Some books that have made an impression on me recently:
Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis
My Father, Maker of the Trees by Eric Irivuzumugabe and Tracey D. Lawrence
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Discipline: the Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot
Wow, I just realized that other than the Hunger Games, those are all non-fiction. That's not normal for me, but I think I like it. I guess that way, when I get lost in a book, I can at least be reading about something that actually happened! And believe me, I get lost in books. I felt like I had changed as much as Katniss had by the time I got to the end of Mockingjay (book 3)!
I've had more time to read again recently since I've been back on night shift. Sometimes I take advantage of it, and sometimes, I get on Skype and Facebook all night and talk to people I love and miss. Now, don't get me wrong. These babies keep me plenty busy! We were down to 6, sort of almost, and then we got 5 new ones! They were born May 30, June 2, June 4, June 14, and June 30. So yes, for those of us who have a hard time with basic math, we currently have 11 :) We had mostly girls for a while, but now we only have 4 girls! They are all perfect and sweet and snuggly...of course it's a lot easier to say that at this moment, since they are all finally asleep! God continues to abundantly pour out His grace on me in so many ways. Oh, this grace undeserved! Somehow, He always gets me through the moments (that seem an eternity!) when multiple babies are fussing, and I can't seem to get anyone to calm down (including myself!). His grace is sufficient for me. When I'm "home"sick and can't seem to remember why i'm here, His grace is sufficient for me. When I get asked for the bajillionth time "when are you coming back?" and I have to answer AGAIN "I still don't know", His grace is sufficient for me. When it's 3:08 am and I just want to lay down and sleep, but I know babies need fed....His grace is sufficient for me!
Another way He has blessed me recently: my car sold within a couple days of listing it....for more than I was hoping for!!! I will miss you Rosalee, and I hope your new owner appreciates you as much as I did! :)
I read another book a couple days ago (Chosen: the Lost Diaries of Queen Esther by Ginger Garrett- a novel about Queen Esther) and there was a part in it that made me stop and think. It compared how praying about the future can sometimes become more like seeking a fortune teller instead of seeking God's will... Coming back to Taiwan has been a dream of mine for a while now. It's funny, because for a couple years I wasn't sure if/when it was ever going to get to happen again, but by God's grace it has (i'm going on 8 months here!)! However, now I find myself questioning when I get to go back to the States, and feeling sorry for myself because I don't have it all set up yet! It's silly because God has never left me. And I still think/live that way sometimes...
Please forgive me, Daddy for doubting You, and for treating You like a fortune teller instead of trusting You with my future. Help me to live each day and each moment to glorify You, and not worry about tomorrow.
Dearest Fernando,
ReplyDeleteI love reading what you have to say. I also love your immense love of those near and far from you. I also secretly love that you used to post pictures of the babies and claim one for me. :D
Find me on Skype sometime at those crazy hours!
(elisa83me)
Love you!!
Hey, I know we dont really talk ever, but I figured I'd say something today- let me recount events for you- i posted the CS Lewis " " on almighty Facebook and you liked it- I admit, I facebook stalked you back to your wall and then found your blog- it's funny but what you just wrote about in your post, especially at the end was what I was more or less journaling about just now. My struggle is similar- I come to God to talk about my future, but I always seem to insist on painting it my way. In the CS Lewis book I just finished, The Pilgrim's Regress, near the end, the main character is traveling back through the lands he came through, and they pass by Superbia- who is basically a skeleton with skin on it- wretching about how she successfully rejected everything of God, and in the end, everything she is, everything she has is her own- constantly adoring her own skullish face by the reflection of her own glossy bones... i know it's a bit grotesque, but it horrified me, because i worry about how sometimes I might have a bit of Superbia of my own inside me. Anyways, forgive my long-winded reply- I just felt like I had to share something with someone- thanks for liking my post and thank you for yours- it has been another word in a sentence God is speaking to me today about- God bless- and i know what it's like to go back to some place and have a million people keep asking you when you're going to come back... It's some place God leads you and you have to follow, even if it doesnt all make perfect sense at the time...
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