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:

Happy Weekend Time!

After a bit of a delay and another flight that almost cancelled we finally made it safely here to Albuquerque.  And now we have a few days of rest here with Tom's parents, Spencer, Nathan & Angelina.  What a blessing it is to be with family!

Enjoy your weekend...we sure will!!

there is always a silver lining...

When we left Belize yesterday it looked like this...

 

 

 

But when we arrived in Dallas it looked like this...
 

and by the time we landed it looked like this...
 

An announcement was made about delays due to the weather, however, we thought we would escape all of that because we had a three hour lay-over anyway.  Our connecting flight eventually ended up being cancelled and the airline began passing out cots, blankets and pillows...and offering half-priced hotels.  We joined in the long line to re-book our tickets for today and by the time we got to the counter at least 40 minutes had elapsed and we were told that all of the passengers ahead of us had been put on stand-by.  While we were being waited on three seats opened up...shocking the man who was helping us find a flight!  We are booked and have boarding passes for today and should leave for Albuquerque just before 1pm if all goes well.  

The silver lining in all of this...is spending time with my youngest brother Stephen and his family!  I called him from the airport and he drove out with Kalil to rescue us.  Kalil found us as we were searching for the exit to go out and meet them.  Angie spoiled us with a fabulous dinner which we eagerly devoured.  Jalen is home from university and Malik was also awake when we arrived...seeing everyone was truly a special treat!  We didn't think we would see them at all on this trip because we were not scheduled to spend time in Texas.   Thankfully, God had other plans!!

thought for today...word power

Are we speaking words that kill or words that give life?  

There are times when the wrong thing comes flying out of my mouth and I have no idea why I said that.  Or times when I question "did I just say that out loud?"  My choice is that my words would give life.  My prayer is that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart would be acceptable in His sight.  

If I have to choose between spewing poisonous life killing words

or

 the ripe fruit of sweet words wisely spoken...I choose the fruit.  

Not all of our choices are so cut and dried when we are in the middle of a chat.  Sometimes an ill worded joke or a gruff tone of voice can be conversation killers.  Even a scripture quoted to bring comfort or give instruction can be misconstrued if the timing is off.  So I need to choose wisely.  

May God guard my tongue...and prompt me to speak affirming life-giving words in His time.

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Adventure with the Divaz

Are you an adventurous person?  

I didn't think I was...but, I have watched tv shows like The Amazing Race and dreamed of participating in some of the things they were doing.  Well, I woke up on Saturday at six in the morning ready for an adventure.  A real adventure!  I went along with Anna and Andrea, the hosts of  the Divaz Next Door talk show, and four other moms to take part in a day of canoeing, rock climbing and zip lining courtesy of Cayo Adventure Tours and PlusTV.  I can't share every detail because there will be a tv show highlighting our adventure coming up in a few weeks and I don't want to give everything away.  

We all took a pledge in the van on the way to Barton Creek Cave that we would not back out of anything. So beginning with crossing this hammock bridge I participated in each event to best of my ability.  I just kept telling myself to not look down but straight ahead!

At first I was nervous about the cameras...I was mostly afraid of cussing while zip lining or freaking out in the cave while canoeing.  Fortunately, neither one of those things happened for me!  The cave at Barton Creek is listed among  9 of the most beautiful and unusual cave destinations in the world by Mother Nature Network, and was actually one of the highlights of my day. 

Canoeing inside the Mayan underworld was intriguing, fascinating, tranquil and yet thought-provoking.  I expected to feel trapped being underground but I didn't.  Instead I was in awe of the fingerprints of God I saw in the stalactites, stalagmites, and halagtites.  The unique shapes and designs that form naturally over hundreds of years were at times breath-taking.   

Looking up, around and down into the water...pausing now and then to breathe in deeply and exhale slowly with my eyes closed to fully take in the moment and be grateful for the entire experience.  I couldn't keep my eyes closed for too long because I didn't want to miss a moment of this opportunity.   Quartz shimmering like diamonds as the 1000 candle lightbulbs bathed the rocks with illumination.  Our tour guide from Cayo Adventure, Teddy, was highly knowledgeable and he deftly guided us through the water with his expertise and his stories.  

It was easy to see why the Mayans believed the gods lived in there...and why they chose to perform some acts of worship inside the caves.  The majestic formations have a cathedral-like feel and reveal the handiwork of God all along the way.  Here in Barton Creek the cave includes 10 ledges of known sacrifice sites and the skeletal remains of nearly 30 humans.  

After the cave we had lunch and then got ready to experience rock climbing...here I am all set to climb!

And then learning how to zip line...I would love to do the zip line again!  

If you ever have the chance to come to Belize make sure that you plan to spend some time with Cayo Adventure Tours...you will enjoy each minute of your time with them! (click here for their Facebook page)  They offer several different tour packages to choose from...I know our family will definitely be planning a trip.   

When you meet Mike and Maria, the owners, or Teddy, the tour guide, be sure to tell them Hi from me!! 

the gift of people...

Are you more grateful for the people who are in your life than the things you have acquired?  

Each day this past week was filled with people.  As an introvert that can get overwhelming for me...but this week it was energizing.  I am excited about relationships that are deepening and acquaintances that are turning into friends.  As we prepare to leave for a month long trip to the states on Wednesday God took time to remind us that there are people here that we will miss greatly.

We lost many material possessions in our move from Russia...but what we are gaining in relationships with people here in Belize is truly priceless.

And we accept each encounter with people that God has placed along our path as priceless treasure from His hands.

810.  praying with a woman in a village not far from here.
811.  holding her precious baby as we chatted.
812.  Maritza, who is patiently helping me to learn Spanish.
813.  rejoicing with a young mother over the work opportunities she has for the month of June.
814.  lunch with my friend Liz who had just returned from time in the states.
815.  feeling the love and support of the missionary community here.
816.  Eric bringing back a battery for Tom's computer.
817.  meeting the ladies on the Morality Matters team here working with CDF last week.
818.  counseling with a young mom who is growing in awareness about herself and her choices.
819.  meeting with Merv who will be staying in our house while we are away for the month.
820.  laughing with Charles, Ranika, Spencer and Meesha as we enjoyed dinner and games.
821.  long chats with Spencer and Meesha.
822.  dinner with the CDF board members and their families.

823.  meeting Shannon, Emrece, and Nerise on our Divaz Next Door adventure.

824.  Mike, Maria, Twila and Teddy from Cayo Adventure Tours who provided us with a day of canoeing, rock climbing and zip lining!
825.  time with Anna and Andrea the hosts of the talk show Divaz Next Door.

and precious gifts found in the Word:


826.  seeing God as the ultimate boundary setter  Psalm 74:17
827.  His desire to feed and satisfy His people Psalm 81:16
828.  His example of unlimited patience  I Timothy 1:16
829.  His eternal encouragement and good hope  II Thessalonians 2:16
830.  He faithfulness as He strengthens and protects us from the evil one  II Thessalonians 3:3

 joining in with the gratitude community:

Table for six...

Last night we had guests come over for dinner...Spencer and Meesha, along with Charles and Ranika.  To make things easy for myself I decided to make a big pot of soup.  Good plan.  Until the reality set in that we only owned three bowls that match.  I have plenty of plates but bowls kept getting broken for some reason.

 I  finally found these in Cardinals.  They were only $2.60 (USD) a bowl!

I set the table before everyone arrived. 

Garlic bread from Casa Pan Dulce.
I didn't eat any because it was not gluten free...but it sure smelled divine

The soup was very tasty and very filling!

My plan worked...we had a simple meal of soup, salad and garlic bread.  Everyone got filled up and the peals of laughter ringing throughout the night were awesome.    After dinner Meesha taught us to play Who, What, When, and Where. Then we topped off the night with ice cream for dessert.  I can hardly wait to do it all over again with the same crew!

A good Bible and more guns...

It was just a simple trip to the stationary store...or so we thought.  An older gentleman was there searching around for a book.  Not finding what he wanted he went to a clerk asking "where can I find a good bookstore in this town".  She flashed a smile at him saying "I would like to think that we are a good stationary and bookstore!  But, tell me, what are you looking for?"

"A Bible...a good Bible" he informed her.  Tom and I were both looking at her and were able to interject that there are two other places to find a Bible here in Belmopan, Covenant Bookstore, or the Art Box.  The Art Box has the largest selection.  He thanked us and then turned back to the clerk and let her know that he needed a Bible to use when he teaches the children at a local school.  

Glancing down at a newspaper on the counter he announced loudly "So they only shot the guy 14 times, eh?!"  The clerk acknowledged the tragedy and asked him what he thought the solution to all of the violence might be.  We thought we would hear something spiritual in his answer...since he had identified himself as someone who teaches from the Bible.   

"Guns," he said.  "guns are the solution.  If more people were licensed to carry weapons then people could fight back."  

She questioned him about whether or not the churches needed to be more involved in addressing the issue of violence.  He came back with more talk about how Texas has solved all of its crime problems by arming its citizens with guns.  When she tried to voice her opinion that more guns were not the best solution here to stop this problem he said "so you're one of them do-gooders that don't think people should be allowed to carry guns, eh?  Well, you still have to listen to me...".

After finishing his spiel about how guns are the answer to the violence that has happened recently he left the store in search of a good Bible.

Tom, the clerk, and I all just shook our heads in disbelief.   

At the top of my list of solutions would be to give the police vehicles instead of bicycles.  It is easy to commit a crime if you know the chances are slim of you getting caught.  We have heard stories of people committing a robbery and fleeing the scene on a bicycle.  By the time the police are called and they arrive on their bicycles of course the culprit is long gone. In Belize the latest statistics show a 1 in 10 conviction rate in murder cases.  Perhaps if there were a fully equipped crime lab with trained crime scene investigators then more criminals would be convicted and that might serve as a deterrent for future criminal acts. 

So if you are listening Mr. Bible Teacher...let's start with the simple solution of better equipping the police to fight and solve crimes.  Because arming more people with guns is hardly the best answer for Belize.    

thought for today...Why does God bother with us?

 

Isn't it amazing what God is capable of...the whole of creation... and the immensity of the universe He designed and yet...He cares for us.  He sent His Son to take our punishment.  His sacrificial love overwhelms me.

It makes me want to sing the old hymn 'How Great Thou Art':

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,

And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

I am so grateful for His care as He watches over us.  He planned the universe and He planned each one of us. What a magnificent thought...we matter to Him!

Be sure to take time to consider all that God has made AND the enormity of His love for us.

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Morality Matters...

CDF is sponsoring a two day seminar on Morality.  We have a team here from the U.S. that uses this curriculum in the schools in East Texas and they have come here to work in some of the schools this week and to train locals to use the materials.  We had a great turn out last night and are looking forward to finishing strong tonight!

The curriculum includes teaching about the physical and emotional changes during adolescence, development of the body, personal hygiene, menstruation, self-esteem and so much more.  It is practical, factual, and Biblical.

One of the passages shared last night by Diana Shaw, founder of CDF, is from The Message Bible and it is great food for thought and discussion regarding sexuality:

1Corinthians 6:9-20

9-11 Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I'm talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you've been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.

 12 Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims.

 13 You know the old saying, "First you eat to live, and then you live to eat"? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!

 14-15 God honored the Master's body by raising it from the grave. He'll treat yours with the same resurrection power. Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master's body. You wouldn't take the Master's body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not.

 16-20 There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "The two become one." Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never "become one." There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with another. Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

 The highlighted words are things that stand out for me...what stands out for you?

Keep this seminar in your prayers today...and pray that God would raise up volunteers here in Belize who would be willing to teach this material in schools across this country!

Global Day of Prayer and other gifts...

Yesterday was the Global Day of Prayer and Belize held several services all across the country.  We attended the service held in Belmopan.  The service began just after 5pm and ended just before 9pm.  People from various denominations came together in the spirit of unity to pray for Belize.  The Honorable Simeon Lopez, mayor of Belmopan, welcomed the crowd gathered and then local pastors led us in prayers covering various topics.

There was a time for repentance, praise, thanksgiving and intercession.  We prayed for families, government, education, churches, and so much more.  We sang, we cried, and we bonded as a community over our mutual concerns for the city of Belmopan, the district of Cayo and the nation of Belize.  It was a joy and a privilege for us to participate.  It was Pentecost Sunday and we truly felt the spirit moving among us as we banded together in prayer.  

 As I think on all that God allowed us to experience this past week all I can do is continue counting His precious gifts with gratitude.

786. a Christian mayor who joins in with the community to pray.  

787. joining in with the hundreds gathered in the University of Belize gym.

788.  knowing that we were also united with all of those watching the service throughout Belize on PlusTV.

789.  a worship team made up of people from a variety of denominations.

790.  seeing members from our church represented and being active in this event.

Johnny led one of the prayer sessions

Terry worked hard with set up and take down.  His wife Samantha sang with the worship team.

Gifts from Tom's counseling class:
791.  we finished the third session with 14 students...the first year of training is complete!
792.  knowing that future counselors are being raised up in several different communities here in Belize.
793.  rejoicing with those who have completed 18 weeks of sacrificing their Saturday mornings...many of whom have full time jobs and families.

794.  Tom's faithfulness in preparing lessons

795.  finishing this semester's final exam

796.  Celebrating with a meal when it was all over!

Gifts from the week:
797.  time spent with Meesha and Spencer.
798.  feeling so blessed to have Meesha stay with us before moving onto the YWAM base.
799.  hearing a woman that I have been working with tell me the truth about her relapse.
800.  having another woman from the same village ask for counseling.
801.  beginning to make some progress in Spanish class.
802.  experiencing a Catholic mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe for the first time.
803.  the beauty and sacredness of rituals

804.  new life springing up in our yard

Gifts from the Word:
805.  He is close to us in our sorrow  Psalm 34:18
806.  He saves us when our spirits are crushed  Psalm 34: 18
807.  No matter how many troubles we have...He delivers us  Psalm 34:19
808.  We will not be condemned is we take refuge in Him  Psalm 34:22
809.  He is the strength of my heart  Psalm 73:26

 joining in with the gratitude community:

3 things you can do to combat sex slavery

Watching the movie Nefarious: Merchant of Souls reduced me to a blubbering mess.  

It is not a feel good movie.  Not the kind where you sit with a bowl of popcorn, feet up on the couch, and kick back waiting to be entertained.  It is the kind that confronts you with the facts of modern day slavery.   Sex slavery to be specific.

This movie covers everything from initial recruitment to victim liberation.  I learned that trafficking is based on an exploitation of vulnerability.  I learned that in a place like Cambodia you can buy a beer for $4, a bunch of grapes for $5 and a girl for $3 and charge it all to your credit card.  I learned that even in a place where prostitution is legal there are still girls in brothels that have been sold into that lifestyle by their parents.

As we watched I was reminded that all around the world there are women and children being abused, neglected and exploited.   And they need our prayers.  They need advocates brave enough to intervene.  Education and money alone will not stop evil from advancing in this world.  

There is only one Power great enough to overcome evil...let us turn to Him!  

The goal of the Child Development Foundation, the organization we work with,  is to eradicate the commercial sexual exploitation of children here in Belize.  Each week we meet for prayer.  We pray over the different awareness programs we have scheduled, we pray for the counseling clients we see, we pray for the victims of abuse and exploitation, we pray for each other to have the strength and endurance to keep on working.  We pray for the funding we need to keep creating awareness throughout the country and the monies needed to build a safe house here in Belize.  This movie was hard for me to watch but it also showed me that CDF is on the right track in fighting this evil.     

And according to the movie there are some things each of us can do to help fight this battle:

Please join us in prayer for the victims,  pray about what you can do to promote awareness about this issue wherever you are, and pray about becoming a partner with us in this effort.

Beautiful Belizean Butterflies

thought for today...Rest is vital!

 

Are you weary or burdened?

There are so many burdens that threaten to overwhelm us.  So much pain and hurt is shared within the walls of our office.  The freedom to lay it all down and rest is priceless.  Tom is so much better at self care than I.

Like a two year old fighting sleep I struggle with rest.

Slowly, I am learning.  Investing time in the Word and in prayer lightens the load.  Recently I realized I was neglecting the vital to focus on the important.  I was doing more than I was being.  I was ignoring the invitation to rest.

May you rest in Him.  And with Him.  And on Him.

Rest is vital!



Do you choose the important over what is vital?

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