Today was a great day!
Actually, this whole weekend was great. We finally had our family Christmas, and it was wonderful. I LOVE having everyone together, and it was also the first time that Matt was at our family Christmas! It's so fun to have a growing family, and especially fun that we're all here together. :)
First event to report - Matthew's home from Chile! He got home Thursday morning, and by Thursday afternoon he and mom were in my music room, playing xylophones and woodblocks with the first graders. It was SO much fun to have them there, and I'm realizing how much I've missed just having him around. We haven't "lived life" together for 6 years....I'm so glad he's back for a while!
Second event - Family Christmas! We went over on Friday night, had our Christmas with "Iowa Aunty" Cindy Shearer, then played games all night, and laughed Stellmaker-style. :) For those of you that haven't experienced this Stellmaker event, I'm talking roll-on-the-ground, can-hardly-breathe, make-fools-of-yourself laughter. Can't get much better! "Santa" came Saturday morning, then we hung out, played with the dogs, flew Chris' model airplane, opened presents, and watched movies. GREAT TIME!
Third event - Church this morning was crazy cool. We ended up going to the early service in Story City with my family, and then the second service at Cornerstone...and both sermons focused on living your life with the end in mind. My favorite quote of the day: "What would your 'dash' say?" He was talking about the dash on headstones in a cemetery - every life is summed up with a dash between being born and breathing your last breath...and if your dash could talk, what would it say? Chris and I are both going through a little quarter-life crisis as we're refocusing our lives and passions, and working to align our dreams with what GOD has for us instead of what OUR dreams are. Today was such a neat confirmation to keep searching!
Fourth event - also about church. :) Last week at church we randomly sat next to a man named Tim. It ended up that he was on staff at Cornerstone, and had just gotten back from a mission trip to India the day before, where he had taught the book of Titus to 40 rural-India pastors. Today, the sermon started with them playing a video about the trip, and as he spoke about his trip, he talked about how Cornerstone is beginning to "ramp up our efforts to minister to India". Ah, okay God. We get it.
He talked about how awkward the trip had been at times, how they didn't understand the culture, how it was difficult to navigate the systems...and I got PUMPED. No matter how many times you go on short-term missions to India, you'll never quite "get the hang of it." It's a HARD country to figure out! And - Chris and I know how. :) We know the culture, we know how to dress and what foods to eat, how to get a taxi and how much money things should cost. And suddenly my mind was whirling to leading short-term mission groups, trips to the Landour language school, making long-term connections with Indian orphanages...maybe this is why we're home.
AND - we made a connection with a family that went through the foster care process a couple of years ago, has adopted through them, and has lived overseas. Hmmm...coincidence?! I think not!
Fifth event - Today we went to this sweet furniture sale for the friends of family of this rich business man in the area...a lot of the great stuff had already been bought by his family, but we did make two great purchases!
We got a...baby crib! I know it's a little silly (since we're not pregnant OR even trying yet!), but it was such a great deal! We saved about $300 on what it would have cost new...isn't it cute?!
And, we got dining room chairs! I would have liked if there were a few more, but now I can find some other fun fabric chairs that contrast. :) Cheap and DEFINITELY an upgrade from the black folding chairs!
It was especially neat to find these sales after the messages at church today. We need to be willing to "give what you have to the poor and follow Christ." I thought about which things in our house would be hard for me to 'give up', and the only things that came to mind were our nice leather couches and our T.V. - the things we've bought new! While I'll be working to give these things up in my heart, I also want to work at being a bargain shopper. I never want to be ruled by stuff, and it feels SO freeing to know that even though these were great purchases, I could give them away tomorrow and never look back. :)
Actually, this whole weekend was great. We finally had our family Christmas, and it was wonderful. I LOVE having everyone together, and it was also the first time that Matt was at our family Christmas! It's so fun to have a growing family, and especially fun that we're all here together. :)
First event to report - Matthew's home from Chile! He got home Thursday morning, and by Thursday afternoon he and mom were in my music room, playing xylophones and woodblocks with the first graders. It was SO much fun to have them there, and I'm realizing how much I've missed just having him around. We haven't "lived life" together for 6 years....I'm so glad he's back for a while!
Second event - Family Christmas! We went over on Friday night, had our Christmas with "Iowa Aunty" Cindy Shearer, then played games all night, and laughed Stellmaker-style. :) For those of you that haven't experienced this Stellmaker event, I'm talking roll-on-the-ground, can-hardly-breathe, make-fools-of-yourself laughter. Can't get much better! "Santa" came Saturday morning, then we hung out, played with the dogs, flew Chris' model airplane, opened presents, and watched movies. GREAT TIME!
Third event - Church this morning was crazy cool. We ended up going to the early service in Story City with my family, and then the second service at Cornerstone...and both sermons focused on living your life with the end in mind. My favorite quote of the day: "What would your 'dash' say?" He was talking about the dash on headstones in a cemetery - every life is summed up with a dash between being born and breathing your last breath...and if your dash could talk, what would it say? Chris and I are both going through a little quarter-life crisis as we're refocusing our lives and passions, and working to align our dreams with what GOD has for us instead of what OUR dreams are. Today was such a neat confirmation to keep searching!
Fourth event - also about church. :) Last week at church we randomly sat next to a man named Tim. It ended up that he was on staff at Cornerstone, and had just gotten back from a mission trip to India the day before, where he had taught the book of Titus to 40 rural-India pastors. Today, the sermon started with them playing a video about the trip, and as he spoke about his trip, he talked about how Cornerstone is beginning to "ramp up our efforts to minister to India". Ah, okay God. We get it.
He talked about how awkward the trip had been at times, how they didn't understand the culture, how it was difficult to navigate the systems...and I got PUMPED. No matter how many times you go on short-term missions to India, you'll never quite "get the hang of it." It's a HARD country to figure out! And - Chris and I know how. :) We know the culture, we know how to dress and what foods to eat, how to get a taxi and how much money things should cost. And suddenly my mind was whirling to leading short-term mission groups, trips to the Landour language school, making long-term connections with Indian orphanages...maybe this is why we're home.
AND - we made a connection with a family that went through the foster care process a couple of years ago, has adopted through them, and has lived overseas. Hmmm...coincidence?! I think not!
Fifth event - Today we went to this sweet furniture sale for the friends of family of this rich business man in the area...a lot of the great stuff had already been bought by his family, but we did make two great purchases!
We got a...baby crib! I know it's a little silly (since we're not pregnant OR even trying yet!), but it was such a great deal! We saved about $300 on what it would have cost new...isn't it cute?!
And, we got dining room chairs! I would have liked if there were a few more, but now I can find some other fun fabric chairs that contrast. :) Cheap and DEFINITELY an upgrade from the black folding chairs!
It was especially neat to find these sales after the messages at church today. We need to be willing to "give what you have to the poor and follow Christ." I thought about which things in our house would be hard for me to 'give up', and the only things that came to mind were our nice leather couches and our T.V. - the things we've bought new! While I'll be working to give these things up in my heart, I also want to work at being a bargain shopper. I never want to be ruled by stuff, and it feels SO freeing to know that even though these were great purchases, I could give them away tomorrow and never look back. :)
