I rejoice!

"Do all things without arguing or complaining so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out THE WORD OF LIFE..." (Philippians 2:14-16)

My heart is heavy right now. I worry about people I have met on the streets: people without jobs, homes, money, food, or family. I watch men clamor to find a broken milk-crate to rest on, just so they won't have to sit on the hard concrete while they wait in the heat for their next meal to be served. I watch Richard, the same age as my parents, stumbling to find a shady spot in line. His belt is twisted, shoes worn, clothes stained, teeth missing, and his body shakes violently as if he is being overtaken by something. My heart breaks as I try to make out his words, telling me that he lives with his dad. His dad drops him off and leaves him for the day. I cry because Richard cannot take care of himself, and either his father cannot or does not care for him either. I remember Kevin trying to piece his life back together after a prison sentence and a losing battle with dope. My heart is pained for Pat who needs a job, but needs Jesus more than that. I pray for John who cried and spoke of his alcohol addiction and his daily battle with temptation. 

But, in all of this suffering, I REJOICE!!! I rejoice because I have seen the stars shine in this "crooked and depraved generation". I am not the only one who knows the stories of these men. They are no longer just a statistic: they along with many others are known and loved by all of the members of our summer small group. Our friends know their faces, their names, and most importantly their stories. Gary and I agree that we are not worthy of the miracles that we witnessed over the last 6 weeks. We saw men give their lives to Christ, we saw confessions and testimonies given when they were needed most, we saw our friends opening their hearts and wallets to supply 220 meals! We saw God provide in ways that many people don't believe. More than all of that, though, we saw what happens when you REALLY open yourself up and let God use you. When you are obedient to the LORD and the promptings of the Holy Spirit and take His words as truth, miracles are around every corner. 

Cousins!

We were so blessed by a visit from Gary's sister and her family recently. Trey woke up the morning that they were due to arrive and said to Luke, "Lukey, my cousins are coming today." He even made his room "beautiful" by lining up every book he owns along his wall and up on his window-sill. Luke, our social-butterfly, adapted with no problem to our visitors. He really took a liking to Uncle Will. He would walk up to him and stare at him...and then poke him in the eye (he thinks it's fun). We got to see Aunt Sara's baby belly, swim, go for walks together, eat TONS of fried food (have to give them that true "southern experience"), and share sno-cones on a hot summer evening. It was great!!!

Emily drilling her bellybutton :)

Silly Cousins!

Teamwork (they are building a car that you cannot see)

Watching Toy Story 2

Trey has become a chatter-box of sorts. He loves to talk on the phone now. He will take the phone, run into his room and close the door (I thought that came in the teenage years) and talk away. Eventually he resurfaces and hands the phone over because whoever is on the other end tries to politely tell him that they have to go. He uses words like "distract". He calls himself "Trey Bonger Hagler" as a joke. And the other day he grabbed my hand in the parking lot and said, "your hand is smaller than I thought. You must be turning into a little boy."

Luke has hit the "little boy" phase. He talks all the time. He asks for "nacks" (snacks), puts words together  like, "buh bye, t's"  (toys). He loves to turn lights on and off, brush his teeth, wear his shoes around the house, and follow Trey around like a puppy dog. 

Laughing at "Amelia Bedelia" (one of Trey's favorites)

I love Luke's "picture face"

Navigating the zoo

Guitar Hero makes a come-back with a new band member

(the thumb-sucking drummer)

Follow the Leader

Two healthy, happy little boys!