Strengthened

Hi everyone! It's good to talk to you all! Today was a good day as I was working on my little Emmalee's scrapbook. As most of you know, I love to scrapbook and make cards. So there was no question that I was going to do a book for Emma. But this has probably been the hardest book I've done, not because it's sad to do, but because I just want everything to be perfect for her. So far I think it's going okay. And I'm having fun doing it! Anyway...we also went and looked at the stone for Emmalee and made the final decisions on it. So it should be done within the next 2 weeks, I think. This stone is huge, everyone...we went up to the cemetery tonight after we were done and we were like, man...this stone is going to look huge out here...but I like that...something different and something that really stands out. And plus, I figure, her little body didn't take up much room so she deserves to have a big stone on her plot! Well...not too much else new with us. Oh yeah...we finally got her glider for her room...a little late don't you think?!? But it was back ordered and it just finally got here so we went and picked it up on Sunday. It was worth the wait because we really do like it...but poor Emma...if she would have made it she wouldn't have been rocked until now! That's a long time. So, thank goodness her siblings someday won't have to wait...they'll be rocked from the moment they come home from the hospital. Well I'll let you go...I'll just leave you with a little bit I've gained from my Bible this week...it still amazes me that God can still speak to us...it might not be audibly but through His Word you can still hear Him...and it also amazes me that I have read these words before and yet at that time they didn't stand out to me...He really knows what we need when we need it. So here it is:

I have been reading in 1 Samuel and these verses came out of Chapter 30. David had just come back to his camp with his troop only to find that it had been invaded and their women and children and all their stuff had been taken. Well...needless to say his men were very distraught and were mad at David...this is what verse 6 says:

"Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."

Did you read that...after all David had gone through, after all, he had lost his two wives too, he chose to strengthen Himself in the Lord. I feel like me and Jon have done that too...we have found this supernatural strength...everyone asks us how we could be doing this well and I keep saying that it's because God has given us this strength to go on. And we turn to Him to keep strengthening us as we go on during these weeks, months, and I'm sure, years. It also goes on to say:

Verse 8
"So David inquired of the Lord, saying, 'Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?'
And He answered him, 'Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.'"

I don't know...maybe I'm reading too much into this but I just feel like God gave me these verses to say...go ahead, Ali and Jon, have more kids....you will have more and you will be good parents...keep going on this road I have taken you...I know it's hard but you're doing good and you will get through it...you will conquer and you will prevail...and you will be better because of it. So that's what we are going to do. Again...we thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers...it never gets old hearing that...so thank you for telling us. We love you all...have a great week!