Fully Engaged

Entregarse Everything

Recently I've been pondering the "E's" in my life ... Engaged, Everything, Entregarse (Surrender) and Eggs. What does it mean to be fully engaged in life in CR? Well, we've chosen to "Entregarse Everything ... (surrender all). Please excuse my spanglish! I've been thinking what it means to be fully engaged in life here. Basically, we're not dwelling on returning to our Akron home after three years, our move to CR is not something we're checking off the bucket list and then return to 'normal' life, we've not really thought much about life after CR ... the reason being, this feels like life as we should know it, "we are fully engaged." This is where God has called and planted us. We've unpacked the boxed, decorated our walls, are making heart connections and sowing into the lives of those we're growing to know and love. This isn't something we just pack up and move on from 'after three years'. I guess it sort of surprises me because I didn't expect to feel this way.

Next random thought ... It's almost comical how Father works in my life. As I've been thinking about what it means to be fully engaged, HE asks me today in church ... What does it mean to give everything? To truly entregarme (give me up) to HIS perfect plan for my life.  Well, I thought I already went down this road. Didn't I give up everything to move to CR? Didn't I obey HIM even when it didn't make sense and others thought we were crazy? Wasn't that enough surrender?

Ummm, wait, what was that? ... "Surrender is giving up control. The desire to be in control is the major cause of stress in ones life" ... Who said that, Pastor Martin or YOU? God, are you laughing at me? To be fully engaged in life here, means I must daily surrender all to YOU. Even the fact that You might move us on from here after being fully engaged in life here for three years. Surrender happens not once or twice, it's not priding myself in the fact that we obeyed and moved, it's not thinking I've got it all together in the ministry I do here ... No, it's a waking in the morning with the knowledge of I no longer live but Christ lives in me ... Ouch, just when I thought I had it all figured out!

And the eggs ... it's nothing more than another E word that caused some laughter in our house this week.  Joseph: "Mom, why did you save two bites of eggs in the fridge?" Because they were made with a Lancaster Co. delicacy ... bologna. Someone please eat them, I just can't throw them out!

Entregarse Everything ... Giving up control ... Sweet peace and freedom

Life on the Mountain ...
Beautiful warmth of sunshine ... a week of normal life as we know it ... school, ministry, Little House on the Prairie and enjoying the park ... figuring out how to "upcycle" the blessing of baby blankets ... a whole weekend at home ... the delicious aroma as I speak from our neighbor "practicing" with his team for a BBQ competition!  We already tasted the chicken and steak ... pork and brisket to come!

Praises
Positive meeting with Jedi's teacher, she loves him!
A few evenings at home this week
The gift of gab ... 3 out of our 4 have it perfected.  They love to share their knowledge whether I understand what they're talking about or not!
Fully engaged in life here

Prayer
Martha to get financial help from IMAS for food and daycare so she can work.
Naty that she can pass her math exam to graduate
Casa242 students to know God's perfect plan for their lives at this time.
Daniella, as she grows in her faith that she can be an example to her husband.
Health
To fully understand surrender in my daily life
Finances for VidaNet, we are in desperate need of monthly supporters. Basically, for 15 years our programs have self supported each other. However, we have now out grown ourselves, praise God!
  http://vidanetonline.org/friends-vidanet

Church friends ... Heart connections ...
Feeding my soul

Full of life ... Spring is in the air ... you're not 12 and under

Mighty Man of God standing tall ...
He shall be called an oak of righteousness!

Boys will be boys ...

Adam and Makenzie ...
Should we speak English or Spanish?

Feliz Dia de Mujer ... Of course he colored it black!

Upcycling baby blankets for adult blankets

Saying good bye to our beloved car mat ...
$3.00 Garage sale bargain 12 years ago ...
The backing is dry-rot and puts 'dirt' all over our floor ...
Mama don't need more help with that! 

The secret is in the sauce and the wood ...
Smoked meat every weekend for the next month ...
Keep practicing boys!

I Chronicles 29:11
Yours, Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor for everything in Heaven and earth is yours! Yours, Lord is the Kingdom;
You are exalted as head over all.