John 13:7

"You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." ~ john 13:7

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

24 Hours

The 'clock' on my computer right now reads 8:01am. In exactly 24 hours we will be on a plane taking off from San Antonio airport headed to Chicago. From there we leave at 12:45pm heading to Hong Kong. Sounds pretty surreal. Never thought I'd be going there - let alone moving there!

God has given me several little surprises since arriving in San Antonio last Monday. I'll take this opportunity to tell about them - if you'll bear with me.

I've repacked our five pieces of luggage probably three times since Sunday afternoon..making sure they all fall below the required 50 pound limit. (happy to say the largest is just 47)
All this I've done in the quietness of "Kat's" garage. (Kathleen is Mike's first wife - whom we are staying with in San Antonio. Nico, Mike's youngest son, along with Sarah - his sweet fiance, also live here). The quiet of the garage has really blessed my spirit - caused me to 'Be still' before God. It was also a nice way of listening to my music on my phone for a little while (Selah, NeedToBreathe, Mandisa..to name a few). Michael called it my 'zen time'. The goodness of the Lord today doesn't stop there...read on.

I realized God was even giving me more courage to fly to Hong Kong tomorrow - by placing me so close to the airport this past week. Kat's home sits about 5 minutes from the San Antonio International Airport - the very airport we will take off from tomorrow at 8am.

Side note: I've never been afraid of flying. My first flight was at 12 - on a 4seater - going to New Orleans with mom, dad & the owner of the plane, Roland, an old family friend. We flew over Lake Ponchatrain where I saw dolphins. Priceless. My next flight was by myself to Michigan. Spent the summer of my 16th year with one of my best friends, Lolly. Her family had a cottage by one of the many lakes. Priceless. From there I've lost count of the many flights I've had through the years; however, somewhere along the way I've developed a nervous anxiety about being in the air. Of course turbulence only makes matters worse.

God has given me the opportunity to be so close to so many airplanes coming in to land. (They fly over Kat's house about every 5-6 minutes...landing gear down and headed to the runway). It's really very beautiful - watching them glide through the air on the way down.
He's reminded me that He's in control & all is well. He's gone before us and prepared the way (including the plane ride).

The last surprise needs a little explanation: I like water towers..really. God has spoken to me through...water towers. I first heard Him say 'water' to me when we (Mike & I) were trying to decide whether to live in Dallas or Dripping Springs. We found a piece of land to purchase & build a house on. As I followed Mike's voice - I came into a clearing where there was a 'water tower' in the distance. I knew that was where my home was to be built - a wonderful gift from God. (Note to self: teach the younger women how God speaks in many different ways. The important thing is to remain in Him & listen.) God showed me the next water tower over the fence line in our home (the parsonage)..in Dighton. Showing me this came at such a crucial time - one morning when I was feeling especially down. It was a wonderful reminder that He was there. (God, too, feels what I feel ~ and stands ready to love me through anything).

The last surprise came this morning in San Antonio - as I walked upstairs to retreive something to tie my hair back. I was helping Brady with something and my hair kept falling in my face. As I was walking out of the upstairs bedroom - I happened to glance out a small window that's at the top of the stairs. It's not accessible except by ladder, but you can see a little from it while walking down the hall. What caught my eye next - out that window - was such a strong confirmation from God that I just started giggling & dancing in the hall. Out over the rooftops and treetops was...
a water tower.

...in less than 24 hours I will embark on a journey that will take me to life in Hong Kong - a new beginning. I hope you'll consider taking the journey with me and see what God has in store.
I'm going to look for water towers...

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Passport?

Guidelines are necessary, right? I mean, even God gives His creation (man) guidelines for protection. But I think sometimes we (man) take a good thing and easily turn it into things that aren't necessarily good. Ultimately God is in complete control - and that, in and of itself, is a GREAT thing.

As we were deciding what to keep/give away or sell, packing the rest, and pulling together what we were going to need in Hong Kong...we thought it'd be a good idea to gather our passports and double check them. (Note to self: next time try doing the passport check more than just a few days BEFORE one parent is to leave the country!)

I found mine and it was within the expiration date. Found Brady's and - uh oh..it expired..in May! Michael found out the nearest passport office was located in Ness City Post Office (a mere 23 miles due west of Dighton). He also learned the necessary documents we'd need to get Brady's passport. One of which being her birth certificate (the ORIGINAL one with the raised seal). Ok - now where did I put that?? AND is it already packed in an unlabeled box..somewhere in storage??? (Note to self: ALWAYS keep EVERY necessary document handy - thought I was already doing a pretty good job of it - guess not.)

So I start looking through all the paperwork that's left in our near-empty home. I'd already packed up what was once my office and our little storage 'house' in the backyard was already empty. BUT I wasn't yet in panic mode because I still had some papers in my bedroom corner. So I promptly go through all there - and still nothing resembling a birth certificate. We've no extra time to order one from Texas...maybe it's time to panic?

For some reason I felt led out to our garage, where there were a few brown boxes ready for delivery to our storage unit on the southside of town. I knew there was no certificate in any of those boxes so I just stood there and said a small prayer..."God, You know exactly where that BC is..and I know You will lead me there. Thank You. Amen." (Note to self: remember God doesn't care how our prayers sound - He just wants us to talk to Him.)

As I stood there in the garage - wondering if I was going to 'cave' and drive to the storage unit to start going through all the boxes - my eyes fell on a plastic 'drawer' (you know the cheap type they sell to starving college students). It had been in our garage on a shelf probably for all 3 years we were in Dighton - never making it to the storage 'house' in the backyard.

Side story: Michael has made fun of the things I've chosen to keep over the years - papers from Justin's kindergarten (he's now 23), Jordan's curls that Justin cut off when she was 2 (she turned 19 in May)...the list goes on. I might add my kids probably would make fun of me too - but hey, I'm a mom - i bet there's a few of you, too, out there..ha ha). Well, this was one of "those" boxes with all sorts of knick-knacks inside.

So I thought, as I got it down..what could hurt to go through it. I've got to get it to the storage on the edge of town, too. I open the drawer and proceed to look through it. On top there's a pile of Xerox copied photos of Jordan as a Jr High cheerleader - but something in the middle of the pile catches my eye. It's a blank sheet with an enlarged copy of Brady's social security card. Hmmmm, I think..now that's weird. It's just stuck there in the middle of these photos. So I keep digging. At the bottom of the drawer I find a RED file folder. Curiously I pull it out of the drawer and open it up. At first I see Brady's shot records for kindergarten registration. As I fumble through the documents I see a legal-size envelope - so I pull it out. How strange, I thought, what could this envelope be holding - why would I keep it?

I open it...you'll never guess what was inside...

Brady's birth certificate. The Original. Complete with raised seal.

I actually danced & praised God right there in the garage. Might've looked peculiar to any neighbors passing by - but ya know what? I didn't care. He'd taken care of that very important detail..and I wanted to thank Him. (Note to self: Thank God anytime & everytime He reveals Himself in times of needing help. He doesn't care how - just do it!)

End of story: We made it over to the passport office, got Brady's documents and new picture made just in the nick-o-time. Fast forward a month...and passport is in hand, ready for the flight this week to Hong Kong!

Friday, October 21, 2011

When God says, "Go."

The night before the biggest decision in our lives thus far (that would be Thursday night)...I decided to go to my Zumba class.

One of my dearest friends in my life began teaching Zumba as a women's ministry to our little community a little more than a year ago. We used to walk together every morning early before sunrise (I'm talking 5:00am). We talked about our lives as women, wives, moms & daughters - as well as religion, God & our spirituality. We'd cry, laugh & pray together. Well, after much prayer during the summer of 2010, she decided to get training to be a Zumba instructor. And BOY-WHAT-A-GREAT-ZUMBA TEACHER she is!!! She offers love, encouragement, energy, hugs along with a super work-out at least 4 times a week! Women of our community (as well as surrounding towns) have been attending & never walk away without feeling loved.

Back to story: So I arrived just in time for the 7pm - Thursday night class. It was a great work-out full of great music. (She mixes the required Zumba music with a sprinkling of Christian rock. She's able to witness to every lady walkin' in the door - LOVE IT!) She already knew about the possibility of Hong Kong because she's a prayer warrior with me. (Note to self: I have a few VERY wonderful close friends there in Dighton who are prayer partners with me - THANK YOU, Holy Father, for these beautiful souls you've placed in my life.)
Anyway...after class there were about three other ladies who lingered at the studio. We all sat down on the floor and started talking. I felt very comfortable talking to these women, so we openly talked about Hong Kong. The other ladies were anxious to hear all the details - so I began telling them. That's when it 'hit me'...the EPIPHANY (the sudden realization/comprehension of the larger essence or meaning of something)...the SATORI (an enlightenment or flash of sudden awareness).

I realized that when we lived in Texas we prayed: "God, we just want to be obedient to You - whatever that may be." And I felt Him say, "you want to be obedient? Then go to this little place over here in Kansas you know nothing about. Leave your family, your older children and everything familiar to you. Go and love the people there like I love you. That's obedience to Me." So we did. We sold many things - packed the rest - said our good-bye's to all our loved ones & moved to Dighton, Kansas to love on the people there.
At the beginning of the summer (2011) we began to feel God was preparing us for something...so we prayed: "God, we just want to be obedient to You - whatever that may be." And I felt Him say, "you want to be obedient? Then you go to this big place over there - a place called Hong Kong. Leave everything you know & go somewhere you know nothing about. Go and love the people there like I love you. That's obedience to Me. I prepared you for Hong Kong by training you up in Dighton."

Pretty powerful stuff, don't ya think? (Note to self: When the Holy Spirit speaks in times like these - it's good to listen.)

...so here we go...
We sold and gave away most of our things - packed the rest for storage - and now (currently) hugging & loving on our family as much as humanly possible...as we prepare our hearts, mind & bodies to go and serve a Mighty God.

Monday, October 10, 2011

I See the Moon & the Moon Sees Me

There's a song that I've shared with all three of my children when they were toddlers. It's a song about seeing the moon & people we love:

I see the moon & the moon sees me,
The moon sees somebody I'd like to see,
God bless the moon & God bless me..
And God bless the somebody I'd like to see.


It's a cute little song with a catchy tune that I'd sing when my older two (Justin & Jordan) were young and we were missing family. I continued the tradition with Brady, my youngest daughter. It was especially helpful when we moved to 'far-away' Kansas when she was 6. She missed her brothers & sisters (all six of them) and Nana, Papaw, Aunt Mel, Uncle Ricky & Luke (aka: family in Tx)..so we'd sing this little jingle to remember them and perhaps ease her longing just a bit.

One evening during the 'four days of deciding on Hong Kong', I had a dear friend & wonderful/spirit-filled mentor mention to me the moon was simply beautiful over the Kansas sky. She's a farmer's wife and sometimes takes walks down their country road. (She calls it taking a walk on the quarter-mile road. That's so enchanting to me.) It was so sweet that she shared this with me, but I didn't stop to look. I seemed to have been busy with something (trivial, I'm sure). A little later, though, the Holy Spirit nudged me enough to walk to the front door, open it and see the splendor. The sky was as huge and bright as the Kansas horizon with the moon in all it's glory suspended right in front of my front door. All I could say was, "God, You are already there (Hong Kong)...what is there to fear??? YOU'RE ALREADY THERE."
(note to self: God shows us His world isn't as big & scary when we choose to trust Him wherever He leads..He's already there preparing the way.)

To come full circle on this post - a month later my daughter, Jordan, is anxiously anticipating her week with 'B & me' (B=Brady) in College Station - where she's attending school. She writes on my Facebook wall - "I see the moon and the moon sees me..." (note to self: Thank you, Father, for my beautiful children. I am truly blessed.)

I wrote back - "The moon sees somebody I'd like to see!"

Monday, October 3, 2011

Dad's turn

So my dad, Lee, answers with his usual happy-go-lucky "hello!" (fyi: my mom has the sweet, southern-lady/east texas drawl: "hello.") Like mom, it was good to hear his voice. They both provide comfort to my heart when I hear them on the phone.

He didn't take the news as well as my mother did..which was a total surprise to me. It was my mom that I thought might take it the hardest..or my son, Justin, who is very tender-hearted & perhaps still hurting from the break between his dad and I. (note to self: give my older children each a long-lasting embrace when I see them next - life is too fragile not to)

My dad was in the Navy during World War II. He was a driver of a pontoon boat in the Pacific ocean. The closest he came to Hong Kong was northern China - where he went ashore for a spell. He was confused by the language, dress & culture of the Chinese...and he didn't like it. Based on the knowledge that he carried with him all these years - subsequently he did not like the idea of his daughter being emersed into another culture in Asia either.

I tried telling him as gently as I possibly could that I'd done a little research and things weren't exactly the same as what he remembered. I explained that it was really very westernized and there were MANY Americans living there at this time.
After a little while enjoying the conversation with my father - I concluded our time together asking for prayer, to which my dad eagerly agreed to do for us.

Wow.

God continues to amaze me. It was His Spirit that woke me 3 times during the week at 3:30am. (and I just realized - I love the number 3. When I was little I'd make sure I played games, jumped rope & skipped in "thirds." After all, it was the number of letters in Y-E-S; I liked that word..and it was the number of the Trinity - Father, Son & Holy Spirit). One of those early morning (3:30) awakenings was His Spirit nudging me to pray for my family: how they would receive the news. And now He was showing me how He'd moved through those prayers.

Wow.