Quote for July

This morning we were able to get a care package from some friends brought over by a hiking team from their church. It was a blessing to all of us. I am especially treasuring the handwritten notes from two of my dearest friends. I thought I would share a quote from Charles Spurgeon that was in one of the notes.

O man, I beseech you,

Do not treat God's promises

as if they were curiosities for a museum,

but use them as everyday sources of comfort.

Trust in the Lord

whenever your time of need comes on.

Dear God, Thank you for your promises and that they are ever true. Thank you for dear friends whose love has reached us from across the ocean. Bless them as they serve you. Amen

Waiting in Expectation

Prayer has been on my mind the past few days as I have been praying for Noel on his trip, our language studies, friends back home and our team. This morning I read Ps 5:4. It says "In the morning I lay down my requests before you and wait in expectation." I found myself thinking about my expectations to my prayers. Am I just going through the motions? Am I looking to see His answer? Am I excited about seeing God glorified as He answers? Now I am waiting in expectation to see how God works with our language training, with the health of a friend and other situations that I have been bringing before His throne. May we wait in expectation for God to answer.

Tears in a Bottle

Psalm 56:8b says "You have collected all my tears in a bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." I had my first cry since we arrived here on Monday. I was frustrated and tired of things that should have been simple not being simple. Once it started, it kept coming and wouldn't stop. I was overdue for a good cry. I had to admit I was not as strong as I thought I was. I was forced to deal with things I had been ignoring. I remembered I am weak but He is strong. The Psalmist reminds us to pour out our heart to God for He is our refuge. (Ps 62:8) I found His refuge was the best place to be. On Tuesday I sought this refuge again not from a point of frustration but from a point of worshiping an Almighty God. As I listened to some worship songs on my ipod, I remembered who I am but more importantly who God was, is and always will be.

I am thankful that God wants us to pour out our hearts to Him whether from frustration, sorrow, or joy. For me, tears help me do that and I consider it a gift.

Dear Keeper of my tears, Thank you for being a loving and gracious God who is a refuge in times of joy and sorrow. May we daily seek your face. Amen

The Climb

This picture was taken when W. was 5 years old. We were hiking at Acadia National Park in Maine and W was determined that she was going to make it to the top of the mountain. My DH and I took turns carrying Big D (who was almost two) on our backs in a carrier. Parts of the hike required climbing over rocks and going through tight spaces but W. was up to the challenge. Thinking it was too much for W's little legs, we tried to persuade her to go back with no success. She reached her goal (the top), made it back down, and was rewarded with some bubblegum ice cream. It wasn't the top that made this memory so special, it was the climb and W. getting there.



The past few years we have been climbing as we have moved, trained, and did lots of traveling. Now we are ready to go. Looking back, we see how much God has taught us, how much closer we are as a family and smile at the fun times we have had with family and friends. God has been working on us individually and as a family to get us ready. Tomorrow morning we leave for Central Asia but that is not necessarily the end. We will still be climbing as we adapt to a new culture, learn a new language and see how God will use us in this new place. We hope to remember it is in the climb that God makes us more like him and to be faithful to that.



Dear God, Thank you for the past three years. They have been hard in many ways. You have worked on the rough edges and stretched us. Thank you for your faithfulness as we would sometimes wander off the trail. Thank you for your strength and wisdom. Be with us as we continue to follow your leading. May we be faithful to all that you have for us. In Jesus name, Amen

Random Quotes

I love quotes. I am always writing them down in my notebook and thought I would share a few.

1. From A Quarter past Tuesday , a dad tells his daughter, " Kids, we have roots deeper than the opinions of other people."

2. "Life is hard. You either roll with the punches or get knocked out." Me

3. Tony Evans definition of submission for women. "Duck so God can hit your husband."

4. Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."