Dade Michael Skinner

Today, 6/06, Dade turns 6! He is such a gift to us and we are privileged to be his family. Yesterday Tiffany, Joel, Dara, and Dade took a slip 'n slide and added Dawn dish soap. It apparently makes you slide much better.

Here's a few pictures of Dade as he has grown up.

Funny

God really is funny. That almost seems sacrilegious, but I don't mean it to be. He has His perfect plan and that's what we pray for. The lady with whom we signed the contract backed out. She's getting back together with her husband. We would obviously want that for her and wish her the best. We will be signing the second offer tomorrow morning (as long as we can receive the fax her at Boys Ranch). How great God is to provide for us in this way.

There was even another offer made but they wanted to close in July and the one we will be signing would like to close on June 19th. Please keep us in your prayers. Thanks!

Pray

I realized today that we haven't told everyone that we have signed a contract on the house! On Tuesday night we were presented with 2 (!) offers for the house. God is so cool. The appraisal and inspection will take place within the next 6 days. Please pray that it will all go well.

We're out here in Boys Ranch with my family and we'll be here for the next 9 days or so. Out here there's nothing to do but relax and play. It's the calm before the storm - a new, exciting and scary storm. Please pray for good quality time with everyone. We'll let you know what happens with the house.

I'm quoting Joel, "Do you think if I sit here long enough this stuff will just disappear?"

This is Joel writing now, because Jill left this blog unfinished and I will need to shut down this computer soon. I then told her that I figured enough people in the Bible have done stuff by faith and watched as God provided. I guess I was just wondering if I had enough faith to make it all move to storage, my parents house, or magically get packed into luggage. Jill then reminded me that God won't do our part - I was just hoping that the packing and moving might be His part as well. Glad I can provide the comic relief in her life!!!!

Wrapping Up Work

I'm a few day delayed in writing this. I wrapped up my final day of work on Friday and it has been non-stop moving and packing since. I know I'm unusual in both this economy and generation in the fact that I have had the same job since college. Jill has asked the question quite a bit - how do you ever really wrap up 13 1/2 years of work? The last week was a blur of getting stuff squared away and wrapping up loose ends. And yet, no matter how much you do, you still have these nagging feelings that you've forgotten something or left something undone. I made lists, walked Dad and Susan through different procedures I do (or did), finished up some last minute invoicing, rebuilt a couple of AS400's and redid a PC for future use. Susan left at 4:00 and Dad left a little early to take Dade to a movie. I had the last hour by myself. God must have known I would need that time to process all the emotions. I cried a lot and prayed even more. One of my prayers lately has been that we would finish strong (in our jobs, at ministry, etc.). I can only hope that when it comes to the office that I finished strong. I get emotional writing this. This was my first day at home and it was a struggle to not get in the truck and go by the office to see how things were going. Pray that I will make this adjustment with grace and pray for all of us with all the changes ahead!!!!