Repost from 2011 *Encouragement*

It has just been 'one of those days' today...

-homeschooling my five lovelies, even when they're not so lovely

-dealing with hurtful things that I can't understand

-beggars, vegetable vendors knocking at the street door every time I turn around, it seems

-finding it hard to hold the tears back while wiping the tiny tears that roll down my little, lovelies cheeks 

-trying to process things that are too complicated for my mind and I know I just need to give it to God - but that's really hard sometimes

 You know what I mean because you've had days like that, too, I know.  I remembered this posts that I posted in 2011 and went back and found it.  It was an encouragement to me today and might help you if you're having "one of those days".  (((hugs)))

In the Garden.... (sept 17,2011)

I visited the most amazing place yesterday! 

I know to most people, it won't seem like a very interesting place,
just flowers and green stuff, but to me
the garden is where God meets me.

 

 This week has been a long one.  

Sickies, short nights, long fussy days, 

drained, and completely spent.

 You really have to strain to see
past the jagged edges of nerves
to see the beauty that is right in front of you.

 

 The mind seems to play tricks on you

and focusing on any one thing seems impossible.

 Instead of being able to get something accomplished, 
the feeling of being in many different pieces
and going in all directions is most often the case.

 So yesterday, I was tired and my brain was less than crisp.  
We took a long trip (more later) and we stopped by this park
to let the kids burn some energy.  
When I saw the gardens, I asked Keith if I could go.  

He played with the kids on the playground - right beside the gardens
and I spent the next 30 min soaking HIM in.

This is what He showed me!

When I am all bent out of shape
and can't see which way is up, 

 He is right there waiting
to shower me with His love and peace.

When I am feeling uncertain, 
He is there to be my rock that cannot be shaken.

 When my spirit is drained, 
He is there to refreshen.

 When I am feeling overwhelmed, 
He is there to see through the ordinary, 
down into the heart where His beauty shines.

 When I feel like  I'm standing alone, 

 He is waiting to surround me with his presence.

 He is the giver of Life, 

 always reaching out to me, 

 to make my ordinary days brighter, 

 my fuzzy brain clearer.

 

 He's there when the times are good and calm,  

 and when I want to run and hide. 

 He wants to make my path straight.

 

I am unique! 

 Because of HIM, there is beauty! 

 I am Blessed!

 I am most CERTAINLY Blessed!!

 

And that THIS life that He gave me is a miracle!

 That is what He spoke to me in the garden!

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses.
And the melody that He gave to me
With in my heart is ringing.

And he walks with me
And he talks with me
And he tells me I am HIS own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.

~
I know I'm not usually this "transparent" on here, but I hope some of you Momma's out there can relate and find some encouragement through this. :)

Office Projects....

The administrator's office here is a "lovely" room with tall, concrete, gray-splatter painted walls, frosted windows, rusty filing cabinets, a big wooden desk and tile floor.   I think it's just cold and uninviting, so I told Keith that I was on a mission to help it out a bit. :) 

We have a great thrift store here in Jalapa that has things that I think are Goodwill throw-outs, but I have found some great things there, including several "darling" 16x20 canvases such as this one for about $1 or less.

I'm sure your face resembles Keith's face when I brought this treasure home and exclaimed, "Look at the canvas I found!"  His facial expression did not match my enthusiasm, but that's okay. :)  

I did some very elementary editing to some pictures I took.....meaning I added words to a picture. :) 

 On this picture, I used the blemish brush and took out the power lines and then added the verse.

Next, I'll paint the edges of the canvas black. 

Run down to the little photo shop on the corner and ask the kind man to print me out two 16x20's.

Then run back home and modpodge the whole canvas.  

Finally, I'll put my picture on top of the modpodged canvas and then modpodge the whole thing again, creating a perfectly lovely, canvased print for Keith's office.  

Would you like to see the finished product when it's done?   I have done several of these before and love how they turn out.  It adds so much character to the room, I think. :) 

A Christmas Blessing...

Thank you for all the comments on the last post - YAY! I'm so happy you're still here with me. :) 

This is in our January newsletter, but I love it so much I wanted to put it in our blog, too. :)  Which reminds me, if you don't receive our monthly newsletter and would like to, just let me know.

Several weeks before Christmas we had a family meeting and talked about what we wanted to do for Christmas as a family.  All the kids had things to say and suggestions for what we could do.  It was decided by everyone that since we already have all we need and grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends had blessed us with so many presents to put under our tree already this year, we decided would give Christmas to a family here that couldn't have Christmas.

The kids started praying that night for Jesus to bring us the family He wanted us to bless for Christmas.  A few weeks later, Keith was walking by one of the workers, Elias, that was working on the roof of the school and Keith waved at him. Elias did not respond in any way or even acknowledge Keith's wave.

Keith was a bit confused because normally Elias is always very friendly when Keith has talked to him so it was strange when he did not respond at all to the wave.   Later Keith asked Eddy, our maintenance man that is in charge of the workers for the roof project, and Eddy said that Elias was blind.  "He sees with his hands"  Eddy went on to tell Keith that Elias was one of the best workers he had working on the roof project and works very hard, he just couldn't see more than a couple of inches in front of his eyes.  Eddy said he is the best brick layer you ever saw......

Later that evening Keith was telling us about Elias and Jeren (7) shouted out, "That's it!  He's the one we're supposed to give Christmas to.  Let's get him glasses!" All the kids were so excited!

The next week, Keith explained to Elias that we wanted to help him get glasses. I'm not sure he understood it all, but he went with Keith to the eye doctor and Keith texted me this picture and asked me to pray for Elias.  He told Keith he had never been to an eye doctor and was scared. He kept asking Keith what the doctor would do to his eyes..... 

He survived the eye exam and then had to wait two weeks for his glasses.  Jeren was beside himself with excitement and it seemed the two weeks would NEVER get here for that little guy. 

The day finally came and Keith went to the eye doctor and asked if his friends glasses were in and they were.  Keith called Elias to his office to give him his glasses so he wouldn't be embarrassed in front of all the other workers.

First Keith had him read his prescription paper and Elias held the paper right off the end of his nose to read the letters and even at that, he could barely make the letters out.

Then Keith gave him the glasses.....

Keith held the same paper up by his shoulder and Elias looked at the paper through his glasses.   Do you see that smile across his face?  He could read the words clearly!!

 He needed a  -12 prescription on his glasses for those of you that know about prescriptions.

 When he left Keith's office he asked what he needed to pay and Keith said, "Nothing. This is a gift to you"  The smile was a mile wide!

I don't think he's stopped smiling.....

I'm not sure who got the biggest blessing this Christmas, him or our family!  The kids still haven't stopped talking about Elias and his glasses and every time we see Elias, the smile is even bigger than before.

How many of us complain about the hard things we have in life - (hand raised), but his man was blind, only able to see to the tip of his nose and yet he was one of the hardest workers that was hired to pour a new roof and lay blocks for the school here in Jalapa!  There are 12 workers total and Eddy says that Elias has been the hardest worker yet and lays blocks to perfection.

This is *not* a "brag on our family" post, this is a "giving God all the glory" post for the many, many blessings that we have. The blessing of being here and being able to help Elias and being reminded once again that it is truly more blessed to GIVE than to receive.

Making time for something I love.....

This was a sunset while we were living in Antigua for language school.  It's one of my favorites.

I'm creeping into my blog space coughing and sputtering around from all the dust and cobwebs in here. :) I had to smile because my last post was July 31 and it was titled "goals". My thoughts in that post was that I had missed my blog, missed putting thoughts down in writing and my "goal" was to start that again.........

What happened?  I could say that life happened and that's true, I do have a very busy life, but the fact is that I didn't make that a priority in my life.  The bottom line is, I really do enjoy blogging and it's a good outlet for me. I like Facebook for the fast response (especially to prayer requests) and the huge help it has been to our ministry here, but for putting my thoughts down, or sharing special things that happens in our family, I much prefer blogging. :)  So I'm going to try, with God's help, to make time for it regularly.

Here's to a new start on our little blog.  If you still read our blog, I'd love to hear from you...just a "hey, I'm here" ;)  I started this blog just over 9 years ago for our family because we lived far away (I thought it was far then..., but look at us now).

See you soon.......

Goals.....

We have just come through *the* hardest week of our missionary life to date! God was with us and helped us, but I hope not to repeat it. :)  I know I can't share the details here, but I sure wish I could...not to share the ugliness, but to share God's awesome presence and faithfulness to us.

So I'm thinking on to August and thinking it's a fresh month, brand new with new promises. I love fresh starts.  I'm glad God gives me fresh starts when I'm weighted down with so many things and stumble around under the load.

I have things that are scheduled for August (who doesn't) but I'm hoping to be *proactive* instead of *reactive*.  There are things that I've said for 2 years now..."Yep, I need to do that....someday" Anyone else with me?

I'd like to work on a couple of those things on that list during the month of August.

Anyone want to join me on setting a couple of goals for August? :)

Lord willing, one of my goals will be more pictures on here. ;)  Like my little visitor that comes to my flowers every day.

Until next time........

Graduations 2016

 Today was a beautiful day!!! Jeren and Ashlyn finished up their Kindergarten work and this evening we had a graduation ceremony for them. :)   I know that it might seem silly to some because we "only homeschool" and it's "just our family" but I wanted it to be something they will remember forever - graduating from Kindergarten and we had fun making it happen!   We found some caps and gowns in some of the drawers at the school and they were a perfect fit. :)  Jeren and Ashlyn could hardly wait to put them on and admired them every chance they got before they could wear them.

Finally the time came to put them on.....eeeeks!  They were nervous.

Jeren was so excited to be "graduating" and I was so happy for him that he was so excited!

My two babies growing way too fast!

Ashlyn Hope - 5 years old!

Jeren Kyle - 6 years old.

We skyped Grandma and Papa and the other Grandpa, so they got to be part of the graduation ceremony.   So thankful for technology!

Keith gave a little welcoming speech and the graduates were supposed to slowly walk in.....

But, no! They came skipping into the living room! :)

Kristyn prayed a beautiful little prayer over them asking God to bless their lives for His glory!

Owen and Megan led us in the pledges...

Ashlyn was so concerned about Jeren's tassel.   :)

Grandma gave a little speech and told how proud of them she was and for their hard work over the last 3 weeks that she has been their teacher.

Ugh - that tassel!!

Then they got ready to give their little speeches and songs...

They said the ABC song and Jesus Loves Me!

Keith gave a devotional about keeping what they've learned in their hearts and using it to serve Jesus better!

I got to hand out the diplomas!

So proud of my baby Ashlyn!!

Jeren was SO excited!!!

I love his hugs that squeeze me to death!

So proud of my Jeren-Man!

Turning their tassels!

The graduates and their teachers!

YAY!!!

Let the party begin!

I'm so thankful my mom was able to come down for 3 weeks to help us with homeschooling.  We did not do any schooling for the 8 weeks we were in language school, so we were a bit behind. Mom taught Jeren and Ashlyn for the last three weeks and I taught the bigger kids and we were able to get 1 1/2 months worth of work done in just these 3 weeks!  So thankful for God's help and strength!!!

Thanks for stopping by to check on us........