Psalm 23
The Lord is my
shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me
to lie down
in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff
they comfort me.
Thou preparest a
table before me
in the presence
of mine enemies:
thou anointest my
head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness
and mercy
shall follow me
all the days
of my life:
and I will dwell
in the house
of the Lord
for ever.
Last night we attended Janella's visitation. She was a friend (Matt's age) who grew up here in Oakville. Her sudden death hit many of us very hard. Life is so fragile. It has been such a big reminder that we need to always be ready to go Home. And that we must make our life count; she was a great example of a life of service for God.
We grieve and pray for God's comfort for the family. For a husband who lost his dear wife. For her two children who seem far too young to lose a mother. For her parents who lost their only child. For the many friends and acquaintances who knew God better because of her.
There is a beautiful angel waiting for you in Heaven.
So we live on with renewed zeal to make Heaven our goal in everything.
Recently I have been reading a devotional called "100 Days of Blessing" which I received as a gift when Micah was born. It has been such an encouraging reminder of the importance of my role as a mother. My purpose is to further the kingdom of God by training up children who will serve Him someday and be lights to the world. God is counting on me to leave behind a generation that will continue to serve Him and bring souls to Him.
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| Blessed to celebrate Mother's Day as a mother for a second year! |
Of course, motherhood is not a breeze. My children are training me, too! God uses them to teach me patience, to be thankful even in difficult times, to be joyful when everything goes wrong. And I am growing in understanding of God's love for me. I must try His patience, too!
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| And then there is this patient and loving husband of mine. He is the perfect father for my children! |
Since Easter, we have kept busy but have little to report that is not covered in the photos below! Piano lessons have started up again after my maternity leave so that is keeping me busy again. :)
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| Micah is 3 months old! No big milestones this month, but he is still doing great and we are very thankful for that! His nights continue to lengthen (averaging 8-9 hours now), and he is super cheerful most of the time. |
SPRING DAYS
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| Levi helped Daddy plant flowers for my planters and pots! His shirt ended up being very fitting that day: "DIRT is my favorite color." |
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| Levi helped Dan M. plant corn a few weeks ago. It was his first tractor ride! |
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| The fruit trees are all bearing fruit thus far! This is what apples look like in the spring... |
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| Matt cleaned up the raspberries and put down carpet to help with the weeds. |
OUT AND ABOUT
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| Matt (top right) sang at the Midwest Gospel Sing in Washington, IL. Quite an experience! We watched it on the computer at home. |
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| Levi had an eye appointment in Iowa City last week. The doctor says all seems good and normal with his eyes for now. We plan to return in a few more months. |
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| Vienna and Billy's wedding is only a month away! Mom and I enjoyed attending another shower last weekend. She ended up getting dressed up as a "housewife." |
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| Matt and his boys at Schulz family night on Saturday. |
AROUND THE HOME
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| Levi saw that Micah had "bubbles" on his mouth, so he wanted to pop them... |
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| Levi has started helping me set the table. He does a great job for a 15-month-old who can barely reach the table! :) |
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| It is a special moment when the camera clicks and both boys are smiling....all at the same time! This picture makes me smile every time I see it! |
The days go by quickly, but they are good. Some days I am weary, but I never have a good reason to complain. I am blessed. I am blessed to be a wife to a loving husband, a mother of two beautiful, healthy boys, and the child of an all-knowing, loving and wonderful Creator.
Said the robin to the sparrow,
“I should really like to know,
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.”
Said the sparrow to the robin,
“Friend I think that it must be,
That they have no Heavenly Father,
Such as cares for you and me.”
