You Never Let Go!

That song is running around in my head tonight...the one by Dave Crowder Band. I love the lyrics to that song..."When darkness came, and clouds brought rain, oh my soul, oh my soul. When the waters rose and hope seemed lost (I think that's how it goes), oh my soul. You never let go..." Oh, I just love it. He NEVER lets go...ever! He forgives all of our sins, heals all of our diseases, redeems our life from the pit, crowns us with love and compassion, and satisfies our desires with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagles! Can you even get over that? How could the world reject that offer? We claim and proclaim it...daily! If you are feeling like you are in "the pit" this week I pray that you will be blessed by the fact that He will never let go of you.

We have been easing into the school year and had a wonderful "beginning of the year celebration" with some of the other families in our school at Camp Augusta on Tuesday. It was so much fun. Brian was totally in his element and participated with the kids in all of the activities - from climbing to dirt-boarding and even swinging from a forty-foot rope swing (harnessed in thank God!) I think the pics. say it all. Silas loved making candles and swinging on "the vine". Benjamin's favorite activity was dirt-boarding and Caleb's was riding bare-back for the first time. Mommy enjoyed making it to the top of the climbing wall. The 'ol girls still got it :0)

Other than that, we are staying busy with soccer (Ben and Si), work, schooling, and making it a priority to take time to just stop and listen to Lord and enjoy Him...and each other! We will be plugging in to block classes (in Foresthill this year...something new for us) after the Labor Day weekend. The boys are excited to not have to drive to Nevada City for a change and I am praying that they really enjoy the semester. I'll be teaching a Chemistry class and I am so excited about it. God blessed my decision to leave the block classes in N.C. and opened up the door here in our little neighborhood. I won't have to pay for all of that gas and I'll be getting the same pay as last year. The only down side is...I will dearly miss all of my precious students up in N.C. Seeing them every week was such a blessing. Sigh. The boys will also be plugging back into guitar with a new teacher this year. This is year number three in guitar and though Caleb hims and haws about going, we believe in the importance of music and agree strongly that this is the one thing they cannot quit. Sorry Lub! We are looking into drums for Si. That should be a "blast"!

We love you all mucho and thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers for our little empress from China. On that note-I was so busy with the start of the school year that I watched only minutes of the olympic games. Seeing the Great Wall did give me chill bumps though, and the Lord spoke to my heart that we will one day walk on that wall with our beautiful daughter. He never lets go!