Cherries~ Neighbors~ The Gospel

I can't belive that I our family has been living in Croatia for almost 9 months! It is so unreal to me that we have finally made it. We are enjoying our new normal and all the while still missing the old normal. Spring has sprung in our backyard orchard: 4 pear trees, 3 peach, 4 apple, 1plum, 1 HUGE cherry tree, and a local fruit here in Croatia. Our cherry tree is LOADED with bright red cherries. Needless to say... OUR house is the IT spot. Everyone wants to eat our cherries... about 10 neighborhood children and a handful of adults. Today our 60 year old neighbor Monica climbed the tree to reach cherries that we can't. LOL She is a pro at it... we are just learning. :)
Who would have thought that such a trivial thing as cherries would bring so many people into our backyard? I was on the balcony when I heard my husband witnessing to a man from down the street. Praise the Lord for every opportunity He gives us to speak of His GREAT love for them. :) I pray that our neighbors will see Christ in us and that we would do nothing to destroy our testimony for the Lord.
Missions for us is building a trusting relationship with those around us to prepare their precious hearts for the sweetness of the Gospel. They may have come for cherries, but hopefully one day they will leave with their hearts full of Jesus.

WARNING... prepare for cuteness

More of HIM and less of me Monday

I have a confession.... Coca~Cola slipped into our house this weekend. I know that is a BIG no no when trying to lose weight. Perhaps I would have lost more if it were not in the house. You see, sometimes I just can't say NO, I just have to drink it! Despite the few bad food choices this past week, I still lost. Maybe it was my faithfulness to keep up with my walking... i don't know.

Anyway, I am down 1.6 lbs. Praise the Lord for His goodness.
This week I am working on:
*more water (today almost 2 liters)
*less junk (candy, chips etc.)
*more veggies and protein
*less carbs

Spiritually speaking:
* more of Jesus~ I am struggling to keep up with my personal time with the Lord. I need to make time for God and His Word. I need to give Him my best and not make Him last. It is really hard on the field since we don't have Sunday School for us adults or Ladies Bible Study. Sometime I get lost when the message is being translated, sometimes I just stop listening altogether. I am realizing how important my quiet time with the Lord is needed in order for me to grow. Even I could benefit from a weekly deeper study in His Word.

Well, I think that I have my work cut out for me this week. I am praying that He will give me the strength to do it.

More of HIM & less of me Monday

Up until this past Wednesday I have been doing a 12 week Fitness Challenge on a blog from a fellow missionary wife in Spain. I didn't win or anything, but one thing I did learn was that exercise is important. I think I only lost 4 pounds, but that's okay because now I am walking 4 miles a day!! I never thought I could ever do that! LOL Getting healthy again takes time and sometimes baby steps. Now I see that I CAN walk that far. Next, I need to increase my water and cut out the grazing. (:

So I am changing my weigh in days to Mondays instead of Wednesdays. No weight loss or gain from the last 2 Wednesdays.

Goal for this week: 1 liter of water each day and no sweets (like I said... baby steps)

Check back next week to see less of me and more of HIM.

"Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31