We received such a rich bounty of tangible grace, from the loving hand of God, in 2013, but our only worthwhile boast and authentic joy was found in Jesus alone and whatever 2014 brings, this will remain forever true.
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!-Thomas O. Chisholm
JANUARY
Ezra ate big boy food for the first time… and trust us… he hasn’t slowed down since:
We wore these hats:
And we ate a lot of yummy food also:
FEBRUARY
Ezra was rocking the bouncer:
Isaiah played in the snow:
Sarah Beth and i, cuddled on the couch:
We celebrated Valentine’s Day:
And ate even more yummy food:
MARCH
Isaiah and Ezra finally took a bath:
Isaiah wore my shoes:
i had the honor of overseeing the launch of The City (an online communication, information, child checkin, and social interaction website) at Redemption Church:
Sarah Beth and i traveled, sans children, to Raleigh, NC for the Advance 13 Church Building Conference (thanks to the great folks at Crossroads Church in Morgantown, WV):
We left a couple days early for vacation and got to spend some time in Charleston, SC:
And we ate even more yummy food:
APRIL
We spent a week at Sunset Beach with the Boekell family:
i was hired on full-time staff at Redemption Church:
Isaiah took flight:
We saw Bob Dylan live:
And we began potty training Isaiah (this process is ongoing):
Oh… and we ate even more yummy food:
MAY
We went under contract for a house in East Pea Ridge (Huntington, WV):
Roxanne began a streak of 4 snake killings:
Sarah Beth saw Old Crow Medicine Show:
The boys got this cool Radio Flyer bike:
JUNE
Isaiah got a full fledged big boy haircut from Sunny:
West Virginia Turned 150:
We acquired this really cool piece of furniture:
i had the joy of starting a 6 week sermon series through the book of Jonah at Redemption Church:
Ezra Walked!!!
My dad had a kidney stone… but lived to die another day:
Isaiah made a visit to the hospital also… but he also lives to die another day:
We ate even more good food:
And our contract fell through on the house in East Pea Ridge (but this would be a great thing… we just didn’t know it yet).
JULY
We spent the 4th of July on Summersville Lake:
We went under contract for a different house in East Pea Ridge!
Ezra turned one:
We took on the Cabell County Fair:
We found out Sarah Beth was pregnant!!!… but told no one:
And we ate some of this:
AUGUST
Ezra learned to drive:
i turned 29:
We went to the beach and stayed in a wonderful beach house thanks to some very generous friends:
And Sarah Beth did the Color Run:
SEPTEMBER
We closed on our new house in East Pea Ridge (and had a picnic dinner on the floor):
God showed His faithfulness to build His church as our gospel community group multiplied three ways at Redemption Church:
We finally told the world we were pregnant:
This buck hung out at the back door of the old farm house:
We worked and worked and worked on the new house preparing for move-in day:
Sarah beth turned 29:
OCTOBER
We moved into our new house:
We crashed the Pumpkin Festival:
Isaiah turned 3:
We found out that baby number three is another boy!!!
We celebrated 5 years of marriage by renewing our vowels:
And we took a short and oh so sweet little anniversary trip:
We went trick or treat and met the neighbors:
NOVEMBER
Isaiah had another ear surgery… and lived to die another day:
We cut up all this wood from a tree that was down in our yard (thanks Shawn):
And we burned the rest:
We celebrated Thanksgiving and went to cut down our Christmas tree:
Sarah Beth created this really cool chalkboard wall at our house:
DECEMBER
We celebrated Advent:
We went out looking at Christmas lights:
We had snow days:
Our dear friend Ricki came home after four months of making much of Jesus in Thailand:
We made Christmas cookies for the neighbors:
And we had a very Merry Christmas!
…and somewhere in the midst of all that… this happened… and we are not proud that it did:
betrothed to Another 