Up and down

“O Christ, cause Your love to absolutely compel me. Help me to be convinced that because One died for all, therefore all died. Help me to realize and fully appreciate the fact that because You died for all, we who live should no longer live for ourselves but for You who died for us and was raised again. (2 Cor. 5:14-15) Please don’t let me miss the joy and fulfillment of living my life for You. Please don’t let my own stubbornness of heart stand in the way of fulfilling your plan for my life.”  Praying God’s Word

When I first learned to walk, I wanted to run,

When I began learning to play the piano, I wanted to be an immediate maestro

As you practice and age, the complexities of harmonies and dissonance and phrasing

Come together but also try your patience,

Especially when it’s a very new piece of which you’ve never played the ending

Or, a very familiar piece where you can’t quite seem to finish it with flourish

Still, each note should be a “polished pearl”

“I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you. Oh, my soul, rejoice. Take joy, my king, in what you hear—may it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.”

Up and down and up and down…

Realizing from my run yesterday, the climb gets longer and steeper and more beautiful.

Seeing Sophia begin to walk and dance—up and down, up and down

Hiking long days through the hills and to the plains—up and down, up and down

Traveling off the hill and coming “home”—up and down, up and down

Going to school, coming back to Swedish House—up and down, up and down

Waking up and lying down to sleep—up and down, up and down

Welcomed and foreign—up and down, up and down

Success and defeat—up and down, up and down

Energized and exhausted—up and down, up and down

Thrilled and perplexed—up and down, up and down

So close, but so far away—up and down, up and down

Learning to climb—Up and down. Down and up.

Following the Master Shepherd to the highest heights, wherever he may lead along the way.

What has transpired?

Parent week, lots of hype, variety show, energy, short week,

Long weekend—visit to Pathaks in Pune! (Samoa ’06)

Being stared at like a zoo animal like never before

Football and cricket in the street, King Burger

Teaching “full time,” always feeling like there could be more

Decimal division—found out the students don’t know how to round decimals, so back it up!

Maps, maps, and more maps; Number the Stars

Misunderstandings and learning continually in teaching

Growing closer to my students

Turned 22

Dinner, dessert, friends, touches of home,

Dosas with Mrs. Gandhi and Mr. Palraj—love that couple with his subtle jokes and her effervescence

Speaking on Justice, Grace, and Forgiveness in the hope of the gospel and extended to friends in religious assembly

Coaching super seniors basketball-tourney’s coming fast!

Relaxing Saturday hand-washing my laundry, basking in the sunshine, going the unplanned route on m y run as I so often do at home, running into familiar faces, probably scaring the tourists with my reddened face from exercise…

Hanging out, coffee and banana bread, letter writing, Miss Tibet,

Ohohoh, control, gotta let you go… expectations continually having to adjust

Skype with fam and friends—blesses my heart

Amazing conversations with friends and colleagues and inspirations here, too! Challenging questions, seeing God move . . .

Narnia with Jeru and family

Church, racquetball—sorry, Ola!, yum-yum in honor of Sarah

Reminded of real repentance

“If I search around long enough, I’ll find insecurity beneath my grandiosity and arrogant expectations beneath my self-contempt” (So Long, Insecurity)

Learning, but still “much afraid”

“One step at a time, one step at a time, I’m climbin’ a mountain with Jesus by my side!”