The Night Watches

All this rain, makes me long for those sunny blue skies we had just this past weekend! I know the rains will make for greener grass, but boy do I miss playing outside. The boys, however, are really enjoying making mud pies. I don't have much to report on. Life has been returning to "normal" since we got home from the hospital. Jack is feeling good and he has definitely fully recovered from his suffering he endured just one month ago. The kids are learning to play and share, to differ to one another. We are staying home a lot, helping them to learn to obey and trying to avoid spending money unnecessarily (which happens whenever I go near Target)! We have really just been hunkering down at home, enjoying each other, and getting some routine in place, chores established and order. I took out one of my favorite lenses for my camera and rediscovered why I liked it so much. I spent the afternoon the other day taking pictures of my yard and our fig tree, my kids, and the messes...

"All these people were still living by faith wen they died." Hebrews 11:13 "By faith they lived-- it was their comfort, their guide, their motive and their support; and in the same spiritual grace, they died, ending their life-song in the sweet strain which they had so long continued. They didn't die resting in the flesh or upon their own attainments; they made no advance from their first way of acceptance with God, but held to the way of faith to the end. Faith as precious to die by as to live by." ~Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening May 2 I read this today and it filled me with hope to live my life well. To live each day not consumed with what I must accomplish, or where I need to go, how I am failing or even how wonderful my successes are; but full of faith that my standing before God has not changed and will not change. It can be well with my soul all my days. I pray this is how I live my life. Not that I am thinking of death over much, but more on...

Seven years ago, I became Jordan's wife. In that seven years, we have had 3 children, moved 7 times, 1 major job change, 1 cancer diagnosis, and traveled to 5 countries. Man, a lot has happened over the course of our marriage. To think that we have been friends for 9 years and together of 8 years and married for 7... well it is amazing. Where has the time gone? I certainly do not want to boast in any success story of us. By no means are we just lucky in love either. We have had fights, conflicts, we have had trials and difficulty, just like everyone else. Not every day in our lives together has been perfectly peaceful and without hardship. Yet, throughout the entirety of our marriage, a consistent thread has been woven, a faithful truth has sustained. God has been near to us, he has sustained us, and he gives us hope. Ours is not a success story or marital success. Ours is a story of two people who have been rescued by a great savior, rescued by grace over and over again. And it i...