Oh Christmas Tree

Phil and I ventured out and bought our first Christmas tree. This is our first Christmas as a married couple. We shopped around and found a tree that looked like it would do. It’s not an ordinary tree, or at least not anymore. This tree, you see, is our international tree. The ornaments are those in which we have purchased in other countries. There are a few exceptions. The ball ornaments are from Wal-Mart because we don’t have enough international ornaments yet to fill the entire tree. The angel on top, although no doubt made in a foreign country, was purchased here in the US as well. She was a gift from my grandmother and is what she would describe as an irresistible Cracker Barrel purchase.

I put Christmas music on and we went to work getting the tree up. Phil did great at rigging up the lights and eventually, we got to the best part- the ornaments. I love the tree. As I look at the ornaments, I see the faces of those loved ones overseas that have made a difference in our lives. Some of the ornaments Phil and I bought together. Some are ones we bought separately before we even met. One was commissioned by us and carved by a beach living Rastafarian in St. Lucia on our honeymoon. His name was Chris. Would you believe, I still think of and pray for him every so often? One is from Romania, where my heart was broken, pieced together, and changed forever. One is from Russia, a country I have never been to, but has a special place in the heart of my husband. Each one represents so much in our lives.

I like that there is room on the tree to grow and more memories to be made. More countries to visit and more lives to be a part of…Lord willing. Then again who knows, maybe we won’t be able to add any more to the tree. If not, I will still enjoy it and the memories it holds. I have a nativity scene from Kenya in our living room. I remember it took about an hour of on and off bargaining with the shop owner to get him down to a realistic price. He called me “Mama.” I remember him too. I wonder what he is doing this day or even this Christmas.

Christmas has always been hard for me since my first mission trip in 2005. It’s hard to explain. I love Christmas. I love Christmas music. I love the act of giving gifts to those I love and even those I don’t know. I love celebrating the miracle of Christ’s birth. However, there is always a sadness that lurks within. I think of all the little ones I have met along the way. What will they be doing on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning? Will they feel alone? What if the Lord has a child selected for us to adopt one day? Is that child out there somewhere now, and will that precious child sit alone wondering where we are this Christmas? Oh my, that hurts to think about.

On a lighter note, I give thanks and praise to the One above who has blessed me so. I am blessed beyond what I deserve and give thanks to Him. I’m excited to celebrate my first Christmas as “Mrs.” I’m excited to sit by the fire and cuddle with my husband when it is cold outside. I’m excited to give thanks for an incredible year that has just flown by. I give thanks and look forward to what is in the future and what may be added to our bank of memories.

I dreamed the other night that I tried buying ornaments from a store here in the US. I wanted to fill our new tree more and was fully intending to pass the ornaments off as ones I had bought overseas. I thought this was funny because I wouldn’t really do that in real life. The truth is, He gives us special moments in His time and at just the right time. No rush here, the tree will fill as He allows. Christmas is not about the tree or what is underneath. Celebrating and taking joy in the baby that was born in the stable and is starring back at me in that nativity scene from Africa…He is the reason…He is enough….He is the joy of the season.

The Blind Side

It’s been quite a while since I have seen a good movie.... a really good movie. When I say good, I mean the kind of movie that somehow touches you deeply to where you are still thinking about it days later. I finally made it to see the movie “Blind Side.” This was my second attempt. The first time it was sold out, but persistence paid off.

To give you an idea, the movie is about an orphan boy who needs a miracle and who longs to be loved. A wealthy family takes him in, and not only teaches him how to play football, but gives him the most precious gift of all….love. Let me just warn that if you are a parent, if you have ever worked with at-risk children, or if you have even the smallest emotional bone in your body, take some Kleenex. You will need them.

The story is about the life of a young boy named Michael. From the start of the movie, it’s easy to fall in love with him and want to jump into the screen and just hug him. Probably not more than ten minutes into the movie, I felt my heart beginning to sink and tears coming down my face. He reminded me so much of many children I have had the privilege to love on and to teach. He reminded me of my at risk students that lived in the projects here in the US. Michael carried his school books in a plastic grocery bag because he had no backpack. Wal-Mart bags were the choice bag for my kids’ make shift backpacks. As I watched him carry the bag in the movie, I couldn’t help but think of my old kids. They were just like Michael. He had never owned a bed, neither had most of my students. As I reminisced about them I found myself smiling while my heart was crying for them once again. He also reminded me of the many orphan children I have met around the world. All of them also longing for a family and a chance to live out the potential within their lives.

My Pastor just finished a sermon series on taking risks. We looked in Hebrews 11, and studied about what the Word says about faith and risks. What if we all took the risk to help someone the way Michael’s adopted family did in this movie? What if we gave someone a chance and helped them reach their potential? What if we poured out love to someone not knowing if we would receive the love back? Would it take faith? Would it be a risk? I’m guessing so! However, just as the movie (which is a true story) proved, some risks are worth taking.

I’d encourage you to see the movie if you get a chance. I’d also encourage you to ask the Lord what He would want you to do in helping others. Caring for the least of these may be His answer to your question. What will your response be?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 107 (New International Version)


1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south. [a]

4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.

5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.

6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.

7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.

8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,

9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

10 Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,

11 for they had rebelled against the words of God
and despised the counsel of the Most High.

12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.

14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom
and broke away their chains.

15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,

16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.

17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.

18 They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.

19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.

20 He sent forth his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.

21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men.

22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.

23 Others went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters.

24 They saw the works of the LORD,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.

25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.

26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.

27 They reeled and staggered like drunken men;
they were at their wits' end.

28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.

29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.

30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.

31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men.

32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.

33 He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,

34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.

35 He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;

36 there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.

37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;

38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.

39 Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;

40 he who pours contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.

41 But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.

42 The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths.

43 Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
and consider the great love of the LORD.

"Walking with God"

“In the beginning of our story, before the fall of the human race, before we sent the world spinning off its axis- there was a garden called, Eden. And in that garden, the first man and the first woman had a life we have all been looking for ever since. They walked with God, communicated with him directly: For this we were made. And this we MUST recover. Intimacy with God is the purpose of our lives. It’s why God created us.” (Walking with God by John Eldredge).


I haven’t read a really good book for a while. Haven’t had a lot of time to, but even when I did have time to read, the books weren’t really “speaking” to me. Recently, I went to a bookstore and walked in with a feeling of wanting to find a book that would help me with hearing God speak. I looked in one section to find a group of popular sellers. I pulled one off the shelf. It was about hearing God and using the gift of prophecy. Not what I had in mind. I kept looking and found “Walking with God” by John Eldredge.

All I can say is, Wow! If you want a more intimate relationship with the One who wants to be your best friend and to talk to you…check this book out. It’s really good.

Dutch Oven Surprise

We recently went for a hike at a state park here in Texas. Just as we got there, we stumbled upon a group of people. An aroma of home cooked food surrounded their site. The signs hanging around and logos embroidered on their aprons let us know they were the “Dutch Oven Society” of Texas. Apparently, once a month they get together for a potluck dinner and fellowship. Yes…there is actually a society for people with a passion for cooking with Dutch Ovens…amazing....I know.

We walked around the site to just take it all in. Camp site grills and Dutch oven galore…RVs were everywhere. While we were walking, a couple approached us to say hello and to invite us to the meal. We politely declined and explained we had only come to the park to hike. Soon another couple came up and invited us to stay. Again we declined. Soon more people came up as we were walking away and asked us to stay. We had no choice but to give into the friendliness. How could we say no to these sweet people who seemed so happy, kind, and eager for us to eat their food?!

Oh the amount of food! (All cooked in Dutch Ovens on camp fire coals) It was actually pretty good too. However, the conversation and people were even better. We were invited to sit with three other couples that were a part of the Dutch Oven Society. We not only learned about the couples in the group and about the group, but also learned about cooking and eating the perfect mountain oyster. To be really honest, I never wanted to know that information. If you don’t know what a mountain oyster is, don’t ask…you don’t want to know. The stories made us laugh as we enjoyed our meal together. The people were precious.

Afterwards, I got to thinking. If we Christians were half as passionate about our faith as these people were about Dutch Oven cooking, we could really reach more people. If we were as warm, friendly, giving, and eager to feed and befriend, maybe the church would be more packed on Sunday morning. If we didn’t take no for an answer, and insisted we gave to someone without expecting something in return (especially to complete strangers), imagine how our family would grow!

I learned a lot from that Dutch Oven meal. A little surprise for me that day. I went for a hike expecting to see the beauty in nature on that crisp fall day, and I did. However, I saw even more beauty in the kindness and passion of strangers who wanted to share a meal with a couple they didn’t even know. Perfect example of how we should reach out to others and show the love of Christ.

As the deer pants for streams of water...

At times I get so busy with the details of the everyday routine, I forget to look at the beauty around me. Every once in a while I take a break and try to enjoy the beauty God has given us that most days we all take for granted.

On a recent hike at a state park in Illinois, I snapped a few pictures of the scenes around me. Wow. The colors so abundant, the freshly fallen leaves on the path looked like streets of gold in a way. The paths looked paved in color and prepared for just my feet. Only God could create such a picture. Only His hands could arrange the sights, the cool breeze, and the fresh air on a crisp fall day. For a moment, I wasn’t thinking about my to-do list or even where the hour hand on my watch was. In that moment I was thankful for a God that is the master of masterpieces. No other artist can paint a picture that captures all the senses as He does. Taking time to enjoy it is what He wants us to do. It helps us to grow closer to Him and to appreciate His work.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (Psalm 42: 1-2)

Big Tex

I’ve done and seen a lot of new things in the past few months. Recently, I made the Mecca like journey for every Texan to the Texas State Fair. The fair was a big event. Then again, everything in Texas is big, right? One thing the fair is known for is the fried food. Every year, a new fried item is introduced and announced the contest winner for the year. This year was fried butter. Sounds terrible. No doubt is terrible for your arteries, but I figured one bite wouldn’t hurt me. After all, the fair is only once a year.

Shockingly enough, the fried butter was really good. Here’s the deal: You take a lump of frozen butter, put some batter on it, deep fry it, and serve. The result is a biscuit like doughnut bite of buttery heaven with a little powdered sugar on top. Nice.

I’ve been making a conscious effort to eat healthier. (Obviously after reading about my food choice above!) In the last three weeks, I have had no pop/soda. I’ve been eating smaller portions and been making healthier choices. Maybe that change in my habits made the menu items stand out to me so much at the fair. Here is a list of a few of the fried items they offer:

Fried Ice Cream
Fried PB, Jelly and Banana Sandwich
Fried Coke
Fried Praline Perfection
Deep Fried Latte
Fried Cookie Dough
Fried Banana Split
Chicken Fried Bacon
Deep Fried Butter
Deep Fried Peaches & Cream
Fried Snickers
Fried Twinkie
Fried Peanut Butter Cup
Fried Cheesecake
Fried Smores

I’m proud to say out of all of these choices, I had only one bite of fried butter. That’s pretty good by most fair patron standards. All in all, it was a fun night. We were greeted with a good ole “Howdy” from Big Tex who stands tall each year and greets each fair visitor. We rode the Ferris Wheel that glides 212 feet high in the air to overlook the skyline of Dallas. My husband tried to win me a stuffed animal at an impossible to win game. We ate a bit of fried food, and of course we had the traditional Corn Dog from the fair vendors.

It was a nice end to my first summer in Texas. Now, on to the next adventure and new experience.