Hope is here

You do your work the best that you can
you put one foot in front of the other
life comes in waves and makes it's demands
you hold on as well as your able

You've been here for a long long time

Hope has a way of turning its face to you
just when you least expect it
you walk in a room
you look out a window
and something there leaves you breathless
you say to yourself
it's been a while since I felt this
but it feels like it might be hope

It's hard to recall what blew out the flame
it's been dark since you can remember
you talk it all through to find it a name
as days go on by without number

You've been here for a long long time

Hope has a way of turning its face to you
just when you least expect it
you walk in a room
you look out a window
and something there leaves you breathless
you say to yourself
it's been a while since I felt this
but it feels like it might be hope

"It Might Be Hope" by Sara Groves

It feels like it might be hope.
That thing that leaves me breathless when I walk in the room, when I look out the window, when I catch a glimpse of something that makes my spirit soar,
It feels like it might be hope.
Hope is here, in this room.
Hope is grabbing ahold of my soul.
Jesus is hope-
My hope for life.

Love, exercise and chai

Things that make me happy:

"You guys arrre... done!"
-Angie, instructor of our 45-minute high-intensity water class

The Love Dare

Watching Elisha react to our smiles and voices



Eating with a spoon with a fat, square handle

Iced Chai Tea Lattes (even better, not spending money for one!)

Kisses from my hubby

A/C

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I'm part of a water class on Monday nights instructed by one of the ladies in our house church. She is an excellent instructor and works us hard, but it feels so good to work out, especially in the water. It's been nine long months + now of just gaining weight and making baby, haha, and I am so ready to get back into shape. There is such a great group of ladies that come, too.

So afterwards last night I was invited to Prince St. Cafe with some of the ladies, but seeing as to how I had to make a diaper stop and waited in line for nearly a year and a half :), I just ended up heading home. I have been craving chai lately, though, and so looked up this recipe for a Chai Tea Latte. I'm sure it can be made cold with the addition of ice.

Tim and I are going through The Love Dare and really learning a lot. I believe the Lord has appointed it for this time for a reason, before Tim starts classes here in a few weeks and after we've just come through the first three months with Eli and figuring out what this baby thing's like :) and actually getting sleep again! It's so inspiring and a wonderful feeling to be challenged to find ways of blessing and loving your spouse, and also challenged to look at your own actions, personality and temperament and see where there is room for improvement. I would recommend it for any couple willing to take the dare. The link in the first part of my post is to a youtube video about the book.

Buy it on Amazon here

Looking forward to today.

Life is fragile.

This morning I saw one of my childhood friends for the first time in years. I saw her shell lying peacefully to rest. Her spirit has gone to be with the One who sent her here to bless the lives of many.

Life is fragile. We are here for but a blink of an eye and then we are gone. What we do in our time on earth is up to us~ and God has given us the responsibility of living wholly, purely, justly, lovingly, and doing what we can to bless and love those he puts in our lives.



Cheree was 22 years old and married just short of a year. She was killed in a car crash Tuesday evening. I haven't talked to her in probably five years, but we were friends as children at church, and grasping her death is still a big feat. I wonder if she knew her life would be short. God did, and I'm sure that's why he gave her such a sweet and compassionate disposition, a loving and caring spirit- in order to bless the lives of others.

I trust in God's goodness.

***********************



Elisha isn't gaining weight as he should be. We're working with a lactation consultant to figure out how to increase my milk supply. I'm concerned about him; he's two pounds underweight and only in the 25th percentile. Apparently there are a bunch of herbs said to help stimulate milk production as well. I'd never heard of Fenugreek until now! I will try anything at this point, even supplementing with formula, if it will help Elisha gain. It sure takes a lot of time to make sure I'm feeding him frequently and/or pumping milk.

Now to spend some us-time with my hubby since Eli's gone to bed :).

Change

I am at my grandparents' in Chambersburg with Eli. Today we drove a long hour and a half on the turnpike (during most of which I worried he was in danger of bursting a lung with the hunger cries, or screams, he put forth) to Roxbury- camp of my childhood, camp of today, and camp of the future. And I think it is ever more becoming camp of the future. Before I left today I was thinking about tradition- because "it is the way it is" and it's tradition. People come to Roxbury every year because of tradition just as much as to meet with old, familiar friends. Older ladies wear skirts and head bonnets and talk away the hours, embracing tradition. Young children look forward to Roxbury's bread and peanut butter (maybe apple butter too) as a familiar tradition. I was thinking how Roxbury has always been the same, and it's comfortable that way, even if it's a little old(er). But as I first pushed Elisha in his stroller across the grounds today, I could tell that something new and different has come to Roxbury. I believe it could be something called change. A new age, a new building/bookstore, new dress, new people, new color (skin), new music! To move forward we must cherish the past and embrace the future. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, but I believe He is always and forever using new ways to reach and speak to our ever-changing world.

So Elisha and I made the trek to Roxbury for a sort of reunion ourselves. All the past STEPers currently available and in PA were invited to a reunion by none other than the great Mike Holland. :) It turned out to be a rather small crowd, consisting of most of the team from '04-'05, but it was so fun to connect, hear about changes coming to the STEP program, and pray for each other, Honduras and STEP. We figured about 30 people have come through STEP now, including this year's team. Wow! And God has taken those participants all over in work and language opportunities. I was truly blessd. I was blessed to hear the highlights from each person of their time in Honduras and blessed to hear what God has done/where He has taken them in each STEPer's life (and I mean even the ones not present, as Mike did a run-through of every one!) Praise God for family.

Which brings me to my second topic. Tonight we called my parents via SKYPE. Grandma and Grandpa have a webcam here, so they were able to see Elisha almost like in person! It was good to hear from them. They reported that they feel pretty safe in spite of all the political chaos the media reports- and said the media really makes it out to be worse than it is, in hopes of arising support for ousted ex-president Zalaya. It will be so good to see Dad and Darin at the end of August. Hard to believe Darin will already be a senior this year and checking out colleges!

It's getting late quickly, and we have a long but exciting Missions Day ahead of us tomorrow!