New Family Picture

**** After I posted this and everyone is on the road, I talked to Terry about 4 pm and he said the truck is showing transmission problems, so if you think about it pray they can get to the goat show and return home on Sat. We can deal with the truck hopefully when they get back!!!*****

Getting 14 people to look at the camera, smile and keep their eyes open is not an easy job, but we did manage to get a few pictures out of the lot we took and some funny ones too!(more at the end of the post) We are going to use the first one for the magazine article, the American Family Assoc June issue. Maybe we can figure out how to post it when it is available. Since the trees and lack of folaige was not out for a nice background, we went into Guthrie to the Dominion House, it use to be a childrens home, now a family owns it and uses the facilities for their business, for weddings and banquets and they live there too. Thanks Jeremy and Rita for making the connections for us!!

We are scrambling around here getting ready for all the events of today and this weekend. Bethany had to dash to Stillwater and pick up a few things for the goat show, the guys are to arrive for lunch and then Terry, Bethany, Elijah, Micah, Andrew, Caleb and Daniel will head to Ada, dropping Caleb and Daniel off at the Burnett's to meet up with John-Clay and they will be going to the meeting in Dallas, I am here with Anna, Josh, Jeremiah, Hosie, Josiah and Mercy and Lord willing we will go over to the goat show in the morning early. If the Lord brings it to your mind, pray for safety as we travel in all these directions. Meanwhile we are so busy getting suitcases ready, supper for tomorrrow night when we get home, lunch for Sunday church, making bread and getting sandwiches stuff for the goat show and Anna is working on some desserts. Plus the 45 replacement chicks arrived this morning. I had cut open the box and as soon as I took the lid off, a cat snatched one out and ran around in the garage, I was screaming and finally retrieved it but to no avail. I think there is an anology there, Satan as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. We must be on guard, watching and praying always!! In all the business of our lives Joel is in every breath that I take, he loved adventures and goings. When looking at the pictures of the guys Anna took, it is so easy to envision him somewhere near Siah doing little funny things like he was doing in the picture. In those moments, I have to go back to the scriptures that I have read about the providence of the Lord and know and trust when I am in the state of feeling, of missing, of wanting him here.... so I will share a verse I read this morning in Ps.78:70, He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. Verses like these stabilize my heart and "feelings" from despair, they give me a calm peace that Joel is where he is because he planned and chose it for Joel. Like it says in the verse he was chosen and taken from the sheepfolds, from us, but he was brought to a greater purpose, to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheitance, to be a blessing, and instrument to his own household and to others. It is so very hard to think that Joel could be a bigger blessing not here than here, but I have to set my eyes with faith on the unseen and seek to rest in his good pleasure being done. So now I look ahead as v.53 says, And he led them safely on, so that they feared not..... He is leadinig us on to Joel and more than that to Himself.

May the Lord grant a wonderful weekend as we enjoy our families, a gift from God, and may he lead us on safely to the desired haven.......

Cindy