Worn Truth

The sun is shining, the squirrels are out, the sap is running, and bulb flowers are starting to poke their little green heads up out of the soil.

Spring is so close, you can almost smell it!

- - -

This Monday, I'm thankful for truths that are like flannel.

It's good and necessary and exciting to dig in to God's Word, to study it deeply, to let it teach us new things.

But perhaps sometimes we don't need to learn something new as much as we need to be reminded of the truth we already know.

Do you have a favorite flannel shirt or old blanket that you reach for again and again?  It's soft, warm, and familiar.  Age and frequent use have made them particularly cozy, even comforting.

I think it can be much the same with passages of Scripture.  Last night I was feeling anxious and the thoughts swirling around in my head left me unsettled.  A cup of tea, a quiet evening at home, and nice, calm music weren't enough to do the trick.  But the Lord brought Psalm 23 to my mind - a Psalm I've known by heart for probably at least 20 years.

Over and over it I went line by line, just letting those well-worn truths settle me before bed.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

I know the words themselves and have experienced the truths behind them many times over, yet they've lost none of their power through the testing of time.  In fact, they're even more meaningful and dear to me because I know them so well. 

So let's learn!  But let's not discount what God has already taught us.  Let's reach for those truths - like a favorite flannel - in times of need, tucking ourselves into the peace they offer.

Saturday 2.24

Waking up to birds singing
A house full of friends, old and new
Sputtering of the coffee maker
A plate piled with fresh oatmeal cookies
Mugs all lined up on the counter
Windows open for glorious fresh air
A round of Uno that went on for an eternity
Two free pairs of jeans that fit (praise the Lord and hallelujah!)
Alstroemeria blooms
Tea in a china cup (because when you're watching Emma it just seems right)
Buttery, salty popcorn
A much re-watched video of little Avers walking

The Rut

I've often said, Give me a good rut and I'm happy.

I like routines and predictability and I'm even pretty okay with boring.

Perhaps two years in West Africa were enough adventure for a lifetime. ;)

Wednesday - good ol' middle-of-the-week Wednesday - means I work in the nursery instead of my office, snuggling babies so their moms can be in classes (or in the case of staff kids, be involved in ministry at the school).

It's my second semester doing this, and I'm quite happy with my "rut" - waking up every Wednesday knowing I get to hang out with sweet little ones like Jonah.

Some other things I'm thankful for in my little Wednesday rut -

2 Chronicles keeping me company while I got ready this morning

A let-up in the rain

Baby smiles and giggles

Homemade oatmeal cookies

Little interactions with students

Home Fires tonight with my friend Raylea

Heat that works - and that I can control! (unlike my third-floor apartment that was on the same heating system as the entire floor)

Encouraging email from a friend

Steaming mug of cranberry blood orange tea

Truth set to music

A kitchen restored to order

Weekend Thoughts

There's something most delightful about turning off the office lights and locking the door on Friday afternoon.

It's a simple act that ushers in the weekend, all full of glorious anticipation.

First, it's dinner in the dining hall with the fam (and usually hanging out at their place afterward).

I told Ezra we should take a picture of his mohawk and send it to Kai (who - back in the day - was rarely seen without one).

Not entirely enchanted with the above face he gave me, I asked him to smile.

So he gave me his usual hilariously cheesy grin.

That kid.

- - -

Yesterday Angèle and I had a chat for the first time in nearly a month.  Sometimes I get off the phone and marvel just a little at how we - two women who grew up an ocean apart and who don't share the same mother tongue or culture - could somehow wind up being such close confidantes.  And yet we are.  It's a miracle, a gift of friendship and God's grace, something worth treasuring.

- - -

I made coffee in my french press this morning and then lost track of time.  When I walked back out to the kitchen, I could just hear my grandma saying, "That coffee is so strong it's going to walk right off the counter!"

The house got a thorough cleaning today - thorough meaning I dusted this time.  It's my least favorite household chore, but it must be done sometimes.  Somehow the job stretched on the entire day, in part because I decided (for once in my life) to steadfastly ignore the voice of hurry.

I pulled books off the shelf and paged through them while I was dusting.

The wind rattled bare branches and my neighbors' wind chimes.  I mentally noted one advantage of cloudy days - the windows look cleaner.

My friend sent me this article, which rolled around and around in my mind as I cleaned and sorted laundry and peeled carrots.

Clarity can be a nicer word for control.

Oh, how often I have begged God for clarity and answers...

Maybe I'm worshiping clarity rather than Christ.

Suppose, though I want answers, what can really satisfy me is Christ Himself?

Christ Himself, through the fog, the shadows, the forked roads, the silence.  Suppose He is actually enough for me this moment, tomorrow, and forever?

Of Drizzles and Drips

The kettle is on for tea.

Two days above freezing and everything is drip-drip-dripping.

The piles of snow are growing smaller (yay!) and the fearsome icicles on my neighbors' roof are gone.

Mud is everywhere.

(You take the bad with the good, I guess...)

Today was a colorless day if there ever was one - somewhere between drizzle and fog, the sun in hiding.

Here is playing on Pandora right now.

I'm still happily thinking of the latte I grabbed earlier with DeAnne.

- - -

Someone likes spaghetti. :)

Perfect little doll.  I miss her.

Meet DeAnne

A year-and-a-half ago, DeAnne started coming to the first small group I hosted along my coworker Kelley.  She graduated and got married last May, and is now working in child care while her husband Wil finishes up his last year as a student at EBI.

I've enjoyed getting to know DeAnne - going for walks, grabbing coffee together, and talking about our experiences living overseas.  (She studied at a university in Nicaragua before coming here.)  Since she's around for another year, we get to have her in small group a second time!  Hearing her perspectives and what God is teaching her through a new chapter in life always encourages me.

I asked if she'd mind sharing her take on EBI life and what her future plans are.

My name is DeAnne, I'm 25, and I'm from Alaska!  I came here wanting to learn about the Bible, but God showed me that the purpose of study is not just to know a bunch of facts, but to gain a deepened relationship with Him.  My favorite class was Biblical Foundations where I learned that the Bible is one big connected story, not just a bunch of random unrelated anecdotes.  I've learned that loving people doesn't mean always telling them what they want to hear; sometimes the truth hurts, but we must tell it in love.  To anyone considering Bible school: you will not regret it!  (P.S. Two years goes by way faster than you think)!  My husband Wil and I plan to return to his home country of Nicaragua to serve the people through mentorship on a career level, and more importantly on a spiritual level.

I know God has grown DeAnne a lot in the last few years, and I can't wait to see what impact she and Wil have as they continue to follow Him.

A Bit of Inspiration

After work, I came home and sat in my living room, soaking up every glorious ray of sunshine possible before starting on dinner.  Winter can sometimes feel a bit long and colorless around here, and after the weekend's endless piles of snow to shovel, a sunny day was most welcome.  I stayed curled up on the couch until the sun dipped behind the school and the room was no longer golden and warm-looking.

Perhaps it was browsing on Pinterest earlier or perhaps it was the sun's magic, but I had a sudden inspiration for dinner.

First, I took the orangetti squash that had been waiting patiently in my kitchen for a couple weeks.  I halved it and roasted it face down at 400° until it was tender.  I'd never tried one before, but it's a lot like a spaghetti squash only orange and slightly more robust in flavor.

Meanwhile, I made a sauce of melted butter, fresh minced garlic, thinly shredded spinach leaves, bacon bits, Parmesan, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

When the squash was ready, I took one half, fluffed the strands, tossed them with the sauce, and topped it all with sliced green onions.

It was positively delicious.  Inspired.  Or inspirational.  Or...something.

Now I need to figure out what to try with the other half tomorrow.  I'm thinking a cold salad-type dish...

Saturday 2.10

A dozen spinach-bacon-cheese muffins
Icicles growing from mine and my neighbors' roofs
Cozy flannel
Coffee with eggnog
Shoveling snow
Taco soup and quesadillas
I Got Saved on repeat
Researching varieties of jade plants, just because
Coffee with half-n-half
Mentally writing my next story
Lacy outline of tree branches against an otherwise overwhelming backdrop of white
Freshly vacuumed floors
Working on a February update
A stack of doilies tucked away in the closet for a project

Me and My Shadow

Emily came to me last semester and said that she was strongly considering guest house ministry overseas one day.  Would I mind if she shadowed me to get her feet wet here in the States?

I freely admit I would have never thought of it myself, and had no idea how it would work.  Maybe it would be really boring for her.  My day-to-day involvement in guest house ministry is far from glamorous.

However, a couple people encouraged me to take this opportunity.  (It was an answer to my prayers, anyway, since I'd been asking the Lord for more ways to get to know students.)

It's been fun to get to know Emily over the last several months.  Each Thursday after lunch, she comes to the office and we grab a cup of tea before digging in to the afternoon's work.

She's asked lots of questions and willingly rolled up her sleeves for anything hands-on.

We've cleaned, organized our supplies room, swapped mattresses (that was a workout!), run to the store for supplies, changed lock codes, looked at our booking site, talked about philosophies behind décor and other choices, done online shopping, discussed future projects, and more.

Emily has been eager to learn - which is always encouraging to see - and she's been a great practical help.

I asked her if she'd mind sharing a bit about herself and her future plans with you.  Here's what she said:
 
I am the second to youngest of six and love family.  I grew up home-schooled and my siblings were some of my best friends.  I'm from western Massachusetts and lived in the same house all my life before coming to Bible School in the fall of 2016.  I would consider myself an organized homebody who loves to do anything outdoors/active and enjoys meeting with people one on one.  My immediate plans [after graduating in May] are going back home to work and build relationships with those in my area.  I look forward to spending time with my parents and younger brother at home, too.  Then, I would eventually like to do support work through Ethnos360 in Papua New Guinea.  My dream would be to run a guest house for missionaries who visit the base there.  I have absolutely loved working with Rachel and getting hands-on experience here in the States.

How exciting to think about how God will use Emily in the future and to get to do even a small bit of life and ministry together now!

(Thanks, Emily, for your heart to learn and serve and for sharing about yourself on here today.  You encourage me!)

To Milestones

He officially took his first few steps a couple weeks ago, then seemed to lose interest.

Tuesday he just decided walking might actually be pretty fun, so he started walking everywhere.

We knelt in the hall outside his mommy's office while he toddled back and forth between us all, laughing the whole time.

Ah, life.

These little moments are so special to me.

I have a nephew and a niece in California.  Three nephews across an ocean, in Senegal.  Three more kids that I loved as my own flesh and blood (and one I never got to meet) but are no longer in my life.

I miss them terribly.

Yet God has kindly added to my family since moving here - Jonah, his five siblings, and his wonderful parents - and given me the chance to be a part of milestones that I'm missing in the others' growing up.

Sometimes I wish all the people I love most could be together in one place, but perhaps God's gifts seem sweeter this way.

So I write and remember and thank Him for being good to me in just one more way.

On growing

Suppose I just sit on my couch and never exercise (hypothetically, of course...)?  Will I grow stronger?

Of course not.

In a similar way, I can't approach my spiritual health with a passive mindset.  No, I cannot please God or make myself holier by my own efforts; nor is He looking for my life to be marked by frantic activity.  But faith can be compared to a muscle that grows stronger with stretching and exercise.

Last semester the Lord showed me areas where I needed to more intentional...being in the Word consistently and regularly seeking out feedback and encouragement from other ladies who have walked with Him longer.

Perhaps it seems like a no-brainer, but these things make such a difference.

Starting off this morning with a cup of coffee and a dear coworker encouraged me so much - being reminded of truth, getting advice, and praying together - and made me want more.  More stretching.  More growth.

Will you pray with me for this?

This is Saturday

This is Saturday -

No alarm to wake up to
A cup of coffee so leisurely it was cold by the time I finished
The swish-swish of the washer and squeaky tumbling of the dryer
A dusting of fine snow
The flicker of my cranberry candle
Gray-and-white hoodie
Stacks of clean laundry
A friend studying cross-legged on my living floor
A second cup of coffee, just because
A phone call to Grandma
Curried pumpkin soup and bread
Reading on the couch
No-bakes for Sunday School tomorrow

Quiet, ordinary, and unhurried - which makes me sigh a happy sigh.

Oh, Friday

Last semester, we started a staff ladies "Soup's On" lunch (inspired by a similar event when I was in training down in Missouri).  A few ladies sign up to bring different soups, we rotate who hosts, everybody brings their own bowl and spoon (so super easy cleanup!), then we spend an hour or so chatting and dunking bread into warm bowls of soup.  And laughter always finds its way in there, too.

Today was our first one this semester, and it was just lovely.

It seemed like the perfect excuse to try The Pioneer Woman's olive cheese bread recipe from my new cookbook. :)

- - -

My view most days -

It was a quiet Friday in my office, so after work projects were taken care of, I started prepping for Tuesday's small group discussion.

This week's chapter: A Faulty Focus...on how when we take our eyes off God and His goodness, we often get anxious.  Timely, yes?

I love Friday afternoons...looking ahead to the weekend (at least, if it's not crazy like last weekend!) and leisurely cups of coffee and house projects and fun things with friends.

I really do love my job (most of the time), but I also enjoy life outside the office.

So here's to weekends...and a different perspective than last week.