I Voted Today

I exercised my right and privilege and cast my vote today.

Why do I get to weigh in early on who I'd like to see in the Oval Office? Because I am an absentee voter. My wee ballot will travel in a diplomatic pouch from the U.S. Embassy here in Tanzania to the States where it will then be routed to L.A. County. There it will be held until the proper time for counting.

It's an amazing gift we have, this freedom to vote.

Too Pretty!

Monday morning was grey and drizzly here
but this came into by inbox :-)

Wow!

Photo by my friend, Darrelle.

A Good Run

Paul Newman died on Friday, as most of you will know. I think his daughters made the sweetest statement when they said...

"Paul Newman played many unforgettable roles. But the ones for which he was proudest never had top billing on the marquee:
Devoted husband, loving father, adoring grandfather, dedicated philanthropist."

Growing up in the 70's, we loved "Cool Hand Luke," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," and "The Sting." Each one remains a total classic.

One thing I admired greatly about Newman's life was the successful 50 year marriage that he shared and Joanne Woodward.

At the height of Newman's career, when he was everyone's favorite beautiful Hollywood face, Joanne was asked what it is like being married to the most beautiful and most sexy man in the world.

Her reply has long been one of my favorite quotes on marriage...

"Beauty fades and sexiness wears thin, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that's a real treat."

House-Proud

I know that "house-proud" is not actually meant as a flattering term, but I'm very pleased with myself about this cozy (cosy) little grouping in our living room.

We've been in this house for over a year and during that whole time I've never really been happy with the living room arrangement. It took spending an evening at home with me sitting and pondering on the sofa. I re-arranged things in my head until I found a plan that I liked. Then I enlisted the family to help me shove a few things around.

Now we sit in our sitting room instead of just walking through it. Heather and I read her history and science lessons together on the sofa.

Little changes make a big difference,

And morning sunlight is such a nice thing.

without ceasing

and this is how we pray
backs nestled into the hammock
faces turned toward the stars
the warm air lifts against us
and we are quiet, quiet
as you, god, speak to us
about how big you are

and this is how we pray
sitting on the leaf strewn ground
peering across the pattern of sun and shade
the clear pool under the giant fig
where the monitor lizard slips through the water
and we whisper our worshipful thanks
again and again

and this is how we pray
standing in the kitchen
speaking out the worries in our minds
telling this perfect parent god
just how small our faith feels
conscious of how sweetly ludicrous
our doubts must appear

and this is how we pray
curled into our duvets
safely tucked in on this wind blown night
thoughts far from here
with our friends who sit in vigil
waiting for a precious life to pass
maybe even tonight

and this is how we pray
with longing
and with hope
with stress
and with joy
with daring
and with simple words

Waking up and Wondering Where on Earth I am

I just kept trying to work out where I was as I would half wake before the grey light filled our room this morning. Was I at Ian's? Were we in Nairobi? My poor mind was totally confused by travel and general exhaustion but I did finally recognize the bed as our own.

Home. So good.

It was a day of getting back into the routines of home school, team time, catching up, and getting organized for the next few days. I was dying to slip out with my baskets and do some fruit and veg shopping. Being out of Africa reminded me how much I enjoy fresh things here. Mango is out of season but there are watermelons and bananas and oranges and passion fruit to love.

I finally got to the ladies at the fruit stand at about 6:30pm. Women in this culture are called "Mama So 'n So" according to the name of your first-born. So this summer I turned up to shop with Jesse a few times and now they call me "Mama Rasta." Nice.

The young woman who sells me most of my produce said I came back from Europe "looking good." In Africa, that usually means I look heavier (healthier) than the last time we were together.

Yea, lookin' good, Lisa. Like I said, I've been missing fresh things.

Hopefully she'll think I'm looking worse next time we see each other :-)

Saying Goodbye

I've never been a big fan of goodbyes so leaving everyone tonight, as this crazy and full-tilt week with 24-7 Prayer came to a close, was a big drag.

I wanted to just take Susanna and Scott and Misty and Andrea and Helen and Valentine and Veronika and Risa and Krister (sp?) and just about most everyone else with me. Yea, that would be cool.

But then they wouldn't be doing the great stuff they are doing in the places where they are doing them.

I am fully exhausted and duly exhilarated and I really have to go to bed. We have a few short hours to sleep and 2 long days of travel still ahead of us.

Home--the gathering. Yes, it was great.

Home--my house. Yes, I can't wait.

Waking Up in London

Byron and I took a long, bumpy, wild, dusty, sweaty and somewhat terrifying shuttle ride from Arusha to Nairobi yesterday. We took a 11:40pm overnight flight to England and woke up, kind of rested, to the rain in London as we landed at Heathrow.

I'm so excited to be here for the global gathering of 24-7 Prayer! I'm so excited to get together and hear the stories of what's going on all over the place as people press into prayer. As the lovely Carla Harding said when she reported that we've had nearly 1,000 registered prayer rooms over the last year, bringing our nation total to 87, "It's great to know God still wants to talk to us."

I'll be speaking 3 times in this next week, and facilitating 3 other sessions. Your prayers are much appreciated!

And God bless Peter and Tammy for folding Colin and Heather into their family for this time that we are away. Since we have 3 sets of meetings in a row (leadership team, followed by Round Table with core leaders, followed by global gathering called HOME,) we're away 10 days. Your prayers for our kids and the Russell family also much appreciated.

Love and Love!

Little Beauties

Heather collected flowers in our garden and displayed them one by one.

And This is How i Know...

That I married the right man:

Because while the overwhelm was trying to overwhelm me this morning, he slipped into the kitchen and made us all a big pan of scrambled eggs with green onions and potatoes mixed in.

And when I cried after breakfast and told him I was disappointed that we didn't have a better school situation for the kids, he told me how great the kids are and how great they are doing and how maybe God knows a thing or two.

And when I asked him what God might possibly know about what was best for my kids, he laughed (and didn't worry that maybe I had lost my faith.)

And rather than wait for tomorrow to catch up with us and shock us with the list of things that aren't yet done, he seasoned all the ground beef and got it ready tonight for tomorrow's BBQ burger thing that we're bringing the meat to.

And THEN, because he realized the celery he had been so excited to find was about to fade, he made a big batch of Mrs. Lucia's Italian chicken stuff for our dinner and we had enough to freeze for some other night too. (All this while still putting in a day's work.)

And Heather said, "Mom, you never cook anymore!"

And Colin said, "She cooks all the time."

And I said, "I married the right man."

Life looks so much better from the vantage point of tonight.

(And home school was actually just fine today.)

Opening Day

First day back into the home school routine.

I wake up with a kind of dread that threatens to press me down into a little grey hole.

It's just that I don't quite like the system the way it is.

Maybe I am too easily pushed over this edge.

I should have a little more traction on this slope toward discouragement.

I know so many families here who would envy our set up and would think that what we have is gold.

Gold.