BROTHERS

Their personalities compliment. They're inseparable, partners in crime, constant playmates, double trouble, best friends...brothers.

It would be impossible to love these two any more than we do!

"Behold, how good and pleasant it is when

brothers dwell in unity!" Psalm 133:1

RAINY DAYS

Traditions knit hearts together and draw family members into the heart of home life. They can be big deal things of course, but I find that the small stuff warms the soul of our family most.

It's illegal to get out of your PJs on a rainy day in our house, so yesterday + today = PJs and puzzles and pancakes and pull-out-sofa-bed-movie-night snuggling...traditions.

Our new puzzle scheme using bulletin boards helps us to easily move our 1000 pieces out of the way for meals or take our project upstairs at night. Hometown Collection puzzles have our attention for the moment and it's been fun building up our inventory. I'll remember these days with fondness.

 

Rainy day PJs, puzzles, and chai tea, french onion soup, steamed milk, cinnamon rolls, and a Little House on the Prairie marathon. It doesn't get much cozier or slower than this.

"In the season of the spring rain...from the Lord who makes the storm clouds...he will give them showers of rain."

Zechariah 10:1

HIS GRACE

In my life, I've experienced more loss and pain than I'd have liked. Naturally, it's a normal human response to avoid discomfort. Such loss, such pain...it can produce fear: Fear of more pain, more loss. Fear that my loved ones would feel pain, feel loss. Nobody wants that, and yet, in the words of Spurgeon:

"If none of God's saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolations of divine grace. When we find the wanderer who has nowhere to lay his head who still can say, "I will trust in the Lord," or when we see the pauper starving on bread and water who still glories in Jesus, when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction and yet having faith in Christ--oh, what honor it reflects on the Gospel.

God's grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers. Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work together for their good, and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring--that their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as He is pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the power of divine grace.

There is a lighthouse out at sea: It is a calm night--I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm. The tempest must rage about it, and then I shall know whether it will stand. So with the Spirit's work: If it were not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we would not know that it was true and strong; if the winds did not blow upon it, we would not know how firm and secure it was. The masterworks of God are those men who stand in the midst of difficulties steadfast, unmovable-

 

Calm mid the bewildering cry,

Confident of victory.

The one who would glorify his God must be prepared to meet with many trials. No one can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts are many. If, then, yours is a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will be better able to display the all-sufficient grace of God. As for His failing you, never dream of it--hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now should be trusted to the end."

Morning and Evening, Charles H. Spurgeon revised by Alistair Begg

So, although I battle my fleshly responses to the pains of my past and ask to be freed from the trappings that remain in their wake, I take heart in knowing that God has designed our lives on earth to include the experience of sorrow. He has actually employed our afflictions to lead us to Him. And, when they do, our faith and joy IN HIM (not in our circumstances) shine brightly of His all sufficient grace. Hallelujah!

(Click the link and sing it out...Take Heart!)

"I have told you these things,

so that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

 

"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength."

Habakkuk 3:18-19

 

(My Grace Is Sufficient by Shane and Shane)

 

 "A thorn was given me in the flesh...

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this,

that it should leave me. But he said to me,

'My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness.'

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,

so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses,

insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.

For when I am weak, then I am strong."
 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

RESPIRE HAITI

God does wonderful things when we submit our lives and our plans to His will.

The story of Respire Haiti is one such example.

This is the ministry that Kids Around The World is partnering with for the upcoming mission trip Brodie

and the kids are participating in and I'm so excited for them to experience firsthand what God

has done through one young girl who followed Him into the unknown.

I'm praying that the living example Megan is modeling with her life will spark a flame in the hearts of my family. I'm praying that God will fan that flame to ignite a wild fire in all of our hearts and others through this journey. Mostly, I'm praying for His will to be done, whatever that looks like, through this outreach so that He can be praised for His steadfast love and faithfulness. He is good.

WWW.RESPIREHAITI.ORG

 

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Matthew 16:25

"Whoever is kind to the needy honors God."
Proverbs 14:31

SO BIG!

Look who's getting SO big these days...

Our sweet, sweet India has 2 big girl teeth, babbles, crawls, pulls herself up, cruises, and even dances. What a BIG girl!

At 8 months old, India is tender, easy going, affectionate, cuddly, happy, shy, as sweet as sweet gets, and absolutely a mama's girl!

We LOVE our India...affectionately called Inders more commonly by her many doting siblings. This is one little girl who is definitely not lacking in the attention department. In fact, it's hard to keep the many adoring hands off the poor girl long enough for her to explore on her own. :)

It's hard to imagine we might have missed our precious India Soul, but God knew just what He was doing when He blessed our life with hers...and so, we praise Him for knowing best!

"Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!" Psalm 150:1-2