My blessing of the day today was this:

Our 18 year old son Seth is nearly finished putting a slate roof the new house we are building for Oma (Grandma). This is a major task usually left to very experienced craftsmen, but our son (who has had virtually no experience with roofing or really any kind of hands-on construction work) thought he could do it, so we encouraged him and behold, he did it!

Anyway, we are renovating another very old home, and it really would benefit from having a slate roof applied, so we asked this son if he'd like to do that job after he finishes Oma's house. His answer was: "Sure, I'd like to see that house get a slate roof, but I don't want be up on the roof slating." HUH?! I was shocked. He has so totally enjoyed working on the roof he is doing now, that I would have expected him to be thrilled to do another one. I asked him, "What do you mean?" His response was, "Oh sure, I'd want to head up the project and supervise it and hire and train the slaters, and so on, but now that I know how to slate, I'd rather learn something else, like how to lay an old-fashioned scalloped design granite paver driveway, than to be doing the slating myself." WOO HOO! This is fabulous! If there is anything better than an industrious young man wanting to master a difficult skill, it's one who wants to learn ANOTHER difficult skill (and keep learning more skills).


Proverbs 25:2 - It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter. (NAS)

Second house finished!

I can't believe that I have neglected this thread for so long! It's not that I have not had any blessings, but more because my days are so full of blessings I can hardly keep up with the ordinary things in life that I have to get done, let alone writing about it all!

Well, I can't make up for all my missing posts in this one post, but I'll start out by posting about a major upcoming blessing. Our 2nd oldest son (the one who promised me when he was small that he would "stay little", but grew to be 6 foot 4 inches!), is getting married this month! His bride-to-be is a lovely and godly young lady we've known for years, and we are delighted to welcome her into our family. Today my son and I went tuxedo shopping and now all I have to do is finish altering 6 bridesmaids dresses, sewing 2 more bridesmaids dresses, hemming and the bride's gown, and somehow starving off 20 pounds! OY!

While I'm at it, I must also write about another small (but very significant) everyday type blessing that I experienced yesterday. Another one of my 8 sons has a birthday this month and so my husband took him and I and one other son to a Tigers vs. Orioles baseball game last night as a pre-birthday gift. (The Tigers won. Yippee!) Well, about half-way through the game, we left our seats to go get a "Hebrew National" hot dog, and my almost 15yo son and I were chatting as we walked. I told him how I was not a fan of basketball, how I tolerated hockey and football, but how I really enjoyed baseball, probably because 1. I understand it, and 2. I can chat with my kids and still follow the game. Well, after I shared my opinion of team sports, my son shared his. "I don't really like to play basketball", he said sincerely, "And I don't care too much about going to see a hockey or football game. But I DO like going to baseball games WITH YOU." Awwww! Now that's definately a blessing!