Thankful Thursday (Late Night Edition)

This week, I'm thankful for sleep. (Jet lag is lingering still).

I'm thankful for God's specific provision for something José and I have been praying for since just before we left for Spain. It's always a sweet moment when we realize that it was GOD at work in the details of our lives.

I'm thankful for the great surprise of coming home from Spain to a newly sealed deck! How wonderful!! (Thanks Jack!)

I'm thankful for having had the opportunity to reconnect with college friends in Spain as well as to see their work.

I'm thankful for having the opportunity to experience life in Spain through the eyes of a Spanish man who graciously opened his home to us and spent hours talking with us and answering our questions.

I'm thankful for a God who is never late, always on time, and who loves us more than we can ever know.

Wonderful Wordless Wednesday - La Puerta de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain

Spain, Jet Lag, and other thoughts

After an exciting and amazing 16 days, we're back from Spain! We left on July 10th and arrived in Madrid on July 11th. Talk about messing with your mind. On the plane on the way there, they told us that we should close our blinds because it would get light early. I woke up around 2am Ohio time which was 8am Madrid time, and it was bright, amazing, and we were above the clouds. I still can't fathom how it works, I mean I know the world rotates and the time is adjusted accordingly, but on Saturday, we had pretty close to 20 hours of sunlight. We got back home around 4am Sunday morning Madrid time (10pm the Saturday night before, Ohio time). See what I mean. You're falling asleep, but it's not late enough yet, so you try coffee or anything really to try and stay away just a little longer. It's working pretty well so far, and we're finally unpacked, clothes clean and everything put away. Now only to get started on emails and pictures! We'll be probably keeping odd hours this week (jet lag tends to last 1 day per hour of time difference, which would be 6 for us). So, until later! Thanks for praying! We'll be sending glimpses of our time in Spain in the next days and weeks!

Thankful Thursday

Wow, what a whirlwind week! There seem to have been a lot of those lately. It's nice to sit down and take a few minutes to be thankful. We heard a sermon on Sunday (by my amazing husband) on remembering the good God has done, so this week, that's what I want to focus on.

I'm thankful for God's provision in all of the details for our trip to Spain.

I'm thankful for friends who will take care of our little doggy, Diego, and water the plants.

I'm thankful for both José and I being in good health.

I'm especially thankful for God's miraculous healing of José's arthritis. (He is completely well!)

I'm thankful for the growth that intensity in life brings.

I'm thankful for Jesus who has already won the victory for us on the cross!

Here are a few links you may be interested in:

José's sermon: http://www.northmarchurch.com/sermons/July%205%202009.mp3
Victory song "The Desert Song": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QemZQKKJbRU

Thankful Thursday with LOTS of pictures!

Well, it's Thursday again. Funny marking my weeks with a day in the middle.

I'm thankful for the rain. I know, weird to say in rainy NE Ohio, but it's really made the basil, spearmint, cilantro, garlic-y-chives, thyme and oregano grow like crazy and it's delicious!!
I'm SO thankful for the wonderful flavors of the basil, chives and cilantro (which are ready to cut and eat). We had a delicious tomato, onion salad last night with chives, cilantro and a little basil topped with a squeeze of lime juice and salt. YUMMY!

I'm thankful to have had a wonderful time with missys during last week's Missions Impact Weekend (that went all week long). It was great to connect and we were encouraged as I pray were they.

I'm thankful for a good friend who helped me (with MUCH patience!!) sew a dress and a shirt (I'm working on a second shirt which isn't yet finished yet). THANKS Heather! I seriously couldn't have done it without you!

I'm thankful for being able to learn a new jewelry technique last week (I skipped a week, so I figured I'd stick a few more in). I went with another pastor's wife and we learned how to do metal stamping! Yes, it's also addictive, but best of all, very stress relieving as you pound on a piece of metal. The pearl/copper necklace has my initials. :) It was a LOT of fun! And the second necklace with the copper washer has the words: AMOR, COMPROMISO, LIBERTAD which José and I also have inscribed on the inside of our wedding rings. (Notice also the butterfly and the GREEN swarovski crystal). The bracelet with the faith pendant is still a work in progress. Here are they are!


I'm thankful to be packed for Spain. Only days now! I'm excited we're able to take this trip together and am anticipating great things from God during our time in Madrid and Barcelona. Notice the confused puppy who's wondering what's going on!

I'm thankful for a great team going to Spain!

I'm thankful also for good friends who will watch and play with Diego while we travel!

Thanks for reading! It may be a little while, but I will be posting Spain pics as I'm able!!!

Thankful Thursday (on Saturday)

What can I say? It's been a full week. We're trying to catch up after a great week of VBS, and get as much done before Missions Impact "Weekend" (that has been going on since this morning and will continue until next Saturday). Our church does three such Weekends per year in lieu of an annual week long missions conference. This has proven to be more effective in getting people involved as well as keeping missions before them more continually. This would have to be one of the reasons I'm thankful this week. I love getting to know the international workers who come and share with us! It's a huge privilege to be by my husband's side and to participate in one of the ways we partner with others to hasten the coming of our Lord while encouraging them in missional living.

I'm also thankful for several good friends here in Ohio. This is something we prayed for before moving almost a year ago in August.

I'm thankful to be teaching Spanish again to a few eager and excited kids. I had forgotten how much I love to teach Spanish. (I love teaching, and am realizing that it's also another creative outlet for me as I prepare lessons and activities!)

Continue to be in prayer for us and for our team (8 of us ) going to Spain in a few weeks. We've all had major health issues since signing up for the trip and have also had multiple obstacles to overcome. We desire so much to be light in a dark place.

Thankful Thursday

Well, if you read last Thursday's post you will see that this week is VBS at church. We do it a little differently than I'd seen before, it's from 9-12 in the morning. And they offer a ladies' study and craft. I'm thankful for the opportunity to be able to teach the ladies' craft which is jewelry-making. The ladies have made beautiful necklaces and bracelets and tomorrow we're making "Wordless Book" bracelets which will be a great end to a fun week.


I'm also thankful for a great small group that José and I are a part of. This past week, we were able to get together with one couple who cooked us a delicious dinner and challenged us with Sequence after. The homemade pies and mango salsa-topped burgers were just wonderful!

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday.

Just a few thoughts of what I'm thankful for this week.

I'm thankful for being able to attend a marriage seminar with my beloved husband.

I'm thankful for more details coming together on our trip to Spain (COMING UP SOON!!).

I'm thankful for beads and creative thoughts and ideas this week.

I'm thankful for less weeds and DOUBLE CHOCOLATE mulch. : )

I'm thankful for kind and generous landlords.

I'm thankful for God-ordained moments.

I'm thankful for all the baptisms that are STILL going on at church (I believe we're over 150 now!)!

My latest projects

I've been preparing this week (and the last few weeks actually) for the craft portion of the Mom's/Women's Bible Study during VBS next week. While sorting beads, finding pictures of examples and inspiration as well as sorting through my beads and latest creations, I was inspired. Here are three of my latest pieces: (I usually make them in sets of : necklace, bracelet and earrings so I can coordinate or mix and match according to my outfits.)

(L to R): Turquoise and tiger eye semi-precious stone beads with a hand painted ceramic center bead and silver spacer beads. The necklace in the center is make of grey semi-precious stone round beads with black glass beads and silver spacers with a focal bead made of black jasper and painted jasper (Pretty amazing how the painted jasper is a type of semi-precious stone and naturally designed). And the far right is all jasper and silver, the rectangle jasper is African jasper from a little bead shop in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Why beading? Well I needed something I could pour money into, ahem, I mean a hobby. And beading is something that I can do just about anywhere in the world. It's a great creative outlet, something I can do with my hands. It's something that I can do with others, a very relational and instant gratification kind of project. And just about every woman I know likes jewelry, including me! And I figure why spend money on something I can make for less or make with nicer materials. It's fun, and I have different beads from a few countries now that are part of my memories and now jewelry.

The View from my Guitar

So I was playing a few songs that have been on my mind lately, as I sometimes do before I have a time of reading the Bible and praying, and as I looked down, this is what I saw. Yes, I laughed hysterically! I guess Diego thinks it's a new soft bed for him to lay in.....