Knit Souls

Every year in February, my best friends from my years at the U of A get together for girls' weekend. Though I don't see these girls much more than this annual trip, it is so fun that we can always pick back up right where we left off. It's so much fun to have friends like that...the ones that you don't have to explain everything to...they just understand you. It reminds me somewhat of the friendship between David and Jonathan, "As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul" (I Samuel 18:1). That's what we are...knit souls, or "bosom friends" as Anne of Green Gables calls them. I so enjoyed my time hosting these ladies this year and am already looking forward to Girls' Weekend 2010!

Fishers of Men

I received this picture from a friend in India who was visiting the seaside. How staggeringly it brings home Matthew 4:19-20: "And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.' Immediately they left their nets and followed him."

Like a Storm Against a Wall

Four baby funerals in one day just seems like too much. It's been a pretty rough couple of weeks at work, culminating today with four funerals of children less than 2 years old. All of them were very traumatic and pretty unexpected. One got hung in the mini-blinds at home and was strangled to death. The other was playing with his mom in his hospital bed one minute and then pouring blood out of his mouth and nose the next. Another was finally starting to get well and had a seizure. Another had just come in for a clinic visit earlier that day and been fine, and went home and died later that day. Forgive the vivid descriptions, but it's difficult to explain just how really horrific and tragic they were without knowing the circumstances.

It's really rough times like these that I have to remind myself of God's sovereignty and that all His plans are for His glory and our good. As Isaiah reminds us, His plans are from of old, and they are faithful and sure.

"O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name,for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure...For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, like heat in a dry place...He will swallow up death forever;and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation." (from Isaiah 25)

I'm so thankful that during these times that seem as though I'm being beaten down with a storm against a wall, that I can trust in the Lord whose plans are faithful and sure. He makes no mistakes, and all that He does is good. So, I encourage you whether you've watched 4 babies die this week or gone through some other difficulty, rest in Him. He is our shelter from the storm. May we wait for His rescue that is coming when He will swallow up death forever and wipe away all tears. Let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation, for this world is not our home. This life is just a camping trip...we are seeking the city that is to come (Hebrews 13:14). May we live with that in mind.

Meet Callie!

A girl that I work with was giving away lab puppies, and I picked Callie up on Sunday night. She is the runt of her litter but very playful and rambunctious. Though she still whines a little when I put her outside, she had adjusted really well. Callie is very active and loves to pounce on all of her toys and always be underfoot. She loves to chew on fingers and toes too...a habit which I am trying to break! She's so sweet...right now she's asleep on my foot, exhausted from romping around the back yard. It's so fun to have her!

House photos...finally!

Hello, all! I have no idea if anyone even checks this blog anymore...I haven't been very faithful to posting lately. Between the busyness of work , getting my house in some sort of working order, and preparing to teach a girls' discipleship group, my schedule has been more than full! But, I'm happy to report that I finally have a few photos of my new house. It's not totally together yet, but you can at least get an idea of what it looks like! It's such a blessing to be back in a house...so quiet and much more suited to my night-time schedule! I can vacuum at 3AM if I want to now...it's great! Enjoy the pictures...I'll try to be more faithful to regular posting in the weeks to come!

Guess that's enough for now...more to come later!

I bought a house!

Well, after a long and arduous search, I signed papers on my first house today! I don't know that it's really been able to sink in yet, but I'm excited! Here's a little peek at the front...I'll post more pictures later!

Decisions, Decisions

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." It's been decision time for both me and the P's. I've been praying over returning there, starting grad school this Fall, buying a house, and what my ministry here should look like. The P's have been deciding about staying where they are doing what they are doing or taking another route for ministry at this time.

I'm so pleased and grateful to say that decisions are being made on both fronts. I've decided to wait a year or two before starting back to school, and the P's have decided that D will start a 3-year seminary in south India before returning to their home. While vastly different implications are hinged on these decisions, the Lord's will is being made beautiful in His time through both of them.

I'd been wondering and praying through why the Lord would allow me so much time and a burden for that area yet seem to say that now is not the time to return there. And here is the answer! Had I decided to return there at this time, the P's would not be there, which would mean that likely I would not be able to be there without them. I'm so thankful to the Lord that He is sovereign and gives us the desires of our heart even before we know why we have those desires!

So for those of you have been praying for me and the P's, thank you, thank you, thank you, and keep praying! Though decisions are being made, there are still many unknowns and opportunities to walk in faith. Pray for both me and the P's that the Lord will provide a house of His choosing even across oceans. Pray for decisions we know still need to be made and those we don't even know about yet. May we have hearts of wisdom that desire to glorify God above all.