Joy in the Unseen

Top 10 blessings from this week (in no particular order):
10. All 5 kids sitting around the table at snack time, their snack mix poured out in a heap, talking and laughing together.
9. Hearing the 2 year old learning to say new words.
8. Praying with friends from out of town about a big decision in their lives.
7. The oldest daughter's thankfulness at being set free to go with a friend to a much desired destination.
6. Snuggling with the cutest 4 year old ever!
5. Quiet moments with Jesus in the morning before anyone wakes, where Jesus in his gentle way draws me back to what is really important in life!
4. Hugs and the familiar scent of my man.
3. Dinners with friends
2. Laughter with the kids, which happens all too infrequently.
1. The teasings of cool, refreshing fall weather and the excitement this brings to my soul.

As God draws me to the unseen, to communion with him and the enjoyment of the life he has blessed me with, I wanted to record these memories that echo in my mind this morning.

"They shall utter (literally translated 'bubble forth') the memory of your great goodness, and shall sing of your righteousness" Psalm 145:7


EDIT: one more... watching my nine year old worship the Lord! Wow, does she bless me and I know Jesus too.

Swim, bike, run

August 1st as a big day for Rachel. She participated in her first triathlon. It was post-poned a couple of times and then finally moved to a different facility, but the day did come! We were very proud of her effort and commit- ment to prepare for the race. And she did great! Here are some pictures to tell the story.

Happy Birthday, Silas??!!

In late July we celebrated Silas' birthday. He is such a fun, good tempered boy! We are so glad to have him in our family. All of his siblings love him so much. We had a low key celebration with another family. I decorated the dining room with balloons and streamers and Silas really liked them. We (mostly the other kids) thought it would be fun to fill and use the pinata that someone had given us. So we filled it and hung it up. Silas thought it was great fun to swing at it with a stick. But when it started bursting open and candy flying out, he did NOT think that was fun. He cried and cried! I think he was scared by the flying pieces and violence of it. Anyway, we quickly came in to find something more fun for the traumatized birthday boy. We opened presents and he enjoyed that. Next we got out the cake and lit the candle. He likes to sing so he liked the birthday song. But when I told him to blow out the candle, he just wrinkled up his nose and looked at me and the cake like he was not so sure he liked this idea. Why was I putting fire on his cake and then telling him to blow? Finally, I blew out the candle for him and he happily dug in to his treat! After all of that I am not sure what impression he has of birthday parties. He may just prefer a regular day with a little extras, like friends and dessert. We'll try again next year!

Beach Bums

After the Summit, we headed south to the beach! I have such fond memories of the little camper in the campground by the ocean. It is always such a treat to take my family down to that same little place for a few days of beach fun! My grandparents own this little place and supply almost of all our necessities, so we are so thankful for their generosity. One of the best parts of this year's vacation was watching each of the kids enjoy the beach in their own way. Rachel liked riding the wave boards or swimming. Abby swam some, but preferred to look for pretty shells. Keenan was really getting more comfortable in the water and played with daddy or jumped waves closer to the shore. Micah liked to look for shells and play in the waves as they hit the beach. Silas didn't want anything to do with the water and so spent most of his time playing in the sand or throwing a ball or frisbee. We also enjoyed the pool. Silas didn't like the ocean, but he really liked the pool! He thought he could swim on his own and fearlessly jumped time and time again from the side of the pool. He would have preferred to jump without David and I and often tried to wiggle out of our arms. Fun times. Here are a few pictures from our fun time.

The Summit 2010

In July, the mission agency that we are a part of, had all of their missionaries come to Wilmore for several days of worship, prayer, teaching, training, and fellowship. As Intercessory Missionaries at the House of Prayer, we spend several hours each week praying for these missionaries. Some we had met before the Summit and some we were just getting to know, but we felt instantly connected to them because of our participation in their ministries through prayer. As home staff, we helped with the planning, set-up, food coordination, welcoming, etc... It was a fruitful time for all of us. I enjoyed getting to know some of the missionaries better and hearing what God is doing in their part of the world. I enjoyed praying with the missionaries and not just for them. I enjoyed the evenings of worship and teaching. I am so thankful to be part of this great organization whose mission statement includes this: "a missions organization fueled by prayer and worship, mobilizing people to evangelize the world, loving and serving Jesus Christ."