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Today I held a baby just born. I watched her parents look at her features with beguiling awe; they didn't expect their child to come, but she did ... and there is joy.

Today another friend told me that she aborted hers at 16. She's glad because now she doesn't have to take care of a child. She also mentioned that the baby wouldn't allow her to go to bars as often.

Tonight, my heart pounds for opposite reasons. A storm of tears presses against the back of my eyelids and they just don't know how to fall.

Adventure day

Green trees, green plants, and little birds that sing.

Hometown, relaxed flannel, and siblings who explore.

Logger's road, shotgun shells, and Melvin the Subaru.

How did we never see this place before?

Oh flu, how did I catch you?

Last night proves that I made a good choice in marrying Zachary.

I threw up consistently from 2am until 6:30am.

At one point I passed out.

My husband stayed up and read to me,

 while making sure I re-hydrated properly.

He's a treasure.   

Surrender

Six months ago, my husband and I started planning our four-month trip to Thailand. 

Three months ago, we scheduled our move-out date as December 20th, 2013.

With one week left until our move, we heard about political chaos occurring in Thailand; the trip cancelled because our destination was/is entirely too unstable and dangerous for the work we were planning on doing (I'd be teaching, he'd be mentored/taught by a man he looks up to). 

On December 19th, stress took over. We registered for the classes we need (instead of traveling), and everything aligned perfectly. Still, we didn't have a place close to school to live. I stayed up late searching for apartments in Seattle in hopes of assembling a "Plan B."

It was 2:00am.

"Do you trust me?" The Lord asked.

"I do."

"Then go to sleep."

I slept. The next morning three housing opportunities opened up.

We took the second. So much peace, peace, peace; we couldn't be happier about it.

   

All this to say that we're learning what it means to surrender.

To surrender what we think is best, only to realize somehting better.

To find that the Lord likes to stir things up, as if to say,
"Um, hello, I've got you. Didn't you know?"

Jehovah Jireh: The Lord will provide.