"Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving"

Over the weekend, I celebrated my birthday, and therefore, the beginning of one decade and the beginning of another. Yes, the big 3-0. I wasn't sure what to think of it - not that I thought it was a bad thing. But how am I thirty already? Especially when just last week someone asked me if I am a student teacher here. However, it ended up being a wonderful weekend of celebrating, reflecting on all that God has done in my life the past three decades, and looking forward to the next decade.

Now, you're probably wondering what the title of this post is all about. You see, my sister sent me the movie "27 Dresses" for my 27th birthday, and I thought the number connection was really cool. I didn't end up finding movies for birthdays 28 and 29, but when I spotted "13 going on 30" in a friend's collection last week, I knew I had to watch it on my birthday. So I did. :) (Mike watched some of it with me - when he wasn't making an amazing mocha layered cheesecake:) At one point in the movie, the main character says that she wants to be "thirty, flirty, and thriving." Later, I repeated this line to Mike: "I want to be thirty, flirty, and thriving." He gave me a funny look, so I explained that it was a line from the movie. I clarified that I'm only flirty with him, but I am now thirty and thriving sounds like a good thing to be. :)

So here's to another decade of life...a decade of thriving, with God's help, through ups and downs, and whatever it may hold.

The Beauty of a Sunrise

Let's be honest, folks - I haven't seen too many sunrises recently. (And by recently, I mean quite a while.) I've always said that I'm a morning person (nature vs. nurture? perhaps some of both, especially since morning comes early when you grow up on a farm). However, I spent a good part of a decade burning the candle at both ends. That takes its toll, plus makes mornings difficult. So I've spent the last year or so "recovering" - it's been a long, slow road, but God is so good. I hope to be a morning person again someday, and I've gotten a bit of a taste of that this week.

This morning I drove to Zurich (about an hour and 15 min. drive each way) to pick up a dear friend. As I left the house, the sun was beginning to come up and the sky was tinged pink - oh. how. beautiful. Then, as I crossed the border into Switzerland, I soaked in the beauty of the fall colors - beautifully painted hillsides. I love the quiet of a morning. The peacefulness. The joy of a new day. The beginning of the day seems a bit less rushed when you watch every step of the sunrise - step by beautiful step, savoring the moments.

**Sorry for the lack of a picture of said beautiful sunrise, but I was a bit busy driving safely. :)

An Unplanned Hiatus...

I haven't been posting on here for the past few months. That wasn't planned - it just kind of happened. I haven't been writing as many emails, making as many phone calls, signing on to Skype as much, etc etc. Trust me - there's LOTS of stuff rolling around inside my head and heart, but it doesn't always come out verbally or in written form, and when it does, it doesn't seem to make sense.

So, thanks for your patience with me. In the midst of all of the question marks and details of life and just the "daily grind," God is at work. He is speaking to me and strengthening my heart. He has give us such amazing family, friends, coworkers, etc. We are truly blessed.

International Life & Children

Working where we do, we hear lots of stories of families - including children - moving to a new country/culture, and their educational experiences. I recently read this article ("My Family's Experiment in Extreme Schooling"), which I found very interesting, especially since it was not written from a Christian or missionary perspective.

Food for thought

I came across this article ("Projecting Poverty Where it Doesn't Exist") recently, and it is definitely food for thought... (It is written by Steve Saint - veteran missionary and son of Nate Saint.)

See the blessing, not the burden.

Yesterday morning, I opened the fridge and pulled out the milk to put some on my cereal. The milk jug said "Best before July 11." "July 11th?!" I thought to myself, "How do they get milk to stay good for that long? I mean, it's only June 1st." Pause....."Oh yeah, it's July 3rd."

That's what happens when you spend the summer living out of a suitcase and crossing various state lines regularly: you lose your sense of time. No, it's not the easiest way to spend a summer, but as my Mom says, I'm trying to "see the blessing and not the burden." The blessing is getting to see and reconnect with many people - family, friends, churches, supporters.

Pray for us - that we will be able to see many more friends and family, but also that we will get the rest and refreshment we need to return to Germany in August.

Our pace of life...

Mike and I have been thinking and talking a lot recently about our pace of life. We are trying to figure out what our pace of life needs to look like for long-term life here to be sustainable - or even possible. "Involved" and "committed" are two words that have been part of this conversation. A friend recently shared this quote, which was helpful:

"There is a difference between being 'involved' and being 'committed'; like with the ham and the egg: the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed!"