Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Happy Birthday Baby

Beautiful little Juliet is one year old today! She is a doll! We have an appointment to talk on the webcam tonight and Nanu is going to be surprised! He thinks we will just talk on skype but Christina got Juliet a webcam for her birthday! Ha ha.....isn't that so adorable! Baby gets a webcam!
Sunday we went to the airport to pick up Greg and Brenda in Venice. It was one of those God moments for us. Jim has been having a really hard time not being with Juliet and being Nanu to her in a personal way. It's hard! But, at the airport we saw a young couple with a baby. We figured they were a military family and Jim asked if they were waiting for the grandparents to arrive to see the baby. They were actually waiting for another family member but it was a neat reminder for us.

We were gently reminded by the Lord that in a sense we are in the military too. Paul likens the Christian life as being a soldier. I told Jim it's kind of like we are on deployment right now. We are not the only ones away from our kids and granddaughter. I couldn't help but think of all the dads who are fighting for our freedom and miss the birth of their first child, the first tooth growing, first words, first smiles, etc. For me, I have to keep this perspective to help me to feel sorry for myself and to walk around so sad.
God is good and He made Juliet with the sweetest temperment. It takes her no time to warm up to you so when we do see her she takes to us right away. She loves to play, to laugh, to dance, and especially to give kisses! I can't wait til she is a little bit older and we can bring her over to us for an extended vacation with Nonna and Nanu!
I think we will have to have a gelato in her honor today!!!
Happy Birthday sweet baby!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

We just had a wonderful week with Rob and Denise! It was a blessing for me to have Denise here to talk to and just have fun with! It's fun to go to the states and see everyone but there's never a long enough time to enjoy each of your friends and family long enough so when people come out here it's great since we can have one on one time!!!
They got a bike for me!!! LOL....this is going to be quite the experience. I haven't ridden a bike since we first moved to Hungary! I rode to the store, fell off and all my groceries fell on the ground. I am excited about my bike though because I can ride it to the train and then go into Padova and go to the market and other stuff without having to bug Jim for a ride all the time. Unless there is a miracle one day, I don't see myself driving in the city. It's just too confusing for me. I like to drive during the siesta time in some places since there aren't a lot of cars on the road and I even made it to Montebelluna one day when Rose was with me. Oh the adventure of it all :)
Things are good. Yes my last post was a bit depressing, but it was one of those days. Right now I am really feeling refreshed and also free. All the things I needed to have peace about have been given to me and it's great. My heart is truely at rest now and I am so excited for what the Lord has in store in our new journey!
So, I will write more next time, just wanted to let everyone know all is well, thank you for praying, writing, thinking of me. I really appreciate it more than you know!
Karen, you are the sweetest sister too!!!!! love you and miss you!
No pictures today because I am too tired to upload them but I will post some next time. I might even give the blog a make-over......no promises though!
May the Lord bless you and shine His face upon you!!!
ciao!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Long time no post

Days just seem to go by and I have every intention to post on the blog but don't get around to it. Hmm, that reminds me I once saw a picture of "a round toit" Maybe I should pick one up.
It's not for a lack of things to write about, rather a check inside as to whether or not I should write what's on my mind. Proverbs 29:11-A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back. After reading that years ago, it makes me stop in my tracks at times and consider my words.
I am struggling now in the place where God has called me to be in my life. On the outside it's as though I live in a dream. Beautiful country, great food, friendly people, etc. Yes, on the outside. Yet, on the inside I find myself struggling to be content with the way things are at the moment. There is nothing dramatic, no seeminlgy difficult trial-it is just life in general. Of course what follows is the guilt of questioning why I even feel this way.
I miss friendship so much. It feels so isolated where I live-people are all around me yet they have their own lives and other than a hello and good-bye they really aren't interested in much else. The language barrier doesn't help much either. I live in a place so unlike Baja now. In Baja I could walk everywhere, people could comoe over all the time, I could go there, be at the church, doing this and that. There was the opportunity to do something at anytime because we were all so close to each other. Here, it's huge and yet I live in the countryside which is absolutely beautiful, don't get me wrong. It's just that there is noone near me that I can just call up and go get a coffee with. I feel so isolated.
Jim is busy a lot and that is good. I don't want to bring him down with my sorrows and make him feel guilty, but there are times I actually do feel like complaining to him about it so he can feel miserable too~what a good wife huh!
There was an Italian conference last week and I couldn't go because Jim had to be in Hungary and it made me so sad to not be able to be a part of it and hang out with the other people in ministry here and just have fun together. So he went to Hungary and I stayed home 4 days alone with noone to talk to but the cats. He came home Sunday night about 11:30pm and left on Monday afternoon for another couple days. I'm not the type that needs him by me every second. It's just that when he's gone and there's noone around to talk to it gets a little depressing at times.
I really miss the women and the fellowship we had in Baja. We had such a great time together in God's Word. Here, it just doesn't seem like the women have time for such a thing. Maybe in a couple years-who knows. Plus, a new language to learn...will I ever be able to speak fluently? I am trying so hard to study the language on my own but it's challenging! If we had the money I would go to school so that I could practice it with other people.
So, there you have it. Wallowing in self pity I suppose, but you know what, life isn't all roses is it. I am not looking back at what was and longing for that. I know better than that. I am praying God will bring us a team of people that want to work here in Padova. It seems like a good idea to have some other people around us and help with the work here. There's much to be done-it's a huge place!

I found this quote when I lived in Baja and we were going through difficult times. I have it in my bible and it's a good reminder for me -especially now! I think it is from Frances Havergal but I can't remember.


Well, praise God that He always pulls us through the rough patches!
(you can click on the image if you are old like me and can't read the writing)