Day by Day

My Grandpa Veer spent about 20 years in Ethiopia, and I have always LOVED to hear him speak Amharic.  Tonight I finally decided to record him so that I will always have it…and I thought you might like to hear it as well!  The photo collage is of my Grandpa and his hand-written lyrics of the song Day by Day in Amharic.

Thank you, Grandpa for the rich heritage you have passed down to each of us grandchildren!  I love you!!!!

 

gpaV-daybyday_web.mov

Thanksgiving

I am so incredibly blessed with a godly family that actually enjoys spending a LOT of time together!  I can’t imagine life without them and am excited about baby#2 that’s coming!

Tami had the brilliant idea of having brunch together Thanksgiving morning!  Tami and mom and Tami’s mom Connie all brought some food and it all tasted FANTASTIC!

After breakfast we all just got to sit and relax and of course play with Ella, swing her around, and play ring-around-the-rosie!  She was THRILLED when we all joined in for a few rounds!

Daily lessons…

God is entirely too good to me.
What a season I am in…a season of waiting, of anticipation, of learning patience and trust.
God has a plan for me and I am IN HIS WILL right now!  This is where He wants me!  Oh so hard to remember that truth!

 

The past few weeks God has taken me back to some of the basics of our relationship. On the retreat He showed me that I really need to be investing in those around me…even if I’m in the middle of transition and don’t know where I will be 2 weeks from now.   So I am currently looking into options.

 

Last week, I had the opportunity to go help with an after-school program at a public middle school in Wichita.  I can’t even begin to tell you how nervous I was to walk into a room of 7th and 8th graders…ridiculous isn’t it?  I told a friend that I had never realized I had a deep FEAR of the public school system before being presented with the idea of doing Young Life. Public schools are unfamiliar.  Scary.  Big.  Unknown and misunderstood.  I faced lies about myself…I don’t have what it takes.  I can’t relate to middle schoolers.  For several days I wrestled with the idea and finally decided to go ahead and give it a try regardless of my fears.

 

And shockingly…it was SO GREAT!  I showed up at the school and was met by a friend who works with Young Life.  He introduced me to some of the teachers and students and made it much easier!  I’m not sure WHAT I expected to take place at an after school program, but I did NOT expect to help students with their math homework!  Wow….after my initial shock and fear, I took a deep breath and remembered: they are MIDDLE schoolers. It couldn’t be THAT hard!  And it wasn’t…I got to help with improper fractions!  After a while of tutoring we went outside.  This is the part I had dreaded…I’m not athletic!  And then I realized that all kids are the same…and the girls were playing exactly what I played in middle school…4 square and jump rope.  Deep breath.  I can do that!

 

I am going to a young life club even tonight and we’ll see what happens.  I’m still not certain that is where God wants me long-term but He hasn’t presented me with anything else right now so I’ll head in this direction!

I know this post is getting long, but I have so much to share about what God is doing right now.  So I’ll keep writing but feel free to stop reading at any time

Yesterday I had been out job-hunting all afternoon and was tired and discouraged.  I had about 3 options for the evening, but decided I needed a one-on-one date with God instead.  I went to the new coffee shop in Bradley Fair (Cocoa Dolce).  It’s wonderful!  It’s extremely cozy with comfortable stuffed chairs, lamps and GREAT coffee!  I had been talking with my friend about Jesus’ ministry on earth and how He loves people so wholly and so practically!  I started reading through Matthew again with that specifically in mind.  After a few hours, a group came into the coffee shop and approached me and just started sharing about how God has been at work in their lives!  One of them even started an orphanage in Ghana a few years ago!  I found out through conversation that he goes to my cousin’s church in El Dorado!  (small world…or rather what a BIG God!)  God really used them to bless me and encourage my heart that even though I don’t understand what He’s doing…He DOES have a plan and He is GOOD!

After I got home at 9 pm I got a call from a place I had applied for this past week and they called me in for a group interview today!  I had never been to a GROUP interview before and had no idea what to expect, but it was surprisingly quite comfortable.  I was not sure if I’d hear anything because there were SIXTEEN of us there….but I got a call today for another interview this next Monday!  I’m excited and encouraged.  God is in control and even if I don’t get the job, He is using this open door to encourage me.

 

I wanted to share one more story of what God is teaching me about the basics.  The other day I was organizing all my files and throwing away old paper work etc.  For some reason, God brought tithing to mind and I realized it’s been a while since I have given God a percentage of what I have made!  It wasn’t my conscious choice to neglect, but ever since my accident I have been really struggling financially, my paychecks are entirely sporadic,  and I just hadn’t thought of it!  As I went back through my bank account, I realized I needed to tithe almost the entire amount in my bank account.  I really struggled with that since I also had bills due that next week.  However, the next day I was sitting at a coffee shop and continued with my reading in 2 Corinthians 8-9.

Out of the most severe trial, [the Macedonians'] overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.  For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.
2 Corinthians 8:2-3

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having ALL THAT YOU NEED, you will abound in every good work.  2 Corinthians 9:8

Basically…I felt so convicted and decided to take the step and TRUST God that He would do as He promised.  I wrote out a check and brought it to Grace before I could possibly change my mind!  I had no idea how God would provide for my bills.  I waited  and nothing happened until the DAY before my loan payment was to be  automatically withdrawn.  God provided a photo job for me and I was paid immediately, so I went straight to the bank with my pay check and am once again reminded that God WILL take care of my DAILY needs!  His GRACE is SUFFICIENT for me and his POWER is made perfect in my WEAKNESS!  (2 Corinthians 12:8).

Tortoise Gallery

January 29.  6:30-9:30

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

My friend Joel and I will be sharing a show at the Tortoise Gallery and Art Center in Halstead, KS!   I met this morning with Joel and the owner of the gallery, Mary Lee-McDonald and it seems a bit more real now!  In fact I am realizing how much work I have to do before January!

Check out the website: www.tortoisegallery.com and look into all the fun art classes they offer!  Joel will be teaching a figure drawing class  beginning Jan. 14th.

Oh and the gallery will be sending out invitations so if you would like to receive one, please send me your address!

Sarah

Sarah is a friend who is extremely dear to my heart.  I met her in Colorado at the Soda fountain and after finding we had a similar friend (thanks Heidi!) we had an instant connection.  I’d get to eat lunch with her in the park about once a week and always loved talking with her.

I was so excited Sarah came back to Lake City and worked at Redcloud this past summer.  However, summer didn’t go as she planned or hoped.  She suffered with altitude sickness for months.  After my ankle injury, I switched bunks with my sister so I could be downstairs and Sarah had the bunk next to mine.  Several sleepless nights, we would whisper to pass the hours.  When all the other staff could go out on hikes or adventures, Sarah and I enjoyed a cup of coffee together.  She became one of my dearest friends.  After weeks of being ill, Sarah finally decided it would be best to return to Arkansas for her health.  I was extremely sad to see her go.  However…I have been blessed immensely and was able to visit her in Siloam Springs and now she was able to come visit us here in KS!

Sarah,
you are a blessing to me.
I love you.

Manhattan

I am heading to Manhattan today to go visit my sister at K-state!  So…I won’t have time to do a post today or tomorrow, but hopefully I’ll have some new photos after that!  Hope you all have a great weekend!

Nov12

 

Red Maple…or orange?

I hope you all aren’t ridiculously tired of my autumn photos.  I just never grow weary of the reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn!  This is the first fall season I’ve been home for in 3 years.  In Kenya, the trees were all purple at the time of our fall.  In Colorado, all the trees were golden yellow and absolutely majestic.  But there is something so amazing about fall in Kansas.  I love the VARIETY in color!  My mother bought a red maple for our yard and has been hoping it would turn a fiery red…this year the leaves finally did turn a beautiful color but more orange-y than red.  But regardless it is beautiful!

Nov11-Playing

Ella also likes to play with “jewry”, try on any pair of shoes she finds, and color…or rather just empty out all the crayons from the box!  She also loves to do whatever we are doing!  This morning Andrea was getting ready, and Ella thoroughly enjoyed trying on ALL of the bobby pins, which she calls “bows”. (Anything that goes in the hair is a bow!)  After Ella goes home, it is not unusual to realize I have a few extra bobby-pins in my hair or a few extra necklaces around my neck!

Sidewalk chalk

Ella came over today and we had all kinds of fun!  It was such a gorgeous day, so we took advantage of it and played with side-walk chalk!