Thankful Thursday: May 17th

Thankful today for….

1. One year without headaches! Today is the anniversary of my eye surgery, and I am thankful that my implant is still intact (there is a 20% chance that your body will reject it and push it out…)! I am thankful too for the chance today to reflect and remember all that the Lord has done in the past 12 months. He has brought healing both spiritually and physically, and thinking about the painful things helps me realize what a joy my life is now!

2. The Monon Trail, and daylight lasting until 9pm so I could go for a long walk this evening.

3. Getting to spend a couple hours with my dear friend Jessica today, who is a medical missionary in a far off land. She is a treasure, and I love time spent with her! Thankful that we were both in Indy at the same time, and were able to connect for a delicious lunch.

Jessica and I at lunch today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Huddles Frozen Yogurt. So. Delicious. Especially when eaten for dinner.

5. A spur-of-the-moment hangout with Miss Kayla Gray on Wednesday. Like Jessica, I love any time spent with her! Getting to do life with Kayla is so fun and life-giving to me, and I am thankful for the past 2 years of getting to know her and build into her life.

Hanging out at Butler in the beautiful sunshine! Love this girl!!

Thankful Thursday: March 22nd

5 things to be thankful for today…

1. Green everywhere! I love the grass, leaves budding on the trees. All the new life springing (pun very much intended) forth is so happy and bright.

2. Kayla! Love getting to spend Wednesday mornings doing life and studying God’s Word with her.

3. Fresh, clean, delicious water

4. Great weather allowing me to exercise in the great outdoors, including a delightful 2.5 mile hike down at Fort Benjamin Harrison on Saturday.

5. Spontaneous drop-ins from friends for the evening!

Thankful Thursday: March 1st

What a great way to start a brand new month! Today, thankful for these 5 things:

1. Africa!! When I woke up this morning I was hit smack in the face with God’s grace as I thought about leaving today for Benin. It has been 5.5 years since I was last on that great continent, and I have been praying for an opportunity to go back ever since. I do not deserve to have this prayer answered, and yet in His grace and mercy He opened a door for me to return. Humbled, thankful, and excited to be there for whatever He has in store for this week!

2. Five men in the application process for Berlin! Praying for 5 more to start an application this week.

3. New glasses! On my way to pick them up right now, just in time to leave…

4. Rides to the airport. Thankful for Sarah and Thao’s willingness to take time out of their days to take me to the airport and pick me up when I return. They are a blessing!

5. Travel size amenities. Since I am only going to be in country 7 days, I decided that I would just take a carry-on and backpack for this trip. No checked bag though means 3 oz or less for all my toiletries. Eek! But, I did it!! And my carry-on even has some room left over. I am going to take a picture, because this has NEVER happened before, and may never happen again. Although one of my life goals is to learn how to pack light, so maybe this is a first baby step in that direction…

Thankful Thursday: February 23rd

Time for the weekly pause to be thankful for….

1. Weddings! Lots of friends getting married this year, and it is such a privilege to celebrate with each of them. It is also a great reminder at each wedding of the love that Christ has for his church, and his perfect plan in creating marriage!

2. Grace for each new day, and being able to start fresh every morning

3. Susie and Darla! Love their wisdom, insight and the way both of them listen and help me process through life. Thankful for their friendship and mentor-ship these past few years!!

4. Hot tea on cold mornings

5. Praying together as an office each Thursday morning. Great way to close out the week!

Thankful Thursday: February 2nd

Another week come and gone, and today thankful for these….

1. A comfy bed and a good breakfast at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Knoxville, TN on Sunday night to break up the long trek from SC back to Indy.

2. Running into my friend Katie in the middle of Spartanburg, SC at the only Starbucks in town…located in the Barnes and Noble! I was in need of a snack and some coffee, and it was literally the only place for several miles. How neat of the Lord to get me off at that stop and bring me to that shop so we could reconnect! Crazy fun.

3. Time to get things done, like cleaning my apartment and getting an oil change

4. Things being on sale

5. AIA students who love Jesus and live out their faith while playing their sport. It is always a challenge to get myself to a bible study that starts at 9pm, but once I am there, it is always worth it. Love to dig into the Word with them and experience life together.

Road Trip: The End.

Well, my time in the south is coming to a close, and tonight is my last night in Beaufort. Tomorrow morning I will be at CBC Savannah, enjoying all three services and hopefully getting to meet a ton of new people! After that I’m headed to Knoxville and then on back to Indy on Monday. The best part about these days in the south isn’t the great weather or good memories or beautiful places, although those were definitely highlights! No, the best part is the time spent deepening friendships, sharpening one another and catching up on life. The phone suffices when distance comes between friends, but it cannot capture or replace what happens when sitting face to face over a cup of coffee, sharing your heart and life with another person. So grateful for this time, and these faces that make up the fabric of this mosaic that God has given as my life.

The Chocolate Tree....one of my favorite spots in the world! My first grade teacher works here now and sometimes I get to see her. It's not a real visit to Beaufort without a stop at the chocolate tree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my dream homes in Beaufort. It's for sale....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beaufort Downtown Waterfront - with the bridge open!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ran into Alex and Irina at Common Ground coffee shop! What a delightful surprise and so great to catch up with them! Love them!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Huspa Plantation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had the joy and privilege of spending half a day with the lovely Mrs Marlit! Such a delightful friend - I love any time I get to spend with her!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hanging out downtown this afternoon with Chandra and her new puppy Charlie!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thankful Thursday: January 26th

Thankful today for…

1. The weather right now. This is unusual January weather even for South Carolina, and I am thoroughly enjoying these days of 70 degrees and sunshine. I went for a run yesterday in shorts and a t-shirt! What? Awesome.

2. The Holy Spirit, and His ability to close my mouth when it is most glorifying to God that I remain silent, and then also give me the words to say when truth needs to be spoken.

3. Learning new things all the time!

4. A second home. I love being at the Fowler’s house – I am just as comfortable and “at home” here as I am when I am home with my parents. Such a blessing to have great friends we have known for almost 20 years!

5. Almost being home! I’ve been home a total of 10 days since the first week of November, so as much as I have loved this time traveling and seeing dear friends, I am also very ready to be at home for more than 3 consecutive nights.

Road Trip: Catching Up

I’ve lost track of the days….not sure which one we are on anymore, so, oh well. This is my catch up post! After a few delightful days in Charleston, my college roommates and I got together for our annual reunion weekend out at Edisto Beach. Only 5 of us were able to make it (out of 8), and we had a fantastic time. The weather on Saturday was perfect for a lazy morning watching dolphins off the porch and then an afternoon walk on the beach. As always there was lots of talking, playing games, eating food and sleeping as little as possible to maximize our short time together. Love these women, and the deep friendship we share.

Now it’s a week in Beaufort with a few short trips down to Savannah, and then it will be time to head back up to Indiana. Cold, cold Indiana. I’ll embrace it once I get there, but for now, I am thoroughly enjoying these sunny 70′s days the Lord has given!

The view from our balcony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way to the beach!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite. Album Cover, right there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beautiful, beloved beach

Road Trip: Day 7 & Thankful Thursday!

Day 7 ended up being quite the adventure. Including, but not limited to, getting some work done in the morning, an attempt to hang out with a friend, thwarted quickly by Winston cutting off in the middle of the street 4 times in a few short minutes, getting towed to West Ashley and finding out that once again it is going to cost an arm and a leg to get it fixed (awesomesauce….very thankful for my savings account right now), it not being ready until tomorrow, missing a second hangout with a friend, and then it all culminating in a lovely walk through Charleston to meet a friend for dinner.

Amy is that friend – she was my discipler my sophomore-senior year at the College, and a great friendship grew out of that. We have stayed in touch over the years, and each time I come to Charleston one of the greatest highlights is my time spent with her. She is a constant encouragement, source of wisdom and so, so fun! I love getting to hang out with her and just do life together. We always go to great local restaurants, and tonight we enjoyed Basil, my all-time fave Thai spot (in C-town, at least). So refreshing after a crazy day, and I am very thankful for her friendship!

Hanging out with Amy at dinner!

Just remembered that today is Thursday too! Much to be thankful for….

1. No accidents when Winston kept shutting down in the middle of Meeting Street today, and that I was able to get it to the side of the road without any problems. Also thankful for AAA. We’ll put them in this one.

2. The internet – makes my job sooo much easier, especially when traveling

3. This opportunity to connect with so many friends and ministry partners!

4. Friends having timeshare condos that we can use for free on Edisto Beach. Yay Bull St. girls reunion this weekend!!!

5. The Valley of Vision book of Puritan Prayers. Such a rich addition to any time spent in the presence of Jesus!

Road Trip: Day 4

Today was my last day with my new dear friends David and Beverly. Their hospitality, kindness and generosity over the past three days has been a source of joy and refreshment to my soul. They have literally lived the gospel, and through them I experienced the presence of Jesus. Rarely have I felt so comfortable so quickly in someone else’s home – from the moment I walked in, I felt like family, even though I had never met Beverly and had only met David once before. What a great joy it has been to have these few days together, and I so appreciate their love and friendship. I am already looking forward to the next time I get to see them!

But, for now, Charleston is calling. Onward and upward tomorrow to the city that captured my heart so many years ago…

David and Beverly