Let it Snow; Let it Snow; Let it Snow!

Palm trees and snow...I love the contrast. This is one of the things that make living abroad so much fun! In the city, it would seem the best way to "play" in the snow is to simply walk down the street. The kids had a great time today getting the snow off cars, trees, curbs, etc. We hit the jackpot with a flatbed truck that was full of good clean powdery snow. In our apartment, we are blessed with 2 balconies so that is a clean playing option, too, but at 5 stories up things have to stay to a very low rumble! I let the kids play hockey with a stick and slipper, and they also had a fun time pretending like they were ice skating. It has been great seeing the snowmen on all the window seals of our neighbors. William & Grace have had a blast waving at all their friends from behind foggy windows. Of course, our electricity and water would have to be on the blitz today, so we are doing our best to stay warm with blankets and layers of clothes...another joy of living overseas! Reports are saying it is going to be like this the next 3 days. (snow + utility issues!) I don't know if you can see them in the pictures very well, but I knit the scarves that the kids are wearing. I am working on Matt's right now, and then I am going to attempt a hat for myself. I am the only one without one and I am going to have to put vanity aside and get warm! Hope everyone is enjoying a cozy January...AT

Out In Front or Getting In Line

In most central Asian cultures, it is customary for a man to walk in front of his wife and children. We work very hard weaving up and down busy streets to keep this pattern. However, in our hurry, we often start out a trip headed down the road in a mixed up fashion. I am sure we are a crazy sight playing "Chinese fire drill" on the sidewalk as we get back in the proper order. Last week, while walking hurriedly down a somewhat busy street, I had one of the scares of my life. William, our normally very cautious child, stepped in front of Matt and off the sidewalk into the middle of a side street just as a cargo truck was barreling through. Matt quickly grabbed William's arm and pulled him back to the safety of the sidewalk. What he said to William struck me..."I cannot guide and protect you when you get out in front of me." Hmmm; how often does my Father say that to me? I confess probably way too often. Perhaps, I take a snip-it of what the Father has revealed to me and then I expand on it too quickly without confirmation. Sometimes, I know I hear a good idea and desire to be apart of the ministry, but have not sought approval. Most often, I have a plan of what I want my life to look like, and I simply begin stepping out in front. I am so thankful that the Father has a love for me that is greater than anything I can comprehend. Right now our family is in the midst of several decisions. Honestly, it might look to some that "no decision is a bad decision". That may be true on many levels, but we believe that there is a perfect path that only the Father will lead us down when we choose to stay in line with His timing, plan and will for our lives. We ask that as you think of us today, please pray that we do not get out ahead of our Leader and we listen to His still small voice as we daily choose to walk in line with Him.

Choosing to Get in Line, AT

This past September, I wrote a post about holding tightly to the Father's hand. If the Father is touching your heart in this area,too, you might be encouraged by this post. Click here to read: (In His Hands).

What a blessing friends make!!

Our mail system here is not the most reliable. We never know when (or if) we will get something; if they will deliver it; if we will have to pay a fine, etc. etc. However, God always knows what we need and when we need it. We received a Christmas package from our dear friends the Toons. It was a true blessing. Handwritten notes are always a treat and encouragement. The kids also loved getting last year's homeschool annual. It lifted our spirits to recall the memories and see special friends. Books, vitamins, treats...the list goes on and on....Thank you, Thank you Toon Family! You know us so well. We realize that it is a great expense to mail things to us. I will confess that at some point in the unwrapping process each one of us shed a tear of gratitude, joy, remembrance, feelings of being loved, etc. etc. We miss you all deeply. Thank you for allowing the Father to use you to minister to us. We were told that the 6-9 month mark is a hard one in adjusting to living overseas. I confess that we are having many moments of heartache and reality checks. It is amazing in those moments how the Father sends an email, a facebook note, a local friend, or messages from His Word to encourage us. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and your willingness to "love on us" from across the water. Our God is so good, and He does indeed care about every part of our lives. Today, our prayer for our home support teams is that God touches you all in a mighty way; that you feel His presence and are encouraged by His amazing love.

We are blessed! AT

2010 Begins

Well, we are two weeks into 2010 and I have not posted anything. I don't know if I should say that it is because I have been so busy and on top of other things, or if I should confess that the year has not started out as productive as I would like in any area....Oh well, it is what it is. We are moving forward and daily choosing to follow HIM. We have set our personal, ministry and family goals for the year. Nothing has really "changed", but it is good to have written reminders of our commitments as well as written challenges to encourage and motivate us. We based many of our goals this year off something that was given to us last spring. It is called "Sabbath Rest". Daily = prayer, meditation, sleep Weekly = corporate worship, one day void of work-related responsibilities, exercise, time set aside for just your spouse Monthly = spiritual retreat or focus, 2 days of seriously goofing off, 1 day of making something with your own hands, time of fasting Annually = retreat experience that nurtures the soul, family get-a-way, go away with your spouse, special dates individually with your children. Of course, we have added work, school, ministry, financial, etc. etc. goals into this equation, but I thought I would give the "Sabbath Rest" as a starting place to anyone that has thought about setting goals for the year, but has just never known where to begin. I love how this plan just takes it back to the basics. The philosopher Eugene Peterson says that a successful life is one that has "a long obedience in the same direction". The call to all of us is to forsake ourselves and follow Christ. If we put our faith in Him as the cornerstone and build our lives on it, 2010 and all the years to come will be fruitful for the Kingdom, His glory and our benefit. Steadfast, AT

How Firm a Foundation

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord; Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!; What more can he say than to you he hath said, You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid; I'll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand; upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake.

Christmas 2009

We pray you all enjoyed the beautiful Christmas season. We enjoyed seeing the pictures of the white Christmas that many of you were able to have in the Texas area. Please send us your family newsletter updates via email when you have time. We would love to hear from you. We had a quiet two days. On the 24th, we traveled with some local American friends to a Chilis. It was a treat to be able to eat familiar foods and visit with believers. In the evening, we were excited to light the final candle on our Advent wreath: The Christ Candle. Christ - The Messiah - The Anointed One...what a joy it has been to spend the last month focused on the blessing God gave to us in the gift of His son. After my last blog, a sweet mentor friend of mine reminded me on facebook that we know peace now because he came the first time and sent the Holy Spirit to be with us until He comes again - BUT, true peace will only come when He comes again. In looking towards the new year, our family feels challenged to see how we can continue the celebration of advent (the anticipation of His coming) in the new seasons. How can we keep our hearts full of the anticipation of His coming again? What can we be doing to get ourselves ready? What can we be doing to help others to be ready? I am sure that we will have a lot to blog about in 2010 as God stretches our faith, teaches us and encourages our hearts. God is true to His promises and we are determined to be faithful to His call. Because of Him, AT
Pictures: The first one is, of course, us at Chilis. We are truly thankful for our home supporters that make it possible for us to live here but also what a blessing you all are to go beyond that and help us with special treats. Thank you; Thank you; Thank you! The next picture is of the kids seeing for the first time what their special gifts were going to be on Christmas morning. I love the surprise! Gift giving is one of my love languages - I LOVE Christmas time! The next few pictures are of the special gifts we bought for each other. The kids worked really hard all fall to save their money. They were thrilled to buy presents for each person. "Faithfulness is always rewarded" - great lesson for finances and it is helping push us all through language learning! The last two things are videos. I am having a hard time getting videos to upload - not sure what my problem is....SOOO, these are not the cute ones that I have tried for 2 days to upload, but maybe they will make you laugh.

Fourth Week of Advent = Peace

Yes, I desire peace on earth; and no, I was never a beauty pageant queen! My heart simply aches for the new people that I am growing to love. I am daily struck by the millions around me that are searching for peace. Where our family is living, "Shalom Aleikhem" is a common greeting people give each other. It means, "peace upon you." It is the phrase Jesus used in greeting the disciples after His resurrection. The sad thing is that only 2% of the people in this part of the world know Christ. Just wishing peace on someone will never give them the peace their hearts hunger after. I admit I sometimes wish it were that easy. However, peace only comes through Jesus Christ. Christ alone gives peace to those who seek Him, and it is only though Christ that this world will know lasting peace. The Apostle Paul instructs us that the only way we will know peace is by knowing and following Christ. He tells us to actively seek this peace. How can I actively seek peace? I believe we do this not by anxiously trying to control our own lives, but by surrendering our needs to God in prayer. Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." Philippians 4:4-7 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (what happens when we do this?) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Why is it that simple obedience seems so hard?! I simply have to rejoice in Him, walk in gentleness, not be anxious, pray and be thankful! I love how Ann Spangler talks about peace. She says, "May His peace settle into your soul and rule in your heart. May it become the loom on which your life is woven, clothing you with his compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." Wow, may it be so in my life and I wish the same for your life. May you find the peace that comes through HIM today, AT

Our Christmas activities last week were mostly in the area of baking, baking, and more baking. We refused to let the water being turned off in our building be a discouragement to us.....Praise the Lord for bottled and stored water! We made my mom's yummy, chocolate balls. (Thank you Dad & Mom; Grandpa & Grandma for the wonderful care package!) We also made oatmeal cookies and participated in a "cookie exchange" with some other Americans. The kids and I will be passing out the wrapped cookies/gifts to our neighbors this coming week. We also had a birthday party for Jesus at our house this Sunday. We read scripture and the kids acted out the Christmas story. It was a lot of fun. The last picture shown is of our first snow of the year. It did not stay on the ground, but we still have hopes for a white Christmas! The video is of our favorite Christmas hymn this holiday season. Check out how William smacks Grace just as they are starting - We obviously have some instruction on "living in peace with all men" to go over with our children this week! HA!

Third Week of Advent = Joy

One of my first blogs in 2008 was titled, Excellent Source of Happiness. (click here if you would like to read.) I discuss what I believe is true happiness, so I won't go into that discussion today. This week the focus is Joy. What is Joy? I don't know how many times I have heard that because I am a believer I may not always have "happiness", but I will always have joy. I am not sure that I have ever agreed with that statement. Just because I am a believer I have joy?? Three weeks ago, our Sunday house group started a new children's curriculum. As a family we are really enjoying our homework and discussions during the week. The focus is on the centrality of the greatness and worth of God. Our Bible memory verse this week is Psalm 16: 11a "You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence." Here is what I believe is the truth about Joy. I will only have joy and be filled with joy when I am spending time in the presence of the Lord. Does that mean I think joy will only come when I am in Heaven? NO - because Christ came; died in my place; and rose again, I believe I can have a relationship with Almighty God right now. I am filled with the Holy Spirit, and because of Christ's blood I have the freedom to be in the Father's presence. Jesus tells us in John 15:11, "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." What things had he "just spoken"? He was teaching on daily abiding in Him. No, I don't think that because I am a believer that I always have joy. There have been times over my last 17 years as a believer that I struggled with finding joy. It was during those times that because I was a believer, God sometimes through His hand of correction, His reminders of ultimate control or His process of sanstification in me, brought me back to His presence to find joy again. John Piper once said, "The best news in the world is that there is no necessary conflict between our happiness and God's holiness. Being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus magnifies Him as a great Treasure." If I am daily choosing to fill my heart with the treasures of the Lord, I will have lasting joy. I love the old chorus "Holy Ground". You may remember the first line in the song says: In His presence, there is joy beyond all measure and at His feet, peace of mind can still be found. Joy is found in Christ alone. It is a daily choice to take up my cross; put on the armor of God; follow Him; abide in His presence; and FIND JOY!
Making a DAILY choice! AT

Pictures: This Christmas week we have been so thankful for the ability to now watch "youtube". We have found several classic Christmas cartoons and movies. The first pic is of the kids watching on Matt's computer. The second pic. is of me knitting. One of my local friends is patiently trying to teach me. The last pic. is of course of the wonderful Starbucks! I was so excited to get a Christmas cup of delight! I had to take the kids to the doctor/big hospital a little ways away (parasite issues - whole different story), so we decided to visit the mall. The kids were able to ride a few "amusement park" type rides, but I forgot my camera, so the only evidence is the wonderful treat I brought home.