Because He Loves Me

Yesterday my right hand hero man went with me up to the market.
We stopped first at the "Yarn Shop" (I'll have to get a picture of that for you sometime!), to pick up a crochet hook and some yarn for one of my students. (Did I mention that I am teaching a crochet class to the High School Deaf Girls?)  Then we had to go see Rosie.  No trip to the market is complete without stopping by to see Rosie!  Who is Rosie?  Rosie is the lady who sells fruit.  She is an expert at picking out the exact fruit you want - just tell her if you want it for today (ripe and ready to eat), or for tomorrow or the next day (not quite so ripe).  She especially loves my children!  She always has an orange or a banana ready for each of us when she sees us coming! (Another picture I should get for you!) After buying some bananas and savoring the oranges she gave us, we said "Ciao!" (Traditional Peruvian good-bye), and continued on our way.  We were finished with our shopping and  were headed back out to the street to walk home.  Ian chattered as we walked along looking at different "shops" and stepped around sleeping dogs.  On our way out, we passed a "Plant Shop."  I just had to stop - I love plants and flowers, even though I'll probably never win the "Most Successful Gardener" or the "Gardener of the Year" award!  The lady had all kinds of plants and flowers - and to my great joy - SEEDS!  I was so excited to see those seeds!  I didn't buy any at that moment, but decided I would certainly return to make a purchase.  Ian and I looked at and admired all the flowers and plants.  Suddenly, Ian pointed to a particular flower and said, "Mommy, I would like to buy that flower for you, because I love you!  Can you call Daddy and ask him if I can?"  Ohhhh!!!!  Talk about your heart melting right into a puddle at your feet!

Well, what else could I do except call Daddy?!  So we called Daddy and Daddy told him that if it wasn't too much, Ian could by the flower for Mommy.  We went back to the "Flower Shop" and Ian showed the lady which plant he wanted.  He gave her the money, and we started for home - very pleased with our purchase.  On the way home, Ian told me the flower was because he loves me and for my Spiritual Birthday (which isn't until August, but that's okay with me!)

So my beautiful plant is sitting in a place of honor - right between my coffee things and my tray of spices!  It is right where I can see it from any place in the kitchen or when I look behind me while I sit at the desk working on the computer!  It is my special reminder of how much I am loved.  It is a reminder to continually pray for my little son - that he would always be so thoughtful and so loving to those around him.  

This month I have been studying Psalm 18.  Wow!  What a "truck-load of blessings" that has been!  I found myself thinking about all the things God does that David listed in that chapter.  Did you know that 2 Samuel 22 is almost identical to Psalm 18?  And when you read 2 Samuel 21, you understand exactly why David wrote chapter 22, which also became Psalm 18.  Then you fast-forward to Romans 8, which tells us "we are more than conquerors"!  See what I mean?  As I was thinking this morning about all those wonderful things God did for David, and does for me (and you - if we'll just let Him!), I find myself asking, "Why?"  The answer is so simple.....

Because He Loves Me!

Teach Me Thy Paths

Shhh!!! It is quiet time and two of my three kiddos are actually sleeping!  Phebe and Ian are snoozing peacefully, and Martha went with Daddy on an adventure to the Post Office!  So here I am typing as fast as my little fingers can go, so I can post this before someone needs me!  Hee!  Hee!
Today I would like to share with you about a brand new website.  It is a website that is designed to help Sunday School teachers, missionaries, or anyone who finds themselves teaching a children's class or needing a visual for a lesson you already have prepared.  My dear friend Sandra Means (whom I admire and respect and love greatly!) has put together a website called Teach Me Thy Paths.  She has Sunday School lessons, visuals, coloring sheets, and other resources.  I am so excited to have a website I can go to that already has materials with verses in the King James Version!  She has even graciously added a section of coloring pages done in Spanish! (I can hardly wait to put those to use!)  She is still adding information to the website, so check back often!  If you have questions for Sandra about something you are looking for, please feel free to contact her.  I trust her website will be a blessing to you as it already has been for me.
Have a Beautiful Day!

Martians and Dry Soup

A friend of my recently said, "Language is beautiful!" I agree. Language is beautiful, but sometimes it is just plain funny - especially when you have learned another language besides your own! When I lived in the Philippines, I learned Cebuano.  Then God brought Hubby into my life, we got married, and moved to Peru. I'll admit was was nervous about learning another language.  I had fears of being confused and I had visions of my tongue being completely twisted into knots as I struggled to find the right word or the right conjugation of a word!

So here I am three years down the road of speaking another language. Are there times of confusion? Yep. Do I sometimes find myself with a twisted tongue in the middle of a conversation? Absolutely! It has been a challenge to keep Cebuano and Spanish straight in my head sometimes. There have been times when I say something, and the person I'm talking to suddenly gives me a blank stare. I scramble around in my mind to try to figure out what I just said that caused that look. Then I start laughing, because usually that look has been caused by the fact that I just used the wrong language! Oops! I often wonder how in the world Hudson Taylor kept all his languages straight!

Then there are the comical moments, where my English brain just doesn't quite get it. Or I (Hubby included) suddenly realize the English equivalent of a word! For example: here in Peru they have a dish called "Sopa Seca." My Translating-to-English mind tells me, "Dry Soup." DRY SOUP?!?! To an American, soup is soup. It has liquid. It is not dry. If it's dry, it's not soup. So I ask, "What is dry soup?" As it turns out, it isn't really a soup. It has noodles and other things, but not really a lot of broth.  Hubby (my personal chef) explains that it is like a braise. Hmmm. I smile.

Then there are the hilarious moments. For example: my children love eating "marcianos." Translated into English (literally)? Martians. By now you are asking, "What in the world are those poor MK's being given to eat? Popsicles. Really?

Marciano (Martian)

American Marciano (American Popsicle)

Peruvian Marciano (Peruvian Popsicle)

Marcianos?

So....what are my children eating anyway?  I'll let you decide.  Remember, it all depends on which language you are eating in!  

In the meantime, I'll praise the Lord for the sense of humor He gave me, and thank Him for the beautiful gift of language He has blessed me with - four times over!