They Accepted!

Just wanted to let everyone know that my offer on a house was accepted!

If everything goes well, our closing date should be early July.

Someone called me "Kristi the homeowner." which may be premature, but sounded terribly exciting to me.

So, I'm not sure how early is "too early" to post pictures of a house with a sale pending, but I'm too excited not to. :-)

The front of the house (obviously).

Living Room (with gas fireplace).

Kitchen & part of Dining Area.

Waiting

That's what I'm doing.

Yesterday I was sick. Today I feel somewhat better, but I'm still weak and tired. I'm waiting to have energy again.

I made an offer on a house, but still don't know if they'll accept or reject it. I don't even know when I'll know by. I'm waiting and hoping.

I miss being a part of a church community. I've visited lots of places, but haven't yet decided where I want to settle. I'm waiting for peace regarding this decision.

It's killin' me! I just want to feel! To know! To decide! To take some action! And yet...... I'd rather be waiting in the Lord's will than acting outside of it.

*Sigh*

Okay, Lord. I'll wait for your timing.

My Life 6.0 - The Update We've All Been Waiting For

If I were to divide my life into different versions of me, the way software companies release different versions of a program, I would be on the verge of my sixth release. Each release is similar in many ways, and often retains the same structure as the previous versions, but is different in some key way.

A run down on my life's versions (or stages, if you prefer), with a few characteristics of each release:

My Life 1.0 - Childhood
playing in the yard, unaware of the scariness of life

My Life 2.0 - Bad Adolescence
6th-9th grade, selfish, angry, low self-esteem.

My Life 3.0 - Good Adolescece
Increasing love for God, others, and self. Fun.

My Life 4.0 - College
Venturing out, working, learning how to minister.

My Life 5.0 - Cascade
2005-2008, first true independence, ministry-focused.

And now, what we've all been waiting for! What will the next version of my life hold?

My Life 6.0 - Grandma
Learning to be a servant, taking big financial steps.

So, the exciting news that I am bursting to tell all of you is that I've just been pre-approved for a home loan! This is an exciting dream come true for me. I am looking to buy a ranch-style home on the east side of Portland for me and my Grandmother to live in. My gram has Parkinson's Disease, and is currently in a care home, but we will soon be transitioning her into my home so that I can become her full-time caregiver. I am very excited about this opportunity to love and serve an amazing woman who means so much to me. I think that since I love her,, and don't merely view her as a patient, I will be able to improve her quality of life and provide the companionship that her current home is lacking.

If I'm honest, I'll admit that I'm also a little bit scared. When you live alone, your selfishness isn't visible, because your concerns are all you consider. But I'm afraid that living with Gramma, my selfishness will become quite visible as I learn to consider her concerns as well. I have felt quite strongly that it has been the Lord leading me to this though, so I will be trusting him to give me humility and a loving servant's heart each day.

So, that is what my plans are for the future. If you feel so inclined, please pray for the home-buying process, that God would provide me with an affordable home that will work well for both Gramma and me, and is close to my parents. Also, please pray for my heart, that it would be soft and humble and selfless and that I would follow the beautiful example of Jesus, who willingly submitted to death in order to serve the needs of those he created and loves.

36 Days

It has been a long time since I last posted, so I thought I'd give you a few glimpses into the highlights of the past 36 days.

For spring break, I went to the beach with my family. Most the week was rainy except the afternoon I arrived. I enjoyed that afternoon with a leisurely walk on the beach.

Eventually I sat down at this log to watch the sunset.

And a beautiful sunset it was!

Later in the week, the rain suspended for just long enough for us to make a toe-numbing, sand-blowing-in-our-teeth ascent to the top of Cape Kiwanda.

I guess you can't really see the view in these pictures, but here we are anyway!

I left the beach and the following night had a little get together with a few of the girls from the youth group that I've missed since the group ended.

The following day the family went out for chinese food to celebrate Mom's birthday!

I sat accross from Gavin and was amused by his use of chopsticks to transport rice.

He transported it to the top of his hamburger and then told me there was snow on his burger, just like on the mountain where his daddy snowboards.

A few days later, I went to pick up the 6th grader that I meet with weekly for discipleship, and she gave me this collage. It made my day! :-)

Not too long after that was the day Gavin turned four!

He always talks about his friends Zachary and Christopher and Amber and Andrew (whom he met when I watched him regularly prior to Carter's birth), and was so happy that three of the Smarts were able to attend his birthday dinner. Here he is jumping with Christopher and Zachary.

The best gift he received of course, was a red "Mac Hat"--like the one the character Mac wears hin his favorite movie, Cars. (That was from me). Oh yeah...and his parents gave him a bike. :-)

It was fun for me to finally mix my two families--bringing my dear friends into the craziness that is the Smith household. Here Amber and I sit together while I hold Carter. Amber is snuggling under a racecar blanket I made for Gavin (the other part of his gift--although not nearly as exciting to him as the red hat).

The next week was full of fun excursions. After going to OMSI with the Smarts (sorry, didn't have my camera), I went to the Zoo with the Medinas. Gavin was so happy here as he watched the ducks in a pond.

It shortly became clear that Gavin was more interested in his baby brother than the animals. He crawled onto the stroller so he could ride while giving kisses to Carter.

I finally got a picture with both nephews!

When Carter fussed, Gavin wanted to console him with his finger.

After a long, tiring day at the zoo, we got some auntie-nephew cuddle time back at the Medinas.


Later, as I was babysitting Gavin, he picked a flower and carried it around for about a half-hour trying to keep it safe while he played outside.

The second week in April, my sisters and I went backpacking. Tracy had to write a paper at school and then do a 45 hour project related to her topic. I had encouraged her to pick something fun, and suggested a backpacking trip.

Bethany and I went with her and we packed along a cove and the stream that fed it, passing through beautiful old-growth forest along the way.


Since the topic of Tracy's paper was wilderness survival, we built a shelter in the forest--and we were pretty proud of it. (We slept in a tent, however, which was good since it was rainy.)

Two days after we returned from our trip, I went to Pendleton for my dear friend, Katie's wedding. She married a wonderful man named Brian.

The family member who was going to be their photographer got sick and I ended up doing the bride & groom's photo shoot.

It was a beautiful ceremony in an art center with lots of natural lighting.

I am so happy for my friend!

So, it has been a whirlwhind 36 days--full of ativities with the people I love. But with much less on the calendar for the next couple weeks, I'm looking forward to sleeping in my bed every night, resting, reading, writing and preparing for the next stage of my life.

New

The good news is that I try not to be a pack-rat. I regularly donate old clothes, shred old papers, and get rid of stuff I'm not using. For some reason, the rules that I apply to my material possessions, I do not apply to electronic files. I'm one of those weirdos that keeps almost every email sent and received, filed alphabetically by the people they are to/from. I know, it's ridiculous, but it's true and I don't have plans to change it in the near future.

So this morning I was going through my inbox of 548 emails, putting them into the appropriate files, and I discovered a little gem. It was an email I sent to myself from work (at the church) on November 29th. It was a Thursday, and as usual I was busy finishing up preparations for that evening's lesson for the youth group. In my study, I had stumbled upon an exciting truth that I didn't have the time to flesh out right then, and so apparently I emailed it to myself for further reflection. Here's the text of my email:
___________________________________

Wow! Look at a Biblical Theology* of Newness!

In the Old Testament

• God promised Israel that he would give them a NEW HEART that would be soft to him, and undivided. (Ezekiel 36:26)
• God mentioned that he would bring about a NEW COVENANT in which he would forgive all their sins.

The New Testament teaches that those who trust in Jesus receive...

• NEW BIRTH into a living hope (1 Peter 1:3)
• They are a NEW CREATION. (2 Cor 5:17)
  Given a NEW ATTITUDE. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
• For their NEW SELF, which is created to be like God in righteousness. (Colossians 3:10)
• Hebrews tells us that we are now a part of the NEW COVENANT

I wonder why I feel so out of place, so lonely, so…homeless…sometimes.
It’s because I am NEW, and I am living in an OLD place. My eternal home, my dwelling that I long for, will be in the presence of God when he MAKES EVERYTHING NEW (Rev 21) and establishes his kingdom on the NEW EARTH centered around the NEW JERUSALEM—his holy city!

Amazing! Absolutely Amazing! :-)
___________________________________

I think I was teaching on the future kingdom when I got all excited about this stuff, and when I read it today my excitement got refueled.
___________________________________
*When I say "Biblical Theology" I'm referring to the study of a particular theme traced traced throughout the Bible.

In the Midst of Immortals

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit.

- C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

I read this the other evening and was horrified as I thought about how I had interacted with people all throughout the day. It wasn't as if I had done something terrible--crushing a person's spirit* for instance, or spreading vicious rumors about someone. But I was disturbed by the apathy that had characterized my interactions with people. I realized that all day long, I had mostly been concerned with myself: how I looked, how I felt, how well I managed to converse with the new people I had met. It was all about me, me, me.

You see, when it comes to realizing the value of human beings, it doesn't take much convincing for me to realize my value. Afterall, to me my life feels very important. But value isn't something that is singular to me. I'm not valuable because I am a beautiful or costly container, but because inside this container of flesh I carry the image of God. Being made in God's image is a treasure that is common to every human being. If only I had the eyes to see the people I come into contact with each day as precious individuals, bearing the image of our Creator! If I saw them as creatures that are so dearly beloved by this Creator that he went to the greatest of lengths to make a way for them to experience eternal communion with him! If I saw their potential to be the people they were created to be, if I recognized that they were immortals destined either to "immortal horrors or everlasting splendors," as Lewis puts it. If I saw these people as they truly are, would I continue to watch their lives so apathetically? Would my words to them be so careless? Would my attitude toward them be one of annoyance? I think I would not dare.

Oh Lord, thank you for valuing us creatures of dust. Grant me your eyes to see the people around me. Grant me your heart to love them as you do. Allow me to glorify you with my attitudes, thoughts, actions and words. Help me to walk in love and humility and show me ways I can serve your image-bearers each day.

_______________________________
* In this context I mean "spirit" in an emotional sense, not a theological one.

P.e.a.r.ls of Wisdom?

Guess what I have been craaaaving?!
It all started six weeks ago when I was in Missouri. I remember my cousin cutting up a pear for us to eat with our lunch. It was very yummy, but I forgot about it, because, well...it was a pear. Who remembers a pear?

This weekend however, I was at a friend's house and she put out a plate of freshly cut pears for the group to snack on. Oh my. Have pears always been this good? Tender and juicy and sweet...mmm. I remember liking them well enough when I was a kid, but these were amazing! So amazing that this week when I went shopping, they were the first thing I was looking for to put in my cart. Now the pears I bought are a little firm, so they are now sitting on my counter in a paper bag ripening. This morning when I ventured to find something for breakfast I eagerly opened the bag hoping for an overnight ripening miracle. But alas! My pears were still firm, so I had to settle for a banana.

You know how sometimes you can become so infatuated with something that if you can't experience it one way, you'll find another way? (Like how when I was little I couldn't be on Punky Brewster, but at least I could mimic her amazing sock-layers!) Well, I decided that since I still couldn't eat the pears, I would photograph them in all their delicious beauty. (I know, I know, I really need to get a life.)
Nom I'm starting to feel stupid about blogging about pears. And ashamed at wasting the time you spent reading this. Maybe I can salvage your time yet. I'm pretty good at slanting things, so I could probably come up with some analogy or lesson to be learned. Give me a second... How about this?:

Eat a pear! It's the chocolate of fruits.

Or maybe....

Enjoy the simple things in life. Like pears.

Hmm...maybe something deeper:

Sometimes in life I want what I want and I want it right now. Thankfully, God (in his wisdom) doesn't operate on my timing. This morning I wanted a pear for breakfast. You see, I could have eaten a pear this morning--but it wouldn't have tasted nearly as good as it will if I wait a bit longer. Sometimes when I want things for my life--a job, a car, a relationship, a position in ministry--I think that I need them right now, and I get impatient when God doesn't acquiesce. But if God is a good God (which he is), then I can be certain that in withholding something from me (whether for a time or permanently), he is doing what is best for me and that when I wait for his timing I will be satisfied.

There. See, pears DO relate to real life. Kinda. At least, what I said is true even if I it has nothing whatsoever to do with pears.