Weekend Update

This was a great weekend!

Yesterday, I woke up and the went to my local library's book sale. I scored! Ten books for $5.50!

Then I whipped up a purse while I waited for Juju to wake up.

Dinner at Wings 'n Things with the whole family...mom, dad, Lauren, David, Juju, Daniel, Les, John Ryan, Sarah and baby-to-be. I ate delicious wings and drank too much fizzy fountain coke (I can't drink canned coke anymore...it tastes nasty compared to Liberian coke).
Then we came home and John Ryan had us on the floor playing with Legos for hours. It felt like Christmas morning, except we weren't in our pjs.
This morning was church, and then I spent the whole afternoon sewing.

P.S. I think I need a craft room. I've been taking over the dining room...and I hate to have to keep packing everything up and then getting everything back out.

Oh, Stephen!

I've been going through all of my Liberia pictures....organizing them and getting ready for presentations. I'm coming across so many great pictures--pictures that I took with the intent to use in telling a story on the blog. So, I thought it would be fun to start posting those pictures and the stories. Today's picture is one that I took of Stephen eating his plum.After I took the picture, I noticed something behind his ear. Without saying anything, I put my hand on his head, and turned his head around. This is what I saw....

I couldn't help it...I busted out laughing. I know he's never seen Willy Wonka, so he doesn't know about Violet putting her gum behind her ear to save it for later. I was immediately transported back into time when I was probably 7 or 8 years old. I HAD seen Violet, and thought she was pretty smart. I remember playing outside with my sister and our best friend (Meghan), when I decided to save my gum for later. Unfortunately, I had really long hair, which the gum behind my ear found almost instantly. I have memories of lots peanut butter in my hair and eventually just having to cut a big chunk of my hair off.

Kids are the same everywhere, whether they've seen Willy Wonka or not!

Chocolate Cake with Jesus

[I said I would share some things that God told me while I was in Virginia...here's the first installment.]

Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Day of Silence and Solitude.
"Chocolate Cake with Jesus"
[I was sitting in the dining room at the monastery, eating a piece of chocolate cake, when it began to rain. Here is what God told me.]

"Here is My healing rain. Water to quench the thirst of My people. Water to feed My garden. May you soak up My rain to grow your faith in Me. Drink. Thirst no more. Each of you are a drop of rain. You are created by Me. You fall on your own. But you are collected together to make the ocean. I am Ruler of the sea. Hear the roar of the waves? That is My power. See the never-ending water? That is My love. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face? That is My grace. Soak up My grace. You will never see the end of My love. My power--the waves--are constant. They will always be there. Moving. Working. Crashing effortlessly in your life. Feel the breeze coming off the water? That is My breath. Breathe it in. Close your eyes and breathe My breath in deeply. Feel the sand between your toes? That is the Body. Warmed by My grace. ready to be compressed together, with the help of My water (life) to hold you all together. If you all come together and follow after My heart, you will be like a sandcastle to the world. People will be drawn to you--with amazement and wonder--they will wonder, how do you stand so firm? You stand firm because you are soaked in My water, the Living Water, and you are willing to be joined together. I know, things, people, the enemy and even the waves can knock you down. But, I know where each of you goes when you fall away. When you're ready, you will become part of another castle; a fortress of My people who are consumed with following My heart."

I'm Still Alive

Wow! It's been a long time--too long, really.

I haven't posted anything because I wasn't really sure where to begin. My thoughts and feelings have been going in every direction. But, I've finally decided that you just have to begin somewhere! Somewhere is better than nowhere, right?

I've been home for 7 weeks now. The time has flown by. I've spent alot of time with my family and friends, I spent a week and a half at a monastery in Virginia with my ORR family, I've been enjoying all of the 'good' things about being home (good people, good food, good times, etc.), and I've been re-entering the Western world.

I told someone the other day, "I think I'm mostly re-entered". Re-entry this time around has brought up so many thoughts, questions, observations, giggles and just plain confusion. I still relish the phenomenon of the hot shower. Food, of any kind, continues to taste 'so good'. I find myself just watching people, trying to figure out how this 'whole thing' works.

During my time in Virginia, I did alot of praying, reading, writing and thinking. God spoke to me in new and refreshing ways. I heard His voice loud and clear and like never before. I'm really looking forward to sharing some of those things with you! My time is Virginia was also challenging...I came home refreshed and renewed, but also tired and confused. I've spent the weeks since then trying to just lay those things at His feet.

This is the beginning. I just needed to start somewhere.