A bit too busy - inspiration

I've been a bit busy to do much posting lately, but you'll notice my twitter post on the right side of the blog. This is an opportunity for me to do microblogging... I can literally just type a few sentences and this blog is updated. So I hope that it's still fun to keep up with me. I'll have a bit more time this weekend for continued blogging.

I'm stressing out because of some confidential stuff happening at work. Life has it's stressful times. The following quote was shared with me this morning by my boss. It was a BIG encouragement to me

Leave safety behind. Put your body on the line. Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind - even if your voice shakes. When you least expect it, someone may actually listen to what you have to say. Well-aimed slingshots can topple giants. And do your homework. - Maggie Kuhn

Power of a Praying Husband

I've been reading this really great book for about 3 weeks. It's about praying intentionally and purposefully. Of course, it's in the main genre that I've been focused on for just over 4 months -- marriage -- being a husband. it's really great. I've been enjoying the easy to read format of the book and using it as a component in my daily devotions. These are the main topics of prayer in the book:

• Her husband
• Her spirit
• Her emotions
• Her motherhood
• Her moods
• Her marriage
• Her submission
• Her relationships
• Her priorities
• Her beauty
• Her sexuality
• Her fears
• Her purpose
• Her trust
• Her protection
• Her desires
• Her work
• Her deliverance
• Her obedience
• Her future

a bit hazy

our morning started off a bit hazy today... 4:40am and the alarm jolted me out of bed. I was very confused and didn't know where I was. I laugh sometimes, because I think it's just because it's SO dark at that time that it's hard to get up - especially when the bed is cozy and warm!

Amy and I dragged ourselves out of bed (5.5 hours isn't enough) and prepped for our day. It's hard to get up that early, but there are benefits too (like 2.5 hours of uninterrupted work before anyone else comes in). I digress.

I write this morning to share a funny story. We're running around in the morning to get Amy to starbuck's on time. I'm making lunch and her coffee. She's getting her hair put together, munching cereal, reading her devotional. I'm packing her cell phone, my bag for work. She's dressed, I'm trying to find a sweater. She's brushing her teeth and foaming at the mouth.

Yes, foaming at the mouth. She makes a horrible face and spits into the sink and bursts out laughing. Soap. She put soap on her toothbrush. We're both in such a fog that we just giggle and laugh, that she's spitting suds.

seriously... it's a funny start to the day. I checked my calendar. I'm doing a 3 hour training this afternoon with 3 colleagues. We work VERY well together. We all know the material. I just don't know what part I'm responsible for... it's so fun to send emails to co-workers at 4:45 am. Anita's going to think I was in a panic to email that early!

Making time to rest

I've not fallen off the planet in the last week, Amy and I are just making some decisions to help us be more relaxed and rested. It's difficult, because there are so many things that we actually WANT to do as well as all of the things we know we NEED to do and what we SHOULD do. We're trying not to SHOULD on ourselves and accomplish what we must while remembering to enjoy our first year of marriage!

This weekend was busy, probably too busy again, but also included quite a lot of fun. We headed to Grand Rapids where we watched a cross country race with Amy's former team from Franklin College. It was really fun to see Amy in her element. We were running ALL OVER! I think that we made more mileage than the athletes (exaggeration is my forte). Then we had lunch with friends and supporters, followed by dinner with more of the same.

Dinner was really SO much fun. Amy and I dined with Steve and Suzanne Cole. Steve is one of my oldest and best friends from Bellaire. We laughed so much and just reminisced and enjoyed each other's company. I wish they lived closer.

On Sunday we spoke at Knox EPC to the youth group about the upcoming Siberia summer camp mission trip. We're really hoping and praying to have enough interest for 3 full teams this summer - it's really one of the focuses for ministry this year, so I'm hopeful.

We also raked the yard and took a nap on Sunday (after lunch with friends) - whew.

So the resting continued a bit on Tuesday, when we napped after work followed by more raking and then watching some tv and talking to one of the elders from Amy's home church Common Ground. He's going to be writing Amy's recommendation for joining World Outreach.

And the real resting. Thank you God that Amy has no class and no work today. She can sleep in, rest, relax, and just enjoy the day. It has been so busy that rest has seemed far from us too much for this year of recuperation in the States and 'getting to know your spouse.'

I'm praying it's a marvelous day for her.

the praise of man

I know that the praise of man is not what is supposed to fuel us, but it sure does feel good. Today I got an email from my supervisor at UM and he wrote:

Fantastic! And, you can’t be any more pleased than I am with what you are accomplishing!

It just felt really good to know that my efforts here are making a difference. I'm thrilled to be back and I know I'll be sad to leave once again when Amy and I return to Russia.

I've been working on several larger scale projects and ironically at 5 months, 1 week about 5 of them are all culminating at the same time.

SNOWING!

That's right, it's the simplest, shortest blog entry ever! It's snowing. Just little teeny flakes. The first snow always brings me joy and reminds me to think about the wonder God has created in the nature of our world. It's SO cool! Green leaves that turn magnificent colors, rain drops that become floating fairies who dance about the skies, hazy nights, sunsets, and on and on....

The Perfect Day

Today was as close to the perfect day as I've every experienced. Amy and I started the day by staying in bed and going back to sleep. Then we got up and decided to walk downtown. On the way there we saw a cyclo-cross race (it's like cross country running, but with hybrid mountain bikes). When we reached downtown we got coffee and chai and window shopped (we were searching for the perfect bag).

We then strolled through the farmer's market on our way to Zingeman's for a quick scone/cinnamon roll. We meandered back through some of the shops in Kerrytown and then walked back home.

From there we hopping in the car and drove to Livonia for lunch/dinner at PF Chang's (the lettuce wraps and Dan Dan noodles are incredible). Stopping at REI we found the perfect bag (see post). Then we spent several hours in Barnes & Noble bookstore reading and writing.

Amy proposed getting some dessert, so we stopped at Bravos! for cheesecake, it was decadent, delicious, and we demanded a second piece.

We watched a movie, some episodes of TV on dvd and went to bed.

INCREDIBLE. The perfect day. (and we really needed to slow down and relax for a day)

The Joy of Organization

My wife knows me TOO well. She has flooded my soul with joy. #1 my love language is gifts. I often feel shallow about this, but it's who I am and who I was created to be. I really like receiving presents, small ones, large ones, homemade, thoughtful, if it's for me - it's a deposit in my love bank.

My love bank is FULL right now. Amy bought me a new messenger bag for me to carry my laptop and files around. It has so MANY pockets and organized compartments, it's AMAZING.

Here are some photos. (I love my wife - and she loves me -- sorry we're newly weds!)

Camp Ark 2008!

I'm really excited to write that Amy and I had a great meeting last night with Grace Chapel EPC church. They're planning to come to Camp Ark in 2008 and work with us! We had a nice question and answer session, showed them the camp manual, and watched the Footprints International video. On the way home Amy and I had all these ideas about other ways that we can help American teams that are coming over to work with us. (training, manuals, media) It was really fun for us to have a longer conversation about ministry, uninterrupted by Russian homework.

Oh! And our friends in Owosso are meeting next week to discuss coming to camp in either 2008 or 2009. Let's pray that they decide on 2008, it would be amazing to have 3 groups coming to camp and committed before December!