SUUBI

The JOY of the Lord fills this place!

Visit The Suubi Project blog...

and rejoice with us

at the GREAT things God has done!

He is SO good!

One Year Ago

It is hard to believe it has been one year

since Juliet and Kenneth came home!

It some ways it doesn't seem like it could be that long ago...

but in most ways it feels like they have been with us forever!

They fit so perfectly into our family!

(So HAPPY that Sharon is finally home too!)

ONLY God can do that!

Praise His glorious name!

Ireland

To celebrate Kat's 18th birthday AND high school graduation...

I took my beautiful girl on a trip to BEAUTIFUL Ireland!

First stop... The Cliffs of Moher.

The cliffs declare the beauty and majesty of the Lord!

The first place we stayed was Delphi Lodge.

Delphi is a quaint fishing lodge,

but non-fisherman find it just as appealing.

By far, one of our favorite places...

and if I ever have the opportunity to visit Ireland again...

I will definitely be returning to Delphi Lodge!

There are beautiful ruins all over the country side...

With SO MUCH incredible history.

  We visited Blarney Castle...

and the Rock of Cashel and cemetery.

The Rock of Cashel was the place where St. Patrick introduced

Christianity to Ireland.  It is an incredible story!

Mount Juliet was another LOVELY estate home that we stayed in...

with incredible countryside...

and roads that required long, quiet strolls.

Moving on... we visited the Powerscourt Gardens.

They were the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen.

and Powerscourt Waterfall was incredible too.

Then there was the quaint little village of Kenmare...

where the streets are lined with shops and restaurants

 all inviting you to come in and stay awhile.

Kat and I stopped in O'Donnabhain's for some delicious fish and chips

and live Irish music.  It was so very Ireland!

From there we went to Ashford Castle.

It was a grand place and holds some dear memories...

We went horseback riding...

walked around the gorgeous grounds taking pictures... and

A favorite memory is the Scottish/English couple we met

 who adopted a precious little girl from Ghana.

Love that!

The landscape in Ireland is breath taking...

with street scenes right out of the movies.

It's a lovely place...

just lovely.

This trip was such a precious time for me and my girl.

We traveled all the way around this beautiful country...

taking pictures... and enjoying every moment.

We met some amazing people that we will never forget...

and made memories that will keep us laughing for years!

It was truly...  lovely.

I'm BACK!

Are you still there?!!  It's been awhile since I've checked in! 

Since I arrived home JUST four weeks ago, life has been CRAZY busy!  But... AMAZING!

I hit the ground running when I got back and Sharon has had to run right along with me!  She has handled everything beautifully!  Even though sometimes I catch her staring at me like a deer in headlights!

The day after I got home, Kat and her friend, Emma, had a garage sale to raise money for mission trips...

Followed by our annual dance recital dress rehearsal (on Monday) and performance (on Tuesday)...

Then we had piano recital on Thursday... 

Our school's annual "Classics Festival" on Saturday...

followed that night by a friend's graduation!  That was week ONE!

My second week home...

I spent the first couple of days running around like a mad women getting everything needed for Kat's graduation ceremony...

Thank you, Minda, for the amazing Cake Pops!

On Wednesday, my precious Mom came into town...

Then the last day of school and "Moving Up Ceremony" was on Thursday...

followed by Graduation on Friday...

Oh. My. Goodness!

But... as crazy busy as it has been... I am so HAPPY and BLESSED to be home!

I am learning to be in the moment... to not take where I am right this minute for granted.  I'm learning to enjoy this moment and not rush ahead to the next one before it's time.  I am also learning that life isn't an emergency... it's a journey.  And to be completely in the moment is the best way to enjoy the journey.

I hope that in the midst of the craziness of life... you will be able to enjoy and appreciate...

right. where. you. are. this. moment.

Guess Who's Going HOME!

woo hoo!!!

We are headed home this week!

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

The Ruling

Judge said...

YES!

PRAISE GOD!!! PRAISE GOD!!! PRAISE GOD!!!

Pray for Peace

We shouldn't take peace for granted.  But... we do.

Because I live in a country where peace is the "normal"... the reality... it's difficult for me to grasp being in a place where peace is not an absolute.  Every day is another day for peace to be disrupted. 

Riots have been breaking out all over K@mpala for the past several weeks.  The reason for the protests, which have become riots, are being blamed on the risnig cost of fuel and food.  Now... I am not opposed to people "demonstrating" or "protesting" something that they disagree with, but the violence is the issue here.

The problem is that the man responsible for the protests has publicly admitted he will not accept the president's new term.  He has started a campaign to protest rising fuel and food costs, but some believe his real "protest" is against the president.

These protests have turned violent.  The protestors are blocking roads, starting fires, throwing rocks at people that are not joining their efforts, and needlessly causing chaos in the city.  Yet, they blame the police for the violence.  The police have become involved... to keep the peace.

It seems that the man opposing the president's new term is determined to continue with his protests, even if the people he claims to care about are being hurt... and even killed. 

I don't pretend to know all the ends and outs of this situation.  But what I do know is that peace is fragile here... and innocent people are dying.

Please pray for this situation.  Pray for this city.  Pray for this country.  Pray for this continent.

And honestly, what truly breaks my heart is... how much would I care if I were not here in the midst of it?  Would I think about the individuals being hurt, or the children being killed here, if I weren't witnessing it first hand?  How easily do I dismiss events around the world because I am not personally effected?

My plans were disrupted today and for a little while the consistent sounds of gunfire was unsettling.  But, I don't live the reality of what is happening to the people here.  I will go home eventually and leave this behind. 

The challenge is... keeping our hearts engaged when the chaos and pain are far away from us.  Because when our hearts are engaged... and something truly matters to us... we pray.   And prayer... changes things.