Getting started...

Our day is off to a great start so far.  A handsome young man joined me outside this morning, and we enjoyed synchronized Bible reading and coffee drinking,



while inside, our zucchini-carrot-walnut bread (from the Great Holiday Baking Book) finished cooking.



 

We are ready to start the day, refueled physically and spiritually.  Swimming with friends, packing, dentist appointment, packing, ice cream sundaes with friends tonight...

Texas Woman's Daybook

Just for today...Monday, June 10

 

On my bookshelf..."The Omnivore's Dilemma:  The Secrets Behind What You Eat".  Somehow I got the "young readers" edition when I put this book on hold at the library, but even this version is giving plenty of food for thought. 

 

A heart of thankfulness...a sweet couple from church invited us over Saturday afternoon for a break in packing.

 

We made hand cranked vanilla ice cream,

 



played on their beautiful antique organ,

 



and enjoyed a game of croquet in their backyard.

 

Praying...for the Lord to "strengthen" those on my prayer list.  I've printed out these minute prayers so they can be at my fingertips.

 

One of my favorite things...surprise morning glory blooms!  I didn't think I would get to see them, but I found two sweet white blooms in one of my pots in the back yard.

 

 

From the learning rooms...we are officially out of school until July, but I've picked up a couple of resources to prepare our minds for American History while we pack:  "The American Patriot's Almanac" by William J. Bennett and Jon T.E. Cribb and a video, "History Classics: Conquest of America"

 

Pondering these words... "I never look at the masses as my responsibility.  I look at the individual.  I can only love one person at a time."  ~  Mother Teresa 

Good words for me to remember as we get ready to return to the Solomon Islands.

 

Crafting in the kitchen...we're down to cleaning out the pantry, fridge, and freezer, so it was just tuna salad for our new Resource Coordinator that joined us for lunch today

 

 

Planning for the week ahead...one day at a time.  Trying to think about the whole week is overwhelming.  So thankful for many people to see and many special things to do in and around our packing.

 

Sweet Sabbath



"A tenderhearted person lives a blessed life; a hardhearted person lives a hard life."  Proverbs 28:14 MSG

 

"To love at all is to be vulnerable.  Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken.  If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one.  It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable...."

~C.S. Lewis

 

Praying to keep my heart soft and giving thanks:

 

 

-for friends who haven't been afraid to get to know the nitty-gritty, real Choate family

 

-for one more reason to drink my morning cup of coffee

 

-for our Sunday School class who gathered Friday night to eat yummy desserts and pray for our family

 

 

 

-for reconnecting with a former orchestra student.  He was my student helper when he was in high school and kept me and the music library organized.  Now he works as the executive director of the Children's Chorus of Greater Dallas.

 

-for this great article about "How Can I Help my Friend Living Overseas?".  True, so true.

 

 

 

-for a huge box of mixed up pictures that made it to this low-tech organized step and for the walk down our oh, so very rich memory lane as we filed photos

 

-for nine days left in Texas to enjoy the many relationships God has given us here

Encouraging words

We just received encouraging words from a colleague living in Honiara.  Our head translator, Ezekiel, stopped by SITAG to check on some Lavukal participants for the upcoming literacy workshop, and he dropped off this letter, written by Walter, one of our next door neighbors in Marulaon Village.  Not only do Walter's words encourage us, but the activity of Lavukal literacy work excites us!  One of our prayers has been that work in translation and literacy would go on whether or not our family was involved.  Thank you, Lord!  Here is Walter's letter, as we received it from our colleague:

St Mathias Chapel
Marulaon Village
West Russell
Central Province
4/06/2013
Solomon Island
Translation Head Office
SITAG, Honiara

Dear Sir,
It is a grateful honour and privilege for me to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Lavukal people, to thank all the supporters of our translation adviser, Mr Aaron and family.
However my first and foremost obligation is to convey my sincere appreciations and congratulate to you all the supporters of Aaron and family, for the financial assistance you have rendered towards Aaron and family for the continual of Gods work in Russell Island.
 
On behalf of Lavukal translation committee, I wish to submit to your office some contributing and observational assessments done to Mr Aaron regarding to his work, outputs and managerial capabilities to our translation project. Sir, dispite Aaron's juniorness in translation teaching profession he has shown great improvements on physical, environmental, social, cultural, spiritual, co-operational and academical developments for our translation project as well as to our communities.

 Hence, Mr Aaron's cognitive and intellectual productivity must be maintained to continue his good flowerish production to the profession. We however, would like to forward our supplementary recommendation to help your office in his work assessment for your official records.

 The "Lavukal Translation Committee" on behalf of the Lavukal people, would like to thank once again all the supporters of Aaron's family in one way or the other.

 Sir, with due respect of your boards decision, our translation board of management would accept the reposting of Aaron in the Russells. The re-activation of our translation project both physically and academically had been seen positive under the administration of Mr Aaron.

 With this few remarks once again thank you very much for your understanding and co-operation.

Your sincerely,
Walter Aefoa

If it ain't Baroque...

 

A double joy this morning - beautiful music and good friends!

Aaron and our multitalented friend Ruth, whose family serves through Bible translation in Central African Republic,

 



 

 played Vivaldi and Corelli in the living room,

 

while I fought with the sewing machine trying to finish one last purple sparkly skirt,

 



 

Sarah worked in the kitchen making desserts for our Sunday School get-together tonight,

 

 

and the rest of the gang played in the driveway with chalk and matchbox cars outside.

 

My creative Sarah drew an entire city out of chalk,

 



including the zoo.

 



 

When the sun got a little bit warm,

 

 

the crew came inside for a playdough & cookie cutters break.  Banana bread and cold milk sweetened the deal.

 

 

What a great way to take a break from all of the packing!

This morning I drove down to Scasta Farm in the rain to pick up a load of delicious food.  There's just something special about knowing the people who grow the food you are eating and knowing that the sirloin in your pan stayed on the same piece of land his entire life.



When I pulled out of the driveway, I felt like I'd been to church.  Such sweet fellowship and such good stewardship of God's creation.  Tonight, we are feasting!



Glazed Carrots and Ginger



Sautéed Kohlrabi with Onions and Cream



Spaetzle

Last week, when our friends the Pierces spent the night, they taught us how to make Spaetzle (tweaked slightly to fit their family).  Thanks for sharing the recipe and being our guests chefs!

 

5 eggs
3 cups flour
1 cup water (may need more depending on many factors)
pinch of salt

 

 Mix the batter.  Add more water as needed to make it thin enough to go through your device of choice.  Most families don't have a spatzlesbrett (a wooden board with a handle on one side and a beveled edge on the other), we don't.

 

The batter can obviously be a bit thicker with a funnel than trying to force it through a slotted spoon.  Mix air into the batter for 20 minutes or so until it gets bubbly.

 Boil salted water in a wide pan.  

Add the spaetzle.  When it floats, it's done.

 Layer spaetzle with toppings.  We usually use meat, garlic, onion, green pepper, cheese.  I would think the topping choices would be unlimited.

 

Texas Woman's Daybook

Just for today...Monday, June 3

 

Outside my window...my morning glories are climbing like crazy.  I would love to see some blooms before we leave!

 

On my bookshelf...only "Frappe with Philippians".  Not much time or energy to read anything else during this season of transition.

 

 

A heart of thankfulness...for Living Stones Indonesian Fellowship Church and the little taste of heaven we experienced Saturday night.

 

 

Singing God's praises in three different languages?  Yep, a teensy tiny peek into what heaven will be like.

We loved catching up with friends we met when both these guys were finishing up their Masters of Divinity degrees at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis.

 

 

Both of our families have grown since we last saw each other!

 

 

Listening to...a quiet house.  Quiet enough that I can hear the clock ticking.   Half of the family has gone to the dentist this afternoon.

 

Noticing God's glory...when my parents were here for Memorial Day weekend, the kids found a next full of eggs in the church's grill out in the driveway.

This morning, they peeked inside the grill again.  Benjamin said, "Those eggs will be bad by now.  Look, they're fuzzy.  WAIT!  They've hatched!!!"

When I went to check on the nest, the mama bird flew out and gave me an earful from her safe perch in a nearby tree.  I think we'll just try to watch and let her be a mama without help from our family.

Pondering these words... "Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are gardeners."  ~Shakespeare

 

 

Around the house...trying to finish the skirts that we started last weekend with my mother.

The simple "one-hour" pattern is enough for me and my slow sewing-challenged team.  But we're learning and getting better little bit by little bit.

 



 

Katherine watched while we made skirts from the material her big sisters picked out, now it's her turn to get a skirt from the sweet purple floral she chose.

 

 

 

Crafting in the kitchen...enjoying crescent rolls in a can before we go back to making them from scratch overseas.  This morning we ate Almond Danish Swirls for breakfast.

 

Planning for the week ahead...trying to balance the packing, sorting, playing, and hugging necks one last time.  We've got lots of lunch dates, a choir rehearsal tonight, an end-of-the-year children's party for church Wednesday, a dessert/pray for the Choates Sunday School party Friday, the wonderful list of opportunities goes on and on and on and on...

 

A peek into my corner of the world...the beautiful blueberry bars Aaron made this weekend.  Loving the fresh summer fruits!
 

Sweet Sabbath



"Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders."  Deuteronomy 33:12

 

Sundays are for going to church, hearing God's Word, and singing his praises, but they are also about rest and fellowship, taking time to be still and refuel.

 

 

Sundays are for inviting friends over to celebrate a 13th birthday.  For sharing your hearts and your tears.  For kicking your feet up in the recliner while your hearts are knit together.

 

 

Sundays are for unexpected visitors, too, who can help finish off that birthday cheesecake and who remind you that a Sunday afternoon nap is a very good thing.

 



 

"Work is not always required...there is such a things as sacred idleness, the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected." 

 ~George Macdonald