"Refreshing day."  That is what the employees of the conference center where we are staying say as we pass them on the road.  At first, I thought maybe it was just a natural thing to say in this African country where I have been for a couple of weeks.  But, I found out they say it as part of their hotel slogan.  The rainbow, which comes just after a time of refreshing, is a symbol of their parent company. Hence their slogan. It's a symbol of my Parent company, too.  Today, I am taking them both up on a day of refreshing.

The journey I'm on has had me on journey pretty constantly for the past two months.  I've loved most every minute.  (I was sick for a bit of it, I've been jet lagged for some of it.  I don't necessarily love those parts).  Today, I stepped away from our training conference to have a day of refreshing and preparation.  Being able to prepare for the plans ahead of me next week is still very refreshing to me.  I was beginning to get a little panicked thinking about how little time I would have but then realized my teaching time for the current 2-day conference could happen tomorrow.  So today, my training friends and I agreed I could step back, do my laundry, take some time to prepare, and be refreshed.   As my friend/roommate got dressed I slept in until 7:30.  She left for breakfast and I made myself some Nescafé in the room. One of those little comforts I am always so excited to see is in-room coffee service.  It doesn't always happen, but my heart literally soars when I see a rusty little teapot, some packets of Nescafe, and a coffee cup in the room I've been assigned.

Then I got back in the bed on my side of the night table propped my pillows just right, sipped a bit of coffee and opened God's Word.  I finished the book of Romans again this morning.  Paul loved them and wanted to get to them so badly, but his journey kept him going other places. He loved and trusted God with His plans, instead of his own. He really laid out for the Romans the foundation of what he was trying to tell every church he visited or wrote.  I think because of his great love for them, and because he wasn't sure when he would see them again, he wanted to make sure the gospel was so clear.  The who, what, when, where, how and why.  Romans. Then I read a few more chapters of a biography I've been reading of a pastor I will get to work with next week (after fixing my 2nd cup of Nescafe). It has been such an encouragement to me.  We have not walked exactly the same road, but our stops have looked somewhat alike.  Then I did laundry. My laundry and I needed this today.

There was as much water on me and in the floor as in this sink.  As I hung my clothes around the room I thought of this one time at LadyBird when MA helped me with some of my laundry and I was less than appreciative.  I've come a long way MA.

I went for a walk around the campus, stopped in for a little lunch then found a shade tree filled with peacocks to sit under (strategically not under the peacocks) to write a little and be thankful.  Tomorrow I'll be back in the line-up to teach (correct, rebuke, train, 2 Timothy 3:16-17) and I will love it.  I feel the most ... well maybe just put a period after the word "most." I feel the most when I am able to lead people to hope through God's Word, and share with them about applying His Word to their everyday life.  Not just for the sake of change in their life, but for the sake of who Christ is.  The life change, freedom, and heart change is the gracious consequence.  He's too much to just tiptoe around with and I'm all in, because of His grace.  Grace is a word I didn't understand a lot about growing up. I read a book called "Grace Awakening" by Charles Swindoll that helped me understand it better.  If you are looking to understand grace better, that is one I would suggest. I think I have mentioned it before, but it comes to mind again today.

Several days before leaving for this trip, I returned home from a multi-week trip to Thailand and Indonesia.  We attended a pastor conference in Thailand, I wrote a bit about that in my last blog. We enjoyed one sightseeing day in Thailand before traveling to Indonesia to spend 7 days with our ministry partners there.  7 days, 5 hotels, 5 flights, 100's of beautiful faces, many sweet friends.  Out of over 20 days, we had 2 days totally off from our work to enjoy a day of sightseeing on our own tab.  These are days of picture taking (something I love to do) and grabbing the occasional something-to-remember-them by souvenir. The pictures I share are usually from these few days.  It is rare that I share the faces or stories of the people I serve with in my blog.  I'm not really the authorized teller of their stories outside of the ministry I serve with.  But, I am the one to tell my story. I stand amazed by what God is doing, and I am grateful for his gifts.  God is good.  He is refreshing.vvIn the midst of the work He has given me He gives me sunsets, water taxies, Chicken Pad Thai next to the Bridge on The River Kwai, ginger tea in Ubud, and today: Nescafe and Peacocks.

Sunset watchers in Bali.

Water market in Bangkok.

Chicken Pad Thai

The Bridge Over The River Kwai.

Ginger Tea in Ubud.

I hope today you are refreshed, or if today is your busy day, I hope you have some planned refreshing soon.  I'm so thankful for it, and thank you for taking a minute to share in it with me.