good things

This post is devoted to all the little, and some pretty incredibly big, good things that have been happening in my life recently. Sometimes during these gray winter days it is so easy to get down and discouraged just wondering when your face will ever have any color on it from the sun again. We have found that February is especially a dark month, spiritually speaking, here in Germany. This is due to the pagan traditions of Fasching and Carnival, which are filled with what seems like endless partying, parades, grown men dressed as trees and other bizarre costumes. There is a lot of public drunkenness and we have heard some swinger activity. But, do not despair, there are good things...


~ when borrowing flour and butter from one of the dorms nearby, they felt the need to also give us a basket full of their leftover food and bags of groceries. This came at a great time because even though its easier to live at 80% of our support than 37%, we are paying off my $500 deductible right now.

~ on Monday, (due to our lack of German in reading our bills), an electrician came to our front door on her way to turn off our electricity unless we paid in cash right there- and it was one of the rare times we actually had that much cash on hand, so we were able to pay. So... we still have heat!

~ Bo was voted as one of the students' top 10 favorite teachers at BFA!

~ people filled in for me here at work, and at the basketball games last week giving me 4 full days to rest and get over my cold.

~ a wonderfully exciting Valentine's package arrived from Nancy full of dog treats, preggie magazines, Bath & Body works, books for Bo and the cutest little "Speedy Exit Creepers" for baby girl


~ we found a great apartment for next year close to the school and perfect for us (just praying that BFA personnel will "assign" it to us)

~ since December (our "money crash month") we have 5 new supporters and 8 current supporters increased their monthly pledge! WOW!

Many things to think about at the beginning and end of the day. The reason I started thinking about all these good things was because last week in the midst of our school's devastating news about three students' sexual misconduct, I was talking to two of my small group girls while walking back to their dorm. And there was just so many bad, negative thing they kept dwelling on it. I made them each also tell me 3 good things that were happening. Of course, being high school girls, one of their answers was... " we both have dates to the Valentine's dance." So cute. But, then they wanted me to share 3 good things. And this is what got me thinking. Its a good habit, you should try it.

~God has been faithful and will be faithful again~