Probably the most frequent question I get asked concerning our trip to Africa is "What about school?" It's a fair question and looks different depending on who it is coming from. We are a homeschooling family but even that does not look the same in every family. Some may take classes online, we don't. Some are very relaxed and don't follow any type of curriculum, we follow more than one. Some take classes through a co-op of families, we do. There is freedom in our decisions on how to teach our kids, but in many ways I feel a great pressure in that freedom. I do feel like I have "eyes" watching me at times and there is a pressure to some degree of caring what others think (by this I mean extended family or friends that don't homeschool). I would say my biggest reason for the pressure I feel is that I don't want to fail my kids. I don't want them to be ill prepared for life or finding a decent career path using the skills and talents God has given them. I have one shot at this, there are no "do overs".
Originally, when I thought of going to Africa, I did think that we would just bring our work with us. My reasoning is that I didn't want to get behind on anything. After talking to a friend that had gone with her family on the mission field for an extended time, she helped me see it differently. I believe her comment was, "Why would you want to taint your child's experience by bringing their 'American' school work with them? They would miss so much." Giving that some thought, I realized she was right in many ways and I needed to come up with a plan.
We started our basic school work several weeks early and I had each of my kids test out of the first few chapters of review in their math books. Our co-op has been wonderful and the kid will be able to jump in the middle of their subjects when we return. For their Enviromental Science class they will be doing a project on what they learned in Cameroon with regard to Enviro Science. As a family we love to read aloud, or individually, so we will have a Kindle full of books as well as the real deal. Math will be real life stuff like dealing with conversions, buying things from market, figuring travel time and working through real life construction puzzles with their Dad. We will have a front row seat on our African culture class. French is spoken in parts of Cameroon so they will have a chance to put their French into practice. They will learn about Bible translation and the effects of illiteracy and how they can help. They will learn compassion and mercy that would never come from seeing a documentary or reading about poverty. Their one assignment that they will all have to do is to keep a journal of our trip so they can document it through their own eyes.
My hope is that all of us will walk away forever changed from this experience, but especially my children. I hope that they come home with a vision for how God can use their lives. My wish would be for them to work hard at the tasks put before them and the school that must happen to reach their goal. I would want for them to see school as essential steps to live a bigger life with purpose and not just a time to do the bare minimum. They do not need to wait until they are adults to make a difference in this world, they can begin today.
I think the answer I got from our travel nurse is the one I liked the best. When I told her we were not bringing our regular school books with us, she responded "Oh, field work, sounds good!"
African outfits
Our crazy family
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Provision My Way
Yesterday I shared how God has been providing for us in some amazing ways over the years, but more specifically leading up to our trip to Africa. I am an idea person, so when we first started realizing just how much this trip would cost, my mind started thinking of different ways to make it happen.
Earlier this year "Minute to Win It" was in town looking for people to be on their show. We don't even watch the show usually because it is on Wednesday nights and we are at AWANA on Wednesday nights. A few times we have caught the end of the show or watched it on some of the free Wednesday nights we had. If you have never seen the show, the contestants do all kinds of crazy games/competitions and each time they successfully complete the challenge they move up a level. Each challenge has a dollar amount and you can win lots and lots of money. When I heard about the local auditions I shot them an email. For whatever reason, I got a reply email with an invitation to audition with my family and a VIP pass so we could move to the head of the line. I was so excited and completely sure that God was going to let us get on the show. I figured we could give God glory since we had a good reason for wanting the money. It would also be a quick and easy way to have all the funds we needed and maybe some leftover too. I liked the idea of an easy solution to our money dilemma.
Things got crazy around here for a while. We checked out the "Minute to Win It" web site for all the different challenges that had been done. We set up stations so we could practice all the different games. I have to admit, I was terrible at all of them. I was too impatient to bounce a pencil in a cup or get a cookie from my forehead to my mouth. I wanted to get on the show because it sounded like an easy way to get to Africa but I really didn't want to practice so that I would be ready. Thankfully, my kids were great at almost every challenge they tried. Although they were having trouble getting a playing card to lodge itself into a watermelon by throwing it from 3 feet away. I'm still finding cards in random places in my basement. I was feeling a little nervous because we wanted to be good examples since we were using our money for missions. All the competition brought out some pretty ugly parts of our character and we hadn't even left our home. We laughed a lot too as we stacked Oreos on our foreheads and did other crazy stunts. We put everything else on hold as we worked on our training, not knowing exactly what would be expected of us at the auditions.
The day of the auditions finally arrived and we headed out to the furniture store where auditions were being held. Our 10 page application was all filled out and we had our matching shirts to boot. The store was overflowing with people and once inside the door the line of contestant hopefuls wound and wound throughout the store, they would have a long wait ahead of them. With our pass we awkwardly walked past all these staring eyes to the front of the line. Everyone else had only one page applications so we felt pretty good about our chances. The "audition" was over in about 30 seconds and we were walking out the door. That was very anti-climatic but we were all so thankful that we were not part of the crowd waiting all day in line to have the same experience.We never heard from "Minute to Win It" again. All that practicing for nothing except to annoy me whenever I find another ping pong ball, or card, or cup with holes in it, in a cupboard or under furniture. It was kind of a waste of time in the end.
Thinking about that experience showed me just how easy it is to get our eyes off of what God intends for us and that which is fun or will make life easy. I wanted to "win big" for a good cause but in doing so I would have missed so much. The people who have been praying for us for months probably wouldn't be, since most of these people knew what we were doing from our support letter. Our family has been so touched by the sense of community we have had knowing people are investing in us on our journey, both financially and through prayer. Practicing for "Minute to Win It" would not have prepared us for what we will be doing in Africa. However, working on remodeling the house that we helped "flip" was great preparation for all of us (since we will be doing construction projects). We have had lots of opportunity to work together as a team and support one another. Our character has grown as we have had to work harder than we ever have before and persevere to the end.
"God's ways are higher than our ways" and I've found that to be true. We are winners! My faith has grown leaps and bounds this year as I've seen first hand God's faithfulness. My kids wanted to be on "Minute to Win It" because they have never been on an airplane. They will get to be on an airplane for a VERY long time and God used our hard work, along with big and small gifts and lots of prayer from our friends.
Earlier this year "Minute to Win It" was in town looking for people to be on their show. We don't even watch the show usually because it is on Wednesday nights and we are at AWANA on Wednesday nights. A few times we have caught the end of the show or watched it on some of the free Wednesday nights we had. If you have never seen the show, the contestants do all kinds of crazy games/competitions and each time they successfully complete the challenge they move up a level. Each challenge has a dollar amount and you can win lots and lots of money. When I heard about the local auditions I shot them an email. For whatever reason, I got a reply email with an invitation to audition with my family and a VIP pass so we could move to the head of the line. I was so excited and completely sure that God was going to let us get on the show. I figured we could give God glory since we had a good reason for wanting the money. It would also be a quick and easy way to have all the funds we needed and maybe some leftover too. I liked the idea of an easy solution to our money dilemma.
Things got crazy around here for a while. We checked out the "Minute to Win It" web site for all the different challenges that had been done. We set up stations so we could practice all the different games. I have to admit, I was terrible at all of them. I was too impatient to bounce a pencil in a cup or get a cookie from my forehead to my mouth. I wanted to get on the show because it sounded like an easy way to get to Africa but I really didn't want to practice so that I would be ready. Thankfully, my kids were great at almost every challenge they tried. Although they were having trouble getting a playing card to lodge itself into a watermelon by throwing it from 3 feet away. I'm still finding cards in random places in my basement. I was feeling a little nervous because we wanted to be good examples since we were using our money for missions. All the competition brought out some pretty ugly parts of our character and we hadn't even left our home. We laughed a lot too as we stacked Oreos on our foreheads and did other crazy stunts. We put everything else on hold as we worked on our training, not knowing exactly what would be expected of us at the auditions.
The day of the auditions finally arrived and we headed out to the furniture store where auditions were being held. Our 10 page application was all filled out and we had our matching shirts to boot. The store was overflowing with people and once inside the door the line of contestant hopefuls wound and wound throughout the store, they would have a long wait ahead of them. With our pass we awkwardly walked past all these staring eyes to the front of the line. Everyone else had only one page applications so we felt pretty good about our chances. The "audition" was over in about 30 seconds and we were walking out the door. That was very anti-climatic but we were all so thankful that we were not part of the crowd waiting all day in line to have the same experience.We never heard from "Minute to Win It" again. All that practicing for nothing except to annoy me whenever I find another ping pong ball, or card, or cup with holes in it, in a cupboard or under furniture. It was kind of a waste of time in the end.
Thinking about that experience showed me just how easy it is to get our eyes off of what God intends for us and that which is fun or will make life easy. I wanted to "win big" for a good cause but in doing so I would have missed so much. The people who have been praying for us for months probably wouldn't be, since most of these people knew what we were doing from our support letter. Our family has been so touched by the sense of community we have had knowing people are investing in us on our journey, both financially and through prayer. Practicing for "Minute to Win It" would not have prepared us for what we will be doing in Africa. However, working on remodeling the house that we helped "flip" was great preparation for all of us (since we will be doing construction projects). We have had lots of opportunity to work together as a team and support one another. Our character has grown as we have had to work harder than we ever have before and persevere to the end.
"God's ways are higher than our ways" and I've found that to be true. We are winners! My faith has grown leaps and bounds this year as I've seen first hand God's faithfulness. My kids wanted to be on "Minute to Win It" because they have never been on an airplane. They will get to be on an airplane for a VERY long time and God used our hard work, along with big and small gifts and lots of prayer from our friends.
Monday, November 28, 2011
God's Provision
As we are coming closer to leaving for Africa, I am in awe of how God is providing all that we need. The idea of having enough money in our bank account to pay all our bills (house,insurance, utilities) while we are away and having enough for 5 of us to travel was overwhelming to say the least. It was the "mountain" that had to be moved in order for this dream to become a reality. It was also the sign that we would know this was God giving us these desires, because if He was not behind this trip there would be no way that we could make it happen. It has been a faith journey from the very beginning, but to be honest, that journey began with our family long before this mission trip.
Back in the late 80's, when my young marriage failed and I found myself parenting alone, I realized I could not make it on my own. I saw for the first time how my decisions and selfishness had got me to a place that was very hard. For the first time I really understood my need for a Savior and surrendered my future to my Lord Jesus Christ. I had a lot to learn along that road (and I am still learning), but it was the best decision I have ever made. As a single Mom, things were tight even though I had a full time job with good benefits. One day I was reading in Malachi where God is talking about tithing and it says to "test Me in this". I had no money and didn't even know how I was going to pay my house payment that month. I chose to take the Bible at it's word and test God in this area. I tithed that next paycheck and had a peace and a security that I had not felt before. In addition to that, God provided in so many amazing ways that my faith was strengthened. I know some of you will read this and say that Malachi is in the Old Testament so we don't need to follow the idea of tithing the first 10% of your income. I'm not here to debate, I'm here to tell my story that God has been faithful and my experience is that he really has provided all that I have needed. As New Testament Christians, I believe that it's all God's money anyway, we should be giving at least 10%. I did go through a short time when a well meaning Christian advised me that God didn't intend for the poor to have to give back to be provided for. That time was a time of worry and anxiety and I will not go back to that type of thinking.
When I met Drew, one thing that attracted me to him was his conviction and practice of tithing. I knew that most marriages struggle because of money issues and this was an important foundation for both of us. We have been married for over 18 years now and Drew has been in seasonal construction for all of those years. We have had years of plenty and especially in the past few, years of lean. God has been our provider through them all. As long as I have my eyes fixed on Him and not on circumstances, my heart is at peace. As soon as I take them off my real source of income, I get anxious, worried and filled with doubt. My friends know that most years as winter approaches I start to get worried and have to remind myself that God has never let us down.
Last year's winter season had Drew feeling very anxious. The season before his income had dropped quite a bit from previous years and we didn't have as much money in the bank for the long winter as we liked. This was also right about the time that I brought up our whole family going to Africa. A couple of things happened that helped calm his nerves, and had nothing to do with us getting more money. The first was when we started praying for Africa, we were reminded of all the ways God had provided for us in the past. We also realized how it was out of our control in many ways. The second was that Drew had a lead part in a musical that the kids were in at the church where they had attended AWANA. The part was a bit cheesy but most of his lines were directly from scripture. For an hour most days he would go over and over the lines from this play, which was all about taking our burdens to the "Rock" of our Salvation. Something about saying these truths out loud day after day, transformed my husband. The timing of this musical couldn't have been more perfect.
Once we made the decision to move forward with our trip to Africa we still had no idea where the money would come from. Knowing many of you have hearts for missions, we sent out support letters for those who may want to partner with us on this adventure. That has been humbling and encouraging to see so many people come up along side us and help make this happen. We are so thankful for the gifts that have come in. We have received large sums from anonymous givers and some from names we don't even know, as well as from our friends and family. The Bible talks about faith without works being dead and we have worked hard this year to do our part. A friend had been talking for 2 years with Drew about "flipping" a house together but the right house just never came along. Right in the middle of us trying to find a way to make this work, the perfect house came along that our whole family could work on. We appreciate the fact that he would take the risk to have us work on this huge investment. It was hard work but has provided all that we need to pay the bills while we are gone. Ellie and I have sold Norwex products and cleaned houses together. The boys have done lawn work and other odd jobs to pitch in for the expenses coming up. Drew has had many side job opportunities, almost more than he has time in a day to do. Drew's sister gave us a laptop that we can use to stay in communication while we are away. It has been so cool for all of us to see God's hand in providing opportunity as well as money for our needs.
My faith has grown so much this year and reading this makes it look as if it all came right when I thought it should. We have had deadlines along the way for expenses and I don't think we have had enough in our account for any of them. As each deadline has come (like for airline tickets), we have prayed like crazy for God to show us what to do. In the end, we felt at peace and went forward with the purchase not knowing if all the funds would be there or not. Each time at just the right moment (but later than I would have preferred), the money has been there. I'm embarrassed to say that I still have moments of doubt even after seeing God's hand provide time after time. I don't want to be so stressed that I can't see where the last money is going to come from, or if we will have enough in our savings for all our bills after paying out what needs to be paid. I feel so unworthy of all these blessings that have been showered down on us.
I'm amazed at God's patience with me. Even this weekend as I was once again praying and asking (and even doubting a little), a number of random people came up to us and gave us gifts of $100 each. I'm like a little child that has to see and touch to believe. Lord help me in my unbelief as we continue waiting on you!
Back in the late 80's, when my young marriage failed and I found myself parenting alone, I realized I could not make it on my own. I saw for the first time how my decisions and selfishness had got me to a place that was very hard. For the first time I really understood my need for a Savior and surrendered my future to my Lord Jesus Christ. I had a lot to learn along that road (and I am still learning), but it was the best decision I have ever made. As a single Mom, things were tight even though I had a full time job with good benefits. One day I was reading in Malachi where God is talking about tithing and it says to "test Me in this". I had no money and didn't even know how I was going to pay my house payment that month. I chose to take the Bible at it's word and test God in this area. I tithed that next paycheck and had a peace and a security that I had not felt before. In addition to that, God provided in so many amazing ways that my faith was strengthened. I know some of you will read this and say that Malachi is in the Old Testament so we don't need to follow the idea of tithing the first 10% of your income. I'm not here to debate, I'm here to tell my story that God has been faithful and my experience is that he really has provided all that I have needed. As New Testament Christians, I believe that it's all God's money anyway, we should be giving at least 10%. I did go through a short time when a well meaning Christian advised me that God didn't intend for the poor to have to give back to be provided for. That time was a time of worry and anxiety and I will not go back to that type of thinking.
When I met Drew, one thing that attracted me to him was his conviction and practice of tithing. I knew that most marriages struggle because of money issues and this was an important foundation for both of us. We have been married for over 18 years now and Drew has been in seasonal construction for all of those years. We have had years of plenty and especially in the past few, years of lean. God has been our provider through them all. As long as I have my eyes fixed on Him and not on circumstances, my heart is at peace. As soon as I take them off my real source of income, I get anxious, worried and filled with doubt. My friends know that most years as winter approaches I start to get worried and have to remind myself that God has never let us down.
Last year's winter season had Drew feeling very anxious. The season before his income had dropped quite a bit from previous years and we didn't have as much money in the bank for the long winter as we liked. This was also right about the time that I brought up our whole family going to Africa. A couple of things happened that helped calm his nerves, and had nothing to do with us getting more money. The first was when we started praying for Africa, we were reminded of all the ways God had provided for us in the past. We also realized how it was out of our control in many ways. The second was that Drew had a lead part in a musical that the kids were in at the church where they had attended AWANA. The part was a bit cheesy but most of his lines were directly from scripture. For an hour most days he would go over and over the lines from this play, which was all about taking our burdens to the "Rock" of our Salvation. Something about saying these truths out loud day after day, transformed my husband. The timing of this musical couldn't have been more perfect.
Once we made the decision to move forward with our trip to Africa we still had no idea where the money would come from. Knowing many of you have hearts for missions, we sent out support letters for those who may want to partner with us on this adventure. That has been humbling and encouraging to see so many people come up along side us and help make this happen. We are so thankful for the gifts that have come in. We have received large sums from anonymous givers and some from names we don't even know, as well as from our friends and family. The Bible talks about faith without works being dead and we have worked hard this year to do our part. A friend had been talking for 2 years with Drew about "flipping" a house together but the right house just never came along. Right in the middle of us trying to find a way to make this work, the perfect house came along that our whole family could work on. We appreciate the fact that he would take the risk to have us work on this huge investment. It was hard work but has provided all that we need to pay the bills while we are gone. Ellie and I have sold Norwex products and cleaned houses together. The boys have done lawn work and other odd jobs to pitch in for the expenses coming up. Drew has had many side job opportunities, almost more than he has time in a day to do. Drew's sister gave us a laptop that we can use to stay in communication while we are away. It has been so cool for all of us to see God's hand in providing opportunity as well as money for our needs.
My faith has grown so much this year and reading this makes it look as if it all came right when I thought it should. We have had deadlines along the way for expenses and I don't think we have had enough in our account for any of them. As each deadline has come (like for airline tickets), we have prayed like crazy for God to show us what to do. In the end, we felt at peace and went forward with the purchase not knowing if all the funds would be there or not. Each time at just the right moment (but later than I would have preferred), the money has been there. I'm embarrassed to say that I still have moments of doubt even after seeing God's hand provide time after time. I don't want to be so stressed that I can't see where the last money is going to come from, or if we will have enough in our savings for all our bills after paying out what needs to be paid. I feel so unworthy of all these blessings that have been showered down on us.
I'm amazed at God's patience with me. Even this weekend as I was once again praying and asking (and even doubting a little), a number of random people came up to us and gave us gifts of $100 each. I'm like a little child that has to see and touch to believe. Lord help me in my unbelief as we continue waiting on you!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
40 days to Africa
I woke up this morning to the realization that we will be boarding our plane in just 40 days. I'm sure there is some significance to this day. I feel like I should "do" something for the next 40 days - exercise, fast, pray...something spiritual or good. I thought about "40 days to lose my blubber", but I hear African people think it's good to be fat. It might not be true but it sounds good to me. I want Drew to get the most respect he can for his "healthy" wife so I will forgo the diet. We could use 40 days of prayer, so feel free to pray for us. We have so much going on during the next 40 days, I could just call it "40 days of Freaking Out". Again, prayer would be good.
All kidding aside, 40 is a significant number in many ways. I googled "40 days" and there were 159,000,000,000 sites to choose from, many of these were spiritual in nature. For some reason, God used 40 days in many of the events that happened throughout the Bible. Many of those events were tied to times of trial and testing. Think of Noah, after obeying God and building the ark, it rained for 40 days. I would guess that 40 days was not a time of rejoicing (even though his family was saved), but rather a time of adjusting and grieving the loss of the life they knew. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. This happened after their spies checked out Canaan (the land flowing with milk and honey) for 40 days and were too fearful to trust God. Jesus was tested in the wilderness for 40 days at the beginning of his ministry. Jesus appeared to people for 40 days after his resurrection, a time of great confusion to the early Christians. There are many more examples but I think you get the idea. 40 days was a good amount of time to get people's attention...and 40 years would definitely get a point across.
Many people today celebrate the Advent season, which was originally 40 days. Advent is the weeks leading up to Christmas that is a time of reflecting on the events leading up to the first Christmas. It's a time of getting our eyes off of our selfish desires and focusing on others. As a family we have followed different Advent reading plans over the years. The time leading up to Christmas takes on a deeper meaning and gives us a greater appreciation for the significance of the birth of Jesus. It wasn't just a random event but was foretold throughout the Old Testament. We anticipate Christmas morning with excitement, not just on getting present, but the realization that WHO we live for was born on this day. If it were not for the personal relationship I have with Jesus, I would have no desire to even go to Africa.
The season of Lent is the 40 days leading up to the death and resurrection of Christ. Some use this time to give up something or let go. I like the idea of that as we are leading up to our trip. I want to use these next 40 days to prepare my heart for all that God has in store for our family. I also want to begin the process of "letting go". Letting go of my rights, my possessions and my expectations. This last week has been a time of struggle for me and I feel like I am in a battle. I want to use this time to prepare for a continued battle, one where I am not in my familiar surroundings.
Even though I know the battle will be happening, I am excited because I am not in this battle alone. I also know that you can have joy in the middle of the hardest times. I am looking forward with JOY to our time in Africa. Starting today, I am choosing to have "40 days of Joy".
All kidding aside, 40 is a significant number in many ways. I googled "40 days" and there were 159,000,000,000 sites to choose from, many of these were spiritual in nature. For some reason, God used 40 days in many of the events that happened throughout the Bible. Many of those events were tied to times of trial and testing. Think of Noah, after obeying God and building the ark, it rained for 40 days. I would guess that 40 days was not a time of rejoicing (even though his family was saved), but rather a time of adjusting and grieving the loss of the life they knew. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. This happened after their spies checked out Canaan (the land flowing with milk and honey) for 40 days and were too fearful to trust God. Jesus was tested in the wilderness for 40 days at the beginning of his ministry. Jesus appeared to people for 40 days after his resurrection, a time of great confusion to the early Christians. There are many more examples but I think you get the idea. 40 days was a good amount of time to get people's attention...and 40 years would definitely get a point across.
Many people today celebrate the Advent season, which was originally 40 days. Advent is the weeks leading up to Christmas that is a time of reflecting on the events leading up to the first Christmas. It's a time of getting our eyes off of our selfish desires and focusing on others. As a family we have followed different Advent reading plans over the years. The time leading up to Christmas takes on a deeper meaning and gives us a greater appreciation for the significance of the birth of Jesus. It wasn't just a random event but was foretold throughout the Old Testament. We anticipate Christmas morning with excitement, not just on getting present, but the realization that WHO we live for was born on this day. If it were not for the personal relationship I have with Jesus, I would have no desire to even go to Africa.
The season of Lent is the 40 days leading up to the death and resurrection of Christ. Some use this time to give up something or let go. I like the idea of that as we are leading up to our trip. I want to use these next 40 days to prepare my heart for all that God has in store for our family. I also want to begin the process of "letting go". Letting go of my rights, my possessions and my expectations. This last week has been a time of struggle for me and I feel like I am in a battle. I want to use this time to prepare for a continued battle, one where I am not in my familiar surroundings.
Even though I know the battle will be happening, I am excited because I am not in this battle alone. I also know that you can have joy in the middle of the hardest times. I am looking forward with JOY to our time in Africa. Starting today, I am choosing to have "40 days of Joy".
Thursday, November 24, 2011
A Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart
Two things came to my mind when I woke up this morning: The first one is that we have only 6 weeks from today that we board a plane to Africa - that is going to go by so fast! The second was the fact that it is Thanksgiving Day and that got me thinking of all that I am thankful for. The obvious would be that I am thankful for my husband, my kids and my God, but truthfully I wake up most mornings feeling thankful for these vital parts of my life.
I struggle some with having to be told that today is the day we have to be thankful. It stresses me out to prepare for this day of thankfulness and now add to that the stores trying to pressure us to shop the day after Thanksgiving or even the day of. Once I get over myself, and my family pitches in to get our home "company ready", I'm really thankful for the excuse to get together with my extended family. Even though I talk to my sister frequently on the phone, we go weeks and weeks without seeing each other. She doesn't live that far away and I used to see her every day when I watched her girls, but now the only way we see each other is by a special appointment. So I'm thankful that today will bring us together.
Actually, since we already have extended family living with us, most of our evening meals are a joyful event around here. We spend hours around our round kitchen table laughing and sharing life with each other. Visitors are always welcome and at times we have crammed 9 - 11 people around our 6 person table. The difference is, there is no stress to have an extra clean house or to have just the right food. There is no expectations, which if I am totally honest, is my problem. Expectations put so much pressure on everyone. Unmet expectations make me crabby and are usually the source of contention with my husband and I. So today I am consciously trying to prepare my heart as well as my table with as little stress as possible. I will be delegating jobs to my family, I cooked the turkey overnight, I got up early and had time to read my Bible and reflect on all the blessings God has given me.
I feel excited for the fun to begin, not because George Washington (or Lincoln or Roosevelt) decided today would be the day we give thanks, but because I really am thankful for the people I have in my life. God Bless you and have a joyful Thanksgiving!
Psalm 92:1 - 2
"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night."
I struggle some with having to be told that today is the day we have to be thankful. It stresses me out to prepare for this day of thankfulness and now add to that the stores trying to pressure us to shop the day after Thanksgiving or even the day of. Once I get over myself, and my family pitches in to get our home "company ready", I'm really thankful for the excuse to get together with my extended family. Even though I talk to my sister frequently on the phone, we go weeks and weeks without seeing each other. She doesn't live that far away and I used to see her every day when I watched her girls, but now the only way we see each other is by a special appointment. So I'm thankful that today will bring us together.
Actually, since we already have extended family living with us, most of our evening meals are a joyful event around here. We spend hours around our round kitchen table laughing and sharing life with each other. Visitors are always welcome and at times we have crammed 9 - 11 people around our 6 person table. The difference is, there is no stress to have an extra clean house or to have just the right food. There is no expectations, which if I am totally honest, is my problem. Expectations put so much pressure on everyone. Unmet expectations make me crabby and are usually the source of contention with my husband and I. So today I am consciously trying to prepare my heart as well as my table with as little stress as possible. I will be delegating jobs to my family, I cooked the turkey overnight, I got up early and had time to read my Bible and reflect on all the blessings God has given me.
I feel excited for the fun to begin, not because George Washington (or Lincoln or Roosevelt) decided today would be the day we give thanks, but because I really am thankful for the people I have in my life. God Bless you and have a joyful Thanksgiving!
Psalm 92:1 - 2
"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night."
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
A Blog about Blogging
Originally I wanted to blog because so many people had been asking how I would communicate while we were in Africa. I thought I should get the hang of it before leaving since I would probably have more time and electricity to do that here in MN. Occasionally I would read other blogs but I didn't actually follow any one blogger, I just read what happened to come across my path. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
The more I blog the more I find myself interested in what others are blogging about. I have one friend that has a blog a day. I have no idea how she can come up with something interesting every day but somehow she does. I sometimes have to wait until the end of the day to see what she has to say because she is waiting for a burst of inspiration but she never fails me. Her mind is as random as mine so you never know what you will get. She inspires me with her writing because I can see how some seemingly irrelevant thing will resonate with me, maybe my blog is doing the same to others.
Blogging is a little like scrapbooking but with words. When I first start scrapbooking, I would see everything I did in life through the lens of a camera and what that would look like on a page. Now as things happen in my day, I jot myself a note of what's happening if I think it might be blogger worthy at some point. It does become a bit obsessive at times. I can focus too much on how many people have read certain articles or if anyone bothered. Sometimes I think I have something really important to share and just a few people take note. I wonder what it is that will draw their attention, and laugh when it is "deep" things like toilets around the world. I shared thoughts about missing my Mom, since I know that many of my friends have also lost their Moms and could relate to the feelings that I was having that day. I guess that was too deep of a subject because very few even read it and the ones that did probably thought I was depressed or something. Grief is weird, it shows up occasionally when you aren't expecting it and I chose to expose myself in hopes that it would encourage even one person going through a similar time.
The thing that has surprised me the most is how many people have told me certain things I have written have touched them or encouraged them. I shouldn't be surprised because I have been encouraged by others in the same way. I'm surprised sometimes by how much I have in common with events from other peoples lives. I have had people comment on that about my blogs too, that they have been through the same thing or felt the same way or wanted to do the same thing that my family is doing or has done. It's when I am the most transparent about myself that what I say resonates the most with a reader. It's scary at times to be truly transparent and exposed. I run the risk of judgement or being misunderstood by someone who is only getting a small glimpse into my life. I think of that when I am reading other blogs, that I am just getting one snap shot and not read too much into that little piece of their life.
So fellow bloggers, keep up the good work! Your words have encouraged me, they have made me laugh. Your words have given me food for thought as well as ideas for actual food/menu plans. You have shared God's Word when I have needed it. You have given me fresh ideas and insight into my homeschool day. You have reminded me of all I have to be thankful for and blogging has given me a place to share that.
The more I blog the more I find myself interested in what others are blogging about. I have one friend that has a blog a day. I have no idea how she can come up with something interesting every day but somehow she does. I sometimes have to wait until the end of the day to see what she has to say because she is waiting for a burst of inspiration but she never fails me. Her mind is as random as mine so you never know what you will get. She inspires me with her writing because I can see how some seemingly irrelevant thing will resonate with me, maybe my blog is doing the same to others.
Blogging is a little like scrapbooking but with words. When I first start scrapbooking, I would see everything I did in life through the lens of a camera and what that would look like on a page. Now as things happen in my day, I jot myself a note of what's happening if I think it might be blogger worthy at some point. It does become a bit obsessive at times. I can focus too much on how many people have read certain articles or if anyone bothered. Sometimes I think I have something really important to share and just a few people take note. I wonder what it is that will draw their attention, and laugh when it is "deep" things like toilets around the world. I shared thoughts about missing my Mom, since I know that many of my friends have also lost their Moms and could relate to the feelings that I was having that day. I guess that was too deep of a subject because very few even read it and the ones that did probably thought I was depressed or something. Grief is weird, it shows up occasionally when you aren't expecting it and I chose to expose myself in hopes that it would encourage even one person going through a similar time.
The thing that has surprised me the most is how many people have told me certain things I have written have touched them or encouraged them. I shouldn't be surprised because I have been encouraged by others in the same way. I'm surprised sometimes by how much I have in common with events from other peoples lives. I have had people comment on that about my blogs too, that they have been through the same thing or felt the same way or wanted to do the same thing that my family is doing or has done. It's when I am the most transparent about myself that what I say resonates the most with a reader. It's scary at times to be truly transparent and exposed. I run the risk of judgement or being misunderstood by someone who is only getting a small glimpse into my life. I think of that when I am reading other blogs, that I am just getting one snap shot and not read too much into that little piece of their life.
So fellow bloggers, keep up the good work! Your words have encouraged me, they have made me laugh. Your words have given me food for thought as well as ideas for actual food/menu plans. You have shared God's Word when I have needed it. You have given me fresh ideas and insight into my homeschool day. You have reminded me of all I have to be thankful for and blogging has given me a place to share that.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Outside My Comfort Zone
Now that the weather is getting colder and we actually have a bit of snow on the ground, I find all I want to do is stay in my nice cozy house. I'm actually a home body all year round but especially in the winter. The past few weeks have been busy ones for our family and I have had to leave my cocoon almost every evening. This weekend I was finally able to put on my comfy cloths and just hang out with no where to go - it was wonderful!
This morning the kids and I will be heading over to Heppner's Legacy, to the new store to help paint. Painting is not my favorite thing, probably because I have done quite a bit of it this year. I am excited to go because Nancy and Brad are such giving people, it makes me want to give back to them. Deep down I would much rather stay in my pajamas all day, turn the fireplace on and read a good book. Laziness is my flesh in full power. The other thing that draws me is being around people that I enjoy. It will be a fun day with lots of hands to get things done. That's probably what draws me to my own home too, the people I live with are some of my favorite people.
So yesterday I was thinking about how much I like to stay home and it hit me - WHY would I ever want to go to Africa when I can barely stand to leave my house? That is a very good question. One answer to that is that I want to go wherever God asks me to, even if it's uncomfortable. I want to be uncomfortable. I know that when I am outside of my cozy cocoon, I need God so much more and I'm so much more aware of all that He is doing around me and through me. The other part of going to Africa that makes it doable is the fact that my family is going with me. My physical house may be a comfort and a place of refuge for me but really it's the people in it that make it that. Ultimately God is my refuge and my strength and He promises to be with me wherever I go.
Psalm 91:1-2
"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare of the Lord;
He alone is my refuge,
my place of safety;
He is my God, and I am trusting Him."
This morning the kids and I will be heading over to Heppner's Legacy, to the new store to help paint. Painting is not my favorite thing, probably because I have done quite a bit of it this year. I am excited to go because Nancy and Brad are such giving people, it makes me want to give back to them. Deep down I would much rather stay in my pajamas all day, turn the fireplace on and read a good book. Laziness is my flesh in full power. The other thing that draws me is being around people that I enjoy. It will be a fun day with lots of hands to get things done. That's probably what draws me to my own home too, the people I live with are some of my favorite people.
So yesterday I was thinking about how much I like to stay home and it hit me - WHY would I ever want to go to Africa when I can barely stand to leave my house? That is a very good question. One answer to that is that I want to go wherever God asks me to, even if it's uncomfortable. I want to be uncomfortable. I know that when I am outside of my cozy cocoon, I need God so much more and I'm so much more aware of all that He is doing around me and through me. The other part of going to Africa that makes it doable is the fact that my family is going with me. My physical house may be a comfort and a place of refuge for me but really it's the people in it that make it that. Ultimately God is my refuge and my strength and He promises to be with me wherever I go.
Psalm 91:1-2
"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare of the Lord;
He alone is my refuge,
my place of safety;
He is my God, and I am trusting Him."
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