Has it been this long??

Wow, has it  really been almost a year since my last post? As you can see I am not much of a journaler. It's not that I do not like sharing...I just have a tendency to vent all my thoughts out before I can write them. But, please at least give me an "E" for effort As I read my friends' blogs, I feel left out of the circle. How do y'all do it?? So disciplined

I wish I can say I have been intently reading a book daily from which I can share profound wisdom.  I would love to have time to though. Much of the literature I currently peruse deals with research methodology and agriculture. I have been reading weekly through a book called "Saving Your marriage Before It Starts". Good stuff. Paul and I are quite challenged. Recommend it for all of you who are married and those who are getting married (and even for those interested in improving your communication skills in your relationships).

Music, well, I am liking Jeremy Camp more and more. The lyrics of many of his songs are quite beautiful.

One song in particular, "Take You Back"  challenges me to focus more on Father and His Grace...

The reason why I stand
The answer lies in you
You hung to make me strong
Tho my praise was few
When I fall I bring your name down

But I have found in you
A heart that bleeds
Forgiveness replacing all these thoughts of painful memories
And I know your response will always be

Chorus:
I'll take you back always
Even when your fight is over now
I'll take you back
Even when the pain is coming through
I'll take you back

You satisfy this cry of what I'm
looking for And I'll take all I can
and lay it down before
The throne of endless grace now
that radiates what's true
I'm in the only place that erases
all these faults that have overtaken me and
I know that your response will always be

(Chorus)

I can only speak with a graceful heart
As I'm pierced by this gift of your love
I will always bring an offering
I can never thank you enough

You take me back always
Even when my fight is over now
You take me back
Even when the pain is coming through
You take me back

Thank You Jesus for taking us back...in the midst of our daily failure, you find us priceless and seek us to be with You!!!

Paul and I are excited to be on the road of engagement. We are in premarital counseling which has been a HUGE blessing. The couple mentoring/counseling us have lived many years in Argentina as missionaries and understand about marriage life in a far off  land.

We also have been traveling some. Two weeks back we visited Oregon (Lincoln City) for a conference. I had never seen the Pacific Coast in person before (only from an airplane). So COLD but beautiful We had a great time.

Entry for July 15:

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Right now I am getting a bit frustrated  with this whole travel experience. Last time I traveled to East Asia, I was with a group of 19 students. Now, it’s just me and Sarah, but it seems more strenuous this time around. We ended up getting on our Philadelphia flight to San Francisco ok, the ticket agent made us aware that our visa was only 30 days long and our flight was 36 days out…she told us that the agents in San Francisco would have to take care of the visa situation and that this airline was only able to get our bags to as far as San Francisco.

 We had to get our bags from baggage claim when arriving in San Francisco which delayed us getting on our flight to Beijing through United Airlines. We already had  a 30 min. delay with the flight and the baggage claim wait just added to our limited time.What was amazing was that our bags were the first to come out of the baggage claim duct…we were quite in a hurry getting to the airline ticketing area AND we picked up an extra cart for FREE:0p Yay!

 We waited in line for about 30min at 1pm for our 1:55p flight…it moved slowly and by the time we got to the counter, they had closed the doors to our flight.

The agent at the booth said our visa problem could be resolved in U-town when we get there…more than likely we will be able to get an extensionJ

However, in regards to the flight,the ticket agent was not too helpful…saying that the next flight to Beijing was tomorrow (Saturday) and there would be a $75 fee we would have to cover for a delay we had not part of.  After much discussion with the ticket agent she turned us over to her supervisor who led us to Air China who just so happened to have a  flight delayed (1hr) to Beijing and allowed us to get on without  a fee. Yeah, what can I say..it’s God’s hand at work. He’s GOOD and so GRACIOUS!  The flight in itself is a bit of an adventure but He is SO SOVEREIGN and taking care of us.

Momentarily,  we are waiting for our Beijing flight. We do not know if we will be making our Utown connection, but truthfully, there is not too much worry in me. If Father can get us through this, then Utown will be a breeze…despite layovers:0) I’m excited…if this is just a preface of the trip, then PRAISE HIM…I’m willingJ

 Listening to Chris Tomlin’s HOLY is the LORD GOD Almighty! Yes, the  Earth IS filled with glory! He is GOOD. My LORD is so GOOD!

After hearing that all his possessions and children were taken away, Job got up...tore his robe...shaved his head and FELL to the ground in WORSHIP!

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Job 1:20-21

Praise God in the midst of all situations in life... 

"Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
And blessed be Your name when I’m found in the
desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back
to praise
And when the darkness closes in Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name when the sun’s shining
down on me
When the world’s “all as it should be”
Blessed be Your name
And blessed be Your name on the road marked
with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name "

Boy, my entries are becoming more and more sparse!

You know what God has been showing me lately...that what I think I want is just FLUFF! Yeah...FLUFF! It's funny how much i put into a relationship thinking that is what really will fulfill me and in the end it just comes to fluff---not sustainable without HIM! It's sad that I know this in my head but my heart struggles (and I mean STRUGGLES) to think otherwise...

Heather Mercer came to my chrch (http://www.christfellowship.org/ ) to speak today and I was literally blown away by the message...basic message: the level where you're at in your walk with HIM is NO WHERE near where HE wants to take you! I'm surprised by our human tendencies...we ask God for something, we get it and then ask Him to take it away OR we ask God to keep us from something, He keeps us away and then we ask to for it (because we can't have it). Silly us....foolish us! In the long run, i don't think we actually know what we want...

Definitely sad...one girl i know actually has to rely on what her friends and acquaintances say about her to find out what she is and wants...we are a searching and seeking people...