Jesus our Shepherd..

We have received some beautiful gifts this past year.  I hope you will allow me to highlight one that I think comes with an amazing story.  (I hope I get it right - I have been wanting to get this on the blog for awhile and facts get a little blury these days...)

Some dear friends of ours were recently in Pennsylvania visiting family (his family was together after many years - an amazing story in itself!) and while they were visiting a relative who is also an artist, they noticed a wall hanging of a man holding a lamb in his hands.  The man in the picture is her husband and he was a Shepherd by profession before they retired.  Thinking of us and Rachel - our friends shared our story with her....and later - she gave it to them to do as they wanted and they gave it to us. 

This same artist did a painting of the five amish girls that were killed.  The shooter entered their school - remember the story? - and the incredible response of their parents that confused and awed us both?  First of all, she gave this painting of the five girls to the school.  And the school asked her if she would make a copy for each of the parents....and then the firefighters that responded that day wanted one...and the requests grew and grew....I am crying at the beauty of that picture...(both the real and symbolic) It reminds me of something I read in my devotional lately. (maybe I will find that later) 

This is the wall hanging that I can hardly wait to get on our wall:

Here is another wall hanging that we received early on in our journey that I am really looking forward to getting on our wall!!! It is still sitting on the floor in the kids room, waiting for us to get on that.  I love this one because the little girl looking at the baby reminds me so much of Abigail. And the older boy could be Ethan in a few years.