Hello, Janni has much to say and due to issues with logging in onto this blog, she has not been able to express it! Anyway, everything should be fixed now and hopefully you will hear from her soon! We were together on Saturday! I have some good friends who were home from Mali, Africa. They brought along their two twin baby girls, adopted in Mali! It is incredible story! Janni and my good friend, Amanda laughed together as they held these two promises! Amanda, shared her struggle waiting on God for their arrival! She not knowing if God had intended to give her, her hearts desire----children! Then, after a long wait (which we understand now) God blessed her with two adorable twins (you can read their story at McMali.com). My good missionary friend shared her testimony with Janni and shared how God blessed her with the most perfect babies at the most perfect time! She saw that the struggle made the blessing all that more appreciated and glorious! God adores us so much that He allows us to struggle and wait on Him! In the mean time we get to know Him and His grace that sustains us! We had a marvelous time together talking about our Lord and His provision! Amanda's provision has arrived---I am sure she will be requiring much more down the road! Her biggest need of God's provision right now is "sleep"! However, she is not longing anymore for children! Her longing has been satisfied by the God of heaven and earth! She came to realize when the struggle came to a close that she could be satisfied in God alone! She handed over her desire for children, and in return God handed over the most beautiful twin baby girls you ever laid your eyes on! Anyway, Janni was able to see that she too has been in a wait---but hearing how God not only did not fail in providing relief---but He provided more "relief" than even expected! He poured out His blessing to the point that it even overwheled the "gift receiver"! He is that kind of adoring God. He adores Janni, Steve, Kole, and Jaelle! He adores them so much that He has allowed them to pass through this valley with Him in order to reveal His glory! We sometimes have to have our comfort and earthly security taken away before we can discover Him! I am envious in a way of how near they are to Him and how they have paid a price that will not return void! Jesus paid a price for us, that surely will not return void! Sometimes there is no way around a valley! However, when you finally through blood, sweat, and tears, reach the mountain top, you see that the valley was necessary to get where you now stand---on the solid ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!

My husband was teaching a Bible study last night on 2 Samuel 22 where David writes this prayer of praise to his Rock! He writes:

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliver;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stonghold, my refuge and my savior--
from violent men you save me.
I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.
The waves of death swirled about me;the
torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called to the Lord;
I called out to MY God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.

Verse 18-20
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out (of valley or pit dwelling)
into a spacious place; he rescued me because he
delighted in me.

My husband said that rock signifies "strength"! He said you can see that there is strength in a physical rock! In the same way our invisible God is strength! We can count on our invisible "Rock" more than we can count on the visible cement foundations we have our feet on this very moment. Janni and Steve have moved their feet to the invisible Rock-- from the visible soil of this earth! Now they are planted on solid ground! They are in a safe place of refuge! They are safer than ever before, when this earth had their hope! Now ---Only God, the Rock has it! We praise Him from this valley and we will praise Him from the Mountain top! Glory to Jesus the Lamb that was slain!

Jodi