To Momma (and Mothers everywhere)

I saw this today and though you might enjoy it as well. I dedicate this to all mothers out there, especially mine. I love you Momma!!!

Somebody said it takes about 6 weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby . . .
Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "normal" is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct . . .
Somebody never took a 3-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring . . .
Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said good mothers never raise their voices . . .
Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother . . .
Somebody never helped a 4th grader with his math.

Somebody said you can't love the 5th child as much as you love the first . . .
Somebody doesn't have 5 children.

Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books . . .
Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery . . .
Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the 1st day of kindergarten. Or on a plane headed for military boot camp. Or get on a plane for West Africa and the Mission field.

Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back . . .
Somebody never organized 7 giggling Brownies to sell cookies.

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married . . .
Somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son- or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home . . .
Somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her . . .
Somebody isn't a mother.

Hello again from the girl down the street

Hello again!
This is Jessica, for all who forgot.. I am back in action and wanted to write a little excerpt to fill all ya'll in on what I have been doing for the last couple of weeks. Well I am in good spirits at the moment because my older brother (Chris) and college roomate (Linzi) left Dakar last night after a week of visiting me! It was so amazing. We did so much together. We laughed, sat on the beach, ate a lot, hung out with my family, prayed, and simply talked while enjoying each other's company. It was such an emotional, rejuvination week for me. I begun to process a lot of what I have been learning out here which was nice to do with people who know me and love me. It was good to start processing things so that when I go home it wont hit so hard. That's just it.. I go home in a month! I thought I would be really sad to see Chris and Linzi leave, but realizing my departure date, I have decided that there is no time to be sad. It's time to focus on why God brought me here and what he still has time to do through me. So thank you for all your prayers regarding my heart and struggles here. The Lord is blessing me once again. So Let me fill you all in on what the Lord is doing with my family.
C.S. Lewis wrote a quote about people who see in his book, "The Last Battle". I don't remember the quote exactly word for word, but it says that everyone who truely seeks truely finds. I couldn't agree with Lewis more. I believe that you don't need a check list of what constitutes someone as a "seeker". I believe that people who are searching for truth, asking questions, and trying to make sense of life are seekers. This is my family. I have had wonderful conversations with them about prayer, God, and Jesus. They are listening and watching me and I believe that the Lord has met them in some way so far. I pray that my family will continue to seek because if they do they are going to hit rock bottom and that rock is going to be Jesus. Please continue to pray for the Ba family. Pray that they will see visions and dream dreams of Jesus. Pray also that when they experience God that they come and talk with me and ask me questions. Jesus said that people will know that we are his disciples by the way we love each other. This is all I am doing. I am striving to love God and love my neighbor.. I just happen to be in Senegal doing it! So, be encouraged that what Rich, Lisa, and I are doing is nothing out of the ordinary.
I am going to try and write more about Senegalese family life and some of my own reflections of my life here. Untill then.....
Jamm ak Jamm (peace with peace)
Jessica

Christmas morning collage

A compilation of photos from Christmas morning with my family, including a few after effects photos (the sleeping ones). Click on image for a larger view.

Christmas eve photo blog

Christmas Eve my family came over to my mother's house and we exchanged & opened presents there. We missed you Chrissy!!!

 

How small are you thinking?

How small are you thinking?

I was challenged the other day with this thought by the daily devotional book I am reading. Then by events that occurred, the reading was brought home even more. We have been very close to a particular family, but I have been limiting my perceived influence to the young people of the family. Not that they are the only ones I have been relating to, but they are the only ones I have seen the Spirit moving among. But once again, God surprises me!

The older mother came to visit recently and told how the doctor has said that there is nothing wrong with her body, though she would say differently. By some things she said, the Spirit revealed to me that what is going on within her is more spiritual. A bit intimidated, I went to her and asked if she and I could begin talking about some stories from God’s Word, particularly one’s written by Moses. She said she would like that very much. I am to begin meeting with her this week.

How big are you thinking? How small? Do you say it is because you think small of yourself? Been there, done that! But if you are living in the Spirit, He dwells within you, thus you are thinking small of Him. Think big! But keep your eyes open for the big and small. God is working all around us! But beware; the enemy is working as well. Sometimes it is hard to see God’s hand when the enemy is so prevalent, but He is very much at work if we will simply look for it.

photo collage

Here is a photo collage from our trip at Christmas!! e

 

Count them as rubbish

Philippians 3:8

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his hake I have suffered the loss of things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ…

Indeed anyone who thinks they can do anything, need only parent a child, particularly through the potty training phase. When it comes to parenting issues, my husband generally defers to me as the child expert simply because I have the masters degree in children’s ministry. But in the case of potty training, there is no degree, nay, not even a class on the subject. Yes, we learned about child development, but we did not spend long on this subject. And even if they did, since every child is unique, it would not matter that much anyway. I confess I have no idea what I am doing at this point. I often feel like that as a parent, but even more so at this point.

I count all my degrees as loss for the sake of Christ, that I might reflect Him more clearly to my child, because the fleshly part of me certainly would not. God is still working on my patience, as he is working on my husband’s as well. It is only through the mercy and grace which I have received that I am able to be compassionate toward my son repeatedly. When I am at the end of myself, He is there to encourage me. Though I may get tired each day of cleaning up my son’s mess, how much more of a mess do I give God to clean up by the sin I commit. A little pee here and there is nothing compared to that. Praise be to our God, our perfect heavenly Father!!