It's been hard to keep up this site with everything else I've had going on. I am getting ready to wrap up my first six months with OM-Operation Mobilization. It's gone by so fast. In many ways, I miss living in Europe - especially the architecture. I was always fascinated with the old buildings, and beautiful architecture around me when I lived in Europe.

Now I am living in beautiful Georgia ... if you have any doubt, look at this picture.  This was taken just as I was leaving the office a few nights ago. Sunset was just beginning and it cast it's last minute lighting over the front area of our office. I was taken in by the colors and felt like I had entered a private moment as God, in His art studio, put the finishing touches on today's art project. I felt privilege to be a part of it. And in minutes it was gone. If not for this pic, I would most likely not even be able to recall what it looked like.

I need to take more 'moments' to remember that God is also creating His art IN me. Sometimes it feels like I'm needing to start all over, but then I remember that sometimes you have to put one layer on the canvas before you can build toward the real picture. I am an art work-in-progress. On the days when it feels like it's not going to turn out, I can remember that in a few minutes, the lighting will change, and tomorrow is always another day.

Old Site Revisited

Since MobileMe has now gone away, so has my new(er) website, so for the time being, I will use this site until I figure out another solution ... or perhaps Blogger has brought me back to where I first begun :)

I've been many places since my last posting on this Blogger site, but am finally 'settled' in Tyrone, Georgia. It's green, it's plush, it's rural, it's friendly, but it can also be occasionally humid :) ... but I'm finding it's typically only humid between 10 pm and 5 am. Yes, I've had either a few sleepless nights, or airport runs in the wee hours of the morning (thus, experiencing humidity at 4 am). But I'll live because I know it's where I am supposed to be. 

Keep coming back here (if anyone is still viewing this site), and I'll try to do better at keeping it updated. My schedule is quite hectic right now, so we'll see how much I can keep up with this intention. Until then ... 

A New Website

Thanks for stopping in ... I have launched a new website that has a section for a blog as well. You can now visit me at: Caring For Those Who Care

Leave a comment on my website, let me know what you think! Thanks for joining me here. Hope to see you return often!

Au Revoir, Alberta

Ode to the Volcanic Ash

Twice my flight plans have changed due to the recent volcanic ash disruption coming from Iceland. The first time, I was still at home outside of Geneva. The 2nd time I was in Liverpool and was told it would be 3 days until I could get a flight back to Geneva. This type of 'change' often sets people off in their stress levels, emotions, etc. I decided from the get go that I would not let it stress me, but instead look at each situation it affected me as a gift. The first time, I enjoyed a free weekend of 'extra unexpected' time. The second time, I took advantage of being in the UK and quickly boarded a train and headed to my old 'stomping grounds' in the Newcastle-Upon-Tyne area. Being there brought back so many memories, and the 'Ode' below was one of several outcomes of my time there. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it...

Ode to the Volcanic Ash

Though I cannot see you, I am forced to stop and see

The things I need to remember

The things I need to forget

Seems a lifetime ago

Keeping the good; Letting go of the bad; Recognizing how a place helped shape me

Though I cannot taste you, I can ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’

For it is He that has guided my ship

He’s guided my comings and goings

Though I cannot hear you, I hear the sounds of the bird perched outside my window all alone and out on a ledge

Perhaps once afraid to fly

But now flown and experienced the possibilities of life

Though I cannot feel you, I am once again getting to feel the ocean breeze against my face and sense that you are with me

And although I cannot smell you; my breathe is taking in the very essence of your timing

An answer to someone’s prayer

A time out for refreshment

Though you may have disconnected me from world

I am forced to stop and realize that I am integrated into His world.

And for this, I thank you.

~ Alberta Wray ~

Tanzania

I am here in Tanzania for 10 days visiting some very dear friends who are doing an amazing work here. I can't post pics because of the internet system, but will do it when I get back to France. I have experienced some amazing moments. The one most poignant at this point has been going with a woman who heads up a ministry for homeless children. We went to the dump early last Saturday morning. I was amazing to see so many small children there, and mothers with babies. We sang a few songs, told a story, then handed out bread and rice. To see these children, absolutely filthy, flies everywhere, holding a bunch of clean white bread in their hands, eating as if there were no tomorrow, my heart just broke. Then I remembered something I had written in my bible several years back. 'Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours'. I couldn't help but think ... if this breaks my heart, it surely must break God's!

Thank God for people like Andrea who have dedicated their life to making the world just a bit better for these homeless children in Tanzania. After leaving the dump, we then went to the market where a group of homeless boys try to earn a bit of money. There, we did essentially the same thing. We all gathered around a big acacia tree, sang a few songs, told a story, then treated them to chai and chapati.

We then went to where Andrea is restoring an old building for education, and a place for the children to eat, sleep and shower. She has a long way to go, but it's coming along. She took us to one room that is occupied by four homeless boys. They all share one bed (probably between the ages of 8-13). (heart breaking!), but also grateful for people like Andrea.

Also went to the village of Nytuka where my friends whom I'm visiting are doing some water projects. LOVED these village people - so friendly even though my Swahili is minimal. They LOVED having their picture taken (so they could see it in my screen). It was fun to be with them, but I couldn't help but see what a simplistic life they lead. That's not always a bad thing. There's nothing encumbering. Their life consists of what they will eat that day, dealing with their cows and goats if they own any, picking corn if they are harvesting some. The sun goes down, and there are no lights to turn out. Some of them walk several kilometers carrying containers which they will fill with water and walk the several kilometers back to their brick huts.

I am so privileged and blessed. May I never take a clean glass of water for granted!!

Is Your Umbilical Cord Attached?

I recently read an article about a woman in Virginia who gave birth to a baby, then proceeded to suffocate it and the courts could not press charges because the baby's umbilical cord was still attached. Yes, the story is a sick one, and a 'not so pretty one'.

However, it did get me to thinking about the purpose of an umbilical cord and the attachment to its life source. I recently thanked my sister, Dianna, for being 'my umbilical' cord to my family. She wasn't too sure about me saying that! :) But the reality is she keeps me connected - in news about the family, emails, skype, packages, taking care of my personal business in the states. She keeps me connected, informed, and helps me 'see' what is happening in my family even when I can't be there physically.

I am so thankful that Jesus is my 'umbilical cord' to God, the Father. He is my life source, my blood line, my strength that keeps me going day to day, even on days when I just want to give up!

In the story mentioned above (about the mother in VA), I realized that for that baby, that umbilical cord also represented a death sentence. Because of its attachment, that mother still had her 'state-given' rights over that baby, and the consequences of it was death.

In a society where independence is put on a pedestal, it is a concept that is so contrary to scripture. In a society where we often hear the statement 'I don't need anyone', I would beg to differ that we were created to not be alone. Why is it that we as a society have bought into so many lies. Interesting that John 10:10 says that there is one out there who has come to steal, kill and destroy ... and he's doing it every day, in the lives of non-believers and Christ-followers alike. We have allowed ourselves to believe in those lies and it tells in our everyday choices.

I, for one, am not willing to cut my umbilical cord. Just as I need my sister and my family in my life (especially living thousands of miles from them), even more so do I recognize my need for Jesus who gives me life more abundantly than I could ever have if I were 'independent' and not recognizing my need for Him. Are you an independent sort of person or to whom is your 'umbilical cord' attached? Is there something that is pouring life into you because of your attachment or is sucking the life out of you causing a slow death? It's a new year. Perhaps it's time to analyze to what or whom are you attached?

New Year's Resolution??

I know...I know... I've been so bad at updating my blog, but I am going to do my best to improve on this fact in 2010. It is sometimes hard to put into words what we do here keeping in mind confidentiality of the people with whom we work.

As I reflect on 2009, I am contemplating the amazing people; the deep issues that confront missionaries on the front line - from the 'uttermost' parts of the world; the diverse nationalities, and so much more - in this incredible work that the Lord has called me to do. I love what I do, and as I reflect on the transition of this past year, I recognize that the greatest sacrifice I make is in not getting to see my family and various friends around the world. That being said, I was so blessed that two of my sisters, Desiree and Dianna, were able to come to France (my sister, Desiree, won a trip to Paris and Bordeaux and I joined them) this past October. We argued over who God was giving this to - me or them (perhaps it was all of us!!). We were able to make special sister memories! What a precious time as we did the touristy thing around Paris, but more importantly, getting to share in each other's lives on a day to day basis for the 9 days we had together.

Also, my dear friend, Lisa came to visit me this past June and treated me to a beautiful time in various places around Italy and France. It's always a blessing when my family/ friends/ supporters get to see where I live, work, and experience a little bit of the european life-style first hand. And there's something to be said when they get to see 'how' I live, the rooms where I spend hours with the missionaries who come to us for debriefing, and meet my co-workers. It helps when we talk and I can say a name, and they can put a face to a name.

I am also reflecting on so many of you all over the world - from West Coast to East Coast in the US; to the beautiful Southern hospitality of the US, and up in the beautiful North Coast; my friends across Europe, throughout West, South, East and North Africa; all the way to New Zealand and Australia; others who are spread throughout India, Mongolia, China, Thailand, Singapore, and other countries in Asia; my dear friends who are aboard the Africa Mercy where I spent 3 of my 8 years in Mercy Ships pouring my life into the refitting of that ship; I think of my friends who are in different organizations throughout the world ... I marvel at the tool of Facebook and how it has allowed me to reconnect with so many people. I have over 1000 friends on facebook, and I say that not in a prideful way, but as a reminder to myself that my worlds have all come together. From past students whom I've taught, and who are all now grown-up and have kids in college of their own; to friends from my Apple Computer Days, elementary school days; high school friends; university friends; family; cousins; aunts and uncles; missions friends - it's amazing really!

It's a reminder that somehow, some way, we are all connected! And I hope it continues to be so, because in a world that says we should be independent, strong, and live for ourselves ... I am saying, we really do need to be dependent on each other; to help each other be strong, and to live for others. We are instructed to 'lay our lives down' for one another. I am willing to do that - are you?

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written." My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.. Your friends and
parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it..
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey
is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never
blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you, really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up
to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an
answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't
save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will
this matter?
27. Always choose life.
28.. Forgive everyone, everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or
didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd
grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Ever feel like you are going against the flow? Ever feel like every which way you turn, you bump up against something hard? For me, that's life in missions. But when I really think about it, that's the way my life has been from the beginning. And as I've gotten older, I realize that I'm kind of glad my life has been like this. I believe it has strengthened me as a person and as a Christ-follower. Perhaps it's 'iron sharpens iron' in the flesh. 

I recognize that many of us develop a bit of a 'sharp' edge to protect ourselves, an almost self-defense mechanism. Those sharp edges keep us from letting others get too close, and also keep us from getting cut ourselves. But I'm learning that as we allow ourselves to 'bump up against iron', those sharp edges I've developed over the years are slowly rounding themselves out. I find that the more I grow in Christ, the less I really care about the sharp edges - in fact, I'm learning that those very edges I grew as a protection often were used to cut someone else (and much of the time, it was unintentional). I still go against the flow, and still bump up and around the other things that come my way, but I find that I am navigating the flow much easier without so many sharp edges. Just a thought ... 

Illusions

A New Year = New Beginnings =  ???

We say a New Year means New Beginnings, but essentially we always bring in our old paradigms. How do we go about taking off the 'rose-colored' glasses and see with 'new eyes'. During the Christmas holidays, I went to a Christmas market at a village up the road. It's a very 'posh' town called Montreaux. They had beautiful little vendor huts selling everything from mulled wine to chestnuts roasting on an open fire, to crepes, to gifts...well, you get the picture. There was a spot in the middle of the market where you could get your photo taken. Here I am with two friends (I'm in the middle as 'santa')...the interesting thing is that you see things from a different vantage point when you are 'behind the wooden posing platform'. I saw the little girl trying to hide from her mama. I saw the old woman walking by herself with her head down. I saw the beautiful lights across Lake Geneva. I saw people glance our way but not really 'see' us.

It's the last one that caught my attention the most. How many people do you 'glance at' but don't really see. Or maybe a better question is, how many people do you see, but choose to only 'glance at' because of the time and energy it takes to become involved in people's lives. Here is my New Year's challenge to myself and to you...if you want to make a difference in this world, then you have to make a difference in peoples' lives. It's messy, takes time, takes energy, and also takes a lot of prayer and dedication. How much are you willing you put on a 'God set of lenses' to see what it is that He sees every day!

I had an interesting experience shortly after arriving in France. One of the couples here at Le Rucher asked me if I'd like to go with them (on a Sunday afternoon) to Nyon which is located about 20 minutes from us. It's a beautiful little coastal town. As none of us speak French fluently, we were wondering if we had to pay for parking or not. We wandered around the parking lot to see if we saw any 'pay stubs' on the windows, but we still could'nt tell. We then watched a woman get out of her car, wander over to the pay machine, read the instructions and drop some euros into the machine. Even though we saw her do this, we still questioned whether we had to pay or not. For some odd reason, (foreigners often have funny ways of going about things), we thought the longer we stood in front of the instructions, the more clarity we would get :) when all of a suddent, money started to come out of the machine. of course, we laughed and said it must have been God sending 'money from heaven', so we went ahead and paid for the parking stub, still not really knowing if we were suppose to pay or not. But we figured 'hey, it's free'. And of course, we also realized that it was most likely change from the woman ahead of us, but she had long gone, so we couldn't return it to her. We could have looked at it as a 'free' gift from God, but in reality, I recognized that this lady 'paid a price' for our gift...

The holiday season is always a time to reflect on the past year, its many blessings, and things for which we are grateful. It's also a time when some reflect on losses, and the price they or their family have paid for this loss. In coming here to France, I am once again paying the price (even though it's a personal choice) of leaving the US, acclimating to a new country and culture, being so far away from family, etc. What are the costs of your choices? Are they selfish or selfless sacrifices? Who benefits most from the choices we make? I thank Jesus for paying the ultimate price; the price on the cross. He died for me and you - amazing...no greater love than this...I challenge you, during this beautiful Christmas season, to stop and be thankful for the one(s) who have sacrificed and paid a cost for different things in your life whether it's your parents who possibly paid for your education while they worked a second job, or your children who gave you grandchildren, or that friend who gave of their time so you could have someone to lean on...whatever it is, recognize that it had to 'cost' someone something ... thank you to all of you who have 'paid the cost' to help me do what it is I do. Merry Christmas!

I love the architecture around Europe where you look up and you see beautiful flower boxes in the houses. It gives me a 'happy' feeling. But I recognize that in these houses, and in people, things aren't always what they seem. It's easy for us to 'cover up' with flowers, beautiful clothing, nice cars, and a fake smile. That's why I love the scripture that talks about man seeing what's on the outside, but that GOD looks on the heart!! This week, our staff is spread out in various parts of the world - Turkey, Wales, England, Rwanda, Germany and the south of France. Three of us are here holding down the fort, so we made the most of it by throwing open all the windows to the guest rooms to air them out in preparation for those coming to be debriefed next week. Just as these rooms need occasion 'airing out', it is my prayer that each of you reading this has someone with whom it is safe to throw open the curtains to your soul to allow fresh air breathe through your very being. God can do that for you - we all need it on a regular basis! :)  Breathe deep, my friend, and allow God to refresh your soul.

God's Creative Pictures

I was driving through Wyoming, in what seemed the middle of nowhere, I happened upon a beautiful field of sunflowers and I thought to come upon something so beautiful and yet, so unexpected! My sister has sunflowers in her 'English Garden'. She told me that the birds eat the seeds, they then drop them, and you don't know where they've dropped them until the next year when an unexpected sunflower grows in an unexpected spot! 

Since hearing her say that, I've often wondered how many of us drop 'seeds' that get planted, and although we may not get to see the fruits of the planting, someone else will hopefully get to enjoy one of 'God's creations' because of our willingness to plant a seed.

This is a picture I took in the Badlands - South Dakota! I wonder why they call it the Badlands. It's absolutely breathtaking to see all the diverse colors in these rocks that create magnificent craters and amazing mountain peaks! God's creativity never ceases to amaze me. After all, just look at all the people around you. none of us look the same. And even identical twins have a different set of fingerprints, and other things that set them apart. And He keeps creating over and over and over again...much of it for our enjoyment. Makes me excited to get to heaven. I have a hard time believing that some of this creativity won't be a part of heaven - only that much better!

Cessy, France - Here I Come!!

I am, once again, in the midst of transition. I've had such a great time living in Franklin, TN and my time with Hope Force was just what God ordered for me - great people and a great organization. But my heart is to be overseas, so it's overseas I am going ... I am joining the team at Le Rucher Ministries where I will be a part of their Member Care dept. as a debriefer. I will work with other team members in working with missionaries who come from all over the world who want to talk with someone who's 'been there'. I count it a privilege and an honor to be a part of a ministry that invests in the lives of missionaries; those that are out in the field giving of their lives to further the Kingdom of God.

Cessy is located just over the Swiss border about 15 minutes from the Geneva airport, so if you are ever 'passing through', be sure and look me up!