Desert Song

This is my prayer in the desert

And all that's within me feels dry

This is my prayer in the hunger in me

My God is a God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire

In weakness or trial or pain

There is a faith proved

Of more worth than gold

So refine me Lord through the flames

And I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle

And triumph is still on it's way

I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ

So firm on His promise I'll stand

And I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing

I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest

When favor and providence flow

I know I'm filled to be emptied again

The seed I've received I will sow

Entering His Gates

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.

Ps. 100:4

The burning fury of Cairo's summer may not be good for growing vegetables and flowers, but thanksgiving by thanksgiving, blessing upon counted blessing, gratitude is growing.

Thankful For...

11. Grace, full, free, overwhelming me with undeserved favor. The breeze that invites the leaves to dance, the joy of true forgiveness, the baby, soft in my arms - All is Grace.

12. Laughing, with heads thrown back and smiles abounding and bellies aching and tears coming because we cannot contain the joy.

13. Sunday nights, and soup and salad and homemade bread, and friends, sharing laughter, sharing tears, sharing hearts, sharing lives.

14. Eyes - “Windows to the soul,” someone said. And I think that maybe he was right, and I’m thankful for those windows through which to see the joy, the sorrow, the laughter, the teasing, the understanding, the encouragement, the soul life of another.

15. Flip-flops and flashes of red, smiling at me from my toes. Can toes be happy? I think so.

16. A pair of pearls, creamy pure, set in silver, belonging to Mama, on my finger - a gift to her from my great-grandmother and a reminder to me of the godly women who walked before.

17. Spanish, and the way it rolls off my tongue, soft and fluid, full of feeling, and secret conversations in public because we understand something that they do not.

18. Books, and how within two covers lie a world to be discovered, imagination’s playground, a journey, a grand adventure.

19. The power of a story to shape a soul.

20. The Sweetest Story, and how the One who was spurned by the life He created wrote a story of Redemption so grand and complete, and how He stepped down from His glory and paid the highest price to buy a wife who was a slave and how His life and his death and his perfect love made her a bride most beautiful.

21. Dirty dishes in my sink, because they tell a story of a meal shared, fellowship enjoyed.

22. My Dad, and how he lives Jesus and seeks first the Kingdom because he learned it from his dad, and generations of dads and children, passing on a legacy of following Jesus, of loving Father, of loving

His people, of loving His Word. A legacy of lives lived in the reality of the Kingdom.

23. Carolina Basketball, and the love of the game, and March Madness, and baby blue t-shirts and Tarheel tattoos, and strolling down Franklin St, and lasagna at the Rathskeller, and the Dean Dome electric with the energy of the fans. And how all of these mean family and laughter and memories.

24. An old and dearest friend, and how the hours and the years forged a bond so true that she hears what’s unsaid, sees what’s hidden, loves despite the faults that she knows too well, laughs at the memory that only we share, calls every week, and the cord of life we’ve woven won’t be undone by hours and months and miles and oceans that lie between.

25. Hymns, old and favorite, tapped out on a keyboard, whispered in a prayer, sung soft with a sister, written in an email.

Counting blessings

You Know You Live in Cairo When...

1. You are talking with your friend on Skype and apologize for being scandalous because you are wearing a tank top.

2. You look at the weather report, breathe sigh of relief at the cooler weather (only 107 degrees today), and put on a long sleeve shirt and long pants because you know you'll be cold sitting in the coffee shop (and I did and I am and I wish I had a blanket)

3. The backdrop of your daily run is the Nile, and on a clear day, you can see the Pyramids.

4. Your lungs look like a smoker's lungs and you've never tried your first cigarette.

5. Going the wrong way on a 3 lane, 1-way street is not really cause for concern.

6. You don't mind that your hot water heater is broken because when you shower in the summer, warm water is the default.

7. You go to church on Friday and start your work week on Sunday.

8. You walk for thirty minutes in the 110 degree heat because the cab driver was trying to rip you off. He wanted 80 cents for a 65 cent cab ride!

9. You're not supposed to touch your lips nor put on ChapStick in public. It's too suggestive.

10. You have a coat rack next to your door with no coats but about 25 different scarves.

11. You walk down the street and hear people having discussions in Arabic about your country of origin - "She must be Italian." "No, I don't know about that...she could be Spanish. Or Italian." "Yes she must be from Spain or Italy."

12. You wear a ring on your left ring finger so that cab drivers will be less likely to propose to you.

13. You light your stove and your oven with a match.

14. You get locked out of your apartment at midnight because the key you have in your hand won't open the door if you left the spare in the lock on the other side.

15. You remove the cabinets from underneath the countertops, because they are removable and not stuck in place, and promptly break the granite countertop because apparently, it's being held to the wall with glue. And the cabinet that you just moved. Gotta love Egyptian construction.

16. The only possible place to put the washing machine is in the kitchen - there is no water hookup anywhere else. Which means there is not enough room for the refrigerator, so the landlord suggests you put your refrigerator at the end of the hallway and then acts surprised that you find that idea ludicrous.

17. You pass a mosque attached to a car dealership when you go to work.

18. You don't hear the five very loud calls to prayer everyday because you are so accustomed to the noise.

19. You can sweep your floor five times a day and every time you will sweep up heaps of dust.

20. Local football matches are so violent that women are not allowed in the stadium. These people love football.

Refiner's Fire

He sat by the fire of seven-fold heat,

As He watched by the precious ore.

And closer He bent with a searching gaze

As He heated it more and more.

He knew He had ore that could stand the test

And He wanted the finest gold,

To mold as a crown for the King to wear,

Set with gems of price untold.

So He laid our gold in the burning fire,

Though we fain would have said Him, "Nay."

And He watched the dross that we had not seen,

As it melted and passed away.

And the gold grew brighter, and yet more bright

And our eyes were so dim with tears,

As we saw the fire, not the Master's hand,

And questioned with anxious fear.

Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,

As it mirrored a Form above

That bent o'er the fire, though unseen by us

With a look of infinite love.

Can we think that it pleases His loving heart

To cause a moment of pain?

Ah, no, but He saw through the present cross

The bliss of eternal gain.

So He waited there with a watchful eye,

With a love that is strong and sure,

And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat

Than was needed to make it pure.

Author Unknown

Growing the Heart: Cultivating Gratitude

"In everything give thanks..." Not some things, and not when I feel like it, but in everything, and always. So I'm making a thankful list, cultivating gratitude, growing my heart.

Thankful for

1. The hours before dawn, when it's still dark outside, and the city, for a few short hours, is finally sleeping, and the morning call to prayer reminds me that only GOD is great.

2. Music, and how the lilting notes dance together to make a melody of prayer, of worship, of joy, of healing.

3. The Wilderness, because the Living Water is even more sweet in the stark and barren desert places.

4. Family, and love and hugs and games and singing and piles of dishes washed together and secrets late at night. Memories.

5. Grief and loss, because they mean we have loved.

6. Friends - the baring of souls, the strengthening words of encouragement, the helping up of one who has fallen, the holding up of one who is weak, sharing joy as we share life.

7. Coffee, and the milk that swirls so creamy in the mug from a dearest friend that asks if I know how much I am loved and the sun that spills through the windows and the beauty of this morning ritual and the senses to enjoy it.

8. Fresh flowers on my table whose existence praises their Creator and reminds me to praise too.

9. Conflict, and the way we rub each other wrong, because it offers opportunity to bend, chances to love, a moment in which to look with eyes of Grace and see His masterpiece - His poiema, the Sacred in the sinner.

10. Peace, not the hollow assurance of smooth sailing, but the Strength that storms my heart and captains my soul through waters rough and unknown. HE is our Peace.

90 Days of Insanity (Or What Cairo Heat Does To Your Frontal Lobe)

Heat makes you crazy. And I'm no exception. How do I know this? Ever heard of P90X? It's "Extreme Home Fitness." Sounded like a contradiction of terms to me, but P90X is no joke. It's no Kathy Smith aerobics...I just finished Day 1 of the 90 day period of torture, and I am already sore. According to reviews I've read, that's what I've got to look forward to for the next 89 days. Yay.

Why such ridiculousness? In a word, heat. Working out is essential to sanity in Cairo, but the summertime temperature climbs to such intense heights that exercising outdoors, even in the early morning (6 am), becomes hazardous to one's health. My friend Abi and I have been running along the Nile in the mornings, but the pollution makes it dangerous to exercise too intensely, and its getting toasty over here. Besides we wanted something new, something challenging. Joining a gym would get us out of the heat and give a variety of options for working out, but there are some drawbacks to that as well. I joined for six months back in January, but getting to the gym on a daily basis can be a struggle thanks to location, transportation, and scheduling, and here in Cairo, gyms are flat out expensive. Enter P90X. A couple of weeks ago, our friend Scott was passionately discussing his favorite topic, Crossfit, and Abi and I were a bit intrigued. After checking out Crossfit and deciding it wasn't for us (its a super intense workout that does require some gym equipment and was created for military men...) we settled on P90X. And that my friends is the story of how I lost my mind. I'll let you know what I think next week after I've finished the first week of workouts.

Day TEN: Sleeping Late, Hitting the Gym, Church, and Dinner with Dolly and Co.

Another relaxing day in Cairo:

After a late night thursday, we slept in, hit the gym for some quality time with the treadmills and weight benches, played a game of catch with weighted medicine balls, and had coffees at Cafe Greco. Then it was off to play argue-down-the-price with two more crazy cab drivers, hurry eight people through one shower, and head to church. Dolly invited all of us "kids" out to dinner along with her boyfriend Scott and two new kids, Graham and Jeremy (I think...). No grown-ups allowed, so Mom and Dad went on a date to Asian Corner. Despite the fact that we had to get up early the next morning, we stayed up forever late again (see a theme here? our best bonding happens between the hours of 2-3 am). Fun stuff. :)

Day NINE: The Cairo Zoo, Sailing on the Nile, Guerrilla Warfare, and Grand Cafe

Of the many attractions in this fabulous city of 30 million people, the Giza Zoo is a must-see. Thursday we piled into two cabs and risked life and limb on the Corniche as we sped off to see the lions and tigers and bears, oh my! You know the Aladdin theme song? About Prince Ali?

He's got seventy-five golden camels
Purple peacocks
He's got fifty-three
When it comes to exotic-type mammals
Has he got a zoo?
I'm telling you, it's a world-class menagerie

That's a pretty apt description of the Giza Zoo. We saw more white flamingoes than anyone ought to have to see in one day, a HUGE hippo lumbering around, about 20 roaring lions, some black asian bears, hawks, monkeys, orangutans, chimpanzees, and loads of other interesting creatures. We petted a Bactrian Camel named Sarah, fed some pelicans, and the brave men amongst us even held a lion cub. Not a very happy lion cub, I might add.

After our zoo adventure, we stopped by MetroMarket to get dinner supplies and came home to make fajitas. We all liked sailing on the Nile, so after dinner, we gathered up some drinks and some chocolate chip cookies and spent an hour playing a rowdy game of catch phrase while floating down the Nile, much to the amazement of our boat captain.

A choice gem from that game:

I'll spare you the specifics, but we were all completely confused and subsequently laughing riotously when Meredith sought to elicit "Guerrilla Warfare" using such clues as jungle, helicopter, parachute, Jim Elliot, and Nate Saint. I wonder if Jim Elliot was aware of his involvement in such dubious activities??

Another round of cappucinos, mochacreamos, and lemon mint juice at Grand Cafe finished off the evening. Family is such a blessing.

Day EIGHT: Wednesday - sleeping in, working out, walking around, and late night bonding

After a pretty full Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday was a chill day. We slept in and enjoyed a leisurely morning around the house, then we headed to the gym at CSA. Even the intensely air-conditioned gyms get toasty in the Cairo heat, and Wednesday was pretty killer. We looked about like we jumped in the swimming pool! But showers and lunch revived us, and then we ventured down to the metro and rode to Rd 9. Egypt has beautiful alabaster, so everyone bought some alabaster souvenirs and gifts, then some of us headed for a cup of coffee and the others meandered through the smattering of gift shops along the road. Eventually we all ended up at Caffe Greco, laughing, chatting, enjoying frappes, lattes, and cappuccinos, and planning our futures. Fun times and special memories.

We had dinner at Spectra, a restaurant I ate at on the day I arrived in Cairo. After dinner we walked back to Rd 9 to buy a movie, and rounded out our relaxing day with popcorn and Leap Year. We chatted into the wee hours of the morning, until everyone was exhausted and fell asleep. Good times.

Tuesday, Day 7: Orphanage, Art Centre, and lots of singing

Tuesday morning was another early one. After a 7:30 meeting at Cafe Greco (Yay for tall lattes!) I recovered my family and we were off to the orphanage. The Mother Teresa Sisters of Charity orphanage is one of my favorite places in Cairo, and I was thrilled to take my family for a visit. We hung out with 25 2-3 olds for a couple of hours. The kids are so fun to hug, hold, and play with. One of the little girls picked Dad as her buddy and wouldn't be convinced to leave his lap. She also found a comb somewhere and tried to improve upon Meredith's hair-trimming job by giving Wilby a bit of a hair-combing. Mama held a crew of them on her lap and practiced a few new arabic words while "reading" a colorful Eric Carle book to them. Meredith's long straight hair provided one of the girls with loads of fun. Rachel, Thomas, and Brooke had kids clustered around them, clamoring to be held and loved. One of my favorite little girls LOVES music of all kinds. I started singing to her, and she promptly stood up and started dancing. We all sang through a multitude of fun kids songs, and after every one, she looked at me and said "Yalla! Taney!" (thats my bad transliteration of the arabic words that mean "Let's Go! Another!") After lunch and before naptime, the kids go into another room and dance to loud music. We listened to a few songs in arabic, and then nearly fell into hysterical laughter when the next song to play was "Another one bites the dust." Given the frequency with which these kids push each other over, the song is rather appropriate! After the orphanage, I sent my family to the art centre while I went to visit a couple of friends nearby. We headed back to CSA for our regular work-out. The 100+ degree weather sapped everyone's energy, but after a sandwiches, smoothies, water, and some Diet Cokes, we revived and hit the gym. A late afternoon nap was followed by homemade pizza. The Andrews family never fails to have fun together, and though others may at times worry about the sanity and lack of normalcy in our household, we certainly enjoy ourselves. Last night was no exception. We may not be the family Von Trapp, but that doesn't stop us from singing. From Disney (Can You Feel The Love Tonight, I Can Show You The World) to Sound of Music (Do a Deer, My Favorite Things) to Country to Backstreet Boys to the Beach Boys to Elton John (Benny and the Jets), we shared our love of all things musical with each other and probably all of the neighbors too. Sorry, neighbors. Dish-washing was done to the loud and energetic Victory Chant (Hail Hail Lion of Judah...that one) and our favorite family hymn - Heaven Came Down. Coffee, chocolate chip cookies, popcorn, a game of Puerto Rico, a game Extreme Rock Paper Scissors, foot rubs, discussions of futures, and late night bonding chats rounded out the evening.

Having so much fun in Cairo, missing Blaine lots, and wishing you all were here with us!

From Cairo,

The Andrews Crew

Day Six: PYRAMIDS!

Monday started early for the Andrews Crew. We caught the metro to Rd 9 where Ibrahim, my friend and our tour guide, was waiting for us with a small bus. We road out to Giza, trying not to die in traffic accidents and looking for dead horses in the canal to pass the time (we did not see any but supposedly they are there). After a photo shoot in front of the main pyramid, we got a short history lesson and then climbed up on the base of the pyramid.

Only in places like Egypt can you climb on a national treasure that's thousands of years old. Thomas tried climbing further but the guard quickly blew his whistle on that idea. We toured the other 2 pyramids, rode camels, and climbed into a tomb.

We opted for entering the small pyramid since it was free (we get our sense of frugality from the Shelley's.....ask my Granddaddy Shelley how he used to buy shampoo for the fam). Thomas got a bit inspired by the Egyptian hieroglyphics, and his name now graces the wall of the smallest pyramid. Only in Egypt can you deface a national treasure without getting thrown into jail.

After a photo op with the Sphinx, the Andrews crew was pretty exhausted and happy to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and napping. For dinner, I made a quick chicken curry using a curry spice packet...lets just say that one should avoid making curry for Indian children whose mother is practically a chef and makes some seriously delicious food. Wilby was gracious and ate my "curry" anyway...Thomas was a little less gracious with his commentary on my curry. Maybe not my best meal :) After dinner we walked to Grand Cafe on the Nile. We sat around a low table and ordered a variety of fancy coffee and juice drinks and a few desserts.

It was a fun and relaxing way to end our busy day!