today I had planned to meet a friend at this fantastic cafe/art gallery place with a great outdoor play area for kids. I had Elizabeth with me and the boys in the car as I was going to drop Elizabeth off near to the taxis. as I started coasting down the hill I pressed the brakes and realized the car wasn't stopping. I wasn't going too quickly but immediately started to panic. I said to Elizabeth, "my brakes won't work! my brakes are gone!" and luckily I was going slow enough that I could pull somewhat off to the side and pull the e-brake. cars were honking as I found the emergency lights and waved them around me.
I realized the car had actually died and not just the brakes.
so thankful to have had Elizabeth with me as she called over some men to help {people don't just come and help you here. and they expect to be paid for their help.} and as I couldn't get the car out of park and into neutral, we all piled out and a guy hopped in and somehow maneuvered it off the road.
I called Jamie and he came with our friend James and they took over while I decided that Elizabeth and I would walk back home with the kids {and had to insist that no we would not be taking a boda with the children}. we were no further than our church which we used to walk to before we bought our car so I knew we could do it.
but it was hot.
Noah complained a bit, but eventually just dug deep and walked with determination.
I was proud of him.
Elizabeth and I walked and talked about how God knew that would happen and had Elizabeth there to help me. well, in between her telling random guys to eff off for making comments about me. oh Elizabeth.
we were all sweaty by the time we got back and Jamie called me with an update. nothing too expensive and the ministry mechanic was going to come by and fix it there.
just another random, crazy day in Kampala.
thankful for His protection.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
God with us.
I went outside just now to check on the boys.
as I called down to them {they were on the second level of our yard} to be careful, Noah asked if I would be staying out with them. I told him no, that I was going back into the meeting in our living room and I said that they would be fine because they're in our own yard.
and then Noah said,
oh yeah! and God is with us! *then he turned to Jude* don't worry, Jude! because God is with us!
moments like these make all the hard times parenting worth it. completely.
as I called down to them {they were on the second level of our yard} to be careful, Noah asked if I would be staying out with them. I told him no, that I was going back into the meeting in our living room and I said that they would be fine because they're in our own yard.
and then Noah said,
oh yeah! and God is with us! *then he turned to Jude* don't worry, Jude! because God is with us!
moments like these make all the hard times parenting worth it. completely.
5 months
here we are. 5 months in. it feels like forever ago since we got on the plane in chicago and headed to london and then arrived here in kampala. tired, but excited. ready to start a new kind of life here.
and so I find myself tired. and not really too excited. I'm pretty sure it's some kind of adjustment phase and I'm okay with that because I'm still confident that this is where God wants our family, regardless of what I'm feeling right now.
I am missing home. my friends. my family. the familiar. but we've been brought here for such a time as this and so I am desperately trying to seize each moment instead of yearning for ones to come.
we leave for Spain in 5 days and I could not be more ready. ready for refreshment. ready for a change. ready to be with co-workers who are doing exactly what we're doing but in different places.
I am so ready for this:
granted it will be around 12 degrees and feel absolutely freezing compared to the weather we have here, but still. jeans! scarves! jackets! shoes!
sometimes you just need a change. 5 months in, bring on the change!
and so I find myself tired. and not really too excited. I'm pretty sure it's some kind of adjustment phase and I'm okay with that because I'm still confident that this is where God wants our family, regardless of what I'm feeling right now.
I am missing home. my friends. my family. the familiar. but we've been brought here for such a time as this and so I am desperately trying to seize each moment instead of yearning for ones to come.
we leave for Spain in 5 days and I could not be more ready. ready for refreshment. ready for a change. ready to be with co-workers who are doing exactly what we're doing but in different places.
I am so ready for this:
granted it will be around 12 degrees and feel absolutely freezing compared to the weather we have here, but still. jeans! scarves! jackets! shoes!
sometimes you just need a change. 5 months in, bring on the change!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
banana pancakes
pancakes. banana pancakes. so light. so fluffy. so good.
we ran out of bread the other day and so for lunch I made these for the boys. this has quickly become our favourite pancake recipe since being in Uganda. I didn't have any lemons to add the lemon juice and they were still delicious although I definitely prefer them with the lemon juice. so if you have it, use it.
also? a secret confession of my favourite pancake topping? peanut butter and brown sugar. so sugary. so delicious. I don't know if it was my Dad who introduced me to this fantastic combination, but let's just say it was. because he also introduced me to ketchup with french toast. does anyone else do this? or is that weird?
anyway.
pancakes.
make 'em. eat 'em. love 'em.
also this recipe is incredibly versatile. you can replace the bananas with 1 cup of grated apple and a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon for apple spice pancakes.
or instead of bananas, lemon and 2 tbsp of sugar you add 1/2 cup grated cheese and 1/2 cup crumbled bacon {mmm, bacon} for a more savoury pancake.
or any other combination you can think of! the options are endless!
banana pancakes
combine:
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
combine separately and then add:
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup oil
1 cup of mashed banana
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
stir quickly until blended. {don't beat, though. a lumpy consistency is good for pancakes.} cook on a hot, greased griddle, turning when bubbly.
you can always keep any extra that don't get eaten and reheat them in the toaster for a fresh-from-the-griddle experience.
we ran out of bread the other day and so for lunch I made these for the boys. this has quickly become our favourite pancake recipe since being in Uganda. I didn't have any lemons to add the lemon juice and they were still delicious although I definitely prefer them with the lemon juice. so if you have it, use it.
also? a secret confession of my favourite pancake topping? peanut butter and brown sugar. so sugary. so delicious. I don't know if it was my Dad who introduced me to this fantastic combination, but let's just say it was. because he also introduced me to ketchup with french toast. does anyone else do this? or is that weird?
anyway.
pancakes.
make 'em. eat 'em. love 'em.
also this recipe is incredibly versatile. you can replace the bananas with 1 cup of grated apple and a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon for apple spice pancakes.
or instead of bananas, lemon and 2 tbsp of sugar you add 1/2 cup grated cheese and 1/2 cup crumbled bacon {mmm, bacon} for a more savoury pancake.
or any other combination you can think of! the options are endless!
banana pancakes
combine:
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
combine separately and then add:
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup oil
1 cup of mashed banana
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
stir quickly until blended. {don't beat, though. a lumpy consistency is good for pancakes.} cook on a hot, greased griddle, turning when bubbly.
you can always keep any extra that don't get eaten and reheat them in the toaster for a fresh-from-the-griddle experience.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
new shoes!
With Spain less than 2 weeks away I've been trying to figure out what we need. I figured the average temperature will be around 12 degrees. Which, quite frankly, for us will seem ridiculously cold.
So when I realized I didn't bring shoes for Noah and Jude could barely fit in the ones I did bring, I asked Jamie to pick some up at the crazy market he was heading to. {My boys live in Crocs and flip flops/sandals. I love living in a country with only "dry season" and "rainy season". No need to buy clothes for 4 different seasons!}
When he brought home the shoes and the boys tried them on it was instant love.
Seriously.
Jude wouldn't even take his off for his nap.
Jude wouldn't even take his off for his nap.
And Noah kept asking when his quiet time would be so he could have it with his shoes on!
The beauty of living with less is that when something "new" {they are likely second-hand, coming from the market and all} is given, the gratitude and "specialness" is so much more!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
christmas in africa
i know christmas has past but i couldn't resist this after a friend sent it to me knowing my love of christmas music and also? the last song they do? perfection.
enjoy.
enjoy.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
a bit of verbal you-know-what
i've been feeling a bit of writer's block on this blog lately.
maybe it's because i've been preferring to actually journal {for awhile, this blog was my only journal} and keep my thoughts to myself. to reflect and be raw without thinking about grammar/if this is interesting to other people.
maybe it's because life has slowed down and we've been shuffling back into place, like pieces in a puzzle that are familiar with their places.
i find myself in that all-too-familiar place of looking forward more to what's coming than where i currently am. the rush of christmas and visitors and sightseeing has passed and here i am in the
now what?
i've been consistent {for the most part} in sticking with three simple health-related goals i set for myself about a month ago.
1. drink water. all the time.
this involves me filling up my water bottle over and over again throughout the day. it also involves many, many trips to the bathroom throughout the day.
2. exercise 5 times a week.
surprisingly i've been doing really well with this. it's helped that jamie's been doing the 30 day shred along with me for encouragement.
3. no snacking in the evenings.
this allows me to still nibble on some chocolate in the day if i want but after dinner, snacking is no longer. except for one "cheat night" a week. i've also stuck to this with unprecedented resolution.
it feels good to stick with something. and see results. that has helped as well.
i don't tend to weigh myself too much {i generally go by how my clothes fit - or don't} but i'll likely step on the scale at the end of january and see how i'm doing.
i've got the heebeejeebees right now. nighttime is always when the bugs and creepy crawlies come out. the big ants that like to hustle around our kitchen. the mouse was already spotted tonight. {i shake my fist at that thing. or that species in general as i can't be sure it's the same one since we've already disposed of 2.}
there are scratchy noises coming from across the room.
but that's life here.
in a few weeks we're headed to spain for a week and a bit. i'm excited. but also? it's going to be stinkin cold compared to here. {that would be our 30 degrees compared with their 12 degrees. brrrrrr.}
but still...spain! hoorah!
whew.
that feels better.
any resolutions or goals you've set for yourself - health or otherwise?
what gives you the heebeejeebees?
maybe it's because i've been preferring to actually journal {for awhile, this blog was my only journal} and keep my thoughts to myself. to reflect and be raw without thinking about grammar/if this is interesting to other people.
maybe it's because life has slowed down and we've been shuffling back into place, like pieces in a puzzle that are familiar with their places.
i find myself in that all-too-familiar place of looking forward more to what's coming than where i currently am. the rush of christmas and visitors and sightseeing has passed and here i am in the
now what?
i've been consistent {for the most part} in sticking with three simple health-related goals i set for myself about a month ago.
1. drink water. all the time.
this involves me filling up my water bottle over and over again throughout the day. it also involves many, many trips to the bathroom throughout the day.
2. exercise 5 times a week.
surprisingly i've been doing really well with this. it's helped that jamie's been doing the 30 day shred along with me for encouragement.
3. no snacking in the evenings.
this allows me to still nibble on some chocolate in the day if i want but after dinner, snacking is no longer. except for one "cheat night" a week. i've also stuck to this with unprecedented resolution.
it feels good to stick with something. and see results. that has helped as well.
i don't tend to weigh myself too much {i generally go by how my clothes fit - or don't} but i'll likely step on the scale at the end of january and see how i'm doing.
i've got the heebeejeebees right now. nighttime is always when the bugs and creepy crawlies come out. the big ants that like to hustle around our kitchen. the mouse was already spotted tonight. {i shake my fist at that thing. or that species in general as i can't be sure it's the same one since we've already disposed of 2.}
there are scratchy noises coming from across the room.
but that's life here.
in a few weeks we're headed to spain for a week and a bit. i'm excited. but also? it's going to be stinkin cold compared to here. {that would be our 30 degrees compared with their 12 degrees. brrrrrr.}
but still...spain! hoorah!
whew.
that feels better.
any resolutions or goals you've set for yourself - health or otherwise?
what gives you the heebeejeebees?
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
beauty for ashes
my brother went home last night. it was a really good visit. surreal and yet normal. he really fit in with the culture and our team. he said it was the best two weeks of his life. that gave me warm fuzzies.
for the last 3 days of his visit we went on safari. there were plenty of things that did not go as planned.
things like having a vehicle that was too small for our 6 adults and 2 kids.
like our family sleeping in one bed.
all you co-sleepers out there? props, man. i don't know how you do it but i do know that it's not the strickland family's first choice. but i am slightly proud that we did it.
like neither jamie nor i bringing jude's bunny on our afternoon boat tour {after having woken up early that morning for a safari} and a very sleep-deprived jude screaming for 1 hr and 45 minutes of the 2 hour tour. another lesson learned. {don't do too much in one day. and always bring bunny.}
but there were things that made is completely awesome and worth it.
like this view when we pulled up to our hotel {even though i was suffering yet another migraine}:
and the fact that i went on a safari in africa with my brother:
there were times i had a bad attitude. when i wasn't embracing both good and bad. when i didn't take the time and ask Him to help me find things for which to be thankful. to open my eyes to the splashes of glory.
but
He does promise that if i seek i will find.
so Jesus? i'm seeking. help me to find the beauty in the every day, no matter if things are going the way i thought they would or not.
{also, a pedicure and a massage also work wonders.}
for the last 3 days of his visit we went on safari. there were plenty of things that did not go as planned.
things like having a vehicle that was too small for our 6 adults and 2 kids.
like our family sleeping in one bed.
all you co-sleepers out there? props, man. i don't know how you do it but i do know that it's not the strickland family's first choice. but i am slightly proud that we did it.
like neither jamie nor i bringing jude's bunny on our afternoon boat tour {after having woken up early that morning for a safari} and a very sleep-deprived jude screaming for 1 hr and 45 minutes of the 2 hour tour. another lesson learned. {don't do too much in one day. and always bring bunny.}
but there were things that made is completely awesome and worth it.
like this view when we pulled up to our hotel {even though i was suffering yet another migraine}:
and the fact that i went on a safari in africa with my brother:
there were times i had a bad attitude. when i wasn't embracing both good and bad. when i didn't take the time and ask Him to help me find things for which to be thankful. to open my eyes to the splashes of glory.
but
He does promise that if i seek i will find.
so Jesus? i'm seeking. help me to find the beauty in the every day, no matter if things are going the way i thought they would or not.
{also, a pedicure and a massage also work wonders.}
Monday, January 2, 2012
january two
i love steph's idea of taking monthly pictures of your kids. so i'm hopping on this bandwagon!
maybe this will help my boys to learn to smile nicely for family photo opps.
but i'm not holding my breath.
here's the first of many more {i hope!}.
{this just happened to be taken on january 2nd of both my boys. so i'm using it. i'll be more intentional next month. promise. also? they're standing in front of an elephant skull. awesome.}
maybe this will help my boys to learn to smile nicely for family photo opps.
but i'm not holding my breath.
here's the first of many more {i hope!}.
{this just happened to be taken on january 2nd of both my boys. so i'm using it. i'll be more intentional next month. promise. also? they're standing in front of an elephant skull. awesome.}
Friday, December 30, 2011
goodbyes and hellos
i was thinking about the new year. how you say goodbye to one year and hello to another in a second.
and then it occurred to me that we've had quite a few of those this past year.
goodbye to diapers and hello to underpants {and a few accidents}.
goodbye to our house and guelph and hello to living with family in toronto.
goodbye to canada, family and everything familiar and hello to a new life in uganda in a new house with a new team {and a new-to-us car}.
lots of goodbyes.
but lots of hellos as well.
and as it stands now, we've only 18 months left here in uganda.
it seems like a long time, but also i know it'll fly by and that makes me a bit sad.
my friend kelly told me about how she asks God for a word for the next year {an idea she got from her} and i thought about that and i really liked it.
so i've been thinking and praying about it.
i think next year's word will be embrace.
webster's dictionary defines embrace as to love or cherish and to take or receive gladly and eagerly or to accept willingly.
i want to embrace life here in uganda.
i want to embrace opportunities as they come up.
i want to embrace my calling as a wife and mother.
to embrace is to accept and not resist.
i'm moving forward from 2011 and embracing 2012, whatever it may hold.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
a very merry ugandan christmas
christmas was lovely. low-key. laid back. i loved it all.
i did remark to curtis at one point that it felt like we were just pretending it was christmas. he agreed. but i think we all still enjoyed ourselves.
i woke up thinking of all the things i needed to still do so i quietly slipped out and started prepping some breakfast stuff. curtis was already awake {still recovering from jetlag}. the boys and jamie came out shortly after.
we turned on skype and chatted with my sister and brother-in-law {their late christmas eve} and the boys opened their presents from them while on skype.
then it was time for stockings!
i love stockings. growing up my dad would usually do stockings for us and individually wrap each item in our stocking. my sister and i would close our eyes, reach inside and pull something out. then we'd quickly unwrap it, open our eyes and shout for joy at some random item we'd just received. our stockings often held practical things like socks and underwear and then as i got older sometimes i'd have note paper or kitchen items. then there'd be some gold-chocolate coins and a clementine in the toe of the stocking. and some of my favourite things would be the random doo-dads my dad would find at Lee Valley or the dollar store or these days it seems Pier 1 is the choice store for random {but usually handy} little things.
then we read the last of our advent ornament stories {from this book} which told the story of the manger and Jesus' birth.
then we opened presents and our living room soon filled with wrapping paper and toy pieces. and lots of car noises.
we ate our breakfast and the guys {nick & trevor} went to church. i had to get the turkey ready as i really had no idea what i was doing. i recruited curtis to help me cut off the turkey neck {thank you, curt!} and then we stuffed the turkey and put 'er in the oven. and hoped for the best.
the afternoon was chill, playing with toys and games {and snacks} and relaxing in front of the tv.
i remember christmas day as a kid. checking out what everyone else got, trying out new games, toys or sitting around the table munching on leftover brunch foods. or eating my clementine from my stocking. and babybel cheese! i missed that this year. i remember one christmas one of my brothers got some sort of star wars computer game and all of us huddled around the computer, howling with laughter at some sort of storm trooper video.
sometimes we'd walk down the street to the ice rink and hop the fence if it wasn't open to go skating for a bit while we waited for dinner to be ready.
we spoke with jamie's family at around 5pm in between me chopping up potatoes and checking on the turkey.
then our friends james and ronald came by in their finest clothes {james wore a really cool traditional ugandan dress/suit thing and ronald was looking very "smart" in a sweater vest} and the turkey was finally ready.
i was terrified it was either going to be underdone and we'd all end up with samonella poisoning or overdone a la National Lampoon's Christmas vacation.
while the skin was a bit crispy, the turkey meat was tender and delicious. i was so proud of myself. my very first turkey - and then jamie carved it for his very first time too! i think we are officially parents.
i didn't take any pictures during the meal or after as i was so exhausted i could bring myself to sit at the table and soak in the good and funny conversation, but i do remember sitting there, smiling. quite pleased with the day and how it had all turned out.
while we have missed our families and some of the more "wintery" things about christmas time in canada {not that it was really wintery in toronto this year...} i've thoroughly enjoyed spending christmas with just my husband and kids {and brother and nick and trevor...but you know what i mean.} it's been so good to just be us. to not have to rush around and do this, go there, get that, and be rushing, rushing, rushing. it's been chill and it's given us a chance to figure out how we as a family are going to celebrate christmas and to solidify those traditions as uniquely ours.
i know that these traditions won't always be able to be kept and especially as my kids get older and one day will form their own family units, i'll be given another opportunity to start new traditions that fit with my stage in life. but for now? i'm loving where we're at.
hope you had a wonderful christmas, no matter who you were with or where you spent it.
i did remark to curtis at one point that it felt like we were just pretending it was christmas. he agreed. but i think we all still enjoyed ourselves.
i woke up thinking of all the things i needed to still do so i quietly slipped out and started prepping some breakfast stuff. curtis was already awake {still recovering from jetlag}. the boys and jamie came out shortly after.
we turned on skype and chatted with my sister and brother-in-law {their late christmas eve} and the boys opened their presents from them while on skype.
then it was time for stockings!
i had saved up these little battery-powered fan-thingies the boys got from jamie's mom and i put them in the top of their stockings. well, the boys were completely enamored with them and played with them for a good 15-20 minutes when we convinced them to open up some of the other things inside their stockings.
then we opened presents and our living room soon filled with wrapping paper and toy pieces. and lots of car noises.
we ate our breakfast and the guys {nick & trevor} went to church. i had to get the turkey ready as i really had no idea what i was doing. i recruited curtis to help me cut off the turkey neck {thank you, curt!} and then we stuffed the turkey and put 'er in the oven. and hoped for the best.
the afternoon was chill, playing with toys and games {and snacks} and relaxing in front of the tv.
i remember christmas day as a kid. checking out what everyone else got, trying out new games, toys or sitting around the table munching on leftover brunch foods. or eating my clementine from my stocking. and babybel cheese! i missed that this year. i remember one christmas one of my brothers got some sort of star wars computer game and all of us huddled around the computer, howling with laughter at some sort of storm trooper video.
sometimes we'd walk down the street to the ice rink and hop the fence if it wasn't open to go skating for a bit while we waited for dinner to be ready.
we spoke with jamie's family at around 5pm in between me chopping up potatoes and checking on the turkey.
then our friends james and ronald came by in their finest clothes {james wore a really cool traditional ugandan dress/suit thing and ronald was looking very "smart" in a sweater vest} and the turkey was finally ready.
i was terrified it was either going to be underdone and we'd all end up with samonella poisoning or overdone a la National Lampoon's Christmas vacation.
while the skin was a bit crispy, the turkey meat was tender and delicious. i was so proud of myself. my very first turkey - and then jamie carved it for his very first time too! i think we are officially parents.
i didn't take any pictures during the meal or after as i was so exhausted i could bring myself to sit at the table and soak in the good and funny conversation, but i do remember sitting there, smiling. quite pleased with the day and how it had all turned out.
while we have missed our families and some of the more "wintery" things about christmas time in canada {not that it was really wintery in toronto this year...} i've thoroughly enjoyed spending christmas with just my husband and kids {and brother and nick and trevor...but you know what i mean.} it's been so good to just be us. to not have to rush around and do this, go there, get that, and be rushing, rushing, rushing. it's been chill and it's given us a chance to figure out how we as a family are going to celebrate christmas and to solidify those traditions as uniquely ours.
i know that these traditions won't always be able to be kept and especially as my kids get older and one day will form their own family units, i'll be given another opportunity to start new traditions that fit with my stage in life. but for now? i'm loving where we're at.
hope you had a wonderful christmas, no matter who you were with or where you spent it.
Monday, December 26, 2011
rosemary strawberry scones
i made these scones for christmas morning breakfast.
they.were.amazing.
i am in love with them.
you need to make them.
the original recipe called for a lemon glaze, but i was too lazy and it turned out these were simply perfect without the glaze {and significantly less sugary!}.
so here ya go. you're welcome.
*slightly adapted from Giada De Laurentis
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
6 tbsp butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup strawberry jam
place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. preheat oven to 375 degrees F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary leaves, salt and butter in a food processor {if you are lucky enough to own a food processor - but if you're like me, you can just mixe it all up with your hands} until it is crumbly. transfer to a medium bowl and gradually stir in the heavy cream.
transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. knead gently to bring the dough together, then you can either roll it out and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter or pull of plum-sized chunks and roll and then pat into flat-ish circles.
make an indentation in the middle of each scone with your finger or a small, round spoon and fill it with about a 1/2 tsp of strawberry jam.
bake scones for 15-20 minutes {depending on your oven} or until slightly golden brown around the edges. transfer to a wire cooling rack and then enjoy when they are cool enough to touch.
around 2pm {when the turkey was finally cooking away in the oven} i enjoyed another with a cup of real coffee with my new french press i got for christmas and the starbucks christmas blend some sweet person sent over from canada.
perfection.
my christmas morning breakfast menu:
monkey bread {sweet and delicious!}
cheesy bacon apple bake {savoury and bacon. what more is there to say?}
rosemary strawberry scones
coffee
bananas
Saturday, December 24, 2011
prayer as a last resort
i know it shouldn't be like that, but sometimes {often} my attitude is exactly that.
prayer is a last resort.
when i can't help in my own strength, i guess i have to pray.
being miles and miles away from family and friends has been challenging me on this front.
when i read emails from close friends telling me of tragedy or illness or hard times i feel frustrated.
frustrated that i can't be there to bring a meal or babysit or take them out for coffee.
why is it that i feel that these things are more valuable than praying for them?
i have access to the Creator of the Universe who loves me and cares for me and my friends in a way i never could, and instead of talking to Him i want to bake some food?
this is so messed up.
i am not doing so great on the whole ephesians 6:18 front.
and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. with this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.
and so God has removed me from being able to help people physically - on my on strength - and is causing me to rely on Him to meet the needs of the people i love. instead of me meeting their needs.
God,
You are the Wonderful Counselor. You have a better listening ear than I. Your words are infinitely wise.
You are the Mighty God. You are all-powerful. Kings and Rulers are only in positions of power because YOU have put them there. There is no situation that surprises you or catches you off-guard.
You are the Everlasting Father. Like an earthly father comforts a hurt child, you bring comfort to Your hurting and broken children.
You are the Prince of Peace. You calm the unsettled spirit and restore Hope.
Thank you for sending Jesus. The rescuer. Thank you for sending Him to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and to release the prisoners from darkness.
And thank you that when I am weak, when I am forced to rely on YOU instead of ME, only then am I strong.
This Christmas would you be all that you promised to be for those who are grieving, hurting, sick and vulnerable?
Thank you for Jesus.
Amen.
prayer is a last resort.
when i can't help in my own strength, i guess i have to pray.
being miles and miles away from family and friends has been challenging me on this front.
when i read emails from close friends telling me of tragedy or illness or hard times i feel frustrated.
frustrated that i can't be there to bring a meal or babysit or take them out for coffee.
why is it that i feel that these things are more valuable than praying for them?
i have access to the Creator of the Universe who loves me and cares for me and my friends in a way i never could, and instead of talking to Him i want to bake some food?
this is so messed up.
i am not doing so great on the whole ephesians 6:18 front.
and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. with this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.
and so God has removed me from being able to help people physically - on my on strength - and is causing me to rely on Him to meet the needs of the people i love. instead of me meeting their needs.
God,
You are the Wonderful Counselor. You have a better listening ear than I. Your words are infinitely wise.
You are the Mighty God. You are all-powerful. Kings and Rulers are only in positions of power because YOU have put them there. There is no situation that surprises you or catches you off-guard.
You are the Everlasting Father. Like an earthly father comforts a hurt child, you bring comfort to Your hurting and broken children.
You are the Prince of Peace. You calm the unsettled spirit and restore Hope.
Thank you for sending Jesus. The rescuer. Thank you for sending Him to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and to release the prisoners from darkness.
And thank you that when I am weak, when I am forced to rely on YOU instead of ME, only then am I strong.
This Christmas would you be all that you promised to be for those who are grieving, hurting, sick and vulnerable?
Thank you for Jesus.
Amen.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
blue christmas
...actually, more like a green christmas. and i don't mean in a "save the world" kinda way.
i mean with palm trees and sunshine, shorts and t-shirts, flip flops and bathing suits.
it does feel a bit surreal, but i am so happy to be here. so thankful.
and
my brother flies in tonight {Lord willing he catches his 3rd connecting flight!}and i'm so super excited to see him and have him experience our little ugandan life and christmas and get a great big bear-hug from him!
noah is watching a christmas cartoon and jude is wearing his bunny as a cape shouting "merry christmas!", the stereo is playing folk angel and sufjan stevens and sarah mclaughlin and michael buble and jamie just left on a boda boda to pick up some last minute food items {it's just not worth the insanity to drive our car this close to christmas!} and i'm off to shower and then make lunch and then do some christmas baking with noah.
so a very merry christmas to you from us in uganda!
the people walking in darkness have seen a great light. on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
isaiah 9:2
good news of great joy!
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