A New Buddy

This year my husband gave me a very unique birthday present, a new puppy! We have had a few dogs in the past, but the kind I have always wanted is a golden retriever. So here is my present; we call him Buddy.

Buddy is 8 weeks old today. He is adjusting well to his new home and new family. He does the usual puppy things--play friskily followed by plenty of napping. He has a stuffed bear he likes to wrestle with--sometimes I'm not sure who wins! He very much likes to be around people, so he will pretty much follow me wherever I go. Buddy is very friendly so he is aptly named; you give him any attention and he'll be your buddy.

I look forward to enjoying this birthday present for many years to come.

A Growing Family

Last weekend was an exciting time for our family. Our middle son got engaged! Cory was totally surprised and delighted to say YES! (She and Bill are on the far left in this picture) So, come December, our family will be growing with a new daughter-in-law. We are looking forward to it!

We also got to see our grandson, Tyler, who is also growing. Today he is four months old! He smiles much more readily, and made some cooing noises at me when we said goodbye. It is such a blessing to be closer and able to see them more often. Hopefully it won't be too long before Tyler knows who Grandma and Grandpa are!

But the best growth in our family is spiritual. It is awesome and humbling to watch God work in the lives of our family members. We are encouraged by conversations with our children, and challenged by reading their blogs. (Check out the links to the right.) We share the joy in 3 John 4 as we see our children walking in the truth. And God continues to teach and challenge and humble grandma and grandpa as well. His Word is such a rich treasure, yet we can never plumb its depths. I have grown to know God better, and love Him more, yet I know I am just seeing the fringes of His ways (Job 26:14). And I am confident that God will continue to grow all of us in Him. (Phil 1:6, 2 Thess. 3:4) What a great and awesome God we serve!

Lord of All Creation

Based on the time since my last post you may have thought I had fallen off the end of the earth. I haven't, but I recently visited very close to there. My husband and I have just returned from a 2 1/2 week trip to South Africa, which, according to my map, is almost directly on the opposite side of the globe from where I live. My husband spoke at three pastors' conferences there, and I was blessed with the opportunity to accompany him. (I did get to speak to one group of women.)
Two things stood out to me on this trip. The first is that God is an awesome Creator! We were able to go to two animals parks while we were there. As we learned more about some of the animals, it was amazing to see how skillfully and wondrously God created each animal to be perfectly suited for its environment and life. The eyes of the big cats are created to increase their night vision. Lions have a very short gestation period, and the cubs develop quite a bit more after birth because a lioness heavy in her pregnancy would not be a very able hunter. Cheetahs are streamlined and created for speed. (I was able to pet one, as you can see.) The antelope family members--we saw impala, springbok, waterbuck, and kudu--all have big ears to help them sense approaching predators. Their coloring not only helps them blend into their environment, but also helps reflect rather than absorb the heat. Truly God is an awesome Creator.

The last stop on our trip was Cape Town, one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. The city is surrounded by mountains and coastline, a vivid combination. We were blessed with good weather and were able to go up on Table Mountain, which rises over 3000 feet above the city and the bay. The views from there were astounding, and an opportunity to again praise the Lord for the beauty of His creation. The next day we were able to drive around the mountain, along the beautiful coastline of Clifton Bay, Camps Bay, and Hout Bay, and then over the hill through a forest area where you'd never know you were anywhere near the ocean, even though it was only a few miles away.

The second thing that stood out to me was the reality that God is the Lord of all peoples and nations. We met many other believers on this trip, with widely varied life experiences, from diverse cultures and ethnic heritages, and speaking different languages, yet we shared a common bond in the Lord. What an encouragement to see people on the other side of the world worshipping the same awesome Creator, committed to the same Word of God, and growing in their own relationship with Jesus Christ, just as we do thousands of miles away. Truly He is Lord of All Creation, worthy of the worship and praise of every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues.