Canadian Thanksgiving ... Sentani style!

I was talking with Karen the other day and we both were admitting to feeling a little weird, kind of like we were missing something, or forgetting something.  We continued with our daily activities and after a brief Facebook session, we realized that we missed Canadian Thanksgiving Day!  What in the world!  With no drastic changing of the seasons, or harvest, or cold weather to suggest change, we forgot about a day that is actually quite important to us (we don't even have TV programming to remind us!).

Well, today I came home from work to a fully set table and the smell of roast chicken in the air.  I could see pumpkin pie, apple crisp, and chocolate cake on the counter and just like Pavlov's dog at the sound of the bell, I started to drool.  There happened to be good family friends from the interior tribe of Turu that was getting ready for a furlough in the US in town for the weekend so Karen invited them and Darren and Janna Berg and family over for a real Canadian thanksgiving dinner ... Sentani style!

We went around the table sharing what we were thankful for and there was an overwhelming trend ... God is good!  He supplies our needs.  He provides friends as family, when family is so far away.  Thank you, Lord, for being such a generous God!  Words can't express Your Glory.  Thank you for caring for us.  Thank you.

Sometimes I think that every day should be a Thanksgiving day.  Let us never forget that God is the source.  Let us never forget to give thanks.

Paul

Do you ever feel like you are too busy to keep up with all the things you need to keep up with, or all the people you would like connect with?  I feel that way.  In fact, I've been feeling that way for a long time.  I feel like I am too busy to connect with people and am too busy to keep up with things going on in my life.  I also know, however, that this is not entirely accurate!  I was talking with my daughter, Elleah, the other night before bedtime prayers and she was frustrated with me because we didn't go shopping for the school supplies she needed for her Velveteen Rabbit project.  It was 9:30pm and she wanted to go shopping right then and there and was upset with my decision to do it a different day.  Part of my response to her was that she chose to do other things with friends and to stay busy instead of remind me to go shopping for the materials ... and that's when it hit me.  I also have the time to connect with the people I want to connect with and to complete the tasks I need to complete if I make them a priority.  I have made other things my priority instead and then complain when relationships fall to the wayside.

I do want to be a better communicator.  I also concede that I suck at communication (evidenced by my previous post date of 2012).  Here's to better blogging and communicating! 

Wow, almost the entire school year has gone by and no blog updates - you can't really call that blogging.

Some reflections are in order, I guess.  Reading the beginning of the last post is kind of funny because it expresses excitement for school.  Right now we are counting down the days for school to be over and so the excitement for school has subsided considerably, but the excitement for summer has taken over!  It is always positive to look back in time and reflect on the things that have happened, how you have grown or responded to difficulty, and how God has been forming you.  This year is no different - while I may not like it in the midst of a trial, looking back always reveals God.   I want to take this time to be sure that God gets the glory for the work that is being done in my life.

School has had its challenges this year but there are some great teacher who challenge me to grow professionally and spiritually.  I have had the opportunity to speak to our local church congregation of expat missionaries.  That, I must admit, is quite intimidating ... to preach to a bunch of missionaries!  Then I realize that I also am a missionary and if the other missionaries are half as weird as I am then I'll be alright.  The point is, we are all sinners!

The kids are growing up and getting big.  It has been a few years since we have been to Canada and so this summer we are going to spend 3 months visiting friends and family.  Our kids are looking forward to camping, camp fires, roasting marshmallows whenever they want, wiener roasts, and seeing cousins.  Karen and I also are looking forward to those same things, but if we just say that its for the kids!!

A few last thoughts... keep reading the bible, even when you don't really want to.  Don't let too much time slip away between reads.  Keep praying, even when you don't really want to.  Keep them short and simple - one liners are okay.  Just don't stop talking to God. 

Thanks for listening ...


Paul