Cactus Flower

During our wild month of Stateside tourism with our Brazilian neighbors we visited the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer NC.  It was a bitterly cold day!  But we all had a great time.  It was especially interesting for me since it was one of the stops I would always take my fourth graders way back in the day when I taught school before going to Brazil.  Fourth graders had to study North Carolina history and Spencer was a good place for a field trip even twenty plus years ago. As we walked about we came upon this lovely red antique pick-up with the word "Believe" on the windshield.  The truck caught my attention as I'd been thinking on what would be my key word for 2018.  "Hope" got repeated for me in 2014 and 2015.  My hope was renewed in 2016 when we saw our middle son get saved and right with the Lord.  I'm not entirely sure if I had chosen a particular word that year but "Grateful" and "Peace" were often on my mind all of the fa...

2016 was an incredible year for the Atha household.  We have seen God's hand working in our lives all through each of the 365 days.  Listed below in chronological order are our top ten blessings of the year, in my humble opinion... ESL Students I was remembered by all my little ESL students.  This one even brought a cake! God brought students to my door this year after Byron and I decided going into the big city was just not working out with that long bus ride.  Needing the money to help pay off a debt, I began to pray.  I very specifically asked God to bring them in and that each would be a good fit.  BTW, the debt was paid off before the end of the year.  Our Sweet 16 Our youngest turned 16 this year and yeah, he's a guy, but this year he has blossomed and bloomed in so many ways.  Little whiskers on that chin, more outgoing, more finese with more instruments, and more mature in Christ.  Byron and I are very grateful for...

  "You Have to Believe in Happiness" “You have to believe in happiness, Or happiness never comes. I know that a bird chirps none the less  When all that he finds is crumbs. You have to believe the buds will blow, Believe in the grass in the days of snow. Ah, that’s the reason a bird can sing, On his darkest day he believes in Spring. You have to believe in happiness— It isn’t an outward thing. The Spring never makes the song, I guess, As much as the song the Spring. Aye, many a heart could find content If it saw the joy on the road it went, The joy ahead when it had to grieve, For the joy is there—but you have to believe.” Douglas Malloch   Where do I find my joy?    In my work?  In my family?  In my collections and hobbies? Scriptures tell us to look to God for our hope and joy... 1 Chronicles 16:10 Find joy in his holy name;  let the hearts of those who keep on seekin...

Sometime during the Spring of 2014 I almost lost my HOPE .  I was tired of all the chasing our rebellious son all over town.  I was tired of the daily catastrophes to resolve.  I was tired of asking every day - "What do we do now?"  I literally threw my hands up in the air one day while chatting with a friend and said I give up.  All of this mess is out of my hands.  I give it up to God.  I will search for help no more.  I will chase no more.  I will pray.  I will stop asking that question every day.  It's all up to God and my husband. One of our boys had started done the spinning out of control path of school skipping, casual drug use, curfew breaking, brushes with the law, and breaking every family rule you can think of or haven't yet.  We had tried family counseling, pastoral counseling, a big brother mentor, revision of family rules, new school situation, taking away this, taking away that, parenting semi...

Our ministry sold.  Problems with a son.  Low financial support.  Dwindling ranks of missionary colleagues.   Low numbers on the results board.  Doubts and fears.    But I still believe in my calling and my faithful God.   I still believe in God's Word.  I still believe in the power of the gospel.  And I still believe in the need for cross-cultural missions. Today in church circles and publications we hear the resounding cry:  Let's not send any more missionaries from the States to foreign places, let's just support national works.  Mission agencies are pulling out of many old fields, selling off properties and moving on - to allow national churches to move up to the task. But I still believe in the need for American missionaries in foreign countries. N.E. Brazil regional BMM conference, 1979 On the other side of the missionary coin,        I also still believe in the I...

Make know His deeds among the peoples Talk of all His wondrous works Remember His marvelous works which He has done Able to sleep last night after a long, somewhat frustrating day. One of my babes went to sleep after a fitful event. One of my sweets saw my need in a certain hour and met it with creativity. My dogs were home when we arrived. Found a few things on my long list in the big city. Got to see a friend and chat a little. Received some inspiration for a small project at church. This blog works even when nothing else on the net this week has been. God lead me to Psalm 105 this morning when I needed hope and inspiration for my day. The chirping birds and my Girl dog's morning greeting. I love my Creator God.