Happy Fall.....

We have pictures all over the house of Joel and Josiah. Two little cuties, and many of those pictures were setting there before all this happened with Joel. At that time I would catch myself looking at the pictures and at them as they played and lived each day on the farm here and dream, think, envision what they would be like when they got older and grew up. Thinking about all the fun things I would buy them, all the two of everything, the accomplishments they would achieve, bikes they would ride and destroy (we are famous for tearing up stuff) just about their future. Now as I look at those pictures 1/2 of the visions I had, the future, is gone.....but is it? Today as I read a lot of the scriptures about the resurrection in the Bible, there is a future for Joel, and it all is because of the resurrection. Many years ago I prayed a prayer for quite a while asking the Lord to make it known to me what it was to know him, the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering. I do not think in any way I would be able to grasp somewhat the power of his resurrection if death had not come at our door. It is in this power that motivates my heart to look beyond, to the unseen, of what is to come. It brings an anticipation to my heart! If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. Before Joel's illness, I thought more about "this life" than "that life." In my heart I really think I was miserable. Now I find myself thinking about there, that life and it brings such hope of the future, the future with Joel again. Death is swallowed up in victory As I thought about that verse, I was thinking that every misery, every pokie, every hurt, every tear, every pain that he endured, is all swallowed up....in victory!! The Resurrection is more powerful to me now because through it is all my hope for Joel's future and as I look at those pictures, I am blessed because Josiah is here and Lord willing we will see great joys and fruits from his life and I smile in my heart knowing the other 1/2 will be brought to pass as well.......O taste and see the Lord is good, I can taste the Resurrection already.

Happy Fall today....we are going to have a Fall Party this evening, our friend David is coming too. We are having a special meal , Bethany made rolls but cut them out with a cookie cutter in the shape of a pumpkin, Anna is making fall sugar cookies and two more yummy desserts and we are having Autumn Tea to drink. We'll have to build a campfire of course and volley ball before that....Jeremiah is super estactic that fall is here, because he said thats when the robins come out, and I guess the not so cheery news is that he has a BB gun:( The guys are around here, we did school, Caleb and Daniel are working on the huge music composition project and not enough time and they are perfectionists at that! If you think about it pray for them, that the Lord would give them inspiration and be able to accomplish much in a short amount of time. Tulsa State Fair is ahead of us this week, and Anna's 16th birthday is Wednesday!!! She is having a Photo Party. This is the last of the birthdays until Dec...whew!!!!! The Burnett family is coming to visit us at the end of the week too. Busy all week it seems.

Gotta "git" and fix the viddles! Blessings to you! *for Marie, I got the necklace at Mardel's in OKC, a Christian bookstore, but if you look on line for Reunion Heart I found it on there too!

Anna took some pics of me and Terry yesterday, I hardly ever wear my hair down, gets in the way, anyway I thought I need to get a picture of us together, it seems its always the children and if I "croak" or something, I at least want him to have a pic to remember me by :)

Cindy