Blessings from God

Today is a beautiful fall day here in Kentucky. The temperature is moderate, the sun is out, and there is a slight breeze wafting through the trees. Our maple trees have changed color, as have the oak trees. The burning bush at the end of our street is beginning to show it's fall glow. We missed church today due to another round of colds for Royce and I, but we have been blessed by a wonderful day nonetheless. We had a good breakfast of eggs and sausage, by God's grace. Millie Anne has been able to eat well due to the providence of God in some baby food given to us by a mom from our church. She was given an overabundance of baby food from someone closing a day care. I am so thankful that God continues to show Himself faithful to us and providentially caring for our needs. Money is tight right now, but we have enough. God is good to us in so many ways. We are learning to let go of material things and make Him our highest priority. We have not been able to contribute monetarily to charities, but God has allowed us to purge our excess material wealth through the Vietnam Veterans of America, Cedar Lake Lodge (a center for children and young adults with disabilities) and Goodwill.
Today we enjoyed watching Millie Anne learn to walk, play with bubbles floating bright in the afternoon sun, and see her figure out how to gnaw on a biter biscuit. She is so joyful when she is learning something new or is getting the opportunity to test her abilities. Thank the Lord for an eager learner. Millie has not sprouted any teeth as of yet, but she is a good eater. We feel blessed that we have been given such a pleasant child, who is a continual reminder of God's grace to us. And that's not just in the good times, His grace is evident when I am struggling not to lose my temper with Millie or when we are trying to figure out how to care for her when she is hurting.
Royce is almost done with seminary and it is exciting to see him completing his course work for the final class of his seminary career. We are praying for God's direction in how to use this education for His glory. The last two years have been difficult in terms of searching for a ministry. It does not seem as though we are getting anywhere with it. Royce has candidated at just three churches, and we have yet to get past the second Sunday at any church. We are not sure if that is because we have not candidated at the church that God wants us to serve or if it is because He doesn't want us in vocational ministry. Yet God is faithful and his purposes for us are good. We continue to explore our options for employment post-graduation. Royce is looking into various archival and government positions. The hope is that we will be able to find secular employment that would allow Royce to take any size church. Student loans and now a car loan loom before us. We must face our responsibilities for those as well as our living expenses. This year has taught us we can live on much less than we had thought. But, we also know that there are certain inescapable financial obligations which necessitate a job change. Patience and persistence seem to be the name of the game!
We are also dealing with the reality of our fertility challenges. The hope that my GP gave me that my body would "reset itself" post-baby has not come about. I am just as irregular as I ever was. We will have to use fertility drugs (or some sort of fertility treatment) to conceive our children. It is a challenge emotionally, physically and spiritually to deal with this issue and pursue ethical options. Hopefully some blood work I had done this past Friday will reveal what is causing my problems. I was encouraged by my OBGYN that conception for us will be easier since we have succeeded once before. The words of the Psalmist remind me that God knows our days before they come to be and He knows when/if other children will come.
Enough ruminations for now, I must enjoy the rest of this beautiful fall day!