A Six-Month Anniversary

A friend reminded us the other day that we have now been back in America for six months. He had returned to the states the same day we did. I realized a lot had happened in six months. We're settled into our house, CDK has completed his first semester, I've settled in my job, we've found a church, made new friends, and seen a lot of friends and family.

As I sat in my office this morning a realization came to me. I realized I still have so much of my "overseas life" in me. Here's a small example: I heard several cars honking outside and I thought "There must be a wedding party" (after a wedding in the Middle East everyone that attended the wedding would drive around town and honk wildly). Of course I quickly snapped out of that thought and remembered it was just the busy street outside my window.

At the same time I also realized how thankful I was to have that "overseas life" as a part of me. It forever changed me, just like any major life event can change a person. It changed me in many unforgettable ways and it's now part of who I am. It wasn't always easy, and there were days I wanted to be anywhere but there, but to have the experiences, life lessons, friends, and opportunities those two years provided is immeasurable and invaluable.

Thank you Father for all the opportunities you have given me in life, in many countries. You are my rock and sustainer. You used those two years to point directly to who you are. I pray that the rest of my life I will be constantly pointed to who you are and point others in the same direction.











This picture was taken about a month after we arrived in the ME. We're still very "green" at this point, and who knows what color we are now!

Below are some things that briefly transport me back to that country, a few thousand miles away.

• Sometimes I cut people off while driving, they honk and get mad, and I think "What's wrong with them?"
• Sometimes while making my grocery list I think "Will they have [insert American food item here] at Plaza today, or will I have to go to Cozmo?"
• Sometimes I leave my house and think "Oh no, I'm not dressed conservatively enough today."
• Sometimes when I think about where I want to go eat for dinner, I quickly realize I can only get there by plane (Today feels like a good day for Kalha!)
• Sometimes I wish I knew when the next time was that I would be able to get on a plane and go to a new country to see how God is working there.
• Many times the only words that enter my mind in response to someones statement are "Inshallah" (If God wills) and "Mumkin" (Maybe).
• At least once a week I stop and watch my screen saver at work and smile at all the pictures of our life in another land.
• During busy weeks I wish for the simplicity and slow place of the life we had there.
• Almost every morning I wake up and thank God for the central heat I now sincerely appreciate!
• Every time I hear news about the Middle East, I watch intently and listen hard to see if I can translate the Arabic before the announcer starts to translate it.

Snow Day!

What a surprise when I woke up at 5:30 this morning to find the ground covered in snow. I know you won't believe it if you know where we live, but it's true. Though my initial reaction wasn't excitement. I had stayed at worked till 9 last night preparing for a very important meeting this morning at 8. I had planned to leave the house and be at work by 6:30 to make sure everything was ready to go. Since my employer so easily seems to dismiss work I figured any minute I would see the name scroll across the bottom of the television, but nothing.

So I proceeded as planned. I got ready and at 6:10 very subtly asked CDK to clean off the car for me (he's so sweet). I got in the car, bundled up and ready to go. The roads weren't slippery, just white. It was hard to see the lanes, and for the most part people were driving sensibly. About 15 minutes into the drive CDK calls and says work is cancelled. I was relieved because I didn't want to get all the way there and then have to turn around.

When I returned home I ate breakfast, called the parents, and got dressed in warm clothes. We went and walked around campus for awhile and CDK took pics with his new camera. Then we came home, took a nap, ate lunch, and plan on goofing off the rest of the day. Oh, and I want to make chocolate chip cookies, but don't know if I have the ingredients. It's a good day! And, the snow day leads to my first ever picture post.

Consider This a Commercial

I thought about a lot of resolutions this year, but I didn't see much point in making them, or at least making them public. So I've kept them to myself and as expected, I'm not living up to them. Oh well.

One we are working on as a couple, not as a resolution, but a goal, is to better manage our finances. We have always been good at saving and living within our means, but just never knew exactly where our money went. So, we set a budget and I found a spending management website called www.mvelopes.com. I've only been using it for two weeks now, but it seems to be working well. It's basically the envelope system of accounting, but electronically. I like it, it's easy, and only takes a few minutes a day. And I already feel better about how we're spending our money. So that's my commercial, check it out.

A Great Week

There are some weeks that are spectacular, others that are bad. Then others that are great, but not for any particular reason. That was this week for me.

I was to return to work on Tuesday, after my week long Christmas break (which is a great perk of my job), but my boss called on Tuesday night. Since it was a national day of mourning for Gerald Ford all non-essential government offices were closed. Seeing as I work for a non-essential government office, it was closed. It's so much fun to have an extra day off. This is the second time I've gotten an unexpected day off since starting this job 3 1/2 months ago. I love it!

On Tuesday afternoon we drove visit some really good friends that we worked with a couple of years ago. We had a great dinner catching up and talking about ministry. We also got to see their precious little boy.

This week at work I felt like I was able to make some progress in my position that the VP of my department was happy with. And I'm working on several projects that I really like. I got started on a great creative streak on Friday afternoon and before I knew it it was 4:52. I almost didn't want to go home (that never happens).

Friday it was our life groups turn to clean the church. While this doesn't sound like fun, it only takes about 30 minutes, and it's time to hang out with good friends. We went and ate Mexican food and hung out at Starbucks afterwards. Saturday CDK and I just hung out and watched a movie. Though I did watch the Cowboys lose and that wasn't so fun.

Lastly, today, we had a friend we hadn't seen in two years come into town. We had lunch with him and sat for about two hours talking. So a great week with friends, family, and work, can't beat that!

Oh, the Possibilities

Don't you just love the approaching of the New Year? It's just so fun to think about a new start, a clean slate. There are thoughts of how you'll live your life better or healthier and things you want to accomplish. I love that the new year feels like a big blank page waiting to be written on. It's the same feeling when you get a new journal or calendar and it's just waiting to be filled.

As I was thinking about that this morning I was reminded that God's grace is the exact same way. His mercies are new every morning and we have a clean slate, amazing. No matter how my day, week, month, or year has been, I wake up every morning in His new mercies. So this year I am going to live that, and be in that promise. Live in His mercies and share them with others.

Fortunately, Fridays Always Come

I know Friday always gets here eventually, but some weeks it seems like it is an eternity before it arrives. That has been especially true this week, since it's the last week before Christmas, and, since at my wonderful work place, we get the whole week between Christmas and New Year's off. All I can say to that is "Hallelujah"!

But it has been a long haul to get to Friday. Wednesday started the ever-increasing flow of people walking by my office and saying "Merry Christmas. See you next year." They are the lucky ones who are taking extra vacation and adding a little time to their holiday. I, on the other hand, haven't been employed here six months yet, so can't take the vacation time. And today, Friday, I know the office will be very quiet. I've volunteered to help take down the Christmas decorations, so maybe that will waste some time. And there is a rumor that we'll be allowed to leave early anyway, so that would be nice. We made it to Friday.

Fa la la la la, la la la la

I LOVE Christmas music and I love playing it as often as possible during the Christmas season. There is a station that plays all Christmas music starting after Thanksgiving, so I've been listening to it at work and in the car. And as much as people laugh about Christmas caroling, I'm a dorky person who would actually like to go Christmas caroling.

But this year I've been reminded that there are Christmas songs I don't like. This list might get longer as the day goes on and I hear more songs on the radio.
- The Christmas Shoes
- Santa Baby - especially the version Madonna sings
- The Alvin and Chipmunks Christmas song
- Christmas songs by the Jackson 5
- Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses (added 11:23 am)

This is no reflection on any ones talent, but for some reason these songs, or these artists singing Christmas songs, just don't work for me. On the flip side, my absolute, all-time favorite Christmas song is O Holy Night. It's my favorite and my dads too.