Joyful is my heart.

Don't you just love this art?  Scott has prints and paintings for sale.

So the last couple of days have been so much relaxing fun.  Our 'Thanksgiving', my first in the USA, was spent with family and our rock star 'Uncle'.  I use the word Uncle in the Indian sense, where older close family friends are treated as family.  Fortunatley 'Uncle' and his wife saved me from a boring day of watching copious amounts of American football and trying to avoid awkward family questions.  Instead I got to share my heart, listen to incredible stories, have some fun banter about Englishisms (this couple were married in England) and discuss why Eric Clapton is ok, but not the best.  Best of all we got to drive home and sleep in our new comfy bed...does it sound weird to say it's a joy to sleep in?!  Well, having a husband that finds sleeping on the floor more comfortable than any bed...him finding it comfortable must mean we got a good one?!  The story behind the bed?  We got an amazing bed at a cheap price because the company messed up and forgot to deliver the super cheap one we ordered..so they gave us a new one...that was worth A LOT more!?!

On 'Black Friday' we took it slow, but as we live near the central shopping district, we couldn't help but drive down the hill to watch the show....we didn't get very far as we got sidetracked by our local sports store.  I have been wearing a pair of Saloman water shoes since I was about 17 as my 'trainers', my feet hurt constantly when I wear them (because they are old - they were a good shoe and I've kept them for crawdading). My husband and I thought it was about time we put down the money the UK taxman returned to me (from overpaying taxes) into some trainers, trail shoes that I can play tennis in and cycle in etc...the store we were in doesn't do Black Friday, so it was pretty chilled out in there. I looked around thinking we can't spend $100 on a pair of running shoes.  I eventually found the sale section and a lonely pair of almost neon yellow and grey flat looking shoes.  They were the only ones in my size (which it has taken me ages to figure out US sizing).  Needless to say after visiting to 2 other stores to check for other options we came back and tested out the yellow shoes again.  They are amazing.  They were less than 1/2 price, they are THE most comfortable running shoe I have owned.  They are perfect for my little wide hobbit feet.    They are called 'Golites'.  I wore them on our afternoon hike to the river right after we bought them.  My arches were supported, the ball of the foot grip was so good going up steep embankments and as they are a style of 'naked' shoe they are very stabilizing, with heel and toe level with the ground not uplifted.  I'm not planning on climbing the Cascades in them, I have some Air 8's for that, still on the otherside of the Atlantic for now!

After a delicious hike we decided to eat left over apple pie and go and sit in the hot-tub.  We wern't alone, one of our neighbours had some of her girlfriends over for a hang out.  We had met these young gals before and so it wasn't awkward.  It generally becomes a time of listening to their crazy stories, lives that are somewhat broken, but hopeful.  I'm never sure if they are drunk or just drinking, but either way my husband got to share with them about finding a good man.  One of them was a young single mom (young being pregnant at 15 a few years ago).  We sounded fatherly and motherly...why do we feel so protective of the younger people we come across?  I'm not sure, maybe we are broody...we have a million baby books that we keep being given!  Maybe we know that God has a deep love for this young women, deeper than our concern or well wishing?  Maybe we know he can revolutionise a persons life...make 'hoped for' a reality?  He gives water to the thirsty soul and a home to the lonely.  We are meant to be that water and that home...to embody the good news.  Salvation is near.

Although the people around us are a constant reminder of why we are here, we still got in a little escape trip on Saturday.  We did a few house chores, then took the camera and drove out to the lake.  It's hard to describe how beautiful it is here when the sun is shining and there is snow on the 2 mountain peaks..and lower grade hills.  It's a photographers dream... I snapped and snapped until my battery died, I missed all the best shots and completely missed every opportunity of getting the two mountains, that I wanted to post on here.  However, as we live here I'm undoubtedly going to get another chance...

We got home early afternoon and I stared on making a turkey leftovers pie (yes I ate turkey).  I layered stuffing, green beans, turkey, gravy and topped it with mashed potatoe.  We ate salsa and chips for a quick lunck snack and I sat down to read while my husband did some outdoor chores.  Eventually we decided to hunker down for the evening.  I popped in the film 'Blindside' thinking it would be a nice background distraction, before tea, but within the first 10 minutes we were both locked into the story.  Teary eyed and blubbering messes we made it through the whole film, somewhere inbetween I baked the pie for an hour and we ate it blubbering into our food.  After the film ended they showed the real Michael Ohr (who played for the Ravens and won on Thanksgiving day against our team the 49ers).  He looked a lot bigger and scarier than the actor Quinton Aaron, who played him.  The mom looked tinier and softer than Sandra Bullock. It made me think about how terrified she must have been letting him into their home the first night and how if she hadn't taken the risk where would he be now?  Where would the inspiring story of a life changed come from?  We are called to lay down our lives for others...I am learning to do this each day...in a new culture, learning to love these new people, call them friends, lay down my life for them.  I am here to contend for the people of this city.  For THIS city..

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

-John 15:13

God has brought us into different places and to different people.  My friends who live and work in a 10/40 window country continually lay down their lives for those people, a whole nation that has not know the Lord.  Other friends lay down their lives for the urban poor, or those trapped in a lifestlye of choice that has become a bondage.  As I learn about this city, about these people, I ask 'Lord how do I contend for this city?'