Random blog of the month...

When I got home from work today, this is where I found everybody:

Lily was making Sofie, Micheline, Naomy, Gertha and Celine do school, and she was boisterously teaching everyone everything they needed to know about everything she knew.  She was also correcting their coloring book work, telling Celine to stop nodding off, and forcing Gertha to write "seven-three-twenty" R's.  

I remember when I was entering high school and starting to think about what to do with my life that my mom shared a story with me from kindergarten.  Something about coming to pick me up from school and finding me in a corner with the chalkboard, making my friends stay seated until they completed the math problems I was giving them.  

oh man.

Today is Mark's big 4-0 birthday!  

While we've built up some beautiful memories getting to know Mark and his precious family this past year, my favorite of Mark is still the moment I met him.

Matt was abroad, and the girls and I set out to meet the Aubry's, who by now had been in Haiti for several weeks.  

Mark wasn't there for dinner, but showed up right as the girls and I were leaving.  He pulled in the driveway and literally ran into their house.  Three minutes later, he came running back out, arms full of brand new basketballs and shiny jersey's, plunging out their front gate without saying a word.  Two seconds later, he came right back in the yard, almost breathless, and yells to me,

"Hey, Hey!  How to you say, "Don't tell ANYBODY!" in Creole?"

The days since then have only confirmed Mark as a deeply passionate, generous of self, fun-loving, intricate candy-loving friend...which our world really needed more of!  

So thankful God has brought Mark into our lives...He's a more vibrant forty than my 30 will ever be.

  We love you, and if you guys change you mind and decide to stay for a while, you will always have a place next door.

Today is ALSO our good friend Mia's birthday, and while we haven't been together in an awfully long while (this is LILY, not Sofie :)...haven't seen Mia since this time last year) we're still incredibly thankful for her life as well, and the way God has aligned our lives even from afar.  We love you, Mia, and would take you out for dinner tonight if we could!!!

Last night, our really tall friend Bryan and some of his friends from World Renewal International slept over on their way from Gonaives to the Dominican.  It's rare to have friends be in our neck of the woods, and was fun to reconnect and to meet some new friends with WRI! 

Thank you, Madame Bryan, for the conversation hearts and Reese's!

And finally, I had a bit of an epiphany in my office this morning.

I am behind.  I had so much to get done.  I had everything I needed at my fingertips, a clear and concise and very possible "to-do" list, and enough time to do it.  Gotta get home to the girls by 11.  Three hours.  No problem.

But then came Rose, so frustrated with a program and needing help.  Done.  Back to work.  Lucner walked by, and he's feeling sick, and next week is his birthday, and his church is having some problems, and a great conversation later, back to work.  Then Fritzner, Frantz, Berthil...Marie...ok, Masson.  Ready? Oh, Simeon...good, and Junior...3 minutes of catch-up with Matt...receipts please, Vilmer...thanks for checking, Phida.  Giselaine looks down.  Edlin needs some help...

DARN IT.  If everyone would STOP talking to me, I WOULD BE GETTING SO MUCH DONE.

The moment I heard myself brain it, the moment I heard that still, small voice respond, "Congratulations.  You would get so much done."  

And He's right.  How silly.  

I would get so much done.

But that's not the first reason we're here.  On earth.  To get so much done.

It's to be in relationship...with Him and with others.  And relationship. Sucks. Time.

And time is a gift I am unable to get for myself, unable to get from others, unable to buy.  Each moment is a gift from Him, so I figure I'd better just settle on using it for loving on His children.  

What a gift!