Oh, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus....

It was while we were in church yesterday singing that the above song came to mind. It was a phrase someone in the service said that led my mind to that tune. If you haven't heard it, it's beautiful. If you have heard it, you know what I'm talking about...

I think the most accurate description of the place I'm in is overwhelmedly blessed.

Yesterday, Kevin and I went on a hike behind our house. (I guess a more appropriate way to say it would be we went on a hike in front of our house, since our house faces the woods that we hiked through and hiking behind our house would be walking down our driveway, but that doesn't really make much sense. Anyway....) I had never hiked as far as we went around where we live, and it was gorgeous! We live on one of the side peaks of a valley, and, from where we hiked, we could see almost evey house on all parts of our valley, including the lights from Maryville, several hills away. I so desperately wanted to take a picture; however, our camera battery has died, and we have yet to revive it. :(

We climbed straight up--through thick pine trees with three dogs at our heels (Dolly and Rocket, both of whom you've met, and Sadie, Dolly's sister who was in for a visit).

As we hiked up, Kevin called loudly, "Hibernating snakes, come out, come out, whereever you are!" It only made me shudder as I'm not a huge forrest wildlife person. When we made it to the top, I could only stare in awe at the beautiful sun as it set behind the far side of our valley...I stared and mused. Who would have ever thought a girl such as me would wind up in the woods? I mean, I thought we were living rustic in El Paso where there were peacocks down the street and our yard had a plum tree in it. Now, we can't see our neighbors during the summer because the pine trees are so thick. I can watch the sun set nightly behind the trees as I stand at our kitchen window. Always having been a sucker for a gorgeous sunset, I stand there many times and just gape or call Kevin over to partake with me.

As I think back to where we were just a year ago--wondering if we'd even be able to get married when we wanted to since our planned living arrangements had fallen through--I am amazed. God has provided so much more than we EVER could have hoped for: a wondeful job for me, two reliable paid-off cars, a scholarship that paid Kevin's entire senior year, a great church, a beautiful little furnished aparment...and I could keep going.

Now, I realize that for God to be a gracious God, these things are not necessary in my life, but that is what makes them that much more amazing--because I don't deserve them. What I must realize is that He will take care of me--or us, as Kevin and I must both start referencing ourselves in the collective. :)

We begin apartment/house hunting and job hunting for Kevin within a matter of months, and I'm very excited to see where we are headed next! :)