Big Days- Today and Tomorrow

Today-  our first worship service of the year, in our new space...literally on the same street as our home! We're anticipating what God has for Grace City Bangkok in this year to come.

Tomorrow- the first day of the "Bangkok Shutdown", an anti-government protest aimed at paralyzing the city by filling major intersections with protestors. One of the intersections is walkable from our home, at the next sky train stop. We don't anticipate any danger, but the challenge comes in not knowing how life will look in the coming days or how long this situation may last. The children were supposed to resume school after the Christmas break tomorrow, but it has been cancelled and everyone is waiting to see what tomorrow holds before further decisions are made. We are praying for a swift and peaceful resolution to this very tangled knot of political frustrations, for wisdom and forebearance for protestors, government officials, police and military alike.

If you want to read about the situation as it's anticipated now, this is a great resource:

http://www.richardbarrow.com/2014/01/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-bangkok-shutdown/

And now, just for the sake of visual happiness, is an old smile from a VERY special boy who celebrated a big birthday this week. Pictures to come, promise.

Christmas

We really savored this Christmas. There were parts that felt frantic (baking for 4 different events on the last two days of school...), but we did things we value, seeking to share the love of Jesus and savor that love. This season was full of beautiful and special people.

 

These first photos are from a Christmas Eve 'Christingle' service at an international church that we love. This was our first Christingle experience, and it was both fun and sweet. After racing across town on the sky train and a tuk tuk, trying to avoid traffic that was even more unnavigable than usual, we arrived breathless to find that the children got to dress up and be a part of the service- lovely! So we immediately had a wise man and an angel, and a wonderful, worshipful time was had by all.

Other snippets of Christmas...

Funny library Santa

Asian Christmas party- leave your shoes at the door!

Reading Christmas stories to first graders

Sister Christmas gifts

Brother Christmas gift

A house full on Christmas day

I mentioned in the previous post about the New Year's Eve lanterns in the sky...I was just beyond thrilled to get to see such a beautiful sight. We got in on the act the following night and released a New Year's lantern of our own...but no picture, as the children found it stressful to grab hold of a flaming paper cylinder- was a moment to remember, though! At least Tim was able to document the preparation of these folks...

preparing to launch lanterns on the beach

And I would be remiss not to mention that we are celebrating a VERY special boy's 5th birthday today. 'Twas a fun day of treasuring our treasure, and I will share about it soon!

Flying High

Where's Asa?

After a very FULL Christmas (about which I will share soon), we saw the New Year in on a balcony in Hua Hin, watching fireworks and paper lanterns float across the sky. It's been a sweet, quiet pocket of time after the intensity of Christmas activities and before the reality of responsibilities are fully upon us in the new year. Back to big city life tomorrow, but not before one more romp with the kite!

'Tis the Season

 for...

decking the halls...

the Thankful Tree...

that 4 year old handwriting is so sweet it hurts my heart!

soccer games...(first one was a big win!)

puppet shows...

 

with the cutest usher! (please notice the bow tie, created by big sister with love)

and field days at school...

First grade Purple Peacocks

Crazy Fifth Graders!

Nearly Perfect

Before our surprise outing. Em and I were feeling a little funky in our fun glasses.

This weekend has been just that, and I find that my full heart wants to document it, so I will remember. Beginning with a Friday night during which, after dinner, the children played wild and long, all together. Tim described it as "Thanskgiving with cousins" sort of play, the kind where they all run and scream and laugh with abandon and you want to tell them to please be more quiet but you restrain yourself because you only get to be a child once. Tim and I, meanwhile, had begun our weekly Scrabble game(s), and played an entire game during the fun-fest. We put the wild ones to bed and watched two episodes of the Cosby Show; laughing aloud is good for the soul.

Today held more Scrabble, our Saturday Morning Cartoons tradition, a swim (it was a 'cool' day in the mid 80's here, making swimming akin to the polar bear plunge. At least that's what was reported to me; I'm not about to swim in such weather!), and a run. While Daddy played drums at a nearby church tonight, Mommy had planned a fun surprise...our first ever movie in the theater! We went to see 'Frozen', and I didn't tell the children what we were going to do, just walked them down the street and through the mall, enjoying their guesses all along the way, and the excitement that ensued when the plan was revealed. Somehow circumstances have never aligned for us to make it to the theater for a family movie, so this felt like a special gift. The movie was fun, fun. We also spent some time while at the mall shopping for a gift for a little girl in a family we've come to love, a family that has little and doesn't (yet) have any cultural or belief associations with the idea of Christmas; we are praying that receiving a gift on the occasion of Christ's birthday, and being told that we give because of The Gift God gave to us, will help her and her family understand a bit more of who Jesus is and what that means.

Nothing in this life is ever perfect, and I have felt flustered and impatient today with repeating instructions multiple times, subduing squabbles, navigating complaints- all of the normal stuff of life in a family. Be our circumstances sweet or sour, though, we are privileged to be walking through this season together, and the beauty is enhanced when we take time to acknowledge it.

Father's Day and Long Live the King

Today marks the King of Thailand's 86th birthday. He has reigned since 1946, making him the world's longest reigning monarch. Amidst protests and much uncertainty as to the future of Thailand, today was a day to cease political striving in honor of this country's revered monarch.

It was also a day for us to rest and to love the Daddy that lives in our house, as today is Thailand's Father's Day. Ju and I had fun getting Father's Day t-shirts last week; he was passionate about the one with the mustache! When I look at this picture I am in awe of the wealth I hold, and so often take for granted. It's a privilege to belong in this family, walking along with the love of my life, with these little people growing in stature quickly and more dear to us by the day.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1:17