It's February

And for this NH girl, this is what February means...

• Shoveling 
• Making plans, and cancelling plans, due to snow
• Sitting in front of my light box, warding off SAD
• Freezing temps
• Pasty white skin
• Long candle-lit evenings
• Wondering if this will be the one year that Spring doesn't show up

Yesterday, as I walked down to the church in the scorching heat, I had another one of those, "When did this become my life?" moments.

Because this year, February is all KINDS of different.

• There is no snow, so there is no shoveling or canceling of plans.
• No need for my light box, because my address is three inches from the sun.
• For the first time in my life, I have a serious flip-flop tan... in the WINTER!
• And the wonderings about whether Spring will show up, have been replaced with, "Will it ever rain again?"

And that other thing that February contains - Valentine's Day.

This year, I was sitting outside on the balcony, drinking root beer floats with Jessie & Shannon. (Tito was inside, blaring sappy Spanish love songs for our enjoyment) And as we sat, I thought... and then said, "You know, if someone had told me that at 34 I'd be living in Costa Rica, still single on V-day (one of the girls then helpfully added, "AND HANGING OUT WITH PEOPLE YOUNG ENOUGH TO BE YOUR CHILDREN!" Yes, dear. Thank you for that.) and be ok with it... I wouldn't have believed them. And yet here I am. And I'm so thankful that this is my life."

God is good. All the time.

Peace

Still Journeying toward 1,000 Gifts

116) Les singing loudly to "That's What Friends Are For" in the car on the way to the bank

118) "My weakness does not trump God's strength." -- Beth Moore
God's plan for Anonos... God's plan for my life... His plans are not derailed because I am human and fail. His strength is greater than my failings.

126) Seeing some of the most beautiful brown and amber eyes that I've ever seen

139) New grace for each day

145) Christmas shopping in San Jose

153) Darren's three page tutorial on how to use the Book of Common Prayer

162) Watching the sunset over the ocean... that never gets old for this Atlantic Ocean girl

172) Christmas Eve - Eri's mom asking about my family, asking if it was my first Christmas away from home, and then sitting on the floor beside me, wrapping her arms around me and rubbing my head as I cried.

179) Opening my stocking (sent without my knowledge from a loving Mama back in Nov) on Skype Mom & Dad

184) Watching the mountains surrounding Anonos explode with fireworks to usher in 2013!

194) My tree necklace... a daily reminder of God's extreme faithfulness

213) "I wonder if God plays Temple Run? It is a pretty awesome game." -- Shannon

224) Fresh mango, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe & strawberries to start my day

229) A bright little flower in the dirty street

238) Having a father who makes it easy to comprehend a loving Heavenly Father

242) Catching little glimpses of why I'm here

254) Meeting someone from KEENE today!!

264) My tattoo <3

278) Seeing Mom in the middle of the crowds exiting the airport

284) Time alone with Jesus to pray for myself and my future

294) Mom's unconditional love

296) Di reading "Streams in the Desert" out loud to us, and then bursting into Bon Jovi's "Shot Through the Heart!"

(Five shades of stunning and flourishing bougainvillea)

Refreshment

A few months ago, I saw a status from one of my all-time heroes, saying "you know you have amazing parents if they drop everything to come to the aid of their missionary daughter, who is dealing with a broken heart." I loved it. And was so deep-down happy for her. And thought wistful thoughts of having my own parents come to see me in Costa Rica.

The past three weeks have been pretty intense in the heart dept, and I was given an amazing opportunity last week to house-sit for Rodney & Cindy while they were away.

I wrote to Mom when I found out, telling her how excited I was to have an entire house to myself, to spend some quality time with Jesus, to pray for wisdom, healing, insight and perseverance. And over FB chat came her wishful, "Wouldn't it be amazing if I could be there?"

And then... the unimaginable happened. The tickets for the right dates were the right price.

And last Wednesday I sobbed as I saw my adorable little mom, walking toward me amidst a wave of Ticos, at the San Jose airport.

Our week together was wonderful.

We laughed. We cried. We prayed.

She let me purge four months of bottled up pain.

And she met my new world. She walked in the community. She went to San Jose in a taxi and came home on a bus. She ate the freshest of fruits and had hours of hammock time in the bright sun. She walked barefoot while a snow-storm pelted New England and the Maritimes. And the most important thing of all... she fell in love with the country and the people that I love.

Sending her home this past Wednesday wasn't easy. But, I'm so ridiculously grateful for the gift that we were given of this week together.

I had two extra days of quiet in the house by myself, to spend some concentrated time with my Jesus.

Now I'm refreshed and ready to take on what these next ten months have in store.