Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. Psalm 32:11

After far too long of a separation, the Lord blessed us with us with an opportunity to travel north to visit Matthew & Amanda and the Wilkes Team. Words fail to describe the thrill of being together once again as family, fellowshipping, making memories, and rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord.

Rejoicing… that word seems to best describe the weekend with which we were blessed. In some measure, is not this the way each of our relationships should be with Christ? Should we not yearn so much to be with Him — to commune with Him — that seasons of prayer and fellowship are our greatest delight? That spending time in His presence thrills our hearts and gives us new hope, new energy, new zeal for His work? May it ever be so in every one of our lives.

Soon after our arrival, a fantastic memory was made as … a great number of Thera-pit-ic cherry pit packs were opened!

On Friday, the whole merry band loaded up and went ice skating (the first time for many of us)! Zipping around, laughing at both successful and unsuccessful attempts to get the hang of it, falling, slipping, gliding… what special memories were made. Thank you for this special treat, Uncle Mark & Aunt Alice. Though we left the rink with one broken arm, the goodness of the Lord was evident even in that incident, and we look forward to trying this delightful sport again sometime.

Friday evening, we celebrated the birthday of a very special patriarch. We love you, Grandpa Wilkes!

On Saturday morning, the parents went to the farmer’s markets and left the rest of us at home. First on the schedule was breakfast in Matthew & Amanda’s apartment! Such a special, joyous time together; their hospitality is first-rate!

Later in the day, the Lord blessed with a chance to rid the property of a sly predator that had been sighted nearby. Several previous attempts had been made, but were all unsuccessful. At last though, the perseverance of many resulted in a dead fox and hundreds of safer, happier chickens!

As we press onward in the race, looking unto Jesus Christ, this weekend of rejoicing with our dear family will remain as a special and treasured memory. Looking forward to next time!

Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Psalm 33:20-21