Lift off!

      Somehow, someway this is all going to fit into half of a tiny dorm room. O, and this doesn't include the chair, the side table for the bed (which we forgot--back to Target), the lamp, the mattress pad.... Not entirely sure how all this will fit unless we can find that shrinker machine from the movie, "Honey, I shrunk the Kids."
      But we're claiming His promise--"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..." (Eph.3:20)  Aren't you thankful He cares about the big and the small and everything in between?  Including emotional mamas.
 

       Arrived!  Everyone was incredibly annoyed that I was snapping pictures.  They will be even more annoyed that I am posting these pictures.  Ha!  Better be nicer to mom!
     And incredibly--because God is so good--the pouring rain held off long enough to get everything inside...and everything actually fit inside.  Wow--who would have thought?  We loved her roommate and suitemates and parents and room...and it was all pretty exciting and crazy and surreal all at the same time.
     Every now and then, even in the midst of the frenzy, I would think back in my mind to where we were exactly one year and a week ago.  And I would smile (and try not to cry) and whisper to my sweet Savior--thank You, Lord.  Thank You for Your grace and Your love and Your strength through every storm.  The words to "Cornerstone" kept running through my head:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus' name

Christ alone, Cornerstone
Weak made strong in the Savior's love
Through the storm
He is Lord, Lord of all

When darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

Christ alone, Cornerstone
Weak made strong in the Savior's love
Through the storm
He is Lord, Lord of all
     And He was and He is and He always will be.  O might that be our hope and our strength and our song--He makes the weak strong in His love through every high and stormy low of our lives--and He is Lord of all.  We will all go through stormy gales...but in Him, our anchor will hold.
   

      After all that packing and unpacking, it was time for lunch.  Food--always a joyous time for the Fountain clan.  We may not have many gifts in our family, but dang, we love to eat...and we are mighty good at it too.  I am so proud.  And thankful--thank You for the gift of taste, Lord, and for the gift of delicious food.  Especially chocolate (always have to include that).

      Thank You, also, Lord, that other families have more useful talents than the Fountain's aptitude for eating.  The wonderful Jones family came to expend their giftedness at decorating and organizing and constructing (yes, that is a power drill in the hands of an orthopedic surgeon.  Only the best for our girl!).  Thank heaven for the Jones and their tools, since we didn't think to bring so much as a single nail, hammer, tape measure...nada.
      But we did have some chocolate.  So really, we were well prepared.
      And  again, I couldn't help but praise God seeing Tessa and Janie together.  One year later, wow.            Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.

     And finally, it was time to go home.  But not before one visit to Time Out with Dad...who explained to Janie that Time Out was open 24 hours a day and had incredible chicken biscuits (anyone familiar with Chapel Hill will know this extraordinarily valuable information, but Richard needed to know that Janie knew, because, well, that's just something you must know).
     As we left, I shouted out, "I love you!  Salt and light--make a difference!"
     And my heart whispered after her--O Lord, help her, teach her, that You are our Cornerstone--our Rock that never fails and our Refuge--through all of life's ups and downs,  joys and sorrows, from birth to launch to lift off.
     O Lord, we worship You, our Strength in weakness and our Song throughout gladness and gales.  You are Lord of them all and will be in them all with us.  Keep us praising and clinging to You, Father.
 To God be the glory.