Views from my life in Costa Rica

How wonderful to have MY MOM AND DAD IN COSTA RICA!       
   They flew in yesturday afternoon! They met me at the office around 3pm after their drive from the air port. We then went and had a cafecitto with my Tica Familia. My mom (tica) made a great queque de pina and a nice pot of coffee.  Mom and dad loved their first sips of life here :) It was great getting to show them all around my house and to meet my family.  We will be back there for a dinner this Saturday. Here are some pictures from night one.

Meeting my family!

Our kitchen

Getting a hair cut from Nuria

Blacky sleeping

We then headed to our hotel and enjoyed some dinner at La Trotcha. This morning we had breakfast here at the hotel and then headed down into town. I gave my family a little tour and then we went on a walk to see....

MY COW FAMILY:

meet the mommy

meet the daddy, and sadly my baby wasn't there today.

I hope you all are having a good week! I am thankful for you! Another blog update soon! :)

The Lord Directs His Love

Psalm 42:7-8

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me-a prayer to the God of my life.

Take a listen to this great song, it sets my mind on how great our God is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9jdaOG6Lis&feature=related
 
After remembering all God is for you, Can you hold your love back? How wonderful is the Word of God? It guides us and reminds us of who we are who he is! Do you want to know who you are and who he is, I pray we crave this word a new today! It is alive and active! For forever!!! Soak in these words. I colored the things that really stuck out to me this morning.
 

Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently for the LORD;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear the LORD

and put their trust in him.

4 Blessed is the one

who trusts in the LORD,

who does not look to the proud,

to those who turn aside to false gods.[b]

5 Many, LORD my God,

are the wonders you have done,

the things you planned for us.

None can compare with you;

were I to speak and tell of your deeds,

they would be too many to declare.

6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—

but my ears you have opened[c]—

burnt offerings and sin offerings[d] you did not require.

7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—

it is written about me in the scroll.[e]

8 I desire to do your will, my God;

your law is within my heart.”

9 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;

I do not seal my lips, LORD,

as you know.

10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;

I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.

I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness

from the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;

may your love and faithfulness always protect me.

12 For troubles without number surround me;

my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.

They are more than the hairs of my head,

and my heart fails within me.

13 Be pleased to save me, LORD;

come quickly, LORD, to help me.

14 May all who want to take my life

be put to shame and confusion;

may all who desire my ruin

be turned back in disgrace.

15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

be appalled at their own shame.

16 But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who long for your saving help always say,

“The LORD is great!”

17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;

may the Lord think of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay

And one more song for the day: SO GOOD!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmv38GtUtCI&feature=related
 
Have a very wonderful day blog readers and my EMI Support System! Thank you for being part of my life!
Bring to your mind why you are here, that you are by God and for Him!

The Things We Learn

Determination, Domination, Training, Crowns!

Ok, So I have just been thinking for a little while, what things I want to bring up and talk about on this post. And I am not completely sure what it is going to be. I am just SO THANKFUL of all the things I can see that God is having me learn while I am here. I am just thinking about how much each of us must learn each season of our lives. Take a little time to sit down with some paper and maybe a cup of apple cider or something fall-like and think on the things this season has come with. The hard things the new things the joyful things that you have learned.
So today I want to start with a great concept, and I think some powerful wording, that I read this week.


"... in intimate personal belief I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ and make a determination to be dominated by Him alone." - Oswald Chambers


Determination to be dominated by Him alone. The fight we fight as Christians against this world, our flesh, our selfishness, the devil, we thankfully do not fight alone. I can just picture a life fully dominated by Him alone is a good place to fight from. It puts me in a position where I can win.


"Do you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. THEREFORE, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." 1 cor 9:24-26


This verse sticks out to me because it seems to show a picture of determination. We are to go into strict training. I can see that in my own life when there is something really big that God is having me learn and practice. An over arching theme in this season of my life is fear. How we are not called to think in fear about tomorrow, how his love cast out fear. How we were GIVEN a spirit of power love and a sound mind. NOT fear. And if we have been given something then we HAVE it. Cool how that works huh? so that was a small tangent example. So we go through training for a specific reason. It is so that we get a crown that lasts forever!

"THEREFORE, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air."

Because of all of those things we have an aim! It is not a fight all for nothing! There is this concern about the need to fight here at the end of the verse. Paul wants all of these things so that he doesn't miss it! He is preaching to others, spreading truth, writing these letters for us to learn from and he says he needs to keep this aim, keep his body in check, that after all this he doesn't miss it.

"No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

May we be determined to live a life dominated by Jesus. May his truth, his love, his grace, mercy, word, peace, even the suffering! all of Jesus dominate us. Have a wonderful MONDAY all!!!!

LOVE to my eMi support system

LOVE to my family

LOVE to my friends!

I am blessed! <3

 Interns plus Katie and Matt

Boat ride

trying to pull off awkward... I think we did it!

Rain Rain... here to stay?

HELLO blog family! and my wonderful eMi support system! <3

This past week I was on a trip with the interns. We bused off to south Costa Rica and then crossed a fairly run down bridge into Panama! Can anyone say adventure. For those of you who have been to Belize, south Costa Rica reminded me very much of it. We had a beautiful boat day during our trip and got to see a mommy and baby dolphin! We also saw animals like red frogs, monkeys, and a sloth. I need to say sorry once again for my cameraless state. I will post some pics from intern Bethany because I want you to see some BEAUTY! Somthing that hit me on this trip was that all of this belongs to my Father. It was created by the one who LOVES me perfectly. It was formed by the one who wanted me!

The Boarder

Walking to the Beach

Gods Creation

Cute Little Guy

Want a Banana?

Panama

Work here is going well. I am currently working on electrical plans for a boys home. The building we are designing is a place for teams to come down and stay while serving at the boys home. We have had some none stop rain around here. It rained so hard all night. A few drips hit my face this morning, I guess it was really pounding down on our roof!!! We didnt walk this morning because of all the rain, so I hope my cow family is doing well even if they are wet. I am really enjoying this rain and cooler weather. It is 70 but for us it is chilly. :) I really wonder how coming home in the middle of Dec will be for me brrr haha.

Yesturday on my walk I got to see a new mom and brand new baby cow! They were walking with their human parents down the side of the road. :) que linda no? So this is a quick update from the last week. Another post coming soon. Next post, we will dig into the word together.

Reminder for the day: God created you. He thinks about you. He knows all about you. He wanted you, he WANTED to create you! You are part of a big plan!!! I want me and you to remember this today. I can get lost in the thought that he wanted me, before anyone else did. He wants me and you even if the world and the people in it dont. His love can push through everything to get to you. May we say yes to him today.

Have a crisp fall day :)