A little spotlight on my heart...

I feel like I have begun to use this blog just to post daily pictures and happenings. Which is partly what the purpose of this blog is, but I also wanted to use it to share my thoughts, feelings, etc. So today, I am posting with no pictures. I might relate some events, but I'm hoping that what you will read in this blog will be what is on my heart and my family's.

Our life is busy. Garr has been working pretty much night and day this week (really, literally). I have been working for my mom (she is in PA visiting family). So I bring the kids here with me (that is a blessing - most of the time). They like playing here. I don't know how other mothers who work outside the home find the time to clean and do laundry! It's only been 3 days and I can hardly keep up. Mom will be back tonight, thank goodness!

We bought a new vehicle! We now have a 2001 Ford Expedition. It is roomy and oh, so nice! Driving the van (while the Ford is having some work done at the dealer) has completely stunk! The truck spoils us. We are very thankful to God for providing us with this new vehicle. Our van is slowly falling apart and Garr was starting to worry about me going places in it with the kids - what if we got stranded somewhere? A guy Garr takes jiu-jitsu with owns a car dealership here in town and gave us a great deal. Then we got an awesome interest rate from a local credit union. And when I called on the insurance, the lady put us in with a new company and we are paying way less (for more coverage!)! We just see God's hand in all of this. Many of you may know that we have been through some financial struggles the past few years. We have learned a lot and are striving to be faithful with the money God gives us. I was reminded of the verse in the Bible where God tells us that those who are faithful with little will be given more. Garr and I feel like God is blessing us for being faithful and also giving us the chance to be faithful with a little more - working our way up the ladder, so to speak. Eme was funny the other night. We went camping last weekend, and had a great time around the campfire one evening. We told the kids how we felt God had blessed us with the truck and we wanted to take time as a family to thank Him for it. She asked us if that was ok - because we weren't supposed to have idols - other gods. I thought this was so insightful of her! We explained that we don't love the truck more than we love God - that it is simply a good gift He gave us and we just want to be thankful to Him for it - the way she would be thankful to us if we gave her a special gift. That night, we took turns praying and I was so blessed to hear Eme join in, without prompting, thanking God for our friends.

Which brings me to another subject - God has blessed us with so many friends over the past years. I am so thankful that He knows our loneliness and wants us to have friends. We have made some good ones here in DE and still miss our friends in Baltimore (as well as those in NY!) It is hard sometimes to be so spread out. Our hearts want to be in many places at once.

I recently found out about some aquaintances from college. They are only a year or two older than us but have been through some really traumatic experiences. They lost their infant daughter and then he was in an accident and is now paralyzed, in a wheelchair. They have 3 other children. This has really put my life in perspective. Especially after I listened to them say that they are still serving God and trusting in His will for their lives. I keep being brought back to the story of the mosaic. How each piece of a mosaic is important to the whole, but sometimes we are so close to the mosaic that we can't see the bigger, more beautiful picture. So sometimes we wonder why God allows awful things to happen. We may never know, but we need to trust the Artist, trust His unfailing love and all-encompassing plan for His kingdom. I just read an excellent book that really brought this point home to me. It is called "Wings of Refuge" by Lynn Austin. It is a story of 3 women at different points in history and how their stories affect one another. I have to remember that God's plan supercedes mine and I can trust His love for me and my family.