A new season, yet always abundantly blessed!!

Here is a picture of Brighton from this time last year (my attempts at capturing seasonal pictures!!)




Now look how much he has changed in 12 months... what a handsome, charming and silly toddler he is!!







As many of you know, John and I committed this year to read through the Bible (not in 365 days though.) We have currently ventured into the book(s) of Ecclessiastes, 2 Corinth, Ps mid 40's and Prov 22. If the Lord in those books doesn't give you enough to meditate and chew on to refine your heart, well, I dont know what will :) Not only are we reminded that for everything there is a season but many other faithful lessons too!! That we may find our joy and contentment in the lot (which is so lavish) that He has bestowed upon us, that in the hand He has given us there is satisfaction and contentment, that we shall rejoice to be able to rejoice in our blessings, that we receive our blessings daily with a grateful heart, that He has set eternity in our hearts and hearts of all men, that we live in promises not spend a life seeking explanations, that we are blessed beyond measure to have those family and friends that walk along side us (kindred and knitted hearts together).. and so on....

We function each month outside of a "worldly" budget... not knowing how we will get through without His provision and as He sustains us... on paper we dont make enough money to be faithful stewards and pay our bills on time... but each year, month, week, day, hour, minute and breathe... He provides and we look back in awe!! So in pouring back a heart of thanksgiving and a testimony to His abundant provision... yesterday, just like any other, I went out to get the mail before heading off to attempt to buy enough groceries to feed our family and there we received unexpectedly $500 in checks from folks who love and prayerfully support us.. they were prompted to share with us this month!! Praise Him!! How many times has He done this in the past 6 months.. more than youll know!! Always in times when the bills are out of the norm, when the pantry is at the bare minimum and diapers/whole milk is on its last!! Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!! To Him be the Glory.... that our lives will be such that for generations to come we can recall all the faithful deeds of old, His unchanging character and ways!!

On another note of praise, John is in his final semester here at Seminary (whoo hoo!!) It is a doosey, less work more class more expenses, when he's home (which isnt often) he is writing a paper, studying or reading, He also has a preaching class (which he actually has to preach in class and several lessons outside of class.) Now onto the story:
Last week (Tues actually) I had spent the morning processing/praying through a passage in 2 Corinth which I wasn't having the easiest time digesting. That night, John asked me if he could "practice" his sermon for me so that I could time him and assess him by the way that the professor and fellow students would tomorrow. So I got my bible, my noteboook, a pen and his assessment sheets and sat on the bed. And then he started.... not knowing what the Lord had been developing on John's heart during the past few weeks, I sat amazed when he began teaching out of the passage that I had read that morning and was seeking the Lord to reveal to me, that alone a blessing!! But the most awe-striking and humbling thing is that God, through His grace, let this man of Him marry me!! So unworthy I am to be the bride of such a man as he, to hear him speak and bring the truth of Word of God in a phenomenial way!! What a perfect image of the bridegroom we have in the Lord, and how blemished His bride is (us, His church)... yet He loves us, He laid His life down for us, He washed our crimson stains white as snow and has prepared eternity for us with Him!! Another blessing, I sit under John's teaching each week in small group, yet to see him stand up prepared to deliver a message to a group of people outside that ministerial realm... then it was that I realized and rejoiced in the deepest part of my being to see how the Lord has grown and cultivated my husband in ways that I had never seen in our past 4+ years of marriage!!


I share all these things with you today, that your heart may be encouraged and challeneged to put full faith and assurance in the hand of the Lord... knowing that He is Faithful, our Provider, our Redeemer, our Rock, and He is moving in mighty ways... not just in our life, but yours, your community, your church body, the world!!