Student Appreciation Day & Lake Fellowship

Last Sunday was Student Appreciation Day at our church. This is always an exciting Sunday in the life of our church because we honor our graduates and commission those that are going different places to serve God over the summer of coming year. Jeremy gave the message and did a great job exhorting from Scripture to make disciples as we go. After the service we had our first of the year Lake Fellowship at the Y beach. These are always fun Sundays which involve baptism, eating together, and enjoying fellowship with one another. Here are some pics from the day.

Ken praying for the students

Bryn at the Lake Fellowship

Baptism at the Lake

The dessert table is always a highlight:)

Mark & Cathy Welborn

Peace

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the gift of peace we have from God. I don't think I've really camped out on this much in the past. I don't think I appreciate peace when life is trucking along and all feels well in the world. But when a storm comes and something breaks my heart and sadness overwhelms me....how sweet peace becomes! Here are some verses that have ministered to my soul lately regarding peace.

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." -Romans 5:1

This verse is amazing to me. It reminds me that my greatest problem and my greatest need has been taken care of by Christ's death on the cross. The result of his atoning work on the cross is justification by faith and peace with God! That is amazing. I'm no longer God's enemy and His wrath is no longer upon me because it was all put on Christ when he died for me. What a gift to be at peace with God!

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." -John 14:27

Jesus has given us peace; ultimately found in Himself as the Prince of Peace. The world is unable to provide this peace for us...we may look but it will always let us down! It's interesting to me how often a command regarding our heart or mind is followed by a promise about peace. Like in the above verse, we are told to "let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

"I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

Yes, we will have tribulation in this world, that is guaranteed. But, we have peace in the midst of that tribulation. Imagine tribulation without peace. Again our peace is in Jesus, who has overcome the world and in whom we have many precious promises! And again we see the command to "take heart."

Therefore we should be motivated to apply Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

And as I seek to do this and cling to the Prince of Peace, I am seeing these things be oh so true...

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is our everlasting rock." -Isaiah 26:3-4

and...

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7

This peace truly does surpass all understanding and I'm finding the Lord be faithful to guard my heart and mind in Jesus. I pray that God would continue to teach me to let not my heart be troubled or afraid, and to take heart, and to keep my heart with all vigilance, and to keep my mind stayed on Him, and be guarded in Christ Jesus!

Straight Hair

I love having a son and 2 daughters. The older Bryn gets the more obvious it is to see how different she is then Carson. I love learning the uniqueness of all our kids. Carson has never been interested in my "getting ready routine" but Bryn has long been interested in my make-up and beauty supplies. So, just for fun, yesterday afternoon I indulged her and allowed her to use my "stuff." She stood there like such a big girl and let me straighten her hair with my flat iron. How sweet it is to have daughters!

End of the Year College Cookout

This Monday night was our end of the year cookout with all the college students who are involved in small groups at Crosspoint. It was fun having roughly 90 students over before they all scatter for the summer. We love college students and count it a privilege to be a part of their lives.

Matt & Jon...the grill masters

Lydia demanded to stay on my hip, she got a little nervous about all the people at our house

Love these ladies!

Lately

Here are some pictures of what we've been up to lately. Last Wednesday we went to our Staff Cookout on Jervey Field and then we headed over to the Clemson baseball game. It was being with the staff and the kids had a ball getting dirty and playing together.

Carson has been playing soccer this spring and here are some pictures of one of his last games.

3 weeks

It was 3 weeks ago today that I went in for my 16 week check up to find out that our little baby was not living. Amazing how your life can change in an instant! I went in feeling pretty good about life and left devastated! The last 3 weeks has proven to be one of those times of absolute clinging to the Lord and trusting Him to be faithful to His promises and character. He has led me to yet again say that He is better than life and being conformed to the image of Jesus is better than my plans...yes, even a new baby (as hard as that is to say, I mean it by the grace of God). He has been faithful to begin healing my broken heart and help me find my hope in Him alone. The biggest challenge since the actual sadness of losing our baby has been the physical battle resulting from a lack of sleep. The nights have been difficult for me. Many nights I just toss and turn unable to fall asleep or I fall asleep and then wake up in less then an hour and the cycle continues all night. So, I've been trying to do life (at bare minimum) on very little sleep. And I love my sleep! So the sleepier I get the harder life becomes. It is tempting to allow tiredness to permeate into all of my life and therefore I start feeling like a failure in all of life. Again I have to set my mind on the Lord and hope in Him. I'm trusting that His power will be perfected in my weakness! I went yesterday to my follow-up appointment and the doctor thought everything was going normally with my recovery. And I asked in desperation for a sleeping aid to get me through this time. I'm thankful she complied! So I'm hoping to be on my way to more sleep-filled nights! There are still random moments that trigger the tears and pain but those are becoming less frequent. Please continue to pray for us during this time...that grace would abound in every way!

Happy Easter

This was a special Easter celebrating the resurrection of Christ. I am so thankful for what that means for us as His children. We, too, will one day be resurrected and live with Him forever! I'm so thankful that our Savior was obedient to go to the cross and take on all the sin of the world and then He was victorious over death. Where is your sting, O death!? Oh, how I long to be with Him and have every tear wiped away and have pain be no more! Come Lord Jesus Come!

And some Easter day pics...

Because He Lives...

As Easter approaches I have been singing "Because He Lives" in my head and it has provided much comfort and hope as I'm reminded how necessary the resurrection of Christ was to our salvation and hope in Him! Here are the lyrics:

BECAUSE HE LIVES

God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus;

He came to love, heal and forgive.

He lived and died to buy my pardon;

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Chorus:

Because He lives

I can face tomorrow

Because He lives

All fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living

Just because He lives

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,

And feel the pride and joy He gives;

But greater still the calm assurance:

This child can face uncertain days because He lives.

Chorus

And then one day I'll cross the river;

I'll fight life's final war with pain.

And then, as death gives way to victory,

I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He reigns.

Chorus

I've also been encouraged by 1 Peter 1:3-9

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Blessings

I have thought many times since last Friday how thankful I am for my 3 precious children. From the moment we knew we lost this baby Jeremy and I both wanted to run to our other children and just kiss them all over. In a moment they became invaluably more precious to us. I hurt for those who go through the pain of losing a child and/or struggle with infertility when they have no children. Not that having children replaces the pain but they provide a great distraction and motivation for "moving on." I learn so much from watching them. They live in the moment and they have no worries about the future. I want to be more like that. After losing this baby I'm reminded of the fragility of life and I'm amazed that we've been able to have children at all. What a blessing!

I'm also blessed beyond words by my mother. She jumped in her car last Friday right after she got my call and stayed with us for a week. Her love and service are so beautiful to me. She knows exactly what to do and say and ask. She is a treasure to me! She was used of God this week to minister to our family in a hard time. Thank you Mom for sacrificing your week to help us. Thank you for cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, helping with the kids, and just being a great source of comfort to me! I love you so much!

My 3 little blessings

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Nearness of God

"The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them" (Psalm 145:17-19)

I slept great last night! Thank you for praying! I trust that we are on our way to being healed by the power and grace of God. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3)