What's Important in Life?

As the days pass quickly by, I watch my children grow, my body age, and the people that I love pass away. The brevity of life and the things that matter most are becoming more evident to me daily. The Holy Spirit has convicted me that the time is short, and that I need to concern myself with the "needful" things. For that reason, and for the reason that I've seen more harm done in the last month than good done in the last 3 years...I've decided to take a little break from facebook. Honestly, no one cares what I ate for dinner, how much housecleaning I'm facing, what cultural difficulties have plagued my day....or the mood I'm in at the moment. It's been nice to catch up with old friends, but facebook has become a self-promoting forum of gossip and criticism in many ways. The lines have been crossed, and my spirit has been burdened because of it. I in NO way suggest that anyone else should abandon facebook...this is a personal decision. I hope that my true friends will stay in touch with me...and I pray that the body of Christ will continue to come together and encourage one another.

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

Hello...Anybody Home?!?

Well, I stumbled across this seriously neglected blog today and realized something...it's mine! I knew this would happen, it's my modus operandi! It's a strong symptom of my self-proclaimed "frustrated perfectionism"! All or nothing is generally my motto in everything...relationships, diet/exercise, work...and now blogging! It seems that I require myself to have wonderful things to say and to be able to give great, lengthy oracles in order to blog. Oh well, this little blog will change none of that, I'm sure...but I figured after 7 months of neglect, I could at least drop in and let you all know I'm still alive!

Father, Forgive Me...

"This is the day that the Lord hath made, I WILL REJOICE and BE GLAD in it!" I've realized that for the last week, I've focused on making sure everyone was aware of what we were "weathering" here (literally). I've highlighted the rain and winds and lack of sunshine. I've bordered on complaining!

I'm sorry. I'm thankful for a dry, warm house. I'm blessed with a fireplace and a husband who builds us a fire when it's cold and damp inside. Despite the winds, our electricity, internet and cable have only gone out for brief periods of time! I've had a chance to rest up, to read more and to bond with my husband and children. I've had a great excuse not to schedule any unnecessary meetings. Our pantry and freezer have plenty of food, and the coffee pot is ready at a moments notice. We don't live in a flood plain, nor are we in danger of landslides. Our vehicle keeps us from having to wait in the rain for public transportation and get soaked from walking in the rain. God is good, ALL the time...even in the storms. Why He's so good to me, I will never understand!

Many are truly hurting in this time. People all over the world have lost everything they had and people that they love in storms, tsunamis, earthquakes, war. Christians in some countries are being physically tortured for their faith in Christ. Father, forgive me for whining about a few days of rain!

This was supposed to post about 2 weeks ago...but I couldn't get my pictures to post like I wanted, so it's been sitting in my drafts ever since...I will post it now...


So, I had posted a status on facebook about going to the market, and that I missed the convenience of Wal-Mart sometimes. I TAKE IT BACK!!! I love the market! Let me break it down for you:

*1 bunch GARDENIAS: $ .21 (yes, that's twenty-one cents!)
*2 dozen CALA LILIES: $ .42 (YES, forty-two cents!)
*10 BIRDS OF PARADISE: $2.11
*3 AFRICAN DAISIES: $1.89 (I splurged a little on these!)
*6.5 pounds of wonderfully fruity, tasty bananas: $2.53
*12 pounds of fresh fuji apples: $6.32
*1 medium sized watermelon: $2.53
*1 large, prepped pineapple: $ .95
*4.5 pounds sweet, ripe mangoes: $3.37
*2 stalks celery (though small): $ .48
*4 ears of corn: $1.26
*1 pound fresh spinach: $ .95
*1 pound fresh romaine: $ .95
*2.2 pounds of tomatoes: $1.26
*9 pounds potatoes: $4.20
*2 large heads of cabbage: $1.26
*2 green peppers: $ .42
*5 pounds fresh carrots (think Bugs Bunny sized): $2.95
*2 pounds cucumbers: $ .42

Considering all these fruits, vegetables and flowers are fresh from the garden, beautiful AND delicious, you just can't beat it! Not to mention that the day was beautiful (a sunny 70+), the culture immersion is rich, and I had the joy of blessing a former orphanage client with some income by hiring him to carry my bags.

Now, Before you judge me for that, consider this...there are almost as many "carriers" in the market as there are vendors. They wait all day for someone to hire them so they can take home a dollar or two to help feed their family. Michael is a smart, strong, honest, Christian young man that I can help by paying him about $2.50 (a half days wage!) for carrying my fruits and vegetables for about an hour. It helps him, and definitely helps me!!! A white lady in the market has dollar signs stamped on her forehead, and I'm sure I still pay more than the locals, because I won't generally bargain much...but it really helps to have someone I trust with me who can tell me if the price is fair or not!

Anyway, thank you, LORD for the beautiful Baguio City market!

Rainy Days, Mondays...and the big 4-0

As I headed through traffic this morning to renew my seriously expired Filipino driver's license, the joy and excitement I felt caught me quite off-guard! After all, I'm turning 40 today, wasn't I supposed to be depressed or something? And yet, I felt so free and full of life! Never mind that I would spend the next several hours going from office to office, tediously accomplishing one step at a time in order to have my license renewed...I was going to be with one of my best friends! After the LTO (land transportation office), we were planning to have lunch and then she was treating me to a massage at a wonderful place near our home.
I got to thinking...I love rainy days and Mondays, why would turning 40 get me down? Christmas day is depressing, Saturdays frustrate me...give me a rainy Monday or December 26th any time! I'm sure someone could name my psychological disfunction, maybe even prescribe medicine for it; however, I feel like I have a new lease on life...like I'm a grown up now, and I'm ready to accomplish something! I have a new energy and my heart is revived. 40's? Bring it on!!!
Anyway, the day held no disappointments for me. Getting my driver's license renewed: 2 hours and $20. Lunch for two at O Mai Khan mongolian buffet: $13. Three hours at the spa (to include whirlpool, sauna, body scrub, massage, manicure, pedicure and showers): $50 (for 2 people!!!) A surprise birthday cake at SHIP and getting to be with some of the people I love most on this blessed day: priceless!

Let us go into the house of the Lord!

I was a little put off this morning as I followed up on my facebook posts, and sensed what seemed to be such a lack of reverence for the Lord's house. People were more concerned about "rocking the river", outings with friends and family, school work, and catching up on sleep (which I'm sure was lost doing something to benefit themselves and not in service to their Creator) than they were about gathering to worship with other believers.

I'm not a theologian, and not even very smart, so I won't argue the keeping of the Sabbath (when it is, what it is, how Old Testament law translates into New Testament freedom, etc...). But, I know that setting aside time to gather with other believers for corporate worship, exhortation and spiritual guidance is impertent to every believer! I know this not only from God's word, but from personal experience. I'm sure most of you have heard the example of how a burning log removed from a fire will eventually die down and grow cold on its own. I know from experience the truth of that as it relates to a Christian's life.

Shortly after our marriage, John and I (relishing the new-found freedom we had) began missing a church service now and then for things we felt were important for us to do. Little by little, the things of our local church slipped further and further down our list of priorities, until one day, we rarely even went to church at all. We thought we could still nurture our own relationship with God, but we couldn't. We grew colder and colder until sin began to slip in and we excused that also. Those 7-8 years became very dark times for us. We experienced great hardship and loss, and have the scars to prove it. We need the teaching of the church, the fellowship of other believers, and the corporate worship to keep us burning strong. It gives us accountability and encourages faithfulness. It's important!!!

Hebrews 10:23-25 says, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

For the sake of your own personal relationship with Jesus Christ, for the sake of those watching and learning from you, for the faithfulness of God to us every moment of every day...reconsider your priorities, is HE worth it?

No Thanks, I'd Rather Starve

My heart is still heavy this morning for two boys I met in town yesterday. Brian (who claims to be 12, but looks and acts more like he's only about 8!) approached me begging on the main street downtown. This is a common, daily occurrence; and something you generally learn to ignore. Now, for those of you who have never experienced that, lest you think I'm being hard, I should explain that many of these children are working for someone. They do NOT receive the money they collect, but a small meal or a few pesos for their work. A few pesos is usually just enough for them to buy "glue" to sniff, which keeps them high enough to not face their reality.

This time was different for me. Brian was very dirty, his clothes were torn, he had no shoes on his feet. When I asked him where his mother was, he indicated she was in another province. I bought him a hot dog and used a local man to learn more about him. He has been sleeping in an abandoned building in town with some other boys, and is truly homeless and neglected. I asked if he would like to have a bed, good food, and go to school. As we spoke, his companion (a boy truly of 12 or 13) joined us. To my surprise, he asked me if I was Mrs. Piet and if I were talking about S.H.I.P. Foundation. I said "yes, how do you know about us?" It seems he is friends of another young man whom we tried to help, but who also preferred street life and ran away from our facility. (come to find out, he has a reputation for this in town, and even has a family in town, but wants the freedom of the streets)

Jericho (the older boy) convinced Brian that he should go with us to S.H.I.P., so both boys accompanied me on the rest of my errands. We bought Brian some flip-flops, then headed to S.H.I.P. where our social worker interviewed them both. They had some food, a shower, got a set of clean clothes, and were all smiles within the hour.

Upon interviewing them, we found out that Jericho has a grandmother nearby, and that Brian misses his mom. So Jovi (our social worker) planned to accompany them both to their respective homes. Since Brian's home is about 1 1/2 hours away, they proceeded to the bus station. On the way, he told Jovi how his dad is an alcoholic and that the last time he ran away his mother beat him so bad that his back hurt for several weeks. Jovi's plan was to make an assessment of the parents when they reached Brian's home before leaving him there. Once they got to town, Brian told Jovi that he needed to get a few things from his "quarters", so he went in and Jovi waited outside the building. After he didn't return for several minutes, she went in and asked around, only to find out that he had slipped out a small opening in the back of the building.

We were so sad that for whatever reason, he chose not to let us help him. Some of these kids have been through so much, and have even dealt with the system so much that they trust no one. Maybe he lied about his family's whereabouts, maybe he's scared to go home, maybe he just doesn't want to be told what to do. The truth is, some of them would rather have the freedom of street life, than to be disciplined...even if that means living without food and love.

Deep in my soul I know there has to be a way to reach these boys before it's too late. Your prayers keep us going, keep us focused, supply our needs and bring us wisdom. I will look for Brian every time I go to town, and I will try to convince him to give us a chance to show him true love.

I John 3:18 "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."