psalm 42

a psalm of contemplation...

As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for you, O God.
I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I go and stand before him?
Day and night I have only tears for food,
while my enemies continually taunt me,
saying, “Where is this God of yours?”
My heart is breaking
as I remember how it used to be:
I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks
amid the sound of a great celebration!

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,
but I will remember you—
even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,
from the land of Mount Mizar.
I hear the tumult of the raging seas
as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life.

“O God my rock,” I cry,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I wander around in grief,
oppressed by my enemies?”
Their taunts break my bones.
They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!

(NLT)

The Year of the Ox : Nashville style

On Monday night we celebrated the Chinese New Year. It was so nice having my co-partner in party crime, Amy back.

We served jaozi, pumpkin cakes, xiao bai cai, and a bunch of other fixins. After some good eats, we headed outside to play with sparklers and poppers. No real firecrackers this year. (I am sure the neighbors were thankful!) We ended the night playing mah-jong and Rock Band. Rock Band was the closest thing we had to KTV.

I was a little homesick for my China home, but I had such a great night being surrounded by so many great people... fellow teachers in China, supporters of us in the field, community members, old friends, and new friends.

Happy Year of the Ox!

Honest Scrap

Thanks to Marianna, I was given a "Honest Scrap" Award.

The Rules:
Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.
Show the 7 winners’ names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with “Honest Scrap.” And while there’s not really a physical prize, you do get to keep and post the nifty icon.
Finally, list at least 10 honest things about yourself.

10 Honest Things About Me
1. I absolutely love the name Kermit. I don't particularly like the frog, but something about the name I love. Kermit. Makes me smile.
2. I cannot stand burping. I try my absolute hardest never to do it in front of others. I have gotten better about not getting on to people who do it in front of me, but it irks me a lot.
3. I like ranch dressing on my watermelon. A Chinese student made the combination once at my house and my watermelon has never been the same since.
4. One day I hope to run a bed and breakfast and a retreat for mothers.
5. I have a fascination with music by Justin Timberlake. Please don't let that keep you from thinking I have good taste in music.
6. I feel naked without my pearl earrings.
7. I say I don't like things quite often, but have so many exceptions... example- I "don't like" eggs... but i love omelets and scrambled eggs that I make.
8. I still cannot quote the verse that is tattooed on my back. I can give you general meaning, but not exact words. (I do regret the tattoo a little, but I adore my tree!)
9. I don't think it was until this past year that I discovered what it means to have freedom with Christ. I am so thankful I have discovered this.
10. I have a little sing-song noise I make randomly. Normally, it is when I am doing something and trying to refocus. I was called out on it the other day for the first time in several months. It happens.

And that is my random 10. Now it’s my turn to tag people.

Tiffany/Yankee at Yankee Doodles Observations of Dixie Land
Amy at Rants, Raves, and Ridiculosity
Sandra at On the Eastern Journey
Stephanie at A Year of CrockPotting
Jessica at Jessica in the Far East
Ellie at Elliequent
Kristen at The Unsinkable

come on ;)

So I checked three different TV channels this morning thinking I had missed them saying we were out of school. Sadly, showered and then ran back to TV again thinking by 6 maybe. No such luck.
Maybe tomorrow...
Dance harder!

morning routines

My morning routines have changed quite a bit. My nice peaceful mornings in China seem so far away now. I have slid comfortably into a new (and chaotic) one.

5:30am- Wake up and trudge to shower
5:50-Dry, dress, and put my face on
6:00- Bagel in toaster, scramble to find school supplies, pack lunch
6:10- Read a chapter of some book
6:25- Grab keys, grab purse, grab school bag, grab create of books, grab lunch box, grab computer, and head out the door looking like the bag lady
6:30-Dunkin Donuts coffee and NPR on radio
6:45- Get to school and check mailbox, drop off lunch
6:50- Stumble out to portable, trying to hold bags, create and coffee all while unlocking door
6:52- Clean up coffee spilled
7:00- Put on Blue Merle cd and check email and blogs
7:15- Read morning passage from Good Book and pray over desks
7:40-Pass out morning work, clean up my desk, and anything else last minute for day with the kiddos
7:50- Utterly shock my students with my cheeriness and begin a new school day

On Wednesdays and Fridays I wake up at the forsaken hour of 4:30 to run before the shower. My cheeriness is not so good on those days.

On Saturdays I wake up at 6:30 and to be in class by 8am. My research class does not receive the same lovely manner mornings.

Sundays are my day of rest. I wake up at 8 or 9. Strong.

I do miss my mornings at the vegetable market and not having to juggle. Still productive though. Mornings are when I am at my best.

Quick Note of Happiness

Can I just say how great it is to hear the voices of my teammates Amy and Brad?!?! Seeing them will be better than Christmas. (seriously.) They are safely back in the States and currently under all the stress that is transitioning. Keep them in your prayers.

memoirs

Over the past year, I have grown deeply interested in listening, reading, and sharing the lives of some remarkable women. I have had some of my dearest friends really struggle to find their place in life because of their passions/gifts and the fact that they are women sometimes conflict. It has really given me a lot to chew on. (Don't worry, I am not becoming a super-feminist. However, my eyes are opening to a lot of things.)

I am about to start a new challenge with the HerStories group. Over the next four months, I will be reading four memoirs by women. I make my own selections and then write reviews of the books I read.

My Selections

With Roots in Heaven by Rabbi Tirzah Firestone

Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far by Amy Grant