As many of you know, I love to plan. You might even say that making lists is my specialty (i.e. meals, chores, grocery shopping, budgeting, when to exercise, spending time with friends, vacations, holidays, how to spend my free time during the week and I even take joy in planning what I will wear to work regardless of the fact that I spend 99% of my time with 2 year olds :)). But lately, I have been convicted about the amount of time I spend making all of these plans. How many opportunities to fellowship with others and to enjoy God’s current blessings have I lost or been blind to see because I was so busy planning a future that I ultimately do not control?
So, these past few weeks I have been attempting to enjoy God’s present blessings more – realizing that He has perfectly planned our future. What might those be? Walking to get Gelato with my husband after work on a perfect sunny spring day, going out to eat on Sunday with a dear family from church, going to the Biergarten down the street from our apartment for dinner with a friend from Scotland, watching the Milan vs. Barcelona game at a pub with our friends from Spain, meeting some of Bryonie’s (Rob’s sister) friends, and maybe visiting the BMW museum today. Here’s to enjoying the present and all of the fellowship that it brings!
Now to catch you up on our life during the absence of blogging…
Rob and I have really been enjoying these past few months, but they have been busy. We spent March 2-4 in Landstuhl for the PRJC Chaplain Retreat. During that time we met several Chaplains (and their wives) from across Europe. In fact, one of the Chaplains there told Rob that he has an empty Chaplain spot in his Brigade’s upcoming deployment (Summer 2013). As many of you know, Rob and I both feel a desire for him to deploy (and no…it’s not because we need “space” :)). Rob has often said that he didn’t become a Chaplain to sit at home while his Soldiers face the effects of war (ethical decisions, the loss of friends, martial trials, physical disabilities and death). Such trials can bring a Soldier to think about God and Rob and I both desire for him or her to have someone there who can provide godly counsel. All of that to say, we are waiting to hear if Rob can deploy and are praying that God would open that door. We will keep you posted.
That Sunday, we worshipped at Trinity Reformed Church and Doug Lee (retired BG Chaplain) preached. One of the customs in the military is to bring out the oldest and youngest Soldier present. Putting that tradition into practice during the worship service meant that Chaplain Lee and Rob administered the Lord’s Supper together – what a wonderful way for Rob to experience his first time serving the Supper. Since that weekend, Rob has been back to Trinity Reformed Church once to preach.
Rob’s studies and my job are both going well. Rob will take a break from his studies April 14th-28th and travel back to the U.S. for Army training at Fort Jackson. Then, on May 11th he will go before the New Testament department to present a paper on the history of the interpretation of Hebrews. I have recently found out that one of my co-workers is leaving at the end of May. All in all I believe that this will be a good change – BUT, it will mean that we are down one teacher and now have two teachers for fourteen 2 year olds – YIKES! I have a funny feeling that I will be praying that the Lord will give me strength, energy and patience these next few months J (…and the same for Rob).
We had a lovely and unusual Easter yesterday. Lovely because we enjoyed the afternoon with some dear friends and unusual because it SNOWED – so much for wearing a spring dress on Easter! Even though it was a little colder than I would have preferred, it was a physical depiction of Isaiah 1:18 (ESV):
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.”
We hope you had a wonderful Easter Sunday and miss you all! Er ist wahrhaftig auf erstanden…
Miles to Heaven 