Life These Days

...you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good...

-Joseph

Genesis 50:20

God has been so gracious by filling our hearts with joy and lives with purpose as we seek all of our delight in Him alone.

Pastor John Piper answered us with the most incredible answer ... one that, like all the ones he gives,  is straight from God's Word. We have connected to a few people at Desiring God thanks to a friend we went to college with who is on staff there. God has provided us with so much wisdom and discernment through this ministry. We have been informed that over 30,000 people have listened to this podcast to date. Joseph is so right (see above).

http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/are-my-septuplets-in-heaven

We got ice cream one afternoon to celebrate something wonderful. May one day not pass without thanking and acknowledging God for life and breath and health!

This girl is incredible. For real. She is almost reading, has memorized 22 catechisms among numerous bible verses, swims like a champ, and can run 2+ miles without stopping. I just have to brag, I am sorry. I would rather spend time with no one else. But those things mean nothing in comparison to her sweet innocent heart who takes such good care of ALL of us. Hannah Jaco, we love you!

Baby shower for Kate Mellon! Girl time! Our girls just love babies. Its all good...all good.

The Giver is good and very great.

The second baby girl I have been able hold in 3 months. Sweet Abigail Mellon ... maybe He will let me hold 5 more in the coming months :)

We have been blessed incredibly by the mission, community, and discipleship at Mission Community Church. 

This is the real deal.  The church is not the building!

Steve is really busy at work. This we see as a blessing because the most horrible thing for a wife is a bored husband! Work is good and we will take as much of it as God wills!

Somehow, he finds the energy to play with his girls when a days' work (which is pretty physically exhausting) is done. God truly supplies our every need when we trust Him completely.

We spend the weekends with our church community and chillin' at home. The sabbath truly is one of God's greatest gifts to all of us. 

The weather has been cold but this does not stop us from getting outside! It just takes a little more work to get there, but it is worth it. 

Hope is so stinkin' cute. Not going to lie, she can be a PILL. Sometimes she drives me mad with her insistence on having her way and wanting to suck her thumb all day and then come alive at bedtime ... but we will keep her for now :)
Hope Avery, we love you!

We were able to take care of Luke while Abigail was being born for a couple of days....what perfect timing....because, God, in His providence has....

Made it clear that we are to make ourselves available for adoption. Yes. Wow. We have taken the next big steps with Bethany Christian ministries. Who knows if and when the Lord will bring us a child or many. We are not in a hurry, we are not anxious ...we are just excited to see what God does.

For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord!

Psalm 22