China...Here We Come??

The countdown to my parents' arrival is Korea is gaining speed.  We are now at about 45 days until the girls get to see their grand mom.  One of our plans for their visit to Korea is to hop on over to China to see The Great Wall.  We have been looking up and pricing airline, hotel and excursions for the last month or so.  Today I logged on to hopefully do some purchasing  and was floored.  The airfare has increased by $200 per ticket.  Times that by 8 tickets and you see what I am talking about.


My plan right now is to look at some package deals that certain companies may be offering instead of doing our airfare and hotel separately.  I knew the price might go up a little bit the closer we got to our actual date but I did not expect this much of an increase.


I am hoping to find something that will work for all of us this week and to get it secured.  Even though my mom is a travel agent, she has not been to China before.  So if you are reading this and have ventured out to see The Great Wall or Ming Tombs, I will take any suggestions and advice you have.  I am running short on time and need to get something done sooner than later.

Seeking Him

Today is the last day in January.  Wow!  I hope the next year keeps on moving. 

While we are trying to enjoy our two year tour here in Korea, we are also struggling.  I have encouraged women in the past that the Army may cut the orders, but it’s God who ordains our steps….but at this moment in my life, I am struggling to believe that statement.

Except for the little ones who really don’t know better, the rest of us are having a hard time.  I must say that I feel God is stretching us in ways that we have not been stretched before.  As my husband and I laid in bed last night talking about our struggles here in Korea, I was reminded that we are on a journey in life.  Sometime we are on the top of the mountain, while other times we are in the valley.  Right now, I feel like I am in the valley.

Things here are so very different than at our last duty station.  I think that if we had come to Korea first, I would have been inclined to tell Angel that we made a bad decision to join the Army.  In Texas, we had a strong Chaplain Spouse support group.  The women in my “coffee group” were my encouragement and strength, especially in the midst of a deployment.   Here, I finally received an invite to a coffee after being here for 7 months and couldn’t attend because of the location.

Our previous units were strong with FRG, making sure the information went out and Officer’s wives coffee groups.  Here the FRG is a baby, information is hard to get and there are only 50 families in our unit that are here in Korea.  The rest of the soldiers are single or have been assigned to a one year tour without their families.

I am learning that sometimes I need to learn to depend on God alone…not my coffee group, or spouses’ group or FRG.  Christ needs to be the constant in my life.  The first one I turn to when I am struggling or having a bad day.  I need to focus on the positive things instead of all the negatives ones that seem to overwhelm me here.  I need to show an attitude of gratitude, especially around my children.  If they continually see me complaining, they will follow suit.

 I need to surrender it all to the Lord.  To draw my strength from Him.  To allow Him to work in and through me.  And yes, change me, if need be.  That’s a hard thing to say.  Change me Lord.  So many times we want to change our circumstances or other people, but sometimes it’s us that needs to be changed.

So if you are struggling with life.  Feeling like you are in the valley.  That your prayers are bouncing off of the heavens.  Let this be a time to reflect, to trust Him even more, to let Him change you.

Counting Down

I'm so excited.  


In just 49 days, my mom is coming to Korea to visit us.  Did I say how excited I am?  It's been over 7 months since I have seen my parents and I miss them.  My mom will be here for almost a month.  My dad will be joining us a little bit later, as he has to work and can only be here for two weeks. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoido_Full_Gospel_Church

I am planning things for us to do while they are here.  We are going to visit Yoido Full Gospel Church (which has approximately 1 million members), see some palaces and temples and do some sightseeing around the city of Seoul.  We also hope to take a hop over to Beijing, China to be able to see The Great Wall.

We have about 14 months left of our tour and there is much to see and do in this beautiful country.  While some days it is hard living in a country that does not speak English, we have a unique opportunity that many will never get.


We want to take advantage of our time in Korea and especially having family join us for a few weeks.


Our next countdown will be for a visit to the states after the school year ends, so we have much to look forward to in the next 6 months.


Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the monotony of the day, week or even month.  We need to stop and find something to look forward to, to be grateful for or to celebrate.


Take sometime today to reflect on the good things that are in your life.  If they are people, let them know what they mean to you.

Extreme Frugality: Meet the Carters - Gourmet Magazine

While visiting a fellow blogger, I came across this video and I just had to share it.  I lean very much to the frugal end of the spectrum.  I want to be able to sustain our family off of our land.  I love some of the changes they have made and one day hope to have a garden to support our family.  

I guess with our current living arrangements, in an apartment in South Korea, it won't be happening anytime soon.  But I can always dream and plan for the future. I need to check out youtube again and see if this family has posted any newer updates on their families quest to Extreme Frugality.

Chris Tomlin -- How Great is Our God

2011 Book List

I know …I’m a bit behind in posting this.  I should have had my list done weeks ago but
alas I have waited until now.  My minimum goal is to read at least one book a month. If I can do more, than I will add to this list at a later point.  While some of these books have been recommended to me by friends or family, the others one are authors that I have
read previously but just haven’t gotten around to reading this particular book
on the list.

1. Crazy Love by Francis Chan
2. The Hole in our Gospel by  Richard Stearns
3. Am I Messing Up My Kids? By Lysa TerKeurst
4. Fight Like a Girl by Lisa Bevere
5. The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
6. She’s Gonna Blow by Julie Ann Barnhill
7. Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends by  Sarah Mally, Stephen Mally, Grace Mally, and Harold Mally
8. Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer
9. Have a New Husband by Friday by Dr. Kevin Leman
10. Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
11. The Reluctant Entertainer by Sandy Coughlin  ( I won this one on a blog giveaway last year)
12. Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
13. Redemption by Karen Kingsbury

Do you have a book list put together yet?   What are you reading this year?   

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; 

courage to change the things I can;and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; 

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;That I may be reasonably happy in this life 

and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.

                      --Reinhold Niebuhr