i took these just before laurel and pat went on a bike ride yesterday.
how could we possibly stay sad???
Monday
BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD
i want to share with y'all the devotional i read last wednesday morning before pat and i went to the doctor's office. it's from a book called "streams in the desert" - i highly recommend it. when i started reading it, i was like "really Lord, a thing about JOB this morning? on such a happy occasion? we're going to see our baby's heartbeat today! wait... are you trying to prepare me for something? no way. no sir. ok, who do i know that is suffering? who do you want me to apply this to today? certainly not me, right? right, Lord? let's focus on the first part of that verse in job - you give!! you give!! blessed be the name of the Lord!"
He knoweth the way that I take (Job 23:10).
Believer! What a glorious assurance! This way of thine -- this, it may be, a crooked, mysterious, tangled way -- this way of trial and tears. "He knoweth it." The furnace seven times heated -- He lighted it. There is an almighty Guide knowing and directing our footsteps, whether it be to the bitter Marah pool, or to the joy and refreshment of Elim.
That way, dark to the Egyptians, has its pillar of cloud and fire for His own Israel. The furnace is hot; but not only can we trust the hand that kindles it, but we have the assurance that the fires are lighted not to consume, but to refine; and that when the refining process is completed (no sooner -- no later) He brings His people forth as gold. When they think Him least near, He is often nearest. "When my spirit was overwhelmed, then thou knewest my path."
Do we know of One brighter than the brightest radiance of the visible sun, visiting our chamber with the first waking beam of the morning; an eye of infinite tenderness and compassion following us throughout the day, knowing the way that we take?
The world, in its cold vocabulary in the hour of adversity, speaks of "Providence" -- "the will of Providence" -- "the strokes of Providence." Providence! What is that?
Why dethrone a living, directing God from the sovereignty of His own earth? Why substitute an inanimate, deathlike abstraction, in place of an acting, controlling, personal Jehovah?
How it would take the sting from many a goading trial, to see what Job saw (in his hour of aggravated woe, when every earthly hope lay prostrate at his feet) -- no hand but the divine. He saw that hand behind the gleaming swords of the Sabeans -- he saw it behind the lightning flash -- he saw it giving wings to the careening tempest -- he saw it in the awful silence of his rifled home.
"The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!"
Thus, seeing God in everything, his faith reached its climax when this once powerful prince of the desert, seated on his bed of ashes, could say, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." MACDUFF
Believer! What a glorious assurance! This way of thine -- this, it may be, a crooked, mysterious, tangled way -- this way of trial and tears. "He knoweth it." The furnace seven times heated -- He lighted it. There is an almighty Guide knowing and directing our footsteps, whether it be to the bitter Marah pool, or to the joy and refreshment of Elim.
That way, dark to the Egyptians, has its pillar of cloud and fire for His own Israel. The furnace is hot; but not only can we trust the hand that kindles it, but we have the assurance that the fires are lighted not to consume, but to refine; and that when the refining process is completed (no sooner -- no later) He brings His people forth as gold. When they think Him least near, He is often nearest. "When my spirit was overwhelmed, then thou knewest my path."
Do we know of One brighter than the brightest radiance of the visible sun, visiting our chamber with the first waking beam of the morning; an eye of infinite tenderness and compassion following us throughout the day, knowing the way that we take?
The world, in its cold vocabulary in the hour of adversity, speaks of "Providence" -- "the will of Providence" -- "the strokes of Providence." Providence! What is that?
Why dethrone a living, directing God from the sovereignty of His own earth? Why substitute an inanimate, deathlike abstraction, in place of an acting, controlling, personal Jehovah?
How it would take the sting from many a goading trial, to see what Job saw (in his hour of aggravated woe, when every earthly hope lay prostrate at his feet) -- no hand but the divine. He saw that hand behind the gleaming swords of the Sabeans -- he saw it behind the lightning flash -- he saw it giving wings to the careening tempest -- he saw it in the awful silence of his rifled home.
"The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!"
Thus, seeing God in everything, his faith reached its climax when this once powerful prince of the desert, seated on his bed of ashes, could say, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." MACDUFF
well, as you all know, it turns out He was preparing me for something that day. we saw on the ultra sound that afternoon that our precious baby's heart had stopped beating. i couldn't believe this was happening to us again. as i lay there in disbelief, holding pat's hand and crying, a still small voice whispered "though he slay me, yet will i trust in him."
wednesday was emotionally exhausting - a day of praying and crying and asking "why?" i read that devotional again - this time it pierced my heart, as you can imagine! but thursday was a new day. His mercies are new every morning! we have felt a supernatural peace over the past few days. the D and C went very well friday morning and my recovery has been better than i could have asked for. people have been so kind - we have had dinner brought to us every night by the fabulous ladies in my bible study! faithful prayers to a faithful Father have washed us in the peace that passes understanding.
i am married to the greatest man on earth. i have a little WALKING bundle of joy who loves to give sloppy open-mouth kisses and reminds me with every toothy smile how blessed i am! and i'm incredibly grateful to have parents and in-laws and brothers and sisters-in-law and extended family who grieve with us and love us so much. thank you, friends and family. thank you, sovereign Lord. blessed be your name!!!
wednesday was emotionally exhausting - a day of praying and crying and asking "why?" i read that devotional again - this time it pierced my heart, as you can imagine! but thursday was a new day. His mercies are new every morning! we have felt a supernatural peace over the past few days. the D and C went very well friday morning and my recovery has been better than i could have asked for. people have been so kind - we have had dinner brought to us every night by the fabulous ladies in my bible study! faithful prayers to a faithful Father have washed us in the peace that passes understanding.
i am married to the greatest man on earth. i have a little WALKING bundle of joy who loves to give sloppy open-mouth kisses and reminds me with every toothy smile how blessed i am! and i'm incredibly grateful to have parents and in-laws and brothers and sisters-in-law and extended family who grieve with us and love us so much. thank you, friends and family. thank you, sovereign Lord. blessed be your name!!!
Thursday
burn, baby, burn!
wes and marion and burn came over for burgers the other night. burn and laurel are SO CUTE together!
their daddies are pretty cute, too, don't you think?
Wednesday
HE IS RISEN INDEED!!
thank you, kissy, for my easter dress!
pops and abbi were here for the weekend. we had so much fun!
i loved my easter basket and my gifts and my eggs. thank you meme, mamaw, b, buddy, kissy, pops, and abbi!
post-bath. i love to brush my teeth now.
spring keeps coming and going!
p snapped these on one of the colder days.
in the park last week. laurel was very curious about the boiled peanuts p was eating.
walking practice. this is my very favorite picture. this week, anyway :)
drink OJ and eat grapefruit!!!
the first weekend of april i had the opportunity to go to florida with my dad and uncles on their annual "grove inspection" trip.
i was fascinated by the ins and outs of growing oranges and grapefruits!
we also went skeet shooting on saturday morning. i was an excellent score keeper...
taste test in the groves. YUMMY!!
vero beach is a beautiful place. thanks for letting me go! a big thank you to patty and freddy and b and mamaw for helping pat out with laurel while i was away. we are so blessed to have y'all!!
fun with friends
our friends rob and billie thweatt came to stay with us one night. we had a great time catching up with them.
we went downtown one saturday for hubfest. pictured above, from left to right, are burn and marion and baby curry (due in july), payne and laura pennebaker, laurel and me, and brett favre
fantastic fathers, adam pennebaker and pat. i love this shot. i bet ten years ago they never imagined such a picture!
quick trip to charleston, via cumming, ga
back in march, for pat's spring break, we drove to charleston for the first time since we moved 8 months ago. it is a LONG DRIVE!! we stopped and spent the night with pat's aunt and uncle and kiddos. it was such a treat to see them. thank you craig and angela and sydney and cole!!
Monday
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)