I have been graying since I was 19 years old. I started dying my hair when I was 28 to hide the gray. It is one of the few luxuries I spend money on consistently. I've asked hair dressers so many times through the years if I can do this until I'm in my 70s, which is when I'm supposed to turn gray, right?
Lately it has become more and more difficult to find the time to get my roots done and so when I called my hairdresser...again...to see if she could squeeze me when I'm in town, she suggested going gray. 
Are you kidding? I've been covering up my gray for almost 30 years now. I can't even imagine that. I was very excited to turn 50. I didn't mind at all turning 55. I don't like the excess weight, but it doesn't drag me down. But going gray? That thought always brought up negative emotions for me.
But the more I thought I about it, I decided "why not?" I am aging, and gray hair is part of it. So today I went and had my hair done, and I left the roots gray. 
I'm pretty sure that going gray goes along with my theme this past year of finishing well, or... aging gracefully. 
When we were going through a very difficult season the past several years, I felt like I was becoming a person I didn't want to be. There were times when I had so much hate in my heart that I wondered if I was becoming like Saul, who would have the shepherd boy David come and play for him so the evil spirits would leave. 
I remember praying so often through that difficult season that I would not lose my faith. That I would finish well. That the pain would not overtake me and make me into something I'm not.
Like so many challenging seasons in our lives, they are just that... seasons. As hard as this last one was, my faith got me through. If we continue to hang on to Jesus for dear life, and that is what I had to do, he sees us through every difficult season and we become better and stronger for it. 
As I am moving into this new season in life, that of empty nest (plus Alyssa), and gray hair, it is my prayer that I will finish well. I want to say at the end of my life, as Paul did, "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day..." 
Is there a crown of righteousness waiting for you?
Aging gracefully is hard. The more "life" we see, the more it pains us and can cause us to become bitter. But if we keep our eyes fixed (glued) on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, we will have the strength and the grace and the mercy for each new day. "We will rise up on wings like eagles. We will run and not grow weary. We will walk and not faint." We will finish well.
Thank you for reading this far. I pray you will be blessed beyond measure this week.

It is so amazing all the wonderful gifts and talents that God gives to people. When people are fulfilling their destiny, the blessings are so far-reaching and so eternal. We have been so blessed by Days for Girls to be able to use their patented technology for the Restoring Dignity Kits (washable sanitary pads), and now we are blessed by Faith Comes By Hearing with a tool that is going to help us teach people who cannot read or write how to study God's Word.  

When I was in Kamiigo last November I asked how we could best come alongside Pastor Peter and Sarah as they minister in Kamiigo and many other surrounding villages.  Mama Sarah wanted to learn how to make washable sanitary pads to distribute to those who cannot afford them and to teach others how to make their own.  Many across the US sewed, donated, prayed and we brought and distributed 200 Restoring Dignity Kits to five villages in May and June. We purchased a sewing machine for the church and began teaching sewing.  It was life-changing for so many.

While on this trip, Pastor Peter shared his heart to see people who cannot read or write how to study the Bible for themselves.  I couldn't stop thinking about that when I got home.  I had heard someone speak in our church several years ago about a device that can project the Bible so 300 can hear the Word in their own language at one time, so I contacted them to see if they had it in the Luganda language.  They do, and they sent me a free "proclaimer" for the cost of shipping so that we can take it to Uganda to begin the journey of helping people who cannot read or write how to study God's word for themselves.  I hope to use a Bible study method developed by Anne Graham-Lotz along with the proclaimer.  Please pray that God would unfold his plan for making this a reality for those who cannot read or write. 

After our trip in December I will send testimonials and photos to Faith Comes By Hearing and they will send another two proclaimers that we can then take into two more villages on our next trip.  I stand in awe of what God is accomplishing in Kamiigo and beyond.  I'm so thankful for those who have answered the call and developed amazing products and tools that we can use in our work in Uganda.  How he brings together so many people and organizations to carry out his plan around the world is something only he can do.  It's amazing to watch.  What a privilege to be part of that plan.

Would you please pray for all the work God is doing through TTWWK and Pastor Peter and Mama Sarah.  Pray that as he unfolds his plan we are quick to listen and follow him.  

Thank you for reading this far and supporting this work. I love you all!!! 

Well, I just spent over an hour writing a post and when I added the photos I lost everything.  I don't know where it went, but I guess it was not for today. 

I hope you will enjoy the pictures of the new building and land that will one day provide the space for educating, discipling and providing hope, healing and sustainability for the village of Kamiigo and the surrounding villages.   May your day be blessed.  

We are in a busy season of getting ready for a family wedding next month.  I've been trying to get the house ready and then head out of town today.  Late yesterday morning I realized I hadn't gotten much done yet for the day.  As I was talking with a family member who's here helping me this month, all of a sudden out of my mouth came, "I didn't make my bed this morning."  She was a little confused, so I pulled up a video I had seen a year or two ago that is probably one of the most powerful videos I have ever seen.  It is a message to a Texas university by a Navy Seal Admiral. I hope you'll take time to watch to it.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sK3wJAxGfs

We listened to the video while standing at the stove making breakfast, and then I went upstairs and made my bed. The rest of the day went so much better.  

The lessons in this short video are so powerful.  You will be so inspired after you watch this.  

I want to leave you with a few powerful quotes from the video.  

"If you wanna change the world, start off by making your bed."
"If you wanna change the world, don't back down from the sharks."
"If you wanna change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart not by the size of their flippers." 
"One person can change the world by giving people hope."

God bless you today.  

Hello Everybody!!!  It is hard to believe it's already been three weeks since we got back from Uganda.  There is so much that happens when we are over there that it is hard to know where to start.  I've posted photos on the facebook page, so I hope you'll read about our trip as you look at the photos.  https://www.facebook.com/That-The-WORLD-Will-Know-420502065123464/?modal=admin_todo_tour

The greatest thing for me this trip was taking my special needs daughter.  How she responded in Uganda would determine the future of ministry there for me.  Alyssa is very much a routine person.  Autism doesn't allow for much flexibility, so I knew it would take a lot of prayer and God's grace for her to thrive in Uganda. 

One of the things I struggled with beforehand was, "what if she couldn't handle it?  How would I be involved long-term if she couldn't be part of that, since I'm her guardian?  What would that look like for Kamiigo?"

God had opened the door to Africa for me after 35 years, and I knew it had to work for Alyssa as well.  All I could do was pray and trust that whatever happened it was in God's hands.  As always, He accomplished exceedingly abundantly beyond all I asked in that regard. 

Alyssa has a heart of compassion and the gift of mercy. She can see pain in people and minister without words.  I wondered how her heart would react to so much pain and if her heart could handle it.

It was really amazing when Alyssa saw the children in the village for the first time.  Instead of seeing pain, she saw special needs, like her. She did not see poverty and pain. She saw herself.  So she decided to adopt all children as "her children."  She was up every day ready to go see "my children" as she called them.

Her role became passing out sweets. As I was siting one day watching her pass out sweets, it hit me that the picture I was observing was the same picture I had in my mind as a teenager when my desire was to live in Africa.  Since I had never been there, the only picture I could envision as a teenager was sitting on a stump feeding the children.  And here was Alyssa, sitting in a chair wherever we went, passing out sweets. 

To see Alyssa have such purpose and such joy fulfilling her purpose was more than I could have hoped for.  She was created for Uganda.  She grew in so may ways while we were there.  It was beautiful to watch her, and she asks continually when we are going back.

Like Alyssa, every one of us has a purpose and every one of us has special needs.  Regardless of what our "special needs" are, God has put His seed in us.  We are to water it with our works and He will do exceedingly abundantly beyond all we can ask or think.  We will thrive in the purpose He set out for us.

I look forward to the time Alyssa will be able to go again and see "her children."

Thank you for reading this, and I hope you enjoy the photos and stories.  God bless you.  

"Eclectic - deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.”
Wow, what a life! I don't quite know where to begin. Every day I wake up to a new day that will be different than the day before. If there is one thing that is certain in my life it is the uncertainty of each day. 

Someone I considered a friend once said to me "you're so electric. You never stick with anything.” It wasn't meant to be a compliment. So I meditated and prayed on that thought for some time, wondering if something was wrong with me. Why can't I stick with something?

I came to the conclusion that being eclectic didn't mean that there was something wrong with me. It meant that I view life through a lens that there is so much to see and do and learn and experience in God's world that I want to experience as much of it as I can while I'm on this earth. My soul is not satisfied, as someone else’s would be, to do the same thing each day. 

During the years when there have been seasons of wandering in the wilderness, where it was hard to see and learn and embrace all the newness in each day, it caused me to have to work hard to still see. To see God's hand, even if I didn't understand it. To know He's there, even if it didn't seem like it. To trust Him no matter how hard life was because there was nothing else certain in life that I could trust in. To never give up because I knew God would see me through. And He always has. There was always a sliver of His glory peaking through and I’m so thankful for those slivers that kept me going and kept my faith in God.

And so I love being eclectic. I love that I am in a new season of life. I love the newness that each day is bringing. Every day is filled with so much "new" that by the time I want to write a post I've already had a hundred new things that I've done or learned, and it's hard to go back when there's so much going forward.

I love learning new things. I love meeting new people. I love watching each of my unique children learn and discover what drives and motivates them. I love discovering how to run a different type of business than the one before, or a non-profit for the first time. I love experiencing different cities and states and towns and countries and the amazing people in each of them.

So for however long this new “eclectic” season and this new journey take me, I want to learn everything my Creator has for me so that I can use it for His glory. 
Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men..." Berean Study Bible.

I pray that verse for each of you reading this today. Whether you are just getting through the day with your sanity, or you are needing to slow down long enough to smell the roses along the way, or raising little ones that zap every ounce of energy you have, or teenagers who cannot appreciate your sacrifice, or trying to figure out your purpose in life, whatever your days may bring, I pray you will work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, knowing that there will be a season when you look back and see all the ways He used each and every new thing in your life. 
​
Well... that was random and not at all what I was planning to post today. I guess someone needed that reminder today. I know I did. Have a blessed week!

Hi Everyone, we have arrived safely back in the US. Thank you for all the continued prayers. I'm excited to share all the beautiful moments with our Ugandan church family in future posts.  

While TTWWK began in 2018 with a FB page we just recently designed the website and this is the first blog post.  

​To see all previous posts you can go to https://www.facebook.com/That-The-WORLD-Will-Know-420502065123464/?modal=admin_todo_tour

How interesting life always is. I've been looking forward to spending time with my dear friend Wendy, but both before and after the trip our plans changed due to unforeseen circumstances.

Last night Alyssa had a fall on the way out of the airplane. There were no injuries, thank God, but as I stood on the walkway waiting for EMT and seeing the line of people with suitcases waiting for Alyssa to be moved so they could deplane, my thoughts were "why"? "My plans are good plans for the night. Why the continued delays, God? 

I soon realized my plans were not God's plans for the evening. His ways are not are my ways, and they always better. Often we don't see God's hand in a trial or storm, but trusting Him even when circumstances demand otherwise is the life of a Christian. So I waited, somewhat impatiently at first, as we worked through this situation and I submitted my plans to stay with my friend to God's plan to stay in KC. 

During the wait, I met a beautiful pastor's wife who helped us through the entire event. We had quite a while to visit while waiting and, of course, Alyssa made a lot of friends. She loved the attention of the EMTs, the staff, the police escort, the wheelchair, and all the new friends she made in that short "delay" at the KC International Airport. 

As I got in the van to drive to the hotel, I realized that this meeting was planned by God before He even created the earth, and I was once again in AWE of the BIGGNESS of our God. I was able to share about the Restoring Dignity project with my new friend Stacy, a van full of people on the way to the hotel and the hotel staff. 
​
We can never orchestrate life as perfectly as God can. Even in the midst of our frustration and impatience, sorrow and pain, He continues to unfold His plan and use His imperfect people to display His glory. 

We now have two new friends, and I am excited to see how God is going to develop this part of His divine plan.

We don't have to look far to see the hand of God in everything we do, but we do have to look. He's always there, even in the midst of the storm.
​
May you see Him today, even if it's in the storm. Have a wonderful weekend.