Choosing Joy in January

A+ dental check-up!

January ... I don't like January.  It's nothing personal. It's just that, without regard to my thoughts and feelings, January seems to be laughing at me as it thrives in the cold, barren, winter wasteland that I do not enjoy!  I am keenly aware that I am not alone in my feelings toward this month, nonetheless, January doesn't change! I often find myself struggling to choose joy, restless but not wanting to do anything, anxiously awaiting warm sun on my face and green grass underfoot.  For some reason, I assumed it would be different with life in Costa Rica.  I mean, come on, I'm living in a tropical paradise! However, with all the Christmas festivities packed away and New Years vacation logged in the scrapbook, I've found myself feeling much the same as I did living through January in the States.  

In attempt to add some life to January, I have usually scheduled Eye Dr. and Dentist appointments for the family. Creature of habit that I am, I scheduled both of these appointments in the last two weeks.  We are so blessed to find both Dentist and Eye Dr. who are kind, knowledgeable and accommodating.  I attempted to find joy in these adventures, however I found myself longing for the familiarity of Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Poole's offices where we felt comfortable, relaxed and ... at home. 

This morning as we sang "You give and take away" Father gently reminded me ... "He gives His peace while He takes away my worry" ... if only I would not hold so tightly to them! With these aforementioned feelings toward January I felt like I was barely holding back the floodwaters. I could mention all the worries that are weighting down my shoulders, however ... Today, I'm choosing joy as I receive His peace in place of worry!  It's a beautiful, sun filled, balmy breeze kind of day and ... January is ending this week!  

Joy in January ... why worry ... Sunshine and green grass

Life on the Mountain

It was warmer this week with less wind and rain, a plus in my weather book ... Daryl completed 3 weeks of language study and was teaching me things this week : ) ... aforementioned appointments ... Lunch date with Home School mamas ... Play date for Jedidiah with a new family in the neighborhood ... many visits to the park to soak up this beautiful sun ... Adam had a date with dad ... cherishing the endless chatter of Adam, Mati and Santi before school starts next week for all of them ... the gift of lemon and orange trees on our property, who doesn't love fresh squeezed lemonade in the middle of January!

Praises

-Mount House (Christian school) offered us further discount 

-Good dental checkups

-Patient Eye Dr ... I didn't like the first frames I chose, he allowed me to change them!

-Health

-Opportunity to be on worship team again

-A church family that loves and cares for us

-Computer issues resolved with battery change

-Listening to our boys communicate in Spanish

-His Word speaks truth

Prayers

-Finalizing plans for two families and two work teams arriving this week

-Unity in those plans

-Delynn and Gloria as they say goodbye to Carmelinda and return to CR

-Making our school decision

-Choosing joy and peace instead of worry

These treasures ... hidden in Joseph's 'junk' box ...
filled out home with laughter

Take two ... thanks to a patient eye doctor ...
I have to look at and through them every day!

Adam's first dental check-up ...
of course he wanted to go first!

Date with Dad ... he always chooses french fries ...
just like his Mama!

She speaks English ...
gave us a discount for the gift of this picture ...
free advertising for the whole family!

I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  ... You fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand!
Psalm 16:8,11

 

 

Dry Season

"Rain before seven, quit before eleven" ... I think my dearly departed Ma-maw would be proud to know I've used one of her famous quotes in my blog!  Although she is not the scriptor of this quote, it is one I remember her quoting often.  This is supposed to be dry season.  However, all week I've found my alarm beckoning me from dreamland at 6:15 with this quote rambling in the recesses of my mind.  It's a bit of a travesty that one of my first thoughts in the morning is ... "How soon can I return to the serenity of this warm cave of covers?" ... Upon hearing these honest sentiments (confessions) of my heart, one might question my allegiance.  Shouldn't the said missionary be filled with Godly thoughts such as ... "Lord, let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love for I have put my trust in You!" ... Rest assured, my hearts desire is to know and share Father's unfailing love, nonetheless the carnal side of me wants to snuggle under the covers until this rain quits before eleven

The barrage rain, wind and cooler temps this week has given way to a lot of indoor playtime.  These three amigos pictured above have quickly acquired one another's confidence thus allowing entrance into each other's castle! With no little princess' on our property, our three houses have become a little boys battlefield, race track, construction site and ... healing room! One day as I puttered around the kitchen I realized that two of these three lay 'mortally wounded' on the battlefield.  One brave warrior cried (in Spanish), "Help, they died and I don't know what to do!" ... Perhaps you should call an ambulance or a doctor? "No, that won't help, they're dead." ... Why don't you pray to Jesus and see what He does! ... Before these precious words were completely formed in my soulmates mouth, I quickly knelt with Santi as Heaven met earth on our living room floor.  Santi, calling on the name of Jesus, repeated my simple prayer for healing and Adam "rose from the dead" followed by Mati!  Then it was Mati's turn to pray and then, "I want a turn to pray too!" ... and so the saga went until all were dead, prayed for, had a chance to pray and resurrected.

Rain, rain go away ... Thank you God for indoor play ... Innocence of a child's heart

Life on the Mountain
Thanking God for the blessing of a dryer this week as there were very few sunshine moments to dry our wash ... Recording studio scripts completed ... Pizza, ice cream and visiting with friends, a relaxing, safe place to practice this beautiful Spanish language ... God moments with our neighbors ... laughter with the three amigos ... Culto Unido in Sarapiqui (United worship service for Mennonite churches), a blessed time to make more connections and reunite with friends we haven't seen for a time ...

Praises
Joseph making decisions to include Jedidiah, trying to start exercising together
Adam realizing he's going to school and talking positively about it
Star Wars DVD's borrowed from friends
Safety as we traveled to Sarapiqui and back
Daniella's friendship
Pablo and Jeasica found a house ... this is an answer to prayer! However it saddens my heart that they are moving to Moravia and will not be involved with VidaNet anymore.  These friends were our first taste of family here in CR.  Thankful they aren't moving far away.

Prayers
Computer issues ... it keeps randomly shutting off. Very frustrating!
School decisions, favor with administration in the place where God desires us to be
Preparations for February - work month
Direction for the start of Casa242, an opportunity for continued discipleship after Vida220
I've had headaches a lot lately ... praying new glasses will help but also for complete healing.
More opportunities to speak Father's love, light and hope into the hearts of those we interact with daily.

Indoor exercise ... Joseph is "planking" Adam is "Curling"
"Mom, take the picture and stop making me laugh!"

Burned up blender motor ... future engineer's play time!

Adam's nightcap ... Not quite like Little House on the Prairie but he's got the idea!

Goodwill T'shirt purchase ... growing boys ... 
too cute to get rid of ...
feeling crafty, it's now my T'shirt bag

Of course he wanted his eyes examined like Mama and Jedi ...
"But I want sunglasses too!"

New color for Mama ... His dream come true!
Crazy boy, if he only knew the blessing of perfect sight!

"Two all beef patties, special sauce,
lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a ...
cheese filled quesadilla"

Their laughter and chatter is infectious ...
Adam sharing the love of His Father ...

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love for I have put my trust in You ...

The Sparkle Returns ... Peace

"One more Joseph ... Stop that!"

A few months ago as I was laughing with Joseph I felt like I was to scribe what I was seeing in him ... I wasn't sure why, but I obeyed that prompting.  These precious, random thoughts about Joseph were penned in the front of my notepad just waiting for a time to share them.

Today I've been contemplating peace (we talked about it in church) but as well, my soul has been unsettled about a school decision we're trying to make ... As you know, the world offers many things that could make you feel peaceful but what I need is that peace that passes all understanding, you know, that deep seeded feeling in the very pit of ones soul that says, "Stop worrying, it's gonna be alright."

As I nestled into these precious moments with you all to share my heart about His perfect peace, I felt like I was to look at my blog from a year ago. Yup, It was about Joseph and Celebrating Grief.  See how HE does this!  Here are those random thoughts about Joseph and how He tied them together with my thought regarding my need for His perfect peace ...

"I wish you could hear his laugh and see the mischief in his eyes!  They bear witness to the many prayers you all have cried on his behalf.  He was the one this Mama's heart was aching for.  Everything must be calculated, there is a process to figuring things out, his soul needs solitude and a quite place for his mind to create. The chaos of this move seemed to have robbed him of life.  But, by God's grace ... A deep seeded, perfect peace seems to have settled in his soul! ... He still calculates, processes and needs solitude. However, once again he sings (in private), he belly laughs, his mischievous eyes sparkle, he speaks in funny voices and tells jokes, he speaks with life in his heart, he makes choices to deal with his anger instead of exploding and ... my little, brown-eyed boys heart is finding God's perfect peace!"

 You prayed ... He answered ... Perfect peace and mischievous eyes 

Life on the Mountain
Daryl is doing three weeks of language study ... M & J tried to focus on school while everyone else is on vacation ... visited with neighbors ... reveled in three warm sun filled days to do a lot of wash ... tried to catch up on lapsed communication ... enjoyed coffee with Jesus and my soulmate ... feasted on meat and were blessed with a Casa Vidanet cookout ... Recording English script in a real recording studio for Elementary kids to learn English! ... El Nido meeting to regroup ... Dad and son date night ... continue seeking ways to reflect His perfect peace in a world of want, loss and selfish desires.

Praises
Angelica, my El Nido client had a safe delivery and healthy baby boy named Jacol
Laura's marriage is being restored
Praising God for your prayers, He is so faithful!
Life in our souls
Connections for the boys
Safety for our Vida220 students in Honduras and Belize after an earthquake
Heart to Hearts in Spanish and English

Prayers
School decision - we decided the who, now just need to decide the where
Health - colds seem to have gone but possibly allergies remain?
Adam's behavior
Jedidiah's eyes
House for Pablo and Jessica's family

"I makein' my own breakfast Mama!" ...
Peanut butter toast and hot mint tea

It's definitely cold ... blankets are never folded in the basket (above and below) ...
afternoon sun warms my home and heart!

Ummm, "Mati said we can play on it!"...
Little boy's and their toys!

So happy to be reunited again ... that was a long month!

So hard to sit still ...
No, Mama doesn't think this looks cute!

Singing like nobody's listening!

Life of the party

It's like producing Adventures in Odyssey!

Now who's not paying attention ... 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

 

The Giant in Front of Me

Vacation ...
hiding from reality

A beach vacation in Guanacaste, Costa Rica ... Please don't wake me, I'm enjoying this dream.  The balmy breezes, the soothing sound of the waves lapping the shore, the gift of sunsets and sleeping in ... a far cry from the subzero temperatures many of you are experiencing! This 'giant' called reality feels a bit daunting. I don't want vacation to end and return to reality, I like vacation! Wait, I'm a missionary, you know, called by God, ready to teach, preach and share His love so that all may know His gift of salvation ... Well, truth be told, I like lounging on the beach, vacationing the day away with my Mighty men, not thinking about anything important ... but then, there's this giant called reality.

This morning I was challenged to think about 2018 as "the Year of the Lord's Favor" ... I've spoken much and referred often to the Lords hand of favor on us.  As pastor Martin shared this morning I had the pleasant awareness that "the Year of the Lord's Favor" in Luke 4, is limitless! 2017 was an amazing year of favor on the ministry we're apart of and as we seek Him, 2018 can be even more amazing.  However, with this favor comes responsibility ... As we read from Isaiah 61, it felt like a giant was standing in front of me, taunting me with those thoughts that it's much easier to "stay on vacation - spiritually"... you know, the thought that life is easier when you don't respond to The Call to: "heal the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, release from darkness for the prisoners, to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who grieve, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes and the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair ... to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor!" 

Along with experiencing His favor is this simple fact which restores my soul ... He is much bigger than this giant taunting me!  As we feel His favor resting on us, the guilt of wanting to be lazy is washed away and the burden of living a life worthy of The Call becomes this joyful, confident, expectation that all this will be for the display of His splendor!  I have faith that The One who called is faithful!

Missionaries need vacation too ... His favor and forgiveness ... The giant defeated

Life on the Mountain ... 

Most of the week it was life on the beach ... we rang in the New Year, snuggled into bed and 5 hours later we awoke full of excitement for our vacation! ... lazy days, Little House on the Prairie DVD's ... swimming in the pool and riding the waves in the Pacific ocean ... leaving temps in the high 80's and arriving to temps in the 50's ... back to sweatshirts, blankets on our beds and cold tile floors. 

Praises

Daniella began a class for discipleship at church

Celebrating another year of life with Mati and our dear Landlords

Travel safety

Sabbath rest, vacation, relaxing
Video call with "the gang" to dream about planning a visit

Prayers

Healing from colds, sinus infections and chest colds

Daryl starts language study again this week, pray for joy and hope

Micah and Joseph back to school

Our time is HIS time, used for His glory

Finances for Vida220 outreach  http://vidanetonline.org/friends-vidanet

Our four teams on outreach: Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador

A house for Pablo and Jessica

First for everything, we all made it to the new year ...
too excited to sleep ...
 vacation here we come!

First of many pic's ...
Mom, we just want to swim ...
Adam gave up his swimmies the last day!

Endless hours of fun ...
sand rash in places unmentionable ...
Boogie boards, the gift that keeps on giving!

He slept ... they played ... I'm in my happy place

Five mighty men ... picture perfect moment
... Adam standing like Dada

"I ADAM!"

Just one more picture boys ...
You'll thank me for this ...
The ocean will be there tomorrow

He sat still and he asked for it ...
who's next?

This boy and his creatures ...
dead puffer fish ...
"Put that down, they're poisonous!"

Look out below ... Monkey poop is serious business!
God heard our prayers ...
We saw a few troops of monkeys in the wild!

He vacationed hard ... staying up late is harder than it looks!

Not as cool as Pop-pop's ...
The sun is too hot ... run for the water!

Fire in the hills ... Clouds can't hide His creativity

Climbing to the look out point ... Mama is out of shape!

Super hero Mati celebrating 3 years old ...
love this family!

Amigos ...
One is learning English, the other Spanish ...

50 degrees, block house, tile floors, no heat or insulation ...
Living on the Mountain is cold 

People are like sunsets ...
Each one unique, precious and beautiful in HIS sight!