Two days we could be cold to the bone and the next day we’re all in shorts and sleeveless shirts! One day there is so much humidity that the floors and walls are wet with drips of water and the next day the sun and beautiful weather dries the clothes instantly.
Some days we wake up shivering to 40º or 50º weather and by the afternoon it is in the 80º.
Some visitors are planning to come during the month of July and they have asked what clothes to bring…the answer: EVERYTHING! Bring clothes to bundle up in and bring swimming clothes…just in case! Bring a couple of sweatshirts, maybe a sleeping bag and bring suntan lotion! Oh…and don’t forget your umbrellas, too.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
The Bait of Satan by John Bevere
As you know…I have been reading the book, The Bait of Satan by John Bevere. My book came with a 10th anniversary edition – devotional supplement included. So there is a 30 day spiritual work out included.
One of the recent messages was interesting…Joseph said to them…“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” Genesis 50:19-20.
This is amazing and also hard to take. Does that mean that some of those TERRIBLE things that others have done or said to me…God meant THAT for good?
It may have taken Joseph years to forgive them, but he did! He even ended up taking care of all of his brothers AND their families. All that got me thinking…could I do that with that person who treated me so wrongly? Did I forgive him/her and say…God meant it for good?
Can YOU?
One of the recent messages was interesting…Joseph said to them…“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” Genesis 50:19-20.
This is amazing and also hard to take. Does that mean that some of those TERRIBLE things that others have done or said to me…God meant THAT for good?
It may have taken Joseph years to forgive them, but he did! He even ended up taking care of all of his brothers AND their families. All that got me thinking…could I do that with that person who treated me so wrongly? Did I forgive him/her and say…God meant it for good?
Can YOU?
Friday, June 26, 2009
Cold
This morning was incredibly cold! I woke up tense (or frozen). It's 45 F! Oscar and the kids left for school and I was thinking about going back to bed, but NO WAY! The thought of those icy sheets is just too much. It's been colder, but today we just feel it a little more, maybe just me. I put Edson to sleep in a snow suit last night!
The beautiful thing about Paraguay is that even with this "fierce cold" the flowers are beautiful! The leaves fall off the trees but leave behind beautiful buds and flowers that brighten up the sky.
Also, in this cold, people are very actively preparing Typical Foods of Paraguay. Schools, neighborhoods and small groups gather together around a coal burner to fry, cook, barbecue and toast different foods like mbeyu, chipa, and so many others for fund raisers. There is always a table of 'cocido' a hot tea with or without milk. The yerba is mixed with sugar and a coal is thrown on top and burned together (the smell is incredible). Boiling water is poured on top of that mixture and it is a very tasty drink on a very cold day.
Once, when my sister was here, we brought our coal burner in the house (and open the glass windows, of course) and just sat around it trying to warm up our hands. In hopes to warm up the kitchen for a while last night, I made chipas and we drank cocido.
Soon...the sun will come out and I will be warm again.
The beautiful thing about Paraguay is that even with this "fierce cold" the flowers are beautiful! The leaves fall off the trees but leave behind beautiful buds and flowers that brighten up the sky.
Also, in this cold, people are very actively preparing Typical Foods of Paraguay. Schools, neighborhoods and small groups gather together around a coal burner to fry, cook, barbecue and toast different foods like mbeyu, chipa, and so many others for fund raisers. There is always a table of 'cocido' a hot tea with or without milk. The yerba is mixed with sugar and a coal is thrown on top and burned together (the smell is incredible). Boiling water is poured on top of that mixture and it is a very tasty drink on a very cold day.
Once, when my sister was here, we brought our coal burner in the house (and open the glass windows, of course) and just sat around it trying to warm up our hands. In hopes to warm up the kitchen for a while last night, I made chipas and we drank cocido.
Soon...the sun will come out and I will be warm again.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
I was counselling with a lady the other day whose world was falling apart. She was angry at her spouse for a decision he made. They were going through a financial struggle. Her kids, her health, her hope, her faith…everything seemed to be collapsing. Yeah, I understood so well…how many times have we all been there…in that situation? A couple days before talking to her, I was crying out to God in the same way. I asked the Holy Spirit to speak to me through His Word and clear up my situation. After praying, I opened up to:
2 Corinthians 6:3-10 (New Living Translation)
Paul’s Hardships
3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us,[a] and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
(The italics are my own doings.) I asked myself…Have I really been patiently enduring these troubles and hardships? Have I been willing to serve, forgive, and encourage even when there is slander or negative comments from others?
As I read and re-read this, I was thinking that I really AM NOT and HAVE NOT suffered to the extent that Paul did and, I probably never will! (Thank God!)
The last verse brought healing…(my interpretations) Our troubles are weighty, they make us sad, but we have the Joy of the Lord. Who can take that away from us? We might be poor or we may not have all the things we want, but we can encourage others with His Word and give THEM the riches of our faith. And the bottom line is…in Christ we are complete! AMEN!
2 Corinthians 6:3-10 (New Living Translation)
Paul’s Hardships
3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us,[a] and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
(The italics are my own doings.) I asked myself…Have I really been patiently enduring these troubles and hardships? Have I been willing to serve, forgive, and encourage even when there is slander or negative comments from others?
As I read and re-read this, I was thinking that I really AM NOT and HAVE NOT suffered to the extent that Paul did and, I probably never will! (Thank God!)
The last verse brought healing…(my interpretations) Our troubles are weighty, they make us sad, but we have the Joy of the Lord. Who can take that away from us? We might be poor or we may not have all the things we want, but we can encourage others with His Word and give THEM the riches of our faith. And the bottom line is…in Christ we are complete! AMEN!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Success!
...Building a tower taller than yourself!
...Having to stand on a table to be almost as tall.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Picture Posts Today
I don't have a lot of practice at taking self portraits...I usually don't have time for this. hahaha
Monday, June 15, 2009
The "New" ME...
Well, I took the first step. I went and got my hair cut!
No, no pictures yet.
I am working on ME!
I think I cut my hair just to distract me from what I really was supposed to be changing...my "me"...my inner ME. It was just so much easier to go to Blanca's and get it washed and styled. I looked different, but that ME was still there.
Let me explain...
Nancy left a book with me before she left called The Bait of Satan by John Bevere. I read it almost non-stop when she left, but every time it hit a sore spot on my inner ME. I set it down for a day or two. I didn't like what it was saying to me. It was too true. It brought up stuff that I hid for years and I didn't want to remember anymore. I was DONE with it...I "forgave and forgot" and buried it somewhere down in there.
I have a special project, now, just me and the Lord. I am working on cleaning up some of those areas that I hid so well. I am arguing with the Lord about some pride issues that I didn't want to give up...you know...it was THE OTHER PERSON'S fault, anyway. I also realized that a lot of stuff I have only forgiven, but not really forgotten.
So, that's where I am...I'm taking advantage of these cold, winter months to spend more time on the real "me".
By the way...my teenage son came up to me on Sunday and hugged me hard right out side of church and said..."mom, I LOVE your hair cut like this!"
No, no pictures yet.
I am working on ME!
I think I cut my hair just to distract me from what I really was supposed to be changing...my "me"...my inner ME. It was just so much easier to go to Blanca's and get it washed and styled. I looked different, but that ME was still there.
Let me explain...
Nancy left a book with me before she left called The Bait of Satan by John Bevere. I read it almost non-stop when she left, but every time it hit a sore spot on my inner ME. I set it down for a day or two. I didn't like what it was saying to me. It was too true. It brought up stuff that I hid for years and I didn't want to remember anymore. I was DONE with it...I "forgave and forgot" and buried it somewhere down in there.
I have a special project, now, just me and the Lord. I am working on cleaning up some of those areas that I hid so well. I am arguing with the Lord about some pride issues that I didn't want to give up...you know...it was THE OTHER PERSON'S fault, anyway. I also realized that a lot of stuff I have only forgiven, but not really forgotten.
So, that's where I am...I'm taking advantage of these cold, winter months to spend more time on the real "me".
By the way...my teenage son came up to me on Sunday and hugged me hard right out side of church and said..."mom, I LOVE your hair cut like this!"
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Edson Wants To Cuddle
Okay, let me be honest, if it would have been Brandon...way back 15 years ago, I may have been uptight by now. I may have lost my patience. I may have reacted. Why the difference? Well, I may have matured a little more, by now. I hope...I think.
The big boys went on a special Father/Son outing to Nu Guazu. They are going to get in some tennis, running, basketball, or whatever. Both Dad and boys were excited.
They left, just minutes after sleepy Edson got up from a nap. Edson wants to cuddle. Mom wants to get on with things. The boys and husband aren't here, there are a million things to do! Cook, read, write, blog...I wasn't planning on just cuddling Edson.
Why doesn't he want to cuddle during church or the prayer meeting! Then I WANT him to be cuddly and quiet.
I try to set him down to read a book and he bawls. I distract him with a snack that he doesn't want. I give him a toy and he throws it. He only wants to cuddle.
I look at the clock. How long will this last?...Why am I hurrying? What's the rush?
Brandon is TOO BIG to cuddle on my lap! He got big tooooooo fast! Brandon doesn't want to cuddle he wants to play basketball! He's gone! He's big.
I kiss Edson's nose, ruffle his hair, rub his back, give him one hug and then another and another until we're both laughing. The clock keeps ticking, but Edson wants to cuddle.
It's okay. I'm fine now. I will cuddle with Edson...we rock back and forth, sing a little song, roll cars up and down my arm. squeeze (cold) hands...
The big boys went on a special Father/Son outing to Nu Guazu. They are going to get in some tennis, running, basketball, or whatever. Both Dad and boys were excited.
They left, just minutes after sleepy Edson got up from a nap. Edson wants to cuddle. Mom wants to get on with things. The boys and husband aren't here, there are a million things to do! Cook, read, write, blog...I wasn't planning on just cuddling Edson.
Why doesn't he want to cuddle during church or the prayer meeting! Then I WANT him to be cuddly and quiet.
I try to set him down to read a book and he bawls. I distract him with a snack that he doesn't want. I give him a toy and he throws it. He only wants to cuddle.
I look at the clock. How long will this last?...Why am I hurrying? What's the rush?
Brandon is TOO BIG to cuddle on my lap! He got big tooooooo fast! Brandon doesn't want to cuddle he wants to play basketball! He's gone! He's big.
I kiss Edson's nose, ruffle his hair, rub his back, give him one hug and then another and another until we're both laughing. The clock keeps ticking, but Edson wants to cuddle.
It's okay. I'm fine now. I will cuddle with Edson...we rock back and forth, sing a little song, roll cars up and down my arm. squeeze (cold) hands...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Soccer at school
Paraguayans LOVE soccer. This past Saturday they showed the Paraguay-Chile game on tv and the whole country practically shut down to party and watch it together. People took their tv's outside for family gatherings. Church activities were held one hour earlier! People paraded around with their Paraguayan sports shirts...they were on sale for 5$ in one store. Managing the ball between your feet starts at a early age. Yes, Edson is getting good at this! Little kids learn the rules soooo fast. Teens kick hard and can leave ball bruises on your body that last for a week or two...or kick marks that really must have hurt!
The greatest of players, I guess, starts out like this...a rainy day at school...LET'S PLAY SOCCER. These are the sixth graders at Colegio Privado Adonai.
(These pictures, once again, are from Nancy, by the way...)
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
It's 42º F!!!!
We woke up shivering! 42º (6ºC) in Paraguay is soooooo cold! It's cold because if it is 42 outside it is probably 48º inside! Edson goes to bed at night with 3 layers of clothes and three blankets on top! I am usually the one who is so exageratedly cold.Yesterday I made the mistake of going to bed with wet hair...that was torture! I felt like an icecube all night long. I just couldn't get warm. My pillow was damp and my whole body felt damp.
I heard Sasha barking this morning...she must have slept well. Poor thing...how does SHE keep warm. Having her INDOORS is OUT OF THE QUESTION!
The sun is coming out! Those warm rays trickle in brightening up our frosty igloo...rays of warmth, rays of hope. A new day has begun...let us rejoice and be glad in it!
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