Tuesday, June 30, 2009

When God blesses in unique ways

I was going to write a pantry post this evening but I had something so neat happen today, I had to share it (I'll write the pantry post tomorrow... God willing and the creek don't rise!).

It never ever ceases to amaze me how God meets needs in His time. I was sharing with a friend how I had goosebumps because of something that happened today. It all happened because I had some unexpected money come in...

On the way to the grocery store, I had this feeling to stop by the Mission Thrift Shop. I haven't been going to thrift stores or garage sales or anything because of a severely limited budget. So... I haven't been at this thrift store in awhile.

Now, another thing you should know is I had been "telling God" that I'd love to find more old Victoria magazines, just like I had found some on the free rack at the library last year. Are you ahead of me, yet? There... on the shelves where the Mission Thrift Store keeps donated magazines... were YEARS worth of old Victoria magazines for a dime a piece (a price I could afford!).

As I told my friend, you have to think of the fact that God would lead someone to donate their old magazines to the Mission store just at the time to be put on the shelf when I actually had extra money. How many women still have Victoria magazines from the late 1980s and early 1990s?

So often we go through difficult times in this world but then there are those amazing instances where something happens which can only be a "God thing". There is just no other way the circumstances can come together without Divine intervention. It always shows me I'm on His path... this isn't Heaven, yet... but He will make Himself known.

I am feeling much better but still weak enough that chicken soup sounds good. I treated myself to the luxury of a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store. It is now simmering away to become chicken noodle soup. The temperatures have cooled enough to make soup once again comfort food.

I've given up on the downstairs maids so I must go check to see if it is time to add noodles. The house is ready for hubby's return and I have a feeling chicken soup will sound good for him, too. :)

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Isn't God good! He loves us so much! I still have Victoria magazines from the 80's and 90's. I just can't let them go. I am so thankful for God blessing you this way!

Friend Debra

Scrappy quilter said...

Oh Brenda, this just brings a smile to my face. God is so good. What a treasure to find these magazines. Our former pastor use to call times like these God's nuggets of gold. Hugs and hope you're feeling much better soon.

Packrat said...

Isn't it crazy/fun/wonderful how things like that happen? Hope your husband arrived home safely.

Cheri said...

So cool!

Enjoy reading!

Married life said...

That is great! I know what you mean about a "God Thing" I've had this happen a couple of times.

Sharon Goemaere said...

Oh Brenda...I LOVE that magazine!I was so sad when they went out of publication.Then when they returned I was elated to say the least!I had to donate about 10 years worth of the older magazines quite awhile ago to our former library.I hope someone was blessed by them.I eagerly await the newer ones now in the mail.It is one of the few splurges I can have living on husband's disability checks.:-)Blessings from Oregon~Sharon

Sallie@aquietsimplelife said...

Isn't this cooler weather absolutely wonderful?!?!?!?! Our high today was 64 and it is supposed to be in the low 60's the next couple of days.

After the upper 90's last week, this is just delightful beyond words! :-)

Tracy said...

What a wonderful testimony, Brenda! God cares about even the littlest details. :)

Anonymous said...

If you had gone in only a few days ago to that store you would have not had even a dime for one magazine. God got the unexpected money coming your way, the person to give the magazines and the person in the store to get them out just at the perfect time and prompted you to get there just at that very moment. You know Victoria Magazines at even many times that price would be gone quickly...for 10c each...unheard of!! :) He even cares for us in little ways...HE knows YOU Brenda. :) I am so happy for you that you got the relief of some much needed money coming in plus a little extra special bonus thrown in! :) A women in a home with two men needs some girl magazines !! Jody

Anita said...

Ummm Ummm...sounds so good. I can almost smell it...and taste it!

Heather L. said...

I'm so happy for you!!!! That certainly is a find, put there just for you!

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

I bought my first Victoria magazine in 1988, they were a quarterly publication then. I got a subscription then and kept it until they stopped publishing. Those last few years were not my favorites like the early ones. I have all of them though, I just could never through them out. I do go back through them for inspiration and just to enjoy the beauty. My husband works for the company that used to print Victoria and he was able to get subscriptions for a fraction of the normal rate. That is how I was able to have it for so many years!

The more recent publication of Victoria is very nice too - reminds me of the early years.

What a blessing to you to have found so many for a dime an issue! And way to go - listening to the prompting of the Lord to stop!

Enjoy the loveliness! Glad you are feeling better!

Beth said...

How absolutely precious! I am soooo glad that you see God's love for you in this blessing. So many people would fail to give our Lord credit! I'd like to tell you a little story of my own, if you don't mind.
Several years ago, I was newly separated from my husband and feeling so down. I had been to a candle party about a year or so earlier and saw a lighthouse candle holder that I loved but couldn't possibly afford. (I think it was about $60 possibly more!!!)
After I dropped my children off at their father's apartment for the evening, I went to the Goodwill store nearby to just "window shop."
There was my lighthouse!!! It was missing the "light" part of the lighthouse but otherwise was perfect. I think I bought it for $1.99. I was thrilled and brought to tears to think of how God had delivered something that meant so much to me when I needed it most.He knew what that would mean to me when I was at my lowest.

Later, I contacted the candle company and was able to purchase the missing part of the lighthouse for five dollars.
Everytime I think or see my lighthouse, I think of how much God cares for me and how much He understands us...way more than we think He does sometimes.
Thank you so much for your story today...I loved it!! By the way, I still have all of my old Victoria magazines as well!! They're my treasures!!!!
Love ya!
Beth

Anonymous said...

I don't mean to be critical in this comment, I just am trying to figure out what I think about these types of things so please don't be offended : ) If God is sovereign and in control and guides our steps, etc., then isn't EVERYTHING that happens "a God thing"? Even the non-event things and the bad things as well as good things? I'm just pondering here - trying to figure it out because I'm not sure personally if little happy things that happen in our lives should be singled out as "God things." Do you know what I mean?

Vee said...

Oh what fun about the Victoria magazines...and so very true! It was a God thing.

Hope that your chicken soup is delicious and restorative.

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

Wonderful! You ask how many women have their Victoria magazines from the late 80s and early 90s. I do. It was such a wonderful magazine then, and it began slowly changing. The early volumes of Piecework, from the first years, are also wonderful and though it is still good, it is not the same fabulous magazine it was just in the beginning.

Sandra said...

What a great find! I also collect Victoria. I've gotten them for a few dollars, a few cents and a whole bunch free so I know how pleased you were to find these treasures. And yes, I truly believe God is interested in ALL our life and the small blessings are just as important as the "big" ones.

Anonymous said...

I love God sightings!
Be blessed!
Cathy

Debbie in CA : ) said...

Hi Brenda,

I love coming to see you. And I love having you come and visit me and leave those encouraging comments. Thank you, sweet friend.

I DO have all of my original Victoria Magazines. I bought the very first "quarterly" issue at the grocery store and subscribed lickety-split! I saved them all for my daughters (and I reread them). They are the best example of a magazine for womenly "arts" I have ever found -- proof is in the stacks upon stacks in my library. (The new ones are good, but not quite the same flavor, to me anyway).

So delighted that God has blessed you with another chunk of beauty fitting the budget. enJOY those magazines as you sip soup and recover fully.

I can't imagine eating hot chicken soup in our heat. Grilled cilantro-lime salmon tonight. You stay cozy while I keep cool.

'Til next time -- XO, Debbie

Abounding Treasures said...

This sort of happening always brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart as it reminds me that the Lord is interested in EVERY DETAIL of our lives :o)

Blessings Brenda and thanks for reminding us all of this!

Sara said...

Oh, praise God! How wonderful that our Father delighted in sending you to those lovely magazines. You have been faithful in keeping your home cheerfully in hard times. You have been faithful to love your husband and children. What a little treasured reward from our Lord. I am so happy for you.
To the sweet 'Anonymous' that asked about mundane things being "God Things" (hope I understood what was meant by the question), I say that God IS Sovereign over ALL things; even dull, mundane, or hard things. We must see those as "God Things" also. We should always "Praise Him In This Storm" (from Casting Crowns). I do think there is alot of biblical basis though, for extra joyful excited praise when He sends us really neat, good "God Things". He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. Hope this adds some comfort to the question.

Anonymous said...

For my view of what Anonymous said....Yes of course everything in our lives is a God thing [although our choices decide some of the bad things}..I understand where you are coming from. The little extras like the Victorian Magazines are the icing on the cake so-to-speak. It opens our eyes and makes us a bit giddy and in awe that the Father of the whole universe would lay before us something maybe only He knew we would cherish. I am not good with words so I hope you understood what I was trying to say. Maybe someone else will lay in and describe it better. Jody

Katie said...

Oh, Brenda, what a blessing! I am *so* glad for you!

It reminds me of the C.S. Lewis quote about "patches of Godlight." It might not be quite what Mr. Lewis meant, but that sounds like a "patch of Godlight" to me! :)

I've kept my old Victorias, but stay on the lookout for secondhand copies -- trying to fill in gaps in my "collection," plus I'd love to find duplicates that I could feel free to cut up. I don't think I've ever tried to cut up a Victoria, though, and don't know that I could do it even if I knew I had another one! :)

Katie said...

Hi Brenda,
I was so excited about your Victorias when I commented earlier that I completely forgot to tell you something very important!

So, last, but not at all least, -- I do hope you're well soon!
Katie

Carol said...

God is so good and amazing! What a lovely reminder of this each Victoria magazine will be. (MD)