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...