Day 1

Bright and early today, everyone was outside, watching the diggers push and pull dirt and debris, trees and stumps from the land.  I'd been granted the educational field trip I requested for Aden and Aaron, so there we all were, with blankets and lawn chairs and front row seats to a rapid landscape transition.

Earlier this school year Julia wrote a research paper on the life of Susan B. Anthony.  She learned many things about the strong woman suffragist, and today she decided to pull out one of the trivial, fun facts from her life and emulate it!  Once, as a young woman, during a season when Susan's father was building houses for the school teachers and his own family in their New York town, Susan made lemonade and gingerbread cookies for all the helpers.  Today Julia did just that!  First thing this morning, she was up baking the gingerbread she'd prepared last night to share.

Gingerbread cookies and lemonade

As the high lift and track hoe took down trees and pushed them into piles, Randy sawed the timber into logs and piled them for next year's firewood.  What he didn't keep he threw onto a huge bonfire.  I think this building project will definitely enhance his masculine physique with nice muscles!  Levi helped and I tried to keep everyone else from becoming too dirty! (HA!) 

Tomorrow is another day of dirt pushing, finishing the grading, and leveling the plot where the house will be.  Randy heads to work tomorrow, and I'll keep up here!

End of Day 1

Beginning

So, the house is finally happening!  It's been a dream for quite some time, and yesterday, two days earlier than expected, the digger came!  In the morning I ran to the store for birthday supplies, returned and noticed the permit posted by the water hydrant.
I was elated, posted a pic, and later in the day was minding my own business with laundry and such, when I was taken by surprise.  Yes indeed, it was true!  A bright yellow digger was outside, scooping dirt and popping stumps from our land.  As it turns out, the excavator is doing a job nearby and is saving money by bringing the fill to us!  He saves, we save!  Good deal all around; only God can work something like this out!  Sounds kinda supernatural to me. (Hmmm...)

Let me back up...  Three years ago, when we first returned from Thailand, we had no intention of building a house.  But as time went on and we realized we don't, nor will we ever, fit a typical Franklin County mold.  We can't ever settle down into mediocrity, becoming comfortable with doing things as they've always been done just because they have been.  We knew God was putting a dream in our heart to live from a different place... to be completely real, fully us, from the inside out.  Thailand changed us, to say the least.  Or rather, God used Thailand to change us, and who we've become will always be a part of us.  We are different, we know this now, and we're really happy about it!  Our house is only part of what God's building in us, though it will be a beautiful expression of who our family is.

Realizing we had the desire to build a house got us questioning... Why?  What will it be for?  How will we live in it?  The answers to these questions are a grounding place for our family, a foundation of sorts, to build on and grow from.  In days to come, the fruit of our labors will shelter us and continually expand to welcome others in.  We had hopes of beginning the process earlier, but we understand God had a better idea, in Levi's words, "to build our family first."  Know this, we understand that if we build a shell, but have nothing of value to fill it with, there would be no point for the walls to be built.  Without the goodness inside, there would be nothing to protect and fight for.  Pure love is worth the struggle.  We are ready to begin, together. 

Coming home...

It's nearly midnight, and I'm sitting at my computer, feeling the deep urge to return.  A number of years ago, well since I was a young girl really, I had a strong desire to write.  I'm a deep one, and as I often felt misunderstood, I learned to keep my thoughts safe to paper.  It's a loving relationship I have with words.  I really do come alive with a pen in my hand; I am free to make the world what I wish it to be! So here I come, back to the beginning, where it all began, and I hope that my humble musings will find a place in your heart.  

Title?

What?! It's only been a few YEARS since I've written last. Suffice it to say there have been a few ups and downs over this time... Just a few. I hope to get the blog back up and running, though it'll have to wait for a better day when my computer is available. Pecking away on the IPAD makes me half crazy! Lots to share at a later date.

Fireworks

Has it really been longer than a month already? Okay, so I've been busy. The children are out of school for a month, and I am enjoying time with them, to say the least! We've been to the park and the post office... we've cared for a praying manthis... we have plans to plant something soon. I am really thinking hard and praying about what to do when school starts again. Even though I would enjoy some extra time to myself, I know that I will miss them again. The other thing is that Levi seems to put up a fuss nearly everyday before school. I have a few ideas. Maybe if we go later in the day, say, leave at 8:30 instead of 7:30, so as to miss the worst part of his day, "Khao teew". It's when all the classes line up and sing the Thai National Anthem. Then, a teacher gives a "speech" about how the students are doing, they sing a few other songs, and then go into their classrooms. If we arrive when the students are in the classrooms, that could work. Julia might miss the songs (she can already sing the Anthem - of course the Thai words are just a bit different from the original, but...)

Randy almost has his shrimp raised to metamorphisis. Just about 2 more days, he says, then they will flip over from their upside-down position, to the upright one. It's been a very hectic time, but God has really given us grace to get through these intense seasons of craziness! I am thankful for that.

Tonight we watched fireworks. Not quite the same depth of feeling for me as when we see them on the fourth of July, but they were fireworks all the same. Today is the day Thai Buddhists celebrate the "coming out of Buddhist Lent". The children enjoyed them as we parked on a bridge over the river, where they were being put off. Very beautiful.

On Fire!

Hey Friends-

Life is getting exciting! Do you that we are called to live in "such a time as this"? God has been doing some amazing things; drawing me closer to Him and calling me deeper. I don't want anything else. There is nothing that will satisfy me now except for his presence in me. Right now I'm reading a book by James Goll and it's something like, "The Lost art of Practicing His Presence" and it includes writings from Bro. Lawrence's book, "Practicing the Presence of God". It's a simple idea, really... so hard to start to do. But then, after you do, it's like this insatiable desire, to be with Him. I hope you catch the Fire!

As a sidenote, we're all doing well. Levi's praying for his friend, Pung, because "he doesn't know Jesus yet". Julia wants to go to Hill Song church in Austrailia and worship with their kids and "lots of balloons". You can ask me about it sometime ;o . Aden is sleeping and smiling; a very happy baby! This week Randy is attending an aquaculture conference here in Ubon, where he'll be connecting with friends and professors from AIT and experts from neighboring countries. Next weekend he heads to Bangkok for more shrimp. :)

LOL - Jodi

Prayer and Fasting

So, I've read a new book recently. Actually I just borrowed it from a friend last evening and have already finished it. I just couldn't put it down. It's by Mahesh Chavda and it's called, "The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting". Wow! As I read it, I became more and more inspired to remember the Lord's great purpose for us as His followers. We are given authority to tear down strongholds that the enemy uses to keep people in darkness and bondage. In this day and time, it is not enough to have a Holy Spirit annointing alone; we need the POWER of the Holy Spirit! Before Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for a time of testing (during which time he fasted and prayed for 40 days) the Bible says he was filled with the Spirit. When he had completed his time in the desert, he came out of that experience in the power of the Holy Spirit. If Jesus, who is the Son of God needed to be built up spiritually through prayer and fasting, then how much more do we need to recognize that we can only receive this kind of power by ridding ourselves of the junk that we allow to build up in our lives. In faith, by fasting (since Jesus said in speaking to his disciples, "When you fast, not "if" you fast...") we become clean of ourselves and of the selfish, fleshly desires we have. This along with prayer is a powerful tool to use against the enemy.

I don't know about you, but this is exciting to me! Do we know what this means for us? We can change our world!!! We (yes, you and me) can make a huge difference in our generation for the Kingdom of God. What do you say? Let's go!