Mice? Nice. Lice? Not nice.

The itching started Wednesday night and then we saw a bug on her forehead at breakfast on Thursday. Poor dear. So, she got a lice treatment and a combing to remove a lot of the critters and eggs that were accumulating. Hopefully the rest of us are clear (though we have been adding tea tree oil to our shampoo as a preventative) and our house will be rid of them in a few days. I don't think her golden locks have ever been so snarl-free!

Now...while lice are yucky..."I think mice are rather nice"

Thoughts from the roof

"It is good to give thanks to the LORD,

to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

and your faithfulness by night."

Psalm 92:1-2

I love our roof. The breezes, the view, the freedom--prayers just flow from that high perch. Maybe it's being closer to the heavens or the small, insignificant-looking humans below but my breath is often taken away after I climb there (it could be the stairs too, I guess!). Lately my prayers, as I'm putting clothes on the line, are deep felt sighs trusting the Spirit to intercede for me in my weakness. Feeling dependent on Him, I glance around. Will we be here tomorrow? Next week? In the fall? I don't know. I sigh again.

Then I remember that James tells us that we are but a mist, here for a short while and then gone. My tomorrows are in His hands even if we lived in a land with more freedom.

I took this picture from the roof when the day was done. I love Psalm 92 which says to declare His faithfulness at night. One way God has been faithful to me during this time is reminding me of His consistency to bring the sun the next day. Elementary, I know. The daily rhythm of the sun reminds me of His love and His faithfulness. When the sun makes it's morning appearance, we remember His steadfast love and that His mercies are new even that day. At it's setting, we remember His faithfulness, both in today and throughout history. What a faithful, sovereign, and loving God we know. Join with me in declaring His faithfulness tonight.

Favorite juice

Hands down, this is our favorite packaged juice here. As you can see, it's a nice blend of pineapple and coconut (and maybe some orange), which satisfies some thirsty kids and their parents. Last week I bought three of these and we drank all of them at one breakfast!
Maybe this funny translation explains why we can guzzle down so many in one sitting--"Fresh and Greedy." We laughed at this and still can't figure out what word choice it should have been. Fresh and fruity? Fresh and inviting? Maybe for this family, greedy is correct. Fill 'er up!

Comic relief

She always makes us smile!

The Lord is Near

Pressed beyond measure; yes, pressed to great length,

Pressed so intensely, beyond my own strength,

Pressed in my body and pressed in my soul,

Pressed in my mind till the dark surges roll,

Pressure from foes and pressure from dear friends,

Pressure on pressure till my life nearly ends.

Pressed into knowing no helper but God,

Pressed into loving His staff and His rod,

Pressed into liberty where nothing clings;

Pressed into faith for impossible things.

Pressed into living my life for the Lord,

Pressed into living a Christ-life outpoured.

(This was passed on to me by a lovely saint. I don't know the author, but it must have been someone like Paul who said, "Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." Come, Lord Jesus.)

Living water in the time of drought

This Psalm has ministered to my heart these last few days. Evil deeds being called good and the light being mocked and jeered. I know that I'm a bit vague...but would you join me in praying through Psalm 64?

64:1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
from the throng of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords,
who aim bitter words like arrows,
4 shooting from ambush at the blameless,
shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose;
they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, “Who can see them?”

6 They search out injustice,
saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.”
For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep!

7 But God shoots his arrow at them;
they are wounded suddenly.
8 They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them;
all who see them will wag their heads.
9 Then all mankind fears;
they tell what God has brought about
and ponder what he has done.

10 Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in him!
Let all the upright in heart exult!

(ESV, by Crossway)

A kind provision--I think rice is rather nice!

Our oldest daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease this summer. Her symptoms weren't too severe--a tummy ache now and then--but through a blood test and an endoscopy the doctor diagnosed her in about 3 weeks. (That is a small miracle in itself!) Her treatment is this--no ingesting gluten (wheat, barley, and rye) ever again. It's much better than having to take drugs in my opinion, but a life change nonetheless.

I came back to our country (nicknamed "The bread basket of the world") armed with new recipes, cookbooks, a few non-gluten flours, and a 1980 Vita-mixer powerhorse that we could grind up rice, almonds, etc. We discovered some good recipes that work well here--a delicious almond cake, pancakes, and lemon coffee cake. However, getting the flours mixed (if I ran out of my imported mixes) took a little bit of time. Grinding up the rice and then straining it so that we wouldn't have any chewy bits in our cakes. Mixing the cornstarch and other flours along with my rice flour and a little bit of almond flour (ground through the blender AND the coffee grinder) for some protein. Yep, a little bit of time.

Yesterday I was at the neighborhood corner store and I found this package of ground rice flour! I have never seen these even in the big stores in the big cities! I almost shouted. The manager came out of a side door as I was fingering these bags and I held them up with a big smile and great thanks! He said that they had just come in that day and promised that he will always stock them for me--ground rice flour and rice couscous. Wow! Only a few pennies more than the regular rice I was buying. I feel like these were hand-picked for us to make our days a little smoother. Again, thank you Lord.