The Rain Is Sleeping

And dry season has come upon us. Winter is not-existent here. Snowflakes have never fallen in this place. But flakes of dust have. Harmattan is here, and that means that

- dust and dirt coats all things at all times.

- you can look straight into the sun and your eyes won't really be harmed (due to the amount of dust filling the sky).

- temperatures drop significantly, and we can joyfully use blankets and jackets.

- small dust tornadoes are seen and chased after by children.

- occasional nose bleeds happen.

- our chapped lips are begging for mercy.

- a round or two of sniffles hit everybody.

- fires are burned everywhere after the fields have been harvested.

- simply driving down the road leaves a monstrous trail of dust.

- skin cracks and peels.

- I repeat, it gets cold! (for Africa)

- the holidays approach!

After listening to a sermon about courage, I have lingering thoughts. That courage isn’t all about being bold in the face of giants. Having courage is knowing that it’s okay to be afraid. We can’t have courage without fear. Almost constantly the Lord is telling us to not be afraid. That’s when we lean on Him the most — when we are afraid — because He is the source of our courage.

If you don't know what book hangover is, look it up. It is very much a real thing, and I struggle to find a cure for it besides ignoring tasks at hand and staring blankly at a wall. One of the downsides of loving beautiful stories.

The Bucket List

Not the “before you die” kind, but the “Quick! Water’s coming in!” kind.
Filling up buckets. Washing clothes. Taking showers.
When water finally comes into our house, it’s a blessing not to take for granted.

My Kingdom

"My Kingdom" by Louisa May Alcott, one of my very favorite poems my mind has recently been thinking about:

A little kingdom I possess
Where thoughts and feelings dwell,
And very hard I find the task
Of governing it well;
For passion tempts and troubles me,
A wayward will misleads,
And selfishness its shadow casts
On all my words and deeds.

How can I learn to rule myself,
To be the child I should,
Honest and brave, nor ever tire
Of trying to be good?
How can I keep a sunny soul
To shine along life's way?
How can I tune my little heart
To sweetly sing all day?

Dear Father, help me with the love
That casteth out my fear;
Teach me to lean on thee, and feel
That thou art very near,
That no temptation is unseen
No childish grief too small,
Since thou, with patience infinite,
Doth soothe and comfort all.

I do not ask for any crown

But that which all may win
Nor seek to conquer any world
Except the one within.
Be thou my guide until I find,
Led by a tender hand,
Thy happy kingdom in myself
And dare to take command

 "It is not for the flock of sheep to know the pasture the Shepherd has in mind. It is for them simply to follow Him." - Elisabeth Elliot

Never underestimate the power of going on a walk. 

Near the beginning of this fall, there was a time I was particularly overwhelmed and stressed out over various things that were happening. One day I had so much energy to get out, that I asked one of my siblings to go on a little walk with me. 

After my poor sister finished listening to all my worries and complaints and had walked the perimeter of the surrounding buildings, I felt so much lighter. Perhaps it was because we had talked the whole way and treated our time as a type of therapy session. But burning off all that stress energy from the day also played a part. We surrounded ourselves with bushes, trees, and bypassing lizards. We felt the wind hit our faces as we strode along. We got our blood moving, and our brains unwound. 

Even now, I take breaks to stroll along with friends weekly. Walks like these cause you to breathe, clear your mind, catch up with people, and let you spend time outside in the God's creation. 

Never underestimate the power of going on a walk. It does wonders. 

When You Feel Like Amy Carmichael

I gaze into the beautiful blue-green eyes of my sister every time she smiles at me. When my mother speaks to me, I long to have the blueberry color that illuminates hers. One of my closest friends has lovely grey-green eyes that look back at you with kind wisdom. 
When you’re stuck with plain brown eyes, it is often so easy to get lost in the Realm of Comparison, and refuse to accept the wonderful color eyes the Maker gave you. I often forget that I have eyes the color of autumn leaves, steeped tea, and chocolate. Of rich soil, honey, and coffee. And I have eyes the color of all my African friends. Yes brown eyes are common. But so is rain, and smiles, and kindness. Some say that brown is the color of all the other colors mixed together. Now let us never be dissatisfied with color eyes we have, whether the color of emerald, or the ocean, or chocolate. For the Lord made us all bright and beautiful, and with that we are blessed.

Quiddling

If this were a profession, I would be very well-off.

To quiddle (or quiddling) is the act of busying oneself with trivial tasks as a way of avoiding the important ones.

Empty Chairs

There are empty holes in my heart
Where ones dear to me lived.
Before they left my side,
They filled me with so much life.
Their absence doesn’t mean that 
They are gone forever.
But the empty chairs I see tonight 
Bring a pang of hurt to my heart; 
Why, oh why must we
Create beloved friendships 
Only to say goodbye?
Why must we depart from each other, 
Bringing tears to our eyes?
But I know the Maker gives 
And the Maker takes away.
I know that He has plans for us 
In the midst of our dismay.
And I know for sure that 
The empty chairs I see 
Will not remain deserted.
For the ones I love I will see again, 
And my heart will be made whole.

 "I am afraid... But I keep on loving what's on the other side of this fight. And that will have to make me brave." - S.D. Smith, The Black Star of Kingston