To gratitude.

I've been complaining a lot lately.

I know this because my sweet hubby has told me so.  :-)

But here's the deal.  I'm 8 months pregnant.  I regularly feel like my legs are going to disconnect from my body and I might split down the middle.  Oh, and this week I came down with a sinus infection.

Preggo Mama + sinus infection + adorable little tiny tornado = me waving my white flag and giving up on the day.  Let's just say I'm going to need that nesting energy desperately to get things in order before #2 arrives.

So, I'm just frustrated.  My ears are still clogged and I have done everything my OB, Primary care doc, and Dr. Google have told me to to try to unclog them.  I think it is a matter of time.  I just hope it doesn't last another month.  I really hope to love on my newbie with a clear head.

BUT.  That said.  This post isn't about complaining.  In fact, even though all of the above things are true I am writing today to deliberately NOT focus on it.

Let's talk about gratitude.

Before my sister went to Jamaica we decided it would be fun to read a book together across the ocean.  Kind of a deliberate way to connect and make sure we stay in touch in the midst of our chaotic lives.  We looked at many books.  We were planning to do a Beth Moore book, but after hearing my favorite Monday morning ladies rave about this book, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, I suggested we maybe look at that one instead.

So, we started reading a week or two ago.  I'm only three chapters in.  But WOW.


I had never made the connection of gratitude being so connected to salvation.  To knowing God.  And to living a full life.  It's all over the bible, but why so overlooked?  In everything give thanks.  Yeah yeah yeah.  I'm thankful and I make my lists at Thanksgiving of things I'm thankful for, but really.  In everything give thanks.  After reading three chapters I'm convinced that if I truly put this into practice it would be life-changing.

The One Thousand Gifts are a list of one thousand blessings, gifts, that Ann decided to list and give thanks to God for.  One thousand ways she had received God's love.  And she was listing those blessings back to God.

So, I'm going to do the same.  Maybe not make a list of specifically 1,000, but I am going to deliberately give thanks daily.  For the everyday, mundane and for the extraordinary.  I'm going to recognize and name my blessings back to my creator.  Because I believe that in that I will find His joy.  His fullness of life.

I've never been much of a tweeter. :-)  But I've found that this might be a good avenue to share my thanks.  On twitter and instagram people will post their thanks with the hashtag #1000gifts.  I also found an iPhone app to help remind you and help you keep track.  LOVE.  So, I'm going to be doing this. :-)   If you know me on Twitter or Instagram, I'd love it if you'd join in!

It's little things like this that can make an ordinary day into something great.

I've been a bit blog-MIA in this season, but I really hope that changes soon.  This weekend I'd also like to share with you about a study I've been doing.  #SheReadsTruth - look it up. :-)  I'm loving it.

Guest post from the best.

Hi friends.  Meet my sister and brother-in-law, Krista and Ben Beukema.

You may remember my post a couple months ago about them following God's call for them to become missionaries in Jamaica.  Well, today they are here as my guests to post a bit about their story.  I hope you will all be welcoming to them. :-)  And do yourself a favor and watch their AWESOME video at the end.  Powerful stuff. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *  

Have you ever had one of those moments when you look back and realized that God has been preparing you for something? Over the past year that my wife Krista and I have spent in Knoxville has been one of the best years we could have ever asked for. We found a church that we absolutely love and is doing great things for the kingdom and through that church God has challenged us personally to do something crazy for him.

This story really begins almost 10 years ago. For those who don’t know Krista and I started dating back in high school when she was a freshman and I was a sophomore. During spring break her freshman year Krista took a mission trip that would change her life forever and through her, mine as well. Krista went to a small village in the mountains of Jamaica. She visited a deaf school and knew from that moment that she needed to reach out, teach, and minister to the deaf. Her passion lead me there the next year and for years after that. For Krista is was more than just a great place to go on a mission trip. It was her life calling. When she finished High School she went to college to get a degree in deaf education. After college we got married and Krista ended up taking a job at the Tennessee School for the Deaf in Knoxville. If she didn’t take that job then we wouldn’t have found our church, Faith Promise, and we might not have been as open to mission work. It’s crazy how things work out.

There is more to the story than I’ll share here but more importantly I want to share the why about why we are going. The Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf is a wonderful organization that reaches out to a lost people group who otherwise wouldn’t have an education, a future, and a faith. CCCD gives a free education for rural deaf kids in Jamaica. They teach them a language (sign language) and more importantly they teach them about Jesus. To be a part of what they are doing in Jamaica is exciting and even though we have a long road ahead of us we can feel God’s hand in all of it.

We are inviting people to become a part of our Journey. We would love it if you would consider partnering with us. For more information please visit our website at www.bkbeukema.org. For more information on the Caribbean Christian for the Deaf visit www.cccdjamaica.org.

In Christ,

Ben Beukema

Beukema Mission Video from Faith Promise Church on Vimeo.

Trippin'.

July first marked the start of Jude's very first road trip.  The first of many, I'm sure.  We have family all over the state, country, and soon-to-be world.  Not to mention his daddy and I have a love for road trips.  We have dreams of one day owning a camper and making it to each of the national parks with our kids.  Forget the fancy resorts and cruises.  Something about hitting the road in the mini-van just feels right.

Jude was a trooper this first go-around!  He spent much of the time sleeping {as we had hoped} and did get a bit sick of the car seat {who can blame him}, but I didn't mind sitting in the back and playing with his baby einstein toy with him one bit.  We broke the trip up into segments - making it to Indy with Macy for the first night, then onward to Tennessee after that.  He couldn't wait to see his Aunt Krista and Uncle Ben for the second time!

Aunt Krista and Uncle Ben will soon be moving to Jamaica, so we will soak up all the time we can with them.  It has been so fun to spend these last couple of days with Krista and see her and Jude play together.  Jude is at such a fun age and demands to be entertained!  Of course nobody complains about playing horsey, blast-off, or reading to our little guy.  Between Krista, Ben, Jordan, and I there is lots of love to go around. 

On Tuesday we had our first dip in the pool!  Jude wasn't so sure about it at first.  He LOVES his bath, so I'm sure he was wondering #1 - why is the water so cold, and #2 - why am I not naked?!  He soon grew to love tolerate it, and I'm thinking of purchasing a little kiddie pool for him to splash in for the rest of the summer.  He obviously can't sit on his own yet, but I'm always looking for new experiences for him and reasons to get him outside of our four walls.

Not so sure...

I've never been a water-lover.  In fact, I clearly remember being in tears during my first swimming lessons because I was afraid to jump off the diving board.  I eventually overcame my fear of the diving board {kind of}, but have always kinda felt like a fish out of water... in the water....  I can swim alright, but it just isn't my fave.  I just can't explain it.  But I hope for Jude to have a love for the water.  Living near the lakes there are too many opportunities to create great family memories at the beach.  I'll be sure to start swimming lessons with him early {maybe even baby-swimming lessons} so that we all can feel a bit more confident and breathe more easily around the water.

Warming up to it...

I love these little firsts with Jude.  And I love that this special first is something that Krista was able to enjoy with us, since I know she'll be missing us from afar in Jamaica before long.  {Whatever did we do before email, facebook, and skype to keep in touch?!}

Safe in Mama's arms.

Answering the call.

I am so excited for my sister and brother-in-law, Krista and Ben Beukema.  They have recently made the decision to follow God's lead and become missionaries in Jamaica!  If you know them, then you know that this is not a surprise.  They will be working for the CCCD (Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf), where Krista will teach and Ben will be responsible for the work teams that come down to help build the villiage.  This is a PERFECT fit.  Krista has a degree in Deaf Education and spent the last two years teaching at a residential deaf school in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Anyway... we are SOOO excited for them and that they are in the perfect point in life to take advantage of this opportunity.  Of course we will miss them... but we can't help but be so excited and proud of them for responding to God's call on their life.

If you'd like more info - they have started a website and blog at http://bkbeukema.org.  Here is a little blip from their blog.

About Us

Where to start! The two of us have been practically inseparable since we met our freshman and sophomore years of high school. We began “dating” on Krista’s 15th birthday and immediately knew that we had something special. After almost 8 years of being together (4 of which was long-distance), we were finally married in May of 2009.

Our passion for the Deaf community stems back to our high school years, during which we had the opportunity to participate in missions to CCCD several times. The experience touched both our hearts; it was incredible to be a part of a movement that reached out to such a marginalized people group. Even after several missions to the island, Krista especially felt the urge to return to CCCD again. She was able to spend 2 months on a short-term mission at the Montego Bay campus after her Junior year of college.

We are so excited to begin our partnership with CCCD as full-time staff. God’s call on our lives has been undeniable…our personal skills and experiences, including construction and deaf education, have prepared us for this specific opportunity. It will be such a blessing to be a part of an organization that not only gives children a basic education, but provides them with access to the Gospel in a world where most language is inaccessible.

Once we get there, Krista will be teaching in the classroom and I will be leading missions teams that come down from the states to do construction projects and other various activities. Some of the details are yet to be determined, including which campus we will be on and what grade/subject Krista will teach. We are just leaving that in God’s hands right now; we know he has it planned!