Christmas Miracles

I believe that miracels still happen everyday. They might not be the "water to wine" type; BUT if you look, TRULY look then you can find God's hand at work in your life in a miraculous way DAILY. I just wanted to take a moment and share how God has been working in my life in the past few days.

I had misplaced a necklace given to me by Nathan's grandmother Kitty. Kitty passed away in 1996 so this necklace was very special to me as I really only knew her for two years. I had worn it to a ladies event at our church in November and hadn't realized that it had fallen off sometime after I had returned home. I found the chain by stepping on it, and then the search began to find the pendant. I did pray about it and actually had the children pray with me. However, days passed by and to no avail. Then on Wednesday night November 28th I stayed home from choir practice (not feeling well, had a panic attack that day). The children and I put up the tree. I had rearranged the living room and had even vacuumed but still did not find the pendant. We put up the tree, COMPLETELY decorated it and on the LAST ornament something special happened. JoyAnn was placing this heart upon the tree ( a heart with a scripture from I Cor. 13 on it) and it fell off the tree. I went to pick it up and there upon the floor was my pendant shining up at me. Now I tell you. This place on the floor had been searched SEVERAL times. Yet, there it was. The first of many gifts from God I would receive over the next few days.

Then on December 1st Nathan and I had a conversation about trusting God. I mean the all out, sacrificing our own agenda, completely surrending our hearts, lifes AND finances to God talk. It was a blessing to hear that God is working in both of our lives and we desire to teach our children COMPLETE and utter dependance upon God, and so we must model that. So, as a direct result of this talk we decided to tithe again. On the gross amount. We paid our tithe THAT DAY.

*insert flashback* On Tuesday night the 27th of November I had written a prayer request that God would provide some money for a trip that we are taking later this month AND to get the kids some Christmas presents...Joseph wants the Polar Express toy that costs $130-150 depending on where you buy it. Who has that kind of cash for one present for ONE kid? NOT US!!! Nathan and I did commit it to prayer though.

On Thursday November29th we received a call about singing at a funeral on Sunday. We agreed to do it. On Sunday December 2nd we had a wonderful service which included Nathan sharing a testimony of God's faithfulness in our lives and the story of our most recent surrender. After church our financial administrator Tonya approached Nathan with a check for $100.00 given anonymously to use for Christmas. Then we sang at a funeral that afternoon and received a gift of $50. How cool is that???? Now we have enough to pay for Joseph's train. We promptly ordered it from the internet and it should be here ANYTIME!!

The hotel for our trip was taken care of (as a gift). Gas money has been given to us. Childcare fell into place. Nathan ended up receiving a Christmas bonus for the first time since he started at the Cove almost 6 years ago. God is gracious and loving. He is faithful and He delights in taking care of his children.

Philippians 4:6 says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." The moral here is twofold. God chooses to bless and provide miracles. It is up to us to view them as such and to commit our lives and our will to him in prayer.

I am excited to see how many more miracles God is going to shower down upon the Flints in the next few days. Yet, I don't want to stop expecting them, looking for them, praying for them after Christmas. Maybe that's a miracle in itself, that God could take a hurting heart, an anxious heart, a negative heart and soften it and help me look for the positive again. Praise be to HIM!!!

MERRY CHIRSTMAS!!!

In Emmanuel's Love,

Janelle LeAnne Morgan Flint