Hold Lightly....With Open Hands.

As my heart and mind prepared to share I couldn't help but pray and plead with the Lord in light of the massive forest fire blazing ferociously super close to home and the hurricane off the coast of Florida.  This is because it is affecting thousands...especially personal family and those we call "family of the heart."

In times like these I am reminded of the power of community, coming together, helping one another as Jesus would/does help us.  Simply put, it is people linking arms with a common heart~to love and serve fellow human beings.  So grateful for good and right in the midst of great loss and devastation.

Our mission's journey has been generously sprinkled with people who love, serve and participate sacrificially, well and BIG.  In the past 2 weeks there have been some significant detours in the road~constantly drawing us back to Jesus and the Giver of all good things.  The beautiful piece of land that we shared in the last post is now not on "the table" for the time being.  We are beyond-words thankful to Steve and Julianna, Pastor Alagos, and Judy Grace and her father for their tireless work to advocate for our family there.  So we pray.  And we lay it down.  We trust.  And we believe all in God's timing.

Family fun...getting support letters ready to go out

I am gonna be real and raw~this back and forth of, "we have the land...", "we don't have land" has made my heart a little crazy and a whole lot of learning to trust in our Jesus who knows every detail well before I am informed. 😊  Another example of why it's vital to cling on tightly to Him and lightly to literally everything else.  So much easier said than done in this broken world, right?

I can't help but believe and journal regularly, though, that these delays and minor setbacks are all part of the Bigger plan~so we (really I because the other 3 Hounshells tend to do pretty great) need to abide rather than stress and worry.

The process and journey did add another element of realness this week when we gathered with some dear friends, who also have a heart for the Philippines, to pray over our support letters. 

heading to the post office to mail these beauties

This picture represents so many lives and hearts that bless us, walk with us, love us and lift us up boldly~gulp.  It was a beautiful moment to listen to our boys pray and share their hearts.  As their parents we don't take those holy words lightly.  It was like taking a snapshot of their hearts to remember those utterings for a lifetime.  To participate in something like this for the first time was, well, like dwelling on hallowed ground.

When I dropped them in the mailbox today it was a mix of emotions.....in awe of the Lord, surreal, "oh my goodness this is happening", and a peace that I knew could and is only from Him.  Have you ever felt these emotions~ALL.AT.ONCE??!!

In the mix of all of this we also have been preparing for a new school year and our 7th year homeschooling. Being totally honest, this summer was rough and tough in terms of growing pains (emotionally), navigating teenage hearts and learning to let go...DAILY.

We will have a junior and a freshman~amazing and "WHOA" all in the same sentence!  To raise up God-fearing and God-praising young men in this day and age requires intentionality, heaps of generous grace (ah, that's why God had me choose generous as my word this year...having no idea it would relate directly to our boys) and a loving commitment like no other.  So, Doug and I continue forward~confident we don't parent alone.  Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.✞

And, as we close I am brought to tears by the song "It is Well" by Bethel Music and Kristine DiMarco as it has the power to emcompass every circumstance and situation in each of our lives....period. 🎔

https://youtu.be/YNqo4Un2uZI



Praying boldly and courageously,

The Hounshell fam.