Thoughts...

Don't expect anything great or profound in this post. If that's what you're looking for, ignore this post completely because my brain is not capable of writing anything profound at the moment. It can, however, write random thoughts, which is what I will do.

*God loves me. And not just a little bit. Immensely. He loves you this way too! I was reminded of this simple and yet profound truth yesterday by a little baby. (Ok, so maybe I'll get a little bit profound.) There is an adorable baby who usually ends up in the row right in front of me in church. Yesterday I asked to hold him right at the beginning of the service, and he quickly fell asleep and slept in my arms through the entire service! I love sleeping babies, especially when I get to hold them, so occasionally I would just look down at him and watch him sleep. I noticed that most of the time he seemed to be smiling and very content and peaceful. But sometimes he would squirm and scrinch up his face and look very concerned. I'd pull him closer, rock him, and stroke his face a bit and whisper to him that he was ok. Then he would calm down and go back to his peaceful, content sleeping. After a few times through this cycle, it hit me: it's a picture of God and me. He's always holding me and looking down at me. Most of the time I'm smiling and content and peacefully living life. But sometimes I get concerned about something and I start to squirm and scrinch up my face. But God always knows, and he pulls me closer, strokes my face, and whispers to me that I'm ok, that everything is ok. Then, as long as I listen and trust Him, I can go back to being content and filled with peace. What a good reminder for me. God loves me, God is always holding me, and God is working out all the details in my life. Everything is going to be ok. All I have to do is trust Him.

*Tomorrow a missionary who has served in the DR for 40 years is leaving. She is retiring and moving to a retired missionary village in Florida. She is a very sweet lady. I got to know her a little bit through a Bible study we were both a part of, and I am grateful to have gotten the chance to get to know her even just a little bit. Pray for her and her transition back to the states. I imagine she must be filled with so many conflicting emotions as she leaves this country she has poured her heart into for so many years. If I was leaving tomorrow, I would have a hard time, and I've only been here a year and a half. I can't even imagine leaving after 40 years of living here!

*Three weeks until spring break...not very long...but it feels VERY long!

*In mid-April my church is having a women's retreat. It is going to be sort of a mixture of Spanish and English all combined this year, which is something different from last year. The pastor's wife, who is organizing and leading the retreat, asked me if I would sing on the praise team for the retreat. This was such an encouragement and an affirmation to me. I have been singing on the praise team for the English service, but I feel like that is sort of separate from my church. Singing at the retreat is the first way I can really be involved in my Spanish church, and I'm so excited about that opportunity. Not only that...my pastor also asked me to sing in church on Sunday morning on Easter. He wants to do something special that morning and wants to get a lot of people involved. I'm very excited about both of these opportunities and experiences that I will be having.

*It's past my bed time! School tomorrow...