Happy 4th of July! Never forget...Freedom isn't free.

Lord, with You, there's nothing I can't do...

‎"Now I begin to be a disciple. I care for nothing of visible or invisible things so that I may but win Christ. Come fire and cross and grapplings with wild beasts, the rending of my bones and body... only let it be mine to attain Jesus Christ." - Ignatius of Antioch

Returning to my First Love

While being sick for the last four days with what we thought was Mono, but I think ended up being a semi-small dose of the flu, I was finding it hard to get close to Jesus. I simply did not feel like praying or reading my Bible. I was so sore and achey that I felt like I could never get into a position to read for any length of time. Something funny happened though. For some reason, I always seemed to be able to get on the computer with practically no trouble at all! Facebook found it's self under my attention for great lengths of time, as did recipe blog after recipe blog. Yes, the tv got much of my attention as well.

But I was sick! All I could do was lay down. Isn't that the way I was supposed to spend my time? After all, it isn't everyday that I have four days all to myself!  

Maybe...But, I wish someone would have warned me of how empty and unfulfilling I was going to feel at the end of it all.  Giving into my time of literal weakness, turned into a time of spiritual weakness as well.

Yesterday, my soul felt similar to the thunderstorms we got.  Like the thunder, lightening and wind, I could feel a stirring in my heart to return to my First Love. Throughout the day it got stronger and stronger until, like the the clouds, I could no longer keep it in. I had to let loose.

  I realized that living a life of mediocrity and lukewarmness, no matter how small it may have seemed at the time, is not an option for me. The pain in my body was no match for the pain of loneliness I felt for my Savior.
I still felt unwell, but when I realized what was happening, I chose to quickly open my Bible and started to read. I didn't care what I read, just as long as I got a taste of what it had inside it's pages.  And I prayed. Oh how wonderful it was to draw near to my Savior.  Does that mean that I didn't get on Facebook yesterday? No, I did. And I had some wonderful conversations with my friends on it! But there is a time and place for everything. Quiet time with Jesus should always be priority on my list for each and every day.

When I woke up to bright sunshine filling my room,  my soul was filled with a deep joy like no other.  These last few, kind of miserable days, were a wonderful reminder that the Lord truly can turn bad things into good and use them for His glory.

And guess what! I am feeling almost 100% better already! Praise God!

Elli Karrington's 2nd Birthday

Happy birthday, Elli Karrington! :) ...and some other things...

My mom, Elli, with here namesake Elli K. on Elli K.'s 1st birthday

 

Well, today we are off to Georgetown for Elli Karrington's (Krystal's daughter) 2nd birthday party! I'm looking forward to the two hour drive there with Mom and all the boys. I like road trips, big or small :) Hopefully I'll have some good pictures to post later. Especially one with Mom and her name sake.

   The house is a little bit quieter these days. Dad and a friend left on Thursday for Sudan. They will be there for two weeks. If you would please keep them and our families in your prayers we would really appreciate it! The emotions are a bit more raw this time. You would think that after all these years and 50+ trips later, we would be used to him leaving!

  Last week was pretty busy for us. John's graduation was last Saturday, so both sets of grandparents were in and then on Sunday we had the party. There was also a big surprise for John! His good friend, Andrew, secretly came down with Amma and Papa! John was ecstatic :) It was a sad goodbye when Andrew also had to leave on Thursday morning.
It's hard to believe that John is graduated now and will be beginning a new chapter in his life soon. I'm so proud of him!

Thailand - "Are you going back?"

   I am often asked whether or not I will be returning to Thailand anytime soon.  It's an honest question and appreciate everyone's interest!  I've been home now for almost 9 months and I cannot believe it.  It has truly been wonderful to be home with my family and friends here.
There are not, however, very many days that go by that I don't think about Thailand and my friends there. Sometimes there is a deep loneliness I feel without them.  I have thought so many times of how wonderful it would be to go back and see everyone. But, right now, that's really the only reason I would have for going back....To see my friends.  And although that would be wonderful in of it's self, to go back for long term on that basis alone is not a good foundation. I have felt no leading from the Lord whatsoever to go back long term.   If He says "Go", then yes, I will go. But, right now, He is saying "Stay home". And of course, I'm not going to complain about that!

I learned a lot in Thailand. I learned how to at least slightly begin to understand and live in a different culture, I got my pride and patience tested through all those language classes, and I also had the privilege to begin more relationships that I ever thought possible for one person to have at one time. Each person I became friends with, missionary or Thai, was and is a blessing in my life.  God used them to teach me so much about myself and the areas of my life that need change or growth. I can't begin to tell you how humbled I feel to have been able to spend that season of my life there. But, even all that, cannot override the joy and peace I have for being back home. I have experienced a new found love and compassion for my "own" people here in Kentucky that I have never quite felt before.

In Thailand, God was preparing me for my future, and at home, He is preparing me for my future. I look forward to what is ahead.

Missy :)

Meow