Wrestling While Watering

"Embrace this God-life. 

Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you." (Mark 11:22-23 MSG)

Did I need another "job"? Not really! But, after winter in Bolivia––no snow here except on the mountaintops but cold--Spring has sprung. There will be no rain until November. As I walked around our property, my heart hurt to see our plants and trees suffering from the winter weather and a lack of water. Because of a shortage of water from the community well, this year our plants are on the verge of dying without dowsing them with water every day for a few weeks. Who could set aside some responsibilities to devote time to this rescue mission? I will! I will!  How could I foresee danger looming in the bushes and under the trees?

I hadn't an inkling how time-consuming this new job would be, but I did know there weren't many responsibilities I could ignore for two weeks. After all, clean clothes, eating, and daily chores and classes must continue while watering. I certainly could juggle my schedule for a mere two weeks while my husband and ministry workers tended to urgent ministry matters. I embraced this challenge with vigor, determined to see new life sprout from the branches and bushes.

Rising early, I turned on the hoses and set sprinklers in motion. "What's so hard about this?" thought the well-seasoned missionary now in her golden years. Well-seasoned on the mission field should translate to experienced with bugs, and golden should translate to caution, aging bones.

With my cute navy and white polka-dot boots zipped up, I headed out as the sun peeked over the mountain behind our property. What a gorgeous Spring morning. I felt like skipping and bursting into song, Oh, What Beautiful Morning until the first reality check occurred. To reach those roots under the trees, I had to bend down and almost crawl to the trunk to reach the roots so I could flood the area and ensure the water seeped to the deep-down roots. With never a thought as to what could be lurking there in the dark forest-like underbrush, I plunged ahead and soon encountered opposition to my watering job.

Ouch! It stung, it burned, it swelled immediately, yet not a critter or insect in sight. Quickly exiting the bushes, I checked my arm for stingers or bites. In the light, they surfaced. At least ten bites and one gigantic bite turning white as I felt faint. Oh, did I mention, not a another soul was on the property that day?

After wrestling with the tree, I then stumbled on a pick-like tool. It fell to the ground but not before the heavy wooden handle crashed on my big toe. Yikes, the dance I did that day resembled a rain dance I'd once seen on the Lone Ranger. Doing a rain dance would surely be easier than my wrestling and gardening dance in the muddy yard. But, onward and upward or better said, downward. I embraced the task. It would not be too much for me as I limped and itched to rearrange the sprinklers and move the hose to another tree. The latch caught my blouse and jabbed my side going out the gate––while wrestling the hose. Just a jab and not a stab. I would go on. Did I mention the open wound on my other big toe that had not wrestled with the pick-like tool? And, that toe also met with a garbage can a few months earlier and ended in a fracture. Maybe big toes just get in the way!

Although wrestling with danger, I still embraced the job. With a jabbed side, a swollen and red arm, an open wound on my good toe, and an injured black and blue toe, I determined to rescue the trees and plants. Today, tiny green leaves sprout from the tree tops and bushes and even a few flowers here and there.

If we embrace life as God tells us to, will we see eternal new life, sprouting Christians, and well-watered souls? Of course we will because God's Word says so. So go on, water even while wrestling with dangers that stand in your way. Give them a good dowsing! Be aware that while watering souls you will wrestle the unknown and the known enemy. Expect the injured toes, jabbed sides, and bites from the unfriendly world of darkness. But, know that new Christians will sprout and bud, and seasoned Christians will flourish because you really embrace life as God wants you to. Meanwhile, watch your life flourish, too!

What are you wrestling with today?

Let's embrace life so that nothing will be too much for us.

Dancing with Ants

After church, we parked the car off the dirt road in our area to head down a narrow muddy path to Guichi's house. Guichi is our Bolivian ministry helper. His whole family awaited our arrival. They were cooking cow heart for us––yes, we love it. But, first I'd do a dance on the edge of a neighbor's dried up alfalfa field––a scary dance.

I slid out of the car into a high, hay-like area. I hit the ground and what seemed like a hundred large black ants attacked both of my legs––stinging their hearts out on my bare legs––of all the days to wear a dress, I picked this day. I landed in a hidden ant hill. The jumping and screaming missionary ant dance alarmed the neighbors I'm sure, but what did they think when Chuck began smacking my legs? I can now say I danced with ants. Hopefully, the neighbors saw an ant dance and not a missionary marriage problem.

We ran to Guichi's house. Chuck immediately gave me a cortisone shot, and I gulped down a Benadryl. I rubbed baking soda all over the bites up to my knees. There were so many bites I couldn't begin to count them all.  BTW, I am allergic. I didn't have to use the epi-pen I carry for my fish allergies. Just can't make up this stuff, and I'm a writer. Our medical experience and medical kit saved me from the epi-pen and after effects that could have ended in a hospital trip.

Thankfully, it was an ant hill and not a snake nest. I may start wearing cowgirl boots 24/7. After many years on the mission field, your surroundings are so familiar that you forget to take photos. Then, you begin to forget the dangers, too. But even though we become lax, God is faithful to protect us and give us warnings from time to time.

Do you know that ants are wise? "There are four small creatures, wisest of the wise they are––ants––frail as they are, get plenty of food for the winter;" (Proverbs 30:24-25 MSG)

One thing for sure, they enjoyed their Sunday feast of white meat thanks to their not so wise missionary neighbors.

Chasing the Wind

While drinking my tea and chomping on my cookie––I'm not a breakfast person, but I make up for it the rest of the day––I made a mental list of all I wanted to accomplish on a Monday morning. I flipped on the morning news to check about blockades in the country where I live in South America. All roads closed because of a looming problem within the country. No problem since I had no plans to head out anytime soon. Then, checked CNN to see that all was right with the world––well, for the morning anyhow. Now, what next? Should I clean those blinds staring at me or work on correspondence? I hadn't a clue the wind would soon change my course.

Jolted by a swishing sound, I paused from all the noise in my head. This noise clamored around my windows and caught my attention. Wind! Gusty wind! Scary wind! Then it ceased. And, so did my schedule.

Instantly, my thoughts soared heavenly. God caught my attention. "So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned first hand that pursuing all of this is like chasing the wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:17 NLT).

I set out chasing the wind. I reached for my Bible and glanced out the window. Trees bent in the wind but didn't break. New leaves budded, and their greenery etched against the blue sky. A reminder that my soul may bend but never break, and just as the leaves bud again, I too have a new beginning each day. My heart warmed, and the wind in my soul ceased. I read these words "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy or your salvation." (Psalms 51:11,12 NRSV).

My soul relaxed. The clamoring stopped. My joy returned.

Chasing God brings joy. What are you chasing today? Do you want God to restore your joy? Chase Him!

"We must allow the Word of God to correct us the same way we allow it to encourage us." 

A.W. Tozer

Happy Fourth Of July

Every day is a happy one when we are in our home country––even when we got food poisoning the first week of our arrival from Bolivia one furlough a few years ago. We were blessed because we had the best health care and recovered quickly.

While in the States on furlough one summer, I had the blessing of attending the AWSA conference in St. Louis and had a signing at the ICRS. What an awesome blessing from the Lord to meet amazing authors and speakers at both events. They are an inspiration to all!

Meeting my publisher, Tracy Ruckman and fellow authors of Pix-N-Pens Publishing and Write Integrity Press gave me an opportunity to get to know them personally and learn from them and have fun, too. I also met my editor, Julie-Allyson Ieron, and her mom for the first time––live and in person. What a fun time and good food!

I am thankful that God ushered me into this wonderful world of publishing in this phase of my life––the senior phase! Life just keeps getting better and better! Psalms 21:6 "Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence" (NIV). His unending blessings amaze me, and the joy of His presence was evident in these three events. This is all possible because of our country and its freedoms and opportunities.

We love seeing the flags flying all over our country when we are home, and we're thankful for the freedom we have as Americans––and especially thankful for those who have sacrificed so we can enjoy that freedom. We are blessed to be Americans!

God bless you, and God bless America, land that we love! Happy Fourth of July!

Quilt Cuddles

And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; 

I will make him a helper comparable to him." Genesis 2:18

Monday nights here in Rumi Rancho are nights of laughs, lessons, and love with our "Big Kids". Our ministry is dedicated to kids, teaching practical skills and Bible to underprivileged kids in the rural area where we live. But at what age do we stop teaching those who need Christ and help for their daily lives? Our vision is never to stop teaching those who need the Savior––no matter what the age of the "kids". Our age limit is birth to death.

God burdened us for a group of young couples here in the area. These young marrieds grew up with us. Most of them were in our computer classes and our youth group here in the church. The girls, now young ladies, were in my baking classes. As time marched on they married, had babies, and grew away from church and us.

In recent years, we have seen divorce rates begin to go up in Bolivia. They are not at 50% as in other parts of the world, but the trend is beginning here too. We know the time is now to begin teaching and helping these couples, before they reach a point of no return in their marriage. They are still kids to us!

It is never too late to save a marriage. We know all things are possible with God. Some of these couples are already working on problems and recommitting their lives to the Lord. Others are close to accepting Christ as Savior.

They are our "Big Kids" now, and we are the "Old Kids" teaching them. But, we are all God's Kids––daily needing His help to have a marriage that will glorify Him. It isn't easy, but it is possible! For those of us blessed to have a spouse, let's work at our marriage every day, so we can grow old together and cuddle under a quilt with each other, not alone.

 "And now abideth faith, hope and love, these three;

 but the greatest of these is love." First Corinthians 13:13

Hanging by a Hair

Some days, you just need a friend to pick you up. They may be hanging by a hair too, but they are ready to pick you up when you need a lift.

"Two are better than one, because they have a better return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV).

Lately, I've been blessed by those friends. When I'm in need of a flower to brighten my day, they offer it. They hold out a hand and lift me up. We "hang" together.

Thank God for friends––blessings from Him!

Rabbits Speak Spanish

Really Rare Rabbits recently released in Spanish. 

Chi Chic and Fi Fi are conejos verdaderamente extraños.

Spanish is Chi Chi and Fi Fi's first language. Now they tell their stories to children who also speak Spanish as their first language––and many their only language.

I'm excited to see my books in Spanish so many children who don't speak English can now learn about Jesus from Chi Chi and Fi Fi's Spanish version of Really Rare Rabbitsht. . .