Amber C Haines
About the Author

Amber C Haines, author of Wild in the Hollow, has 4 sons, a guitar-playing husband, theRunaMuck, and rare friends. She loves the funky, the narrative, and the dirty South. She finds community among the broken and wants to know your story. Amber is curator with her husband Seth Haines of Mother...

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things we love
& you will too!
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  1. Amber, what a beautiful post! Thank you.

    God answers prayers in ways that sometimes we don’t understand or ways that are unexpected. Our God have been gracious and good with us. Yes we are still struglling financially (lay off issues) but Him blessing me with the gift of trust, assurance and peace that I can only find in Him…….

    Yes, praise Him from whom all blessings flow!

    All good things,
    Charina

  2. I love the comments on Philip in this post – how he must have felt after Stephen’s stoning and how the experience with the Ethiopian must have seemed greater because of that. Never thought of it from Philip’s point-of-view before!

    • I love how God’s glory is for the whole – the whole of Philip and the whole of Ethiopia, the whole of me.

      Thanks for visiting here today, Sarah.

  3. Here is a very specific answered prayer…and I could share more, but this is the most recent one.

    I am a teacher in a urban middle school and I have been discouraged as of late, feeling as if I can never do enough to be prepared, be the best teacher for my students, plan the best lessons, do enough to keep my job. It is sometimes hard to tell from the administration where I stand, and I just kept crying out to God to send me some encouragement so that I would feel so discouraged.

    The end of the week last week, my principal called me into the office, (this of course had me freaking out inside…because it isn’t ever a good sign to be called into the office.) But it turned out to be a good thing…he shared with me a letter he had written to nominate me as a the certified employee of the month for our district!! I was floored, and about cried.

    God listened and as much as I know that my security and true encouragement comes from Him, it is still nice to be affirmed by my bosses.

    So for anyone that needs encouragement, cry out to Him….he will hear you! It may not come as you expect, but God listens.

    Larissa

    • I love this Larissa! Thank you for sharing.

      And I must say that I’m a little sad that going to the principal’s office is still scary when you’re a grown up!

      God has this special way of loving like a good daddy, huh?

  4. Amber I new I liked you, the I saw you are from Alabama! That sealed the deal, Susta! I love how you had your husband Love Ethiopia. Its the kind of love that is contagious!

  5. I rarely comment on blog posts but this has touched my heart. I had an answer to prayer that was not the answer I wanted.

    My husband was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder after we had already been married for 5 yrs. and had 2 small children. As I educated myself on the disorder I realized that one of my children may have the same diagnoses one day. I prayed against this happening and also asked my mentor to pray with me against this.

    Fast forward about ten years and my normally compliant, loving son was behaving very erratically and having emotional breakdowns. This began a roller coaster ride which led to my worst nightmare. In spite of my prayers and close attention, my son was diagnosed with adolescent onset Bipolar. I can not even begin to explain to you the pain that we experienced over the course of the next year.

    My husband was suicidal twice and needed emergency psychiatric treatment and my teenaged daughter has experienced bouts with depression due to the chaos and crisis situations that ensued.

    I have leaned on the Lord and kept the faith and been prayerful. Many people have prayed for my family and now everyone is stable and my son is back to his loveable affectionate self. He has turned back to the Lord and now has his own faith. He is 14 and I am pleased to tell you that even though things haven’t turned out the way I would have planned we are okay.

    Seth was baptized in the lake at camp last summer, which was evidence of an answer to all of the prayers that went up on his behalf for the previous months since his diagnoses. We have a strong support system and are blessed beyond measure.

    Sorry for the long comment, I just felt moved to share.
    Michelle

    • Michelle, oh my goodness. I love this so much. I just feel so honored that you share it here. It blows my mind that some of the darkest places can turn out so much LIGHT!

      God will reflect from your Seth, Michelle. His arm is plenty long enough for that.

      THank you for this.

  6. I’ve always loved that story…out of the ruckus of miracles and persecution, this quiet moment of a man reading and ready, a reminder that God will not leave the seeker without a guide. Just this morning, we gathered around a beloved couple, Eritrean refugees, as they dedicated their firstborn. Ethiopia is dear to me, a part of my own salvation story, and lately thoughts and words (almost ready for the pen and keyboard) have been swirling around in my head like Philip whisked away by the Spirit. Thanks for this post today. I’m eager to read more of how God is using Ethiopia in the life of your family. 🙂

    • I love this, Darcy. WEll, and I’m eager to know how God is using Ethiopia in our lives, too. Right now, it’s so much that we’re barely seeing straight. But we know that God is good and big, and we know that the Ethiopian church is beautiful.

      I would love to know how Ethiopia is part of your salvation story.

  7. My answered prayer came almost 9 yrs. ago. I was praying for a husband who would love me, my family and be there for me when my parents health failed. He answered in a big big way.

    I have the most wonderful, understanding hubby one could ask for. He was there for me and my parents when mom had dementia was hospitalized 1.5 months, for something unrelated, and the dementia turned into sundowners. It reached the point she was pretty much bed ridden. Dad took care of her the best he could. Thanks to my hubby I was able to be there for them and assist them.

    I praise God that he finally took mom home with Him so her suffering could finally end.

    Thanks for a thoughtful post!

  8. My prayer was answered not by a change in external circumstances, but by a miraculous shift in my attitude and perspective. It was nothing short of an epiphany and it changed everything in me. Such a precious gift

  9. “Deserts make the water so good.” Oh, they do! I love this.

    I’ve been praying for friends and community in our new church and slowly but surely, God has been bringing wonderful people into my life. So, today I’ve been thanking God for all those extroverts who have pulled this introvert into their circle.

    • Oh, I have cried today for the church in my life. I long for my Jesus friends in the way that says we’ll live together in eternity. I am just so grateful.

  10. oh, how i love you, amber! “deserts make the water so good” that made me smile. as for answered prayer? my girl, the one i mentor. everything about her, really. i’m scared for neither her physical nor spiritual life anymore. and it’s all because of jesus. and the water is good.

  11. Hi Amber,

    I just about fell over when I read the title of the post… I’ve just been studying and writing about this very passage this week, and today in church we watched a video of my pastor’s visit to Ethiopia last week. It was so good to see believers worshipping the Lord in Ethiopia – and to think it started with this one man’s faith!
    I’m so encouraged by your words!
    God bless you – and the desert roads you must journey that lead to water.

    • Erin, this just really blessed me. Praise God.

      I love it when His words, specific ones, follow us around. You know what I mean? I’m really interested to know what you’re learning through your pastor’s trip and all your studies coming together.

      I’m interested to know what all I’m learning, too, for that matter. Right now is just a BE stage for us, the early phases of processing.

  12. Great post. I had the most amazing answer to prayer in October 2011, my daughter was about to give birth to first baby, there were complications of a serious life threatening nature. As she was rushed to emergency c section her husbanb alerted family and family alerted frineds, Churches, their fellow missionary friends and so on. Powerful prayer network. Baby was born woth not enough blood, bad blood virsu and a host of system failures despite a healthy pregnancy. He was resusitated twice, tranfused, etc and in serious danger. All the nurses and doctors at the fabulous MUSC hospital know that this baby is a TRUE miracle of a GOD that is merciful, loving and kind! This has been the biggest answer to many answered prayers in my life. GOD does listen and He humbled me with His awesomeness. I am daily thankful for this baby and he is fine. Amen. Miracles happen

  13. I praise God because a few years ago I was in a depressed and unresponsive state. Literally in the hospital. I praise God that I’m not in that state anymore. I praise that though I’d like more understanding of what is going on in my life right now; I know with certainty that he’s with me. I praise God that I’m not in the hospital. I am actually on my lunch break at work. Work. God has brought me far in three years. And I intend to trust him with the next three and beyond. Amen.
    Thanks for leading us to Praise.

  14. Dear sister Angie,
    Thank you so very much for your sharing. Amazing, isn’t it, that one person, Philip, passionate about Jesus, shared the gospel with this Ethiopian who so diligently desired to understand God’s word and this enquirer received Christ into his heart and it seems to me that he- one person- in turn became so passionate for Jesus that, in due course, his nation- Ethiopia- accepted Christianity as its faith.
    Amazing, isn’t it, how far reaching, how many lives can be touched in a very positive way by one person whose life is touched by Jesus. May God continue to bless you, your loved ones and your ministry, abundantly.