Unexpected Blessings & Father's Day

Praise the Lord-it’s Sunday! Sunday has a whole new meaning for us now that we are going back to meeting in the church building. We will start back with children’s Sunday school next week, but to be totally honest, I have enjoyed the long morning before heading to church. It’s allowed for a run every Sunday, time in the Word, and breakfast all before the church service. (I can understand why church habits are so important!) The other side is that I think Sunday school is a special time to really dig into God’s Word, and it’s important for our children also. We will be gearing up for a special summer Sunday school series as we’ve missed out on Vacation Bible School. So, I know that once we reestablish the habits, it will be easier. I had the opportunity to sing along with some of the music at church today, and that was a special blessing. I’m also learning a lot. 1) I much prefer to have music to look at than slides to sing to! 2) Even if I know the songs, I do much better if I can sing through them ahead of time. 3) Music speaks to the soul (already knew that but today was a good reminder of that.) I was again blessed today through the music and the preaching of Gods Word. Our pastor is preaching on Nehemiah, and I’ve enjoyed the sermons in on Nehemiah. Talk about a man that faced opposition, fear and nay-sayers...yet he pressed on for the Glory of God! Don’t quit Christians! 

Yesterday was warm, no actually, it was hot! It felt like we were suddenly dumped into summer and the heat and humidity were both high! We did not go to the beach or the lake, as we had things that we needed to work on around home. Garett and I did trash, the boys created some pools in the back yard using tarps, and they spent time going in and out of the house. Travis realized that he had had a little too much sunshine as he has a bad sunburn on his shoulders. Roger came home from work exhausted from the heat, but yet he still went to pick up a bed that we had been given as well as a freezer (but not from the same people!). I had mentioned to my friend, Hannah, earlier this week that I was having such a hard time finding a freezer, but yet I would enjoy having one so that I could stock up on a few things -stock up- not HOARD! She stared at me for a second and then said, “oh, We have one you can have.” What?! I hadn’t even spent a whole lot of time even praying for a freezer as both Sams Club and Lowe’s said that they’ve been back ordered on freezers for at least fourteen weeks! It was an amazing answer to prayer, and one that I am very, very excited about! Then later this week when we were at Allison’s lake, Annah mentioned that they had been given a very nice king size bed, but they didn’t think that they wanted it. Annah asked if we would want it, and I’m happy to report that I said I’d ask Roger first!  So, Roger brought home the king size bed, frame, box spring, mattress pad and sheets on his way home from work. He and the boys unloaded that and then Roger and I went to pick up the freezer. It was a very, very late night, but both items were unexpected blessings! 

Roger was working today, so we did not stay after church for the picnic lunch this week. Instead we went to the airport to have lunch with Roger (and to pick up Travis). It’s not ideal-Roger working on Sundays, but we both know that this is just for a season. Since Roger spent the early part of the week with his brother, Nate, he worked the last half of the week. However, next Sunday we will all be planning on attending church together! (And then the next Sunday, I’ll be gone with the kids!) It was an interesting Father’s Day since Roger was working, but the kids all made him cards this afternoon. The boys also helped me take down the bed that was in our room, set up the king size bed and move the other bed all the way down to the basement. Now we have a nice guest room in the basement all ready for guests. Who’s coming?! 

Travis’s skin is blistered, and he was not able to go to church this morning as wearing a shirt was very difficult! Since Roger had to work today (Sunday) I dropped Travis off at the airport. He managed to put on a shirt when we came to the airport for lunch and for a picture, but he’s pretty much been shirtless all day. I feel really badly that he’s been so miserable, but we both learned a lesson to apply more sunscreen. I would probably do well to also invest in a water swim shirt for him. Chandler very rarely very gets a sunburn, and I don’t usually either. I did get a little red on Friday, but nothing that was too bothersome. I guess we all learned a lesson about easing into summer! (But summer here in Maine will probably disappear next week!) 

I’m thankful for Roger’s quiet leadership, hard working ethics, character traits of honesty and integrity and how he is trying to instill those in our boys. We fail....often miserably...at being parents, but Gods mercies are new every morning. We are thankful for children that forgive easily, enjoy life, and are a blessing to us. We are so blessed. Happy Father’s Day!