P.S. to yesterday....

I did ask someone I love if they were feeling alright when I heard them stutter for the first time, and I found out that He was not ok. He had been, or was going back to the hospital for another malaria treatment because the previous round of meds didn’t get totally rid of this case of malaria. 

It was a big deal for me to know that asking a question about an abnormal behavior was ok. He wasn't offended. I knew he was smart, and pretty thoughtful before he spoke. He was usually methodical in his communication and I had never heard a stutter before. So, I was genuinely concerned when his stutter went a little bit into a slur. That's when I said to him what I hope someone would say to me if they noticed a brand new ‘quirk’ or maybe even a typical quirk of mine that was a little too pronounced.

So yeah. That is another reason why I’m so passionately talking and writing about mental wellbeing. That case of malaria stuck around and messed with his brain for a long time. Jesus won, and he's not even stuttering. But that was a big scare. 

I guess that is all I have in mind for mental wellbeing. I’m also interested in other things like, celebrating my little sister’s 30^th birthday, hosting my best-friend while she has a three day speaking engagement near Denver, and all the while getting ready for our trip to Cali and then on to Mozambique.

Do you want to know some of the preparations for our trip to California?

Dance moves! I love it!!!! A dear friend from our early days on the mission field is getting married and we’re gonna do a Bollywood flash-mob dance.

Here’s a few of the dance moves that I gotta try to roll through :-) to read because I thought that if I wrote out some of the dance choreography, then I could remember it better. I'm pretty wordy.....if you haven't noticed.

So here it is: Intro 1,2,3,4

Starting on 5, then 6,7,8  feet shoulder width apart both feet facing forward and tapping. Turn face towards the right lift right hand up straight and flat (bent at the elbow) in front of face, with left hand just under chin in the middle of upper chest. Pumping shoulder a bit and hands at the beat.

On 1, then do the same move facing left 2, 3, 4

Back to right on 5, then 6, 7, 8

On 1, move left hand from in front of the chest to the left of left hip at waist height. Move fingers to soft and long with middle finger touching the thumb. Step with the right foot slightly to towards the left in a counter clockwise motion bouncing the right hip with each step and slightly extending and retracting the arms on each step.  Then on through 2, 3, 4 ,5, 6, 7, and clap in front of your waist on 8 and change directions.

On 1, doing this move going from left to right. Clap on the 8 count

On 1, lift hands up and out in a slow bounce (slightly facing left with right knee slightly bent) out to 8 count. On Jai Hoo

That’s only the first part of the dance! It is going to be fun, and I am certain that the choreographer is going to tell us we look amazing!!!! Here’s hoping.

Well tomorrow is my day off from Blogging. So lots of love for two days!!!

Missionary Momma Mia 

Floating down de Nile

I’m feeling like I would rather be in denial than actually plan things before this trip, but I can’t afford to think that way for more than today. Part of today was spent cleaning, doing homework with kids, and prepping food in the kitchen, but other than that it was a day for me and hubby to chill while the kids were at school.

My ‘sabbath’ from writing was anything but a Sabbath. When that happens we give ourselves a time for chilling, resting and refreshing. When our lives become over busy from different responsibilities we pick what day will be our next ‘off’ day and then we can better focus on what needs to be finished before we take a day off, and what can wait until after.

Some might say that we are in denial, but I love to just not talk about things that we will talk about tomorrow and to not even have to think about details that can afford to wait one more day.

For most of this morning I was floating down the Nile…..deNile…..and lOVEing it!

I feel much more rested and refreshed. I got to celebrate a finished semester for one more day, and I can buy books for next semester (that starts while I’m in Africa) tomorrow. Kinda nice to just breath, and then play a video game with our three boys.

Bing tv, video games, an extra day for rest tagged onto a busy weekend, and these things are very important for fun family living!

Hope you had a great weekend!

Missionary Momma Mia

Sabbath Rest

That's right folks. I'm gonna be all 'religious' about not writing one day a week. That will be my 'Sabbath Rest'. I believe in it as a concept - taking a day off each week not only to rest, but to recharge, reconnect with family, God and his other kiddos. Yep, I do believe in the concept of 'Sabbath Rest', and not absolutely the traditional Hebrew understanding of a Sabbath. I can hear Hovel and other characters from the Fiddler on the Roof singing, "Sunrise Sunset, sunrise Sunset...."

I am not exactly observing certain hours for my Sabbath Rest, but it is basically one day - through the evening and night, until the next morning.

That might not seem like a big deal. It's not huge, but I just want to give people a heads up. Letting people know what to expect from me on my Sabbath helps my Sabbath Rest be more awesome.

Head's Up:

You want to know what Sabbath means to me if you expect this blog about my silly International Family to have a blog every single day. Right-O! There will be no blog when I'm chill-laxen with Jesus, family, and church family.

Let me say that again. What Sabbath means for me is important to anyone who might look for a blog tomorrow evening. There won't be one. That's because I am committed to writing to express myself and get this thoughts written down; however, I am not actually going to let this writing project take away from my day off with the family in worship and relaxation.

My amazing friends and co-workers understand that there is one day a week that I don't open emails, or social media. I literally disconnect from the virtual world, and don't even take phone calls or respond to work communication unless it is an emergency. People know not to contact me unless previously organized, or it is an urgent emergency that requires my attention.

In my line of ministry 'work' there a lots of emergencies. We've seen lots of green missionaries run themselves ragged reacting to all the needs and emergencies around them - there is a real possibility that I did that too. I have learned a lot about urgency however....and responding to urgent need is a great way to become popular, but it can kill people....and drain energy. I'm not gonna respond to everyone's emergency that they think I can help with.

I'm not the best or worst missionary, like I said somewhere in between. But to some observers, I might not have a spotless image because I don't jump when someone is desperate for my help. I've learned to really think about the emergencies and the needs presented that would cause me to jump up right now, and go fix the problem right now! Is this a genuine need, or a scam? Is it something that can wait until morning? Is someone's life in danger? Am I the only person who can help right now? I'm not really super cynical, it's just that some of my experience has taught me to ask these questions.

Some things really do need an immediate response. Holy Spirit is such an awesome helper!!!! Totally relying on God and the amazing people in our lives has taught us how to better respond to needs and emergencies. Taking a day to unplug from virtual connections, and work or ministry related communication is a HUGE commitment.  It is also a huge INVESTMENT. It helps us better know how to respond to urgent needs, and less urgent needs in a timely and loving manner. It also helps us when we need to see something for what it really is, a life sucker. Sometimes people say they needs us, but they don't. Taking a Sabbath Rest helps us to have a clear head to know how to confront that.

We learn to get really chill when the world is going up in flames, because a major crisis happened last week or the week before. I'm serious. There are really big emergencies, but sometimes I have no power over them or anyway to affect them --other than pray. I do pray, and trust that God knows how to love his children. If Papa God wants to use my life to bless and help someone then I better tune into his voice and guidance on a normal basis, and connect with his other kiddos just to make sure that we are all getting similar instructions from Papa God...

So all that is to say that I will respond to the lesser sized emergencies in my 'normal' work hours. Big emergencies will be responded to, but only if it is actually my responsibility to direct traffic or correct mistakes or help...there won't be writing emergencies that I can foresee, I'm just letting people know why I am a stickler. Mind you - it took a long time to actually learn that I had to take a Sabbath in order to survive. So when I start a new project, experiment, or task I will apply the same boundaries for rest. There are six days to work on stuff, and one day to just chill-lax.

We like it, our family likes it, and we are better people for it. So tomorrow there will be no rambling words to try to read through or not and give up half way....

That will be Monday. Yes friends, Monday is coming. and I will write again.

I know you think I'm silly. Who cares if you take a day off writing? I do. I'm just setting a precedent because I love myself before I can love others.

I do write everyday, It hasn't been on a blog though....so this 'Sabbath Rest' Heads up is very much for me and my family, and for Jesus as well as any reader who happens to read to the end of this blurg.

Just me, Missionary Momma Mia