The memorial service at Merlin Church was beautiful! I’m so thankful for the leadership from Pastor Mike and for the help of our secretaries LaGina and Linda, and Yolanda at COC who helped with the PowerPoint from CA! The church really filled up and the gospel was proclaimed! We were happy to see our neighbor who doesn’t usually come to church come and share about how he’ll miss Josh’s crazy fishing out by our ponds in the rain and snow! Lol.  Also, I made it through the eulogy without crying. Thanks for your prayers! Josh’s parents were here and that was a sweet blessing! Thanks for being there Don & Kim!

Sunday service for the first time at our church without Josh was difficult! Noah was withdrawn and I was just kinda lost in memories.  I was so used to bringing Josh a power smoothie and sitting up in the front to support him and pray for his message.  Now the church is not the same. Yet, it is still a sweet place because it’s filled with God’s Spirit-filled people who have become family.  Our church and community has embraced us and poured out their love on us! We’ve been getting meals delivered to our house every day.  Two older men from our church took Noah out fished on a boat at the lake the other day. So many have reached out to us in different ways.  It is pretty amazing! Praise the Lord!

Today, our dear friends Ralph and Becky took Katelynn, Noah and I to an exciting boat ride down the Rouge River here in town. Becky stayed at our house and cared for Nathan, while Ralph took us on the excursion. It was breath-taking! God creation is just stunning! We saw a bald eagle and several different birds. It was the hottest day thus far at 93 degrees. Noah wanted to get wet so he encouraged the driver to do spins and got himself drenched! Thanks, Ralph & Becky!

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Katelynn.  She was instrumental in allowing me to be by Josh’s side during his last days and in giving the boys structure. Thank you, Katelynn! You’ll be missed bunches! When Nathan had to say goodbye, he just didn’t want to. He kept saying “No, you’re not going. You have to stay here.” Noah said he was sad Katelynn had to go. The boys will miss her!

The boys miss their daddy too! Nathan has nights like tonight where he especially misses Daddy before bed.  He finds comfort in me holding him, sometimes crying together, and talking about things in his 3-year-olds vocabulary kind if way.  Noah misses having a father figure here.  Thank you for keeping them in your constant prayers! The other day a sweet friend told me the biblical meaning of being comforted means to be with strength. The Lord comforts me with the promises of his abounding love for the fatherless and the widow.

While I can’t fully and tangibly see with my physical eyes God’s arms wrapping us, I can by faith see God doing good and unexpected things as he works to comfort and provides for us.  Please pray for wisdom for me as I seek the Lord’s will and am called to make decisions for our little family now.