"Thank You God"

(So provided nothing goes wrong in the next hour or so, there will be two posts today... I wrote this yesterday, Friday, but couldn't post it since Swaziland shut down the internet in the country for a holiday...)

So I hardly know where to begin today… The whistle definitely blew (if that doesn’t make any sense, then you’ll have to go back and read yesterday)… But I was back in the game… We left Johannesburg early in the morning and set out for Swaziland… Crossing the border into Swaziland is always an experience! Since South Africa and Swaziland are two different countries, you have to ‘check out’ of South Africa and ‘check into’ Swaziland. For some reason, I find the whole process kind of fun…


I wish I could find the words to describe my feelings when I stepped onto Swazi soil today… I walked up to the official to get my passport stamped and he asked ‘how are you?’… Grinning from ear to ear, I said, “GREAT!” (And then when Scott called tonight, he even said, “I can hear the smile in your voice!) I’ve been surprised by the strength of my feelings to be back in Swaziland… I truly love this country.

It was a mad dash to the hotel and then out to Project Canaan… the 2500 acres that Heart For Africa is developing for the orphans in this country… 3 climate regions for crops, cattle, children’s homes, medical, clinic, schools… In the land of the impossible, it is a God project in the making!

I want to tell you two stories from today…

The first was told by K, the land manager for Project Canaan (PC)… I was here in 2009, shortly after they started working PC and the quick progress has been staggering, but I had never heard him tell the story until today…

When he arrived, the land was nothing but bush… they had no tractor, an incredibly rocky soil and only 1 month to plant the first crop of corn. Most people told him it was impossible… many of the locals gave Heart For Africa 6 months until they gave up and moved on…

Well, they cleared the land in record time, planted the first crop and harvested 35 TONS of corn! The harvest they brought in this year was 100 TONS of corn!! 2 years have passed and they’re still here!! I loved what K said, “We can all stand around and talk about our accomplishments, how smart we are, or how strong we are, but in the end, it’s all about what God does!”

And let me tell you, God is doing some amazing things here in Swaziland… You don’t even have to look very hard to see Him!

But here’s the other story that rocked my heart to the very core… The very first person that K hired to work on PC was a woman named S. S walked 2 hours, every day just to get to work and then 2 hours back home. She has 4 children and they walk 90 minutes, one way to school…

This past June she was pregnant with her 5th child and still coming to work every day… One day she left work and went to the local clinic to see if they would induce her as she was overdue… They sent her to the private hospital nearby. At first they gave her a pill, but when that didn’t work, they gave her an injection. Labor came hard and fast and the nurse just didn’t know what to do, so she went to find a doctor. By the time she returned, S and her precious baby had died.

Now that broke my heart, but what rocked my soul was what they named the baby when they buried her… In English, it meant, “Thank You God.” We saw a short interview with S’s mother… she said, “She was my mother, my father, my husband, she was the sole provider for our family… I miss her.” And yet, she could still name the baby, “Thank You God.”

I think about all the times I whine to God and complain… I often struggle with how to be thankful for ALL things… And yet, He’s never asked me for a child… I’ve never even really suffered in comparison to the people in Africa… But how many times do I forget to say ‘thank you God’ for all of my blessings and I really have a hard time saying ‘thank you God’ for a broken air conditioner… The people here who know God, they REALLY know Him… And they don’t just talk about it with their words, they live it with their very lives… Even in what they name a baby in the most tragic situation we could imagine… Now that’s trust…faith…hope!

I have so much to learn from these dear, dear people…

AFRICAAAAAA!!

I can't believe it but I'm finally back on African soil...  We (Zack, Nick, mom and I) just arrived in Johannesburg and we will drive to Swaziland in the morning...  THAT'S where I'm really excited to get back too!

Hopefully I'll be able to access the internet in Swaziland also, so I'll be able to blog throughout the week...  It is a week that is packed full... 

But as I start this trip, I want to back up for a minute and tell you about getting ready for this trip...  For some reason, getting ready for this trip was hard...  It was overwhelming with all that we were trying to bring for the community...  And then making sure that 3 of us had all we needed, instead of just packing for myself...  And then the thought of leaving Scott and the girls was even harder than usual...

But a few months ago, my mom sent me to her friend's blog who is preparing to move to Kenya...  She was writing about the stress of it and something her very wise teeanage son said to her...  He compared it to the warm-up period before his soccer games...  How he didn't like the warm-up exercises...  the drills...  the nerves...  but when the whistle sounded, all of that was forgotten and it was all worthwhile because he loved the game so much!

God definitely blessed me with that thought for the last two weeks...  I have reminded myself over and over that when the whistle sounds, it will all be worth it because I love this country so much...

Mission trips are hard...  overwhelming...  expensive...  stressful... even scary...  but that's just the warm-up period...  the time when the enemy will do anything he can to discourage you and try and keep you from going... 

But I can tell you first hand...  there is no greater joy than when the whistle blows and you get to go into the 'game!'  It is life changing...  Yes, I'm sure God uses us to bless others lives, but I've found over and over that He uses the people I've come to serve to bless me and change me in ways I can't even imagine...

It's just minutes now until the whistle blows and I am so excited to get back to see the people that I have grown to love so much...  People who have become a part of me...  And even more, I can't wait to see what God does...

Is there a 'game' that God is asking you to get into?  It may not be Africa...  it might be the neighbor next door, or the local rescue mission... but I promise you, you will be blessed!  Well, off to bed!

It's Open!

I'm happy to say that my jewelry website is open again for business...  Lots of new designs and more to come (Below are some photos of a few)...  You can also follow me on Facebook for all the latest...  www.facebook.com/designing4hope

And a fun bit of news...  Zack, Nick and I leave for Africa on July 20 (my mom is going too!)...  And hopefully, if the plan works, I'll be posting updates from Africa to my Designing For Hope Facebook page...  We are getting to go back to the same church that I served at last year and we get to plant fruit trees for them!!  I'm SO excited!!

Rose Coral Dyed Freshwater Baroque Pearls and Crystal

Agate, Freshwater Pearl, Crystal & Czech Glass

South Sea Shell Pearls, Czech Glass & Crystal

 Ginkgo Leaf Asymmetrical Necklace with Crystal Bead Drops

 Antique Bronze Tree Pendant on Suede/Leather Cord & Chain

Silver Leaf with 3 Bead Crystal Drop 

Some Days Are Just Hard....

I haven't written in a while, my jewelry business has become kind of consuming, but today was one of those hard days and I can't get away from the sense that I'm supposed to blog about it...

It was a day we had looked forward to for a couple of weeks...  Zack's soccer team had made it to the State Cup semi-finals and this was their morning.  We had to leave early to get to the game and Abby wanted to get up early and go with us...

I'm still not sure what happened, but the time came to leave and I found her in her room with her door locked...  She opened it when I knocked, but she wasn't dressed...  Deep breath (I hate to be late to anything)...  She claimed nothing was wrong, but her eyes told a different story...  I told her to go ahead and get dressed...  Of course my temptation was to be short and rush her, but that gentle whisper in my heart told me to sit down...

When she came out of the bathroom, she sat down next to me and just had a good cry...  it happens sometime, usually at the most inopportune times.  I admit, today's timing was a struggle...  It was Zack's big day and I knew being late would stress him out...  But hmmm...  late to a soccer game...  loving our precious daughter like our Heavenly Father loves us...  In the end (thankfully) God's way won out and we were 20 minutes late to the game (warm-ups...not the game itself)...

I don't know what was going on...  Lately it seems like she's struggling with a sense of belonging, imagine that, after all she's lived through...  But I have to wonder if it's something she'll always struggle with...  I hope not, but it's something that only God Himself can heal.

I was really proud of Zack and the way he handled the day...  We were late...  he lost his starting position because of it...  And not once did he complain...  I love watching the adults our children are becoming by God's grace...

Well, the thunderstorm has passed and her giggles are brighter and clearer (and more contagious) than ever...  It makes me so sad that she has to hurt like that, but so thankful that God has blessed us with the privilege of being the ones to hug her in her hurt...  She's really an amazing child!

Just Need To Acknowledge...

Ugh...  I thought I could do the every Monday thing with One Thousand Gifts, but right now, it's just not working!  The good news is, it's because my jewelry business is really taking off!!  The struggle though is that it's overwhelming...  The creativity seems to come so easily, but the business part is such a CHALLENGE!! 

I'm having a blast, I love doing the shows, even in the midst of a crazy thunderstorm and I LOVE the days when I get to stay home all day and make jewelry...  But keeping everything current on Facebook...  my website (temporarily closed because my inventory sold at my last show)... shipping...  doing inventory...  tagging jewelry... etc. etc... it's just a really big challenge...

So that being said, I'm not going to close my blog, but I probably won't be here that often...  You can follow me at www.facebook.com/designing4hope and hopefully, in the not too distant future, I have a series of blogs that I really want to write, so maybe in a few weeks...

Well, I got off to a great start...  One post and then I missed a week!  It was Spring Break though and we went to the beach...  But I didn't miss my journaling...  What a gift it has been, I am learning SO much along the way...

So here are the moments that have captured me lately...

6.  An idea when it comes together, better than expected!
7.  Movies that make me smile.
8.  The chance to say, "I love you more."  (A game I play with my sweet husband...)
9.  Blueberry waffles that make the kitchen smell like blueberry muffins!
10.  The sun highlighting the edges of the clouds.
11.  The constant song of the wind chimes on a windy day.
12.  Birds singing in the trees at the start of the new day reminding me that His mercies are new every morning.
13.  Things that make me sad because they remind me that God took my heart of stone and gave me a heart of flesh.
14.  Desperate prayers with sweet sisters in Christ.
15.  Songs that make you want to run!
16.  Finished necklaces that surprise me!
17.  Earrings with bead tassels that sparkle in the light.
18.  Naming the moments...  really digging deep and exploring what about a moment touches my soul...  Finding descriptive words that give it life and meaning!
19.  Sharing tears with a friend who is struggling.
20.  Coming home to NO flashing light on the answering machine!
21.  Great moments in movies that I'll watch the whole movie, again and again, just for that one moment...  "You had me at hello."  (Scott and I had a really fun conversation out of this one naming our great movie moments!)
22.  A really bad situation that gives you a really GREAT story!  It was a day that could have left us frustrated and ornery, but then my mom asked 'so what is the gift in today?'  (We had been talking about this book...)  I thought for about a second and then laughed because I knew the answer...  A really GREAT story!
23.  A smile that can still turn my insides to mush!
24.  Teenagers who still like to hang out with their parents!
25.  Sleeping late!
26.  The sound of waves crashing on the shore.
27.  Finding a new, warm snuggly sweater (and getting to buy it!)
28.  Connecting with old friends.
29.  Opportunities to show grace that become moments to giggle about! 


I have a bunch more since I missed last week, but I think I'll do another post later in the week since this one is getting a little long...  I'll have some photos to go with that post!!

Hope you had a wonderful Easter...  So much to be thankful for!

Taking On A Challenge...

Not many books inspire me to blog about them, but I've found one that has...  It's called "One Thousand Gifts", and I really don't know how to describe it...  It's raw...  honest in a way that most books aren't (well, their authors)...  It's profound, maybe one of the most profound books I've ever read...  and I think God might use it to change some things that need changing in my life...

You just need to read it... but at the heart of the book is a woman's journey to discover and journal 1000 gifts, daily blessings in her life.  It's not about the obvious things...  our husband, children, homes, food on the table, health...  This is about those daily moments that we miss because we don't take the time to live in the moment...

I hesitate to take on a challenge such as this...  but something tells me I need to...  to blog each Monday about my blessings from the previous week, until I reach 1000...  Something also tells me that if I will be faithful...committed...If I will persevere in this challenge...  God will transform my heart along the way...

So I'm going to take it on...  And if I miss a Monday, please don't hesitate to hold me accountable...

I've already got a few, so I guess I'll get started today...

1.  The sound of the coffee pot as it sputters the last drops telling me that my morning coffee is ready...
2.  Words that express ideas in a way that breathes new understanding in to my heart and takes my breath away...
3.  Text messages that remind me that someone special loves me...
4.  Warm breezes that inspire me to take a walk...
5.  Songs with lyrics that make you want to grab hold of their truth and live it...

So it's a short start, but it's a start...  I'm so looking forward to what this journey holds...