It's a new day

A verse I've been thinking of today is the one that "Great is Thy Faithfulness" is based on..."Your mercies are new every morning." Aren't you glad that God's grace and mercies are not exhausted by a few brutal days? Each morning, I feel invigorated by the new sense of His grace.

Here's a list of some of the "mercies" since last time I posted:

• So many friends and family who have emailed or called. I've always known that we've had a lot of friends, but when you really need them, you realize just how many you have, and that they are really sorrowing with us. Girls from church have told me how their hubby's have wept on hearing the news. Mom has told me of few back her way, whom I've known all my life and consider grandparents, who have sorrowed and rejoiced with us this week. Why is it when men are vulnerable that it strikes you in the heart so much? :)
• Mom and Dad were able to drop everything and come and just be with us. It helped so much to just have someone here that we didn't have to call to talk to--so many things assaulting our brains, and we could just blurt them out. One funny one that popped out bright and early one morning was: "Cool, I'll get to park in handicap spaces!" Why does my brain even go there????
• Alyssa and I were able to escape to Indy for a little girl time that we'd already had scheduled. We decided we really needed to keep our plans. We got rear-ended on the way there (right after I talked to you, Grandma!), but we weren't hurt and there was only a small scratch on Alyssa's car. We enjoyed our Factory Chopped Salads from Cheesecake Factory--YUM. We didn't go for cheesecake this time, but I did treat myself to this frozen mango drink. Man, I'm ready to go back. And I got a skirt for $5 at Target...now if I can find something cheap to go with it for Easter!
• Where I do I even start with church on Sunday??? First, I was so excited to get back to see our church family--We'd missed Wednesday night choir practice (for obvious reasons), and it was one LONG week. It felt like I hadn't been there for a month! Of course, Sunday was Palm Sunday, a day that naturally revolves around praise to the King. My heart was so full that I didn' t know how to keep it all in. And then, this Holy Week is a special week of prayer for our church, because we're trying to reach our unsaved neighbors, coworkers and friends for Christ and from the sounds of things, there are many new ones coming. Anyway, in keeping with that, our choir piece was "Something Happens" which talks of how things change when we simply mention the name of Jesus. By the end of the song, I couldn't keep the tears from streaming down my face because it so epitomized my week--how God took something so negative and all my panic and totally turned around my attitude and my outlook on the future. How through my prayer and the prayers of hundreds of others, I have such peace in the midst of the biggest storm I've ever faced. If I knew how to download the choir CD and link to it, I would. It's so powerful, and just what I needed.
• Sunday School--We're kind of like a mini-church within the big church. I feel like each couple is family to us. Konny gave us the opportunity to talk it out a bit, and our friends sat and cried with us and encouraged us. Thank you all for listening to us.
• Sunday night after church, we were invited to Lisa and Danny's for supper. Yummy beef and noodles, but more than that, just a really good time. Glen and Danny talked theology and politics, and we heard a lot of their journey--how God has taken two people, totally running from God, and completely turned their lives around. Once again, the grace of God always amazes.
• Tuesday is our Mom's Bible Study, and the lesson this week was about the seasons of our lives. Wow--I know that the "season" of my life hasn't changed. I'm still a mommy and wife and homemaker (and student for the time being), but the season may be more complicated than I originally thought. But it was so encouraging. And we studied the character traits that Joseph developed in each of his seasons, and in the end we shared the character traits that we can see developing in each of our sisters in Christ. Thank you, girls, for the affirmation. I appreciate so much your care and love. You each are very special to me.
• Totally unrelated, but Olivia has really taken to talking a blue streak now! She's picking up more and more, and it's way too cute.
• Carli has been so loving and is so excited to meet Madeline Kate, whom she declares she will call "Katie."
• Es sent me a lovely (handmade!) card yesterday--I called it my happy card. It was so beautiful. But I had been planning on calling her that day, so I picked up the phone and we had such a wonderful conversation. It's been way too long, but thanks, Es, for listening and caring.
• This whole ordeal has taught me so much about friendship. I've told Alyssa and Es and my Bible study pals that I'm the kind of person that is afraid to call or email people when they are struggling with difficult things for fear that they don't want contact, or that they will think that I'm just being nosy, trying to get the scoop. I'm sure that part of God's design in all of this is that I learn more about being a true friend. I've certainly learned a few things NOT to say to people, too! :)

Next time I'll post pics of Melanie's new little baby! They're on my other computer.

Hugs to all,

Pam