A Confession...

Okay...I will confess...there is one thing that I have NOT fit back into my routine yet...my excercise bike! I had been riding for almost 20 minutes a day before my trip and then I just haven't gotten back into it now that I am back.

Today I read a newsletter that inspired me once again. I don't even know how I started getting these newsletters, but so many times there is such good advice so I wanted to share this one with you its by Simple Truths...Mac Anderson.

Get a Second Job...An excerpt from You Can't Send a Duck To Eagle School by Mac Anderson
You may have heard the quote..."The speed of the leader will determine the rate of the pack."
Well here's another one for you..."The attitude of the leader will determine the attitude of the pack."
Because I'm the founder of Successories ®, some people think that this guy probably never has a negative thought. How wrong they would be! Like every human being, I have doubts, fears, and disappointments in my life. As a leader, however, we must manage our attitudes.
Do we need to be perfect? Of course not. But, we can never underestimate the influence that our actions and our attitudes will have on our team. Churchill said,
"The price of LEADERSHIP is RESPONSIBILITY."...and part of that responsibility is to STAY POSITIVE whether you feel like it or not.
MANAGING YOUR ATTITUDE IS A VERY PERSONAL THING. However, for me, one of the most important factors is exercise. My attitude and my energy levels are directly tied to exercise. I can be doing everything else right, but without regular exercise I can feel my attitude "heading south."
I've got a friend who is 65 but looks like he's 55. I saw him the other day and said, "Tony, you look great." He said, "I feel great! I got a second job." I said, "A second job?
I thought your import business was doing well." He said, "It is. My second job is on the treadmill from 6-7 every morning. When I started looking at it as a second job, I showed up whether I wanted to or not!" He said, "The pay is lousy, but the benefits to my health and my attitude are priceless!"
Exercise, more than anything, is a "stress buster". And, don't kid yourself, stress is a killer. In fact the World Health Organization estimates that 80% of all illnesses are directly or indirectly caused by stress. Therefore, if you're not proactive in busting stress, it's very likely to come back and bust you!
Okay, I guess, I'll get back on that bike. It's not my 2nd job, though, its one of the 15+ jobs I have all day long!

Blessings...Frustrations

Blessings...
...fresh carrots, a chicken, oranges and a goose from "el campo" (Oscar's sister's farm), the kids back in school, nice weather and beautiful flowering trees preparing for spring, new sandals for Edson, goodies for people in Bañando, baby clothes for Silvina, a 40 cup coffee maker and a 5 gallon-stainless steel soup kettle, healthy kids, new books, call from a U.S. friend on my cell phone, a new cook book, marshmellows, a battery-operated train set for Edson, chocolate chips, and...ohhhh so much more!
Frustrations...
...a telephone line that doesn't work, not enough time, computer problems, people problems sometimes at school...whew!...glad there's not much more on this list!

Back to routine!

Back to school, back to the missionary meetings, back to teaching, back to cooking, cleaning and the rest....yes, it's good to be back on track or back on schedule which ever way you see it.
Sometimes I wonder...why are we so programmed? Why do we need routines? Edson is back on his sleeping schedule (the long afternoon nap is the schedule I WANT him to keep!) The kids are studying...yes, homework on the first day!
But, things are back to normal. Tonight we have a meeting, tomorrow Oscar starts up his bible studies again, Wednesday is prayer meeting, thursday is "family night". Friday is youth night at church and I volunteered to take in something for the bake sale. Saturday and Sunday are church days...and the routine continues...

Still on vacation...

Hey, if you're wondering where I am. I am still on vacation with my kids this time. They start back on Monday and we are at home, but still together. Monday we were school shopping. Tuesday I was at school teaching. Today is Friendship Day something like Valentine's Day in the States. We went into Adonai at 5.45am for an early morning breakfast and gift exchange. We were also closet cleaning here at home. Tomorrow Tia Estela (Oscar's sister) is coming and Friday is another cleaning day! I will get back to writing...but maybe Friday or Monday.

This weekend...

Travelling home from Virginia was hot and long. The beautiful scenery and playful moments with nephews made the trip fun and enjoyable.
We got to Columbus to find our relatives recovering from some ailments. Since they weren't feeling good enough to travel, I stayed an extra day to visit and play with the nieces. I made baked chicken empanadas. (I don't even make them homemade at home, but...this is special...for my brother-in-law.) Some were eaten but the rest were frozen for him to enjoy in future.
Today was a fun day. Fun with the AUNTS. Catch-up time with life, family, thoughts, beliefs...and diet coke!
The funniest thing is...their favorite place to eat out was an old trucker's stop on 585 called The Post House. We laughed at that little country restaurant our whole childhood. It was on a road where we turned to go to Orville, or Rittman or go straight to Mansfield. We passed by the Post House maybe 3-4 times a week, but never stopped there! It was a trucker's place.
Several years ago the aunts and grandma took me there and I came home surprised and telling mom where we ate and how GOOD it was. We didn't know that it just happened to be their favorite spot! Since then, we found out that even the waiter is an old family friend.
Today we ate with no hurry talking about family, life's battles with it's ups and downs, raising kids, etc. I am uplifted by their strengths and encouragement. I am thankful for them!
Good times!
My suitcases are packed. I have no more room for STUFF...just love, encouragement, and memories.

Living Worship

I work with our Praise and Worship group at home and the title of this book caught my eye the other day as I was browsing in the bookstore at Eastern Camp. Living Worship by John Randall Dennis, so I bought it. I have been reading it every chance I get. It is such a fun book.
The Hebrew word for Worship is shachah (pronounced shaw-kwah) and means...to prostrate in honor to God - to bow down, fall down flat, to do reverence, to stoop, to worship. (page 20)
The author gives "portraits of worship" through some of the well-known bible characters. After Job heard that all his animals, household, family and everything were all destroyed, his shachah was...The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Isaiah was in the temple preparing the table when he saw the Lord and fell down before him in shachah, recognizing and admitting his humanness and sin.
Some truths that the author points out:
*Worship doesn't have anything to do with our circumstances.
*Real worship proclaims real truths
*Worship isn't about us or for us. It is about God.
*Worshipers recognize and admit their sin.
"That we have not been justified on our religious performance, that we have peace with God through Christ, that we have access into a standing of grace that we did not conceive, initiate, accomplish, or sustain - these facts should be sufficient cause to make us a comunity of celebrating worhipers whose fellowship can go on forever!" (page 46)
I'm only at the beginning, but I can see that this is an excellent book. I wish I would have found it a long time ago.

Vending Machines

I just realized that I never see vending machines in Paraguay. I was happy with looking at the eight different choices of cool drinks, but it wasn't hard to decide which one I wanted. I put in my coins, yesterday, pressed the buttons and waited as my mouth watered at the cold diet coke that fell to the bottom. It was a hot afternoon and the coke was just as cold as I wanted it, plus it was in a can.
You probably wonder why this was so exciting? Well, in paraguay I see "vendedores ambulantes"...People selling "cold" pop. They are saying that it is cold pop and when you buy it is is lukewarm, in a plastic bottle and maybe even not too fizzy. These people get on buses, stand on sidewalks or stand at traffic lights with a small styrofoam container trying to convince you that the pop they are selling is cold pop. Others sell dry chipas or little cakes that make you even thirstier for just about anything. Others even sell peeled oranges with the tops cut off so you can suck out (warm) fresh orange juice with seeds and all, without getting the oily orange essence all over your hands.
Well, If I can find some more coins, I'll go down for another one.