Promise

"God has always connected our relationship with him with our relationships with one another."

~Francis Chan

I'm staring at the new painting I acquired at the Friday market this morning. I just got done working out. I'm hot..my fan is broken. Not sure why. I turned it off one day and then it never turned back on. These 90 degree temperatures could stop anytime-while I like the heat-I'm a little over it now.

Out of my computer comes last weeks podcast from the Stirring which took a good hour to download this morning. I go to turn it up...the call to prayer is just a bit louder than usual. I always think it's louder on Fridays. Friday is also the only day I hear the church bells... a rarity as you can imagine in this land. I love the sound. It takes me back to the days I lived next to the Dormition Abby in Jerusalem. Something so soothing about the bells. I've traded that in for a man whining the Adha over a loud speaker. Why? Good question...today it's grating on the nerves. There are a couple going at the same time and the echo is hitting just right to be eerie.

I shut off the podcast..sorry Nate..I'm not in the mood to listen to talking right now. I'm in a deep thinking mood, but nothing is stimulating it right. I look over and see The Lemon Tree. That's stimulating but I usually end up in tears after 2 pages. Eh..not in the mood for that either.

You always get asked if you are homesick here...and usually my response is. "no, not really, but I miss my community." I feel very much at home here, but I miss my community of friends, of deep thinking conversations, or living life with people who stretch you, shape you, love on you. I miss that the most.

But my community is growing here and for that I wake up everyday and am very thankful. I'm thankful for how the Lord has provided amazing friends and people to live and work with here.

My birthday was a week ago today. This year is going to be AMAZING. And it's all about promises....fulfilled promises, living in faith, and taking steps to trust. You could argue that was last year. But no..last year was despair turned to joy. Hurt turned to healing. The Lord restored me last year. This year it;s time to turn that restoration into something good...to trust that promises are finally going to come to fruition. I'm excited!! Terrified, but excited!!!

"I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever"