"Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You."
Psalm 143:8
It was his turn to pick so he picked something he knows I love!
I love how he gets me. Calms me. Loves me.
Is patient and gentle, even when I’m wrong.
We can get frustrated at each other but when it’s an emotional issue, I love how he consistently points me back to Christ. He doesn’t join in or give me the “yeah”. He listens then encourages me to see the other perspective because he wholly understands what every Christian should...relationship matters more than a feeling of justification and fault-finding helps no one.
I love how he is eternally faithful.
I love that he’s absolutely my best friend.
I love how I can share with him the very darkest parts of my soul and still he loves me.
I love how he loves our family and acts silly, just to make the children laugh.
I love that holiness is truly a priority for him.
I love that I know he will absolutely give up anything in his life that is pulling him from the Lord.
I love that he is humble and serving.
I love that he’s so incredibly wonderful and he doesn’t even know it!
And I’m thankful that the Lord brought him to me! ❤️
Alex is wonderful and we are so pleased. They complement each other very well.
He proposed on our anniversary, which was so very special! I love how thoughtful he is, of her and of our family. I never realized how difficult it would be to have adult children and young children at the same time, in that, it's harder for the little children to understand what's going on. They all love Alex, but Titus cried at bedtime the first 3 nights after they got engaged. Andrew was also sad. They don't want her to get married. They like having her around. 💜 I understand their feelings. I am going to miss her incredibly. I have been so oddly emotional since the proposal on Friday. I've been reflecting on the weirdness of my behavior and I know there are several aspects of it, none of which I like. I'm always talking to my children about taking our thoughts captive and controlling our emotions. I'm not normally a super emotional person but I have to admit, it's become difficult this year. Maybe because I have no outlet for them...long story that I won't get into.
Anyway, they've handled my emotional outbursts well. I wish they didn't have to. I have to get that under control.
When our girls were younger, we would talk about "one day" when they married and what that would be like and dream together. Maybe it was more "my" dream, but it definitely hasn't gone like I planned. I think losing Sarah earlier this year has made me very skittish with Sherrod. I know she's a different person and Alex is different, but it's hard not to project sometimes, you know? It doesn't help that she's leaving for Zambia very soon and I find myself in tears A LOT. I'm not a tearful person. I don't even know what's up with me. And I don't like it.
So, if you think about it, pray for me. Pray that I won't drive my daughter crazy. Pray that she can enjoy this sweet and special time without worrying about her mother losing it. Pray that those sweet relationships (mother/daughter, mother/son-in-love) will remain close and joyful and precious. Pray that I will just trust the Lord and relax at HIS control, not mine.
They are so good together. They both love the Lord wholeheartedly and continually point each other to Christ. They both care more about pleasing the Lord than about "getting married." They are both super laid back but maybe about different things sometimes. It's funny, Sherrod can be very opinionated at times. (I have no idea where she gets THAT!😜) And Alex seems very chill most of the time. But then there are times when the roles completely reverse and SHE'S super laid back and HE'S the opinionated, take charge one. 😂😂😂 Not in a bad way, at all. More in a learning-each-other's-strengths-and-weaknesses kind of way and becoming one. It is a good blend.
They are getting married in September. And she will be home VERY little of the time between now and then. Zambia, Alaska, wedding planning, wedding. THAT is what's on tap for the next 2 months.
Some have already asked how he proposed. It was so sweet. You know what I think is really neat? He included our family in the planning so that he could. That was so special to all of us. He put together a video and we had a "family movie night" to play it. She thought it was just another movie and here's what she got:
Isn't that just the sweetest?!?!?! They are precious and adorable! We are thrilled for them to start their life together. Now I'm off for wedding planning...
I find it interesting that God often brings things to our attention in groups. Like the lesson is being driven home. Evening worship: Proverbs 22, verse 1, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” This morning’s Bible reading: Psalm 8, verse 1a, “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!”
We’ve been really stressing to the boys the importance of how their name is known. (We do this with the girls, too, but as the boys have been doing work for other people it has become something we discuss often.) When the Psalmist speaks of God’s name as excellent in all the earth, he is referring to His reputation. A person’s reputation is known by not only what he says but what he does.
The boys spent hours in the heat yesterday, mowing and weed eating. They spent twice the amount of time they had anticipated spending and it was HOT. And they did it knowing that when they were done they had to do another yard. I was happy that they did not try to skimp but made sure it was all done. Then I got this text last night:
I am thankful to see them developing their own work ethic, caring about the job they do and understanding how it reflects them but also the Lord they claim to serve. When I showed them the text, we talked about setting goals to keep their good names in place not only for the decades to come, but for generations to come. It doesn’t just happen but takes planning and diligence.
I don't know how I missed posting about Selah's recent piano recital! Just too much going on, I guess. Also, I put it on FB and I sometimes get confused about where I put things. Age...👀
Selah played beautifully. She has done so well with piano and we're so pleased. She is looking to further her talent and study and possibly teach one day. I think she'll be an excellent teacher!
Miss Julia's students:
Sweet friends:
PS - I'll do better next week! I almost forgot it was Thursday again!
