So far so good

Isn't this picture of the Tabernacle awesome!!! I found it online and fell in love with it but now I can't find one that I can get to keep :-( The more we studied the Tabernacle the more facinated I became with the fact that you can so clearly see Jesus in each and every detail of it. The kids started out facinated with it but after a couple of weeks of studying it they are so very very ready to go on with something new. We are thinking that the next time we go through this part of the bible we will try to build a model ourselves and hopefully someday we will be able to visit one of the life sized models of the Tabernacle.....there are actually several scattered out over the world but the two that interested us the most are in Pennsylvania and Arkansas. I've been told that there is also one in Florida at a place called the Holyland Experience.....we would love to visit there someday too....but anyway........

We are back from vacation and settling in to our new routine.....so far it's all going great! Our vacation was wonderful! We didn't realize how much we were missing mountains until we saw them again....granted, the ozarks are a bit smaller and more rounded but still they are mountains and we didn't even know we missed them until we saw views that looked so much like home we were a little startled at the similarities.

The revival meeting was awesome too, it seemed well attended both nights that we were there and the preaching was good. With all of this sort of thing still being a little bit new to me I don't know what else to say about it really....I guess it was a had to be there kind of thing....but it was great. We stayed at a church nearby that had a "prophet's chamber" above their fellowship hall. I never knew that churches had such a thing but it was really nice and we all had a great time "living" with the other families who went. Troy was the only fella there but he stayed plenty busy visiting with the kids and trying to keep up with all that was going on.....I'm so glad he isn't one of those guys who gets upset about that kind of thing!

Troy started his new job on Tuesday and so far he really likes it. He is relieved now to know where he is going and what he is doing every day instead of wondering from one day to the next if there really will be work or not and how far is he going to have to travel to get to it. Since he doesn't have to get up quite as early for this job we all get up together in the morning and have breakfast together and time to pray together before he leaves for work!! I have to confess that before I would get up before he left, just long enough to make sure he had what he needed and kiss him goodbye and then lay back down until the kids got up. Now that I'm getting up and spending time with him in the mornings before he leaves I realize just how much me and the kids were missing out on by not taking that time to be with Troy in the mornings and pray together before he leaves for the day. We feel so much less fragmented as we go about our days now.......a little more tired in the evenings but we get so much more accomplished and are able to do it all at a less frantic pace!!

School is going really well too. Now that our year is in full swing and we've been able to settle into a good routine we are really starting to make good progress. We are getting ready to finish up our study of Exodus.....or as the kids have been saying....we are finally out of the Tabernacle. I almost feel bad for keeping them there so long but at the same time I didn't want them to miss any of the awesome details of the Tabernacle and the wonderful pictures of Christ that we can see so clearly in God's word as we studied it. It still just amazes me and thrills me to think that over 750 years before our Saviour was crucified God painted such a vivid picture of Him for the children of Israel......from the wood that used to the linen and needlework and the furnishings to the way the whole of it was put together Jesus is not left out of one single detail of it!! There is some great information and links at http://www.the-tabernacle-place.com/ They also offer a kit to make a model of the Tabernacle ....we didn't buy it this time but I think Jared is saving up to get one. I tried to find a copy of the poster you see in this post but I couldn't find one for sale.....maybe someday I will get one but for now this picture will have to do.

Well, I'm off to finish schooling for the day. I hope everyone is having a great day.