"don't forget to come back"

Wednesday

In less than 30 minutes we'll land in Addis Ababa. The sun is up after a slow and stunning rise over the desert and the Nile River. I haven't slept a wink but I'm happy and excited and only slightly fuzzy-headed. A little boy behind me cried for a long time so I asked his mom if I could hold him. She gladly accepted and after an hour of bouncing him around and letting him crawl all over me he FINALLY crashed across my lap. I decided as I held him that I should pray for each child that I ever hold. God loves His children. I haven't been very comfortable but for the most part I've been able to maintain a grateful and patient attitude. I'm so in awe of the fact that any minute now we'll land in Africa! Lord, thank you for planting this dream in me and for cultivating it. 

Sunday (a week and a half later)

We're about to arrive in Virginia! This flight has been sooo long. I just realized that I never wrote about Friday. We only had about 45 minutes at the children's home to say our goodbyes. I cried and cried and hated driving away and seeing all the girls waving, tears running down their faces. I hope I can see them again. 

-my journal

"Don't forget to come back. I don't have any parents.
Keep praying for me. I also will pray for you." -Nancy

I ache to hug Nancy and her sisters and tell them in person that they have not been forgotten! 

our team at Zion Project's children's home - photo by Lance Rutherford

health to one's whole body

I've been chewing on Proverbs 4 lately, particularly verses 20-27. It's such beautiful fatherly advice from Solomon to his children, and I found myself going back to it every night for the past couple of weeks. It's easy to skim a passage and think, okay, I get it, we're supposed to do this and that. The weight of it doesn't sink in, though - that's why I've been re-reading it over and over. For me, it helps if I focus on one or two verses at a time and ask myself what is really being said here? I thought it would be interesting to go through the passage verse by verse and write them down in my own words as a method of observation (not as a replacement to the original).

from pinterest

Proverbs 4:20-27 NIV (also love the ESV)

My son, pay attention to what I say;

turn your ear to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.

my observations on what is being said here:

My child, focus on what I am saying;
don't let my teachings go in one ear and out the other.
Don't lose sight of my wisdom,
Give my words a home in your heart;
for those who seek them will find true existence
and their bodies will receive full nourishment.
More than anything, protect your heart,
for all of your thoughts and actions come from it.
Do not allow wicked words to come out of your mouth;
Hold your tongue from damaging babble.
Do not let yourself be distracted;
Look only at what is right in front of you.
Take time to think about the direction you desire for your life
and match your actions to your words.
Do not veer off the path you are on;
Watch your step lest you fall into a pit.

state art from etsy

When we found out we weren't moving last winter I promptly purchased a piece of Virginia state art from Etsy as a sort of present to myself for being put through the agony of uncertainty. Jokes on me, 'cuz we moved to Maryland! As soon as we moved in I ordered another print.

I finally got around to finding frames and hung the prints last weekend. I wonder if any other states or countries will join them in the future? I don't know what I'll do if we end up moving to another part of Virginia or Maryland... oh well, these work for now! I love seeing them on the wall.

The prints are from this shop.
The frames are from Michaels and were buy one get one free!

haircut

this is what my hair looked like when we moved in April

a week later I got highlights and had several inches cut off

I embraced the curls/waves all summer long

Around late July I started seriously considering a pixie cut.

!!!!!!!!

Crazy, I know. Crazy cute and exciting.

Also crazy scary and potentially awful.

I would make hair appointments and cancel them an hour later.

I printed out pictures of pixies I loved and pixies I hated.

I even had a dream that I had a pixie hairstyle!

I knew I wasn't ready to chop off all of my hair, though,

so in August I had my mom cut some layers around my face.

I also straightened my hair for the first time in months.

I didn't think I wanted anything in-between long and a pixie,

but I changed my mind.

Yesterday I went from this:

to this:

and today (unwashed):

I LOVE it! I adore long hair, but I realized that the main reason the pixie appealed to me is because it shows off the collarbone and neck. This length does just that without being quite as drastic of a change. It felt drastic during the cut - it's been years since I've had so many inches taken off! For once in my life I was smiling the entire time my stylist was snipping. Now I can't stop whipping my hair back and forth!

wishlisting

A few months ago a friend of mine clued me in to Wish List on Amazon. With the click of a button you can add any purchasable item on the Internet to your Wish List (you can create more than one), so it works perfectly for keeping track of things that catch your eye. You can write a comment (such as, "I like this in blue") and prioritize which items you like the best. You can see if an item has been purchased if you want, but I set up my list to not spoil any surprises for me.

I usually start compiling my birthday and Christmas list mid-fall, which means for a solid two months my poor mom and husband will get e-mails like, "I want this please! Size small! Green or blue, whichever you like better!" With the Wish List, I can keep everything in one place and add to it or edit it whenever I want. I started compiling my list last week - I couldn't wait! Stop making cute stuff, world! I know I'm going to see tons of things between now and Christmas, so I'm trying to take it slow and only add things that I would love to get. Right now the list includes a denim jacket, a robe I've been wanting forrrevvver and a couple of gold necklaces from Etsy.

Even though I completely support the tradition of exchanging presents, sometimes I catch myself getting the gimmies. It's so important for me to recognize that stuff is just stuff, and that I don't need stuff to find satisfaction or feel fulfilled. I also think about little pleasures that we often take for granted. When Andy and I stuff shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, I try to think of things the kids would need (toothpaste, soap, washcloth) and little things that would bring them joy (a jump rope, hair bows, action figures).

If you could have a Wish List for things that you can't buy, what would it include? What about life's purchasable little pleasures?

My lists would look something like this:

snuggles

kisses

sleeping in

head massages from non-professionals

laughter

the beach

watching my dog swim

feeling sun on my face

seeing old friends

walking hand in hand w/ someone I love

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Palmer's cocoa butter swivel stick - my absolute fav lip balm

books books books books books

coffee coffee coffee coffee

little notebooks and colored pens

cheesecake

nail polish

Netflix (hehe)