Fifteen

Yesterday, I celebrated 15 years of marriage with my husband.  It has been an eventful fifteen years.  As a brand new bride, I was immediately thrust into the role of Pastor's Wife as Jeff was already pastoring a church when we first met.  

Nineteen months after our wedding, we were on the mission field in Costa Rica.  Three days after we arrived in Costa Rica, I found out that we were expecting our first child.

Twelve major moves, three children and four countries later, here we are at fifteen years of wedded bliss.

As I have looked through our pictures, I'm realizing that we have a huge gap of pictures before 2005 but here are a few pictures from the (recent) past:

Levi's baby shower in 2007 by our wonderful church family at First Baptist Church - Buna, Texas.

Our brand new family of five.

 

Leaving Texas - packing up everything we had in 3 1/2 crates to ship to Zambia.

One of the prayer card attempts in Virginia - at the end of our eight week mission orientation.

The kids' typical appearance while we were in language study in Mongu, Zambia.  

Notice the difference between the prayer card picture and this one...

Ministering to children in Lukulu, Zambia.

A recent picture taken in our yard in Lusaka.

Fifteen roses (you can't see them all) for fifteen great years with my wonderful husband.  I am so grateful for where the Lord has brought Jeff and I - physically, spiritually and emotionally.  It seems like we have been around the world together and there is more still to come.  

On to our next 15+ adventurous years together....! 

Risky Pursuit

Christ never intended those who walked with him to feel comfortable and safe.

This was meant to be a risk-it-all pursuit.

-Jennie Allen, author of Anything

The word pursuit in the above quote gives the connotation of movement.  Not just ambling along or even fast-walking but flat out running.  The Bible also has some things to say about running.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..."

I am reading Anything by Jennie Allen with three other women.  The book is about how her husband and she prayed 'anything' to the Lord - they would go anywhere and do anything.  This intrigued us because in so many ways, we had already done our 'anything'.  We all had left our family, friends, church and everything familiar to us to obey the Lord and follow him to the Zambian bush.  Some people might think that we are done.  Through the guidance of this book, our comments to each other and most importantly - the Holy Spirit, we are all learning that there are more anythings out there for each of us.  Anything doesn't stop with one act of obedience.  Anything continues and as I am discovering through The Word - it is a race.  We are told to RUN with perseverance.

So, as I take stock of my spiritual life, I think that I am feeling like I am not running in pursuit of the Lord.  I am exercising - doing my quiet time each morning - but I am just kind of jogging in place.  I want this risk-it-all pursuit.  I want to RUN.  Am I crazy?  Did I just write that?  I am not a runner - just ask my marathon loving husband.  I don't want to just amble along this race that the Lord has placed before me; nor do I just want to fast-walk it but I really do want to pursue the Lord in a brand new way.  I'm thinking that this pursuit won't be easy.  When I think of running, I think of difficulties and pain but as my husband will tell you, as you persevere, it gets easier.... 

Who's with me?  

All Creatures, Great and Small

Weary Feet

I have been trying to blog a bit more lately.  I follow several of these Christian women bloggers who are brave and real on their blogs.  As I have contemplated my spiritual temperature lately, I have been a little lonely recently.  In the past year, I have lost three friends, in different ways.  One was from the hard realization of different expectations from our relationship.  One left the mission field and life just took her in a different direction.  The other will always be a friend but I lost her physical presence in my life.  Really, all three have been extremely difficult for me.  

So, why am I writing this?  I'm not sure.  I really have been avoiding this post for a couple of weeks.  It has been rolling around in my heart and mind for a while.  I would start a post and then delete it, not sure really what to say.  

Loss is a part of life.  We all have lost things and people that are valuable to us.  As we have been away from the States for almost five years now, one of the hardest things for me is the lost of relationships.  We loose the every day connection with our families.  When we come back to the States for Stateside Assignments, it is hard just to plop down into their lives again for 5-6 months.  Our children have lost relationships with grandparents, cousins and friends they had five years ago.  Even on the mission field, people seem to always be coming and going in our lives.  It is hard on my heart and sometimes, these 'beautiful feet' are a bit weary.  

I would not change the life we lead because it is what the Lord has called us to do.  We have not doubt that we are right where the Lord wants us.  We take comfort in knowing that He is always in control and that he redeems everything for His glory.  There is nothing better than living a life of obedience, no matter where you are and no matter what the Lord has asked you to do.  At times, we just feel the cost a bit more than other times.  

Below are some quotes from Jim Elliot that really fit in my life right now:

Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living.

The will of God is always bigger than we bargain for, but we must believe that whatever it involves; it is good, acceptable and perfect.

Wherever you are, be all there!  Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.