Tomorrow I will be 30 weeks pregnant. I almost can't believe it. Only 10 more weeks until Micah is expected to arrive. We moved to Ocala 10 weeks ago and it seems like just yesterday... man, how times flies! I have really enjoyed my pregnancy and feel very blessed to have had an easy one so far. I think I'm going to be a little bit sad when it comes time for this little boy to leave the womb. It's an experience that I want to cherish and remember forever! I want to feel every kick, punch and roll and don't mind being kept up at night to enjoy it. You know, it may be because of the journey we were on to get pregnant in the first place - but I can't imagine any mother not enjoying this.

I do feel a bit unsettled in my spirit though. I am learning to "unpack," so to speak, and make this familiar place my home (again). Moving is always an adventure. We have done it three times in our last four years of marriage. That's three homes, three towns and three churches. But everywhere we go, we encounter the same people... with different faces. "There is nothing new under the sun" as Ecclesiastes says. The same problems exist and the same answer is Jesus.

I have been praying lately that God would not allow me to become hardened to hurting people. It can be easy to do when you are in ministry. You see the needs and know that without Christ, there is no cure. We can't make the cancer go away, or the husband to come back home or the parents to stop abusing alcohol... but we can pray with the expectancy that God can do those things! If only we would turn to Him and let him take the pain.

I'm ready to return to the mission field. I want to go be a part of what God is doing around the world! I know there are people who believe that we have "enough problems in our own backyard" and don't understand why going to another country to help spread the love and message of Christ is needed (I used to be one of them), but I can bet you anything that most of those people have never set foot outside of their doors. And if they have, it was on vacation and not to experience the true needs of the people there. To them, I just want to say...

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. - Matthew 28:19

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, AND to the ends of the earth. - Acts 1:8

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! - Isaiah 52:7

I know I have said this a million times now, but I'm ready to be a mom. Not "ready" in the sense that I know exactly what I'm doing or that I will be the very best at it... but I'm ready to learn. I'm ready to raise a child who will know and experience the love of Jesus. This is my mission field. At the moment, at least. My hope is that Micah will one day be a messenger of the gospel himself!

Someone told me the other day, after living in Mexico with his dad for awhile, he learned that there is a big cultural difference in the way we value living... Americans live to work and Mexicans work to live.

Visit a foreign country, see the way they value life and you will be amazed at how we waste it. 10 more weeks, I have 10 more weeks until I begin my new ministry/job/mission - Lord, help me not to waste it.