I Did Not Fall Off The Edge of the World

Just in case you wondered! ;)

Lots has happened in the past few weeks.  Our time in the Billings area is always full and this time was no exception!  I can hardly believe we were there a month and now we're gone!  I was looking forward to catching you up on Snodgrass happenings last week, and then I got sick.  It was some kind of funky bug I guess?  I had some cold symptoms, but was mostly just horribly tired and weak.  I spent most of last week sleeping.  I am much better this week though!  Praise the Lord!  I was getting seriously bored and stir crazy with my lack of energy!

On the Fourth of July weekend, we loved being in the small town where Josh's parents live for the Independence Day parade!  The boys even got to ride on their Grandpappy's antique tractor with him in the parade!  After the parade, we drove to Bozeman and were treated to a stay in a nice hotel with a large indoor pool.  The boys spent the evening swimming while I soaked in the hot tub.  We led the services Sunday morning at Calvary Chapel Bozeman and were blown away by God's work there that morning!  God showed up in a big way and worked powerfully in the hearts of several people!

We spent that week working on our worship cd, booking, homeschooling, and visiting with friends and family.

The weekend of the 10th - 12th was extremely busy and full of excitement!  We had concerts/services Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday evening, most of which involved a fair amount of driving.  We were able to reconnect with brothers and sisters that we love like family as well as form new ministry partnerships.  AND I spent a few hours in the middle of Friday night skyping with my family who were all at a hospital near Seattle, where my brother's baby girl was being born!  Yay for a new cousin!!!  "Welcome to the family sweet girl!"

Last week my boys attended Vacation Bible School put on by the local churches in the evenings.  They LOVED it!  They often miss out on opportunities like this, so I was so excited they could participate!  They learned about God's Mighty Power to - Provide - Heal - Comfort - Forgive - and Love Forever! :)

Tuesday evening I had the tremendous blessing to spend the evening praying with some ladies from a church that has become like a second home to us.  I miss praying and fellowshipping with sisters in Christ, so that time was an answer to prayer.

The rest of last week is a bit of blur for me due to my endless sleeping! ;)

Saturday we gathered all of our belongings from the places we had strewn them throughout my in-law's house over the past month and loaded up to head to Lewistown.  We camped the next two nights at the church we were ministering at Sunday.  Then yesterday, we headed west across northern Montana along the southern border of Glacier National park, into the Flathead Valley.  We'll be staying here for the next four weeks, as we minister to churches all around the area and reconnect with the mission organization that we partner with here. While we're here we hope to get a lot of work done on our worship cd, while also enjoying this gorgeous area!  We look forward to spending our days off at Glacier! :)

I promise to post pictures on my next post, but for now you at least know I'm still alive and will blog again...soonish!

Psalm 8 (The Beartooth Mountains and Yellowstone National Park)

Oh LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

Through the praise of children and infants 

you have established a stronghold against your enemies,

to silence the foe and the avenger

When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers, 

       

 the moon and the stars which you have set in place,

 

 

 What is man that you are mindful of him?

the son of man that you care for him?

You have made him a little lower than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands,

you put everything under his feet:

 
 all flocks and herds and the animals of the wild,
  

the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the path of the seas.

 Oh LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Reading God's Word on the Porch

Yesterday, the boys and I did our Bible lesson on my in-law's front porch.  I sat on the swing with my Bible and binder and the boys sat on chairs across from me with their Bibles in their laps.  They took turns reading from Genesis.  They tend to mumble when they read aloud, so I told them to speak up and speak clearly.  We started with Creation a few weeks ago and were reading about Abraham's servant bringing Rebekah for Isaac.

At some point as the boys read aloud with no fear or shame or hesitation, images from my Voice of the Martyrs magazine came into my mind and I began to wonder..."How long?  How long will my boys be able to read their Bibles in public without fear?" 

I don't mean to be a doomsdayer.  I am not one to predict the future or worry about such things...but I do wonder.

In the meantime, I pray for my boys to grow in courage.  I pray that they will truly love the Lord their God will all of their hearts, souls, and minds.  I pray that they will not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because it is the power of God that brings Salvation!  I pray that they will love and give and share and forgive and speak Life!  I pray that they will know and believe Truth to the very core of their being.  I pray that God will use them in a mighty way for His kingdom.  I pray that if ever faced with a choice, that they will choose to stand - that they will not cower but will claim Jesus with pride! 

And as a mama, I pray that God will have mercy on them and me.  I pray for their safety, for a hedge of protection around them.

"Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, Giver and Sustainer of life, You alone are God!  Teach my boys to love you!  Grip their hearts and hold tight all of their days.  May they love you more and follow you better than I.   May they run the race you have called them to and finish well."