In his loving hand.

So doing something of this caliber is not all to typical of me... (all that being said this is Luke) by all this I mean posting on a blog; however I've come to realize that to some degree it is a good way to share what is going on in life.
As you know from my wife's post this will be my last week at my job, and I couldn't be more excited. Allow me to explain, I am looking forward to what God will have our family to do over this next year and seeing my wife having such peace at where the Lord has us right now encourages me as a husband. I am so blessed to have such a loving wife and boys.
I wanted to post this to share with everyone that last night Mary and I were able to share with a woman in her home she did not get saved but she had lots of questions and wanted someone to come back, so Mary and another lady from our church are going to her home tomorrow at 3:00 pm to share more with her. What a blessing it is to tell others about the love of Christ, be praying with us if you would for Juliet.
This next year as a family we are also setting it as a family goal to read through the Bible in a year together, I love to hear my kids read the Bible and I see no better way to spend time as a family than in devotions. Mary and I both are doing school now and are anxious to see where God wants our family to serve though we both now we have much to learn and always will it is a good turn of events to be doing school and moving ahead in the grace of God.
I had my first opportunity to teach an adult class this last Sunday and was honored to be given that. I was nervous and feel insufficient but God is faithful and he promises his word will not return void (Isiah 55:11). We have some missionary's living across from us in the mission apartment that is here on the church property. I am looking forward to gleaning what we can from them and building z relationship with their family. I do feel like the Lord is pulling our family to a region of the world but do not yet feel like we have confirmed that.
Before I go I wanted to encourage husbands to seek God and ask him what he will have you lead your family in this year. I asked God recently what he would have for us this year and in the midst of it he reminded me of the things I have set out to do in the past and let go by the wayside. Our family's need us, our kids need men that love God above all else and will teach them how to have that on their own. It cannot be some self expected thing that our kids will know how to worship God if we do not give them the example of how. They need to see us love their moms, and moms (wives) need our love.
I know it sounds simple but me personally, I forget to love my wife like Christ loved the church, I forget that my children are a gift from God and not just "another mouth to feed". I don't want to sound uncaring and insensitive but I am being transparent in hopes that it will be a blessing to some one else. I know as a man I don't always pay attention in the areas that I need to and I wanted to share what has been brought to my mind by the Lord recently.

-Luke

Dear Tooth Fairy...

Maxx lost his second tooth tonight! He was very clever in preparing his tooth for the tooth fairy. He thought to give her a kind gift, so he could ask for an even better one in return!



this is all for you tooth fairy
I want ten dollars
I love your work
thank you



He added a piece of candy for her enjoyment! I love how creative kids are. I hope he gets ten bucks!

Faith

Faith. Heb 11 : 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I am a planer, I LOVE plans. My husband's job is always a challenge to me. He is a carpenter....building is not exactly at it's peak these days. God knows that I love plans. He likes to use my plans to remind me that I am not in control. It took me a few years to figure this out after I got saved. Actually since I put my faith and trust in the Lord not a single one of my plans have ever worked out!
I always forget that faith requires me giving over control. Isaiah 26:4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. It is so easy to read verses like that and smile, but how quick I can forget the truth. Shortly after we got saved Luke started in the union. He worked from Jan 08 till September 09. A few days before September I was filling stagnant in my walk with the Lord and prayed for Him to grow my faith. Luke got laid off the next week. He was laid off until May of 2010. God used that time to grow me and stretch me in so many ways. I still planed though. For the first few months I planed like crazy! Every week had plan a though z worked out for bill's and for Luke to find work. I slowly learned to rely on God and to be mellow. God was trying to teach me about peace.
You know the kind that passes all understanding. Well I was not getting it. But through those 9 months God grew my faith in ways that I could not imagine.
I slowly let go of my planing. Well kind of..on most days. We got around to March and we started praying, OK Lord if you want us to stay here (Washington) we would love to have a job back. Well as most of you know every time we make our move to leave Washington... God tells us to stay. So Luke went back to work in May of 2010. Through much prayer God told us at this time, it was time to move also. We moved closer to Luke's work and ended up north of Seattle. We found a new church and everything was going well. Until July of 2010. Then out of no where Luke get's laid off again.
It was a job that was suppose to be stable for 2 years, and he was the only one that got laid off. Our lease was up in 3 weeks, and we thought ok It is time to go. This was it, our chance to get out of Washington! So I made a few plans...Only like 3 or 4. Not to many, right? Plan 1 was to throw a dart at a map and just go. Plan 2 was to pack everything into storage and drive around the country and pray and see where we land. Plan 3 was to move to Alaska. Plan 4 was to go on a trip then help the Savages out with some work. We decided to take the weekend off and meet with our pastor on Tuesday. Well that meeting was quite a meeting. The kind where God shows up big and squishes all my plans.
Our Pastor asked us to stay. To move into the houses that the church owns and to look into bible school via corresponding. Well Ok, I guess so. That was my attitude at first. We threw out the fleece and told God if he wanted us to stay that we needed a job. And guess what??? You guessed it he got a job. The move was kinda hard on me because it meant that God was closing the door on foster care(that is another post). But also so crystal clear to me was God will for our life. Which is a beautiful thing when you can look back and see His timing and perfection in life. God has always made his direction for our lives so very clear.
why the long post? Well it is time again. Luke's job is over next week. There is no new job on the horizon. So what is my plan? For the first time I don't have one. Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. I do worry sometimes, but I try not to. I have seen a week of work turn into a month and have seen Luke come home with 2 checks (that means he got laid off). The difference this time is that we are excited about our future here and feel like this is where God wants us. So what does God have in store?
All I know is that he will provide perfectly, it is just the how that I wonder about. He always does, and always will. If you can't tell I am studying through Isaiah. I love it,it is all about who are you putting your faith in? And God lays out his promise for me. Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. And my new favorite verse Isaiah 37:31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.
Why the toes? My favorite Christmas present! Have a great weekend...

Babies!

Wednesday we came home from church to 4 cute, furry little babies. Maxx has been very anxiously awaiting for Cherry to have her babies. We have 4 little babies. We think we have 2 girls and 2 boys.