Jehovah Jirah, My Provider.

I am posting today from email as we are just starting our day here at home. WE have decided to stay home today and just enjoy our family. In the last week my heart was stirred grately as news of Steven Curtis Chapman's loss hit the airwaves. My first thought was to pray for the family, especially Will. See, Will was either coming home or leaving and driving down the driveway. He didn't see little Maria and accidentally hit her. She was flown into Vanderbilt Hospital where the pronounced her dead. The grief that struck me.

Maria just turned 5 a week or two ago, she had just graduated preschool. She had her WHOLE life ahead of her. Then look at the rest of the family, The Chapman's oldest daughter just got engaged and they were celebrating the engagement that afternoon. Their son is a graduating senior. This is suppose to be a joyous time for the Chapman's and now, they are mourning Maria's death.

One can get all caught up in the loss of a child, it is gravely tragic. I pray I never lose one of my blessings. The key though is that as Christians, we have God. Jehovah Jirah, MY PROVIDER. God will provide us our needs. WE need strength to get through the day, all we need to do is ask and the Lord will give it to us. We need the calmness of the spirit? All we need to do is ask.

Being on several discussion groups one of the common threads is people having a hard time at making it. People losing jobs, getting caught up in debt, illness striking the family, and on and on. God will provide. In His time. I have found in my personal walk that when things get tough it's because I have been neglecting my prayer time or my devotions. For me, it's a wake up call. I have to turn back to God and put Him at the top spot.

Take some time today and think about how the Lord has provided for you.  Some examples would be money that you found or you received unexpectantly, somebody offering clothes to you for your kids, a utility bill being paid without your knowledge, or even more obvious, being healed from an illness. There are many more ways, and you should count your blessings.

The Lord is our provider and we have to turn to Him and stay focused on Him.

May you be blessed.

posted by the Johnson Family at 8:39 AM 0 comments

Passing On The Info

Stimulus Payment Schedule for Tax Returns Processed by April 15

Economic stimulus payments will be issued according to the last two-digits of the main filer's Social Security number. For joint filers, the payments will go out based on the person listed first on the return. Payments will be made by either direct deposit or paper check, consistent with how people filed their 2007 tax return.  People who use direct deposit also will be among the first to receive the payments starting April 28. Direct deposits will be made daily and completed by the date listed below: DIRECT DEPOSIT  Last two SSN digits:  Payments will be transmitted no later than:  00 through 20  May 2  21 through 75  May 9  76 through 99  May 16         Paper checks will also go out based on Social Security number. For Social Security numbers ending in 00 through 09, the paper checks will be mailed starting May 9 and will continue through May 16. A similar process will be repeated in the following weeks. PAPER CHECK  Last two SSN digits:  Payments will be mailed no later than:  00 through 09  May 16  10 through 18  May 23  19 through 25  May 30  26 through 38  June 6  39 through 51  June 13  52 through 63  June 20  64 through 75  June 27  76 through 87  July 4  88 through 99  July 11               People who file a return after April 15 will receive their economic stimulus payment, but probably about two weeks later than the schedule shows. A return must be filed by October 15 in order to receive a stimulus payment this year.

-- Source :: http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=180250,00.html

posted by the Johnson Family at 3:15 PM 0 comments

Difficult children....

We all know what I am talking about right? The one child in your kid's class at school or the one that lives down the street that runs the neighbor hood. We all know the difficult kids in our lives. In fact some of us are the parents to them.

These difficult kids are not that rare, I even remember knowing some while growing up. It's not anything the parents did necessarily, and it's not that they are ADD/ADHD or anything else. They are just difficult.

There is a little boy that is smaller than his peers in kindergarten at the school my younger kids go to. He has had a really rough time. He is a victim of child abuse and has lived in at least 3 or 4 different homes, counting where he is now. Each home having a different set of rules and a different value system. one or two were Christian, one was atheist, the others just went with the flow. Every home had a new mommy that swore they would be his "forever" mommy. Only for him to move again.

He has learned that if he lies about things he gets attention and that his teacher feels sorry for him. But in return, he won't listen to the teacher. He is in therapy, and it helps his parents and his siblings, but it seems to make things worse at school.

So what do you do with such a child? Do you send him to the child welfare system in hopes that the problem will disappear? Do you send him back to his birth parent even though that is where the abuse happened? What is it that you do?

I can answer that very simply and very easily.... you pray.

I highly suggest that you get a copy of The Power of the Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian and you use it as a tool to pray over any troubled or difficult child. You don't have to be the parent in order to pray.

The more people out there praying for the children, the more children will come to know the Lord. God will heal our kids. Sometimes all the kids need is to know somebody cares. And in today's world that is a high commodity that not all kids get.

The Power of a Praying Parent By Stormie Omartian / Harvest House Publishers Stormie Omartian revisits her bestselling book for parents---now with a new cover---by adding new material and the wisdom gleaned from even more years of being a mom. In 30 easy-to-read chapters, Stormie shares from personal experience as to how parents can pray for their children's safety, character, adolescence, peer pressure, school experiences, friends, and relationship with God. Now adults, Stormie's grown-up children also reflect on the way their praying parents raised them---and what a difference it made.

Labels: difficult kids, praying parent

posted by the Johnson Family at 9:23 AM 0 comments

In Your Arms

This song is from Plumb off the Blink CD.

In Your Arms

Your baby blues
So full of wonder
Your curly que's
Your contagious smile
And as I watch
You start to grow up
All I can do is hold you tight
Knowing

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

Story books
Are full of fairy-tales
Of kinds and queens
And the bluest skies
My heart is torn just in knowing
You'll someday see
The truth for lies
When the

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

Castles they might crumble
Dreams may not come true
Cause you are never all alone
Cause I will always
Always love you

Hey I
Hey I
Will love

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

In my arms


I share these lyrics with you because the song absolutely touches me. I sing this song along with Plumb to my kiddos. I want my kids to know that no matter what, momma will keep them safe.

But you know what is even better? I pray for them. I know that I can't keep them 100% safe 100% of the time. They go to school, to church, playing in the neighborhood, to other family members, etc. So to protect them and shield them, I pray over them. I pray the Lord will protect their body, mind and soul.

posted by the Johnson Family at 8:37 PM 1 comments

His Word..... Hidden

Psalm 119:1 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.


I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this scripture in my devotion this morning. I was talking with a couple of friends just last night about how things will suddenly pop up and you have scripture that you didn't necessarily realize you knew.

When we stay in the Bible and read daily we feed our spiritual man. This is important as parents, grandparents and as people that are with kids because they learn from example.

Our children copy what they see. If they see their parents reading God's Word they will likely do the same. If your child hears you call somebody a jerk out of frustration, one day they will do the same. Trust me. Been There Done That got the T-Shirt.

So, we need to read the Bible with our kids. Have a hard time reading? Don't think you have time? Get the Bible on CD or tape and play it in the car while you go to softball practice or soccer. We keep praise and worship CDs in our vehicle to keep our focus on God.

You will notice that once you have God's Word in your heart that you will be more loving, your house will get a peace about it even in the chaos.


Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Labels: devotion, fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23, hidden, psalm 119:1

posted by the Johnson Family at 8:29 AM 1 comments