Backyards & Bent Nails

Good morning from our backyard to yours!

Word on the street has it that some of you there in North America had to deal with snow this week. Thankfully, we haven’t had to go there just yet. In fact, today’s feature pic is one that I took Sunday morning as we were headed out the door to church.

Whereas snow is a sure sign that ‘winter is here’ back home, here… it’s mist. The further we get into winter, the more likely we are to see a cool mist hanging in the air.

It’s lovely and gives a bit of a magical feel to the surroundings… but I digress. Let me tell you a bit about this week…

Guests… again!

Last Sunday, for the second week in a row, we had a guest with us for the first time. How exciting and it was summed up nicely in a text message I received on Monday from the person who had invited Sunday’s guest:

“Something happened this morning.
The Lord is at work.
Glory to God.
I still feel it.”

We are encouraged to see what the Lord is doing in the lives of those whom He’s entrusted to our care. They are sensitive to the Lord and love him!

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be pulling our Christmas service together (December 21st), it’s a time when we typically have a number of guests as well. Please join us in prayer as we approach that service.

Our Baker-Man

This week, if you’ll recall, Timo has been on a bit of a work-discovery adventure. He spent the week in the bakery section of one of the two biggest grocery stores here in town.

He helped make traditional yule-log cakes in preparation for Christmas (all in all, they will make about 2,000!!), pastries, nut-brittle and fruit pies.

He was pretty much in his element and in a spot with 8-11 staff members at any given time, he said he “love the spot overall, but just disliked working beside some really negative people from time to time.

… uhhhh, yeah. That can DEF-initely be part of the workplace. But we just encouraged him to be the one who’s always in a better mood.

Sophie’s Turn…

This week it will be Sophie’s turn. It won’t be as much about prospecting future career choices as about civic service. She’ll be heading to a seniors’ homes in town and spending four days with them… helping prepare Christmas crafts, taking in her keyboard and singing Christmas carols with them, etc.

This is the same home where Sis. Jeannette lives – an elder saint who can no longer get out to church but who continues to LOVE the Lord, his word and prayer. She is an example.

Anyway, Soph will get to spend the week in there serving the community. We’re proud of our girl & pray it can be an opportunity to benefit His Kingdom in some way.

As for Dominic…

…he’s getting ready to head out to a friend’s birthday later today so he’s currently in the kitchen with Liz, making some cookies for a bit of a home-made touch. Together, they’re rocking out to “Jingle Bell Rock”.

Soon Christmas… soon!

God is Faithful!

He has shown himself faithful again this week.

…”Long” story short :), our monthly support this month is roughly 1/4 the amount of what it should be (not sure what’s going on). We can look at that in one of two ways… through the eyes of disappointment and fear (we STILL have groceries, car repair and rent to pay), or we can remember Paul’s words:

“For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I’ve committed, unto him against that day.”

This is the second way to see it; through the eyes of faith. We know what we’ve committed to the Lord and his work and we know that when we take care of God’s business, it frees him up to take care of our business!

In fact, the day that we learned that, we were contacted by someone who has connected with our family nicely and touches base every once in a while as encouragers. They didn’t know details, but it reminded us that God knows and he’s looking out for us.

When we get to be a little too close to that negative frame of mind, we are not unlike a container filled with …

Bent Nails…

I remember a time, when I was younger (before recylcing was cool! 🙂). Before we could build anything out of wood, we had to go to the old ice cream tub and straighten out enough nails for the job at hand.

Having been pulled out of something else, you’d have to position them “just so” and then tap lightly, to straighten out the curves, to make them usable again, for the new project (being careful, of course, to not “tap” the tip of your finger!).

I found myself doing some of that this week… straightening out nails so I could use them again on something new. It reminded me of my own walk with the Lord.

In order for me to be usable, I need the Lord to straighten out a few kinks & bends… That process takes place over time and aren’t you glad he is patient?! Little by little, if we accept the process, we are being transformed into his likeness.