At Home with The Flash

 "Home is not a place, it's a feeling."  I've had this quote from A. Smoker on our bedroom wall since we settled into life in our Costa Rica home, June of 2017.  Recently, my heart has felt muddled with longing for 'home'.  Where or what that longing is, is exactly the muddledness of my thoughts.  Is my longing something that reminds me of home?  A place that feels like home? A simplicity of life at home with 4 little boys under one roof? A particular person from home?  The Diener T'giving meal or some other random food that brings the comfort of home?  As we sent our teams to their 'new home on outreach', I've been meditating on Psalm 84 and binge watching The Flash with my 15 year old!  Ahem ... (throat clearing) ... let me redeem myself by focusing on the spiritual part of this blog ... "My soul longs, even faints for the courts of the Lord" ... the most beautiful home ever, the Courts of our Lord!  It goes on to mention , blessed are those who dwell in Your house, those who have found their home near Your alter.  I realized I was starting to feel "stuck here on Earth One".  Enter The Flash connection ... He gets to time travel to any of the 52 Earths he wants, and meet people from his past and future.  If one home doesn't make him happy, he can choose another! It's really quite absurd and almost confusing at times when two of the same person end up on the same earth.  (forehead slap!)  Anyway, as with any 'good missionary' aspiration, getting back to the Bible basics ... Longing for the peace of a Psalm 84 home, I continued reading ...

Paraphrased: Content are those who have their hearts set on pilgrimage (a trip, often a long one, made to a holy place for religious reasons), as they pass through the valley (wherever they walk really), they make it a place of springs.  And, I began to see the bigger picture of my opening quote.  No amount of longing for, time travel to another Earth, or dreaming about said earthly home (place) will ever satisfy.  

Logically, the muddledness of my thoughts on home are because I will never be satisfied here, on Earth One. : )  Home is not about where I'm called to be (place), Home is a mindset, an established set of attitudes held in my heart that create the peaceful feeling of home ... even as/especially as I'm on a pilgrimage.  It's really about an eternal perspective. Whether I'm living in CR or PA or some other God ordained place, if my heart is set on the eternal perspective of pilgrimage, my home is under the roof of His peace - anywhere.  

In life on any earth, there are decisions that loom, souls to be saved, sons that need shepherding, daughters in need of God's direction, plans to be planned, meals to be measured, base rentals and work teams to be hosted, rooms to be redone, teams that need prayed for, funds to be figured, walls to be painted, plants to be watered, and roofs that needs raftered.  While looking for the moment by moment miracles we fix our gaze eternally.  In life on my Earth One home, I will always long for greener pastures, question the difficult journey, and be left pining for peace.  Life with an eternal perspective (on a pilgrimage) ... wherever we go He will make it a place of springs!  

Pilgrimage ... Earth One is not my home ... Making it a place of springs!

Life on the Mountain

The packed full pace of December turned into the breath deep and rest for 2 weeks in January.  Six Hoovers together, our house and my Mama's heart was full of life! We basked in heavenly beach sunsets, stayed up late sharing life, puzzled, made cookies, played Minecraft and a multitude of games, and shopped on Christmas eve.  Three teams are settled in their outreach locations, Micah crossed borders on a 25+ hour journey to Honduras with his team, Joseph crossed borders and returned on a shorter journey back to PA, Jedidiah has been woodworking and Adam has read his 3rd book solo in his book nook! We mourned the loss of a Father, hosted a school team, fellowshipped with friends around our table, retreated to a cabin for 48 hours processing last year and discussing what the future might look like and ... we look to Jesus for the peace of feeling at home.     

Praises

Save travel for teams and Joseph 

Time to rest and regroup

Life at Christmas with family and friends

Amazon return outlets and bargain treasures for $1.50

Father's peace as we trust and obey

Depth of friendships with sisters

Prayers

Safe travel for my parents to CR

February is full of visitors

Wisdom figuring out taxes

Healing from headaches (Jen)

Wisdom for Micah as he leads a team

Peace for Joseph with a challenging semester of college

Friendship for Jedidiah as he starts 9th grade

Adam to bring Jesus' light to friends around him

My baby holding babies!  

Joseph's first semester at Thaddeus Stevens was rewarding ...
Deans list and Best of Show on his Compressed air engine! 

"I feel like I'm going to the Prom! ...
Nah, it's just a Christmas party" : )

Cutting garlic for Mom ...
Or is he just testing out his new snorkel goggles?!

Staff Mall hunt ...
Yes, Daryl has a mullet ...
Yes, we laughed ourselves silly ...
Yes, they found all of us but Adam!

This is how we make Christmas Tamales for our VidaNet family of 50+!

Not sure what language works best ...
Russian, English or Spanish! 
The phrases were shallow but the heartfelt love was deep! 

My happy place where they play and laugh together!

It wouldn't be our normal Christmas picture without these festive add-ons! 

Cookies and a puzzle ... 
These boys know how to bless Mama's heart!

Shop class with G'pa Byler!

Playing life while contemplating life ...
Parents were not allowed to play, this is a boys game!

"One more" ...
Mom's famous saying about pictures!
One more treasure for this Mama's heart!

When Amazon Return Outlets offer treasures for $1.75 ...
It becomes a YES day! 

Pray for these precious Vida220 teams ...
Honduras team

Costa Rica team

Spain team

It is good to praise you Lord, and make music to Your name;
to proclaim your love in the morning,
and your faithfulness at night!
Psalm 92:1-2

Fruit

Thankful for this mighty brood!

The sweet, fleshy product of a tree or plant that contains seed and can be consumed as food.  The biproduct of a healthy, growing, thriving agricultural item.  And one more for the medically minded, (specifically the Labor and delivery nurse) ... A fruit is a mature, ripened ovary, which includes the ovule-bearing reproductive structure in the plant flower ... what can I say, I'm passionate about reproducing life!

If one nurtures or cares for said tree or plant, it will produce a delicacy so irresistibly sweet your mouth is salivating just thinking about it! Waiting a year for a pineapple to produce ... soooooo ridiculously long that I take for granted the fact they are plentiful year-round in our climate!  Speaking of patiently waiting, let's talk peaches and mangos. Dear God, why can't these mouthwatering, nature's bounty be as plentiful as apples and bananas?

I've been pondering another sort or fruit.  The melt in your mouth, drip down your chin, sugary sweet fruit of ... repentance.  Did your taste buds immediately turn into a lip puckering sour stance?    Logically in my mind, repentance = needing to turn away from a wrong I did, a rearranging of my thoughts in another direction, and regret or remorse. I don't rationally think, "Oh I can't wait to sink my teeth into a big juicy bite of repentance!" I would much rather feast on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  These fruits leave me longing for more of said delectable fruitiness. 

What if this concept of a six-step apology was as natural as breathing, or as natural as the fight or flight response, or as natural as tripping or slipping for the hidden cameras of Americas Funniest Videos?  What if repentance would happen without a second thought?  Would we not be experiencing a little taste of Heaven here on earth? 

I know.  The digging to expose the roots, the stink of the fertilizer ... "No God, it hurts too much.  That is too uncomfortable, I don't want that exposed.  No God, I don't want anyone to see that. I can't admit that, what would they think ..."  He gently whispers to the depths of my soul, "The fruit of your repentance makes the fruits of My Spirit so much sweeter.  Discipling others starts with humbly acknowledging your own need of repentance. My hands and feet will smell much sweeter bearing the fruit of repentance."  Speaking to the 'little white lies' and what feels like 'the black mark on our souls'.  Freedom awaits! Would you care to feast on the savory sweetness of repentance? Our marriages, parenting, ministries and lives depend on this life-giving fruit. 

 

Humble repentance ... Fruit of freedom ... Pure redemption

Life on the Mountain
We have the beautiful privilege of sharing life with 27 amazing students and staff.  Father set these teams in place. Final exams for our Mighty men in CR and PA and Inner Healing week for our students and staff.  A traditional Thanksgiving Day feast. Planning for El Nido Christmas parties for 170 Mamas & kids.  World Cup excitement for CR and sticker collecting.  Retreats, recreation and receiving our new neighbors from Russia who speak no Spanish and very limited English ... international, cross-cultural living, my mind tires quickly! Taking time to receive counsel and understand the depths of what the fruit of repentance is.   

Praises

Wise counsel and time to process next steps

3 Teams announced, God unite them!

A successful year of school and first semester of college

Connections and a job for Joseph

Daily treasures that fix our gaze on Father

Tropical fruit year-round

Prayers

Team unity and preparation for outreach locations

Six Hoovers under one roof for 2 weeks in December

Heart connections for Jedidiah

Connecting with new neighbors

El Nido Christmas parties, let them see Jesus

Root exposure, repentance, freedom

Obligatory fall pictures to bless Mom's heart!

Adam Luke, 9 years

Jedidiah Lynn, 15 years

Joseph Andrew, 18 years

Micah James, 19 years

Micah's team to Honduras!
Two other teams heading to Spain and northern Costa Rica!

Cheering on CR in the World Cup!

Celebrating good grades in their second language! 

These two clean up well!  ...
Mud run 2022 in the books!

Of course they needed an annual picture ...

The beautiful women in our family ...
We may have just beat the mighty men in our escape room!

These dear ones fill my heart with mother/daughter bonding ...

I have no explanation ... 
Maybe he was hungry from bread? 
(stopped at our local bread store!)

By far, my most favorite T'giving picture of all time! 

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

Reflecting on My Portion

A portion. How much food you choose to eat at one time. A serving size if you will.  An appropriate amount of food from a health perspective.  A portion is also defined as an inheritance, a part of a whole, a persons destiny, lot or share received.

I've had this image joggling around in my mind since Sunday pondering what does it mean to say The Lord is my Portion. While pondering my physical lot in life, I have this image of sitting at the Banqueting Table, waiting patiently for the next course or dessert if you prefer.  Each course is the exact portion of a healthy serving size.  I feel so satisfied with each course but it leaves me longing for more because it tastes so good, fills me with joy and understanding and leaves me feeling completely relaxed, peaceful, and dreamy in His arms after feasting. A perfect portion. 

Pondering Lamentations 3:19-24.  Paraphrased ... I remember the trapped despair, dark valley, scorching fire.  And I may be tempted to gorge on/be consumed with anxiety, worry, what about this, what if that, ________ ... you fill in the blank.  However, in His perfect love for me, He knows the exact portion I need and can handle. Even if my portion is cold showers and excessive amounts of rice and beans.  Even if my portion is loss after loss after loss. Even if my portion is tropical weather and beautiful flowers during a rainy season where mold seems to be winning. Even if my portion is patiently loving a lonely child who seeks any form of attention. Even if my portion is watching family life from across the ocean. Even if my portion is living life with amazing students and mothering them through life while missing one of my own. Even if my portion is a sore foot that attempts to rob my mind of it's youthfulness. Even if my portion is ______ ... fill in the blank. I say to myself,  Father, the way You love me every morning is so pure, fresh and full of grace.  In your faithfulness, I know You are my perfect Portion, therefore I will wait expectantly without grumbling, whining, rebelling or complaining! ... How do I even begin to reflect this one to my tribe of Mighty Men!?

What portion have you received and how have you received it?
"Change the way I think, to change the way I feel to change the way I act."

Life on the Mountain

Didn't October just begin? Our portion for the month ... We've celebrated 2 birthdays with our own, led Sunday evening worship times as a family on base, enjoyed sweet visits and fellowship from 'old' staff and a blessed weekend with the Board, Saturday soccer games, A beautiful month of life with the students, A week of virtual school nationally due to a respiratory virus, Celebrated Dia de Culturas as a Ninja from Japan and a football player representing North America, Language week celebrated with an English spelling bee for which Jedidiah was a judge and Adam had a solo as his class sang "We are the World", Micah seems to be surviving on less sleep as he navigates his portion as friend, mentor and team leader to the students, Joseph survived through his portion of midterms and is loving the shop portion of his Engineering program at Thaddaeus Stevens and ... in our portion as Phillie fans, we've had a few late nights as we cheer the Phillies on in the World Series! With open hands, we wait expectantly with eyes fixed on our Perfect Portion.  

Praises

Students who desire Jesus first

A safe place for Daryl and I to process next steps

Jedidiah's heart is growing closer to Jesus

Youth group in CR and PA

Grandparent love and care in CR

Connections for Joseph

Opening a bank account

Beautiful times of worship and teaching

Prayers

Lord show us Your perfect plan

Relationships that need a touch from the Holy Spirit

Physical strength and wisdom for Micah

Complete healing for Jen's left foot (it's so much better just not completely healed)

Getting to the root cause in Jedidiah and helping him walk in freedom

Forgiveness and healing as Daryl and I walk through our root causes

Physical healing for many on base, lots of respiratory stuff going around

Gratefully receiving our portion while waiting expectantly for our Perfect Portion

Here they are!  

10 students, 3 leadership team, 3 team leaders ...

5 different nations! 

Happy 18 Joseph and Happy 15 Jedidiah!
Two amazing Mighty Men whose personalities are as different as night and day! 

Life in PA (Joseph) and Life in CR (Micah) ...
Two amazing Mighty men with daily activities as different as night and day!

Enjoying a beautiful sunny day at the park ...
School was canceled due to a Hurricane!

A week of virtual school went off without a hitch ...
We've walked this road before!
A week was nothing compared to a whole school year.

Three amigos ready to cheer CR on in the World Cup! 

She looks like one of ours ...
we'll gladly claim her as a daughter! 

Culture Day ...
When you don't have traditional Amish clothing to represent a culture,
why not use American football to represent North American culture : )

No, we didn't get a dog ...
But we're thankful for friends who share theirs for walks!

Reflecting on 'fall colors' in my Hiding Place ... 
The sun sets perfectly this time of year!

Whether your portion is the simplicity of traditional Costa Rican cuisine
or a really challenging set of circumstances ... 

Know that His mercies are new every morning as you wait expectantly.
He is the Perfect Portion.  

Beholding

Beholding His beauty ...

 "You will become like that which you are beholding."  Can HE be any more blunt?  Two weeks ago I heard this quote as I was contemplating fixing my eyes on unseen vs. seen ... (deep thoughts: how can something be unseen? Does it first have to be seen? ... let it go dear one, let it go!).  Back to the present ...

Behold: see or observe a thing or person, specifically a remarkable or impressive one.  To gaze upon or observe with pleasure, to look and see ... As a wee one squawks its first breath, we BEHOLD the beauty of the miracle of life.  Once a curly haired little boy, now sharing the depth of his heart, we BEHOLD he is growing in wisdom and stature before God and men.  The thunder booms, the rain pounds, the lightning streaks, we daily BEHOLD the strength of these storms ... My once upon a time 4 year old son, insisted on donning the same color scheme from head to toe, he was a sight to BEHOLD ... eye roll! ... As I BEHELD the array of warmth in the luminescent colors of the setting sun, the peace that enveloped me was one to BEHOLD. (2 pts for that one!) ... and one last one, as my Grammie used to say, "low and BEHOLD dear girl!" Uncertain of her meaning, we'll leave it at that! 

If what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal, if I want to become more like Jesus, I need to behold that which is unseen.  Assuredly, there is a deep peace that comes with the simplicity of this train of thought ... Beholding the unseen.

If I am beholding - gazing upon, contemplating, observing - the overwhelming list of 'to-do' projects on base, orienting new staff in finding their place when everything feels new again, the need for a full time worship leader, the forgotten treasures that need to find their proper homes, the "you're still dealing with this" thought, the magnitude of souls needing discipled, sickness, imprisonment, storms, despair ... If I am beholding these, I will become like these, an anxious bundle of unpleasant company, not unlike the tangle of last years Christmas lights! However, and you know where I'm going with this, if I am beholding -gazing upon with pleasure, observing a remarkable or impressive thing - my Provider, my Sustainer, the One who clears my clouded thoughts, the Changer of surrendered hearts, the Lifter of my weary head, the Light in my dark moments, my Sovereign Liege and BFF ... let me tell you, there will be joy in the house of the Lord today!

Dear Ones, this is not about choosing joy in the face of despair or always getting it right.   It's like a mother cupping the face of her chubby cheeked cherub and beholding his innocence even as she knows his intent to tantrum throw and disobey.  She speaks truth in the beholding so that said cherub's focus is averted.  It is a journey of choosing to behold Him face to face, and being beheld by Him, so that the temptation to avert our eyes in defeat becomes less and less! 

Live as children of light ... find out what pleases the Lord ... Choose what you will behold! 

Life on the mountain

August graduation feels like a year ago already!  Weekend at the beach with Micah; 10 day mother son trip to the States filled with sweet fellowship; Welcoming a precious wee one into the world; Celebrating 21 years of us; Rearranging rooms to accommodate the blessing of 15 staff and 10 fresh Vida220 students; Adjusting to life in a multi-cultural community filled with new faces and hearts waiting to connect; Lots of goodbyes and just as many hellos; Independence day parades and festivities, complete with Jedidiah playing his newly acquired talent on the saxophone;  A week of staff development on being an intentional Transitional Leader; First week of college in the books, First week of being a Vida220 leader in the books; and fixing our eyes on what is unseen to become what we are beholding!

Praises

The freshness of a new Vida220 school

Sharing life and hearts with sisters

Dorita, a gift from God in the kitchen

New staff are figuring out their roles

Jedidiah's gift of leading worship is growing

A community of prayer warriors

Prayers

The attack from the enemy feels strong as we choose obedience

Financial wisdom and help for Katy, one of our staff

Daryl as he navigates steps to wholeness

Daryl as he navigates the financial world at VidaNet

Micah: wisdom for leading from Fathers heart

Joseph: his college world at Thaddaeus Stevens

Jedidiah: to find his sense of purpose

Adam: to live as a child of light and not worry

To trust Father's provision and not spread ourselves thin

As we choose to behold the unseen

It's a practical Uncle's gift, right?

They are never to old for old toys ... hours of fun!

While Mom's away ...
Burgers with the boys!

Reenacting ...
what a difference 5 years makes! 

Token first day of school pic ...
Look out Thaddeus Stevens, his mind is ready to learn!

Sweet fellowship ...

Saying goodbye to Joseph ...
Some of us were more awake than others! 

Look Mama, I got good scores even when you were away!

Saying goodbye to Micah once again as he moves on base for Vida220

Celebrating Us ...
21 looks good on Us!

One of our favorite teachers and band director ...
Celebrating 15 de Septiembre, CR Independence Day!

14 of September tradition ...
The parade of  lanterns for Independence day.

A week off school provided opportunity for an early birthday gift ...
Golf with Dad!

Ice cream ... the perfect celebration for a new school and new staff!
Pray for us as we learn to BEHOLD Him with this precious community!

Those who look to (BEHOLD) Him are radiant 

and their faces are never covered with shame. 

Psalm 34:5