Beauty

God blesses us with much beauty.

 A scissor-tail came to visit in the early evening.

 Baby cardinals outside my kitchen window!

 

Caught this one's first flight into the tree

Just before his first flight!

Momma bird watches over her baby

This little finch is blind.  We thought he wouldn't last long, but he keeps flying around somehow.  He's been here for several weeks.  Not sure how he makes it but he does!

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

     I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
     Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
     Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
     If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there.

VBS - "Unleash the Power of God!"

Last week was an incredibly fun week of VBS - Vacation Bible School.

Each morning these 2 super heroes greeted the children.  I taught the 2-year-olds and about half the class was afraid of these masked characters so they stayed back in the nursery for the opening.

Each morning we also watched a very professionally done movie by some great actors from our church.  It was about two boys who kept getting into trouble and 3 superheroes who helped them get out of trouble by finding The Superhero!

We had a great worship time.  The children were so excited and quite vocal about praising our Lord!  Some of the 2's really got into dancing to the music!  Two's can be quite wiggly!

The older children did rotations (like missions, crafts, music, snack, games...)  They learned about a great project to raise money to get some proclaimers (audio solar Bibles) for an unreached people group in Africa.  The kids LOVED this and we raised enough money ($2,200!) for over 20 proclaimers!  Below are a couple of the missionaries that will be going in August to tell the people there about Christ!  They are going to a country where my Aunt Treva served for over 30 years!  (thanks, Tami, for this picture!)

When I was in Africa in 1992, I got to go to a hut with my missionary friend and see her use one of these and watch the African lady listening so intently to God's Word in her own language.  Most of these people don't read so this is a marvelous tool to hear about God!

 

 

I had up to 12 two-year-olds and we had a blast!!  These were children of workers only.  They are so adorable!  I didn't get photos of everyone because not everyone came every day and I only brought my camera one day. My bad.

 Bill and Jill would sing "Won't you come and SIT with me.... won't you come and SING with me...here at VBS"

 "Oh I love to pat my Bible, my Bible, my Bible,
  Oh I love to pat my Bible, it's God's Holy Word."

 "Oh, I love to read my Bible, my Bible, my Bible,
  Oh I love to ready my Bible, it's God's Holy Word!"

And what do we read in our Bibles?  We read and learn that God sent us the Rescuer, Jesus!  And that He loves each boy and girl!

I loved these great helpers!!  They are so good with little 2-
year-olds!  Here they are marching around the room with the children!


















These are my special super heroes (my granddaughters) who really enjoyed their classes too!  There were 10 children who accepted Christ into their lives this year.  And that makes all the work very worth it!!!!

Welcome to town!

The kids had more help with their move once they arrived in their new town also.

 The people from church are just so wonderful!!

People put together the beds and unloaded boxes.

Ladies put sheets on all the bedding

Sophia felt better by mid morning and so we went to join in on the move.  Everything had been unloaded already, but she was able to get in on the unpacking action.  She was a little nervous.  Halfway there she wanted me to turn around and drive back to my house.  Sweet babe.  Praying for her to LOVE her new home and new town and that the girls find friends soon!!

Cleaning out the duct work for the dryer.

Along with a few other women, Mindy helps to put away dishes and they all did a fantastic job!  Hopefully Jill won't have a hard time finding her items!

A race to see who can put the bar stools together the fastest

 And they brought over a grill to fix lunch for everyone who was helping!

 The town's famous sausage patties and franks

This picture cracks me up!

Lunch in her new house!

 My brother and sister-in-law from KC arrived

 and brought a wonderful "welcome to your new home" cookie bouquet

Hope you all feel settled in soon and "at home".

Jill and I were talking last week about how the more she was packing up her Newton home and taking things off the walls, etc., that it was beginning to feel less like home.  And as we were working in this new home and painting it her colors and slowly bringing things over, that this was feeling more like home.

Life can be like that, right?  As we age and loosen our grip on this world, we look more and more forward to heaven.  That is our real home.