It's been rainy and dreary here for days... SO, we're kidnapping our kids and taking them on a surprise trip for the weekend! Just for fun, I'll surprise y'all, too. I'll be back Monday with some fun pictures of where we went!

A Real Time-Saver

Note: I posted this over the weekend, but it quickly got buried underneath other posts and my weekly menu. I'm moving it up in case you haven't seen it. It's too cute to miss!

If all of us moms could just memorize this song, it would really streamline our day! This is Anita Renfroe in a clip, found here on her website from her DVD "Total Momsense." It's everything a mom says in 24 hours condensed in 2 minutes and 55 seconds. The first part is cut off for some reason, but I'm sure we've all said it... whatever it is!

Enjoy!

Freedom From... Freedom For

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Let freedom ring! Yes, today we celebrate our country's freedom. Our hard-won independence. Our patriotism. When I really begin to think about it, my mind automatically thinks of the Revolutionary War heroes who gave all. I found out last year that I have a patriot in my ancestry, which qualifies me for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. I remember reading through all of the research and seeing my family tree leading me to him and seeing his name, rank, and location. All of a sudden I felt a... connection. A connection to something historical and fascinating. Yes, today I'll be thinking of my Great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather Thomas.

And today I'm also thinking about being set free. I remember in Beth Moore's "Breaking Free" study years ago, coming to grips with the concept of being truly set free. If you haven't done that study, I highly recommend it, or at least reading the book. (Even if you're not particularly "Beth Moore-ish," the information it contains is so beneficial and straight from the heart of God, it'll be worth your time, I promise!) I'm not sure if it was in that study or in subsequent readings that I really began to ponder the fact that I've been set free from... and I've been set free for.

Freedom from one thing leads to freedom to do something else. So, today as the firecrackers are popping, I'm going to be thanking my Heavenly Father that He sent His Son to set me truly free- free from the eternal consequences of my sin, free from sin's bonds while on this earth, free from thinking that this life is all there is. And I'm going to be thinking all day about what I've been set free for.

As one of my favorite Ginny Owen's songs says:

You're free to dance

Forget about your two left feet

And you're free to sing

Even joyful noise is music to Me

You’re free to love

'Cause I’ve given you My love

And it’s made you free

I have set you free!

My mind finds hard to believe

That You became humanity and

Changed the course of history

Because You loved us so

And my heart cannot understand

How You accept me as I am

But You say You've always had a plan

And that's all I need to know

So when I am consumed

With what the world will say

Then You're singing to me, as You remove my chains

Free from worry

Free from envy and denial

Free to live, free to give, free to smile

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's true freedom.

Don't you feel a connection to something historical and fascinating now, too?

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

Menu Plan Monday (and two fun desserts!)

Since we were out of town last Monday, I didn't post our menu (which I'm not sure I'll do every week anyway since it's summer and around here "summer" is synonymous with "unpredictable!") First I'll share our menu for this week, and then some some "highlights" from our menu last week.

Monday: Orange-glazed pork chops, stir fried veggies, baked potatoes
Tuesday: Pizza Pancakes, caesar salad
Wednesday: ****Happy Fourth of July!**** Cooking out.
Thursday: Pan-fried fish, mixed vegetables, salad
Friday: leftovers
Weekend: Sandwiches, leftovers, and out-to-eat after church

What we loved last week:

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches I got the recipe out of my Fix It and Forget It cookbook, but it's similar to this one, and it was a *hit* around here.

Fruit Pizza I found this recipe and made it for a party a couple of weeks ago, and we loved it so much I made another one last week for our family.
I like this recipe because it also has a glaze. Easy and so, so yummy!

This one isn't as "pretty" as the one I made for the party, and I didn't like our bananas so I used mandarin oranges and they were great! (I just noticed that just about every picture I post has something in one of these metal baking pans. It's a family thing. My grandmother has a bunch, and so do I because you can bake things, pop the metal lid on it, stack it in the fridge, transport it, and it is virtually indestructable!) I made it in this rather than on a pizza pan so we could store it and eat it over a couple of days.

Fried Ice Cream- I got a recipe from the Spanish curriculum we used when the kids were younger, and it has been a family favorite! I haven't seen it in any books (and our curriculum is packed away) but the recipe is similar to the one found here. (The top one that doesn't actually involve frying!) I threw together some nachos one night last week and this was a perfect dessert to follow! I substitute some other ingredients to make ours a little sweeter, though. Here's how I do it:

Cinnamon graham crackers
Frosted Flakes
Vanilla ice cream (in nice, round scoops) You can scoop them up and refreeze them for a bit, or just work fast.
Caramel syrup
Crush the graham crackers finely. (I use my food processor.) Also crush the Frosted Flakes, but not into a powder like the graham crackers. Put each into separate bowls.


Scoop out the ice cream (and brace yourself for your hands to be cold for a few minutes!)



Then you roll the ice cream ball, first in the graham crackers, then in the Frosted flakes. I have to sometimes press the Frosted Flakes around it to make it stick.


Put them on a plate or pan lined with wax paper, and then cover with caramel syrup before you put them back in the freezer, where they will harden while you eat dinner.

An easy, fun treat! (And one that the kids can help with, too.)

Thanks for visiting, and I hope this week finds you cookin' up some fun, in or out of the kitchen!

Visit Laura for more menus, or to share yours. Thanks, Laura!

What's Irritating You?

I'm over here today. Stop on by for a fresh look at how God might be using those little (and big) irritations in your life. It could be more than meets the eye!

Reflections

I came home Tuesday after a nutty week last week and a few days at the lake, and noticed my sad, neglected laptop waiting quietly for me. I blew the dust off of it, opened it up, checked my email and saw one from Terri with this subject line:

:)

Well, Terri always makes me smile (oh-my-GOSH, she is so funny) so the smiley was no surprise, but inside the email was a link to this post on her blog! She blew me away with this wonderful nomination for a "Blogger Reflection Award."


SO sweet! Here's what she said:

"Cyndi at One Day More. I want to be more like Cyndi. She practices what she preaches in her sweet Texan accent. I'm in awe of missionaries like Cyndi especially because I try to avoid conversations in real life with strangers. She shares her joy and enthusiasm and makes me want to donate to every Christian missionary I meet."

Have you ever read or heard something someone said about you... and really wanted it to be true? That's how I felt reading that! Oh, how I want to be someone who "practices what she preaches." (And how does she know I have a Texas accent??? Does it come through in my typing??? Well, I'll be.) Thank you so much, Terri, for those words. Coming from an amazing woman like you, they mean more than you know.

So, here are the instructions: I am to pass this on to 5 people
"who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and have been a Godly example to you. Five Bloggers who when you reflect on them you get a sense of pride and joy… of knowing them and being blessed by them."

"This award is for the best-of-the-best so consider who you pick, carefully. This award should not be given to just anyone. If you're going to do the award don't just write a few words and slap it on your Blog. Write real thoughts about these Bloggers and what they've meant to you. If the Bloggers you pick have already been given the award, don't be afraid to give it to them again. They deserve it as many times as it's given."

Linda at Middle Years. Linda's sweet spirit comes through in every single thing she posts. Her blog is peaceful and soothing, and her words are wise. I wish I were sitting having a glass of tea with her each time I read what she writes. I have been blessed by her words which are steeped in Scripture and born of a faithful walk with her precious Lord, a walk that has been difficult at times, but that continues to lead her closer to the heart of Jesus and deepens her love for Him. Reading her blog (and email) takes me on that journey with her.

Mindy at Ponderings of the Heart. Mindy has blessed me, not only with her witty and honest posts, but recently she went beyond the blogosphere and right into my mailbox and sent me this:

after I posted that I get a pedicure before mission trips because of the "beautiful feet" verse. That arrived in my mailbox on a particularly difficult day, and totally made my week! She said, "If the verse fits, wear it." Oh, how I love that! She shares openly and honestly what it's like to be a wife (a pastor's wife, no less!) and mother, and I always feel like I'm getting a first hand glimpse at what the Lord is teaching her. Consequently, He uses her to teach me.

Lisa at The Preacher's Wife. Ya'll. If you're not reading Lisa yet, start today! She's another, well, preacher's wife, who's open and honest about her walk with the Lord. Her words are wise, (and she's a fellow fan of the Greek lexicon!) She doesn't mince words, and I find myself thinking about her posts (both on her blog and on the Internet Cafe blog) for days afterward. God is obviously using her to teach the women in her church, and I'm personally glad He seeing fit to use her to teach some of us in blogland, too.

Chris at Come to the Table. Well, for cryin' out loud, I just realized I picked another preacher's wife. I think I see a pattern here! Chris is another one that if you haven't started reading her... GO! She "rightly divides the word of Truth" as well as anyone I've read... ever. I love her take on Scripture and the wise resources to which she refers. Her posts have an uncanny way of speaking to issues with which I'm wrestling. She has blessed me with her wisdom time and time again. She clearly adores her husband, serves her precious children, and builds her home with a Proverbs 31 heart. LOVE her.

Alycia at For Where Your Treasure Is. Alycia's blog is just beautiful, and it's just a glimpse of how beautiful her heart is. It's easy to see where her treasure is. I love how she talkes about her kids and her dear (military) husband. She's a fellow homeschooler and a dear prayer warrior. She was so supportive of me recently when I was traveling to China, and I felt especially close to her because she is in Okinawa, Japan! I thought about her a lot while I was on her side of the globe a few weeks ago. I love stopping by her blog to read her "Thankful Thursdays" each week, because they truly make me thankful for the blessings in my life as well. I think her Thankful Thursday posts are probably characteristic of how she thinks every other day of the week, and I want to be more like that!

Well, this was fun! I hope those of you that I've nominated can truly see how you've been a source of love and encouragement, and have impacted me personally. Really. When I started blogging I had no idea that other bloggers could or would mean so much to me, or that God would use what He's teaching you to teach me as well. Thank you for allowing Him to use you in my life. (And thanks, again, Terri! ;)

If a picture's worth a thousand words...

how much is a slide show worth?

I feel like I've got so much to say about what we've been up to, but so little time to write! So, here is our "summer-so-far" slideshow!

I'm back!

Did you notice I was gone?

It's a fun and busy summer for so many families... ours included! We just returned from a fabulous four days at the lake with my husband's family. His sister and her family have a wonderful lake house and were our hosts. We all had a great time--- lots of sun, lots of rain, lots of food, lots of laughs, lots of pictures (some of which I'll share once I put them on my computer) and now that we're home... lots of laundry!

I hope all has been well with you while I was away. Once I get the laundry whirring and my email answered, I plan to go blog-hopping this afternoon. (The days leading up to our trip were busy, too, with my son at fencing camp and preparing to go out of town, so I know I haven't posted much. If I get to your blog and see that you haven't posted much, either, I hope it's because you are out and about with your family, too.) I just love summer!

Quick...

What did you have for lunch yesterday?

Where are your car keys?

What's something you've done that you feel guilty about or terribly regret?

Did you think of an answer to the third question before you could remember the answer to the first two? Join me at the Internet Cafe today, where I'm talking about "Forgetting What Is Behind." Just as there are some things we need to remember (like how much God loves us, and where our car keys are) there are some things we are supposed to forget. Today I'm sharing some tips I've found on how to "remember to forget."

I'd love to see you there!

Menu Plan Monday

I hope you had a wonderful Father's Day yesterday with those that you love! We enjoyed going to dinner with my inlaws last night, and since it was not far from where my parents live, they were able to join us too. So, we enjoyed time with both of our fathers at once! (And, some great Mexican food...)

It's a cool(er), rainy Monday morning here and I'm a bit late getting my menu up because (1) it's summer and I can move as s-l-o-w-l-y as I want to and (2) I've been out for a bit this morning dropping off my son at fencing camp. Yes, he'll be learning to sword-fight with the best of them this week, and he's so excited! He and three of his best buddies are going all day, every day for a week. Now when they come at each other with sticks, pvc pipe, or whatever else they use as light sabres and foils... they'll have some technique! My sweet daughter is hanging out with me this week after her busy week at VBS last week, so we're catching up on housework, chatting, and making out our menus for the next few weeks.

I wanted to mention that the Southwestern Fish Tacos I tried last week turned out *great*. My whole family loved them! They are light but very flavorful, a perfect summer dish.

I used to think the Crock Pot was typically associated with fall and winter cooking, or for use during the schoolyear when everyone is out of the house during the day and schedules are tight, but I find that I use mine just as much or more in the summer. I don't like heating up my kitchen with the oven or standing over the stove stirring during the heat of the day/evening, and I like that we can be out and about or swimming at the pool and come home to the smell of dinner. It's an easy clean-up, too. So, this week I've got two slow cooker recipes planned from one of my favorite resources, the Fix-It and Forget-It cookbook.

Monday: Quick Cheeseburger Bake and salad
Tuesday: Chops and Beans (Fix-it and Forget-it, p. 137)
Wednesday: Chicken Parmigiana (Fix-it and Forget-it, p. 180)
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday & weekend: off for a weekend at the lake with family. My father-in-law will be the head chef, so I know we're in for some good eating!

For more recipe and menu ideas, or to post your own, visit Laura at I'm An Organizing Junkie. I hope this week is a yummy one at your house!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, Luke! I see so much of your Heavenly Father in the way that you are a father to our children. Unconditional love and tenderness. Seemingly infinite patience. Strong leadership. High standards, but lavish grace. Willingness to come alongside them and teach them. Involvement in what they are involved in. Concerned with what concerns them. A firm stance when necessary and a ready embrace at all times.

You are lots of things to lots of people, many people call you by various titles, but there are two precious, privileged souls who get to call you "Daddy." They are blessed beyond measure, as am I for getting to join you on this journey.

Happy Father's Day, "Big Luke"- Thank you for giving my Luke not only your name but your heart and your work ethic. He'll do anything for anybody, and I know a large part of that he learned from you.

Happy Father's Day to my Dad- Thank you for the qualities you modeled as I was growing up which gave me a vision for the type of man I would want to marry some day, and for diligently praying him into my life.

Happy Father's Day to my dear brother and brothers-in-law- My nieces and nephews are being raised by true heroes, in every sense of the word. It is a joy to see the relationships you have with the precious children in our family and the way each of you has embraced fatherhood. You are loving your families so well.

Happy Father's Day to the fathers in your life, too! I hope this day is a blessed one in your family... a day which points not just to our earthly fathers but to our Heavenly Father Who loves us more than anyone on earth can. What a privilege to be called His children!

"Just pray for a tough hide and a tender heart."

That's one of my favorite Ruth Graham quotes.

Another one is this:

"If God doesn't bring judgement on America soon, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."

Though rejoicing for her, I was saddened to read in this article awhile ago the news that she has slipped into a coma and is close to going home. (Update: The article in the link has been updated upon her passing.)

I was touched by what Dr. Graham said of his wife: "Ruth is my soul mate and best friend, and I cannot imagine living a single day without her by my side. I am more in love with her today than when we first met over 65 years ago as students at Wheaton College."

You have touched innumerable lives, Mrs. Graham. Thank you for your personal example, wisdom, and openness, and for sharing your husband with the world- a world that so desperately needed the message with which he was entrusted. I can't imagine how many will greet you on the other side as a result of your years of faithful service to your Heavenly Father.

Cooking Together

One of the things summer means is... peaches! Yesterday, while his sister was at VBS, my son and I had some fun in the kitchen making a peach cobbler. I've always enjoyed cooking with my kids. I have such fun pictures of them, from toddlerhood, "helping" me in the kitchen. What that's turned into is... actual help! They have both become quite proficient in the kitchen. Now I find cooking together to be a great way to spend time with them while they are picking up some valuable "life skills," and we usually have some yummy results!

The recipe we used was a combination of this one and the one in my old faithful Better Homes and Gardens red plaid cookbook. We also used the crust recipe from the BH&G cookbook.




We started peeling, and I began in my usual way, with my paring knife. He grabbed the potato peeler and started in and it did a much better job without cutting away as much of the peach. Thanks for teaching me a new tip, son!


The BH&G recipe suggests cooking the peaches, which I wanted to do since ours weren't quite as ripe yet. We also added a bit of cinnamon as suggested in the first recipe.









Time to make the crust! You just can't be a southern cook if you haven't "cut in" some Crisco!

There's our bottom crust, carefully rolled out and placed in the bottom of about a 1 1/2 quart baking dish, ready for our cooked peaches.

I'm a pie crust person, so I wanted a top and bottom crust. (I found a recipe for a "triple crust peach cobbler" that I see in our future someday! Can't have enough crust!)

After he rolled it out, he was able to fold it over in two and then unfold it on top of the peaches. He tried his hand at "fluting" the edges. I think he did a great job!

And of course, one of my favorite snacks, pie crust strips! We did one pan plain, and one pan with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top. My grandmothers used to always make these with the leftover pie crust dough, so it tasted like childhood to me to snack on some baked pie crust. (Since you don't eat the pie or cobbler until after dinner... it makes the waiting easier!)

The final result. We had it after dinner with some Bluebell Homemade Vanilla ice cream. Everyone loved it. It tasted like summer ought to taste!

No Shortcuts to Sanctification

Wow. I am always so amazed and humbled to be in the presence of someone who really lives out God's faithfulness, is a picture of His sufficiency, and lives a life daily yielded to Him. I am drawn to biographies of those saints who have been through unspeakable trials and have emerged proclaiming God's goodness (Corrie Ten Boom and Elisabeth Elliot come immediately to mind). Here in blogland, I am drawn to Amy's and Heather's blogs, and I always come away so humbled by their words and lives.

Yesterday at the pool I was getting caught up on some podcasts and came upon the Revive Our Hearts series from last week. I was riveted by the story of Molly Veldt , who has been through the unimaginable, having lost three of her children to a rare genetic disorder. If you have a moment, go read the transcript or listen to the series called "Don't Waste Your Suffering." As I was listening to her, I kept thinking, "I want that. I want what she has!"

Then, Nancy said something so key:

"And Molly, even as I look into your eyes-now it's been just about two years since you buried your little Mary Grace-I’m seeing something in your countenance, something in your spirit that most women don't have. It is a gift of God's grace and His work and His Spirit in you. We'd all like to have what you have in terms of the spiritual radiance and the beauty. But so many times we're afraid to let God take us on the path, whatever that may mean, that will give us that kind of rich fruit in our lives.

I don't mean to suggest by that that if we want to be spiritually radiant or mature or godly that that means God's going to take children. And you're not suggesting that. But I think we have to know that there are no shortcuts to sanctification and to God's glory filling us and to knowing God in the intimate ways that you've come to know Him."

"There are no shortcuts to sanctification." Wow. As I think of that again today, I'm asking myself...how many of my prayers are actually my attempts to look for shortcuts? Oh, how I want to avoid certain things, but those things might actually be what take me from one level of glory to the next. (2 Cor. 3:18) I want what they have, but do I want to go through what is necessary to have it? There are no shortcuts.

One resounding theme I get from stories of the faithful is this: It's God. God is doing it.

Here's something Molly said that really touched me:

"And let me just say-you say I've made conscious choices. I've made conscious choices to trust, but there are plenty of examples in my life of times when I've chosen not to trust, and fear has welled up in my heart.

So I want to be clear to say that this story I'm sharing is not a story of my faithfulness. This is a story of God's faithfulness. This is a story of a work that He has done. And because He has shown Himself to me in huge and faithful ways, I can have the courage to trust Him and can choose to trust Him-only because of what He's done for me."

************

God, You are enough. Just as You strengthened and sustained the saints of the past and continue to do so for these precious women, You are at work in my heart and life this day. Thank You for not taking me on the shortcuts for which I pray. I want to experience the fullness of Your presence as you work Your good, pleasing and perfect will for my life-- for my ultimate gladness and Your ultimate glory. You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Confessions of a Slacker Mom

"Hi, I'm Cyndi, and um..." (looking down, shuffling my feet, kicking at the dirt) "I'm not working in VBS this year."

There, I said it. Whew! I feel better.

I just returned from my second morning of dropping off my daughter at our church's HUGE Vacation Bible School. (And I mean huge, as in literally thousands of kids will be coming.) And then I did something strange for me. I drove off. I came home. Here I sit.

Somehow I guess it would sound better to say that I dropped her off because she's working at it, not participating in it, but I guess that really doesn't matter. I rationalized all the way home yesterday. I drove her up there, pulled into the parking lot, saw the hubbub of activity of those faithful volunteers herding kids inside and setting up games outside, mentally imagined the activity converging on the inside of the building, kissed my daughter good-bye and told her I'd see her in awhile, then drove away feeling burdened. I felt partially burdened that I wasn't working, while simultaneously feeling burdened by the part of me that doesn't feel burdened in the slightest. :::sigh:::

I used to always do VBS because, well, that's what you do if you're a mom at home with kids in the summer and even slightly involved in your church. So for years I took various roles in our (did I mention that it is mammoth-sized?) VBS. Helping with the music on stage. Running the souvenir shop. Running an art room. Bringing a Suburban-load of kids from the apartments we lived in while we were building this house. Year after year. Then we began coordinating our Awana program and I was... tired. By June, I just couldn't do it. Uncle. In past years I've had the convenient excuse of "Well, I would, but we'll be in Africa." Last year I had just put my 12 year old on a plane for China, my 10 year old didn't want to do VBS anyway, and I didn't have the mental energy to do it. (Besides, what if I missed a phone call from China??? Oh, last summer was tough.) This year, I didn't commit because I knew that I would've only been back in our time zone for less than a week, and I never know in what condition I'll be returning home from a trip (at the very least, jetlagged, but sometimes quite ill.) I came home fine, but I still didn't volunteer. And that's okay. Isn't it?

I realized today as I drove away and saw the faithful volunteers all dressed in their western "Avalanche Ranch" garb that if I did this, I couldn't do the Awana stuff I need to do this summer. I just couldn't. I would be so burned out. Those who are doing what they do don't do what I do. And I don't do what they do. And that's the Body of Christ.

But, oh, I'm praying for those precious souls who will be reached with the gospel in VBS's all across this nation in the weeks to come. And I'm praying refreshment for the many, many volunteers it takes to pull off a successful VBS, of any size. God bless y'all.

And now I'm off to spend some much-needed alone-time with my son. Yee haw!

Menu Plan Monday

After three weeks away, it feels so good to be back in the kitchen. I have been flipping through my recipes, ready to cook for my sweet family again. And now... it's summer!

Here's what we're having this week:

Monday: Grilled chicken, pasta primavera, strawberry Jello with bananas

Tuesday: Leftover grilled pork ribs that my husband made Sunday (with a salt/pepper/brown sugar rub--- SO yummy), corn on the cob, peas

Wednesday: Southwestern Fish Tacos, Spanish rice, black beans, peach cobbler

Thursday: Polynesian Meatballs, rice, stir-fried veggies

Friday: Left-overs

Weekend: Sandwiches, leftovers, out to eat after church (Saturday night), and something fun-but-yet-to-be-planned for Father's Day

For more recipes, visit Laura at I'm An Organizing Junkie!

Have a yummy week!

In Case You Haven't Seen This...

It's worth taking three minutes to watch. Wow.

I know it's been making the rounds on some blogs, but I just felt compelled today to post it as well.

These are John Piper's thoughts on the "prosperity gospel." If the health & wealth gospel isn't going to somehow work its way into our thinking and infect what we tell others, it's going to have to be deliberate and intentional on our part.

God, you are enough. You are enough.

More Glimpses of China

Here's a slideshow I put together, so you can see some of the images that are running through my mind! (If your mind runs faster than mine, you can click the "+" to speed the slides up a little...)

Let's keep praying for China!

Do you worry?

I do. I didn't always, really, but in recent years it's become more of a problem for me. Actually, I think the fact that I never considered myself a "worrier," only worrying about small things, left a chink in my armor, a breach in the wall, and allowed fear and worry to become a greater problem in my life. An unguarded strength became a double weakness. Perhaps I was too confident or self-assured in certain areas, and I just didn't worry. Not anymore.

I've been getting caught up on some of my podcasts, and this morning I listened to an excellent talk given by Dr. Charles Swindoll at a Dallas Theological Seminary chapel service (from 4/17/07). He had some good words to say about worry.

1. Anxiety highlights the human viewpoint, strangling God's viewpoint. I begin to see statistics and trends instead of seeing things from God's perspective. This produces fear.

2. Anxiety chokes our ability to distinguish the incidental from the essential. (Matt. 6:33) This produces distraction.

3. Anxiety twists worries around our mind so that we cannot relax and we become unfruitful and impatient. It strangles what would otherwise be the fruit of the Spirit in my life. This produces unfruitfulness.

4. Anxiety syphons our energy and our joy, making us judgemental of others. This produces negativity.

He spoke from Luke 10:38-42, the story of Mary and Martha. He pointed out that there are more of us in the Martha category than the Mary. "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things." Does this describe you? It does me. Worried and bothered about so many things.

I worry when I add...

• more things to an already full schedule
• pressure by thinking "My image and reputation are involved in this."
• expectations to what hasn't happened

...and that makes me angry.

I worry when I subtract...

• God's presence from my crisis
• prayer from my day
• perspective from the moment of difficulty

...and that makes me doubt.

I worry when I multiply...

• my problems by inserting human solutions
• human solutions so rapidly that I miss the perspective
• my fears with imagination (What if.....? Maybe....)

...and that makes me afraid.

I worry when I divide...

• my life into the secular and the sacred
• my day into the Lord's part and my part

...and that makes me forget.

So, angry, doubting, afraid and forgetting, I feel a lot like Martha. I think we've all been there, some of us may find ourselves there today.

May we remember that He is at work right now! God says that "before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24

Heavenly Father, may I trust You for the things I have been worrying about and leave the results with You.

My Life These Past Few Weeks...

Whew! I'm unpacking. Not only luggage, but also my thoughts. I've seen so much these past three weeks. God is moving mightily on this earth, among the nations as well as in my own heart. Thank you so much for taking this journey with me! It's taking me awhile to unload my bags and upload my pictures, but here are a few things I'd love to share, now that I'm back and have strung a few hours of sleep together. (In a row! Bonus!)

Here is our approach into Hong Kong, before we went on to our city. It's a beautiful landing, but it looks like you're landing on water, which is... interesting.

One of the first places we visited in our city was a huge Buddhist temple. I wish I could upload the sounds of the chanting and the smell of the incense. It was very, very powerful. The monks were chanting/singing a prayer, the "tune" of which sounded a lot like "Nothing But The Blood." So that's what we sang as we stood watching. It was a neat moment.


I am the LORD; that is my name!I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. Isaiah 42:8



Bethany made lots of friends wherever she went. Here she is with some girls at a shop. She always took the opportunity to share the gospel when she could, and exchanged email addresses with people. Hopefully she'll stay in touch.


Here she is impressing me with her ability to order for us in Chinese.
The 3 teens on our team had prepared a very bold puppet show, which they performed at a couple of different schools. This was at an autism school, where the parents were in attendance with their kids. The adults, especially, were very attentive during a story about how God is always with us, how He loves us and made everything around us. They were fascinated by the story of Noah. What a privilege to share these stories with them!
The puppets would come out and "meet" the children after the performance. Most of the kids had a really good time putting their fingers in the puppet's mouth! It was a great chance to love on these kids, most of whom had never seen any sort of puppet show before.

After this performance, we got a chance to talk to small groups of the kids to explain the story to them. Very, very cool opportunity. They (adults and kids alike) always make the "peace" sign for pictures. The red scarves indicate that their families are Communist Party members. Here I am with a group of women after an "English Corner," where we would help them practice their English. They were very interested in my beliefs, which I was very excited to share. I was able to meet with the girl on the left again later in the week, as she had many questions and is not yet a believer.

After we finished our work in our city, we went to Beijing where we toured the Summer Palace. Here is some of the beautiful architecture.



We went to the jade factory where they are inlaying the jade on the back of the Olympic medals for the '08 Olympics in Beijing. The back of the gold medals will have white jade, which is very rare. The back of the silver will have light green, also rare, and the back of the bronze will have the green jade that we typically see. I think they're beautiful! It was a great opportunity to see what the medals look like "up close."
Watching the Lord capture the heart of my daughter has been an amazing privilege.


Just a few hours after I landed at home, I packed another bag and headed here: We stayed in this beautiful house in Maryland with 9 other people, relaxing and listening to author and speaker Os Guinness. I understood much more than I did last year, and relished the opportunity to get away with Luke, who I hadn't seen in 12 days!

It was such a privilege to get to fellowship with Dr. Guinness, who is truly one of the great minds in Christendom today. He is so humble and personable. He had just returned from China himself a couple of weeks ago, so we had something in common!

This was my view each morning, overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, and where Luke and I would enjoy our coffee and Bible reading. Dr. Guiness spoke out of the book of Jeremiah each morning, and then spoke on different topics before lunch and in the evenings.

I loved spending time with my cute husband after being absent from each other. This time was truly a gift!

We had time before our flight out of Reagan airport to take in some of the sights in D.C.

Two Great Thinkers

A wreath placed at the WWII memorial. It was really neat to be there so close to Memorial Day.

I don't know how God has seen fit to let me experience what I have in recent days. He is so, so good. It feels good to be home. It is now officially "summer" and I am looking forward to relaxing with my kids, reconnecting with family, swimming, and planning school for next year.

After I get all of our laundry done, that is.

Again, thank you to those of you who have taken this journey with me. Your comments and emails of support, and especially your prayers buoyed me during some tumultuous times right before I left, and helped me stay sane while I was gone. God truly used you in my life these past few weeks, and I felt like you were right there with me in China. May the blessings return to you a hundred fold.

Now... I've got to go so I can visit your blogs! Love y'all!

May I just say...

that this is why I just love Beth Moore. Oh, my. I'm loving getting caught up with everyone's blogs, even those who don't even know I exist! Yey summer!!

I May Have Climbed the Great Wall...

But there was a time I told God I'd never go to China. Do you have a "Great Wall" in your life? I think we all do. Stop by the cafe today to read about my "Great Wall" experience and share your own!

The coffee's brewing. I'll see you there!

Ni Hao, Y'all!!

I'm back! But not for long...

I really don't consider myself a "jetsetter" but apparently I am, for now. Last year, Luke and I went to this conference to hear speaker and author Os Guinness. (In fact the picture here is where my profile picture is from!) The dates worked out that it was the day after I returned from China. I literally landed less than 16 hours ago, repacked a bag, and now we're heading out! We're looking forward to relaxing our bodies and exercising our minds.

I had no idea my sweet husband was posting on my blog... I'm so glad you got to "meet" him! I literally have not been to my blog since before I left, just because the computer I was using at the hotel was not on a secure server and I didn't want it in the history on it. (Paranoid, I know, but there was a lot going on!) Thank you, thank you for your prayers. I cannot WAIT to post more about what went on, and to get caught up with you on your blogs! I've missed my sistas!!

I'm not taking my laptop with me to Maryland, as I need to just... be. So, I'll be back online after June 4th.

Love y'all!