Procrastination

This little Nug turned 1 in November. I started working on a secret project for her birthday about a month prior to that.

My mom generously let me use her sewing machine for this project and even offered a helping hand when the going got tough! Thanks, mom!

My favorite part of sewing Molly's 1 year old dress was truthfully the smocking! Now, my fingers were curled up on themselves at the end, but it wasn't as hard as I anticipated (Maybe I chose easy stitches?).

And it looked so southern and vintage-y when it was finished.

I chose the fabric so it could be worn either in the fall (when I first anticipated giving it to her) or in the spring (when she finally got to wear it).

The dress was mostly done by her birthday, but lacked a few finishing touches (I needed to redo the sleeves because they were too tight for her chubby little arms). I'm not the best at revisiting a project that I have mentally finished and it made it's way to my to do list instead of actually sitting down and finishing it.

In the long run, it turned out great, for my first smocked dress. I hope there are more to come in the future. Maybe it won't take me 5 months to complete it next time.

"Her hands hold the spindle."

(Proverbs 31:19)

Happy birthday - Pinterest style

It was this lady's birthday recently

Daughter to this guy

And sister to this guy (<3)

I had a lot of fun picking out (and making) her presents.

Since she's moving into a new apartment she got very practical gifts this year. But just because they needed to be practical, doesn't mean boring. I loved how this project turned out so much that I wanted to keep it for myself. But don't worry... I didn't.

I bought these blank tags months ago and have found TONS of uses for them so far.

Including as actual gift tags.

I found the idea on pinterest and it was tons of fun to make (and easy too).

I used paper I already had and paint swatches (free from Lowes, people!) for the flower part and painted the canvas with brown acrylic paint.

The colors of her new bathroom are brown and blue and my hope was that by using several different shades of blue, I would match whatever color blue she chooses for her new space!

Happy 24th birthday, Aileen!

"She works with willing hands..."

(Proverbs 31:13)

Apple Dumplings

Wow! These little things were DElish! And super easy. I love to cook, and when a recipe calls for 10 or less ingredients, takes less than 20 minutes to make and then you top it with ice cream in the end are my favorites! I made them for Caleb's family last night and they were a hit!

Definitely a crowd pleaser!

No, I wasn't drinking mountain dew while I cooked. It's in the recipe! I promise, you can't leave this ingredient out!

They looked like this before the mountain dew.

Don't worry, they weren't soupy in the end.

And here they are! The finished product. Top with ice cream and plan for at least 2 dumplings per person.

Love.

"She rises while it is yet night

and provides food for her household..."

(Proverbs 31:15 ESV)

**All credit goes to: The Pioneer Woman

Silly Morgan

I read other blogs and feel so inspired to write something inspirational or clever or creative… and I got nothin’. Hah.
I’m not very clever, or inspirational, or even creative. I wish things in my life were so great – or I had some amazing spiritual revelation to speak of, but I don’t. I'm not saying poor me my life is horrible... It's just that I’m learning lessons on the basics. Nothing spectacular.
Since my last post I’ve had some major events transpire in my life. Some good, some not so good, and even some amazingly great! I got a job… and it was literally handed to me by God Himself. The timing and people and events were perfect… I prayed He would make it clear where I was supposed to be, and He did! So, now that I have a job I look back on the months that I didn’t. I was so worried. I see how much I didn’t trust God. I may have verbally said that I was trusting Him, but in my heart were constant thoughts of anxiety and discontentment. I wasn’t happy. I was stressed! I don’t know how to not have a plan!?! “How do You expect me not to have a plan, God?!?” All the while, His still small voice was encouraging me to just wait.
See, I’m not a patient person. I don’t like the wait answer… in fact, I’d almost rather be told no, than to be told to wait. I like immediate results... I like to make hasty decisions and see how things play out.
It’s funny to feel content now, and not worried about my job situation. I sort of laugh at the me of a month ago. How could I not trust God? How could I not believe HE had a plan for me?!?
How could I doubt Him?!? Silly Morgan.
I couldn’t quite figure out why the end of my college career was such a life altering event. Graduation was the goal, yes; and I achieved it… it came… and then it went… Why was that so traumatic? And only recently I had the ‘Aha!’ moment. I was putting my worth in my grades and my collegiate experience. And when it was over I had a little midlife (or early-life) crisis. It’s like a rug was yanked out from under me.
HELLO!!! It was just a phase! Granted it was a great phase, for sure. But I was never meant to live there… in that state… The state of being a college student!
I was meant to finish and MOVE ON. I wasn’t meant to find my spouse at school and I wasn’t meant to stay in Tampa and live there forever (like I thought). It was GOD’S PLAN for me to move back home and find a job on an Oncology Unit that I think I may just hate. It was His plan that I begin to mend and fix relationships that I’ve damaged in the past, since I'm back in Ocala anyway. It was His great plan that I rediscover just how great His thoughts and plans are for me. His plan was that I learn that His love for me is like none other and that He alone can satisfy my heart.
How could I ever doubt Him… Silly Morgan.

I go through phases. Different moods. Sometimes I'm willing to write down my ever so secret thoughts on the internet - and other times? I just want to ponder... I want to ponder what God's doing in my heart and ponder the trials that I'm facing. Ever since being home from China - I've been doing the latter.

China was by far the most purposeful and challenging thing I have done in a long time. All the preparation that was done on the front side of the trip in no way compared to the challenges that lay in wait on the other side of the world. I was faced with situations that challenged me mentally and physically. I was challenged to re-think so many of my own beliefs I held so dear. Now, I don't mean this to sound like I came home from China questioning my faith in God. Not at all! Specifically, I came home questioning how we, as the church, do things. How we evangelize. How we "worship". How we act, how we...

Because I realized while over there that most, if not all, of our "churchly practices" are based solely on our culture. And if the Chinese church does things differently than the American churches - who's right? I am so thankful God pointed out my unknown-to-me legalistic attitude. I didn't think China was going to show me that... weird.

Reflection over the past month has been really good for me. I struggle with what my purpose may be now that I'm home from China... home from college. I can't be a bum and live at home forever. I'm convinced God has great things for me, I just don't know what they are yet... and sometimes... I'm a little scared to ask.

China changed my life. But not in the way most people think. I don't want to move there. And really, I don't know if I'll ever go back as long as I live. But it challenged me to look to eternity. It challenged me to take every thought and moment captive to Christ... and gave me a real-life glimpse of what that practically looks like. It gave me a humbling and beautiful picture of what it means to serve... and to be served. It also showed me just how big God really is. He is so big. He's bigger than I ever thought or could've imagined. Not even the communist government of China can keep God out. (And believe me, they're trying!) He is moving... And we, as His church, get to participate in building His kingdom.

Maybe you're supposed to go to China... or Africa... or Ukraine... or across the street... Where is God calling you to go?

Battle Flu vs. Morgan

I'm one of those people (partially due to my nursely nature) that thinks whenever they get sick they are going to die. This time was no different and to make things worse I was a 14.5 hr flight away from the States. Oi.

I woke up Thursday with a sore throat and didn't make it through the entire day of camp. I went home after lunch and slept 6 hrs straight. I thought maybe I was just tired and my "nap" (most people consider that a nights sleep) had cured me... so I decided to hang tough and go to camp on Friday. I was NOT going to miss out on saying goodbye to my little kids! But, you better believe I woke up with a 102 fever Saturday morning and all the other flu symptoms to match. I'll spare you the details. I pretty much slept until Monday morning but was completely back to 100% Monday morning. I think it was grace that got me through Friday... and a good measure of strong will. In total 3.5 days down... not too bad. But, oh my! I was missing home. I told my daddy he needed to fly to Beijing and get me. He probably would have. :) Miss him.
This week's camp is so vastly different from last week. Last week the focus was on just getting the kids to behave so we could semi teach them anything! This week the kids know every grammar rule possible... on paper. But they can barely communicate with us, which makes sense. The Chinese are great at book work. Unfortunately, our curriculum is geared primarly toward the grammar rules and vocab. So, coming up with changes on the fly is the new norm. :) It's all about being Semper Gumby (always flexible). I'm learning that. I like the flexible version of myself.
I am truly having the best week. Joy. It's the only way I can describe it. That and a good measure of sleep! There's no more jet-lag and some newly found American food. It's wonderful.
I don't really have the freedom to write everything that's going on, but you can bet I'll be sharing stories once I'm home.
My cup truly runneth over.

Some things are universal

Like smiles, or ‘Simon Says’, or ‘Head and Shoulders, knees and toes’ or maybe a hello even, or just a high five. Some things span across borders and across oceans… things like goodbyes.

Today was our last day of the first camp. Just like a VBS in the states, the kids have a little performance for their parents on Friday night. VLS in China is no different and so we spent 13 hours with the kids today. It was… a ferociously long time. At the beginning of the week the kids are very shy and don’t test you at all. By the end of the week, when they’re comfortable, they realize that we aren’t like their Chinese teachers… we won’t beat them if they misbehave, and so they do… the entire day. But really, they’re just like American children. The boys beat on things with their chopsticks. And the girls stick their tongues out when they don’t like your corrections. Haha. Andy kept pulling my hair and spitting water on me today. By 4 o’clock (when the camp normally ends) I was thinking goodbye couldn’t come soon enough!

The American team met in our room for dinner and had a little meeting before going back to the chapel for the final closing ceremony. The place was packed! Honestly, it was packed with just the kids in it; then try adding all their parents and grandparents... packed! But somehow we all fit.

The entire event had to be translated, so it took twice as long as it would. Anything said in Chinese needed to be translated to English, and everything said in English needed to be said in Chinese. It was cool to hear some of our children’s testimonies in English, and then the interpreters translating it back into Chinese for their parents. :) Loved that.

Each group (blue, red, green, gold) performed a song. It gave me goose-bumps to hear these Chinese children singing praises to God. They sang “It Is Well” and “Blessed Assurance”… Wait?!? Are we still in China?? “My sin not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more! Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul!” Are we really in China? They asked the American team to sing too… “You are holy! Great and mighty! The moon and the stars – declare who You are!” We’re in China, right!? I truly felt His presence.

The service ended and gifts were given. At first it was a very exciting thing – the week was over! We had accomplished what we set out to do… then Snow came up to me, tears running down her face as she hugged me and buried her face in my shirt. And then Tony… Happy, An-Li, Amy, Gloria… I didn’t know until that very moment that maybe I had touched one of their lives. The entire week Sandy and I had stressed about how well we were communicating (English or otherwise) and it wasn’t clear until that moment. I only spent 5 short days with these kids, how could this be so hard? But, I know it was because of the reason we were brought here together. Months and months were spent on our knees, asking for hearts to be drawn. It was only tonight, that I got to put faces with my requests. I know seeds were planted this week. I know they saw Him. He was the reason we were brought together… and He’ll be the reason we meet again.

You see, goodbyes are universal…

But soon there will be a day when no more goodbyes are said… and maybe I’ll see An-Li and Snow again and together we’ll sing: “You are holy! Great and Mighty!”