I'm the lucky one who gets to sleep on the floor when everyone's at my parents house. The kids always win out on beds and once Mommy is here, Kara always wants her to share the bed. No biggie but it made for an interesting evening last night. Isabella had another bad night so my mom brought her out to me to see if I could get her to sleep. I didn't mind this either because it meant I got to snuggle with my baby and this doesn't happen very often.
Anyway.. in the middle of the night, I hear some wimpering. I wake up to pick up Isabella and she's no longer next to me. I sit up to find her and low and behold... she is half way under the couch! It scared me at first but then I just chuckled. I have no idea how she managed to stay asleep as she scooted under it but she did. She has definitely inherited her Daddy's crazy sleeping habits!
Church was wonderful this morning and Pastor Dail asked me to share a bit about our ministry in Hong Kong next week. I agreed and now I'm wishing I hadn't. I get so nervous speaking but thankfully, I only have to talk for 5 minutes. His message was on mercy. How to recognize when we need it, when we've received it, and when others need it. A definition he shared will forever stick with me: Mercy=What we don't get when we do deserve it. Hmmm... made me realize how merciful God has been towards me.
Erin and the girls left this afternoon but will return this Friday. It's been a great few days with family. I feel so blessed to be so loved.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Mike would be proud...
Two things: 1.I'm a bargain hunter for sure. I love my market shopping and in the states, I loved my clearance shopping. 2. I love buying gifts for other people and would much rather spend money on someone else than myself.
I say all that to say this... Mike would be so proud of me. I started my training for my half-marathon and discovered that I have runners' knee and will have to take a longer/slower approach as well as working on some other things in order to be successful in this goal. One thing, buying new shoes. I've debated and debated on how much I should spend. Do I really need more expensive shoes? Are they really higher quality? At the airport I found a magazine that discusses this exact question and I came to the conclusion that yes I do need to invest more than what I'd like. So today I hit Dicks sporting goods and bought my first pair of real running shoes and the tears flowed as I handed them the money. LOL I didn't go overboard but did pay more than I would've like to but I know my wonderful husband will be so proud of me for making the right investment.
And I felt very blessed to be able to afford this. I feel like I'm growing up and starting to really care about taking care of myself in so many ways (physically being one of them). I've really changed my eating and exercising habits (and PTL benefited by losing that baby weight plus some) but it's not about how I look. Rather it's about taking care of God's Temple. I want to be around a long time to be used by Him and to watch my daughter grow.
We took Kara to Chuck E Cheese today and how fun it was to watch her run from game to game, racking up the tickets. On the other hand, it was sad to see the selfishness of others trample a little girls excitment as they cut in front, hogged certain games because they offered more tickets, and asked her to hurry up and finish her air hockey game because they wanted to play. What broke my heart even more was that some of these things took place by adults. What has our society come to? It saddens me everyday to see people so focused on things that they miss out on the most exciting/important thing in life... a relationship with God.
I say all that to say this... Mike would be so proud of me. I started my training for my half-marathon and discovered that I have runners' knee and will have to take a longer/slower approach as well as working on some other things in order to be successful in this goal. One thing, buying new shoes. I've debated and debated on how much I should spend. Do I really need more expensive shoes? Are they really higher quality? At the airport I found a magazine that discusses this exact question and I came to the conclusion that yes I do need to invest more than what I'd like. So today I hit Dicks sporting goods and bought my first pair of real running shoes and the tears flowed as I handed them the money. LOL I didn't go overboard but did pay more than I would've like to but I know my wonderful husband will be so proud of me for making the right investment.
And I felt very blessed to be able to afford this. I feel like I'm growing up and starting to really care about taking care of myself in so many ways (physically being one of them). I've really changed my eating and exercising habits (and PTL benefited by losing that baby weight plus some) but it's not about how I look. Rather it's about taking care of God's Temple. I want to be around a long time to be used by Him and to watch my daughter grow.
We took Kara to Chuck E Cheese today and how fun it was to watch her run from game to game, racking up the tickets. On the other hand, it was sad to see the selfishness of others trample a little girls excitment as they cut in front, hogged certain games because they offered more tickets, and asked her to hurry up and finish her air hockey game because they wanted to play. What broke my heart even more was that some of these things took place by adults. What has our society come to? It saddens me everyday to see people so focused on things that they miss out on the most exciting/important thing in life... a relationship with God.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Update...
This post may be rather long... it's been a few weeks since I've been able to sit down and write out my thoughts. (sorry Chris... I guess I lost my title of 'most consistent blogger')
First of all... our trip to the states has been awesome and the time is sadly flying by. I'm already at my last stop and I feel that I could've used a few more weeks at each place. MN was awesome. The greeting we received both at the airport and at church on Sunday was more than we imagined. We miss our Nowthen Church family terribly but know that God has us where He wants us and that Danny, Maurice, Bill and Tim are exactly where they should be. Our 'kids' (you will always be our kids) had a potluck dessert night on Sunday and our hearts were warmed by the attendence. Thank you all for making us feel so loved and blessed. There were so many people we didn't get to spend time with that we realized our next visit will have to be much longer. Our prayer is that we can be with you next winter for our little 'furlough.'
Next, I headed off to my in-laws and what a great time we had there. What a special treat to have chocolate covered strawberries (my favorite) waiting for me for Valentines Day by my father-in-law. I was so happy that Isabella got to know Grandpa and Grandma and even Aunt Nikki and Karly. Nikki and Karly came all the way from FL for a long weekend so we could see them. Karly and Isabella had a blast playing together and it was so cute to watch them. Good-byes are always hard for me but we're hoping to see them this summer in HK.
I'm currently at my parents and I got a special surprise on Tuesday night. My sister called and asked if the girls could come on Wed and stay until Sunday and of course I said yes. The more time I have with family the better. So this means that instead of just 4 days with them, I will have over a week and I'll get to see my sister a bit more too. God always knows what we need. To top that off, my niece Kara told me in bed last night that she was about to cry because she was so happy to see me. Talk about feeling loved. It's been so fun to watch her interact with Isabella, she just loves her. Laurel on the other hand is not so sure about Isabella or me but the last time I saw her she was only 7 months (now 14 months) so we're just a bunch of new faces. Isabella has warmed up to Pappy and Grammy and Grammy is giving me much needed rest. I slept through the night for the first time in probably a year.
I have much more to write so I will break this up into a couple of posts but this is just a brief post of what's been going on the past three weeks.
Blessings, blessings, blessings... I sure don't deserve them but I'm so thankful for such a loving God who has decided to bestow them upon me anyway.
First of all... our trip to the states has been awesome and the time is sadly flying by. I'm already at my last stop and I feel that I could've used a few more weeks at each place. MN was awesome. The greeting we received both at the airport and at church on Sunday was more than we imagined. We miss our Nowthen Church family terribly but know that God has us where He wants us and that Danny, Maurice, Bill and Tim are exactly where they should be. Our 'kids' (you will always be our kids) had a potluck dessert night on Sunday and our hearts were warmed by the attendence. Thank you all for making us feel so loved and blessed. There were so many people we didn't get to spend time with that we realized our next visit will have to be much longer. Our prayer is that we can be with you next winter for our little 'furlough.'
Next, I headed off to my in-laws and what a great time we had there. What a special treat to have chocolate covered strawberries (my favorite) waiting for me for Valentines Day by my father-in-law. I was so happy that Isabella got to know Grandpa and Grandma and even Aunt Nikki and Karly. Nikki and Karly came all the way from FL for a long weekend so we could see them. Karly and Isabella had a blast playing together and it was so cute to watch them. Good-byes are always hard for me but we're hoping to see them this summer in HK.
I'm currently at my parents and I got a special surprise on Tuesday night. My sister called and asked if the girls could come on Wed and stay until Sunday and of course I said yes. The more time I have with family the better. So this means that instead of just 4 days with them, I will have over a week and I'll get to see my sister a bit more too. God always knows what we need. To top that off, my niece Kara told me in bed last night that she was about to cry because she was so happy to see me. Talk about feeling loved. It's been so fun to watch her interact with Isabella, she just loves her. Laurel on the other hand is not so sure about Isabella or me but the last time I saw her she was only 7 months (now 14 months) so we're just a bunch of new faces. Isabella has warmed up to Pappy and Grammy and Grammy is giving me much needed rest. I slept through the night for the first time in probably a year.
I have much more to write so I will break this up into a couple of posts but this is just a brief post of what's been going on the past three weeks.
Blessings, blessings, blessings... I sure don't deserve them but I'm so thankful for such a loving God who has decided to bestow them upon me anyway.
What I've been learning...
I didn't know what to expect when I stepped onto American soil again. I didn't know if I would be happy to be back, sad to realize how far away we live, shocked by the differences, etc. The first thing hit me when I walked into my friends living room and saw the space. A moment of jealousy, shock, disappointment all hit me at once. I had forgotten how big homes are here, how nice large spaces are, and didn't realize how small our flat really was. These feelings continued to deepen as I watched Isabella enjoy the space to crawl around, as I walked into Walmart and saw all the choices (and in one place), and as I was surrounded by family.
Those first few days were hard. I had to really remind myself that God had called us to HK and that we wouldn't be happy anywhere else. It has gotten easier as the days have passed and as I chose to change my attitude. But spending time with my in-laws really made a difference as well. See... my FIL is a Pastor and MIL is very involved in a variety of ministries and we spent a lot of time talking about our ministry in HK. My MIL helped me find a variety of materials to use for Children's Church and she got me really excited about returning and really digging in my heels into this ministry.
My FIL's sermon on Sunday really touched my heart as well. He talked about being lukewarm in our walk with Christ and how God HATES that. He didn't sugar coat anything and it made me think about where I was spiritually. I realized that although I had been 'doing' ministry in HK my heart was not 100% there. I've had one foot there and one foot stuck in self-pity of leaving my family. A real eye-opener... I guess I have some serious talking and confessing to do with God. But it was such a good thing because it got me excited about our return and the possibilities that lie ahead. God did bring us to HK for a purpose but He can't use me if I'm not willing and if I'm not 100% committed why would He want to use me?
So, I will soak up the time I have left but rejoice in our return. Not only to see Mike but to see how God will work in and through me.
Those first few days were hard. I had to really remind myself that God had called us to HK and that we wouldn't be happy anywhere else. It has gotten easier as the days have passed and as I chose to change my attitude. But spending time with my in-laws really made a difference as well. See... my FIL is a Pastor and MIL is very involved in a variety of ministries and we spent a lot of time talking about our ministry in HK. My MIL helped me find a variety of materials to use for Children's Church and she got me really excited about returning and really digging in my heels into this ministry.
My FIL's sermon on Sunday really touched my heart as well. He talked about being lukewarm in our walk with Christ and how God HATES that. He didn't sugar coat anything and it made me think about where I was spiritually. I realized that although I had been 'doing' ministry in HK my heart was not 100% there. I've had one foot there and one foot stuck in self-pity of leaving my family. A real eye-opener... I guess I have some serious talking and confessing to do with God. But it was such a good thing because it got me excited about our return and the possibilities that lie ahead. God did bring us to HK for a purpose but He can't use me if I'm not willing and if I'm not 100% committed why would He want to use me?
So, I will soak up the time I have left but rejoice in our return. Not only to see Mike but to see how God will work in and through me.
One final announcement...
If you have been reading my blog, you will know that I have struggled with my purpose here in HK. I know my job is to care for Isabella and I know I have my Children's ministry as well as my involvement with the youth but I still struggled. I realized that I felt this struggle because I didn't have a 'job' with work hours. Don't know why... I was so excited to quit working and stay home but I felt a void.
Then I got into digital scrapbooking and learned about something called a Creative Team (CT). A CT works (per say) for a Designer in the sense that the CT creates layouts with a designers kits and posts them to different galleries. The idea is to make the kits known in hopes of getting people to buy them. A CT gets paid by receiving the designers kits for free.
Being a part of a CT team sounded like a lot of fun to me. Not only would I get to continue creating my LO's but I would get some awesome kits to do them with and I would in a sense be working for someone. I wish I could explain this more clearly but words are escaping me.
Anyway... I applied to some designers' calls and was accepted by three designers! They are Andrea Burns at TDC, Victoria Feemster at Addicted to Digital, and Julie Howard at Design by Julie. I am so thrilled to be working with these ladies. They are wonderful designers and very sweet ladies to work with. I can't thank them enough for the opportunity to serve as a part of their Creative/Design Team.
Then I got into digital scrapbooking and learned about something called a Creative Team (CT). A CT works (per say) for a Designer in the sense that the CT creates layouts with a designers kits and posts them to different galleries. The idea is to make the kits known in hopes of getting people to buy them. A CT gets paid by receiving the designers kits for free.
Being a part of a CT team sounded like a lot of fun to me. Not only would I get to continue creating my LO's but I would get some awesome kits to do them with and I would in a sense be working for someone. I wish I could explain this more clearly but words are escaping me.
Anyway... I applied to some designers' calls and was accepted by three designers! They are Andrea Burns at TDC, Victoria Feemster at Addicted to Digital, and Julie Howard at Design by Julie. I am so thrilled to be working with these ladies. They are wonderful designers and very sweet ladies to work with. I can't thank them enough for the opportunity to serve as a part of their Creative/Design Team.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
MN here we come!
We are about to walk out the door to catch the airport express subway. Please pray for us!
If you are interested in seeing us please email me and let me know! Minnesotans... please email us your numbers. We can't find our directory.
Those picking us up from the airport.... we have 3 normal size suitcases and one LARGE duffle bag. (And we don't have a carseat)
Okay... we're off!
Love you all and REALLY looking forward to our visit!
If you are interested in seeing us please email me and let me know! Minnesotans... please email us your numbers. We can't find our directory.
Those picking us up from the airport.... we have 3 normal size suitcases and one LARGE duffle bag. (And we don't have a carseat)
Okay... we're off!
Love you all and REALLY looking forward to our visit!
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Grace=Undeserved Blessings
Grace=undeserved blessings
I felt I was showed a lot of grace this past week and weekend. From my previous posts, you probably can get the idea that I've had a hard time the past month or so. I've always felt confident that God would bring me through everything and that He was in control but I don't feel that I deserve what He has done for me this past week.
First of all, Mike will be travelling back to MN with me. This is a HUGE blessing because I was starting to get really nervous about how I was going to handle Isabella by myself. He will only be there for a few days but the fact that he's willing to make such a quick trip just amazes me. What a great husband I have. And this means that I will only be away from him for 3 weeks instead of 4 which makes me happy too.
Secondly, I got to see a Dragon Dance! I'm pretty confident it was a shortened one but it was a dance nontheless! I can't tell you how excited I was to be able to watch it. After the shock of the loud drums, Isabella was able to enjoy herself too. We just happened to be over in the mall connected to our complex and there was a sign for the dance to start in about an hour so I rushed home, got my camera, and came back.
Thirdly, on our way out the door to the mall, we checked our mail hoping for a package from Mike's parents and there was nothing. They were sending us some Children's Benedryl for Isabella and we were really hoping for a chance to try this on her to see if she takes after her Daddy and gets hyper rather than calmed. So Mike said a quick prayer that we'd still get it today and low and behold... our guard was holding it as we walked in the door!
Dumplings have become one of my favorite foods so I convinced Mike to eat at my fav restaurant one more time before I left and when we walked in we were greeted with "So nice to see you again!" (Can you tell we eat there a lot?) That was such a treat for me and to top it off, they pretty much drooled all over Isabella which allowed us to eat our meal in peace. LOL
Man... the blessings keep going. We tried the benedryl on Isabella when we got home from lunch and I'm happy to report that she doesn't take after Daddy. I laid her down in the crib and by the time I walked out to the living room she was asleep! And she slept over 2hrs! (This may be a bad thing for me to know. LOL)
Forgot to mention that we had dinner with Ed and Sharon (our Sr. Pastor and wife) last night as well. They invited us over knowing that it would be a quick visit because we like to get Isabella to bed early on Saturday nights because Sunday's are such a long day for her. It was a great time of fellowship and food. It's nice to sit back and just talk about life rather than always talking about the needs of the church. And I love watching them play with Isabella too... just warms my heart.
Finally... another super cool treat.... we get to watch the Superbowl and not just any superbowl but we get to watch the STEELERS in a Superbowl. I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I am yet also bummed that I can't be in PA to watch it with the other Steeler fans. We'll be up at 7am with some friends coming over to cheer them on (okay don't know who they're cheering for but at least we'll be cheering for them). However, instead of the traditional chips and soda we'll have eggs, muffins, fruit, and OJ. GO STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well... it's going to be an early morning so I'm off.
PS. I've made a few new scrapbooking pages in the past several days so take a minute to check out 'My Gallery' (look to the left) and see some different pictures.
I felt I was showed a lot of grace this past week and weekend. From my previous posts, you probably can get the idea that I've had a hard time the past month or so. I've always felt confident that God would bring me through everything and that He was in control but I don't feel that I deserve what He has done for me this past week.
First of all, Mike will be travelling back to MN with me. This is a HUGE blessing because I was starting to get really nervous about how I was going to handle Isabella by myself. He will only be there for a few days but the fact that he's willing to make such a quick trip just amazes me. What a great husband I have. And this means that I will only be away from him for 3 weeks instead of 4 which makes me happy too.
Secondly, I got to see a Dragon Dance! I'm pretty confident it was a shortened one but it was a dance nontheless! I can't tell you how excited I was to be able to watch it. After the shock of the loud drums, Isabella was able to enjoy herself too. We just happened to be over in the mall connected to our complex and there was a sign for the dance to start in about an hour so I rushed home, got my camera, and came back.
Thirdly, on our way out the door to the mall, we checked our mail hoping for a package from Mike's parents and there was nothing. They were sending us some Children's Benedryl for Isabella and we were really hoping for a chance to try this on her to see if she takes after her Daddy and gets hyper rather than calmed. So Mike said a quick prayer that we'd still get it today and low and behold... our guard was holding it as we walked in the door!
Dumplings have become one of my favorite foods so I convinced Mike to eat at my fav restaurant one more time before I left and when we walked in we were greeted with "So nice to see you again!" (Can you tell we eat there a lot?) That was such a treat for me and to top it off, they pretty much drooled all over Isabella which allowed us to eat our meal in peace. LOL
Man... the blessings keep going. We tried the benedryl on Isabella when we got home from lunch and I'm happy to report that she doesn't take after Daddy. I laid her down in the crib and by the time I walked out to the living room she was asleep! And she slept over 2hrs! (This may be a bad thing for me to know. LOL)
Forgot to mention that we had dinner with Ed and Sharon (our Sr. Pastor and wife) last night as well. They invited us over knowing that it would be a quick visit because we like to get Isabella to bed early on Saturday nights because Sunday's are such a long day for her. It was a great time of fellowship and food. It's nice to sit back and just talk about life rather than always talking about the needs of the church. And I love watching them play with Isabella too... just warms my heart.
Finally... another super cool treat.... we get to watch the Superbowl and not just any superbowl but we get to watch the STEELERS in a Superbowl. I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I am yet also bummed that I can't be in PA to watch it with the other Steeler fans. We'll be up at 7am with some friends coming over to cheer them on (okay don't know who they're cheering for but at least we'll be cheering for them). However, instead of the traditional chips and soda we'll have eggs, muffins, fruit, and OJ. GO STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well... it's going to be an early morning so I'm off.
PS. I've made a few new scrapbooking pages in the past several days so take a minute to check out 'My Gallery' (look to the left) and see some different pictures.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Wealthy
"Oh very wealthy."
This comment haunted me all yesterday evening and today. We were out looking for a taylor to hem some of my pants and a Chinese man offered to help us find a store. He took us to the directory of this 'mini' mall to show us where it was and then asked us where we lived. We said, "Hoy yat ho yuen" and he replied, "Oh very wealthy." We answered... "oh no, not wealthy," thanked him, and headed off to the store. I was stunned... what do you say to a comment like that? We are by no means wealthy but we are blessed by a wonderful God. I'm still not sure exactly what to think about this. It makes me question our ability to minister to the population of HK that is middle class. It also makes me question if the color of our skin make us appear unapproachable because it seems most westerners are quite wealthy. It also made me aware that not everyone in HK is well off. I'm sure that sounds like a dumb statement but when you are a part of a wealthy congregation and most of your contacts are not hurting financially you can forget that not everyone lives that way. I am thankful for this brief conversation because it opened my eyes and got my brain thinking.
We met some MN friends for coffee at Starbucks today. It really is a small world. When we first moved to MN, there was a hired man doing our sound and his name was Ed. Mike had contact with him but I don't recall ever meeting him. Anyway... his wife Joelle grew up in HK and they were back visiting so they got our contact info and asked to see us. It was so much fun to chat about MN life versus HK life and just get to know them a little. It's funny how you end up spending time with people (sometimes even complete strangers) because you have one little thing in common. We didn't really know Ed and Joelle before today but we still met up, there are women here I've met simply because we all have children, some people we've just clicked with because we're from North America. Funny how being across the world and away from families ties people together.
Here are the answers to my tag...
What were you doing 10 years ago? 1996 I was 16, a junior in High School, and a workaholic. LOL My life was band and Chick-fil-a.
What were you doing 1 year ago? Realizing that a move to Hong Kong was very possible and trying to deal with that as well as preparing for the arrival of Isabella.
Five snacks you enjoy: Cheese and crackers, saltines, pretzels, ice cream, M&M's
Five songs to which you know all the lyrics: Theme song to Fresh Prince, a few Praise and numerous Children's songs LOL
Five bad habits: not replacing the toilet paper, using lots of dishes throughout one day, having 'the drawer', staying up later than I should, won't talk on the phone
Five things you like doing: playing the piano, doing TaeBo, getting a pedicure/facial, being with family, laughing
Five things you would never wear, buy or get again: tapered pants, tube top, itchy clothes, nike running shoes, any Tom Cruise movie made after 1995
Five favorite toys: piano, my camera, Powerbook G4, dvd player, toaster :)
Above is a layout I made the other day using MandaBeans Persimmon kit and NJR's Shmootzy Frames. This has got to be one of my favorite pictures of Isabella. She was about 5 months old and giggling up a storm. Everyone at church called her a little doll and I couldn't agree more. I love the dress and matching hat and her smile just topped it off. Love her to pieces!
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Good food & fellowship
God always has a way of lifting you up when you're down and yesterday was one of those days. My previous post was about how I can get lonely at times and in the middle of the day, yesterday, we got a call from some friends who asked us over for dinner. We've been trying to get together since Christmas so we were excited to and I left their flat last night full of joy. We had a great dinner, chili.. one of my favorites, and the fellowship was sweet. I love it when our friends interact/play with Isabella because it makes me feel like she has Aunts/Uncles here and isn't missing out on that type of family love. She had a blast playing with them, giggling up a storm at 'peek-a-boo', and staying up until 11:30pm. I was introduced to two logic puzzle games and was hooked! Now.. I'm off to find one of them. LOL And Mike drooled over their new iSight for Mac. ha ha Anyway... it was a great night. Thanks Baker's for having us over.
I thought I was going to have the chance to see the dragon dance but Isabella took a late nap and by the time I got out there, the dragons were just making their way around the complex doing something in the doorways. (Still figuring out exactly the purpose behind it but I'm sure it has something to do with prosperity and wealth.) It was still cool to see and I got a few pictures.
So life was back to normal today... back to the busyness of HK. Will I ever get used to this?
I thought I was going to have the chance to see the dragon dance but Isabella took a late nap and by the time I got out there, the dragons were just making their way around the complex doing something in the doorways. (Still figuring out exactly the purpose behind it but I'm sure it has something to do with prosperity and wealth.) It was still cool to see and I got a few pictures.
So life was back to normal today... back to the busyness of HK. Will I ever get used to this?
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
emotions
I was chatting with a friend today and realized that I feel emotionally drained. I'm not sure why... maybe it's due to living in a different culture and trying so hard to become a part of it. Maybe it's due to the effort I have to put into building relationships here or keeping up with ones in the states. Maybe it's just because I'm a Mommy and Isabella requires a lot of energy and I'm just tired. I think it's a bit of everything all piled up and it hit me today. I found myself wanting to run and hide... my self-esteem low, my spirits down, and tears just welling up. These emotions shocked me but it made me realize what a great support group we had in MN. Sometimes I feel very lonely here but that's not a bad thing. It forces me to step out of my comfort zone, meet people, explore, and spend time with God. I could very easily hide... this city is big enough for me to get lost among the people but that's not what I want and I don't think that's what God wants either. He brought me here to stretch me and to use me and He can't do that if I don't let Him. And I SO want to be a part of His big plan! I think living here will be a constant spiritual battle because we're here for a purpose and satan doesn't want that. Satan knows what brings us down and uses that against us. These things I've been dealing with lately are the stronghold he has on me but I pray continuously that God will give me victory. It's amazing how a little prayer can change your thoughts, your attitude and make them glorifying to God. My prayer is that we all would give God these struggles and not let Satan get ahold of us in these ways. It's too easy to get down and run away but then we miss out on all the cool things God has planned for us. I have a verse that I use in these times (thanks to my MIL) "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind," And I often quote that when thoughts run into my head that bring me down. I quote that, smile, and move on knowing that through God I can do all things.
I didn't get any great pictures at the parade last night so I took a picture of the dragon puppet we bought Isabella for her first CNY. It's a bit scary looking but it's a neat memory.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
One more thing...
Mike reminded me that I wanted to blog about his because I thought it might make some of you giggle. Isabella is all Uhlinger... (LOL) she loves to run around naked. She also gets terrible diaper rashes (fortunately not painful). Not sure why this is, we know in the summer it's because of the extreme heat but not sure why it hasn't continued to get better. Anyway.. that's not the point. When she has a rash we'll let her air out a bit before putting on her new diaper. I'm sure you can guess where I"m going with this. Tonight was one of those nights. I let her play while I got her a sleeper and Mike was taking a picture of her and neither of us realized what was going on. She stopped for a minute and was rather focused. Mike went to grab her for me so I could put the diaper back on and guess what.... the floor was all wet! This girl never ceases to make us laugh. She peed all over the floor but I must be grateful that she missed the carpet!
Well... we tried
Today has been a busy but great day. It started with me being able to attend church and to top it off... Mike preached! His message was shortened to about 15 minutes but it was powerful and challenging. He talked about Luke 14:15-21 (The parable of the great banquet) and how we all make excuses to basically say 'I don't have time for God.' The biggest excuse being I'm so busy... since when should God get our left over time? I know I make my excuses and this was a great reminder to think twice before I say, "I can't because..."
After church we had the youth over to our flat for a spaghetti dinner and to hang out. We always ask for a RSVP now because of the amount of space we have and expected about 5 students to come. PTL that Mike bought some 'extra' food to stock up on because we had 18 people here. I wish you could've seen how we squeezed in... our flat definitely is not made for that many people but it was awesome. The kids had a great time playing video games and watching movies and I just loved the fact that we had that many people show up.
Tonight was the night of the big parade and I was pumped. I didn't care how long we stayed as long as I got to see a dragon dance. Knowing there were to be so many people, we planned to take the ferry across the harbour and check out the crowds. If there were too many people we'd just turn around and watch it on tv. We got there and the crowds didn't seem to be too unreasonable so we looked for a spot. We did find one where I could see enough to take some pictures if standing on my toes but that spot quickly grew smaller as it neared 8pm and the crowd grew. By 8:45 or so, we left our spot because Isabella was extremely tired and having a hard time being squished. I was completely bummed that we waited all that time to turn around and leave but my disappointment quickly turned into pure frustration. We got stuck trying to leave on a sidewalk that had people standing shoulder to shoulder and then people started to push. A lady behind Mike was screaming for us to move (as we all politely told her that was impossible and we were all trying) and soon started to push her way through. But I'm very thankful for a protective Dad and two other men who decided they were going to protect this cute little girl. My frustration grew by the second as I experienced my first HK shoulder to shoulder crowd and fear that my daughter was going to get hurt. We made it through and on our way out got to see a few little things but the pictures we attempted are pretty blurry. Another bummer for me because I spent a lot of time designing some scrapbook elements to use for my CNY pictures but I have nothing to show. And to top it off... we stayed long enough to miss the parade on tv. As disappointed as I was, I am thankful that we made the attempt to go. It was still neat to be a part of the culture in this way and to see what this parade is all about. I will say though... tomorrow night we're watching the fireworks on tv. Don't think any of us could handle another night like tonight.
Note to self: Next year pay the money to sit in the grandstand so we can see everything clearly while sitting!
After church we had the youth over to our flat for a spaghetti dinner and to hang out. We always ask for a RSVP now because of the amount of space we have and expected about 5 students to come. PTL that Mike bought some 'extra' food to stock up on because we had 18 people here. I wish you could've seen how we squeezed in... our flat definitely is not made for that many people but it was awesome. The kids had a great time playing video games and watching movies and I just loved the fact that we had that many people show up.
Tonight was the night of the big parade and I was pumped. I didn't care how long we stayed as long as I got to see a dragon dance. Knowing there were to be so many people, we planned to take the ferry across the harbour and check out the crowds. If there were too many people we'd just turn around and watch it on tv. We got there and the crowds didn't seem to be too unreasonable so we looked for a spot. We did find one where I could see enough to take some pictures if standing on my toes but that spot quickly grew smaller as it neared 8pm and the crowd grew. By 8:45 or so, we left our spot because Isabella was extremely tired and having a hard time being squished. I was completely bummed that we waited all that time to turn around and leave but my disappointment quickly turned into pure frustration. We got stuck trying to leave on a sidewalk that had people standing shoulder to shoulder and then people started to push. A lady behind Mike was screaming for us to move (as we all politely told her that was impossible and we were all trying) and soon started to push her way through. But I'm very thankful for a protective Dad and two other men who decided they were going to protect this cute little girl. My frustration grew by the second as I experienced my first HK shoulder to shoulder crowd and fear that my daughter was going to get hurt. We made it through and on our way out got to see a few little things but the pictures we attempted are pretty blurry. Another bummer for me because I spent a lot of time designing some scrapbook elements to use for my CNY pictures but I have nothing to show. And to top it off... we stayed long enough to miss the parade on tv. As disappointed as I was, I am thankful that we made the attempt to go. It was still neat to be a part of the culture in this way and to see what this parade is all about. I will say though... tomorrow night we're watching the fireworks on tv. Don't think any of us could handle another night like tonight.
Note to self: Next year pay the money to sit in the grandstand so we can see everything clearly while sitting!
It's here!
I'm up too late as it is so I just wanted to quickly say......
KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!
It's the year of the dog! Many wishes of prosperity, longevity, luck, etc.... LOL This is so much fun!
KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!
It's the year of the dog! Many wishes of prosperity, longevity, luck, etc.... LOL This is so much fun!
Friday, January 27, 2006
And so it begins...
What a fabulous day we had today! Isabella didn't wake up until 9am which is always welcomed... especially by Mommy, unfortunately Mike couldn't enjoy that because he had his Men for God Bible study at 6:30am. Then we met Mike and went shopping for our 'New Year' outfit which was fun. We decided to treat ourselves to shopping in a real mall rather than at a market so it was fun to explore stores we've never heard of. Although we did stop at Brooks Brothers, Columbia, and Polo. (I always get excited to see a store that I'm familiar with.)
(r)evolve was tonight and Isabella and I joined because afterwards three of our girls were going to take us to a 'flea market' that only happens during Chinese New Year (aka CNY). Apparently it's a huge deal and we all wanted to experience this. What a great time we had. The girls took the time to explain CNY traditions, what different characters meant, what the different flowers stood for, and what their families do to celebrate. I was soaking everything in. I love it when they share their culture and lives with us. The market was nothing like I expected. It had all these random inflatable hats and balloons and dog items (it's the year of the dog) as well as flowers. There of course were tons of people but not nearly the crowd we expected. Since we had the girls with us, we decided to try some 'street' food. We had this dessert (in the picture) that basically was sugar (we had plain and strawberry flavored) wrapped in a crepe and dim sum (dumpling) with fish meat inside. The crepe was edible... the dim sum not so much. LOL Mandarin trees are very popular for CNY so we tried to buy one but they were too big to carry home when Mike's still got a bum knee and I was carrying Isabella. So we opted for this plant (in the picture) which is to bring us prosperity. And so we begin CNY. We are planning on attending the parade on Sunday night and fireworks on Monday so I hope that Isabella will co-operate. At least we can watch the parade on TV if she doesn't.
I feel so blessed to be here during this time. I know I was disappointed that our trip to Thailand was cancelled but I'm so excited to be a part of CNY. I've always been interested in learning about other cultures and being here during this time is teaching me so much. Now... if only I were young enough to get laisee (red packets of money).
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Lagging behind....
How lucky am I to have the greatest man as a husband? I certainly don't give him enough praise. He's just so thoughtful and loving and well... I could go on and on. I started working on this layout this morning and it was so easy to know what I wanted to do. I just wanted to show him how much he means to me.
I have to thank Andrea (of Embellish... look to the left) for introducing digital scrapbooking to me. I've been having a blast making pages and decided to upload them to a gallery so if anyone wants to take a look at them they can. Look on the left and you will see the link. Enjoy...
So I'm a bit behind on my blog entries which is frustrating to me but there have been some great things that have happened over the past few days. Children's church was great this past Sunday and I got another volunteer to help! PTL! Monday, we had dinner with some friends which was tons of fun and yesterday Cindy found me a ticket to the states for about $700 US dollars! Isabella has been sleeping incredibly well and I feel so rested and energized! To top it off... this weekend starts Chinese New Year which means fireworks, parades, and Mike's home with us for several days! Also means that we all get to buy a new outfit (lol) because it's tradition to start the New Year off with new clothes. Won't complain about that. (ha ha)
I've been learning a lot lately to rest in God's arms and let me tell you how much peace that has given me. It's so wonderful to know that God is in control of everything and I can put complete trust and faith in Him.
On a cute note.... our daughter is the most fearless thing ever. She has a little rocking chair (the one from you Jenny) that she has learned to climb onto (so thankful we don't have stairs!). Yesterday she was trying to get off of it but wasn't sure how. So what'd she do... put her arms out and dove for the floor. Thankfully, I was there to catch her but it just means that I have to watch her even more closely. What a cutie she is! She also loves to play on our bed and when I put her there she giggles so hard it's adorable. Ahhh... I LOVE being a Mom. Nothing beats her reaching for me, smiling at me, or crawling her fastest to catch up with me.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
An experiment
There are some really cool things about HK... having your groceries delivered, having the choice to eat any type of food from any culture, eating a mango flavored ice cream cone, paying $1 for a McFlurry (can you tell I like ice cream?), market shopping, etc but I must say... is there any other place in the world that you can have McDonald's delivered to your door (or KFC for that matter but it's pretty nasty here.) I was desperate for Isabella to get her naps in today because we were heading out for the evening but I was also desperate for some food and our kitchen was empty.... so I tried something new. I ordered McDonald's for delivery. Didn't know if they'd speak English or after breathing a sigh of relief when they did, if I would end up with the right food (we've had several experiences where we ordered, went home only to find the wrong food) but the adventure turned out quite well. What a little blessing to know we can successfully order McDonald's when there's nothing in the flat but we're too tired to go out and not a lot of money to spend. Ahhh.. The little things.
On another note: We were invited to a 'Fellowship' group this evening (aka small group) with several other couples. Mike was the guest speaker and Isabella and I were there to learn. It was great! I got to know a few other people in the church and one couple had a little boy 11 days younger than Isabella. How fun! Mike did fabulous as always... I'm always so proud of him and God spoke to my heart about relationships with others and how we are to be loving and not expect anything in return. That's hard for me because when I put my heart out there, I like a response but I was reminded that God sent His Son to die for me and there are times I don't take the time for Him. How can I expect anything from others when I do the same thing to God? This is a truth that I've learned before but the reminder was in perfect timing! God always knows what and when we need to be reminded of things and this was such an encouragement to my heart.
Another blessing that came from this evening......... (I know you all are waiting...) A TEACHER for 2/3's!!!!!!!!!! PTL PTL PTL
I can't even begin to tell you how much I needed this bit of encouragement! So we're back to 3 with the potential of 1 more and this new teacher insists she can get a few more! WOW... I've been so stressed about the state of this ministry and finally said... OK God, I have to put this in YOUR hands and look what has happened. See what we do to ourselves when we try to do things on our own! GOD YOU ARE AWESOME!
Well... the day looked shabby when I rolled out of bed at 7am (SO not used to getting up this early) but tonight as I write this, I'm just blessed beyond words. I've said this before but... How do people survive without God in their lives? Who do they credit when awesome things happen? Hmmmmm.... off to think about this some more.
On another note: We were invited to a 'Fellowship' group this evening (aka small group) with several other couples. Mike was the guest speaker and Isabella and I were there to learn. It was great! I got to know a few other people in the church and one couple had a little boy 11 days younger than Isabella. How fun! Mike did fabulous as always... I'm always so proud of him and God spoke to my heart about relationships with others and how we are to be loving and not expect anything in return. That's hard for me because when I put my heart out there, I like a response but I was reminded that God sent His Son to die for me and there are times I don't take the time for Him. How can I expect anything from others when I do the same thing to God? This is a truth that I've learned before but the reminder was in perfect timing! God always knows what and when we need to be reminded of things and this was such an encouragement to my heart.
Another blessing that came from this evening......... (I know you all are waiting...) A TEACHER for 2/3's!!!!!!!!!! PTL PTL PTL
I can't even begin to tell you how much I needed this bit of encouragement! So we're back to 3 with the potential of 1 more and this new teacher insists she can get a few more! WOW... I've been so stressed about the state of this ministry and finally said... OK God, I have to put this in YOUR hands and look what has happened. See what we do to ourselves when we try to do things on our own! GOD YOU ARE AWESOME!
Well... the day looked shabby when I rolled out of bed at 7am (SO not used to getting up this early) but tonight as I write this, I'm just blessed beyond words. I've said this before but... How do people survive without God in their lives? Who do they credit when awesome things happen? Hmmmmm.... off to think about this some more.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Decisions...
It was a rainy/misty day today so I chose to stay indoors and play photographer. Isabella turned 8 months old yesterday and was due for her monthly pictures. Still working on the editing of the pictures but thought I'd post one anyway. It's been so much fun watching her change each month... this month I'm happy to report that she finally has some hair that you should be able to see in the pictures! The poor girl gets mistaken for a boy all the time because of her bald head. Also, I think we've finally come to the conclusion that she's probably one out of a million babies who doesn't need as much sleep as they say babies do. She's officially waking up between 7 and 7:30am now and we're lucky if she'll nap for 45 minutes, 2 times a day. I have a hard time with that but once I'm out of the bed, I can manage... it's just getting out (or should I say rolling out) that's the problem.
Tomorrow is (r)evolve again and we're trying to make a decision as to whether or not I should be involved. The kids love Isabella which is awesome but they are also VERY distracted by her. Ahhh.. the joys of not having a building or nursery. So I guess we have decided that I will come and eat dinner and hang out before hand but will leave when the evening officially begins. It breaks my heart but I know this is the best thing for our students. The last thing I want is for them to be distracted from God's message.
I'm still pretty busy studying Chinese New Year and learning a lot. I bought Isabella a dragon marionette to celebrate her 1st CNY. It's a bit scary looking but the Dragon Dance is huge so I felt it was appropriate. I want Isabella to be a part of the culture here as much as she can. What neat stories she will have to share when she gets older.
God has been really good to us the past few days. Nothing extremely exciting has happened but our spirits have been lifted and the 'weight' of our recent struggles seems to be lifting. He is good and I know it's because so many of you were praying for us too!
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Dragon fruit
I've been sitting here off and on for the past hour trying to think of something creative, something intellectual, something exciting to share and well... this is what I came up with. Dragon fruit..... 
I've been afraid of this fruit since we moved here. It's just creepy looking to me but today I decided to venture out and buy one. I brought it home, still a little afraid but anxious to see what was on the inside. When I finally got up the guts, I cut it up and was surprised by what I found. I've eaten this fruit before without even knowing it. I've seen the 'cut up' version of it but never knew what the whole package looked like. It's not the most appealing fruit but it is tasty and I was glad I finally got the guts to buy one.
I think I've been afraid in HK. Afraid to make this place my 'home' for what reason, I don't know. Maybe I'm afraid to enjoy living here and making my family in the states feel bad. Maybe I'm afraid because I miss and want the conveniences of things in the states. I'm not really sure.... but today was a good step for me. Getting outside, getting fresh air, and buying this creepy looking fruit did wonders for me. I felt a release, a release to enjoy the lifestyle of HK, to enjoy the culture of HK. I wish I could explain it but words escape me right now. All I can say is that God is Awesome! He meets us and loves us where we're at but doesn't want us to stay there. He wants us to grow daily and today was a good swift kick in the behind for me and I needed it.
On top of God giving me this release, He sent the most encouraging words to me through Jenny. Her words made me tear up with sadness of missing her and her family but also with joy because these words of encouragement reminded me that God brought us here to use us and He's going to do exciting things.
So I decided today that it's time to venture out a bit more and see what God has in store.
I've been afraid of this fruit since we moved here. It's just creepy looking to me but today I decided to venture out and buy one. I brought it home, still a little afraid but anxious to see what was on the inside. When I finally got up the guts, I cut it up and was surprised by what I found. I've eaten this fruit before without even knowing it. I've seen the 'cut up' version of it but never knew what the whole package looked like. It's not the most appealing fruit but it is tasty and I was glad I finally got the guts to buy one.
I think I've been afraid in HK. Afraid to make this place my 'home' for what reason, I don't know. Maybe I'm afraid to enjoy living here and making my family in the states feel bad. Maybe I'm afraid because I miss and want the conveniences of things in the states. I'm not really sure.... but today was a good step for me. Getting outside, getting fresh air, and buying this creepy looking fruit did wonders for me. I felt a release, a release to enjoy the lifestyle of HK, to enjoy the culture of HK. I wish I could explain it but words escape me right now. All I can say is that God is Awesome! He meets us and loves us where we're at but doesn't want us to stay there. He wants us to grow daily and today was a good swift kick in the behind for me and I needed it.
On top of God giving me this release, He sent the most encouraging words to me through Jenny. Her words made me tear up with sadness of missing her and her family but also with joy because these words of encouragement reminded me that God brought us here to use us and He's going to do exciting things.
So I decided today that it's time to venture out a bit more and see what God has in store.
4 of...
Four jobs you have had in your life
Teacher's Assistant, Piano/Sax/Voice Teacher, Research Associate, Paralegal
Four movies you would watch over and over
A Knight's Tale, What a Girl Wants, You've Got Mail, Office Space
Four places you have lived
Toccoa, GA-Birmingham, AL-Anoka, MN-Hong Kong
Four TV shows you love to watch
Married to the Kelly's, LOST, Alias, Scrubs
Four places you have been on vacation
West Palm Beach, FL- Denali National Park, Alaska- Lake Tahoe- West Virginia
Four of my favorite foods
Spaghetti, Thai Roast Duck Curry, Malaysian Satay, Bread
Four websites I visit daily
Hmmmm... Usually on to check email: Gmail, hotmail, May Mommies, ????
Four places I would rather be right now
MN, PA, OH or FL with family (although I'd be pretty content where I'm at if I felt better)
Teacher's Assistant, Piano/Sax/Voice Teacher, Research Associate, Paralegal
Four movies you would watch over and over
A Knight's Tale, What a Girl Wants, You've Got Mail, Office Space
Four places you have lived
Toccoa, GA-Birmingham, AL-Anoka, MN-Hong Kong
Four TV shows you love to watch
Married to the Kelly's, LOST, Alias, Scrubs
Four places you have been on vacation
West Palm Beach, FL- Denali National Park, Alaska- Lake Tahoe- West Virginia
Four of my favorite foods
Spaghetti, Thai Roast Duck Curry, Malaysian Satay, Bread
Four websites I visit daily
Hmmmm... Usually on to check email: Gmail, hotmail, May Mommies, ????
Four places I would rather be right now
MN, PA, OH or FL with family (although I'd be pretty content where I'm at if I felt better)
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