Home

“Home, the spot of earth supremely blest,

A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.”

~Robert Montgomery

Making a home for those around me is something that brings a great deal of joy, and as a woman, is a God-given calling. I love creating a restful haven that is a refuge for those around me. I want my home to be a place that joyfully receives all who walk through the door, that ministers healing to the weary and hurting, that brings encouragement and strength and refreshment to those who need it. I want my home to be a place filled with laughter and joy. If you could peek in the window on a Sunday night, you’d find a diverse and fun group of 20-somethings, all in Cairo for different reasons, crowded around a too-small dining room table, laughing and chatting over soup and homemade bread. On a weeknight you might find two friends sharing life over a cup of coffee. Out-of town visitors are piled on sofas and pallets on the floor when there aren’t enough beds to go around. A Friday night might bring a crowd of teenage girls, pizza, and a movie. If you drop by for an hour or a few, there will be fresh-baked cookies (isn’t it lovely that cookie dough keeps so nicely in the freezer?) and coffee in the kitchen. But in the middle of creating a place of rest and renewal, I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that this home is only temporary.

“I will go and let this journey be my home” ~ Steve Green

As a 16 year old, I traveled to Spain and spent a month in a tiny pueblo called Casillas, among the hills and fields of flaming red poppies of western Spain. I wrote about that experience in a college entrance essay entitled “You can never go home again” In it, I shared how my definition of home had changed, broadened, and deepened through that month spent with the beautiful people of Casillas. Nine years, four languages, five continents, and eleven countries later, my definition of home continues to evolve. I enjoy using this small fourth floor apartment to bless others, but this house is not my true home.How easy it is to fix our eyes on the temporal, to become focused on the urgency of the present. Yet as “strangers and pilgrims” we are called to fix our eyes on Jesus, to understand that we are just passing through this world, and to live in the reality of the unseen, the eternal. We are called to let this journey be our home. So even as I seek to create home for those around me, I rejoice in knowing that “home” means to abide in Christ, and that in Him, wherever he takes me on this journey called life will be “home.”

Lessons Learned: Success and Faithfulness

"Be self-reliant and your success is assured." ~ Anonymous

As I read the above words, I was reminded of how much our world values success. Everyone wants to be successful. From the CEOs of the Fortune 500 companies to the college student pulling all-nighters before exams to the ultra-marathoner who ran 490 miles in six days, we want to be successful. I want to be successful. I appreciate diligence, discipline, and determination. I respect hard work. I look up to people who set goals and go after them. It's ingrained in my nature. According to my DiSC profile, my Behavior Style Profile Pattern is "Results-Oriented." The analysis of my profile says that I "like to take action to achieve the results [I] desire." That's pretty on-target. I like to work hard at what I do, to pour time, energy, effort, and creativity into effecting change, achieving results. There is nothing wrong with setting goals and being disciplined to pursue them; as a follower of Jesus, I am called to excellence in what I do. What I am not called to is self-reliance, nor am I called to focus on success for success' sake. Solomon, the wisest man in the history of world, said "What does a man gain by all the work at which he works under the sun? All is vanity!" Solomon understood that hard work solely for the sake of success is meaningless.

If I could summarize the past 7 months of my life into one lesson learned, it would be aptly described by the following statement:

God has not called me to be successful; He has called me to be faithful. ~ Mother Teresa

I want to be successful. I want the time and effort and energy that I pour into my work to have results. I want the things I do to effect change. But as I continue following Jesus, He is teaching me that despite my "result-oriented" nature, the results are up to Him. HE is the one responsible for the "success" of anything I do. "Apart from Him, [I] can do nothing." It is not my responsibility to be successful; it is my responsibility to be faithful. I am not asked to ensure the right results - I am asked to be faithful to use the opportunities given me, to walk through the doors opened for me. I am asked to be faithful to obey and faithful to abide. The rest is up to Him. As I let go of the desire for results, my heart is free to remember that my greatest desire is to be found faithful, and these words become my prayer:

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

May the fire of our devotion light their way

May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe

And the lives we live inspire them to obey

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

Tomorrow will see the start of a training program for school teachers. I've poured time, effort, and energy into this program, and I want it to work - I want to see results. But even as I pray that this time will be a tool to effect change in the lives of children, there is freedom in knowing that the success of this work doesn't depend on me. I am asked to be faithful, and He'll take care of the rest.

"Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses...let us run

with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus."

Rat Trivia

Dear Readers, we now interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you some little known "Of Mice and Men" Trivia.

Did you know.....

1) Rats are master homemakers? They are. Wives, mothers, and any ladies who are seeking to keep a cozy home - take a lesson from the rats. They have an uncanny ability to use whatever is available (newspaper, construction paper, books, etc..) to make a cozy nest for themselves and their rodent kinfolk. Furthermore, they tend to be quite adaptable, with the ability to transform any space into a home - a box, large cushions full of stuffing, a beautiful NorthFace backpack - you name it, and they are happy to chew into it, set up house, and practice hospitality by inviting their friends.

2) Rats excel at living in community with one another? They do. None of this western, overly independent, "I-can-do-life-by-myself" for the rodent species. Nope. Where you find one rat, you WILL find many many many more rats.

3) How the rats get their names? Each rat receives a specially chosen name before he or she makes an appearance. Mickey was our first visitor out at the art centre. After Mickey died, I christened the next visitor "Minnie" - it only seemed appropriate. Once Minnie met her maker, the name Rattigan was chosen, from "The Great Mouse Detective." Phil and Mladen, the two aforementioned visitors from Cyprus, have had some amazing experiences with Rattigan. But more on that later...Of course, in keeping with the "pre-naming" process, I had already named Rattigan's successor "Templeton." And folks, Templeton has made an appearance and met his demise...but again, more on that later. But Templeton's death poses a problem...we have yet to name the next rat! My dear sister, Blaine, decided to help me out...here is her list of options.

"And just so you don't forget, the next rats' names have to be:

Miss Bianca (Rescuers)
Chuck E. Cheese
Fievel (Just thought of that one!)
Gus and Jaq (Cinderella)
Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb (Beatrix Potter!)
Jerry (Tom and Jerry)
Reepicheep
Speedy Gonzales
Stuart Little"

Lovely names, Blaine, but I really struggle with the idea of killing off Miss Bianca (she's so lovely!) and I REFUSE to murder Reepicheep (Chronicles of Narnia...Reepicheep was a HERO! He saved the day!!)

So what do you think, friends? What should we name the next rat? I'm leaning towards Hunca Munca...

Stay tuned for two new episodes of "Of Mice and Men" - coming soon to a blog near you!

Waltzing Matilda

Another surreal Cairo moment: I'm sitting in Caffe Greco, my favorite coffee shop, working on financial statements and sipping a latte. The current weird song? Not Celine Dion, not Leann Rimes, no cheesy pop music...just the unofficial national anthem of Australia - Waltzing Matilda, the most widely know Australian bush ballad. So odd.

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong

Under the shade of a coolabah tree,

And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"

And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong,

Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,

And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"

And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,

Down came the troopers, one, two, three,

"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?"

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"

"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong,

"You'll never take me alive", said he,

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

"Oh, You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

On another note...how did I know the Waltzing Matilda song? Because I was homeschooled, and my mother believes in fun, hands-on education, so when we studied Australia, we ate Australian foods, made aboriginal art, learned about Dingos, and sang Waltzing Matilda til we were blue in the face.

Of Mice and Men: Episode 3 - Phyllis, Milly, and Rattigan

This week I have two amazing visitors from Cyprus: Phyllis and Milly. Don't let those feminine names fool you - they are two super fun 17 yr old boys, and they are working, painting, playing with kids, and overall, being a HUGE blessing. Their names are actually Phil and Mladen, but more on the odd nicknames later. These two chicos decided to brave the R.O.U.S.'s (rodents of unusual size) and sleep out in the art centre. We hadn't seen any furry friends since Minnie (see previous posts for details), so the boys were sure they'd be fine. Until they woke up this morning to fresh rat droppings...then they started to wonder about the wisdom of their choice of lodging. They caught glimpses of their visitor today, but after dinner at Grand Cafe, they decided they could handle it and headed back to the art centre. Upon arrival, they began to regret their choice. I just spoke with Phil on the phone, and the dear boys are currently recording on film their attempts to get Rattigan out of their bedroom and then out of the art centre. I guess I'll have to wait til tomorrow to find out who wins.

Because HE Lives!

My Easter celebration in Cairo was a bit different from our traditional Easter celebration in North Carolina, but it was a lovely day nonetheless. A joyful morning of reflection followed breakfast and Communion shared with a friend. A quiet dinner with friends ended with a time of worship. As we sang one of my favorite hymns, I smiled thinking that my family was probably singing the same one on the other side of the world. How encouraging to know that, because HE lives, we share a bond that neither time nor distance can sever.

God sent his Son; they called Him Jesus.

He came to love, heal, and forgive.

He lived and died to buy my pardon.

An empty grave is there to prove

My Savior lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby

And feel the pride and joy he gives.

But greater still the calm assurance:

This child can face uncertain days

Because He lives!

And then one day I'll cross the river.

I'll fight life's final war with pain.

And then as death gives way to victory

I'll see the lights of glory and

I'll know He lives

Because He lives I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives all fear is gone!

Because I KNOW who holds the future

My life is worth the living just because

He lives!