Snow and Love

I love it when it snows. Well, I guess I don't really love driving in it, but I love the way everything looks when it's covered with snow. It seems so clean and pure. I love the way it sparkles in the sunlight. I love to see animal prints in the snow. I love to see children making snowmen and having snowball fights and just enjoying being children. Why don't we enjoy life more? Why do we take things so seriously? Why do we hold grudges instead of forgiving one another? Why haven't we learned how to love one another? Okay -- this is getting way too philosophical. I have no idea how I got from talking about snow to talking about love, but I'll leave you with this -- "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." I Cor. 13:4-7

Thanksgiving

I know, it's very late to be posting about Thanksgiving, but I didn't want it to pass by without mentioning how grateful I am for so many things. I could give you an excuse for why this post is so late, but it doesn't really matter. So here is a list of some of the things I am grateful for this year, in no particular order.

• Our friends, the Vincents, who have opened their home to me while I'm in the States. (They have been opening their home to my kids for holidays and other special days while I've been in Spain.) The picture above was taken at their house on Thanksgiving Day.
• The many people who have supported me with their finances, their prayers, their encouragement by emails and gifts. I am so very grateful for you!
• My children are a huge blessing to me! I am very grateful for their love for the Lord, for other people (including me) and even for each other.
  
• Visiting my favorite restaurants with many of you while I'm in the States.
• Safety as I travel around Denver and fly to various other places in the States.
• Being able to walk into a bookstore and actually buy books that I can read.
• The generosity of many of you as you have welcomed me back with gift cards, baskets and cash for treating myself to special things like massages and manicures. What a gift you are!
• A great group of people to work with in Spain. Our WorldVenture teammates have become like family, even though I don't see some of them more than twice a year.

There is much more that probably should be listed but I'm out of time and space (because I don't want this to be too long). The Lord has been good to me this past year in many, many ways and I am grateful.

November Update

Back in the U.S.

I am enjoying my time in the States. I am very busy but it has been wonderful to reconnect with people and be in my home church and enjoy the fellowship there. I have been so warmly welcomed and cared for. It’s very humbling and I am very grateful. I look forward to seeing many more of you in the months ahead. If we haven’t connected yet regarding a time to get together, please feel free to contact me at the information below.

Stateside Contact Information

If you would like to write or call me while I'm in the States, send me an email and I'll give you my address and phone number.

This month’s quote:

“Unless we make knowing God the basis of all that we do, we will lack a sense of purpose. God created us to know Him, and until that longing is satisfied, we will feel emptiness, a sense of futility. As we get to know Him, He fills us with Himself. When you and I focus on God, He also makes us holy. Holy habits are daily spiritual habits that help us transcend our circumstances and keep our focus on God. Our part is to make it a habit to know Him. His part is to make us holy.”

--MiMi Wilson, Holy Habits

Praises:

1. Our Team Retreat was a great time of being together and sharing our visions for ministry in Spain during the coming year.
2. Biscuit is now in Madrid with my teammates there and doing well.
3. Safe arrival in the U.S. and a good time in the Midwest as I drove from Detroit to Minneapolis.
4. I have two new monthly supporters!

Prayer Requests:

1. Pray for good time management in the weeks and months ahead.
2. I need to raise about $130 a month in additional support, which is more than I had previously thought. Please pray for new supporters or increased giving among current supporters. Our God has unlimited resources and I continue to be grateful and humbled by the response of many of you to meet the needs.
   
3. Jon, Kathy and I are considering moving closer to the headquarters of the EET (our online theological school). Please pray for wisdom and God’s provision. I hope to have more information about this next month.

Winter is on the way

Yesterday my friend Janet and I went to a local cider mill. We had fun looking at all the apple products and bought some cider and fresh donuts. Then we went outside to take photographs of the baby animals that they have for the kids to see and before we got back inside, it suddenly got very cold and started snowing.

It didn't stick and the sky was clear this morning but it's still very cold and guess who forgot her scarf and gloves in Spain? Looks like I'll be making a purchase very soon.

On American Soil

Well, I'm back in the U.S. I arrived in Detroit last night minus one piece of luggage but I'm hoping to have it delivered tonight. I'm already enjoying the time with my friends here. We had dinner at Red Robin on the way home from the airport and I had my favorite BLTA Croissant. It was wonderful. I talked with my kids last night and I'm looking forward to being in Denver on the 21st.

We're having a birthday party tonight for one of the grandchildren and Janet and I will drive up to Frankenmuth on Saturday to visit my favorite Christmas store and have a wonderful fried chicken dinner at a great restaurant up there. We'll be doing a few fun things in between as well.

By the way, for those who didn't get the word, I was able to pick up my residence card before I left Spain. Thanks for your prayers.

Looking forward to seeing many of you very soon!