Wow. I didn’t know this would be so hard. All the weight of transition and newness hit
me Thanksgiving day. I had an inkling it would, I could feel the build up under
the surface and the pressure growing from outside too. Everyone said, ‘That’s a
lot all at once!” They were right.… it’s a lot.
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| Ruth was such a blessing |
But it’s in moments like that when I feel like I can’t
handle what I’ve been dealt in this season.
I can’t handle the job they’re giving me at the school. I
can’t figure out how to communicate constantly cross-culturally and bilingually
24/7, especially with my husband. I can’t control what I used to control. I
can’t demand of myself even what I used to demand. All the variables are
different.
When it comes down to it, I can’t put my finger on just one
thing… it’s everything. And I don’t like it all the time.
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| Undeserved things we take for granted |
Sometimes we are called to give thanks when everything goes
wrong.
I realize how often I forget this truth when I find myself
complaining. Complaining is a sign that
I’ve not yet accepted the reality that God is working on me in and through all
the difficulties and that it’s the best place to be because He is there and I
am becoming more like Him at a faster rate than if I was a self-sufficient,
happy-go-lucky person who always had everything under control in my life. Complaining means I'm missing the giving thanks in all circumstances.
Thus, in the midst of all the bumpy ups and downs, amidst
the exhaustion, the change, the stress, the missing home and the long hard days
of trying to succeed and mostly failing…I’ve got to learn how to care for my
own soul. I’ve got to stop complaining and start praying more for my eyes to be
opened amidst my circumstances. I need to lather my moments and my days in
thankfulness and my heart in praise. That’s the only way I can figure out an
attitude check. (Amen, Praise the Lord, Glory, Hallelujah! :)
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| My team on Sport's Day! |
1.
Marriage is such an amazing gift. We are
learning and growing and it is exciting and difficult all at the same time.
Pray for Allam and I to grow together in our marriage in a way that glorifies
God more.
2.
School is now under my leadership entirely. It’s
messy, real, and terrifying. Please pray that God gives me the wisdom,
understanding and grace to continue stepping into my role and guiding the
English department at the school. There is much to be done and I can’t carry
the burden on my shoulders.
3.
Our house gets furnished one piece at a time.
It’s painstakingly slow, but it is in process just as we are. It’s beginning to
be a HOME and it’s so wonderful! Pray that we can continue to know how to
handle our resources correctly while building Allam’s dental practice and our
house.
4.
Continued building community and friendships
here in this new place and as a couple.
5.
We’ve been pretty sick with the normal climate
change cold and allergies. Please pray we can recover and take better care of
ourselves in the future.
As we approach Advent season, this time of struggle
pushes me to more radical change. I NEED Jesus in this time to rescue
me from myself, from my circumstances, and from less than glorifying
daily living. As we begin to ANTICIPATE our Savior's humble birth, what
would show our desperate need for Him? What would push us to
Thanksgiving in the rough places?
Allam
and I are giving up sugar. I know it's advent, not lent... but how
sweet Christmas day will be when it finally comes? For all the yearning
for sugar would be yearning for the Savior's coming.
Will
you join me in choosing a challenge for this advent season? Something
that's going to help you choose thanksgiving instead of complaining and
help you focus on the truth of your season in this season?
The following
excerpts are a beautiful summary of the things I’ve been learning.
The story of the Three Trees is a childhood favorite, but it
also is showing me how to continue to find the truth of my circumstances and
God’s plan. It’s powerful even though it is a children’s story. (Gotta love
that I’m an elementary teacher at heart) The others are quotes I’ve been
reading from a book by Eric Greitens on Resilience (Thank you Anna Varner).
(The Bible has many more examples of resilience that are constant encouragement as well)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His promise. - Romans 8:28 -
(The Bible has many more examples of resilience that are constant encouragement as well)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His promise. - Romans 8:28 -
Attitude CHECK!!!!!!!!!
You are not
responsible for everything that happens to you. You are responsible for how you
deal with what happens to you. What happens to us becomes part of us. To be
strong at the broken places is to be resilient. Being broken, by itself, does
not make us better. “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at
the broken place.” (Hemingway)
Don’t expect a time in
your life when you’ll be free from change, free from struggle, free from worry.
Your objective is not to come to rest.
We all need something
to struggle against and to struggle for. The aim in life is not to avoid
struggles, but to have the right ones; not to avoid worry, but to care about
the right things; not to live without fear, but to confront worthy fears with
force and passion. What are you working toward? What are you fighting for? Who
are you going to be?
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| I took this photo on my drive to school! |
Once
upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted
to become when they grew up.
The
first little tree looked up at the stars and said: “I want to hold treasure. I
want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I’ll be the most
beautiful treasure chest in the world!”
The
second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to
the ocean. “I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings.
I’ll be the strongest ship in the world!”
The
third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women
worked in a busy town. “I don’t want to leave the mountain top at all. I want
to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they’ll raise their eyes
to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.”
Years
passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day
three woodcutters climbed the mountain.
The
first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful. It
is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell.
“Now
I shall be made into a beautiful chest. I shall hold wonderful treasure!” the
first tree said.
The
second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong. It
is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell.
“Now
I shall sail mighty waters!” thought the second tree. “I shall be a strong ship
for mighty kings!”
The
third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She
stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven.
But
the woodcutter never even looked up. “Any kind of tree will do for me,” he
muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.
The
first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter’s shop. But
the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals.
The
once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was
coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.
The
second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty
sailing ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and
sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail on an
ocean, or even a river; instead, she was taken to a little lake.
The
third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left
her in a lumberyard.
“What
happened?” the once tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted was to stay on the
mountain top and point to God...”
Many,
many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams.
But
one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed
her newborn baby in the feedbox.
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| Setting up our Christmas tree |
The
mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and
the sturdy wood. “This manger is beautiful,” she said.
And
suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
One
evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The
traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake.
Soon
a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she
did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the
wind and the rain.
The
tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, “Peace.” The
storm stopped as quickly as it had begun.
And
suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.
One
Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the
forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering
crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands to her.
She
felt ugly and harsh and cruel.
But
on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth tremble with joy beneath
her, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything.
It
had made the third tree strong.
And
every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.
That
was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
Retold
by Angela Hunt
Humility
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| My husband lovingly serving his patients |
Now what you've been waiting for -- Wedding Video Links!!!! SO fun to re-live this amazing day.
Short (er) Montage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFaNhjeWtzI
Just a Glimpse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhBQTFdNyGQ
I’ve set up an account through a missions organization which
will transfer funds to us in Honduras if you desire to support us further on
into our journey. Please specify my name on your donation through paypal. There is no repeating donation options yet.
Link for donations:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=UU6G8AWWP263C
