fathers.

When I looked up the word "father" in my Apple Dictionary, the first thing I saw was this:

   

father |ˈfäT͟Hər|

noun

1 a man in relation to his natural child or children.

That really doesn't cut it for me.
See, there is a man who fits this description for me. I've never met him. I have about three full sentences to tell me about him. He really didn't want anything to do with me...

"knowing she was pregnant, he tried to avoid his responsibilities for the child, and quitted the coffee house [where my mother met and fell in love with him]."


There is another man who doesn't fit that description, but has been a provider, protector, leader, teacher and friend...my dad. As I mentioned when I bragged about my momma, I really am blessed to have hand-picked parents. :)

I guess you could say I'm a bit of a daddy's girl.Not because I've got him wrapped around my finger, but because we've always had a special bond, me and my dad.

He was the one who read  a chapter of Sideways Stories from Wayside School(and a slew of other books, I'm sure)  to me before bed. The one who always had Juicefuls(anyone else remember these?) in the driver's side door. The one who took me to The Coffee Shop to get a hot chocolate topped with a tower whipped cream. The one took me to the Six Flags water park and skipped all of the big slides because I was too scared to go on them. The  who I called when I totaled my car the second day of college. The one who cuts out the his favorite Pearls Before Swine funnies for me.

He works so hard, often out of town because that's where the work is, but his only complaint is that he's far from us. He's really the only person I know who could be "stuck" in Hawaii for two months and hate it. :)

But I know that the reason my dad is so great is because he loves our Father. The One who created both of us. Our Savior who loved us both first.

I know Father's day may have been difficult for many people because the man they know as father is nothing more than a "man in relation to his natural child". If that's who I was supposed to celebrate on Sunday, I would have probably wanted to skip it too. But praise God that He is the  Father who loves us best. 

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." -1 John 3:1a (ESV)

sempre em frente.

I was inspired today.

This afternoon I had a chance to share tea and conversation with my dear friend Alyssa. I feel we've been so blessed to share similar "heart-stirrings" for people and places that are so far from  those that we grew up calling "home"--Espaço in Massamá for me and The Imara Health Clinic in Kenya for her. After five years of living in different cities/states/countries, it has been/is truly a blessing to have such a genuine friendship.

As we spent the afternoon catching up, sharing both joys and challenges we've encountered, I realized something really important...


It may not be easy to carry out the call that God's put on our lives, in fact it has potential to be downright difficult. I know I may come across seemingly impossible obstacles and will not get to take the "easy way out". I am not under the impression that the grass in Portugal will be greener and life will be without oppression or hardship, I know life there will come with its own challenges.

But, regardless of what obstacles I'm facing now or which ones are still yet to come, I'm called to love God and love others and for me,  the Portuguese are a specific people God's placed on my heart to love.

I don't know why and I can't explain it, all I know is that after five years of daily thinking and praying for them and almost weekly weeping in homesickness, I can't deny that God's going to bring me back there. And because of that, I should not, could not, would not give up pursuing God's plans. (Sorry for the Dr.Suess-esque phrasing)

When you're giving or getting directions in Portugese, you say, "sempre em frente" to communicate that one should go straight. If you break apart this phrase it reads, "always in front". I love this. In order to stay straight on the path God's calling us to, we have to keep Him in front of us always---our number one priority.

So I head to bed in peace tonight as I cling to the hope that although I face obstacles, He has overcome!

a thousand words:part three.

when all that's within me feels dry.

You are still God.

a thousand words:part two.

I am trying to understand, how to walk this weary land.

whatever's in front of me help me to sing hallelujah. 

a thousand words:part one.

*I know I intended this blog to be a place of reflection through written word as I wrestle with and learn what living missionally looks like, but lately God's been drawing me back to reflect, cry out and worship with art. (No pun intended...really, I don't draw, I paint). So,with paint splattered arms and thristy heart...here is part one of a few days of a few thousand words.

when my my world is shaking, heaven stands.

when my heart is breaking, I never leave your hand.

Inspired by:

"Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" 

and