So this last weekend Kate and Alex came and visited. That was a lot of fun. I taught English on Saturday morning. I had room of 50 Chinese middle school students that I taught all on my own… let me tell you what Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes is a hit. Oh and so is the hokey pokey. Especially when the crazy foreign teacher (that’s me) puts her whole self in and shakes all about like I am having a seizure or something.
That's all for now. Come back again!
Devra
Ps... there is a place at he bottom of he page to put in your email and to receive a notification when I put up a new post.
On Sunday the few of us foreigners met for fellowship complete with pancakes, worship, a sermon that was made by all of us sharing what the Lord is teaching us, and lunch. That was probably one of the best services I have ever been too. It was intimate and real. It wasn’t entertainment. It was not milky. It was everyone sharing what they are going through and what they are being taught. It was so refreshing and replenishing.
Lately I have been needing a lot of rest. Saturday turned into a day of rest for Kate, Alex, and I. We rested in God, we rested physically when we passed out for a solid 2 hours in the afternoon, and rest emotionally as we all had fun and let loose. Pray that I continue to get that rest and that this tweak in my neck goes away...
Also I have been the catalyst for a workout epidemic. I am proud of myself! First it was just me, but it has grown to almost the whole household. Now Lee, Cindy, the kids, and I all do an ab workout together. Lee and I even run together. The only hold out is Ben. I don’t know that Cue Cue has been around when we have done our ab routine.
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| Me and the Chicitas this morning |
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| Asian Pose! |
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| A manikin that is the Asian peace sign with abs instead of an upper body... reminds me of the Thumb-Thumbs from spy kids |
Looking ahead:
This weekend I am catching the LONG train ride to Beijing to with Kate and Alex. We are going to see the Great Wall, do some shopping, worship, pray, be lights, and unfortunately part ways because they are heading home from Beijing. I will be traveling back all by my lonesome to the family again for a final 2 weeks.
I am starting my first John Piper book, Let the Nations be Glad. Here are some good quotes:
“A heart for the glory of God and a heart of mercy for the nations make a Christlike missionary. These must be kept together. If we have no zeal for the glory of God, our mercy becomes superficial, man-centered human improvement with no eternal significance. And if our zeal for the glory of God is not a reveling in his mercy, then our so-called zeal, in spite od all its protests, is out of touch with God and hypocritical (matt 9:13).”
-pg 54
“We cannot know what prayer is for until we know that life is war.
Life is war. That’s not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talki for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. Dod has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world. Prayer gives us the significance of frontline forces and gives God the glory of a limitless Provider.”
-pg 65
(speaking of the armor of God and prayer)
“Then all the precious blessings of life that could be thought of in contexts other than war are drafted for the battle. If we know the truth, it is for a belt in the armor. If we have righteousness, we must wear it as a breastplate. If we cherish the gospel of peace, it must become a solier’s footwear. If we love resting in the promises of God, that faith must be fastened to our left arm as a shield against flaming arrows. If we delight in our salvation, we must fit it securely on our head as a helmet. If we love the Word of God as sweeter than honey, we must make the honey a sword. Virtually every “civilian” blessing in the Christian life is conscripted for the war. There is not a warfare part of life and non-warfare part. Life is war.”
-pg 67
Some Scripture to chew on:
Ps 106:6-8
Both we and our fathers have sinned;
we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,
did not consider your wondrous works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,
but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
that he might make known his mighty power.
we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,
did not consider your wondrous works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,
but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
that he might make known his mighty power.
I don’t want to be like the idiotic Israelites who never got it through their heads that they weren’t perfect and their way eventually always led to unfulfillment and something much less than God had called them out for.
The whole reason God parted the Red Sea is because He had plans to be glorified in their lives by calling them out of slavery and into a life that was fulfilling, radically different, bold, adventurous, and a blessing to those around them.
We mess up, we wander, we forget, and we even forsake, BUT God’s love is steadfast. He waits for a chance to show His power in our lives. The question is do we live a life that leaves room for His power and glory, or do we lead a life that shows no evidence of the power and grace of God? A life all on our own? A life the rebels from the one God called us out for?
That's all for now. Come back again!
Devra
Ps... there is a place at he bottom of he page to put in your email and to receive a notification when I put up a new post.
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