204/365

Today they poured the floor of the pastoral home we're working on this month.
THAT'S GREAT NEWS!!

Let the block laying begin!

203/365

One last summer game under the lights.

201/365

This was the day that we looked forward to in faith back in July 2007, when we first came down to serve at Iglesia La Vid in Laredo. That first summer we worked on the inside of the cinder block building shell, just a fan moving heated air around in the hottest month of summer. We started painting the outside of the building in the bright orangey-red and mustard yellow and sage green that probably wouldn't be popular anywhere except south Texas. Our kids played and worked with their kids. I prayed with their ladies. We were exceedingly abundantly blessed.

They captured our hearts.

We came back the next year. And the next. And most of the summers ever since. We saw that building finished, despite budget constraints, despite permit issues, despite the challenges that sometimes seemed enormous. We saw their kids grow up next to ours. We prayed for the church and we worshiped with the church. We grew to love Pastor Carlos and his most dear wife Andrea. We saw God show himself so very faithful to the work at Iglesia La Vid.

On this day, this Spanish-speaking congregation became a particular church of the Presbyterian Church in America. We were there in those pews to rejoice with them, and yes, we closed our eyes and remembered that first week. We hugged friends and celebrated that there are people there we don't know. Yet. We are excited, and eager, to see how God will use these people in this place to grow His kingdom in the years to come. And ready to be back with them again.

200/365

iced coffee- my new summer drink.

199/365

In Progreso,
I love
street tacos.
the kids.
knowing where to buy a shirt. and vanilla. and an aqua fresca.
freshly made conchas.

198/365

Running the race.

197/365

Teamwork.
Even in the dance.

196/365

It was the first day of Vacation Bible School and we had no idea of what to expect. I changed the schedule more times than I could keep track. And still, everyone left with smiles.

Thankful for our very faithful God. His grace is sufficient for me.

195/365

What is it about the parachute that is so darn fun?

194/365

y aqua frescas.

(contented happy sigh!)

193/365

It was supposed to be for a contest to win tickets to something at South Padre Island, but I don't have a Twitter account and the group was about to leave so...
we'll settle for this.

192/365

an evening surrounded by the body-
babies and kids and youth and olders;
grandmas hugging on teens;
guys gathered around the grill;
more good food than we can eat;
pinatas and the egg toss and tug-o-war;
and to finish, parking lot s'mores.

and over and again I think "how sweet and awesome is the place..."

191/365

"I will go out on the front porch and walk up and down," said Toad.
"Perhaps that will help me to think of a story."
- Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

190/365

ok- so they are on to me. I really signed them up because I always wished that I could take tennis lessons...
Phew! Good thing they enjoyed it.

189/365

“If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”
- David Livingstone

188/365

new hoops, old court, two-on-two.
(and the mascot)

187/365

its what's for dinner.

(Five-Spice Orange Beef and Broccoli and stir-fried kale, bok choy and sugar snap peas)

186/365

July 5th- the perfect day for rain.

185/365

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
- The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

In the same spirit suggested and predicted by John Adams in a letter to wife Jane way back then, we celebrated with "with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations." (well, except for the guns part...) And food, friends, and fellowship besides!

Happy 238th birthday, United States of America!

184/365

homemade,
not-in-the-shade,
but sure makes the heat a little less oppressive...

183/365

“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.”
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (remarks before the Daughters of the American Revolution, Washington, D.C., April 21, 1938)

181/365

"I never expected to get so much wrong. It’s what my Mama’s said to me a thousand times if she’s said it to me once. “It’s not that you aren’t going to get things wrong — it’s what you do with it afterward.“
- Ann Voskamp, A Holy Experience, "Why You Can Stop the Exhausting Work of Trying to be a Supermom"

180/365

It was a fútbol weekend for us- three games of beach soccer through Saturday and Sunday early, listening to Mexico v. Netherlands on the radio during the road trip home (oh the heartbreak!), watching Costa Rica v. Greece in the late afternoon. Soccer is part of the warp and weave of our life. Though admittedly, some of us are bigger fans than others, we're all arranging our day to watch the US v. Belgium on Tuesday.

I started playing soccer in fifth grade, because I saw a neighbor friend play and I knew I could play that game too. I played recreational soccer through college. I reffed little kids when I was in high school. I coached youth soccer for many years. And now I get to cheer on my own daughter. (Yes, cheer. Not coach. Mostly not coach, anyway...)

I love that Americans are loving soccer in this World Cup season. I love that I live in a place where I can turn on the tv and watch a soccer game 365 days a year. I love that I can listen to announcers call a soccer game in Spanish and in English. I love the emotion of the soccer announcers. (in my opinion, there is nothing comparable to "gooooooooooooooolllllllllllllll" in all of sports.) And in this season of World cup play, I love listening to the British announcers on ESPN- all these years of being around soccer and only in the last month have I learned what an equaliser is. (and hey! my player scored an equaliser on Saturday!)

I'm pretty sure that the only soccer game my grandfather ever watched was when I was running around the park as an 11 year old player in an orange reversible jersey. But, after watching yesterday's game between Costa Rica and Greece (Vamos Ticos!! Oe oe oe oe oe!!), I am pretty sure that he would have loved it too. He who hated the dunk and lauded the addition of the 3 point shot in pro basketball would have loved the pace, the suspense, and the ultimate ending of that knock-out match. Sorry Ann Coulter- you are way off-base on your criticism of soccer. (and I'm not even going to legitimize your comments by including a link!)

Juguemos fútbol!

179/365

“There’s a vastness here and I believe that the people who are born here breathe that vastness into their soul. They dream big dreams and think big thoughts, because there is nothing to hem them in.” ― Conrad Hilton

177/365

I through the gate with a couple of my girls and one who knows us saw us, and laughed, and asked, "So this is what missionaries do for fun? Go do missions trips?"

:-)
well, yes.

What a privilege to know the folks serving at Isaiah 55, and what a privilege that they allow me and mine to hang out with them when are able. We spent a couple of days in Reynosa this week, serving at the deaf school and working with kids in a government after-school program. We enjoyed fellowship with friends old and new. I spent an hour and a half rocking in a wooden and wicker chair and time slowed down. We worshiped and heard testimonies of  God's faithfulness. We sang hymns in harmony to the accompaniment of guitar and ukulele and smacked termites out after the rain and drank fresh limeade and went to bed tired and yet, refreshed, ready to do it again the next day.

Why? Isaiah 12:4 tells us that we will
Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
Indeed, he is my strength and my song.

176/365

These students are so expressive and communicate so very clearly. And all I can say is "you're welcome" and "yay!"
I am thankful that a smile and a hug communicate words, too.

175/365

"I love the fact that God is sovereign. For me, this is a most precious thought and the source of eternal hope, confidence, comfort, and joy. His sovereignty means I can trust Him. When the ugliness of sin, strife, and struggle seems more than I can bear; when life deals me a bitter blow and my heart is crushed with pain; when everything seems out of control, I can anchor myself to His greatness. His sovereignty is my surety. I can rest in the knowledge that when all is said and done everything will be alright. He will make it so. His counsel will stand, and He will accomplish His purpose. He is sovereign. He is God."

from Mary Kassian’s Knowing God by Name  (thanks to Georgianne)

174/365

dinner prep.

a weekend in photos

 full.
and blessed.

173/365

Feliz Día del Padre.
Thankful for those who are faithful in a little and faithful in much.
And that it is a good reason to eat tacos together, besides.

172/365

A summer tradition,
a birthday celebration,
a backyard baseball game,
the ease that comes with years.

171/365

((swoon))

169/365

gym with air conditioning, treadmill with workout choices & a tv monitor, view on the world...
file under "things I could quickly get used to"...

168/365

Really good food.
Really good friends.
and perhaps best of all, Grady let me practice being Poppy for a bit.

167/365

Double blessing-
ESL training AND feeling at home in the church from the moment I walked in the door.
Thank you, Oaklawn PCA.

166/365

"In short, God does not merely send the church in mission. God already is in mission, and the church must join him. This also means, then, that the church does not simply have a missions department; it should wholly exist to be a mission."
- Tim Keller in Center Church

(photo- Houston skyline)

165/365

Love through me, Love of God,
Make me like Thy clear air
Through which unhindered, colours pass
As though it were not there.

Powers of the love of God,
Depths of the heart Divine
O Love that faileth not, break forth,
And flood this world of Thine.

- "Love Through Me," Toward Jerusalem, by Amy Carmichael (1936)

164/365

summer fresh.

163/365

I always liked the idea of running, but not the reality.

I never thought that I'd be up running at sunrise.

But here I am.

And liking it. 

What a wonder!

162/365

I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.
- Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Yes, for those who might notice such things, that was 62 days between posts. The funny thing is, I took a photo during most of those days. But, one day turned into a week, and a week turned into a month, and a month turned into two months. And in through all of that time, I kept thinking, "I can catch up..."

But I can't. Then I remembered, HEY!! It's my blog! I don't have to catch up.
So I'm starting again. Today.

Today I got up and ran and exchanged some snarky words with my girls (and heard a few, too) and drank some coffee and drove to the beach. Somewhere over the drive we declared a truce and sang out loud. I waited too long for a large unsweet ice tea, and returned a sweet tea, and watched (carefully) a new drink poured. I walked across the sand and I looked out over the Gulf (and yes, these big bodies of water are still a wonder to this New Mexican girl, even after all these years of living by water!), and took pictures of a catamaran race and dove into the water, salt in my eyes. I read a magazine and soaked in the sun and walked over hot sand and shared a sandwich and washed off sand and lotion. I approved airline reservations and mailed some gifts and arranged for copies and bought an iced latte because I couldn't make it one more block in the hot weather without stopping. I watched Jeopardy and studied the Lord's Supper with a man at church and ate supper with friends and met someone new. I sang and I listened and I studied and I prayed.

And yes, it's true, I'm still learning how to sail this ship.
I'm not afraid of storms.