good times with friends

so, ben and i feel pretty blessed to be where we are. we LOVE the people that the Lord has put in our lives. we LOVE that we live two doors down from the guthries, about 10 doors down from the garners, and that the denkers, the atkins, hoopers, and putts are all one block away from us. we LOVE the fact that janie's parents live 10 minutes away, and that her sister and family live about 15 minutes away (when you don't get all the red lights...20 when you do, and when they don't live in louisville. boo that that's happening soon). we LOVE the fact that our church is only about 7 minutes away from us. and we also LOVE the fact that God has put so many people in our life at different times for different reasons. july was characterized by old friends who have moved away coming into jackson to visit. it was filled with babies getting to meet each other (who WILL be bff someday as well), friends coming in from denver and arizona, and talking to family who live in new york, atlanta, oklahoma, and chicago. today, more friends came to see us for lunch from loveland, co, where i used to work. after i graduated from college, i moved to ft. collins (aka ft. fun) to work at orchards baptist church in loveland, co. OBC has grown more than i ever thought it would. it's pretty amazing, but that's a whole 'nother post in and of itself.
anyway, i have truly just realized how amazing Christ is in putting us around people that we need at certain times to be encouraged, to be spurred on, and hold us accountable to what the Lord has set before us.
you might think that all this is cheesy and "over spiritualizing" the obvious. and sometimes, i think that a lot of things are over spiritualizing. however, i know that i serve a mighty God and i know that He wants what's best for us. (read Romans 8). i praise HIM for all the people in our life. i'm so thankful that old friends still come in to see us, and i'm so thankful that we're going to get to see more friends and family this month and next (and i'm sure in many more months to come). we are so thankful for each of you. thank you for being the people we need in our life at the time that we need you, and for being willing to be used by Christ to strengthen us.

here's a new picture of dillon that i think is amazing. it's just to make you smile.