"Pack My Bags"

My parents have always said that "pack my bags" was my middle name.  Ever since I was young, if there was ever a trip to go on, I was there.  Now that I am in my 30's that idea of packing my bags takes on a whole new meaning.   The whole ball game changes when you have 4 little rugrats to consider.  Packing scooters or legos or Ben 10 alien figures never used to be thought of when we first started this journey.  But now, here we are....about 9 1/2 years later of living outside of the US and 4 kids in tow, we are going to make the journey back.  

Occasionally I am reminded of the scripture from the Bible in Matt. 6:19-21

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I have to remind myself of this verse when I get sad to leave behind "stuff"  and start over again.  Ya know, I go to other peoples homes sometimes and admire their decoration or the little things they have collected over the years, and am tempted to think to myself, "man, it's just not fair", but it is usually in those times when this verse comes to mind and the Lord reminds me that this earth is not my home.  It says it really well in The Message, in 2 Peter 2:10-12 "....Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it...."  Not that I think it is wrong to have a cozy home.  It is just a way that I think the Lord encourages me not to dwell on those things.

So, the challenge right now is to pack it all up and get rid of most of our earthly possessions in the next 30 days.  We are hoping that there will be a family moving here that will want to buy it all as a package and that will be that, but we shall see.  So, please pray with us that someone comes wanting to buy it all and that there is someone that will buy our car and we will be done and on to the next chapter of this journey!
Blessings!

Change

I have always been one to like change, and I guess that is good because I have seen a lot of it.  In the last 9 1/2 years of our marriage Mike and I have lived in 3 different countries, and it seems that every time I just start to feel settled in a house, it is time to get rid of everything and start over.

And so....here we are at that crossroads again.  Our time in the Middle East is up and we are about to put everything in our apartment up for sale, fit everything that we own into 6 suitcases and make our way back to the US.  I have so many emotions going on inside of me.  I am excited to be returning to my homeland, but very sad to be leaving good friends behind here.  Our time here in the Middle East has really been a good one of connecting and making deep friendships.  Friends that have seen our youngest two come into this world.  Friends that have stood with us through hard times, loved on our kids, laughed together, shared many meals together....It has been a time of refreshing in a dry desert land!  So for that we are thankful!

And, I know that the God we serve is faithful in providing and we can look to our future with smiles and expectant hearts.  So, as we get ready to leave the falafel, the Arab hospitality, the love of friends behind, I know we can look forward to what God has in store.  Sometimes it feels almost too good to be true to be able to live in my own country.  But for this next month I need to try and soak up all the last bit of culture that I can.

Oh yeah, so we were going to be leaving at the end of April, but for many reasons we have decided to purchase tickets for the beginning of February, which is when our visas are up.  Yikes! So, the countdown is on!  (33 sleeps, as we say it in our house :-) I am going to try and get on here and document the whole process.  We'll see how I do!

Here is a recent picture of our last Christmas in Jordan!