Thursday, June 08, 2006

Friday

Ahh... It seems like today will be one of those quiet days. The kids were up late so I had a few minutes to myself this morning before they were up. It makes such a difference - just a few minutes with no one around.

We were out late last night. I went to the doctor's office at 5 and ended up waiting for over and hour and a half. For some reason the secretary decided to keep putting me at the end of the waiting list. I was so mad by the time that I finally got in that Mirielle noticed that I had broken out in my mad/nervous neck rash. Mirielle kept asking me, "Whats wrong with you Mom?" It was a good reminder to take a deep breath and chill out. So after meeting with the doctor for 5 minutes it was already almost 7 by the time I got out of the office.

When I was sitting in the waiting room, I sat next to a man who struck up a conversation with me. He was telling me that he has a friend, apparently a Filipino woman, that is living in California. I guess she is in the process of getting a divorce and when her divorce is final he is planning on going and visiting her. He asked me about 20 different times how long it takes to finalize a divorce in the States. Like I know! You just never know what kind of questions you're going to get thrown at you becuase you are white.

After the doctor's office we had dinner with another missionary couple who has been here in the Philippines for almost 30 years. That in and of itself impresses the heck out of me! It was a nice time getting to know them. We had a great dinner with them but ended up getting home late for the kids.

Which has produced for me a quiet day. Maybe I'll keep them up late more often! Mirielle is playing with some dolls on the floor of the office. Kellan is taking a nap. And I get a chance to write. I usually like to have music on, but today is so peaceful (and not especially hot yet!) that I am just enjoying a moment of quiet. What a wonderful thing!

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Settle In

It seems like lately I've been trying to settle into my life. In our women's Bible study last week, the study was on letting go of trying to control things and allow ourselves to rest in God's hands. The study was talking about Paul and the struggles that he faced in his life.

"Paul's example of how to live with thorns suggests that we rest in our weaknesses. If we settle into the position His grace has placed us, we'll see His strength made perfect there. And we'll experience the joy of our journey following Him."

Sometimes I feel like I am trying to tread water when all I need to do is lean back, take a deep breath and float - trust. I think I need to settle in instead of fighting this new life we're living. When I'm having a hard day I start to wish that Jason had a normal job - a 9 to 5 job and that my mom lived down the road and that I could go to the mom's group at our church and have a break from the kids once a week and that there was a Target where I could shop and no one would care that I was a white lady with blonde kids.

I remind myself of Peter when he stepped out of the boat onto the water. He did great staying on top of those waves until he looked around at where he was and started thinking about what he was doing, instead of focusing on WHO called him onto the water. I start looking around at my life and SINK! Sometimes I don't look up until I've gone under the water. Then when I look up and refocus, God reminds me that he has called us here and has given us the privledge of serving him here. He has called us here to live this crazy life and that he is faithful to provide all of my needs.

So God has been reminding me to settle in. The couches here are wicker and have a piece of foam on the bottom and a throw pillows. They serve their purpose but aren't the most comfortable. Not so great when you just want to kick up your heels on a Saturday night, flop on the couch and watch a good movie. Anyways, when I think of settling in, I think of a great big comfy couch - the kind that is the perfect couch for a Sunday nap. You know, when you roll around until you are in the perfectly comfortable place and then you settle in. That is what I think of when I think of settling in.... And I think, that is how God wants me to be in his grace. He wants me to settle in, into his capable hands and sufficient grace until I am perfectly comfortable. Settled into the position of grace he has placed me in, living through his strength and experiencing his joy.

And so my prayer becomes:
"We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good kind things for others. All the while you will learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy." Colossians 1:9-11

OK- I'm done preaching to myself now!

Friday, June 02, 2006

Early Mornings

I guess early mornings come with being a mom. Lately is seems like my early mornings come with being married to a pilot. If there is one thing that I can't live without , it is a shower in the morning. Some mornings I try and get a shower in before Jason leaves the house. Sometimes I just can't drag myself out of bed early enough in the morning.

Yesterday Jason got up at 4:30 and left the house at 5:10. I woke up at 5:30 thinking I could sneak in a shower with the kids being asleep. As soon as I opened the door to my bedroom Mirielle was up. I talked her into crawling into my bed and trying to get back to sleep so that I could get a shower and while I was in the shower she stared yelling that she was cold from the air conditioner. That meant that by the time I got out, both kids were up and yelling! All before 6. What a way to start the morning. We tried taking away Mirielle's naps so that she wouldn't wake up so early, but she still wakes up early and then is just groucy during the day. What's a mom supposed to do?

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Just some thoughts

Thought that I would enjoy a place to ramble, maybe do a little ranting. Thought that it would be interesting to tell what life on the ground is really like around here. No airplanes and no exciting airstrips, just 2 crazy kids and a mom trying to adjust to this new life.