That One Time When You Realized How Weird I Really Am

So I have to admit that sometimes living in California is just plain sucky.

Exhibit A:

But then there are the things that make up for it.

Like this practically being in my back yard:

Then there are things like the occasional brush with fame. Usually those kinds of things don't tickle my fancy quite so much, but I have to say that on Sunday, my fancy was tickled but none other than the crew of:

Some of you remember that awhile back I briefly mentioned a slight obsession with Bigfoot (and the intrigue and excitement of discovering its possible existence).

So, you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that this very distinguished crew of trackers and researchers was looking for Bigfoot in none other than my very own back yard.

Whenever we go hiking I always tell my friends to keep a look-out for Bigfoot clues, and they mock. So you can imagine how hard it was for me not to burst as I sat on the plane with the Finding Bigfoot people, wanting to text all my friends a big fat "I told you so."

They finished filming today, and we will not know their findings until the episode airs. But, my friends, I must confess, I believe.

Do you?

On a side note: I wonder if bear attack deterrent is sasquatch effective.

The Knot Has Been Tied...

So, my mom gave me permission to spill her secret.

She got married this weekend!

It was a small, low-key, family-only event, and was impressively kept a secret. Which honestly, much of that secret keeping ability was due to the fact that it was also somewhat of a last-minute SURPRISE wedding. Everything was thrown together in just a few short weeks (which is one of the reasons my life has been crazy and I have been pretty much been MIA from this here blog).

I know what you're thinking, and no worries: My mom and her now husband have been "good friends" for the last 5 1/2 years, so we are all very happy for them and hopeful for their future together.

Now, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Roy:

Here they are with us kids (minus my brother-in-law and a step-brother):



And here we are:

The whole family.

Congrats Mom and James!

Wall of Prayer

Several months back I mentioned in one of my posts that I have a "prayer wall" in my room, and a couple of you were curious as to what exactly it was. So, I thought I would share a bit of my wall with you, and possibly encourage you to do something similar.

I have prayer journaled for a long time, but sometimes there is just too much to write out, and sometimes prayers do not necessarily have words (any of you know what I mean?). So, in college I started making "prayer lists." I had dozens of people and places I was praying for, so I kept a list that I would go over, but too soon it felt like a "to do" list. I wanted my prayer life to be authentic, but I didn't just want to throw the list away and possibly forget to pray for the people and places that God had placed on my heart. Plus, I knew I needed another way to stay focused and keep my mind from wondering like it tends to do. And from there grew my idea of a prayer wall.

My wall is constantly changing, and has actually changed quite a bit since I took this photo a few months back, and I am ready to do some big changes again...because God answers prayer.

On the top left I have a bulletin board devoted to missions, where I have photos and short descriptions of missionaries I pray for around the world.

The bulletin board on the right has many things, including scriptures, words I pray for myself (such as wisdom and reckless abandon), and photos of specific people I pray for (such as my Youth for Christ kids, my Compassion kids, and some of the children I have worked with in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and India.) Because there are simply too many pictures to fit on the board, I also have names written down, and in the wicker basket on the bottom left I have photo albums I will flip through to find a photo of the specific person I am praying for.

Finally, at the bottom I have a world map. Actually, I had a world map, but it is currently on its way to Uganda where it will make its home in a mud hut to encourage my Compassion daughter, Namara Ruth's, love for geography. I am sure it will soon be replaced with another map or something equivalent but a bit more creative. The point of the map is to remember to pray beyond myself and my own little corner of the world, but it also reminds and encourages me to stay informed of world events.

I love my prayer wall because seeing it everyday keeps people and places close to my heart and on my mind, which encourages me to pray for them continuously. Believe me, I am not a super disciplined prayer warrior...but I would like to be, and this wall is just one way I have found of supporting growth in my prayer life that works really well for me.

I am curious to know, do any of you have prayer walls, rooms, or corners in your home? Or specific prayer routines or creative outlets that encourage growth in your prayer life? Please share!

Incredibly Great

I just have to say, I have some of the greatest friends in the world. And this friend, she is one of the incredibly-great ones.

There's nothing like a knock on the door at 10:30 pm on Valentine's Day from your best friend bringing you presents!

Now, let me clarify, she is not super great because she gives me stuff, she is super great because of how thoughtful she is (plus many more reasons).

She brought me a balloon and flowers...

My ticket to see Francis Chan speak about courage...

A beautiful (homemade and chocolatey) ring...

And possibly my favorite, the cutest card I think I've ever seen...

Like I said, she's great.

Thanks Mary Ann, I love you!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day, and that today you have been reminded how very loved you are, 'cause you are.

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."

1 John 3:16

Just a Nudge

Before my last visit to Zimbabwe, as I was fundraising, sorting and packing clothes for 40 children, all while working 50 hours a week and searching for my sanity, I felt one of those nudges.

You know, those quiet nudges God gives that could easily be (and often are) ignored.

Although I got the nudge shortly before my flight, I decided to take a few moments and consider what God was asking of me.

In this case, it was the simple act of developing a few pictures of my friends in Zimbabwe to take with me as gifts. After way more thought than necessary, I decided to take the few minutes required to order some photos (randomly) online, then drove the long grueling 3 blocks to pick them up. (Funny how I was about to fly across the planet in obedience, yet I was nearly unwilling to drive the 3 blocks).

Long story kinda short, I developed about 20 photos, packed them away, and didn't think much about it.

(I must stop here and say that as I left for Zimbabwe, I did not know who would be there when I arrived. I did not know which children would have been passed around to live with other family members, as orphans often are. I knew a few of the children/family members had passed away, but I knew there were many more who Tecla was waiting to tell me about in person. Basically, I didn't know if the people in the pictures I developed would even be there to give them to.)

Sadly, when I arrived, I learned that there were many who had passed away, one of whom was MaSeba. MaSeba and her son, Sebastian, were two of the hardest workers while in 2006-2007 we built 3 houses in their community (one being their own). They were also always cheerful, kind, and generous- even when it seemed as though they had nothing more to give. The kind of beautiful, wonderful people who give you hope for humanity in this crazy world.

One of the first mornings of my trip, Sebastian came to the lodge to visit (at a bright and early 6:30am, I might add). The first thing he told me was that his mother had died. I really had no words to give him as I looked into his eyes and saw his broken heart.

Then I remembered....

The pictures.  

I handed him this photo, unsure how he would react:




He ran his finger slowly over the photo, and after a moment of silence, he looked up at me and said,

"It's my mom...."

He had tears in his eyes, but his smile was the biggest I have ever seen.

It was one of those rare moments when things makes sense, and I wondered if God would send a girl all the way to Africa just so one of his sweet children could see his mom's face again.

And I am pretty sure He would.

It also makes me wonder,

What would happen if we responded to all of God's nudges?

Letting Go

A couple months ago I wrote about learning to be still and letting go. Since writing that post, God has been teaching me a little about what letting go means.

Letting go means taking my burdens and my need to carry the hurts of the world off my shoulders and handing them over to God.

Letting go means surrendering any delusion of control.

Letting go does not mean loving any less.

Letting go does not mean my heart breaking any less for the things that break the heart of God.

Letting go does not make my heart hurt any less for a hurting world.

I have stopped trying to make my own way and my own plans for Zimbabwe. But my love for the people there has not dwindled in the least.

If anything, my dreams of Zimbabwe have multiplied. Not dreams of me in anyway fullfilling their needs. Not goals of things to accomplish. But actual dreams, nearly every night, where God blesses me with life-like moments spent just being there with people I love and miss.

At this point, I don't know if or when I'll get to go there again, but I do know that I have family in Zimbabwe, and I will always have family in Zimbabwe. And because their stories are now part of mine, I will continue to share them here, with the hope that you can learn a little more about life and love from them, just as I have.

More goodness coming soon...

Just Call Me Meemaw

Yep. Gonna be a grandma(ish).

She's the closest thing I have to a daughter (in my heart it's the real deal). And she is having a baby.

Come August life is going to get Kuh-Ray-Zee.
But it's also going to get a little a lot more beautiful.