Feathers, Faithfulness and Friends

By Ruby Hovda

Ruby Hovda's first book, The Covering of Feathers, is her family's lifestory of Gods faithfulness, mercy and goodness. Her book, Feathers, Faithfulness and Friends, is a sequel of sorts, continuing her feather story, as well as including "God Stories" from many of her friends. Remember, God is supreme, He is in control and He cares even about the little things.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499070538

Ruby Hovda

The author, Ruby Hovda, works part-time at Serenity, usually greeting and seating guests. She is a retired elementary teacher who has taught school in Minnesota, Kentucky, and Illinois. She was married to Gary for 45 ½ years until cancer claimed his life. They have two children and five grandchildren. After Gary passed away, Ruby moved to Zionsville, Indiana to be grandma to her son’s family. Her other books are The Covering of Feathers and Feathers, Faithfulness and Friends. Both books by Ruby Hovda are available on Amazon.com Lily Hovda, 13, lives in Zionsville with her parents, a brother, and two dogs. Grace Fieger, 11, lives in Anaheim, California, with her parents, two dogs, and a rabbit.

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Copyright © 2014 by Ruby Hovda.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2014917144

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-4990-7054-5

                Softcover        978-1-4990-7055-2

                eBook              978-1-4990-7053-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 09/26/2014

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

DEDICATION

PREFACE

NOTES FROM FRIENDS WHO HAVE READ THE COVERING OF FEATHERS

MY FEATHER STORY

GOD’S MESSENGER

GIVING THANKS IN EVERTYHING

GUIDED BY THE FAITHFUL ONE

MY TWIN BOYS

TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF UNDESERVED GRACE

A LESSON FROM A KINDERGARTNER

MEDDLING IN GOD’S PLAN?

SHE’LL NEVER WALK AGAIN

OUR ALMIGHTY GOD

THE MIRACLE(S)

FAITH AND THE WIND

GOD AND MY JOB

ALMOST SEVENTEEN YEARS OF CARE-GIVING

TRUST AND JOY

NINETY-NINE YEARS YOUNG

FOUR YEARS OF EXCITEMENT FOR THIS MOM

TRUSTING IN GOD AND GOD’S WORD

GOD IS FAITHFUL

NEVER TOO OLD

TRUST AND THE TRINITY

A PRACTICE OF PATIENCE

BY DESIGN MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL

A NEW HEART

FIEGER FAMILY FUN

THE GOOD HAND OF THE LORD IS UPON ME

GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU

THE BIBLE AND BIRDS

UNDER HIS WINGS

BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

THOUGHTS FROM WIDOWHOOD

HEALING THE HURT

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS TOO

FEATHERS, FAITHFULNESS AND FRIENDS

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Website.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®). Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked GW are taken from God’s Word Translation Bible Copyright © 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to

our children and their spouses,

our grandchildren and

all my friends.

Special thanks to

each one who has written their God Story

to be included in this book,

and to Bonnie who did the proofreading.

To God be the glory!

PREFACE

The LORD your God is with you.

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you.

He will quiet you with His love.

He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17(NIV)

M Y FIRST BOOK, The Covering of Feathers, is our family’s story of God’s faithfulness. This second book, Feathers, Faithfulness and Friends , is a sequel, of sorts. It has notes on additional feathers that I have received plus more of God’s faithfulness to me. God is good–all the time. New chapters that I have written will be in this font.

Feathers, Faithfulness and Friends also includes many God stories written by several authors. If you have read The Covering of Feathers, you have already met most of the friends who are telling their more complete stories in this book. As you read these stories, most of them written in the first person, you will see God’s faithfulness and goodness in amazing ways. When I quote from The Covering of Feathers, those quotes will be in italics.

I’d appreciate hearing how these stories have inspired you. You can email me at [e-mail].

Happy reading and to God be the glory!

He will cover you with His feathers

and under His wings is your refuge.

His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.

Psalm 91:4(NIV)

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not,

Thy compassions, they fail not;

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness;

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Lord, unto me!

Thomas O. Chisholm

NOTES FROM FRIENDS WHO HAVE READ THE COVERING OF FEATHERS

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

Philippians 1:3 (KJV)

I JUST READ YOUR book and it is both a tear-jerker and a faith builder. Your use of Scripture and poetry is wonderful in telling the s tory.

This was a delightful and challenging read. A truthful look at one woman’s life and how she saw God with her all throughout her journey. It is encouraging and inspiring and I recommend it.

A great love story of a family that faced many challenges with faith and perseverance. It teaches as well as entertains.

To think I know a maker of games and an author!

Love all the very powerful Bible verses. Great to live by every day. May this be the first but not the last book. You are a very special person with a passion for sharing positive energy and faith with all around you.

It’s a blessing to see God’s hand in the life of others.

Thank you so very much for your book. I just finished it and really enjoyed it. Look forward to your next one!

May God bless you and this book as it will serve His purpose as He directs.

We all love our signed books and the feathers inside. Grace took hers to school today to show her class.

I love the cover. You done good!

I am sure God will make good use of your book because it was His idea in the first place.

What a nice record of God’s grace day by day in your life.

Amazing how God has worked in your life.

What an interesting book and a job well done.

The Covering of Feathers is a nice record of God’s grace day by day in the life of the author. I am sharing my book with a neighbor because I know she will want to read it too.

What a great story of how God has worked (and is working) in your life!! Brought Gary back to my thoughts, remembering his love for Jesus!!

Your book is so sweet and gives God the glory.

You had mentioned writing a memoir for your kids when I was there but you didn’t say it was going to be published! I’m not friends with any author, so now I am. Your early childhood days sound like a throw-back to Laura Ingalls Wilder times—and you are even a contemporary of mine!

The cover design and lettering (subdued blues, whites and pinks) are very eye-catching. A critique? Not necessary. You get an A+ for an excellent job!

I especially liked the surprise feather. You are an inspiration. Keep on trusting God.

When I brought your book over to share with my neighbor, she was in tears as she had just received a call and found out about her friend’s brain tumor. I told her that your book would be an encouragement in trusting God.

Your book was fabulous! fantastic! When is your next book coming out? God has blessed your special talent.

It’s wonderful—the faith you have in the Lord. He sure is in control.

Didn’t realize you were a writer. Suppose some of those talents come along with the teacher abilities. How God planned each step. He truly is faithful in loving us and caring when life is good and best of all when life doesn’t go as we plan and it isn’t so good. You and Gary were really a God-match! The Scriptures you presented to help us readers and friends understand all of the faith you experience by allowing God to work out His plan for the two of you was inspiring, to say the least.

I use the feather as a bookmark.

The cancer chapter is a very moving, well-worded section.

I just loved your book. I am thinking about how you keep telling me that I can do new things and not to be afraid.

Thanks for your book of immeasurable blessings. I ended up humming the two hymns in my brain. I never realized all the trials and tribulations that you’ve experienced in life’s journey—you are a real trooper!

I was looking out a window when all of a sudden a soft fluffy white feather blew past. I called to my friend to see our Ruby sighting but she got there too late! I think you have started something.

Your book was both inspiring and sad. It brought back so many memories of you and Gary. What a testimony your lives have been and what a lesson for all of us. I have written all the verses down and am using them with my morning devotions. Oh, the feather was such a neat surprise! We loved it!

Psalm 91 is so reassuring!

What a treasure filled with memories and the never-ending story of God’s faithfulness throughout your lives. I was so surprised when I finished the book and put it down and a feather fell our from between the covers. My husband is sure you put it there. I am not positive that is the way it happened, especially after your feather experiences.

It was inspirational to read and I thank you for sharing how to stick it out through all the good and bad times. You and Gary were a part of our Christian community of friends. This book is a heartfelt tribute to your life together. Gary’s passing was so sad and yet so uplifting because of his wonderful testimony. I highly recommend this book to anyone needing uplifting of the Holy Spirit and a touch of God’s love.

I know being a widow is challenging sometimes, but always remember that Christ has you right where He wants you. I’m proud of you for being creative and writing a book. Way to go girl!

What a beautiful testimony of our Father’s faithfulness in you and Gary down through the years. Both of you have been a shining example of Christ-likeness both in the hard and good times of life! We’ll look forward to another book–may the Lord continue to bless you with feathers from heaven.

What a great testament and a great honor to Mike to be mentioned. The timing was a Godsend. Mike has had a hard last six months with a Wegener’s flare up and we were getting quite discouraged. To feel that he had been of value to you was an honor.

I enjoyed seeing how our God carried you through the days of joy and the days of uncertainties.

Your book is truly from the heart of God. I totally enjoyed every chapter. It had me laughing out loud (the part about those two bad boys you and your husband took to the fair), and crying (your chapters about your wonderful husband and cancer). Loved your poems, Bible verses—great inspirational choices.

Your final comments in It’s the Little Things Too make this my favorite section.

Just wanted you to know that I received your book as a gift at Christmas. Thank you for the Scriptures you included–many were familiar and precious during our struggles too. I’m sure many will be blessed and encouraged through reading your story

I learned so much about your life and how you faced hardships by relying on your faith in God. Can’t wait for the next one to come out. Thanks for sharing

I read your whole book on Saturday and I loved it! So well written and I loved all the verses. A lot of them hit home for me. Keep writing.

Thank you so much for sharing your life and feathers with us. I am enjoying it so much! What a gift God has given you!

MY FEATHER STORY

He will cover you with His feathers,

and under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Psalm 91:4 (NIV)

J UNE 2012—ON THE first day of June, the anniversary month of Gary’s passing, I came home from my walk and found a large feather (15") in the corner formed by my house and the