Cleaning and Sorting

Anyone that knows Hannah, knows that she is a climber 

and has been since she was very young!

A page from her baby book 

(yes, I used to scrapbook - not my best page, but you get the point!)

We put her 'talent' to work this week.  The girls helped me empty, clean and sort every cabinet in our kitchen.  Some of the very top ones had not been cleaned since we moved in almost 11 years ago (yes, I know that is disgusting).  We sorted into "throw away", "give away", "sell" or "keep" piles. Hannah's comment "This is the best job - you get to wipe things down and sort!".  Bethany helped as well but a) didn't want to be in the picture and b) doesn't have the "climbing talent", although she did it!  

Many of the items were gifts from our wedding almost 21 years ago.  It was hard to make a decision on some things so we returned them back to the cupboard to be dealt with on another day (maybe that was a 5th pile of "deal with it later"?)  We did decide to sell the dinnerware that was on our wedding registry.  It is so nice to have clean, uncluttered cupboards but the 'letting go' has been a little bit more difficult than I thought it would be.

We posted this picture on Craigslist.

It was hard to put a price tag on this set - maybe too much sentimental 'value'??  The reality is that we would really like someone to be blessed by them.  If you know of anyone who could use the set, please let me know. The price is always negotiable! :)  

As I write this, the letting go is coming with a few tears.  We are trying to trade the 'treasures' of this world for the Lord's hidden treasures.  It isn't always easy, but He is faithful.  

"I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."  Isaiah 45:3

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Puerto Rico

A couple of days ago, the alarm interrupted a wonderful dream.  I was walking along a beautiful beach, the sun was shining and I was warm!  It was so hard to open my eyes to the reality of our cold, dark spring that we are having.  But then I remembered!

Don and I are going to language school . . . in Puerto Rico!  We won't be able to spend much time on the beach but it will be warm!  We will be in school for about 4 hours a day with homework for the next day but it will be warm!  We will probably have a Spanish headache for the entire week but. . . you guessed it. . . it will be warm!!  

One of the requirements of Don's job is an understanding of the language.  His salary includes money set aside for education as well as days off to attend conferences/schools etc.  We decided that we would find a language school where he could also spend some time focusing on medical Spanish.  And since it is a language school, I can take classes as well.  

We are trying to add a little bit of time on the front and the back of our trip for exploring and sightseeing, but the majority of our time will be spent in a 'non-tourist' part of San Juan completely immersed in the language and the culture.  We are still working on the final details but our tickets are purchased.  

Our pastor gave a sermon a while ago on heaven.  He likened it to planning a trip to Florida.  You have a new perspective when you know you are 'going to Florida' soon.  Situations don't seem so awful when you have something fun on the horizon.  Someone is rude or things don't go the way you want -- it's okay, because I am 'going to Florida' soon (or in our case Puerto Rico!).  

As believers, this should be our perspective on heaven.  Yes, this Life is Just Hard Sometimes but it is just a blink and then it is gone.  Our 'forever home' is on the horizon and it will be even better than a trip to Puerto Rico - where it is warm!! ;)

"These men of faith I have mentioned died without ever receiving all that God had promised them; but they saw it all awaiting them on ahead and were glad, for they agreed that this earth was not their real home but that they were just strangers visiting down here. And quite obviously when they talked like that, they were looking forward to their real home in heaven." Hebrews 11:13-14