1,2,3...Jump!

Have you ever been sitting poolside only to hear the sound of a parent trying to coax their little guy into jumping?  I observed this phenomenon several weeks ago and it caught my attention.  The child was perched on the edge of the pool looking out at the giant body of water as he contemplated what was before him.  I wondered what was going through his head.  "Will I be able to swim... how will the water feel... this feels scary...will I be able to do it?"  Watching this dad reminded me of my own experience with one of my daughters who fought her own fear of the water.  "1,2,3...jump!"  It sounds encouraging enough, but how does this phrase help a child take a giant leap of faith into a brand new experience?  Come on, do those three seconds really give enough time to prepare for a jump like this?  I was suddenly curious as to the significance and power of this chant.

 I believe that right now we are the ones on the edge of the pool.  Tomorrow my husband, Ryan leaves for Thailand for 10 days.  Wow.  He leaves with his friend Matt and they go with the intent of looking and listening to their Dad, to see if He is calling our families to move and minister to the people of Chiang Mai.  They will visit an orphanage full of at risk girls who are rescued from a life of prostitution and given a life of love and security.  They will visit with missionaries and attend a conference for national pastors. 
They are jumping in as their Dad encourages them from the pool. 
For me it is definitely a leap of faith as I look out at a very new experience of moving half way around the world.  We would so appreciate your prayers for the guys to hear clearly, and for health and safety while they are away.  Our hearts miss Ryan so much when he is gone, so please keep us in your prayers as well.  The girls and I will be traveling to Nebraska to visit my brother and then to Iowa to visit our dear (and very missed) friends Terry and Michelle Brands.  Jessica's heart is really, really looking forward to seeing her best friend Sydney!!

I am aware that parents don't encourage their children to jump only to abandon them to the possibility of drowning.  They count "1,2,3 jump" because they know their kids need a defined moment and an encouragement to take a leap of faith.  The child knows when to jump and they also know their mom or dad is there to catch them.  Jesus knew my heart needed to watch a loving father encouraging his child to jump.  He knew I needed to be reminded that He is in the pool, He is the One counting and most importantly, He is the One who is going to catch us. 
I'll be sure to keep you posted on the pool and the swimming lessons!

Faith's View

I know I'm having a hard day when I go for my third mug of tea.  It is definitely my comfort food.  A sort of "blankie" for me... the grown up 35 year old!  So I took off on a hike to clear my head.  I headed out on a familiar trail where I could climb to a place and look out on the view.  Sitting down to exhale the pain and breathe in the beauty I noticed something new.  Usually this is the place where my eyes are lifted off of my situation and focused on a view reminding me of hope.  Today though, my eyes were actually drawn down to what was below me.  Never before had I noticed there is a clear view of the trail I had just traveled.  Sitting down I began to contemplate the path I had just taken.  My thoughts turned to the path we have been on personally this last year and a half.  So many questions... where we have been and why...how have we responded, what have we learned, how have we changed, and what do we now know of God as a result.  To be honest, this was one of those days where there were no specific answers.  No earth-shattering insight to dissolve my confusion.  Just the weight of it all.
So I begged Jesus to shed light on the path I had seen below.  I knew I had seen it for a reason.

And then the strong whisper came.

"But if I go to the east, He is not there;
if I go to the west, I do not find Him.
When He is at work in the north, I do not see Him;
when He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him.
But
He knows the way that I take;
when He has tested me,
I will come forth as gold."  Job 23:8-10

Jesus knew how I was feeling.  Knew I was looking for Him, but couldn't find Him.  Though I could not answer my questions to make sense of the path we have been on and though some days I cannot perceive or understand what God is doing in our lives, no matter.  He wanted to remind me that He knows.  He knows the way that I take.  He is at work, even when I cannot see Him.  That is why this journey is called faith.

Now I did have another thought and it was "really... come forth as gold?"  "Have you seen me lately?" 
And then the second strong whisper,
"Yes, and that it why it is my work and not yours."
How often I make it all up to me, putting pressure on myself, forgetting I have a Savior.
Today I was reminded of truth and I gained confidence in the One who knows the way that I take.
Jesus you really are amazing.  You saved a sinner such as me and then by your grace, You can cause us to come forth as gold.  How You can bring beauty from ashes is truly miraculous.  You get all the credit, Lord.  All the glory is Yours.

"To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!"   Jude 25-25
       

Tour of Beauty

This past weekend our family decided to take a tour of the golden aspen. Monday became a much needed family "holiday" to drive over our favorite mountain passes and be reminded of incredible beauty. The two day tour was a gift for our eyes and our hearts to be transported to what feels like another world. Deep blue skies, warm sunshine, and shimmering golden aspen. You must take this drive one Fall...put it on your bucket list, you will not be disappointed! We drove to Crested Butte stayed the night and then meandered over Kebler Pass, McClure Pass, and Independence Pass. Pictures just do not do it justice, at least mine don't!! We could have spent days exploring and taking pictures so I thought I'd share some with you...

This is Lost Lake on Kebler Pass!!

Color of Change

Well, I've been trying all week to post pictures from our Fall drive, but as a new blogger, I have much to learn. So while I await instruction from my more knowledgeable friends, I will share this quote that struck a deep chord in me.

"It is easy to imagine that we will get to a place where we are complete and ready, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished, it is a process steadily maintained. It is dangerous to get into a settled state of experience. It is preparation and preparation." Oswald Chambers

Oh how I am one to imagine that place where I am complete and ready. The key word being "imagine." I want to be complete and ready in mothering, in housekeeping, in cooking, in friendship, in marriage, and in my relationship with Jesus... just to name a few! I am constantly longing for that place where I feel confident and competent. To be honest I think I am longing for a place where I don't have to work so hard, a place where I can coast. As I attempt to pay more attention and be more of a student in life, I realize that my heart comes alive not when I am coasting, but when I am challenged.

Deep down I really don't want to coast, I want to be changed. And usually the change comes through the challenge.

So here's to embracing the process.

Each day is a brand new opportunity for me to embrace the process of living, learning, and hopefully, because of the grace provided by Jesus, changing. I want to open up my eyes to look for the beauty of the process and maybe even learn to enjoy the preparations along the way...