good stuff from Beth Moore

From the Bible study "Believeing God"

"I have discovered that if Satan can't get to me with destruction, he will try to get to me with distraction. We have only one turn on this green earth. We will never get to do this again. We cannot do a hundred things to the glory of God, but we can certainly do a few. What you and I need is focus. Day in and day out. Eyes on the goal. In our frenzied lifesyles we are desperate for simplicity: for a hundred things to narrow down to one."


Amen! Ouch!

The Bird

I love sunshine. In my tinsy-winsy Korean apartment there isn't much natural light. In Megan's normal American house, there is a lot of natural light. Of course, always wanting to make a good thing better, I opened the door to let MORE light into the house. Only one little bitty fly had made it's way into the house, so I thought everything was ok. That was until a bird flew into the house and hit its head on the window right beside the computer. Poor thing hopped to three different windows, pooped twice in the house, and stayed for about an hour before it figured out that the door it came in would be the best way to exit the premises. I may not be invited as a house guest in Hawaii again...

Soak this in...

Lyrics by Steve Curtis Chapman

Be still and know that He is holy
Be still, O restless soul of mine
Bow before the Prince of peace
Let the noise and clamor cease
Be still

Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is faithful
Consider all that he has done
Stand in awe and be amazed
And know that He will never change
Be still

Be Still, and know that He is God
Be Still, and know that He is God
Be Still, and know that He is God
Be Still, and know that He is God
Be Still; Be speechless

Be still and know that he is God
Be still and know he is our Father
Come rest your head upon his breast
Listen to the rhythm of his unfailing heart of love
Beating for His little ones
Calling each of us to come
Be still, Be still

Mommy trick #103

If you child needs complete darkness in order to extend their nap from 45 minutes to an hour and a half, it is perfectly acceptable to make a bed for them on the floor of a closet. Just check for ventilation first :)

If you didn't get the email...

Yes, I'm in Hawaii right now!! Can you believe that!?!? I got in at 8pm local time, so I haven't "seen" anything yet apart from palm trees and green grass (neither one of which are in Korea...) but I can FEEL Hawaii right now--I'm in shorts! Yeay!

After more passport issues for Hannah in the terminal in Korea (to go along with the issues we had in October), we made a flight to Yokota AFB in Japan, which is in the outer city limits of Tokyo. This flight to Yokota had a continuing flight to Hickam, Hawaii, but when we got to Yokota I found out that the flight to Hawaii didn't leave for 18 hours! Thankfully some of Jeremy's friends from the Corp of Cadets at Tech (Paul and Rheagan Frantz, if you are a fellow Hokie reading...) live in Yokota, and I stayed with them. Their two year old Lucas was celebrating his birthday so I got to join the celebrating with pizza and cake and ice cream. Rheagan is expecting their two child, a little girl, in April. Needless to say, they were very equipped for an unexpected six month old visitor. Paul works the same job as Jeremy, and he may be at the conference this week, too.

Hannah traveled fairly well. We were on a KC-10 (http://www.photohome.com/photos/aircraft-pictures/cargo-tanker/kc-10-1.html) and Hannah got to crawl around on the floor a lot. The Air Force requires all kids to have a seat, so I didn't have to hold her the entire time.

I'm staying with a friend of mine, Megan, who moved from Osan in October. Her husband is out of time until Monday evening, so it's just us chickens here playing :) Jeremy arrives on Sunday, and he took leave through the following Tuesday. I'll have to then figure out how to get home Space A (which I've heard is harder than trying to leave...) but I'll think about that when the time comes. Right now I'm just go to figure out where to go for the luau!

Hawaiian Adventure

Jeremy is going to a week-long conference in Hawaii next week and he gets to stay at a VERY impressive hotel. I just can't sit back and allow him to have that kind of fun without me, so I'm taking the bold (stupid?) step of trying to get a military flight to Hawaii. For those who are unfamiliar with "hoping" I'll explain what I know. Military flights are only posted two days ahead of time, so it makes planning a bit chaotic. I still don't know when I'm leaving. I show up to the terminal and they have this big long procedure of figuring out who has top priority (of the people who show up for that flight) to get on the flight. You have to bring all of your stuff with you and wait around until they tell you whether or not you get to go on the flight. If you don't get on that flight you go home, with all of your stuff, and try again the next time there is a flight going to your destination. If you do get a flight, you may have to stop at a number of different Air Force bases along the way (and possibly get stuck there) before arriving where you want to go. And then you get to repeat the process coming back. I've heard of people who have flown to Hawaii on their first attempt and got back on their first attempt. I also know people who were stuck there for an extra week (I know, stuck in Hawaii, but it costs money to do that!) and then had to be in the Guam terminal for 36 straight hours. Mind you, I'll be with Hannah WITHOUT Jeremy. Like I said, it is an adventure. I heard that there was a flight on Friday, which is two days earlier than I had planned on going, so I'm in turbo mode trying to get everything ready to leave. I actually had to buy diapers and baby food today. It was painful. (I use cloth diapers--Fuzzi Bunz--and I'm making Hannah's food.) But, the upside potential of this very risky endeavor is so high (can we say BEACHES??) that I can't just stay in Korea by myself! So, if you don't hear from me in a while, that's a good thing!

Aloha!

Virtual Friendship

I'm glad that God knows when to bring us to earth. I can't imagine what life was like living in the military (or on the mission field) without the internet. I can't fathom not having email and digital pictures. Now that we are in Korea, we talk over the internet for free to friends in the states (and in Kosova!). Within about a year or so, I'm not going to remember life without blogging. It is so amazing to be connected to the lives of so many of our friends and family so instantly. It makes the goodbyes we have to say so much easier. So if you have a beverage handy, I propose a toast--to virtual friendship!

Laugh out Loud

Do you ever think about how often (or how unoften--yes I know it isn't a word) you laugh outloud? Last Thursday I was in the car and I saw a forklift carrying a vending machine driving backward down the main road of our base. I laughed outloud. While at the chiropractor I heard my friend Becca singing a very silly song to Hannah and to her five month old Micah on the other end of the office. I laughed outloud. (To see pictures of Hannah and Micah go to the "Moments with Micah" blog on the sideboard and to the "Pictures with Hannah Rhodes" entry.) An hour later we had Micah and Hannah on the floor in Starbucks and they were on their hands and knees rocking back and forth like they were going to race crawling. I laughed outloud. That evening Hannah made spit bubbles with her cereal. Laughing, laughing, laughing. I realized that day that when I look for things that are funny, I find them. If I'm not looking, I miss them completely. So here's to the funny things in life--may your eyes be open to see them and your ears open to hear them!

Forgetfulness

Today was my monthly MOPS meeting. MOPS is a great morning of child-free responsibilities and hanging out with other moms. Because I'm only six months into the business of mothering, I can easily forget my motherly responsibilities after an extended period of time (and yes two and a half hours feels like an extended perod of time!). This morning I'm talking with my girlfriend when I stop suddenly and realize "Oh yeah! I need to feed Hannah! Whoops!" Then this evening after Hannah ate her cereal I look down at her and ask "When was the last time you had a bath?" I could honestly not remember. I never realized how easy it would be to forget the simple things like feeding my child or bathing her. I'm sure the eating will be easier to remember when she eats everytime I eat and bathing will be a no-brainer when she baths everyday. But for now, a little dirt won't hurt her!

Exquisite Delight

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalms 37:4

At www.lifeway.com/bible you can look up passages of scripture in the KJV with Strong's Hebrew and Greek concordance. Looking up the Hebrew root of words in scripture makes familiar passages come alive for me. This morning I've been thinking about my dreams, the "desires" of my heart, so to speak. I was reminded of this very familiar passage. I always thought that "desires" was an object, a dream, something special to me. In the Hebrew it is really an action--a repetitive request, petition, or beggary. How many times have I wishfully thought of a "desire" of mine, asking the Lord if He really wanted to see if come to fruition? One such example is to own a coffeeshop. I've dreamed about it, planned for it, and even pursued owning one at one point. But have I repetatively requested and petitioned God for it? I think I have been too scared to really ASK God for that desire. It is much safer just to dream about it and hope for it. To ask for it means that I have to have faith that God will fulfill my request. Faith is risky. But without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). So, by NOT asking God for this dream (by faith) then I'm displeasing Him...hmm...

When are the desires of my heart granted? When I am delighting in the Lord. This phrase always brought to mind being in a field of bright sunshine, beautifully soft grass, fresh air, and breathing in the Lord. However, the root word of "delight" means to be soft, be delicate, be dainty, be pampered, to be happy about, take exquisite delight in, to make merry over. Do I make this big of a deal out of my relationship with the Lord? Reading the definition makes me think of Jeremy taking me out on a date (that he has planned...) when he gazes into my eyes and makes me feel like the most special person in the world. God wants me to pursue him in the same manner that I want Jeremy to pursue me--romance, beauty, and exquisite delight. In response to my pursuit of him in this manner, He wants to give me the desires of my heart. The same is true with me and Jeremy. When he pursues me with passion, making me feel exquisite, I want to give him anything in my power. (Aren't you glad that God made the physical world parallel to the spiritual world so that I can actually grasp a pea-sized portion of it with our limited human minds??) I can see just how far my heart is from exquisitely delighting over my Lord. Many times I even feel close to Him, but do I truly allow myself to be captivated by the beauty of the Lord? That, my friends, is what it means to delight in Him. Wow. Doesn't make you want to sing along with Third Day..."You are beautiful, my sweet, sweet song!"

Death and Taxes

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith..." Phillipians 3:7-9

In my BC days (before children) I was an accountant. I enjoyed most of my job, but I loved doing taxes. Since moving to Korea and changing occupations (to motherhood) I haven't missed my job very much. But then again, it wasn't tax season. Now that it is tax season, I have been hit by those feelings that I kind of knew would rear their ugly heads but was hoping not to have to deal with. If you have given up something you truly enjoyed doing, you know what I mean. I love my daughter. I am very, very thankful for the opportunity to raise her. But right now I am realizing the dreams I'm sacrificing in obedience to what God has called me to do. I know that I may be able to "go back" to taxes. They aren't going away. I crucified my desire for a professionally successful career when I got married, but that wasn't enough. Now I must go a step further and crucify the possibility of ever doing this thing I loved ever again.

Then I think about death in certain terms. The childhood friend of one of my friends here in Korea died on Saturday. He was 31 years old and his five year old found him "asleep" on the floor in his living room. One day he is a happy father and husband, the next day he is in Heaven. The father of one of the MOPS mentor moms died last week. The 21 month old grandson of a Montana friend died. Death is even more certain than taxes. In light of this eternal perspective, God wants me to count my dreams and pleasure and passions, as good as they may be, as rubbish. He wants me to KNOW him. He wants me to know His power. He wants to impart His righteousness to me. THINK of that! I can have His power and righteousness! In view of eternity, how amazing is this!

Major life transitions are never easy, and I knew this transition in occupations wouldn't be easy. I don't think that being a mom is "better" than being an accountant. God led me to be an accountant for a season. Now He wants me to be a mom. In both situations He wants me to be obedient to the place to which He has called me. I just got attached to where God wanted me before. How I want to have a Philipians 3 mindset!

Why Osan Air Base is like my college campus

This posting may not make sense if you aren't at Osan or you didn't go to Tech, but I've decided to share it anyway. (Go Hokies!)

1) People live in dorms
2) You can't do anything without your ID
3) You eat at the same places as everyone you work with/live with
4) The week of an exercise is like the week of finals
5) Only the "upperclassmen" (ie, higher ranks) are allowed to have a car
6) There is married housing
7) No matter where you go you run into someone you know (again and again and again)
8) There is a 24 hour gym
9) People walk EVERYWHERE
10) Comedians and rock groups come and perform
11) There are a lot of Asians walking around
12) There is a curfew
13) Many people have drinking problems
14) Most people want to go to Europe after they "graduate" (aka PSC)
15) You talk to everyone via the internet, even your next door neighbor
16) The apartments aren't big enough for your stuff
17) There are intermural sports

Life to the Extreme

"All things in moderation" is a line my mom said to me over and over and over again. One would think that after 26 years I would have adopted this wise philosophy into my everyday life. One would be wrong. I've always done everything to the extreme. Moving across the country newly married...moving across the world newly pregnant...Right now I feel as though I'm wrapping up six months of very intense living. From August 8th until February 8th I've had a baby, helped to start a MOPS group at our church (check out the link on the side...), traveled across the world with an 8 week old to help my mom finish up my sister's wedding, traveled across the east coast with said eight week old (nine week old, ten week old...) for three weeks visiting family, recovered from jet lag, dealt with a teething three month old who refused to nurse, survived yet another Christmas season (even though I vowed yet again to not have to "survived" the season), and spent a month traveling to Seoul three times a week to the chiropractor. It makes MY head spin and I'm the one who lived it. So after six months of extreme living I'm treating myself (after much encouragement from my husband) to a couple of weeks of extreme "play." I have set up shop on the only table in my house and have unloaded just about every crafty, stamping, scrapbooking tool that I own. (We have to eat dinner on the floor for the time being!) I'm working on three different scrapbooks right now. Like I said, playing to the extreme.

What has lit this fire within me? What is my motivation? Hannah has decided that she will not give up until she crawls. She just started rolling over last week. She rolled over for two days and then gave that up for the grand pursuit of crawling. She has been on her hands and legs/knees every since trying to propel herself forward. I may be a new mom, but I'm not stupid. She will learn to crawl and life as I know it will be over completely. I will have a mobile child. I will have to "babyproof" my house. I'll be tripping over babygates and searching for the things that I've put away "for safekeeping" in no time at all. And in no time at all I will have no time at all. And so, I have abandoned my post as the cleaner/chief/MOPS hospitality coordinator and have set up camp in the Land of Fun. I know I'll have to leave this magically land very soon, but until then, I'll enjoy my precious time of play!

Ode to Backpacking

(Sung to the tune of Ode to Joy)

Oh how I can't wait until I get to go backpack again!
Strap my pack upon my back and hike down a new trail, my friend!
Smell the fresh air, hear the birds sing, marvel at God's creation!
Until then I'll plan and dream of my next hiking adventure!

This song was inspired by the LL Bean catelog that appeared in my mailbox yesterday. Special thanks to my husband for talking about backpacking for thirty minutes on the couch with me last night and to my God for making this hobby possible! My Cd, "Silly Songs with LB," is scheduled to be released in early summer.

So good it's annoying

Ok, in order to answer this question you have to be really honest and not care if you sound humble or not. Do you have a good quality that is so ingrained into your being that you can't stop yourself from being that way? I have friends that are naturally kind all of the time. I have other friends who are joyful and laughing almost everytime I'm around them. I have another friend who is very discerning of people and situations. Do you know what your quality is like that? Have you every thought about it? I know mine. I'm organized. I'm organized to the point that I almost irritate myself with how organized I am. I can be in a good mood or a bad mood, sick or well, rested or not and I'm organized. Last night I planned my meals for a month and today I did almost all of the grocery shopping. (As I write this I'm wondering if I should publish it...) Why am I scared to tell people (when they ask, of course) of the things that I do because I'm afraid of making them uncomfortable and "not good enough" when I tell of my organization? Why is it that women, in particular, are so afraid to have something that they are naturally good at? Why can't we look at the way God has made us and rejoice? I don't mean to look at ourselves in the broad "fearfully and wonderfully made" way, but to really look at the specific way that we were fashioned and formed and praise God for it? How can we rejoice in the amazing qualities of our girlfriends when they can't rejoice over those qualities themselves? Just curious...