Praying Hands

For the last couple of weeks we have been letting, (should say begging) Josiah to pray and thank God for our meal each night as we sit together as a family.  Typically Jackson is already way ahead of us and has to stop eating to pray.  This past week as we were waiting for Josiah to make it to the table Jackson said “we pray” and put his hands together and started praying.  The only thing I could understand was Amen at the end! Ever since then, now when we sit down to eat, both boys pray.  Jackson prays in tongues and Joe prays in English, but God know what both of them are saying, and Stephanie and I delight that the boys are eager to talk with God! What a blessing!!!

Thanksgiving Rewind!!!!

We had a great Thanksgiving with our family.  As we drove from place to place it gave me some time to think about all the things I am thankful for.  So here is a short list of the things I am thankful for:

1. Jesus – I am not trying to sound super spiritual here but I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for Jesus. At a young age giving my life to Christ was something I did because I wanted to go to Heaven.  At 18, when I learned more about what it truly meant to be a Christian changed my life forever.  Today, I am so thankful for His grace, mercy, and blessings.  Every time I look at the things in my life I am reminded of how good God is!
2. My Family – I can’t imagine life without my family of 4.  It has been a challenging year with Jackson being in and out of the hospital with really non-related things, but to be honest, we are so blessed and it really could be much worse.  Seeing Stephanie smile and hearing her laugh still lights me up on the inside like it did the first day we met.  Josiah is growing so fast!  Watching him look and experience new things in life helps me remember what it was like to be a kid and experience things all over again!  Jackson has a way just to brighten any situation.  From his laugh to his babble, when I look at him i see the miracle of God and am reminded just how precious life is and how faithful God is!
3. My Extended Family – Stephanie and I come from very different families.  Our families have played such a huge role in developing us, caring for us, and helping us succeed in life.  It’s always good to come home, and sad to leave because the time goes by so fast.  The boys have had a blast with the family over the past couple of days.  We are so blessed and the boys are so spoiled because of them.
4. Our Church Family – We have been humbled and blessed by the generosity of our church family.  Words can’t even explain the feelings of gratitude we have.  To be loved on in such a big way spoke to the depths of our hearts.  All we can say is thank you!
5. Our Friends – We have great friends around the nation.  Your prayers, time,  and words of encouragement have been a blessing to us.

What about you, did you take time to think or talk about the things you are thankful for?  What would your list include?

Nana and Papa’s

We made it!!!  After eating a ton of food, playing with, better yet, being worked over by kids, and getting my rear kicked by my nephew in Madden 09 football, we packed up, left Nixa and headed for Salem MO.  We got in at about 8:15 last night.  Some exciting news . . . we bought gas last night for $1.57 and saw it for $1.41 on our way here!  We are excited to be here and will celebrate another Thanksgiving feast on Saturday.

Here are some pics from yesterday: