Hibbets' Happenings

We got to experience something really neat at the close of the worship service at church yesterday. They had selected a song -- it was one I had heard on the radio before, but hadn't really paid a lot of attention to. The choir and orchestra came out, which added such a fullness and richness to the music. It was a song about Heaven -- I think it's called The Light of That City. It talks about how we will be there, with God, in His presence, singing "Holy, Holy!" I could feel the Spirit of God present and moving among us as we sang. I told David afterwards it was a little piece of heaven! In fact, I realized that as touching and moving the song and experience was, and how God’s Spirit was felt during it – heaven is going to be even better than that. Wow!

There is a line in the song (in the first verse, I believe) about how the “lame will walk.” At that point, I looked over at Joshua, our 6 year old who is in a wheelchair, and I was flooded with emotions. I began to weep. David had seen me look at Joshua and begin to cry, and then he choked up, too. God used that line, and Joshua, to really make the message of the song “hit home.” Joshua will run. And we will be there with him – praising God, singing “Holy, Holy!”
It was amazing. David and I are still talking about it and praising God because of it today.

Thank you God, for allowing us to experience a foretaste of Heaven yesterday!

Currently, Captivating. I'm just getting started in it.

I recently read Wild at Heart, which was really good -- there is a lot of overlap between Wild at Heart and Captivating (at least so far).

We're still doing the Chase the Lion Bible study in LIFE Group. We have a few lessons left in that. It's been good.

I read Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell Esselstyn, for my grandmother. He has some really cool recipes in there!

We had a great day at church yesterday.  The sermon yesterday morning was
"The treasure of giving our children away."  This summer he's been doing a
series called "Treasure Hunt."  So yesterday he talked about treasuring our
families and raising risk-taking, passionate Christ-followers.  At the end
he brought all the children up and he blessed them and prayed for them.
(The text for the message yesterday was the passage in Mark where Jesus
said, Let the children come to me.)  We sang Blessed Be the Name -- "You
give and take away..."  It was all really good.  I spent most of Life Group
in Joshua's class nursing Gabriel and visiting with Lia and Aletha, and that
was really good.  But I felt like even though it was at the end, I was
supposed to go on up to Life Group.  I had missed the lesson, but God still
worked it out.  There were two girls there, both for the first time, who I
didn't get to meet in Life Group, but when we went back to church yesterday
afternoon for the Ladies Meeting, we recognized each other and got to visit.  We hit it off and had
such a nice time.  It was so encouraging!  And it was really neat to see the
Lord's hand in it.

We started a Bible study at church today. I am excited about it! I didn't get to attend much of class today (feeding Gabriel), but I was glad for the few minutes I got to come in at the end. I've already done the lesson for Session 1!

The study is based on Mark Batterson's book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. It is a 6-session study called Chase the Lion, about taking risks and facing fears. "Be a Lion-chaser!" This is something, as an accountant, I definitely need to work on!

In this first lesson, he looks at the parable of the talents and focuses on Jesus' response to the three servants (two who doubled their money and one who played it safe and broke even). The two who took the risk and ended up reaping the reward were the ones who were Faithful. Wow! The one who minimized risk and stayed comfortable was chastised and sent away. I can identify with the third servant. But I'm praying the Lord will change me and help me become a Lion Chaser.

If you're interested, check it out! I'm enjoying it. I've heard great things about the book, but we haven't read it yet. Maybe one day.

This week I started the book Wild at Heart. It's a men's book, but I'm learning a lot that I believe will help me as a wife and mom to sons. I'm glad I'm getting to read it now while my boys are young and our marriage is still "new." (At least it still feels pretty new!) I plan to read the "women's book" next, Captivating.

David finishes up his class this week, and then I get two weeks to do prep work for my classes and then the fall semester begins. I'm both looking forward to it and sad about it. Gabriel's first day of daycare will be August 18. That is also Jayden's first day back and it will be her birthday party at school, since her birthday is the 17th. I'll send some treats for her and her friends.

She's excited about her birthday. She wants it to be pink; she's also mentioned a pink horse. So I may try to find pink My Little Pony stuff for her birthday supplies. I may end up making her cake.

Alright, gotta go read a Grover book or tend to a crying baby, or both ....

Last night I had to be rescued. Or maybe it was Gabriel who needed rescuing ....

Jayden's into locking doors right now. Until last night, she had only locked the bathroom doors -- not a problem. One bathroom door doesn't really lock (the knob is messed up), and the other bathroom is easy to unlock with a screwdriver -- which we keep right by the door since we often find it locked! However, last night she decided to lock our bedroom door. The problem: I had laid Gabriel down on my bed to try to get him to sleep. She had been in there talking to him after I laid him down, then I had to get up to tend to something, and when she left, she apparently decided to lock and close the door. Then Gabriel starts crying, I go to check on him -- and can't get in to get him! I tried not to panic, but was fairly unsuccessful. I could not figure out how to unlock the door. I knew if nothing else, we could break the door, but I thought I would at least try to get help first. I called David but didn't get an answer, so then I called David's parents' house. His mom came down and thankfully was able to get the door open with a screwdriver right away. I knew Gabriel was okay, just mad. (This happened while David was gone to the movie with his brother, so I was home with the three kids.)

I think I handled this okay with Jayden. I think it made a big impact on her. I guess we'll see -- the test will be if (and how soon?) she locks my door again!

Jayden can open the refrigerator now. So begins a new phase for us! David and I walked out to the garden Thursday afternoon when he got home from school. When we came back inside, Jayden was up on the counter (she had pulled the stool over and climbed up, which is not new); she had a loaf of bread -- which she got out of the fridge -- and was getting the honey out of the cupboard. She was making herself a snack! =-) Oh my, this is going to be an adventure, I can tell. My little Miss Independent!

We're having a good weekend. Everyone's sleeping right now. David has a Chemistry test Monday to study for today and tomorrow. Tomorrow morning we go to church, hooray! I haven't taken many pictures lately, so I don't think I have any to share for now.