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