Thankful for my family

We have been enjoying a great week in Florida visiting with my parents, my two brothers and our nephews and niece. We have had lots of fun, spent plenty of time in the water and sun and enjoyed a break from our preparations. One of the best things about this week is that I have had more time than usual in the mornings to pray and read God's Word. This is probably because our kids are staying up so late at night. I am very grateful for this quiet time in the mornings. But tomorrow we head back to Watkinsville, GA to get ready to go. We will have 3 nights in our house in GA until we move out in order to get it ready for renters and to pack up our stuff. It feels like the beginning of a lot of transitions for our family.

The Fish family at the entrance to the Shark Encounter with my parents

One of the things I have been reading in the Bible is the importance of thanksgiving. We have so much for which to be thankful. This week with my family reminds me of the blessing of growing up in a family with parents who love God and want their children to live for Him. I am very grateful for how supportive both of our families have been in this process of us following the Lord to Uganda. It is a sacrifice for them too as their grandchildren will not be as close. But they have a desire for God's kingdom work around the world. Our parents discipled us for years as we were growing up teaching us of the grace of God in Jesus and encouraging us to follow Him. As we approach Fathers' Day, I am so thankful for our fathers who love God and have led their families to follow Him. I am also thankful for our Heavenly Father who loves us perfectly and is with us through all of these upcoming transitions.

Please keep our family in your prayers over these next couple of weeks. I would ask that you pray Ephesians 4:32 for us, that we would "be kind to one another, tenderhearted forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake has forgiven (us)." In the midst of all the things to do and the stress of the changes ahead, this will probably be a key verse for our family. Thank you for your prayers!