T-shirt Time.

Spring. Praise God! I love winter, but I get excited as sunshine, green grass, and open windows become more of a reality. Especially exciting is the “changing of the wardrobe” that happens in my closet. It's fun to exchange “light” clothing for the “heavy” things I've been wearing all winter. In fact, the thought of not making the change is just silly. Should I continue wearing long sleeves and wool socks in April? (Please, God – I hope not!)

Although foolish, many of us do this in a spiritual sense. We stick to our “old” ways of doing things – even when God is doing something different. We sometimes cry and complain about new things, even when they are good. In Isaiah 43:18-19 the Lord says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

God is good. He has good things for us – even if they require some change. This spring, if God is bringing you into a “new season” in life, change your wardrobe. Exchange that sweater for a t-shirt and get ready for something exciting!

Working in the garden.

2010. It's been one heck of a year. And, it's only April...

In January, a good friend assured me that 2010 would certainly be "my year" - a make-up year; a chance for life to "pay back" a little of the debt 2009 seemed to have left me with. I whole-heartedly believed him - out of pure necessity. I guess I don't know what I was expecting 2010 to bring me, but let's just say that I didn't order ANY of the packages which have arrived. Honestly, I wish I could return a few of them.

As if each new thing were a sort of "jack in the box", (because some have turned out to be just that!) I've found myself becoming hesitant with life. I'm hesitant to open one more "surprise". I'm hesitant to get my hopes up once again with the belief that this time I'll actually want what's inside. I've noticed a growing leeriness about the way I approach new opportunities, relationships, and ideas - as if I'm just waiting for them to "pop". More than simply prudent caution, it has become skepticism lined with a bit of fear.

But, in the way He always does, God has helped unwrap each box. He has sat near as I've examined the contents, and has given me the wisdom to know what to keep, and what to give away. And because life continues sending little "gifts" to my door, another gift has arrived. But this one stands out. Brighter wrapping. Bigger bow. A card.

God never shows up empty-handed, and He's brought the best gift yet. I didn't recognize what it was at first, but I'm so glad He thought to give it to me. It's a little bit of Courage. Just enough. Enough to keep me from leaving the party all together. Enough to encourage me to open the next thing that comes my way. Enough to accept whatever the contents may be.

And so, I'm learning. I'm learning what courage looks like, and I'm learning how to use it. I'm learning that maybe 2010 is "my year" after all. Not that the year, itself, will do anything differently for me, but that, instead, I will begin to receive what it gives me with Grace, Faith, and Courage.

Who knows? I might even write a few thank you notes.

You're invited.

It's been a long time. Sorry about that. I suppose that even the best "gardens" seem a little dead throughout the winter months. Maybe that's what I've been to the world of blogging - dead. If you're still sticking with me after all these months of silence, blessings to you. If not, I still like you a lot. Either way, I'm glad to be back. If you're from around here, we've had our first tastes of spring in Michigan and hope of new life seems to be right around the corner... in more ways than one.

For starters, it's March. Finally. Birthday month! If you know me at ALL, you know that I LOVE celebrating my birthday - for about the entire month of March. I mean, why not? :) I've been thinking about how, exactly, to do it this year and I think I may be on to something great...

As the calendar would have it, my birthday usually falls very close to Easter (or, at least Palm Sunday), making the bulk, if not all, of my birthday month is shared with the observance of Lent. Now, while I have a basic understanding of and respect for the philosophy behind the Lenten season, I've never really been one to intentionally observe it. I've never really "given something up" for Lent. In fact, it's usually half over before I even think about it...

Well, this year I'm breaking the trend. As I was thinking about my birthday, I remembered a book my mom used to read to me called "Beth's Happy Day". It's about a five-year old girl (named Beth) who celebrates her birthday by doing nice things for other people. I recently found the book and reread it. What a great idea! I began to think about all the cool things I could do to celebrate my birthday as a 26 year-old version of this literary heroine. About the same time these ideas began rolling around, the subject of Lent was brought up in conversation. I was asked what I was "giving up", but, of course, I hadn't really thought about it - until that thought mixed with those ideas and a beautiful thing happened...

What if I didn't "give up" anything for Lent? What if, instead of not doing something - i.e. drinking pop - I did something? What if for forty days, instead of counting down the moments until that wonderful sip of Dr. Pepper, I spent those moments serving others? What if I celebrated my birthday every day of March like "little Beth" did? What if...

For those to which this is important, please do not misunderstand. I very much agree with the theology behind Lent. Jesus fasted and prayed for 40 days. He sacrificed. He "gave up" things in order to have fellowship with the Father. I understand why it is important to observe and imitate this. I want to imitate this. I want to sacrifice my time. I want to sacrifice my selfish tendencies. I want to have fellowship with God. Maybe by the end of Lent, I'll have "given up" more than I thought...

In any event, here's what I decided. I'm going to celebrate my birthday (and Lent) for the next 6 weeks through a series of small (and random) acts of service. I'm really excited to see what happens and how God changes me through this process. I can't wait to share it with you as it happens!

I also want you to know that I'm not sharing this with you because I want a pat on the back. I certainly don't need it. I'm sharing this with you, because I want you to celebrate with me. I mean, seriously. No birthday party is fun without guests! So, here's your invitation to be my guest at this year's "birthday party". Would you like to celebrate 26 with me? Do you have a great idea of how to serve? Could a bunch of us could do it together? Can we share the joy of life like "little Beth"? Can we give of ourselves as a way to imitate Jesus? I think so. I hope you do too.

Home is where the heart is...

If home is where the heart is, then, I'm home. Almost.

In some ways it's been a hard transition back to the US, and in other ways it's been surprisingly easy - depending on how you look at it. But, in any event, I'm here, I'm safe, I'm healthy, and I'm slowly but surely gearing up for the beginning of the school year!

.....if only my suitcase were here to "be home" with me... (I'm not a big fan of American Airlines at the moment!) But, somewhere in Miami sits one lonely piece of lost luggage (or "delayed", if you're the woman who continues to use this word in an effort to trick me into thinking that this really isn't a big deal..."it's only delayed a bit"). Really, it's lost. But at least it's enjoying much warmer weather than I am, that's for sure!

More than complain about "delayed" luggage, I wanted to thank those of you who have traveled with me - through reading my blog. Thanks for the encouraging comments, the up-lifting emails, the phone calls, the packages (Jen Rowe wins the gold in this event!), the prayers, and the wonderful welcome home! I'm so blessed to have people like you in my life. If you're reading this, give yourself a hug for me - or give me a call and we'll see what we can do to make it happen in real life! :)

As for now - I'm off (in my LONG PANTS and SWEATSHIRT) to figure out how to function again in a society that flushes their toilet paper, actually likes dogs, doesn't greet everyone they come across, and - for the most part - speaks English. Phew.

5 more sleeps.

Can you believe it?! Only five more nights in the Dominican Republic! I feel as if I got here, turned around and - whoa - there it was; the end of the summer. I also feel as if this post should be some long essay on all that I've learned, or the profound discoveries I made regarding my ultimate purpose in life.....but....

......well.......I got nothin'.....

....except a non-exclusive list of the things I will surely miss once I'm back in the United States. (in no particular order)

1. My own bathroom.
2. Hot, sweaty, long Dominican church services on Sunday night - that I can't understand the half of.
3. Oatmeal juice.
4. Limonada.
5. Sitting (and sleeping) under a ceiling fan.
6. Speaking "Spanglish", because I'm still not good enough to speak solamente en español. (I guess that will carry over to when I'm home...)
7. Watching the sunrise over the ocean.
8. The ocean.
9. Waving to everyone I know (and don't know) on our walks into town.
10. Riding in an air-conditioned bus.
11. Falling asleep to loud music.
12. Waking up to loud music.
13. Franchesca.
14. Nena.
15. Jochi.
16. Luz Maria.
17. Yenny.
18. Lisy.
19. Señor Peguero.
20. Jaury.
21. Domingo.
22. Indiana.
23. Joanni.
24. Yanina.
25. Christopher.
26. .......everyone at the orphanage, really.
27. Roosters making noise at 2:30am, 3:30am, 4:30am, 5:30am....
28. 2 hour siestas.
29. Star gazing.
30. The beach.
31. The "Banana Song".
32. Wearing a skirt. Cada dia. (Every day.)
33. Yucca frita. (Fried Yucca.)
34. Cristina, the woman from Walterio.
35. Swinging.
36. Coloring.
37. Jumping rope.
38. Teeter-tottering (is that a word?)
39. Sweating.
40. Mosquitoes. Oh, wait. Nope. Not gonna miss those...
41. Sitting on my roof.
42. Not blow-drying my hair. (Guess that could carry over too...)
43. Barking dogs right outside my bedroom window.....always barking.
44. Buying fruit from vendors on the street.
45. Not buying gas.
46. Living in the moment.

..............y, hay tanto más, pero no sé decirlo todo en Inglés.

If you read this far, thanks. I know a lot of those things don't really make sense - like why I would miss fried yucca or barking dogs - but, trust me. I will. And, maybe it will be a good way to start a conversation when I return.

In the end, this summer has turned out to be such a blessing. Not one full of answers, or direction, or revealed "callings" necessarily, but one full of love, and laughter, and trials, and challenges, and....life, I guess. And the thought of leaving has me a little "messed up" - a little unsure of how to "carry over" the bulk of how I lived and what I learned down here. I want to come home, but I don't want to be completely back to "life as usual" in the next 6-8 weeks.

I'm not sure how to do that. I'm not sure what that looks like. But, poco a poco, I guess.

Little by little. I think if I'm going to bring anything home with me this would be it. I want to live my life little by little. Not in such a rush to "figure everything out" or "do everything" - but, rather, in a way that I don't miss what's going on right now. I want to live in a way that I enjoy the "little" progress; each step, each moment, each chapter.

I'll need help. It will be challenging to go against the product-driven, schedule-oriented, five-year plan kind of society we live in. It will be difficult not having an answer for everyone who wants to know about the "next" step in my life. I don't know what's next! I don't know that I'll meet "the boy", or get married, or have babies, or move to the Dominican, or not come back at all, or stay at my current job, or get a "real" job, or stay in Michigan, or....or.....wake up tomorrow. (Of course, I want to wake up tomorrow. I'm just saying...) I simply don't know.

But, I'm ok with that. Here. And I want to be ok with it in the United States.

So, I suppose I was wrong. I do have something. I did learn something. I did have a revelation to the ultimate purpose of my life...

I just want to live it. Cada dia. Poco a poco. Con Dios. (Every day. Little by little. With God.)

The heavens declare

I decided that since I've been rambling on about how beautiful it is here, I should actually show you what I'm talking about. So, here it is. I didn't invent it, I didn't cause it to happen, I didn't even photograph it (photo courtesy of Brook Willis), but I wanted to share it.




"The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones." ~ Psalms 89:5

One more thing...

I totally forgot to tell you...

I'm coming home early! Isn't that great?! Without going into a long explanation, let me just reassure you that it IS, in fact, great. I'll have a whole week to gather myself before going back to work - to spend with my family and loved ones. It was such an unexpected, yet welcomed gift from God (and my boss here). I'm stoked.

So, in case you were wondering, my flight comes in to Detroit on August 16th. See you then - or sometime soon after!