Life with two little ones has kept me pretty busy so far this summer, but I don’t want to miss the opportunity to chronicle what has been quite possibly the biggest summer ever. This summer, we’ve added a little one and are in the process of moving. Sunday evening we said goodbye to our North Charleston family and this coming Sunday we will say hello to our new family at Gold Hill Road. In the midst of these huge life changes, I’ve noticed a few things – things that I don’t want to forget. In the first place, I have seen firsthand the privilege and power of prayer. In the early moments of Owen’s birth, we relied on all of you to lift us up before God’s throne. We knew He would hear His people. And He did. He answered in the affirmative, though we would and will praise Him no matter the answers. But, seeing all of the Facebook messages (and we looked at each and every one) overwhelmed us with how much of a privilege it is to pray to God and to pray for the ones we love. Getting to speak to the Creator of the universe is such an amazing privilege, and to know that so many (hundreds, from all over the world!) took our hours-old son’s name before God Almighty is the most humbling thing I’ve ever experienced. When Owen’s NICU doctor explained the situation and risks of his condition, and then came back two days later and said – I’ve never seen a change this fast – I knew why. There is so much power in prayer. God truly hears His children. And on June 8th, He heard hundreds of them. He and He alone is the reason Owen’s body was healed so quickly. We are grateful to our God for being present and active in our lives.  Yet another way God has blessed our lives this summer is by giving us not one, but two amazing church families who love us and take care of us. While our time has not yet officially begun in Fort Mill, we have received letters and phone calls and Facebook messages that show us that, no matter where you go, the church is your home – your family. We are blessed by our Father to have the church. I am so thankful that Jesus suffered as He did to purchase her. She is beautiful and special and a blessing to us. Most especially, though, in these past few days we have been overwhelmingly blessed by our North Charleston family. They have showered us with every form of blessing – their prayers, their words of kindness, and their physical sacrifices. While there haven’t been many opportunities for me to tell them all how much they mean to me, my heart echoes every word that Robert has said. North Charleston will always be special to us. There is a sense in which it will always be home – after all, both of our children were born here and taken to worship for the very first time at North Charleston. What a blessing it is to be able to say that, and I look forward to being able to tell them all about it as they grow. The last five years have been a whirlwind. When we arrived, I was 26 years old. I knew nothing about…anything, really. But in the last five years I have learned so much from the most godly men in the world (our amazing elders and my most favorite preacher) and some very service-oriented ladies. I have learned how to be a mom from some of the rockstars that I’ve gotten to see up close and personal. I’ve had very present help in my depths of depression – God gave me people who had walked that same path and gave me encouragement and strength. I have found best friends and mentors. Our children have extra aunts and uncles and grandparents. Our hearts are so full as we think back on all that these last five years have meant. Words cannot do justice to the ways this congregation has helped us as a family grow closer to God. I’m so thankful we’ll only be 3 hours away. So many have told me that we’re lucky to have had such great relationships at North Charleston; that we’re lucky to have had good doctors and nurses for Owen. But really, we’re not lucky. No – it isn’t luck at all. We know that we have been blessed by our amazing God. He alone deserves all praise and honor and glory. He is so, so very good. He has been so good to us. And He has used many of you to enrich our lives and show us Jesus on a day to day basis. To God be the glory; GREAT things He has done.