paint day

After two long days of painting, it is finished! No more hospital-white walls! Let there be color!

 

In case you didn't notice in the previous house photos, we are oh so lucky to have pink tiles all throughout the house. Pink? Really? (sigh) This made picking a color a little difficult. Some friends (who also so graciously helped paint) picked out this color! A nice olive green. The other walls are the same tan color as in my bedroom. It's amazing what a little bit of color can do to a space.

 

 

The second bedroom. We went fun with this one. When we saw this on the card, we described it as in the blue family. The swatch on the paint can, however, looked unnervingly like black. Pouring it in the paint tray, it looked purpleish. And now, in the photo, navy blue. Basically, depending on the light and the angle, it can be a variety of colors. The other walls are "Sandstone," a more cool version of the tan.

 

While painting that bedroom, we ran out of sandstone with just a little bit of the last wall left. Since it was a "special" color, you couldn't buy just a small can of it; you had to buy the gallon. So, we had nearly an entire can left. Inspiration! Paint the bathroom!  

 

Aaand I loved the olive wall so much, I thought I'd paint a wall in my room as well. It ties the room in really well, although it's hard to tell in the photo. I kinda, uh, ran out of paint, though, so the wall behind my bed may still be the tan color... 

There. Now the house is all pretty for Momma. Just in time. :)

Photo of the Day... maybe

Sometimes I forget that life here isn't... normal. It's not America, and life is definitely not lived as if it were. Often, I don't see these differences. A friend had an idea, though, and I'm going to steal it. I am going to attempt to post a photo every day or so (given that I have internet) so that you can see what my life is, at least, sorta like on an everyday basis.

A glimpse into my yesterday. Guess what tomorrow's photo is going to be... 

For today: Lunch with some lovely ladies from the English club at a mie ayam (noodles with chicken) restaurant. Most restaurants have a limited menu, but what they're known for, they're usually pretty great at. With this dish, you can add however much sweet soy sauce or hot sauce that you'd like. If you can tell, my noodles are only somewhat brown from just a smidge of soy sauce and white pepper. However, if you look at my friends', theirs is red - plenty of hot sauce. No spice, no taste, right? 

There won't always be so many photos, unfortunately, but today, my internet was being somewhat cooperative. :)

 

"What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth... This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." - 1 Cor. 3:5-7, 4:1

christmas

What a Christmas.

Dinner and games with some amazing folks on Christmas Eve, homemade eggnog while introducing White Christmas to two lovely ladies, Christmas day with my family-away-from-family, clear Skype reception (for the most part) to be able to talk with family and watch them open presents...

And the grand finale - my little sister is engaged!! Congratulations, Regan and Isaac!! So excited for you two! And so grateful Skype held up long enough to be able to see this beauty!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."  

walking on water

The house seems so empty. It's crazy how loud silence can be.

Tuesday my two housemates (and partners and just really awesome friends) went back to the US, concluding a series of goodbyes this holiday season. The city is now short two single ladies, one wonderful couple, and four energetic, beautiful blonde-headed girls.

This time has been much anticipated with anxiety, to be honest. More goodbyes. Another transition. Joy.

It's easy to look at the situation and fall into worry and insecurity. And I did there for a little while (another honest moment). Who am I to be heading up the English center? What am I going to do without all those late-night motivating and strengthening conversations? What happens if (when) everything falls apart and we lose all momentum and I have no idea what to do next? Can I really do this?

But you know what? All of those questions up there, they're all focused on the wrong thing. They're all about me. Who am I? What am I to do?

While some of those questions up there may hold some value, most are just unbelief covered in worry. I'm reminded of a story about a certain someone who tried to walk on water but started sinking when he shifted his eyes to the storm around him instead of on the One who was walking towards him. Pretty humbling.

Isn't that more or less exactly what I'm doing? I am so quick to look at what's around me and flip out because I can't possibly do it, when all I'm supposed to do is fix my eyes on the One who CAN. (Haven't I learned this already? I think I'm like Peter in more ways than one.)

So here's what I've learned so far in my version of trying to walk on water:

He's our Father, our good and perfect Father. And if our dads here know how to give their children good gifts, how much more so our good and perfect Father! We are not abandoned. We are His beloved.

He knows what He's doing. It's no coincidence that we're in the situations we're in. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He knows how to draw us to Himself. That's what He's doing, you know. Drawing us to Himself. Making His name known. And, in the process, making us more like Him. We can't walk on water, but He can. When the wind and waves are raging all around us, all we gotta do is trust and keep walking with our eyes fixed on Him.

Let's try this whole walking on water thing again.