The Smolder

The chiseled jawline, the sultry stare, the puffed chest stance, attempting to captivate the affection of the prized princess. Their attempt to mimic the roguish good looks of the King of our Castle will always bring eye-rolling laughter to this mama's heart. If you’ve seen it, you know it. This studly stance that is practiced, perfected, and has gained entrance into our family photos has recently given me pause to ponder … Whose attention am I seeking and to whom is my gaze guiding? 
 
In the routine of our morning walk, I realized my hands were clenched, my shoulders tense, and my breathing rapid as I mentally played through the list of needs for today.  Looking down, I was wisely watching where I walked.  Wisdom is avoiding errant doggie deposits that may become entrenched in my tread.  Wisdom is not being overconfident in the stability of my maturing physique lest I trip over thin air.  As the circumstances of the last week reeled through my mind’s eye, I heard the simplicity of HIS gentle prompt … “Look up”! In the seconds it took to register with my soul, I breathed deep and shifted my gaze upward.  The sky was the most intense Robin’s egg blue.  The clouds appeared feathery soft like a downy chick.  The neighbor’s smile was tender and warm, like his greeting. The mango, cas and banana are in the full beauty of their maturing process. The grandeur of the mountains were covered with their hazy blanket of the season. The birds’ mixed melodies seemed to intensify as I simply shifted my gaze, relaxed, and engaged in His presence.  His gentle prompting continued to resonate as I poured coffee for time at my table, ‘Look up’ … ummm and remember to take down that cobweb in the corner! 
 
My gaze has been downcast.  Feeling the weight of pulling all my mental resources to find the solution; needing wisdom for ‘that one’; the strain of relationship as I avert my gaze; the list that grows longer than hours in the day; bartering away my overflowing cup with distractions; and sleep evading my downy abyss due to the suitcase I’ve repacked to drag along for the night.  Stuck in the middle of clenched hands, tense shoulders, perfectly laid plans, my gaze was obscured by the dense haze of “whatifs and whatabouts”.  Look up.  These two simple words floated around me like the comfort of a tropical breeze and changed the direction of my day.  It really is that simple. As I lift up my eyes to the hills and see where my help comes from, His peace permeates, His solutions are savvy, and His restoration is real.  Look up. 

Where is your smolder smiling, your gaze gawking, and your attention attuned?

Life on the Mountain

Who says January – May are quiet months? Life has been full. We returned home to CR from our stateside home leave at the end of February and jumped into normal life ... Sharing life with the Vida Mini guys. Hosting groups and receiving tastes of home. Youth group camp outs and grown-up retreats. Establishing new and different school routines. Wading through tax season. Processing life with our students during mid-outreach break. An unexpected trip to PA to help in my dad’s recovery from emergency open heart surgery. A weekend wedding celebration for one of our ‘daughters. Walking with Micah through leadership decisions. Celebrating Joseph’s college graduation with honors. Jedidiah focusing on the goal of graduation. Adam, missing friends and enjoying new ones. Someone finally learned how to ride motorcycle. Sacred days playing in the waves as a family of six. Celebrating the completion of 5 months of outreach with our students. Preparing, planning, and purchasing for Vida Missions (the 8 weeks of organized chaos that will fill us with joy over the next months!).  Mentoring, discipling, and pointing them to Jesus as we simply, look up.  

Praises

Two weeks sharing life as a family of six.

Micah’s growth in leadership.

Joseph’s college graduation, with highest GPA honors.

Students safe return from outreach.

Healing for Jen’s autoimmune flare.

Unexpected extra time with family.

The beauty of living in a community of believers.

Prayers

Strength and wisdom during Vida Missions.

Wisdom and discernment for Micah leading the students.

Joseph as he enters into finding full time employment.

Jedidiah’s loss of friendships that have moved away.

Adam’s focus in school.

Wisdom for student’s next steps with Vidanet.

To simply shift our gaze and look up.

Some days you just have to enjoy life as a kid!

He's a baby man! They love him and fall asleep in his arms!

Micah getting the bus ready for groups ...
Yes, he drove it through town. Multiple times!

Celebrating Mother's Day with my people.

Awards ceremony ... Highest GPA in his field of study.  

Surprising Joseph at 2:00 a.m.
"Why are you still awake?"

Celebrating Joseph!
CAD Engineering degree from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.



Entertainment all weekend long!

He really is that tall ... well, maybe G'pa is shrinking a little.

Adam proud to be the tallest 11 year old in the family!  

At a month shy of 11 years, he measures taller than his brothers at 12 years!

4 Mighty men together again!

Favorite teacher, favorite CR friends! 

You're never too old to learn something new!  

Rainy work days are the norm on this mountain!

Chalky hands ... practicing his skill of bouldering ...
of course his brother took a picture!

Perfecting their smolder ... 
Flynn's got nothin' on these Mighty men!

I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? 
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2

 

 

Traveling Light

Entrusting the household to these MM.

I used to pride myself in my ability to pack efficiently with the bare minimum of what I deemed necessities.  Once, while traveling on a bus trip with my mom and aunt, I packed my entire weekend of necessities in a shoe box (shoes and all), just to prove my point (and provoke peals of laughter) that I was a no frills, no excess, light traveler, kind of gal.  When our troop of Mighty Men were in the "mom packing" era of life, I found pride in my no excess packing ability for our weekend camping or cabin excursions.  Fire-fixed food and energy-boosting snacks were deemed more essential than extra clothing! Notoriously my 'no excess' mentality was challenged on that first evening of our weekend excursions when that one pair of shorts was covered in mud and that one pair sneakers was soggy, and my tender soul mate would remind me ... 

Little boys + dirt + water + camping/cabin activities = bring extra (a.k.a. come prepared for boys).  

I guess I can say, "I eventually learned" and matured into a more prepared packer for said boy world adventures.  The practicality of rain boots replaced soggy sneakers and I resolved to have a peaceful acceptance for that extra pair of shorts/T-shirt rolled up in the bottom of their backpack whether it was needed or not.  

On March 21st an event that changed life as we knew it invited me to revisit my traveling light vs. always be prepared mindset. My dad had emergency open heart surgery to repair a dissection in his aorta.  Returning from a weekend retreat on a Tuesday, I prepared to travel 'home' to my parents house the next morning to help with dad's recovery.  I left CR for 2 weeks with my bare necessities packed loosely in a backpack (pridefully I had extra room!).  I mean I didn't need to remember much because, mom's are supposed to have everything we need right?  I know it's a stretch to compare Mom's house with heaven but seriously, the correlation calmed my spirit as I hurriedly repacked ... I didn't need to remember everything because Mom (and eventually heaven) will have anything I need and if she doesn't have it, dad does!  As dad's life hung in the balance of earth and heaven, I mentally looked around at all I have packed to travel with over the years.  This simple thought was like a clanging bell tower in my mind. While there is practicality in 'always be prepared' the simple fact remains, like the box of rocks that Dad collected in elementary school, 'I can't take it with me'.  

As I left PA and returned to CR I sensed Father's tender voice through a quote I read.  "Release the burden you were never intended to carry ... travel light."  In His goodness, Father gave us boundaries on today, they last 24 hours.  Traveling light is releasing the burdens of tomorrow and the weight of the past. "Why did I do that ... what if this happens ... what if I can't help ... what if our mighty men ... what if A and B and C and etc." ... you get the idea.  As I returned home to CR with this theme joggling around in my mind, I looked around at the comforts of home I had stored up over the years.  The "throw-awayer" in me wants to clean house!  However, had I not thrown away that torn and tattered roll of gift wrap last fall, I wouldn't have had to wrap yesterdays birthday gift in a plastic bag!  That's beside the point ... Refocusing on a spiritually practical mindset, Father continues to gently whisper to me in His 24 hour boundary for my life, "what burdens am I needlessly carrying when I could be traveling light?" Would you care to unpack with me? He beckons us ...

Unpack the weight ... Set down the suitcase ... Enjoy the extra room in the backpack. 

Life on the Mountain
We had 3.5 weeks in March to set up normal routine after returning from home leave.  And just like that, the month of April is coming to a close!  We hosted friends and shared life at Vidanet, reveled in heartfelt connections with our students on their mid outreach break and sent them back to outreach packed with hope, retreated and were refreshed with friends and teammates, went to youth group spring campout, hosted Lancaster Co love in a work team, cared for parents and were cared for by parents, heart connections to refresh my soul in PA, traveled to a weekend wedding celebrating one of our 'daughters' and enjoyed fellowship with dear friends, celebrated Easter separated by the ocean, and said more hard goodbyes.  Adam's adjustment to going to school alone has been challenging, Jedidiah's adjustment to homeschool has been challenging, Jen's health has been challenging, family attitudes during a month of constant change have been challenging ... And so, we send out our roots by the stream as Father beckons us to reset our focus, unpack each and every burden that floods our minds and travel light by placing our full confidence in Him. 

Praises

Fully funded!!  Thanks to God and all of you who have partnered with us!

Healing, health and doctors wisdom.

Time to return to a normal routine and morning walks

Beautiful sunshine and the start of rainy season

Godly connections for our boys

Safety and favor in travel 

We have the gift of traveling light

Prayers

Health for Jen

Healing for a dear friends knee

Staff connections, to know Father's heart for them

Daryl navigating through tax season

Adam to be brave going to school alone

Jedidiah focus and discipline in home school

Joseph wisdom for future employment after graduation

Micah as he gives leadership to our students and all they have packed

To travel light and release the burdens we were not meant to carry.

The delicacy that awaited our return to our beloved CR!

5th grade, here he comes ... 
Brave, strong and choosing to trust!

Starting home school with Pajama day ...
actually everyday is pajama day! 
May God's wisdom guide you.

The joy of sharing life, food and sweet fellowship with PA friends in CR! 

Mad Hatter silliness ...
Yes, he wore his mama's pants and scarf!

Making tortillas Honduran style ... 
For the mouth watering delicacy of Baleadas!

Joseph's need for speed ...
And, Mama's need to test out the safety of said speed!

Cooling off after soccer Saturday heat!
Can we get paid for watering the grass?

Retreat respite ... taking time for solitude with Jesus.

Retreating with friends who care, pray and spur us on.

What his retreat looked like ...
Not quite as refreshing as the parents but oh so fun! 

Sometimes I need to be reminded of this ones heart ...
The gift of seeing your child's heart before the Father. 

The joy, life and laughter these dear ones bring us is a gift from Father!

Building up the oxygen levels and heart stamina with a walk around the park!
Thank you Father for life, the beauty of spring and Dad's extra coat. 

One job that's easy to pack and take along ... 

Oola bowls ... you've made an addict out of me!

Soul care ... if only every counseling session were this easy and enjoyable! 

Spending time with my roomie of 2 weeks ...
Thankful for late night conversations to hear some of his heart!

Laughter when teaching ones 75 year old father to make a heart symbol ...
And a picture of the doctor who 'saved' dad's earthly life!

Traveling light means ...
You wear your dad's clothing to mow his lawn!
And no, he did not push the mower even thought he suggested it!

Eclipse ready ...

Life as I know it ...

A work team packed with energy, a Mennonite work ethic and lots of Lancaster Co. love!

My Wednesday shopping crew ...
It felt like I was expecting my mom's to push the carts!
Nothing a Lancaster co. farm wife couldn't handle! 

Motherly love and hugs from my younger years!

We claim her as ours ... 
Celebrating their love at a beautiful meadow wedding.

Celebrating this one's 6th Spiritual birthday ...
The day he asked Jesus to clean out his heart!

Celebrating this One yesterday with the token sticky buns ... 

and lots of other delicious treats!

54 looks good on you! 💖

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.  Whose confidence is in Him. 
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends its roots out by the stream. 
It does not fear when heart comes, its leaves are always green. 
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. 
Jeremiah 17:7