last minutes & advent reading 7.

Wow!  Well, I am finally home for good after a long day full of events!  This morning around 9am I decided to join the SO group going to Lasagese Beach - a beach I had yet to venture to - and it was very pretty.  Lasagese has a little darker water, but it is set in a cove-like location, and the water is very shallow for a long time.  I packed my lunch and headed to campus where I also dropped off J's lunch, and then a bunch of us headed out.  It was nice to finally see, and good to get directions for when our visitors come :)  I had a pretty wicked headache, though, so when we got back [around 2pm] I completely passed out on the sofa and didn't wake up until almost 4pm!  [I guess it was a much-needed nap!] At this point, I ran to the store, picked up some last minute dinner ingredients, made dinner, and also threw together some cookies for a girls' hangout tonight with Natalie and Marieke.  I went to campus, ate dinner with my man, and then Marieke and I headed over to Natalie's house.  We ate cheese, apples!!, crackers, cookies, and had a lime drink concoction while we watched Gnomeo and Juliet :)  It was cute, and a good time - we chatted about our proposals and how weird it is that this term is almost over, and then Marieke dropped me and some of her stuff back off at my house so we can move things in once we get into the new place.  It was a very full day indeed, and I think I am about ready to go to bed :)  Tomorrow will be full of some Christmas projects and bagel making for the week...interspersed with cleaning and laundry, I'm sure.  And then this week will be last minute hangouts before everyone ventures home, and J's finals!  Wow - times flies!  

Hope all is well with everyone reading this!  Continue to enjoy the winter season for us!  Much love.

Isaiah 40:1-11
Comfort ye my people.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and cry to her

that  her warfare is ended,

that her iniquity is pardoned,

that she has received from the LORD’s hand

double for all her sins.

A voice cries in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the LORD;

make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be lifted up,

and every mountain and hill be made low;

the uneven ground shall become level,

and the rough places a plain.

And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,

and all flesh shall see it together,

for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

A voice says, “Cry!”

And I said,  “What shall I cry?”

All flesh is grass,

and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades

when the breath of the LORD blows on it;

surely the people are grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever.

Get you up to a high mountain,

O Zion,  herald of good news;

lift up your voice with strength,

O Jerusalem, herald of good news;

lift it up, fear not;

say to the cities of Judah,

“Behold your God!”

Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,

and his arm rules for him;

behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

some adventures & advent reading 6.

So yesterday, Marieke and I were planning on going to Bel Air to sing Christmas songs with some of the kids there.  But before we did that [in the afternoon], we ventured over to the Special Education School [where our girls attend] for an art gallery/sale of things done by the kids.  I got some really cute Christmas gifts there, and I am glad that I was able to support the school as well in the meantime.  Sometimes it hits me more than other times that I live in [basically] a third world country.  As we were walking through the school [aka cement walled rooms back to back with a little play yard] I realized how drastically different this place [and education, and everything else really] is from the states [and you can say, "Duh!" if you want, but sometimes you just forget, you know?  Especially once things seem "normal" and you've been adjusted for a while.]  Almost all the classrooms had a TV and M's teacher was just sitting in the classroom watching it while the kids roamed around.  I'm assuming this lack of structure was due to the fact that the art sale was going on, and parents and friends would be in and out throughout the day anyway, but I'm also wondering how much teaching really goes on there...I think that no matter what "level" the kids are, they are all grouped by age, so that ones who may learn better in a different class are still stuck with other students who can't function at as high of a level.  I don't know if this is true, but based on our girls' abilities to read/write/do math I'm thinking this might be the case.  I think in a lot of ways, Grenada is very young old country.  I think they are just beginning to figure out how things should be run, and it's going to take a long time for significant, helpful change to come about.  I think a lot of this needs to happen in the educational system.  According to word on the street, teachers only need an Associate's degree to teach, and if they have had basically the same education as the kids are getting now, the system isn't going to be effectively growing.  Lots to think about, but to sum it up:  I was glad to be able to stop by yesterday, and I think it helps build the girls' trust in us more and more when we show up to things that we say we are going to show up for.

After this, we went back to campus to eat lunch and practice our Christmas songs.  This led to an extensive time of goofy recordings, and unfortunately, I thought I was able to attach music to the blog, but it appears that I can't...??  I may make some blank YouTube videos and link them that way.  Anyway, I'll just say that a lot of laughing and singing happened on the tracks - fun times.  And then we ventured to Bel Air.  Thankfully, Marieke has been gifted with the ability to play guitar, without which we probably wouldn't have been able to capture as much attention [and even that was iffy, especially with the little ones] but it was fun, and the older girls definitely LOVE to sing, and sing LOUD :)  Both of our voices were hoarse by the time we left, but it was a good time - I'm glad we were able to do that before the Christmas break - singing is good for the soul :)

I've been having a rough time as of late.  Just pray for me and pray for my hard working husband - finals are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday next week!  So close, but he still feels he has a lot to cover, so pray for grace for the both of us, and just patience and focus for me - not to look at myself/situations, but to the Lord, who is working all things for His glory.

Love to all.


Malachi 4:1-3
The Sun of Righteousness, the Daystar, shall arise.

For behold,  the day is coming, burning like an oven, when  all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.  2 But for you  who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise  with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.  3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.

happy december! & avent reading 5.

Wow!  Can anyone else hardly believe its December??  I mean, I guess since the weather hasn't changed since the summer for all of us here in Grenada, it makes a little harder to believe...but seriously, this year FLEW.  Who knew Term 1 would be over so fast and Christmas break upon us?  When I think about how long we've been here, it really blows my mind.  Next term we will no longer be the "newbies" - we are experienced Grenada inhabitants now!  So strange.  Also strange is how normal everything seems to feel, and even felt after only a month or so.  We wait on buses to tote us around.  We get the food we want...sometimes, when the store is well stocked.  We have our own little patterns for the week...aka orphanage, Bible studies, etc.  We have relationships with people who were born and raised here, and continue to learn more about the culture every day.  I still wish I could be working, but its been good to provide consistency for my husband while he works really hard at school.  And speaking of school, finals are NEXT WEEK!  It totally hit me YESTERDAY that that was the case - so please keep him in your prayers - he has a LOT of material to cover!  But he's been working so hard!  Well, beyond my continue battle of the bugs [little tiny jumping things and "sugar ants" - gah!!], not much else is going on here, and I am ready for J to be done with school for a bit, even though I think break will fly by too, since everything else has already...Hope everything is well stateside!  We miss everyone!  And for those of you wishing to keep up with advent readings, here is one for today:

Micah 5:2-4
The glory of little Bethlehem is foretold by the prophet Micah.

 

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

who are too little to be among the clans of  Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to be  ruler in Israel,

whose coming forth is  from of old,

from ancient days.

3 Therefore he shall give them up  until the time

when she who is in labor has given birth;

then  the rest of his brothers shall return

to the people of Israel.

4 And he shall stand  and shepherd his flock  in the strength of the LORD,

in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.

And they shall dwell secure, for now  he shall be great

to the ends of the earth.

Much love.

advent reading 4.

Isaiah 11:1-9
A rod shall come forth from the stem of Jesse.

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of  Jesse,

and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

2 And  the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and might,

the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.

He shall not judge by  what his eyes see,

or decide disputes by  what his ears hear,

4 but  with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

and he shall  strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and  with the breath of his lips  he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,

and  faithfulness the belt of his loins.

6    The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;

and a little child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze;

their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,

and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

9  They shall not hurt or destroy

in all  my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea.

advent reading 3.

Isaiah 7:14; 9:2-7
Christ’s birth and kingdom are foretold by the prophet Isaiah.

Is. 7:14 Therefore the  Lord himself will give you a sign.  Behold, the  virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name  Immanuel.

Is. 9:2   The people  who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of  deep darkness,

on them has light shined.

3  You have multiplied the nation;

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with  joy at the harvest,

as they  are glad  when they divide the spoil.

4  For the yoke of his burden,

and the staff for his shoulder,

the rod of his oppressor,

you have broken as  on the day of Midian.

5  For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult

and every garment rolled in blood

will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6  For to us a child is born,

to us  a son is given;

and the government shall be  upon  his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful  Counselor,  Mighty God,

Everlasting  Father, Prince of  Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

advent reading 2.

Genesis 22:15-18
God promises to faithful Abraham that in his seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed.

And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said,  “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,  17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring  as the stars of heaven and  as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess  the gate of his  enemies,  18 and  in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,  because you have obeyed my voice.”

advent reading.

From "Treasuring Christ in Our Traditions" by Noel Piper

1 Peter 1:10-12

 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

We are a people of promise. For centuries, God prepared people for the coming of his Son, our only hope for life. At Christmas we celebrate the fulfillment of the promises God made—that he would give a way to draw near to him.
Advent is what we call the season leading up to Christmas. It begins four Sundays before December 25, sometimes in the last weekend of November, sometimes on the first Sunday in December. This year, it began yesterday, on Sunday, November 27, 2011.
1 Peter 1:10-12 is a clear description of what we look back to during Advent. For four weeks, it’s as if we’re re-enacting, remembering the thousands of years God’s people were anticipating and longing for the coming of God’s salvation, for Jesus. That’s what advent means—coming. Even God’s men who foretold the grace that was to come didn’t know “what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating” (verse 11). They were waiting, but they didn’t know what God’s salvation would look like.
In fact, God revealed to them that they were not the ones who would see the sufferings and glory of God’s Christ. “They were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven” (verse 12). They were serving us. We Christians on this side of Jesus’ birth are a God-blessed, happy people because we know God’s plan. The ancient waiting is over. We have the greatest reason to celebrate.

So in light of this, J and I are doing Advent readings each day - please join us!!! What a great way to prepare for Christmas!  The reading for this past Sunday, November 27 [this was also taken from Noel Piper, who got her readings from Parish Presbyterian Church]: 

Genesis 3:1-15
The Fall of Man and the first promise of the Messiah is revealed.

Now  the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You  shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”  2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,  3 but God said,  ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”  4  But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,  she took of its fruit  and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her,  and he ate.  7  Then the eyes of both were opened,  and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

8   And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool  of the day, and the man and his wife  hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.  9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”  10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid,  because I was naked, and I hid myself.”  11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”  12 The man said,  “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”  13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said,  “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14   The LORD God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and  dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring  and  her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”