Quotes for Mom's

I've been reading a book that has quotes for Mom's in it. Some of them are quite cheesy-- but others really resonate with me. My heart has been so wrapped up in the honor of being a mother for so many years. I will just pick a few favorites to share today.....

"Where we love is home----
home that our feet may leave,
but not our hearts."
(Do you suppose I relate to this so well, because - home to our family is not always a place--, but just being together???)

And for everymother who is pregnant with her second child, wondering how she will ever love a second like the first... this explains it...
"Maternal love, a miraculous substance which God multiplies as He divides it."

"Making the decision to have a child ---it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

I know this sounds crazy-- but it is really true of me...
"I actually remember feeling delight, at two o'clock in the morning, when the baby woke for his feed, because I so longed to have another look at him". Because my girls were such good sleepers, I loved having that little time alone with them in the middle of the night!

"The mother love is like God's love;
He loves us not because we are lovable,
but because it is His nature to love,
and because we are his children."

"Children need love, especially when they don't deserve it"

" A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on."

These are coming back clearer again-- now that I'm a Grandma......
"A mother's arms are made of tenderness, and children sleep soundly in them."

"Who is getting more pleasure from this rocking, the baby or me?"

"A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years, and in your heart till the day you die."

OK-- enough for now-- but more to come...

Remember the days when?????

OK, so I've been really bad at blogging. It all started about 6 months ago- when I had some problems with creating a blog and I got frustrated and I haven't added any since. I have just found my Facebook page an easier way to add and share photos. But since we are returning to Thailand again soon, I want to get back into blogging, so I can share photos and updates of our lives there. Anyway, I was looking through some old files and found this one of the girls and I totally adore it and had to post it. Those days of having a newborn, and ages 3,5,7 are some of my most precious memories. For those of you with little ones at those ages-- enjoy every moment. I know they are so physically demanding and you feel like you have no time for your self-- but it all changes so fast. Those days I remember as some of my most fulfilling and fun. Everyday of building into their minds and lives is so meaningful. Don't you just want to squeeze those cheeks? I guess that's what Collin and Summers are for now.

Dear friends,
After sleeping in 12 different beds during the past 19 days, our little cabin in Cedar Falls, felt real good to come home to last night. We continue to be blessed by God’s goodness to us as we’ve traveled many miles by car and plane during that last few months. Our Thailand national director, Nok, met us in California and we were able to meet with several ministry partners during the past few weeks in California and Texas. It’s exciting for us to share stories with people who have given much to help us reach college students in Thailand with God’s love, and to see their enthusiasm to share their resources to make a difference in Asian students lives for all eternity. We continue to notice the American value of accumulating bigger and better “things” in contrast to the content simple lifestyle of the majority of Thai people that we work with, but it is very refreshing to spend time with people who have a desire to share their abundance of resources to help us reach Asians in the ministry that he has drawn us to.
A highlight of our time in Texas was last weekend when we joined the students from Baylor University for a fall retreat at a campground. They are one of 4 partnership campuses with us and send their students to Thailand to help us on projects. We usually spend time with them in Thailand in ministry there- but it was encouraging to see them interacting in their home country and to spend the weekend interacting with them.
We love getting updates from our staff back in Thailand while we are here, and want to share this short one that we recently received. It is from one of our full time staff telling us about a student camp from a campus in Chiang Rai, the new campus we have just begun working on. Keep in mind that English is the 3rd or 4th language for them, but we think you can still read their hearts.

Dear lung mike and pa Judy
How are you ? we are happy now we finish L.T.I camp CRU at Chiangsaen last week,
I thank God this year we has 72 student came to L.T.I and we shear gospel with 228 people pray receive Chrits 28 people. and i think of all you in my prayer,
I miss you
God bless you
Check

The church that is being built back on Elephant Island is nearing completion. Here is the most recent picture that we received last month. This is the village that we have built from start (30 huts) from volunteers who have come to work with us. We’re anxious to get back to the island in January to visit it and the villagers using it for worship.

The two main prayer requests that we have for you this month are:
1) It seems that vehicles have been our biggest challenge this time in the USA. We’ve been borrowing different ones all fall, and now each of our girls is getting to the point that they need one of their own to live here in the USA alone. The only one that we did have, Lori was driving in South Carolina, and the engine totally went out on it this month. Please pray for wisdom for Mike as he researches and makes decisions in this area of purchasing.
2) Many church groups and individuals have expressed an interest to come and help us with our ministry in Thailand next year. In fact, at this time, we have 15 different groups preparing to come in 2008 to work together with us in one way or another. The logistics and planning for these groups can be very time consuming, but usually worth the effort because of the new contacts they give us and the encouragement they are to our Thai national staff. Pray for our efforts to administrate and coordinate all these groups.

Thank-you again for your partnership with us,
Mike and Judy Christian
319-277-3571- (cabin phone)