3 Goals for 2018

Wonder Woman inspired me when we were together over the holidays! 

She ran down the hill singing at the top of her lungs, "And no one knows how far it goes!"

We hunted butterflies, searched for tigers, and avoided the 'pokey' weeds as we played in the park before her bedtime. 

Watching her imagination at work flooded my spirit with joy. 

I am beyond grateful for her influence in my life.

Confidence, determination, and a strong spirit of adventure all wrapped up in a two year old frame. 

I listened to her declarations of what she can do and then watched her show me that she could do it. She has an inner strength that many women I know would envy...starting with me!

Time spent with her confirmed the word God gave me for 2018:

'Courage.'

Courage in Hebrew is 'Chazak'. Which means 'to be strong'. 

The verse that is guiding me this year is Ezra 10:4 and includes three imperatives: 

1. Get Up
2. Be Strong (chazak)
3. Take Action

Meditating on those three statements convicts me to take them on as goals for the year. 

I have new music I've written that needs to be recorded. I have new goals that I've set as I seek to learn and grow this year. I have new responsibilities to live up to. In each instance I must Get Up, Be Strong, and Take Action. 

My little Wonder Woman didn't care who was watching when she ran down the hill singing, she was doing what she felt compelled to do. And I'm grateful to have learned that lesson from her. 

Strong women boldly follow their God-given instincts.


Do you have a word or phrase inspiring your goals for this year? If so I'd love to hear it!


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Word of the Week: Understanding

As I was out for my walk this morning I meditated on the word ‘Courage”.

As I got close to a house that is under construction I could see that I would have to walk between two cars and several groups of men.

I thought, "now is the time to practice being courageous!"

A narrow path in the middle of the road was all that was left between the two parked cars.

Taking a deep cleansing breath I braced myself for whatever comments these men might make and determined in my mind to ignore whatever they said to me.

After successfully passing through that gauntlet of men suddenly, 8 highly agitated workers were running toward me, alternating between covering their heads and waving their arms, and screaming, “Abejas! Abejas!”

I know a bit of Spanish but not enough to know what they were shouting about. I slowed down somewhat but kept advancing forward in my effort to get home in time to shower and get to bible study.

In the distance I can see a neighbor heading home with six dogs on leashes. I thought maybe the men were afraid of dogs. His dogs have never bothered me so I continue walking, ignoring the men’s frantic cries.

One of them comes closer waving his arms yelling, “Señora, abejas!” Three of them are now in front of me yelling, “Abejas” and I yell back, “I don’t understand! No entiendo!”  

My lack of understanding collides with the fervency of their efforts and slowly increases my annoyance as I fight to remain calm.

One man turns the direction I’m headed and pointed at a tree up the road. I still don’t know what I’m supposed to be seeing and I’m in a hurry so again I let them know that I don’t understand.

One of the workers held out his hand motioning me to stop,  looking exasperated and desperate to get his message across, he took his phone from his pocket as the English word finally came to him, and he shouted, “BEES!”

Now I get why they were frantically running, why they didn’t want me to walk any further, and why they were passionately trying to get me to understand.

The man with the phone makes a call and asks me to wait “for safety”.

A few minutes later a truck pulls up driven by a man dressed in protective clothing. I get into the vehicle and he drives me past the tree to the corner and I’m able to finish my walk from there.

My head and heart had prepared not to trust these men. I’ve become so accustomed to taunting whistles, crude comments, and uncomfortable stares from construction workers that initially I didn’t respect their genuine concern for my welfare. And I was so determined to practice being courageous that I was willing to ignore whatever they were saying and just keep on walking.

Psalm 119:34 says,

Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;

I will put them into practice with all my heart.

I have lost count of the number of times I’ve ignored God’s warnings because I cannot see any danger ahead and I don’t understand what He is trying to tell me.

I’m grateful for the lessons that God brings into my life, the spiritual and the practical. This morning He mercifully showed His willingness to protect me by any means possible and as a bonus He taught me the Spanish word for bees!

Word of the Week: Relearning

It was a bright cold day in April,

and the clocks were striking thirteen.

~George Orwell, 1984

Looking around the international airport in Moscow, Russia, I watched a clock strike 13.

Well, the clock didn’t literally strike, it was digital. Large red numbers proclaiming 13:00. Russia uses a 24 hour clock.

Instantly transporting me to my childhood and reminding me of my father’s military days, he would often use military time to tell me and my little brothers when something needed to be done.  

“Police your area by 0800 hours!”, he would command. In English that meant our rooms needed to be cleaned before 8 am.

When I saw that it was 13 o’clock I had to think for a minute or so until it came to me. It’s 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

Dread mixed with fear filled my stomach. Fighting back tears acknowledging that not only did I need to learn a new language but I also needed to learn how to tell time.

Everything I thought I knew would need to be relearned.

Gone were the days of grocery shopping with a list and coupons in Southern California. Needing a list remained but coupons were replaced by a Russian/English dictionary.

Something as simple as asking for 2 lbs of ground beef transformed to asking for a kilo of farsh. Numbers, weights, measures, time, words, sights, sounds, facial expressions...everything overwhelmed and yet excited me.

An adventure that began as words God whispered to my husband, evolved into a dream, and were brought to reality when the plane landed. Over the next five years our family would learn to navigate this new world.

I never expected to live among the adversary. Growing up in a military home on various Air Force bases in the eastern part of the US, Russia had been our cold war enemy for my entire childhood.

How was this a part of God’s plan? Needless to say my patriotic father, the career soldier, was not thrilled when we announced our plans to move to Russia. However, my mother’s comment, “You got your orders so you have to go.” was typical of a military wife.

God’s orders, His calling, took us on a life altering journey. And His guidance and strength continue to propel us in our ministry life.

I wish I could say that each day as a missionary is profoundly meaningful, filled with glorious insight, and bathed deeply with inner peace. Most days back in Russia and now here in Belize are fairly ordinary.

For every believer, each breath, each lesson, each and every tear, and each peal of shared laughter hold a touch of the divine.

It’s been many years since that clock at the airport awakened me to a new reality. I’ve realized that each stage of life requires learning a new skill no matter where you live in the world.

You don’t have to see 13 o’clock to catapult you into a new way of thinking. It could be something as simple as a wedding, the birth of a child, teenage drama, an empty nest, a new job, the loss of a parent, each experience- the good, the bad, and the grace-filled, all provoke change and growth.

With each stage of life everything I thought I knew needed to be relearned.

Have you had to face a time of relearning something you thought you knew? I’d love to hear about it!

Word of the Week: Breathe

Breath.

There are times when I’m holding my breath and don’t realize it.

I need to let go, exhale the day’s stress, and inhale perfect peace infused with grace.

Here in Belize my husband and I counsel victims of abuse and exploitation and that work can take its toll on the heart and on the soul. Envisioning life abroad is often more romantic or adventurous than the reality of adapting to a new culture.

I was forced to undergo a ‘baptism’ of awakening to reality on a jungle walk with friends. We got too close to a mama howler monkey and she declared her outrage by throwing poo at us. She got me right in the middle of my forehead. I gave thanks that my mouth was closed when I looked up.

Ann Voskamp says, “Calm is a superpower. Ask Christ for it.” I stayed calm but decided that it would be best to move away from that mother protecting her babies.

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Word of the Week: Exalt

 

Come let us tell of the LORD’s greatness;

let us exalt His name together.

Psalm 34:3 NLT

As we exalt the name of God together, we give honor to Who He is, What He has done, What He can do, and Why He cares for us.

I wrote this song to give honor and glory to the name of God.

As I penned each verse various names came to mind from the Word. When I finished the song I went back and counted the names of God that I had used.

I was astonished to discover 25 names of God in the song.

That means that there are:

25 ways to tell of His greatness.

25 ways ways to tell of Who He is.

25 ways to get to know Him more intimately.

25 ways to exalt Him!

Each time I sing this song, each time I talk about this song, my desire is to exalt Him. My desire is to know Him more deeply and make Him known.

How well do you know Him?

He is:

Yahweh
Creator
Sustainer
Deliverer
Almighty God
Marvelous
Way Maker
Counselor
King
Rock of Salvation
Amazing
Friend
Worthy
Foundation
Way
Truth
Strength
Alpha
Omega
Ancient of Days
Anointed One
Consuming Fire
Immanuel
High Priest
Lord of Lords

Let’s aim to know Him intimately and exalt His name together!

Word of the Week: Treasure

What do you treasure?

I’ve been thinking about this lately.

Have you ever wandered around a store looking for something to catch your eye? Maybe that's just me!

A few weeks ago I found a treasure box. I wasn't sure what to do with it. So of course I went back to the store and purchased a second one.

I began to use one treasure box to hold some note cards that have different names of God on them that I want to study. It made me think about what other things I treasure. So I started to make a list.

I treasure the word of God. I love quietly reading my Bible and making notes of the treasures I find within its pages.

I treasure jewelry. I have pieces that were handed down. Ones made by local designers. And things that my husband and children have gifted me...each item is priceless in my heart.

I treasure chatting with friends. As iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another. I love gleaning wisdom and insight from the people in my life.

I treasure music. I love to listen to music and I love to sing it!

I treasure artistic creativity. Artwork in all of its forms amazing me. From jewelry designing to painting and drawing to spoken word, I love it all!

I treasure laughter. My granddaughter’s laughter fills my heart with joy!

I treasure books. I’ve spent many nights up way too late trying to finish one more chapter.

I treasure time spent in quiet. I truly value having extended times of peace and quiet in my day.

I treasure memories of special moments. With each year that passes I value my memories of events, time with family and friends, traveling with my husband. Making memories is one of my greatest treasures!

I can’t put all of those things in the second treasure box. But, I am gathering up some of my favorite things to give away!

Take a look at the video and follow along on Facebook and Instagram to search for clues that could lead to you be a winner of #AlidasTreasure!

Word for the Week: Celebrate!

We can never see the sunrise

by looking toward the west.

Japanese Proverb

With all that is happening in the world it may be difficult to find reasons to celebrate. We need the sunrise to remind us of hope. And it is hope that gives us a reason to rejoice.

Belize received its independence on September 21, 1981. However, the celebrations and decorations begin as soon as the calendar changes from August to September.

Seven years ago we arrived in Belize on September 6th to witness the country of Belize already decked out and decorated in red, white, and blue in anticipation of the holidays to come.

We have been present for Independence Day in several different countries. And the one thing that is uniquely Belizean from my perspective is that Belize doesn’t wait until the day of celebration to start celebrating. And it made me think that we shouldn’t wait for a reason to celebrate either!

Why celebrate?

Because of LIFE:

Life is short. Each breath, each moment, and each heartbeat is a cause for celebration!

Everyone will experience ups and downs in life but the more you praise, give thanks, and rejoice in spite of your circumstances the more you will find to praise, give thanks, and rejoice over!

The Word gave life to everything that was created,

and His life brought light to everyone.

John 1:4

This life is filled with enough Light for everyone. But, if you’re not looking for it you will miss out! The sun rises in the east not the west. Turn your head the other direction and look to Him for reasons to celebrate the life you are living in this moment.

Ponder the path of your feet. Are they leading you toward or away from the Light? It’s never too late to turn around and run the other way and begin to celebrate life.

Why celebrate?

Because of LOVE:

Love is priceless. If you find it embrace it, cherish it, nurture it. Never take love for granted.

Loneliness can be a deadly disease but those who are blessed with loving relationships can survive the harshest of conditions.

Four years ago on September 21st our son married the love of his life and we gained a daughter-in-love. We celebrate their love because it brings joy to our hearts to see two souls in love with God and in love with each other.

Our family has expanded to include a granddaughter and we rejoice each time we see her face or hear her laughter. There is hope, life, joy, and a sense that all is right with the world knitted within the laughter of of a child.  

Who are the loved ones who bring a smile to your lips and joy to your heart? Give God thanks for them right now. Hand write them a letter or speak the words face to face.

Living in another country away from our extended family is hard at times. We’ve missed out on many special occasions large and small over the past 12 years of missionary life.

As I get older I realize that my family in the states has gotten older as well. Tom and I made it a point to express our love and appreciation verbally to my 98 year old grandmother last October. The three of us cried together and spoke words normally reserved for a funeral. I’m grateful that Tom got the ball rolling on that conversation. It is a priceless moment to think back on and cherish.

Why celebrate?

Because of CHRIST!

In Hebrews there is a passage that speaks to me as a reason for celebration and gives a picture of a great celebration to come.

Hebrews 12:1-3 says,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

There is a great crowd of witnesses cheering us on! We can endure to the end no matter how long our race is. Christ is our example as He endured the shame and pain of the cross to redeem us from sin. Each time I wonder, “why celebrate?” God whispers in my heart, “what about Me?”.

I pray that you will hear His whispers of the heart and look to Him for a reason to rejoice.

Make a list each day of one reason to be grateful for life, one reason to be grateful for love, and one reason to be grateful for Christ in your life.

Begin today to truly value and celebrate life, love, and our Eternal Source of Hope, Jesus Christ!