended time this year, because I need it.  As they have for the past couple of years the boys will also participate in sports camp and we will commit to a few volunteer opportunities as a family.


I am also looking forward to helping my children build good character, encouraging them and pulling the weeds of the flesh i.e. selfishness, pride, lying etc. In this season, there always appears to be more time to converse with them and pray with them.  I spend most of my time with them, in their presence, engaged with them in a more enjoyable, relaxed setting.  Our home becomes more a place of rest and relaxation, restoration and renewal.  We will have extended morning devotions together outside or on the couch, academic time to practice basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills using games, flashcards etc. and we'll go on field trips for hands on learning and fun.  I don't know if it's the warmth of the sun or the grace of the season that warms my heart so and draws me closer to my family, my friends and closer to God, but I am excited to embark upon it.


What about you; are you looking forward to season?

     

Thank the Lord for Thursdays!

I am sitting here on Friday afternoon thanking God for the date I had with my husband last night...dinner by candle light!

I can not say that our marriage has been without frustrations and disappointments nor can I say that there haven't been times when I have wanted to give up.  What I can say is that I sought the Lord for my husband and He opened my eyes and my heart to Walter Bowie and confirmed in me His will for us to marry.  Since that day, I have been dedicated to loving him with all of my heart, second only to the Lord.

Along our journey we have been blessed with 10 beautiful children who I love dearly, but nothing like the love I have for Walter.  My love for him is deep; I made a covenant to be his bride unto death not only unto him, but unto our Lord and that is what bind us.  Through good, bad and indifferent my heart yearns to be right with him, I love him so.

It has been so good to have a love like this, especially as I go through the seasons of life as a mother of many, grandma, friend, servant of the Lord etc. The tragedy of the fire has brought unto me the reality that life as we know it this moment is not promised and that having a marriage with Christ as the foundation is must.  Life situations and circumstances are that which test your faith and that which can destroy marriages.  I refuse to allow that to happen to us and thus I choose to cling to God and cling to Walter.

One of the blessings of our marriage has been our commitment to have a date every Thursday.  We have not allowed finances, pregnancies :), indifference nor tragedy keep us from this special time. We have kept it simple yet intimate...dinner and a movie together in the "Love Nest" (our bedroom).  It is not a time for the discussions of life, but a time to be "together".  Now, I must say that there have been times that we have come together with indifference and one or both of us have had little or nothing to say, but we met just the same and were blessed in the midst.

When we made the commitment to have a date on Thursday over 14 years ago little did we know it would be such a blessing to us, but God did!  At times it has been the anchor that has kept our ship from drifting away from God.  For me some weeks it is my motivation to make it through one more day for I know Thursday is coming and at other times I have looked forward to it that it would rekindle the fire that was seemingly burning out.  Walter and I  both agree that God has blessed us tremendously through this commitment and for that we are grateful.

We Walk by Faith

 

The need to reconstruct our home has presented us with an opportunity to expand our home to accommodate our growing (in stature) family.  As a homeschooling family of ten, consisting of seven growing boys who are at home most of everyday, we have need of more space in our house.  When considering this opportunity, reality presented itself...it takes money to expand.

With that reality in mind, we sought the Lord and He gave Walter and I peace about our desire to expand and then a floor plan which includes a bigger bedroom for our seven boys, a bigger kitchen and a bigger schoolroom allowing us to have more space in some very important areas of our home.   When presenting our expansion plan to the builder, he came back with what was a good quote, but it was well beyond our pockets, be it we had not planned to incur such an expense.  Walter and I were both disappointed, unto tears.  So, we went back to the Lord for wisdom and we decided to make a sacrifice and put the compensation we will receive from the insurance company for the contents of our home towards the reconstruction of our home and trust God to provide the furniture, appliances and household items we will need to return to our home. We both have faith that God will supply our every need.

In taking this step of faith, I made a list of our needs including the cost of these items and presented it to God.  He revealed to me that additional debt was not an option, but instead humbling ourselves before Him and others and willing accepting  things from  friends, family etc. as well as choosing to shop for clearance items and gently used items from resale shops to replace the contents of our home is the plan.  I trust God; for truly He is our provider and our sustainer.   We shared our decision with our children since they too will be making a sacrifice of not having things replaced that they once had; we are all at peace and excited to watch God do what He does...provide, for He has not forsaken us.

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart . . . I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
Psalms 37:4, 25, KJV

Reflecting on His Favor

This has been an emotional couple of weeks for me, personally and I am amazed at the goodness and favor of the Lord. My faith has increased due to the tragedy of this fire; I have sought the Lord in a different way for I was at a loss and didn't even know how to begin such tasks. I have been totally dependent on Him for wisdom and power to see me through.  Getting the process of the restoration and reconstruction moving while caring for our family was all so much to handle...but God was gracious.

I can't say enough about His lovingkindness unto me; He has been an ever present help in the time of trouble.  The greatest task was that of reviewing and recollecting the contents of our home and gathering prices to assure proper compensation of our belongings. Though I knew it was my job as helpmeet to Walter and administrator of our home, frankly I could not do it on my own, I needed help...divine help.  Daily, I sought the Lord with sincerity, every step of the way and His comforting presence was ever so apparent to me.

God was no shorter than His Word, I asked for wisdom and He gave me wisdom...liberally, clearly and precisely.  I know it was Him for I had no knowledge or experience to lead me through the pages and pages of information to be considered and the decisions needed to be made.  The Lord gave me peace as we (He and I) visited our belongings and met with the insurance representative.  He put the words in my mouth that I would ask the questions necessary; He even put sweet words of compassion in the mouths of those who dealt with me regarding our belongings.  One might think, "maybe it is just a good company that you are dealing with", maybe that is so, but He gave me favor each time I had to return to the restoration company as well as when dealing with our insurance representative.  I met no opposition, contention nor confusion, instead I was shown empathy and respect.  His grace and mercy have covered me. I am grateful for such favor from the Lord!  By His grace I have completed the tasks regarding the contents of our home.  We now know the bulk of our loss and what our immediate needs are as well as what the major needs are for returning to our home. Thank you, Lord!

His Goodness

There was 54 boxes of textile items gathered from our home after the fire. Though that is not a lot of stuff for a family of eleven, I felt it was a lot for me to embark upon by myself.  I remember the day the cleaners came to bring me what I thought would be a few boxes of clothes that were salvaged from the fire and they showed up in a truck filled with boxes of stuff, anything thing made of cloth or material i.e. clothes, shoes, linens, rugs etc.; I was overwhelmed unto tears.  My desire at the time was simply to obtain our clothes that we could have what we needed without buying or seeking them from others.  After opening a couple of boxes with a friend and finding that there were items that still smelled like smoke as well as items that were damaged, I decided to put them to the side until after the holidays, at least that's what I thought.

After the holidays passed, I realized I needed to go through those boxes to get an idea of what had been gathered, what was missing and what we would have need of replacing for the days to come.  Opening up those boxes was like opening the door to a portion of my heart where a bit of uncertainty and sadness had made a home.  I didn't realize I had those feelings, but God knew.

Last weekend, He met me as I looked through the boxes, I felt an unwillingness to embrace what was mine...what was ours, also a bit of grief of our loss and finally I had thoughts of gratefulness unto Him for being O so good to us.  He saved us, each and everyone of us from hurt, harm and danger that morning and he was even so kind as to save some of our belongings.  He spoke to my heart and let me know it was okay to embrace that which remained and to let go of that which was lost for He purposed it to be so.  Again, He reminded me that he is my provider and in my heart I felt a sense of relief.

On Monday, I met reluctance and did not go through more boxes as I had planned.  As I slept Monday night, God ministered to my heart and soul. He woke me up early Tuesday morning and gave me the strength and ambition to complete the task.  I was not alone, He directed me and I sorted, purged and packed until I was done; my heart was full of joy for I knew I had just overcome with Him. Throughout the day He continued to enlighten me of the burden I had been carrying and He gave me insight as to how He had been carrying me, carrying us in the midst.

All I can say is "He is good, O so good to me".  He knows me and He cares about that which concerns me, yes ME!  Our God is an awesome creator; He made me who I am and He chooses to embrace me and display His goodness unto me.  How has God revealed himself to you this week?

Except the Lord Build the House

Many have asked where we are with regards to having our home rebuilt, well, it has been through the demolition process where they remove all the damaged and destroyed materials including walls, ceilings, flooring etc.  For us, since more than 2/3 of our home was ruined by fire, water and or smoke, the demolition consisted of every room in our home leaving it with only the frame and wires. The plan is to rebuild our home from this state and our hope is that the process will begin soon.

Meanwhile, Walter and I are prayerfully walking with the Lord.  God has already started the rebuilding of our home, that of our family. He has begun a good work in us.  "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it...", Proverbs 127:1a.  We recognize that through this process, God wants to build us up.  We have been through some trying times in the past four years by which we have been tested, not just Walter and I, but also our children.  We have been going "through the fire", spiritually, for sometime...loss of a child, loss of a job etc. and by His grace we are still standing...together!  This current tragedy, the loss of our home, we feel, is another opportunity for God to prevail.

We have seen God in the midst since the moment He woke us up on November 4, 2012 to alarm us to get out of our home, "...except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.", Proverbs 127:1b.  It was God who awoke Micah that he might alarm the rest of us.  God has been our protector and our provider; He has been present and purposeful, for He is not through with us yet.  It has been good to know that not only do we see and recognize He is at work, but our children are also experiencing God and professing Him, now that is construction in progress!

Of course, we desire for the building of our physical home to be in progress right now, but even with that, we know that it is in His hands.  We have sought Him about the rebuilding of our home and just what that should entail...should there be changes, and if so what changes?  We have committed that to Him; over this we will not have contention amongst us nor shall we loose sleep. We are trusting Him; prayfully watching and waiting to see His will be done.

God's Provisions...Blessed to be a Blessing!

As a church family we are going through a series called Surviving the Fiscal Cliff.  It has been very enlightening for me personally as well as for my family.  There have been a few good conversations amongst us regarding self discipline, provisions, gratefulness and humility. I have been encouraged to check myself and correct the error of my thinking and that of my ways with regards to my wants, my needs, my provisions and my provider.  I have had convictions and confirmations, but more importantly I have had a fresh revelation of God's goodness, His grace and His mercy unto my family and myself.


This week's message was entitled, "Can We Soften The Landing?".  It was refreshing for me to hear Pastor Jim's personal testimony of how his family manages their finances.  He stated that they "choose" to spend their money differently.  They live within their means, don't use credit, shop wisely and save.  It is evident to me that they have made a conscious choice to live debt free that they may give freely as the Lord leads.  This message was encouraging and inspiring.  It gave clarity on the purpose of God's provisions unto us, that is for us to live a disciplined, faithful, life unto Him.



Early on in our marriage, Walter and I recognized God as our provider of all things: our job, our home, our finances, our hope, our joy and our peace.  Financially, we have never had an abundance of cash flow, but we've always had what we need and often times more.  We live on a budget and we too choose to live within our means.  I have learned that truly it is our choices that deem the extent of our challenges, trials and test, for we will encounter a few.  But, if we choose to acknowledge God and His sovereignty, accept His will and walk in His way we will not only endure them, we will glorify Him through the process.  The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him; we are blessed to be a blessing!

Quiet Time-The God in Me

I am grateful for my quiet time each morning.  Though it is a sacrifice, I get up at 4:45 during the week to spend time with Jesus all by myself; it is then that He speaks to me so clearly.  As a home school mom of 8 of our children, I am rarely alone, so I find this time to be precious.  It is when and how God prepares my heart and mind for the tasks of the day.

This morning He confronted me and gave me insight.  I was humbled by His presence and his purposeful ministry unto me.  He revealed his Word unto me and showed me how easily my flesh could reign unto destruction. As I replied to Him with thanksgiving, I felt relieved, refreshed and renewed; there is nothing like fellowship with Him.  As I reflected upon that I was inspired to write this poem, for I am so glad I am His child and He is my Lord.





The God in Me

I am thankful for the God in me, without Him I am nothing
I take it not for granted that He died for me and rose again that I might live.
He chose me and resides in me; I am His and He is mine... the God in me.
To be good is not good enough and to be right is not righteousness
It is but a moments satisfaction to my flesh...mere happiness, fleeting, passing away with time.
He makes me special, unique, a beauty to experience and embrace.
The God in me gives me joy, maintains peace and purpose in my heart and stability unto mind.
With Him I am satisfied in my soul and filled with wisdom and insight
Inspired to live life abundantly to fulfill the purpose for which I was created.
I have hope and access to Him who resides in me; He is the anchor of my soul.
He confronts, convicts and comforts me; He is my breath of life, the reason that I live.
He makes me, Me.  He moves me and keeps me
For I am never alone, never without Him...the God in me.

Michele Bowie
Copyright 2013

Friends and Fellowship

Having multiple children has encouraged me to be creative with how to give my children as well as myself opportunities for fellowship with friends in the summer. I am not one to taxi my children around town or farm them out to others, so our home has become the gathering place at least one day, each week in the summer. Usually on Tuesdays, we have "Friends Day", a time when each of our children can invite one friend to come hangout, eat burgers and hot dogs and swim. This is an instant party when you have as many children as we do. It is a blast for everyone! It gives Walter and I an opportunity to engage with our children and get to know their friends.

Last night we had a family join us for a bit of fun and fellowship. We enjoyed hanging out and talking, while the children enjoyed one another. They played in the pool until about ten o'clock, finally with the volleyball net down and the big splash contest over they retired from the water for a bite to eat and a few minutes of Xbox Kinnect. I praise God for His many blessing...our health, a home and a heart of hospitality!

What do you do with your children for fun at your home?