Beatitudes

I have to keep up my blog.  There are so many new and interesting things that have been happening, but now I'm going to cram it all willy nilly in one posting.

First of all, Dan and I have a new Jordanian friend who is very generous and so pleasant.  He invited us over for a feast last fall and we have yet had him over for dinner.  A couple weekends ago we went out to a jazz club and talked politics and religion the entire time.  I can say it was pretty amazing and eye opening for me.  The whole middle east situation is extremely difficult to talk about and I'm glad to say we walked away as friends though we may have disagreed on a lot of stuff.

Secondly, church has been going so well.  We had a meeting last week to discuss where we want to go as a church body.  We have decided that an outreach ministry is a necessity, so we're looking at ways to serve our community.  We are also going to delve into a discipleship program that is one-on-one for 10 weeks.  I am excited about being on the same page and discovering what God has for us individually and as a group.

The sermon last Saturday was on the Beatitudes.  I never heard a sermon given about them that lists them as step.  Our pastor explained that they are all a steps and you can't do one without the other.

Blessed are:
1. The poor in spirit--the loss of oneself and everything in order to follow Jesus
2. those who mourn--rejecting the world's desires and finding joy and peace in Jesus
3. the meek--submitting to God first and then service to others
4. those who hunger and thirst for righteousness--recognize that the world does not satisfy, our only hope is Jesus Christ
5. the merciful--giving, serving, and devoting self to others (the needy, infirm, outcasts)
6. the pure in heart--not influenced by the world's trouble or has to offer, but desire God and His calling plans for your life
7. the peacemakers--those who hate violence and discord as a solution to problems, desire unity and maintenance of fellowship
8.  those who are persecuted for righteousness sake--a willingness to suffer for the cause of Christ, brought to a closer communion with God.

Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Work has been going well.  I have been stacking my three 12 hour shifts, so that can get tiring doing 3 in a row.  I've been on night shift for a bit and unfortunately have to work this weekend.  I am looking forward to an awesome trip to WI and MN to see my family and enjoy a wonderful friend's wedding.  I will be seeing Lynsi too and am excited to spend time with my friend of over 2 decades!!

Sick

Wednesday evening I was making enchiladas for Dan and our friend.  These are a special treat in the Osland household, so I was annoyed that during their making, I felt faint.  Safa came over and I felt a bit nauseated.  After eating a little enchilada, I vomited.  I ended up being completely sick all night.  I unfortunately had to call off work (I HATE doing that) and slept the next day till 5pm.  My joints hurt so badly that I was thankful that I could finally take some tylenol.  I had Dan get me some pedialyte and gatorade.  I ate rice that night as well, but felt so weak.

Thankfully I had today off.  I woke up feeling okay, but still weak.  I managed to have cereal without problems, but I still don't feel myself.  Thankfully I'm just resting (or what some would call, wasting the day).

I was thankful to have asked for prayers.  I really felt horrible and was thankful to have any prayers.  Now to work the weekend!

Amigurumi

Amigur--WHO?  Yes, Amigurumi is a Japanese word for crocheted toys.  I love to crochet!  My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was 7 while we were camping of all places.  I have always played around with crocheting scarves and afghans and heightened my skills with more intricate lacy patterns and exotic yarns in the last 5 years.

Since I had some time on my hands with my new job (and not having to study), I decided to try making a couple animals for my new niece.  I found that I really enjoyed making these animals and would like to get better at it.  For my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and niece's sake, I decided to stop at two, but if any of you are interested in having an animal, I am more than willing to try new animals.

I chose the giraffe because Aline really likes them.  She likes ladybugs as well, so I was happy with how they turned out.  You can see how tiny my niece is, because these animals are not that big.

Cherry Blossoms

Dan and I got back from DC yesterday evening.  We had an enjoyable time with his family and our new niece!  The cherry blossom festival was in full bloom and there were a ton of people out to see the amazing blooming trees.

Dan and I stayed at a nice Marriott hotel to give the family some space.  We enjoyed good food; especially a seafood meal on the water in Old Town (Alexandria, VA).  The Easter Sunday service was nice as well, but saying goodbye was not.

Dan's parents are hoping to see us in Portugal in January.  That is not my favorite time to go to Portugal, but we may have to work it out to see them.  I'm sure it was difficult to say goodbye to their first grandchild.  The life of a missionary is sure full of sacrifices.

I had difficulty saying goodbye to my sister-in-law, but remembered that Skype is a valuable tool.  I really feel as if she isn't very far away when we talk on there.  Hopefully we will be able to continue our talks, but I know the baby will keep her plenty busy.

Aline's mom was also there.  She is such a pleasant person and I enjoyed trying to speak Portuguese.  I still think it's funny that I'm in the minority with language speaking, even in my own country.  Our devotionals and common talk were in Portuguese, so I found myself drifting off a bit.  I still get weirded out that people speak English here.

I think the only difficult thing that happened this weekend was the pressure of where Dan and I are going and will end up.  I was bombarded with questions about when will I have a baby.  I don't think people understand that that is a VERY difficult and personal question to ask someone, especially when that person has expressed a lot of interest in having children in the past.  I also felt hurt that people brought up that the possibility exists that I will not have children.  Of course that is a possibility, but I don't prefer to talk about my barren womb with anyone.

I guess I'd like to focus on what we do have in life. We have a new baby in the family.  Dan and I have a great marriage.  I have a job.  We are all healthy.  etc. etc. etc.

Photos will be posted soon.