It's been an amazing 2.5 months since being back in the States.  God's love and grace that He consistently pours out on us is overwhelming.  This is my first trip back "home" (our real home is in heaven and we are only strangers and sojourners here) in 4 years and the first time in the 12 years that I've been in Thailand that I've been back longer than 3 months.  I will be here for a total of 5 months, and I've been here for a 2.5 months already.  I pray that everyone who reads this will be blessed and encouraged to continue on in faith in our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ.  I personally have nothing to say, but I pray that God will take the few things that I do say to encourage each and every one of us.  God has allowed me to rest, relax and spend time with friends. 

Fellowship with many of you has been one of the highlights of this trip.  Getting to see where everyone is at and praying with you and for each other is a blessing.  The church is believers, not just a building, and it's been great to just be with the church and have fellowship, food and fun.  (I've already gained I don't know how much weight!  My clothes are not fitting anymore, and I know that when I go back to Thailand, they're all going to say "Susan, you're really fat!")  But the food has been out of this world!

I've spent 2 months in AZ and 2 weeks in North Carolina.  One of my goals while I'm here is to do things I've never done before.  We have a tendency to get in that rut of "same ol' same ol'" and forget that there is excitement and adventure out there if we only look for it. Never be afraid or to busy to do something new. I believe that God meant us to walk with Him on a daily basis and EXPECT Him to do new, great and wonderful things in our lives.  Our problem is that we aren't looking and we get sidetracked by many different things.  Here are a few of the NEW things that's happened to me and that I've done since being back:

milking a goat

Seeing alpacas up close and personal

riding both the Sky Harbor tram and the Phoenix metro tram (downtown Phoenix is an AMAZING place! 

Painting a house, or at least part of one!

Experiencing the Billy Graham center (library)

I was struck by how God can take an ordinary person who is humble and sold out for Jesus Christ and use him/her for God's glory in a great way.  God wants to use each of one of us right where we're at.  Are we willing to seek God's plan and His glory rather than our own??

For the first time since I was 12 years old, 2 of my brothers and my sister and I were in the same place at the same time.  Anyone who doesn't believe that God still works today, this is proof my friends.  Also, (unfortunately, no picture as of yet) my other brother (who is not pictured above) have renewed our relationship after 23 years of no contact whatsoever!  God does indeed work miracles!

 

 

As this tree provides a sort of covering for whoever, whatever is underneath it, so God provides a covering for us, shelters us from the storms of life.  But we can always decide on our own to walk away from the covering/protection that God provides.  We do that when we willfully sin, disobey God and seek our own path.  God's covering/protection is for our own good.  Under His shelter, we find safety, love and grace.

It's ok to be a little weird and different!!

The live tree is next to the dead tree.  The live tree is a picture of us clinging to Christ during the dry times while the dead tree is a picture of us apart from the Living Water. 

One of the things I have struggled with since being in Thailand, is that I always feel like I'm in a fishbowl.  Everyone watches everything I do and they see the good and bad.  I can't just be anonymous.  As I was admiring all of the beautifully colored and shaped fish in this aquarium, God spoke to me.  He told me that I'm to shine forth His glory to those around me so others can see God's light in me and admire Him just as I was admiring the fish.  An incredible sense of peace enveloped me as I sensed God's nearness and His presence with me.  He's right there with us through the calm and the storms. 

 

 

God reaches down to us (upper picture) and we reach up to Him - the picture of a personal relationship with Christ. 

The power of God is an incredible thing to behold!  God's power is the mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly places.  That is the same power that is available to us who believe Him!  Eph. 1

I love this sign!  You have to keep your sense of humor!!!!!!!!!

 

A big thank you to each of the churches that I've shared at or just visited!  I have been truly blessed to be part of the fellowship and to worship with you!  A big thank you to my coffee and 24 buddies.  You know who you are!  A big thank you to everyone who has opened their house to me!  Your hospitality is beyond description.  Thank you to 2 very special people who have sacrificed much of themselves and leant me their car to use for 2 of the 2 and a half months that I've been here.  A BIG thank you to everyone for the great food.