Two parties in one day, HOORAY!

Day 187 (Friday 9-27):

We've missed a lot of holidays, big and small. This day, we got to celebrate our niece, Deanna's birthday AND our nephew Jacob's birthday.  We had to dash from Deanna's party to get to Jacob's celebration at family night, but we did it! It's one of those days you take for granted when you live near family and these things are normal. I hope I never take these things for granted, both normal days with family, but also days away from family, because those are short too.  Really all of our time is short, here or there, anywhere, reminding myself to make the most of every opportunity, no matter where I find myself!

Deanna and I made a special breakfast for her big day: monkey bread!

Feeding the baby!

iPad, it's a bonding experience.

Trying to convince him that I am the best aunt ever.

Smiles

Thrilled that his daddy was coming home!

Throw back, love it.

I took tons of pictures at the party, with my sister's phone, and she never sent them to me, feel free to harass her, so you can see them. I curled Princess Deanna's hair.

A little nap between the parties.

Both of my kids were missing one shoe, I think their cousin Alex had something to do with it.

And sometimes, this boy breaks his Momma's heart. He was playing with this mailbox, and he told me he was sending the heart card to his friend Pi Tone in Thailand. He said he wrote "love" on it and he's sending them money. Not sure where he came up with the sending money part, but, hey, put me on that list. :)

Day 188 (Saturday 9-28):

Another day falls prey to the abyss that is my brain.  Here's all I got!

Eating marshmallow popcorn, whoever invented this stuff is my new hero.

Day 189 (Sunday 9-29):

Since we are in transition, we have the pleasure of meeting with lots of pastors, small groups, and visiting different churches. Doug was able to connect with Pastor Stephen from Elevate church in OKC, they went to school together, back in the day.  Then, on this Sunday, the one I'm typing about, we got to visit.  They meet in a college auditorium, right when we walked in, there were lots of greeters and tons of snacks and coffee!  The childcare people were very friendly and the music and service were great!  I'm probably not the person to ask, though, because I love every church we visit. Hearing songs and messages in English is still exciting, but I'd also do a double flip to hear anything in Thai right about now. So yeah, English or Thai, America or Thailand, God's people are awesome and I love so many people and places.  God is good to put such wonderful people in our lives. This particular Sunday was special to me.  I knew I'd forget, so I jotted down some notes...wait right there, I have to go track them down....you can enjoy these pictures while I'm gone...

Singing at Elevate

Powdered donuts

Keeping busy

He only had the one crayon, it has purple on one end, and red on the other. He made the most of it.

Picking Kora up from the nursery.

I think she's happy to see Daddy.

Out of all the snacks on the table, she chose this apple.

Reading.

She fell asleep on the way home.

Lunch

This oven mitt was quite the discovery, they enjoyed playing with it.

Reading books with Grandma.

I took the kids for a walk.

We were home about 5 minutes and they both conked right out.

Okay, I'm back, the songs were new to me, but this one, was my favorite.  It's called: "Always" and it's by Kristian Stanfill. I've never heard of him, but if I met his momma, I'd give her a hug for giving her son a "K" name, he's a K kid, and K kids are the best!

The lyrics that stood out to me were:

Trouble surrounds me
Chaos abounding
My soul will rest in You

Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength, always
I will not fear; His promise is true
My God will come through always, always

Not sure about you, but chaos drives me nuts. And right now, that's basically my life.  We are traveling from place to place, praying for clear direction for our family, and waiting.  I like waiting about as much as I like chaos.  My feeble mind sees chaos, but God is steady, firm, and in control. So when I feel "chaotic", I need only rest in HIM.  This song reminded me, again, because I'm a slow learner, that God HAS a plan.  I've gotten so frustrated, far too many times, because I want to have all the answers, not now, but YESTERDAY! But let's be real, God gives us the information, what we need to know, when we need to know it.  And that's a good thing. If God had told me, when we left for Thailand, that he'd call us home after a little under 2 1/2 years, I might not have gone.  And do you know who would have been missing out: ME! God knew what was best for me, he knew the number of days we'd be in Thailand, and he HAS a plan.  I don't know exactly how he's going to use that time, but I know his plan is good and it's for my benefit as well as others. I can trust HIM, I can rest easy.  That being said, I hate making decisions, and when I feel like we are "living in chaos", small decisions seem paramount, and little things can get to me.  God is teaching me, through this time, to step back, and pray.  He could have quickly and easily transitioned us right into the next thing, but in love, HE has chosen to leave us "in the hallway", so to speak, to teach us, to give us a pep talk, and prepare us for the next "room" he has for us to serve in, more permanently.  I have so many other thoughts on "the hallway" and I hope to share them with you soon. I'm praying about it, and I've already started that "Bonus" post, so God willing, I'll be able to share more of that with you soon!

The second thing, that stuck out to me, was the line about God not delaying. When you're waiting, it often feels like God is delaying, but his timing is perfect. He's not taking his time and making you wait for the fun of it. He's ready to come through for you, it may not be in the way you expect, but KNOW that He will work things together for the good. Somehow, someway. Trust that, believe it.  

Love, love, love, all of you, my friends, who have cried and laughed with me.  Who have encouraged me and challenged me. You all are the best!