Romance: Roses and Rings

My husband surprised me last week. He went out to water his plants, and when he came back into the house, I had my back turned. He tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned around, I saw he had two roses in his hand -- a red one and a yellow one, both just budding. He told me he loved me and that the yellow one was for the baby and the red one was for me. He placed them in a small bottle and put it in between two family pictures - a picture of my immediate family and a picture of my sister. I'm still enjoying my roses! The yellow one has bloomed, but my red one is still a bud for some reason.

Gerson and I have gold wedding rings that we wear on our right hands, which is the tradition here in Bolivia. His parents gave them to us as a wedding present, so they are doubly special. The problem is that they only fit our RIGHT ring fingers. I've been telling Gerson that when we live in the States, I'd like to wear our rings on our LEFT hands, as is the custom there. However, I don't want to get my ring sized for that. I accustomed to wearing it on my right hand. I don't ask for much, do I?

When we went out for my birthday, we came upon a nice jewlery store. We found some beautiful rings made of platinum and titanium that we both liked. We looked at the price tags and quickly decided they were out of reach, although they were MUCH cheaper than anything we'd find in the States. We decided to just wait.

A few days later, the Lord surprised us with some money! Gerson was given an honorarium from a missionary for helping him doing some Bolivian paperwork that's a taken a year to get done! It was enough money, with some left over, to buy our rings!! They fit perfectly on our LEFT hands and look like wedding bands as well. We decided these were our 2nd anniversary rings! We now are "married" in BOTH in countries! jejejeje! I love it when the Lord surprises His children with the desires of their heart. What an amazing God we serve!

Deep Thinking for Such an Early Morning

As I lay in bed this morning, tossing and turning, my head throbbing and my nose running, I was having a pity party. I know . . . it's a sad thing to admit. My husband was lying beside me, trying to sleep as I was restlessly moving from one side to the other. It was during those early morning hours that the Lord reminded me of some important things. I'd like to share those things with you.

Who am I to think that I have a monopoly on pain, unwanted circumstances, or hard times? I certainly don't! In addition, God reminded me that even though last week was a tough week for me physically (I was under the weather with a variety of ailments starting on Wednesday), there are many others who are going through harder circumstances than I.

I thought of Keetha, my dear friend in Indiana. Her mother quietly slipped into the arms of Jesus this week after a long and valiant fight. Although Keetha knows her mother is with the Lord, it doesn't take away the grief of losing a loved one. In addition, Keetha has a beloved aunt who is fighting cancer. Keetha's family is in the midst of hard times --- much harder than anything I am currently facing.

I thought of my cousin Amy, wife of a pastor and mother of 2 precious children. Just a year ago (or thereabouts), she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Around the same time, they lost their job and were forced to move. Those were not fun times at all, and again, much rougher than anything I've had to endure.

I thought of my friend, her husband, and young family who are ministring in a part of the world where the Gospel is not welcome. I can't imagine raising a family in that atmosphere and having to be careful about what is said to whom and the uncertainty each day must bring. I've never had to be worried about what the consequences would be if I were caught sharing the good news of Jesus with someone.

And, God also brought to my mind the apostle Paul. Gerson and I were reminded this week during our devotions about the hardships Paul expeienced. He faced prison, persecution, being shipwrecked, flogging, etc. Again, I've never faced the things Paul faced.

What do all these people have in common besides their hardships and difficult circumstances? They have remained faithful to their Lord, Jesus Christ. They have allowed those those hardships to draw them nearer to their Maker and trusted Him when they didn't have answers and were/are experiencing pain. They recognized that God is sovereign and that He is worthy of their trust.

So, this morning, first of all I had to ask the Lord for forgiveness for my pity party. Then I wanted to write this as a reminder for me to remember, as Paul wrote, to "give thanks in all things" and to "rejoice in the Lord always!" I also want to thank the amazing people in my life (and of course I have NOT even come close to mentioning all of you!) who have shown me how to go through trials with grace, trusting in the sovereignty of God. YOU ARE A BLESSING. Thank you for your living testimony. You have been, and will continue to be, an encouragement to me as I watch you LIVE OUT YOUR FAITH through the tough times.

Counting My Blessings

I CHOOSE to be THANKFUL! God is soooo good. No matter our circumstances, there is always a reason to rejoice in HIM. Today I´d like to share with YOU why I´m thankful today. Here´s my TOP 10 for the day.

10. Today is Monday. I have a whole week of surprises ahead of me!

9. It's not raining today! :)

8. God has given me amazing friends who live all around the globe! I am amazed at how many friends I have who love me, pray for me, support me, encourage me, and yes, read my blog! :)

7. My school schedule is such that I can sleep in if I need to! I get to spend more time with my hubby in the morning hours! It's been such a blessing!

6. My students enjoy my class -- at least they tell me so! It's a joy to teach when the students actually enjoy coming to class!

5. Yesterday a package arrived from my mom and dad. What was in this package? A new blouse for me and a LOTS of American goodies: Ritz crackers, Granola bars, Swiss Miss hot chocolate, Hershey's Kisses, a box mix of fudge brownies, and several other surprises. YUMMY.

4. God has given me an amazing family -- actually 2 amazing families! My biological family is such a blessing to me. They love, support and encourage Gerson and me without ceasing. In addition, my in-laws are a huge blessing as they also love us unconditionally.

3. In just a few short months, I will be able to hold our baby! What joy!

2. I have a husband who loves the Lord, loves me, and loves our child who is growing within me.

1. I´m a princess, a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! It just doesn't get better than that!

I hope each of you also has a personal list of things for which to be thankful for today. May we all keep our eyes on Jesus today and allow Him to shine through us as we give THANKS for all He is and He is doing in us and for us!