Today was a great day!

Today we officially welcomed Andy Barnette into the family.  Andy married my niece, Ashley, in a beautiful ceremony where there was love abounding.

There was the love of the young couple.  That was easy to spot.  There was the love of a father and mother as they looked on as a new family was begun.  That was also pretty easy to spot.  And there was the love of close friends and extended family as they looked on and pledged that they would prayerfully support this new family.

I think God was pleased today.  Clearly this young couple wants to have God central to their marriage.  The love of God may not have been as obvious to see to the untrained eye.  But if you looked into the eyes of Ashley and Andy, Dave and Diane, and John and Betsy, you could see it.  It was just as obvious if you knew where to look.

Blessings on you Mr. and Mrs. Barnette.

On March 19th at 12:01 PM my daughter and her husband gave birth to their first child and my first grandchild. It was an extraordinary day and one that I know I will never forget. Just a glimpse of that baby through the glass and I knew that I had lost what little of my heart I had left. He already owned part of it from the time I knew that he was being formed in his mother’s womb.

But to see his face . . . That was special.

And then to hold him in my arms . . . That was unbelievable.

I am incredibly blessed. God has given me a family that loves me and that family is growing.

Does it get any better than this?

Here is the drill.

1. Those tagged will share 5 Things They Dig About Jesus.
2. Those tagged will tag 5 people.
3. Those tagged will leave a link to their meme in the comments section of this post so everyone can keep track of what’s being posted.

Here are my five.

1. Jesus loved me first, while I was un-lovable.
2. Jesus died for me, while I was yet a sinner.
3. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be my Comforter and Guide.
4. Jesus inspires me to be His hands and His feet in this world.
5. Jesus is coming back for me some day! What a day that will be!

Here is a link back to everyone’s list of 5 things they dig about Jesus.

Here are the five bloggers that I tag.

1. Shae’s Blog
2. Thirsty Bear
3. Living in the Kingdom
4. One Way -> Jesus
5. Trey Morgan.net

This is what you do on a slow rainy 4th of July.

I saw love today in the way that a son took time away from his busy pastoral schedule to come and be at the bedside of his mother and secretly slip away and build a new ramp for her so that she will be able to get in an out of the car in the comfort of the garage. This is the love of a man for the mother who brought him into this world and cared for his every need for 18 years and continues to care for him and love him as he approaches his 50th birthday.

I saw love today as the doctors and nurses kindly and gently cared for a woman who was in great pain and who was suffering physically in the aftermath of major surgery. This is the love of a caring professional who takes their life’s calling and vocation seriously and who treats human beings with dignity at a very difficult and vulnerable point in their life.

I saw love today as countless friends and neighbors stopped by to check on a patient and dear friend. This is the love of someone who wants to give back some of the love that has been given so generously to them by the one who now lays in the hospital bed.

But I saw another love today. It was the love of a Heavenly Father who hovered above the hospital bed and watched over one of His precious children. It was the love of the Holy Spirit who was the Comforter as the anesthesia subsided and the pain became intense. And it was the love of Jesus Christ himself of whom it was written, “by His stripes we are healed.”

I was fortunate today to be a witness to that kind of love. I am fortunate to be loved in return by that mother laying in the hospital bed. I am even more blessed to be covered by that kind of love myself as a Child of God.

God, thank you for watching over Mom and helping her through surgery. Thank you God for your blessings and for the way that you show me each day the many ways that you are at work in my life.

Get well soon, Mom.

I love you.