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Trusting His Plans for Our Lives

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When I was a child my hopes and dreams were much simpler then they are now.  They consisted of a  new bike, going ice skating, watching a movie, going camping or having a warm chocolate chip cookie.  My earthly parents would be the ones to allow these dreams to come true.  Especially if they were things that were good for me, or that they knew I needed and would not misuse.  Sometimes I had to work for the things I wanted in life, and other times they were given to me simply out of love. My dreams today are much bigger, more complex and not only about me.  My Heavenly Father  is the one that will bring them to fruition in His time.   If they are good for me, for others, if I need them, if I will not misuse them.  Sometimes I have to work to bring these dreams to fruition, sometimes He gives them simply out of love. As most of you know I run a non profit organization named Village to Village.  We are moving into our fifth year of loving others both locally and internationally; wheth
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Family Matters

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We recently returned home from Guatemala, home is always an odd word when you see how much of the rest of the world lives.  What their homes are made of, how they cook, clean, what access they have to clean water, fresh food and medication is much different then ours.  One thing is very much the same with them and most of us.  They have joy.  They are full of laughter and light. I do get a bit jealous when I am in other countries because they do something so much better then I do.  They spend time with each other, they cook and have meals together and talk. Not once a month or once a week but every day! Growing up, Sunday was our meal day with friends.  We never had to wonder if mom would be up early getting things ready for lunch after church.  I did not appreciate this near as much then as I do now.  Why do I not move to make this a habit when I know how good it is?  Usually it's because life is to busy, but I have allowed that.  I need to change that.  It's much easier s
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Our Gifts to Him

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I have struggled this month to find time to sit down and take a few minutes to blog.  I do not like the busyness   that I am in the midst of right now but am slowly learning how to let things go that do not have importance. With  Christmas just a few weeks away, I am reflecting on the Christmas traditions we had with our children. I always wanted our kids to understand that Christmas was not what the world had made it. It was the Birthday of our King.  We always baked a Birthday cake for Jesus.  It was a sweet reminder of what the day actually was all about. I wonder if we could begin to give gifts that matter to Christ. If our Christmas season would feel a little more special or meaningful.  We continue the traditions of giving gifts to family which can be stressful financially and mentally but what if we began to give gifts of time, baked goods, child care for a young            couple?  I believe this is the heart of God and our willingness to do for others will not onl
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A Dangerous Life is a Good Life

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Today is my second day of self quarantine.  Our team had to return from Moldova earlier then expected and now we need to stay in our homes for two weeks.   It's been quite an eventful week.  As we registered with the state department before we left, there were no indications that we should not leave.  During our layover in Austria we started to realize something was happening as we heard that we may not be able to get into Moldova.  During our 1st day in Moldova, our team heard there was a ban in the United States for those traveling from Europe.  Throughout the four days we were there, it seemed like hourly news was coming about airports closing, bans beginning and stores at home running out of the basics because people were so fearful.  There were many calls to the Embassy in Moldova, airline carriers and family. In the midst of all of the chaos, we had no fear.  Not once did we think we were in danger.  The question we continually asked was, "What is the w
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Representing Christ Well With Our Lives

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We just returned from a trip of a lifetime to see our son and his wife in Sweden.  A place I never really thought about going to. It was not something on my bucket list or a place you would normally go on a mission trip to.  It was a sweet time with our kids and the beauty there is like nothing I have ever seen.  Every sunset is magical, they just happen at two in the afternoon instead of five.  It's not normal for us to travel outside of Village to Village or to travel with my husband. His idea of a trip away is to another state, not another country.  My husband has always had a kind heart so anytime he could speak into someone's life he did.  Even when he was uncomfortable himself.  Some of the things we have tried to teach our children is kindness, to love everyone, not be judgmental and to represent Christ well.  For us there is no other option then to be God's hands and feet in every situation at every moment.   Think about your day to day life.  Doe
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Enjoy It All

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This Christmas Season has been one filled with many changes.   Our son and his wife are in Sweden so it’s our first Christmas without them.   Our daughter and her new husband sharing their first Christmas with us, bringing their animals, putting us with four cats, one dog and five chickens!   We are my mom’s main caregivers, which brings a lot of joy but also much more responsibility.   The nonprofit is in the midst of moving to a new season, filled with so many great opportunities to change lives but also brings the need to raise more money than seems possible. It’s a bit crazy! But the Lord continues to show me that every moment counts, every penny we share counts, every hug, kind word or shared baked good counts.   In a world where we are taught to be selfish I am more than thankful to be where I am, doing what I am doing and continuing to hear God’s voice in it all. My husband and I had the privilege of taking some of our local homeless community to a fami
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Living life with a Rhino's Vision

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Some moments are hard.  Some days are hard.  Some years are hard.  How do we live this life of knowing in our hearts that God has a plan yet having to wait, wonder and stay focused in the midst of the unknown?  We do it through the vision of a Rhino. I run a very young nonprofit.  Our goal is to live simply so others can simply live.  We are passionate about investing in one person at a time because we know to that one person what we do can change their life.  But funding is always the hard part.  Just because I am passionate about it does not mean everyone else around me is.  God has given us a vision for the future, we know it's from Him.  We have stepped out in faith but now is the season of waiting.  It's hard.  There is nothing more we can do, we have prayed until we no longer know the words to use and we have done all we can to move forward and share what God has placed on our hearts with others. There have been other seasons of waiting in my life.  When I was dating
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