Saturday, May 12, 2007

Twin Rainbows!!!!!!
















It seems lately our life is in super fast forward!!!!! We returned from our homeschool conference. All went well. Good fellowship and some encouraging speakers. It was our first conference to attend without Joel and also Bethany and Andrew stayed home with grandparents to take care of the goat herd and babies. We missed all being together. We stayed in the same dorm and room as last year, so that was hard for my heart just remembering last year all the places Joel walked, sat and touched. Driving away from the conference grounds, out the gate it really hit me. Joel sat right behind me and as we were pulling away, Joel was not there! I had to weep for a time. As I have said in the past, all the firsts are so hard. Arriving home safely and getting unpacked and regrouped life was set back in motion of chores, routines and plans for the days ahead.

Those that have prayed for Debbie, I must tell you that she has entered into the joy of the Lord. Debbie went to be with the Lord May 3rd. She has finished well. Her heart was full of singing and praise to her heavenly Father. Her service was on Mondaythe 7th. As the Lord brings their family to your heart, I know they would covet your prayers in the days ahead and especially their first Mother's Day. Her husband is the pastor of the church we attended for 6-1/2 years until we started Homechurch with several other families two years ago. When Joel was diagnosed in December, Debbie prayed a very sweet and powerful prayer for him. I have it on tape that someone gave us and it is a treasure to my heart. I know Joel and Mrs. Wells are experiencing full fellowship of the Saviour.

Tuesday was grocery day and Wednesday I picked up a tree that some Sara Lee employees gave us in honor of Joel. It is a beautiful redbud. May the Lord bless its growth so my heart will be encouraged of Joel's eternal life. Thursday Terry and another father made a trip to Hot Springs, AR to take a class on working and laying epoxy overlay for concrete. Caleb and Daniel had an appointment at a computer store trying to get the equipment needed to finish the DVD for Joel. It's coming soon!!!!!!!!!! Elijah, Micah and Andrew rode with them to visit their Grandfather in Hot Springs. So this has been a flash of a week. After supper on Thursday I went outside with the little people, Josiah heading hard to the swingset to go high he says!!!!!!! Looking up in the sky we saw the most vivid rainbow I think I have ever seen, and in full arch!! Moments later there was another one right above it a little lighter. Jeremiah screamed out "two rainbows, one for Siah and one for Balley!!!" Hosanna said "can Balley see it closer than us?" Heaven seems so close. May the Lord have mercy to keep our eyes on his promises, that soon we will be together again.

It seems I think of heaven so often. I have been reading in I Peter. I look forward to the inheritance of the Lord. All that is to be bestowed upon us will be incorruptible, undefiled and that fadeth not away. It is all reserved in heaven for those that are his children through the blood of Christ. Verse 7,That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. May the Lord increase my faith that it would gloify him. Verse 11, searching what or what manner of time, the spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. I look with faith the glory that will follow the trial that we have been through and anticipate God to accomplish his will. 2 Corithians 4:17 For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Truly anything we go through in this life is light compared to the suffering of our Savior. In view of eternity all we are experiencing is but for a moment. My prayer is that I will grow in faith and let this trial work in me an eternal weight of glory. As I meditate on the truth I feel like I move forward but the mind so easily gets entangled with the emotions of my heart and I want Joel to be here with us. I want to be able to say to the Lord and to others that if our brier can bring a rose to the glory of God and to others, then so be it!

I am a blessed Mother!!! The Lord has surely granted his mercy upon my womb, 13 blessings!!! We pray the Lord would have mercy to bless us again according to his will. May the Lord bless each of you Mother's with a day of delighting in your children and may the Lord bless our own dear Mother's, some that have gone before us to that heavenly home. Happy Mother's Day!!!!!!!
Amy Carmichael wrote this in her book, "Candles in the Dark": "This morning I was reading in Luke, and as I read of the angels' joy over the birth of our Saviour and thought of their joy over everyone born again into the Kingdom, I felt sure they rejoice over every precious little life born into a family of true lovers of our Lord. And I thought how to each little one an angel is given. How little we know of these heavenly things, but I do like to think of the angel prepared for your little treasure and , above all, to think of what has been prepared for that little one 'before the foundation of the world'. How much more there is in a baby than just sweetness and the appealing innocence of baby days. All the great thoughts of God lie benind that little life, all the great purposes. Ephesians chapters 1 and 2 tell of these. The more one reads, the more one wonders."
~Cindy