Rediscovering Christmas pt. II

Joel and I have talked quite a bit this holiday season about our traditions and our family. We both want the Christmas season to be filled with lots of wonderful memories for our future kids. One of the most beautiful things I have discovered as I have grown in my faith is that there is a wonderful season called Advent. Now for many of you this is a well-known part of the Church and Christmas, but it has only been a few years since I have even known what this is!

Joel and I have decided to make the Advent season an integral part of the way that we will celebrate.

Combining the wonderful memory of the nativity scene that I grew up with & this beautiful waiting, here is what it will look like in our house in years to come:

These are beautiful Fontanini nativity figures, which I picked specifically because....

There are enough to fill a 25 day Advent calendar (these cute stockings found at Hop Skip Jump). Now usually Advent calendars are filled with candy, a Scripture, etc. Ours will be filled with small 5" figurines.

Each day leading up to the wonderful day of Christmas we will pull out a new person/animal to slowly create our beautiful nativity scene. It will grow every day until....

Jesus comes.

Rediscover Christmas is rediscovering Christ!

Happy Advent friends, lets rejoice in the coming of our dearest friend, the lover of our hearts, the Savior of the world.

Rediscovering Christmas

Growing up, Christmas was always such a special time of year. My mom is an incredible decorator, and I remember her spending hours, days, preparing the house. One of my favorite memories was our nativity scene, which would often take up the whole fireplace (Kenya is hot during Christmas) with a lovely story of Christ's birth. Christmas Eve our wonderful community of friends would come for the yearly hors d' oeuvres party, followed by my dad reading the Christmas story from Luke by candlelight & getting to open one small present. Then off to bed, trying to sleep until Christmas morning. We would sit on the stairs just waiting to hear the call that all was ready....glorious memories.

And now my husband and I are slowly making our own traditions. And, like most things we do, we are carefully asking ourselves why we do what we do & whether or not that is how we want to do them. We don't have any kids yet, but we both want our children to love this time of year and have special memories.

So we are dreaming of some great Christmas traditions to pass down. More to come on those in the days ahead, but what about you? What special Christmas traditions did you have? Are there any you are creating?

The Manhattan Declaration

I read something today that stirred my heart. If you have not heard about it, I would like to introduce you to my new friend, the Manhattan declaration.

Why I am so taken by this document:

• It looks like Christians daring to take an uncompromising stand on Biblical truth. The Church is called to make a difference in the world, even as we are in it. I think that living in agreement with this document looks like Christ and looks like love. It is not a push-over, teddy-bear edict with no substance. This is real. It covers three central themes, the value of human life, marriage, and religious liberty.
• It is coherent. It is well-written and thorough. I applaud those who invested in the drafting of this document.
• It is unifying and not divisive. This document represents Christ-loving leaders from the evangelical, Catholic and orthodox churches cooperating to take a decidedly Biblical and Christ-reminiscent stand against the humanistic policies of the American political scene. It is a beautiful product of true Christian synergy and "inter-faith" cooperation without compromise or dilution of the vitality of Christ and his message.
• It is courageous. This document proclaims boldly, "We will render to Caesar what is Caesar's, but we will not render to Caesar what is God's." That simple, bold statement sounds through the valleys of my heart like a summons to stand firm.
• It is a commitment. If you sign this document, there is no 'unsigning' it. You are publicly committing and declaring your stance. We must pro

There is a time to walk softly and a time to ruffle feathers. My heart is encouraged to see this beautiful sign of life in the Church as she stirs herself to an uncompromising and public stand for what she believes. So many battle metaphors are rattling through my head, but this is less a revolutionary call to fight and more a call to stand unflinchingly.

Melissa and I have both signed it. I hope you take fifteen minutes to read this and ponder it in your heart. This document reminds us that we are called to live our lives for something far greater than ourselves. Link to download the full document here.

Prayer & Faith

Physician's Prayer by Nathan Greene

My husband & I (and several others who we have engaged in dialogue) have recently been discussing prayer & faith. I think especially since we are going into medical missions & therefore will continually deal with disease, we are both trying to figure out where & what faith looks like in prayer.

My thoughts about this right now are rather scattered & I would love to hear what you guys all think -

What is the role of faith in prayer? Do we pray "Lord, if it be your will, heal this person"? Or rather "Lord, let this person be healed in the name of Jesus"?

What if they are not? Lack of faith? A misunderstanding of God's will?

Please share in our conversation. We would love to hear your thoughts.

Lost & Found....

Unbelievable.

This showed up today...

Yep, my wallet.

After all of that dumpster diving & the what-not, it was found a week later at a Cracker Barrel restaurant. And they sent it UPS to my house (obviously it was in a box & not just in the mailbox).

But it was all there.

Cash.

Cards.

Receipts.

And, most importantly, my frequent drinker card for the cafe at my church....*whew* (I have to admit I was mourning that loss because I had a free drink coming to me!! O the pain, the sorrow, the grief).

I am a Cracker Barrel fan for life. And a fan of whoever found it. Whoever you are, thank you, thank you, thank you.

In other news, check out what I did:

Cut those letters out free hand & I am pretty proud of my crafty-ness.

Also, I've been doing quite a bit of road-tripping lately, chasing my love all over the country as he goes & visits potential residencies and the etc.

On the way home from one of these I snapped a few pics of the sunset. Thought I would share:

Forgive the fuzziness. We won't discuss the speed I was going, or that I was driving as I took these, or that I might have also been trying to talk on my cell phone.

I leave you with this Old Irish Blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Just a little high

Well friends...it's been a little while since I blogged. Sorry about that....it's been a rough week.

First, I threw my wallet away. Not on purpose, of course.
So, I went dumpster diving. Behind McDonalds. In a cute shirt & jeans.

But no luck...

This guy isn't me, but it could have been...what an adventure.

Then, I got a kidney stone. Third one in a year. Wowzers. Actually, "got" is the incorrect tense. I have one currently as I am writing. And I am a little high on some pretty strong pain meds, along with some anti-nausea & antibiotics.

Unless....

In Our Younger Years

Because I think you need to meet the Joel & I that we first met.....introducing us in 3rd grade.

Here is my adorable husband as an 8-year old.

And here I am! This is actually right before I got glasses

that rivaled Joel's in coolness-quotient.

Hmmm....I wonder what our kids are going to look like. Probably a bunch of dark-hair, dark-eyed cuties. Probably.

And here we are a few years ago -- I love this picture of us.

They laugh at the days to come.

(just a slight modification of the verse, right?)

Most of you know the story that Joel & I met in 3rd grade in Kenya while his parents were studying Kiswahili there during that year....and then we met again in a bookstore 16 years later...

For three years after we met we didn't interact, weren't friends. We graduated from college & reconnected through the missions program at our alma mater. 9 months after we started dating we were standing at an altar.

What a glorious story.

A story only One author could write.

And He is still writing it....

I am not big enough

Thanks to everyone who has interacted with me on the questions I had during my last post...I would love to hear anyone else's thoughts. All of you have been encouraging and challenging my heart.

I think that this is the conclusion I have come to as I have thought & prayed about these and other questions:

"I am not big enough"

I am not strong enough, brave enough....

I think that God has so kindly but surely exposed a thought in my heart that was deep & unknown. I have thought I could hack the missions field because I am a MK (missionary kid). A few months ago I was reading a story about some missionaries serving in Chad.

Chad.

Like the really desolate place in Africa.

That has deserts.

And the female missionaries have to wear skirts and head coverings.

I remember thinking "there is no way I could hack that".

And the truth is that I can't. I need Jesus. I need the Loving & Good Shepherd of my heart to lead me there & take care of me.

It's a simple thought, but one that is shaking me to the core.

I must decrease, but He must increase.

The Journey

Engagement picture nearly 5 years ago...

Each day that passes Joel & I step closer to the mission field our hearts long so much for. In a little over 100 days we will leave on a plane to spend three wonderful months serving in Kenya. We can't wait! So much to be done between now and February 1st:

- Joel will rotate at several locations that we are considering for residency

- We will pack up our house & move it all into storage

- We still have just a "few" ;) dollars to raise towards our trip

I am writing this sitting in a cafe in Wichita, Kansas - visiting Joel during one of those aforementioned rotations. He is working in a pediatric clinic today - I am exploring this fun little city....

Of course, the exploration hasn't been too overwhelming.

Found a coffee shop I like.

Yep, that's about the sum total of the exploring today :)

There are so many thoughts in my heart/head about Joel's & my future (grammar? why don't I just say "our" future? So much easier, so much more boring. Plus, while our futures are intertwined they will still be experienced differently). I wish I could take time and really write them out, but I think I am still unsure about this blogging thing.

Truth be told, I blog because I hope that there will be people out there who care to know about our journey towards the field. Who will be interested in what it means to hear His voice & really follow it.

But then I wonder if there really are those people, and I don't really need to blog for my own sake - that's what I journal for.

Or maybe I do.

Well, here are a few of those head thoughts/ potential future blogging material:

- I wonder if I will be ready for the missions field. I have spent so long in the comfort of the U.S., will I really be okay with picking out sticks and worms from my beans before I cook them? Do I have what it takes to live a fairly consistently uncomfortable life?

- What is the role of suffering in our Kingdom walk? How does the reality of God's grace, love & shepherding intertwine with "in this world you will have trouble"?

- How can I be intentional in the years remaining (3-4ish) until we finally have that one way ticket?

- Am I being called in by the siren song of American culture in a way that supersedes the Shepherd's voice in my heart?

And so I ponder. But I would love to hear your thoughts on any of these musings too.

Come, let us reason together.

Pain De Provence

It is pretty busy season in the Watson household. Joel is spending the next two months doing lots of traveling to various potential residencies & elective rotations. Thankfully, I get to see him on the majority of weekends, and I have found some awesome new blogs (check out the blogroll to the right) to keep me company in the meantime!

Joel was able to come home this weekend, which he did to watch our dog so that I could attend the Believer's Church women's retreat.*Small time out: okay, when I was growing up we always had people who lived at our house. So, when we left for vacations, etc. we never had to "find someone to take care of the dogs" - there were always people there! So, having to actually PLAN for the dog is such a strange a foreign concept. I mean, come on - it's a dog! But it belongs to us, and so we plan. This concludes the time out*

Aforementioned dog.

Part of Joel coming home was a wonderful, extended "date" where we got to bake "pain de provence" - a traditional French bread FULL of herbs. 1/2 a cup, to be exact, of a mix of fennel, sage, basil, savory, marjoram and some other stuff probably. It was a frightening green, but turned out pretty delicious.

Check it out.

And so it begins. Please notice the clear glass which has the "poolish" (we learned all sorts of new words during this process, as you shall see). This is a mix of yeast, flour & water made at least 8 hours before-hand.

This will become bright green bread.

More mixing. Yes, that is a washer & dryer we are using as countertop.

Mixing in the "herb de provence". Please note the professional knife-gripping.

Joel's patented & awesome kneading technique. Works amazingly.

While the bread is rising, Joel takes a minute to switch out the heater filter. Yes, why it must be accessed this way doesn't make any sense to us either.

After the first rising we had to "degas" it. Hmmm, also a new word to us.

The dough rising again. Thanks for the pretty bowl Marcy Leute.

Waiting patiently. As you can see, it's dark now. Three risings = 7 hours later.

Baking. Please note the pan of water underneath by which we created steam & therefore a perfect crust. Yes, we are professional. Don't hate.

YAY! We did it!

Wow. That's green. *Don't hate on the Country Crock. To each his own & we didn't have any butter* :)

But, still good! :) Nearly midnight, and the bread is done - enjoying it with some butter.

It's such a wonderful time in our marriage, which could seem odd since Joel is gone so much, but God is really blessing this season. I am grateful.

The Wandering Vacation

Joel & I recently returned from a wonderful 11 day vacation, and it was such a refreshing time - best vacation we have ever had together.Here's a little pictorial overview:

Day 1: Drive out to an awesome lake cabin & spend time with dear friends - the Clarks, the Miles's, and the Maus's.

Day 2: Spend the day at the lake & then drive down that night to the Peterson's in OK City. Goodbye lake house! Goodbye friends!

Day 3: Joel participates in a triathlon. *Wifely bragging moment to immediately follow* He placed third in his age category, and 69th overall (out of 328). It was a lot of fun to watch. And yes, that's all I did is watch. O, and take pictures. At the end of the race as he was sprinting across the finish line, the guy standing next to me said "that guy is fast." I proudly replied - "that's my husband!" And then he looked at me with disbelief in his eyes. I dunno, maybe it was my baggy pants and sweatshirt and pigtails and still-groggy morning eyes.

We spent the rest of that day driving 12 hours to Louisville, KY.

Day 4: After spending the night at some really precious friend's house that we had met last year at the Global Medical Health Conference, Joel and I got on the road again for another 10 hour drive to Virginia Beach. Seriously gorgeous drive, through the Shenandoah Valley.

Day 5: Spend the day with Joel's brother Micah at Regent's University, where he is pursuing some higher education. We also went to the beach :) Yay!

Day 6: A "just Joel & I" day. Mostly spent at the beach. We sat for a long time & looked at the ocean. There were porpoises playing in the waves, and some really cute ladies taking a painting class. O, and in the east, the woods go right up to the ocean practically. Very strange, but also beautiful in it's own way. Dinner with Micah to celebrate his 26th birthday.

Day 7: Spend the morning at the Jamestown Museum, which was uber-cool. All about the beginning of the American nation, some of it really sad, some of it really brave, but all of it just a slice of God's story. Drove 8 hours to Knoxville, TN.

Day 8: See our dear friends Blake & Beth Stice. Hang out at their recently-totally-flipped house, which looks awesome. Got some fun girl-time with Beth-we saw "Julie & Julia". So, so great.

Day 9: Morning spent at a coffee shop with my cousins - the Burns. A late breakfast at Cracker Barrel (o, how we love you!) with the Stices, and then back on the road to drive to Memphis, TN. Spend some time at my old school, University of Memphis. Check into a gorgeous hotel room (thanks Siebelings!) at the Hampton Inn & Suites. Really special way to end the vacation.

Day 10: Service isn't until 1145, so we sleep in and then watch cartoons on the HUGE flat screen TV. Join the Body at the Life Church of Memphis which is wonderful & full of memories for me. Lunch with some of our dear Memphis friends (including the Siebelings & Sciacchetano's). Back on the road for the 6 hour drive to Tulsa!

Stats. Because you need them:

Miles driven: 2653

Hours in the car: 41 hours, 36 minutes

Minutes driven out of the way to consume Raisin' Canes: 40

Number of license plates spotted (out of the contiguous 48): 43

Other license plates spotted: Alaska, Washington D.C, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia

Number of first permanent English colonies visited: 1

We had, as I hope you can tell, a wonderful trip. Hope you all get to do the same sometime soon!

If you would like to check out some more vacation pics, go here, where you can check them all out!

Our Prayer

I read this recently on another blog and thought I would share it. This perfectly encapsulates the prayer of our hearts as we dream about the missions field & our journey towards a life serving.

Disturb us, Lord, when

We are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true

Because we have dreamed too little,

When we arrived safely

Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when

With the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst

For the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life,

We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision

Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

To venture on wider seas

Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,

We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back

The horizons of our hopes;

And to push into the future

In strength, courage, hope, and love.

[Sir Francis Drake]

Retro-ambulation: the mysterious future

The future has been a mystery ever since God first hinted to me about this whole "medicine idea" of his. I was simply minding my own business wondering what on earth I was going to do with my life, when he opened a can of mystery on me. Now, to be fair, I had been praying for God to speak to me about what I should do with my life, but I had no idea what I was asking for. I wonder how often we really do know what we are asking for when we pray? I know for sure that medicine was the last thing I would have guessed He would direct me into! I expected God to respond with an answer, like, "Joel, seek ye training in plumbing." Simple, easy to understand, no ambiguity. Instead, God only offering me a "next step" and has continued to guide me uni-stepically. I know I am learning to trust him as my future unfolds daily.

Melissa and I can, at any given moment with no advance warning, rattle off an amazing list of questions we want God to answer. Here are a few samples (though if you have been interacting with God much, I suspect you believe me without needed any proof):

• What nation will we spend our lives serving in?
  
• What sending organization will we operate under overseas?
  
• What aspect of medicine will we be involved in?
  
• What additional training should we get now?
  
• What residency program should I attend?
  
• How will we support ourselves overseas?
  
• How will we pay off our educational debt?
  
• What should we do today for our future overseas?
  

And on it goes. For all the information I have about the future I am walking into, I might as well be facing backwards. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the stunning barrage of questions. For me personally, it is even easier to go numb and wallow in the tepid tide of complacency ("If I don't have answers then I might as well stop asking questions and seeking answers."). In so doing I run the risk of failing to seek, ask or knock (Luke 11:9) and thus forfeit the answers. My prayers have been for awakened hunger to seek God, that I find the Sought.

Days are passing 24 full hours at a time and we are learning to trust Him more and more. For this season at least, Melissa and I are walking backwards into God's future for us. We are excited to get there, and by His grace we will get there.

The Fence Saga: it is good

Welcome to our new home for the next 8 months! This is the old and quirky home Melissa and I have taken up residence in. We prayed and thought about our upcoming trip to do medical missions in Kenya and felt that is was a good thing to save all we could. We weren't honestly very excited about leaving our previous and very comfortable apartment. We believe one of our purposes in America is to be good stewards of our finances. This older, cheaper home will definitely help save us money. The house was built in 1928 and we call it our "practice home" because we are practicing some simple home repairs and yard work. The tree in front was a little shaggy the day we took this photo, but we made it get a hair cut.

One of the additions that was very important to us, was building some sort of privacy fence along the north edge of our lot The house sits right on a major arterial street and it was very noisy (especially with all the jacked-down cars blasting music from their external speakers and the ambulances and police chasing said cars). Buying a new privacy fence was far

out of our budget for this, so we set off on a hunt to find cheap materials. When I say we, I mean my astounding wife applied her sleuthing skills to uncover what she could uncover. I am so proud to inform you that she found over 70ft wooden privacy fencing for free! Some guy was tearing down his old fence to build a new one. This was fantastic because it was built of 2x4's and, though weathered, the wood was still in great condition.

So we rented a gas-powered auger (which was glorious), borrowed some good friends, purchased cement and built our 70ft of wooden privacy fence. I am quite proud of the fence... it hasn't fallen yet and doesn't look like it will anytime soon. Huge thanks of course to everyone that came and helped, Joel Maus, Bobby Parks, Kris Crawford, Josh Weed, and Brayden Heath. There is no way I could have made a good fence that straight, sturdy and quickly without their input and vast brawny abilities.

The fence works good and the house is quieter, especially at night. As an added bonus, strangers no longer walk through our yard to access the bus stop on that major street. They actually have to walk around our yard. This is great because it is very disconcerting to wake up in the morning, be standing in your kitchen to get some orange juice and see and Mr. Unkempt amble through your yard. Mr. Unkempt meant and did no harm, but I am glad he walks around our house now rather than through it. If you want to see more pictures of the process, you can visit our facebook album of the event.

The fence saga was a refreshing evidence of community. Without the help of everyone along the way, we never could have accomplished this. Thank you to everyone for your help. Thank you, Lord, for inventing community. As we look on all He has done we are resoundingly convinced that it is good.