Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Our goal from the very beginning of this blog was to share our family's stories, our testimony, and of God's work in our lives. Before this blog, I wrote for other sites including electronic and print publications. I stopped writing at one point. I had enough to do, and I couldn't do the writing as well as I wanted in the time that was leftover. There were plenty of other excuses too.
Then my husband and I were nearly killed by a driver in a murderous rage who was going home to get his gun to finish an argument. He veered into our lane and went back to his lane at the very last second. It was so close I exclaimed, "LORD! MY CHILDREN!" meaning "Lord, please take care of my children!" In that split second, Clint and I both thought we were going to die.
The young man then hit a telephone pole and was killed instantly. He was partially ejected. We were the first responders. We tended to his pregnant girlfriend's compound fractures, missing teeth, and shock, and put out the fire and warned others of the downed power lines.
For weeks, I had an opportunity to encourage his girlfriend not to abort her baby as her entire family was advising her to do. She told me I gave her a new way to think about the life growing inside of her. Sadly, she did abort the baby due to pressure from her family.
That near death moment changed me. I have felt the "shortness of time" ever since. I laid aside the excuses and started writing again settling for the best I could do with whatever time was available. What you see here is a result of that change within me. I started this blog a few days after that event. I shared about that accident in detail, but most of the posts regarding it, I removed after a few years. I didn't want his family coming across it by accident, and those posts causing them pain.
Earlier in life, as a young stay at home mother, I had asked God to expand my reach and impact for Him. I prayed that daily each morning for months. I wanted to shine a light for Him and help others in their journey, but I did not see how I could do that with me being at home with seven children. God opened the door through a humble little spot...this blog.
I have printed out most of the emails we have received from people around the globe who have visited. I save the emails in a memory box for those days I need encouragement. It reminds me to keep focused on what is important. It keeps me moving forward.
Family, friends, and many strangers come to read what is here. I've also made many new friends through this blog. City dwellers come here to learn about rural life. Children enjoy the pictures of animals we share and many homeschooled and public schooled students have studied the page on argiopes, Flat Stanley, candled chicken eggs, soap making, vinegar making, and other topics. New homesteaders in the US and abroad come to see how we built hoop houses and rabbit tractors. Foreign friends get a glimpse of American life.
This blog is like a warm hello, or so I've been told, to people with limited mobility due to age or disability. It expands their world and gives them a family to keep up with.
There is also a well known Christian book author who reads here on occasion.
We are now reaching people in several colleges thanks to friends' children who have an interest in Coal Road. They have shared that link and now we are "meeting" more and more college students. Since then, the Coal Road pages have even received hits from several government and business offices expanding our reach even further.
Mothers who are working hard to care for their children and don't get to see many adults come here for a little friendly company. Many people have told me I have the gift of encouraging others and say they come here for that very reason.
Homeschooling groups have shared our articles in their print newsletters. Churches and baby loss ministries have published the stories about my losses to help other women know they are not alone and to help those who are ministering to them to know what is helpful and what is not.
We have been contacted by Sunday School classes, Bible study groups and churches all around the world who have asked if they can print and use some of the material on forgiveness, difficult relationships, love, and attitudes found here. We have helped hospitals, again all around the world, through the pictures of Caleb's appendix story.
We have encouraged others indirectly to have sterilization reversals and have more children. Some of the children that were born, in part because of our testimony of God's provision, are young people we consider to be like family. There are more Christians alive today sharing God's Word with others because of our testimony of God's provision to large families. That's amazing to me!
My struggle with severe hyperemesis gravidarum has convinced others to keep fighting and not have abortions. It has strengthened women with long term illnesses to continue caring for their children. Backslidden Christians have written to me to say they have turned their lives around and to ask for advice. Mothers have found easier or more economical ways to do things. Struggling people have been strengthened to keep moving forward. People without family have adopted us and pray faithfully for us.
Estranged families, including some of our own, have been healed because of words I have written. Family members who we have not seen in a long time have contacted us too. Most importantly, souls have been redeemed through this blog! This is GOD, not our family and certainly not me, working good! If He can work this much through our lives, He can do it through yours too, if you let Him.
I have shared things that I really do not enjoy having out there, but we are called to "Let your light shine before men" and to "make known his deeds among the peoples!" We are not to hide our lives like we are doing something wrong. We are to "live out loud!" This blog is not about my or anyone else's comfort. I am sharing the same types of things I've always shared.
This blog is about pointing others through the good and the bad of our lives to something very real and worthwhile--a Holy God who wants people reconciled to Him through Jesus' sacrifice.
I've had an incredible amount of support over the years, but there have been a few critics. Some people are offended that I use "so many Bible verses." I am aware of one friend who never sees Bible verses outside of this blog. A few older ladies don't like that I share about pregnancy because it makes their generation uncomfortable that men might also read here, and it ties in with that taboo subject of sex. Sex and pregnancy are mentioned frequently in the Bible, and pregnancy has been a large part of what God has given me to share with others. It's my story. I'm going to use it! One person thinks I should give it more structure with certain types of posts on certain days. To plan it that way would require time I do not have in this stage of life. I am doing the best I can with the time leftover from my responsibilities.
I've also had a friend come to me and wonder if something was written about her. I think it showed a lot of courage and Christian maturity to come and speak with me about what was troubling her instead of brooding. I showed her my personal notes proving it was regarding something else, and it eased her heart. She shared with me that she had said something similar to someone and could not remember if it was to me or not, so she wanted to come clear the air by apologizing and making things right.
I have one friend who can't handle any mention of my baby losses. While my heart sympathizes and I have empathy for her struggles in that area, I told her I would still share about my losses because it is the story God has given me to help hurting women. She understands and still comes to read, but she skips over those posts. She leaves what she can't bear to read or think about and takes what she finds helpful with her.
No one has complained, so this is not directed at anyone. I just want to put it out there as we go forward. If by chance some of the things shared here make you unhappy or uncomfortable, maybe you can overlook the discomfort and rejoice that God seems to be using this humble little blog. If something irritates you, examine yourself and ask why. Is it about "your flesh" being uncomfortable with some of the topics or illustrations, or did I misrepresent the love of the Lord, His goodness to us, and His desire for people to come to know Him?
I ask you, dear reader, to pray with us that God uses this poorly written little blog, authored when I am at my tiredest, to be a blessing to even more people. I am a warrior servant for the Lord. I am very serious-minded about sharing Him with others. I am thankful He can take someone as flawed as me and use me.
Again, no one has said anything, and this is not about anyone...but I feel like I should put it out here:
If you can't get on board with what we share here,
then maybe you can get on board with WHY.
For everyone who does evil hates the Light,
and does not come to the Light
for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
But he who practices the truth comes to the Light,
so that his deeds may be manifested
as having been wrought in God.
John 3:20-21
*These things did not happen all at once but over many years as we shared.
The blog is a family effort. Brandon has been doing back end checks and maintenance for many years. He oversees the stuff I don't care to do. Clint has final say over posts and is backing it up for our family history. Every family member participates in some way or another, and I often ask permission before I share their personal information.
