Stories Hiding in Inconvenient Places

I am still here!  Really!  I did not drop off the face of the earth, just took some time off to get some other pressing tasks done.  And to be honest, just not in much of a writing mood (could be the heat or those long warm days of summer taking over).  I have been reading a lot, which usually makes me want to write, but for some reason, this summer, my mind has not been in writing mode.  Prayerfully, this will change as summer winds down and the autumn kicks into full gear.  We have a busy few months ahead and would love to blog about some of the adventures.  Australia, central and eastern Europe will be on the radar :)

We will be visiting my husband's family "down under" soon as it has been five years since he was last home.  A far overdue visit!!  But considering it will still be winter there (southern hemisphere), I am enjoying the warm summer days here in our neck of the woods before having to give that up. I hoped we would get some warm sunny days before we leave and have not been disappointed.  I have been able to fit in picking raspberries, blueberries, grilling meats and veges on the barbeque and drinking lots of ice tea.  I also spent a full week helping with our Vacation Bible school the end of June where over 150 children were involved.  It was an unbelievable week and I enjoyed it immensely.....although I will confess, I don't have the energy I once had when it comes to the young ones :)

These weeks have given me time to process in my mind and heart as to the direction my writing should take.  A couple of ideas and projects are ruminating. For some months now I have been working and writing of the journey God took my husband and I on, as we served Him individually in other countries, and how amazingly He brought us together.  It is a story of waiting, listening, and when God began to speak (and very clearly), we moved in obedience and saw His stamp of approval on our relationship.  It is a story of God's sovereignty and interaction in the lives of two people who only wanted to please and serve Him.  I am currently pulling all the strings of the story together so it can be a blessing to others.

Also ahead, hundreds of stories of years of ministry are yet to be told.  God has written chapters through our lives....and yours....awesome stories that future generations need to hear! Years ago, I was part of a group of people in a missions community living in a small village in Austria.  We lived in a little castle on a hill.  We traveled back and forth sharing the Gospel and encouraging the church in eastern Europe and Russia.  If the walls of that castle could speak, books would be written! The adventures, the provisions of God, the miraculous ways God met us and led us, all need to be put on paper.  This was way before the doors opened and the "wall" fell.  Several of us were reminiscing the other day over some of those adventures and we are beginning to think, the stories must be told!  One of my favorite quotes is "If your story is never told, it becomes something else...forgotten."  I don't want these stories forgotten because there is a "whole lotta praise and glory" to be given to God for all He has done!  If you are one of those who lived with us in Austria, contact me....we would love for your stories to be part of this idea.

Lastly, my husband has his own incredible story of forgiveness which flows out of his life.  As he travels and shares, many are responding to the tug of God on their heart to forgive those who have wounded them early in life.  They have lived in emotional and spiritual bondage because of unforgiveness and as they open up their hearts and confess, and then forgive others, God is setting them free!  We are compiling stories of such freedom.  The worldwide problem of the "fatherless", whether through actual abandonment or the wounding of the earthy father and mother holds many a tale of those who are finding healing.

Could I ask a favor?  Could you please pray the compiling and writing of these God stories becomes reality?  We so very much want to do this and need the prayers of friends to keep me and us, on course.  Between travel, family, and just plain ole' life, time doesn't stand still for me.  I also am challenged by this quote by an author and speaker whom from I have learned so much.

"I had to find time to practice (writing) in the margins of life...using the excuse 'I don't have enough time' isn't true....I do have enough time; it was just hiding in 'inconvenient' places." Jeff Goins

Pray I inhabit those inconvenient places and set my heart and mind to writing stories that need to be told.

In closing, I said I have been doing a lot of reading.  Summer is one of my favorite times for reading; of course, so is winter, spring and fall....I just plain love to read!  In another blog post in a day or so, I will post links to my favorite reads so far this summer.  I think you will really like them!

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Is it really June?

I turned around and June was already on my doorstep...really!  When did this happen?  Somehow in the chaos of finishing off school, weeding the flower beds, planning graduation parties and sending my husband off on another trip, this month snuck up on me.  Taking a big deep breath, I am looking behind and in front with the anticipation of some "free" non-structured time to pursue some interests.  Isn't summertime supposed to be less stressful and busy?  Someone tell me it is so :)

These last nine months I followed the path of my youngest son finishing off his school years.  A bit of an emotional roller coaster, but what a fun ride!  As we watched him and a group of his closest friends, my heart was grateful for the adventure.  The sigh of "we did it!" echoed in my spirit. This was especially poignant for me as he is our youngest.  We have watched an incredibly cute young boy develop into an amazing man of character. His band of "brothers" walked that procession together and we moms and dads swelled with pride.   These boys had spent their high school years together in a small discipleship group at church.  They played, worked and grew together.  Standing to receive their diplomas, these young men turned their heads to us and lowered their heads.  Stamped across the top of their caps were the letters "I LOVE MOM".

And yes, there wasn't a dry eye among us.  

We moms are still breathing in life from that moment.  It will be the highlight of our summer and one of those treasures we hold dear to our hearts.  In three short months, our little boys will venture off to college and life will change.  I know this because I have sent off three before this one.  Life will never be the same.  And that is okay.  I think.  

I reached a milestone this week.  Four children, now adults, school years finished, empty nest...well not quite.  We are in a season of change, transition and finding our way.  Economics and life have placed us all in the same house for the time being.  And that is okay... for now :)  

As I mulled and climbed over this milestone, I am challenged once again to launch out and make use of the new season ahead of me. I am planning on taking a few weeks and writing more.  I began about a year ago to put our "stories" on paper.  My files are getting larger I am happy to say.  I am taking a few online courses and reading more on writing.  Someone said, "If you don't have time to read, you don't have time to write."  I like that.  I love to read.   My summer, or at least the next two months of it, will take on a writing mode.  Some of that will appear in this blog, some in my private domain as I practice, experiment and venture into a world of having my stories critiqued.  Up to this point, stories have been gathering dust...in my files and in my mind.  It is time to bring them out.   

This morning I read in Philippians 1:12 "...that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the Gospel."  Who doesn't want their life to advance the Gospel?  By telling my stories, what life has taught me, in my own simple way, God's love for us and His care over our lives can be told.  A story isn't a story until it is told.....

How many of you have a story to tell?  Are you at a season where you could be writing it all down?  This world needs to hear from you!  You have something to share and someone needs to hear it!   No one else has lived your life, known your joys, known your pain, known the growth and lessons God and life have taught you.  Perhaps it is time to tell....

June is before us.....July and August around the corner.  My prayer for you is these months will hold time for you to pursue your dreams and enjoy the love of family and friends.

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She Was The First

Her name means "life-giving"  or  "mother of all who have life".   As we launch into the celebration of moms, it is only fitting to remember the first mom ever.  Yes, we think of sin and it's far reaching consequence, the apple, the serpent, the deception and fall of man - all that happened in the garden that day.  But just for a moment, remember Momma Eve.

So much could be written and has been.  Even though her choice brought pain and agony, she was also given the promise of "you will bear children".  Out of Eve, would come mankind.

She was the first MOM.

She was the first to carry a child in her womb.  Did she even grasp what was taking place inside her?

She was the first ever to feel a life growing within her body.  The first woman to outgrow her clothes..or animal skins.

She was the first to have cravings :)  Did Adam have to run out to the local bush and grab her some strawberries in the middle of the night ?

She was the first to have questions....and I wonder, was God right there to answer them?

She was the first to have labor pains.  The first to give birth....without Lamaze classes.   What was Adam like during this time?  Did he look into her eyes to calm her...did he sing softly to her?

She was the first to do the mommy thing without any books or another mom to bring encouragement and assure her she would live through this.

But Eve still knew that God was in control of her life.  "With the HELP of the LORD, I have brought forth a man."  Genesis 4:1

She was the first to nurse.  How did that first snuggle and feed happen?

She was the first to discover she needed diapers....so literally she invented the diaper :)

She was the first to deal with sibling rivalry.

She was the first mom to lose a son.  Both sons.  The first mom to experience the pain and sorrow of her son's wrong choices.

Yet, she was also the first to experience God's promises....out of her pain and sorrow came Seth...out of Seth came Noah.

So many firsts.......

As I think about mothering and the years I have enjoyed this marvelous and incredible privilege, there were older moms who mentored me.  There were women my age where we walked the journey together.  We laughed, shared stories, sometimes cried...and always prayed for our children.  We have had those who "have gone before us" to show us how to do this mommy thing.    For me, as I am sure for many of you, the Word of God, His presence and His encouragement has been our sustaining strength and well of wisdom to draw from.

Honoring Eve....and the mothers who came after.  Each day, hopefully, up to Mother's Day, I will post a story of a mom who has made a difference in our lives.  Some will be the examples in Scripture, some will be stories you send in.  Life can be noisy and very busy about now......especially if you are a "MOM"  :)      A story a day....a mom a day to honor....send me your story.  Let's laugh, maybe cry, but always remember together.

Our Mother's Day Blog-A-Thon

Email me your stories to: DebbyJD@hotmail.com and put in subject line "MY MOM" 

You can attach a photo if you would like :)   This will be fun!  And a unique way to celebrate your mom this year.   Hurry though, ladies, we are on the countdown and there are only 11 days left before the big day!  (If you need a refresher of why we are doing this, read the post before this one :)

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A Mother's Day Blog-a-thon

One of my favorite holidays is just around the corner.  Of course, I am a MOM!  I love having my children pay attention to me :)  I enjoy not having to cook (unless my own mother visits and then I want to spoil her with a lovely meal :)   It is a time when a mom gets to enjoy being spoiled a bit!  By the time Mother's Day rolls around, spring has shown her lovely face and we begin to enjoy a bit of warm weather here in our neck of the woods.  And I am a big fan of "honoring" those who have not only given life, but have given so much of their lives and sacrificed to care for their families.

I especially am blessed by the many stories I hear of the way moms have touched a person's life.  Special moments and memories etched in our minds and hearts for eternity.  Some involve tremendous sacrifice, some as simple as a smile when needed.  Other times, a mom was there with a crucial bit of insight at just the perfect time.  And others, just the thought of a special meal or event....even a smell that invokes the feelings of never wanting to let go of that moment.

For the next three weeks, I would love to hear from YOU and your special MOM memories!  I want to dedicate the days leading up to Mother's Day (May 12th) to remembering and honoring our moms. Actually, you might not even have a memory of your mother, but there has been a mom figure in your life and you would love to share a memory.  If you would like to email me your stories (500 words or less), I will review them and then publish them here on the blog.  You can give me your first name only (or not), and I will give you credit for your piece.  I had a friend a few weeks ago send me the most amazing story of her mom who is no longer with us.  That will be one of the first ones I share, along with my own "mom story".   A new and creative way to honor your mom this Mother's Day.  All it takes is a few moments of your time to put your heart on paper (or computer page :) and send it to me.  I would love to hear, maybe shed a tear or two, and even laugh out loud as you remember your momma :)

Actually, when you email, you could attach a photo if you feel comfortable doing that also.

Email stories to   DebbyJD@hotmail.com and put in subject line "MY MOM" .  Ideally, I would like to post a story a day until Mom's Day, but it will take all of you sending me your memories to make this work.

So here we go...our very own Mother's Day Blog-a-Thon.... get those stories rolling in...

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Windows of Latvia

Again, a post on windows.  There's something about windows in other nations that fascinates me. It isn't just the color or creativity, although that is a biggie with me.  But often as I walk down the streets of towns and villages, I wonder...

"Who is behind that window?"

"Is there a mother tending to her children?  Are they playing while she prepares their lunch of cabbage soup and black bread?"

"Perhaps there is a grandmother sitting at a worn old table, sipping her hot tea and reflecting on her years."

Often my heart wants to embrace the smells, the stories, the wonder behind the windows.  Windows that set right up against the sidewalk, seemingly inviting you to come in.  What lives are being lived out behind the framework and the pane?

And so...the windows of a town in the north of Latvia along the Baltic Sea.....

Perhaps a family awaiting a letter from a son or daughter in a faraway land...

I could just smell the "borscht" cooking for lunch...

I couldn't resist this guy....he was looking out his "window"...

A room with a view... in Riga...

Who wouldn't want to wake up to this ??

Anyone who has been in my home can attest to the fact that I don't like window coverings.  I like to see out.  I love light.  I want the outside in...

But it also allows others to see in (helps to live in the country where your neighbors aren't hugging the side of your house :)  Windows let us see out, but they also let others see in.  Hmmm...metaphorically speaking, do we allow others to see into our lives?  Are we vulnerable enough to want community and relationship with those around us to allow our windows to be open for them to see?  Or do we cover the windows of our life to keep people out?  I wonder if perhaps there isn't someone who wants to see beyond the window and sit down with you or me,  have a cup of tea and share our stories.  Lives are being lived out behind those windows.  Now that's a great line for a post....

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Unwanted, Abandoned, Deleted

From my heart to yours...

Walking the streets of old town Riga we came upon a sight I will never forget.   Entering the main square on Freedom Boulevard, you find yourself looking to the opposite side where a monument rises 138 feet upward.  The Freedom Monument was constructed to honor the soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918 - 1920).  In more recent years, I have heard it called Lady Freedom.  She is holding her arms upward lifting three stars which center around the theme "Shine like a star".

Around the base of the monument there are pictures and sculpting depicting various aspects of Latvian life and history.  One of these is entitled "Family", a mother with two children.  I found it ironic when I saw what was in front of me. What I will never forget is what has been laid out in the square in the foreground of the monument.

Concrete sculptors of babies who have lost their lives out of fear, inconvenience, ignorance and modern day contraception.

Perhaps if your eyesight is better than mine...you can read some of the inscriptions...

Our hearts grieved over the sight, yet part of me was proud of those Latvians who are brave to face their society and put this out there....

One side of a plaza honoring those who gave their lives in a war for freedom (and rightly so) and opposite a display of those whose lives were taken from them.  Neither should be forgotten.

As I was editing, deleting and tweaking this post, I was reminded of how quick we are to "delete" what is unwanted.

There is a Father in Heaven.  There is a God who wants.  There is a God who does not delete.

Sorry if this posting is heavy and leaves our hearts deeply saddened.  It should.  It is very visual and should impact our lives.  It is meant to.  God give us hearts of love, deep love, patience and compassion, to reach out to those who too quickly and in anguish press the "delete" button in their lives.  Help us to be the arms, feet and heart of Jesus to bring love, forgiveness, redemption and freedom to those around us.

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Friends, Forgiveness & Finding the Way Home

I (we) are back home.....my husband after 5 weeks of travel and myself, being able to join him in the last two weeks.  We had a wonderful time, took lots of photos, spent time with many old and wonderful friends and made some incredible new ones!  Our faith and trust in God grows deeper during these adventures as we have the privilege of touching lives, connecting and experiencing Him come through for us (and them!).

Kazakhstan, Armenia and Latvia....different cultures, different people, but all the same need and heart cry that comes forth.  We want to be loved, we want to feel worthy of that love.  For those that never had the love and acceptance of a father (or a mother), that cry resounds all the more deeply.  Words of acceptance never spoken over a life.  A childhood of rejection and abuse.  Hearts struggling to let go and be vulnerable to love.  Minds wrestling with forgiveness towards those that have wounded us.  We are all the same, we all have the same need....wanting to love, be loved and connect with those around us.  When we share the love of a heavenly Father, it can be difficult to really embrace that love or understand it when an individual has not even experienced that in their own life with a physical father. The ministry my husband and I endeavor to impart is the love of a father (& mother) to those whose hearts yearn for connection and relationship, especially to their Father above.

We had the privilege to meet so many dear new friends who opened up their lives and hearts to the love of a heavenly Father who says to them "I love you....I am well pleased with you....you are my son....you are my daughter."   Lives which chose to be vulnerable enough to say "I forgive my earthly father for this.....I forgive my mother for abandonment.....I forgive....I forgive....I forgive."  And to let the love of a Father bring healing.  There is no greater key to freedom than forgiveness.

Ivo, a young man after God's heart !

A new friend who found freedom, joy and healing in the Father's love

Another highlight for us was being able to attend a conference of teams that came from around the nation of Latvia.  These teams belong to the missions group we were a part of for over 20 years.  Twenty-one years ago we led the first Discipleship Training School in Latvia.  What a joy and privilege to once again connect, share memories, renew vision and challenge to grow during the transitions and seasons we find ourselves in.  As we laughed and reminisced over shashlik (shish-kabob) and hot tea, we found ourselves deeply grateful to be a part of a family worldwide that is trusting God, seeing Him move in and through their lives, and nurturing hope and vision for the future.

A real joy for us to be with David, our Latvian/American friend whose family

we have known for over 20 years.

Being able to visit Riga, the capital city of Latvia, at the end of our time was another treat.  Staying with a close friend of many years, dinner in an Uzbek restaurant with old friends, seeing the old city of Riga once again and having an incredible lunch with a great lady who was in our first school we led in Russia.  Disneyland has it right when it says....its a small world after all....

Have to mention the trip home....venturing out for a meal in Amsterdam...hubby leading the way, my suggestion to "try this street" and finding ourselves in the red light district of Amsterdam....then quickly trying to find our way out. It was an "eye opening" or rather an eye-closing experience.  Thank God for the ministries working in this area.  Your heart breaks for the girls/women who have been trafficked and have lost all respect for themselves. We know of several ministries working in this district and we greatly respect them for their diligence.  They are heroes to us!

And more....eating out and on the run...enjoyed "Viennese schnitzel" in a Mexican restaurant on the canal - odd combination :)  Discovered we had the "status" to sit in the business lounge at Amsterdam airport early on the morning of our flight home.....incredible breakfast, coffees, drinks, and watching the sun rise over the jet way.  And all free of charge!   I was glad hubby traveled so much at that moment in time :)

We've now been home a week, finally recovering from jet-lag.....it takes longer at our age :)  An old friend (we seem to have a lot of these :)  staying in our home for several days and just getting back to normal.  I am not sure what "normal" is anymore, but it is nice to be home. Lots of photos to share when I get to it....but here's a few.

Hay fields in rural Latvia

Our "home away from home"

Our international family of students 

Great new friends with a heart to grow and learn!

View from the conference center

North Sea...we didn't go for a walk as it began to rain as soon as this photo was taken :(

"Lagman" - homemade Uzbek noodles/vegetables - my husband

grew up on this as his family came through Central Asia on their

way out of Russia.

View from our friend's apartment....I could live here :)

Our "last view" before flying home

I have so many photos to share, but some go with stories...so more to come!  We found our way home...as did dear friends on this trip who found their own "way home" into the arms of a loving Father.  We felt so privileged to be able to share and pray with them; and hold the dream and desire to one day be reunited.  For those of you who "sent" us, rejoice with us in that many seeds were planted, watered, and nourished in the Kingdom of God.  Thanks again for your prayers and support of us.  Now...I may go take a nap before sitting down and doing some more writing :)

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Once Upon A Time...

Storytelling....images...a dad sitting on a bed cuddling a daughter in those precious moments before turning off the light....friends around the campfire....a princess...a prince....a hero....a damsel in distress....a tale worth remembering and repeating at just the right moment.

I may have shared this quote before, but it is definitely one of my favorites:

"If a story is never told it becomes something else...forgotten."

Is the art of storytelling soon becoming a lost art?  I hope not.  I have several friends who are gifted story tellers.  I know others who should be.  

A life worth living is a story worth telling.  (Hey, I just came up with that one all by myself!!)  For the past 39 years I have lived in a story worth telling (I know, I am not 39, but my stories really began around then).  I have traveled around the world, lived in some incredible places and met so many awesome individuals and their stories are crying to be told.  

Conversations with my daughter as of late have resounded with "Let's tell our story....those stories you told at our bedside each night need to be heard."  She is incredibly creative and a communications major.....I need all the help I can get.  

This morning I read an interesting Scripture and saw something I hadn't seen before. 2 Kings 8:1-6.  Elisha, the prophet, had earlier prophesied over a Shunammite woman about the birth of a son, which she did have and later died. Elisha prayed and he was raised to life. (2 Kings 4)  In chapter 8, Elisha's servant is retelling the "story" to the king.  This woman shows up having lived in the land of the Philistines for seven years due to a famine Elisha told her to flee.  She has come back to reclaim her land and the servant tells the king, "this is the lady in the story".  Through the retelling of the story, this woman's life and land is restored.  

Hmmm...through the telling of our stories, lives can be rebuilt, hope is restored, passion is rekindled, faith is revitalized.

Our personal history is ours, it is a part of shaping our destiny.  It is a significant part of who my family is and is becoming.  We all have a story to tell.  And it needs to be told.  If anything, to passed down to our children telling of the faithfulness of God, lessons learned, mountains climbed, valleys walked and sorrows endured.  

I'm in the middle of an exciting adventure of writing with God.  It may take months -  hopefully, not years.  But I have years ahead of me (again hopefully) to share the adventures already had...the experiences and exploits yet to be lived....the stories just waiting to be told and not forgotten.  

Once upon a time....in a galaxy far far away....a young lady got on a plane in obedience to God's voice to her.....and discovered the GOD who has a story to tell and He wants to tell it through me...and you!

  

photo credit: iStock photo

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UPS, FEDEX OR Snail Mail....

A new day, a new week and a new challenge!  Today is Day #5 of the Writer's Challenge and I am hmmming and hawing about what to do (not sure if those are actual words, but I do know I use them...I will have to entrust this one to spell check).  The challenge is to "ship".  Something you have previously written, are writing or have floating around in your mind to write.  The challenge is to quit procrastinating and get it done...write it and ship it to someone to get feedback.  I didn't really think I had anything; I was more or less just writing every day either on this blog or in my notebook.  The five hundred words a day is fairly easy for me as I tend to write like I talk...a lot!  But to write an idea or story and have someone critique it hadn't really occurred to me.  I just planned to write and write and hopefully, get better as I write.  

This challenge made room for the Spirit of God to remind me of something and move on it.  For years I have been wanting to get the "stories" of our years in missions and serving God down on paper.  Mostly to leave for our children.  They have been "bedtime stories" as they were growing up, but I wanted to actually put them on paper for posterity - ours anyway.  Months ago, I wrote about the adventure of how God moved and led my husband and I to begin dating and eventually marry.  It is not your run-of-the-mill dating scene.  It is a tale of two lives being joined together with the God of heaven actually speaking into our circumstances.  May sound a bit corny, but it happened!  My husband has forever encouraged me to write it down.  We often teach from this story of how God speaks and is faithful as we are obedient to trust Him for our future, especially when it involves our mate for life!  

Ten pages and 6,000+ words later, it is finished.  I finished it months ago and it  has been sitting in my drawer.  Okay, I wrote it and now what?  Is it a "teaching" pamphlet?  Do I refer to it when I share on this topic?  Do I put it in a notebook for my children?  For some reason at this point known only to God, when I read the "challenge" for today's writing assignment, God nudged my heart....ship this to someone for their feedback.  Someone besides my family.  Okay, that is a little vulnerable and scary.  This is again a little out of my comfort zone.  I can tell the story to many, but to have someone actually read it and critique.  But, I committed to this 15-day challenge and I am going to follow through.  

Today, I am going to "ship" my story.  I have a friend in mind.  I might have several friends in mind...what would you think?  

I don't know where this writing adventure will take me.  I hope it will be a wild ride.  I hope my love for photography and writing will meld together.  I hope my friend is at home....

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