Week of Blessings

This has been a good week. First, an update on Zackary, our most recent addition. The courts have determined that his parents aren't ready to have him at home, so he'll be with us awhile longer. There is a hearing at the end of this month in which more decisions will be made about whether or not he will be going home soon. In the meantime, we've been enjoying him immensely. He's a very good baby and grows cuter and cuter every day. Here are some recent pics.

This week we were also blessed financially when we received 3 unexpected refund checks in the mail. We weren't expecting any of them. And one was the exact amount of the state tax bill we have due at the end of this month. Another one was a large refund check on our mortgage, which covers our bills for almost an entire month. God has just been providing for us in ways that we had never even imagined. So in spite of Miles' recent job loss, we've been able to meet all of our financial obligations. I (Brenda) also started my new part-time job this week and am excited about it. I still can't believe I truly get to work from home.

On a personal note . . . I just have to share what God did in my small group last night. My co-leader and I decided to do a special night for the H.S. girls small group that we lead. Since it was Valentines Day, we focused on (imagine this) . . . . LOVE!! But our focus was God's love for us, especially as it was demonstrated by Christ's sacrifice on the cross. I won't share all the details of what we did last night, but I wanted to share 2 highlights. Rychelle and I washed the feet of each of the young ladies. just as Christ served his disciples on the night of the Last Supper as an act of love toward them. We had some worship music playing while we did it, and encouraged the girls to just focus on what God has done for them. It was such an intimate time with them and it moved me to tears to see the reaction of these girls. One girl who has wandered away from God a little bit this year just broke down in sobs as Rychelle washed her feet. It was very touching. We also took communion together. But we had set the elements up on my dining room table and told the girls to take communion when they were ready. We had given them each a piece of paper in which we encouraged them to write down any sins they needed to confess, and then told them to rip the paper before they took communion, to symbolize God's forgiveness of their sins. Again we played some worship music as each of the girls spent time with God. At one point I looked up and saw one girl on her knees sobbing, another raising her hands in response to the words of the song that was playing, and another on her knees, holding the communion elements in her hand as she poured out her heart to God. It was such a wonderful night in which God truly met us here, and walls were torn down in some of the girls' hearts. I am so looking forward to our upcoming trip to Washington, D.C., where we will get to serve God together. I just know that God is preparing the hearts of each of us for this experience together.

He is so faithful and provides for us in ways we could never imagine.