We're Engaged!

The wonderful, glorious, God-is-good reason I haven't been blogging this week! I love you, Eric!

I'm Thankful...

For friends who give me hope that a joyful, loving, God-honoring marriage is possible with God's help and grace.

Dear Grandma

Dear Grandma,

I may not be able to send you anything by mail this year, but I still wanted to continue a long-standing tradition; a Valentine for you! You mean so very much to me, as a wonderful grandma, a great friend, and a dear sister in Jesus. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Love,
Lissie

Spring Continues

The past three weeks have been, to everybody's surprise, consistently mild. Most days the temperatures have been in the 50s-60s! It has been wonderful, and I'm certainly not complaining.

 

You know you're ready for spring when you get excited by a bit of new green grass.

 

I think I'm getting spring fever-in February! I feel like staying outside all day, going for a good run (which will have to wait until I'm in America), or hiking the nearby hills. A good dose of spring cleaning is very satisfying, too.

 

 

The heavens truly declare the glory of God! Every day the sky is different; I'm so amazed by the creativity of my Lord.

 

The neighbors have begun to prepare their fields in preparation for planting. Who knows, perhaps we'll get another dose of winter-but I have a feeling that when spring comes in full force it will be beautiful! I only wish my camera adequately captured the beauty of the hills in the background. I never tire of looking at them on one side, and the craggy mountain in the other direction.

Saving Ironies

 

"Because of the collision of God's justice-in the setting to rights of all that is broken and the judgment of wrath poured out for disobedience-and God's mercy-in the substitution of His Son for the deserving enemies He loves, the cross is a thermonuclear explosion of saving ironies. In dying, He kills sin. In captivity, He is victorious. In exposure, He is exalted. In this end is the beginning.

 

He lives a short life and dies that we might die a short while and live."

 

~Jared Wilson

Still Enjoying Sleepovers

 

Last weekend I enjoyed some great fellowship and yes, even a sleepover with the ladies pictured above. We're all probably too old for sleepovers...so we like to think of it as a teacher conference. Whatever the excuse, every one of these friends loves the Lord and has been an unexpected blessing to me in my time here!

 

These two are fellow Midwesterners. They've got good sense and a great sense of humor!

 

A couple of my new friends are here from other countries; it's been great to make friends from all over. Every one of my friends has a thankful, uncomplaining heart that is so refreshing (and convicting!) to me.

 

My fellow teacher has been a blessing to me in so many ways-as you can see! Seriously though, besides keeping me laughing, she's a real trooper; very flexible and cheerful even when things get tough. She's also great at not just taking things at face value but processing them.

 

We ate great food, laughed a lot, played games, and stayed up way too late. Here we're playing a game that's a combo between 20 questions and Guesstures.

 

Err...not sure about the strange look on my face. Maybe I was trying to picture my friend as a parrot?

 

We all enjoyed a treat from one of my wonderful siblings-skittles!

 

I'm so thankful for these girls, and look forward to spending more time with them over the next few months! If we can enjoy a sleepover together, who knows what's next-a tea party?

Simple Things

Sometimes it's the simple gifts God gives us that brighten our day! My students were thrilled to receive Mac and Cheese in a box from their grandparents. Something taken for granted by a lot of kids is a cause for great excitement here!

True Worship

Beautiful roses from my dear Eric (photo by Denise Reynolds)

"Worship is humble and glad; worship forgets itself in remembering God; worship celebrates the truth as God's truth, not its own. True worship doesn't put on a show or make a fuss; true worship isn't forced, isn't half-hearted, doesn't keep looking at its watch, doesn't worry what the person in the next pew may be doing. True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God even in the dark."
                                                ~N.T. Wright, as quoted in Jared Wilson's Gospel Deeps