Pray for Baby Jude

I'm coming to all of you to ask for your prayers for our friends Mandy and Brandon and their sweet baby boy Jude. Brandon and Mandy are on staff with Campus Crusade in New Mexico and we met them a few years ago when they were on our Lifelines Summer Project in Maine. Joe and I were their coaches and we so enjoyed the summer getting to know them. They are a great couple and Mandy is just one of the sweetest people I have ever met. A few days ago they welcomed a second little boy, Jude, into their family. Jude was born with downs syndrome and a heart defect (both of which they were expecting) but there have also been a number of complications they weren't expecting including a second heart defect and the realization that he has suffered a number of strokes and has significant bleeding in his brain. They are waiting to see if surgery on his brain will be possible. Please, please pray for this little boy and this family. I am in tears as I think about what they are going through and all I can do is to ask God to intervene and to pray that God's glory would be displayed through this little boy's life. Mandy has a wonderful blog and she has been updating it frequently with updates about Jude- if you want to check it out you can find it at http://mandypelton.blogspot.com

Thanks for praying.

Heaven Stands

In the last two weeks God has met me in a wonderful way through music. I've had a number of friends come to me with songs that God brought to their minds for me- and it has been so healing. My friend Kate reminded me that God has always used music as a source of strength and meaning in my life- it has just felt that I've sort of lost that a bit over the last few years. But God is reminding me once again of what joy and healing can be found in music as I choose to worship him through these hard times. Here are a few of the words to a recent song that has been especially meaningful to me the last few days...

I have unanswered prayers

I have trouble I wish wasn't there

And I have asked a thousand ways

That you would take my pain away

That you would take my pain away

I am trying to understand

How to walk this weary land

Make straight the paths that crookedly lie

Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking

Heaven stands

When my heart is breaking

I never leave your hands

When you walked upon the Earth

You healed the broken, lost, and hurt

I know you hate to see me cry

One day you will set all things right

Yea, one day you will set all things right

When my world is shaking

Heaven stands

When my heart is breaking

I never leave your hands

-"Your Hands" by JJ Heller

The two thoughts that are giving me such comfort right now is that Heaven stands even when everything else seems to be falling apart (I have felt this truth powerfully over the last few weeks). And knowing and believing with all of my heart that one day God will indeed set all things right. While there is much joy yet to experience in this life, oh how I long for that day.

Thanks Lord that I have never left your hands, not even for a second.

Bay Beach!

While we were in Wisconsin visiting my family we went back to Bay Beach Park for an afternoon of rides and fun with the kids (you might remember that we took Lily there two years ago)!

Lily loved it, but Eli was slightly less than impressed with the pony ride!:)

But Eli loved the giant slide (too bad he only got to go down once because he technically wasn't old enough to go down the first time- which we didn't know)!

Lily and G-Pa loved the slide too!

And from then on they both pretty much loved every ride they went on- can you tell?:)

And by the end of the afternoon they were both exhausted (and fell asleep the second they got in their car seats)! And, ummm, notice that in the picture below (the last ride of the day) Lily is pretending to shoot the boy in front of her (guess she's not a fan on boys yet...and we are okay with that)!:) What a fun family day!

Flashback: 4th of July

The 4th of July!

The kids and I made these red, white, and blue chocolate dipped strawberries... combining three of my kid's favorite things (berries, chocolate, and sprinkles)!

Beach Babies

I'm so thankful today for my little beach babies!

Summer Days Go On...

The last two weeks have been painful- probably the most difficult time I have ever been through and yet God has been here with us. He has carried us through and continues to give us strength. I have a lot more to share about how God has met me during this time, but I just need a little more time to process it before I write about it. And in the meantime these summer days go on. We have two amazing little ones who loves us and who need us... so today we headed to Morgan Beach and enjoyed a sweet morning playing in the water and sand, throwing rocks, building dams, and learning again to appreciate the joy of everyday.

Praise You In The Storm

"I was sure by now

God, you would have reached down

and wiped our tears away.

Stepped in and saved the day.

But once again, I say Amen.

And it's still raining.

And as the thunder rolls

I barely hear you whisper through the rain,

'I'm with you.'

And as your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

and takes away.

And I'll praise you in this storm.

And I will lift my hands.

For you are who you are

no matter where I am.

And every tear I've cried

you hold in your hand.

You never left my side.

And though my heart is torn

I will praise you in this storm."

- Casting Crowns