“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thanksgiving Hosted: Check!
We had an AWESOME 4-day weekend. Although I was sad to see it end on Sunday night, it was sufficiently long, restful and family-filled...we LOVED it!
A while ago we realized that this Thanksgiving was going to be different. Traditions have been morphing a bit on both sides of the family, and we were very excited to realize that this was going to be our first Thanksgiving celebration in Iowa with our own family (not the extended). YAY!
As we were planning the menu in my mom's kitchen (note: they're still building their house, so this planning happened in the unfinished basement where they're living), we realized that they don't have a dishwasher. Hmmm...for Thanksgiving? No thanks! Therefore, I offered to host...in a house that we hadn't yet moved into...without a dining room table. Yeah, good idea!
It turned out to be the perfect motivator, and in a very busy and short 3 weeks, Chris and I were able to get most of our boxes unpacked, the house settled, and the living room/dining room area painted. It was really exhausting, but it's DONE!
All that to say, we had an AWESOME Thanksgiving. The menu included...
1. Turkey (my first one - aided by mom of course! - and it turned out quite wonderfully!)
Everything was made from scratch, and everything ended up tasting wonderfully. After we set the table, we all said it felt like we were in a Norman Rockwell picture. :)
And the best part - Chris "carved the turkey"! It was pretty fun...he got really into it, and almost forgot to eat!
A while ago we realized that this Thanksgiving was going to be different. Traditions have been morphing a bit on both sides of the family, and we were very excited to realize that this was going to be our first Thanksgiving celebration in Iowa with our own family (not the extended). YAY!
As we were planning the menu in my mom's kitchen (note: they're still building their house, so this planning happened in the unfinished basement where they're living), we realized that they don't have a dishwasher. Hmmm...for Thanksgiving? No thanks! Therefore, I offered to host...in a house that we hadn't yet moved into...without a dining room table. Yeah, good idea!
It turned out to be the perfect motivator, and in a very busy and short 3 weeks, Chris and I were able to get most of our boxes unpacked, the house settled, and the living room/dining room area painted. It was really exhausting, but it's DONE!
All that to say, we had an AWESOME Thanksgiving. The menu included...
1. Turkey (my first one - aided by mom of course! - and it turned out quite wonderfully!)
2. Apple, Bacon, and Sage Stuffing
3. Green Bean Casserole
4. Corn Casserole
5. Mashed Potatoes
6. Cranberries
7. Apple Pie
8. Butternut Squash Pie
Everything was made from scratch, and everything ended up tasting wonderfully. After we set the table, we all said it felt like we were in a Norman Rockwell picture. :)
(notice the cell phone in mom's hand - we're talking to Matthew in Chile right now!
Amy was there too, she's just taking the picture.)
And the best part - Chris "carved the turkey"! It was pretty fun...he got really into it, and almost forgot to eat!
In the end, we were all really tired.
It was a LOVELY day, and I felt very thankful to be with a family that I love so much. :)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
SCL is in the books!!!
So - there's been a possibility of visiting my brother in Chile for a while, but I honestly thought it just wasn't going to happen. That is, until this morning when Chris said "YES, YOU SHOULD GO!!!" Wahoo!
SCL (Santiago, Chile!) - here I come!
Friday, November 26, 2010
How Now Shall We Live?
Tonight we got to spend the evening with my dear friend Katie and her husband Eli...and it was just what I needed. I love when you have friends that choose to be family...and for me, that person is Katie. Katie just "gets me", and I was reminded of how much and why I love her tonight.
We had a GREAT time. They took the house tour (which is still coming, I promise!), visited about life in general, went to Wal-Mart for some strawberry daiquiri's, and then just TALKED - for a long, long time. It was especially fun to see Chris and Eli's personalities join the mix, as we talked about family issues, personal feelings, our walks with the Lord, what Eli's learning about in his master's program, how Katie's doing at her job, and what Chris and I are going through as we transition and change. And, I NEEDED it.
To be honest, I've been in a funk. I like school, I've liked getting our house settled, I've been reading up on how to cook the best Thanksgiving Turkey - but I just feel confused, lifeless, down, blah. Tonight we talked about lots of things, and then Katie asked about our transition/culture shock - and I spilled it all.
The beauty about being with friends that you consider family is that you are 100% comfortable with them. I said exactly what I was feeling without thinking about how I "should" be feeling. And, as God so often does with beautiful heart friends, He shared something profound with me through Katie and Eli.
Tonight I re-read this paragraph that I wrote while we were in Hong Kong visiting my cousins...
While in Hong Kong, we also got to go to two church services with Jason and Christine. They both talked about God's heart for the world, and proposed that we must ALL have that same heart in if we desire to truly know Him. The pastor asked us to carefully consider whether or not we were willing to go to the world (financially, short-term missions, long-term missions, prayerfully, etc.), and if we were, to hold our hands out in offering. After considering how God could call us (after all, we're already in India...what more could we be called to?!), Chris and I both held out our hands in "willing" surrender.
The DAY AFTER that service we were faced with the possibility of staying long-term in India, and had a long, grueling struggle with the Lord that ended in us saying "yes", and then everything falling through at the last minute. Six months later we're back in the U.S. feeling confused, frustrated and lost.
Tonight we verbalized how hard that was for us. We had gotten to the point where we really wanted to stay - we wanted God to ask "everything" of us and we were ready to give it - but suddenly we were back in the U.S. And then Eli said it - THAT'S why. We wanted that to be our "sacrifice" - which suddenly makes it not much of a sacrifice. If I'm totally honest, the real sacrifice is to be here.
I LOVED India. I loved the differences, the new culture, the people, the language, the monkeys, the climate, everything. I loved being independent, figuring out how to function in new surroundings, being the minority. It was uncomfortable and challenging, and God's voice was clear. "Lord, how do I show your love?" "Simple! Love the Hindu helper in your building, give the homeless family food on your way past, befriend the Muslim tailor that sews your curtains."
In the U.S. things are comfortable. It's easy to become materialistic, to be complacent, to fall back into the routines that fill up our schedules and keep us from being effective. And when you're comfortable, God's voice becomes quieter...harder to hear...less distinct.
Honestly, it was easier to to live a God-influenced life in India. And yet, our own country is pleading for the true Savior. The U.S. is worshiping self-indulgence, tolerance, food, materialism, schedules, entertainment. When the "competition" takes the form of monkeys or blue men with dreadlocks, it's easy to identify them as false gods. When they come in wrapped packages with a 50% off sign - enter shades of gray.
And so - I'm realizing that for now THIS is the country that God is calling us to. THIS is the nation that God wants us in. THIS is my biggest sacrifice. Every day my heart longs to be overseas, where the needs are physical and obvious, where the gods are ugly and made of stone. However, THIS is the country that needs us right now.
So, here we are. And all I can ask is, "How Now Shall We Live?" Here lies my struggle...and I will wait, Lord, for Your answer.
We had a GREAT time. They took the house tour (which is still coming, I promise!), visited about life in general, went to Wal-Mart for some strawberry daiquiri's, and then just TALKED - for a long, long time. It was especially fun to see Chris and Eli's personalities join the mix, as we talked about family issues, personal feelings, our walks with the Lord, what Eli's learning about in his master's program, how Katie's doing at her job, and what Chris and I are going through as we transition and change. And, I NEEDED it.
To be honest, I've been in a funk. I like school, I've liked getting our house settled, I've been reading up on how to cook the best Thanksgiving Turkey - but I just feel confused, lifeless, down, blah. Tonight we talked about lots of things, and then Katie asked about our transition/culture shock - and I spilled it all.
The beauty about being with friends that you consider family is that you are 100% comfortable with them. I said exactly what I was feeling without thinking about how I "should" be feeling. And, as God so often does with beautiful heart friends, He shared something profound with me through Katie and Eli.
Tonight I re-read this paragraph that I wrote while we were in Hong Kong visiting my cousins...
While in Hong Kong, we also got to go to two church services with Jason and Christine. They both talked about God's heart for the world, and proposed that we must ALL have that same heart in if we desire to truly know Him. The pastor asked us to carefully consider whether or not we were willing to go to the world (financially, short-term missions, long-term missions, prayerfully, etc.), and if we were, to hold our hands out in offering. After considering how God could call us (after all, we're already in India...what more could we be called to?!), Chris and I both held out our hands in "willing" surrender.
The DAY AFTER that service we were faced with the possibility of staying long-term in India, and had a long, grueling struggle with the Lord that ended in us saying "yes", and then everything falling through at the last minute. Six months later we're back in the U.S. feeling confused, frustrated and lost.
Tonight we verbalized how hard that was for us. We had gotten to the point where we really wanted to stay - we wanted God to ask "everything" of us and we were ready to give it - but suddenly we were back in the U.S. And then Eli said it - THAT'S why. We wanted that to be our "sacrifice" - which suddenly makes it not much of a sacrifice. If I'm totally honest, the real sacrifice is to be here.
I LOVED India. I loved the differences, the new culture, the people, the language, the monkeys, the climate, everything. I loved being independent, figuring out how to function in new surroundings, being the minority. It was uncomfortable and challenging, and God's voice was clear. "Lord, how do I show your love?" "Simple! Love the Hindu helper in your building, give the homeless family food on your way past, befriend the Muslim tailor that sews your curtains."
In the U.S. things are comfortable. It's easy to become materialistic, to be complacent, to fall back into the routines that fill up our schedules and keep us from being effective. And when you're comfortable, God's voice becomes quieter...harder to hear...less distinct.
Honestly, it was easier to to live a God-influenced life in India. And yet, our own country is pleading for the true Savior. The U.S. is worshiping self-indulgence, tolerance, food, materialism, schedules, entertainment. When the "competition" takes the form of monkeys or blue men with dreadlocks, it's easy to identify them as false gods. When they come in wrapped packages with a 50% off sign - enter shades of gray.
And so - I'm realizing that for now THIS is the country that God is calling us to. THIS is the nation that God wants us in. THIS is my biggest sacrifice. Every day my heart longs to be overseas, where the needs are physical and obvious, where the gods are ugly and made of stone. However, THIS is the country that needs us right now.
So, here we are. And all I can ask is, "How Now Shall We Live?" Here lies my struggle...and I will wait, Lord, for Your answer.
_________________________________________________
Things about the U.S. that are NOT a struggle for my heart :)
1. Hosting Thanksgiving for my family - and having a BEAUTIFUL day together, complete with sweet food, group naps, and lots of laughs.
2. Going wedding dress shopping with my baby sister.
3. Being able to "drop by" my parent's house after I'm done with work.
4. Calling Rachel and being able to spontaneous meet up in Ankeny for supper.
5. Seeing dear friends when they're home for the holidays.
For the love of iGoogle...and other things.
Totally random, but I LOVE iGoogle.
For those of you that don't know, iGoogle is a way of organizing your "interests" into a homepage that fits you. So, for example, I have my e-mail, facebook, a to-do list, the weather, the time/date, BBC top stories, CNN top stories, and a Bible Verse of the Day. You can also create your own "custom" look...I have one for my school e-mail that has bright colored music notes. SWEET!
I think you can set up your own iGoogle page at www.google.com/ig - OR, just google "igoogle", and it'll come up. :)
On a totally unrelated note, here's an article that REALLY got me thinking/praying for the muslim world, and the Christians that are facing persecution in the midst of it. We NEED to be praying for the persecuted church, and we so often forget how blessed we are to live in a country where freedom of religion is a right.
And last but not least, you REALLY need to check out this video about Jonah and the Whale. :) My papa showed it to us today - it's kind of long, but TOTALLY worth watching. This girl is so young...really impressive!
For those of you that don't know, iGoogle is a way of organizing your "interests" into a homepage that fits you. So, for example, I have my e-mail, facebook, a to-do list, the weather, the time/date, BBC top stories, CNN top stories, and a Bible Verse of the Day. You can also create your own "custom" look...I have one for my school e-mail that has bright colored music notes. SWEET!
I think you can set up your own iGoogle page at www.google.com/ig - OR, just google "igoogle", and it'll come up. :)
__________________________________________________________
On a totally unrelated note, here's an article that REALLY got me thinking/praying for the muslim world, and the Christians that are facing persecution in the midst of it. We NEED to be praying for the persecuted church, and we so often forget how blessed we are to live in a country where freedom of religion is a right.
__________________________________________________________
And last but not least, you REALLY need to check out this video about Jonah and the Whale. :) My papa showed it to us today - it's kind of long, but TOTALLY worth watching. This girl is so young...really impressive!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Feeling very thankful...
In the spirit of Thanksgiving - and in the general spirit of thankfulness, I'm feeling especially thankful for our country today, as I read these two articles. Despite our country being very secular at present, it was founded on Christian values - and those values still shine through in our freedoms.
Christian Areas Targeted in Baghdad Bombings
China Jails Tainted Milk Activist
I've been thinking a LOT about our country during the recent elections, and am glad to see that when needed, Americans still know how to stand up for our rights. :)
Christian Areas Targeted in Baghdad Bombings
China Jails Tainted Milk Activist
I've been thinking a LOT about our country during the recent elections, and am glad to see that when needed, Americans still know how to stand up for our rights. :)
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