Monday, June 29, 2009

Man has this been a crazy summer!! In a few days it will already be July, and this I cannot believe. Most summers for us are busy, but for some reason this one seems to be especially busy. Our baby boy just turned six years old a few days ago and I pretty much went into mourning. They grow up too fast and in a few weeks Jarrod will be 33. THIRTY-THREE!! A few weeks after that we will celebrate our 10 year anniversary, which is also mind-numbing! I guess I am feeling a little nostalgic this morning. I remember being a "green" 18 year old freshman at Liberty University when I met this HUGE (and adorable I should add) 20 year old defensive lineman.

I am thankful for God's providence. Jarrod and I look back and we see the hand of God leading us both to Liberty, both with unusual circumstances and then leading Jarrod from a career in the medical field (which he planned on all through out college) to the ministry. I don't think we will ever understand why He chose to call us, but are so thankful He did. I am thankful for how He pursued us, even in our rebellion. We serve a gracious and merciful God. I meditate on the psalms quite often and can identify with the writer when He says in chapter 48


Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain.
Beautiful elevation,
The joy of the whole earth ,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.
God is in her palaces;
He is known as her refuge.

For behold, the kings assembled,
They passed by together.
They saw it, and so they marveled;
They were troubled, they hastened away.
Fear took hold of them there.
And when You break the ships of Tarshish
With an east wind.

As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever.

We have thought, O God, on Your
lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of your judgements.

Walk about Zion
And go all around her.
Count her towers;
Mark well her bulwarks;
Consider her palaces;
That you may tell it to the generation
following.
For this is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide
even to death.

I am thankful we serve an almighty God whose glory is greatly to be praised! I pray our lives are continually echoing the glory of the cross, and the next ten years of our marriage and ministry we will know Him better and will continue to be transformed because of it.