The Fish

I got paid on Wednesday. The check went into my pocket. I got to Sharells house and the check came out of my pocket. I left Sharells house and the check went back into the pocket.

Thursday Afternoon I was on my way to the bank and was getting my money out while at a red light.... I didnt see my check in my wallet or purse. "Where is it I thought?" So I went home. It was not there. I called Sharell, It was not at her house. I went back to my car .... nope. Back to the house. Nope. I got a little aggrivated because I kinda, you know, needed the check. I was anoyed but knew that one of two things would happen: I would not find the check, and have to deal with it, or God will bring it to me.

Friday morning I woke up and immediatly thought of my check.

"God, it would be really cool if you could bring my check to me today."

"Look under your bed."

"What?"

"Look Under your bed."

"Ya, but God, I how would it be under the bed? I didn't even -----"

"How did the coin get in the mouth of the fish? Look under the bed."

So I discontinued my arguing, pushed my warm blankets off and got down on the ground. I reached under my bed (and mind you I don't put things under my bed, I have my suitcases and shoes... but not stuff.... and I hadn't put any bags away in the past 2 days) and moved a bag, under it was the crumpled up check. I just started laughing. How did the coin get into the mouth of the fish? ( Matthew 17:27) Well Just the same way my check got put under my bed... God put it there.

Lets just say it was a really good way to start the day.

Gypsies.

A group of people started to walk into our resturant and the employees inside started to freak out. A murmor of wispers and arrows shooting looks were crossing tables and invisable sound barriers....

"Do you see who is coming in?"

"OH my gosh they had better not be coming in here."

"Seriously, do you remember last time they were here?"

"If you seat them in my section I will seriously kill you."

"Its the gypsies, urghhh, their so rude."

"You had better remind them that 15% gertuity IS included and we CANT change it."

"Their so loud."

..........................................

And blah blah blah. I was so tired of hearing the gosip. And it was gosip. They were telling assumptions and spreading them as truth. Through the doors a minute later walked in a large group of gypsies. Not the skirt wearing, tamborine carrying traveling gypsies like out of the old story books, but like the nationality, the group of people based out of Eastern Europe Gypsies... the group of peple I spent 3 months hanging out with last winter.

The little girls were beautiful and I immediatly felt myself drifting back to Bulgaria, where we spent countless days crammed in churches with children whose faces so directly resmebeled those of the girls smiling and laughing in front of me. The women were classy, petite and mission oriented. The husbands were happy, comftorable and domineering. I led them back to their table and talked and joked with them aside from jeering stares from my co-workers.

"I am to inform you that there is a 15% gertuity added onto your bill tonight for having a party of 8 or more." I said dreadedly through smiling gritted teeth.

"Not where I come from," the obvious leader of the group laughingly said to me. I laughed it off, shared a final word with the girls, and walked off to face the gossip once again. I pretty much shut out the story that was lunged upon me about what our resturant "thinks of this group." It was such a bad attitude, it was racist.... I didnt know racisim was so alive still. I didnt get a chance to tell anyone that I hung out with gypsies... and mabye we need to understand a little more of their culture, and maybe we need to extend a hand of graciousness and compassion and willingness to learn. I didnt get the chance, but I should have made one. I hope they come in again. I want to know the origin of their accent, I want to tell people that I dont see them as scum.... I want to know how anyone could think that anyway.... is it just easier to pick on someone? Seriously.

All I know is that the gypsies I have met have changed my life. My weeks in Bulgaria are my fondest of my trip, the hands extended to me during that christmas season weakened me to my knees as I learned how little of hospitality I really understood. I love their simplicity and culture and life.... I was reminded to pray for the missionaries in Greece who have devoted their life to a small group of 42 gypsies who are slowing learning to follow God, to not leave their culture, but to let God chance the bad parts of it. I just..... I just want people to know.

The Man

I saw a man this week eating dinner with his wife and another couple. They were all in high spirits and having great conversation. But while everyone cut there steak and shoved their mouths full... he looked at his plate. He was paralyzed from the neck down and had to depend on his wife to fead him. She would take a bite of her food, and he would wait... then she would feed him a bite of his food and their dinner would just continue on. The acts were completed as if it were nothing, as if there was nothing wrong with the man. He was totally dependant upon his wife, and she humbly served him because of her love for him.

It was cool to watch. He had a cool chair, he moved it with his chin. I loved how he was treated like a normal person. He respected and was respected. He wasnt a disabled man, he was a man out to dinner with his wife. He was polite and curteous and joyful. I looked at him and saw Jesus.

He really helped me visualize what we are like with Jesus. We are helpless and paralyzed and completely dependent on him. Sometimes things take a little while longer done his way.... but he is the way the truth and the life... there is no other way. He humble serves us and if we accept his love, we can be full of his joy and not sulk in our insecurities or indificiences of being sinful humans.

More Leaves

You remember that silly man that wanted to take my leaves away? Gosh, no way. I RAKE mine. With Heather. :)

Indian of Liberty

So I have never dressed up for Halloween outside of those magnificent church events where I was usually a cowgirl. I dont want to support the "holiday" that must bring so much disgrace to Jesus. I am saddened by my friends who get into the day and the darkness of it, there is always so much prayer surrounding that day. This year I found out that at Outback the employees dress up on Halloween. At first I was a little apprehensive to the idea because I wanted to support it not, but I chnaged my mind towards it. Never again will I be allowed to wear anything outside of uniform startched black and white. If it is true that we dress up I am going to, to have fun. Today I tried on many different outfits these are my two favorites...

Fridge

So the New Fridge was delivered!!!!

They took the old one away.....

And what do you think of the new fridge?????!!!!!!!

The real new fridge did not fit, so the old and new were taken away. Now, two coolers serve as makeshift freezers as most of the other food spoiled. Its just like camping!

Fall in Oregon

These are the leaves I told the men not to take away.

The Before.....

And the two weeks later!!!

So he has a bit of an over bite.....

And because our trees are always the ones ushering in the seasons, we peaked as the first in the neighborhood and had our colorful leaves back when the other trees were green. Now that our tree is bare and reading for winter, the treess down the street are full of color!

A Canvas Yet Alive

I found this in an old document. I wrote it this past summer right after a magnificent thunder/lightening storm.




A blank canvas starts the night; covering all shadows and hiding the rest. Then your skies shoot light forth through the darkness, it demonstrates your joy. Even in the darkest of storms… your light marvels me.

It strikes un-patterned and at a surprising pace. For as long as you give me breath to breathe… I will choose to wonder. To wonder at your finger paintings of glowing brightness against dark open ended canvases. You swipe new glories for me with unique strokes and intricate dabs of chosen color.

What is a picture without a melody? You sing loud harsh sounds to accompany the dark canvas. Notes that are thick with heavy harmonies. Some fear you, for they recognize not the gentleness of your greatness. I see through you, to you. I see that each glistening shimmer represents a note so similar. It is to the ear just as it is to the eye.

This is the show that you put on for me. A show of joyful expressions.

"Pray Always."

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Leaves

I've gotten into the habbit of reading every day, well I usually read, but it reall is a habbit - addicting. I read mostly in the afternoons, when the house is the most quiet, when the leaves are blowing or the rain is falling. I read wrapped in 5 layers of blankets usually drinking chai tea.

Yesterday I started reading the autobiography of Billy Grahm -its 800 and something pages. You would think he would have written a mini series instead. None the less I picked up this book, equal in weight to my bible, and started to read the history and story of a man who has, I suppose, in many ways, affected even my life. It was while I was reading the part of his courtship to Ruth when I heard a quiete rude noise - the "landscapers."

Seriously they just have to come when your reading about Billy and Ruths courtship dont they! Argghhh. I suppose I get frusterated every time they come because it seems they dont do much, they do what we should do. Any ways, I suddenly rememberd my yard full of leaves in the front and jumped to my feet worried that my fall wonderland had dissappeard. Luckily he had just started with his "leaf blower" on part of the sidewalk.

"Excuse me," I said as politly and innocently as I could. "Would it be ok if you didnt take away my leaves?" He had a confused look on his face. So I continued on... "I really like the leaves, I think they are pretty and I would really like it if you could just leave them. I will rake them up later." (Did you catch that I said RAKE not like BLOW?Seriously what happened to raking???)

I think understood what I wanted but probably thought I was crazy. "Ok, um... what do you want me to do with those?" Pointing to the pile of leaves he had already blown off the sidewalk. "Do you want me to put them back?" I laughed, no you dont have to put them back, just leave them alone."

And he did.

I like the leaves. They are pretty. We, as usual, have the only yard in the neighborhood with leaves because we seriously have the only leaf falling tree or something, but anyway, other people need leaves to look at too! And I will RAKE them, and jump in them.

Fall is my favorite of the seasons. It took me 19 years to decide that. But it is and I am not going to let anyone just blow it away.

Feed the Sheep

I heard this analagy today...

"The shepherd may lead the sheep to the meadow, but he doesnt tell them which tuff of grass to eat."

God is so closly paralled to a Shepherd in the Bible, how we hear his voice, how he watches over us, how he knows us by name and will protect us and nurture us... but this idea is that though the Shepherd is ultimate love, he does not control. Love is not controling. When the sheep trust the Shepherds leading to the meadow, they are trusting that all the grass within that meadow is safe. Not all of it is... but he is watching and ready to help them up if they fall, but letting them choose what they eat.

Once again... I just thought this was interesting.