Jane's visit

A few weeks ago one of my very best friends came to visit!

When we knew that we were for sure going to be spending a couple more years in China, we wondered if we would get visitors this time around...Most of our family visited us during our first tour here in Asia (for me it was from 2002-2004 and for Brett 1999-2004). It was actually Brett who said, "I bet Jane will come see us." And he was right...She did!

Jane and I met when I was in 7th grade and she was in 8th grade. We met at church and were instant friends! Shortly after we met, we would hang out on Sundays. We never, ever went to the same school except for one day when I had a teacher work day and I visited her school (hilarious). To this day she remains one of my dearest friends, and I am so grateful for her!

Jane LOVES to travel and she originally planned to come visit us last summer during an around the world trip...however, when I got pregnant with Blythe and we chose to deliver her in the States, Jane chose to cancel her trip and just come to visit over her Spring Break (she is a 3rd grade teacher). It meant the world to me to be able to show a friend our life here. It is truly so hard to share a life experience with someone who has never seen that part of your world. Living overseas is a privilege for us and we hope to live overseas again one day. I am so thankful to have shared part of my heart with one of my dearest friends.

We traipsed all over my city...eating yummy food, seeing the Pandas (all the pandas in America come from our city), seeing where I studied language, going downtown, etc...then she and I went to Beijing together and went to the Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, The Summer Palace (which I had never been to before), She did Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City on her own, a local acrobat show, and somewhere in between we shopped and ate a little bit. The best part was the Brett kept Harrison AND Blythe, whom I did not miss for even one second (until I got home, of course!) Even though I have done all those things at least 7 times, I had a BLAST doing them with her and getting the extra time to talk uninterrupted.
Jane's visit was a highlight for sure. I love visitors and she was so much fun to have around for a week!! Love you, Janie! Can't wait to see you in Atlanta this summer!

Faith

20 years ago today, I first heard the story of Jesus' death on the cross for all of humanity. I had never heard it before. Even growing up in the South, I had only been inside of a church a handful of times, and I had not been exposed to any stories of Jesus' love, truth, or grace. If I'm honest, childhood was a rough go for me. But, I met the God who redeems early on a Spring day when I was 11.

So, on that day, March 21st, 1992, on a 6th grade spring retreat with the youth group at Northside United Methodist Church, when I heard that God was my Father, and that he loved me and accepted me EXACTLY how I was....so much so that he sent a savior, His own Son, to die for me...me? I reached out and grabbed it. Me? Really? He loved me? I wasn't too chubby or talkative or quiet or silly? He was my Father? Really?

And sometimes I still ask those questions, but I know that He did. He died for me and my heart that is more deceitful than even i know. He loves me more than I could ever dare dream. I'll never truly understand, but I suppose that is this faith that I confess...believing in what I cannot see and at times desperately don't understand.

So, I struggle to follow Him. And I fail miserably. But, He saved my life on that day. And I will spend every day of my life left on this Earth grateful for His incomparable sacrifice, through joy and pain, gain and loss, I will praise Him and follow Him to the ends of the Earth.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.