On My Mind Today...

So Terry has been doing this regularly lately... just doing a braindump of the things on her mind, and it's great. It really feels quite friendly-like and personal to hear what all a person is contemplating. So here goes. This may be the first and last, or perhaps I'll do this occasionally, I don't know... but here are some things on my mind:

Obama's here!
It's funny how starstruck we can become when we get remotely close to someone famous. Like, one time I passed Yoko Ono in Central Park. I tried not to flip out, but seriously... the woman oft-credited with breaking up the Beatles?! Incredible.

It's funny how even though I'm not crazy-glad (read: sarcasm) about how the last election cycle went (in any way... not just in the ultimate outcome), I still hear myself in my head saying things like, "so is there any way I could get to see Obama while he's here?" The boys were all perched up on our balcony last night with binoculars trying to catch a glimpse of Air Force One, but to no avail. Even though the flight pattern often sends planes right past our view, the clouds were thick last night.

Turkish!
I am LOVING seeing my language skills progress, even if I still talk quite babyish in the whole scheme of things. When we lived in China, I loved studying language, and I've pretty much had to shut that part of me down for the past couple years between all of the unexpected ping-ponging around the world and the normal events of life. It's fun to see some progress after years of living in limbo. Plus (of course) it makes it easier to really dig into life here, make local friends, etc.

Esther!
Some friends & I have just begun studying through the book of Esther. Last night we tackled the first 2 chapters. It is amazing how much, even though the book doesn't tell us outright what her personality was like, you can see the inward beauty of what must have been a quiet and gentle spirit in her. Particularly in these early days, before she got that holy backbone to stand before the King unrequested. She:

• submits to and obeys Mordechai, even though she had been orphaned and could have easily drifted into bitterness and rebellion.
• wins the heart of the authorities placed over her in the harem, and submits to their wisdom rather than her own, and advances because of this. It's impossible to see her as a demanding diva... surely the eunuchs would have encountered some of those among the most beautiful women in the kingdom, but because of their quick affection for Esther, I get the distinctive feeling she was *not* like that.
  
• continues to win grace and favor because of --what is never specifically described but everywhere implied-- that gentle and humble spirit that so pervades the story of Esther.
  

Truly, throughout the story of Esther, particularly in the early parts, it is obvious that God is the one uplifting her because she willingly humbles herself. Though Esther is the one book of the Bible that doesn't mention the name of God, His fingerprints... abasing the proud, and giving grace to the humble... orchestrating times, peoples, places, and events for His purposes... protecting and guiding His people for His glory... it's all there. An amazing book! I love how God reveals Himself so evidently through the pages of Scripture.

Breakfast!
All my little people just woke up, in the last four minutes or so... so off I go to make Dutch Puff (a favorite around here). (For those who have asked, here's a great picture that shows what a dutch puff looks like.)

That's what's on my mind.... thoughts? Ideas to add?