Our life

Sorry it has been a while, we've been running around like crazy. Natalie is walking better and better each day. Today, she traveled all the way across the living room. She is so proud of herself too. Candy is here for the week, which is wonderful. She is watching Natalie while we attempt to get ready to move. Today, we tackled our basement, and got a lot accomplished. We have a huge trash pile. Anyways, I was packing and feeling a bit sad when I came across something I wrote when I first moved to cornland. God definitely put it back into my hands this afternoon. So I thought I would share it with you. Here it is:

We have been told this is what life is all about. Some of us hate it, while other thrive on it. No matter our feelings, if we live, it will happen. But, whoever told us life is all about change, lied.

I discovered this lie in recent months as my life changed dramatically. I was a single youth pastor focused on those lives God was bringing into my path. Now I live half way across the country from those teens and have been handed an entirely new ministry. I am engaged to a pastor. Yep, I'm going to be a pastor's wife. I packed my life into a moving truck, got lost in thought about my fiance' and moved far away from home.

I was at peace about this transition and adjusting fairly well to the small town until I looked around the church and discovered I had no place. My heart tells me to invest in the kids; however, God is placing far more then children in my path these days. I came home and sobbed. I told God I missed my family, my friends, and the disciples He had given me. Quite simply, I told God I missed my life.

Somewhere in the middle of my chaotic night, God spoke. He explained to me, I did not pack my life into a moving truck, nor did I leave it. My life was not even new. Just when I thought I was hallucinating, I was brilliant enough to open God's word. "For you have died and your life has been hidden with Christ in God." Years before I was a youth pastor my life became Christ's. He hid it for me with God. "When Christ, who is our life..." becomes a reality for us, we suddenly realize our life never changes. Our circumstances and surrounding do, but we are safe, we are loved, and we are still His.

Those boxes cannot hold my life. Jesus breaks the tape every time I try to put Him into one. He will not be confined or closed up. He will not be put in a corner or on a shelf. And He certainly will never allow us to cry out to Him that we miss our lives without running to meet us in our tears and reminding us He has never left. We may face hundreds of things on earth that shake us up and test our faith. Our life though is not shaken or tested. He who looses his life here on earth will find life in Christ. Life in Christ gives us love, hope, grace, and mercy. Life hidden with God is good and it is constant. "Jesus Christ IS the same yesterday, today, and forever." Our life was secure yesterday, it is secure today, and it will be secure for forever. The forever part happens to be my favorite.

Thanks for all your prayers. If you know Christ, treasure the fact that your life is hidden today with God. I cannot think of a safer place to hide something so precious. If you don't know Christ, I encourage you to talk with Him today. He loves you more then you can imagine.

Andrea's wedding

Here are a few pictures from Andrea's wedding. The bride and groom were beautiful and we are hoping they are having a fun honeymoon! I'll e-mail the rest of the pictures to the family soon. I'm leaving for Women of Faith tomorrow. I think we'll have a fun girls weekend. A lot of the girls from Bible Study and Church are going. I'm going to keep this short, I have a friend walking through the door as I'm typing. Have a great weekend!

Our prayer...

Dear Father,
We know so many people are hurting. We know there is nothing we can say or do to make the hurt stop. But God, You can comfort in ways unimaginable to us. Please do that right now. You know the name of every victim. Hold their families so close it is obvious to them that you have enveloped them in your arms. We are angry with the shooter, but we know, somewhere, someone loves him. Be with that mom tonight. Help her racing mind to quiet and allow her to sit curled in your lap. Remind us God that we are never satisfied with answers to a question of why? Remind us our questions should be centered on who? Who is coming again to rescue us? Who will abolish death and the grave forever? Who wipes away tears? Who holds hands? Who comforts? Who knows us? You do God. All we ask is that you be God in the lives of all who are touched by such a tragedy. You call death the enemy in your word Lord. Today we all agree with such a description. We trust you and thank you for the promise of your return; for the promise of eternal life for your children. Please show all of us how to help you comfort those who are hurt.
In Jesus' name,
Amen

Natalie's Easter Dress

This is Natalie in her Easter Dress. All day today we kept looking at her because she looks more and more like a toddler each day. She took one step yesterday. She was attempting to get a toy from her cousin Xander. She took another step towards Mollie later last night. It was so fun to have them to visit. I'll keep this one short and upload more pictures of them from the weekend later.

Standing alone

Here are pictures of Natalie today. She is "cruising" now around all the furniture, down the side of the bathtub, around the beds, and anywhere else she can reach. She appeared to be genuinely surprised earlier this week when she discovered she could stand up without holding on to anything. The picture on the right is of her standing all by herself. This is first picture she has let me take of her standing. She refuses to be still these days. I can't remember the last church service that I sat through. Tonight at the Good Friday service, she dropped her little toy ball. Since we were sitting near the back so I could make an escape, the ball bounced on the wood floor of the sanctuary and rolled all the way to the front. Of course Chris and the Methodist Pastor, Gordon, were both laughing up front while everyone else tried to pay attention. So Natalie and I made an exit. These are the good ol' days. Her shirt in these pictures says, "do you think I was born yesterday?" She is exerting so much independence these days that I think this shirt is appropriate. As Chris' family can tell, she is looking more and more like him. I'm quite sure she gets her stubbornness and inability to be still in church from his as well. :-)