The Patience of God

Although my brother and I are only a year apart, we live entirely different lives.

My brother got married at 22 and as I begin to glance at 30, I am still single.  He is the sole provider for a wife, three children and a very rambunctious puppy!  After five years of the military life, he is now back in the Northwest and embarking on the next phase of his life.  In the transition, he and his family moved in with me two months ago.

Suddenly living with three children - and a rambunctious puppy - has been a huge adjustment!  Being a full-time student, I quickly realized that home would not be a place to get work (or homework) done.  My grades definitely evidence the challenge of this transition.  But yesterday I finished up the last of my work for the semester, posted grades for students, and stretched.

Time for relaxation.  And play.  My niece was quick to approach me... "Auntie, can you play a game with me?"


Sure, this should be relaxing enough, I thought.  Little did I know that my patience was soon to be tested.  We played the first game (which had no goal or objective or rules whatsoever) until I was falling asleep in the chair.  To get us moving, I suggested a shopping trip to the dollar store for some stocking stuffers.  I can't count the number of times I had to say "Hurry up, Missy" while we were out.

While making dinner, my niece and nephews were dancing around my ankles.  Since I was running behind getting dinner done and it wasn't quite turning out, my patience soon became thin.  Thankfully, everything turned out just fine.

After dinner, another game was suggested (this time a board game with rules, points and a clear goal!).  I sat down with my niece and both nephews.  The youngest needed a little help and between playing myself and helping my nephew, I had very little patience left for my niece as she pondered each move for a solid 2-5 minutes.  I'll admit, by this point I began to become a little rough in my attitude towards her.  The fifteen minute game was going to turn into 5 hours!

But as I begin to get ready for bed - hours after the little ones have been tucked in for the night - I find myself reflecting on the day.  And I see God in those beautiful brown eyes.  My niece's "Auntie... I love you" and spontaneous hugs and kisses are a beautiful reminder of the love God has for me.  That little girl makes me feel special, cared for, and treasured.

I also see my fallenness as I reflect on the day.  How short I fall from the command to "be holy as I am holy."  See, God is patient.  But I demonstrated impatience toward my niece today.  I am so thankful that God doesn't deal with me in the same way that I deal with her.  And I am thankful that tomorrow is another opportunity for me to interact with her - to love on her, play with her, and be patient with her.  Because that is another opportunity for me to be molded into Christ-likeness as I strive to increase God's character in my life.

If God is patient... I want to be patient too.

The Isaiah Project

I am SO excited to be a part of The Isaiah Project!  I am overwhelmed as I begin to learn more about human sex trafficking which is occurring literally blocks from my University, but as I begin to get overwhelmed, I quickly move to thankfulness.  Thankful because I am already a part of doing something about it.

I am sure you'll start to see a lot more about sex trafficking on here as I begin work with The Isaiah Project. I just wanted to introduce it to you quickly.

Thankful

Wow, time flies!  And as ironic and cheesy as this post is (it being Thanksgiving and all), I am thankful.

After a month and a half of testing for my heart and more testing to come, I am thankful for doctors and medicine and the technology that exists today.  This has been a very trying experience, but it could be much worse than it is.

I am also thankful for hope.  I have hope in two things right now.  The first is the possibility of a heart surgery that could make my heart healthy - no more heart medication (which I've been on for years now) and no more challenges with my heart either.  But this is just a possibility at this point, which brings cause for my second hope - I am hopeful for a new body in heaven.  And I am thankful that God promises to give me a new body.  I've been hopeful for this for a long time!

Of course I have numerous other things for which I am thankful, but these just top the list right now.  I hope you will be encouraged to be thankful for your health as well.

Love my job

I know, ironic isn't it?  But it's true.  I love my job.  All three of them.

My first job - working with the commuter life program at Multnomah University - is a complete joy.  I get to hang out with students, develop student leaders, and have fun.  I have a great team that I work with.  But most importantly, I have a great boss.

My second and third jobs are grading for professors.  I know I shouldn't enjoy reading the same paper 30 times (or 70 times for the larger classes) but I am invigorated by seeing and reading the development in students' lives.  I get to read how God is molding and shaping them.  I get to read what they learned in a Bible study.  I get to see things click when they understand (and enjoy!) a symphony for the first time.

I love my jobs.  I don't know what the future will hold, but I love the opportunities I get to enjoy during my senior year.

Recipe Time! Egg salad sandwiches

Over the past several months, I've been keeping an eye out for natural anti-inflammatory foods.  One of the ingredients I found was tumeric.  But apart from Indian foods, most recipes don't call for tumeric.  Tumeric is an orange spice which is much like paprika - a mild, peppery flavor.  It is also used as a dye, so be aware of that when you're using it!

Well, I got a hunkering for egg salad recently and today I came up with the best recipe I've ever tried - and it included this powerful anti-inflammatory spice!  So I thought I'd share...

Ingredients

• 4 eggs (free-range organic)
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 tablespoons prepared mustard (organic, any kind)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon tumeric
• 1 tablespoon dill pickle, minced
• 
  
• I used heaping tablespoons for the sour cream, mustard and pickle.  It was the perfect blend of dill flavor and creamy egg-and-vinegar.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

"Premonition" doesn't quite cut it.  It feels more like the Holy Spirit guiding and preparing me.

I woke up with this feeling... its going to be a lonnnng day.  After getting ready, I headed out the door for church.  Even though I was not planning on leaving early, I still found myself asking a friend to take care of things for me after service.  I guess I just wanted a break.  But the feeling wouldn't go away.

I am so glad I did.  The Holy Spirit had prepared things for me so I could get up and leave when I needed to, about half way through service.  I cried the whole way home.  Finding out someone lied to you is never easy.  But I'm glad the Holy Spirit prepared things for me today.

Reliving the Past

I have a challenging assignment due next week.  Write a story about a difficult event or series of events which you experienced.

Oh, goodness.  The possibilities seemed endless but I quickly scratched off experiences which would bring me to tears - experiences too fresh or too painful.  Of those left, one stood out: my first Bible college.

This experience - a one-semester-experience - revealed to me a major truth.  Evil exists in the world and it is present in the Church.  It was clearly a difficult season.

So I began by listing all the pieces of that semester which revealed to me this truth.

The list was long.

And now I must relive the past as I sift through the wreckage and select those items which weave together to create a unified story.  It is a jarring process.

...I was about to end this entry, but I don't want to end on that note.  I also recognize that God used these four months in my life.  And, in the midst of the evil, I found several people who will always be near and dear to my heart.  These individuals were the "good" which strengthened me through the long four months and gave me the endurance I needed to run the race uphill.  I will always be thankful for these people.