...and will yet praise Thee more and more...

Last week, our Pastor went home to be with the Lord.

I honestly, just haven't really been up to blogging since then.

We loved our Pastor, we love his family, we love our church, and we love our God;

who is always good.

When we joined this church, I never thought that I would feel "at home" here. I was wrong. We were immediately reminded of the many reasons we serve our Saviour. Our Pastor, through God's word, challenged us to "Make a difference."

He certainly made a difference in our life, and in the direction our children's lives will go.

Once again, we are reminded why we do what we do.

We are saddened and confused, yet challenged and hopeful.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
-Romans 8:28

I've been clinging to these verses...


Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
-II Corinthians 1:3-4

And this one, that my friend sent me last night-

But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
-Psalm 71:14


Please join us in prayer for our church, as well as our Pastor's family.

As a neat little side note.... a good friend of mine was away at a church camp in Nebraska last week. On Wednesday, the visiting preacher got word of our Pastor's passing. He didn't mention any names- just asked my friend's church to pray for "this church and the Pastor's family." When I spoke to my friend last night, and asked her to pray for our church, she put two and two together and realized that she had been praying for us all week -without even knowing that it was our church.

God is good.

I'll end with the lyrics to the song that his daughters sang at his funeral.

Their faith and strength during this time is inspiring...
____________________________________________________

God's Been Good

Lately I've been looking back along this winding road
To the old familiar markers of the mercies I have known
I know it may sound simple, but it's more than a cliche
There's no better way to tell you than to say:

God's been good in my life
I feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams
When I go to sleep each night
And though I've had my share of hard times,
I wouldn't change them if I could
'Cause through it all, God's been good.

Times replay, and I can see that I've cried some bitter tears
But I've felt His arms around me as I've faced my greatest fears
You see, I've had more gains than losses, and I've known more joy than hurt
As His grace rolled down upon me undeserved.

God's been good in my life
I feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams
When I go to sleep each night
And though I've had my share of hard times,
I wouldn't change them if I could
'Cause through it all, God's been good.

For God has been my Father, my Savior, and my Friend
His love was my beginning and His love will be my end.
I could spend forever trying to tell you everything He is,
But the best way I can say it is this:

God's been good in my life
I feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams
When I go to sleep each night
And though I've had my share of hard times,
I wouldn't change them if I could
'Cause through it all, God's been good.
_______________________________________________________

*I feel almost guilty for blogging, and yet guilty for not blogging. (As my kids keep asking me when I'm going to blog about their birthdays that just passed...) So I plan to get back to a normal blogging schedule now... hopefully.