Island time

Life is so different on an island. I have always heard of the phrase "island-time" but it takes on a new meaning when you actually live on one. I have been on an island now for four days and it truly is different time. The days seem to pass much slower and there is a more laid-back atmosphere here. There were many challenging things that took place in getting here but we are here now. Somehow I thought that maybe once I got here the challenges would dissipate because I would be settling in my new home. That wasn't the case at all. New challenges arrive with each new day. Some challenges are relational and some challenges are provisional. Some challenges are comfort and some challenges are smells. Nevertheless, I am resolving these challenges as God's blessings to me as I more quickly see what is really in my heart. He never takes us through a challenge without being faithful to bring new ones. That may sound like He is just waiting around for us to struggle through one challenge so He can pour on the new one, but that can be quite a negative way of seeing life. I think that God allows the hard challenges to come at us so we can grow in every area of our lives. Each person will have different challenges and it is really important not to compare challenges with other people.
Anyway, we have started to build out the coffee shop here on Utila and many people from all over the world have been by our apartment to have a cup of Rio Coco Beans coffee. Almost every person we have had conversations with in the past few days get a big smile on their face when we mention we have some good coffee to serve them. Rio Coco Beans can be ordered online and shipped to anywhere in the world so if you would like to try some gourmet beans I would recommend ordering some today!
There is much to learn in everyday life. It seems that when I am out of my normal comfortable routine of life, there are countless more things to learn. Many comforts of normal living have been taken away but God has provided everything I need for my physical, emotional, financial and spiritual needs. My understanding of needs vs. wants has been radically altered in the last 5 months and I don't think that process is near over.

Enjoy a picture or two of Utila!
If you are facing challenges today remember that they are opportunities for growth in many areas!

Going into the unknown

"I don't know" are the three words that I have used most often lately when explaining to people the road ahead in Honduras. We leave in less than a week and there are still so many unknowns. I suppose that is what it was like for people pioneering in the early days. I suppose that is what it was like for the disciples when they went out two by two to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I suppose that is what it was like for the great inventors of the past. I suppose that is what it's like for every person who steps into the realm of risk and adventure. I may not know what lies ahead but I know that God is in control. When I read of stories in the Old and New Testament or I pick up a Reader's Digest and read of people who have risked everything to do something courageous, I find the simplest comfort. It doesn't answer any questions I may have but I find peace knowing that I am not the first one to try something outside of my comfort zone.
I believe we were made to take risks and step out in faith on a regular basis. If we are not living by faith in our daily lives than we become really dependent on our own abilities and we rarely, truly see who God is and how personal He is to us. I have learned in the past few months that God has great things in store for me but I have to risk my comforts. Comforts like knowing where I will lay my head to rest at night, where I will get money to pay for food, when I will see my family next, getting fresh water to drink and brush my teeth, using double-ply toilet paper, choosing what kind of apple I want to eat, etc.
I am learning as Paul stated in Philippians 4:11 to be "content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am" (AMP).  I am looking forward to loving people in a different part of the world and to adapt to another culture while sharing the gospel of Christ.

Birthday nails

Living in Seattle most of my life, I never saw my nails as much as I do now wearing flip-flops (slippers) everyday. I have never seen this color on my toe nails...but I sure do love it! I love being a woman!

Ending meal to a beautiful day

Birthday breakfast at the Broadhursts

Yesterday when I woke up at 5:45 am to go see the sunrise on the first day of my 35th year, I had a quiet moment with God. I was reflecting on how He brings people in and out of our lives for us to bless and be blessed. After seeing the sun wake up with my dear friend Jeanne and a really good latte, my new friends invited us over for birthday breakfast. Not only was there a wonderful spread of food, but I was blessed by their words of encouragement to me. I have only known them a month and our hearts are joined because God orchestrated it!

Blessings

Birthday morning on the beach

Homemade birthday latte in my cute Cafe Ladro travel mug!

Dead but looking good

Saw this little guy outside the apartment a few days ago and he is still there. Looks pretty good for a dead cockroach. I thought to myself, "Good thing I haven't seen those inside the apartment". And wouldn't you know a night later, there is one belly-up in the kitchen.
The only good cockroach is a DEAD cockroach!

Looking for a good home espresso machine?

 A few friends of mine have recently purchased the Astra home machine and it is a unique machine. All parts on the machine can be fixed by the owner and they are all metal parts - no plastic. You can pick up parts from your local Lowe's or Home Depot and if there happens to be a part that they don't carry then contact the manufacturer and they will send it right out. I talked to the owner of the company the other day to find out about a larger commercial machine and I must say that the experience on the phone with him was so pleasant. I asked him if there was a coffee house anywhere near Vero Beach, FL that uses his Mega II or Mega III so I could go test it out. He asked me if he could get back to me within two hours. I said that would be great. Within two hours he called me back with a coffee house within three hours of where I am staying. Looks like it's possibly road trip time!!
Although the website for this company isn't too up-to-date, you should check it out: ASTRA MFR
The home machine is very sleek looking and makes a mean espresso! Especially with Rio Coco Ethiopia Yirgacheffe beans.

Just set up my mobile blogger!

We make our plans, but He has another idea

Click on the title link and watch this short 2.5 minute movie clip.

This movie clip is so fitting to where so many kids of God are in their lives. We have attained all the material possessions that we are "supposed" to have. We have worked hard at getting comfortable lives and then God comes along and asks us to participate in something that will shake our comfortability. He comes to invite us to lay aside what we thought was going to make us happy and He asks us to follow Him. Never is our decision without contemplation and a choosing because He gave us a will. He is such a gentlemen that He asks and then waits for our response.

Up until about 2 years ago, I was listening to many opinions regarding what my life was supposed to look like. You have the pressure of the American dream facing you wherever you go. People buying nicer cars, bigger houses, going on more exotic vacations, striving to make more money, etc. It is everywhere you turn and it can subtly thrust it's views on you and pretty soon you are exhausting yourself trying to keep up with your neighbor. I began hearing a quiet voice in me that drowned the noise of everything else, and I chose to follow it. It led me to end my nice paying comfortable job and politely decline some close friends' advice to stay in what I would call "the system". The only movie that I can best use to describe the "system" is The Matrix. The "matrix" to me is when we are so consumed with the happenings of everyday life that we can't hear God whisper anymore. We can't hear Him when He asks us to sell all and follow Him. We have a difficult time hearing Him when He is asking us to trust Him by leaving our comfort zones. We have a hard time trusting that His ways are truly higher than our ways and our surrender is going to bring the real life...the most authentic life...the life we were meant to live.

The past several weeks have been so amazing to me. I have left many things behind but I am certain that I am doing what He has called me to do. I know it more and more everyday when I have increased fruits of the spirit.

I will have to write more later...when it isn't 11 pm at night.

I must say one more thing before I close my eyes and close this day...My God is so wonderful. This evening I was sitting with a dear friend and it occurred to me that many of the fears that rolled around in my head, just a few short months ago are no longer there. He alone deserves the glory for that!

Goodnight...

embarking on a new adventure

This blog will come alive again. There is a season for everything and it is now a time to write publicly of the adventure I am embarking on. Hopefully my writings will serve to show how good God is. I am overcome with daily moments of sensing His pleasure and the peace that comes from fully trusting Him, which means talking to Him every moment.

I am headed to FL to meet up with a Godly group of people who have a heart to love people and trust God to open doors that would have otherwise stayed shut. We will meet in FL for a short time before heading to Utila, Honduras to open a coffee shop. The vision was given to a man and he took the time to pray over it, talk it through with his family and engage others in the vision. All of this was happening and I had no idea of it, until my phone rang a year ago and a stranger was on the other end. He explained that my name kept coming up regarding this vision because I have a love for people and I have had experience in the coffee business. At the time of his call, I had just began a new job and couldn't see how it would be possible. However, I tucked my hope away and the following 10 months unfolded His plan. Man can make their plans, but God orders our steps. So, to make a long story short for sake of time, I am part of a team going to Utila to start a coffee shop. The purpose of the vision is to love people and give them a place to hang out on the island.

God is answering my heart's desires from many years ago. Let this blog speak to you right where you are in your life. I am not writing to talk about how great my life is, but to testify of how good God is and how He loves us...if we can see and receive it! May these readings give you hope and make you smile!

Welcome to my adventure!

FW: checking in...

Just making one entry since it’s been awhile…

 

Cheers on the 2^nd day of September!

wow...it's been awhile...

being grateful. it's amazing how quickly your perspective can change when you stop and just thank God for all the small things. today...thank You for waking me up; showing me Your love; coffee and friendship with Juniper; relationship with businesses in Kirkland; free cup of coffee at Ladro; ability to work; new beginnings in jobland; pushing through the hard times; believing it is all going to work out; faith; family; friendships; simplicity; joy; rest; quality time with people I love; worship; the Word; Your creation; and the day has still 13 hours left. set your mind and heart of gratefulness and it serves as a blow torch to fear, oppression, bitterness, hopelessness, and so on. it is a mighty useful weapon that is easy to forget we have. pull it out and wield it today...make it a constant weapon in hand and your perspective will continually be fixed on the joy of being alive! until next session...

Sunset at Heritage Park in Kirkland

serious breaking of the law right here in Pike Place market.

Needing a shaking...

Over the past month or so, I have been asking God to help me become child-like again - not childish, but child-like. When I look back on my life over the past several years, I realize that I have become so engulfed in doing things in my own strength and within my own limits. I feel like I have been building and establishing my own life and material goods. I am not saying that establishing things in life is bad, but I have been caught up in creating a comfortable life. This past weekend, I allowed some time to reflect on the differences between my life and the disciples life in the Bible. I cried some deep tears because I realized that I have not been focused on the hurting, needy, hopeless people that I come across on a daily basis. I am convinced that one of the enemies greatest tactics is to get us busy building our own comfortable lives so that we gradually stop noticing the hurting, lonely, poor, broken people. One of the greatest things we as people hold onto is our time. So, if we are busy building our own comfortable lives, then even if we do see the hurting, needy, and broken people, we may immediately reason that we don't have time to love them, because it doesn't fit into our focus of creating a comfortable life. I pray that we lose our comfortable lives and get desperate about loving people unconditionally and giving of our lives to see the lost found, the hurting restored, the broken mended, and the hopeless restored to Hope! Help us get uncomfortable God!

just a few thoughts for today

Lately I have been perplexed about my heavenly Father's love. Why would He care about me, a little speck in the entire universe? Why would He want to love me and hear my thoughts, joys, cries, frustrations, passions,...why? It's unexplainable actually. We will never comprehend His love for us because we really don't deserve it. It's simply because He wants to and delights in loving us. That is such a heavy thought, but I can't think too hard about it. He just asks me to believe Him at His word. It's like this little girl with her dad in the picture. She has no concerns in the world because she is standing with her dad. She is completely free to be herself becasue she is 100% certain that her dad loves her and will take care of all her needs, wants, and desires. I am learning to be child-like and become simple again. It's easy for the things of this world to come cloud our view of Abba. He doesn't make things complicated, we do. Matthew 11:30 says, For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne (Amplified). The words described here hit me in a new way today because I realize that sometimes I allow the concerns of the world, or what others think of me, or the tension of living in this earthly life, weigh me down. This verse puts all of those tensions into perspective. I need this perspective continuosly. May we truly become like children who know that their Daddy is going to take care of everything and He delights in them. He's crazy about us! Just believe it...don't analyze it or diminish it by reeling through all that you aren't or want to be. He sings over us just as we are...because He wants to, not because we deserve it. I am rejoicing today for that simple revelation from my Daddy.

Peacock chasing me...

Dreams...I had a dream the other night that peacock was chasing me. I wasn't afraid and actually I was enjoying the playfulness of the peacock. A few days later a friend tells me that she has been crazy about peacock's the last few months and proceeds to tell me the meaning of a peacock. (You may not believe that dreams symbolize certain things, but if you take note of your dreams and do some research on the meaning of dreams you will soon realize that they do carry great meaning.) So, my friend tells me that peacocks are a symbol of resurrection and new beginnings. Immediately, I had to laugh because last year "new beginnings" was a common phrase in my life. I guess He isn't done yet with that theme in my life. Interestingly enough, the peacock (resurrection, new beginnings) was chasing me in my dream! That was an additional symbolism that made me smile. Furthermore, a friend's mom had a dream about me two nights ago and she emailed me the dream and meaning of the dream. She dreamt that I was standing, smiling as I held onto the rains of a half of a horse...sounds bloody, but half a horse actually means something:) Half a horse means new works! To add to the animal theme, a few weeks ago I was at a church service in California and three ladies prayed and prophesied over me. None of these ladies knew anything about me. The first lady prayed over me and said she saw a horse racing toward the future. The second lady was an ex-member of the Columbia drug cartel and I went up to her and asked to hear her testimony. She gave me a very brief version of it and then I asked her to pray for me. She prayed many things and then said that I have the gift of joy. The third lady prayed a few things and then pointed out that I have the gift of joy (none of the ladies were with each other when they prayed for me). She expounded on the joy gift for a bit and it was very direct to my heart and what I needed to hear!

All this to point out that God is so interested in encouraging us, especially when we are hungry for Him. He is speaking some themes in my life and I would be silly not to pay attention to them. So, today I acted in faith toward what He is speaking to me. I was being trained on a job that I just accepted on Monday. Today was my first shift and within thirty minutes of being there, I knew that I couldn't accept the job because it was not my "new beginning". It would be a fine job, but I can't just accept fine jobs anymore. I must do what He wants me to do and not just accept something because it is secure. He is teaching me to risk and not settle for the common.

So, I await the "new beginning" and "resurrection" to come chasing me. It is a life of faith, right?

I drove to Alki Beach this afternoon, to process my decision and get outside in His creation. Here are a few pictures of the end of this monumental day of living FAITH!

My last meal was in Murten with Sara.

A little chimney in Murten.

Eric being goofy for his kids!

View from playing the drums.

Another one of my favorite villages - Thun.

This is Magglingen, a famous place where people go to train for winter sports. Simone and I just went walking up here and we were looking down on the clouds in Biel.

This is one of my favorite villages in Switzerland. It is Aarberg.

Erik Mongrain

You have to check this guitarist out...August Rush eat your heart out! Let these kinds of sounds be released in a greater dimension!

Return to the States

It is always hard to leave my other home...but always great to return to life here in the States. There are different atmospheres in Switzerland and in Washington, and both have their advantages and challenges. I realize that being back home here in the US there is a greater anticipation for new opportunities, at least that is how I feel. In Switzerland, I don't feel that as much and I am assuming it's because not speaking the language forces that feeling of restraint. The Swiss love to take the time and enjoy every part of life, especially eating and being with one another -a treasure that Americans can tend to lack. In coming home I am not the same person. I left intending to have a great experience and I come home wanting to change things in my life. I don't ever want to go somewhere and not be changed when I come back to "normal" life. I am determined to take more time to enjoy the everyday moments in life and not to diminish the value of the "now" just because there is a sense of "hurry up" and do more here in this nation. I would encourage everyone to go away every once in awhile and get a fresh perspective of life. One of my favorite concepts that I learned from a dear women in Switzerland is that life has seasons for a reason. Some seasons have rain, some have sunshine...all of them are needed and hold within them treasures for our maturity and growth. The key is to find joy in the midst of every season that comes our way.

I love how I can be in a completely different culture and nation and feel so at home. I have been here in Biel for about 5 days and it feels like I have been here for a month. Yesterday it snowed for awhile and again everything looks beautiful. It has been so cold here that the snow has stayed frozen on everything. It has been about -6 degrees Celsius for the past two weeks here. Well, I must go for now...

Leaving for der Schweiz...

I have a few days left before flying to Bern Switzerland to participate in a worship conference at the JAHU church in Lyss, Switzerland. I am looking forward to being with my friends over there and to just get away for a bit before I dive into my business.

When I look ahead at the coming year, I am excited for all that is ahead. With my natural eyes, I see impossible things, but I know that with Him all things are possible. I am choosing to lift my head and think in faith, not fear.

I walked the streets of Kirkland the other day and met a few business owners on Park Lane. I have time now to get involved with the city of Kirkland and it's local businesses. I am looking forward to meeting new people and making new connections. (by the way, it's snowing right now:) I met one business owner who was so helpful in giving me people's names of Kirkland associations, so that I can get involved now that I am full-time at Blaubak Gallery now.

I find that sitting at local coffee shops (Cafe Ladro, St. James Espresso, etc) are great places to get things done for work.

Okay, I am headed home. Remember that today has enough worries of itself, so don't worry about what hasn't happened yet. (I learned that idea partly from the Word of God and partly from Jane Guthrie!).