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Geography of Grace
Friday, September 26, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Dar Las Gracias.
This week, I was challenged by a sweet friend of mine to list 3 things that I'm thankful for each day for seven days. It was a challenge that I was happy to accept, because I believe wholeheartedly that the world could use a lot more gratitude, and so could my heart. It's amazing to discover how many things that I'm truly thankful for that I never take the time to notice, and it's incredible how much a simple "gratitude list" can change the way that I view my circumstances. Yet, as I've discovered, while it can often be easy to have grateful hearts (especially when it seems that our lives are going well), sometimes we really have to choose to find things that we are grateful for in the midst of a lot of brokenness.
So, I'd like to share my little "gratitude lists" with you each day, and I'd love to challenge each of you to join me in this week of thankfulness: three things that you are grateful for each day for a week! You can post them on the comment section of this blog, or share them with your friends or spouse, or simply write them down in a journal or on a random piece of paper and keep them between yourself and the Lord. (Another good idea would be to write them down on slips of paper and keep them in a jar; then you can pull them out on hard days to remind yourself of all the blessings that surround you, even when you're struggling to see them).
{day one} September 14:
1) The chance to travel to new places and spend time with great, new friends
2) Getting my heart pumping by hiking through the rain forest and repelling down some waterfalls by Volcano Arenal
3) A hot cup of coffee with Olga, my mama Tica, in the afternoon.
{day two} Sept 15:
1. Independence Day parades (and a day off of school, which gave me the chance to sleep in to the obscenely late hour of 8:45!)
2. The chance to play guitar with my sweet friend Kelly McClain
3. Lying in bed with my two precious dogs, Feliz and Blacky
{day three} September 16:
1. A long walk with an encouraging friend on a cloudy day
2. Sweet worship just when I need it
3. Studying and learning Spanish, grasping a little more of the language each day
{day four} September 17:
1) Relaxing, rainy days
2) Afternoon naps
3) Crime shows on Netflix (although I miss watching them with my Mom!)
{day five} Sept. 18 I'm thankful for:
1. An amazing Young Life team in Costa Rica that cares for me so much and so well.
2. The chance to celebrate my sweet sisters 31st birthday by sharing a tres leches cake with a beautiful family.
3. Learning more and more each day that Jesus really is who He says He is.
{day six} Sept 19:
1. Quiet, peaceful day a solitude
2. Remembering Merideth, talking to her, praying for her
3. Phone calls with my wonderful family in Athens
{day seven, el dia final} Sept. 20th. Today, I am thankful for:
1. The wonderful smell of Olga Marta Carpio Solano's kitchen before a meal
2. Seeing tons of beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds at La Paz Waterfall Gardens
3. Trips to new places with new friends
What are you thankful for?
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the God the Father through Him" Colossians 3:17
"Y todo lo que hagan, de palabra o obra, haganlo en el nombre del Senor Jesus, dando gracias a Dios el Padre por el medio de el." Colosennes 3:17
So, I'd like to share my little "gratitude lists" with you each day, and I'd love to challenge each of you to join me in this week of thankfulness: three things that you are grateful for each day for a week! You can post them on the comment section of this blog, or share them with your friends or spouse, or simply write them down in a journal or on a random piece of paper and keep them between yourself and the Lord. (Another good idea would be to write them down on slips of paper and keep them in a jar; then you can pull them out on hard days to remind yourself of all the blessings that surround you, even when you're struggling to see them).
{day one} September 14:
1) The chance to travel to new places and spend time with great, new friends
2) Getting my heart pumping by hiking through the rain forest and repelling down some waterfalls by Volcano Arenal
3) A hot cup of coffee with Olga, my mama Tica, in the afternoon.
{day two} Sept 15:
1. Independence Day parades (and a day off of school, which gave me the chance to sleep in to the obscenely late hour of 8:45!)
2. The chance to play guitar with my sweet friend Kelly McClain
3. Lying in bed with my two precious dogs, Feliz and Blacky
{day three} September 16:
1. A long walk with an encouraging friend on a cloudy day
2. Sweet worship just when I need it
3. Studying and learning Spanish, grasping a little more of the language each day
{day four} September 17:
1) Relaxing, rainy days
2) Afternoon naps
3) Crime shows on Netflix (although I miss watching them with my Mom!)
{day five} Sept. 18 I'm thankful for:
1. An amazing Young Life team in Costa Rica that cares for me so much and so well.
2. The chance to celebrate my sweet sisters 31st birthday by sharing a tres leches cake with a beautiful family.
3. Learning more and more each day that Jesus really is who He says He is.
{day six} Sept 19:
1. Quiet, peaceful day a solitude
2. Remembering Merideth, talking to her, praying for her
3. Phone calls with my wonderful family in Athens
{day seven, el dia final} Sept. 20th. Today, I am thankful for:
1. The wonderful smell of Olga Marta Carpio Solano's kitchen before a meal
2. Seeing tons of beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds at La Paz Waterfall Gardens
3. Trips to new places with new friends
What are you thankful for?
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the God the Father through Him" Colossians 3:17
"Y todo lo que hagan, de palabra o obra, haganlo en el nombre del Senor Jesus, dando gracias a Dios el Padre por el medio de el." Colosennes 3:17
Monday, September 15, 2014
Some Picture Updates!
Hey everyone!
Just wanted to upload some pictures of what's been going on here! I've been super busy so far, with school from 7:30-12:30 every day, Young Life meetings and clubs, traveling and exploring the city and country, and trying to figure out how to live here!
So, here are some pictures from the past two weeks!
Hiking up to the "Three Crosses" above the city (Tres Cruces) with some friends from school:
Hard to believe it's been three weeks. The first two weeks I felt almost as if I were floating, not really able to process anything that was going on around me. During this past week, things began to settle a little bit more, and I hit my first bout of homesickness, missing my family, my friends, and life in the States. But this was very expected, and the Lord, by His grace, has been easing me into life here, one step at a time.
I've been reading the book Abba's Child by Brennan Manning, and in the book he tells the story of a priest and his friend who woke up early one day to hike up a mountain and watch the sunrise. After seeing the sun rise slowly over the hill, the two friends turned to leave, and all of a sudden the priest broke into a fit of giggles, smiling and laughing and practically skipping down the mountain. Upon seeing this, his friend asked him, "What's happened? Why are you acting so joyful and silly?" And the priest responded simply, "You see my Abba is very fond of me!"
I've kept this quote close to my heart this past week, remembering it each time I get frustrated or feel lonely, and constantly reminding myself, "You see, my Abba is very fond of me!" And this has kept me steady, kept me engaged, and helped me feel loved throughout this process of acculturation.
Love you all, and so very grateful for each of you.
Just wanted to upload some pictures of what's been going on here! I've been super busy so far, with school from 7:30-12:30 every day, Young Life meetings and clubs, traveling and exploring the city and country, and trying to figure out how to live here!
So, here are some pictures from the past two weeks!
Hiking up to the "Three Crosses" above the city (Tres Cruces) with some friends from school:
WyldLife "Frozen Club" (we made it snow in Costa Rica!)
Canyoneering (repelling from waterfalls) at Volcano Arenal with my amazing Young Life team!
Hard to believe it's been three weeks. The first two weeks I felt almost as if I were floating, not really able to process anything that was going on around me. During this past week, things began to settle a little bit more, and I hit my first bout of homesickness, missing my family, my friends, and life in the States. But this was very expected, and the Lord, by His grace, has been easing me into life here, one step at a time.
I've been reading the book Abba's Child by Brennan Manning, and in the book he tells the story of a priest and his friend who woke up early one day to hike up a mountain and watch the sunrise. After seeing the sun rise slowly over the hill, the two friends turned to leave, and all of a sudden the priest broke into a fit of giggles, smiling and laughing and practically skipping down the mountain. Upon seeing this, his friend asked him, "What's happened? Why are you acting so joyful and silly?" And the priest responded simply, "You see my Abba is very fond of me!"
I've kept this quote close to my heart this past week, remembering it each time I get frustrated or feel lonely, and constantly reminding myself, "You see, my Abba is very fond of me!" And this has kept me steady, kept me engaged, and helped me feel loved throughout this process of acculturation.
Love you all, and so very grateful for each of you.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Feels good to be a student again. #ILE #blog #quierohablarespanol
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Monday, September 1, 2014
One Week Anniversary
"A sense of our own folly is the first step to being wise, when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord...go in strength straight to the throne" Charles Spurgeon.
Woohoooo! I made it a week! (The rest of the 3 years are all downhill from here right?!) I can't believe that it's been a week already--it has gone by so incredibly fast, and it's truly been a whirlwind of emotions and adventures. My mind is exhausted, simply because it is constantly engaged, constantly processing and learning new things: language, customs, culture, geography, people...it turns out that learning how to live in another country can be both tiring and amazingly sweet at the same time.
This week has been composed of quite a few things: I've been going to orientation at school each day this past week from 7:30 to around 1 (actual classes start tomorrow) and meeting LOTS and LOTS of amazing people (both Ticos and gringos). I've also been trying to figure out my way around this area of San Jose called San Francisco de Dos Rios where I live (it's beautiful), practicing my Spanish, going to the first WyldLife Club of the semester (it was a "Frozen" club, so naturally, we had a snowball fight with shaving cream!), working at the Young Life Garage Sale fundraiser on Saturday, visiting a new church, and spending time with my Host Family. I'm living with an unbelievably sweet and generous Tica woman named Olga and her two kids, who are 28 and 15 (side note about the Latino culture: you don't leave home until you're married, so, unlike in the U.S., it is not weird to be 30 and living at home with your family; in fact, it's seen as "unusual" if you leave home before you are married!). Olga has taken incredible care of me, and my absolute favorite time of the day is "cafecito" time: around 4:30, Olga makes some delicious Costa Rican coffee (so good, I don't even add sugar!), and we spend about 30 minutes to an hour talking, laughing, drinking coffee and eating cookies. It's restful, joyful, and so very sweet.
This past week, as a whole, has been full of joy; I'm simply in awe that I have the incredible opportunity to live in this beautiful place. It has been an amazing adventure so far, and although it's so different from my life in the States, and although I miss my family in Athens so very dearly and think about them every minute of every day, I feel so joyful, so content with my life here in Costa Rica, that right now, it feels so natural to be here, and I know that that is nothing other than the grace of God.
Yet, amidst all of this whirlwind, I've been trying to be still, to rest, and to process through this move and somehow wrap my mind around the fact that I live in Costa Rica now. I read this quote from Charles Spurgeon today in my morning devotions, "A sense of our own folly is the first step to being wise, when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord...go in strength straight to the throne," and as I was thinking about it, I realized that I've never had a stronger conviction of my own folly, of my own lack of wisdom, than during this past week in Costa Rica. I've never been so completely out of my comfort zone, so convinced of my lack of control and of my inadequacy. There is just so much that I simply do not know, and I'm not just talking about all of the intricacies and rhythms of the Spanish language (which I'm constantly trying to grasp), but also the way people live life each day; from sleep schedules to food to relationships, I'm continuously observing and learning how the Ticos view life, what they value, how they interact, and what they believe about the world around them. It's a process that, similar to learning the language, will probably never end. But as cross-cultural relationships are formed, as the Lord knits us together in all kinds of ways, it's also an incredibly beautiful process: it's a process of humbling myself before the Lord, acknowledging how much I do not know, looking to Him for wisdom, living in the throne room, trusting in His provision and protection, and gaining a deeper understanding of who He is and how He created us to be, all through learning to love, sympathize with, and deeply respect people who are completely different from myself. I mean, these are people who don't even live life in the same language as I do! But what better way to grasp an incredible picture of heaven, of the all-inclusive love of the Father, of His sovereignty and grandeur, than seeing Him work in a new place, with people who live life so differently? It is realizations such as this that always convinces me of my smallness in this world, and of His majesty, and I'm praying that He grows my trust and faith constantly throughout this whole process.
Gracias a Dios.
P.S. Thought you might like some pictures of my room! I absolutely love it--and it has a great tin roof that sounds so wonderful when it rains!
Woohoooo! I made it a week! (The rest of the 3 years are all downhill from here right?!) I can't believe that it's been a week already--it has gone by so incredibly fast, and it's truly been a whirlwind of emotions and adventures. My mind is exhausted, simply because it is constantly engaged, constantly processing and learning new things: language, customs, culture, geography, people...it turns out that learning how to live in another country can be both tiring and amazingly sweet at the same time.
This week has been composed of quite a few things: I've been going to orientation at school each day this past week from 7:30 to around 1 (actual classes start tomorrow) and meeting LOTS and LOTS of amazing people (both Ticos and gringos). I've also been trying to figure out my way around this area of San Jose called San Francisco de Dos Rios where I live (it's beautiful), practicing my Spanish, going to the first WyldLife Club of the semester (it was a "Frozen" club, so naturally, we had a snowball fight with shaving cream!), working at the Young Life Garage Sale fundraiser on Saturday, visiting a new church, and spending time with my Host Family. I'm living with an unbelievably sweet and generous Tica woman named Olga and her two kids, who are 28 and 15 (side note about the Latino culture: you don't leave home until you're married, so, unlike in the U.S., it is not weird to be 30 and living at home with your family; in fact, it's seen as "unusual" if you leave home before you are married!). Olga has taken incredible care of me, and my absolute favorite time of the day is "cafecito" time: around 4:30, Olga makes some delicious Costa Rican coffee (so good, I don't even add sugar!), and we spend about 30 minutes to an hour talking, laughing, drinking coffee and eating cookies. It's restful, joyful, and so very sweet.
This past week, as a whole, has been full of joy; I'm simply in awe that I have the incredible opportunity to live in this beautiful place. It has been an amazing adventure so far, and although it's so different from my life in the States, and although I miss my family in Athens so very dearly and think about them every minute of every day, I feel so joyful, so content with my life here in Costa Rica, that right now, it feels so natural to be here, and I know that that is nothing other than the grace of God.
Yet, amidst all of this whirlwind, I've been trying to be still, to rest, and to process through this move and somehow wrap my mind around the fact that I live in Costa Rica now. I read this quote from Charles Spurgeon today in my morning devotions, "A sense of our own folly is the first step to being wise, when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord...go in strength straight to the throne," and as I was thinking about it, I realized that I've never had a stronger conviction of my own folly, of my own lack of wisdom, than during this past week in Costa Rica. I've never been so completely out of my comfort zone, so convinced of my lack of control and of my inadequacy. There is just so much that I simply do not know, and I'm not just talking about all of the intricacies and rhythms of the Spanish language (which I'm constantly trying to grasp), but also the way people live life each day; from sleep schedules to food to relationships, I'm continuously observing and learning how the Ticos view life, what they value, how they interact, and what they believe about the world around them. It's a process that, similar to learning the language, will probably never end. But as cross-cultural relationships are formed, as the Lord knits us together in all kinds of ways, it's also an incredibly beautiful process: it's a process of humbling myself before the Lord, acknowledging how much I do not know, looking to Him for wisdom, living in the throne room, trusting in His provision and protection, and gaining a deeper understanding of who He is and how He created us to be, all through learning to love, sympathize with, and deeply respect people who are completely different from myself. I mean, these are people who don't even live life in the same language as I do! But what better way to grasp an incredible picture of heaven, of the all-inclusive love of the Father, of His sovereignty and grandeur, than seeing Him work in a new place, with people who live life so differently? It is realizations such as this that always convinces me of my smallness in this world, and of His majesty, and I'm praying that He grows my trust and faith constantly throughout this whole process.
Gracias a Dios.
P.S. Thought you might like some pictures of my room! I absolutely love it--and it has a great tin roof that sounds so wonderful when it rains!
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