Saying Goodbye to Blogger

We hope your Christmas was blessed and that your new year has started off in just the way you wished. We've enjoyed having J's mom and dad here with us for the last two weeks. Our Christmas was, of course, thoroughly non-American but it was sweet nonetheless, and we experienced joy as we contemplated the birth of Jesus with our loved ones.

J's parents leave us on January 8th and we'll be sad. But we're so very happy that they got to live our lives for three weeks and experience what we do. Such understanding is, for us, invaluable. It's just good to know that our families "get it."

Well, it's a new year. I want this year to be better than the last for my family. I want to spend more intentional time with them and live more in the moment--not always an easy thing for me to do. And then there's the reality that each day has only so many hours in it and I have only so much energy to expend. I want to live my life to the fullest this year and choose joy.

To that end, I've decided that I'm going to refrain from writing about our lives for quite some time, maybe for always. Writing is a hobby of mine but it requires me to finely comb my daily experiences for meaning and merit. It means that I have to be the scientist in the lab, straining into the microscope as he attempts to name and conquer. And you know what? That might be ok for me to do someday, but not now. Not this year.

This year my life--our lives--are going to be private. We're going to laugh a lot, work hard, love God and people (by His grace) and do a lot more than hang on by the seat of our pants. We're going to have hard times if the last two years are any indication of the future. But we're going to be more than conquerors.

Most of you all know our e-mail address and many of you already get our family newsletter. We'll be in touch. In the meantime, I'm going to be too busy living my life to write about it. Love to all of you and Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas

If something really interesting or noteworthy happens between now and Christmas, I may just have to blog about it. But if not, we pray that this season will be the most meaningful, the most real, the most life-changing one you've ever had. And may you (and we) pass on the reason for our hope to someone else this Christmas. Love to all of you.

Our Crazy, Cozy Indian Living Room

A Good Reminder

"People are not easily divided into saints and sinners. Most of them are more complicated and more interesting, a mixture of strengths, weaknesses, insights, and blind spots. If you demand perfection, you'll be disappointed. If you decide to only listen to perfect people, you'll find that you are pretty much on your own."

--Charles Sykes in 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School

Good Times

We're back from our trip to one of our favorite cities. We celebrated C's birthday, ate American food, visited with friends, and had a great time. Oh, and I got six inches cut off of my hair. It was a very successful trip. We are now exhausted and walking around like the undead. But we're putting up our tree, cleaning the apartment, and getting ready to see Mamaw and Papaw in two weeks!!

Radical

Living in a staggeringly poor country is a hard thing. You never, ever forget that you are among the richest in the world, existing among those who have next-to-nothing. You want to help, to do something, all the time--to stop the bleeding and make things better. And sometimes you do something that actually makes a small difference and then something washes over you and you feel genuinely happy for a moment or two.

I haven't read David Platt's by-now-famous book "Radical." I know many people love it, are challenged by it, shaken up and made crazy by it. And from what I know, I agree with Platt's stance that the western church needs to be totally different from what she is now,and that we all need to be turned on our heads. We need to be ridiculously generous and give of our wealth until it makes other people nervous.

But I read an excerpt of a review of "Radical" today, by Kevin DeYoung and I think he makes a very important point. It's a point that rings true all the more for me since I live in a land marked by government corruption, graft, backroom deals, and a belief that upward mobility is not the right of every kind of person, only some kinds.

He states:

"The Christian needs to be generous, but generous charity is not the answer to the world’s most pressing problems of hunger, inadequate medical care, and grinding poverty. Wealth is created in places where the rule of law is upheld, property rights are secured, people are free to be entrepreneurs, and there is sufficient social capital to encourage risk-taking. We can and should do good with our giving. But we must not lead people to believe that most of human suffering would be alleviated if we simply gave more."

So today, when I go to McDonald's and I save some of my food to give to the little professional beggars waiting outside, I'll do it because that's what Jesus would have done, and I'll tell them why I'm doing it, and that he loves them. I'll rest in that and I'll feel his smile. But I won't believe that I'm saving the world.

Because only he can do that.

Happy Birthday, C!

The last eight years have been the greatest, little man.

Fun with Friends

Our boys love their friend, Abishek.

He Did It Again

C pulled his own tooth. Isn't he cute? All he wants for Christmas...

Fellowship and KFC

We're enjoying a few days with a dear friend here. She's staying with us in our cold, cold apartment. Since we're so isolated in our current lives, we forget how fun and refreshing it is to have like-minded guests--people who 'get' us and can laugh at the same jokes and love the same movies. It's a blessing.

We'll all go together to her city on Thursday night (via the night train) and visit more friends there. It should be great fun. Not to mention the fact that KFC and Subway have opened up restaurants there. That, folks, is unheard-of awesomeness. I love the fact that Colonel Sanders has made an appearance in our neck of the woods.

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We hope you did too. We have much for which to thank Him.

The Kids and Other News

The kids, looking...special. They are our joy and our undoing.

On Monday we'll be traveling to a nearby wildlife preserve to spend Thanksgiving with people who work in our company--people who have become dear friends, who have our backs when we need it, and who understand this ex-pat life. I need this time with like-minded friends...I won't be blogging for a few days, but we will take pictures. We'll post them soon. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and hold your loved ones close.

Let it Snow

There is nothing like Daddy coming home after a week of intense work. Tonight is the night and we are ready. Oh, and it snowed a little today. What could be better? You'd think Santa himself had shown up for how excited my kids were (well, and the monkeys for that matter). D said, "Oh now I can finally say I've seen snow." It was merely a dusting and I, for one, am hoping for more than that when J's parents come and visit for Christmas. Although that does mean very cold weather and all we have is space heaters...Ok, on second thought, maybe a dusting is fine...

Ivneet

This woman lives in my building. She's my age, has two young sons, and seems to enjoy our conversations. We have a budding friendship, and it works better for peers to have open, frank discussions here than when one person is much older than the other. Although I love this girl's mother-in-law and aunt (I've written about my landladies previously), she is who I believe He has placed in my path for a deeper relationship. Would you lift her up? She's intelligent, sweet and a wonderful mom. But she's also timid, fearful, and insecure. Most of all, she doesn't know the One who loves her. I want to do right by this relationship. It's a day-in, day-out proposition. I'm inconsistent and frail. But greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. That's what I'm hanging my hat on today.

In the Moment

I've said it before: a busy life equals a boring blog. I'm hunkered down here, teaching the kids, trying to keep my temper and to press on. It takes everything I've got, and lots more that I don't. It means that I can't even think about two hours from now.

I read a study recently that strongly suggests that humans are the happiest when they focus on the task in front of them--that, strangely, the more they allow their minds to wander (even if their thoughts are pleasant ones) the further their happiness quotient plummets.

It's part of the human condition to daydream, to take what I call mental 'screen saver' breaks. But it would seem that to be satisfied one should practice being present in his or her daily tasks. And so I suppose I'm trying to be 'here' this week and not on a beach with my sisters. Which is to say, not on auto-pilot. It's surprisingly hard for me which means I probably should have been practicing it ages ago.

So there you have it. I'm present in the moment, and that means I can't remember my kids' funnies ten minutes ago, or recall the deep thoughts I had as I was trying to fall asleep last night. But that's gonna have to be ok for now. Because the kids are calling me...

Because a Picture...

You can't know how much I mean it...

Coming Soon

I just wanted to let you all know that our 2011 calendars of this region will be going to print next week. They've turned out really well and we're very pleased. If you're interested in getting one (or more) and you live in the Bowling Green or Danville areas (or I've spoken to you personally) be sure to pick one up. My mom will be handling the Bowling Green shipment and J's mom the Danville one. Other people are receiving them in different areas around the country. If you live near them and are interested, they'll let you know more...

Oh! One more thing. I have a shipment of the sweetest little baby sweaters that are soon to arrive in Bowling Green. My landlady knits them and they are precious! Perfect Christmas gifts for new moms. Again, they'll be in Bowling Green. Talk to my mom or message her on Facebook.

Smiling in Hindi

J is back. Here are some village kids he met this time.

Weirdo

We've been listening to i-Tunes radio these days. It's Christmas music or bust, baby. We need the extra cheer around here. I'll admit that I've even been working out to it. (Strange-but-true fact: working out to the Hallelujah Chorus almost made me cry today, in a good way).

But I digress.

G came into my bedroom this afternoon and that old, weird version of I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus came on the radio. The one where the woman is trying to sound like a little kid, but instead sounds like she's been at the helium pump again. Anyway, G's head snapped to attention and she was clearly disturbed.

G: Mom, what...is that? Is that a castrato?

(Another strange-but-true fact: G is deathly afraid of medieval men who have been castrated so that they sing soprano...)

Me (suppressing laughter unsuccessfully): No, sweetie. That's a woman trying to sound like a little kid.

G: Well, you know something? That doesn't sound like a little kid, Mom. That lady sounds like a weirdo.

And there you have it. That girl calls it as she sees it, folks.

Goodness

Maybe you know this already. Or maybe you don't. But I've just got to tell you from personal experience: God is faithful. All the time. I can't go into everything right now, but I just wanted to testify to his undeserved, lavish, sweet, unfailing goodness.

Selah.