Today I was reminded how fortunate I am to be a member of our church. Today 3 pastors on our staff were ordained. These men are living lives that honor God, and how greatly many have benefited from their faithful service. As worship began and the service continued with testimonies of changed lives due to the influence of these men I was overwhelmed by how blessed I was to be a part of a body of believers that truly cared for one another. A part of a church lead by men of character, and men of the word.
Joshua and I were greatly blessed today by those in our church. Back at Christmas someone anonymously gave us a monetary gift and it appears that the same giver has blessed us again! (the gift came via the same individual). Today’s gift came with the following note:
Dear Josh and Bethany, We trust that God will use this gift as a gracious reminder of His good Lordship over your lives, and to strengthen your faith that, because Jesus Christ stood in your place at the cross, your Heavenly Father will never leave you nor forsake you. Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
How timely this gift comes. With approaching adoption expenses we are reminded that God is most certainly watching over us and that His plans are for our good and for the good of our children in Ethiopia. How can we say thank you? We are so grateful to God for the people who have generously given to us. It is an overwhelming and humbling expression of God’s grace and loving-kindness to us. Thank you!
And then. . . we were given a tv today too! Since we’ve been married we’ve had a $75 18 inch square tv we purchased at walmart (yes, really now, who still has a square tv?) You know the kind that won’t work next year, and has exactly only 2 inputs for a video and audio cord on the front of the set. =) Well today we were given a nice used, rectangular 27 inch tv. What an upgrade!
We’ve also started receiving some donations for our adoption fundraising garage sale! (time still to be determined)
All of these blessings are gracious gifts from our loving Heavenly Father. None of which we deserve and certainly never would have received if God had not drawn us into His family. Today, I am humbly reminded of the wonderful gospel that makes all this possible and all the sweeter to me. This kindness has so greatly affected me and I do not have the words to express my gratitude to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who allow God to dwell in them and work through them to display the gospel to me. Thank you.
You’re making me a little jealous
Hellooo Josh and Bethany! : )
I just felt the need to relate with you about your old television. I still have a honkin’ old, wood-cased, 27″, square TV. With only one place for an antenna to attach. : ) I actually just purchased a analog-to-digital converter box to hook up to it so that I can receive the digital channels here at college. It’s a huge TV that takes up soooo much space. But yeah. I just felt like relating.
: ) ! So glad God is providing for you!