Back in Order !

"Paps"(my dad) has come and gone, it is his custom to pop in and stay a few days and then head out. He always brings lots of laughs and he loves playing games with the children. We were kinda stuck inside due to the rain, but a good time was had by all. They played checkers and rook, read books together and then all of a sudden he was ready to scope the grounds, so out they went and sloshed around outside in between the sprinkles and torrential rain. He and Shirley are a blessing to our family!! So now we are just trying to get all back in order and hopefully have a scheduled day tomorrow.

I will have to say that I have a greater ardor to read the scripture and spend time with the Lord since Joel has his residence in his presence. I look with anticipation of what the Lord might say each day knowing that I have the opportunity to enter in his presence as well and worship in spirit and truth, and just thinking that by doing so I can be in one sense close to the place where my little boy is, to think that my prayers can come before the Lord upon his throne and that Joel is there, perhaps running and singing and praising the Lord, so it is a time that I look forward to. I know as I read, my eyes and heart always are eagar to hear truths and comfort concerning our trial, grieving and healing and how I might learn and grow. Some days days I feel like there is a silence to my present needs, but the Lord feeds me with what I need for that day. I read a scripture this morning in Acts 26:4 My manner of life from my youth up, which was at first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews. As I thought about the first part, My manner of life from my youth up, it brought to my mind of all the Lord has done in my life and to just have a grateful heart to the Lord for his wonderful grace and forgiveness to a very rebellious young person(me) it reminded me of what the Lord rescued me from, the work of grace that was begun in my heart, the restoration and submission that was made with my parents, the great people that the Lord placed in my life to teach and disciple me and then the church family in Ar. that nourished me. It was at that church I met Terry, we started our lives together and then the blessings of children were "popping" out every 17 to 23 months. So to read that this morning brought a heart of thanks. Of course I seem to always think of our journey, what the Lord wants me to learn from it, so as I think of this seemingly permanent wound( I also read something yesterday that helped with the thought) and then what follows a wound, a scar, I was pondering what application I could make....A wound is something that is recieved from an intense situation, a person would have to had experienced something to have one and a scar would be the after effects of that experience, a visual to show to others that they might understand or believe. Jesus had wounds, it was my sin that wounded him and yours. Wounds of sorrow and pain that he took for sinners. He had scars too, Thomas saw them, his hands, his side. To Thomas, the scars were a testimony of who He really was and what He really experienced. I have a wound and a scar, though none like Christ, but I was just thinking how the Lord might allow me, us to be a testimony to others, to give compassion to others that might be seperated from their children, to be a visual to them that we have experienced a trial and we can feel with them. So with our scar may the Lord make it a reminder to me that Jesus has a scar and it is through that scar that I have hope, and may the scar that our heart has, be of some comfort to another as we can share in their grief. Even after a years time, sometimes that wound breaks open, but it is better, I know I will not be totaly healed until I see my Joel and that I look forward to!! So it is the verse in Acts 20: 24 that needs to take place in my heart, ...so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have recieved of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. May it be so for our family!!

An update on the farm, we have had many chick fatalities....45 chicks have died. I called the hatchery and she said it could have been a bad, weak batch, so they are replacing 45 free of charge. It encouraged me as a blessing that this company would do this. And we only have 3 puppies left, whew!!!! They have to go!! They were $50, then $20 and next is FREE. If you wait a few more days, you can get one free when our add runs out:)

What a huge blessing all the comments were, thank you soooo very much!! I hope you were blessed as you read and got to meet some others too! Your always welcome to share, thank you for continuing with our family. I thank the Lord for you!!!!! I read and met some of you as you have blogs too, your families and children are wonderful and there are some that have challenges, but as I read, I saw the Lord's faithfulness in your life too!! He is true to his word.

The rain held up the guys work a few days but now they are back on job sites, a continued blessing that God provides. My dad gave me a gift of $ 100, so I am trying to get matching shirts/or coordinating to take a belated Easter picture and just a family picture. Thats one of my "things," I love pictures!!! I am also waiting for the trees to get green so we can have a nice background, so it will be a little bit yet.

Have a good night!

I love you Joel!!

Cindy