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!!

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!! 

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.

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 15:19“Who 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.”

Coffee Cup Campaign!

We are in New England visiting a couple churches that are now more like family than anything, and we were presented with a (literally!) Big Check that was the proceeds from a "Coffee Cup Campaign" they began on our behalf. The church was impressed and moved into action after they read of the "start up costs" involved in relocating our family to Zambia. The seniors class labeled these cups and for several weeks placed them around the church to collect whatever people were able and wanting to give. They set a goal and by God's grace.... met the goal!! Praise The Lord for you all Cornerstone Baptist! Truly we feel like part of your family and are honored to go Reach Zambia on your behalf and for the Lord's Glory!

Just a Stumbled On...

I am sick today. The Watery Eye, Stuffy Head, Coughing, Sneezing, Low Grade Fever kind of sick. It is not the Flu. Simply because I said so.

To keep myself from sleeping all day, I am wandering around some blogs and such while letting sappy hallmark Christmas movies play endlessly in the background. I am vacillating between clicking links and sipping herbal tea. Oh I hope this is over before Monday!

Something I found, though, was this Test.

I know, it is a color test and my eyes are so blurry I am shocked I can read the instructions. Perhaps it helps that the little blocks are slightly less clear?

I have no idea, but I scored a 25. Lower is better, I guess. Kind of like golf.

So, if you're bored, have a go at it! It is a little fun, but I have absolutely no idea what this knowledge is good for. Nor do I know what it means if your score is good. Maybe work for Walmart in the paint chips section?

I have found myself straightening out those little piles of swatches before...

Some things...

We are moving out of the country. Out. Of. The. Country. In a few Months. That could almost be said as well "in a few WEEKS".

Seriously. Seriously? Seriously!!

We have been preparing for this for over 7 years. It seems unbelievable that it could take seven years. But then I stop and remember who the Lord is working with, and marvel that it has only been that long!

The point of this post is to record a few of the obscure things I think are essentials to have packed into suitcases when moving a family across the globe to a third world country.

True, we are going with the primary goal of serving The Lord Jesus Christ. Proclaiming his goodness and the Good News is priority one. Bringing others to saving knowledge available through Jesus in order that they will praise the eternal King... point One.

But I will be living there, and there are some things that this to-the-core westerner seems to believe- at this juncture- are essential. I want to document it while it is fresh. Partly to have it on record, and partly to be able to refer back to it once I really learn what is essential! I am sure I will look back and laugh at a few of these things!!

1. Mosquito nets.

For fairly obvious reasons, I should think. Some tell me only those who are tourists use them, and to use them while living there gets "old" and overkill. I get it. Also they are pretty warm as the air doesn't flow well through them. Maybe a little over kill is better than mosquito kill! We shall see!

2. Manual food processor.

Electricity will be spotty at best, so the more non-electric things the better. I have no idea if it even works well, but I know it doesn't need electricity!

3. Solar lights.

Electricity not so reliable.... Sunshine Very! Zambia is one of the African countries between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn. That being the case... sun is very strong for several of the 12 sunshine hours every day.

Every. Day.

Being a native Rochestarian I suffer from vitamin D deficiency due to the lack of sunshine in our town. My home town makes a pretty good showing on the list of the top cloudiest cities in the country.

I believe my transition to a third world culture will  be helped because I will at last have the positive medicinal  effects of sunshine!!

All that being said, solar powered anything is ideal!!

So solar lights for indoors and out, as well as a solar charger for the cell phone. Would be nice to have had the ability to make a solar panel for the house. One can dream!





4. Dual Voltage hair straightener.

I wont even elaborate. Although I will say I have the same hair straightener my friend had when she traveled to Zambia last year. Lets just say she had the advantage of returning to the states after a few weeks to take advantage of the four year guarantee on the device. 

And her hair grew back nicely after being fried off. After all it was only a small patch of hair. Not too noticeable. While I will have it, I may not use it too much!! 

5. A 5 Gallon bucket... No photo. No Explanation. Enough said. 

6. A Solar Cooker.

Just imagine that is me in the picture!! This is a relatively new discovery for my intellectual files. I had prior to yesterday never heard of them! Either I have lived under a rock my whole life, or in relative civilization. Although many campers and other "green" people have been using them forever. They are like a crock pot type oven.  Pretty amazing! And they can be made very simply, portable or stationary. Pretty excited to bring some of the materials needed to make one, and then to try it out! There are entire recipe books dedicated to this type of cooking!! Who knew!

I will add that the need for these things were not aided in any way by a certain website that begins with a letter P. Seriously!

So there is the list for now. If I end up with more then I will add them. This is "for the record" after all.