Thank goodness there are some Spanish words that look like their English equivalent! We have been diligently studying Spanish in "preparación" of our trip. As I learn new words and phrases, it makes me cringe to think back on things that I have said on prior trips. I have the Spanish of a small child! Seriously!
When a young child starts to speak and tries to convey that they want things, they will be rather abrupt or rude or demanding. They say things like "Give me. . ." or "I want . . ." or "I need . . .", right? This is how my Spanish sounds. We say words like "Quiero" or "Necesito" which mean exactly the sames things a young child says! A couple nights ago when we were studying, we learned new phrases that are more polite and less demanding. Phrases that sound more like "I would like to" or "Could I" etc. This is all very exciting and in my head, I am already thinking of times/ways to use the phrases. But at the same time, it makes me cringe to think of being so abrupt or rude in the past! Yikes! I just pray that people chalk it up to ignorance!
Along with studying Spanish, we have been gathering items to take with us. We plan on spending some time at the Children's Home and they love to do "actividades". (Another one of those great Spanish words that looks like the English equivalent!) Don and I combed the aisles at a craft store for inexpensive things to do with about 30 kids. We also scanned the sale/clearance items online. It is so fun to find some great activities that we know the kids will enjoy.
We are also gathering things that we will need as well as things that will be used in the clinics. I have been looking for some cheap skirts (since I will be wearing dresses the whole time) as well as trying to figure out what the kids will need for clothes. Different climate (yeah!) means different clothes. We are trying to get lots of school done before we leave since we won't take much, if any, with us. Things are coming together! Thank goodness, since we have less than 3 weeks now!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Lord's Favor
But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Psalm 5:11-12
These verses were a part of our daily Bible reading over 2 weeks ago. They caught my eye when I first read them and since that time, they have appeared in other readings that have crossed my path. When verses get "stuck" in my head and keep "appearing" in several unrelated places, I eventually realize that the Lord is wanting me to take notice!
The part that is really catching my eye is the last line that says "you surround them with your favor as with a shield." First of all, what exactly is "favor"? Webster's dictionary has several definitions for it including:
"something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for payment; a kind act." and "preferential treatment; partiality"
The picture I usually have of a shield is more of a flat, metal object that a soldier would hold in front of himself. I think this may be from seeing Peter's shield in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (and probably other movies). Although this is a pretty nice shield as far as flat, metal objects go, it doesn't really "surround" Peter when he is fighting.
I think the shield in this verse is more like a "ball" of protection. Nothing penetrates it from any side and there are no weak spots. I am picturing the "Incredibles" where Violet puts her force field around her and Dash.
The idea of being surrounded like that with the favor of the Lord sounds so safe and secure and protected. The Psalmist says that if we look to the Lord for refuge and protection, we will have this kind of shield surrounding us. It will cause us to rejoice and sing for joy.
When we returned from Guatemala without any source of income, life seemed rather uncertain and more than a little scary. We had no place to turn for security and provision but from the Lord. He provided as He always does in His perfect timing. Don accepted a job at the same hospital but in a different department. Although I was very relieved that he had a job, I knew this new job would mean less vacation time and less flexibility.
Here is where the Lord's favor comes into the equation. First, we found out that Don was going to continue accruing vacation as if he hadn't left. (He had been at the hospital for 10 years before he quit.) This means that after working only 9 months, he has accrued enough vacation for us to leave for 4 weeks with a little time left over!
Second, he fits very well in this job and his boss has shown him great "favor" since he interviewed him. Don met this doctor for the first time in May when he interviewed with him. This doctor is also new to the hospital and does not know Don or any of the doctors that Don used to work for in his previous position. None of this "preferential treatment" makes sense except that it is all part of Don being surrounded by the Lord's "shield of favor".
Don's boss knows that we have a heart for Guatemala and wants to be flexible enough that we can pursue that without Don quitting. I look at this whole situation and just think it is an incredible picture of the Lord making a way when I thought we had lost all our vacation time and flexibility! I am so thankful for the Lord's favor.
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Psalm 5:11-12
These verses were a part of our daily Bible reading over 2 weeks ago. They caught my eye when I first read them and since that time, they have appeared in other readings that have crossed my path. When verses get "stuck" in my head and keep "appearing" in several unrelated places, I eventually realize that the Lord is wanting me to take notice!
The part that is really catching my eye is the last line that says "you surround them with your favor as with a shield." First of all, what exactly is "favor"? Webster's dictionary has several definitions for it including:
"something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for payment; a kind act." and "preferential treatment; partiality"
The picture I usually have of a shield is more of a flat, metal object that a soldier would hold in front of himself. I think this may be from seeing Peter's shield in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (and probably other movies). Although this is a pretty nice shield as far as flat, metal objects go, it doesn't really "surround" Peter when he is fighting.
I think the shield in this verse is more like a "ball" of protection. Nothing penetrates it from any side and there are no weak spots. I am picturing the "Incredibles" where Violet puts her force field around her and Dash.
The idea of being surrounded like that with the favor of the Lord sounds so safe and secure and protected. The Psalmist says that if we look to the Lord for refuge and protection, we will have this kind of shield surrounding us. It will cause us to rejoice and sing for joy.
When we returned from Guatemala without any source of income, life seemed rather uncertain and more than a little scary. We had no place to turn for security and provision but from the Lord. He provided as He always does in His perfect timing. Don accepted a job at the same hospital but in a different department. Although I was very relieved that he had a job, I knew this new job would mean less vacation time and less flexibility.
Here is where the Lord's favor comes into the equation. First, we found out that Don was going to continue accruing vacation as if he hadn't left. (He had been at the hospital for 10 years before he quit.) This means that after working only 9 months, he has accrued enough vacation for us to leave for 4 weeks with a little time left over!
Second, he fits very well in this job and his boss has shown him great "favor" since he interviewed him. Don met this doctor for the first time in May when he interviewed with him. This doctor is also new to the hospital and does not know Don or any of the doctors that Don used to work for in his previous position. None of this "preferential treatment" makes sense except that it is all part of Don being surrounded by the Lord's "shield of favor".
Don's boss knows that we have a heart for Guatemala and wants to be flexible enough that we can pursue that without Don quitting. I look at this whole situation and just think it is an incredible picture of the Lord making a way when I thought we had lost all our vacation time and flexibility! I am so thankful for the Lord's favor.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
What do you want to be?
Samuel (age 5) is helping me make chocolate chip bars one afternoon and he asks me, "So Mom, what do you want to be when you grow up?" My response was, "I am all grown up!". He said, "No, I mean when it is time to get a job and stuff." I answered, "I have a job taking care of you and your brother and sisters. My job is also teaching you school." His big brother yells from the other room, "She just doesn't get paid for her job." Samuel got down from his stool and started to go upstairs. I asked him where he was going and he said, "I have to get something."
Pretty soon he comes back down and lays something on the counter next to me. He had brought me 30 cents. I asked him what that was for and he said, "For teaching me school Mom." I, of course, then yelled to Caleb and asked him how much he was going to pay me!
The Lord has called me to be a homeschool mom. It is the most rewarding and difficult job that I have ever had. But this is not what I wanted to be "when I grew up." I knew as early as high school that I wanted to be an accountant.
It was while I was finishing a masters program (Masters of Professional Accounting, no doubt!) and working for an accounting firm that I met Don and shortly afterwards got married. This still did not alter me from my course of being a partner in a CPA firm someday or maybe a CFO for a corporation.
Even when I found out I was pregnant with Caleb, there was no thought of even staying home with my children. I was looking at daycare options for when I went back to work after maternity leave. It took six months of being back to work for me to decide that this was not what "I wanted to be" anymore.
Because the Lord's timing is perfect, I was able to quit my job and be at home just before Caleb's first birthday. Don took over as the main source of income with his first job as a Physician Assistant. I knew that this was the Lord's plan for me but I have to say that there have been moments when I have wondered . . .
why in the world did I need a CPA to stay at home with my children?
why do I have a "Masters of Professional Accounting" when any sort of teaching degree would have been way more helpful?
would I have made it as a partner or a CFO?
In the last 12 years, I have learned that any path, other than the Lord's, is not worth pursuing. I have also learned that everything we do today is preparation for what the Lord has for us tomorrow. Today I am using the education that I received to help a ministry organization in Guatemala do their finances and bookkeeping. Who would have guessed?? Only the Lord knew what He was preparing me for all those years ago. And because He has called me to be a homeschool mom, we have the option of taking our family to Guatemala for an extended period of time. His ways are not our ways nor are His plans our plans, but when it all comes together, it is amazing!
So "what do you want to be?" Are you looking at your plans or His plans? Is He preparing you today for something that He has for you tomorrow? I am believing that He is, are you?
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Surviving the Tundra!
It is snowing. It has been all day. We are expected to get another 4 to 6 inches. I made Caleb go stand near the snow to give you some perspective of how much we have. Here are a couple pictures of him and his dog.
I must admit that it was pretty coming down this morning but it is so cold. Twice this last week we woke up to temperatures of 15 degrees below zero. I think it may be the Lord addressing this whole "global warming" issue! : )
In our last posting, I briefly mentioned our plans to return to Guatemala. It is days like these that make me (and the kids) very excited about returning to a warmer climate! We purchased our tickets last weekend for a four-week trip. We leave on Thursday, February 18th and return on Tuesday, March 16th.
Caleb and Bethany took their first trip to Guatemala in 2005. Since a passport for a minor is only good for 5 years, we knew that we were going to have to get them renewed in 2010. When we drug them out of the safe to take a look at the expiration date, we realized that we were cutting it a little close. Their passports expire at the end of March. We were reading about countries that require a valid passport for 6 months after your travel dates. We don't think Guatemala has this requirement but to play it safe, we decided to do the renewal before we left. The man working at the Post Office said that we should have them in plenty of time but if you think of it, could you pray that they arrive soon?
A friend of mine asked me how we came up with these dates. There are a few reasons for this timeframe. First, they will be short a person in the clinics during this time due to "maternity" leave. Second, I have been trying to help the Fickers with their bookkeeping and we need to get all the year-end stuff done. Third, we are hoping to help with their Corn Project. The need for food will only increase as the dry season continues.
All of these reasons aside, we sought the Lord and His timing. He promises that He has plans for us in Jeremiah 29. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." In many ways, we feel that this is the path that the Lord has for us. We will share more on that and other details of our trip next time! Thanks for reading!
I must admit that it was pretty coming down this morning but it is so cold. Twice this last week we woke up to temperatures of 15 degrees below zero. I think it may be the Lord addressing this whole "global warming" issue! : )
In our last posting, I briefly mentioned our plans to return to Guatemala. It is days like these that make me (and the kids) very excited about returning to a warmer climate! We purchased our tickets last weekend for a four-week trip. We leave on Thursday, February 18th and return on Tuesday, March 16th.
Caleb and Bethany took their first trip to Guatemala in 2005. Since a passport for a minor is only good for 5 years, we knew that we were going to have to get them renewed in 2010. When we drug them out of the safe to take a look at the expiration date, we realized that we were cutting it a little close. Their passports expire at the end of March. We were reading about countries that require a valid passport for 6 months after your travel dates. We don't think Guatemala has this requirement but to play it safe, we decided to do the renewal before we left. The man working at the Post Office said that we should have them in plenty of time but if you think of it, could you pray that they arrive soon?
A friend of mine asked me how we came up with these dates. There are a few reasons for this timeframe. First, they will be short a person in the clinics during this time due to "maternity" leave. Second, I have been trying to help the Fickers with their bookkeeping and we need to get all the year-end stuff done. Third, we are hoping to help with their Corn Project. The need for food will only increase as the dry season continues.
All of these reasons aside, we sought the Lord and His timing. He promises that He has plans for us in Jeremiah 29. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." In many ways, we feel that this is the path that the Lord has for us. We will share more on that and other details of our trip next time! Thanks for reading!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year!
I am not really one to spend alot of time looking back, but yesterday, as I was spending some time with the Lord, I was overwhelmed by His faithfulness over the past year. His provision is where I can so often see His hand so clearly. His timing is so perfect and His blessings are amazing. This walk with Him is never boring or mundane but He comforts and He strengthens in those times when I don't think we are getting anywhere. And when He breaks through the tough stuff . . . it takes my breath away.
A girlfriend of mine and her two children came over yesterday afternoon. Talk about going much further back into the past. I think we have known each other at least 14 years. We met as newlyweds and were a part of each others' lives as we started our families. They tried everything to have children and to no avail. Then we walked with them through the tough adoption process. The heartache of a mother changing her mind at the last minute. But yesterday when I looked at her beautiful 8-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy, I was again touched by the Lord's faithfulness. Our kids had so much fun playing together (in our overabundance of snow) and it was fun to listen to them talk and get to know each other. She is once again walking through a tough spot as her husband is serving in Iraq for a year. But the Lord promises in 2nd Corinthians that "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I pray that this bumpy road will only draw her closer to Him.
New Year's is not just a time to reflect on the past but to also look to the future. It is exciting to think about what the Lord has for us in the coming year yet so many times in the Bible, we are advised to focus on today. If we are stuck in the past or looking so much to the future, we miss what He has for us in the present. All of a sudden our kids are grown or our relationships are lost because we didn't spend time on the important things today. I pray that the Lord opens up our eyes to what He has for us today and we let tomorrow "worry about itself".
In our focusing on today, the Lord has us planning for another trip to Guatemala. It will be a much shorter trip than our last one but we will share those details on another day . . .
A girlfriend of mine and her two children came over yesterday afternoon. Talk about going much further back into the past. I think we have known each other at least 14 years. We met as newlyweds and were a part of each others' lives as we started our families. They tried everything to have children and to no avail. Then we walked with them through the tough adoption process. The heartache of a mother changing her mind at the last minute. But yesterday when I looked at her beautiful 8-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy, I was again touched by the Lord's faithfulness. Our kids had so much fun playing together (in our overabundance of snow) and it was fun to listen to them talk and get to know each other. She is once again walking through a tough spot as her husband is serving in Iraq for a year. But the Lord promises in 2nd Corinthians that "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I pray that this bumpy road will only draw her closer to Him.
New Year's is not just a time to reflect on the past but to also look to the future. It is exciting to think about what the Lord has for us in the coming year yet so many times in the Bible, we are advised to focus on today. If we are stuck in the past or looking so much to the future, we miss what He has for us in the present. All of a sudden our kids are grown or our relationships are lost because we didn't spend time on the important things today. I pray that the Lord opens up our eyes to what He has for us today and we let tomorrow "worry about itself".
In our focusing on today, the Lord has us planning for another trip to Guatemala. It will be a much shorter trip than our last one but we will share those details on another day . . .
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