family-history

The Lord IS in Charge – BE STILL and WAIT

Standard

You could say that it is HARD to wait on the Lord – and at the same time keep doing what you are doing and looking for direction and checking back in.

But the Lord is 100% consistently here in our lives and we need to trust Him more.

Thus could be said for job searching – yeah – tough in terms of waiting – and waiting – and yet not being idle. One has to search – these things rarely drop from the sky.

I found that I was in one possibility for a moment and then it was made clear to me that THAT particular situation (not necessarily the role but well other things) – that THAT was not where the Lord wanted me and I could see that as a “save” – not that it was offered to me – but whatever, LOL…

Also in job searching – there has to be a hunger and direction put into my life – and the Lord has given me the blessing of interest in interesting things. And then there will be the fear of failure that will wage in – of no wages – so those of us STILL in a denial (easier to explain to people) and/or in TRUSTING THE LORD (actually harder to explain to people) – well we have to WAIT on the Lord either way.

This devotion below from Bob is perfectly timed (once again the Holy Spirit is so active and timely) – I checked in last night with God again, while scanning family history stuff and doing a very interesting home project) and just said “Lord, AM I ALLOWED TO HAVE THIS PEACE?” – then this devotion (below) popped up this morning – such timing… Keep doing day by day what the Lord has you doing.

Yeah – I question sometimes – am I being distracted or uber focused on important things? I was finishing up my scanning of this branch of the family correspondence from 1900’s – 1960 – taking like three afternoons/evenings of scanning and then some – including making 2 “xerox” copies for easy reading – and contemplating “is this for me?” – “is this for them?” Whom am I doing this for? – and yet it seems perfect the treasured job given to me – both as an activity to keep me busy as I await the BIG trip this summer in less than 2 weeks – also to finish up before I do VBS’s – and as a scanned/printed resource for the future – including that I can’t wait to meet these lovely people in Heaven one day. I realize that everyone I am reading about – would be deceased by now – and yet they come alive in letters. [and the practicality of paper is true – these letters survived over 100 years but computer scans may not unless saved in an accessible way.]

Well – job search – life search – just paying the bills – so much to consider – but God? GOD IS – not just God is convenient to touch base with – but GOD IS GOD – and God knows we need Him.

Here is Bob’s devotion – on WAITING on the Lord…

(and don’t worry – I have more letters to send you pics of in future emails)

Amen and thanks for the pep talk Lord!

———- 

Daily Devotional

The Daily Dose Be Still and Wait 7/01/2026 Good Morning – Are you being still before the Lord and waiting on God?

Psalm 37:7  “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
 
This fast paced world certainly doesn’t make it easy to be a patient person, as we often expect God to work in our fast and furious time tables. God’s timing is always different than ours and we often find ourselves in need of patience. Our lack of patience forces some bad solutions that often lead to even more problems. We need to learn as David finally did, “I waited patiently on the Lord, and He turned to me, and He heard my cry.” Psalm 40:1 And while waiting is very tough at times, the end result is quite awesome. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12
 
The scriptures use the image of a farmer waiting for seed, soil, sun and rain to do its work. The field must be plowed, the seed sown, the land fertilized, the crops watered, the soil weeded, the crop tendered and then he has periods of waiting in between, as the crop comes to it’s full fruition. It is the same with each of us! “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.” James 5:7

As I often say, we need to develop God speed. Pray for the patience that allows us to trust God’s timing, which is always perfect for us. “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.” Psalm 18:30 “And finally, Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful.” Romans 12:12

Lord please draw us closer to You and help us to wait on what You have for us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen
Have another powerful and prosperous day of waiting patiently as you love and serve others in the workplace and at home. “Take up your sword!” Ephesians 6:17
Bob Bennett
Real Men Ministries   “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” — Philippians 2:3 Copyright © 2026 Real Men Ministries. All rights reserved.

Psalm 138 God is Great! Farmhouse Finds, Cousins upon Cousins

Standard

To say my time not working (at a job) has been WORKING OUT for me, is an understatement. It’s been a PRODUCTIVE time, I’m blessed to have had this opportunity and temporary reassignment to “OTHER” jobs – not just travel, which you know I’ve been doing a LOT of. (It’s 2 weeks until my biggest summer adventure. Yes I’m almost packed.) 

And as for work: “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever” – I believe this Psalm 138 verse SO MUCH – He Will in HIS TIME. 

But so SERIOUSLY and with CERTAINTY, instead of a nine to five job, how ELSE have I FILLED my time (or seen it filled for me)? Well, I’ve had a few adventures with my kids yes, and a BIG one with the farmhouse finds. AND HOW AND WOW!

We have items, yes, newspapers and photos, baby dolls and even 48-star American flags. We have a FULL house of finds… But it was the “draw” of the pull mentally of getting to “the back corner”, an artificial goal with natural faith to finish that sorting before summer made that attic region unbearable in heat, THAT was an achievement in my mind that has paid off BIG TIME. Essentially we found letters and postcards, we found that we have HUNDREDS of cousins we did not know about. Letters and letters and letters. WOW.

AND I’VE BEEN SCANNING AND COPYING FOR A MONTH. Plus online research. 

Most surprising, now that I’ve connected census research and ship manifests, I discovered that my great great grandparents came to America after their old-enough daughter (my great grandmother) and old-enough son had established themselves here, bringing more children. And I found photographs and maps to their gravestones. WOW. 

Auntie, we knew of her from one photo, but now her many children plus more uncles and cousins are discovered. In these letters, yes, the writings ache your heart in the depression hitting their lives as workers, bakers, farm stand folks, seamstresses. Even though times were tough for my direct family back then, they had a farm and they still ate. My grandpa told me once that all they ate was potatoes every day. Makes me count my blessings. 

And in this, I see the RESILIENCE of a generation, the love especially in the writing, and also the normalcy of their situations. IF WE STUDY THE PAST, WE ARE THANKFUL GOD HAS PULLED US SAFE THUS FAR.

I will write more later about what I’ve found, but for now I will say THANK YOU LORD for this time I’ve had to dig into the project, to devote to scanning and copying, online digging, to now know their names, even a couple photos, but most importantly their love. And I THANK YOU LORD for once again making me count my blessings of provisions and a plan.

I stopped my “ancestry .com” research after my one month $25, I think I milked it pretty good, loose ends and and rabbit holes accepted. I’ve colored coded my scanned letters and sorted by time and person. 

Will I find relatives who live in this era? I don’t know, but I’m going to leave that for another time. This was a big enough project for now.

And I will appreciate what I do have, God’s grace and mercy for these moments of openness… (and appreciate a whole bunch of people whom I hope to meet in Heaven!)

Now I plan on SWITCHING GEARS to typing up the new family tree, for me, my kids, my family. The “artificial goal” I’ve set is to complete this to a stopping point before my next travels. It’s a good goal to gain and then move forward to the next BIG thing.

Yes, LIFE gifted by God. Got to live it and love it!

Amen

Psalm 138 NKJV 

The Lord’s Goodness to the Faithful, a Psalm of David.

I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord, When they hear the words of Your mouth. Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, For great is the glory of the Lord. Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.