Tender Mercy of our God...

"...because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

~Luke 1:78-79

The Help

As usual, I am a bit behind on things...first, I was behind on the trend of reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I think I can still claim "living out of the country for two years" on that one. However, I was very intrigued by the novel ever since I first heard about it this summer from my aunt. Since I am a firm believer in reading the book before I see the movie, I was determined to bypass the theaters late summer and early fall so that I could read the book first. Now I'm just behind on blogging because even though I finished the book in September, I still need to write about it. So here it goes...

In a nutshell, I loved it! This can be attested to by 1.) the fact that I read it at all, and 2.) the fact that I stayed up late reading it on multiple nights. Most of what I read is either Christian nonfiction or children's literature--I'm just not a big fan of popular fiction; I think it's more of a time issue than an interest issue but nevertheless, not many "fictional adult bestsellers" make it on to my reading list. Also, I was willing to sacrifice my precious sleep on more than one occasion because I just didn't want to put this book down. In fact, it even felt "delightfully indulgent" to read one more chapter rather than being practical and going to sleep. :)

Here are some other miscellaneous thoughts I had about The Help:

• I loved the shifting, first-person perspectives between the three main characters of Skeeter, Abilene, and Minnie. This keeps you always wanting to read more to find out what happens in each story thread.
• I enjoyed all of the foreshadowing and "hype" that led up to the infamous Benefit and then how the tense changes completely to the active present and shifts to the 3rd person as if a reporter is writing this scene ("they walk in behind, the air seems so still, etc.").
• I loved Stockett's character development and the theme of true friendship that grows stronger and stronger as the novel progresses.
• I liked the complexity of minor characters like Miss Celia.

In summary, The Help is a captivating novel full of multiple layers. The depth of the characters and the various themes and interwoven story lines create a fascinating tale. Definitely a novel worth reading!

Precious.

Today, as I was enjoying a refreshing morning and sitting on my favorite love seat next to the window in our living room, I caught a glimpse of my neighbor... he's probably about ten years old and lives with his family across the street. I watched him look around surreptitiously to make sure no one was outside watching and then proceed to play football by himself in his front yard. He was the ref, the defense, and the offense all in one. He would make calls and show the appropriate hand motions; he would toss the ball in the air and then catch it; he would dodge past imaginary opposing players and often end up on the ground after a supposed tackle. It was adorable. In a month when my patience can run thin at times, I am thankful for this simple reminder of the joy and innocence of being a child.

Autumn Glimpses

Every year, the fall seems to fly by before you know it. This year is no exception, and much of it has been consumed by the daily routine of work. However, I have also enjoyed some wonderful weekends that brought big smiles to my face...

Nashville, TN-a fun Samford Girls reunion for Havilah's wedding on a beautiful October day

I also got to see Doug & Christy's family that same weekend since they were spending part of their furlough in Nashville and enjoyed some precious time with them.

Tally, FL-a great day for an FSU football game with my sweet friend Cassidy

This may not have been a stellar season for the Noles, but we sure picked a good game to attend. :)

Birmingham, AL-ran my first 10K with my favorite running buddy & dear friend Laura (and then enjoyed a delicious post-race breakfast at Urban Standard)

Fall in all its glory...

On the trail near Jemison...love going for runs and walks in these woods

South Bend, IN-a fabulous weekend trip to Notre Dame to visit my former roommate and missionary teammate Karen...

...and experience a ND football game and all their fun Irish traditions!

Tallahassee-Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5K with Paul and Young-Bin

A Few of my Favorite Things

Once a month, the women at my church have a gathering called "Otium Sanctum" which is Latin for "holy leisure." The phrase otium sanctum was used by the church fathers to describe their desire to pace and structure their lives in ways that would make them conducive to worship. We are currently reflecting on Sabbath and rest at Otium Sanctum.

Also each month, a different person shares a few of their favorite things with the group as a means of getting to know each other better. Last week, it was my turn. It was fun to reflect and think about my favorite things, deciding what to share with the group. I also realized that the "English-loving nerd" is alive and well in me because many of my items were actually symbolic for something else. In no particular order, here is what I shared...

*Flair pens for grading-the colors make it a little more fun. I also love Pilot G2 colored pens (not shown) for writing notes.

*My miniature, garnet Spanish Bible--Its compact size makes it great to take places, but it mostly represents my love for discipling children and youth and for speaking Spanish.

*My travel mug from the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market--It represents meeting friends at coffee shops and sharing quality conversation, one of my deep loves in life.

*Publix-the best grocery store ever where "shopping really is a pleasure"--It fondly reminds me of my mom because ever since I was little, I have been going on errands with her to Publix.

*My journals-one of the main ways I pray and process. I LOVE journaling and often measure the intensity of a season by how quickly I go through a journal.

*My U.S. passport--This one represents the fact that I love traveling all over the world to different countries for both pleasure and missions. I also love that no matter how many different places I live in for the rest of my life, my passport will always say Florida as my place of birth. Since I still consider myself a Floridian at heart, that is special to me.

*The Lakeshore Trail-I love running, walking, and being outside. I have spent many hours on that trail over the years. I would write more, but it would probably sound like a Nike commercial.

*Daily Light-This book has a compilation of Scripture for each morning and evening, every day of the year. Each entry has about five to ten verses on the same theme put together in a way where you can distinguish between the verse (should you want to look one up later in context), but reads like a paragraph. I love this simple way of starting and ending my day with the Word of God.

*Tazo Chai Latte mix--tastes just like Starbucks, but you can make it at home! Chai lattes are definitely one of my favorite things. :)

and last but not least...

*Gerbera daisies-my very favorite flowers! I love their bright, cheerful colors. "Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flowers?"

Let Your Hearts Revive

Today I had a delightful start to my Sabbath...after a good night's sleep, I spent time this morning out on our screened-in back porch. Slowly gliding along on the porch swing, sipping hot chai tea, feeling the soft breeze, listening to the gentle rain, and digging into the Word all made for a simply wonderful time. The fact that we have not had rain in almost a month made it that much sweeter. One verse from Psalm 69 especially jumped out to me today, "you who seek God, let your hearts revive." (v.32b) I love the fact that this verse doesn't read: "revive your hearts" but rather "let your hearts revive." It's a passive or indirect action on our part--we are the receivers, not the doers. While I "let my heart be revived" by spending time with the Lord and in the Word, it is God who revives my heart. What an encouraging insight to reflect on today...

A Few Weekend Highlights

Laughter. Running. Chick-fil-A. Old friends. Familiar. Comfortable. Conversations. Worshipping in Spanish. Not being in a hurry.

Sensational Summer Reading

It's summertime and that means lots of things, including more time to read. Since I am often over ambitious about my reading list, I made sure to put the two books I most wanted to read this summer at the top of the list. They both came highly recommended by friends, and I had very high expectations for them...which they both met! So without further ado, here they are:

The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath by Mark Buchanan -- If you've been around me at any point this summer, you have probably heard me rave about this book. I loved it! It encouraged and challenged me in so many ways. Buchanan refers to the fact that Sabbath is both a day and an attitude, and he offers thoughtful reflections and practical suggestions for cultivating Sabbath in your life. Since I liberally underlined and starred my copy and took notes on my computer, it's hard for me to pick out just a few highlights. If I had to choose one theme that impacted me the most though, I would say it is the theme of not being in a hurry and instead taking time to live fully in each moment. Each chapter really does offer insight and wisdom though with titles such as "Stopping to See God's Bigness" , "Stopping to Number our Days Aright", "Stopping Just to Waste Time", "Stopping to Glimpse Forever", and more. To top it all off, Buchanan really is a good writer and frequently employs detailed descriptions and figurative language to make the book even more enjoyable and interesting.

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller -- This is another excellent book that also both challenged and encouraged me. It is much more than just a book on prayer; it is a book about our Father and about faith. Early on in the book, Miller explains, "Prayer is not the center of this book. Getting to know a person, God, is the center." The book is broken up into five main parts, each with multiple chapters that are short and easy to read. The five parts are: Learning to Pray Like a Child, Learning to Trust Again, Learning to Ask Your Father, Living in Your Father's Story, and Praying in Real Life. One of the best features of this book is how Miller writes with transparency and humility. He uses real-life stories and struggles from his own life and his family's life to show us both the difficulty and the power of prayer. Filled with both profound truths and real-life suggestions, this is a wonderful book that helps you fall more in love with God and consequently develop a deeper prayer life.

Colorado Update

It’s been another busy couple of weeks, but I wanted to take time to follow-up on my trip to Colorado that I mentioned in my previous post. It was absolutely wonderful.

I spent the weekend in Denver, staying with dear friends from my New Orleans/Urban Impact days. Highlights included: reconnecting with them, sharing about the ups and downs of ministry life, meeting their sweet daughter for the first time, exploring downtown Denver, and attending a church with a large Hispanic population where we sang one of my favorite Spanish worship songs and I chose to listen to the Spanish version of the sermon during the teaching time.

Sunday afternoon, it was off to MTI (Mission Training International) to attend their DAR program: Debriefing and Renewal. Because there was another program at the MTI main campus, our program was held at a lovely retreat center nearby where we enjoyed the Black Forest woods and a view of Pike’s Peak each day. I was so blessed by this program—both by the wise & caring counselors and the amazing other missionaries who were there. I love how in situations like that God quickly bonds your hearts together and you are able to share on such a deep level. Each day, I was encouraged by our formal group teaching and sharing times as well as by lots of informal conversations with dear new friends. We all long to be understood, and it was such a blessing to spend a week with people who were in a similar situation as myself and really knew what I was going through. Lots of tears and laughter were shared throughout the week! This week also really reminded me about the importance of unity in God’s universal church. We all came from various denominations and mission organizations, but our hearts all wanted the same thing: the Gospel to be proclaimed throughout the world and to see God’s kingdom.

After lunch on Friday, it was sadly time to leave, and I headed down to Colorado Springs where I spent the afternoon at Garden of the Gods and enjoying some more processing time at Starbucks. That night, I had fun hanging out with my friend Katie (also a New Orleans/UIM connection) where we ate a delicious Italian dinner in a quaint, local family-owned restaurant in Old Colorado City and then explored Manitou Springs some more, meeting up with a few of Katie's friends.

Early Saturday morning, it was off to the Colorado Springs airport and then back to Florida!

Old friends!

The Market-my favorite coffee shop/cafe in Denver

New friends!

Our view each day at DAR :)

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs

Victory in the Small Things

These days it seems my life is full of decisions...living situation decisions, time decisions, financial decisions, ministry involvement decisions, and the list goes on. Since I can tend to overanalyze and also would still describe myself as "emotionally fragile" right now, most of these decisions take a lot of time and emotional energy from me. Buying new running shoes was no exception. About two weeks ago, I went to a big shoe store in Tallahassee in search of new running shoes. This store always has a 20% off coupon each weekend so I try to buy my shoes here whenever I can. After nearly an hour in the store (told you I can overanalyze!) testing various pairs of shoes, I finally decided on a pair (New Balance WR 759). Knowing my tendency to sometimes doubt and contemplate returning shoes, I decided to not do the usual "wear them around the house in case I want to take them back" but rather take them out on the road right away. I was delighted to find that I made a great decision and still feel this way today after about several good runs in the last two weeks. In fact, my success in this little decision makes me happy every time I think about it. Hooray for small victories and here's hoping to more good decisions in the coming months...

On a running side-note: I have decided running in very humid, 95 or 100-degree heat is actually harder than running at an elevation of 7,000 feet (Fresnillo) and definitely less pleasant!

Last Mexico Days...

Right now, I am sitting in the Tallahassee airport waiting to board my flight to Atlanta and then travel on to Denver, Colorado. I am looking forward to spending the weekend with some good friends and then attending the "debriefing and renewal" program at MTI (Mission Training International) this week. It's designed for missionaries returning to the U.S., either permanently or on furlough. I am not quite sure what to expect, but I know it will be good to be around other people in a similar situation who understand what it's like to try to adjust to American life again while missing somewhere else so much.

As you can see, I haven't blogged in quite awhile. While I am not the most consistent blogger to begin with, this is partially because my last six weeks in Fresnillo were so incredibly busy...and I loved them!! While packing and finishing up administrative tasks aren't much fun, spending time with people is one of my very favorite things and when you're leaving Mexico, everyone wants to have you over for a meal. :) I'm incredibly thankful for the way the Lord sovereignly worked out my schedule each day, allowing me to spend quality time with so many wonderful friends. I am also grateful for sweet times of closure with my Club girls, ÉXITO kids, and Exprésate students. There's so much more I could say, but here are a just a few of the MANY pictures I took in those days that give a small taste of them...

My last salida with my afternoon Club girls

Rajas con crema with Gloria's family! :)

Touring the Fresnillo silver mine with good friends

My volleyball team, after my last game with them

Making pozole with Iris

Sweet Encouragment from Today...

To describe the past few months as well as my remaining time in Fresnillo as “emotional” would definitely be an understatement. Coming home to an empty house after vacation, preparing to say goodbye to people I love dearly, and adjusting to a multitude of changes and unknowns frequently lead me to tears. However, I know that the Lord is sovereign in each difficulty and that He has great purposes for this tough time of transition. I also know that God loves to encourage us in ways that are so personal and specifically meant for us. Today, the Lord gave me several of those sweet encouragements…

I went over to Javier and Lupita’s house for lunch today and had such a fun time. I especially loved spending time with Lupita, Jesi (their 16-year-old), and Susy (their 10-year-old). We laughed and joked around a lot, Jesi asked me questions about becoming a missionary herself one day, Susy and her sassy but lovable personality entertained us, and Lupita and I talked about all sorts of different topics. Not to mention delicious food!

When I came home, I had momentarily forgotten that today was the day Gloria (a dear and close friend from church) came to clean our house. I especially love coming home on every other Wednesday…walking into a sparkling-clean house that smells so good always makes me happy. However, today was even extra special…Gloria had left me a really sweet and encouraging note on the kitchen counter, thanking me for coming to Fresnillo and telling me how much I meant to them. Then, as I ventured upstairs, I found another post-it she had left on my bedroom door reminding me that I am never alone and how Jesus is always with me. (Before she left to return to the U.S., Elizabeth had left me lots of post-it notes all over the house. It was a wonderful encouragement to come home to last week, and then again today as Gloria joined in on the idea!)

Finally, I checked my Skype phone and had a voicemail from Shannon telling me a funny story about a family of some of our former students that we both love and who often make us laugh.

Thanks, Lord, for knowing just how to encourage me today...

Vacation

During March 17th-24th, I took a short but very much appreciated trip to the States. A few highlights follow both via words and pictures...

Taziki’s and Yogurt Mountain with Paul my first night back…Watching and analyzing old Grey’s episodes with Pam…manicures, pedicures, and quality talk time with Cara…getting to be a part of Anna’s wedding—beautiful bride and beautiful day…hanging out at Jackson’s and O’Henry’s with the SU girls… yummy breakfast at Another Broken Egg Café…walks along the Emerald coast and relaxing in the warm Florida sunshine…journaling on the beach… reading Abba's Child by Brennan Manning...riding bikes to Seaside and along 30A…cheesecake and strawberries… watching FSU make it to the Sweet 16 by beating Notre Dame…spending time with my parents in Sandestin… steak, baked potatoes, and Caesar salad…visiting with my Redeemer community group and them praying for me…laughing with my brother…and wanting to going back to Mexico despite the emotional challenges that lay ahead...

All the girls and Anna

Spring in Birmingham!

Samford Girls Reunion

I LOVE Florida!!

Authentic New Orleans-style snowball in Sandestin

With my brother the professional before going to the airport

Beautiful Angels...

This picture is a few months old now, but I wanted to post it because it is from one of my favorite days this past December...the day of our annual Club Christmas Drama. My 7 & 8 year-old Club girls (along with Elizabeth’s 9 & 10 year-olds) were angels this year in the drama. I think my favorite moment was when we were helping them put on their costumes, and I could see how excited they were to feel “special and beautiful.” I know they are almost NEVER told that they are these things, and it made me reflect on how I want to be sure to tell them more often that they are indeed beautiful, lovely, and precious in God’s sight, while at the same time teaching them about inner beauty and purity. Please pray for opportunities to do that this semester. I love my little angels and am so thankful for the privilege of investing in their lives. :)

Encouraging Words from Thomas Merton

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You, and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope I never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, You will lead me by the right road although I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust You always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone." ~Thomas Merton

Long-Overdue

I love blogging. It's such a great mixture of writing and talking, two of my favorite things. It's a chance to verbalize everything from the random and quirky to the deep and reflective. In a way, it's a chance for someone to hear me talking to myself (which my roommate Elizabeth correctly reports I do very frequently).

However, I have great difficulty keeping up with blogging. I knew it'd been a while since I'd written and had been thinking about posting for several weeks on various topics, but I was appalled yesterday when I realized I had not written since Thanksgiving! Seriously?! The only thing to do to remedy the situation was to blog as soon as possible-- hence today's entry.

I think this year I am going to try to blog more frequently but write shorter posts. Being so wordy is usually what leads to my procrastination. This won't be easy as someone who is quite long-winded (and enjoys being so), but I figure it's worth a shot. This is definitely not a resolution. (You can read my first blog entry to find out how I feel about resolutions.) It could perhaps be a goal though. I seem to do o.k. with goals--I started this blog in January 2009 as a means to help me accomplish a goal of writing more, and I'm still writing in it today so that is something.

Finally, I would like to give a "shout-out" to my friend Cara. Although she is a busy wife and teacher (one of the most time-consuming jobs there is), she continually inspires me with her faithfulness to blog on a regular basis. I love reading her witty comments and thoughtful insights, and I am always encouraged to keep on blogging myself...

Happy 2011!