The Life I Live

Last summer my brother spent a good two months with us. It has been very interesting to see how those two months left such a lasting impression on him and how he liked so much of the natural lives we live here. I guess that after 6 years in Latvia I begin to take things for granted and wanted to share some of his musing with you.


I loved how close to the land ya'll live in Latvia. I'm definitely gonna pick blueberries in the mountains here this year. I was told on good authority that they do grow here. Trying to figure out how to live more like ya'll in some ways. Want my next home to have place for a garden... hopefully a dog too.

Sad how berry pickers and gardeners and fishermen are kinda like "crazies" here... there people actually do it for sustenance.

Here we don't experience the seasons like you do there. We turn on a switch when we need heat or AC... sometimes that's as much of the seasonal interaction that we seem to have. The produce is always in the stores, pretty much the same... just going up or down in price according to the seasons in Florida or Washington or California--somewhere across the country.

Guess I'm saying that you should be thankful for what you've got, just letting you see things through my eyes a bit.

And I should learn to live more like ya'll here, and encourage other to do so. :)

Neighbors... that's another thing I could get going on, where you Latvians are a great example to us.

The Way God Works

Sometimes it seems that God is just doing His usual thing- helping my life run smoothly on track without too many daily times of derailing it. (Losing my patience with my kids, lashing out if I am tired or frustrated, etc)

Other times I have a "Wow, God" moment and stand amazed at the awesome things he is doing through my ordinary life.

The other day a friend had a little surprise baby shower for a mutual friends of ours. This girl we had the shower for is not a believer to our knowledge. But she attended our Mom's group and we so love her company. There was another girl we aren't sure about either. Anyhow, we had a nice evening at local pizza place, chatted and visited, etc.

Note: Baby showers are a not a Latvian thing. They are starting to become more popular among friends who know what they are- but it is definitely a US thing and they even use the same name we do for it :)

This girl we had the shower for was surprised and totally blessed. Not to mention the fact that we also want to take her meals after the baby is born. (Another totally un-Latvian thing which is also be adopted here). She was like, "I can't accept that. How am I ever going to make it up to you?!" We laughed and told her we didn't expect her to make it up. We told her there is joy in the giving and blessing.

A week has passed and we wondered how she liked the shower. This evening my friend who organized the shower called me and said that our friend Ina (the Mom we had the shower for) was totally blessed. The following day she called a bunch of friends and told them there are people out there who don't just think about themselves, but who do things for others too.

To us it was something so simple. As believers we work together, support one another, take dinners when need be and just hang together. This lady outside our circle was shocked and blessed and taken aback that there are people like "us" in the world.

Isn't that amazing to see how God is using evening the simplest things to show people Himself through us?

What God moments have you had lately?

Cheese Salad

Cheese salad is very popular in Latvia and since I am constantly hungry now due to my growing baby, I try to eat foods packed with protein. This salad can be dressed up for special occasions by putting it in on fancy crackers or in salty tart shells. It is served that way as an appetizer here.

Ingredients: (For 2 people)
1 boiled egg
1 boiled or steamed carrot (1/2 if yours are large)
6 oz. grated cheese - In Latvian almost all cheeses are white and I use a simple white cheese. You could probably use cheddar. Try a variety of whatever you have on hand.
2 cloves finely minced garlic.
3 T. mayo
Pepper to taste.

Instructions:
Grate ingredients. Mix together and refrigerate. Best if it has time for the flavors to "marry." We love it on crackers or with some delicious bread. Enjoy!

One of Them

If you have ever had the chance to live abroad for an extended amount of time or perhaps have permanently changed your country of residence perhaps you have encountered the feelings of "belonging."

6  years ago I moved from the USA to Latvia. I came as an English teacher to teach in a church. Yes, my ancestors on my Dad's side are from this land. But I am American.

I love Latvia. I love living my life  somewhere other than where I grew up. But sometimes I wonder if I am really one of these people. I wonder have they accepted me? Do I belong? Am I one of them? In some ways I have carved that niche and "fit" but at other times I feel such an outsider.

There is so much red tape to living in another country- things that we never encounter in America. Things we take for granted in our own country. Arranging documents for living abroad, using another language fluently, just learning to make the best use of the local products that are cheapest and healthiest.

What are your experiences of living and belonging in another country?

Ideal Mom

Sometimes I get to thinking I am no the Mom I would like to be. There are so many ways I could improve and yet I am doing my best to be the best Mom I can be. When I imagine the ideal Mom these are some thoughts that come to my mind: (Not in any particular order)

• Patient always.
• Sings lullabies and songs with children. 
• Reads books and spends time teaching children. 
• Has time to home school and do all the other things needed to make a household function. 
• Cares for oneself and looks lovely. 
• Has a good relationship with husband- makes time for date nights. 
• Has a growing relationship with God.
• A mother in prayer for the salvation and spiritual growth of her children. 
• Knows how to creatively discipline and meet each child's individual needs. 
• Cooks well balanced meals that everyone eats. 
• Sews, knits and makes all kinds of handmade goodies and gifts. 
  

My list could go on and on. There are so many little quirks to these that I am not doing, and so many that I am working on.


I am continually desiring to be a better Mom. Yet so often I am tired, worn out and stressed. Being 25 weeks pregnant my back often hurts and I feel so tired I just want to lay down. Sometimes I do just that- then my kids play next to me and we are all happy.


In my quest to become a better Mom, God is continually speaking to my heart. Lately I have been meditating on these verses:


Romans 5: 3-5 (New Living Translation)

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our our confident  hope of salvation. And hope does not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. 

How encouraging to know that God is using ever trial I face as a Mom to make me the person He desires. And what a blessing to know  that the Holy Spirit dwelling in me is proof of God's love for and in me.

November 18

Is the day when Latvia celebrates its Independence Day. So of course it is a national holiday.

We headed to Riga in the afternoon to join in the festivities. There are lots of free concerts. We had chosen to go to a kokle concert. Kokles are fascinating to me because they are a traditional Latvian instrument. The concert was a group of four ladies.

They played in a museum of Jugend Style in a room that held about 30 people. It was so lovely, and small and personal. I love the Jugend- early 1900 decor. It was so much more than I anticipated. The girls working in the museum were dressed in Victorian clothes with the most wonderful hats. This time era always pleases me and so when the music started I was taken over by emotions because the whole atmosphere- decorations, and beautiful music was just so lovely. Of course I cried. Which reminded me of my grandma and her saying through her tears (as she listens to music), "It is just too beautiful. I can't take it." That made me smile to myself.

When the concert was over we got to walk about the museum. It was small, but  charming. It has been refurbished to look like an apartment would have looked at that time.

We then walk a bit about Riga. There were tons of people- I heard there were a million out that evening. We left before the larger crowds arrived. But we enjoyed seeing some gatherings and light exhibitions.

We ended our evening out by eating at McDonald's. Something we never ever do- but a fun way to feel American now and then :) The kids loved that.