This may not mean much to any of you, but for those who are in the whole correspondence or communication loop of whatever you're doing... you might sympathize.
Most know my computer crashed 4 months ago aaaaaand... my whole partner list organization files went with it. The good news is, we were able to salvage that up to last December (whew!). The bad news is, my new laptop is a Mac and my partner organizer program Donor Manager only runs on PC. The good news is, I have parallels on my Mac. The other good news is I was able to import my names/addresses into Donor Manager on my Mac parallels. The bad news is, nothing but names, addresses, and phone numbers imported.
So... my today and tomorrow will consist of fixing, correcting, importing, and updating 520+ partner records. The bad news is, this is time intensive (and is straining my already bad memory =p). The good news is... it's making me feel productive and organized. The best news is that when it's all said and done, I'll be more updated and organized than ever before!!
Which reminds me... it's time to backup my laptop... ;-)
So, if you are a *very important, appreciated, and loved* prayer supporter or partner of mine, and are wondering why you've not received a personal note or email from me in 4 months... thank you for your patience. It's coming.
28 July 2011
25 July 2011
HIS very own
I've been home for two and a half weeks now... and the emotions have been up and down, but not too tumultuous... praise Jesus. I'm thankful. Very thankful. For so many things... so many people... so many precious lessons and life experiences that He's given me.
It's become very clear to me in the last couple weeks, that my heart is stubbornly rebellious and very fickle/two-sided. That's the bad news. But it's nothing new, and the good news is that it doesn't come as a surprise to my God. He knew all along, which is why He sent my Jesus down to pour out His blood and claim it as His own. This is the other thing He's made very clear, just today, as the words poured out of my mouth to a precious prayer partner: this messed up, rebellious, fickle heart of mine is HIS. And He tells me He doesn't see it the same way I do... because He looks through the lens of His Son. He calls me blameless, righteous, consecrated... and He calls my messy heart HIS OWN. With this simple reminder came much relief.
In this season of transition, He's saying, "Open your hands. Trust Me... open your hands..." You see, I did fall in love with the people of Africa. (I didn't expect to, but He knew I would before I went, and He sent me there.) Yet He has made it beyond clear that He has ordered my steps in this next season... in this other direction... and knows the path He has appointed for me to walk in. And He's reminding me if I stand here, looking back at what was a good gift, hands closed tightly around these people, these relationships... then I am not trusting Him in this next step or open to receiving with open hands the good gifts He has for me in this new season, this next step. He gives and He takes away, and He is worthy of my praise. He knows the loss. He knows the heartache. He knows the withdrawals we are all feeling. And, in a realm beyond our ability to see, He continues weaving together the strands of our lives... some to cross again and some to go in different directions and not to meet again till heaven. And He smiles... because He sees the finished picture, and it is gloriously beautiful.
Today, He reminds me... He has accepted my messy heart, so up and down, so desperately wanting to obey instantly in whatever He asks in one moment yet so rebellious in wanting to cling to what I want in the next. But the beautiful reality is this: He owns my heart. It is not mine... to keep or to give away. It is HIS. And I have the blessed assurance that the decision was already made long ago... that I would follow, no matter what He asked, no matter what it cost. My heart doesn't have a say... but the One who formed and created it, the One who knows its inner workings even better than I... He is the same One who ransomed and redeemed it... and I can say with Paul, "... I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day" (2 Timothy 1:12b, NASB).
Worthy, worthy, worthy. He is WORTHY.
It's become very clear to me in the last couple weeks, that my heart is stubbornly rebellious and very fickle/two-sided. That's the bad news. But it's nothing new, and the good news is that it doesn't come as a surprise to my God. He knew all along, which is why He sent my Jesus down to pour out His blood and claim it as His own. This is the other thing He's made very clear, just today, as the words poured out of my mouth to a precious prayer partner: this messed up, rebellious, fickle heart of mine is HIS. And He tells me He doesn't see it the same way I do... because He looks through the lens of His Son. He calls me blameless, righteous, consecrated... and He calls my messy heart HIS OWN. With this simple reminder came much relief.
In this season of transition, He's saying, "Open your hands. Trust Me... open your hands..." You see, I did fall in love with the people of Africa. (I didn't expect to, but He knew I would before I went, and He sent me there.) Yet He has made it beyond clear that He has ordered my steps in this next season... in this other direction... and knows the path He has appointed for me to walk in. And He's reminding me if I stand here, looking back at what was a good gift, hands closed tightly around these people, these relationships... then I am not trusting Him in this next step or open to receiving with open hands the good gifts He has for me in this new season, this next step. He gives and He takes away, and He is worthy of my praise. He knows the loss. He knows the heartache. He knows the withdrawals we are all feeling. And, in a realm beyond our ability to see, He continues weaving together the strands of our lives... some to cross again and some to go in different directions and not to meet again till heaven. And He smiles... because He sees the finished picture, and it is gloriously beautiful.
Today, He reminds me... He has accepted my messy heart, so up and down, so desperately wanting to obey instantly in whatever He asks in one moment yet so rebellious in wanting to cling to what I want in the next. But the beautiful reality is this: He owns my heart. It is not mine... to keep or to give away. It is HIS. And I have the blessed assurance that the decision was already made long ago... that I would follow, no matter what He asked, no matter what it cost. My heart doesn't have a say... but the One who formed and created it, the One who knows its inner workings even better than I... He is the same One who ransomed and redeemed it... and I can say with Paul, "... I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day" (2 Timothy 1:12b, NASB).
Worthy, worthy, worthy. He is WORTHY.
23 July 2011
.amy carmichael.
Oh Jesus, give me a "love that laughs at limits--rather, does not see them, and would not heed them if it did."
22 July 2011
oh, and there's more...
More sign confusion... ;-) From lunch today while out touring colleges with my kid bro in Salem/Corvallis/Monmouth area.
16 July 2011
"i'm a linguist..." ???
Went for a run down our road this morning (there's no place I'd rather run than here in the evergreen trees and mountains of southern Oregon... truly...) when I passed a street sign... and had the terrible realization that--for the last 5 years of living here--I've been spelling the name of our street WRONG!!!! It's not McMullen... it's McMullin! Um... that's embarrassing. 5 years and about 2,000 mailing address labels later... sheesh! Strike 1 against a self-proclaimed linguist... who can't spell her own permanent address. :-\
But this self-proclaimed linguist did finally figure out how to get my virtual Amharic keyboard to work on my laptop. ... I know I'm a nerd. No comments necessary.
Psalms 117:1
አሕዛብ ሁላችሁ፥ እግዚአብሔርን አመስግኑት፥ ወገኖችም ሁሉ ያመስግኑት፤
(መዝሙረ ዳዊት 117፥1)
But this self-proclaimed linguist did finally figure out how to get my virtual Amharic keyboard to work on my laptop. ... I know I'm a nerd. No comments necessary.
Psalms 117:1
አሕዛብ ሁላችሁ፥ እግዚአብሔርን አመስግኑት፥ ወገኖችም ሁሉ ያመስግኑት፤
(መዝሙረ ዳዊት 117፥1)
14 July 2011
it's the unexpected things
Whew. I'm done jeans shopping. Not a fan. But it's done. I have new jeans. And I'm set for the next two years.
I've decided that the US medical system asks too many personal questions. I seriously doubt they need to know many of the questions they ask you. It's overwhelming.
Four more things that have surprised me upon coming home...
-- air conditioning everywhere indoors. Something we didn't have in Africa. and I'm perpetually freezing.
-- ok, sorry, but super-honest moment: the amount of fat people in the States.
-- women in shorts & spaghetti strap tank tops... I've seen a lot of skin this last week, and it's not even that hot.
-- how talkative random strangers are in public, at least here in Oregon. I don't care what people say, Americans are genuinely friendly.
Four things I've loving about being home...
-- my family
-- soaking up being in the trees & mountains of southern Oregon... it's such a peaceful haven where my soul can rest
-- running each morning
-- having access to a piano =)
I've decided that the US medical system asks too many personal questions. I seriously doubt they need to know many of the questions they ask you. It's overwhelming.
Four more things that have surprised me upon coming home...
-- air conditioning everywhere indoors. Something we didn't have in Africa. and I'm perpetually freezing.
-- ok, sorry, but super-honest moment: the amount of fat people in the States.
-- women in shorts & spaghetti strap tank tops... I've seen a lot of skin this last week, and it's not even that hot.
-- how talkative random strangers are in public, at least here in Oregon. I don't care what people say, Americans are genuinely friendly.
Four things I've loving about being home...
-- my family
-- soaking up being in the trees & mountains of southern Oregon... it's such a peaceful haven where my soul can rest
-- running each morning
-- having access to a piano =)
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