simply grateful

Little Makayla always watches when Daddy gets ready to go on a trip.  She waits until the very last moment... it is excruciating.  She is such a Daddy's girl and she always cries when he leaves. But, thankfully, David does not go often and she is also learning about things that are important. The ski retreat went great!  Thank all of you who were praying.  The youth had a great time and several have talked about how much they learned.  David Russell was the retreat speaker and it sounds like he did a terrific job.  We had a quiet and fun weekend with no sickness here at home.  God is so good! If you want to see a VERY cool video about the retreat, click here .

We are so fortunate to be able to work with such a fabulous group of youth at our church.  Seriously.  These kids are so inclusive and caring.  They almost seem like siblings they are so close.  They share the good news and have led new people to a new life in Christ.  We adore these kids!  Here are a few videos to give you a glimpse.  One is of the mission trip to West Virginia and one is of summer camp. Be sure to pause the music on the right first.  It helps. :)

Ok, so the summer catch up continues!  One of the things that we got to do as a family was to enjoy Vacation Bible School.  It was so fun because the children are getting old enough to really start understanding the lessons. And they had a blast!  Our church worked so hard to make it an excellent experience.  We are so grateful for a church that loves children. There is a short, very fun video on youtube.  Our little munchkins made it in so keep an eye out for them.   :) Click here to see the video.

one of those weeks? You know... the ones that just seem to drag on and on and don't seem to get better. This has been one of those weeks. Yeah, I know, it could be a lot worse. It could always be worse! But sometimes it is still discouraging...irritations come...prayers seem unanswered...or answered in a way that you really didn't want...ships don't come in...people get sick...I mean really sick...you get the idea. While I am not trying to be Suzy Sunshine here, a good friend reminded me this week that there is a bigger picture. We all have days, weeks, or even years that are hard...some even redefine "hard" for us. But, there is still hope. God is still on His throne. He is still in control. He is still in the business of miracles. He is still worthy of our trust and our praise. And He cares! Oh, how He cares! "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 In bible study Sunday, the lesson was on setting our minds on ...