You Know That Comfort Zone?

Step out of it.

She's Growing Up - -

as children are want to do.

But because I've been allowed to watch it from close up, it's been so gradual I didn't realize it. Until I rediscovered these pictures.

In November of 2011, I fell in love with baby Genesis... her large brown eyes took everything in, but she rarely smiled.

July 2013... her eyes are still huge and brown, but they sparkle now. Her face is often wreathed in smiles, and she babbles happily in baby Spanish. And runs around, trying desperately to keep up with the Big Kids.

September 2013... resplendent smiles

The Last Month Through The Lens of My iPhone

The line-up of mugs, waiting patiently (?) for our morning coffee

(L-R... Les, Di, Linds & Tito)

 Just taking a little napski. Everyone needs one of those.

Tito found this little dude in our garage, waiting out a particularly violent thunderstorm. His little heart was beating so hard, and he'd lay his head on my thumb as I held him.

Contrast.

So, lychees are wicked ugly, but they are one of my FAVORITE treats down here!

Dia del Niños at Viña Anonos

English class that ended with playing in the rain!

This country... this country is filled with such stunning beauty.

Three-for-the-price-of-One

After speaking at Funda Vida last week, I hitched a ride back to Anonos with one of the workers. We were talking about life back home (she's also from the States), what it's like to live in another country, what God has been doing in our lives, and all the other things you talk about late at night when you're in the car... when suddenly she said, "Also, could you please start praying for my car." The little needle that tells you what's going on with heating under the hood, had just shot up to "WICKED HOT, PULL OVER NOW" - and we were in an area that you would refer to as not-the-nicest-part-of-town.

We were able to get to a gas station, where we pulled in and put up the hood. After various phone calls to wake people up both here AND in the States, Ali bought and put coolant in. The coolant was bright red. We poured it in and it came right out the bottom of the car, making it look like we were two blondes sacrificing a large animal in the middle of the night.

While we waited for the tow truck, we did what you're supposed to do in situations like that... we ate Nutella straight from the jar.

The sacrificial coolant

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Today, I looked out the window because I heard someone yelling. And it was a little old man standing in the middle of the road. Shaving. And yelling at cars as they drove by.

Because some days, you just need to shave in the middle of the street. Fact.

Nothing to see here, folks.

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The other day I was scheduled to start my Spanish tutoring again at a school across town. Traffic in and around San Jose was really bad, so the bus ride took over two hours. I walked into the school only to have the director say, "I didn't tell the teacher that you were starting today, so how about we start next week?"

So, I took the two hour bus ride home. And loved my life that day.

Treasures from the glasses bin

"God, I Need You To Be My Identity"

David called last week. "I need a favor." The 20's group at Viña Anonos has been studying about identity... who they are in Jesus. And, in his words, "Now we need a woman's perspective."

And I was wicked excited. And wicked scared. Because in the past eight months Jesus has been doing painfully intense, good, and deep work in my heart and my thinking in regards to who I am in Him. And when that work has been done, it becomes our responsibility to share it with others... but it is new. And it is still raw. Therefore, it is scary to talk about.

But the Holy Spirit did some awesome work in my heart before sharing on Saturday night. Giving the gentle reminder that all He was asking me to do was tell my story. My responsibility was to be obedient. How people reacted/accepted/rejected was HIS responsibility. Not mine.

By the time I started talking, I was excited! The words flowed. The truth was shared. And the Holy Spirit did His thing, as we talked about how we often listen to outside voices, instead of believing the truth of what the Bible says about our identity.

I was telling a friend about it a few days later, and he said, "Are you free tomorrow?" The kids that he works with at Funda Vida are also talking about identity and he wanted me to share. So, last night I went to the other side of the city and talked to 30 more 11-22 year olds about who Jesus says we are in Him.

And one of the leaders of the Funda Vida clubs was there, and asked me to come to another location next week. Exciting stuff! It doesn't get much better than having the opportunity to share the truth of what the Bible says about our identity... from a heart that is still relishing the newness of choosing TRUTH over lies in my own head and heart.

"I know that sitting with the discomfort of releasing a false identity is the only way back to my real-est identity. Which is a child of God. 

And as a child of God- I don’t have to produce a damn thing to be worthy. 

I just AM. 

I just have to remember that. 

That truth is uncomfortable at first – and then it turns into the only lasting comfort on Earth." 

Glennon Melton

Getting Creative

A gigantic piece of paper.

A mountain of crayons.

A gigantic pile of markers.

And the question, "What type of life would you like to color today?"

I heard this story at a worship conference I went to a few weeks ago. A father laid out paper, crayons and markers, and asked his son the question typed above.

And the speaker talked about the fact that Jesus wants to have friend-conversations with us. 

Not just servant-to-master discussions. 

Not just discuss-the-deep-things-of-scripture meetings.

But sit-down-and-look-me-in-the-eyes-and-tell-me-your-dreams chats.

He wants to dream with me. He wants me to be open about the things that I really want. The deep-down secrets. The I-want-this-so-bad-it-hurts dreams. 

The Creator of the Universe is wanting to sit down with me and say, "What kind of life would you like to dream up together?"

And that? That made me excited!

Very.