Testimonies & Thoughts

We are in the middle of trying to learn more about God's love, His discipline strategies, and His character.  I don't claim to have that all figured out - but I wanted to record today's impression I received.   People say, "God did not make you sick." or "God does not hurt His children."  We wonder why then do we endure such physical hardships.  This morning, in my time with the Lord, I read something that really hit me as an answer to this dilemma I have had.  It basically said that God eventually turns us over to the evil side when we refuse to repent or obey (I am paraphrasing).  This finally made sense to me.  I know God is a just God and He cannot be just and allow His children to repeatedly disobey without any consequences - not for their sake or for the sake of others.  So, though GOD is not the one that brought the specific hardship, it is possible, by our refusing to obey and follow in His safety and protection of our lives, WE have a...

This morning I felt the Lord show me myself, once again, through the example of our toddler. He came into our room so frustrated, because he was trying to put his baby guitar in the carrying case.  He had the large part of the guitar going into the large part of the case.  However, the problem was, once it got inside, the neck was still sticking out and the case was upside down.  In his frustration, he came in and asked, "Can you help?"  "Of course, I can help you!" I said cheerfully as I hopped out of bed to "rescue him".  This was the first we had heard or seen him. Our entire family had slept in (we are in the middle of a nice ice storm and are completely off schedule). I actually suprised myself with my immediate cheerful response towards him.  I saw what he was trying to do.  I saw how frustrated he was.  I knew the answer.  I knew I could help them, and I was anxious to do so as soon as he asked. I was able to turn the case ar...

Over the last few weeks, I have had conversations with various people about our current situation (how difficult it is to manage all that has been thrown into my life after my husband's spinal cord injury July 15 th ). Two people finished my sentence with "like this is not what you signed up for." They were trying to empathize, so I do appreciate their listening ear and sentiment, but this phrase has been just replaying in my spirit with such uneasiness. This morning, at 3 am, I finally woke up with it needing to get out, so here it is! I DID sign up for this. When I accepted Christ as my Savior and committed my life to His will, I signed up for this. When I accepted Scott as my husband, who is also a follower of Christ, I signed up for this. I signed up to be vulnerable, available, and committed no matter what obstacles would come my way. I signed up to be a servant, for Christ and my husband. Now, maybe I do not like the circumstances, but to give myself the thou...

The other day, Avery was snuggling up to me and told me how beautiful I was. I felt so loved and appreciated her sincere compliment UNTIL I caught a glance in the mirror later that day. My hair had not been brushed at all in at least an entire day and was thrown up in a crazy looking hairdo. I had not had a shower in days and really smelled not feminine, my face was dry, my skin broken out with acne here and there, I saw wirey gray hairs here and there not obeying the pattern of my pony tail, my clothes were tshirt and sweats... I just looked so horrible. I am not saying this to come across in some backwards vain way - what struck me was that she was seeing something completely different than what I was seeing. My mind has been so tainted by the media, the actresses, the magazine covers, the ideal girl and woman photos. My mind has also been so tainted with my negative issues about myself. Her mind is capable of seeing the beauty in who I am, how I am acting, God in m...

This morning, I was in the midst of a sweet time with our 23 month old son. He had just returned from the trip to take him to the nursery school, because he had "thrown up" his breakfast and we were not sure if he was sick, or just had an upset stomach. I met my carpool mom at the apartment and helped her take him and the carseat out of her SUV. I decided it would be safer, though a bit gross, to take Samuel out of his carseat and carry him with my left arm and carry the carseat with the other arm, my legs, and any other part of my body that could help me limp up the long walkway, into the apartment, through the foyer, up the elevator, down the long hall and into our apartment. Well, if you have ever carried a large booster/carseat, you can relate to how cumbersome and heavy these are. Add a 23 lb child in the left arm, and you might picture how awkard and tiring this was for me. By the time we got in the elevator, I decided it would be better to go ahead and let everyt...

As I am organizing my "God Stories" and thoughts, I am sharing them online for the Lord to use however He sees fit. I want others to know how my relationship with God works, so they may glean wisdom (practical nuts and bolts) from my experiences (and I have been blessed to have quite a number of "tragedies" occur in my life that have led me to a deeper relationship with God that I do not believe I would have otherwise). As a student of the Bible, I welcome your feedback if my theology is ever incorrect (according to the Bible). To God be the glory! May all know God is real, proclaim Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and embrace the life God has planned for them.

Thank you for your interest in helping our family with our financial needs during this adjustment period. Your generosity and support are greatly appreciated! Donations are being accepted Online or by Mail (Details Below): ONLINE: One Time Donation Button: (Note: Paypal deducts 2.9% + 30 cents from each transaction) If you wish to avoid this convenience fee (for larger donations especially), you may use the following address: BY MAIL: Scott Rankin 4037 Manzinita St Fort Worth, TX 76137 Boerne Church of Christ is still accepting donations on behalf of Scott's Medical Fund as well. Thank you for your generosity! One Time Donation Button: Update: Feb 2013 Thanks to all who have so generously contributed to our family, we have been able to pay our bills, remain debt free, and enjoy healthy food.  Scott continues to recover and we all continue to grow in our faith and the grace of the Lord.  We appreciate your continued support.  We are thankful to hav...