Memorial Day Randomness

You all are so much fun to share news with. :) Thank you SO much for sharing in the excitement with me, and especially for your prayers! I am very much looking forward to my first appointment June 3 to confirm that all is still going well in there!

I don't have a cohesive entry for you today; this will just be a random post of recent thoughts:

* Along with many of you, I've been praying hard for the Chapman family during this difficult time. As grieved as I am for them, it has been such a blessing to "meet" precious little Maria through their videoblogs, to see the outpouring of compassion and love their Christian family around the world has poured out on them, and to see Jesus in their family in such powerful ways. While I was so shocked and saddened by Maria's death, two other thoughts came strongly to me as I prayed for them:
(1) Having spent time in a Chinese orphanage myself, I can vividly picture what Maria's life would have been like had they not adopted her. Although her life was tragically short, I'm so glad God had her spend it in the Chapman home where she was lavishly loved on and cared for and able to personally come to know Him!
(2) How beautiful it was of God to give Steven the song "Cinderella" before Maria went home to heaven. I can't hear that song now without bawling, but I'm so glad God gave him that message of cherishing time with his children while they were young because "all too soon the clock will strike midnight and she'll be gone."

* I have been praying about starting a When Godly People Do Ungodly Things Bible study this summer. Many of the people I would normally invite to join are gone for the summer; please pray for God to bring together the group He wants, and confirm if this is indeed the study we should do at this time.

* On a lighter note, I am thanking God for three-day weekends! We have had such a busy time lately, that TJ and I are thoroughly enjoying a day to just relax! I just spent some time out in our hammock reading Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore. I'm enjoying my homework-free status by reading five books at once: I'm also reading Your Pregnancy: Week by Week, Finding Ruth by Roxanne Henke, and Sisterchicks in Gondolas! by Robin Jones Gunn (which is better than the cheesy title may indicate. ;))

I also just read about the new summer Siesta Bible study on the LPM blog and am excited to be joining that adventure, as well! Are any of you doing it?