"Blessed"

This week has been flying by. It seems like just yesterday that we were being encouraged by the fantastic coffee-house/silent auction fundraiser (Saturday evening), put together by our friend Jodi and my sister Kari. They were assisted and supported by so many local business and dear friends and family. We were utterly flattered and humbled by the outpouring of grace and love.
All in all, together they brought $1800! With this added to a few other independent gifts we will easily be able to meet the matching grant! WOW. God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or think.

I don't think I will ever want to stop saying thank-you to the people who were there and who contributed so much to the buoyant energy that I felt there that evening.
I used to sneer when it seemed like people over-used the word blessed, and I suppose I still could- but there is no more accurate description of what we have experienced. Unmerited grace is an indescribable blessing.

We've been "on the run" every evening since then:
Sunday evening we had a fun evening hanging out with the "old" Remix group at Jackie and Caleb Threewits up north. The boys (and a couple of the ladies) had fun shooting at targets, while the rest of the gals stayed in and fixed up food. The rest of the evening was spent playing noisy games and occasionally talking. A little substance, a lot of fluff. *L*

Then the work week started, and:
Monday evening David had his computer class at Edison, and I attended a Bible study group called Unity. This evening we divided into 4 small groups, each assigned a different section of town, and drove around our section praying for the needs of the community that God laid on our hearts. A really poignant activity.

Tuesday evening was LIFE group: always an encouragement to spend the evening discussing God's Word and how to reflect it in our lives with believers who have truly become brothers and sisters.

Wednesday evening I enjoyed coffee (tea for me) with my lovely sister, and afterwards, took a cup of coffee to my dear friend Jodi and enjoyed spending the evening hanging out with she and baby Owen (who was so excited about my visit he couldn't sleep! haha) and eating pizza and fresh baked cookies.

This evening we're staying home (aah..). Dad's over for a little while, working on sanding down the plaster of our new doorway. We're hoping to spend the evening doing only what we feel up to (which won't be much).

I can't pretend everything's all sugar-and-spice. We've had several trying moments this week, as we wrestle with financial mammoths and try to trust God to provide the wisdom and means to tame them. But He has been so faithful, it is silly to doubt His omnipotence.

Please pray for, Anna, my m-i-l, who is currently stateside in VA, helping to care for our niece, Shiloh, who is out of preschool with pneumonia. Anna is also trying to avoid becoming ill herself by skirting the constant exposure to a variety of infections that seem to be magnetically drawn to her in the D.R. She's planning on staying in VA for approx. 1 month.