on being in the sunny south

Sawasdee kaa from T-land!! I can't believe it's been 3 years since we were last here. Kevin and I are currently grateful for:

• the opporunity to attend some work meetings
• and reconnect with friends we've not seen in a long time
• and Starbucks and authentic Tex-Mex and guacamole
• and watching our girls make new friends and giggle with them
• and running barefoot at a playground with soft grass
• and splashing in a pool
• and hotel room snuggle time with the girls
• and receiving good medical care with Grace not even crying when she got her shots this time
• and peeling off winter layers and avoiding hours upon hours of fireworks outside our house (during Chinese New Year) doesn't hurt either. I just read about some friends who are in the big country this year for the Lunar Festival and it gave me PTSD flashbacks from last year.
• But I digress. I'm also EXTREMELY grateful for the opporunity to have corporate worship in a big-group setting with childcare for my girls!! Oh my soul, I know our rejuvenation and strength should come from our daily walk with Him but there is something powerful about getting together with a large group of believers and worshipping together. Today, I am extremely grateful for a group of people who came from the US to love on our kiddos and lead us in loving Him. It's been like a balm for my soul.
• I'm thankful for a God who is so tender that while He sometimes takes us on a wild path full of unexpected turns, He calmly reminds us that He's in control and is completely trustworthy. I've recently been reminded in Hebrews 5 that Christ "learned obediece through what He suffered." Really? Christ, in all His complete perfection, was still able as a human to learn and grow. That blows my mind. How much more should I be willing to learn obedience through the comparably small, tiny trials that I face.

Thank you, Lord for T-land!