A Transformed Woman

Christmas Awakening

2010-12-13T00:56:00.000-08:00

When I was a young girl, the only sight that stood equal with the lit Christmas tree and the mounds of presents beneath it, was the barren city streets that I passed on the way to my Grandmother’s house each Christmas morning. I don’t know why those vacant parking lots, darkened storefronts, and empty sidewalks fascinated me; I guess in my young mind, I associated that barrenness with the idea that everyone was at home celebrating Christmas. I believed if that’s what life was like in a small Texas town, then certainly it must be that way for the rest of the world, right?

Many years later, in a foreign land, I discovered that wasn’t always the case.

The year our family relocated to China was an exciting one. By December we had acclimated to our surroundings and anticipated the arrival of the holiday season. We were anxious to rekindle our family traditions of trimming the tree, reading Christmas stories each night, and celebrating Advent together. For us, living in China and remembering our Savior’s birth was no different than what we did in the United States; we were simply in a different place. I assumed everyone else in China was doing the same. I was wrong.

At first I didn’t catch the signs that things were not as they should be. Difficulty in locating Christmas wrapping paper, the inability to find a turkey for Christmas lunch, and having my husband take a vacation day on the 25^th did not send any signals to my brain that Christmas in Land of the Dragon would not be the same. The flashy, bright lights and extravagant Christmas tree decorations in front of the malls lured shoppers into the stores just as they did back home, so why should I think anything would be different? But as we marked off the days on the calendar, I noticed that the locals were not giddy with excitement, nor were they preparing for Christmas like the rest of the foreigners. For them, Christmas was just another day.

The reality of it all finally sunk in as we drove to a friend’s house for Christmas lunch. Traffic on the streets was as loud and congested as every other day of the year, the sidewalks were lined with people rushing about, and the workers continued sweeping up leaves and collecting trash with the same business-as-usual attitude. Seeing that truth in person, I understood that the entire world did not observe Christmas. And with that newfound knowledge, my naïve, childhood memories were shattered.

Living in a land where Christianity is neither prevalent nor encouraged, I should have known better. I was baffled, but more than anything I was saddened by the truth of it. Millions of people were missing out on the greatest gift ever given to mankind. It was a day of rejoicing, a cause for celebration! Yet here they were, oblivious to the importance or significance of the day. But they were not the first to miss out on this all-important occasion.

Reflecting on the Christmas story found in Scripture I discovered that the day Christ was born, not everyone was celebrating then either. In fact, the book of Luke says that when the shepherds arrived in Bethlehem they found only Joseph, Mary, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. No one else was around to commemorate that joyous occasion. No one else stopped what they were doing to observe the Savior’s birth. However, once the shepherds had seen Jesus they “spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” (Luke 2:17-18). It wasn’t until word got around did people become excited. Just as it was two thousand years ago, the same holds true in China today. Once the Word becomes known here and spread throughout the land, then there will be cause for celebration in December.

Every Christmas I spent in China was another sad reminder that there are still millions of people who don’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Although that truth evaded my mind when I arrived, that first Christmas awakened me to the reality of it and as a result, my heart will never be the same. I don’t know how long it will take, but I pray that there will be a day when my childhood memories of deserted city streets on Christmas morning will find fulfillment in China. Then my heart will rejoice because I will know that everyone there is at home celebrating the Savior.

Three little words

2010-09-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

Lately my life has been ruled by 3 little words: I have to

As in….

I have to go to the store.

I have to do the laundry.

I have to clean the house.

I have to prepare for Bible study.

I have to have a quiet time.

When I am told I have to do something, two things generally happen:

1. Like a 2 year old, I rear back my head and refuse to do what I am told. My rebellious spirit springs forth and I don’t do anything, or

2. My type A personality takes over and I become obsessed with all the things I have to do and feel pressured to complete them all and complete them perfectly.

Neither option is healthy or productive.

I know that everyone has to do things in this world. It’s a part of life. I just don’t think I should feel forced or pressured to do things that are necessary. I desire a heart that does these things, not because I have to, but because I want to, because the joy of doing them makes it all worthwhile.

Yes, I know it’s all about my perspective. Rather than saying I have to, I should probably view it as a privilege that I have a family and am able to take care of them, that I can study a Bible without fear or condemnation, and that I have a God who wants to commune with me. I’m able to, I get to. I understand that.

But if our mouths speak from the overflow from our hearts (Matthew 12:34) and that’s not how my heart feels, then wouldn’t I just be speaking words for the sake of saying them? Where’s the good in that?

I have pondered this for several days and have yet to come to any conclusion. Am I being selfish? Am I ungrateful or discontent? What will make the difference?

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions? I’d love to hear what you think.

For now I’m off….I have to be somewhere. Lord, help me!

Looking at the unknown

2010-09-13T07:12:00.001-07:00

As I begin what is likely my last year in Germany, I am constantly asked the same question, "Where will you go next?"

I wish I could carry a tape recorder with me all the time so that when I'm asked that question for what seems like the millionth time, I can simply smile and push the play button where a pre-recorded message says, "I do not know!"

It's not that I'm trying to be rude, but the truth is I don't know - and it scares me. Where will I be in 10 months? Will I be back in the States? in another country? What does God have planned for us? When will He reveal it?

It's the all-familiar tale of the unknown. Your unknown may not look like mine, but in some form or fashion, we all face one. And it's in the NOT KNOWING that causes us to worry, stress, question, and wonder. But what if we could tread that unknown path without all that trouble? Others have, and so can we.

In Genesis 12:1, God instructs Abraham (Abram at the time) to, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household, and go to the land I will show you." Notice that God didn't tell Abraham the place where he was going, how long it would take to get there, or what would be waiting for him when he arrived. No, God just told him to go.

I don't know about you, but at that point I would have been asking A LOT of questions. I would have been packing up and mumbling under my breath. I would have stopped at the threshold of my front door and paused.

Not Abraham.

As he walked into the unknown, Abraham did 3 things that we can learn from when we too walk a similar journey:

1. Abraham obeyed. He did not ask questions, he did not hesitate. He simply gathered up his family, his possessions, and his servants and headed out (Gen 12:5). How could he do that so easily? Hebrews 11:8 tells us he did it by faith. And that is what God is asking of us when we tread an unlit path -- have faith. Faith in His character, faith in His promises, faith in His loving kindness towards us, faith that He knows what is best. Abraham understood that obedience follows on the heels of faith. Do we?

2. Abraham remained a stranger in a foreign land. This may sound odd as a principle, but it is one that we need to seriously take to heart. Although Abraham made his home in a strange land, he lived like a stranger (Heb. 11:9). As a citizen of heaven, he did not live as a member of the world's ways, but stayed true to God and to who he was. Many times when the path is not clear to us, we may be tempted to compromise or to do things that may quicken our journey. No matter what, we must stay the course that God has planned for us. It may not always be easy to do, but if we can withstand the world and it's offerings, nor yield to its corrupt ways, then our path will be much more pleasant and can even impact those who are around us. Peter understood this and penned this encouragement, "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your souls. Live such good lives among the pagans that, thought they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1 Peter 2:11-12).

3. Abraham remembered the things God had already done for him. It may seem that God had first called out to Abraham in Genesis 12 while Abraham was living in Haran, but Scripture shows us that God had spoken to Abraham about leaving much earlier. In Acts 7:2, we learn that God appeared to Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and told him to go to the promised land. So what does that matter? It means that Abraham had already started trusting God the minute he left Ur, and since he had seen all that God had done to get him from Ur to Haran, then he knew he could trust God to get him from Haran to the unknown. When it seems like we're on a path that's uncertain, we need to remember the things God has done for us before so that we can walk with confidence even if we can't see the step ahead. Reflecting on all the ways that God has delivered us, helped us, or provided for us in the past encourages our heart and helps us to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Perhaps you are like me and are facing the unknown. It can be a scary journey or a faith-filled one. We can follow Abraham's example of obedience, integrity, and trust or we can have our hearts troubled at every turn of the road.

We may not know where our paths may lead, but we can know how we are to travel on it. Travel well.

Umleitung

2010-08-12T03:35:00.000-07:00

This bright golden sign is plastered all over Oberursel, the German village where I live:

The reason for all the Umleitungs, which is German for detour, is a total make-over of the main street of our town. Oberursel has been selected as the "City of the Day 2011" for our province, and next summer over 1 million people will converge on this 40,000 resident city to celebrate German-style.

So for the last year they have been working on this one main street, repaving, adding bike lanes and new light fixtures, and sprucing up the medians with flowers and trees. Needless to say, it's lovely now and will be awesome once it's completely finished.

But as I drove down the overcrowded, patchy, and bumpy street towards my house, I couldn't help but wonder why they didn't take the money and fix more than just ONE street. I know they wanted to fix the street that everyone would see the most, the one that would be most traveled on, but what about everything else?

If you stop to think about it, aren't we the same way with our own lives? When we want to work on those "problem areas" of our lives and hearts, we tend to choose the ones that are the most obvious to others, the ones that will garner the most attention after they're corrected and the least painful to repair. But what about the side streets and alleyways of our heart? Why do we leave them unattended? They may not be the parts of our lives that everyone sees, but they are equally, if not more, important than we realize.

I think we have the most difficulty with these parts of our hearts because: 1) we don't see them as problematic, and thus, we don't think they need correcting, or 2) we don't want to make the effort because it will probably include some pain, some trust, and some willingness to let go - all of which scares us!

The problem is God doesn't want to leave us partly resurfaced, He wants to fully restore us so that we can live the lives Jesus died for us to have (John 10:10). That means completely opening ourselves to Him and allowing Him and trusting Him to work on and in us as only He can.

I know firsthand how hard it is to allow God into the inmost places of our hearts and lives that need work. There are still some areas that I have placed a No Trespassing sign; areas that I'm not ready to rip open and freely hand over. But I know I need to. I know I have to. Because until I do, I won't be fully free.

Is there something in your heart or life that you've kept from God? A back road that runs deep within that you've kept from Him, hoping that it would fix itself or never require repairs? It's an ideal dream, but one that will never come to pass. Either we allow God to deal with it and move forward, or we let it sit, untouched, and stay stuck in our lives.

We can easily impress the world with our surface level repairs and seem as though we have it all together, packaged neatly with a bow on top. Or we can let go and let God do a work in us that will allow us to have the rich, meaningful life that can be ours in Christ.

The choice is ours.

Principles to live by: More Truths for Organized living

2010-07-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

In my final segment of Truths for an Organized Life, I want to share with you 2 principles that, if followed, can help you have the organized life you want.

Principle 1: Give thought to your ways

Have you ever made a hasty decision, only to regret it later? That happened to me all the time until I came across this passage of Scripture:

"The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil." (Proverbs 15:28)

I learned that I needed to weigh my answers when requests or demands came my way. That meant telling others, "Can I get back with you on this?" rather than saying, "Sure I can!". By giving myself the time to pray about the situation and see if it was something I should be doing, to discuss it with my family to see if it was feasible for us, and to check my schedule to make sure there weren't any conflicting interests, then I could have peace about the answer I needed to give, whether positive or negative.

By applying this principle to my life I was no longer doing things I didn't want to be doing, nor was I doing things out of obligation. Instead, I was choosing to do things because I had thought it through and had confidence that I should be doing it!

If you find yourself rushing into activities and commitments, only later to find yourself dreading the thought of participating in them, I want to encourage you to take the step to "give thought to your ways" (Prov. 14:8). Maybe you need to mull it over for a day or two, talk about it with others whom you trust, or do some research or future planning. Unless this is a dire situation, taking the time to consider your options will not bring impending doom. Rather it will keep you from missing the way you are supposed to go (Prov. 19:2), from poverty of time, spirit, and resources (Prov. 21:5), and from foolishness (Prov. 29:20)!

Principle 2: Learn to Delegate

I am a control freak. I have a warped belief that if something needs to be done, I am the only person who can do it and do it right. I carried that belief with me until I was burned out and exhausted and the reality that I was not Wonder Woman sunk in. No matter how much I tried or wanted to, I couldn't do it all -- I required help. With that knowledge, I learned I needed to delegate.

At first relinquishing control was not easy. What if I delegated a task and it wasn't completed to my liking, or in the manner in which I would have done it? Would it still be acceptable?

As usual, Scripture answered all my questions. Tucked away in Exodus 18, I found the importance and necessity of delegating to others. Let me summarize it for you:

Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, observed the work Moses was doing for the nation of Israel (roughly a million or so people). When Jethro saw all that Moses was responsible for he told him, "What you are doing is not good. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone" (vv. 17-18). Then Jethro gave Moses some instructions, "Teach the men the decrees...show them the way to live...select trustworthy and capable men...and have them serve..." (vv.20-22).

If you and I are to delegate by Jethro's wisdom then we need to:

recognize that doing it all on our own is not in our best interests,
teach others what to do,
show them how to do it,
trust their abilities,
let them do it!

When we do this, then delegating becomes easier and everyone benefits! Jethro knew this as well. He told Moses, "That will make your load lighter, because they will share the load with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied" (vv. 22-23). Hmmm...lighter loads, less strain, satisfaction? Why wouldn't you want to delegate??

I truly believe that to have an organized life, these 2 principles must be a central part of our lives. I don't think we'd find the guidance we have in Scripture concerning them if that wasn't true. They may not always be easy principles to implement, but once we develop the habit of them in our lives, we'll see that life is more fulfilling. And isn't that what you and I want?

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, "Rules are not necessarily sacred, principles are." I hope you will choose today to make these 2 principles sacred in your journey towards organized living.

It is also my prayer that you have been encouraged and inspired by my posts, Truths for Organized Living. Having an organized life is not an easy journey and I hope that you will not grow weary in doing good, but know that in the end it will reap a harvest if you do not give up (Galatians 6:9). God wants this for your life and so do I!

Planning - More truths for Organized Living

2010-06-21T04:59:00.001-07:00

I love weddings, don't you?

Maybe it's the romantic in me, but I think they are one of the best celebrations in a person's life. I also love the fact that they are usually well-orchestrated events. Yes there are some exceptions, but if you think about it most weddings happen without any problems. Why? Because someone spent months planning a 20-minute ceremony!

Regardless of how much time you put into a wedding, preparation is necessary. Without the proper plans, the groom wouldn't know when to enter, the attendants wouldn't know their order of procession, and the ring-bearer and flower-girl wouldn't know where to stand when they were finished walking down the aisle. Not to mention that the flowers would be at the wrong church, the cake would be in the hallway instead of the reception area, and people would be throwing rice instead of bird seed when the bride and groom left (gasp!). If everything is to go right on that very special day, planning is essential!

Why then, do we not take the time to plan the rest of the days of our lives? Granted, every day may not be as special as a wedding day, but the mere fact that we are given a new day seems pretty special to me. So why not take the time to plan out those special days, commonly known as life?

Benefits of planning

For most people, the idea of planning seems rigid and structured, taking away the fun and spontaneity of life. But if more people understood the benefits of planning their days, weeks, and months, then they would see that there is actually more freedom and time for the good things in life.

Although there are numerous benefits to planning and preparation, I want to focus on three:

1. We reflect God's character when we take the time to plan.

If you've been following my Truth for Organized Living blog series, then perhaps you will remember one of my earlier posts when I wrote: "if God is ________, then we are to be as well." I left the blank because you could put anything about God's character in there and the statement would hold true. In this case, we might say, "if God is a planner, then we are to be as well."

What? God a planner? Yes! He is the Master Planner. Scripture tells us that:

His plans stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart last through all generations (Psalm 33:11),
He knows the plans He has for us (Jer 29:11),
what He plans, He will do (Isa 46:11),
He has called us according to His purposes (Rom 8:28),
His purposes prevail (Prov 19:21),
He has prepared good works in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10)

There can be no doubt that God is a planner. He made plans before the creation of the world and He has a plan that will take care of the end of it as well. And God is not just any planner; He is a detailed planner! Read through Genesis 6:11-22 and Exodus 25-31 and you will see that God gave very specific and detailed plans for His children to follow.

God is our example, our inspiration, and our help. When we follow His lead and take the time to plan out our days, then we are reflecting the character of God to the world.

2. Taking the time to plan and prepare enables us to better handle the unexpected.

No matter how hard we try to control events and situations in our lives, unexpected urgencies find a way to surface. Rather than be overwhelmed by these urgencies we can act upon them, rather than react to them because we have confidence in ourselves, our plans, and in our ability to control the expected. By planning our days, we know that we are ready for whatever comes our way, can make changes when emergencies occur, and can laugh at the days to come (Prov. 31:25).

A great biblical example of this can be found in Matthew 25:1-13. In this parable 10 virgins were waiting for the bridegroom to come. Five of them were wise and five of them were foolish. The foolish ones brought their lamps, but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones also brought their lamps, as well as jars of oil to refill them. Since the bridegroom was a long time coming, they fell asleep waiting. When a cry rang out that the bridegroom had finally arrived, the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones had no oil to replenish their lamps and asked the wise ones for some of theirs. The wise ones didn't have enough to share, so the foolish virgins had to leave and go buy some more oil. While they were out, the bridegroom came and took those who were waiting on him to the wedding banquet and shut the door to those who were not present. The foolish virgins returned begging to get in to the festivities, but they were turned away.

No one likes to be caught off guard or blindsided by an emergency, but it can happen to any of us at any time. However, if we are wise, our preparation can help us handle those emergencies with a proactive attitude and a positive outlook rather than leave us scrambling to manage our affairs.

In addition, mismanagement of our time and efforts can cause us to miss out on some of life's greatest opportunities. As someone once said, "It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared." *

3. Profit or poverty?

From beginning to end, the Bible exemplifies the truth, "you reap what you sow". If you take the time to plan you will profit. If you are careless with your time you will suffer. Proverbs 21:5 verifies this:

"The plans of the diligent lead to profit, as surely as haste leads to poverty."

When we have the wisdom to plan ahead, we are more prosperous with our time, money, and other valuable resources that we might have otherwise wasted away because of carelessness or neglect. If we don't take the time or forethought to plan out our days, we give up more than we would like and miss out on opportunities for things we truly enjoy.

Which would you and I rather have - profit or poverty? The choice is ours alone.

Planning. For some it's a dirty word, for others it leads to life. Without it, though, you can't have an organized life.

I pray that you will allow these 3 benefits to motivate you to a lifelong habit of planning, so that you can have all that life has to offer. As Paul told the Ephesians, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity..." (Eph 5:15). With wise planning we can make the most of every day, so that no matter what happens, each one of them is special.

* quote by Whitney M. Young, Jr., American social reformer

Are you busy? More truths for an Organized Life

2010-06-13T10:10:00.001-07:00

Are you busy? So am I. But then again, who isn't these days?

Since we've uncovered the obvious - that we're all busy- a better question would be: why?

I thought about that the other day as I was recounting ALL the things I had to do, ALL the places I had to go, and ALL the demands that were required of me, and this is the conclusion I came to:

Because
U
Said
Yes

I laughed when the acronym popped into my head (via the Holy Spirit, no doubt), but after the humor wore off, I realized the truth in it. My life was busy because I chose to say "yes" to too many things. Maybe you can relate.

If you're like me, saying yes oftentimes comes quickly without thought or prayer. It's not bad that we say yes, but we have to realize that it's not always the answer we're supposed to give. The problem lies in the fact that we don't always give thought to what it is exactly we are supposed to do. We don't recognize that when we say "yes" to something, it means that we're saying "no" to something else. Why is that?

I think that the answer to that question is simple: we don't live by our priorities because we don't know what they are. When you and I don't have a clear understanding of how we are supposed to live, then we give whim to every opportunity that presents itself, and therefore become BUSY. It doesn't have to be that way though.

Because we are all different people with different situations, in different seasons of life it's impossible for me to say what your priorities should be or assume that they will be the same as mine. Only you can know what your priorities are, just as I can only know what mine should be. However, regardless of where we are in life the Bible tells us clearly what our first and utmost priority should be:

"But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33

Once we put first things first, then everything else we have to do, to be, or to fulfill will be added to our lives accordingly. When we live by God's Word, then we can rest content, untouched by trouble (Proverbs 19:23). That means, we won't be so BUSY!

I want you to be encouraged that we can fit everything that needs to be in our lives when we keep it in proper perspective. I think Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People said it best, "Just think how different our lives can be when we really know what is deeply important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day around what really matters most."

Are you ready to do that?

More lessons learned

2010-05-31T04:24:00.000-07:00

For the past six weeks, track and field season has consumed our lives. With both of our girls participating this spring, life has been a non-stop turnstile of practices, uniforms, spikes and track meets. Throw in an ankle injury and it's been more like a revolving circus!

But as I've watched athletes run, jump, and throw, I've learned a few truths that can help me, and hopefully you, cross the finish line in our own seasons of life:

It takes effort and discipline to accomplish your goals.
Don't settle for anything less than the best - God's best!
Don't look back - it only slows you down and lets your opponent take back hard-fought ground from you!
It's the little things that make the difference; those little things that mean the difference between winning and losing.
Even if you have gifts, abilities, and talent, you still have to keep working and pushing yourself - raw talent alone won't bring victory!
You have to BELIEVE.
Wise counsel and guidance is essential, BUT you have to be willing to heed that wisdom or else you'll keep making the same mistakes and not reach your goal.
Don't compare yourself to everyone else, it only distracts you - focus on what you can do!
You must have mental focus because "as a man a thinks in his hearts, so he is" (Proverbs 23:7).

Track season is over for this year and it's been a great one for both my girls -- they learned a lot and even won a few medals! As for me, I may not have run a dash, leaped through the air, or jumped over a hurdle, but I was a winner too -- I learned some great lessons that will help me run and finish the race God has purposed for me to win. I'm hoping you'll be encouraged to win yours too!

Truths for Organized Living Continued

2010-04-30T05:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been awhile, but I'm back to blogging on organized living! You can click here if you want to read the last post I wrote on organization, a long, long time ago....

Now, let's move on!

"You can't get to where you need to be until you know who you are" - Pastor Andy Stanley

Last time I talked about the importance of understanding our personality type so we can have more organized lives. Why? Because as Andy Stanley's quote points out, knowing who we are helps us to get where we want and need to be.

Were you able to determine your personality type? I quickly and easily figured out that I belong to the melancholy group -- I'm a perfectionist (help!), highly organized, and highly emotional! Having this insight about myself has helped me as I strive to live the life God has called me to, and it can help you too. Knowing our personality and the strengths and weaknesses of it can help us evaluate where we are and show us the direction we need to take. We can use this knowledge to honestly ask ourselves the hard questions concerning our disorganized lives:

What specific traits of my personality keep me from being organized?
How could I use my personality strengths to help me organize my life better?

These may be hard questions to ask, but they are questions I've had to ask myself. In the process I've discovered a few things.

Despite the fact that I love organization and have a personality that leans to it, I still have disorganized tendencies. One of my biggest issues I'm currently dealing with is meeting deadlines (you may not think that is an "organizational issue", but read any book about the topic and you'll find that making goals and meeting them is important to an organized life). My problem is that I tend to overload myself with a long list of activities that, inevitably, I can't complete on time or at all. I've had to search myself and ask why this is a particular struggle for me. After thinking about it I came to the conclusion that my type of personality has a tendency to overdo things and expect more of myself. As a result I take on more than I can possibly handle. When reality sinks in, I get overwhelmed and can't meet the deadlines that are required of me. So what's a girl to do?

By knowing myself, I've been able to assess the situation and make changes accordingly. Rather than make a long list of things I want to accomplish by the end of the month (like read 6 books, blog 3x a week, scrapbook a page a day, exercise 3 hours a week -- just to name of a few of the goals I made in February, seriously), I've learned to scale back and try not to be so overzealous. Now, I'm hoping to just read 2 books a month, exercise 2 hours a week and post once a week. The overly ambitious part of me hates this scaled down agenda, but the reality of my life and my personality requires that. Plus, the peace that I've had not worrying about time-restraints and trying to do too much, outweighs it all.

Does this make sense? I hope so! Let me give you one more example of understanding our personalities in an effort to organize ourselves:

My daughter, who shall remain nameless, is not quite like me when it comes to personality or a love for organization. Her biggest issues are keeping her room clean and putting away her laundry. I find myself nagging her all the time about being more organized, especially on mornings when we were scouring through the laundry basket looking for a clean PE uniform. Frustrated, I decided to think about her personality, her strengths and weaknesses, and how I could use them to help her become more organized. I realized that she cannot handle it when "things" when are piled up too high -- it overwhelms her and she just can't function. Her personality does better when she breaks tasks down into smaller pieces. So rather than tell her to go clean her room or put away her laundry, now I tell her to clean up everything up off her floor or to set the timer and put away her clothes for 10 minutes. And you know what? It's worked! She is much more willing and able to do the smaller jobs until the overall task is complete. By simply unlocking her personality and assessing her strengths and weaknesses, I've been able to help her have a more organized life.

Knowing who you are is key to an organized life. Maybe you've never thought that your personality has anything to do with it, but I hope now you will think differently. You may not have a personality that's naturally organized, but by looking at how God created you and by understanding your personality strengths and weaknesses, you can have the life you were meant to have!

Remember, organized living is not all about the HOW, but about the WHO: who God is and who you are. In my next 3 posts we'll look at the final aspect of this series - who God calls you to be. I hope you'll join me.

See you soon....I promise!

Blog Interrupted

2010-04-28T04:08:00.000-07:00

36. That's the number of days that have passed since my last post. I think that largely exceeds the recommended number of days between posts if you want to keep a "following".

I could give you a list of reasons why I haven't blogged, but I'm tired of making excuses.

Basically it boils down to fear, doubt, laziness, and lack of discipline. It's not that I don't want to write, it's just that my emotions (and my flesh) tend to get the better of me. I love writing! I'm always rolling around ideas in my head and forming the words that I hope will inspire, encourage, and excite you. But rather than sit down and actually do it, I let the wall that stands in front of me, the wall that I've help build, keep me from doing what I feel called to do.

And yesterday, God finally called me on it. And then again today.

He showed me that I have neglected to do what I need to do and that if I am unwilling to do it, then He will find someone else who is committed, responsible, and faithful to His plan. OUCH! I have been entrusted with a gift and I have failed to use it properly. And he who is faithless with the little things will never be entrusted with more (Matthew 25:21).

In addition to my lack of commitment, my lack of zeal and belief haven't helped either. I constantly doubt and wonder if my words are making a difference, if anyone is actually reading them, if I will ever be a writer whose words flow off the page and into the deep recesses of a reader's heart, and if God can really use me for greater purposes. These doubts and fears paralyze me to the point where I can't, and don't, write. So, I have to overcome my unbelief.

I said I didn't want to make excuses (which I'm really good at), and I hope I haven't. I just wanted to share the honest truth with you. And even though God lovingly called me out, He also gently encouraged me to just be diligent with my blog writing. That is my hope, my desire, and my first step to being faithful to things I'm called to do and to overcome the things that hold me down.

I'm not making any wild promises, like I'll post everyday. Most days I don't have anything worthwhile or significant to say. But then I remember that it's not my words I'm writing; they're His. And if He's willing to give me a second chance (and third and fourth), then I will do my best to honor His trust and belief in me.

I hope you will too.

Truth of an Organized Life - Who you are, part 1

2010-03-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

In order to know where you're going, you have to know who you are.

I heard those words the other day and realized that there is truth to them, especially as we deal with organized living. We have to realize and understand who we are and how God created us in order for us to have the lives we desire.

In my last 2 posts we talked about who God is and the importance of grasping that foundation. Now we need to look at who God made us to be.

You may be asking yourself, why? I know who I am -- I'm an unorganized person! While that may be true, knowing yourself, your personality, and your normal "bent" can be helpful in overcoming your unorganized tendencies.

Many times we like to use the excuse, "That's just not me; that's not my personality", when it comes to being an organized person. But as we learned in my previous posts, it's not about us! It is who God is and who He has called us to be, and with His help, we can be organized!

The first step in doing that is understanding how we're wired. Now, I'm not an expert in the field of personalities or behaviors, but I have read enough to know that most people fall under one of four major personality types. I am going to list them below with some of the more common characteristics as an overview:

The Sanguine (also known as an Otter or Expressive) - these types of people are known for having fun. They crave attention, affection, approval, and acceptance. They can talk about anything at any time and are usually optimistic with a bubbly personality and a good sense of humor. They are usually the life of the party, loud, and entertaining.
The Cholerics (also known as a Lion or Dominant) - these types of people are known for their drive and their controlling behavior. They desire loyalty, a sense of control, a feeling of appreciation, and credit for their work. They have the ability to take charge of anything and can usually accomplish more than anyone else in the same amount of time.
The Melancholy (also known as a Beaver or Analytical) - these types of people are known for their strive for perfection. They are usually good organizers, set goals and high standards for themselves and others. They can have mood swings depending on how they see themselves or the things they are trying to accomplish. Very detail-oriented with high standards of performance.
The Phlegmatics (also known as a Golden Retriever or Amiable) - these types of people are known for avoiding conflict and keeping the peace. They have a dry sense of humor and a pleasing personality. They desire a feeling of worth, understanding and emotional support. They are usually calm, cool and collected and tend not to make impulsive decisions. They are usually well-liked.

Although our personalities come in many different shades and colors, these are the 4 basic types that most people will fall under. Sometimes we may be a combination of one or more of the personalities, but you can usually identify at least one that best describes you. If you are having trouble deciding which personality best fits you, you can always search the web and take a personality test to help you discover your true self.

Knowing our basic personality is important because it will affect how we view organization. The Choleric and Melancholy personalities will not have much issue with it; however, the Sanguines and Phlegmatics will. Does that mean that driven and analytical people are the only ones that can be organized? Of course not! As I said before, God has called us all to be organized as He is, so there is hope for all of us. But we have to understand ourselves so we can work through our personalities and have the organized lives we want to have.

In my next post we will continue looking at who we are and how that relates to organized living. Until then, I hope you will try and spend some time discovering you! It really will make a difference in the way you see yourself and your life. Until then...

Truths of an Organized Life - who God is, Part 2

2010-03-09T04:35:00.000-08:00

In my last post I wrote about the first truth of an organized life -- who God is. If you didn't have a chance to read that and would like to, you can check it out here. Today we're going to look at why knowing who God is matters to us in our everyday living.

I've mentioned before that I have two teenage daughters. They don't look alike and they don't act alike either. My younger daughter looks like her dad. She's light skinned with sandy blonde hair and Shirley Temple curls. She doesn't take after me in the looks department at all. In fact, when she was younger, I was often asked if I was babysitting! My older daughter, however, is a different story. Like me, she has an olive complexion, brown hair, and brown eyes. My husband always says, "She is definitely your daughter!" I guess you could say she is my spitting image.

So why the family info on a blog post about organization? Because just as my daughter resembles me, we are meant to resemble God and who He is.

As God's children, we were created in His image (Genesis 1:27). Image in this context means "in the shadow of". Webster's Dictionary defines image as: a likeness or imitation, a person strikingly like another person, and a vivid representation. This means that we were created to be imitators of God's character and a clear representation of who He is. You could also think of it like this: just as our own shadows imitate our body movements, then our actions and character should imitate God's. So if God is organized, orderly and planned, then we should be too!

In Ephesians 5:1 Paul wrote, "Be imitators of God, therefore...". Just prior to that, Paul had exhorted his readers to forgive others, just as in Christ God forgave us. Now he was telling them that having a forgiving spirit was one way of imitating God. This passage is just one of many in which we we are encouraged to be like God. As Christians we are called to love as Christ loved (Eph. 5:2), to be merciful (Luke 6:36) and to be holy just as God Himself is (Lev. 11:44, 1 Peter 1:14-16). And although it isn't stated outright, we are to be orderly as God is! Even Paul told the Corinthians that, "Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." (1 Cor. 14:40). Why? Because God is!

I don't know about you, but knowing that I was created to be organized and orderly is encouraging! It means that even if in the natural I am not an organized person, then with God, His help, and His example, I can be!

Now I know that walking in God's image is not always easy. And I mean I really know! I fail as much as I succeed. But unfortunately, to the world in which we live, image is everything. And when we allow our lives to be ruled by chaos and disorder, we are being poor image bearers of God to a lost world.

You and I are God's ambassadors, His representatives to the world. How we act and what we say are a reflection of who God is and directly impacts our ability to reach those who don't know Christ personally. Paul understood this when he wrote, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." (Eph. 5:15-17). And Peter said, "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God..." (1 Peter 2:12). Living good and wise lives, including lives of order, can glorify God and win others to belief.

I think we need to ask ourselves, what is my life saying? Are chaos and disorder keeping my light from shining? What changes do I need to make to be an image bearer that glorifies God as a God of order?

It is not enough to say that we know God's character is one of order. We have to follow that knowledge with actions. We have to choose to be the way that He is because image, His image, matters. And I pray that when others look at our lives and our desire to be like Him, then they will see the resemblance and say, "She is definitely His daughter!"

*Next post we'll look at who we are as it relates to organization.

*Be sure to check out the link on the sidebar that lets you subscribe to this blog! It's a great way not to miss out on anything!

Truths of an Organized Life...who God is

2010-03-03T02:35:00.000-08:00

Do you remember those commercials with Michael Jordan, the great basketball star, where the point of the ad was to "Be Like Mike"? I can't remember if he was promoting his shoes, underwear, or a sports drink, but the little jingle that accompanied the product endorsement is one that has stuck with me. It goes something like this:

Like Mike, gotta be like Mike

I wanna be, I wanna be like Mike

Like Mike!

Who didn't want to be like Michael Jordan? He was athletic, talented, and wealthy!

When it comes to organized living we need to be singing that same song, just with a different name.

Now, I'm not implying that it should be with mine! Granted, I love everything about organization: my favorite store is The Container Store, my favorite TV show is Mission Organization (is that still on in the States?), and I subscribe to Real Simple magazine, which is dedicated to simple, organized lifestyles. Crazy, I know, but that is who I am. I was born with a personality that thrives on organization, that craves it, that needs it! But having an organized life is not about being like me or who I am.

Funny thing is, it's not about you either.

It's about who God is.

At first this threw me for a loop. The Bible is an endless collection of all God's great attributes, but I couldn't remember reading any passage of Scripture that described Him as "organized". Loving, kind, giving - yes; orderly - not so much. Then one day I came across this verse:

"For God is not a God of disorder but of peace." - 1 Corinthians 14:33

From that one passage, I deducted that if God is not a God of disorder, then He must be a God of order. Once my heart took hold of this truth, I was able to see God in Scripture as a God who is organized, planned, and orderly. I wish I had the time and space to show you the many passages that justify what I'm saying, but I don't. So let's just look at one book of the Bible, Genesis, that exemplifies God's organized character:

In Genesis 1, He planned out all creation in an orderly manner. There were no plants or living animals before there was land or water - creation followed a logical sequence!
In Genesis 3, He revealed His plan for Jesus, plans that He had made since the beginning of time and that wouldn't come to pass for many years later.
In Genesis 6, He gave Noah specific, detailed, and organized plans to build the ark.
In Genesis 12, He revealed His plans for Abraham to become the father of a great nation.
In Genesis 37-50, He organized circumstances in Joseph's life so that good would come out of it and would be a turning point for future generations.

Not to mention, there are Scriptures that speak of God's plan for us and for the end times too!

I hope that this truth about God's character is making sense to you, because it is foundational to the organized life you and I want to have. Being organized is not about how, but about who. Who God is. And I pray that this insight into His character will cause you to sing:

Like God, gotta be like God

I wanna be, I wanna be like God

Like God!

In my next post, we'll build upon the foundation of God's orderly character and look at how knowing who God is affects our lives. Until then, keep singing and sing loud!

Organized Living

2010-02-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

I recently read an article about a prominent U.K. scientist who says he has proof that there has been no global warming over the past 15 years. That information could have earned him a Nobel Prize. Instead that award is hanging around Al Gore's neck.

Why did he choose not to share this information? In his own words, this scientist admitted that an overall lack of organization, and his poor record keeping and office-tidying skills had contributed to his reluctance to share data with critics, which he now regrets.*

Regret. Disappointment. Poor decision-making. The list could go on.

Sadly, for many of us, we are in the same boat as this scientist. Our lack of organization keeps us from the life we want to have. Or the dreams. Or the rewards.

It doesn't have to be that way. God never intended for us to live our lives in disorganized chaos. But that's how we live, and all the self-help, follow-these-steps, do-this-program type books that fill shelves upon shelves in the bookstores won't help us straighten up. Why not? Because it's not about the how of organization, it's about the who - Who God is, Who you are, and Who God's called you to be.

Not that I'm out to diss (or is it dish?) those wonderful people whose heart and passion is to help others become organized through the books they've written. I'm not. I love those books just as much as anyone else! The problem is that these books only focus on the external circumstances and don't delve into the internal understanding of the problem.

Let me explain in a way that we may all be able to relate:

Have you ever watched TV shows like What Not to Wear and Clean Sweep? Those are two of my favorites and I never get tired of watching them transform people's lives, wardrobes, and houses into something almost magical. The problem with these shows is that they only help fix up the outer/external appearance of the person or their home. They don't really help these people deal with the inner, heart issues that got them on the TV show in the first place. When you're watching the show it seems like these people have their act altogether now. But what if you were to visit them 6 months to a year after they were on the show? Would they really look or act the same, or would they have gone back to their old habits?

I'm sure we can guess what happened to them. Although their outer appearance got a makeover, they skipped the internal makeover that would allow them to keep their transformation going. Odds are they probably went back to their old way of dressing or filled their well-decorated house with new clutter.

It's the same with organizing our lives. It's not about how-to clean out the clutter in 5 easy steps. It's about realizing that organization starts on the inside of the messy person -- me and you.

Although we may have messes we think we'll never dig out from under, I want to encourage you that it doesn't have to be that way and I want to show you why. Over the next several weeks, I'm going to post what I believe are the true answers to an organized life. There will be no quick-fixes, no easy tips; just truth from God's Word that will offer us the hope we need to straighten out our lives, and maybe even a drawer or two!

I hope you'll join me as we take on this adventure. It may cause you to see things in a new light, but I promise the results will be well worth the journey. Are you with me?

* quoted from Fox News.com article
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/02/15/global-warming-insignificant

Stuck? Some things to think about...

2010-02-05T04:22:00.000-08:00

I noticed him just as my car tires became trapped in the mix of compact snow and ice. He heard the twirling of my car tires, looked up at me and smiled. I was the exact reason he was out there in the middle of the road, at the T-junction of the main street and my one-way lane: he was shoveling snow and making it easier for people who traveled down this slush filled path to avoid outcomes like the one I now found myself in. No one asked him to do this noble task, no one expected him to either. It was simply one man's desire to keep others from being in the not-so-fun, sometimes traumatic situation known as "stuck".

As I jostled my car back and forth trying to set it free from its ice prison, I couldn't help but wonder what prompted him to get out there and spend his precious time clearing an area that was "no man's land", that part of the street that didn't belong to anyone nor was anyone's particular responsibility. What was he thinking? Why was he doing that? It seemed that answers such as, "He's a nice guy" or "He's German and that's what they do", weren't sufficient. Yet I couldn't think of a better answer myself and certainly wasn't about to go up and ask him, so I decided to let things be and just enjoy of the benefits of his efforts.

After liberating my car and running my errands, I came home and started shoveling my own little area of responsibility - my driveway. We both worked diligently with nothing but a few house distances between us; the only noise emanating around us came from the metal on our shovels as it scraped against the pavement, clear signs of success for our work. With each stack of snow I shoveled and piled elsewhere, the realization of what this man was doing finally dawned on me.

1. He was thinking beyond himself. I was content to shovel my driveway and then head inside. This guy, however, saw the larger picture and the needs of others, and decided to act. He probably finished his own drive and then asked himself, what else needs to be done? what else can I do? Then he was willing to go above and beyond his own responsibility and do it. What would the world look like if we all did the same? I think that so many times when we are stuck in our own dire situations we don't stop and take the time to think of others. The thing is, that's exactly when we need to stop focusing on ourselves and focus on others. There is no better time to think beyond ourselves then when we are stuck.
2. He understood we all need to help others avoid getting stuck. If you've ever been stuck, then you know how hard it is and how much more difficult it can be to get out. That is why it is so important that we help those who are going down similar paths. We know where the pitfalls are, what the signs look like, and how to best avoid them. We also know how to get out of that "stuck" situation. God never wastes a hurt and He will use our hurts so that "we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." (2 Corinthians 1:4). Sometimes a simple word of encouragement or just letting someone know you've been down that same road so that they don't feel alone is all that is needed.
3. Whether he realized it or not, he was exemplifying the heart and character of Jesus. None of us really deserve to be free from our "stuck" positions in life, but because of Jesus' death on the cross we no longer have to be bogged down in our sinful nature. He paid the price so that when we are at the crossroads or on the verge of becoming stuck, we don't have to worry because a clear path has already been made for us.

I have no clue who this man was, where he lived, or why he felt led to help others. I just know he did. He may not know what a huge impact his efforts made, but I know that I am thankful for him. Each time I turn onto my street, I know that my chances of getting stuck there are less likely. And while the physical benefits are helpful as long as the snow and ice stay on the ground, the lessons he taught my heart will linger much longer.

What I Learned

2010-02-01T02:37:00.000-08:00

I tore open the package, anxious to get to the contents inside. I had waited 3 weeks for this to arrive, and now the time had come. As I pulled out the 3-ring binder, a feeling of delight overwhelmed me as I realized that in my hands was the 2-year program that would help me fulfill my dream of becoming a writer. I read through the table of contents and dreamed of all the great stories and articles I would pen as I learned the necessary "essentials" towards becoming the next, great American novelist. I couldn't wait to get started, and excitedly began the first lesson.

Twenty-six months later I uttered a sigh of relief as I clicked the "Send" button of my email and handed in my 50th, and final, lesson of my writing course. Don't get me wrong, it was an insightful course that helped me see that writing is more than just a few good ideas, a blank piece of paper, and a nicely sharpened pencil. No, writing - and writing well - is so much more.

But that's not all that I learned over that long time span. God showed me a lot about myself and about reaching my goals, things that I know I will carry with me for a very long time. I thought I might share them with you here today:

1. Discipline is necessary. Yes, it's that ugly word rearing it's head again, but unfortunately, it's true. I had to discipline myself to glue my rear to the chair and work. The work wasn't just going to produce itself magically, no matter how many times I prayed that it would! I had to force myself time and time again to work on a lesson and do what was required of me. There were many times I wasn't always that disciplined, but on those occassions when I allowed myself to be disciplined, there was great reward. No one likes discipline, but discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments. As author Jack du Brul wrote, "There are a lot of people who would love to be authors without the slightest idea of how much work is required. Discipline is the key." It doesn't matter what our dream may be; if you and I want to get reach it, then we have to learn to embrace discipline because only discipline will get us from where we are to where we want to be.

2. Sacrifice is required. This one was a huge struggle for me. I didn't want to sacrifice my time, my joy, or my opportunities sitting behind a computer trying to complete a lesson every other week. I can't tell you how many shopping trips, lunches, or get-togethers I had to miss out on because I had to write. Not to mention the reading, TV watching, and scrapbooking that I wanted to be doing! But I sacrificed. Why? Because "one doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time'' (Andre Gide). If I had dreams of hearing Oprah announce my name and my book as her next book club read, then I had to sacrifice those pleasures and work. Was it wanted I wanted? Of course not! Did I enjoy it? No! But in the end, the sacrifice paid off and now I can enjoy all those things that I formerly turned down without guilt and with much more joy!

3. A fruitful harvest requires faithful service. There were many lessons that I had to dig deep within myself to produce an answer for a required assignment. I can't tell you the number of hours that were spent just sitting there trying to think of something to write! I remember one evening I was working in my office and Clint was reading a book next to me. After 10 minutes of just sitting there he asked me, "Are you going to do anything besides sit there?" My reply? "It's not that easy dear!!" I could have written anything and turned that in, but how would that have benefited me in the long run? If we want to see a fruitful harvest with anything we endeavor to do, then we MUST be willing to give it 100% effort. Yes, I might have wasted time trying to write the "perfect" dialogue or character analysis, but I know how to do that well now and maybe somewhere down the road, that will pay off because anything worth having is worth working for. Do you want to see a dream fulfilled? A marriage improved? A goal reached? Then prepare yourself to WORK.

4. Finally, never give up. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to give up and I almost did! I had too many lessons left to complete before my deadline and I was miserable trying to finish them all in such a rush. When there were more lessons for me to do than there were days on the calendar, I put my hands up and said "I'm done!" I honestly didn't feel like doing it anymore and I wasn't sure that it would ever really pay off anyway. But my stubborn husband and expectant children wouldn't let me drop out. What many of us fail to realize is that like discipline, endurance is a word that may have to learn to add to our vocabulary. Sadly our emotions can lead us to believe that we can't continue what we're facing and if we're not careful, we'll let ourselves be deceived by those emotions until our thoughts fester in agreement with them and our actions have no other choice but to follow suit. Then we find ourselves giving in and giving up. I can't tell you how many times towards the end that I had to glue myself rear to my chair (yes, I know I've said that already but I want to really make a point here - not a visual, but a point!) and tell myself, "Come on Liana, just one more time!" And each time I said it, I got through one more lesson until the golden number came up. I know it's easy to want to do it - but please, DON'T GIVE UP!! As Paul said in Galatians 6:9, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." It's true! How do I know? Because right around the time I was wanting to give up, I received an email saying that one of my articles had been accepted for publication! If it can happen for me, it can happen for you too!

I may not know what it is you hope for or where you are on your journey to reach it, but I do hope that the lessons I learned can help you take another step down that road today. It will take discipline, sacrifice, effort, and endurance but I know you can do it! You may not think you can, but as Henry Ford once wrote, "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."

I believe in you and God does too, so go for it!!

My 2010 Word

2009-12-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

If you know me, or if you've read my blog for awhile, you know that I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I don't have anything personal against them, I just am not very successful at keeping them very long so I don't bother making them! Instead, I started a tradition several years ago of having one word that I want to characterize my upcoming year; a word that I carry and aim for throughout the entire year, not just a few weeks or months.

For 2008, my word was significance. I honestly can't remember what my word was for 2009 - I think it had something to do with more openness. For 2010, I've given it a lot of thought and have decided on the word new. You may consider that a little bit strange, but let me explain.

For the most part, I have not shared much about the struggles that I have dealt with over the past year. In all truthfulness, it's been a hard year. Saying good-bye to friends and a life that I enjoyed, moving to a new country, learning a new language, new culture, and new rules, adjusting to a harsher, colder environment, and trying to finish my writing course all took a toll on me. Most of the time I felt like I was just trying to survive, and that's not how I'm supposed to or how I want to live. I thought if I could just make it to the end of the year that a new horizon would be waiting for me around the corner. That's what I've had my eye on, that is what I'm hoping God will bring me to in 2010.

So I'm praying that this new year will be a time for NEW:
- beginnings
- friendships
- opportunities
- growth
- purpose
- freedom (as in no more German or writing lessons!)
- outlook

These are just the things I can think of right now. Hopefully as the year progresses, God will expand my new in different and exciting ways! And as always, when He does, I will gladly share them with you.

As I long for 2009 to be over and anxiously await 2010, I cling to the part of 2 Corinthians 5:17 that reminds me, "...the old has gone, the new has come!"

Let the countdown begin....

Numbering our days

2009-11-23T00:08:00.000-08:00

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." - Psalm 90:12

6,694.

That's the number of days Clint and I have been married. Thanks to a handy application on Clint's iPod, I can figure out the number of days I've been married, the number of days I've been alive, or the number of days my children have been graced with life when there have been times I've wanted to bring them to a quick end!

But thinking about all those numbers, the verse from the Psalms popped into my mind. "Teach us to number our days....". I'm sure the Psalmist was not talking in a literal sense, but rather figuratively. Why? I think there are several reasons:

1. Because we need to realize the brevity of life. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 39, "Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath." Open your palm and breath out onto it. That is the length of our life in God's eyes. Wild to consider, isn't it? Yet we think we have all the time in the world to do the things we dream, want, and desire.
2. Because we need to learn to make the most of our brevity. When we realize the short span of our lives and purpose to make the most of it, then we gain the heart of wisdom the Psalmist is referring. Who wants to waste their life on foolish things? If we spend our lives piling up material possessions, trying to accomplish things that are not meant for us, or living selfishly, we have lived life in vain, foolishly. Paul exhorts us in Ephesians that that is not how we should spend our time. He says, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise (foolish) but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (5:15-16).
3. Because we need to be people of purpose. Someone who is diagnosed with a terminal illness does not leave the doctor's office and return to work. They go home and begin living out the last of their days loving on their family, spending time with them, and enjoying and doing those things they never took the time to do before with what time they have left. Why do we wait for the end to start living? We need to spend each day we are given purposefully living out our priorities in life. How do we do this? Colossians 3:2 offers some help, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

This is not meant to be a morbid post, but one that just makes us stop and think for a minute. Is there something you have always wanted to do, but have put it off thinking there will be time for it later? Maybe the time is now. None of us is promised a tomorrow, but we can promise ourselves to make the most of today.

Will you?

Love Your Neighbor

2009-11-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

"Love your neighbor as yourself." - Leviticus 19:18

"Lord, who is my neighbor?" - Luke 10:29

Who is my neighbor? Good question. I honestly didn't know who my neighbors were until a few days ago. That was when my neighbor across the street decided to introduce herself to me...

Kayley and I were pulling into our driveway last Tuesday evening and the garbage bin was blocking my space. I asked Kayley to get out and move it so I could pull in, and being the gracious daughter that she is said, "I'd be delighted to Mother!" and jumped out of the car. Not. Rolling her eyes at me and sighing deeply, she got out of the car and trudged over to the bin. A few seconds later, I heard a loud voice. I looked to my left and noticed my "neighbor" unloading her groceries and speaking to Kayley rather harshly. I know my daughter is not perfect, but there is nothing she could have done in those few seconds outside the car to cause such an outburst from this lady. I pulled my car in the driveway and decided to find out what was going on.

Trying to be cordial, I walked towards my neighbor and said, "Excuse me?" I guess that was not cordial in her book because she stomped over and began yelling, I mean YELLING, at me. In German. When she stopped to breathe, I asked her to speak in English. Then she continued her tirade, telling me how rude we were, that we had lived her for so many months and never came over to her and introduced ourselves, how we never made eye contact, or even attempted to be neighborly. I honestly did not know what to say since I was taken aback by this verbal rampage, but it really didn't matter because she wasn't about to let me talk. She had something to get off her chest and she wasn't stopping until she had it all off.

When I was finally able to get a word in I told her that I was sorry, but we don't speak German and were therefore limited in our communication. Well that ticked her off even more. She screamed, "ALL Germans speak English!" Wrong thing to say to me! After struggling in this country for 10 months with language issues, I knew that wasn't true and I retorted, "Oh no you did-n't!" (Okay not really, but it would have been funny to say). But I did respond, "You may know how to speak English but you choose not to. How am I to know whether you can speak it or not?" She didn't like that answer either and shouted that language shouldn't matter and for all she cared we could just "go to H---", and then she walked off.

Lovely -- I'll make sure to thank the neighborhood association for this welcoming party!

As she slammed her front door on us, I just looked at Kayley and she looked at me and we turned and went inside, anxious to share with Clint what had just happened. After we told him, he was just as shocked as we were. We could not figure out what set this lady off and we didn't understand why she chose now to express her feelings. Plus we were at a cultural crossroads. In America, when someone new moves in, it's the neighbors who come over and introduce themselves and welcome you to the neighborhood. Perhaps in Germany the culture was different? Yet, how were we to know that and how could we explain and justify that to her?

But after dinner, that's exactly what Clint decided to do. He put on his boots and announced that he was going over there to talk to her and explain the misunderstanding between us and our cultures. I heard what he was saying, but I just couldn't believe it -- he was going over there to apologize to her! If anyone should be apologizing it should be her. I didn't do anything wrong! I was the one who was verbally attacked! It didn't matter what I thought though, my husband the peacemaker walked out the door and crossed the street.

The girls wanted to know all that was being said, so they spied from the balcony. We could hear their voices but didn't know the exact details of the conversation. A few minutes later, Clint returned. "We're having tea at their house tomorrow to discuss this," he said. Excuse me? What is there to discuss? She yelled at me for no reason and now I have to go to her house and discuss this? Who decided this? Obviously, she did.

Great.

I spent the next day trying to pray and asking God to help me extend grace to this woman. No one has ever really yelled at me like that and I was having a hard time getting over it. Plus I kept wondering if maybe she was right. Had I been rude? Should I have made more effort? Maybe I needed to look at this from her point of view, instead of stewing in my own hurt feelings. Regardless of who was right and who was wrong, I knew I couldn't live with hard feelings against this woman, my neighbor.

The Bible says that we should do our neighbor no wrong (Psalm 15:3), that he who despises his neighbor sins (Proverbs 14:21), and that we should make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification (Romans 14:19). It was there in black and white and I couldn't ignore it. And although I was thinking of neighbor in terms of one who lives nearby, maybe God was trying to remind me and show me that neighbor can mean anyone I come in contact with. Perhaps my "literal" neighbor was just the starting point. I decided I had to be the bigger person and take the high road. Or God's road, so to speak. So I did -- I made brownies and we rang her doorbell at 7.30 that evening.

Much to our surprise, she wasn't home! Her husband came to the door and in his broken English explained that she wouldn't be home for another hour. Clint and I tried to talk with him for a little while, but we could tell that he was struggling to find the right words so we told him we would try to get together another evening and to enjoy the brownies. When we returned home, I couldn't figure out why it all turned out like it did, but I knew that the important thing was we were obedient to what God's word directed us to do. That's all we can do.

Funny thing is, the next morning as Clint was leaving for work our neighbor was getting into her car and eating a brownie! In her defense, she did leave a note in our mailbox saying she was sorry she missed us, but that weekday evenings didn't work for her and she would try to come over on the weekend.

We have yet to see her, or my plate.

I don't know why all this happened and played out like it did. It all seems strange to me. Why yell at someone, invite them over, not be there, then eat their offering and never show up again?

Crazy.

Weird.

Or maybe just a lesson in loving your neighbor that we all need from time to time.

Finally

2009-10-29T07:07:00.000-07:00

Finally, after 6 weeks of not blogging, I'm able to post again! I seriously considered not writing a blog anymore since I haven't been consistent with my posts, but I had too many "ideas" rolling around in my head that I decided otherwise. I just need to buckle down with my writing and pray that you'll stay with me!

Finally, I have grown weary of traveling. In 3 1/2 years I have visited 16 different countries, some more than once! I don't say that to boast, it's just the life we've been living as expats. But we've come to the realization that as wonderful as it's been, we don't find joy in it anymore. Every city becomes just like the next one, every beach the same as the last. So our lifestyle of self-indulgent vacationing has come to an end. Starting in 2010 we hope to only travel on missionary type journeys, serving others. I'm not sure where that will take us, but we are definitely looking forward to it!

Finally, my youngest is well. Abbey was sent home from school at the beginning of last week and went downhill rapidly. Her tests came back negative for flu of any kind, and now she is on the road to recovery!

Finally, I am within 10 lessons of finishing my writing course. My goal is to finish by December 1st, my official deadline date, but in order to do that I have to submit 2 lessons a week. I'm praying that I can remain steadfast towards this goal so that I can finish on time and finish strong. We'll see how it goes....

Finally, I met my neighbor. That, my friends, is a post all by itself. Check back in a day or two and I'll share that unique story with you!

Finally, 2009 is almost over and I couldn't be happier! In all honesty, it has been one of my toughest years to date. Adjusting to a new culture, studying non-stop (driving, German, writing, bible study), and the overwhelming loneliness I've had to deal with has really taken it's toll. But so many things are coming to an end in 2009, that can only mean that a new beginning is on the way! And what a better beginning than a new year? I have high hopes and expectations for 2010 and I can't wait to see what new things God will do!

Finally, I'm going to join the rest of the world on Facebook. Yes, I've avoided it long enough and have decided to take the plunge. Look for my friend request coming to you soon!

Finally, I'm posting pictures of my amazing trip to Greece! My time walking through Paul's second missionary journey with one of my dearest friends was truly a gift from God. It brought the Bible to life for me and I know that it will always have a special place in my heart. My family and I enjoyed the warm weather and being together after 10 days apart and I'm grateful we were able to have our time in Greece. I'm posting a few here today and will post the rest on Facebook in a few days -- be sure to check them out! Enjoy....

Above: A prison unearthed in Philippi where they believe Paul was held after removing the demon that possessed the girl from Delphi (Acts 16:16-24)

Above: A Turkish-style church in Thessaloniki

The Parthenon - Athens

Above: Mars Hill, also called the Areopagus, where Paul gave one of the most powerful messages of the gospel (Acts 17:19-34) - located just below the Parthenon

Above: Kay and Brenda in Corinth, with the ruins of the Temple of Apollo in the background

Above: Kay teaching Chapters 4-22 of the book of Revelation on the isle of Patmos, where John wrote it! Amazingly, she got through all those chapters in just under 2 hours!

Finally, I'll bring this post to an end. It was great to get back in touch with you. I'll look forward to meeting you back here again soon - I promise!!

On the road again

2009-09-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,

Just wanted to let you know that I'll be on the road again for the next 16 days, so I won't be posting for awhile.

Please check back in 3 weeks as I hope to share some great pictures and stories of my Greek adventure!

Take care and God bless....

A dream come true

2009-09-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

In 1996 I signed up for my very first Ladies Bible study. I was a new mom, a weak Christian, and an ignorant student of the Word. I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this class, but I trudged ahead, anxious to see what would happen.

We were working through Kay Arthur's book Lord, Only You Can Change Me, a study on the Beatitudes. It was the first time in my life that I had ever really studied the Bible for myself and it struck a chord in me like nothing ever had before. I couldn't wait to do my homework every day and I longed for the class each week. Opening my Bible and learning it for myself transformed me. It was then and there that I became a fan of Kay Arthur and her ministry.

Over the next few years I would do several more Kay Arthur studies, as well as become acquainted with Beth Moore and Community Bible Studies International, that would deepen my walk with God and create a hunger for His Word that is still insatiable today. I fell in love with the Inductive Bible Study method and faithfully followed Kay's teachings through TV, Bible studies and radio. Occasionally I would check her website to see what was new to study, and during one of those times, I discovered a dream.

I can't remember exactly how I found it, but as I was searching through the Precepts website, I saw that she offered tours to different countries to study the Bible in the places that they were written to (for example, studying the book of Ephesians in Ephesus). For me, that type of experience would be a dream! However, being a stay-at-home mom of very young children, I had to push that dream to the back of my heart and hope that one day God would fulfill it when the time was right.

Fast forward 10 years or so, to the Spring of 2009. I was browsing through the Precept website, again, and I saw that Kay Arthur was doing a Bible Study tour to Greece in September 2009. I'm sure you can imagine the blood pumping through my veins at that revelation! Living in Germany, Greece is a rock's throw away. What would be the chances that I could finally fulfill the dream that had been hidden away for a decade? I decided to pray about it. God would have to orchestrate all the details AND provide the necessary funds. I knew that the reality of it wasn't completely impossible, but I wasn't sure if it was the right time for me or part of God's plan. So I prayed. And prayed. And prayed.

By late summer 2009 I knew that the clock was ticking, yet I still didn't feel like I had a definite answer to my prayers. There were a few things that were falling into place: I had Clint's approval and support, the timing would work out well for school and Fall break, and there was still an available spot for me on the trip. Of course, the only thing that hadn't arrived was the money I needed to pay for the trip. I knew that without that part of the deal, I couldn't go. Although we had the money in savings, I couldn't justify spending a large chunk of it on myself. So I decided to wait a little while longer before tucking my dream back into the recesses of my heart for another time.

During my wait, I was blessed to have breakfast with a very dear friend. As we talked about the tough year I was having with my most recent move, she said I needed a vacation by myself. I agreed and told her that I had one in mind, and would love for her to pray with me about it. After giving her the basic run-down and the hope of a financial windfall, she boldly told me that I needed to step out in faith and sign up. She reminded me that even if I had to dip into our savings that God would take care of us financially and that I needed to trust Him with our resources. Listening to her, I knew she was right. So later that day, I wrote an email to Precept Ministries and registered for my dream! After all these years I would finally see what had been stored away come to fruition. It was too amazing for words!

Fast forward a few weeks later. We had come home from our time in the States and I was already starting to count down the weeks I had left until my trip, when Clint called me one day from work with a surprise. He had just received an email from our tax consultants that we were receiving a tax refund -- a shock to say the least! But what was even more shocking was the amount. It was EXACTLY the amount I needed for to pay for the trip, plus a few dollars more to cover my flight to Greece! I knew then and there that God was providing the last piece of the dream with an unexpected gift. Again, it was too amazing for words!

So in one week I will board a plane to Greece and spend 10 days with Kay Arthur touring around and learning about various books of the Bible. I'm thrilled beyond measure and can't believe that a dream I had held so closely for so long is finally coming true. But then God is the dream-giver and the dream-filler, so why shouldn't I believe? I can't wait to see what He has in store for me there. He has blessed me beyond my wildest expectations and I can only pray that WHATEVER comes of this trip, that it will only bring Him glory and honor.

Please know that I am not writing this post to boast in any way. I am writing it, in hopes of encouraging you. Do you have a dream stowed in the depths of your heart that you're waiting on God to fulfill? Know that He can, and that when and if the time is right, He will! Just as He did for me, He can do for you. Believe it, hope for it, wait on it because...dreams do come true.

"Now to Him Who, by the (action of His) power that is at work within us, is able to (carry out His purpose and) do super-abundantly, far over and above all that we (dare) ask or think (infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams) - to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21 Amplified Bible

One more list...

2009-09-11T01:55:00.000-07:00

Since my last post was about my list of governing values, I thought I would continue the pattern and share another one of my lists (I promise no more lists any time soon!).

Today, I want to share with you the top 5 people I would love to spend an hour with. Why? Because I think it's important to have other people to look up to, to learn from. I mean if Joshua had Moses, Jonathon had David, and Timothy had Paul, why shouldn't you and I have someone in our lives as well?

So, in no particular order, here are the 5 people I would LOVE to visit with, and a short reason why I chose them:

1. Kay Arthur -- My all-time favorite Bible teacher (trust me, Beth was a close second); her depth and insight blow me away!
2. Kay Warren -- She may be best known as Rick Warren's wife, but I'm more impressed with her heart to help those in need in Africa
3. John Maxwell -- I love his leadership ideas and his desire to help people become all that they can be
4. Joyce Meyer -- Her practical Bible teaching has helped me become victorious in everyday life
5. Roger Federer or Serena Williams -- besides being GREAT tennis players, their mental toughness on the courts is something I could definitely benefit from!

So there you have it. My list of "role models". What about you? Who would you spend an hour with if you could? Have you ever stopped to think about it? I would love to know who you would spend some time with!

By the way, in just a few weeks I will be meeting with one of the five people I mentioned above! Seriously! Check back in a few days and I'll let you know who, what, when, where, why, and how -- stay tuned!!

My governing values

2009-09-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

While searching for an article I had filed away, I came across a list I made several years ago. I had created the list after listening to a seminar on organization and planning. According to the tape (yes, that's how long it's been!) one of the key components to being well-organized is to have a set of governing values, those things you would consider to be your highest priorities, so that you can plan and guide your time and your life by them. As the speaker said, "If you aren't living by your governing values then you aren't living the life you want to have." So to make sure that I had the life I wanted, I came up with those governing values that reflected my highest priorities in life:

1. To have a deep and constantly growing relationship with God,
2. To have an intimate and joyful marriage relationship with Clint,
3. To be a loving and nurturing mother to Kayley and Abbey,
4. To have meaningful relationships with other close friends to walk with through life,
5. To have a home that is nurturing, welcoming and peaceful,
6. To be content with myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually,
7. To be financially comfortable and have the ability to share my money with others,
8. To have the opportunity to enjoy my life doing the things I take pleasure in: travel, reading, etc.,
9. To be an example and an encouragement to other women to become godly women who follow after God.

When I read back over my list after all these years, I was amazed at what I had written and how my life had actually played out. There was deep satisfaction in knowing that I hadn't veered off the path too much. Sure there are some areas that I would like to improve on and other areas I haven't been too successful in, but at this point I was happy to see where I was and to know that I was living by what was important to me. Most of all, I was glad to see that God had honored what I considered the most valuable things in my life and brought them to fruition. Thank you, Lord.

Do you have a list of governing values? Maybe you know what they are in your heart or in your head, but you've never really taken the time to write them down on paper. I want to encourage you to spend a few moments writing down your governing values. I think you will find it beneficial with your time and your purposes in life to have them in writing so you can sift all of your activities through them. If what you are doing doesn't match up with your governing values, do you need to be doing it? Life is fleeting, don't waste it on worthless things! Remember, "each man's life is but a breath." (Psalm 39:4).

If you would like to share your list with me, I would love to hear it. There's nothing greater than spurring one another on in the matters of life!

Good is good, but best is better

2009-08-24T23:48:00.000-07:00

It's that time again -- the start of a new school year.

If you are like me, you may already be juggling a calendar full of activity -- sport schedules, piano and language lessons, homework, school meetings, classes at the gym, Ladies Bible Study -- and it's only the first week of school!

It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the "freedom" we have once our children are in school, but if we aren't mindful of our activities then we can find ourselves overwhelmed by them. You and I need to be wise and careful in the activities we involve ourselves with and the choices we make with our time. If we aren't, then we are prone to cross the line between good and best. How do I know this? Unfortunately, I've blurred the line too many times.

Good activities have value and may very well be important, but many times they distract us from God's best for our lives. That is why good is good, but best is better. The enemy can't destroy us, but he certainly can distract us. How? By filling our time with "good" activities, those things that, at first seem innocent enough, but over time rob of us of our energy, our time, and our peace. Let me share an story with you that I think illustrates this point:

Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, " We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bible and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do -- distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connect throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.

"Keep them busy in the non essentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6 or 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work. Over-stimulate their minds so they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio whenever they drive, to keep the TV, DVD, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their homes. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature of reflect on God's wonders. And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion. Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."

In was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, and rush here and there.

Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge.

I've had this story for several years and refer back to it often, because it really hits home with me. Too many times I've sacrificed God's best in my life, with my family, and in my ministry because I get caught up in the good things. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against "good" activities; I've just learned that good is good, but best is better.

I know our lives are not all the same and what works for me may not work for you. It's my hope that as you start filling in the empty spaces of your calendar in the upcoming weeks that you will carefully weigh your options and funnel all your activities through the truth of God's word: "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16)

Strange, strange Part II

2009-08-19T00:59:00.000-07:00

If you read my post "Strange, Strange" back in February, you would know that in a short time frame we had multiple incidents occur that could not be explained. Well, it's happened again.

We arrived home on August 5th and within 10 days had a variety of issues going on at our house:

1. Severe jetlag (okay, not that unusual considering our traveling circumstances but it certainly didn't help!)
2. Abbey's best friend came over and shared her lice! Thus, the cycle of hair cleansing, laundry, nit checking begins...
3. I developed a bladder infection (which as of this writing, I am still dealing with despite strong antibiotics)
4. My cat decided to retaliate for being left in the kennel for 2 weeks by vomiting all over the house at least twice a day
5. My husband develops a hacking cough and cold (a sick man, self-explanatory)
6. The official timekeeper for my 40th birthday shows up to start his countdown
7. I got stung by a bee

This is not a joke....ALL of this happened in the 10 days after my arrival in Germany!

So the question is this: Is this an attack by Satan? Is God trying to get my attention, to discipline me, or to teach me something? Honestly, I don't know. I've been too busy trying to survive all of it to take the time to figure it out.

All I do know is that I've tried not to whine and complain. I've been plugging along trying to get through it and praying that it will come to an end soon. I did find encouragement, though, from a verse I came across in Revelation (I know, of all the books of the Bible to quote from, right?)

(Jesus speaking) "I know your deeds, and your toil and perseverance...you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary..." Rev. 2:2-3

During this crazy time at our house, may Jesus pour out these words on me and find them to be true in my life.

Are you going through a difficult time too, my friend? Toil, persevere, endure, and do not grow weary. Jesus knows; let Him find this verse and these traits true in you too!

My 100th post!!

2009-08-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

It's taken me almost 3 years, but I've finally managed to write 100 posts. With my crazy life, that is no small feat!

As blogging etiquette dictates, I've decided to share 100 things about myself with you -- the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'll be as honest as possible, and pray that when you're done you'll still be willing to visit again!

1. I'm married to the most amazing man! He's patient with me and puts up with me way beyond the marriage vows. He's more than I deserve...
2. My girls are teenagers -- what more do I need to say??
3. I love to read. My fondest childhood memories are those spent in the public library on Saturdays. No wonder I worked in the library in college and volunteer every Friday morning at the elementary school library.
4. I love sports! Tennis and NFL football are my favorites, but I'll watch anything really; especially when it's the championships or dead-heat tie breakers.
5. I'm an organization freak -- a place for everything and everything in it's place.
6. My favorite color is red.
7. I love the warm weather, 75 to 80 degrees with no humidity is my ideal.
8. I've seen every Seinfeld episode there is and can usually relate any circumstance or situation to the show. Pathetic, I know.
9. Traveling the world is my hobby. "I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list" is one of my favorite quotes.
10. Speaking of quotes, I collect them.
11. My ideal vacation is the beach (warm weather girl here); that would explain why I've never taken my girls snow skiing.
12. I am a creature of habit and routine. Take me out of that and I'm lost.
13. I usually have too high of expectations of people and myself.
14. I'm a perfectionist.
15. I consider myself to be loyal, faithful, and devoted.
16. Transformations of any kind - personal, interior design, etc. - are my favorites!
17. A 100? You've got to be kidding...
18. I would define my style as casual elegance.
19. I prefer quiet over noisy.
20. Although I don't have a "green thumb", I do enjoy gardening.
21. I'm not very transparent and will usually not share a lot about myself or what is going on with me -- something I need to work on.
22. I don't like feeling vulnerable.
23. I'm very independent and don't ask for help often -- something else I need to work on.
24. I majored in journalism in college and then switched to teaching.
25. I taught in public schools for 2 years and that was enough for me.
26. I lived in Mexico for 6 weeks while studying Spanish in college.
27. I come from a lineage of Chinese and German -- funny that I would end up living in those 2 countries!
28. My kids don't think I'm funny.
29. I find that as I get older, I talk to myself a lot more. Is that weird?
30. I am not a fan of exercise. I do it, but I don't like it.
31. I know the lyrics to most Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus or any other Disney related music.
32. I've been known to watch Disney shows when my kids aren't around and I don't know why.
33. I'm a firm believer in reading the book before watching the movie.
34. My favorite Bible study teachers are: Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, and Joyce Meyer.
35. I don't drive manual transmissions well -- I'm a perfect candidate for whiplash when I do.
36. I make my kids do schoolwork during the summer -- I say if you don't use it, you lose it. My kids say it's mean.
37. I have a funny thing about personal space -- I don't like it to be invaded!
38. I'll probably never win the Mother of the Year award because I don't let my kids sleep with me, ever. It's a #37 thing.
39. I can't think of my FAVORITE ALL TIME movie.
40. Strange, but I can't think of my FAVORITE Bible verse, book of the Bible, or Bible character either. I like them all!
41. I'm not fond of ice cream; I think it has to do with that fact that it's cold.
42. I'm not the best at cooking. You would think following a recipe would be fool-proof, but I usually manage to mess it up. My family eats it anyway...
43. I didn't become a serious Christian until I had kids. I figured if I wanted them to be strong followers of Christ they would need someone to lead them. You can't lead others where you haven't walked yourself.
44. I don't watch much TV, but when I do, I enjoy: Lost, American Idol, Survivor, and America's Next Top Model.
45. An hour into this, and I haven't even reached the half-way point. Mercy!
46. I'm a spoiler, which means I will read the last page of the book first, I will find out who won the game before it's televised, etc. Bad, bad, bad.
47. I'm a literary geek. I listen to Grammar Girl and Vocabulary podcasts for fun!
48. I could eat Tex-Mex food every day of the week. If writing/teaching/speaking doesn't work out for me in the future, I think I'll be a salsa contest judge.
49. Even though I don't have a favorite Bible character, I think I can identify with Sarah the most. She spent most of her life following her husband around too.
50. I hate to admit that I'm wrong. I'm usually not, but when I am I don't like to admit it -- in need of humility, I know.
51. I can be very stubborn.
52. My neighbors can confirm that I yell really loud.
53. I'm a take-charge kind of girl. The "submissive wife" is something I've had to work on for years.
54. I'm a neat freak. Mess overwhelms me.
55. Making my bed is usually not a priority for me. I probably make it 3 times out of a week.
56. One of my greatest joys is traveling with my kids. I have always wanted them to share that experience with me, rather than do it by myself while they were in college.
57. I'm a list person. Heaven help me when I don't have or can't find my list!
58. I get giddy checking things off my list! If I do something that wasn't on my list, I'll write it down just to be able to check it off. Come on, I know I'm not the only person who does this...
59. I consider myself to be somewhat intelligent. How do I know this? I can usually answer most of the questions correctly on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader.
60. I have a short temper. Over the years this has been my biggest area of improvement (glory to God), but it's still something I struggle with.
61. I don't like anything scary -- movies, books, etc.
62. Although I don't have a favorite movie (refer back to #39), I do enjoy inspirational/overcoming type movies most -- i.e. The Rookie, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Coach Carter to name a few.
63. When I asked my daughter, Abbey, what she would add to this list she said, "My mom likes to write a lot." Thanks Abbey!
64. I worry too much about what other people think, and allow that to paralyze me from doing things or being myself.
65. My favorite land animal is a horse; water animal, the dolphin.
66. This is kinda of dorky, but every time I snorkel or scuba dive, I find myself singing, "I want to be part of your world..." from The Little Mermaid and I don't know why! I guess I think I'm Ariel when I'm under the water like that.
67. I don't think of myself as that interesting of a person.
68. I have 3 simple things my husband has to do: keep me rested, keep me fed, and keep me cool or warm, depending on the weather. I don't think he realized how much of a high maintenance kind of girl I am.
69. I have a low tolerance for pain. Yes, I'm a wimp!
70. Abbey decided to help me some more...she added that I'm loving, caring, and persistent.
71. I tend to obsess over frivolous things. For example, I'm wondering if I was right to italicize the movie and TV titles above or if they should have been in quotation marks. That will bug me all day! See what I mean???
72. My favorite board game is Scrabble. I LOVE WORDS!
73. I'm a Facebook voyeur. I don't have an account of my own, I just get on my husband's to find out what all our friends are doing!
74. Impatience is one of my weaknesses. I'm the poster child for the world's demand of instant gratification.
75. Donated by my hubby, Clint - according to him I have a great laugh.
76. I like my email inbox to be as close to empty as possible. More than 10 messages hanging around in there and I get clutter-crazy!
77. I'm blessed to have a personal retreat in my house where I can go and study, read, and just get away from it all.
78. The 6 books on my bookshelf that currently represent my "favorites" are: Visioneering by Andy Stanley, Never Give Up by Joyce Meyer, Dangerous Surrender by Kay Warren, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni, The Shack by William Young and A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George (no relation)
79. Some of my favorite authors include: Francine Rivers, Angela Hunt, John Grisham, and John Maxwell.
80. Almost there....
81. I've mentioned this in a post before, but one of my childhood dreams was to be a Wimbledon champion. I probably would have tried out for tennis in school if fear hadn't held me back.
82. Over the years I've studied 4 different languages. I can only speak one well.
83. I'm not a morning person or a night person, so basically I only have a few good hours each day!
84. I'm not a girly girl -- I only have 7 dresses and 7 skirts and I rarely wear them.
85. I tend to be very observant and detail-oriented. Depending on the situation, that can be a good or bad thing.
86. I've never really broken any bones, just fractured a few ribs.
87. I haven't had a perm since 1991, when I got married and moved out of my parents' house!
88. I've traveled all over the world, but I've never been to the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Park. It seems almost anti-American!
89. I received a full scholarship to college, but gave it up to get married to my one true love and transferred schools.
90. I graduated college with honors, but because I transferred from one school to another, they wouldn't recognize me as graduating with that.
91. My favorite arcade game is Ms. Pac-Man.
92. I hate politics.
93. Duran Duran and Madonna were my teenage rock idols.
94. Dr. Pepper is my favorite type of soda.
95. I haven't always been adventurous, but I have worked at an elephant orphanage in Thailand, hot air ballooned in Australia, and rode a camel up Mount Sinai in Egypt.
96. Spontaneity is another thing that I'm not known for.
97. I can dance like Elaine Benice on Seinfeld, which is not necessarily a good thing!
98. My favorite snack is cheese dip and chips...Yum!
99. I love my life and wouldn't change it for the world.
100. I'm not where I need to be, but I see how far I've come and through it all I know that I'm simply a woman transformed. For that I will always be thankful.

So there you have it, 100 things about me. Honestly, this was a labor of love and took 2 days to create. I had fun doing it, but after a brain break I'll be ready to get back to normal posts! Thanks for taking the time to read all about me. Hopefully it will help you understand the person behind the posts a little more. Oh, and feel free to leave a comment about anything you've read. I love hearing from you!

Hello and Hello Again

2009-08-03T16:19:00.000-07:00

First, let me say "Hello" to my She Speaks friends who are visiting the site! It was such a blessing to meet all of you and I hope we'll be able to stay in touch long after the dust settles from the conference. I'm excited you've decided to visit me and I pray you will be blessed! Since it's been awhile since my last post, I hope you'll read some of the archived blogging I've done and find out what this site is all about. Enjoy!

Next, I want to give a big "Hello Again" to my faithful friends! It seems like forever since I've written anything, but most of you know that I've been back in the States for the summer. I'm excited to get back to writing after learning about the blogging world at the She Speaks conference. I have many new post ideas and I can't wait to share them with you soon.

I'm praying that as you read this you will notice my new layout. Thanks to Designs by Summer for all the hard work and the wonderful patience she displayed while dealing with a perfectionist like me! If you have a chance, let me know what you think of the new design.

Hard to believe, but my next post will be my 100th! I know that according to blogging etiquette you're supposed to tell 100 things about yourself. I usually don't like to follow "the rules", but I guess I could forgo that philosophy and open myself up to you. I'm just not sure I can think of 100 things...we'll see!

It's good to be back friends. Until next time...

A simple reminder

2009-06-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's the simple things that teach us the most.

A simple reminder: Those who stay in the "Son" grow the most!

"Come, let us walk in the light of the LORD." - Isaiah 2:5

My Spriritual Navi

2009-06-25T05:24:00.000-07:00

You cannot live, or survive for that matter, in Europe without a "Navi" (that's a GPS in American lingo). It is an essential asset for anyone who drives and without one you will not find your way around! As helpful as my Navi is, after 6 months of using it, I have developed a love/hate relationship with it.

It doesn't matter how exact the navigation system is, I still manage to mess up the directions -- I underestimate how far 200 meters is until I have to turn and then turn on the wrong street; I take the wrong exit when the exit forks in two directions; or I go the wrong way on the highway. It is so FRUSTRATING!! Granted, I've never gotten completely lost while following my Navi since it automatically recalculates for me, but I still get upset that I can't follow simple directions and ultimately waste time trying to reach my destination. I mean it provides both audible and written instructions -- how hard can it be??? As much as I love the help that my Navi offers, I can't help my hostile feelings towards it either.

But ranting and raving about my Navi is not the main reason for this post. I couldn't help but think about all of this in a spiritual sense.

Driving down the autobahn, I heard an advertisement on the radio, "Wouldn't it be nice if we could have a GPS to steer us through life?" I thought to myself, for those of us who are believers, we do have one -- the Bible. It is all we need for direction in life. But what if you are like me and have trouble following the GPS to reach your final destination? Are we hopeless?

Like driving with my navi, the Bible is my main guide. It has clear instructions, both written and audible (through the Holy Spirit), that I need to follow. But if I don't understand it, can't interpret it, or don't apply it, then I will continue to go around in circles trying to reach my goal of Christlikeness. When I get confused down the path I'm going I can't blame the manual, it's an operator malfunction! And the only way to overcome that malfunction is to pay close attention to the instructions, know exactly what it says, and then follow it precisely. Doing these things with my Bible, and my Navi, will get me where I want to go without any problems!

I'm always amazed at how God will use mundane things to get my attention (maybe because my brain can't move beyond that), and I'm thankful that He does. Since I have to use my Navi most everywhere I go, then I constantly have a reminder of learning from God's Word and trying to navigate it properly.

Yes, there are still days when I mess up on the physical road and the spiritual one, but on those days I just need to remember that life's a journey and to sit back and enjoy the drive.

I could have, but...

2009-06-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had an opportunity to help someone but didn't? Or maybe you had the intent to help, but something else kept you from doing it? I know that both of those times have happened to me.

Just last week a terrible rainstorm rolled in while I was at the grocery store and unfortunately, my umbrella was in the car. Observing the other people waiting in the store, I wasn't the only one who had this problem. As I ran to my car and unloaded my groceries the thought occurred to me that I should help the ladies with little kids, who were standing in the doorway waiting for the storm to pass, to their car. Did I follow that prompting? No. Not because I didn't want to, but because it would have been difficult explaining myself and what I was trying to do (language barrier excuse), because I would be late in picking up Kayley from her tutoring lesson (time excuse) or because they might have thought I was just strange (no real excuse). As I drove off, I knew I had missed an opportunity to help someone.

Proverbs 3:27 says, "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act." There are many things I could say about this verse, but I think a poem I came across last week reinforces it better than I could.

"The Sin of Omission" by Margaret E. Sangster

It isn't the thing you do, dear
It's the thing you leave undone
That gives you a bit of heartache
At the setting of the sun.
The tender word forgotten,
The letter you did not write,
The flowers you did not send, dear,
Are your haunting ghosts at night.

The stone you might have lifted
Out of a brother's way;
The bit of heartsome counsel
You were hurried too much to say;
The loving touch of the hand, dear,
The gentle, winning tone
Which you had no time nor thought for
With troubles enough of your own.

Those little acts of kindness
So easily out of mind,
Those chances to be angels
Which we poor mortals find -
They come in night and silence,
Each sad, reproachful wraith,
When hope is faint and flagging,
And a chill has fallen on faith.

For life is all too short, dear,
And sorrow is all too great,
To suffer our slow compassion
That tarries until too later;
And it isn't the thing you do, dear,
It's the thing you leave undone
Which gives you a bit of heartache
At the setting of the sun.

The poet didn't mention passing out umbrellas or offering to help during a rainstorm, but I'm sure that fits the category. I pray that I'm more sensitive and obedient to the leading of the Spirit the next time an opportunity arises and not be found guilty of the sin of omission.

How about you?

Not today, not again

2009-06-09T00:26:00.000-07:00

I just finished purchasing what I believe is the best Christmas present for my children that I've gotten yet! I was so thrilled to be able to get this for them, as it usually sells out very quickly. After purchasing it online I walked around the house giddy with excitement trying to figure out how I was going to keep this a secret for the next 5 months. I played different scenarios in my mind of how Clint and I would reveal it to them and tried to imagine the joy on their faces, the shrill of their screams and the pure happiness we would all have in that moment. I couldn't help but think how God must feel when we respond the same way to the great gifts He gives to us, His children. Those 30 minutes were the highlight of my morning.

However, as I sat down in my office to work, my mind started raging against me. Thoughts that hadn't dawned before now began to creep through in full force. Did you really get the best that was available? What if your choice ends up not being that great and your kids are disappointed? What if you made a mistake? Panic and despair washed over me and the joy I had moments earlier disappeared. How could this have happened?

I was struck down in the blink of an eye and couldn't even fight it. Rather than wage war against the enemy who battled against me, I sank into worry. I called Clint and talked to him about it, but with no success. Despite his encouraging words, I sank deeper into despair aligning myself with my mind and it's negative thoughts. I couldn't work, I couldn't respond. All I could do was sit there and ponder those questions over and over again.

But something within me wouldn't let it go. Something within me wanted to fight back. I couldn't get the words out of my mouth, so I just started writing in my journal:

Just as easily as it came it went. My joy and excitement that is. I was elated about the Christmas surprise I had just gotten for the girls when fear and doubt robbed me. Questions about my choice of purchase overwhelmed me. My joy and excitement will probably not return soon.

Why? Why this constant battlefield of my mind? Why am I not stronger, more prepared, better equipped to handle it? Why do I know it's happening and succumb to it? Why??

I know what I need to do - refuse the enemy and stand up to him and praise God and thank Him for this wonderful opportunity to bless my children. That just seems so contrived right now, but it's what I need to do.

Devil, I refuse to allow you to rob me of my joy and excitement in this moment. I will not play into your game of fear, doubt and double-mindedness. You have trapped me in that game many times before but I won't allow you to do it to me again! You want to play on my need for perfection -- that I have to have the absolute perfect situation and that anything less is failure and cause for disaster and disappointment. But I won't let you do this to me. I won't!

God gave me an opportunity to bless my children with one of their hearts desires and I am going to rejoice in that. Rather than focus on your twisted thoughts, I will think upon what their faces will look like when we give them their gift. I will thank God for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, that doors were made open for me. I will thank Him for the wonderful picture He is giving me to see how much a parent loves to shower a child with good things, and how much more so our Father in heaven! (Matt. 7:11)

I have to believe and trust that if God gave me this open door then even if I did not choose the best available that He can still turn it out for good. That He will take my wrong choice and still fulfill a heart's desire. I have to remember that my girls will be thrilled by the gift itself and that's all that matters.

Satan you may have succeeded in the past with your scheme but you failed this time. I will not be putty in your hands; I will not be robbed; I will not give you the victory.

Not today, not again.

After that I closed my journal, and continued on with my work. The matter was done and the victory was won. The despair that I had felt fled, and the joy and excitement returned. It was an exhausting morning to say the least. A roller coaster of emotions and a hard fought battle for my mind. But I know it will all be worth it. The proof will reveal itself in 5 months and I can't wait!

"Where the mind goes, the man follows" - Joyce Meyer

Missing Person

2009-06-02T03:54:00.000-07:00

My husband has issued a missing person report. It reads as follows:

MISSING: My wife of almost 19 years is missing. I'm not sure how it happened, or exactly when, but she is no longer here. The woman who could organize, create, structure, and multi-task has vanished. Have you seen her? I could see the signs that she was fading and tried to help her, but it was useless. I miss her and the way she used to be. She's gone and I hope she'll come back soon.

No, he's not kidding. The woman he used to know is no longer. Even I can't explain what has happened to me, but I know that something has. I can no longer function as I used to. Now too much stress, too much activity, or too much of anything causes me to shutdown. I could say it's the move to a different culture, or I could say it's the reality of life that I haven't been used to in 2 1/2 years, but I don't want to make excuses. Life is what it is. All I know is I can't handle it the way I once did.

What happened to the woman who jetted off with her two children to a foreign country for a week? Where is the woman who juggled a preschool ministry, a women's conference, and a family all at once? I look in the mirror and don't recognize that face anymore. Instead, I lock myself out of the house, only to realize 4 hours later that the key was in the door the entire time, or bathe myself with the shampoo rather than the soap just because.

A phase of life? A mid-life crisis? Who's to say? All I know is a once strong woman is now a fragile shell -- a missing person indeed.

Learning to Receive

2009-05-23T11:48:00.001-07:00

Retrieving the mail has never held much excitement for me. If it weren't for those wonderful bills I am expected to pay, I could probably go several days without opening my mailbox -- I just don't get worked up over mail. I guess it's because when you live overseas you don't get anything interesting in the mail that often.

So you can imagine my surprise when I recently found a package sitting on top of my mailbox -- a delivery of love from a friend back home. Like a child on Christmas morning, I quickly opened the box, racing to get to the "goodies". To my delight was enclosed a copy of a newly released book that I had desperately been wanting, but unable to find. I was so excited!

After thumbing through the book, I began to clean up the mess I had made with the box and noticed the parcel stamp showing the cost for shipping the package overseas. I had no idea of the exorbitant expense that my friend had incurred to give this gift to me. When I added in the price of the hardback book, my joy turned sour and guilt racked my heart. I knew my dear friend was on a tight budget and really couldn't afford to send me a package like this. I was grateful that she had thought of me, but I had a hard time receiving the gift knowing the hefty price my friend had paid.

For days I couldn't pick up the book without a twinge of guilt piercing my spirit. Rather than enjoy my gift, all I could do was try to think of ways to repay my friend. I soon realized, however, how futile my thinking was. If I were to follow through with my "repayment plan", then I wasn't really receiving the gift, but trying to compensate my friend for her kindness. What kind of friend does that? As much as she would appreciate the reciprocity, her joy came from giving me the surprise gift in the first place. Would I really want to rob my friend of her joy?

After giving the matter much thought, I realized that the problem did not lie with the money. The problem was my unwillingness to receive. Of course some people, like my children, have no problem receiving, but for some reason I do. Maybe it's that part of me that thinks I can do it myself, I don't need help -- you know, that attitude the Bible calls pride? I knew that there was a lesson God wanted to teach me here and it would require me to lay down my pride and listen.

It wasn't long before God started speaking. It came in the form of one simple Bible verse used during a Sunday sermon at church, "My peace I give to you..." (John 14:27). Give. That is what God does. Giving is part of His nature. In fact, the Bible is full of verses that share all that the Lord gives to His children:

strength (Ps 29:11)
desires of our hearts (Ps 37:4)
that which is good (Ps 85:12, Matt 7:11)
His angels to guard us (Ps 91:11)
food in due season (Ps 104:27,28)
a heart to know Him (Jer 24:7)
a hope and a future (Jer 29:11)
comfort and joy instead of sorrow (Jer 31:13)
an undivided heart and a new spirit (Eze 11:19, 36:26)
His Word (Eze 20:11)
knowledge and wisdom (Daniel 1:17, 2:21)
rest (Matt 11:30)
His Son (John 3:16, Rom 8:32)
eternal life (John 10:28, 17:2)
the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 2 Cor 1:22)
spiritual gifts (Eph 4:7,8,11-13)
grace (Eph 3:7-8; 4:7)
eternal encouragement and good hope (2 Thes 3:16)
love (1 John 3:1)

These are all great gifts from God, but do you know the key to these gifts? Receiving them. Just as I had to freely accept the gift from my friend, we have to be willing to receive the gifts God longs for us to have.

Do you need peace? encouragement? love? God wants to pour these out to you and me. Too often, though, we are not in a place to receive them. Perhaps, like me, pride stands in your way. Maybe it's unbelief. Maybe we have asked and asked for God to shower us with one of the things I listed above and it doesn't seem to be coming our way. Have we stopped to wonder why that is? We may think that God is withholding that from us, but in reality we simply haven't allowed ourselves to accept it from Him.

This has not been an easy lesson for me to learn, but one that I know I need. I have always wanted to be a generous giver, but I need to be a blessed recipient too. How about you?

Lord, I praise you that you are the Ultimate Giver. You shower your children with great things and You do not withhold. Forgive me when I have allowed things like pride and unbelief to keep me from Your gifts. Help me Lord to be a blessed recipient of Your goodness each day.

Following your dreams

2009-04-28T05:42:00.001-07:00

At a women's retreat this past weekend, I was asked what my childhood dreams had been. With a huge smile on my face I admitted to dreaming of being the next Wimbledon tennis champion or a journalist/writer, in that order. They were heartfelt dreams that I thought for sure would come to pass one day!

Fast forward a few years...one of those dreams has since past (obviously the tennis one), but the writing one still dwells within me. Notice the word dwells. Beyond this blog and my writing course, I haven't done much with my dream. It's not that I don't want to be a writer, I do! It's just that there is a part of me that doubts that this writing dream will ever really come to pass and fear that it will find the same fate as my tennis dream...cast into the sea and past it's prime.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams". I know that fear is a major factor for my dream dwelling, rather than my dream following. I know that if God has placed this dream within me, at the right time He will bring it to pass. Until then, I need to believe that it will happen and actively wait for that time. God has confirmed things to me through His Word, but since I'm sometimes hard of hearing and hard of learning He has also used a popular TV show to teach me a thing or two about dream following.

Maybe you're familiar with the show, America's Next Top Model? We started watching it recently when my teenage daughter informed me that she wants to be a model (a blog post for a later time I'm sure). The basic plot of this reality show is the same as Survivor, but without the jungle and the starvation (well, maybe not). There are challenges, cat fights, and photo shoots. At the end of each episode some unfortunate beauty gets the boot. But before Tyra Banks bids the loser-of-the-week farewell, she offers them a word of encouragement about following their dreams despite their current misfortune. It's those last 2 minutes of the show that God has spoken to the fears of my heart about my own dreams.

Here are some of those lessons:
* Have confidence in who you are and in your dream
* Never give up following your dream
* Transparency will get you further than you can imagine
* Don't hide the desire of your dreams
* You have it, you just have to break through

Funny how those few phrases have touched the depths of my fears because I know that Tyra wasn't just talking to those girls, God was using her to talk to me too! If I will just listen to His Word, His wisdom, and His encouragement, no matter what strange venue it comes through, like those girls I can reach my dream as well.

But I know that I'm not the only one out there with dreams. What about you dear friend? Is there a dream dwelling in you that you need to start pursuing? I pray that you will go confidently in your dreams, that you will heed God's Word and encouragement, and that you will actively wait for Him to make it a reality.

Hoping all your dreams will come true,
Liana

Where's Liana?

2009-04-23T04:41:00.000-07:00

I know I should probably rethink this whole blog thing since I don't blog as frequently as I should, but I have been a busy girl. Rather than having you look for me in a search and find book, like Where's Waldo?, I thought I would just show and tell you exactly where I've been for the past month!

Clint's parents came to visit at the end of March (yes, my last post was about then!), and we had a wonderful time showing them around Germany and France. Our most enjoyable trip was the few days we spent in Normandy, France exploring the World War II D-Day events. Two of our most memorable highlights of the tour were Omaha beach and the U.S. Cemetery, the one seen in the movie "Saving Private Ryan". The next day we went to an interesting fortress called Mount Saint Micheal (pronounced "Michelle"). This is an architectural beauty and captivating to see because it is basically an island of its own. Before they built a bridge, the only way to reach Mt. Saint Micheal was when it was low tide. Once high tide arrived there was no access to or from it!

I think that the most touching thing I learned from this trip was looking at the grave markers of those who gave their lives for my freedom. Freedom always comes at a cost, whether it it is for your country or your soul.

Six days after Clint's parents left, we headed out for our Spring Break vacation. Of course, it was at the beach! We went to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, which was WONDERFUL!! We had a great time snorkeling, swimming, lounging, quad-riding in the desert and exploring the Sinai peninsula. Below are pictures of our family during a break from the bike rides, in which we drank Bedouin tea and posed for photos; and me, after trekking through the night by camel to reach the top of Mt. Sinai by sunrise...

It was truly an amazing adventure, walking the same paths that the Israelites may have walked after they crossed the Red Sea and journeying to the top of the mountain to seek God, just as Moses did so long ago. I never cease to be humbled and amazed at the opportunities God provides me, especially ones where I get to see the Bible come alive!

After we arrived back to Germany, and WARM weather, it was study time for me! I had one week to "cram" for my written driving exam. By the grace of God, I passed! Now it's off to driving practice again...if only I looked like I did the first time I had driving practice!

It has been an exhilarating few weeks, filled with joy, awe, and fatigue. After I recuperated from it all, God decided to run me through the grinding mill spiritually. It hasn't been a fun few days, but God is doing a work in me that I know I need. I hope to share some of that with you when the time is right.

For now, I am committed to being better with my blog and my posting. My goal is to reach 100 posts in the next few weeks before leaving back to the States for summer holiday. I really want to achieve this goal and hope you'll help keep me accountable. Thanks for sticking with me, even during my long absences. I love sharing with you and can't wait until we meet again on my next post! Until then, be blessed.

2009-03-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

I could see the tears forming in her eyes. Kayley had expected to be first in the race; she finished fifth. The other girls were bigger and faster, and no matter how hard she ran, she just couldn't compete.

My heart broke for my daughter as she sat next to me and cried. I tried to be encouraging, but she didn't want to hear it. All she wanted at that moment was to be told she was the winner. And she was, in her own way. But there was another truth I had to share with her that I knew she wouldn't want to hear. No matter how hard you try, there will always be someone out there who is just a little bit better, a little bit faster, a little bit more talented than you; but that's what keeps you pushing harder, and trying harder to be your best. An ugly truth, but a truth nonetheless.

I was worried that this discouraging episode would cause her to give up and quit, but she didn't. I was getting her confused with me because that's what I would have done. Thankfully, this is one area that my children have not followed in my footsteps. But I think God used this experience to teach me a valuable lesson.

I have struggled lately comparing myself to other writers. As I read other blogs or magazine articles, I think to myself, "There is no way I could ever write like this." That thinking only starts a domino effect of condemning thoughts that grip me to the point of defeat. At that point I just want to quit and give up. I figure if I'm not able to "compete" and win, why bother? But I'm looking at it from the wrong perspective. Following my own advice, I need to use other's talents, gifts, and abilities to push me to do my best at what I know I'm called to do. I may never be a Noble prize writer, but I think I may be a good writer whose words may one day grace the pages of a magazine.

There may for all of us, someone who is better, stronger, more talented, or better equipped for the tasks we are called to do. Rejoice that you have someone to spur you on, to challenge you to do your best. As I always tell my girls, Do your best and let God take care of the rest.

At the start of her second race, Kayley walked onto the track with sheer determination. My heart felt like it was going to pump out of my body, I was so nervous for her. As the gun went off and she rounded the corner, I saw that she was giving it her best, despite the girls that surrounded her. And as she crossed the finish line ahead of all the rest, I knew that she had turned an ugly truth into a winning reward.

"...I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:14

German lessons

2009-03-10T04:35:00.000-07:00

A new country means a new language, which I'm not all that excited about learning. But I've realized that in order to adapt and fit in, a grasp of the local dialect is indispensable. So I've started taking German lessons.

To date, I've had four classes. My tutor, Floria, is nice, patient and has a unique teaching style that has helped this non-proficient language student. She also has this strange idea that I enjoy this learning and has no problem loading me down with stacks of flashcards to learn each week -- I think I'm up to 100 new verbs in just the last 2 lessons! I wish I could say I was a studious person when it comes to German, but I'm not. Most of the time I can be found "cramming" the few hours before she arrives at my house, or the night before. For now, that's been as good as it gets.

However, as my homework pile grows, this cramming style of study is not going to cut it; my study habits are in desperate need of a kick start. So on Saturday I decided to start studying on Sunday for class on Wednesday. Granted, it's not much time, but it's better than what I was doing before, right? Plus, I thought to myself, it's not like I'm paying for the class anyway; that's been paid for by the company. As only God can, He immediately whispered to me, "Your life was also paid with a price. Are you living it in the same way?"

The thought jolted me.

The Bible declares that I "was bought at a price...redeemed from the empty way of life with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect" (1 Cor 6:20;1 Peter 1:18-19). If my life has been paid for in this way, then I have to regard it above "just getting by". Too often, however, I don't. I am usually willing to settle for mediocrity rather than the abundant life Jesus offers (John 10:10), or I will offer myself until the pain threshold becomes more than I feel comfortable with. As with poor study habits, this kind of life yields weak results.

If I want to have the life Jesus died for me to have, or be all that God wants me to be, then like my German studies, I have to change some of my habits. For me, God has shown me that I need to be a child that truly believes and sets no limits on what He can do; to recognize the Power that is within me; to cleanse myself from the ignoble so that I can be an instrument for noble purposes; and to give myself wholly to the gifts He has given me. When God shows you how to live beyond "just enough", He's calling you to an act of obedience. Will I answer the call? Will you?

As unenthusiastic as I am about taking German lessons, I'm grateful for the way God has used them to touch my heart. I want all God has for me in this life and I know now that "just getting by" doesn't get me there. I'm going to have to give a little more than what I would like, but I know that there will be great reward when my journey is complete. It's a journey that's been paid for us all. How are you living it?

Painting Fiasco

2009-02-23T03:13:00.000-08:00

I laid the five oil paintings out on the living room floor, wondering why they were delivered to my house.

“Maybe Clint bought them as a going-away surprise,” my friend, Regina, suggested.

“No, I know my husband and he wouldn’t do that,” I replied. “But maybe he received them as a gift.”

I stared at the works of art in front of me. Were they a gift or did they accidentally get sent to the wrong house? Our name was on the package slip so they must be for us. Bewildered, I would just have to wait until Clint called from Europe to unravel this mystery.

“They are beautiful, especially the ones with darker colors,” Regina said as she admired the different pieces.

“Really? You like those? They are my least favorites, and I probably wouldn’t even hang them up. You can have them if you want them,” I offered.

“Talk to Clint first and let me know later,” she said rushing out the door.

As I thought about the particular piece that I liked, how I would frame it, and where I would hang it in my house, Clint called.

I immediately interrogated him, “Did you buy those paintings or were they a gift from someone? Why didn’t you tell me about them? How much did they cost?“

There was silence as my husband digested my questions and then realized what I was talking about.

“Paintings? Oh, those paintings. Those aren’t ours. Remember I told you that a friend at work purchased them, and then sent them to us so we could include them in our sea shipment to Germany.”

“They’re not ours?” I asked disappointed. “I was already planning on framing one tomorrow, plus I gave two of them to Regina!”

After hanging up the phone, I quickly picked the pieces off the floor, placed them back up in their original container, and tucked them away for safe keeping. Since they weren’t mine, and obviously very expensive, I didn’t want anything to happen to them.

Recounting the story to Regina and some other friends over dinner, we all had a good laugh. Later, Regina kindly refused my earlier offer of the paintings since I didn’t actually own them. When she did that, the thought occurred to me: You can’t give away what you don’t possess.

As I pondered that thought for several days, I realized there was a spiritual lesson in there as well. If I do not possess spiritual wisdom, knowledge or insight, how can I possibly give that away to others? How can I pass on spiritual truths and understanding to my children, my friends, or even strangers if I do not possess them in my own mind and heart?

These days, I’m not as quick to give material items away - I’ve learned my lesson in that area. However, when it comes to spiritual matters, I’m more than happy to give away the insights and knowledge God has shown me and I keep going back for more.

Strange, strange

2009-02-10T01:30:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a few weeks since I've blogged, and the obvious thing to write about would be what I've been up to during this time away. But I think the last 15 hours of my life would be more interesting to share with you. I'm not even sure interesting would be the right word - strange would be a better choice, I think.

So here it goes:

Monday, 4:00 pm - Abbey comes home crying because she lost her shoes. Normally this would be no big thing, except this is the 3rd pair of shoes she's lost in 3 weeks! Visit to the shoe store...

7:00 pm - Kayley boots up her laptop to finish her Humanities (Social Studies in U.S. terms) essay on the French Revolution. Thirty minutes later it still hasn't started. Needless to say, the computer has crashed and she can't retrieve the document that's due in the morning.

7:30 - 9:30 pm - All out search for the boot-up disks that came with the computer, with no luck.

9:45 pm - We look out at the beautiful field of snow covering our yard. I comment on how funny my car looks -- the front side passenger window is the only window that isn't covered in snow. My husband says it's the way the snow is blowing. Whatever you say, dear and we head to bed.

Sleeping hours - Strange noise, strange dreams. By 5:45 am, I couldn't take the noise anymore! Clint said it was simply the wind pushing the snow off the roof. It sounded like a mini-avalanche to me!!

Tuesday, 7:15 am - The mystery to my car window is revealed! Clint went out to scrape the snow off my car and discovered that BOTH the front driver side window and the front passenger side window were completely down!! How did that happen?? Clint drove my car yesterday, but when it's below freezing he doesn't drive around with the front windows down and then leave them down! Needless to say, my car was filled with snow!!

8:15 am - Sitting on two towels, trying to keep my rear dry, I drive to school to explain to the teacher why Kayley doesn't have her work. I realize on the way that Abbey doesn't have her lunch. Back home, back to school -- again. As I leave the school it starts pouring down rain, and I have no umbrella. So not only is my rear wet, so is my head!

It's 10 am as I write this and fortunately, nothing else strange has happened. Yet. Let's hope my next post is less problematic! Until then...blessings!

Monkey on my back

2009-01-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

For the past 4 months I have been carrying a monkey on my back -- a writing assignment that I just couldn't finish. Granted I had to take a short break for entertaining guests and moving, but I just couldn't write the article that was required.

I think I was paralyzed by the task itself (maybe you've had that problem?), and I just couldn't get over it. I would roll ideas over and over in my head, but I couldn't get anything written down. As my deadline loomed, my stress intensified and the monkey kept getting larger. Finally I decided the only way to get it off was to face it head on.

As I sat down at my computer, I still didn't have the words to write but I decided to just start typing anyway. My words came out sounding like a third-grader, "This is my true adventure story. It's about a time at the Frio River when we faced danger." And on and on it went. HONEST! But the more I wrote, the smaller the monkey seemed to get. Soon I had written 350 words and had a sketch of what I wanted to write. And all of that in less than an hour.

Obviously I deleted that piece and started over, but just sitting down and facing my fear helped me to deal with it. Many times in the past I have just quit because the monkey seemed larger than I could handle, but now I'm realizing that I can do it!

I pray that whatever "monkey" you may be facing today, you will confront it and not let it paralyze you or cause you to back down. If I can, I know you can too!

Praise loudly

2009-01-19T09:21:00.000-08:00

I was at my friend Regina's house the other day and came across a book she had. I can't recall the exact title, but it was a book on proverbs and sayings from Hawaii. Curious, I thumbed through the pages to see if there was anything of value. And guess what? There was! The one that stuck with me the most was this: Praise loudly, criticize softly.

I guess it struck such a chord with me because lately I've been so quick and loud to criticize all the difficulties I've faced since moving here to Germany (just ask my husband). It's not that it's bad here, it's just a hassle -- I think being spoiled in China has something to do with that though. And rather than focus on the small victories we accomplish each day, I tend to concentrate on the negatives, which doesn't help my outlook or my attitude!

So, I thought I'd take a moment and praise loudly the awesome things God has done here, and, at least for a few minutes, silence the criticisms I have of my new home:

1. Praise for the car that we found! It was below our budget price, it was in excellent condition, and it's an automatic transmission (a large majority of the cars here in Europe are manual, which are hard for me to drive).
2. Praise for our cat being miraculously returned to us when he escaped from our hotel room two weeks ago!
3. Praise for our sea shipment's arrival this week in Germany! We probably won't get it until the middle of next week as it has to go through customs, but at least it will be here!
4. Praise for our children and their new friends! As I type this, Abbey just received a phone call from one of her new classmates!
5. Praise for the fact that I haven't died in the cold yet. Seriously! I know that may sound funny, but for this girl who loves the warm and the beach I am surviving the below freezing temperatures.

Short list, I know. Hopefully, prayerfully I will be able to add more to this list with each new day. For now, I will just try to remember when to be quiet and when to be loud and try not to get the two mixed up so often. I hope you will find time to praise loudly and criticize softly too.

Just not for me

2009-01-09T23:03:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was at a friend's house here in Germany (yes, I have friends here already - they moved here from Nanjing) and she offered me a piece of cake. I gladly accepted her offer and asked for some water to go with it. She gave me a puzzled look and said, "No one in Germany eats cake with water, only coffee or tea." Ouch! She didn't say it to be mean. Being German she was just stating the facts of the culture here.

I pondered her statement while I drank my glass of water and wondered if I would be able to fit into this coffee-loving environment since I don't drink the addicting cocoa bean. For those of you who love your coffee, please don't take offense! I just don't have a taste for it, along with wine, alcohol, or any kind of tea that's not sweet (that's a Texas thing that runs deep within me). But trying to keep in the spirit of the culture, I thought I'd give it a try.

So far I've tried lattes, but they are only drinkable after adding 3 or 4 sugar packets. Then I hate the coffee taste that lingers in my mouth. I'm going to try a cappucino next, but they say it has a stronger coffee taste than a latte! What's a girl to do? Honestly, I think I'll stick with my hot chocolate -- no matter how kiddie like it may be. This coffee thing is just not for me.

I guess the saying, "When in Rome do as the Romans do" will not work for me here in Germany when it comes to coffee. I'll just carry my Swiss Miss packets with me everywhere I go and pray I can be accepted in the German world!

7 things

2009-01-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

It's good to be back writing in the blogging world! You know it's been too long since your last post when someone mentions it to you and you don't even remember writing it! Hopefully that won't happen again any time soon, but with all our crazy adventures you never know!

Life here in Germany has been interesting and moving to a foreign country is always a challenge. I know that it won't always be this way, but I'm not "loving" Germany just yet. It's more of a love-hate thing. Which reminded me of Miley Cyrus' song "Seven Things". Yes, I know it's pathetic that a grown woman would even know that song, but when it's played endlessly at your house it kinda sticks with you, even when you don't want it to!

Anyways, in the song she mentions the 7 things she hates about an ex-boyfriend and then talks about the 7 things she likes about him. I thought that would be a fitting way to convey my experience here in Germany so far. So here it goes...

The 7 things I dislike/find strange about Germany (in no particular order):
1. Quiet time - Every day from 1 pm to 3 pm, all day Sunday and every public holiday you are not allowed to do any "loud" activities -- mowing the yard, vacuuming, piano playing, etc. If your neighbors think that you are too noisy during this time they can call and complain about you. Honest truth!
2. The English issue - all Germans are required to take English in school so they know the language. However, they choose NOT to speak it! What about the deer in the headlights look on my face do they not understand?!
3. Parking - more trouble than I care to elaborate on...
4. Expensive, expensive, expensive - please take me back to China where things were SO cheap! In China $300 USD could last me a week or more, here in Germany I'm lucky if it lasts 3 days!
5. Weather - way too cold for this South Texas girl! I think I'll thaw out in April, only to bundle up again in September.
6. Where is the sun? - Strangely the sun does not come up here until after 8:00 am and goes down between 4:30 - 5:00 pm. And then I heard in the summer it completely changes and the sun doesn't go down until 10:00 pm. What axis of the planet is this country spinning on??
7. Religion tax - the government charges you extra taxes if you list any religious affiliation on your resident certificate. For that reason many people don't claim any religion here so they don't have to pay taxes. It is a very atheistic society, yet they take public holidays for Ephinany, Ascension Day, and Pentecost. Try to figure that one out...

Okay, enough of the negatives (but trust me I could list more).

The 7 things I like about Germany (in no particular order):
1. You can drive really fast on the Autobahn! A sticker on Clint's car recommends a maximum speed of 210 kmh (130 mph), although the speedometer goes up to 260 kmh.
2. All the European countries are closely connected and don't require visas to get in!
3. It is mainly a cash only system, so no large debts can be accumulated.
4. No air conditioning in the houses must mean that it shouldn't be too hot here during the Spring and Summer.
5. The food is DELICIOUS - Salami, sausages, pastries, and breads...YUM! I have to find a gym soon!
6. We can watch movies in English at a real movie theater -- yeah! In China that was a rare gift....
7. Nice scenic spots with quaint villages, regal castles, and beautiful mountainsides.

So life in Germany isn't all that I thought it would be, but it's only been 2 weeks. Hopefully, prayerfully things will get better with time. Until then, I'll keep driving around really fast with a sausage stick in one hand, exploring the countryside and singing Miley Cyrus....

Can I cry on your shoulder?

2008-12-10T00:26:00.000-08:00

There are many things in life that make me cry, but it seems this week is my non-stop crying fest. I'm mourning the death of my beloved dog of 16 years, and now I have to say good-bye to the people and the place I've come to know and love for 2 1/2 years. You'd think with all my crying, my tears would be dried up by now, but they're not. They seem to pour out at any moment. Just thinking about saying good-bye makes me cry! Can you imagine what it will be like when I actually do say zai-jian (good-bye in Chinese)? Add to all this that I'm coming down with a sinus infection/cold, and you can probably guess my emotional state right now. Can I just cry on your shoulder for a moment?

I know that mourning lasts for a night and joy comes in the morning, but I'm not sure which morning that will be. I still have 10 days of good-byes. God give me strength to get through them. Of course, finding that box of kleenex somewhere in my house would be helpful too!

Suprise!

2008-11-28T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hehee!! Its Kayley! I was bored of my mom's layout (again), so I changed it...Since I love GUITAR you can see why I chose this layout...:P Anyways when she gets back I will probably be forced to change it, so enjoy it while it's here. Anyways.."Whats up with me?" you ask? Welll last night was the "End of Exam Dance" at school! I had an awesome time!!! We danced like crazy, and it was great, but the best part it: EXAMS ARE OVER! I had 6 exams this week, and they were very very very hard, but thank goodness they are over. Oh yea, and I starting counting down the days until Germany.....I have 10 more school days left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AGHH! Anyways enough about moi..but oh wait! Here is a video of me on guitar hero! Watch those fingers go!! (Don't worry, its only like 20 seconds) Well enjoy your lives! Bye bye

Sisterchick Adventure

2008-11-26T05:12:00.001-08:00

Most of you know that I'm a list girl. I love to make them and then, of course, cross them off or put a check by them when I've finished the task! Such joy!! Anyways...I'm excited to be able to cross off another goal on my dream list as my dear friend Lisa will be coming to visit and we will embark on a Sisterchick adventure around China!

Some of you may be asking, what is a Sisterchick adventure? Based on the novels by Robin Jones Gunn, a sisterchick adventure is two friends traveling around a foreign country discovering themselves and God in an amazing journey. I've always wanted to do that with one of my dear friends, and now I'm getting the opportunity to see another dream fulfilled (thanks God!). With the blessing of our two husbands, Lisa and I will spend 8 days roaming around the land of green tea leaves with no kids, no responsibilities, and no worries! Sounds like a Sisterchick adventure to me! I hope that she will fall in love with China the way I have and that I can show her all that China has to offer. I'm also excited to be able to show someone else what life is like for an expat. It's a different world that can only be understood by seeing it firsthand. It will be a cram packed time of exploring, learning, and just hanging out and catching up....I hope Lisa's jetlag will wear off quickly; I've got a long list of things for us to do!

I hope to have some fun and God-filled discoveries to share with you soon! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

God's Not So Great Timing

2008-11-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know God has perfect timing, but I don't understand how that works sometimes. For almost 3 years I have asked God to bring along someone to be a "heart friend" to me here in China. I have several wonderful "heart friends" back home in the States, those that know me well and in whom I have common interests and heart. And although those U.S. "heart friends" are near and dear to me, it helps to have someone physically present with you. So I have begged, pleaded, and asked God to bring me someone like that. Of course, He has said no. I'm not really happy with that answer, but I have learned to deal with it. That is until recently.

In August of this year I met two wonderful ladies who I have come to know and admire. They are in my Ladies Bible study, have kids my daughters' age, and love some of the same things I enjoy. What little time I have had with them these past few months has been a breath of fresh air. Except now I'm leaving. What's with that Lord?

Of course, these ladies know I'm leaving and they are hesitant to invest too much in a friendship. We joke about "what could have been" if I were to have stayed. But the fact is I leave in less than 30 days; 30 days full of crammed pack busy-ness.

I could be bitter and angry about all this, but what would be the point? It would only waste what little time I have left here and that's not how I want to spend my last few days in China. What I can do, however, is be grateful for the few months of friendship I did have with these precious ladies and began praying like crazy that God would give me those friendships again in Germany, this time without waiting sooooo long to bring them around. Who knows, there may be a lady in Germany praying for me right now. God can bring about those type of arrangements. His timing is perfect you know.

Cleaning house

2008-11-14T23:26:00.000-08:00

Well, the date is set. On December 10th and 11th, the movers will start packing us up for our relocation to Germany. Hard to believe it's less than a month away!

In preparation for this move, I've started going through each room and purging those things we don't need or won't be able to utilize in Germany. Why the sudden and untimely need for organization? Well, the strange thing about our new house, and houses in Europe in general I think, is that there are VERY FEW closets!! We have been blessed to have 2 large closets in ONE room, and a small storage closet in the entry, but that's it. Of course, the kitchen has cabinets, but I don't think I want to store my sweaters in there! So I'm trying to go through and determine what we REALLY need and what we can trash or donate before leaving.

Which got me thinking....most people usually make one of their New Year's Resolutions to organize their homes. The organization freak in me LOVES to hear that! But, like exercising, the desire to tidy up our homes gets lost somewhere in February. So how can we avoid falling into that trap? I think one key is to start now.

I know, you are probably thinking IS SHE CRAZY??? Doesn't she know that Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks, followed by the hurried rush of Christmas?? Yes, I am completely aware of the calendar. And I know that New Year's Day follows shortly thereafter. That's why NOW is the perfect time to start PLANNING for your New Year House Cleaning.

As you scour through the kitchen to stuff the turkey and open up your closets to set out your holiday decor, take a few moments and assess your space. Where would you like to start? What is feasible with your time schedule? What would your budget allow for organizational supplies (and I can promise you they'll be on sale at Lowe's in January)? Taking the time to think about it now, will allow you to start on the right foot when the new year rolls in.

"If you fail to plan, plan to fail" or so the saying goes. Don't let that be you when it comes to bringing order to your house in 2009. As for me, I'm purging one room at a time, one day at a time. My time, like yours, is limited but I know it will pay off in the end. I hope you'll discover that too.

Slammed

2008-11-10T04:16:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have one of those days when you feel like you are getting slammed by God? I know He doesn't want to have to use that method with us, but when we know He's been talking to us, correcting us, and rebuking us and we refuse to listen or do an about-face, then we give him no choice but to slam us. Today was one of those slam days for me.

I've been dealing with a range of emotions and issues since returning to China this summer after our holiday in the States. God has been trying to deal with me about some stuff and rather than heed His wisdom, I have run. Today He decided to stop me in my tracks.

First, was the Beth Moore video I watched. Of course, she told it like it was/is and I knew God was trying to get my attention. Then I had some time in the car to read (remember, I have a driver) and the words of my Discipleship Journal magazine jumped off the pages as story after story after story got right in my face. The breaking point, though, came tonight with Abbey. Struggling with her piano lesson and pleading to quit, I heard myself saying the very words God had been pursuing me with. The first two incidents I could easily close or turn off, but when the words start spewing out of your own mouth, there's no turning back. I was faced with the reality of my backsliding, defiant ways and there was no way out.

I don't think this is the way God hoped this situation would have come to pass, but I brought it upon myself. I can only hope to learn from my foolishness and begin to walk in the way of wisdom. For now, all I can do is quiet myself before the Lord and see where He goes from here. There will be conversation I'm sure...but I think I'll let Him do all the talking.

Pushing the pause button

2008-11-08T16:37:00.000-08:00

Hello again friends! It's good to be back blogging...it seems like an eternity since my last post, although it's only been a month and a half. Now that I have had a few moments of down time, I feel like I can breathe again. Don't get me wrong, I loved our vacation in Malaysia, enjoyed touring around China, and am glad to have found a house in Germany, but all of that physically exhausted me!!

I saw an ad on the internet that said, "You can't pause life". I understand what they were trying to get across, but I don't believe there is complete truth in that because that's exactly what I did last week -- I paused my life!

After 6 weeks of non-stop traveling, non-stop movement, I decided to pause. On Monday I took 2 naps, stayed in sweats all day and did nothing! I thing that qualifies as a pause, don't you? On Tuesday I went out for about 1 1/2 hours, and on Wednesday I stayed home watching election returns and scrapbooking Christmas gifts until my husband took me out to dinner. I had officially paused life, stayed home, and loved it!!

I know that "pausing life" like I did last week isn't a possibility for us all the time because nothing would get accomplished and that isn't such a good thing. But in my case, a pause was necessary if I expected my body to continue functioning and my emotional state to stay at a normal level. I feel much better for it and realized that pausing life even for a few moments on a daily basis can be beneficial.

For many of us, we find that pause when we have our quiet times with God and let the rest of the world pass us by. Sometimes, it may just be sipping a cup of coffee and listening to the birds chirping at the first break of morning. Whatever it may be for you, I want to encourage you to take the time to pause your life, even if it's just 5 minutes. As the holidays rapidly approach, this purposeful pause may be more necessary than you realize!

With a major move in 5 weeks, more company coming, and bringing closure to my time in China, I'm going to need plenty of pauses. When things get hectic around me I'm going to have to find the remote control of my life and push that button! I won't feel guilty about it, but rather, I think I'll savor it more because I know the benefits that will come out of it. I pray you will find that too.

Now if I could just find that remote....

I'm back....for a day!

2008-10-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

Hello blogging world! After 2 weeks of company I am back home and thought I would take a moment to say hello!

Traveling around China was great and I had a nice time. I think my dad enjoyed it as well, although he told me he was ready to go back home. With all my traveling I completely understand. Two weeks is my limit too! My favorite part of the trip was the cruise down the Yangtze river. It was a part of China that was amazingly beautiful and unlike the big cities I am used to. I loved it! When I have a chance I will try to post a few photos.

My family held it together very well and I am so grateful to them for letting me go away for 10 days! My husband was a trooper and although he served the kids junk food during that time, he did an overall great job! And I appreciate Kayley's help with my blog, and glad those of you who checked in enjoyed her post as well.

As always, life in the George family is never boring. While I was away on my China adventure, our children were formally accepted into the International school in Germany -- the last obstacle to our relocation. So upon my return home Thursday evening I found out I had one day to rest before we head to Frankfurt for a house hunting trip on Saturday! No, never boring. We will be gone for a week....

Amazingly, God has given me strength and energy to survive this month of traveling and the upcoming chaos that a relocation involves. I shouldn't complain really -- we only had 3 weeks to move to China; I have at least 6 weeks before moving to Germany!!

Again, my blog posts will be sporadic - sorry! I am so ready to return to NORMAL, whatever normal is. I've missed talking with you and look forward to sharing a few lessons I've learned over the past few weeks. Once I figure out what day it is, which continent I'm on, and what I'm doing, I'll blog away!! Until then, be blessed....

New New New New New!!!

2008-10-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Hey Hey! So you are probably thinking--"Wow, Liana's blog is sooo cool!!". Well it is. And thanks to me. Kayley. It is marvelous! So, as you know, this is the second time I have hacked this blog. But I felt sorry for my mom, because her last look--EEK! And I saw all her friend's blogs, and she needed to keep up with their coolness. Although it could use some work, I think I might keep it for awhile. I found it pretty easy to change and stuff. So now she doesn't need to spend money paying some professional person to do it, when I can. Plus, I got to thinking about this letting somebody else in your blog. They could keep your password, and then destroy it. I don't think its a very good idea personally (no offense to anybody who did), but of course that is just my opinion. Oh by the way, as you can see in the sidebar, is a picture of moi & my best friend Julia (she is german/chinese). We are obviously twins for twin day. But I think I will leave it up there because it's a good picture of me. As you can see, my hair is not curly anymore :O...I STRAIGHTENED IT! Haha, kidding, its a wig I bought for 200 RMB (Which I am still paying off my debt) And my mom doesn't like me enough as her daughter to tell you anything about me :(. I noticed she wrote about Abbey though...aggh. Anyways, since you have no clue whats happening with me. Well, I ROCK AT GUITAR HERO (if I haven't already told you) and school is pretty tough. I like 8th grade much more than any of my other previous years though. We are just so much older now...anyways, I look forward to getting into my mom's blog again without her knowing. Mwahhaha! Keep reading this blog! Peace out!

--Kayley (13 years old-3 years to driver's liscense :)

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-09-21T03:56:00.000-07:00

This upcoming week is one that I face with mixed emotions. It is the start of a month-long journey that I am not sure I'm ready to undertake. Mind you, it's nothing bad....it's just BUSY!!

My family and I will leave on Tuesday for a week-long beach holiday in Malaysia. (it's China's National Day holiday, their celebration on becoming the communist People's Republic of China. With 1.3 billion people all celebrating together, wouldn't you get out of town too?) When we come back to China, my dad will visit us for 2 1/2 weeks. While he's here I'm going to take him to several different cities within China that he did not see on his last visit in 2007. In addition to my travels I have 3 writing assignments due and a party to celebrate my daughter's 11th birthday. Wow - just writing it out makes me exhausted!!

Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to it all, but at the same time I feel a huge amount of pressure to get it all accomplished. I feel like I am going to be going 100 mph and juggling different plates while doing so. I will be leaving my family for the first time for an extended period of time, spending an unusual amount of one-on-one time with my father, and trying to stay disciplined with my writing. I know God can give me the strength to handle whatever comes my way, so I'm praying for help with all of it. However, I feel like I am on an emotional roller coaster from excitement to dread to uncertainty, and the ride is taking off. From my point of view I'm strapped in and there's no turning back...

With everything going on I'll probably be out of the loop for awhile. But you never know what God may show me during this next month, and you know me, I can't keep from sharing all that God teaches me! So check back in because I may just surprise you!!

For now, I take a long breath and prepare for the journey ahead.

"I can do all things through Him who gives me strength" - Philippians 4:13

Respond, not React

2008-09-17T03:38:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a great book by Dr. Kevin Leman called Adolescence Isn't Terminal, It Just Feels Like It. Entering these awkward teenage years I'm starving for information on what to expect and how to handle all those hormones! It's been very insightful so far and I'm praying that when I finish the book I'll be better able to handle the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde teen that's living under my roof.

One of the things that Dr. Leman said was very important to remember was to respond to your teenagers, not react to them when they come at you with strange requests or rebellious acts. Reacting only blows things out of proportion, whereas responding allows you to deal with the situation in a more positive manner. As I read, I thought to myself, "OK, got it" and kept on reading. Obviously God wasn't not happy with that train of thinking and decided that an application would really help me out.

So on Monday afternoon, Abbey (my pre-teen) came home from a friend's house completely flustered. When I asked her what was wrong, she said that she really wanted a purse like the one her friend, Apolline, had to take on their upcoming school trip (actually she wanted her friend's purse not one just like it). I told her there was no time for me to go look for one before she left and that she would have to be content with what she had. Now, if you know Abbey, you know that she has a tendency to react negatively when things don't go her way, so I was expecting that in this situation. To my surprise Abbey listened to my reply and then went to her room. From my office I could hear some noises coming out of her room so I went over to check out what she was doing. As I opened the door I was shocked to see that she had rearranged her entire room! When I asked her what caused her to start moving things around she said, "This is how I'm dealing with not getting Apolline's purse!!" Rather than reacting negatively to her circumstances with an emotional tantrum and meltdown, Abbey decided to respond in a more constructive manner.

I think I needed that real life example to remind me that no matter what the circumstance or situation I'm facing, I need to respond not react. With my flawed nature that is not always easy for me, but I think God used Abbey to remind me to have that child-like faith and attitude He talks about in Scripture. I think He also used this to illustrate how much it grieves Him when I react rather than respond. Proverbs 17: 21 says, "To have a fool for a son (or daughter) brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool." As a child of God, I'm sure it saddens my Heavenly Father when I react foolishly to the situations and circumstances of life. But I know that He doesn't long for me to stay that way and in order for me to get the message, I needed to see how it looked in real life and not just read it on the pages of a book.

The next day, Abbey decided to see if Apolline would be willing to make a trade with her for the purse she wanted. Apolline accepted the offer and Abbey was happily gallivanting around the house with her "new purse" all night. Maybe that was God's way of rewarding her for responding and not reacting to her situation. I don't know. I can only imagine that there are blessings in store for us when we choose to respond rather than react. It's a child-like lesson I won't soon forget.

I AM A HACKER!!

2008-09-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

BOOO! You scared mom? Haha..guess who it is?? Your one and only daughter, Kayley :D....I decided to hack into your blog and write a little bit about myself to let everyone know who i am: Well first off, I am 13 as you probably already know. I like Guitar Hero, gymnastics and of course the computer. For all of you awesome people reading out there, you are probably like.."how did she know the password??". Well--my mom makes all her passwords the same, so it was pretty easy to get in. Don't be scared though, I am not usually a person to hack into accounts. It's just I wanted to give my mom a little laugh. Hope you are laughing. Well I g2g to bed now. Cya everyone. Hope you enjoyed my little prank blog. Keep reading my mama's! Haha! Bye!!

--K.K

(P.S-That's a picture of me :O)

Dig for the truth!!

2008-09-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

I made an amazing discovery today that I can't wait to share with you, but before I do I need to lay some groundwork for you first.

Last May I felt God laying it on my heart about sharing His Word with my girls. I had always tried to share Scripture with them and apply it to their lives, but I felt like this nudging was more than that. So Clint and I decided to start reading the Bible with them every night, starting at Genesis. Of course, right after we started we left on holiday back to the States and everything got thrown off course. So while I was home I purchased a Bible study for my girls to do each day when we got back to China. It's a Precept study for kids entitled "Discover 4 Yourself". There are several topics in this series, but I decided to start at the beginning with Genesis. So every night for the past 3 weeks we have sat down and started digging out the truth of God's Word found in Genesis 1 & 2. At first my girls weren't thrilled about the work, but as we have continued to make amazing discoveries in Scripture they are beginning to see the value of studying the Word.

Okay, so now to the point of this blog post....tonight as Kayley and I were studying we were asked to think about how old the Earth really is. We were told to use Scripture to find the answer, since God's Word is all we need for knowing about the world in which we live. As Kayley and I started searching out the numbers and adding them up, I realized that the numbers were too small compared to what science has always told me about the age of the Earth. Yet based on the timeline we were given and the information provided to us in Scripture, we were faced with the amazing discovery that the Earth is not billions or millions years old, but according to Scripture it is only thousands of years old!! I was completely blown away! My mind is still trying to figure it all out, but I know that Scripture doesn't lie so somehow God is going to have to help my feeble mind make sense of it all -- or then again maybe He doesn't!!

All of this got me thinking about a few other discrepancies I had always been told or taught in the past. For example, I was always told that Noah stayed in the Ark 40 days and 40 nights; but that is only how long it rained. When you add up the numbers listed in Genesis 7 and 8, he actually stayed on the ark 377 days! The more I studied Genesis 7 I also learned that God did not instruct Noah to take two of every kind of animal into the ark but rather he told Noah, "take seven of every kind of clean animal..and two of every kind of unclean animal....and seven of every kind of bird" (Genesis 7: 2-3). Isn't that amazing???

Now I know some of you may have already known those things but I was really surprised when I unearthed them in Scripture. It made me realize that we cannot just read our Bibles or depend on others to tell us what Scripture says....we must dig for the truth ourselves! Not only have I fed on the words of others but I've also passed on my lack of true understanding on to others as well (namely my children and possibly yours if I had them in Children's Church at some point).

Awhile back I wrote a similar post to this one, entitled "Robbed". Basically it's the same type of post as this one but about the book of Esther instead of the book of Genesis. I guess God is still trying to get it through my thick head that I cannot be content just reading, skimming, or listening to great teachers talk about the Bible. I need to dig for the truth myself. I know that exciting discoveries, revelations, and understanding await me when I do.

"Though it cost you all you have, get understanding....buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline, and understanding." - Proverbs 4:7; 23:23

I'm blown away by You Lord and by Your Word. I know that You satisfy the hungry. May I hunger and crave Your Word knowing I will always leave Your table full.

The Daffodil Principle

2008-09-07T05:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you come across stories that are just too good not to pass along. The story below is one of those. I think it is a beautiful example and great reminder for us to take one step at a time to pursue those dreams that God has placed in our hearts. Who knows how it may change the world....

The Daffodil Principle
by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards

...We turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden ." We got out of the car, my daughter and I each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn.

"Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline. The first answer was a simple one.... "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Begun in 1958."

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world ...

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting....

The Kingdom of Me

2008-09-01T00:32:00.000-07:00

I had been planning it all week: On Saturday we were going to visit the new IKEA that just opened, eat lunch out, and then check out the new grocery store in town (exciting I know, but that's my life). Then Clint came home from work on Thursday not feeling well. I hoped it was just seasonal allergies and that it would pass quickly, but when he went to bed early on Friday and didn't wake up until 9 am on Saturday, I knew it wasn't just allergies - my husband was sick. And the plans I had looked forward to all week just went out the window.

Let me just say that I wasn't too happy about the entire situation. Because I am "disciplining" myself to stay home and write, luxuries like going out are rewards for me. Plus, as Clint will be leaving in a few days for trips to the U.S. and Europe, I was looking forward to us spending time together. So basically, my plans were shot and I was left home disappointed and angry. I tried to keep my emotions in check, really I did. I went to my office and journaled, hoping that would help. It didn't. After stewing for most of the morning, I LOST it right before lunch. My children, who are used to my tantrums, told me I was being grumpy and that I needed to go back to bed (aren't kids great?). My husband was completely caught off guard by my explosion, and as he hacked up a lung, offered to go ahead and take me out. Compassion-less Liana had won.

We braved the masses at IKEA, had a nice meal together, and then after 4 hours headed home. Needless to say, my husband was a zombie when we got back and went straight to bed. Sunday morning when I was ready to go to church, he could hardly move and I knew we would be staying home. At first I wanted to be mad, but something in my spirit wouldn't let me. It was saying, "You got what you wanted yesterday so there's no point in getting angry today." I knew there was no arguing with that. But I was disappointed...I was looking forward to the worship, the teaching, and visiting with other Christians and being refreshed. Because I lived for my flesh on Saturday, I missed out on the Spirit of Sunday.

The Bible says we are to live by the Spirit and keep in step with it (Gal. 5:16,25). This past weekend I was not living in the Spirit, but rather abiding in the Kingdom of Me. Looking back, it seems like I've been residing there quite often. Not that I'm proud of it; I'm not and God is dealing with me about it. I wish I could say that it's just my sinful nature, but I can't. I live with the decision daily to live for myself or live for God. It's my choice and only one will truly make me happy.

During all this, I came across a list of attitudes that can help you assess whether you're living in the Kingdom of Me or the Kingdom of God. This is not the full list, but I thought I'd share a few of them with you.

ATTITUDES IN THE KINGDOM OF ME
1. I tend to argue about minor matters.
2. I have a strong need to be "right" most of the time.
3. Thinking about the needs of others is not my first response.
4. I have a hard time admitting and saying "I'm sorry, I was wrong"
5. I expect those closest to me to know and meet my needs.
6. I expect those closest to me to appreciate my efforts.
7. I tend to hold others to standards that I have a difficult time maintaining myself.
8. I am easily offended and hurt when those closest to me don't seem interested in my stories.
9. I expect those closest to me to cut me some slack when I've had a rough day and excuse my bad behavior.
10. I keep a mental tally of how I give to others in relation to how much they give to me.

ATTITUDES IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD
1. I am willing to choose carefully the hills I want to "die on."
2. I value the relationship with another person more than I do being "right."
3. Sensing what another person needs in the moment comes easily to me.
4. I readily own up to my mistakes, weaknesses and sins and am willing to ask forgiveness.
5. I acknowledge that the only way someone else will know my needs is for me to communicate them clearly.
6. I am willing to be uncomfortable for the sake of others.
7. I try to have the same standards for myself as I do for others.
8. I don't use my bad day as an excuse for wounding those closest to me by my words, attitudes, or actions.
9. I find satisfaction within myself when I know I've done my best or made progress in an area of weakness.
10. I can give to someone else without secretly keeping score.
*from Kay Warren's book Dangerous Surrender

The only good thing about this weekend is that it is over. I have talked about it with God and He's already forgotten about, so after this post I'm not bringing it up again. I am, however, going to try to pack up my attitude bags and move out of the Kingdom of Me and into the Kingdom of God. I'm handing over the keys of the Kingdom of Me and praying that it's one place I won't return to anytime soon.

What are you wearing?

2008-08-28T23:47:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I worry about what I'm going to wear each day. I want to make sure I look nice, neat, and thin in whatever I put on. Many times my outfit is dictated by the event, the weather, or my mood. Regardless of those things, though, my overall goal is to have a pleasing appearance to the world.

To accomplish my goal takes time and effort -- and a lot of it! So much so, that at times I think I worry too much about my appearance and what I'm wearing. As I pondered that thought, I was reminded of two Bible verses that helped put my misguided worries into the proper perspective.

Colossians 3:12,"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."
Galatians 3:27, "...for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."

Faced with the truth of God's Word I had to question myself: Liana, what are you wearing? Based on my earlier statements, it's obvious how I'd have to answer that question! I need to shift my efforts and worries from my outer appearance and make sure that I'm dressing myself with heavenly clothing first and foremost.

Now when I look in the mirror and fuss about what necklace I should wear, or what shoes match my outfit best, I'm going to stop and make sure that before I finish my earthly attire that I am clothed with the spiritual outfits God wants me to wear. They came with a hefty price tag, why should I keep them in the closet? Plus, I know that wearing them would speak volumes to the world.

The Lord of Hosts

2008-08-27T04:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I was walking on the clouds....on Friday, my husband called from Germany and said he would be coming home earlier than expected from a 2 week trip; on Saturday, I completed and submitted a lesson by my self-imposed deadline and my family was back together the way it's supposed to be.

On Sunday, however, the clouds that I had been dancing on suddenly began to turn dark and gray as things beyond my control began to surface. Monday only brought rain and by Tuesday thunderstorms were rolling in. I went from bright and sunny one moment to being overtaken by the waters the next -- how could this happen?

What has occurred is not dire nor life-threatening to me or my family, but it has caused chaos and confusion in my life. I had a perfectly quiet week planned to abide by my writing schedule and get things accomplished, and now none of that has worked out. Instead I find myself distracted in my thoughts and my activities, allowing anger from stress to boil over, and trying to make sense of it all and wonder what I'm supposed to do next. Although I couldn't understand all that was going on, God knew exactly what I needed.

On Monday I started a Precept Bible study on 1 Samuel. Within the first two days we studied the name of God - "Lord of hosts" (1 Samuel 1:3,11 NASB). I had heard that name for God before but wasn't quite sure what it meant. During my lesson I discovered that Lord of hosts refers to God as the One in charge of human, celestial, and angelic beings. Basically, God is the One, the Ruler, in charge of everything and everyone. By Tuesday I had locked that away as head knowledge, but God wasn't going to let it stay there!

On Wednesday as I spent more time dealing with my issues and the uncertainty of some them, God whispered to me, "I am the Lord of hosts". And just like that I realized that although the circumstances were out of my control, they were not out of God's, and I just had to quit letting them overtake me. With this new knowledge, not of mind but of heart, the peace that I had on Friday and Saturday was slowly finding it's way back to me.

I wish I could say that my turmoil has ended, but it hasn't and I have NO idea when it will. Until it does my life will be in limbo. But I'm okay with that because I know the Lord of hosts and for now, that's all I need to know.

A new schedule

2008-08-26T05:28:00.000-07:00

A few posts back I mentioned I brought home 11 suitcases full of goodies. These were mainly clothes and books. My children are addicted to the clothes, I'm addicted to the books! One of the wonderful books I picked up, that isn't necessarily for everyone, is called Time to Write by Kelly Stone. It is the first book I have found that actually addresses the time management issues of writers -- something this organized, time management guru is struggling with!

It's not so much that I don't have time to write, it's just that I need to DISCIPLINE myself to sit down and do it! (Yes, I know, I used a dirty word -- discipline -- please forgive me!) And it didn't help that as I was reading this book I was also watching the Olympics, where every commentator talked about the discipline factor all the athletes had to have over the last 4 years in order to get where they are. Ouch! Was God trying to get my attention?

The combination of the book and the Olympics (and of course God's timing with it all) pushed me to set a new writing schedule for myself and I'm praying I can stick with it. I know it will not be easy, and I'm not off to a great start yet, but I am working on it. Distractions have already tempted me and there have been times when I've succumbed and other times when I have stood firm. Just one day last week the phone rang, the doorbell rang, and somebody stopped by, all while I was trying to write -- honest truth! I know that it will not be easy, but like the Olympic athletes I want the prize and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to reach it. That also includes sacrifice. I'm having to give up TV (including the US Open tennis tournament), Internet time, phone time, leisure activities, and time with friends so that I can accomplish my writing goals. But before you think I've locked myself away never to be seen again, don't worry. I'm using my "sacrifices" as motivation and reward -- when I reach a short-term goal or accomplish a small step then I get to enjoy those "sacrifices" without guilt! This is discipline. Right now it's not fun, but when I reach the gold then it will all be worth it.

I say all this because I want to inspire you today to think about you want in life. Is there something you desire that requires discipline, yet you don't want to endure the hardship that discipline brings? It may not be something similar to my goals, but something to do with your health, your home, or your spiritual walk. I encourage you to take small steps that may help you claim gold in your life. With prayer, God's strength, and yes, with discipline you can reach it. If I can do it, so can you! If you want you can drop me a note and let me know what some of your goals are and what you hope to do to discipline yourself to reach that goal. Accountability is a great help during those times and I'd love to partner with you!

I leave you with the words of Paul to ponder, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." (1 Corinthians 9:24-25 NIV)

Thankful Thursday

2008-08-21T01:38:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Susie writes a post on Thursdays called Thankful Thursdays. She does it in coordination with another blog and it is always encouraging to read her gratitude to God for all the great things He has done in her life. In keeping with Susie's Thankful Thursdays, I thought I would share something that happened to us a few Thursdays ago that we are truly thankful to God for. Thus, my Thankful Thursday post....

We were supposed to leave for Tokyo on Thursday, August 7th, a short visit to Disneyland before heading back to China. But due to poor planning on my part, we had to cancel that portion of our trip. When I called the travel agent to rebook our flight plans I had every intention of leaving for China on Thursday, August 7th. I was tired of traveling and ready to be in my own bed with my own things. My girls, however, wanted to stay longer as there was a free Raven Symone concert at Fiesta Texas on the 7th and they were dying to go. The travel agent could only get us on a flight back to China on the 10th, so whatever prayer my children were praying, it obviously worked.

We were able to make some arrangements for our close friends, the Rodriguez's, to join us at Fiesta Texas on the same day and so instead of boarding a plane to China, I headed to an amusement park. The girls were so excited and we arrived at the park precisely at 10:30 am. Since the concert was free we wanted to be there as soon as the doors opened so we could get tickets. Little did we know that Season Pass holders were allowed to enter the park earlier, sometime around 9:00 am, and by the time Clint and Kayley ran to the ticket office the concert was sold out. I chose to start standing in line for another ride and when I was finally able to contact my friend Lisa via cellphone, she said there were no tickets. I asked how Kayley handled the news and Lisa said she was disappointed but having fun riding rides. I felt terrible for my girls. They always feel like they miss out on so many normal "American" things (although I remind them they get to do and see things other people don't), so I was really hoping they would get this opportunity. It just didn't seem that it was meant to be. God, however, had other plans.

When I finally met up with everyone else I was amazed to find out that Lisa was the new owner of 6 tickets to that evening's concert! The story goes like this: Lisa was waiting on Kayley and her son, Robert, to finish a ride, and she "happened" to sit down next to a woman and start a conversation. Somehow they got around to talking about that night's concert and Lisa mentioned how we wanted to go but were unable to get tickets. That lady looked at her and said she had 6 extra tickets she would be more than happy to give to us since she had 5 boys who had no desire to go. Lisa gladly took them off her hands and joyfully passed them on! We were all so excited and praising God throughout the entire park for His goodness to us when we had all but given up hope.

But wait! That's not the end of this Thankful Thursday story. John and Lisa were celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary that very day and John mentioned to me he would like to Lisa to dinner if I would watch their kids during the concert. I told him it would be no problem since we had the tickets, but I wasn't sure if their two year old would need a ticket or not. John said if they didn't let her in with us they would just take her to dinner with them. I was hoping that wouldn't be the case and of course, God didn't disappoint. While we stood in line to get into the amphitheater, we talked about the situation we were facing and how we would handle it. The lady behind us "happened" to overhear our conversation and offered us an extra ticket she had so we could take the baby in! God just seemed to shower us with blessings all day long!

Needless to say, the kids LOVED the concert, John and Lisa celebrated their anniversary in peace and we had hearts overflowing with gratitude at the goodness and greatness of our God all around! It was definitely a Thankful Thursday.

Rethinking my thinking

2008-08-20T16:38:00.001-07:00

Hello again friends -- so good to be back in the blogging world! We had a great time back in the States seeing our family and friends, but we are also glad to be back home. We needed to get back as we had no more luggage space left for anything else (we brought home 11 suitcases full of goodies)!

It is weird though, coming back to a place you know you will be leaving in a few short months. Most of you know that we are scheduled to leave for Germany by the end of the year. That leaves 4 months in China to do all the things I didn't do in the first 2 years. When I thought about how little time that was, my mind began thinking: So what's the point? There's not enough time to do much so why bother? At first I agreed with that line of thinking. I realized, however, that would would be wasting the precious time I did have. Four months is still a lot of time so why should I linger when I could be enjoying every minute of it!

So I decided to plunge right in and enjoy myself with some change. I started by rearranging my living room furniture. Granted, the packers will be here in 3 1/2 months to take my furniture away, but a change of environment seemed good at the time, so I did it. Here's a picture of my new living room:

I didn't change much really. I just swapped the locations of the chair and loveseat. That may not seem like much of a change to you, but to me it makes a ton of difference! The chair can actually be used now, and moving the loveseat away from the windows brought in more light and all the open window space makes the room seem bigger. Plus, it just feels more comfy this way!

I wanted to share this with you because I hope it will encourage you in some way. Maybe you're facing a time-limited option but you're thinking about not following through, feeling there's not enough time so it's pointless. Or maybe you're wanting a change but unsure about it -- just try changing one or two things and see what a differnce that can make. We have to rethink our thinking!! I'm so glad I went ahead with my rearrangement despite my thoughts and my time limits....I LOVE my living room and so does my family and isn't that what matters most? It's about the joy you have and the joy of your loved ones that's really important! We can't let wrong thinking or time limitations rob of us the joy God wants us to have.

Hoping you'll take a plunge towards new thinking and joy today....Liana

Another year gone by

2008-06-24T01:28:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe but another year in China has passed us by. I think this year went faster than the first one, in part because I actually knew what to do this year! It's been a great year and now I'm ready to head back to the States for a few weeks of "normalcy".

We will leave China on July 4 and head to Lake Jackson & Houston first. After a week of catching up with friends and celebrating my niece's first birthday, we will head to Lubbock. Since Lubbock is our "base", it is the place where we take care of all our appointments -- dentist, eye doctor, hair stylist, etc. Although all of that is necessary, it doesn't always equate to fun! I'm sure we'll find ways to enjoy ourselves in-between all the appointments and of course, all the shopping! At the end of July Clint will join us and we'll head to San Antonio to visit with his family. I'm sure the 4 1/2 weeks will fly by and before we know it we'll be packing back up and heading off to China once again. I wish we could see everyone while we are home in the States, but it's just not possible this year. Maybe next summer??

As excited as we will be to head home to our own beds, our return to China will be short-lived as we will once again be relocating our family. The company has extended an invitation to Clint to be the technical expert in his field in their latest venture in Germany. Yes, we are moving to Europe for a few years! Although the company would like to have Clint in Germany yesterday, I am hoping to stay in China until December. I'm not sure if that is even a possibility, but we'll see. I am mixed with sorrow and excitement for our latest adventure, but I'm trusting God with wherever He places us and whatever He has planned for us there. Needless to say, our fall will be full of busy-ness!

It may be awhile before I'm able to post again, but I will try to blog when I can over the summer. Hopefully I'll be seeing some of you in person, and for those of you who I can't visit, I'll be in touch soon. Have a wonderful summer and God bless you all.

Love,
Liana

God Said No

2008-06-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

God answers prayers with Yes, No and Wait. When He answers with a No, it always has a good reason to go with it. Unfortunately for me, when I receive that No, I stop at the No and don't take the time to listen to the reasons behind it. Usually frustration or anger at God builds up within me because I have no understanding of the why behind God's answer.

God, in His goodness, allowed me to receive an email one day that helped me change my perspective on His No answers and the importance of listening and understanding the reasons behind it. Maybe it can help you too.

God Said No

I asked God to take away my habit. God said No; it is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, No; his spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience. God said No; patience is a byproduct of tribulations. It isn't granted, it's learned.

I asked God to give me happiness. God said, No; I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain. God said, No; suffering draws you apart from worldly care and brings you closer to me.

I asked to make my spirit grow. God said, No; you must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, No; I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me. God said...Ahhh, finally you have the idea.

Childhood passions

2008-06-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

In my last post I mentioned that my daughter, Kayley, was a computer whiz. What I failed to mention was that I helped created the computer monster that she is today. When she was little, I wanted to give her every opportunity to learn so I bought computer programs and kid-friendly computer keyboards that would help her in that area. I had no idea she would fall in love with computers at such an early age, and that it would become one of her greatest passions (code word for addiction??). She is so amazing on the computer, able to do things I didn't even know computers could do, and she has other moms calling her for computer advice - seriously!!

So when I walked into our computer/playroom yesterday and saw her with 3 computers in front of her, I knew the monster had completely taken over. It was a Kodak moment I couldn't miss! When I took the picture, it reminded me of another picture I had taken of her years ago when she was just starting out on the computer. I dug through all my photos to find it and attached both pictures for you to see. The pictures are so similar it's almost scary!

Kayley at 2

Kayley at 13

Before you go thinking that we live such an luxurious life here in China that we can afford 3 computers, let me explain. The small white laptop is Kayley's school issued Mac for next year. The tabletop Mac is ours and so is the black laptop. We had to have a PC (the laptop) because our Mac isn't Windows compatible. And since everything computer related these days is Windows compatible (thus explaining why Bill Gates is the richest man on the face of the planet) we have 2 computers. Trust me, neither our lives nor our bank account is that extravagant!

So now that I've shared my family's computer craziness, you may be asking, What's the point of this post? Other than just the basic comedy factor of my daughter's obsession, I was thinking about the childhood dreams and passions that we all may have had at one time.

What was it so long ago that we dreamed of being or doing that we let slip through our fingers as we forged into adulthood? Why did we let it get away -- fear, failure, responsibility? Can we ever get it back or do we think it's too silly or too late in life for us to do? I don't think it's ever too late. Me taking a writing course is proof of that! I think we have to stop seeing the world through adult eyes and gain back that child-like passion and drive that we had when we were little. Or maybe we didn't lose it at all. Maybe we just buried it beneath all the adult responsibilities of life. Whatever the reason might be, I pray that you and I will take the time to really think back to those younger years and the simple joy we had in a youthful activity, and see if we can't recapture some of our passions once again. What would the rest of our lives look like if we lived it with that childhood passion? We would probably say it was the best times of our lives!

I know that for Kayley, her God-given passion for computers has yet to be extinguished. I hope it never will. Maybe she'll be the next Bill Gates or maybe she'll use her computer skills to create amazing scrapbooks for her children. Regardless of what she does, just knowing that she hasn't let the passion within her die is good enough for me.

Picture posting attempt

2008-06-09T01:22:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that I have a daughter who is a computer whiz, I know nothing about computers. I'm lucky just to be able to get on and surf the Internet, type a lesson, or write an email. Computers just aren't my thing.

But there comes a time when we have to try and change old ways of thinking or doing things, and today is that day for me. I have decided to attempt adding pictures to my blog and this posting is my trial run. I'm praying it works!

According to the blog instructions I simply click on the add photo link, choose a picture from my computer, decide on a page layout, and then upload the picture to my blog. If that is all that needs to be done, there should be a photo of my family at Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia somewhere on this post. I will have to keep practicing until I can be as skilled as my other friends and their blog posts!

With patience and perseverance I may just get this picture posting down. Let's just hope I don't go overboard on you.

"Change comes only with willful movement. Impact follows on the heels of action." - Bill Hybels, Descending into Greatness

Goals

2008-06-07T04:21:00.000-07:00

"Without goals and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." - Fitzhugh Dodson

I came across this quote when I was cleaning out my office the other day. It made me think about some of the goals I had set for myself and how well I was doing to accomplish them. As the clock continues to tick on my life, I know that I can't wait forever to try to reach my goals. I believe with all my heart that these are not just goals I came up with off the top of my head, but that they were born out of passions that God placed within me. I don't want to look at the end of my life and have regrets, or constantly say "I wish I would've...". I want to live, dream, and reach my goals while I'm still living! Don't you?

I know that too many of us think that there will be plenty of time later to do all the things that we dream of doing. But the more I read God's Word and the more I move, the more I realize that time is short and none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow. With God's help, I want to dream big and accomplish much.

I thought I'd share my goals list with you today (see list below). I hope you will enjoy reading over it. When you read my list you may see that being a good wife, mother, friend, etc. are not on the there. That's because I know that those are the things God has called me to be; my list is things I hope to do or see.

My goals
1. Swim with dolphins
2. Travel around the world
3. Go on a hot air balloon ride
4. Have a Sisterchick adventure (based on books by Robin Jones Gunn)--anyone want to join me??
5. Attend each of the major tennis tournaments (Australian, French, Wimbeledon,US Open)
6. Go whale watching
7. Attend one of Kay Arthur's Precept teaching trips (Israel, Rome, Greece)
8. Write books/stories that people can enjoy
9. Teach/speak God's Word to others

I have been blessed to have already accomplished some of the things on my list. I am still hoping to reach them all! I remember after my hot air balloon ride in Australia Clint asked me what I would do when I crossed everything off my list. I told him, "Make a new one!"

I hope that you are making goals and actively trying to reach them NOW. If you haven't made a list (and no, this isn't a bucket list!), I encourage you to start thinking about making one. I think it is not only good for us, but good for our children as well. I want to be an example to my children to dream and realize their goals. What better way to teach them to go for their goals and dreams than for you to show them doing it?

Hoping all your dreams come true.....

Being still

2008-06-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

As I laid on the cot in the doctor's office, receiving my bi-weekly acupuncture treatment for my knee, I had to be very still. Any movement on my part would cause the already prickly needles to send waves of pain shooting through my body. It was at that moment when Psalm 46:10 came to my mind, "Be still and know that I am God."

By nature I am not a still person. I have to be busy, so that verse always seemed to puzzle me as I wasn't sure how to define still. Thanks to my acupuncture treatments, I am beginning to understand. Then I came across this short piece that helped my understanding even more. It's called the "Isolation Chamber".

There is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of waiting. It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value. It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one who has brought us to this place for only a season. It is as if God has placed a wall around us. No new opportunities -- simply inactivity. During these times, God is calling us aside to fashion something new in us. It is an isolation chamber designed to call us to deeper roots of prayer and faith. It is not a comfortable place, especially for a task-driven busy person. Our nature cries out, "You must do something," while God is saying, "Be still and know that I am God." You know the signs that you have been brought into this chamber when He has removed many things from your life and you can't seem to change anything. Perhaps you are unemployed. Perhaps you are laid up with an illness. Most religious people live a very planned and orchestrated life where they know almost everything that will happen. But for people in whom God is performing a deeper work, He brings them into a time of quietness that seems almost eerie. They cannot say what God is doing. They just know that He is doing a work that cannot be explained to themselves or to others. Has God brought you to a place of being still? Be still and know that He really is God. When this happens, the chamber will open soon after.

For many reasons, I can honestly say that I feel like I am living in the isolation chamber, and have been for quite some time. There are many things that God is teaching me that I don't think I could learn without this stillness in my life. I don't like it one bit, but I know that it has its purpose. Lately my life seems to be out of my control and I find frustration lurking at every corner. God is clearly asking me to dig deeper within myself to see things I wouldn't have taken the time to see otherwise. The comfort in all this, however, is that it is only for a season. Eventually the chamber will open, and when it does I think I will walk with the Lord as never before because I was willing to be still and know that He really is God, acupuncture treatments and all.

Salute to a Mother's Love

2008-05-27T03:53:00.000-07:00

Living in China the devastation of the May 12 earthquake hits much closer to the heart. Coverage of the rescue and recovery are on the TV non-stop, so we are constantly hearing stories that the rest of the world may not. I thought I would share this touching story of a Mother's Love. The story speaks for itself, so I'm not going to add anything else for today. I hope you are inspired, touched, and moved.

A Mother's Love

When rescuers found her, she was already dead, crushed by the collapsed house. Through gaps in the rubble, they could see her posture. Kneeling on both knees, her entire body was bent forward, held up by her two hands pressed against the ground, as if performing a ceremonial bow in an ancient ritual. Except her body had been compressed out of shape and looked somewhat eerie. A rescuer extended his hand through a gap and confirmed her death. He called out to her and tapped on the bricks with his shaft, but received no response. As the team walked toward the next building, the squad leader suddenly turned back, yelling as he ran, "Come quick!" He came to her remains and labored to maneuver his hand under her body, searching. He called out following some rummaging, "There's someone, a child, still alive." With some effort, rescuers carefully removed the debris burying her and found her child lying beneath her, bundled in a little red blanket decorated with yellow flower prints. He was about 3 to 4 months old. Shielded by his mother's body, he was totally unharmed, sleeping peacefully as he was brought out. His soundly asleep face warmed the hearts of all rescuers on the scene. As the rescue team's doctor unbundled the blanket to examine the baby, he discovered a mobile phone tucked into the blanket. He subconsciously looked at the display and found there was a SMS message. It read: "My dear baby, if you were to stay alive, you must remember that I love you." No stranger to the pain and sorrow brought by death, the doctor nonetheless wept at this moment. The cell phone was passed around and every person who read the message wept.

Not always what it seems

2008-05-06T01:39:00.000-07:00

Too often I will look at something and make a rash judgment about it. Sometimes I am correct in my assessment and sometimes I am wrong. Whether I'm right or wrong doesn't really matter. What I think God wants me to understand is that things are not always what they seem and if I would take the time to observe things rather than judge or make quick assumptions, then I might learn a thing or two. That was the case as I drove to the airport Sunday morning.

Before checking out of the hotel we asked the concierge to get a taxi to take us to the airport. While we checked out, he hailed the taxi and began loading our luggage into the trunk. When I came out of the hotel, I noticed a man helping the concierge with the bags and took him to be the taxi driver. I also observed that the driver was wearing a neck brace. Instantly my mind began to wonder if it would be safe to drive with the man if his driving resulted in a wreck and a neck injury. If it wouldn't have been rude, I would have asked for another taxi. Since it would have been, I quickly prayed for our safety and got into the car.

I sat in the backseat of the taxi at an angle from the driver and as we drove I noticed something very interesting about him. Every few seconds the left side of his face would twitch and his entire head would lean in that direction. After several minutes I realized that if he didn't have a neck brace to support his head, the twitching would limit his ability to keep his head upright and to function normally. What I had assumed was the result of careless driving, was actually serving a purpose. I felt so bad that I had wrongly judged this man, but more than that I began to have compassion on him. I'm sure he didn't enjoy wearing the brace or having the twitching problem. But he had to survive and live with it and the brace helped him do just that.

When we finally arrived at the airport, I explained to Clint what I had observed and the purpose the neck brace truly served. He instantly said, "Wow! I thought he was a bad taxi driver like all the others we know and just had an accident." I reminded him that nothing is always what it seems.

Perhaps you are looking at something today and making quick assumptions or judgments. Just remember that it may not be what it seems and let God show you how it really is.

"Lord, remove our eyes of flesh so that we don't make rash judgments or assumptions towards the people or the situations we are facing. Give us eyes that take the time to discern and observe what is really there. Teach us Lord to see as You do and act like You as well."

Come and see, come and listen...

2008-05-05T18:07:00.001-07:00

"Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf...Come and listen all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me..." - Psalm 66:5,15

Returning back from holiday (thus, the lack of posts), I couldn't wait to share the amazing thing God did for us with you. I hope it will encourage you with whatever you may be going through as well...

It's no secret that I love beach holidays. I manage to find locations that will somehow find me on a beach somewhere in the world. However, the past 4 holidays have not provided me with the weather I have needed to enjoy my time at the beach. Two of the times, cyclones invaded the areas and caused the normally peaceful waters to become too turbulent to enjoy. The other times were end of rainy seasons and the peaceful waters had yet to return. I was bound and determined to find a time and a place where I could rest and relax in front of still waters! After much research I thought I had found the perfect place in Thailand. I was thrilled! I booked the reservations and spent weeks dreaming of my idyllic getaway.

As the time for departure grew closer, I decided to start checking the weather forecasts for our intended destinations. Much to my dismay, rain was predicated for the ENTIRE time we were to be on holiday. And not just sprinkles. Showers and high percentages of rain were the forecast. I couldn't believe it! My ideal beach trip was doomed. I decided right then and there that I would not let this bleak outlook ruin my trip. Rather, I decided to start praying.

I knew the One who created the world and controlled everything in it, so I asked Him to clear the weather for our trip. This may seem a little selfish and rather unimportant considering other things people are dealing with and the state of the world we live in, but it was truly important to me so I knew bringing it before God was not a silly thing to do. For 10 days I prayed God would make clear paths in the weather for us, knowing He could. I also knew that I couldn't be double minded and mope around the house dreading our vacation either, nor could I keep watching the weather channel every hour to see what was happening. I had to trust God and wait.

When we finally arrived at our first stop, the weather was great! But that was not the day I was concerned about. The next day we would be visiting architectural ruins and spending the entire day outside. We woke up to heat and sun and it was wonderful. I refused to complain about the sweat dripping down my back. There was no rain and I was grateful. But what was really amazing was that the minute our tour was over for the day and we got in the van to drive back to our hotel, a downpour of rain started! No kidding! I could only look at Clint and smile, both of us knowing the goodness of God.

Our second stop on our trip was the beach. We landed in beautiful weather and were so excited. The true question though was the water situation...would it be calm, peaceful waters or rough ones? After dropping our bags in our room we headed to the beach. I almost started crying when I saw it. Beautiful crystal clear waters gently lapping against the sand. It was everything I had hoped for and dreamed of and I knew Who was giving that gift to me. I was so overwhelmed with excitement of the days ahead that I wasn't sure I would even be able to sleep.

When we woke up the next morning, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. We headed for breakfast and couldn't wait to start our day. As we ate I noticed the staff beginning to close things up around the restaurant. I stopped eating and went to look at the beach. Dark clouds were on the horizon. Before I could get the words out of my mouth, the rain started. I looked at Clint confused and dumbfounded. Why would God bring us so far and give us such great weather only to have it ruined now? Would I never get a beach vacation without rain? We continued with our breakfast and waited.

Praise God we didn't have to wait long! As soon as we finished eating breakfast, the rain stopped and the sun reclaimed it's place in the sky! We were going to have a great beach holiday after all! It was fabulous! And it only rained on us one other time during our stay there....when we went into a restaurant to eat lunch a few days later the rain began and it stopped by the time we finished eating! Isn't God amazing??!!

I know that God heard and answered my prayers for great weather and I am so grateful for His wonderful gift. I hope that whatever rainstorm you are facing today, big or small, that you will be encouraged. God can move the storms out of your way and when He does, you will be able to share with others as well, "Come and see, come and listen...."

Missionary Questions

2008-04-16T04:55:00.000-07:00

Missionary - n. one who is sent on a mission, especially one sent to do religious or charitable work in a territory or foreign country.

When I go home to the States for a visit, inevitably someone will ask me where I live. When I tell them China, the next question they ask is, are you a missionary?

I always thought my time in China was just a relocation of my husband's job, but the longer I'm here the more I've come to realize that God may have brought me here for missionary work. I definitely feel like I am trying to reach out to those who don't know Jesus and be light to their darkened world! So when I came across these missionary questions I thought they would be a fun way to share some of our life and ministry here with you. Enjoy!

1. If we went to your house in China what would we do differently than we do in the States?
Answer: Everything is different! The houses, the people, and the culture are all different from the States. And we are not just dealing with Chinese people. As China develops into a more industrious country people from around the world are coming here. We are exposed to a very diverse society here and it has taught us a lot. The hardest difference for us is the driving situation. We don't drive ourselves, the traffic is too crazy! So you would have to have a driver, take a taxi, or brave the bus! Gone are the days of jumping into your car and driving to the gas station when you're out of coke!

2. What do you enjoy doing in China that you can't do here?
Answer: Cheap, but oh-so-good massages! A two hour full body massage cost about $10 per person. I have to keep myself from going every week. I can't even imagine the cost in the States! Luxurious and shallow I know, but I had to be honest!

3. How does your family rest and rejuvenate in your adopted country?
Answer: We enjoy quiet weekends at home. Without immediate access to a car all the time that happens quite often. But our best way to rest is to go on a beach vacation. Almost every trip we've taken has included some beach location!

4. Tell me about the church or Christian fellowship you attend. What's the congregation like? How did you choose this group?
Answer: I like to think that our fellowship is a glimpse of what heaven will be like one day - people from all over the world, representative of all different nations and races, that praise God in every tongue and language. Our church is mainly college students and teachers from a wide variety of countries such as England, Australia, Canada, U.S., India, Indonesia, and several African countries. We pray every week that one day our Chinese brothers and sisters will be able to freely worship alongside us. Unlike America where there seems to be a church on every street corner, this congregation was the only available to us. We couldn't be picky and are grateful there is even one!

5. Who are your closest friends there? How did you meet them?
Answer: I would have to say Kelli and Regina. Regina's husband is Clint's boss, and Kelli's husband is another manager in the company with Clint. As we were some of the first families over here for the company we became friends by survival. It also helped that we all have kids the same age. Although I am not as close with them as they are with each other, they usually include me in their activities. We depend on each other for grocery shopping, transporting children, and babysitting. I would say we usually eat together as families at least once a week.

6. What part of your ministry do you find most exciting? Most discouraging?
Answer: Exciting - finding ways to share truth with them without throwing the Bible in their face. For example, the other day at lunch one of my friends was tired of waiting at the restaurant for another friend to show up. She got out her cell phone to let the late friend "have it". Before she dialed the number I simply said to her, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." She thought about it for a moment and when she made the call she decided to be gentle with her tone. It made all the difference in the world. Discouraging- that no matter how much truth I try to share and how much light I try to shine into their dark world, I don't seem to be making much headway -- and it's been 2 years!

7. What are the obstacles to the gospel in your adopted culture?
Answer: There are several. First is the limited opportunities we have to share the gospel with the Chinese. People find ways to do it but it is not always easy. The government is getting better but it is still not open to Christianity. Second is the language. To reach the Chinese you have to be able to communicate and relate to them in terms they can understand. I admire those who can fluently communicate with the Chinese! Even if a Chinese person speaks English there is always some gap that can't always be filled or understood when you try to translate words and ideas. Third is their deeply seeded beliefs, religion and traditions. I often wonder how we can reach them all when the roots of their beliefs run so deep. It's hard to change a people who have believed certain ideals for thousands of years.

8. Have you experienced specific spiritual warfare?
Answer: Definitely! Just today I was praying about the thick darkness I feel surrounding so many here. I asked God to pierce and shatter that darkness and to help me remember that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. It is a constant battle and so many times I feel like we are not gaining any ground here. But then God reminds me, like He did today, that with Him we will gain the victory and He will trample down our enemies (Psalm 60:12).

9. What are some surprise blessings you have received lately?
Answer: God has blessed us financially recently that we weren't expecting; one of Clint's Chinese workers has been reading the Bible we gave him at Christmas at work; and daily I see God answering prayers in the most amazing ways!

10. How many different stamps are in your passport?
Answer: It's no secret my love for traveling and after our holiday at the end of this month, the total will be 44 stamps and 4 visa pages. I read a quote this week that I should have coined: "I haven't been everywhere but it's on my list."

11. What question do you wish someone would ask you?
Answer: What would you want your family and friends to know the most? It means the world to us when you call, write, or send something to us in the mail on a regular basis. Sometimes we think that we are all but forgotten about here as you go on with your lives. Those little things really make our day!

If you have missionaries from your church you can write to, these would be great questions to ask (obviously, change out the country name). I'm sure they would love to share a part of their world with you and having a note from home would probably bring a smile to their faces!

Changed thinking

2008-04-15T00:44:00.000-07:00

The freakiest thing happened to me Sunday night. Walking around my house doing mundane tasks I got a sudden pain in my knee. Since I didn't slip, trip or fall I just thought I might have pulled something. I figured a good night's rest was all I needed. The next morning though, I was still uncomfortable. Since there was no searing pain I went ahead with a light workout. Afterwards I noticed my knee was slightly swollen, and decided to go ahead and call the doctor. When I went in that afternoon, he looked at it and agreed there was something wrong. He said the ligaments around my knee were fine and there didn't seem to be any tearing, but something was causing the inflammation. We would have to do blood work and possibly an MRI to see exactly what was going on. Who would have guessed it would come to all that?

The rest of the appointment was a little blurry with him talking about everything from gout to arthritis to autoimmune disease. My brain could only handle so much, so I just agreed to go along with what he suggested to do and would think about it later. Of course, once I got home and thought about it, my mind couldn't help but walk down a path of gloom and doom. What if it's this? What if I need that? I let myself go on like this for about 30 minutes and then decided to think like I should; as God tells me to think.

1. I had to think on what was true, honorable, right, lovely, pure, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. Where would "stinkin' thinkin'" get me? Nowhere! I had to stop and change my thought patterns. Immediately!

2. So I had to remember who my Creator was. He created me and knows every inch of my body, healthy and not so healthy. Focusing on Him rather than the problem was a big help.

3. Then I had to remind myself that this was not out of His knowledge or His control. If there is a problem, then He knows it, has allowed it, and will help me through it. He can also heal it if He so chooses.

Once my thinking changed, the rest of my evening was more enjoyable. It doesn't matter how long you may walk with the Lord, you will always face times when you have to go back to square one to get through a situation. I'm glad I did.

Just as I was going to bed, a friend whom I had called earlier to cancel a meeting with because of my injury called worried about what could be wrong with me. She went on for 5 minutes distraught with situations. I listened to her and after I hung up the phone I could only smile because I had walked in her shoes earlier that evening. The only difference was that I knew I would have sweet and peaceful rest because I had not let my thoughts get the best of me and was trusting God.

No matter what you may face today don't let wrong thinking get the best of you. Change your thinking and see how much difference it makes with your situation. I don't know what will happen with my knee, but I'm not worried. That's what thinking God's way will do for you.

Lessons learned

2008-04-07T23:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many people I've shared this story with before, but I recently had to put it into article form. As I wrote it, I realized what a great lesson God taught me through that situation. He has given me children to care for on this earth for a time, but sometimes He has to take care of things Himself without any parental involvement. This story was one of those times...

Like most parents, I want to do what's best for my children. But sometimes doing nothing on their behalf is as equally important. That's the lesson I learned a few years ago when my oldest daughter, Kayley, was faced with a tough situation at school.

My husband and I first realized something was going on with Kayley during our dinnertime conversations. Discussing the day's events, Kayley would always mention her classmate, Shiloh, when it was her time to share. Over time the stories surrounding Shiloh seemed to become more personal. As we listened to Kayley, our heads knew what our hearts didn't want to believe. Our daughter was being bullied.

Bullying takes many forms and thankfully, our situation was not a violent one. It was a subtle form of bullying, but damaging nonetheless. Shiloh, who was a tomboy, ridiculed Kayley for wearing the color pink in any form, for dressing in skirts,and for participating in girly activities. It was obvious that Shiloh, who deep down wanted to do those things but couldn't, was looking to bring someone down to her level. Unfortunately for us, she chose Kayley.

As we watched Kayley change because of the constant insults and badgering, anger rose up in our hearts. My husband wanted to confront Shiloh's parents about the situation, but for some strange reason I didn't feel led to do that. I told him we just needed to pray and see what God would have us to do.

Many hours were spent in prayer seeking guidance and wisdom. Finally God revealed the direction were were to take in 1 Peter 2:23, "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." As much as we wanted justice for Kayley's pain, God was asking us not to take action but to trust Him completely in this situation. As hard as it was, we knew we had to follow.

Although we felt God did not want us to take action to correct the situation, that didn't mean we couldn't take action in our trust of him. Prayer became the means by which we exemplified to Kayley our trust that God would handle everything. Every morning we prayed for a wall of protection around Kayley that Shiloh's words could not penetrate, and every night we prayed for Shiloh's heart and attitude to be changed. By the end of the school year we knew that our prayers had been answered. The two girls were not best friends, but the bullying had stopped.

I wish my daughter never had to go through this experience. To this day she still bears the marks that Shiloh inflicted upon her. But looking back I know that she is stronger in her character and in her faith because of it. So am I. By allowing God to handle the situation we all learned valuable lessons. It's in those lessons that we find the greatest treasures.

Peace Robber

2008-03-31T04:35:00.000-07:00

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10

Evening times in our home have not been the most fun lately. What should be a time of togetherness for the few hours we have each day, quickly becomes a war zone. Shouting, fighting, and anger flare up like fireworks on the fourth of July. It's not a pretty sight to say the least.

I began to pray that God would bring calmness over our home during this time, but as the days continued in chaos I wondered if my prayers were only hitting the ceiling. In frustration I decided not to pray for calmness but for God to get to the root of the problem - if the devil was instigating these stressful evenings, help us not fall trap to them. But to simply blame the devil for all our problems isn't really all that fair. I mean he may have set the trap, but we chose to walk in it.

So I decided to look hard at the root of the problem for me. What was causing me to lose my peace every evening? After much soul-searching and reflection, I came up with 4 things that I knew robbed me of my peace.

1. Busy-ness. For a woman who has nothing to do in China, my days seem to fill up quickly. The worst days are those when I try to cram everything into the smallest amount of time. Instead of pacing myself carefully, I go from activity to activity with no time to stop and breathe. When the day is done I'm a train wreck and sure to bulldoze anyone who gets in my way. I have to be more aware of my time and my limits so that I don't overbook myself. Satan may tempt me with many opportunities to occupy my time, I just don't have to take him up on his offer. I need to slow down and schedule carefully so that busy-ness doesn't overtake me or my entire day. "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16

2. Fatigue. Obviously fatigue is the result of busy-ness. But sometimes my fatigue comes from poor sleep, poor eating, etc. Regardless of the source, when I am tired you just don't want to be around me. So I have to be aware of what is draining me and the times when I feel the most tired. Then I have to make active decisions that will help me overcome the fatigue. One thing I've noticed is that I don't drink enough water and feel sluggish in the late afternoons. I've decided to be more purposeful to eat and drink better at that time so I can make it though the rest of our evening with a better attitude and strength. I'm hoping that little changes like this will make a big difference with my family in the evenings.

3. Unrealistic expectations. I am the worst at expecting the utmost out of my family. I expect them to behave a certain way and do things the way I think they should be done. When they don't fulfill my expectations, I usually lose it and that adds to our friction. I think it's my perfectionist tendencies in overdrive. I have to be very careful to only expect highly of myself (and even that is not always healthy) and not require things of my husband or children they can't possibly meet. Realizing this has really helped me and will hopefully bring much more peace and love into our home.

4. Selfishness. I am selfish, I'll admit it. I like my quiet, my space, and my time to myself. When I am in the middle of a project and I get interrupted I am not all that nice. I call it tunnel vision. God calls it selfishness. I have to make a conscious effort to stop what I'm doing and focus on my family and their needs. That isn't always easy for me, a busy-body doer. To me, there is always something that needs to be done and it has to be done right away or else! Now that I'm taking this writing course, I have to purposefully close my office door at 3 o'clock and prepare for my family and our evenings together. Giving myself this time to forget about what I was working on helps me put my focus on our evening and keeps my selfishness under control. It's like turning a switch from me time to family time. It isn't always easy, but I'm hoping we'll see the difference in our time together because I've quit putting myself first.

I'm not sure what life is like at your house, but I know that ours isn't what it should be. I know that all four of us are responsible for the environment in our home, but knowing what sets me off has helped me to be more patient, loving and kind when everyone else may still have their moments. Sometimes it takes reflection and soul searching to get to the root of the problem you have. It may not be a pretty sight, but the reward will pay big dividends if you are willing to try. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes, you just have to dig deep to find it.

Through divine binoculars...continued

2008-03-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

My lessons in the Serengeti weren't just focused on the predators, as captivating as they were. I learned a lot from both animal and human prey that added to my understanding of how I am to live among those who want to devour me.

Standing guard with others
Driving through the endless plains I couldn't understand why the wildebeests and zebras were always together. I thought only wildebeests made the annual migration, but soon learned that zebras accompanied them on this journey as well. Naturally curious I had to ask, why were these particular animals put together? In my opinion they seemed to be a most unlikely couple. The answer, however, was survival common sense: wildebeests, who can smell but can't see, pair up with zebras, who have keen eyesight but lack strong smelling abilities. This tag team operation helps them survive the continual attacks from their predators. Only God could ordain such an amazing combination! Fortunately for us, His beloved children, He does the same.

When I am faced with a spiritual attack I know that I am not alone. God has promised that He will always be with me, that He will never forsake me. He has also placed in my life relationships that balance me in areas that I lack abilities, skills, or resources. God knows everything I need and richly supplies! Yet the greatest gift He has poured out on me is a group of women who go to battle for me in prayer. Like zebras, who huddle up at night for protection, these six women blanket me in prayer, whether I ask for it or not. This has been such a blessing in my life, especially when I have a hard time asking for prayer. But I have realized that the predator who wants to take me down is powerful and I have to be just as strong. On my own I can't fight him, but with the help of those who love and support me, there is little he can do.

Unlikely teachers
The African population is made up largely by tribal families. Everyone belongs to a tribe. In the Serengeti the Maasai tribe dominates as the largest and most powerful group. Their presence is apparent, their traditions sacred, and their wisdom insightful. Taking the time to observe them was like mining for treasure and what I discovered was as rich as gold.

Before the plane even landed I noticed the Maasai homes. There was something interesting about the way they were set-up. Surrounding each area of homes was a distinct border. From the plane I could not see what the hedges were made of, but there was no doubt they were there for a reason.

As we drove along and observed the huts, my guide, Albert, informed us that the borders that wrapped around the Maasai homes were for protection from the predators. Made of thorny bushes, or thick plants, this hedge made it difficult for animals to penetrate, thus providing them with the safety they needed. It was a wonderful reminder to me that I need to make sure I live securely in the refuge God has around me. Living with borders that are broken down or neglected, gives the enemy easy access to me and opportunity to set up his traps. Staying grounded and rooted in God's Word, living within the boundaries and limits He has set for my life and for my good, and relying on Him as my strong tower in each and every situation, will help keep me out of the enemy's reach. Who knew a simple hedge could teach so much?

Although we saw their houses from afar, I had yet to actually observe a Maasai tribe member. Albert said we could identify the Maasai easily. They always wore red tunics and carried a knife or spear with them. Sure enough, amongst all the people, clothes, and colors, I knew a Maasai when I saw one. There were just as he said they would be. But it wasn't their appearance that captivated me. When I asked Albert why they wore red, he told me that the red color scared the predators away. Instantly my mind began applying this to spiritual truth.

The red reminded me of Christ and His blood, and all that is ours through His death. When I choose to clothe myself in Him and His power (Eph 1:18-20), then Satan has no ground against me, just as the predators have no ground against the Maasai. It is more than I can think of...the power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power living in me and available to me to fight the enemy. Why then do I live as a victim rather than a victor? When I allow that truth to penetrate my heart and mind, then there is nothing that can come against me.

The knife/spear that the Maasai carry brought to mind the Sword of the Spirit, that is, the Word of God, our only offensive weapon against the devil's schemes (Eph. 6:17). But like the Maasai, I must carry it with me at all times so that I can be prepared when I am bombarded with lies, doubts, and fears. I have to stop making excuses (like I'm too old to remember or memorize Scripture!) and hide the Word in my heart. If I put my mind to it, I'm sure it will be a worthwhile endeavor.

My trip to Africa was more than a search and find for animals in the wild. It was a journey into the spiritual battles that rage around us, a discovery of the enemy's skill, and insight into the wisdom of the prey on how to live among those who want to devour them. Above all, it was a time of learning that will stay with me for a very long time.

Through divine binoculars

2008-03-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Whenever I travel, I always pray that God will use the journey to teach me spiritual lessons. There have been many times that He's answered that prayer. My most recent trip to Africa was one of those times.

One of my greatest desires during our safari was to see a predator attack and devour its prey. I'm not normally a violent person, but I thought that it would be thrilling to watch. Plus, I hoped it would be a vivid reminder for me as a Christian when I was faced with a spiritual attack of my own. As much as I searched for it, I never witnessed a deadly attack. Needless to say, I was disappointed, but I realized that God's lesson for me was not in the attack itself. The lesson was in the understanding of how the predator operates and the wisdom of the prey to defend itself.

Where the prey is, so is the predator
We were blessed to be able to see many predators, including lions, cheetahs, and hyenas. One of the first things I noticed about these crafty creatures is how well they study their prey. They spend large amounts of time just observing the prey's activities. They know their victims habits and patterns of movement, following them wherever they go. One afternoon as we drove through the Serengeti I noticed it was quite barren. I asked our guide where all the predators were. He told me that since the annual wildebeest and zebra migration was still south of the area, that's where the predators were. I couldn't help but think of those verses in Job and Peter that talked about Satan, our enemy, prowling back and forth through the earth looking for someone to devour. At that moment those verses became real to me. Knowing that the enemy is actively pursuing me, and studying my patterns of behavior in order to take me down made me more aware of the spiritual battle that surrounds me.

Patience is a predator's virtue
One reason I never witnessed a take-down of any kind was because it takes a long time for it to come to pass. Our first cheetah encounter was that of a mother and her 4 cubs, who had spotted some gazelles grazing a short distance away. We knew they wanted to make them the main course of their evening dinner so we waited. And waited. After 25 minutes they had only moved a few inches closer to them. I knew this would take some time but with 2 antsy children in the jeep, time was not on my side. I left that potential attack with great disappointment, but a little wiser as well. A predator will stalk its prey with diligent patience so as to guarantee a successful capture. They are in no hurry when the prey is in sight. The same is true for us. Like the cheetah who watched from the sidelines, the devil will wait for one of God's children to fall, trip, or tumble into a trap he has set. He wants to make sure the net falls just right so there is no chance of escape and he'll wait for as long as it takes.

Favoring the young and the weak
We are an animal loving family so it was hard to pass by the carcasses lying around everywhere. It was even harder to watch the vultures rip them apart and fight over them. But the one thing that struck me was how small the remains were. When I mentioned my observation to our guide, he explained the obvious -- the predators go after the young babies and the weaker animals because they are easier to take down. Their lack of experience in an attack or their simple naivete make them a favorite of the predators. This really struck a chord with me. I knew then and there that if I was going to win the spiritual battles that were raging around me I needed to GROW UP spiritually. I needed to become armed and dangerous to fight the predator who pursued me daily. That meant knowing the Word better, clothing myself in God's armor, and growing a dependence on God like never before. I did not want to be an easy kill for Satan; I was going to be a strong adversary who would not go easily.

Most of the lessons God showed me on my safari I already knew, but I think looking at them through divine binoculars made them more real and personal. Thankfully, God didn't just leave me with only half the learning. The rest of the lessons came from observations of the prey. I'll share those with you next time.....

Promised Story

2008-03-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the rest of the story I promised you. I hope it will encourage you and spur you to encourage someone else! Blessings....

Large drops of rain began to fall as Chloe pulled into the last parking space. She stepped into the storm, hoping it was not a sign of things to come. She had tried this before and it hadn't worked out well. Why did she think this time would be any different? As much as Chloe wanted it to work, she had already decided that this was the last shot. Rejected again and she was done.

Chloe opened the glass doors and saw that the foyer was empty. Unsure of where to go, she followed the music coming from the other end of the building. Reaching the auditorium, Chloe took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The auditorium was filled with noise usually found at a rock concert. A large band covered the stage. A screen projected the words of the current song and lights flashed in every direction across the room. The crowd responded to the music with magnified voices, clapped hands, and raised arms. Quietly slipping into the back row, Chloe shed her jacket and joined the worship.

As the music faded, the worship leader invited the congregration to introduce themselves to one another. Chloe froze in her chair. She quickly lowered her head hoping no one would look in her direction. But she was not hard to miss. Her spiky dark hair, pierced lip, and black clothing screamed for attention - just not the attention Chloe wanted.

The minutes dragged on. Hugs, handshakes, and laughter permeated the room, yet silence filled the space surrounding Chloe. A few people glanced in her direction, only to turn their heads and whisper to one another. Rejection crept into Chloe's heart again. This time she couldn't hold back the tears.

As the band began to play the next song, Chloe gathered her things and left. Caught up in her own misery she never heard the footsteps following her.

"Hey," a voice shouted as Chloe reached for the glass door. "Why are you leaving so soon? We were just getting started."

Chloe turned to see a young girl about her age standing in front of her.

"No thanks," Chloe replied bitterly. "I've had enough church."

"Look, I saw what happened during the meet and greet and I'm sorry," the young girl said. "My name is Alana. I'd like to invite you to come back and sit with me."

"Why?" Chloe quipped. "So more people can stare and laugh at me? No thanks." She wiped her nose on her sleeve. "You have no idea how it feels to be an outsider."

Sadness filled Alana's eyes as she moved closer to Chloe.

"You're wrong. I do know what it feels like. For three years I lived in foreign country where I was the outsider. I didn't fit in with the locals, the non-Christians, or the Christians I knew. I never knew why I had to experience that until tonight."

Chloe looked intently at Alana. She realized what this girl was saying was true and heartfelt. Maybe someone could relate to her after all.

Alana continued, "Why don't you come back to ther service with me and afterwards we can grab a Coke. I'll tell you the rest of my story and you can tell me yours."

Chloe hesitated. She had already made up her mind that she was done, but something wouldn't let her walk out the building and into the rain.

"That sounds cool," Chloe replied and together they made their way back to the auditorium.

The band was playing a new song when they re-entered the room. Chloe felt as if a new song was already playing in her heart.

Hello again

2008-03-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

After 3 1/2 months I've decided to re-enter the blogging world. Not that I was unhappy blogging, it's just that life seemed to get in the way. In short: a sinus infection, lice that wouldn't go away, a holiday vacation, the celebration of Christmas and a new year, a snow storm that shut down life in China, another holiday vacation (yes, I know, I travel alot!), another cold. Add to that a family life and an intense writing course, and I hope you can understand why blogging got put on the back shelf.

But this time around I want to do things differently. Rather than just write random thoughts or things I feel compelled to share, I want to be more open. To do that means I have to remove the masks and quit hiding behind the fears that hold me in. This is a very difficult thing for me to do, but one I know that God is leading me to. One way I can start is by sharing with you something dear to my heart - my writing.

Most of you know that I enrolled in a two-year Christian writing course. Every other week I submit work to a mentor that allows me to improve my skills and write in different styles and genres. This has not been easy for me and has stretched me in so many ways. But at the same time it has been satisfying and exciting. My mind is always working to craft a story or an article that will captivate readers and encourage them in some way. I am enjoying it (well, most days when I'm not behind!) and look forward to seeing where God will take this adventure and use it for His glory.

I have not shared much of what I have written because of fear. One of my greatest fears is rejection - what if they don't like it? what if confuses them or doesn't make sense? what if they thought it was boring? - I think you get the picture. But I know that I can't allow my fear of rejection keep me from sharing what I feel God has lead me to write. And when I focus on what others think about my writing, I lose sight of who I'm really writing for and why. The only way I know how to begin overcoming my fear and keeping the focus on God is by sharing it with all of you. I hope that you will enjoy what you read, but it is also my prayer that you will honestly let me know what you think. I'm not writing this for me, but I look forward to any comments you might have!

With this new direction, I hope you will continue visiting my blog and encouraging others to visit as well. You can rest assured there will be something to read, as it seems I am always writing something! But don't worry, I won't always post my writing. I do have a life outside of that (although there are some days when I question that!) I will try to post as often as I can. Tomorrow I will post my most recent story, but I thought I would share a small part of it to "tease" you a little. Thanks and enjoy!

Liana

Large drops of rain began to fall as Chloe pulled into the last parking space. She stepped out into the storm, hoping it was not a sign of things to come. She had tried this before and it hadn't worked out well. Why did she think this time would be any different? As much as Chloe wanted it to work, she had already decided that this would be the last shot. Rejected again and she was done.

(To be continued...)

Thank you Lord....for lice?

2007-11-28T21:29:00.000-08:00

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus our Lord - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Corrie ten Boom was a well known evangelist who spent many years of her life in a German concentration camp during World War II. One time the barrack which she and her sister were assigned had an outbreak of lice. She recalls it being absolutely dreadful, with no remedy offered to them by the soldiers. Because the outbreak was so bad, the guards who usually came to check on them refused to enter their barrack for fear of contaminating themselves. Without this constant supervision, Corrie and her sister were freely open to share the gospel with many of their roommates who had never heard it before. After seeing the Spirit move among the women, Corrie and her sister realized that the lice outbreak was part of God's plan to reach these women and they joyfully thanked Him for the lice, despite it's discomfort.

This week I had to meditate on that story time and time again as I picked through my daughter Abbey's hair for lice and nits. I can handle most things, but lice really grosses me out! They are such a hassle and if you don't get them all the first time, you will constantly be battling them! Yuck! Anyways, trying not to feel defeated nor discouraged I decided to follow God's Word and Corrie's story and be thankful for the lice situation in our home. So here is my thank you to God in the midst of my lice crisis:

Thank you Lord for allowing Abbey to bump her head at school so we had to take her to the doctor and that this lice was detected before it got REALLY bad. (Yes, her head is fine)

Thank you Lord that no one else in the family seems to have gotten the lice.

Thank you Lord for providing my Ayi who helped take care of all the washing, vaccuming and cleaning while I picked at Abbey's head for hours on end.

Thank you Lord for the fatigue I felt at the end of each day so that when I went to bed I fell right to sleep and did not ponder or worry about the entire situation!

Thank you Lord for allowing us to already have the Tea Tree shampoo that so many recommend to fight off the lice (and that you cannot get in China).

Thank you Lord that this crisis kept me at home and gave me the opportunity to get other things done that I needed to accomplish.

Thank you Lord that my husband was on a business trip so he didn't receive any of the "stuff" I probably would have dished out to him during my angst!

Thank you Lord that you are bigger than lice and that You have a purpose in all of this!

It's not easy giving thanks in every circumstance but I'm learning to do just that. We are doing better now but this will be our battle for the next few weeks. Joy! So whatever your circumstances may be now, I hope you'll be able to face them with a heart of thankfulness and at least be thankful you don't have lice! Take care....

Restored

2007-11-21T06:09:00.000-08:00

This past weekend my family and I went to the city of Xi'an (pronounced She-an), a popular tourist destination here in China. Not that the city itself is anything spectacular, but it does hold one of China's most famous treasures.

In 1974, a peasant farmer was digging for a water well when he came upon buried artifacts dating back to China's first emperor. After several years of excavation, archeologists discovered an entire army of Terra Cotta Warriors (statues) that were created for the emperor to guard his tomb after his death. After years left underground, each unique statue was completely destroyed. Today however, almost 1,000 of them have been restored to their original design (there are about 6 or 7 thousand soldiers in just one pit). The museum is the actual excavation site and you can even see the broken pieces that have yet to be completely unearthed.

As I walked around and stood in awe of this place, I couldn't help but think of how this relates to us spiritually. I wasn't sure how God wanted me to use this lesson, but I knew He would reveal it to me in time. Two days later, as I was working on my latest writing assignment, I knew what God wanted me to do. I wrote a poem that relates the journey of these soldiers to our spiritual destiny. I hope you see the relationship as well and know that by the grace of God we have all been restored.

Restored

Tattered and in ruins,
Our lives entrenched in sin
We long for someone to relieve us
from the empty tomb within

A hand penetrates the dirt
unearthing our brokenness,
and gently collects the pieces
shattered by life's duress

Reclaiming what was lost,
the Craftsman now begins
to return us to the beauty
that always should have been

Breathing anew, standing erect
as we were meant to be
Finally, God's warriors restored
for all the world to see

I kissed writing goodbye?

2007-11-21T05:43:00.000-08:00

Hello again blogging world. It's been a month too long. I hope this post finds you all doing well!

No, I haven't really kissed writing goodbye, although you might think so since I haven't blogged at all lately. I can honestly say that I have been busy ~ planning 5 different trips and taking 3 of them on back to back weekends (maybe I can get a job as a travel agent if my writing course doesn't work out); finishing 2 writing assignments; purchasing Christmas gifts for people back home; and trying to keep a finicky internet connection on my computer working! At least every other day we either have internet issues or satellite problems with our TV. But such is life in China.....

There have many so many times I have wanted to sit and write to you. I even had a variety topics to "talk" about:
~ Learning to receive a blessing
~ How the octopus got into my fish tank (Seriously!)
~ Lessons on discipline
But time always eludes me. I wish I could say things would change, but I won't make promises that I can't keep. Not that my time is any more valuable than yours ~ we are all busy. But I do miss sharing with you and I pray that God will allow me more time to write! You would think that by taking a writing course, that's all I would be doing. Actually I do more reading than I do writing ~ so strange!

Thanks for bearing with me. I hope you a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving! I am so grateful for you.

Inner Life Song

2007-10-21T16:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what I've gotten myself into but I know that it will be well worth it in the end. Last month I took the plunge and signed up for a 2 year Christian writing course. It was something I had been looking into for a long time, but with all our moving around the globe it was just never possible. Now that I have more freedom from household chores (okay, I don't do them at all!), I thought this was the right time. I'm very excited and very nervous at the same time. I know that this is going to stretch me more than ever, but I know that is exactly what I need.

One of our lesson assignments was to describe in 150 words or less our desire for our inner spiritual life. It could be written in prose or poetry. I wasn't sure what I was going to do at first, then after one of my quiet times readings I felt God leading me towards a song of sorts. Please know that this is not comfortable for me, but I prayed that God would just give me the words to write (see, I'm already being stretched and it's only lesson 2!). Faithful as always, He gave them to me and I thought I might share them here with you today. Enjoy!

Inner Life Song

A life overflowing from a heart of gratitude
Guided by the Spirit in everything I do.
Not living for myself, but for the One who died for me
Walking with Him daily in blissful harmony.
In awe of who He is and all His wonderful deeds
Thankful for his grace and unending mercy.
Continually feasting on His Word, the lamp unto my feet
Gaining truth, wisdom, knowledge and spiritual maturity.
Trusting in Him with an undivided heart,
Knowing from His hands I will never part.
Willing and obedient when He calls to me
Gladly serving Him with Christ-like humility.
Always praising Him, no matter the situation
For He is my hope and the joy of my salvation.
More of Him, less of me - that's all I want my life to be.

His praise is on my lips!

2007-10-16T04:53:00.000-07:00

"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you - the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night, the LORD will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." - Psalm 121

This is the word God gave to me before we left on our trip to Thailand. I had been a little nervous about traveling without my husband and then when there was a plane crash at the same place we were headed, I became increasingly fearful. That is when I sought God and He comforted me with His Word. At first I thought that God was giving me this scripture concerning our physical well-being during the trip, but for one incident during our trip I realized that it encompassed so much more.

We had just arrived in Phuket after a overnight delay and were looking forward to a nice dinner and some souvenir shopping. I needed cash so I went to an ATM to make a withdrawal. After putting my card in the machine nothing happened. I began to push buttons and tried to cancel the transaction but still nothing. This machine was not working and it was not giving me back my card either. I started to panic. I went to the money exchange counter next to the ATM and asked them to help me. Like me, they tried pushing buttons but nothing was working. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. Of all the credit cards I had brought with me on the trip this was the only card I had that could access cash! And unlike the States, it can be very hard in Asia to use credit card to purchase small things -- mainly it is a cash only society. I had no clue what to do, so I just started crying! The young girls from the money exchange counter tried to tell me they could have someone come out the next day to fix the machine and get my card back, but I was NOT about to leave my card in that machine overnight! What if it suddenly started working and ejected my card, leaving it available for anyone to take? And it just so happened that on that particular day our company had just deposited our paycheck plus another check for some money they owed us to pay part of our income taxes....so for that one day, which is quite unusual for us, we had over $10,000 in our bank account that was accessible on that card!! I'm sure you can imagine the thoughts that were racing through my mind. I was still very emotional and they must have taken pity on me because they got on the phone and tried to get an operator to come that evening. They told me to come back in a few hours and they would try to have the problem fixed. Since there was nothing else I could do I found a restaurant that would accept my other cards and we tried to eat dinner. At that point I just had to stop and pray. The first thing I prayed was Psalm 121. God had told me that He would watch over me and would keep me from all harm (which I expected to include financial harm) and I had to trust in Him and His Word during this crisis. I also had to be obedient to Philippians 4:6 and not be anxious about anything including my stuck ATM card! So I choose to enjoy my dinner, our beautiful surroundings, and the delightful company of my daughters and let God handle everything else. Afterwards we decided to go and see how things were progressing. When I got up to the money exchange counter, the girl saw me and held up my little red card! I started jumping up and down right there in the middle of the street. The sweet Thai girl with her limited English could not explain how they got the card out, but I didn't need to know all those details. I knew God's Word never returns void and He took care of it anyway! We spent the rest of our evening praising God and excited about the rest of the week ahead of us!!

By the way, it was a glorious week and one that we will never forget....especially the beautiful elephants at the Elephant Nature Park!! I have a rule about not visiting the same place twice, but I can promise you I will definitely be returning there!! Thanks for all your prayers, they were answered! Talk to you again soon.....

Chinese holiday

2007-09-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year....time for another Chinese holiday. Not that I'm complaining, I love the way Asia (and a few other countries I believe) celebrate holidays -- week(s) at a time! Don't get me wrong, I love our American holidays, but one day at a time just doesn't seem long enough! Anyway, this week the Chinese are celebrating their National Holiday. It was on October 1, 1954 (I think that's the right year) that Chairman Mao declared the creation of the People's Republic of China. So every year on October 1, the people of China take a week long holiday to celebrate this historic occassion. What does that mean for foreigners like me? It means we "get out of dodge"!! With 1/3rd of the world's population taking a week long vacation this is NOT the place you want to be. Everything pretty much shuts down and organized chaos reigns. Just to give you an example, last year they picked up 40 tons of trash in Tiannamen Square EACH DAY of the holiday week! That's a lot of people and a lot of trash!!! To avoid all that rubbish (as everyone here says), my daughters and I are heading off to Thailand for a week. My sweet hubby has to stay behind as this is his holiday to be on call at the plant. Despite his absence, we are very excited about going...we will spend 3 days at the beach in Phuket, 2 days in the northern city of Chiang Mai, and 3 days at an elephant orphanage in the jungle of northern Thailand (yes, I will be picking up elephant dung as part of my vacation!!). I will look forward to getting back with you when I return and life in China has calmed down from all the holiday excitement. Oh, and if you can say a prayer for us during the week, that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and we'll talk again soon......

A call to holy living

2007-09-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

I am broken hearted today -- broken hearted for the unbelieving people around me. I know that I have mentioned them to you many times before, but it seems now more than ever, things are getting out of control. The enemy is definitely protecting his territory and turning his own against each other. There is so much bitterness, hatred, unforgiveness, slander and gossip plaguing this community, all masked under a facade of camaraderie. It shouldn't surprise me really, but it does break my heart that they live this way. I have been praying for them fervently that they would come to know Jesus Christ. I even bought books this summer on becoming a contagious Christian and how to better share my faith! But things just seem to keep going downhill. I'm not sure what to think or what to do about all this, but I know I have to keep bringing it all to God and let Him work things out in His way and in His time.

Recently God has been emphasizing to me just how important His Word is to a person's salvation (of course I know that it is the Holy Spirit that moves a person to repentance, but God has been showing me this new insight as well). I have wrestled with this because I know that these people I am around are not hearing or reading God's Word. And knowing that "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17), I wonder how will they ever hear? How will they come to faith? I've prayed and asked God these questions. His answer? Me. I am to be the Word of God lived out for them. At first I was confused by this because a few months ago I felt as if God was not going to use me to witness to them. There never seemed to be any opportunities to share the gospel with them and they certainly weren't beating down my door asking questions or longing to go to church with me! I felt as if my light was a faint spark in a very dark world. Just when I thought the spark was about to extinguish, God rekindled the flame and dawned a new light into my spirit. This is the Word that He gave to me, "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14). That's when I realized how God wanted me to be the living Word for them. He was calling me to a new level of living; to a life that was holy(and wholly) above and beyond what I was already living. That was not an easy thing to take in. I asked God "Don't I already do that? What more do you want from me? I'm doing the best that I can!!" After several quiet times, His answer came to me in more than one way.

"Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody." - Romans 12:17
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity." - Colossians 4:5
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders."- 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 and
"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." - 1 Peter 2:12

Needless to say I was blown away! I could no longer deny what God was asking of me. I have to step it up a notch. If that is what God is asking of me, regardless of the difficulty, I am willing to do it. Of course, it took some time for me to absorb all this and what it all means. But this is the conclusion I've come to: I've wanted to be a light to the lost people around me for the last year but have not had much success. However, I'm learning that I have to be salt to them before I can be light. In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus tells his listeners to be salt first and then light. What does salt do? It makes people thirsty. I have to make people thirsty with my life so that they will want what I have. I have to live a holy life so that they can see God.

I'm still brokenhearted for these people, but not as discouraged now. I know that God is going to do an amazing thing for all of us and through it all He will be glorified! What more could you ask for?

Watching the Time

2007-09-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

Amidst all the craziness going on in my life recently, I managed to observe another birthday. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate another year of life. However, this year my birthday happened to fall when my husband was extremely sick, we had been traveling to Shanghai for 3 days to visit doctors, and it was our daughters' first day back to school. Celebrating was the last thing on my mind! But all was not forgotten as my daughter, Kayley, surprised me with a gift that she had purchased while we were in the States this summer. It was a beautiful cross with a clock in the middle of it. My girls know I love to collect crosses so this was a wonderful addition to my collection. At first I wasn't sure where to place it, but I finally decided to give it a home in my office. I couldn't have picked a better place.

First you have to understand that my office is my personal sanctuary. It's the room that I can retreat to when I need quiet and calm. It's also the space where I spend the most time with God. I have my quiet times and my personal study time in there as well. It was during one of my quiet times that I realized the significance of that cross clock. Actually two things dawned in my mind that profoundly impacted my outlook.

The first realization I had was that time is ticking, meaning we don't know how long we have until Jesus' return. Jesus himself said in Matthew 24:36, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." We may not have been given insight into this divine moment in time, but we have been given instructions on how to live in expectation of it. We are to be on guard, watching and preparing (Matthew 24:42,44; Mark 13:35-37). Too many times, however, I discount that Christ's glorious return might happen in my lifetime, so I don't live with anxious anticipation of it. That is unwise thinking because when I live with this mindset then I take for granted the opportunities before me, especially when it comes to reaching the lost. And God has not only placed family and friends who are lost in my life, but he has also dropped me into an entire community of non-believers that I am currently sharing life! As I think about the time ticking, I can't help but feel a sense of urgency to reach these people before it's too late. I'm just grateful we have such a loving and patient Heavenly Father who "does not want anyone to perish, but for everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Having my cross clock in my office where I spend time praying is a helpful reminder of who I need to be praying for and how!

My second "clock" realization about time was this: Am I using my time to the best of my ability for Jesus and what He is calling me to do? It is so easy for me to become lazy and distracted or even procrastinate from what I feel God is wanting me to do. I am constantly having to remind myself of Ephesians 5:15-16, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." My cross clock helps me to keep going, to discipline myself even when my flesh wants to be doing something else, and to live out the priorities I have set for myself. It is my beautiful encouragement to "not grow weary in doing good for in the end it will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 5:9). I need to make sure that I am a proper balance of Mary & Martha as I seek to follow Jesus and His plans for my life.

When I look back at my 37th birthday (yes, I'm not ashamed to tell you how old, I mean young, I am!), I may not have memories of a grand celebration, but I will have a timeless treasure that will continue to have me watching the time for grander purposes.

Back to Blogging!

2007-09-07T00:27:00.000-07:00

Hello again blogging world! It's so good to be back. We had a WONDERFUL time in the States this summer and enjoyed spending time with family and friends. The 7 weeks went by faster than I thought, but in the end we were ready to head back home to China (I was missing my hubby and having Chinese food withdrawals!). Thanks to each of you who made time for us, or opened your home for us to "crash". It was precious time and we will look forward to it again in the future! I had hoped to post some photos of our trip to my blog, but that is still a work in progress. As soon as I have the photos up I will happily share them with you!

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." - 2 Corinthians 4:17

So you may be wondering what has taken me so long to get back to blogging - we've been home a month! I wish I could say I was lounging around and getting back into the groove of things at my leisure, but that has not been the case. As soon as we got over our jetlag, we were bombarded with a host of "challenges". I won't bore you with all the details, but we have faced physical, financial, and time issues at every turn, some of our own doing, others not. These "challenges", as I am calling them, have kept me so busy that I honestly just haven't had the time. However, I decided that I could no longer allow my circumstances to dictate my time or my plans and that I was just going to write! In addition, God has just kept giving me ideas and showing me things that I cannot keep quiet any longer! I look forward to sharing them with you soon.

I hope all has been well with you and yours over these last 2 months. I wish I could check your blogs and find out, but our internet has been one of those "challenges". I cannot log onto anything that has blogspot.com in the web address, including my own blog page! Thankfully I do not have to use that type of address to post a blog or else I would be in really big trouble!!

I really am looking forward to meeting with you again here on the blog page. Thanks for being patient with me and for checking back! I'll talk to you soon....

Is this in English or Chinese??

2007-06-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

This is an absolutely hilarious post ~ only because I wasn't sure I would be writing in English or with Chinese characters!! No, I am not proficient enough in Chinese to write in Chinese but when I went to sign on to create a post, my entire screen was in Chinese characters! Too funny!! We'll see what happens when this actually posts!

I know that I haven't written anything for awhile and I didn't finish my heart friends stories (I still have 3 to go!), but trying to prepare to leave took more of my time than I realized. Throwing clothes into a suitcase does not take a lot of time, but there were a lot of details (I won't bother to bore you with them) that I had to take care of before leaving China. All that to say that I am sorry I haven't blogged lately. I have missed you! At the same time, this is also my last blog for 2 months as I will be busy traveling around Texas, with a short trip to Tennesee, for the next 7 weeks! We are so excited to be coming back to the States and to see everyone. I'm sure there will be plenty of tears flowing!!

I look forward to meeting you here on the page in the fall. I have enjoyed the time we've spent together and I pray that I will have much to share when I return. Until then, take care and God bless!!

Heart Friends - Day 2

2007-06-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. I haven't blogged all week. Time gets away from you faster than you realize, especially when you take a day to go out of town! But enough about me....let me share with you a little bit about my next heart friend, Susie.

Susie - I met Susie in 1995, a few months after my first daughter was born. We met at a backyard bbq hosted by a mutual friend. We went to the same church together but didn't really know each other that well. Like me, Susie was a teacher and had a daughter just a few months older than mine. After our first introduction we would occasionally run into each other but we never really did anything together. Shortly after that Susie and her husband Skip left Victoria to take a position in Corpus Christi at a small church called Bay Area Fellowship. It's funny how God works things out because a year later we would move to Corpus Christi and attend the same church! As we became more involved in church and began to see each other more often, Susie and I became really close friends. We did Bible studies together, worked in the same ministry side by side, and spent time learning from each other. Our sweetest time together had to be the weeks we spent working through the book A Woman After God's Own Heart. It was life changing for both of us! Then in 2004, it was time for us to move again (yes, we move ALOT!). It was so hard saying good-bye but I knew it would not be the end of our friendship. Looking back, separating actually strengthened our relationship. We e-mailed each other constantly and I think we talked more that way than we ever did living in the same city. To this day, that hasn't changed. I am so grateful for the amazing way God brought this heart friend into my life. Susie is an amazing woman....she is caring, funny, and beautiful. She is passionately in love with her husband. She adores her 3 children. She has a heart for women. But most of all she is striving to be the woman God wants her to be. Susie is also my "writing" buddy and I know that God has given her a talent that she is using to glorify Him every time she puts pen to paper. I'm sure that those of you who know her would agree! Susie is a true heart friend and I am blessed to have her in my life.

My heart friends - Day 1

2007-05-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

My last post was about the hard time I was having with friendships in China and how I desperately longed to have a heart friend here with me. I know that in God's timing He will bring me one of those friends and I wait with hopeful anticipation. But rather than dwelling on what has yet to happen, I want to focus on what God has done for me in the past. You see, in the last 10 or so years God has given to me what I call my "Fab Five"...those 5 wonderful heart friends who have come into my life and left an imprint in my heart. These dear women are my support group and I treasure them dearly. The unique thing about this group is that we are not a group of gals who get together regularly and lean on each other. Rather, these are each different, individual relationships in which I share common bonds. I thought I would share a little about each of these heart friends with you over the next few days and why I treasure each of them so dearly. I only wish I could share photos to go along with each post but I'm not that computer savvy....my goal is to work on changing that after my summer holiday!!

Lisa R. - I met Lisa when I was living in Victoria, Texas in 1994. We were both first year teachers and were required to attend a class for newbies in the school district. As we talked in class we realized we had a lot in common....we were both newly married, both just moved to Victoria, and both married to engineers. My husband and I had just moved out of the same apartment complex she and her husband were living in and we seemed to just hit it off. We decided to get together with our husbands one evening to hang out. It was a night we will always remember. While we were eating dinner, the infamous O.J. Simpson car ride on the highway in California was happening. Rather than spend time talking and getting to know one another better, we followed that white Bronco all night! We still laugh about that now. That was the start of a friendship that has lasted to this day. Lisa and I would end up teaching next door to each other, go to church and do Bible study together, have kids close in age (who love each other dearly), and eventually became the sisters we never really had growing up. Our families have been separated by distance both near and far, but none of that has broken the bond that was formed so long ago. We have even started the tradition of vacationing together in the summer at the Frio River in the Hill Country....it's a great time together playing games (her husband, John and I have intense Scrabble competitions and everyone knows to stay away when those are underway!), having campfires, and of course, tubing the river no matter how high or low it may be! I'm so grateful for this friendship that God has given to me. I have learned so much from her and can't imagine what life would be like without her. We don't get to talk as much as we used to, but when we do it's like we never missed a beat. So what is it about Lisa that is so dear to me? She is a strong woman who can handle whatever comes her way. She is "mechanically" smart and can do things I could never do! She is a wonderful wife and mother. She loves God and strives to follow Him with all her heart, mind, and strength. Like me, she loves to read and to watch Lost. She is a very generous and giving person. Although she is 7 months older than me, she is way cooler and more hip than I will ever be! She is very creative and artistic. She is always willing to try new things or activities just for the fun of it!

I could go on and on....after 13 years of friendship we have been through a lot so there is plenty to write about. I think you can see why I love her so much. God is good isn't He?!

I will continue my list of heart friends on Wednesday (I have to go to Shanghai tomorrow!). Next on the list.....sweet Susie.