Joyfully, Julie

Spoken

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 08:35:00 +0000

“Suffering, to be broken, must be spoken.” - Mark Forrest

Mark said this during an Easter Sunday sermon. He was talking about the two on the road to Emmaus, how Jesus acted as if he didn’t know why they were sad, giving them opportunity to speak of their grief and sadness. Basically, God knows that we need to talk about our suffering in order for that suffering to heal or to be relieved. We hear this often in counseling that we need to speak about what is hurting us or what we’ve been through. Talking about it brings healing.

That thought stuck with me, and I’ve been mulling it over and over. I’ve always been a “stuffer.” For years, during my mother’s illness, I would just push down the pain, the hurt, and the confusion of what was going on in our family. It took years for healing to take place, but I first had to voice the suffering! I had to talk about the pain of losing mom, the pain of grieving for years and years, the pain of not understanding the many “whys.” I had to get beyond stuffing to talking!

I think many people are this way. We try to ignore or deny suffering, or at least put a positive spin on it. I recently read a blog about the very harmful words “at least.” Sometimes others say that to try to comfort us in a loss, but we also use those words ourselves to avoid acknowledging suffering in our lives. We will suffer! This world is broken, and we will suffer! But here’s where the spoken Word comes in.

Logos. The Word made flesh. Jesus. He speaks to us, calling us to acknowledge our pain and sin and hurt. “Come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened…” (Matt 11:28). He invites us, but we have to speak up and say, “Me! I’m weary! I’m heavy burdened!” And He will give us rest. He, the Man of Sorrows, the Suffering Servant. The one who became flesh to experience suffering. He speaks to our condition, but calls us to repentance. That involves us saying that we acknowledge our sin, our pain, and calling out to Him for forgiveness and transformation. This is where we are changed for eternity! Does it make all of the pain and hurt disappear? No. It is still there. But it is being carried by the One who knows, the one who loves us more than anyone. The suffering is broken. It is now being shared, carried by another, the only One who can fully carry it and offer the hope of heaven where there is no more suffering!

Coming to Him, sharing with Him, speaking to Him, confessing to Him will break the bondage of sin and suffering. “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Romans 10:9-10. I think this goes beyond initial salvation. For me, it is a daily crying out to Him, talking with Him, having that relationship with my Savior, my Lord, the one who broke the power of sin and death through His death and resurrection!! As I daily confess that Jesus is Lord and believe, daily, that God raised Him from the dead, I trust Him to carry my burdens, and that breaks the power of my suffering. I know that He is greater! And I know that the brokenness of this world will not endure. But His love for me will. And I can take another step forward. In joy.

Cold, dark, snowy... then sunshine.

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 16:10:00 +0000

I took this picture out at camp 10 days ago. When we arrived in Serbia the week before that, we were tired, jet-lagged, grieving, missing family, and cold. Winter can be gloomy, dark, and cold. Not exactly conditions that pull you outside. I just wanted to hunker down under the covers. It was good to be back in our home and in our bed, but it was hard. We had said goodbye to our sons, our daughter-in-law, and our grandson. We said goodbye to our parents and siblings and nieces and nephews. We've done this for the past 15 years. This time it was much more difficult.

The day after I took that picture, the sun came out. And stayed out for many days. It was still difficult to get going, but there was a pull to go outside. The sunshine pulled me outside. The sunshine pulled me to visit with friends, to go around town, to engage. It wasn't the sunshine. It was the Lord gently lifting me and carrying me. Just as there is rain and snow, just as there is winter, there will be sunshine and there will be spring. Does it cancel out the winter? No. Things are changed forever. But there is hope. There is hope. And there is new growth. There is resurrection. What seemed completely dark and hopeless will burst forth with new life! I've been meditating on Lamentations 3 (take a few minutes to read it here). I keep settling on these verses:

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'” Lamentations 3:21-24.

He is faithful. He is faithful. We can trust Him. You can trust Him.

A few days after the sunshine, the rain returned. On Monday I was overwhelmed with sadness and grief. I cried all day long. And you know what? The Lord was with me as I cried. With me as I was curled up in a ball. As I talked with my sister who was feeling the same way. As we cried to the Lord for our precious brother, sister-in-law, nieces and our parents. I kept thinking, "I'm just the aunt. How am I so overcome with grief? How much more the immediate family is grieving? Am I being selfish? Unreasonable?" I would say that none of this is "reasonable." None of this is imaginable. All of this is horrible. And we are all affected deeply.

But He is faithful. He is faithful. We can trust Him. You can trust Him. I will trust Him.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.

Massage

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 20:16:00 +0000

Went and got a massage today. Ahhhhhh. Nothing like an hour of relaxation. But the mood got off to an interesting start. Right outside the room where I was getting the massage, we heard an older woman say, "I need help getting my support hose off! I got them down to my ankles, but can't get them off my feet!" Oh, y'all, this is and will totally be me!! Thankfully someone came to her aid so she could get a nice massage, too. Do you ever have days like that? I sure do!

She went on to say that she has a thingee at home to help her get them on, but didn't have it to help get them off. Sometimes we can get part of the way on our own or with a little help, but sometimes we need to ask for help from others.

I pray that if my support hose gets stuck, I will ask for help. If yours get stuck, I'll help you! And we'll both call on the Lord to help us! And we'll laugh and be filled with joy!

A little close for comfort...

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 16:22:00 +0000

I've been having some back problems. Really more of an arm problem, but Karl and the physical therapist seem to think it's a pinched nerve in my back. (I will see a doctor on Thursday to verify what the problem is.) So, I've been going to PT the past few days where I have laser therapy, ultrasound therapy, and massage therapy. Yep, I sit in the massage chair and have an amazing massage for about half an hour. All for about $12! You won't get any complaints here!

The past few days, I've been the only one in the office. No complaints here. Mirela and I talk, I get the wonderful therapy, and I am on my way back home. Today, Christmas Eve, it was a zoo in the office! Lots of people were in and out, some getting therapy, some asking questions, some making appointments. This would all normally be fine. Except for one thing - I don't have a shirt on!

I'm sitting in the chair with my chest on the padded section of the chair, so it's not like I'm hanging out all over the place. But, still. I have no shirt on and my bra is unhooked. I know, that's how it has to be to get a massage. And I normally don't have a problem with it. Like I said, I've had massages for years here, and I know the routine! I know there is much less privacy here; that's the way it is in Eastern Europe. My modest self still cringes at times, but I've pretty much learned to deal with it.

Like I said, I was just sitting in the chair, with my face in the "donut" part of the chair with my eyes closed. I'm hearing people go in and out, trying not to let it bother me. All of a sudden, I hear the therapist tell "Filip" to lie down on the table. This is a table about 3 feet from me. I recall this little folding screen set up between me and the table, but I'm still a little unsure. I hear one therapist get him set up with whatever therapy he is having while my therapist finishes with me. She helps me hook my bra back, then I sit up. I look to my right, and there is this young man, probably about 17 years old, lying on the table. I didn't even look over at him long enough to see if he looked over at me. I just quickly grab my shirt and put it back on and left as quickly as I could. There goes the feeling of "I thought I have acclimated to this place!"

I just might need another massage after this....

Playground!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 10:32:00 +0000

I know some of you aren't on Facebook, so here are some recent pics of the playground going in at camp! It has taken several days to get it all together.

Karl has worked so hard! He still has to attach the slides, but has to get bolts for them. We can't wait for the kids to play on it!! We are so grateful to all who contributed to get the playground and everything else here!!

Two Week "Break"

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 11:02:00 +0000

Well, we've been here a couple weeks now. One camp has already ended. We have a two-week "break" before the next camp starts. One week of that is already gone, and we have been busy every day from the crack of dawn until almost midnight each day. Next week will be busy as well with a volunteer group staying here and trying to get our visa stuff all turned in. Then we will pick up the Sowell family to start up the first of seven weeks in a row of camps! Ok, deep breath, one day at a time!

Most of what we've done this week involves cleaning, organizing and repairing things at camp. Karl has had to change several faucets because they just break off in your hand! Quality is not the best here. But we do the best we can. Certainly reminds me of how everything in this world is just temporary and falling apart, longing for creation to be redeemed. And as my body continues to fall apart, I am so thankful that the Lord is renewing my soul each day and fitting me to be with Him one day! Aren't you?

Thanks for your prayers! I'll try to get some pictures uploaded soon. Back to cleaning...! :)

Back to Blogging!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 18:30:00 +0000

A year since my last post. Wow. That will change, starting now! :)

Before I go on, I need to ask you to please stop reading this and pray, pray, pray for the container to arrive here THIS WEEK for us to pack up all of the donations to be sent to Serbia! Karl flies out on Sunday! He needs to be here to pack the container!! Please pray!! Thanks!

This past year I have been teaching Geometry to (mostly) sophomores at Granbury High School. Go, Pirates! It was an amazing year, eye-opening, fun, and exhausting! I loved the experience, my fellow teachers and my students, even when they drove me bonkers. I pray that I was able to make a difference in the lives of my students.

Last week was quite a week. Let's just say that we can PLAN our lives, but REALITY is often quite different. Here's what I mean:

Monday: PLAN: Final teacher work day, go to College Station with Scott for New Student Orientation, stay in the dorm.
                REALITY: Final teacher work day, A&M Housing Dept had no record of our reservation, scramble to find housing at the last moment.

Tuesday: PLAN: Enjoy New Student Orientation with Scott.
                REALITY: Wake up with laryngitis, suck on a cough drop and break a crown on my back molar. Still did enjoy orientation, but my sandals rubbed my feet raw, and I forgot how hot it can be walking around the A&M campus in June.

Wednesday: PLAN: Continue to enjoy New Student Orientation with Scott.
                 REALITY: On the phone back and forth to get a dentist appointment, calculating how much college is going to cost, changing plans to go to Katy instead of back to Granbury, walking more in the Texas heat. Excited about Scott's classes for the fall!

Thursday: PLAN: Go to dentist and have crown fixed. Pick up donations and go back to Granbury.
                REALITY: Go to dentist, get told that the tooth will have to be taken out by an oral surgeon, have teeth cleaned (=be yelled at for the tartar buildup). Have migraine headache and vomit in the parking lot of the oral surgeon's office, causing the dr to think I'm having a stroke. Go to urgent care center, get shot of Phenergan, sleep for about 14 hours. Send Scott to pick up donations.

Friday: PLAN B BECAUSE PLAN A FAILED: Second try to get tooth pulled.
               REALITY: Have tooth pulled and sleep for hours on end with the help of the pain killers from the oral surgeon.

Good thing that the Lord is Sovereign and that He is on His throne! Now back to my soft foods....

Recent pics

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 22:17:00 +0000

Here are some pics from the past couple of months:

(To see pictures from Kurt and Macy's wedding, go here)

Kurt and Macy's graduation from Ouachita Baptist University:

Photos of the hail that accompanied the tornadoes that hit Granbury in May.

Working on cars is a familiar sight in our driveway. I'm so thankful for Karl's ability and talents!

This is my dear friend Natacha. She is from France, and I am teaching her English.

And, as I mentioned in the last post, Scott is building his own computer!

Be sure to check out pictures of my garden! I am so thankful for the abundant harvest that has begun!

Well, that's a peek into our lives over the past couple of months. JOY!

Summer update

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 19:43:00 +0000

Well, I knew it would be a long time between posts. And a lot has been going on! We moved back to Texas, taking a leave of absence for probably two years. We have settled in Granbury, TX for the time being, staying at a wonderful mission house with Lakeside Baptist Church. We are so very thankful.

Since we are on leave of absence, we do not receive support. So, Karl has had a couple of jobs, the most recent being on the grounds crew of Granbury ISD. He thought he would get a job at a nearby camp, but that fell through. We were very disappointed about that. But later that evening, tornadoes hit Granbury, and we began to wonder what God was doing.

I substitute taught all spring, mostly at Granbury High School. In March, Karl and I, after much prayer and discussion, decided that I should go for my teaching certificate. At the beginning of this month, I was hired to teach math at Granbury High School this next school year! At the end of the year, I will be a certified teacher! And I will receive full salary and benefits! Again, we marveled at what God was laying out for us.

Karl has been wanting to get back to ministering and serving people. When the camp job didn't pan out, we prayed for God to show us what He wanted. And after the tornado hit, we realized that Karl could be part of helping to rebuild homes. With my teaching salary, he is freed up to volunteer and spend time with people again! We look forward to how God will use him!

But first, Karl is going to Serbia. Yep, he leaves on Saturday to spend a month back in Serbia helping lead volunteer teams and working at the camp!! We are so thrilled! And I will join him July 17th. (We'll get back August 2nd). We are so grateful for this opportunity to return "home" for a little while to see friends and serve even for a short time. We know that God wants us here in Texas right now. But we can't deny that we are so excited about spending some time back in Serbia. :)

A lot has been going on with the kids, too! Kurt and Macy got married! The wedding was so beautiful!! We are so thankful for our new daughter-in-love! Kurt is busy with his job working with children and working on his master's degree. Macy is working at a retail store where her customers just love her, but is looking for a job more along the lines of her degree. Please pray for Kurt and Macy as they begin their lives together as husband and wife!

Kelli finished her second year of college and changed her major to Art (which would make her high school art teachers very happy!)! She loves her art classes! She was on the Tarleton Equestrian Team last year, competing in several events, and is excited about competing again this coming fall. She has a couple of jobs this summer. One is at a barn where she mucks stalls, feeds animals and does other ranch duties. The other is making "bling for horses and people" at Rodeo Drive Conchos in Stephenville. She is really excited about this new job, and we are thrilled for her!! She loves to make jewelry, and the pay is great!

Scott will start his senior year in high school this fall!! Amazing!! He is Mr. Smarty Pants. :) He is being tutored this summer in physics by a particle physicist who works for NASA! He is really enjoying it, and Dr. Morris is impressed by how quickly Scott learns. Scott wants to go to Rice University. And we just found out last night that he got a 33 on his ACT!!! We're so proud of him! He got a job at Chick-Fil-A and is earning money to build his own computer. He has been using his allowance money and lawn mowing earnings to buy parts so far, and got it running recently! He has more parts to buy still and is thankful for this job opportunity!

Ok, enough bragging about our family. :) I love each one so much, and am so thankful for all that God is doing in each of our lives. Life is messy, but we have the Lord and each other to get through it. And that gives me such joy!

Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:03:00 +0000

We are back in Texas now, so I have a feeling that this blog will remain lifeless for long stretches. I have been amazed at how busy life is here. In the month that we've been here, we've driven a couple thousand miles, Karl has replaced two transmissions and repaired Kelli's car and his parents' car, we bought a used car, Karl has done several repair projects in three different houses, we looked for and found housing, we went to Brownsville for Karl's uncle's funeral, we visited friends and family in Houston and San Antonio, we've done some much needed shopping, and Karl has begun the job hunt. Our lives have taken a major detour from our road map, but we have switched maps and are following this new one that the Lord has given us!

We are amazed by the Lord's continual provision and hand on all that is going on. We praise Him!

If you don't see anything new on here for a while, just know that I'm busy living our Texas life. And continuing to be joyful about it!

Aches and Pains

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 09:09:00 +0000

Karl has a pinched nerve in his neck. And it's a pain in the neck for me, too! :) He's been in pain for almost three weeks now. He's seen several doctors, but none has been able to alleviate the pain! He's had an ultrasound, massage, laser therapy, freezing therapy, electric shock therapy, ultraviolet ray therapy, medicines, and more. The latest doctor says it is degeneration in the vertebrae in his neck, with two bones touching. Now he has to wear a neck brace to try to help, as well as to continue with therapy. I went by his physical therapist yesterday to reschedule his appointment, and they had a poster on the wall saying they were certified to do a "hot chocolate therapy" where they pour hot chocolate on your back. Maybe he should try that!!

When I googled "Hot Chocolate Body Treatments," there were over 3 million results. This is the new thing at spas, apparently. All of the goodness, none of the guilt? (Although I really never feel guilt when I eat chocolate!) I'm just not too sure about having chocolate poured over me. I can't stand it when I get a little on my chin or leave a little smudge around my mouth! I can't imagine having it on my back. Hmmmm....

And Scott has been fighting ear infections over the past week. I took him to the doctor on Monday, and he immediately began the standard treatment of penicillin injections every day for five days. Fun! What's even more fun is the entire process. We went to a private doctor, but he sent us to the public health clinic for them to give Scott the shots. First, we had to go to the pharmacy to buy the penicillin and other meds. Then we went to the clinic. Thankfully, our friends Nena and Jovana were with us. Nena used to be a nurse, so we were hoping that she would be able to navigate the system better. It's not a problem for adults - Karl had the same thing earlier in the summer and had no problems. But when kids are involved - different story. So, we went to the main office, they sent us to the children's building. After explaining over and over that we had gone to a private clinic and needed someone to administer the shots, they sent Nena to the DENTIST office to pay a fee. Why the dentist office is involved in this, I have no idea. It's not really the dentist, though, it's just the name of the office that is in charge of the billing for all of the medical procedures including dentistry. So, she paid for that, and Scott got his first day's shots. What was really funny was the nurse who was giving the shot talked nonstop and hardly even looked at Scott's rear when she gave him the shots - just stick and go! But on the third day, Scott had a different nurse who asked him a million times "Does it hurt? Does it hurt?" and gave him the shots slower than anything I've ever seen before. She stuck the needle in then took about a minute to inject the medicine, all the while asking him if it hurt. I wanted to reach over and just finish giving him the shots! Ironically, Scott said that those hurt the worst! Thankfully, the last two days we were back to the fastest shot in the west! :) And on the last day, I had to do more running to the dentist office to pay another fee, so I wasn't with Scott when he had his last injections. Unfortunately, Scott didn't hold the gauze on the spots long enough after the shots, so when we were ready to go, he realized that he had two big blood stains on the bottom of his shirt, one on each side! Well, battle wounds, I guess.

Unfortunately, the penicillin didn't help. We went back to the doctor for a follow-up, and he still has infected ears as well as a cyst in the canal. We were sent to a specialist at the hospital. Scott is leaving for Germany on Monday (flying!), so the doctor didn't have time to really do any treatment. He gave Scott a prescription for antibiotic ear drops and told him to see a doctor in Germany. So, that's the plan for now. Please pray for healing before Monday! Please pray for no pain during the flight. And please pray for good treatment in Germany. Thanks!

I had an enlarged thyroid (and all the symptoms of hyperthyroidism) as well, but, thankfully, my bloodwork came back fine, so the doctor thinks it was just an infection and will just watch it over the next few months. I'm already feeling better. And so we go on. And I may just have to check out that hot chocolate body treatment after all of this is over...

Busy summer...

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:05:00 +0000

So it's been over a month since my last post. Well, I've been a bit busy! Busy enjoying my kids, traveling, working, playing, etc.! Here are a few pics of the last month:

When Kurt and Macy arrived, we had some friends over (including Ziza, pictured)

Scott got out his remote controlled helicopter that Kurt brought for him. (Thanks, again, Kurt!)

Scott made a cool domino track. Fun watching it all fall!

Made a cherry pie and enjoyed just being all together around the table!

Went to Budva, Montenegro, our favorite seaside place. Even took our summer intern with us!

Got to swim in a cave while in Montenegro! So much fun!

Family pic (plus Griffin) in front of Sveti Stefan, Montenegro.

Went to Kosidba na Rajcu - grass cutting festival that we enjoy going to each year.

Went to Philippi in Greece. Got to see the place where Paul and Silas were imprisoned (according to tradition).

Went to Delphi (one of our favorite ancient sites)!

It's been a great summer! I am full of joy!!!!

Blogging in my head

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:46:00 +0000

Wish you could see the posts that I've blogged in my head over the past week or so. They'd include such topics as:

Commercial dishwasher installation at camp...

Goofing off with Griffin....

Friends and ping-pong tournament....

Amy's birthday celebration and Cirque du Soleil (but no pics allowed!)....

In the midst of it all, we've been battling the heat and mosquitos. Hopefully the mosquito battle is over now that I got screens put up on the windows! :) Busy, fun times. Gotta love summer!

The days after "Yesterday"

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:29:00 +0000

Ok, so I really need to start my posts with "recently" instead of "yesterday." It's been quite a few "yesterdays" since my last post. Since Madrid, we've done a ton of work at camp, our summer college intern arrived, I went to London to see my sister and her family on their way to South Africa, Kelli and Scott arrived, and we did more work at camp!

Guess the real theme for the past few days, weeks, months has been all the work at camp. It looks so great! There's a new bunkhouse, a new-to-camp commercial dishwasher, and so much more! We are so thankful that the dishwasher works - it will be such a blessing during camps this summer!! Thank you, Lord!

Please pray for the camps - 8 weeks this summer. Pray for all who will attend, that the Lord will speak to each one. Pray for the teachers, staff, and campers. Pray for safety.

I'll update again soon. I'm exhausted from long days working at camp....

Madrid

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Sat, 26 May 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Yesterday I returned from a trip to Madrid for a language coach training. We learned PILAT, which is a very effective way of learning a language. In fact, we learned quite a bit of French in just two days! It's so great to be able to say, "Hier je suis allé à la banque en bateau" (Yesterday I went to the bank by boat.) :) Actually, we learned pronouns, four rooms of a house, four locations, four action verbs (present and past tense), three modes of transportation, and times (last night, yesterday, the day before yesterday). All in two days. I look forward to teaching this method to others in the future! It works!

While we were in Mardrid, our wonderful hosts, Dwight and Mara, took us to see the sights around Madrid. We spent one evening in their town, Alcala, where Cervantes was born. As an English major who spent a lot of time reading and analyzing Don Quixote, I was excited to be there! Here I am with the chivalrous windmill slayer!

Here's a pic of us in the plaza in Alcala near the statue of Cervantes.

Another evening we went to visit other places around their town, including seeing the world's smallest bullfighting ring. Then we went to a place called Europa Park that is a lovely park full of replicas of famous landmarks found in cities across Europe. We saw the Eiffel Tower, the London Bridge, the Brandenburg Gate, and Michelangelo's David. Click here to read more about this great park.

Thursday evening we went into Madrid. We walked around the Plaza Mayor, had dinner in a quaint restaurant, walked around the Puerta del Sol, then went to the Chocolateria San Gines and enjoyed dipping the delicious churros in hot chocolate. Yummy!

Training and tourism! Great match! Most of all, I enjoyed the fellowship of friends and colleagues. Came home full of joy!

Catching Up

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:59:00 +0000

The busyness continues....

Karl had a group of volunteers out at camp last week, and they were able to complete the roof on the bunkhouse (two-room building for bunkbeds). It was a lot of work, but looks fantastic!

I was busy during the week with reports, budgets, seeing friends, meetings, house stuff, and I don't remember what else! All I know is that I fell asleep quite quickly each night.

On Friday I went to Sofia, Bulgaria to meet with some colleagues. I had a great time visiting with them, talking about language learning, and just laughing together! We all went to the Sofia zoo on Saturday and had a blast! It's huge - 89 acres - and has everything you would expect at a zoo. We enjoyed the sunshine, the animals, and the fellowship. Then we went to Ikea for lunch and shopping. That evening I had dinner at the mall food court with my dear friend, Glenda. What an encouragement it was to spend time with her! I'm so thankful for my friends!!

I headed back home on Sunday after a late night of talking. Karl picked me up and took me to a late lunch. We realized sometime during the lunch that it was Mother's Day. We had both forgotten. That's what happens without all of the marketing around! :) We went home, and all of the conditions were right for a good Sunday nap - rainy weather, Sunday, Mother's Day, just returning from a 7 hour bus trip, etc. I fell sound asleep. Kurt and Kelli called about 10 minutes after I had fallen asleep to wish me a Happy Mother's Day. Thankfully, they agreed to call back later that evening! :) I ended up taking a 3 hour nap! At 7pm, we figured it would be best to get up for a few hours before going back to sleep for the night. We talked with Kelli again, got an email from Scott and ended the day.

The adventures continue! I'm so grateful for family, friends, and my Lord who give me JOY!

A Getaway

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:35:00 +0000

The past month was very busy, especially for Karl. He was working so hard at camp - renovating the mlekara (milk shed), leveling the field, and tearing down one of the buildings and helping to rebuild it. Lots of physical work, along with meeting with suppliers, vendors, laborers and neighbors. Add to this Bible studies, time with Scott when he was home on Spring Break, and other times with friends. And somewhere in there, he had administrative stuff and car maintenance stuff (changing winter tires to summer tires, getting a flat fixed, buying a new tire because I hit a stump and it blew, getting the car washed, changing the shocks on the car, etc.). We also had two trips to Belgrade - one to take Scott to the airport to go back to Germany and one for a team meeting. Are you tired yet?

So, on Monday, Karl saw that Tuesday was a holiday (May Day), so he wanted to take a break! He called me about 10:30 and said that we were going away for two nights! We went to Sarajevo, about 4 hours away from us. We found a hotel when we got there - Hotel Hollywood (complete with James Dean poster in our room). We slept late on Tuesday. I'm not sure the last time that Karl slept later than 7am; he's always up by around 6. Then we went to the waterpark that was right by the hotel. So relaxing and enjoyable! The temp outside was in the 80s, so it was perfect! Unfortunately, we both got sunburned (forgot the sunscreen in the car and were just too lazy to go back to get it!). But, we had a great time! Around 2 we decided we just wanted to take a nap, so we went back to the hotel and slept for a couple of hours. We really needed to just sleep! I'm so glad that Karl was able to really rest.

That evening we went into Sarajevo to meet some friends for ice cream. It was so great to walk around the old town with them, seeing historical sites such as the Latin Bridge where Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated, which started WWI. Although we've been to Sarajevo several times, we've never gone by that site. But certainly the best part was the time with our friends!

Wednesday morning, we got up and started the trip home. We stopped in Visegrad to see the Bridge on the Drina. This bridge was built in the 1570s and is beautiful! Then we went on to Mokra Gora where we rode the train up the mountain on the Sargan 8 (you'll have to look it up! It's really cool!). We had a really great time, enjoying the beauty of the day. To see pictures of our trip, click here.

We got home about 5:30pm, and, well, the world hit again! Work was put off for a day or two, but it has to be done! Karl has supplies to get to get the building roofed, we have reports due, we have people to see, things to do! But we are so grateful that we had the time to get away for May Day! It certainly brought us joy!

Sympathy Funk!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:40:00 +0000

The past few days have not been the best. I've been in this funk - near tears, exhausted, even having a migraine headache yesterday. Not been a fun start to the week to say the least.

After talking with the kiddos, I think I've figured it out! I'm in a sympathy funk! Yep, I am feeling the funk that my kids are feeling. It's the end of the school year, and they are sick of school! I remember that, which is maybe why I've slipped into this yuck of not wanting to do anything, getting frustrated by the smallest thing, etc. Just a theory.

Recently I saw a video about emotions. The lady was talking about how good emotions are because they are signals to our bodies for different reasons. She said that when we are sad, our bodies are telling us that we need to take a break, to slow down. That really resonated with me since Monday I was just sad and couldn't figure out why. Last week was a very busy and packed week for me including lots of travel, stressful situations, physically demanding times, emotionally difficult moments, and more. My body was exhausted, and it came out as sadness. On Tuesday, that turned into a migraine headache. So what did I do? I slept. And slept. And rested.

And the sun is coming out again. My kids will finish school, and we'll have a great time together this summer! My week is not so busy this week, so I have the opportunity to rest and re-energize. And I'm giving thanks.

Language Exam

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 07:33:00 +0000

On Wednesday, I went to Belgrade to take a language exam. It was suggested to me to do this to not only get an assessment of my proficiency, but also to evaluate the system that we are using.

I went with great trepidation because it had been more than five years since my last exam. And that last exam was only an oral exam, not written! I wasn't nervous about the spoken part - I speak every day and feel pretty confident, even though I know I make mistakes. But a written test, focused on grammar? Not so confident.

The people at the language school were wonderful! It was really cool to learn that one man is an Aggie, too! And it was good to see others whom I met in other places, but who now work there. Everyone was very friendly, and we had a great time just talking.

Then it was time for the exam. I went in the room with Mila, whom I have heard so much about since she is the teacher for several of my teammates. She's wonderful! We had a great time talking, laughing, and getting to know one another. That was the easy part of the test! :) She then handed me the written part. Which was more difficult. Why didn't I study more? I think if I had been taking classes, it would've been much easier, but it's been so long since I studied grammar. I just speak it!

Well, I scored 80% on my written test for Level 8 (out of 10), so I was extremely pleased! I'll take that any day! It's over, and for that I am very thankful. I was also so pleased with the entire process for evaluation and believe that they are very knowledgeable about assessing language proficiency. So we will continue to use their services.

Hooray!

Going to Dad's House

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:05:00 +0000

I recently had a dream.

I was at my Dad's house (but it didn't look a thing like my Dad's house). Karl and Scott were with me. There was a knock on the door, and a group of young people stood on the porch. They said they came to help, as we requested. So, we let them in. We were talking and getting to know them. They sat in chairs and talked, talked, talked, all the while looking at their own belongings. Occasionally, one would hop out of their chair and run to something in the room, squealing and pointing and talking about how that looked like something from their home. Then, they all started roughhousing and playing games with each other. One of the girls opened a large door to run in and hide. It was a cabinet that was full of delicate crystal and other breakables. The girl just tromped through, breaking things along the way. She came out, giggling, but also apologizing. I looked in and saw some of my Mom's antiques and fragile belongings. I went to begin cleaning it all up, with tears in my eyes, not for the physical loss, but for the loss of something that belonged to my Mom, who died years ago. The girl was already on the other side of the room, laughing and talking with someone else. Dad just silently helped clean it up with tears in his eyes.

Then, we offered them something to eat. They quickly gobbled up all that we had and asked for more. We had to tell them that this was all that we had, but that we were working on getting more. We told them of things that they could help us do around the house. They got started on some jobs, but then asked why Dad had some things like he did, why he didn't have more of this or less of that. They asked why the house wasn't like houses where they lived. They quickly lost interest in the jobs they were doing, and only half-completed the work.

Then I woke up.

It was a strange dream, and really made me sad. Right before going to sleep, I had been working on updating our volunteer orientation manual.

It makes me sad to think that there are sometimes teams that go to areas and do more damage than good. We've only had that experience a couple of times in eleven years. But it does happen. Unless we are servants wherever we go. Unless we think more about the people, culture, and history of the place than we do about ourselves. Unless we strive to show genuine love. Love, which means thinking more about someone else than we do about ourselves. Love and respect. Respecting God's house - which is not a church, but all of the people on the earth, their countries, their histories. And what God is already doing in and among them.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:37:00 +0000

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father.
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou has been, thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see!
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own great presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

Thomas Chisolm (1866-1960)

Tired...

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:10:00 +0000

I'm tired...

March was a really busy month. Between volunteers, conference in Budapest (along with more than 12 hours of travel each way), normal every day stuff, I'm tired...

And Karl, the Energizer Bunny, just keeps going and going. Ok, he did crash last night around 5:30 when he got home. Thankfully, Scott is home and is helping him work.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to catch up on computer work - reports, letters, translations, updates, etc. Then I really need to catch up on cleaning, laundry, cooking, etc.

Think it'll be an early night tonight. Praying for energy to make it until a decent bedtime. 6:30 pm is just too early....even for me.

Language Coach Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:28:00 +0000

Last week I had the privilege of being among some amazing people - language coaches! We were in the presence of greatness at this conference - Lonna Dickerson from the ICCT at Wheaton College, David Broersma, also of ICCT, and my supervisor, Sarah Perkins. All three have extensive knowledge, wisdom and experience with helping others to learn languages. Not only was it a great conference with tons of helpful info, but it was also very interactive as we were all sharing ideas for helping our colleagues learn language. One thing is very clear - learning a second (or third, fourth...) language is one of the most difficult things that one can ever do!!! It is hard!!! And anyone who says it isn't is lying!!! :)

One thing that was discussed was the difference between training and education for our learners. We want our learners to understand that we can train them to do certain things, but that they must "buy into" the "why" behind learning language if they want to experience success. That "why" keeps you going when it gets so hard, when you struggle to remember that word or phrase, when you feel like throwing in the towel. To help us understand the difference between training in learning a language and getting an education in the "why" of it is best illustrated by this video (enjoy!):

Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:43:00 +0000

Mom and I

Twenty-one years ago today, I was sitting beside my mom's bed with my Aunt Virginia, holding my mom's hand, telling her that it was OK for her to go on to Jesus. That memory is burned into my head. I watched her breathing slow down until she just didn't take another breath. Aunt Virginia and I looked at the hospice nurse, who just nodded her head. Mom was gone.

It was all so peaceful. Earlier in the day, a couple of friends had come over to say goodbye to Mom, including our dear friend Herb Fortenberry, who sang some of Mom's favorite songs. Dad had been there, but not knowing how long Mom would be with us, left to go to the radio station to make some broadcasts. I really believe that Mom waited until he left before she could completely let go. Their love was so strong. She just couldn't leave him.

Mom had been sick for 18 years with Cushing's Disease. It took almost five years of suffering before she even got a diagnosis. Once she had that, she underwent treatment at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, including brain surgery and experimental treatments for this incurable disease. We are so grateful for the incredible care that she received there. Because of what they learned from Mom's case, Cushing's Disease is completely treatable today.

In 1982, my sister and I were Christmas shopping with her when she suffered a major stroke. I was 12 and Rach was 10. We were terribly frightened. The stroke left Mom paralyzed on her left side. For the next 8 years, Mom's sidekicks were Esmeralda (her wheelchair) and Fred (her walker). Through all of the difficult times, humor and God's grace kept us going.

I'll never forget the incredible love poured on our family by our church family. Meals, visits, special outings for us kids, prayers, and so much more became the norm. This is what the body of Christ is all about. They carried us during those years.

The ache is still there. The hole is still there. But there is hope! Because of Jesus, I know I will see Mom again. We will run and laugh and hug and sing and praise God together!

Dad, Mark, Rach, Virginia, Don, Val and Gayle - I love you. Thinking of you today, too. I'm so thankful for our family.

Guitar - a little pain, a little praise

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:28:00 +0000

I have wanted to learn to play the guitar for years. My brother plays so well, and I always admired that. I have so many Serb friends who know how to play, and I've always admired that. So, last week, I pulled out our guitar. Enough admiring - time to learn to play!

I found a website that taught me to tune the guitar, including a cool app that gave each note. Easy! So, I successfully managed to tune the guitar. Then I found a website for basic lessons. Here we go! I copied what the teacher did, and then tears began forming in my eye s as my fingers burned in pain!! Our guitar has metal strings, not nylon, so they dig into the skin on my fingers!!!! OUCH!

Well, I've kept with it, trying to play for 15 minutes a day at least. That was pure torture the first few days, but now I can play for 15 minutes without stopping much, and I do that several times a day. It does still hurt, but it is getting better. Thankfully!! I know that those callouses will form, and it won't hurt, eventually, but I'm not quite there yet. But, I am persevering! :)

I've found a couple of songs to practice: "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and "He is Lord." These songs have 3 chords - D, A and G, so I work on those. In the next couple of days I'll learn a few more chords and find songs with those notes. I find practice much easier when I'm playing an actual song instead of just playing random chords. The practice time goes by much faster if I play and sing!

Wish me luck! Maybe in a few weeks we'll be able to sing some praise songs in house church accompanied by guitar!! :)