Through the Seasons

We’re getting much closer to finalizing our furlough plans.  It looks like we’ll leave here at the end of June and be home for 6 months (until just after the turn of the year).  We don’t have specific dates yet or our plane tickets but we’ve been researching and should have everything settled pretty soon.

As I think about furlough I get so excited.  I kind of wish we were going a little later so Asher would actually have memories of America from this trip but that will have to wait until next time.

I can’t wait to see friends and family and I can’t wait for them to see Asher.  We’ve been gone since he was 7 weeks old and he turns 2 years old in 2 weeks.  He’s changed so much!

Of course sometimes I daydream about all the things I may do when I’m home and it hits me that it’s only a 6 month trip.  We’ll only be able to do so much.  But the main thing is to see friends and family.

And to eat.

Salmon, asparagus, sour cream…  Mmmm…  Big chicken breasts that are solid meat.  Imagine!  And I’m sure there are plenty of other things that will hit me as the time approaches, and it will come quickly I’m sure!

Better get to packing… 

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I have been trying, lately, to make breakfast for us.  Jonathan and I used to just grab something on our own whenever the hunger got bad enough (usually mid-morning) while I fed Asher shortly after he woke up but he always played and ate at the same time.  Now we’ve been sitting down at the table for a family meal.  And what a difference!

I have noticed that now Asher eats less between breakfast and lunch and more at lunch.  Because of this he eats less between lunch and dinner and more at dinner.  This also means that he’s eating more of the “good stuff” (i.e. vegetables) instead of walking around eating bread and fruit all day.  Not that wheat bread and fruit are bad and he does still eat those but he now eats a more balanced diet of vegetables, grains, protein, and fruit.

Oh and we are too.

I can tell a difference just in how I feel when I sit down and eat a quality breakfast.  I used to eat something while doing other things and it just wasn’t as satisfying.

This has been a great change for all of us.  Jonathan even reads a Psalm to us every morning.  I’m really enjoying this new trend. I didn’t realize the rest of my family would benefit so much or even want to be bothered with breakfast.  Cook it and they will come, I have learned.

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I’ve just been reading through Exodus and it never ceases to amaze me how much the Israelites grumbled.  God would do something loving, wonderful, miraculous.  A little further in the journey they’d hit a tough spot and they’d go straight to complaining again.  I’d judge them if I didn’t relate to them so much.  I really want to become a woman who is grateful instead of grumbling.  Only by the grace of God will that happen and I pray for it to.

“Do everything without complaining or arguing”  ~Philippians 2:14

And you know it just hit me that it comes down to a matter of trust.  Do I trust God to take care of me?  Do I trust Him to handle the tough bits of my life?  Do I have hope in Him when things around me appear hopeless?

I pray, “…help me overcome my unbelief!”  ~Mark 9:24b

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I’ve been thinking a lot about “unknowns” and the “unexpected” lately.  I comfort myself with my expectations.  They give me a feeling of ease and control.  I go around feeling at peace because I think that I know what I can expect in the near future.

Then there are times when things get a little tumultuous and I see the unknowns and uncertainty of life clearly in front of me.  The times when I don’t have enough information to make reasonable expectations.  The times when I’m standing at a crossroads and I’m not sure which way my life will turn because – and this is the most frightening realization of all – I have no control over the situation.

But the truth is…  At any point in life the unexpected can (and does) happen.  It can be little things like Asher waking up early from his nap or dinner burning and having to change plans.  It can be big things like getting in a car accident or inheriting a fortune.  In reality, all these expectations I make every day are uneducated guesses.  They are assumptions.

I look back at the big, sudden turns my life has taken and realize that many times the way I envision my life on any given day can be abruptly changed.  One of the best surprises I ever got was finding out I was pregnant with Asher.  It’s funny to remember where I was immediately before taking that test.  Oh I knew exactly what was going to happen with my life.  I had it all planned out.  Then.  WHAM!  Everything changes.  I wouldn’t have had my original plan for anything in the world at that point.  Little did I know that God had such huge things in store!

And it’s that way now.  Even when I can’t see the road in front of me and I can’t secure myself to my faulty expectations of the future.  Even in the midst of uncertainty.  I rest in three things.  One, God knows everything and is surprised by nothing.  Two, God is in control.  Three, God is good.

And in those facts should come my security, hope, joy, and peace every single day – not just in times when I loose my footing.  I love the Psalms where God is portrayed as lifting us up out of a hardship and placing us down on a solid foundation.  He is that Rock.  And on that Rock I stand.

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…are the demise of blogging.

I tend to quickly jot down my thoughts via those other avenues and then feel redundant if I do so again on my blog albeit in longer form.  I also now tend to think in “headlines” usually 140 characters or less.  And I can’t believe it because I’ve always loved blogging.  Is this what we’re coming to?  Is this all anyone has time for?  Tidbits instead of in-depth thoughts?  Sigh.

One day I guess blogging will go the way of letter writing.  It’s a shame no one has time for letters anymore, isn’t it?  The downfall isn’t only the time it takes to get out a piece of paper and pen but the wait for the letter to reach its destination is almost painful.  And by the time it’s read the news will be old and outdated.  We have to keep current after all!

Oh I’m not complaining.  I am identifying with all of this.  And I willingly jumped on the Twitter and Facebook wagon.  I think I’ll not let it deter me from blogging anymore though.  But if anyone wants more (and shorter) updates than found here you can look me up or email me and I’ll let you know how to follow/friend me.

See you there!

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