Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Has it really?
That was my question to myself as I came to the realization that it had been an entire year since I had done anything with this blog. Wow. Not that I have had anyone comment on the lack of efforts. Ha!
We moved into our first owned house this year. We bought it on the Internet after some gracious friends walked through it for us. It went very smoothly and we love this house! We are so grateful for being led to purchase this one. We have gotten to know a few of our neighbors. Not as many as we had hoped by this time, but the relationships we have formed with the few that we do interact with have been fun, lovely, easy, rewarding...we love to see God's hand in that. (We have also been blessed with heated floors, which I highly recommend in wintertime. We didn't know that house came with those.) A year later I still feel like I live in Versailles. The girls have a huge yard to play in with a black walnut tree, a few oaks and plenty of beautiful birds that fly through. We have a nest of red robins on the eaves in spring and summer and a family of cardinals making themselves known lately. My kitchen has many counters. I had two square feet of counter space in Italy, I have many square feet of beautiful granite in this house! And a dishwasher. I'm never leaving.
Abigail Margaret has been such a fun and joyous addition to our family! She arrived on July 20 before Chris's Mom had to go home. She came for the whole month to deal with my moods and do lots of dishes. She was wonderful. The girls had such a great time seeing Uncle Tim for a week and Pop for the first two weeks of her visit.
Then, Abi came. She is so smiley and social. She screamed for very long times almost every time we put her down, so I wore her a lot. She seemed to grow out of that after a couple months. A the older girls did, she teased me by seeming to look a lot like my side of the family when she was born. But by the time her second week flew past, she was all Pelczar. Again- I look like I am a nanny for someone else's children.
Maylisa and Lisy have thought up names for each of us and dubbed our family the bug squad. May is our honeybee, Lisy is our lady bug, Abi is our butterfly (the name already suits her) Dad is a dragon fly. He agreed to this name because it has "dragon" in it and silk worm is not a bug. I am a firefly. It suits. I can be a bit fiery.
I have been learning since Abi came. Learning so much about death to myself for Love's sake. Wretched self-centeredness is in the way very often. John 15 has been a meditation over the past year and a half or so. Reading, re-reading. Trying to apply. How does on do this? Abide. Such a rich word. To continue to exist in a specific state or place. Constant. Finding more than just physical being in. Abiding. How? I have been approaching Him. Asking Him. And slowly, my thick head and dim eyes are being pierced by light. I think I am learning this.
Chris is learning too. Exciting to watch-to witness such deep and quiet slow growth as he seeks to please The Lord. The Lord still blesses Him with prodigal gift giving. It has been hilarious to see and experience such things from God. Still amazed that He does so much more for us.
And It is Christmas time again. Already. New mercies in the morning. New birth of Mercy. New life in Mercy. Joy. Freedom. Release. Peace between God and Man. Love. May your joy be found in the place that it can be made full. Jesus.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Catching up
Over the past few months I have learned so much! Two kids....oh...two kids. I know that some of you have four or even six...OY...six kids. Times full of lessons! They
Two that we have are so vastly different in almost everything. That has been so fun to see and to watch as Lisy's personality comes out more and more. Lisy is beginning to say some words but is not as much of a letter, word and talking girl as
May was at her age. She is much more of a mover, climber, run away from Mom-er. We move a lot faster with Lisy around. She is very confident in her approach to new people she is very confident in her approach to climbing tall ladders, tables and most recently, in the battle of who is the strongest between Lisy and the cars on the street, she is very confident that it is she. I have yet to convince her otherwise and we are always chasing and speaking firmly when out on walks together. She loves very active play so we wrestle a lot. She also loves to laugh and make others laugh with her. You can tell when Lisy is about to do something ( which is very often) by her eyes. They twinkle with a sort of happy "watch this!" just before she does it. I love this about her!she is very emotional and I am a little intimidated about how we are going to grow in this area together since I am almost always struggling to conquer this within myself. God is faithful and just, however and I know that we will have many adventures together, Lisy and I, as we grow in the knowledge of Christ.
may is the quickest little wit of a four year old I think I have ever met! Se loves conversation and is already proving to be a very critical thinker. she reasons with us quite a bit about things of the Lord and she is very discerning of herself as she interacts with others. We have really enjoyed seeing Maylisa grow in areas that we firmly believe God has gifted her in. We know we have not done anything to make her the way that she is and she is kind, and generous and gentle and always very compliant. She is usually very quick to forgive and immediately restore peace between herself and the offender. This has been a gift and a lesson to me many times. It is fun to see Maylisa learn how to care for and be an encouraging example to her younger sister. She takes on the responsibilities that come with being older very well and is excited to learn more about these things. she is also becoming my helper as really seems to enjoy washing windows and dusting furniture and folding and putting away her clothes with me.
I have been learning a lot this year about the practice of love and grace in every day life with my family and anyone who may happen to cross my path that day. This, to me, has been like a breeze of fresh air. Like when you finally open a window into a stuffy, hot room and feel the cool air rush across your face as you breath in the freshness of it. I have been convicted of so many areas of self centeredness and pride but have learned so many truths that have been liberating and exciting! I feel as though I have been given wings! Some of the books I have learned from this year ( as well as learning from the community of the church I am here with) are:
Total Church by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester
everyday Church by that same authors
A Meal with Jesus by the same Authors
gospel in Life, Kings Cross, Ministries of Mercy, The prodigal God and The Reason for God all by Tim Keller
The Forgotten God by Francis Chan
radical by David Platt
These are just some that I would highly encourage to others! I have been convicted and learned many things from these men.
This year Chris and I together have had so many amazing opportunities to see Gods people meet each others needs in huge and generous ways as well as small practical ways,one person at a time, with solutions that seemed either too fantastic to be accomplished or too silly to work at. But in both extremes, God has used his people to get it done and provide. Through His people, for His people and for the people surrounding all of us! what an adventure it has been to put all of these things into practice and have our thoughts transformed by the generous God. our Prodigally generous God who has paid all of our debts so that we might find more than life in Him.
As we get ready to move back across the oceans to the U.S. During the season of Christmas, we hope to remember these things and celebrate the freedom and reconciliation we have been so freely given through this prodigality, the sacrifice of a perfect Son, in order to pay a debt for us, cover our frailties and give us an inheritance beyond imagination. We share this inheritance with many of you and live according the hope that one day, we will celebrate together at an incomparable banquet table with the Lamb who is our promise!
We look forward to this day with you! The day when goodbye will cease forever (we were never created for those-this is why they are so unpleasant) and we will be in constant joy and celebration in Him with you, our friends, our family, jewels in our crown!
We love each one of you, we pray for continued growth, conviction, purpose and intentionality in each of your daily lives as we all live for His glory.
merry Christmas! Eternal and prodigal reconciliation has been made for us and we celebrate this with you! May you be found in Him!
Two that we have are so vastly different in almost everything. That has been so fun to see and to watch as Lisy's personality comes out more and more. Lisy is beginning to say some words but is not as much of a letter, word and talking girl as
May was at her age. She is much more of a mover, climber, run away from Mom-er. We move a lot faster with Lisy around. She is very confident in her approach to new people she is very confident in her approach to climbing tall ladders, tables and most recently, in the battle of who is the strongest between Lisy and the cars on the street, she is very confident that it is she. I have yet to convince her otherwise and we are always chasing and speaking firmly when out on walks together. She loves very active play so we wrestle a lot. She also loves to laugh and make others laugh with her. You can tell when Lisy is about to do something ( which is very often) by her eyes. They twinkle with a sort of happy "watch this!" just before she does it. I love this about her!she is very emotional and I am a little intimidated about how we are going to grow in this area together since I am almost always struggling to conquer this within myself. God is faithful and just, however and I know that we will have many adventures together, Lisy and I, as we grow in the knowledge of Christ.
may is the quickest little wit of a four year old I think I have ever met! Se loves conversation and is already proving to be a very critical thinker. she reasons with us quite a bit about things of the Lord and she is very discerning of herself as she interacts with others. We have really enjoyed seeing Maylisa grow in areas that we firmly believe God has gifted her in. We know we have not done anything to make her the way that she is and she is kind, and generous and gentle and always very compliant. She is usually very quick to forgive and immediately restore peace between herself and the offender. This has been a gift and a lesson to me many times. It is fun to see Maylisa learn how to care for and be an encouraging example to her younger sister. She takes on the responsibilities that come with being older very well and is excited to learn more about these things. she is also becoming my helper as really seems to enjoy washing windows and dusting furniture and folding and putting away her clothes with me.
I have been learning a lot this year about the practice of love and grace in every day life with my family and anyone who may happen to cross my path that day. This, to me, has been like a breeze of fresh air. Like when you finally open a window into a stuffy, hot room and feel the cool air rush across your face as you breath in the freshness of it. I have been convicted of so many areas of self centeredness and pride but have learned so many truths that have been liberating and exciting! I feel as though I have been given wings! Some of the books I have learned from this year ( as well as learning from the community of the church I am here with) are:
Total Church by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester
everyday Church by that same authors
A Meal with Jesus by the same Authors
gospel in Life, Kings Cross, Ministries of Mercy, The prodigal God and The Reason for God all by Tim Keller
The Forgotten God by Francis Chan
radical by David Platt
These are just some that I would highly encourage to others! I have been convicted and learned many things from these men.
This year Chris and I together have had so many amazing opportunities to see Gods people meet each others needs in huge and generous ways as well as small practical ways,one person at a time, with solutions that seemed either too fantastic to be accomplished or too silly to work at. But in both extremes, God has used his people to get it done and provide. Through His people, for His people and for the people surrounding all of us! what an adventure it has been to put all of these things into practice and have our thoughts transformed by the generous God. our Prodigally generous God who has paid all of our debts so that we might find more than life in Him.
As we get ready to move back across the oceans to the U.S. During the season of Christmas, we hope to remember these things and celebrate the freedom and reconciliation we have been so freely given through this prodigality, the sacrifice of a perfect Son, in order to pay a debt for us, cover our frailties and give us an inheritance beyond imagination. We share this inheritance with many of you and live according the hope that one day, we will celebrate together at an incomparable banquet table with the Lamb who is our promise!
We look forward to this day with you! The day when goodbye will cease forever (we were never created for those-this is why they are so unpleasant) and we will be in constant joy and celebration in Him with you, our friends, our family, jewels in our crown!
We love each one of you, we pray for continued growth, conviction, purpose and intentionality in each of your daily lives as we all live for His glory.
merry Christmas! Eternal and prodigal reconciliation has been made for us and we celebrate this with you! May you be found in Him!
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