(Yes, very early Saturday morning I was admitted to Srinakarin Samitivej Hospital for a bacterial infection in my stomach. More commonly known as food poisoning. I arrived home Monday evening, in time for supper with my family. )
1. It helps with your anxiety levels to already have made a in-the-middle-of the-night run to the same emergency room three months earlier (thanks, Isaac, for giving us that experience with your emergency appendectomy in June!!)
2. God is gracious and has perfect timing (please, please God let me make it to the emergency room before the next stomach-churning episode!)
3. The eleventh floor, corner room is a beautiful room to stay in, where you feel like you are in the sky, surrounded by clouds, and oh-so-very peaceful…except for the very loud drilling right overhead where they are obviously working to make the twelfth floor pretty, too!
4. That jello tastes great at first when it’s been awhile since you’ve eaten, but after several meals of it, the attraction starts to wan…
5. When you have gone several hours with the “chiller?” not working in your air-con, your room can get very hot, especially during the middle of the day.
6. That a family of five can have a lot of fun in a hospital room, especially when they come to visit equipped with a DVD player, a Wii console, games and great attitudes.
7. A husband who will hold your hand during IVs and bloodwork, buy you cheese bagels and 7ups when you are hungry, sleep on the couch in the room with you during the night, drive back and forth on busy Srinarkarin Rd so that the children can come visit, wash your face when your food will not stay down, and has a great sense of humor… even when date night takes an unexpected turn, and in addition is willing to take a day off work to spend with you so that you will not be alone is definitely a keeper!
8. That having a Beauty Salon in the hospital, where your head can be massaged, your hair washed and blow-dried is a wonderful idea when you have an IV in your arm and haven’t been able to wash your hair all weekend.
9. That friends and family who care and call, help with your family, send e-mails and messages, give beautiful roses and cook dinner for you are some of the greatest blessings in life!
10. That God uses those moments when our bodies are weaker than we would like to remind us that every breath comes from Him, and to remind us to pray for all of those who are undergoing so much more than we are…my Mother’s friend in the hospital having surgery, my friend’s mother dying of cancer, all those in Zimbabwe whom my Dad is visiting right now who are starving and all the people that live in the tin shanties who I could watch out the window, far below, whose daily lives every day are so much harder than mine. Yes, even in my weak moments when I am in pain, I still have so much…a loving family, a clean hospital room, insurance that pays for me to receive good medical care, medicines that fight the infections and heal my body, a husband that has a job, a toilet that flushes and oh, so much more. Most importantly, a relationship with the Creator God that nourishes and replenishes my soul. Oh, Father God, may I ever be mindful of those who are in need of so much physically and spiritually, and may I be an instrument of your love wherever you call me.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
And to think that I saw it on market street
Sometimes I wish all we saw coming home from school was an old wagon and a horse, like in the Dr. Suess book. It sure would be a lot easier to ride my bike or drive the car! But, we don't need active imaginations to be excited about what we see coming home from school!
We only live a few minutes away from school, and we go down one long street that we call market street. Just yesterday on our way home, we saw:
three elephants!!!
more motorcycles than we could count, with more on them than you could ever imagine...one was transporting a table...yes, one man was driving, and the other was holding a table up over both of them!
tons of "soi" dogs...street dogs that are ugly and not very well kept...one was calmly eating a bone in the middle of the road, despite all the action around!
Vendors selling everything out of their carts, from hot grilled meat, to fruit, to brightly colored ballons,
bicycles, taxis, cars, motorcycles, carts, big garbage trucks,
lots and lots of people, most wearing yellow because it was a Monday, and with brightly colored umbrellas because it was raining,
monks in their flowing orange robes,
all kinds of shops...two Seven elevens, barber shops, internet shops, bicycle and motorcycle repair shops, frame shops, hardware shops, you name it, it's somewhere on that one street!
I wanted to write this down while I was thinking about...our rides to school and back are always so interesting...I need to take some pictures to show you that we really did see it all on market street!
We only live a few minutes away from school, and we go down one long street that we call market street. Just yesterday on our way home, we saw:
three elephants!!!
more motorcycles than we could count, with more on them than you could ever imagine...one was transporting a table...yes, one man was driving, and the other was holding a table up over both of them!
tons of "soi" dogs...street dogs that are ugly and not very well kept...one was calmly eating a bone in the middle of the road, despite all the action around!
Vendors selling everything out of their carts, from hot grilled meat, to fruit, to brightly colored ballons,
bicycles, taxis, cars, motorcycles, carts, big garbage trucks,
lots and lots of people, most wearing yellow because it was a Monday, and with brightly colored umbrellas because it was raining,
monks in their flowing orange robes,
all kinds of shops...two Seven elevens, barber shops, internet shops, bicycle and motorcycle repair shops, frame shops, hardware shops, you name it, it's somewhere on that one street!
I wanted to write this down while I was thinking about...our rides to school and back are always so interesting...I need to take some pictures to show you that we really did see it all on market street!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
pictures from the last month
here are some orchids in our yard...
Also, pictures of the kids on the first day of school...Aug 13th...
And, a couple of pictures of a rainbow from our terrace. We've seen three incredible rainbows in the last month--taking up the whole sky, sometimes with a double...wish cameras could do them justice.
I'm thankful for Shaina's help in posting pictures...hopefully, we are learning and one day I might even be able to do it by myself!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Normal we are Not
The kids started school three weeks ago yesterday, and even though the beginning of the semester is always a stressful time, I usually do better when things settle down and we get into a normal routine. I thought it would happen once we found out what each child would be involved in as they went through try-outs and auditions. I carefully wrote all the schedules down in my calendar when we finally found out the results.
But, nothing has gone according to plan. Today is Isaac's second school day to miss this semester, Shaina missed Monday and Tuesday...they've both had very bad sore throats and fevers. I think we will take them to the Dr's today and try to get them back to health!! And, the political unrest reached a point on Tuesday that school was closed on Wed and after school activities were postponed for the rest of the week. So, Rissa, Shaina and Philip went back to school today, but there will be no play practice or basketball practice after school.
I remember that I've experienced this feeling many times before...trying to get my life organized and scheduled and then things happen...kindof like the book title "Normal is just a setting on the hair dryer." There is no normal.
Yesterday, I discussed with the kids the Bible study that I am going through, NO OTHER GODS (by Kelly Minter) and talked about the idols that control us, motivate us, consume our time, and our thoughts. Later, (as I let my opinion be known about the many schedule changes!!) Rissa pointed out, "Maybe one of your idols, Mom, is having a schedule"--quite true, perhaps that would mean the actual idol is being in control, not liking surprises, wanting to manage my life in a predictable way???
Definitely things to think about!
So, I'll sign off for now, and enjoy my non-normal day--a gift of a day spent with my wonderful twelve year old son!
But, nothing has gone according to plan. Today is Isaac's second school day to miss this semester, Shaina missed Monday and Tuesday...they've both had very bad sore throats and fevers. I think we will take them to the Dr's today and try to get them back to health!! And, the political unrest reached a point on Tuesday that school was closed on Wed and after school activities were postponed for the rest of the week. So, Rissa, Shaina and Philip went back to school today, but there will be no play practice or basketball practice after school.
I remember that I've experienced this feeling many times before...trying to get my life organized and scheduled and then things happen...kindof like the book title "Normal is just a setting on the hair dryer." There is no normal.
Yesterday, I discussed with the kids the Bible study that I am going through, NO OTHER GODS (by Kelly Minter) and talked about the idols that control us, motivate us, consume our time, and our thoughts. Later, (as I let my opinion be known about the many schedule changes!!) Rissa pointed out, "Maybe one of your idols, Mom, is having a schedule"--quite true, perhaps that would mean the actual idol is being in control, not liking surprises, wanting to manage my life in a predictable way???
Definitely things to think about!
So, I'll sign off for now, and enjoy my non-normal day--a gift of a day spent with my wonderful twelve year old son!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Long time, no post
I'm not sure what happened to all my good intentions about keeping up with my blog...anyway, I'll give it another try! We enjoyed a wonderful visit with my Mother, and then plunged into our school schedule. Rissa is now a 1
0th grader, Shaina is in 9th grade and Isaac is in 7th.
Rissa was happy to get the part of Amy in the Fall Play, Little Women, and Isaac and Shaina were both very pleased to make it on the Under15 Basketball teams. So, they should all be quite busy these next couple of months.
They continue to enjoy hosting the youth on Friday nights and participating at church by helping with the preschool class and leading worship on youth Sundays.
These links are to the two major newspapers here in Bangkok. They are updated pretty regularly with the latest information.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
http://www.bangkokpost.com/
This is an article that does a good job explaining this political crisis--it is a few days old, but gives background on what is happening:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JH29Ae02.html
With the current situation on our hearts, I'll save updates and stories about our family for another time.
0th grader, Shaina is in 9th grade and Isaac is in 7th. Rissa was happy to get the part of Amy in the Fall Play, Little Women, and Isaac and Shaina were both very pleased to make it on the Under15 Basketball teams. So, they should all be quite busy these next couple of months.
They continue to enjoy hosting the youth on Friday nights and participating at church by helping with the preschool class and leading worship on youth Sundays.
Today, our hearts are burdened for this country that we live in and love--Thailand. As the political unrest escalates, we continue to pray for peace--both for peace politically, and also for peace in the hearts of the Thai people whom we love.
Here are some links about the situation--the first one is our school and the updated information about school activities. Today, the after school activities are cancelled, but as of right now, school is still opened tomorrow.
http://www.icsbangkok.comThese links are to the two major newspapers here in Bangkok. They are updated pretty regularly with the latest information.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
http://www.bangkokpost.com/
This is an article that does a good job explaining this political crisis--it is a few days old, but gives background on what is happening:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JH29Ae02.html
With the current situation on our hearts, I'll save updates and stories about our family for another time.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Trying to post a picture
Philip is helping me to try and learn how to post pictures on the blog. This picture was taken last year in September...a Baptism service at the beach. It brings back special memories of a day when Philip baptized our good friend, Mrs Gail, and several students and our own Isaac.Today we are on vacation at the beach...when we arrived here, we discovered this little hotel that we love and have stayed in several times now has wireless access! Unbelievable...so, here we sit, looking at God's creation and trying to learn more about the blogging world!
The wind is blowing, the waves are crashing, and it's great to see this picture and be reminded of the baptism day last September,
Sheila
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Five Harkins off to the beach
In about an hour, we are headed off to our favorite spot in Rayong, Thailand. A beautiful beach, where we love to go for family time. Our time in the car will be spent reading "Do Hard Things" by Brett and Alex Harris, and we are all looking forward to reading a book we've heard so much about. Thank you, Mother, for sending that to us.
We are still just "soaking up" (the kids really tease me about this, which they say I use in abundance every time we are enjoying a beautiful sunset, or a special family moment...) time with the girls and enjoying every minute of having girls in the house again...giggles, music, and meaningful conversation...what a blessing after four weeks of a much quieter house.
Philip and I will be working on the script for the fall play, and would appreciate your prayers that we will be able to work together well, as working together on something like this can often reveal all our differences!!
Thanks for your prayers as we take off for some family time...we will be back on Thursday,
Sheila
We are still just "soaking up" (the kids really tease me about this, which they say I use in abundance every time we are enjoying a beautiful sunset, or a special family moment...) time with the girls and enjoying every minute of having girls in the house again...giggles, music, and meaningful conversation...what a blessing after four weeks of a much quieter house.
Philip and I will be working on the script for the fall play, and would appreciate your prayers that we will be able to work together well, as working together on something like this can often reveal all our differences!!
Thanks for your prayers as we take off for some family time...we will be back on Thursday,
Sheila
Friday, July 11, 2008
Together Again!
What a reunion at the Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday!! One happy, tearful Momma, one excited, gift-bearing brother, two beautiful, so-grown-up-looking daughters, one tired, good-looking Poppa!!!
FIVE again...five in the car, five sleeping under the same roof, five laughing, grateful family members pouring over pictures--trying to get a word in, sharing gifts and memories and greetings from loved ones with each other.
Five people eating favorite foods...lemon-squares, applesauce, pumpkin bread, meat pies, chicken and cashewnut... and special treats from the U.S.A...little Debbie Oatmeal Creme pies, Frosted Shredded Wheat, Honey Combs, Pop Tarts, Reece's Cups.
Four family members knowing about the secret purchase...the combination of generous grandparents, gift money, and kids' money all put together...the Wii game....one speechless boy who has just endured a hard month without his sisters, without getting to go to the U.S, with emergency surgery and also not allowed to play sports for the rest of the summer...one very happy guy who said, "I think it was all worth it!!!"
Five people who just had to stop and thank God for his goodness...what joy to all be together again, how blessed we are,
Thank you, Father, for family
FIVE again...five in the car, five sleeping under the same roof, five laughing, grateful family members pouring over pictures--trying to get a word in, sharing gifts and memories and greetings from loved ones with each other.
Five people eating favorite foods...lemon-squares, applesauce, pumpkin bread, meat pies, chicken and cashewnut... and special treats from the U.S.A...little Debbie Oatmeal Creme pies, Frosted Shredded Wheat, Honey Combs, Pop Tarts, Reece's Cups.
Four family members knowing about the secret purchase...the combination of generous grandparents, gift money, and kids' money all put together...the Wii game....one speechless boy who has just endured a hard month without his sisters, without getting to go to the U.S, with emergency surgery and also not allowed to play sports for the rest of the summer...one very happy guy who said, "I think it was all worth it!!!"
Five people who just had to stop and thank God for his goodness...what joy to all be together again, how blessed we are,
Thank you, Father, for family
Monday, July 7, 2008
Random Thoughts
My thoughts today are bouncing around and don't seem to center on one theme...
Isaac and two of his friends are out with our dog, Chocolate, killing a too-kay right now. Yesterday, Isaac and Choco killed a small snake...Isaac's first without Dad around. They were proud of their success. I surely don't like any of the reptiles around, but there is a certain satisfaction in watching boys encounter the wild and succeed! We are all still laughing about the monitor lizard Chocolate killed and the boys knocked out of the tree a couple of weeks ago, soon after Isaac's surgery. Isaac was just sitting and watching the other boys, but when Chocolate got ahold of the monitor lizard and slung it up in the air, Isaac jumped up and moved so quickly....it really was too funny...he had been moving so slowly since the surgery, and we were just thankful he didn't burst his stitches open!
Anyway, enough about reptiles, except to say, I'm glad we have a dog who notices them in our yard and has managed to make this place liveable for me so far!!
A dear Thai friend took us out to supper last night to Sizzler at the mall. Just being around her brings me joy...when her daughters started coming to our school about seven years ago, she was a strong buddhist. But, God touched her heart and I was so blessed to pray with her one day as she surrendered her life to the one true God, the God who created her and loves her so much. Since that time, watching her life change from despair to hope, from fear to trust, from searching to having a purpose has been a beautiful thing.
During our time together last night, she mentioned a conversation she had with her niece who is a graduate student in Texas and is home in Bangkok for the summer. I asked if her niece had met any Christians or been to church while she was in America. She said that the other Thai students studying at the university had cautioned her niece about talking to Christians or going to church. They told her that the Christians around there were very strong and assertive and would try to get you to convert. I was saddened to hear that her neice had been warned against Christianity. I had hoped that she would see the love and kindness of believers while she was in the states.
How I pray that all of us who know the Lord will reach out in love to those who do not...that our love will overflow and our reputation would be that of the Lord Jesus Christ...that those who don't know Him would flock around us, wanting to be close to that kind of love.
Well, here at our house there is great excitement as we await the return of Philip, Rissa and Shaina. Isaac and I went out shopping yesterday...his idea...he was very determined to buy his sisters a gift. For awhile, he was quite depresesed because he couldnt' find a good gift for the girls...but how happy he was when he finally picked them out!
Missing your loved ones is no fun, but anticipating their arrival and thinking about the reunion is a tremendous blessing that we would never have if we weren't apart! It always reminds me of longing for heaven, and what rejoicing there will be at the greatest of all reunions!
We're so thankful for the peace that God has clothed us with this summer, knowing that this time away from each other has been hard, but good, and knowing that God is producing good things in each of us from this time of separation.
Enough random thoughts for now!
Sheila
Isaac and two of his friends are out with our dog, Chocolate, killing a too-kay right now. Yesterday, Isaac and Choco killed a small snake...Isaac's first without Dad around. They were proud of their success. I surely don't like any of the reptiles around, but there is a certain satisfaction in watching boys encounter the wild and succeed! We are all still laughing about the monitor lizard Chocolate killed and the boys knocked out of the tree a couple of weeks ago, soon after Isaac's surgery. Isaac was just sitting and watching the other boys, but when Chocolate got ahold of the monitor lizard and slung it up in the air, Isaac jumped up and moved so quickly....it really was too funny...he had been moving so slowly since the surgery, and we were just thankful he didn't burst his stitches open!
Anyway, enough about reptiles, except to say, I'm glad we have a dog who notices them in our yard and has managed to make this place liveable for me so far!!
A dear Thai friend took us out to supper last night to Sizzler at the mall. Just being around her brings me joy...when her daughters started coming to our school about seven years ago, she was a strong buddhist. But, God touched her heart and I was so blessed to pray with her one day as she surrendered her life to the one true God, the God who created her and loves her so much. Since that time, watching her life change from despair to hope, from fear to trust, from searching to having a purpose has been a beautiful thing.
During our time together last night, she mentioned a conversation she had with her niece who is a graduate student in Texas and is home in Bangkok for the summer. I asked if her niece had met any Christians or been to church while she was in America. She said that the other Thai students studying at the university had cautioned her niece about talking to Christians or going to church. They told her that the Christians around there were very strong and assertive and would try to get you to convert. I was saddened to hear that her neice had been warned against Christianity. I had hoped that she would see the love and kindness of believers while she was in the states.
How I pray that all of us who know the Lord will reach out in love to those who do not...that our love will overflow and our reputation would be that of the Lord Jesus Christ...that those who don't know Him would flock around us, wanting to be close to that kind of love.
Well, here at our house there is great excitement as we await the return of Philip, Rissa and Shaina. Isaac and I went out shopping yesterday...his idea...he was very determined to buy his sisters a gift. For awhile, he was quite depresesed because he couldnt' find a good gift for the girls...but how happy he was when he finally picked them out!
Missing your loved ones is no fun, but anticipating their arrival and thinking about the reunion is a tremendous blessing that we would never have if we weren't apart! It always reminds me of longing for heaven, and what rejoicing there will be at the greatest of all reunions!
We're so thankful for the peace that God has clothed us with this summer, knowing that this time away from each other has been hard, but good, and knowing that God is producing good things in each of us from this time of separation.
Enough random thoughts for now!
Sheila
Friday, July 4, 2008
4th of July in Thailand
Isaac and I had a good 4th of July here. And, although we missed being at the celebrations in the states with family, it felt right and good to be here. We were glad to hear from my mother and Dad in Cedartown today about their 4th with Grandmother Jackson, the Daniel Jackson clan and the Fred Barr clan. Sounded like a great day there. And, it was wonderful to hear from Philip and the girls about their day at Lynn and Darrow's with the Harkins' clan. Not often that Philip is with four of his siblings, and we are thankful that they could get together!
We were invited to Nan and Reyong's house for a BBQ last night. Nan outdid herself...chicken, shrimp, hamburgers, vegetables, corn on the cob, french fries, watermelon, cherries, and apple pie! I'm sure I have left out some, too. They had also invited Dean Anderson, a businessman here who goes to church with us, and Mr. Boo Lert and his wife, Mrs. Lee, a Christian Thai couple.
Mr. Boo Lert (not sure of the best spelling for his name!!) and Reyong have been on the committee that brings all the churches together in Thailand for Christmas outreach for the last eight years. The things they have accomplished are phenomenal. In a country that is less than two percent Christian, it is amazing that they have been granted the use of stages in most of the major malls in Bangkok for performing Christmas outreaches. Last year, they had groups from Korea come and sing and dance, as well as many of the Thai churches here. They are starting to line things up for this year...anyone want to come and bring some Christmas cheer and truth to Thailand?
This past week they had a meeting that they have been working and praying about for years...bringing the different Christian radio outreaches together to try and combine them for 24 hour Christian radio throughout Thailand. The laws are now such that they can do this, and it would be an incredible witness if they are able to achieve their goals. They not only need finances, but also manpower, especially those gifted in the I.T. world as they try to bring this together.
It was so exciting to hear these Thai Christians talk and dream about what could happen in this country. I love living here and seeing God at work in all kinds of areas all the time.
My personal little area is working with the teens that go to the International Community School. I have been trying to e-mail individually the ones who attend our Friday Fellowship, and it has given me great joy to hear from many of them. A lot of these kids really love the Lord, and others are earnestly seeking and want to have spiritual answers. I'm thankful for the time I have with them, and pray that I will be refreshed and ready to minister to them again when school starts back.
Isaac is recovering fine from his appendectomy. We did have a scare on Thursday morning when he woke up with chest pains...it was a little complicated with Philip not here, and I don't drive the car out on main streets, and we had a house full of boys who were here for a sleepover. Anyway, thanks to good friends, we were able to get him to the hospital, and the boys at our house even cleaned everything up nicely!! The Dr's were extremely helpful and checked everything out...chest x-ray, EKG, echocardiogram, and blood work. I felt like they were very thorough and explained things well. Everything checked out fine, and they felt like Isaac just had a strained muscle. He had been in intense pain that just vanished...I asked him if he asked God to heal him, and he said, yes, he had, so I am willing to believe that God stepped in and took care of whatever the problem was!
Other than that, our week of being just the two of us has been rather uneventful, and we are counting down 'til Thursday when Philip and the girls come home!
I realized that on this post about America's independance day, I just spent all my time talking about what God is doing in Thailand. I'd love to hear what he is doing in America, if anyone wants to tell me!
Sheila
We were invited to Nan and Reyong's house for a BBQ last night. Nan outdid herself...chicken, shrimp, hamburgers, vegetables, corn on the cob, french fries, watermelon, cherries, and apple pie! I'm sure I have left out some, too. They had also invited Dean Anderson, a businessman here who goes to church with us, and Mr. Boo Lert and his wife, Mrs. Lee, a Christian Thai couple.
Mr. Boo Lert (not sure of the best spelling for his name!!) and Reyong have been on the committee that brings all the churches together in Thailand for Christmas outreach for the last eight years. The things they have accomplished are phenomenal. In a country that is less than two percent Christian, it is amazing that they have been granted the use of stages in most of the major malls in Bangkok for performing Christmas outreaches. Last year, they had groups from Korea come and sing and dance, as well as many of the Thai churches here. They are starting to line things up for this year...anyone want to come and bring some Christmas cheer and truth to Thailand?
This past week they had a meeting that they have been working and praying about for years...bringing the different Christian radio outreaches together to try and combine them for 24 hour Christian radio throughout Thailand. The laws are now such that they can do this, and it would be an incredible witness if they are able to achieve their goals. They not only need finances, but also manpower, especially those gifted in the I.T. world as they try to bring this together.
It was so exciting to hear these Thai Christians talk and dream about what could happen in this country. I love living here and seeing God at work in all kinds of areas all the time.
My personal little area is working with the teens that go to the International Community School. I have been trying to e-mail individually the ones who attend our Friday Fellowship, and it has given me great joy to hear from many of them. A lot of these kids really love the Lord, and others are earnestly seeking and want to have spiritual answers. I'm thankful for the time I have with them, and pray that I will be refreshed and ready to minister to them again when school starts back.
Isaac is recovering fine from his appendectomy. We did have a scare on Thursday morning when he woke up with chest pains...it was a little complicated with Philip not here, and I don't drive the car out on main streets, and we had a house full of boys who were here for a sleepover. Anyway, thanks to good friends, we were able to get him to the hospital, and the boys at our house even cleaned everything up nicely!! The Dr's were extremely helpful and checked everything out...chest x-ray, EKG, echocardiogram, and blood work. I felt like they were very thorough and explained things well. Everything checked out fine, and they felt like Isaac just had a strained muscle. He had been in intense pain that just vanished...I asked him if he asked God to heal him, and he said, yes, he had, so I am willing to believe that God stepped in and took care of whatever the problem was!
Other than that, our week of being just the two of us has been rather uneventful, and we are counting down 'til Thursday when Philip and the girls come home!
I realized that on this post about America's independance day, I just spent all my time talking about what God is doing in Thailand. I'd love to hear what he is doing in America, if anyone wants to tell me!
Sheila
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Under Cloudy Skies
It is cloudy today and Bangkok, and I love it! I love wind blowing, the comforting feeling of the clouds all around, and the break from the heat! When I rode a bike down to Seven Eleven, it felt so nice...not my usual hot, sweaty and ready-to-get back home bike ride!
It was so nice to see the comments from Rissa, Shaina and Casey. Every since I started the blog last week I have had blogging woes...the computers wouldn't show any blogspots for days, then on again and off again, and then I couldn't figure out how to see things in English...I'm afraid I don't read Thai...
Anyway, I think I will be able to get this posted today, and I am grateful!
This has been a most unusual summer with Isaac's appendectomy adventure, and the girls American adventure! Tonight, Isaac has four friends over to spend the night...I don't believe we have ever had this many boys at one time. For some reason, with the girls being older, and Bethany and Mari always being around, I am used to girl things. So, having a house full of boys and hearing them argue over Lord of the Rings RISK and run out and shoot bb guns at moniter lizards is most unusual. I had each boy name a thanks before they ate their pizza tonight, and Ben said he wasn't trying to say that he was glad that Isaac had appendix trouble, but he was thankful that it had resulted in more time with Isaac. That is true--I would never let Isaac have had so much free time just to play without the excuse of being Surgery Boy and recovering. I am thankful some good has come from this and the boys are having fun!
It was good that Philip and the girls were able to Skype in before going with GrandMom to visit Toccoa Falls and North Greenville today. I pray that they will have a special time together, and also that these visits would be a good start for the girls in thinking about their futures. I know it will all come much faster than we want!
Thankful for a house full of boys,
For family taking such good care of Philip and the girls,
for blogs, e-mails, skypes, webcams, and all those communication-promoting technical things that I don't understand very well, but am very grateful for,
Sheila
It was so nice to see the comments from Rissa, Shaina and Casey. Every since I started the blog last week I have had blogging woes...the computers wouldn't show any blogspots for days, then on again and off again, and then I couldn't figure out how to see things in English...I'm afraid I don't read Thai...
Anyway, I think I will be able to get this posted today, and I am grateful!
This has been a most unusual summer with Isaac's appendectomy adventure, and the girls American adventure! Tonight, Isaac has four friends over to spend the night...I don't believe we have ever had this many boys at one time. For some reason, with the girls being older, and Bethany and Mari always being around, I am used to girl things. So, having a house full of boys and hearing them argue over Lord of the Rings RISK and run out and shoot bb guns at moniter lizards is most unusual. I had each boy name a thanks before they ate their pizza tonight, and Ben said he wasn't trying to say that he was glad that Isaac had appendix trouble, but he was thankful that it had resulted in more time with Isaac. That is true--I would never let Isaac have had so much free time just to play without the excuse of being Surgery Boy and recovering. I am thankful some good has come from this and the boys are having fun!
It was good that Philip and the girls were able to Skype in before going with GrandMom to visit Toccoa Falls and North Greenville today. I pray that they will have a special time together, and also that these visits would be a good start for the girls in thinking about their futures. I know it will all come much faster than we want!
Thankful for a house full of boys,
For family taking such good care of Philip and the girls,
for blogs, e-mails, skypes, webcams, and all those communication-promoting technical things that I don't understand very well, but am very grateful for,
Sheila
Friday, June 27, 2008
My First Post
My first post will be brief, so that I can see if I am doing this correctly! After many months of enjoying other blogs, I am taking the big step of starting one of my own. It is my hope that I will be able to share my heart. In doing so, I hope to allow family and friends a closer look at our day to day life here in Thailand, and perhaps, make some new friends, too.
I feel somewhat intimidated--like the first day at a new school!
Hopefully, this blog will be a blessing in my life and in the lives of others.
That's all for now,
Sheila
I feel somewhat intimidated--like the first day at a new school!
Hopefully, this blog will be a blessing in my life and in the lives of others.
That's all for now,
Sheila
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