Texas Woman's Daybook

Just for today...Tuesday, March 19

 

Outside my window...peach trees blooming on the church's property

 

I am hearing...Casting Crowns in the background while my kitchen crew sets the table for supper.

 

Noticing that...I function so much better when I am well rested.  After we got home from our road trip Sunday night, I slept for eleven hours.  Yesterday, I had so much more energy than usual!

 

Something I want to remember for later...all four of my kids helping fix breakfast with my mom last week.

 

A heart of thankfulness...for the 3007 miles of Road Trip March 2013.  Especially for all the people who prayed for us or made time to spend with us.  The kids didn't miss a beat with school, we shared with many people about Bible translation in the Solomon Islands, and we got to hug lots of familiar and precious necks along the way.

 

Pondering these words...

"Your arm has safely brought us through

A way no more expected,

Than when your sheep

Passed through the deep.

By crystal walls protected.

Your glory was our strength and shield,

Your hand our lives did cover,

And we, e'en we

Have walked the sea,

And marched triumphant over."

~Charles Wesley

 

From the kitchen...Aaron always teases me because as soon as we get home from a big trip, I jump into cooking with a vengeance.  I love nurturing my family with beautiful, yummy, and nutritious food.  Tonight, in honor of St. Joseph's Day and the installation of a new pope, we're having stuffed Italian bread from the "Great Holiday Baking Book" and lemon ginger pound cake that Sarah made this afternoon.

 

 

 

From the learning rooms...after taking yesterday off to catch up around the house, Sarah is challenging us with inequalities and radicals in algebra, Katherine is learning how to tell time, and we are discovering the 1870's in history with all of its uprisings and land changing hands

 

A few plans for the rest of the week...within the next week we know two families who will be moving away and one family moving here, so we'll enjoy helping provide meals and loading boxes and cleaning and whatever they need.  Aaron and I are also playing our cellos for the musical "Savior" this weekend at church, and we have rehearsal Friday night.  Oh, and there is an Easter Egg outreach with our church on Saturday.  More activities than I realized!

Carlisle, Arkansas

We finished up our March 2013 Road Trip with a visit to a couple of my "bachelor" cousins who opened up their home for our family.  The competition on the basketball court was fierce,

 



but at least they had a great cheerleader.

 



 

We laughed and played until the sun went down and it was time to go in and get ready for church the next day.  Then we laughed and played some more inside.

 

 

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church invited us to come back and share with them about Bible translation with the Lavukal, and we were excited to come back and worship with them again.

 

This church has encouraged and supported us from the very beginning of our service with Wycliffe.  We are so thankful for them.  And they sure know how to put together a potluck that will knock your socks off!

 



I love watching our kids reconnect with family, and I think they would have smuggled either one of these cousins in the vehicle to come home with us.  Thanks, guys, for opening up the Schalchlin Bed and Breakfast!

 



Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival

 Exulting in Spring and daffodils today with my grandparents, parents, and brother at Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival in Arkansas.

Memphis, Tennessee

 

 

 We only had time for lunch as we drove through Memphis.

But several sweet church members from Highland Heights Baptist Church took time out of their busy schedules to meet us for a quick bite to eat.



 

Aaron teased that our table was full of "hens" since we clucked and chattered during the entire meal.  But it was a delightful meal full of sweet fellowship.

 

Nashville, Tennessee

All thanks be to God,

Who scatters abroad

Throughout every place,

By the least of his servants his savor of grace!

~Charles Wesley



 

We're just outside Nashville now, and we're feeling that grace being scattered on us by "the least of his servants".



We met John and Raluca when we moved to the Dallas area in 2006, and we've been impacted by their servant hearts ever since.



John taught Benjamin how to turn a bowl this morning,

 



 

 while Raluca and the girls crafted some beautiful hair bows.

 

We discovered a beautiful picture as John and Benjamin took a chunk of wood that nobody wanted,



 

and over several hours, shaped and chiseled away at the parts they didn't want,

 

 

 and slowly, slowly,

 

they created a beautiful and unique bowl.  Just like God wants to do with each one of us.



And now we're off to share about Bible translation with the youth group at Providence Baptist Fellowship...