the car is fixed.... again.

i always like how my sister puts it... i'm so thankful that the thing God has given me to pray about is money. i.. like her... have been extremely blessed with the trials of this life. i'm serious. i don't know why God has allowed me to live in america, in a nice community, with a healthy family, with a good church, with people surrounding me that are kind and supportive. i've never been beaten for my faith. i've not had to see my child endure life altering illness. sure, i've been through things that seem hard at the time, but really, REALLY what harm has touched me??

if that's the worst thing that ever happens to you....

a phrase often repeated in our family. maybe it's our sunshiney outlooks on life... :) more likely it's just the reality that this is not the end. there is something greater. there is something more glorious. there is joy unstoppable. Christ. HIM alone.

even when family members have faced hard life altering... even possibly life ending illness. sure, i've been sad. i've begged God to rescue them from hardship in this lifetime. but overall, i knew it was going to be ok. no matter the end result on this earth.

so, it's nice to know that God works out all things. maybe not in our timing, but still.... i just taught the 3-yr-old kids at church that it's hard to be thankful even when God says "no". but we still have to do it. rejoice in the Lord... always.

nathan didn't miss anything yesterday. and he even made it home before the kids went to bed. he got rides to his first two meetings. our superhero neighbor gets a discount at the auto parts store. he knows how to fix cars. since it was only the starter this time, he was able to fix it in less than an hour, and it was reasonably reachable without having to hoist the car. coincidence? not even. once again, God planned it all. so many details. we just wait and see how they all fit. really, it's kind of like reading a good book. you know it's all going to come together, but as the author is weaving the tale you can't see it all. then...BOOM... you get it. and it's SO cool. except, it's not like a book, b/c it's real. and it's life. and HE REALLY does all of this.... BY HIMSELF. all over the world.... simultaneously. how can that NOT cause a smile on your face right now?