happy fathers

I know that I say this everywhere we go (because it's true!), but we had a really good and nourishing time at Livingston this morning.  It was so encouraging, inspiring and joyful to be with this body of believers and to be reminded so heartily of their prayers.

While support raising is no-where-close to our favorite thing about this calling He's given us (and probably one of the most stretching!), 

it is GOOD and so meaningful to hold the hands of the ones who are praying for you

...to hear from their lips their prayers and hopes and burdens

...to vocalize and identify what God is doing NOW in Haiti and in us

...and to share our time and our children and ourselves with those who are sharing their time and prayers and gifts with us.  

And of course, it was especially meaningful for me to be sitting in pews I remember sitting in as a little girl with people I remember sitting with, to be there on Father's Day with my father and my girls' father (and my fabulous sister!) and to hear Matt share his heart and the Word.

This church is so beautiful, and my attempt at capturing some of its' height gave me this funny picture of Matt :)

In Sunday school we shared a few testimonies and a bit out of Exodus, but for the main service, Matt preached from Psalm 51 about repentance, forgiveness, and the need for a clean heart, a new heart.  David's heart and plea in this Psalm is just such a fantastic testimony of repentance and beautiful model of unmerited forgiveness and grace on God's part.

It was a powerful message and gave me lots to think about...

Then afterwards we got to spend the afternoon with lots of good friends from Livingston, which was SO fun!  There was another baby for Sofie, another 3 year-old for Lily, great food, really good conversation and lots of laughter all around.  Couldn't have imagined a better day!

Lily and Micah were making zoo forts, whatever those are!  They knew :)

Very thankful for this man, for my daddy and the girls' grandpas, for Livingston UMC, 

and for the many of you around the world reading this who may not be able to hold our hands and play with our girls, 

but whose prayers and sacrifices are joyfully given on our behalf 

to the Firm Foundation on which we stand.

Thank you.