This Good Life

When you go back to Kenya for a repeat time, especially to the schools we worked with, the kids challenge you.  A lot of them can look similar and sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate between girls and boys.  You meet so many kids and it can be overwhelming!  But when you return, they (ALL of them) want to know, "Do you remember me?"  Well, that's not the challenging part...the challenge comes into play when they follow up that question with, " What's my name?! "    ummmm....eek!   One of my goals this year in Kenya was to see things and people differently.  To see individuals .  To know more intimately names and stories that belong with faces.  To be completely individualistic. It's certainly hard to do, especially in the midst of chaos and other goals of the trip.  Yet this year, The Lord showed me how important and relevant that was.   Year-round all those kids are a part of a cl...

Today, today. Today is a day of celebration, memories, aching, healing, longing, tears, and joy. The fact that this earth in which we live has been without the presence of Mom for one year is truly astounding.  Earth is missing out, that is for sure! In this past year, so much change has taken place.  Change through healing, and because of heartache.  Physical changes, lifestyle changes, adjusting, taking crazy leaps of faith.  And Mom has been a part of so much of all this change, too...just from a little bit longer of a distance than I'm used to. But she's been there. And OH! -- my, how the Lord has not only been in the midst of these changes alongside Mom, but how He's led the way!  How He has guided the change, revealed His plan little by little, comforted emotions when we stumble about treading through the unknown.  OH, how He has been present in the newness and generous with the His undeniably incredible peace. Oh, Lord.  You are...

The thoughts of my wise and wonderful daddy:  "Barbara J. Winter wrote - "When you come to the edge of all the light you know and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen:  there will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught how to fly." Stepping into "the darkness fo the unknown" is an exact description of Judy's journey and our family's the past couple of years.  Stepping into the unknown is a walk of faith;  a road we have never traveled - with no warning signs or directions.  A road with many questions and uncertainly.  Many shattered dreams and sleepless nights.  The only sure thing:  God is faithful as He promised to never leave us or forsake us. But God  (my two favorite words in the Bible) gave us enough light to take the next step, however dark and insecure as it may have felt at the time.  Each time God's solid rock was there for us to stand ...

"What we need is a relentless appetite for the divine. We need a holy ravenousness. Our craving souls can turn and become enthralled by a goodness that is found in the presence of an all-glorious God. There is only one infinite source of satisfaction that can satisfy our bottomless cravings." Source:  http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/socially-acceptable-sin