The Sweetest Frame

Today Isaiah and I finally got the old boat registered and put out on the White River. If you don't already know, we seem to always have an adventure whenever we get out on the boat. I even got my ear pierced on one trip. I think this was the first time we've had the boat on a real "river", though we've been on a few creeks with it. It hasn't rained here in a while, so the river is way down and doesn't have much flow in most places. It was only about a foot deep in many places so we didn't use the big motor. We did run into some floaters and one of the girls was singing "Father Abraham." :) We made our way upstream pretty well until we got close to the bridge. We saw some boaters flying down the stream on their canoes and we realized that we were in for a ride. Our little trolling motor couldn't push against the current, and even though we tried rowing as well as using the trolling motor it just wasn't working. ...

Sometimes the sadness is overwhelming. And yet the Lord is gracious. My brother has spent this week in Florida with his in-laws after the loss of a nephew. We have hurt and prayed for my brother's little girls as they deal with the loss of another cousin. It's not right, little kids should not have to hurt like this. In the midst of this pain my brother shared a song with me that he said had really ministered to his in-laws during this time. It's called Beautiful Things by Gungor . All this pain I wonder if I’ll ever find my way I wonder if my life could really change at all All this earth Could all that is lost ever be found Could a garden come up from this ground at all You make beautiful things You make beautiful things out of the dust You make beautiful things You make beautiful things out of us All around Hope is springing up from this old ground Out of chaos life is being found in You You make me new, You are making me new Such a great reminder of hope in the mi...

I love to find a song that the very first time I hear it, I love it. We were spending some time with my brother in Decatur and he mentioned a song that they sang at camp. He said they were having a hard time singing How He Loves, but this song became the camp favorite. It's called Even If I Fall by Mike Cowart. The chorus is: (Ladies) - Even if I fall, I'll rise again for You are my God Even if I fall, You lift me up (Men) - When You're with me, I will rise up When You lift me up The lyrics are simple, but a great reminder that there is always hope in Christ. I can't wait to do this at The Heights. Cross-posted at The Heights Blog

Some weeks are just harder than others. Sometimes life throws you curves or sliders, or even the dreaded knuckler. I don't enjoy weeks like that. Recently, I often find that Monday's after a long weekend are harder, not for the usual reasons necessarily, but because on those Mondays I really seem to exam myself and where I am at and why I am here and most of the time I come up short on the answers. Those days I need extra grace. This week I read this from Habakkuk... 17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. The Lord reminded me that He gives strength, in the worst of times and for me, even on those dreaded Mondays. Cross posted on the Heig...