Well, the summer has flown by! So much has happened since last entry.

Steven and I are very much in love and grow moreso as the weeks pass and the Big Day gets closer. We're so excited! We're still sinners, tho, and have our hard talks and don't always see perfectly eye-to-eye. But by God's grace we work it out, laugh afterward, pray together and look forward to being Husband & Wife! Please be praying for our communication to continue to improve, that our words would be seasoned with salt, and that we would, "seek not only our own interests but also the interests of others"...remembering Christ's example.

We've been working a lot on the house putting up tile in the bathroom, painting the inside of the house and brainstorming on what each room will look like. We've also cleaned out a lot of junk from the garage that the previous owner of 50+ yrs left. The house needs a lot of improvements having been neglected for so long and I'm glad Steven is so handy! There's not much he isn't willing to at least try himself, one thing, though, is plumbing...and I don't blame him!

Another of God's humbling gifts to us has been our church offering to paint the outside of our house, replacing some rotting boards and even putting up a wall enclosing our back portch so we can have a little more room in the kitchen once the refrigerator is moved onto the portch!! This was a HUGE boost in our morale with the house (mostly with Steven who is feeling the weight of responsibility as the provider of the home and accomplishing some goals he set to complete by the wedding).

I am loving the house God has given us. It's 2 bdrms, 1bath, a dining room, living rm and kitchen. I nice managable size for one starting off in married life. It also has a good size back yard (prob in the spring we'll tackle some of the landscaping) and a healthy front yard with a big shade tree. Steven loves the St. Augustine grass and is trying to get it so thick and green in the front where you can go bearfoot.

I think I'd go crazy with all the "to dos" and infinate details with all thier deadlines if it weren't for BF Leah. She's an old pro having been just married last Nov. She calls me up asking if she can meet with me to help with wedding planning, and I just say, "Yes! thank you so much for calling. How about this tue?" I'm not naturally organized in that way so I get this burst of energy to knock out a bunch of stuff after meeting with Leah or my mom on wedding stuff.

One of the many things I love about Steven is his desire to serve, to be mercy minded, meeting the needs of the Body of Chirst which pleases God. This can take on many different forms, some of which are Reformed Prison Ministry at our church, helping believing ex-convicts like himself get back on thier feet and get plugged into a church where they'll grow and mature in thier faith. Also, Hearts and Hammers, another ministry of Fort Wort PCA, which helps widows, single moms, and others (they're helping paint our house) in practical ways like house upkeep, yard work, and much more. Another ministry the Lord has placed before us, which Steven is very passionate about, is ministering to his family. Three of his nephews and a niece are in temp. costody with his older brother, Jason, and sister-in-law, Amy while CPS looks into whether thier mother who's not married is able to get them back. This is a large undertaking for Jason and Amy who already have two teenager sons, and are now taking care of four more children ages 4-9. So Steven and I come by and get the kids some weekends, take them to Burgers Lake or a road trip to my aunt & uncles in The Woodlands, or to church with us. I also helped in VBS this summer where all four kids were able to attend. Because of thier lack of proper care and nurture growing up there's different issues with them, even now where thier basic needs are being met and there's routine in thier lives. Steven and I continue to pray for them and seek to immerse them in an atmostphere of the love of Christ.

So much going on, not much time to update. I probably will be married the next time I post and then have another lengthy letter!

Abiding in Christ,
Rebekah Ruth Sneed (Smith)