The Snyders in Germany

This photo contains joy, thankfulness, and a prayerful investment. 

Wow what an exciting few weeks we've had!  This time has been an incredible roller coaster of emotions.  So many great things are happening and even though we constantly face opposition from the powers of this world God is stronger, better and good.  He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places and many already here on earth.  Sometimes I just can't believe how good he has been to us.  Of course we've had moments in which the enemy attacks us in our weakness but then we wake up and realize just how much God has been blessing us.

1.  Healthy Beautiful Baby Boy -
Noah Zechariah Snyder was born September 3rd at almost 4 Kilos and 52 cm.

WOW! it's finally happened, D began working at LAX, the job we had prayed for, the work we had prayed to come, and in abundance. quite a transition from spending a lot of time together to about 2 hours a day.. even Baby P has noticed his absence. when he came home from day one (sat) he went in to shower and she crawled after him, and hit the door crying! so sad, yet cute at same, time, anyways i stood in there and he talked to her over shower (cuz he's nice and tall and can look over hehe) but ya it's just crazy and amazing to think, its over. being unemployed is over with. into a new season, a busy one, a fruitful one. and so amazing too because our first instinct has been, how can we be a blessing! it was harder before, yet possible, but harder because of a real lack of financial resources, but now it's like a world of opportunity. woohooo and exhilarating yet! it has been quite nice to have the time around the home though, it was weird while he was out of work, because it kind of felt like i was too. even though, my job (homemaker) was still very needed etc it was like my motivation was gone and i didn't really know how to fulfill my role while he was around, but the moment he works, its like i go into workin mode and the house gets clean, good food gets made. its a good feeling! by the way i feel like i shouldn't have been so unmotivated i wish i would've stayed the same, but for some reason it didn't happen. like an epidemic! even if he had a day of work, it would happen. weird but that was my experience. the provision God provided over those past 6 months was purely glorious! i dont believe it was chance, or coincidence, but God. His word declares He will supply all of our needs, that He feeds the sparrow and clothes the lily and we need not worry for we are of far greater value than they. matthew6:33 declares, "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (food clothes needs etc) will be added unto you." and i believed it for my life as a single, i believed it for my wedding planning, and we believed it as a family! and the Lord does not lie, we never lacked a single thing! we had everything we needed when we needed it. men may place dead lines or set time for things but Gods timing is perfect. I once heard, "God is rarely early, but never late." it's a beautiful thing to take Gods word at face value and tell Him, Lord your word says_____________ex: you will provide. so Lord, I am going to give you the first fruits (the best and not leftovers) of all i have! my time, talent and treasure. and Lord, I trust you will provide for all my needs.

See that He does not respond when this is done with a pure heart! He loves His children more than we could ever fathom. it is written

"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"

i say amen. it is true. the most valuable precious thing God could have ever given us was His Son Jesus. why would he withhold anything else?

have you had any personal experiences with this! please share your favorite story!


-with a thankful heart,
      mrs. s

staying at home with baby has been positively one of the best things ever! ya know, something i've realized is that somebody needs to raise your children. why not you? i mean, why have children if only to pass off the work to somebody else? I am not talking about every now and then because, obviously it's important to get a break, but full time is something different. How glorious to raise up godly children! What a delight to know all the hard work you put in, will someday hopefully have an eternal payout! I know some people think it's "not possible" these days... but it is. Mr. S and I are living proof. yes, there will be sacrifices, like maybe you won't be able to buy a brand new car, or have every possession you desire, but you will know your children are being raised to know God, they will know they are loved, and isn't that worth the sacrifice of "things"?! but i don't even know if "sacrifice" is the right word, because the blessing is far greater! aaron and i have not lacked a single thing by me staying home, and it's even more beautiful/glorious/amazing because he hasn't had work since february! and yet STILL the Lord provides :) but it's really our responsibility in the end, as in, we have to make good choices now, or else yes both parents do need to work due to financial commitments made. now for example, before making a big purchase, example: a new car, determine, is it going to be possible to carry on such financial burdens when a child comes (without both parents working)? if eating out is something that is regular, consider... eating in. take the time to prepare your breakfast lunch and dinners. it's amazing the amount of money saved, and add onto that the time you have to search out good deals because you aren't at work, tired, and in a rush to just eat anything. you can meal plan, bargain hunt, and add that special ingredient to all that's made... love. it really is a blessing to be able to serve up a warm meal to your husband after he's been gone working all day. though there are definitely challenges. planning out the week's meals ahead of time is such a help to the 'what should i cook' question, and that is both time and cost effective! being a stay-at-home mom doesn't mean you don't do work, not at all! it's just your work is in your home. there is nothing wrong with a wife/mom who does side work/part time even on the side. in fact that's what we see modeled by the proverbs 31 woman. the point is more rather, is your full time job outside the home? the Bible teaches us to be good stewards of all our resources, our time, treasures, and talents. how is the Lord teaching you to be a good steward? are you being faithful with that which has been entrusted to you(money, care of your home, and children)? i hope so! i don't write any of this to condemn anyone or to say there is one right way, but i think it's something important for women and parents to consider... i'll leave y'all with this verse

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." -colossians 3:2

until next time,
mrs. s

I realize its been way too long since I wrote... in fact, I've only written one other time, but I figured I'd start sharing here what amazing things the Lord does in our life rather than in my personal journals. So I will do a quick catch up from last July to now so bear with me and enjoy! {stories shall be placed in brackets}

July 2011- we came back to the usa from germany. moved to cali with mrs. s' parents [see previous blog for explanation of that]

August 2011- mr. s began roofing for webco, moved into our first apartment together as a family!

Sept 2011- amy began taking 3 unit class called Perspectives on the World Christian Movement

Oct 2011- still adjusting to life in ca, ended month with baby shower


Dec 2011 Baby Number one is born!

Jan 2012- grandma joy comes to visit us and baby p for the first time!

Feb 2012- first family trip to ohio,  mr. s turns 24, becomes unofficially unemployed. job hunt begins. start learning how faithful God really is...


Mar 2012- celebrate 1 year anniversary, continue trusting the Lord

Apr 2012- busy being parents continual work search, mister s received one week of work with the carpenters union, woohoo!

May 2012- jp and vero come to visit at end of the month, we had so much fun with them both. we went to santa barbara, l.a., did some museum exploring, some coffee shop discovering, stayed in a yurt in the sb mountains... it was a great time. 

June 2012- GODS PROVIDES just in the knick of time!

{so, we were running out of our savings, due to rent and other needs over the past almost 5 months, and we knew God either needed to provide work to make money, or provide money to pay our upcoming bills because after submitting our rent check we were pretty much out. it was pretty awesome as well, because a month earlier we had felt God encouraging us to give to some brothers and sisters in central asia, the amount was $100. then last month calvary nexus decided to do an experiment so to say, by giving away $10,000 to 100 people with the hopes to further Gods kingdom and to teach people to be good stewards of Gods money. (really teaching, all is Gods money. be a good steward of all you have!) so we wanted to participate and we took our $100 and matched the $100 from calvary in hopes to send $200! so cool. it took longer than hoped to figure out how to get the money to our friends, but we finally sent it out, completely in faith too because that was literally our last $100... leaving us with about $30 or so in our account..scary! but we knew God would come through! we just knew it! amy celebrated her 23 birthday and received some money during that time which was helpful indeed, but not enough to really cover the bills, but it was encouraging. and then it happened, we received the news that we were very loved and a check would be coming to us in the mail because somebody had given us some money. when we got home that day, indeed there was a check in the mailbox, anonymously given, for $3000!!!!! i share the specifics so that God may be glorified and magnified! can we just take a moment to glorify and praise Him!?

selah

so this is written to share that God knows our every need. He knows when to provide. see, we didn't need money for next months rent, because, well, it wasn't due yet. we didn't need money for tomorrow, because tomorrow wasn't here yet and we had/have everything we needed for today. it was once said, the Lord is rarely early but never late. and in these past months, we have not lacked one good thing.