10 Years of Ministry & Start of School

The kids made Daniel look like the gift he is

We were totally blown away by the worship service the church had prepared for this last Sunday. It was a celebration of Daniel's 10 years at our church, and with all that is going on, it was a perfectly timed piece of encouragement.

As we drove in, he noticed the parking lot was unusually full, and he asked why would so many people be here. Then he saw his parents and sister's family, and wondered aloud what they were doing there, but it was time to church to start, so he sat and seemed shocked when the elder announced that this would be a special day to honor the work God has done at our church over the last ten years.  He said later it was a total surprise and wondered how he could have missed all the preparations that went into it.

There were lovely songs, sweet poems for both of us, and the woman who headed up the committee that brought Daniel to our church spoke about that process. They presented the girls with plush lambs and silver crosses on chains. The church also purchased a Chinese elm in Daniel's honor, and they have a nice spot picked out for the tree and the commemorative stone plaque to go under it. I imagine few people in ministry ever have so much appreciation expressed at any time in their life, so we are very blessed.

It was all so touching and thoughtfully arranged.  I very much enjoyed the slide show they had of us starting with our first appearance at a church social ten years ago, the baby shower they threw for a very rotund me, the arrival of our girls, several baptism and weddings of dear friends Daniel was able to lead, while Ray Boltz's song "Thank you for giving to the Lord" played. The retired, former pastor was present to help Daniel spread the symbolic light of Christ throughout the congregation while another favorite song, "Light Your Candle" played. 

After the service we were treated to a sit down meal with homemade dishes, two real cakes, and a money cake that I will have to figure out how to take apart sometime (the cake's creator said she'd make these for a church fundraiser, if anyone is interested, soI'm advertising for her).



The previous week we had returned home after my husband spent several days in the hospital. He is feeling much better--the back pain has mostly eased, thankfully. Now he just seems very tired. He's gone from sleeping 3 hours a night (fitfully, due to pain) to twelve hours, like he can't get enough sleep.  On Monday night he put the little girls to bed at 7:30 and told Pearl to read for an hour, then immediately collapsed into bed. The whole house was eerily silent when I got home from class a few hours later.

Last week we returned home from the hospital and points east in time to begin our first week of school just one day late, but we made up for that quickly. Second grade has begin! And preschool has started all over again!

Here they all are on the first day of school.  We have begun Pearl with a bit of review, and things go pretty smoothly until we get to the creative writing. I have to rethink my approach there.

CHAMP, our co-op, started this week. I'm teaching a Science in the Kitchen class, and I brought Sapphire in with the Kindergarteners and First Graders to give her a break from the nursery. She enjoyed counting out froot loops to make a color chart. Pearl has classes in math games, writing, and amazing nature. I'm so thankful to have these other godly mothers offering their talents to enrich her education.