5 Reflections from CCC

1.  It is a million times harder to travel with children!  Traveling by myself I actually get to sleep, read, watch the in-flight entertainment, visit, window shop... rather than entertain, feed, chase, discipline, put to sleep, hold, distract, intervene, pacify... you get the picture!  By myself, a 10 hour lay-over is long, but not dreadful.

2.  I got to enjoy meals not cooked by me when they were hot, go to sleep when I wanted to go to sleep, exercise when I wanted to exercise, sleep through the night without waking up once, enjoy extended adult conversations without interruptions, bask in extended solitude time (hours by myself every day enjoying God's creation!), worship and learn without distraction, listen to lessons I didn't have to prepare myself, laugh and be silly, cry, listen to God.  Basically, I was given space to get back to the 'me' underneath all my roles and responsibilities.

3.  "Look at the fingerprints of God in the mundane and the pivotal.  God has already written the end of the story and is working backwards to make it happen.  Where is the redemption in your story?  What is God restoring?  What is God reconciling?"

4.  "Our mission is to love well and create space for others to be loved well by God."

5. "It is in solitude that we come to experience the 'silence of God' and so receive the inner silence that is the craving of our heart.  Take advantage of the 'little solitudes' that fill our day - little moments that help us to be genuinely present where we are." /  "Settle yourself in solitude and you will come upon Him in yourself." Teresa of Avila

Thank you to all of you who made the CCC conference possible this year!  It is such an amazing gift to be able to participate in this event.  In conclusion, I'd like to share the psalm I developed in our psalm writing activity:

Psalm of "Entrega" (spanish word for 'surrender')

O God, you are my refuge and my source.  Who can compare with you?

You are astoundingly creative, you are incomparably gracious and I bless your Holy name.

I have seen the beauty of your handiwork in the butterfly's wings and

the ocean's tide pools, and I open my mouth to speak your praises.

You have blessed me in my being with silence and solitude

and have filled me to overflowing through your love. 

You have helped me to rest in your grace and peace and I give you thanks.

I want to praise you with my life, serve you with my whole being, but I am weak and needy.

Forgive me when I take everything on myself, which is idolatry, and

give my the courage and strength to entrust all needs to you.

I submit to your loving hand and offer you my rule of life because

you alone can fill me to overflowing.

Back to School!

With the start of school a month ago, I thought it was high time to post some reflections on my life back in the classroom (something I have been meaning to do since the end of school in June and that has not happened because of our crazy furlough schedule).  Last year was a whirlwind of changes for our family - one of those being that mommy went back to work part time.  I enjoyed being back in the classroom - in a support role (meaning no lesson plans, no grading papers, and minimal paperwork).  My jobs consisted of a lot of hands on work for the main teacher (cutting, filing, grading, testing), accompanying my class to their 'special' classes, recess and lunch duty (my least favorite part of my job last year - you should try lunch duty with 45 four and five year olds!)  I became really fond of my class of kindergarteners - highlights of the year being the "Kindergarten Market" where they learned about goods and services and created a 'job market' out of boxes.  Interestingly, I have never been interested in teaching the younger ages, until I had children of my own.  My own children opened up the wonderful world of early childhood and how much fun (and work!) it can be to work with those ages.  Being a parent has helped me be a better teacher, just as preparing to teach helped me with parenting.   I also enjoyed working with a wonderful team of other teachers and aides and have appreciated those friendships as they have developed.

At the end of school, we made memory books for the whole class, with a picture and a sentence about why they liked that person.  The kids made one for me too, and here were some of the things they wrote to me:

Helyn: When she takes us to recess.

Juanes: Because she takes care of me and she loves me.

Mia B: I like Miss Julie because she is pretty.

Molly: She helps when we're sad.

Daniel: I like when she reads me stories.

Thomas:Miss Julie tells me my work.

Arianna L.: She helps when we need snack.

Catalina: Miss Julie helps us to do the swings.

Mateo: Miss Julie likes me.

Arianna S.: She brings the snack when we eat snack.

Sebastian: She comes with us to lunch.

David: She works with me.

Mia T.: Miss Julie hugs me.

So that was last year.  This year, I am doing something a little different - getting me back in my field of special ed.  I help coordinate a preventive and remedial education program for the kinder classes.  We screen kids for strengths and weaknesses in reading readiness areas, and then I get to work with the kids at-risk to help improve their reading readiness skills.  So far I am enjoying being able to work with these kindergarteners one on one - and I no longer have to do lunch duty!

The girls are enjoying being back in school too.  Michaela is in 2nd grade and it seems like to me they are already doing so many harder things than in 1st grade!  I can't believe how big she has gotten - and am loving the time we have reading together every night.  Eliana is taking kindergarten by storm - already a fluent reader, and playing so well with so many of her little friends from last year (her best friends are little boys!).  Jana has started preschool and has a wonderful teacher with 2 red-heads of her own.  Jana has already decided which little boy in her class she wants to marry :)  

I pray every day for wisdom as I mold not only the lives of my children, but also reach the lives of so many others.   I took great comfort from this verse in my study of James the other day. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt."  

In Honor of Mother's and Father's Day

I started this post back in the beginning of May, and never had a chance to finish it.  I have been wishing for time to sit down and put down on paper - or should I say screen? - what it is that these unique beings have taught me.  Time: an impossible wish.  And yet it seems so important.  So with Father's Day coming up, I figured I'd bring it out and brush it up and publish it in honor of 7 years of being parent.  7 years.  Seems like a lifetime, and a heartbeat at the same time.  What is it that God has taught me most in this journey of being a parent?

Self-sacrifice - I did not know until I had children what it was to give myself up completely to the need of another person.  To wake, to feed, to play with, to rock, to change and bathe and clothe at every moment of every day - not to mention doing laundry, picking up toys, washing dishes. How is it possible to do so much for one tiny person, and instead of being overwhelmed with need, to be overwhelmed with love instead.  I think this reveals a small inkling of how much God loves us.  He cares for us in every moment, and yet is not overwhelmed by our need, but rather loves us fiercely.

To love fiercely - Falling in love with someone and committing your life to them teaches you a fierce love - a love that considers what is best for that person, a love that surpasses their faults and mistakes, a love that endures through the joys and sorrows of life.  Rearing a child teaches you to love fiercely as well - to love through the moments that are great frustration, to love them for their unique personality and gifts, to long for the best for their life, to agonize with them in their pain, and rejoice in their accomplishments, to long to protect them and guide them.

The myth of infallibility - Being a parent has taught me above all that I am not capable.  I cannot do this journey alone, dependent on my own strength.  I will fail every time.  I remember when we were deciding on a name for our 3rd little girl, I wanted Faith for her middle name, because I knew there was no way I could continue the path on my own.  There is Hope as well, because the Spirit of God leads me beyond my weaknesses.

The Spirit of God leads me beyond my weaknesses - When I have thought I have not the strength to go on... when I feel that my patience is completely depleted... when there are those days of little sleep, cranky kids, sickness, struggles, transition, travel... God leads me beyond myself.  He has never abandoned me.  I remember when I felt I was at the end of myself, I emailed a dear friend and mentor and she wrote to me and encouraged me and shared with me the following verse:


He tends his flock like a shepherd: 
    He gathers the lambs in his arms 
and carries them close to his heart; 
    he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11

Gently leads those that have young.  He gently leads us because he understands.  He shows the way because he knows we cannot make this journey without a shepherd to gather us in his arms and carry us close to his heart.

To enjoy life - One only has to watch a child carefully to truly understand what it means to enjoy life - the joy that comes with the fascination of discovery  The joy that comes from the simple things in life: a hug from a parent, bubble blowing, a tickled tummy, swinging, a shared giggle, playing in water.  The joy that comes from reading.  The joy that comes from singing.  Joy in the beauty of nature.  The joy that comes from spending time together.

So many lessons learned.  These 5 are just the ones I thought of first.  I could continue writing all night.  Boiled down to one main lesson though is how much our Father loves us.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  1 John 3:1-2

US Assignment (more commonly known as furlough)

I have decide to get away from calling our months in the US 'furlough' - mostly because the word furlough implies some kind of rest or vacation.  I have heard many missionaries use the word 'home assignment' which I like better - but for Josh and I, it doesn't seem to fit quite either, as neither of us are sure the US feels exactly like home.  US assignment better describes both the place and work we will be doing  - mostly visiting supporters and sponsoring congregations as well as touching base with friends and family (many of whom are also our supporters!) As you can see from our schedule below - there will be very little resting involved, although there will be lots of visiting!  We are really looking forward to seeing everyone although I am not looking forward to all the time in the car with a one year old.  We hope to see many of you.

June 9 - Fly into Detroit at 11:05 pm on AA 1906
June 10 - Josh flys to Abilene, the girls and I stay in Livonia.
June 11-15th - Josh's class, Josh spends Friday night June 15th with Ben Crawford?
June 16- Josh returns to Livonia
June 17-27 - Livonia/ Stephens family vacation
June 28- Drive to halfway to OK(stopping in Lincoln, IL)
June 29th-July 1st - Indiahoma (Marcum family reunion)
July 2nd-5th - Sikes family reunion
July 6th - drive to half-way to York
July 7th-15th - York
Night of July 15th - stay with Fords in Wyoming
July 16th-18th - Pueblo, CO
July 19th - drive half-way to Wichita
July 20th-23rd - Wichita
July 24th - Dallas
July 25th - Brownwood (DMIN project due)
July 26th - Lubbock?
July 27th - La Mesa
July 28th-30th - Abilene/ Matt and Janille
July 31st - drive to Kansas/ stay with Ben and Katrina
August 1st - drive to MI
August 2-August 9th - Livonia
August 3rd-4th- Josh flies to Penn for Matt Bogard's wedding
August 5th - preach in Livonia
August 9th - 6:30am fly to Quito

Traveling around Ecuador

In the last 6 months, we have been blessed to travel some around Ecuador. I have enjoyed each of our ventures into this beautiful and diverse country. Here is a little taste of some of the trips we have enjoyed.

Back at the end of July and the beginning of August, my mom came down to help me out with the kids while Josh was traveling. We took a day at the very end to take her out to a wildlife reserve a the base of the volcano Pinchincha. We had a picnic (found a great place to camp) and did a little hiking. This reserve one they claim has more original native vegetation. It was a beautiful reserve and a lovely drive.






Right before Christmas, went with Josh's folks to one the the newest, biggest malls to open in the Quito area - with a huge area with games and rides. The kids loved it! Although the downside of the day was Jana wiping out down a set of stairs and fracturing her collarbone.








At the end of December we took a trip for both ministry and pleasure to the southern coast of Ecuador. We stayed at the beach for a couple nights and then traveled to Portoviejo to bring in the New Year with the church and team there. The drive to the southern coast was unique: switchback roads for over half the trip through one of the biggest and most unusual national parks in Ecuador. It is dry brush among rolling hills, spotted by ceibo (or baobab) trees - reminding me hauntingly of the drive to Mombasa in Kenya. When we drove down, the ceibo trees were just starting to bloom. I wish I had taken more pictures of the drive down, but the kids and I all got motion sick in the car due to the super windy roads. The beach itself was beautiful - much cleaner and quieter than the beach in Northern Ecuador. And we ate seafood fresh out of the ocean.










Our most recent trip was to the cloud-forest town of Mindo with the entire Marcum clan. We stayed in a quaint little hotel called the Dragonfly Inn. The following day we went ziplining through the canopy of the cloud-forest and then went hiking to a waterfall. It was an amazing day.











Then a few weeks ago in March, we took a whirlwind trip to Guayaquil. I was invited to do a seminar on children's ministry, so Josh took care of the kids while I did an all day marathon with about 50 church members from 10 different congregations. That night we did manage to get away to do something fun: a pirate ship ride around the Guayaquil bay. It was wet and rainy, but it was fun: the girls got their faces painted and we got our pictures taken in pirate hats.





Finally, for James' 15th birthday the girls, Josh and Papa took James to a little amusement park at the foot of the teleferico going up Volcano Pinchincha. They all got to ride several rides.