Two are better than one...

We've used Skype or Facetime, or Google+ as the tools to keep in touch with Nathan and Spencer no matter where they are in the world.  Yesterday morning when my cellphone rang and I saw Spencer's name in the display... an actual international long distance phone call from India to Belize...I knew exactly what he was calling to tell me!!  It meant so much that they took the time to tell us personally and I am so grateful for that.  

It was not easy to wait until they made their public announcement.  I was ready to tell the world after hanging up the phone. This morning it was a thrill to wake up and see it officially on Facebook!  I took some screen shots so that I could always remember the joy of this day.

Meesha is the woman I have prayed for since the day Spencer was born.  They are such a great couple, we see so clearly how God brought them together, and how they were made for each other.  Three years ago Spencer arrived in Kona, Hawaii from Krasnodar, Russia.  Several months later Meesha came to Kona from Pune, India.  Both of them are biracial, and bi-cultural, and both of them are children of missionaries.  Their story is such a sweet one and their friendship is real and beautiful.

We are so blessed to be adding a daughter to our family...blessed indeed by her grace, her smile, her love of life, and her passion for God.  Her love for our son warms our hearts and we see how she completes him and fills him with peace.

We can say of him that he has found a good woman.

We can say of her that her worth is far above rubies.

And we can say of them that:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor;

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

And though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.

Their relationship truly is a cord of three strands that will not quickly be broken!

tasty tuesday

Avocados and peppers

Yesterday I went over to meet with a friend and when I got there her husband told me that I could not leave without taking home some food.  They called the avocados "pears" and showed me their huge "pear" tree in the yard.  Then I was told not to use the pepper seeds but to take them outside and just sprinkle them around my yard and make sure that I water them.  

When I got home I made guacamole with one of the avocados that was ripe.  I can hardly wait until the rest of them are ready.  I have six huge ones.  I will also need to make a pepper sauce or use the peppers in salsa or something so that nothing they passed on to me goes to waste.  

Each time I try to bless this family they turn it around and bless me.  And I am awed by their generosity.

every good and perfect gift...

source

Every good and perfect gift comes to us directly from Him...sometimes we fail to recognize them.  Yesterday as Pastor Dan was speaking he reminded us that it was God's grace that provided the big fish to swallow Jonah when he was thrown off of the boat and into the sea to die.  

God's grace is a good and perfect gift for each of us.  

It is so easy to focus on the struggle we are currently going through that we lose sight of the grace that God provides to help us overcome. I had a choice about my review of last week...either focus on the pain that I was in from a fibromyalgia flare, or focus on the fact that this recent flare did not cause me to be bed-ridden for almost a year like one I had in 2004.  Or I could focus on the blessings that come our way no matter how small and insignificant they may be.  


Most days I choose gratitude.  


And I will confess that it is not an automatic response for me even though I have been practicing this attitude for over two years. I still work at finding the good in life each day because the reality check it brings to me is worth it. 


So I continue to count the 1000 (and beyond)  good and perfect gifts from Him...


946.  Spencer, Meesha, Dylan, Bev, and Demarice coming to church with us.
947.  their laughter filling the house as we ate lunch together.
948.  planning a meal for four and turning it into a meal for seven.
949.  readings from One Day At A Time in Al Anon
950.  our new screen doors
951.  our new dryer


952.  hearing testimonies at church

953.  attending an Anti-Trafficking training session put on by the International Organization for Migration 

954.  watching the Olympics in English...for the last Olympic games we were in Russia.
955.  our lunch with Diana from CDF
956.  avocados from Patty and Max
957.  hugs from little ones at church
958.  reading some of Nathan's stories


959.  reading our friend  Carrie's new book

 


960.  seeing Demarice play with one of my Barbie dolls.


961.  hearing Gabby Douglas say in her interview on NBC that she meditated on scripture to stay focused during the qualifying round of the gymnastics competition at the Olympics last night.

962.  the YouVersion Bible app on my Galaxay Tablet.
963.  feeling more at home in our house here in Belize each day.
964.  one more week of free cleaning from Happy Maids.
965.  not being bedridden by pain.
966.  knowing that being gluten free is truly making a difference in how I feel.
967.  God's gracious care and protection over us each day.

joining in with the gratitude community:

a frog, a dryer, and new screen doors...

A year and a half ago we were living in a rental home the first time we encountered a frog in our home.  Last night it happen again.  We were watching TV when Tom glanced down and noticed a frog looking back at him.  He grabbed a broom and a dust pan to herd the high hopping critter out the back door.  We are not sure where he came in from but we do know that he was not invited in by either one of us!

Maybe some of you remember that I blogged about our seven years without a dryer back in January...

I don't have to daydream about soft, lint free towels anymore.  Our season of exclusively using the outdoor clothesline and the indoor drying rack came to an end this week.  We received a very generous donation that allowed us to finally purchase a dryer.  It is such a simple thing...and yet such a huge blessing.  And perfect timing since we are in the thick of the rainy season right now!

On the same day that the dryer was delivered.  Terry and his guys from EnterChange Workshop delivered the screen doors they made for us.  Now we can open up the front and side doors to cool down the house.    

So we had a surprise guest and some incredible blessings...just another week in the jungle!

one person at a time and other gifts...

We had an emergency appointment this past week.  Someone who was in desperate need of support after suffering through a horrendous ordeal.  Hearing this new woman's story made us both realize that we can do something to make a difference.  And not only us...everyone can...one person at a time.

My gratitude overflows as I reflect on the events of the week...

926.  a gracious donor gifting us with the funds to purchase a dryer!
927.  the generosity and faithfulness of our supporters.
928.  bold orange flowers spotted while out driving.
929.  gluten free cereal and crackers at the USave grocery store in Belize City.
930.  our quiet neighborhood.
931.  a lunch for two that stretches into lunch for five and having leftovers afterward.
932.  a hot cup of tea on a rainy afternoon.
933.  chatting with friends and family online.
934.  having a friend tell us that we feel like family.
935.  leading the women's Bible study.
936.  being with the women again after being away for five weeks.
937.  celebrating Meesha's 21st birthday.
938.  enjoying the movies and dinner out.
939.  free books from Amazon.com.  
940.  singing worship songs at church.
941.  quiet Sunday afternoons.
942.  finally unpacking my suitcase.
943.  hugs and smiles from little ones at church.
944.  feeling at home here in Belize.
945.  God's loving hands guiding us and protecting us each day.

 joining in with the gratitude community:

the precious gift of family...

The older I get the more I appreciate the value of family.  Not just our little family of four but our extended family.  My brothers, Tom's sisters and brother.  Our parents and the legacy of long lasting marriages, faith, and steadfastness they handed down to us.  Family that prays prays for you and sticks by your side.  Family that goes through stuff and comes out stronger than before.  Family that answers calls in the night when you need help.  Family that listens and comforts when needed.  Family that laughs and rejoices together.

Family...truly one of life's greatest treasures!  

831.  unexpected time with Steve, Angie, Jalen, Malik, Kalil and Kaysha!
832.  celebrating Tom's parents 50th anniversary!
833.  going to see The Avengers with Nathan and Spencer.
834.  hugging Nathan for the first time in over a year.
835.  reading over family history with Norm and Phyllis (aka Mom and Dad).
836.  family dinner time and all the laughter that goes with it.

837. family photos from Chris to replace some of those lost in our move from Russia to Belize

838.  seeing Les Mis together!

839.  Spencer finding treasure in the boxes stored here in New Mexico.

840.  a cookie jar of my own filled with gluten free cookies baked by Mom!

841.  rediscovering treasures stored away seven years ago before moving to Russia.

842.  reminiscing about Christmases long ago...

 

843.  cherishing the memories of sons as children.

844.  grateful to have strong relationships with them both now that they are grown men.

845.  pondering the blessings that flow from Mom and Dad and the family that they created 50 years ago.

846.  reading Dad's memoir.

847.  looking at old photos.

848.  treasuring all of these memories, new and old, deep within my heart!  

 joining in with the gratitude community:

thought for today...a birthday verse

Have you ever been given a verse for your birthday?  

One of the precious gifts that I received yesterday was Zephaniah 3:17.  What a treasure!  Just like the priceless young woman who gave it to me.  She wrote that she was praying these words over my life.  And I am blown away by her thoughtfulness.  Her message went on to say:

"Praying you feel his celebration and delight over your life more and more."

This present arrived the night before my birthday.  A gift from a country eleven and a half hours ahead of the time here in Belize.  I fell asleep contemplating this verse and awoke to the melodic sounds of much needed rain.  God's singing was refreshing the dry earth and bringing with it a cooler temperature.  Such a joy after the long hot days of the dry season that we have endured over the past few months.  

I don't think that I am the only one who needs to feel celebrated and delighted over by Him.  I think many of us need that.  Just as she blessed me...I want to bless you.  Isn't God's word powerful enough to bless and feed us all?  It reaches out to where we are, touching our hearts, and filling our souls.  His word is the spiritual DNA that transforms us to the core.  If we give it room inside of us to do its work....it will rejuvenate us and make us fit for Him. 

May you feel His celebration and delight over you more and more. 

May He quiet your mind with His love 

so that you can hear even the faintest notes of His glorious singing over you!

linking up with:

What is your brain made of?

Source

  

Did you know all of this about water?  

I sure didn't.  

Tom and have always been water drinkers.  We don't keep soda, or even juice in the house and we only buy them for special occasions.  Depending on where you live and how active you are the amount of water you need to drink to avoid dehydration varies.  Most days we each drink two liters of water.  On really hot and humid days Tom might drink up to four liters of water and I drink three.  When we first got here we bought bottled water to drink and to cook with.  

After experimenting with a few different water filtration pitchers we settled on the Brita pitcher we have now.  But, when the time came to buy a new replacement filter...they were no where to be found.  Our friends saved the day for us and donated enough filters to last an entire year.  Water filters may not be the most expensive gift we have ever received but they most certainly are valuable to the quality of our lives.  Especially in light of how important water is to the proper functioning of our bodies.

So what do you drink the most?

What is your brain made of?!

Happy New Year!!

Reflections above the clouds...

I just returned from my time in Texas with my youngest brother and his family.  I am so grateful that I was able to be there.  I even met up with a few highschool friends for lunch one day and had a little 30 year reunion.  I was able to spend some time with my parents who came down from Kansas. I was able to hug on and chat with two of my oldest brother's sons who were there as well.

On the plane ride home I realized how tired I am.  But, I also realized how blessed I am.  We were just devastated when we found out we had to leave Russia.  But, if we had stayed in Russia and not come to Belize I would not have been able to make it my nephew's graduation.  I would not have been there to support Stephen as his oldest child reached this milestone.  I would have missed out on all the joy of the celebration and a chance to bond with the family.

There are sacrifices involved with being a missionary.  And they are not all about giving up the comforts of home in the US.  Many of the sacrifices are related to the loved ones left behind.  I created this blog six years ago to allow our family and friends a glimpse into our daily lives.  It functions well for that.  But it doesn't allow us to be present with all of them.  We have missed births, weddings, funerals, and so many other life changing moments with our family and friends. It is so hard to miss out.  Honestly, it sucks.

The blessing in all of this is that Tom told me to fully enjoy each moment and be present while with my family. And I did that.  I took joy in each and every second, in each and every happening or event, no matter how small.  From painting the center pieces to mopping the kitchen floor.  I treasured each moment because I was able to be there.  I didn't have to miss out that time.  And I am so grateful.

My prayer for anyone reading this is that you would truly take the time to enjoy what is going on around you with those you love.  Don't let the stress of life cause you to miss out on the joy of life with those who are important to you.  Don't let the time slip away and leave you with regrets.

Be one that can say I am so grateful that I _________ and not one that has to say I wish I would have__________.

Promise me.  If you do this, you too will be blessed.