New Beginning

I know I have said this so much lately, but it still fits. The last months of transition have been anything but consistent with traveling to see the kids, following my husband around Rome checking out all the church history stuff, making a major move, participating in a family affair in Michigan in the middle of it all, but now, today, I am hoping to get into a mini routine.

Monday is our day off and I need to keep that open for Rich as he needs a day to relax and clear his mind for the week ahead. It's our "Saturday." Now that I don't have to get up and go, I'm going to try and set Tuesday as my day to: 1) update my blog 2) work on Word for the World stuff and 3) prepare for different speaking/teaching engagements and 4) hopefully finish up my book that has been setting around for about 12 years.

So here goes the blog thing!

When we arrived at our condo in Turkey during our Sabbatical in 2005 our first thought was "where do we get food?" As we watched the miles fly by through the taxi window we knew we were driving away from the city center wondering what our final destination would look like. It turned out to be a nice condo unit, BUT . . . 1) no one spoke english 2) the restaurant was extremely expensive i.e $5 for a coke, $45 pp for dinner, etc and we knew we had to find a way to get to the grocery store or we would be loosing a lot of weight. After a few hands signals we were able to derive that there was bus everyday at 10 a.m that went to town and there we found our food. That's a little how I felt the other day when I forgot to pick up a jar of spaghetti sauce and we were having company for dinner. I jumped in my car and drove and drove and drove and finally came to a store. About an hour later I was home. Guess I need a new strategy.

Since we live "out" compared to what I am used to and I just can't run to the store and pick up what I need at the last minute, I need to start thinking ahead and stocking up. So yesterday was our day to go exploring. After looking at a few houses with our realtor, we decided to try to find B.J's Wholesale. We had tried once before, but got lost and now with new directions off we went.

Our first stop was, of course, at the Apple store. Rich had promised me an iPad when we sold our house and since papers were signed on Friday, we had gone to purchase one; I just needed some questions answered. What fun! The store was buzzing with excitement. As we left the store behind a gentlemen that had just purchase an 24" iMac, I said "I have one of those." He beamed and said "Now I'm part of the family." As we headed to our car I commented on how owning a Mac computer does put you into a family. Maybe we are all Nerd's, but there is a bond that binds us together that makes one feel they belong.

In our ABF class on Sunday we are studying 1 Peter. Those early Christians were undergoing intense persecution and they needed each others encouragement just to survive. Although Christians today might not be in that intense of a physical battle, we are still in a battle. Ephesians 6:12 says "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly place." This battle is even more intense as we can't see it and sometimes think we can wing it on our own.

Rich and I have been reading through a pastor's devotional called Pause, Recharge, Refresh by H.B. London, Jr. Page 134 is entitled "When We Shoot Each Other." We've all been shot at and sometimes it causes permanent injury or scars. Here are some verses he shares that were a good reminder to me.

• Proverbs 21:23 "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity."
• Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Some verses I thought of were:

• James 3:5 "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles"
• Proverbs 16:27 "A worthless man deviseth mischief; And in his lips there is a scorching fire
• Proverbs 26:20 "For lack of wood the fire goes out; And where there is no whisperer, contention ceases."

Whether you are the shooter or the target, join me in making sure the words that roll from our tongue are like a healing balm and not a scorching fire; that they benefit those who listen.