Our Little Corner of the World

Though my blog has been somewhat quiet during this month of January, our home and our lives have been anything but. Here's a bit of what's been happening in our little corner of the world...

Our boys continue to fill our lives with joy and excitement. As I've often said, "There's never a dull moment!" While our oldest son is basking in the glow of being a teenager (and the resulting privileges and responsibilities), our younger two sons continue to thrive, as well. Our youngest son makes his acting debut in our church's children's musical this weekend. Something tells me this performance will not be his last! He doesn't have a shy bone in his body, and I'm confident that he will flourish in his new role! Our middle son, a veteran, will make a return to the stage. He is very meticulous in anything he attempts. He really strives to do everything to the best of his ability. I love watching this come out on the stage! They are eager to be used of God as they communicate the story of Jonah.

Our middle son has embraced his new role of official cookie baker. He inherited his dad's knack for making the most delicious chocolate chip cookies, and much to his delight, he is now able to make them entirely by himself. It's become our Tuesday night tradition that he makes them after supper...and then we eat them while watching "Biggest Loser." How twisted is that???

As I mentioned, our youngest son is quite the character. We never know what his next antic will be, and he loves to make people laugh. Two years ago, my husband and I took a missions trip to Papua New Guinea. We brought back various souvenirs for our boys, including a necklace made out of a boar tusk, a couple of handmade spears to hang on their wall, and a PNG flag. Well, like I said...there's never a dull moment around here! This is how our youngest son appeared on one recent day:

Our little tribal man. He's holding the PNG flag in his other hand.

Those of you who have read my blog for any length of time know that each February, Student Ministries sponsors a Sweetheart Banquet at church. Not only does this include a meal, but a full evening of laughs, fellowship, and encouragement for marriages. This 2-night event will be held next month, and needless to say, there are many, many details and preparations to be addressed. We're so grateful for the team that pulls this event together. Two of my friends oversee and direct the music and drama portion of the evening. I handle the food, and together we all work on decorating. This year's theme is a black and white formal, simply entitled, "Unforgettable." Much more on that to come...

We're striving to invest these final weeks before our precious friends' move to a far-off state. We really are trying to embrace the everyday stuff of life...the ordinary and extraordinary moments. We have other friends who are missionaries. We just said goodbye to one family as they returned to the field this week...it will likely be 4 years before we see them again. Another dear family will return to the field in three weeks after a year furlough. So many goodbyes lately. Each one has me newly grateful that God has made us to be in relationship with one another. The goodbyes are hard...the pain real and deep. But with each goodbye, my heart is gladly set on heaven. I long for the day when we'll be together with the Lord, singing praises to His glorious name.

That's just a brief, perhaps discombobulated, glimpse of the past few weeks and the thoughts whirling around my head and heart. I'm thankful that in the midst of growth...the the midst of change...in the midst of busyness...our God is faithful. He hasn't outgrown us. He hasn't changed. He's not too busy. He is able and sufficient for every season and every need we face.