Re-entry Drama and Humor, post 1

Coming back to the US after so much time away has led to its own set of drama, and often humorous situations.  A couple of times a month I hope to record some of those times.  Mostly this is for our own sense of remembering later, but it also might help someone else who is encountering a "new-old" situation. I'll start with humor.

If you have traveled in Europe you will know that there are no light switches inside bathrooms in Europe (and only shaver plugs, no electric outlets). 

So for sixteen years, I have turned on the light before entering the bathroom.  It is second nature.

Our hall happens to have a light switch for the hall just outside the bathroom door. 

I cannot tell you how many times I have switched on the hall light, walked into the bathroom and wondered why the light was off. At least two or three times a week!  I am not sure I will ever again get used to the idea that I can turn on the light in the bathroom.

Little things that I must re-learn.  And it helps to be able to laugh at myself.  Especially as I stand perplexed in a dark bathroom.

Setting Goals for January and Beyond

As always, I am much more apt to meet my goals if I write them down.  So, I've gone back to see how well I did in achieving my 2017 goals.  I am mostly pleased with the results.
Master 2017 list:
Books:  Read 100 books (including those used for school)--YES
             Read books set in at least 30 distinct countries--Only Read 20 Countries
             Complete PopSugar Reading Challenge and Advanced Challenge (52 books)--YES

Cross-Stitch/Quilting:  Complete stitching A Mind Independent and Free--YES

                                      Complete Neighbourhood Round Robin 2--It is at 75%
                                      Complete Bride's Tree Ornament sets--no
                                      Start/Finish Autumn and Spring Garden--no
                                      Participate in Ornament Exchange--YES

                                      Stitch Ornaments for each of the children--YES

                                      Make baby quilt for godson and his wife (June)--YES

                                      Organise and participate in Round Robin with CSC--no
    (plus I stitched and finished 2 pillows for gifts, started Bookshelf cross stitch and quilted a Christmas banner from a previous cross stitch project and framed a large cross stitch project)
  

Other: Eat healthy and lose some weight--Lost 15 pounds, was doing great until move
           Blog 3x per month minimum--not even close
           Memorize 24 verses--only 10
           Decrease paperwork saved in household by 50%--I don't know the percentage but I made great progress on this

So, here are my 2018 goals, many are similar:
Master 2018 list:
Books:  Read 100 books (including those used for school)
             Read books set in at least 40 distinct countries (have actually planned 30 countries already)
             Complete PopSugar Reading Challenge and Advanced Challenge (50 books)

Cross-Stitch/Quilting:  Complete stitching Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow
                                      Complete Neighbourhood Round Robin 2
                                      Complete Bride's Tree Ornament sets
                                      Complete Bookshelf cross stitch
                                      Start/Finish Autumn or Spring Garden
                                      Participate in Ornament Exchange
                                      Stitch Ornaments for each of the children
                                      Organise and participate in Round Robin with CSC or a stitching gathering
                                      Frame another project

Other: Eat healthy and lose some weight
           Post something on social media 4x per month minimum
           Memorize Job 26:5-14
           Decrease paperwork saved in household by 3 boxes in the attic

Personal goals regarding family have been written down and shared with family and will be reviewed at end of year with them.

In order to achieve these goals, here are my January plans:
1. Read 4 books that are not school related, set in at least one country that is not UK or US, and that meets at least 3 prompts on my reading challenge.
2. Post on social media 5 times
3. Finish block 4 on Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow
4. Finish Romania block for Neighbourhood Round Robin
5. Scan Jewel's school workbooks (1/2 box in attic)
6. No chips for snacks--replace with carrot and cucumber sticks
7. Research volunteer opportunities through church or local outreach center

Outskirts

    Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
    and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

    Job 26:14

The pastor read these words two weeks ago.  He was encouraging us that the goodness we see of God is only the very edges of what God has in store.

And I agreed. There is so much more that God has in store than what our finite minds can understand.

But one word echoed in my head.

Outskirts....outskirts...outskirts....outskirts.

Yes, we are on the outskirts of his ways, of his power, of his goodness.
But we are also on the outskirts of his justice.
And if we are not reaching out to those on the outskirts of society, then how will that justice, that power look when it falls on us?

And, then, some of us feel like we are on the outskirts of the society that gave us birth because it has become....too....much.
And some of us feel like we are on the outskirts of the evangelical church because it has become...dogmatic, closed.
And some of us have come from situations that forced us to the outskirts of who was welcomed. Thus we are drawn to those who are also forced to the outskirts.

Yes, the word has bounced in and around my thoughts for a couple of weeks.  It speaks some of the feelings that have not found words.  It speaks the desires of my heart to be with those who feel marginalized. It reminds me that God is sovereign and that his justice and his power and his love will all come to fruition in his timing and that I should be in awe of that, and working for that, and watching for that. It makes me want to see more than the outskirts of his plan and simultaneously be grateful that I am but on the outskirts of his awesome justice. It moves me to action and drops me to my knees.  

It is a place of  community. It is a place of reflection. It is a place of conviction, and also a place of hope. It is the next step in my journey of less. It takes me to the outskirts of stuff that others may deem as necessary but I feel a need to leave. It causes me to want to identify with others who are finding 'more' in the 'less'. It draws me to groups of people who can encourage me and for whom, hopefully, I can be an encouragement. It is my word of reflection for 2018.

What will it look like at the end of 2018? I don't know.  It will start with memorizing the passage from Job 26. It will continue with looking for places to volunteer or come alongside others on the journey.  It will mean speaking out more and being silent less. I live in a community where there must be Dreamers, and I'd like to know them and understand more the ambiguity in which they find themselves. I live in a University town that must have international students. I'd like to hear their stories. What can I learn of their home countries, of their experiences, of their hopes and their dreams? This journey is about broadening my vision of who feels on the outskirts of society--whether they look like they live on the outskirts or not. This year will be about continuing to read on  difficult topics, and maybe finding a community with whom to discuss those things. It will be about listening to God's whispers and sharing that hope with others.

There may not be a single, tangible thing upon which I can reflect the last week of December 2018. But I know that there will be a change in me if I focus on the outskirts. So that is what I will do.