Marvelous Lovingkindness!

It feels like it's been a looooooong time since I updated this here blog o' mine.
Life has been nothing short of interesting lately. Two weeks ago I was sideswiped on my way to work and my car was totaled. Two days later my mom was in an almost head on collision. Thankfully hers is fixable and I will most likely keep mine and get it salvaged. Little less expensive than buying a new used car. God was so gracious in keeping all of us safe. (I was taking my friend Abby to school when I was hit.) And I have been able to ride into work with Emily since we work at the same location. :)
Another big piece of news. Maggie had puppies! Three girls and one boy - Mimi, Otter, Maple and Rudy. They are adorable and so far, not as hard to take care of as we expected. Of course, I'm sure I'm speaking too soon. They are on the cusp of being able to get out of their box. A few mornings back I came down the stairs and found Maple (#3 dog) laying right outside the box! I still don't know how she managed to do it, but we have since moved a chair to block the main entryway. They are at a super fun stage right now. Their eyes and ears have fully opened and they have found the use of their legs. So they love to play with each other. It's so cute to see their little wobbly legs fall out from under them! We took them outside yesterday and all of them freaked out except for Mimi (#1 dog). She most definitely has an adventurous spirit. We just love them! It's going to be so hard to part with three of them!
I am still in love with High School ministry. I love our Bible study and I have the best group of girls ever! I'm sure most small group leaders feel that way. :) God teaches me so much through my conversations with them.
The last piece of news is that the Kindergarteners graduated on Friday. :( I will miss this group so much. They were such a loving little group. They melted my heart! How much cheesier sounding can I get??? The parents are extremely gracious and give us such nice gifts at the end of the year. One of the families gave me a morning devotional book by Spurgeon and I just have to write out here what is written for May 20th.

Marvelous lovingkindness.
-Psalm 17:7

When we give our hearts with our alms, we give well, but we must often plead to a failure in this respect. Not so our Master and our Lord. His favors are always performed with the love of his heart. He does not send to us the cold meat and the broken pieces from the table of his luxury, but he dips our morsel in his own dish, and seasons our provisions with the spices of his fragrant affections. When he puts the golden tokens of his grace into our palms, he accompanies the gift with such a warm pressure of our hand, that the manner of his giving is as precious as the boon itself. He will come into our houses upon his errands of kindness, and he will not act as some austere visitors do in the poor man's cottage, but he sits by our side, not despising our poverty, nor blaming our weakness. Beloved, with what smiles does he speak! What golden sentences drop from his gracious lips! What embraces of affection does he bestow upon us! If he had but given us farthings, the way of his giving would have gilded them; but as it is, the costly alms are set in a golden basket by his pleasant carriage. It is impossible to doubt the sincerity of his charity, for there is a bleeding heart stamped upon the face of all his benefactions. He giveth liberally and upbraideth not. Not one hint that we are burdensome to him; not one cold look for his poor pensioners; but he rejoices in his mercy, and presses us to his bosom while he is pouring out his life for us. There is a fragrance in his spikenard which nothing but his heart could produce; there is a sweetness in his honey-comb which could not be in it unless the very essence of his soul's affection had been mingled with it. Oh! the rare communion which such single heartiness effecteth! May we continually taste and know the blessedness of it!

"Morning by Morning"
Charles H. Spurgeon