Simple Pleasures

Sometimes I am delighted by the simplest things. Earlier this week, I went outside to cut some roses from a huge rosebush in our yard and startled a female cardinal. I walked around the back side of the bush for a closer look and found a nest with three tiny eggs in it! I was excited enough that I called the kids to come and see it. Soon there will be baby birds right under our dining room window. What fun! Last night we were on the road and I was listening to praise songs. At the same moment that my mp3 player began a Chris Tomlin song praising God as our creator I looked up and noticed a huge, perfect, full moon. How cool is that?! Today as we neared our destination in Florida, I decided to see if our favorite Christian radio station from our days living here before was close enough to pick up on the radio. As soon as I had it tuned in we recognized the song that was playing and all 5 of us simultaneously started to sing along. Instant fun! We got the added bonus today of getting to see old friends again after eight months away.

1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise [b]
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [c]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! -- Psalm 8

Tears and Raindrops

Rainy Window - School (Photo credit: John-Morgan)

It rained today in Nampa. A perfect picture of my feelings. We haven't even begun our goodbyes yet, but I have already had a couple of crying spells just thinking about it. It hurts to let go, to say goodbye. But I've come to understand that both rain and pain can bring growth and an outward beauty that reflect the strength within. So I will do my best to embrace these days, even though there will be tears, and look forward to the next adventure God has for me -- "Look among the nations and watch - be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you." Habakkuk 1:5

Tonight we will spend some time with our friends we have made here before we all go to our new destinations. Please pray for all of us, that God will comfort our hearts, protect us as we travel, and unite us in spirit as we serve Him together with MAF.

Commissioned!

Believe it or not, even after our encounter with the snake, we went back to Succor Creek again last weekend. This time we took two families with us who had never been there. We had a picnic and did some hiking/walking, and explored a cave. Yes, we did find another rattlesnake, but at that point we had split into two groups and I was in the lucky group, I mean the group that didn't meet up with the snake.

Classes have been interesting but draining this week. There have been a lot of emotions, at least for me. We know that after this we are going off in all sorts of directions and have no idea when we will get the priviledge of seeing eachother again. Most of us were in class together last summer also and we have all grown to care for one another. Leaving will be difficult.

Yesterday we had commissioning chapel. I made a scrapbook page of some of the photos. If you click on the image it will enlarge so you can see it better. It was a joyous occasion because we were being prayed over and encouraged and marking a milestone in our journey, but was also serious because we knew that we still have much work to do raising support for our ministry before we can go. Please pray for God to open doors for us and to raise up people who will want to be part of what He is doing through us. Pray also for decisions we have to make regarding the kids' schooling while we are in language school, and for our visa applications to go through without any trouble.