Clearly, God is saying, buy your own jet!!

I write a quick hello from Bucharest, Romania! Just sitting in the kitchen at Shannon's 10th story apartment, waiting for some homemade meatballs to cook, watching the snowfall over the city. I seem to have allowed the American blizzard to follow me to Romania, although I swear there wasn't that much room in my suitcase for it! ....
And I remember the last time I tried to leave the country, only to be welcome by Hurricane Sandy on the east coast. This lead to an unplanned but most welcome extra few days with Stark....
And I think about how many times I busy my schedule, only for God to make room for rest. 

We had lots of plans to cross things off Shannon's bucket list for her time left in Romania. But, shhh, don't tell her, I really enjoy just being here. I loved church this morning.and worshipping with fellow Christians in a different language ( this always makes me feel like I'm experiencing a little piece of heaven!) I just like having her close by again. "Comorica mea" is what the Romanians affectionately call " my little treasure"... It's been a blessing to see her embrace another culture and experience life outside of our American bubble.  

I feel content. 
:)

Gratitude, again.

"If anyone would tell you the shortest, surest way to all happiness—
he must tell you to make it a rule to yourself to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you. For it is certain that whatever seeming calamity happens to you, if you thank and praise God for it, you turn it into a blessing.
Could you therefore work miracles, you could not do more for yourself than by this thankful spirit, for it heals with a word speaking, and turns all that it touches into happiness.… it be the noblest sacrifice that the greatest Saint can offer unto God."

 

Certainly, if I'm posting this on the internet, I should give credit to who said it. But I'm not quite sure, so I'm sorry.

 

I came across the above quote over my Thanksgiving break. I liked it. In the Christian life, well walk, there are those times of happy and times of sad, then there are the times when you just are somewhere in the middle. I'm writing this blog, to remind myself to be happy in that middle. I'm sitting in a beautiful house nestled in the upper Appalachan mountains, getting ready for church, spending the week with one of my best friends who is home on furlough from the bush of Tanzania, finishing up my coffee, listening to Lacrae, and feeling content. After about 2 years of first mentally, then physically, feeling unwell, I relish the quietness I find in my heart. The attitude of gratitude does make a difference. I am glad to be able to now be in a healthy place to look back and find some of the lessons from the valleys. Those time of being strengthened, they are important to the Christian walk. They certainly aren't welcome, but they sure do serve as a reminder to who our Savior is, and who we are NOT. I'm humbly desiring that strengthening. I spend my workdays hearing and attempting to fix sadness and hurt, I see it on the news, I hear about it. I want to be used to make a difference. And I certainly do need help.

 

^{Colossians 1: 9} For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^{[e] 10} so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Friendship

“In friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

 

I want to take the time to put this quote up on my blog. And to take a moment to acknowledge my own gratitude that God has chosen to use people and relationships to teach me more about His character. I can see how over the last handful of years, I've relished the encouragement and simple texts, emails, phone calls,  and presence of a few friends. Who, really, I know responded to their own hearts and often reached out to me just when I needed it most.

 

I spent last weekend at the Global Missions Health Conference. I'm going to sit and try to link up to my blog a few of the sessions that really stirred my heart. I also want to write down some of the quotes I scribbled. This is my online diary, after all, right??

 

Akron Marathon Team Relay 2013

 

I had a good morning. After about 12 hours of anxiety, and a restless night of sleep last night, I was reminded why the Akron Marathon environment is one of my favorite parts of this season. On top of everything else fall, this is actually good for me :)

 

 

"You love running for how it makes you feel. You love it for the endorphins, and how it’s something that’s hard, and that you can get better at. You love it because at the starting line, you can chat with anyone and so what if ...it’s a little uncomfortable, you’re not going to see them again anyway. You love it because it has changed you. You walk straighter now and you feel stronger… You love it because running makes you realize that you were living in a box until a couple of years ago-a safe box, but a box, and that since running, you see you’re as good as anyone else, maybe not as fast, but trying as hard, improving as much- and having as much fun. After you finish a race you stay at the finish line, and you yell encouragement at the people still competing- the slowest, the fattest, the people with the most to gain. You know how they feel. You know they’re winners, even if they don’t."
— Steve Frisman [“Bret, Unbroken”, Runner’s World, June 2013

 

 So grateful for the friends in my life who have encouraged me to run.

 

Does my story star a ... careerwoman??

As a kid, I loved books. And within the protected walls of one of my dearest (longest, actually!) friendshps-we'd spend hours reading and talking about the characters we befriended in our books. We were just talking this week about this series I was FULLY engaged with: Lurlene McDaniels wrote all these books about kids who battled cancer, and one trilogy was about this girl who fell in love with an Amish guy. This Amish guy would ride his bike to the hospital to spend time with her as she was going through chemo-like he was legit ALL IN and was such a gentleman.(SIDENOTE-do those really exist anymore?!?!) Coincidentally, I currently have a pseudo crush on the 15 year old Amish boy who  loaded up the corn into my car at the Amish food stand. Not really, but kinda. Like, duh, he's way to young. Yeah I get it.

Babysitters club: this included the Little Sister series, the regular series (like what-100 books??), the Mystery series, the Super Specials....I had that section covered at the Library.

Boxcar Children.

The Mandy series.

Lurlene McDaniels

I did like Beverly Cleary.

For the longest time I loved this book called "Nothing but the Truth", by Ali. Like his name was just Ali.

Fast forward through school. Growing up means movies, television series.
But I still liked books. John Grisham. We read this Ethan Hawke book, I remember it being scandalously wonderful. Then I found Hot Zone, Richard Preston. There's an adventure!

I found myself thinking about all these books as I was driving home today. I'm not sure if I caught something on the radio that prompted these thoughts, or maybe just my own brain. But I remember reading all these....well stories.

And I thought about my story. Here I am, 31. Is my story a good read? Is this what I wanted my story to be, in this chapter? Who's helping me write this book?? I'm not sure when I prayed the prayer, which seemed oh so cliche...but I know I said it-"Lord I just want to help people." I've prayed quite a bit for my now family, but, too, for my future family, my future husband. I've prayed quite a bit for all the people I've met as I've served on the mission field short term, but, too, for my future contacts if God should lead me back to the mission field. I've prayed quite a bit for the people I work with and spend my normal working hours helping, but, too, for the people that God has yet to bring across my path.

An answer to two of my bigger prayers would seemingly be nice any day, Lord. Do you want me to get married? Do you want me to be on the mission field? Like those are big deal things, can't you open doors or just guide. Nudge. Hint. Anything. Where do you want me?

Having grown up in the church. Gone to a Christian college. Been surrounded by Christian friends. Read, studied, prayed, and pondered God's word. All these things, I feel, perhaps, hypersensitive to the thought of wasting the time I've been given. In my work, its reality, that sometime life throws you lemons and changes fast. I've watched very very dear friends struggle, big time, for real.

And what has now been 2 years, God continually reminds me to just be still. To be content. The here and now. What He's given me now, is just what I need. And it seems so simple.

It's Friday night. I had a good day at work. I heard the words "thank you" from a patient today-that's echoed long past the time they walked away with their prescription. The back door is open at my mom's house, I hear the crickets. The sunset was beautiful. I took a long hot bath and there's a solid roof over my head. My best friend comes home from three looong years in Africa in just 3 weeks! I know I have people that love me. But, most of all, I know whatever the future holds, is in the hands of the one who knows all the quiet wants and desires in my heart. And who remains faithful day to day. And although I can't recall even just one book that told a story kinda like mine (...what princess waits til they are turning grey to find a prince?? Can adventures really begin by having to saying temporary goodbyes to people you love??)....I am eager to keep reading. I love, well nearly all, the people God has brought along my ride with me. He's certainly been faithful in giving me plenty of opportunities to help! I still have lots to learn. Just like Anne with an E :) Certainly a good chapter is coming soon!

 

Is that possible?

"Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time." Maya Angelou

That's the example that was set forth... I think about Peter...but is that something that our fallen human hearts can do? I think about that. More blog soon.
 

A reminder to myself:

You are weak.

I am strong.

You are in need.

I am able.

You are sick.

I am healer.

You are rejected.

I am your friend.

You are inadequate.

I am enough.

You are lonely.

I am here.

Whatever it is that you are.

Never forget . . . I AM.

JESUS