I was just thinking..: March 2010

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Early Morning Rambling...

Instant coffee seems to taste so much better when served from a decorative storing jar instead of the plain ‘ol can.
Sunrises are worth waking up for!
Red paint makes a room so inviting.
Smiles are contagious…especially when the one smiling has no teeth. J
If there is a white board sitting out with markers, it won’t stay white for long. People can’t pass it w/o fighting the urge to write something on it.
Birds can’t help but sing and neither can I. Which makes me wonder..are my songs as sweet?
Knowledge can be obtained anywhere at anytime. Character, however is developed in youth.
It is never better to gain the whole world and lose your soul in the process.
Busyness is not the same as success.
Just because we’re busy doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re getting stuff done.
Meg will always find the fun in everything…no matter what it is.
Good friends are like a nice cup of warm, hot chocolate with a cinnamon stick.
Hammock times are some of the best times.
Tickle someone. You can’t help but to feel tickled too.
Worn out furniture may hang around your home for a while but the little, dusty feet that dirtied them leave all too soon.
Wrinkles and bulges…call them what you want. I prefer laughter lines and more to hug!
Candles, floor rugs and throw pillows make a house warm.
A guest book does you no good if you never remember to have your guests sign it.
Porches are meant to be shared with snuggly kids.
Rainy day + dry porch + comfy couch + hot tea + cuddly kid + warm blanket = perfect day!
There no such thing as a mistakes. Their just opportunities to embellish.
It’s always good to take God “out” of our “box.” It’s even better to let Him “into” our every moment.
God’s hope NEVER disappoints.
A little light is better than no lights at all.
It’s worth the effort and energy to make good memories for my kids.
Counting your blessings is SO much better than grumbling and complaining.
A negative thot can not produce a positive outcome.
Quiet mornings by oneself can often do so much more for the extrovert than an evening of fun and people.
Different is not bad. It’s just different.
God loves variety. So should I.
Feet are so much prettier when toenails are painted.
It does a person good to experience hanging clothes on a line to dry.
Avoid the temptation to look at your feet when walking. There is so much to experience by looking around and ahead.
Learning Hebrew and Jewish culture is to understanding the Bible as Snorkeling is to appreciating the ocean. It comes alive and in full color!
People light up when you speak to them in their Mother tongue.
People are worth the investment.
Surround yourself with the things you love and it changes your whole outlook.
Good manners always pay off!
Joy is hearing your kids first recital, no matter how many notes were off key.
T.v., game boys, play stations, etc are never a good substitute for good, ‘ol fashioned family game night.
Something powerful happens when you give to others. They are blessed and you are changed.
If you can’t change what you’re seeing then perhaps you just need to change the way you look at it.
Perspective is everything.
Beauty for ashes, joy for tears, laughter for mourning, love for hate, adoption for rejection, life for death, prosperity for poverty, peace for calamity, hope for dispair…now THAT’s my God!
A quiet cuddle on the couch with my kids…nothing is worth more than that moment.
Stolen dates with your husband are often better than well planned ones.
If someone asks you for a minute of your time, give them an hour. We’re never really THAT busy.
Treasures can be found anywhere! Take the time to look.
Life always seems so much easier to tackle after a long bubble bath with candles and praise music.
Love others…it IS worth the risk!
Don’t be different just to be “be” different. Be different to make a difference.
Sometimes you just gotta lick the bowl! Do it! And, make sure people see you doing it! J
It’s SO good to sometimes break away from your intended schedule and just play.
If you wanna know how to have fun ask a kid and then follow his lead.
Donkeys, birds and roosters and sunlight help you to embrace the morning so much more joyfully than a buzzing alarm.
There is great blessing in being first to give others the benefit of the doubt.
Work is essential. But, taking time to play is what really pays off!
Good can be found in just about any place and in any situation. You just have to be willing to look for it!
A house made dirty by loud, playful kids is way better than a quiet, tidy one.
It’s rewarding to train yourself to drown out noise and just listen to the melodies of God’s creation.
Contentment is a choice. Happiness is a blessing. Endurance is a necessity.
Allow yourself to be uncomfortable sometimes.
Go a day without food to really understand what it means to be hungry.
Happiness is not determined by economic status. I’ve met joy-filled, “poorest of the poor” living in mud huts as well as embittered, disillusioned “richest of the rich” living in mansions.
The world be so much of a better place if everyone stopped waking up thinking about all the things we have to get done and started waking up thinking about all the people we get to love.
Build a fire, get some smore’s fixins and just watch what happens!
I’ve found that a meal alone at a restaurant with a good book can be just what this extrovert needs sometimes…even if it is hard to do!
Seeing your kids raise their hands and getting lost in worship is priceless.
Go ahead…be the first to make conversation in the elevator. There’s something twisted in enjoying watching those poor people squirm. Tee hee.
We’re never too old to learn. We just let ourselves think we are.
Dancing with your kids is so worth the sore muscles the next day.
There is freedom in surrender.
Be extravagant in your loving, generous in your laughter and quick in your forgivness.
Expending yourself on others returns priceless dividends.
It’s so fun to be creative. No wonder God does it!
Take time to ask God to show you your giftings. He loves seeing you use them to bless others.
The reward in diligently seeking God is finding Him!
Take the time to invest in what makes your kids “tick.”
Dog’s saliva may be the “cleanest” but it is still nasty, especially when you see where they’ve just finished licking.
Some people start the day running. I prefer to slowly embrace it. J
It’s so much more fun to be an “off the beaten path” kinda gal.
Getting lost just means finding new ways to get there.
Who needs instructions when you got pictures?!?
Taking something apart only to have to put it back together again means you get to be creative with what to do with all the leftover extra pieces. J
Actors are the stars that take center stage but it’s those behind the scenes that really make them shine.
Why cry over spilled milk? It’s so much more fun to grab a straw and start slurping!
The only good spider is a dead spider. (my apologies to all the spider lovers)
I’m quite certain God had kissing in mind when He created lips. I’m pretty sure He was smiling when he formed them. J
If arms are made for hugging, lips for kissing, feet for walking, teeth for chewing…what in the world is that hangy down thing in the back of our throat for?? I believe it’s called a uvula.
It is impossible to jump on a trampoline and not smile. Try it!
Never lose the the joy of learning.
It’s amazing how much fun there is playing nerf guns with your kids. (Am I a bad person that I enjoy ambushing them??)
Just for fun, don a great 80’s style hair-do and outfit and go to the mall. Watch people’s reactions to you. (Of course it’ll probably be the “new” style in a few years).
80’s music contains great wisdom..Girls do just wanna have fun and Love is indeed a battlefield!
It’s kinda fun to embrace Meg’s sense of style. Perhaps plaids do go with stripes.
This may very well be a “small world” but there is still so much more I wanna see.
Every new friend has the potential of one day becoming a steady, ‘ol friend.
Everyone needs an Aunt Marcia in their life! Xoxo
Boredom should be embraced as an opportunity to create fun. (or get those things done around the house that you’ve been putting off for a long time).
“Today is a brand new day with no mistakes in it.” --Lucy Montgomery.

Wow…. Been trying for the last 7 min for my homepage to load. Nothing. I shut it down, checked connections. It’s “working” it says. But alas, nothing. Going on 9 min…still loading. Some times the internet speed is fine. Most of the time however, NOT! It’s so frustrating. I’m working on staying positive about it. I take it very seriously when the Lord encourages us to, “do everything without arguing or complaining…” Nothing good can come out of those. Our internet and electricity issues really challenge me tho. Grrrr! Now it says I’m not connected to the internet. Ugh! It timed out. That’s when I decided to quit trying, open up a “Word” document and work on another blog entry to upload later.
It’s so silly how things like this really get to me. Or, I should say, I let them get to me. I specifically woke up early (6:30) to ensure enough cyber space. Then, when it doesn’t work it frustrates me. Makes me think of Peter Pan when Tink tells him to think of “happy thots.” Or, in the words of the Hymnist: “Count Your Blessings…” Here goes:
1. The beautiful pinkish sunrise…perhaps rain today?
2. The happy children who greet me everyday as I drive down my lane…happy despite their difficult lives.
3. I am healthy and my family is healthy.
4. I get to have my children around me everyday instead of sending them off to boarding school and only seeing them once every 3 weeks.
5. There is adventure around every corner yet to be explored by us..even just outside our gate!
6. The crops are growing as we’ve had good rain. This promises food for our hungry neighbors.
7. I can teach the Bible to my kids everyday ,pray freely as well as teach Science from a Creation standpoint and history from a Sovereign point of view and I don’t get in trouble at all for it! Home school has its blessings!
8. I’m surrounded by amazingly, Godly people who walk in Truth, love, mercy, and grace.
9. The friends God has given me are truly “iron sharpening iron” kinda friends.
10. My kids have access to music lesson and art lessons from really skilled people.
11. Our new students are truly amazing and excited to learn. God has opened up their hearts and minds to learn all the new things and grasp them fairly quickly.
12. We get to hear amazing stories every day of God’s intervention into the lives of His children. Stories like Mama Eliza, our new student. She didn’t know how to read but really wanted to read the Bible desperately. She prayed and asked her merciful Father in heaven to help her. He miraculously gave her the ability to read…all at once. Now, she is so happy to read and eager to share her testimony of God’s greatness with others.
13. We live in such a beautiful place…right in the midst of God’s gorgeous creation...flowers and trees galore, donkeys, mountains, streams, villages of people, etc. Truly peaceful.
14. We have a well deep enough to supply water to the surrounding areas to bless the community.
15. Down the road is a lovely, Tanzanian Catholic Sister who has become a dear friend. I marvel at her loving, servant heart. She inspires me.
16. I have a wonderful church to be a part of…here in the middle of Africa.
17. I feel at peace when I can sit on my patio or balcony and look out at all the beauty, listen to the birds sing, watch the trees sway in the breeze, hear the children’s laughter coming from our neighbors next door…
18. We are afforded simplicity here. It’s good to get back to the basics of simple life.
19. Cows milk..we milk our own cows. I boil it every day to kill any bacteria and my family can enjoy good, wholesome, organic milk.
20. Watching Meg play with the children of our students. It doesn’t matter if they can’t always understand each other. “Play” is a language of it’s own.
21. It blesses me to watch Meg “prepare” her “ABC and English” lessons to take over to teach the kids.
22. Whenever I can’t find one of my kids I’m thankful they have an 8 acre compound where they are playing somewhere. Meg is most always found around the Tanzanian students, overlooking as they play checkers or something. ☺
23. My kids enjoy going down to the student dining hall to share in “chai” or “tea time” with them.
24. There’s actually a group called “Young Life” here for Savannah to be involved in.
25. We’re blessed with God’s protection in many ways. One way is on the roads. With all the potholes, broken edges, big bossy trucks, buses, carts, people, animals, bikes, etc….He has protected us and we’ve always arrived safely.
26. After 14 flat tires God provided funds to purchase two new tires! Yay!
27. The reality that my God is Emmanuel…He is WITH me..all the time, in every situation. Such comfort and confidence in that!
28. Laughter…guffawing kinda laughter…the kind that makes your side hurt but your heart warm.
29. Raising my hands and singing to the top of my lungs in worship, not worrying about what others think of me. It’s just me and my Lord!
30. Finding a yummy cereal under $9 that is fresh and doesn’t taste like soap or the box it came in. ☺ Rare find!
31. Getting packages from home.
32. Being able to tithe and praying it thru as a family how we want to be a part of blessing others.
33. Watching my children grow in their giftings and in their love for our Lord.
34. Board games as a family.
35. Snack night…every Sunday night.
36. Quiet weekends..rarety.
37. Busy weekends…my kids having their friends over and vice versa. Watching them play together.
38. I love having such diverse friends, Tanzanian, South African, Korean, Australian, New Zealanders, Canadians, British, Sri Lankan, Indian, Singaporean, Philipino, Americans, etc..
39. The beauty of God’s body…His believers!
40. Electricity. It goes off nearly every day. I love the joy of when it suddenly flips back on. Everyone is so excited. ☺
41. Colors…I love color!
42. Music..all kinds..well, except rap and hip-hop! ☺
43. Snuggling my kids.
44. When they snuggle back, no matter how old they get.
45. Long walks with my ipod…listening to sermons, worship music, etc.
46. Turning the music up real load and dancing with my kids.
47. The smell of coffee brewing..then sharing that cuppa with family/friends.
48. Fun, pretty coffee cups that make enjoying a cuppa so much more fun.
49. Red…the color red just makes me feel so warm and invites fun.
50. First morning greetings from my kids as they come down the stairs.
51. Seeing Wes develop into such a sweet, young man…playing with sling shots, whittling with his cool pocket knife, digging out in the field, etc.
52. Watching my girls grow in purity, innocence, and inner beauty as well as outer beauty.
53. Owl City, Jimmy Needham, Kari jobe, Never Shout Never, Colbie Calliat, Starfield….so many more!

Okay…I could go on and on but I must finish for now to get the day started. Wow.. my disposition has truly changed! It really does help to count your blessings. I have so many and many more that I haven’t even counted yet. What fun!!!! I encourage everyone to do it. ☺

March 16, 2010

A seasoned preacher was recently asked to preach at a neighboring church. He quickly declined saying he, “Didn’t have a “word” for that church.” Thinking on that I felt a bit indignant. He does have a “word.” We all do. In fact, we have 66 books filled with “words” for that church. We’re told to be ready “in season and out of season.” To me that means having a steady diet of God’s Word, daily. Getting away from the demands of the day and the schedules that weigh us down to “withdraw to lonely places to pray” like Jesus Himself often did. I want to ready my heart, to always be able to give an account of the Hope that dwells within me. His Word is alive! His word truly is sharper than any two-edged sword. With one edge it takes out the enemy and his legions in one blow. The other edge He carefully uses as a scalpel, cutting away the deadly areas of my heart. He is a good and gracious God!

I’ve recently received some amazing revelation in reference to the Word of God. In John 1:1 we read, “In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word WAS God.” (emphasis mine). That really hit me. I’ve always known this verse, even memorized it as a child. It wasn’t until recently that it finally took shape and form for me. The Word WAS God. If God is the same yesterday, today and forever, like we believe Him to be, then this is not a past tense claim. The “Word was God” is then, “The Word IS God!” That means anytime we include the Word of God in our discussions, in our sermons and lessons, in our writings or work, we are breathing the breath of God into them. Think about that… When we include God’s Word in our lives or speak it over and into whatever it is that we’re praying about, we’re not just including a “thing.” We are releasing the Living God, the breath of God. The breath that creates and brings all things to life, that restores and makes all things new. When we release the Living God into the spiritual atmosphere of whatever it is that we’re praying about, the Devil has to flee! He can not stand in the presence of the Living God. Darkness hates Light.Wow!

This revelation has brought such deeper impact and understanding to my prayer life. How much more powerful it is for me to pray the Word of God over my family, work, friends, ministry,etc. My words may sound nice and may even be sincere. But, His word tears down demonic strongholds, sets the captives free, brings healing, transfers people from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light, increases faith, and restores our hope. His Words are “Yes and Amen!”

Praying the Word of God has been a wonderful road of rediscovering the power and majesty of God. He has increased my faith and grown me in confidence..not in myself but in who He is. When I put my hope in my Eternal Savior and trust in Him.. the “One who guides us into all truth..” I am NEVER disappointed. The Word..His Word truly becomes alive! He IS the Living God. His Word is powerful and life changing. Just as my prayer life has been transformed, my life has been transformed. Now my challenge is, etching out time to read and become well acquainted with my Sword. It is a matter of priorities, isn’t it? If I want to impact my family, my ministry, the world around me, I must first make time for the Lord to impact me. I can not offer what I do not possess. It’s “Out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks.” I must become before I can do. This therefore requires disciplined and intentional carving out of time to spend with the Shepherd of my soul, allowing Him to speak His living Word into me. I know when that happens, I am filled. When we “hunger and thirst after righteousness we are filled.” How true! So, I come hungry and leave filled. Sounds good to me! I think I’ll go feast right now!