Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Thankful








November 6, 2011

Happy November everyone! I just love this time of year. The holidays!

I had such a good week and I feel very thankful, yet there were other parts of the week that put so much on my plate and heart that I was overwhelmed and concern. Over the years I have learned to bring all my feelings to God. I am an extreme feeler so God gets a lot of them from me! He faithfully takes all my concerns and gives me peace. He is in control and I can rest in Him.

Our school week was such a blessing. I know God has answered so many prayers. This summer as it looked more and more like a teacher wasn’t coming and that I would be teaching the girls full time for the first time, I know if God was forcing me to be the teacher then He will give me all I need to do it. I did not worry but chose to trust in His promises. And now for me to say that I enjoy teaching, that is a true blessing! I love our little classroom and routine we have going. The girls are doing so well too – less complaining and more focused. I have learned that I need to be fully engaged and not trying to do other things in the classroom – just be teacher. This week we started talking about Thanksgiving. We read the story of the first Thanksgiving and I was amazed at what a mission story it is. Two cultures coming together to thank God. I am even learning in our school! We drew a beautiful picture all together of the first Thanksgiving day. We also had fun learning about the five senses. I will try to post some pictures of our experiment with taste. Love those fun moments!

It has been really rainy here and I love it! We have had more rainy, cloudy mornings than I can ever remember. I know all of you in Michigan think I am so strange to get excited over rain and clouds, but it makes our normal sunshine and 95 plus degrees into something like fall (well if you call 75degrees fall :)).

I sat outside the other day as Grace and Luka were playing in the sandbox making sandcakes. I could think of plenty of other things to do but decided to just sit there listening to their joyful talk and watch their muddy little hands. Some day soon my little ones wont be little anymore and there will no longer be sandcakes. I look at pictures and realize how quickly life goes by. I have been with our children almost every day of their lives and yet still they are growing up so quickly. As a parent I have learned to spend my time by what will be important 5 years from now. Will I care if I stayed in touch with people over the internet, if I made extra money by working, or if I was with my child? For me it puts it all into perspective. The world tells me that I can do so much more and have so much more, but God reminds me that the most valuable things I can do is raise my children and the best thing I can have is a godly family. I love my kids. I don’t want to miss a moment with them. So today I will listen to them make up beautiful songs as we take a walk or drive somewhere because some day all too soon the songs will be over.

Our team talked about community this week and I was thinking how unique our community is on the mission field, especially as a team. There is a unique tight knit, closeness. We see each other every week – sometimes every day depending on what is going on. We go through life together – the good, the bad, the sad, the hard times, fun times… We have a common passion and desire. We are the only ones who understand each other and what living on the mission field is like. We are each others fellowship, family, co-workers, church, accountability, Bible study, babysitters… To be honest there are times this is too close for me, but God has taught me so much through it. I need my team. They need me. I think it is how God wants it to be. I know for me, I have learned it means being selfless. We all have places of community or family as we like to call it on our team. For true community to happen it has to center on Christ. He is the one who binds us together in a common love, grace, and truth.

If you see my Dad tell him happy 60th birthday! Friday my family celebrated with him 60 years of life. What a blessing! To bad we couldn’t be there. Pray for my family as they celebrate in the joys of life and as they deal with the hardships. Seems there is always something happening in the big Beute family. I know we are all in God’s hands and will keep praying for one another.

Praying you had a week to be thankful for too!

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