I'll just be over here with my coffee mug...

A cappuccino at Havanna in Buenos Aires

Today it hit me. (well, okay, it hit me yesterday. I started this post yesterday.)

 I will not be going back to Argentina this year.

For the first time in two years, I have not spent these past few months feverishly writing thank you notes and skipping joyfully to the mailbox. I have not gone to any mission trip meetings. Today I shoved my paint stained jeans to the back of my closet, because there is no upcoming trip to the Southern Hemisphere.

I have a bag going of gifts to send in a package to Argentina at some point in time. This bag is cathartic for me, because otherwise I just feel so helpless. It is something to go from my hands to the hands of loved ones there. Something that will fly over the ocean and make them feel my love when I myself can't fly over.

But it's not the same.


As if my internal clock knows it's almost time to be back, I have been craving the coffee I had every morning over there. Seriously craving it.

As I have been working on this blog post, my mom and sissy were at the grocery store. When they came back my mom had a surprise for me--instant coffee like what I had in Argentina! When I tried it this morning, the smell and taste was just what I wanted. Sentimentality was in abundance as Mason and I enjoyed our (multiple!) cups of coffee and a slice of toast with dulce de leche on top.

My mom's sweet little gift was an encouragement to my heart.

I don't know when I will be back in Argentina. There are so many things I miss about that place and I know I will go on missing it as long as I'm not there--just like I missed little things about home while I was there. But you can't always hold everything ( and everyone!) you love right next to you. No matter how many times I click my heels together and wish I could.

Last October I really struggled with my deep desire to return to Arg and my feeling of responsibility to my family after Benjamin's surgery. I heard this song one day that said the following: 

"Where You go, I'll go

Where You stay, I'll stay

When You move, I'll move

I will follow"

That verse really impressed upon me the fact that we aren't always supposed to go. Sometimes we are supposed to stay right where we are, and serve where God has planted us. My heart is in international missions, though, so when we sing that song I usually bust out the "Where You go, I'll go"....and then quietly echo the part about staying. Because I am ready to go! Russia! China! Argentina! Anywhere God opens the door and I will be off and have fallen in love with the country before our plane lands (true story). 

But for this summer I'm staying. And I'm really excited about it. My mom and I have a list going of projects to accomplish, including reading through all of the Mitford novels in prep for the newest book. (That's a warning for the inevitable book review, by the way)

I'm hopeful to start orientation to volunteer at PCH. I'm also really looking forward to some good time with family and friends, as I want to cherish our last high school days.

My Mom's gift of coffee was a good reminder to me that each day is to be cherished. Wherever we are. 

And so I will pray for my loved ones over there as I enjoy my Nescafé. And I will thank the Lord for the people who are right here in the United States and these moments I have to love on them and hold them close. These Arizonans might not greet me with a kiss, but I do think they're pretty special. ;) 

Good night, friends. I hope you are able to cherish your week--whatever it brings your way. 

Many Argentine kisses, 

Your Blogger

Merry Christmas to you and your dear ones!

Dear Readers,

My family and I got to spend Thanksgiving in New York City, and I wanted to share a bit of this special trip with you all. Here is a photo slide show! I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with so much joy...and pray your Christmas is delightful! Much love to you, my dear Readers!!

Personalize a slideshow

A love that reaches over countries, languages, and years: One day in Argentina and the billions of adjectives that go with it!

Dear Readers,
   I love Fiction.  Historical fiction is my favorite, although I love mysteries, as well. If you've been reading for a while you know I adore the Mitford series. That is Fiction at its best. :)

I've always loved writing fiction, as well. I have pages and pages of "novels" that I wrote on a whim some weekend. School assignments where we're allowed to pick the subject are my favorite.

I feel like I could write a book about my days in Argentina. The country spurs so many descriptive words in my mind that I long to write out each moment detail by detail! So I thought I'd try a different approach this blog post and give you a view of my last day in Argentina, descriptive essay style. :)



......................................


I wake up to the sound of the news in Spanish, a sound that has grown so familiar to me over the past days that I can't help but smile. As I sit up I glance over to see if the sign language interpreter is shown in the right corner of the screen. She is, and I see her hands bend and sway to the flowing motions that make up Argentine Sign Language.

I only watch her for a moment, though, because this is my last morning waking up in this place I love so much, and I'm going to squeeze every moment that I can with my dear host family. I step into the kitchen and hug my host mom and dad just as I've done every morning I've been here. We talk about how we slept and how the day will be cold...without Google Translate. Because God breaks down language barriers, friends.


This morning seems to be no different from any other at first glance.  As I carefully smooth Dulce de Leche on my bread, I see Reynaldo opening the computer. I think of this time last year, when he played "I'm Yours" every morning to wake us up. I think of the days I had listened to that song, remembering and replaying moments of the trip through my mind. I remember the final morning of our trip last year. He played "I'm Yours" one final time as I sat in that same spot, trying to forget the fact that I wouldn't be returning to this kitchen that evening. Transported back to the present, I take a sip of my sweet coffee, savoring the flavor. After all, it is my last morning in Argentina. And lo and behold...

"I'm Yours" comes on. I look up with a huge, ridiculous grin on my face. I practically leap up to the computer, quickly typing how I listened to this song all the time and how much I loved it and how it made me miss Argentina so much. My words didn't even scratch the surface of what I was feeling, though.  I would be back. All those days in the United States I had listened to that song and feared that I would not return to this place. But I did. There I sat, listening to the song once again, only in Argentina. I listened to the song as I ate my toast, thanking the Lord over and over again for His blessings.

I've been awake for less than an hour, and already have four paragraphs of memories. Haha.
Fast forward about thirty minutes...Reynaldo has left to take Nico to school, and Isabella is happily watching cartoons as Renzo sleeps. Viviana readies the house for the day, and I follow her every step.

Hi, my name is Claire, and my love language is quality time. Do you mind if I am your shadow? We talk and laugh and enjoy the morning together. She fixes Isabella's hair so carefully, and when the three of us step out the door that precious little girl looks stunning.

I stop to kiss Renzo in bed, just in case I don't get to see him that evening. That sweet baby boy. I lean over and gently kiss his chubby little cheek, and he looks up at me with those soulful brown eyes. I tell him I love him so much and kiss him again.

Isabella was soooo excited to see her little friend at preschool that day.  As we walked to the bus stop we also talked about her favorite book, a sweet story about "La Vaca Luluz" (a cow named Luluz who is on a quest to find out what noise cows make :)). I could quote the book at this point and so we went along, quoting this cute little book.

Then we boarded the bus. The bus rides are a big part of the Argentina trip for me, as I love the conversations that transpire there. (once again, quality time...)

I guess you may be getting ready for the day to get a move on, though, so I'll breeze by this quickly...

Of course the bus ride is wonderful, Viviana and I talk and I almost get killed by the bus door...haha! It opened rather violently while I was standing in its path...it almost knocked me over...and then I couldn't stop laughing so that was a safety issue for those around me, haha! But I made it to church all in one piece. ;) Although I longed to stay home with my family, I told dear Viviana goodbye and sat to wait for everyone else to get there. I had very low expectations for this day, since it was the last day after all. Actually, though, I was pleasantly surprised by the day.

Our dear friend Pali and her daughters came along with us, and so when we went into La Boca to shop, I went with them and another girl from our team. We spent the afternoon together, searching for the right gifts for our family members and enjoying time together. Such a sweet time.

Fast forward to lunch--I ate a bite of cow intestines because I knew Mason would have eaten them if he was there. Although I didn't throw up or anything, the texture was pretty disconcerting. I was excited to tell him that I had tried it, though, so it was worth it.

Fast forward once again to the church--I knock on the door and who should answer it but a dear friend who I thought I wouldn't be seeing again! I was so excited to see her one last time, and couldn't hug her enough. She was so kind to give me some earrings she had crocheted to take home to my mom and sister. (which they adore!)

Then the goodbyes...we had a blissful hour in which we pretended that they weren't going to happen. We talked about our day, dear Pali took some sweet family pictures of us, and I hugged each member of my family about a dozen times. Renzo gained some adoring fans and we had such a sweet time together.

Then Diego called all the families together for a time of prayer and opportunity to share special moments of the trip. I held Renzo in my lap as he ate crackers, and listened to the families share. I looked down at this happy little boy and was just thankful for the moment.

Then my host dad stood up and asked me to join him. He put his arm around me and began talking, and I just stared at the floor as what he said was translated into English.  After a few sentences I forewent my "I'm going to get through this without crying" mindset and looked up at him, not even needing a translation because the message of what he was saying was clear. I knew I was loved in that moment. I knew I was loved by my own family, who had allowed me to leave them even after Benjamin's surgery for this opportunity which my heart needed. I knew I was loved by God, who placed me in a family that supports who I am, who was so gracious to allow me ten days with a family in Argentina that He knew would have my heart even before I was born. I felt the love of Reynaldo and Viviana as he told me that they loved me and would miss me.

The love of that moment was so overwhelming that I just put my head against his chest and cried. And as I cried, Renzo put his arm around me.

I'll stop the day there. More sweet moments happened, more hugs were shared. We drove away on a bus. A girl  on our team told me how my relationship with my host family encouraged a lot of people. That comment surprised me, and blessed me. I continued to thank God for His mercies in allowing me to have two precious families. We boarded an airplane, I slept fitfully...journaled almost constantly, talked with the Argentine sitting next to me. And then we were in the United States, and then...home. I was reunited with my family.

Just as the first moment stepping off the bus in Argentina was memorable and precious to me, hugging my mom again was so special to me. I talked nonstop for the next several hours, pouring out my soul to my mother, the one who I knew would listen to the most minute of details such as the taste of Dulce de Leche on toast, cry with me, and delight with me over how my dear host siblings have changed and grown. She is a blessing.


I don't know why God would see fit to bless me with ten days in Argentina. Why did He place these two families in my life, ten people who I love so deeply and who love me just as much? How is it that love reaches over countries, languages, and years?

Sometimes I focus on the ugliness of this world. But tonight, thinking back to that day, I see clearly the beauty that God has blessed us with. Beauty that all comes out of one thing: love.


Thanks for letting me share all those adjectives that I had to cut out of my thank you newsletter to keep it down to one page...thank goodness for blogs with no word-limits!

Your Blogger,
 Claire

Thankful.

Dear Readers,
 
 Last week was hard. Mom and Benjamin were in the hospital, and being away from them was really difficult. Yesterday Benjamin came home. It honestly is such a relief to be all together again. I'm so so grateful. But this week is still very difficult. Benjamin is in a lot of pain when he sits in his wheelchair, and it is just excruciating to see him in such pain.

Since the surgery I've felt the exact way I've known I would feel since finding out about it. I've felt like a complete idiot for signing up to go to Argentina next Thursday. I really can't even tell you how much I missed my Mom while she was in the hospital with Benjamin. And I got to see her everyday! How on earth am I going to be able to leave the country for ten days without her?? I've been pretty freaked out thinking about it, and have done a really great job ignoring the fact that I'm leaving soon by burying my head in Maeve Binchy's books. But I'm leaving on Thursday whether I believe that fact or keep on pretending I'm not.

I go through moments where I'm really excited to hug everyone and hear Spanish and be back in that country. But when I see Benjamin in pain like this and think about how much I missed Mom in the hospital I really feel pretty stupid and scared.

But today God showed me in a couple of neat ways that He knows how I feel.

One of my Mom's dear friends sent me a package in the mail today. It contained a precious little cross bracelet and a note telling me that this was just a token to help me remember that she and many others will be wrapping me in prayer while in Argentina. How sweet is that? And what a sweet reminder from God that He's in control.

On my way to the mailbox, another of our dear friends was picking Cate up to take her to her swim team practice. She told me that her mom told her once that when we do something that God is telling us to do, but that we don't want to do, that's when He blesses us the most. Wow. I could have cried right then...

And then when I got in from walking to get the mail (when it rains it pours! ;)) I saw I had gotten a message on Facebook from my dear Aunt Nina, who is a missionary in Mexico. It was a precious note of encouragement telling me she was praying for me as the trip nears.


I'm so blessed.  I find it incredible that He cares enough about me to orchestrate all these kind acts of encouragement today. Yeah, I'm still scared and I know I'll probably doubt myself more as next Thursday approaches. But today my heart was really encouraged. And instead of worrying about what I'll do on Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday, etc.,etc., I think I'm going to just rest in the fact that today is okay. And that God is near and will be in control the entire time I'm in Argentina, as well.


Thank you, dear friends, for the support and encouragement you've blessed us with this summer. We cherish your prayers and love. Please don't stop! We have a long way to go and appreciate every prayer.

And I leave you with a quote from Maeve Binchy's Firefly Summer that I loved; "Nothing was what we expected things to be like. But we've survived, and we'll go on surviving."
Your Blogger,
 Claire

My thoughts

My brothers and I have all gotten the chance to speak to some of my uncle's ASU classes about disabilities. I spoke once on being the sibling, and the boys have continued to go back to the classroom even after Uncle Len was graduated. In these classes, the boys talk about their CP and share about their experiences (good and bad) in public school, to hopefully encourage these future educators and give them knowledge for when they have special needs students in the classroom. Oftentimes these students ask personal questions, some goofy, some serious. One that's often asked of them goes along the lines of "If you could get rid of your disability, would you?" 

I really don't like this question. It makes me angry because there is no possibility of ever getting rid of it in this life, and so why dwell on that fact? One of my all time favorite quotes is by Corrie ten Boom and it says "There are no what-ifs in God's Kingdom".  The boys have CP, there's no way to reverse that fact, let's move on and not focus on what could have been. 

Sitting in the back of the classroom, I hear that question and think about what a physical and emotional drain Cerebral Palsy is to my parents. And I think about my brothers' pain after surgeries. And I want to scream at the back of that head who asked the question "Well what do YOU think?!? YEAH we would get rid of it! DUH! Did you not just listen to all of their struggles in public school? USE YOUR BRAIN!" 

But that isn't how my brothers answer the question. They say no, they wouldn't change it, because it's helped shape them into who they are. 

What? That wasn't my answer. That's not what I'm thinking. Don't they see how stupid the question is? Aren't they as angry as I am? No? They aren't? hmm....

Deep down in my heart, I agree with my brothers. Trials make you stronger, and because of CP I think we are closer knit as a family. We know what it's like to go through real stuff, and so we stick together. We would be completely different if CP wasn't a part of our lives. Life would be easier, there would be no surgeries to go through, sure, but we would have missed out on a lot. We would probably have never met many of our dear friends, I probably wouldn't have learned sign language or started volunteering, the boys may have never gotten involved in theater, and we probably would have never been home schooled. I think of this and I, too, begin to feel thankful for it and how it has impacted our lives.

My devotion today spoke to my heart on this issue and is, in fact, why I brought this story up. I'll give you an excerpt of the part that touched my heart: 

"Do not long for the absence of problems in your life. That is an unrealistic goal since in this world you will have trouble...Begin each day anticipating problems, asking Me to equip you for whatever difficulties you will encounter. The best equipping is my living Presence, My hand that never lets go of yours...Take a lighthearted view of trouble, seeing it as a challenge that you and I together can handle. Remember that I am on your side, and I have overcome the world." ~From Jesus Calling 

Especially during this season before surgery, the moments where I feel upset and frustrated with the problems in life are more than the moments I'm thankful for them. This devotion encouraged me, though, that even in the middle of the struggle, God is still right there, holding on to our hand. Even when we try to wiggle free of His grasp, complaining about our situation, He holds on and promises that someday things will be okay. What an immense blessing.

Thanks for listening. Your Blogger,

 Claire

Our God is in Control

You could plant me like a tree beside a river
You could tangle me in soil and let my roots run wild
And I would blossom like a flower in the desert
But for now just let me cry

You could raise me like a banner in the battle
Put victory like fire behind my shining eyes
And I would drift like falling snow over the embers
But for now just let me lie

Set me like a star before the morning
Like a sun that steals the darkness from a world asleep
And I'll illuminate the path You've laid before me
But for now just let me be

So let me go like a leaf upon the water
Let me brave the wild currents flowing to the sea
And I will disappear into a deeper beauty
But for now just stay with me
God, for now just stay with me


  Those are the lyrics to a song called "Show Me" by Audrey Assad. I had trouble making sense of it at first, but a couple of nights ago its meaning hit me. Or at least my interpretation of it, any way. God used it to speak to my heart! 
This is my take on this song:
God can use us in so many different ways, as the song says. (Blossom like a flower...banner in the battle...star before the morning...) But sometimes we just need to be still and and be in Him. (but for now just let me be...God, just stay with me) Sometimes our hearts are just craving Him--so we need to slow down and give in! Sometimes we can't  just run around serving...because we need to drink in His love first. Yes, during the hour you spend reading your Bible, He could be using you to serve...but in that moment you need to rest and learn. Ecclesiastes 3 says there is a time for everything...a time to be silent and a time to speak...a time to weep and a time to laugh...
    This song and verse spoke to me on so many different levels. Sometimes I don't want to joke around with anyone, I just need to be alone and cry.  Other times I don't want anyone to ask me about these surgeries...I just want to laugh and forget about it. But this verse says there is a time for  everything--laughing and crying, joy and fear. I'm so thankful that there is. Because sometimes you just need to cry out to God. And sometimes you just need to goof off!
    
I took this month off from volunteering due to Benjamin's surgery. And so as I listened to this song the other night I realized how I have needed to spend time just focusing on Him. I needed to stop serving for a little while and confront my own fears and emotions and let God take them. I like to shove all of my problems way down deep and turn all of my attentions to the orphans or volunteering or whatever He's recently placed on my heart. It has been good for me to just lay down and drink Him in. 

       I'm trying to be with God, figuring out that He really is faithful in everything. That is a really good place to be in, y'all.

   I won't lie. I kind of want to lock the doors to our house and not let anyone in sometimes.  But we can't do that. And, honestly, we would miss out if we did. Sometimes my inner-hermit comes out though, especially during surgeries. :)
  
  A friend of mine had some hard medical news this week. She called to give us an update, and despite all that she was going through at that moment, she took the time to pray for ME and MY family. She ministered to my on-the-verge-of-tears heart even though her own was sad. Even though surgeries make me never want to talk to anyone...I know I can't do that. Because God's plan IS to raise me up. 
    He has a lot of people needing to hear of His Love...and we are called to show His Love. We can't just spend all of our time "Drinking in" and none "giving out". And if we lock the doors to our house, just us and the Bible, then we will be the only people profiting from it! 
    James 2:14-17 says this: "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Dead. Faith without works is dead. I don't want to hold all of this goodness in to myself! That would be worse that baking Amish friendship bread without giving it to your neighbors! I want to drink in and be filled...only to go give it all out again. 

    

   So I am going to be with God right now...I am going to try to savor these moments where He grows me and stretches me by hard things. But I am also going to go out and feed His sheep. 

   What about you? I encourage you to go encourage someone else this week, no matter if you yourself are going through a hard time. 

Your Blogger,

 Claire 

P.S.--my parents and Benjamin are currently on the plane to the Frozen Tundra, aka Minnesota. He has surgery tomorrow...and we so appreciate your prayers!! 

Happy summer, y'all.

At Bearizona...

Dear Readers,

Summer is always one of my favorite times of the year. Whether we are home while Mason recovers from surgery, or out and about traveling, my parents always seem to find a way to make each summer one to remember. This summer we were blessed with the opportunity to spend two weeks on a mission trip in Argentina...and then to celebrate Uncle Len's graduation by taking him on the long-awaited L.E.G.G. (Len's extravagant graduation gift, haha!)

After all of our wonderful travels, it was nice to come home and just be.

This past Monday my parents made yet another amazing memory for our summer. We spontaneously went to Flagstaff for the day! While we were at a birthday party, my dad went home and packed. Then- surprise!- we drove up and spent the night in a hotel. I was so surprised and glad to be there with my Dad (he has a clinic and is up there every month) that it didn't matter that the clothes he packed for me was a white t-shirt, haha.

Mom took us out to Bearizona, which is incredible. Bears, bison, wolves, bighorn sheep, and burros came right up to our car!

Picture courtesy of Carol Shrader :)

  

A summary of our amazingly spontaneous day in Flagstaff!

Then we hung out the rest of the day....going to Starbucks and Barnes & Noble, reading in the park, searching for (and finding!) our dear friend, Kate...and finally picking Dad up again and driving down the mountain.  Flagstaff will forever feel like "summer" to me!!

I just realized that I never posted pictures of our L.E.G.G. trip!! Part of the reason for this would be that my camera was having technical-difficulties during the trip, and another reason would be because 99 % of these pictures are silly ones of my family and I. Aren't those the best? :)

The hotel we stayed at was whimsical and relaxing....

Here's Cate with her favorite, Marie! This girl LOVES Paris. Ooh-la-la!

What would a trip be without a TON of funny self portraits??

I liked this one...

haha!

take two...

My all-time favorite show!!

more portraits...love these people!

:)

My two favorite princesses!

On Castaway Cay...ahh, the beach!

A bit overcast, but still beautiful!

haha! Whenever we waited for the show to begin, we would take silly pictures

Add caption

So. There you have it--our summer in a nutshell. It's been crazy, busy, fun, life-changing, and relaxing all rolled into one. I hope your summer has been the same!
Now, onto the homeschool convention, and a new school year!
Much love,
Your Blogger Claire

Dear Readers
  Have you ever felt like you just wanted to escape to a deserted island with your closest dear ones? Although no one ever really means this (how would you get healthcare, food, evangelical oppurtunites, etc??) I know sometimes my family jokes about it. When the weight of the world come crashing down full force, it can be easy to want to escape to your own tiny nook free from troubles!


   "For the Lamb at the center of the throne
            will be their shepherd;
      He will lead them to springs of living water.
   And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." ~Revelation 7:17

Doesn't that sound just like your island? Except even better.  Some days God gives us little glimpses into what it will be like, and I think Christmas generally does! The time to be goofy with your family is always  much appreciated in my house.

I tell Cate I want pictures..and this is what she does! haha love that girl

She does this,too...





Christmas baking makes for some goofy pictures,too!





And then there's the silliness that comes in a box full of gingerbread!

I thought you might like to see the final project just for fun...

This one's me being goofy...giving aerial photography a spin!
I thought this one turned out really pretty,though

Another birds eye view! Haha this one looks REALLY goofy!





And the triplets who wrapped all their gifts up in ridiculous boxes!

I looked forward to the sugar cookie decorating ALL DECEMBER. We finally did it on Christmas eve!

EVeryone pitched in--this is a very serious project, people! Haha





I hope everyone had a smiling-ful Christmas! And I also hope it provided a much needed breather from everything going on. I always feel like the world rushes,rushes,rushes, and while Christmas certainly isn't free from that, it does allow you to take a deep,collective breath and just 'be'.
  But my prayer is that this week, as everyone adjusts to going back to school,work, etc, it will be joyful! My mom always says joy is a choice and it is definitely a choice I'm working to make as we go back to school tomorrow.
  God has been amazing with already providing me an oppurtunity of joy. I started volunteering at our church's Special Needs Ministries this past weekend, and it was beyond amazing. I loved every minute and fell in love with the kids and the ministry. But not only that, I now get to interpret their Bible Study for a Deaf woman who attends. Those of you who know me know that this is a dream come true! I am thrilled and CAN'T WAIT for my first Bible Study this thursday. I will be blogging about it, I promise! Prayers would be appreciated. :)
  Also, I wanted to give a shout out to anyone reading this. I have fallen in love with Marcia (the orphan mentioned in my previous post) and feel desperate to get her out of the orphanage. I have emailed Jeanette and the blog "Life Rearranged" to request that she advocates for Marcia on her blog. If you or anyone you know would like to help this dear child find a home by featuring her on your blog, leave a comment! I would love that more than anything. You can also visit  this link for all the information you need on her. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

 Have a joy filled week, my friends. I am forever thankful for those who read my thoughts on here!
Your thankful blogger,
 Claire

Christmas.

It's almost Christmas!! I'm so excited. I love everything about this season- from October to December I'm in Heaven!! Although I love Easter dearly, I feel very close to Jesus around Christmas.
We should feel this way every day, I know, but at Christmas I feel like just the reminder that Jesus went through the same things as me and walked on this earth's dirt comforts me. a lot.

Jesus blesses each of us, I believe, with little encounters to remind us of Him. I wish we could just see Him now, but these gifts He gives us can be pretty sweet. So I have a story to share.
My family and I were at the airport, and this girl came up to us- just dying to say hi. She was in a wheelchair, and someone I presumed to be her brother told us-as she came up excusing herself profusely-that she just really wanted to say hi.
So she introduced herself, and then as we told her our names she just kept shaking her head and telling us how much she loved us, and how much she was praying for us. And she meant it! It wasn't just an ' oh, I'll be praying for you...'. It was an 'oh! I love you! I just LOVE you! And I'll be praying for you because I love you.'

How often do you get that from a stranger?? Not often enough is my guess. I was touched by dear Bridget, to say the least. I've been thinking about her these last few weeks, as I promised to pray for her, too. She embodied Jesus' love- unashamedly and freely giving it to all. It blessed my heart to meet her.
After we met her, Mom and Dad told me what her parents had told them. Bridget had been a junior in college when she was in a car accident. She suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury.
My first thought was sadness. Even as a freshman in high school, I have dreams. I know she probably had big dreams and goals, too. How would I have felt if that had happened to me? Life really is so fragile. But I remembered this Bible verse as I thought of her recently...

 "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. " Jeremiah 29:11

 Hope. A future. The life Bridget lives today may not be what she imagined when she was my age, but her life is in perfect alignment with God's vision. And it is beautiful. I know my family isn't the only one she has touched, and my prayer is that she will continue to be able to touch many more. She is following God's perfect plan, and is living proof that Jeremiah 29:11 is true. God does NOT mean to harm us. He gives us a future. As hard to see as that may have been for Bridget's family after that accident, it is clear that He has a perfect plan for her and that He is using her in amazing ways to bring people to Him.
Isn't it comforting to know this is true for each of us? Whether we minister from a hut in Africa, a classroom at home, or a wheelchair at the airport, God has a plan for us. And it is perfect.
May you rest without worry for the year 2012 as you enjoy this Christmas. Your Blogger,
Claire

Road trip!!!

 Dear Readers,

 We are at Grammie's house in Tupelo! Yes, we made it safely. Through AZ's mountains and plateaus, then New Mexico and the millions of Indian art bill boards ( I DO mean millions!), to Texas, the never ending (it seemed) Oklahoma, Arkansas,  and a little dip into Tennessee, we finally arrived to Mississippi! I have to tell you- it was a lot of fun. I love road trips, and even if I left home with a less than thankful heart, God used this trip for amazing things and left me feeling very thankful! Let me give a few examples...and a picture or two...

 

  My mom is amazing at contenting kiddos. I guess her camp counselor comes out, and there was not one whine for most all of the trip. We sang Christmas songs the whole drive- seriously, I think we clocked hours! Miles! Days! Ha my throat is so sore...but it was worth every minute! As we sang 'Away in a Manger', we were driving through Texas. It was dark, so we couldn't see the   ranches we were passing.

 But all of a sudden we were hit with the smell of cows- big time. And it became so real to us- Jesus wasn't born in a cleaned out, white washed stable. Our King came into the world in a filthy barn, with cows and their manure all around Him. He was laid down to rest in a manger- where slops had been set earlier that day, and lay down on straw- which the animals used for bathroom tissue! Now I am a huge animal lover, and I actually do like the smell of cows and horses for all the pleasant memories they bring up. But I wouldn't exactly want my baby- or my precious King- to have to lay down next to it.

  But that was just a beautiful reminder of all He gave for me- for all of you! He didn't come into this world as He should have, and He didn't leave it as He should have. He was ridiculed and shamed the whole way.

 And yet He did it all for US. Isn't that something BIG to be thankful for this Thanksgiving?

  Another blessing was just being with my family. This isn't exactly something anyone gets to do often, with busy schedules, etc. So just being with them was a blessing! Even if we were in a cramped car, or sharing a one bathroom hotel room, I felt so blessed to be near these amazing people I call mine. Even if I don't always show it (I can be grumpy, after all!) I love them SO much and they are my favorite people in the world. God blessed me too abundantly with them.

And don't you all think I'm going to go into a big adoption rant now? About how you all should offer this blessing to a child aching for it somewhere in God's Kingdom?

Well...I would, but think that's up to God this Thanksgiving! What do you feel called to do? I just ask that you remember them and pray for them at your table this year.

Your thankful Blogger,

 Claire  ~Pictures at bottom!~

Mom and I had braiding lessons in the car! She made it a ridiculously fun trip.

The boys who had to go cross country without braiding lessons and hours of Christmas carols, bless their hearts.

In Texas!

Sorry it was blurry- taking pictures in a jolting car was a challenge!

A very foggy drive through Texas...what a beautiful reminder that God is with us!

Mom and I thoroughly enjoyed learning all about Christmases past! Did you know that striped ornaments originated in the 1940s due to lack of paint from the war?

Cracker Barrel was so much fun- on my list of places we HAD to stop for! hehe

Mom and Dad even made our short hotel visits an adventure!

Another Uhaul picture...possibly about to cross the Mississippi!

Fun car ride! Where's Benjamin?

Dad and Mason cross the Mississippi river! I love this bridge!!

The fall foliage and winter trees made me smile. What a blessing from God that we got to enjoy them.

We cheered when we crossed into Tennessee! Mainly because it was my first state line picture- I had tried and tried and missed them all. :(





It was a LOONG drive, but I really enjoyed being with the best family on earth!

P.S---the Egg  bowl is coming up, my friends! GO BULLDOGS!!