Saturday, February 23, 2013

A look into my baby girl's perspective...



We have one week and one day before we make our global shift. There is still plenty to be done, but I got this letter today that my youngest sent as a group email to her friends. So great that imam one of them!!

In any event here is the letter, complete and unedited.

ITS ABOUT ONE WEEK TILL I MOVE TO ZAMBIA AFRICA ITS A COOL EXPERIENCE BUT IM JUST SCARED I DONT REALLY KNOW OF WHAT, BUT IM ALSO HAPPY BECAUSE IM MOVING TO AFRICA, AND LIKE ALOT OF KIDS WANNA GO TO AFRICA TO. SOME OF YOU MITE MISS ME AND WHOS GOING, AND FOR SOME OF YOU LIKE THE TSOUKALASES AND THE PETSKES THEY WILL BE HAPPY TO SEE US I HOPE. AND ILL MISS YOU GUYS HERE AND I WANNA GO AND I KINDA HAVE TO BUT I ALSO WANNA STAY HERE WITH MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, BUT IM JUST FALLOWING MY MOM AND DAD BECAUSE THATS THERE JOB AND MY JOB FOR NOW IS JUST TO LISTEN IF I LIKE IT OR NOT BUT I LIKE IT:)


FROM PEANUT:)

Kind of precious, insightful, and optimistic. Real. And a little vulnerable. I just love this little one. The Lord surely has blessed me with some amazing children!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The missing Peace

So I will not forget this is the outline condensed version of the ReNew conference from FBBC last weekend. Some great teaching and reminders of the truths that can steady us I. Our walk with the Lord!!

Session 1
The reality: Sin and separation from God!
My response : Sinner's faith! Romans 5:1
Red Herring: Good Works! Ephesians 2:8-9
Revelation: The Saviors Blood! Colossians 1:2a Peace now, heaven later, Holy Spirit now an direct access to God!

Session 2
Reality: life is a circus!
Response: Phil 4:6 in Everything by PRAYER!
Red Herring: Anxiety!
Revelation : God's perspective! Philippians 4:7

Session 3
Reality: there is a Cost
Response: Believe! John 14:1
Red Herring: Fear!
Revelation: the Comforter and vision through God's lens! John 14:27

Session 4
Reality: the Mystery of the Magnolia blossom - fruit comes from (what seems like!!) destruction!
Response: We Act! I Thessalonians 5:23
Red Herring: We Forget!
Revelation: God Does the Work! I Thessalonians 5:24 He has promised and He is Faithful!!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

20 Sleeps!

And the countdown begins! 

I didn't count the sleep that should occur on Monday the 4th, because I don't tend to sleep well in cars, planes, or anything that moves for that matter! 

We are trying to stay calm and organized; low key and collected. The comment from Zorro comes to mind... 
"Captain Harrison Love: The lady and I were trying to dance. 
Alejandro Murrieta: You were trying. She was succeeding."


Only I am not the lady succeeding! 

I have a few "very important" things on the "To do" lists. 

Like taxes. And getting all of our paperwork in order for the Work permit in Zambia. And vaccinations. Packing 10 pieces of luggage. 

I have a few "mid important" things on the "To do" lists.

Like incrementally larger clothes for my children. Medications for the next few years. Tossing what could not be packed into 10 pieces of luggage. 

And I have a few "it would be nice if they got done"  things on the "To do" lists. 

These are the things I have no problem getting accomplished! 

Agh! My quadrant thinking skills would be a good thing to employ right now! I will be forcing my life into Quadrant 1 if I am not careful!!!  

OK.... off to complete something... ANYTHING! on the "very important" list!! 
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Friday, February 8, 2013

It took me long enough...

One of the things I learned on deputation was that my boys somehow managed life in a camper and all that entailed because they saw the benefits it provided. One of which was I did their laundry.
I was stunned one day when my boys were chatting by themselves and one said, "Well we don't do our own laundry now." And another said, "Yeah, that is a great thing!"

What??

Now before thoughts run amuck and you think they have been doing their own laundry since early childhood or worse yet that their laundry never got done, hear this!

Once they were old enough to help fold, they did that. Once they were old enough to understand how to load (and not OVeR load!) the washer they began doing that. I would once in a great while grab their baskets and do it. I would OFTEN tell them it wasn't acceptable for their CLEAN uNFoLDeD laundry to stay in the basket! But... they did their own.
While traveling in a camper, the laundry was more than not done at a laundromat, and Dan would drop me off for a couple of hours at a time, or I would go myself. I enjoyed the time away to be by myself and read a book while surrounded by massive washers and the hum of dryers. It was a challenge to decipher whose was whose when all three boys wore pretty much the same size everything! They became similar to houses with many sisters. Many things became communal except the few precious items.

There have been several occasions since then that I have done all the laundry for the whole family. They boys would be quick to say, "Mom, you don't have to do that!" to which I say, "I know. I want to!"

Why do I want to? Because I remember their conversation in the camper those many months ago.

It is such a small thing! I know it hardly even seems worthy of documentation, but to me it has become much bigger.

As my children grow up, have their own cars, their own jobs, their own life, I have less and less of a place in their day to day things. I am and always will be their mom, but they are just so independent now!! When my oldest son came home from college the other day for a whirlwind 44 hour weekend, he brought his laundry, for reasons frugal, I am sure!

But I seriously enjoyed doing his laundry. I loved the memories that flooded my mind and heart with each item that I could remember him wearing.
The t-shirt he wore when all my boys went to the baseball game in KC, MO.

The sweats from when he went to the barn to replace his transmission. Twice! An oil spot still hasn't quite come out.

Jeans with a paint spot from when he air brushed a gift for a friend.

I thoroughly loved doing his laundry! I was blessed to have the gift of my son and to still wiggle my way into his life in this small, behind the scene way. He probably gave it no more thought than "Yes! Don't have to do that!" But I enjoyed that time more than I ever thought I would.
Oh! that I would have learned to appreciate these moments long ago! I am sure it is the fact that he is staying in the States, and we are moving to Africa. I am sure me nearing my 46th birthday and the "M." years are quickly approaching. I recall the stories from friends sobbing for an hour about a blown out light bulb or laundry detergent commercial and realize my time is surely coming.

But in truth, I think it is more than that. Time with them is short. Time with them has always been fleeting, I just believe it with every fiber of my being now!

From now on, I pray I will appreciate it all.

I am more thankful for the times I need to do something for my children, or because I have children! I couldn't even imagine how uneventful my days would be without them. Or how clean my house would be. Or how truly different my life would be.

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

Ladies Conference

Here is the audio from the conference in Kansas City. It is a testament of the last seven years of my life and what the Lord has taught me and brought our family through in practical teaching, with the theme of WATER.

The arrow can be right clicked and the lesson downloaded, or you can follow this link and have all of the sessions in a download host sight.

When trying to pray about what to teach, I remembered what Elizabeth George said in a recent study I did. She decided she shouldn't try to prepare and to teach them something that will change their lives... But teach them what has already changed her life. Truly this is the same for me! The second lesson is from her study "Loving God with your whole Mind!" and there are 5 other lessons in that study. I encourage you to search that out as all 6 are amazing!

Session one: Learning Of Mikveh 

Ephesians 5:26 “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,”



Session Two: Loving God with Our Whole Mind

Philippians 4:8 “Finally brethren whatsoever things are TRUE...”



Session Three: Loosing the Ties that Bind

Psalm 1:3 “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”


Session 4: Living Like Achsah
 
Joshua 15:19Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.”