1 1/4 inches???!!!

My parents have a special wall in our kitchen. It's covered with names and dates, lines telling how tall we were and are, the story of our growing.

I was surprised today, by that wall. My dad was measuring my 5 year old brother. He grew about 1 1/2 inches since last September. So I asked him to measure me, knowing that I am done growing, and would be exactly as tall as the last mark, which was in January of '07.

I grew 1 1/4 inches! I couldn't believe that I would grow between my 23rd and 25th years. I hadn't grown taller in several years before that.

But maybe it is a symbol. I had a huge spiritual growth spurt during that time period. Maybe my King just wanted to give me a physical reminder that He cares about my growing.

Who knew I'd grow 1 1/4 inches taller while I was growing closer to my King! Thank you Jesus, for caring about all of my life :) I love You!

Hmm...summer's finally on it's way??

Did you know that it is uniquely difficult to find worthwhile subject matter for this blog? Maybe I just don't find much of interest to share from my life these days. Or maybe I'm too busy living it to take the time to share it! For example, in the past two weeks I've lived:

One ninth birthday...complete with special breakfast, dinner, presents, and "cake." (it was brownies).

Two days of gardening...planting potted herbs in my particular spot, tilling and raking the larger vegetable garden, testing the soil, adding compost (mmm!) and beginning to plant the veggies.

One beautifully restful Sunday complete with Pride and Prejudice...the book.

Four days of preparing and enjoying the company of my sisters Cher and Rach, including another Birthday celebration and all that it entails.

Three days on the road searching for a prom dress.

One sister's first prom.

And today? Marissa and Sully have been wearing the goggles they got for her birthday and dunking their heads in a bucket of water (ya, my idea). Then they run to the swings saying "we did it, we did it," in a singsong voice, and repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Hey, they're having fun!

Hope you are also having some summer fun.
I dread the busy life I will have soon.

Abide in My Love

Jesus said to her,
"Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him,
"Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her,
"Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic,
"Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her,
"Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
~from John 20 ESV

It is raining today. Not a fierce, driving rain, nor yet a steady soft rain. But it is raining a gentle drizzle that is just enough to get you significantly wet if you're in it for more than a few minutes, but not so much as to make it miserable to be out. The clouds make a grey light that lulls one to sleep. Indeed, it is a very sleepy day.

But it is not a very wintry day, and for that I am grateful. I'm so tired of winter. Spring is almost fully here, and I love it.

My Savior is alive.

I was reminded as I was walking in the beautiful weather, how intensely Jesus impacts my life. Actually it is His life that gives me life. I think of so many things I look to for pleasure, and how they always fail to satisfy unless I am walking in Jesus' love. Only then does anything have meaning for me, and then, everything does. "Abide in my love," He said. "If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love."

For example, I was helping mom get the garden ready a couple of days ago (we got nearly all of it tilled). Doing home things often reminds me that I desire my own home and family. But I want nothing without Jesus. I want singleness right now, because I have Jesus' life in my singleness. I would walk in His love in all times of life. Should I marry, it would be hell without Jesus' life in my marriage...in my very heart.

Maybe I am being confusing. What I mean to say is this: Jesus in me is my worth--not the approval of men, the discovery of pleasure, or being in control--, and living in Him is all life. Without Him I can do nothing. And I'm so glad He is alive...is giving me life!

"If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love."
Jesus, may I keep them!

~from John 15

Pampered Recipe

Recipe for a good Pampering

First, clean the tub and fill with warm to hot water.
Second, turn on the tea kettle. When hot, pour the water into a small teapot. Add one chamomile tea bag.
Third, go find your favorite CDs and a player.
Fourth, search for that bath salt or oil given to you last Christmas.
Fifth, find some clean PJs and a towel. Put them in the bathroom.
Sixth, grab your journal.
Seventh, turn on the hot water in the tub because it's cold by now. Add the salt.
Eighth, bring in your tea, music, and journal.
Ninth, light a candle and take the phone off the hook.
Tenth, climb in and reap the rewards of your hard labor (searching, heating, gathering).

Be pampered.

Spring

As anyone who has spoken with me knows, I am ready for spring to come in full. We have had some very nice weather here and there in March, but we have also had snow, and snow is in the forecast for this weekend.

Today it was very much like spring. It warmed my cabin-fever-ish heart.

I dug in the garden! Yep, and helped Rissa and Sully make a volcano with baking soda and vinegar. We walked to the park with Jack, our cockerspaniel, and we felt the warmth of the sun on our shoulders.

I hope that real spring--the almost summer spring-- comes soon. Until then, I will thank God for the spring that comes and goes.

In Honor Of A Lost Charger Found

Yep. Today I'm sharing photos. Unfortunately I don't have photos of some of the things I want to share the most, like the sunrises for instance, or for some of the things that happened between the time the charger was lost and found, but hopefully after next week I will have some sunrise pictures, at least. For now, here are a few so we can celebrate. Praise the Lord I found my camera battery charger!

This is the captivating book that I couldn't put down for a week. Unfortunately it is not the last book in the series, which means I have to WAIT for the rest of the story!

THIS is how I feel after a day of working outside when I've forgotten to take benadrill the night before!

This is the dirt moustash I always get. (and a normal I-didn't-forget-the-benadrill face!)

This is the amazing mp3 player that made the days go so fast and my work go so well....until that fateful day...day before yesterday to be exact....when it DIED.

Anyone interested in attending a funeral?

healing plains

I just wanted to share a snapshot of the healing plains I experienced for a couple days a few weeks ago. I know what some of you will be thinking....just don't. What is barren for one is beauty for another, for ME. If only I could have seen this countryside before human beings were here. It must have been a taste of heaven. The silence, the sky....

My Family

Family; baptism; "Only Alive" by Jars of Clay; being identified with His death and resurrection; being in the same family as those who are tortured and killed for their faith in Jesus; saying yes to Him no matter what! Whew! I'm tired now. :)

Excitement, and what I did.

Excitement.
It's like momentum.
It is building up, more.
And More, and MORE and MORE, and MORE!

It is knowing that I'm heading off, away from my home, family and all I know, into the great thrill of following God's call.

I know it will be crazy. Amazing, I'm sure, to see God's faithfulness in new ways. Testing, I'm positive, of my faith. I'll grow. Teach. Give, and receive of God every day. Experience fellowship in a way I could never in the States. Experience need in the same way. Experience fear, and learn more to rely on the King. My King-Papa.

Most of all I will be following God's calling on my life, and that in itself is surely satisfying.

But I bet you are all wondering what has actually been happening in my life, not what I'm feeling. Well today I:

• restrung a 12 string guitar, breaking only one new string, and (surprise!) it wasn't the high G!
• helped my mom put up our swamp cooler (it's getting warm out!)
• talked with my neighbor Betty for about an hour. It was awesome. We haven't got to do that in a long time.
• took a bike ride, and looked at the stars.
• Watched the stars come out!
• Worked on stuff for Camp Guamiski
• Called my guitar insurance people again.
• Took my little sis and bro to the park, endangering our skin (the sun was hot!)
• Went to prayer meeting
• and FINALLY posted on my blog!

Whew! I know I did more stuff than that! I just can't remember it all. :) I'm getting so old my memory is going away. He he. Goodnight all.

hum de ho, here we go

Time is flying, so fast.

It is summer again. Today was hot. I am sweaty.

And the time of waiting for Africa is drawing to a close.

What have I been doing? Not blogging, obviously! Since my last post I have: gotten five shots, bought a mosquito net tent (which is back ordered till July, wherever I find it!), received the devotional/club info in preparation for Camp Guamiski, Guatemala, oooOOOOoohhh so many things.

Tomorrow I am getting a yellow fever shot. Yikes.

Yay, Snow!

Today, little things bring us happiness.

Snow and ice,
Hot tea and warm soup,
A new rug beside the fresh Christmas tree,
Christmas plans,
Puppet skits (mo and I are working on one),
Children's quips,
Soda pop and
MUSIC.

Home is good, because Jesus is hope.
Without Christmas there would be no hope, no purpose, no Africa for me.
Thank you my King!!

YLCF/Fall

Young Ladies Christian Fellowship is one of my favorite places to go online. Wednesday's post was especially touching. It is about Autumn, change, and trusting our Heavenly Father with our brokenness. It is worth your time.

http://www.ylcf.org/

I'm working with my dad for a few days. Hopefully I'll be back to blogging with a little more thought soon.

MillieJo

at home and away

Very much at home, my heart is in Africa. If you have the time to read this article, you may know why.

Soon I will be there. So I treasure my home moments.

Amid the family bustle of Thanksgiving I have had very little time for blogging. Hopefully I will be back to my online journal soon.

milliejo

direction

I know, it has been forever since I made a post.

I had a bacterial thingy--a nasty thingy-- that made my body and mind struggle for breath. Really. Even my lungs. But let us be praising God for antibiotics! He is so good. There are so many people in the world without access to these wonders, these drugs. We in America ought to be counting our blessings.

So suddenly it is November, and my thoughts are turning toward Thanksgiving and Christmas, toward holidays and home. It has been a long time since I spent my fall at home, not caught up in a whirlwind of school activity. The silence has been good for me.

Yet it has not always been silent. I must remember that even when my life slips away from beneath me in spite of all my planning, Jesus is still at the helm. I have plenty of work yet to do. My job is to do it faithfully, while remembering that Jesus is the one who truly does the work.

That is the danger of direction. So I am called to Africa. So what do I do with that calling? I can't ignore it--God is too big. I could try to accomplish it myself--I am too little. Only I can follow God, seek Him, love Him.

And really, I don't want to spend a minute of my life not basking in His love, His presence. Yet, shamefully, I seem to spend almost every minute in forgetfulness, in the spell of "busy," ignoring the joyful, bountiful, delight of Jesus Himself.

Forgive me Jesus-King.

Housework

It's fall cleaning time at my house, and I'm busy, busy with wet-vacuuming furniture.

It always feels good to make the house pretty.

We got a new computer that is much less of a hassle for pictures, so perhaps sometime next week I'll be able to post some pictures of my spinning stuff.

Happy Fall!
MillieJo