chinese proverb

real gold fears no fire

my spirit knows, and even expects, the hardships and tough times that await us in our journey ahead.

but my flesh, can't help but fear it. doubtful thoughts and feelings of inadequacy flood my soul.

and yet i must trust in the Refiner, who holds me...He alone will carry me through the flames.

His voice whispers to me to welcome it...because it is only in the heat--admist the pain and discomfort--that i will begin to reflect Him.

"This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The Lord is our God.' "

Zechariah 13:9 NIV

-h

safely home

"Few men achieve all their goals," Quan said. "But if you achieved all of yours, would it bring you joy?"

"Joy? I guess I'd settle for just a slice of happiness."

"Then you would settle for too little."

"What do you mean?"

"I had goals much like yours...I had to die to those goals. But I was fortunate to die to them. For then I was forced to set other goals, better ones...I do not think your goals are too big, I think they are too small."

"So far I've done alright. I've always managed to get what I've wanted."

"Then you have wanted too little. Your goals will surely not bring you happiness. But even if they did, how long would the happiness last? A day? A year? Ten years? Twenty? And then what? Your life will be short--all men's lives are short. What will outlast this life? That should be your concern. You are an invester? Alright--why would you invest in what might pay off in ten years when you can invest in what will certainly pay off in ten million years?"

"That kind of long-range planning is a little out of my league."

"Your deepest desires come from what my father called the hole in the heart. What does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or even if a man's soul is saved, what does it profit him to gain the world and lose his eternal reward?"

Excerpt from Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
page 147

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"When you longed for a great house in that world," the King said, "you were longing for my house. You just didn't know it. My children there never dream too big, you know. They dream too small. They set their sights far too low. They chose to play in the mud on a cold rainy day when I offer them open green meadows in the sun, clear flowing streams, majestic mountains, and endless beaches and blue skies that stretch to the stars themselves, stars that are gateways to innumberable worlds beyond. The sons of Adam try so hard to be satisfied with so little--which keeps them from ever being satisfied at all."

Excerpt from Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
page 377

backyard haven...

70%!!!

it has only been 3 weeks since we mailed out letters humbly asking for prayer and financial support...and we are so excited to be 70% financially supported already!!! and so many have commited to enveloping us in prayer. we are overwhelmed and humbled at the immediate response and generous gifts from our family and friends, and the generous committment of our church family in Bend. what a confirmation that we are exactly where God wants us to be, in His perfect Will! our faith is being challenged, but God is providing and its so exciting to share our journey with so many! thank you! to God only be given all the Glory!!

if you would like to hear more about our journey with Mercy Ships or would like to donate to our ministry, please email us at thalexander@msn.com

The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land...You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Isaiah 58:11 NIV

t & h

tagged! :)

thanks to my friend Crystal in Michigan, i've been tagged for a Meme game :) here's how it works... this Meme originated over an idea that was prompted by the book written by Larry Smith & Rachel Fershleiser-- Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure. it’s a compilation based on the story that Hemingway once bet ten dollars that he could sum up his life in six words. his words were, “For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn.”

so, i've been challenged to sum up my life in six words. this is me and my life's purpose:


"Saved by Grace, for His Glory!"

i'd love to hear from our readers what your six words would be!! leave us a comment :)

-h

virtual tour of the ship!!

check this out!! you can "visit" our future home!! just type in the web address: www.mercyships.org/the-experience
thanks for visiting! :)

-h

homecoming

today is a special day for me...five years ago today on june 13, 2003 my Marine came home from war! his deployment was supposed to be one year, but providencially it was only 6 months. twenty-three letters and four packages later, I am so thankful that God protected tim and brought him home to me! his deployment and homecoming played a huge part in God's plan in bringing us together...and so became the beginning of Us and our story!

so i say a prayer of thanksgiving tonight and pray for protection and provision over the men and women overseas who are proudly and courageously serving our country; risking their lives for you and me and our freedom. and for those who they willingly left behind...God bless you..i pray for comfort, strength, and peace.

-h

true love

Today's daily Bible verse on the flipbook in our bathroom reads:
"Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us." Ephesians 5:1-2
So I was thinking what it means to truly imitate Christ...good ol' Webster defines the word imitator as:

Imitator
Noun
1. Someone who assumes the appearance of another.

2. Someone who copies the words or behavior of another.

What would, or more like, should my life look like if I emulate Christ? He was Love in the flesh. Would another look at me and see Christ...see Love in my words, my countenance, my responses, and more importantly in my action? Would I have the appearance of my creator God? And what does it mean to imitate or copy my Lord? I imagine I would be less selfish, give more, think more before I speak, freely love and freely forgive, and ultimately sacrifice "me." In a culture that screams individuality and diversity, He is One I definitely want to imitate...and follow.

-h