Two years ago next week, Bethany, then just barely 15, was on her way to Scotland on a mission trip with Royal Servants. Just hours after they passed through London on their way to Glasgow, four bombs hit the London subway system, killing 52 and injuring hundreds. We waited, trembling and in prayer, for news that the team was safely on the other side when the bombs hit. Later that day, we were reassured that they were all okay and "safely" in Glasgow.

Yesterday morning I recalled those anxious moments and also the words of those who wanted us to believe that Glasgow was out of the danger zone and we could "rest easy" that they were far from the terrorists. But yesterday, Glasgow WAS the danger zone. Yesterday we were reminded that none of us is ever out of danger, and that the only way we can "rest easy" is to rest in the cleft of the Rock of Ages. We, and our children, are in His hands and are untouchable unless God allows...in which case we are still safe in Him. We will surely have kids that will go out again on mission trips if He provides the opportunity, and I will probably always tremble a little, especially now. May I always be aware that my hands cannot protect them. Only the Hand of Almighty God can preserve them, the same Hand in which I rest.

I'm beginning to think that San Antonio has been shoved up to the Pacific Northwest, with all the rain we've had! It's raining again! Delightful!

Today our church family had lunch together after morning worship, and it was a lovely time. I'm going to include a few pictures I took...I delight in seeing the fellowship that takes place during these meals and wanted to share my joy by posting photos. You might see someone you know :-)

The Line. At our church, girls and women go first; then men and boys; then Charlie.

Lauryn isn't going to wait for her food much longer.

The Sabo little ones are ably cared for in the absence of Mommy, who was feeling queasy this morning.


Folks, it's ALL about Rowan.

The men in the back are dutifully waiting their turn, waiting to see if there'll be any left for them.

Little girls' table...


The big girls' table (AKA The Horse Club)...

I notice that boys are conspicuously absent from the pictures...by the time they were assembled I was deep into my plate! I'll have to make sure I include them next time.

VACATION WEEK IS FINALLY HERE! Bethany and Molly arrive here tomorrow, just in time to repack their suitcases for Red River. Despite what the ticker at the top says, we won't leave until Thursday. Wednesday we'll have a 4th of July cookout with the San Antonio family. Then Thursday morning we'll head to Fort Worth to meet the north Texas family and pick up Annie, Caleb and Erin who are flying in from Virginia. And Friday morning we caravan to Red River, NM, for a wonderful week of visiting, hiking, fishing, shopping, and just generally enjoying each other in the mountain air. I'm sure I'll have pictures to share. I don't expect to have internet access in the mountains so I'll take a blogbreak for a few days and tell you all about it later.

While we're gone, Dirk will do the last stage of the first floor painting. Now that the carpet is in, he will paint and install the baseboards and then we'll finally be able to move all the furniture back in place. Pictures of the finished rooms are coming, too, so stay tuned.

By the time we return, our Tapestry of Grace Year One should be here and I will buckle down to the next phase of school planning and scouring for the supplemental books we need. I see that we already have a LOT of what we need from our previous studies of the ancient world. It's exciting to take the kids through a study we've done before and see how much more they comprehend than four years ago, as well as how their interests become more specialized as they grow. I'm looking forward to the year's study and only hope that MY specialized interests don't get us lost on the rabbit trails or we'll never get Rome to fall!

Hope you're having a peaceful, joyful Sunday...

Labels: Church, Devotional, Homeschooling, Kids, News, Vacations