July's Jollity

I know what you're thinking. Jollity? Really? Is that even a word? Well, yes it is. So is 'jollification', 'jocularity', and 'junketing'. Trying to come up with yet ANOTHER alliterated blog post title was more stress than I needed today, so give me a little credit.

July was filled with 13 different house guests, a national holiday, and regular old life with two year old triplets. So much busyness! So much continual change! So much fun!  

Fourth of July weekend was spent with Rob's sister and family from Ohio.

Cow Appreciation Night at Chick-Fil-A

Family Night at Rock River Rapids

Griffen & Rhys go to Jr. Camp

And in regular life....

We got rid of the high chairs this month, giving me this new view each evening at dinner.

Keira has emptied about 5 packs of wipes so far this month.

She has also emptied some diaper rash cream in an effort to be a hair stylist.

One Wednesday evening at church proved to be a comedy of errors, when Keira soaked through her shorts, and daddy ripped his pants and forgot his baseball cleats for the church softball game. 

These little blessings sure do keep me moving, but they also keep me smiling.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, 

those who build it labor in vain....

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord."

(Psalm 127:1, 3)

NEW SONG PUBLISHED - On Paths To Answered Prayer

I can remember the single darkest day of my life. Our family had endured an extended season of loss and suffering. I was laying on my bathroom floor one Saturday morning in November just sobbing when out of the blue I received a phone call from an acquaintance at church. Susan and I knew each other casually, but that day she called to ask if we could get together that week for coffee. In my weakened emotional state, I muttered, "How about right now?" One hour later, I was sitting across from Susan in our local Village Inn restaurant unloading my life story.

"Where does the pastor's wife go when she doubts the goodness of God?"
"What do I do when everything in my theology clashes with my reality?"
"Does prayer really work?"

That day, something very special happened. Susan enlisted in my spiritual battle with me. Just weeks later, it was Susan who cooked and delivered the entire Thanksgiving feast to the family I so suddenly regretted inviting. In my season of sorrow, I had no more energy to entertain. It was Susan who sent me some of the most thoughtful gifts I had ever received - a box of kleenex with the words, "He will wipe every tear from their eye"; a pillow with the words, "He gives His beloved sleep"; a glass bottle with the words, "He puts all your tears in a bottle." But above all these tangible acts of love, Susan faithfully began praying for me.

As the weeks and months passed by, I soon learned that Susan faced her own spiritual battles. In her late 30's, she had long desired a husband and children. Despite years of faithfully pleading with God, He seemed to remain distant and uncaring. It was now my time to take up her spiritual battle with her.

Along our journey together, we discovered some beautiful truths about God. In His power and compassion, God surprised me with triplets - a gift far beyond anything I could have imagined. And God also blessed Susan. At age 39, she walked down the aisle at her wedding. I wrote and dedicated this song to her as a wedding present. It truly bears witness to the many lessons we learned along our paths to answered prayer.

Click the link to listen to a demo recording - On Paths To Answered Prayer.