Jason and Natalie – Indiana and Iraq

My husband and I would like to share how God has strengthened and provided for us as a military family, specifically through deployment.

When our first son, Matthew, was 1 month old exactly, the 9-11 terrorist attacks took place on America. Jason had always wanted to be a soldier and felt called to join the National Guard at this time. I was hesitant; I was a new wife and mom and really still a new Christian as well. I worried a lot about the possibility of deployment. But there was no denying that this was what Jason should be doing. It was what he was great at. Continue reading →

Emily – Ontario, Canada

As a type A child I always had a plan. Pretty much everything I did was planned out to the last detail and the only person who was really allowed to change the plan was me. I knew exactly what I wanted my life to look like and I was determined to make that happen. So when I would hear “the Lord will provide” I always assumed it meant that He would provide exactly what I thought I needed and what I had decided I wanted.

I got married young to an amazing, extremely intelligent man and was heading off to teachers college. My life was turning out exactly as I had planned and I expected things to continue to go “my way”. Then a string of trials hit me all at once that would challenge my idols of control and being a mom. Continue reading →

Joe and Hannah – Louisville

My husband Joe and I were married five days after my eighteenth birthday. Many of our more distant friends and family were outspoken about their opinions on this choice. To say that they were doubtful of the chances of our marriage’s success would be an understatement. However, we had the full support of our families, our pastor and many other members in our church. More importantly, we truly believed this was the Lord’s plan for our lives, and we were looking forward to whatever He had in store for us.

During the first year of our marriage we grew to trust in the Lord more than ever before as He led us through the loss of my husband’s job, a devastating house fire during our first Christmas, and the unexpected news that I was expecting!

On the day of our first anniversary, we left the town that I was born and raised in and set off on a three day drive for Louisville, Kentucky, and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Continue reading →

Kara – Cambodia/U.S.A.

Writing about God’s provisions is two-sided for me. On one hand, it is a way to point others to our great God and say “Look! Look what He can do! He is faithful, He is constant, He is your provider. Let me tell you what He’s done for me!” But I’ve been in a place where stories of God’s provisions for others taunted me. They were like bitter drops on my thirsty soul–a soul that was feeling left out on the line, parched, forgotten by God. A detail forgotten in the Great Care Plan, providence.

My husband, Darryl, and I had experienced the close and gracious hand of God in unique way as we served in mission positions in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for five years. But when the Lord gave a unique gift in our fourth child, Calvin Luke, it seemed like His hand of provision drifted away Continue reading →

This week we are beginning a new series called “The Lord Will Provide”. All of the stories in the series are true, from people whom we know from all kinds of situations, places, and life stages. They are a little part of the record of the Lord’s faithfulness to His people, showing His power, love, and concern for His children’s good. The people in these stories have big and little needs, in exciting or discouraging situations, but each time, the Lord has shown Himself again to be Jehovah-jireh.

Courtney, Missouri, 2011

When my husband asked me what I thought about possibly moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan for him to attend seminary at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, I barely even knew where Michigan was. We prayed about possibly making the move, talked with our families and after a visit to the school in August of 2010, we felt very much at ease with the decision of coming to Puritan to further Spencer’s education…and educated we were… Continue reading →