Setting Goals

 As I'm slowly gaining energy and stamina, I'm beginning to step outside my comfort zone more and more. I'm setting some small goals in a variety of places. My personality likes charts, graphs, small step to success, etc. One of my favorite social media accounts that helps me with goal setting is thejustinmecham. His PDFs set me up for success.

1) My first goal is to get back to the sewing machine. I've not touched it in years! While I was looking at patterns, I stumbled across this one for cancer patients. My jaw hit the ground, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude that the people who create patterns would consider the needs of cancer patients with all of the poking and prodding they endure. This isn't the pattern I bought, the big reveal will come later :)

2) I'm giving my students the opportunity to participate in an April practice challenge, and that served as the kickstart I needed for my own practice. I haven't had a thumb callous in a very long time, so my first goal is to rebuild that callous and the muscles that thumb position needs to be strong and safe. My second goal is a certain number of practice minutes a week. I'm starting small and hoping to grow!

3) The third thing I'm doing right now to nudge me out of my comfort zone is participating in a plant sale. My buddy from Shaky K Farm invited me to join her this weekend. I won't have the hundreds and hundreds of seedlings the she will offer, but I will have a beautiful variety of sweet peppers and cherry tomatoes that I grew from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds.

Sweet Sabbath - Joy Camp

"We start our day in joy camp and end our day in joy camp. It doesn't matter if your day is good or bad; you have the security of knowing you will be with people who are happy to see you at the end of the day. Families that successfully build this type of rhythm will find themselves living with the margin they need to handle the stresses of life and increase their joy." 

The rhythm of our Sundays is bookended by church in the morning and youth orchestra rehearsal in the evening. While Katherine plays her cello with other young musicians, we take a walk or hike a trail then find a place for "coffee and calendar" (usually Barnes and Noble because I have gift cards!). I anticipate this weekly tradition and enjoy our time together. 

During Katherine's first rehearsal of the season, we explored around downtown Little Rock and walked across several of the pedestrian bridges that cross the Arkansas River. We discovered some beautiful vintage "love locks" on Junction Bridge and enjoyed the view from the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge. Building these rhythms and routines into our lives also increases our joy and helps us stay connected during the week.

Coffee and Calendars

The enemy of your soul and your marriage will whisper this in your ear...:  "You don't have enough."  He will work to convince you that you simply do not have what you need to face the realities of your differences with hope and courage.  He will tempt you to give in and give up.  He will tempt you to run and hide.  He will tempt you to give way to things that you have the power to resist.  He will work to make you feel poor and weak.  And if he can get you to minimize your sin and doubt God's provision, he's got you.  ~Paul Tripp, "What Did You Expect?"

Nowhere are our differences made more visible than when it comes to our weekly "coffee and calendars".  Most weeks we stay at home and make a fresh press of coffee, some weeks we get all fancy and head to a local coffee shop.  When we're planning, Aaron (INTP) is Mr. Flexible and can roll with whatever God throws his way.  On the other hand, I (ESFJ) like to know what to expect and find it hard to step outside of my comfort zone.

We've found this personality website incredibly helpful:

...no one is more enthusiastic and capable of spotting a problem, drilling through the endless factors and details that encompass the issue and developing a unique and viable solution than INTPs.... People who share the INTP personality type aren’t interested in practical, day-to-day activities and maintenance.

ESFJs are excellent managers of day-to-day tasks and routine maintenance, enjoying making sure that those who are close to them are well cared for....Valuing stability and security very highly, ESFJs are eager to preserve the status quo.

So it's a good thing when we can remind each other that together we fill in each other's weaknesses.  And it's an even better thing when we can remind each other that God gives us what we "need to face the realities of [our] differences with hope and courage".

Arkansas History

Our adventures in Arkansas history continue to delight us.  Recently I discovered that Arkansas housed two Japanese internment camps during WWII, so when my friend Julie decided to come back for a visit, we knew that a trip to southeast Arkansas was in the plans.

Our first stop was the Japanese American Internment Museum in McGehee, where we added a visitor's pin to the Solomon Islands.  An excellent video resource is "Time of Fear", which provided a great foundation of information before we toured the small museum.  

We've just discovered "Relocation Arkansas:  Aftermath of Incarceration", and we're hoping to watch it very soon as a follow up to our field trip.

After we enjoyed a picnic lunch, we drove over to Rowher and the monuments that still remain.

The Rowher War Relocation Center would have been right next to this small cemetery.

The monuments stood in honor of the Japanese American soldiers who gave their lives to fight for the same America that was holding their families in isolation.

Aaron and I were both reminded of the Japanese Memorial and some of the war remnants we've seen in Honiara as we looked around this little spot currently nestled in between fields in Arkansas.

"May the people of Arkansas keep in beauty and reverence forever this ground where our bodies sleep."  I'm thankful that this place is respectfully preserved in memory.  

Ann and I are both planners, we find that thinking ahead smooths the path for us.  But leading up to this weekend, we both felt like we were panting and trying to catch our breath.  So when supper time rolled around, and we were still on the road, we decided that Julie needed a good taste of Southern culture.

Enter "The Bullpen" with its all-you-can-eat buffet, complete with catfish, hushpuppies, onion rings, frog legs, and banana pudding.  What a fun way to end a day that had been a little bit serious as we learned about some hard things.  So grateful for these ladies and their friendship!  On the way home, we even saw a huge meteor streak across the sky. 

Super Hero

This morning, we had the first of many "long range planning committee" meetings since Aaron returned from overseas.  Lots to pray about and discuss and get on the calendar.  All fueled by coffee in our new mugs.  He is truly my super hero, and I love being his side kick.

Even with amazing technology at my fingertips, I'm a paper kind of girl when it comes to getting organized.  July means our family calendar and my personal planner just flipped to new, clean, papers.  I love my new daily planner!

As I try to squeeze six different schedules on the little lines (even our big two feet by three feet family calendar runs out of room quickly), I'm struck with the need for wisdom in our season of transition.  We are increasingly going in different directions, and this mama has two college students who are more and more beautifully independent.  Lord, show me how to "number my days" well and give me vision and creativity to build my family well.

Pray, Plan, Play

"When you embrace God's providence in your life, you are free to reflect His power and love.  Instead of being paralyzed by what you can't control, you are empowered by the knowledge that God is in control.  Instead of being tossed by circumstances and reacting to other people's choices, you are empowered to act when He calls.  You gain control over your own self; and regardless of what may happen, you are free to act out of power and goodness in order to pursue the good of those around you." 
~Hannah Anderson, "Made for More"

Pray, Plan, and Play.  Three things that sometimes we struggle to do.  Especially together.

We're so grateful for the opportunity to invest in our marriage, our family, our ministry, ourselves.  And for the two unexpected checks that made this trip possible.  Going away to Mt. Nebo State Park always clears away the noise and gives us the opportunity to listen to the Lord's quiet whispers.

The trails on Mt. Nebo are steeped in history and science, and we love traipsing about while we talk and hash through ideas.

We're pretty sure a summer tanager perched regularly in this tree and sang to us.

Most of the time, the birds were the only noise. 

The deer up on Nebo are quite used to people, and we love to listen for them stepping through the woods.  This one looked like he was going to ask Aaron for supper!

In the quiet, as we prayed more and planned more and played more, the next few months began to take shape for our family.

Months full of transition, to be sure, but months also full of even more of  God's faithfulness as He guides us through the next steps.

Moses said to the Lord..."If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you...."

The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." 

Exodus 33:12-14

"Besides self-denial, self-effacement, and a willingness to cooperate with God, a true servant puts his or her gifts at the disposal of the Master." 

~Elisabeth Elliot, "Be Still My Soul:  Reflections on Living the Christian Life"

My gorgeous farmers market discovery!

For the last year, the whole family has put our gifts into mama teaching orchestra.  God provided financially for our family through the sweet job while our older kids transitioned back to life in America.  Now it's time to focus again on Bible translation in the Solomon Islands and to throw everything we've got into getting our Lavukal friends the Bible in their own language.  

We've finally met the budget goal that Wycliffe has set for our lives in the Solomon Islands.  This frees Aaron to travel again and move forward on the translation project.  We still haven't met the budget goal for our time in America, but we are trusting God to be faithful to provide, just like He always has!

So we're excited to put August 26-September 16 on the calendar as Aaron's next trip to the Solomon Islands!  He's looking forward to reconnecting with the translation team.  We covet prayers as the puzzle pieces of this trip come together.

Friday, March 31

Aaron and Benjamin replaced all of the house's gutters yesterday while I was at the school. Yippee! Now all of the house maintenance projects are complete and we can turn our attentions to packing up and finishing well in Marulaon.

Yesterday on radio sched, we confirmed that the Kosco had indeed broken down and wasn't going to come to our village next week. So now we are left scrambling among only a few options. Do we choose cheaper or faster? What copra ships will be in the area that might have room for our family? Copra ships aren't meant to carry passengers, and they stop at every little village along the way to pick up cargo. It might take us two days to get back to Honiara on a copra ship. If one happened to come along. Sarah and Benjamin are cleaning out their rooms, so we have more cargo than usual. Should we try to hire two motor canoes to go across the open ocean quickly? Or do we try to think totally out of the box and look for a different option? And how do our choices affect the community here? Please pray for our wisdom and for our SITAG family as they do their best to gather information for us. We have tickets to leave the country in just a few weeks, and many things will be claiming our time and attention when we return to Honiara.

Praying, Planning, Playing

When each of our mothers asked what Aaron wanted for his birthday, the quick answer was money and time toward a marriage retreat.  Both of those thoughtful ladies committed to helping finance our time away and to looking after our children while we were gone as a gift to celebrate Aaron's special day.

But that gift benefits more than just my amazing husband.  It benefits our marriage.  It benefits our family.  And it benefits our ministry with the Lavukal.  For forty-six hours, we are pulling away to beautiful Mt. Nebo (our favorite place to be still and quiet and listen to the Lord) to do some:

-Praying

-Planning

-Playing

We covet prayers during this time as we seek the Lord's face about how to proceed into the next weeks, months, & years.  And we're so grateful for our mothers who were willing to sacrifice to make this time possible.

A Look at the Week Ahead II

Another fun week ahead!

Sunday, January 27: Today was a very special day because Aaron baptized Benjamin at church this morning. Last May, Benjamin asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins and to be Lord of Benjamin's life. However, Benjamin hasn't quite been ready to be baptized in front of the whole church. A few weeks ago, he had the opportunity to talk with a friend about the need for Jesus in his life. The friend realized that he didn't know Jesus, so Benjamin talked to him, and Aaron followed up. There were three young boys baptized this morning, one was the friend that Benjamin talked to, one was a boy Aaron led to the Lord during the revival, and the third was Benjamin. We are so humbled and excited that our family got to play a part in eternity!

Today also happens to be Lewis Carroll's birthday (1832). Although we had lots of company (and Sundays are always busy), we drank out of the awesome tea cups (illustrated with the tea party from "Alice in Wonderland") that Aunt Rachel found. Grandparents enjoyed lots of hugs and kisses.

Monday, January 28: National Kazoo Day! How else do you celebrate except with lots of noisy kazoos?!?

Tuesday, January 29: National Puzzle Day! We have a new puzzle (thanks to Nahna) just waiting to have lots of hands working together.

Wednesday, January 30: The Lone Ranger debuted in 1949. We'll watch some of the old shows, and I can't wait for the kids to hear the theme song since we're studying Rossini right now.

Thursday, January 31: In 1990, McDonald's opened its first restaurant in the Soviet Union. So I guess we'll have to swing by McDonalds for a treat on the way to piano lessons.

Friday, February 1: National Bubble Gum Day Imagine being able to chew bubble gum at school while helping a worthy cause! Today children across the country will be doing just that. Kids who donate $.50 or more get to chew gum at school. The money collected is donated to a charity chosen by the school. Our "principal" has given us permission, and we're considering the local pregnancy shelter for our charity (we'll augment our gum money with some baby things, too!). Anyone else want to join us in raising some money?

Saturday, February 2: For Candlemas, I'm hoping to find some beeswax to roll into candles instead of trying to dip the wicks into wax. So far, I've been unsuccessful. If anybody knows where to find the sheets of wax, PLEASE let me know.

Hope your week is off to a great start! We are rejuvenated from all of our celebrating today.

Thinking ahead

The kids started back to school today, and I'm in full-fledged planning mode. We're looking forward to getting into a routine again. Here's a look at the week ahead:

We have company coming for supper tonight and company coming for lunch tomorrow. Since Epiphany falls on a Sunday (the busiest day of the week for our family), we will be celebrating tomorrow by making our Three Kings Cake and watching "Amahl and the Night Visitors" starring Daddy (at age 12) as Amahl.

Thursday, January 10, is the anniversary of the plastic ducky fleet sailing the Pacific Ocean. So we'll read Eric Carle's book "10 Little Rubber Ducks" and check out ducky alerts.

Our books for January will all be snow-themed (see side bar) and we'll create "Snowball Treats" while we try to imagine what it would be like to live in St. Paul with Aunt Melissa who actually gets snow.

We might even try a taffy pull if we get brave!

Sunrise

The sunrise this morning was beautiful. I wish I had taken a picture. Sort of a gentle lavender that melted into salmon and gradually faded into a buttery yellow (don't laugh, the sky really did look that way!). Got me thinking about new starts, the coming year, and all of the goals we'd like to accomplish as a family.

This year will be really hard in some ways: lots of change and unknowns as we move overseas. We want our goals to reflect how we love the Lord with all of our hearts, our minds, our souls, and our strength. Since we're all in school, using our minds challenges us daily! We strive to open our home and our hearts to old friends and new friends on a regular basis as well. Now that Katherine is a little older, we're beginning to fall into more of a routine around here, and our souls are hungry for more time each morning with the Lord. The most unatural way for this family to love God is with our strength! It is not easy to get up and move (although we love being outside enjoying creation), eating rich foods is much more fun than eating carrot sticks all of the time.

So, as a family, we are tackling this area of weakness together. We are signing the kids up for the Oklahoma City Marathon! Twenty five of those miles must be logged before the end of April when we meet with friends and run the last 1.2 miles as a group. We are so excited! Anyone want to join us?