Blue Paint.

I never knew that 4 buckets of baby blue paint could make me so happy.

Today after school, I pulled paint clothes from the bottom of my drawer and jumped into the canter truck with Broc, Ashley and a handful of others. While I taught the boys this morning, the work crew painted the interior a lovely 'Creme Brûlée' as Ashley likes to call it.

This afternoon we headed back for round two, and after a 3-hour paint fiesta, we had plastered about 4 coats of caribbean blue on the previously dull stucco walls. Beside us, a crew of about 5 Haitian guys laid cement on the second home which should be completed by the end of the week.

Words cannot describe how excited I am to witness the progress on these two homes, in anticipation for the move-in date... Thank you for your continual prayers as the stone foundation transforms into two beautiful homes. More pictures and posts coming soon!

Steady now.

This month, my devos with the boys have centred around 1 Corinthians 13. We've asked the "What? Who? When? Where? Why? and How?" questions about love, and used this passage accompanied by many others to find the answers. We've pink-ified our 4 inside walls with post-it hearts, each one describing a way we've given and received love during the month. And we've been challenged by the example of Jesus in the way He lived a life of love for us.

One line that continues to resonate with me throughout our study is at the close of the 1 Corinthians love chapter.

The Message translation says it best.

Trust steadily in God,

Hope unswervingly,

Love extravagantly.

As I wrote in last weekend's post, the past few weeks have been some of the most blessed times in my life since I can remember. The Lord has poured out goodness to me far beyond the measure of what I had ever expected or would deserve.

It's not difficult to trust and hope and love when the sun is shining down into crystal waters, when the scent of fresh-squeezed juice beckons friends in from next door, when Broc and Ashley share their microwaveable pizzas, when laughter and warm embraces are peppered through the daylight hours, when birdsongs awaken me after a restful sleep.

When the cup fills to overflowing, it pours freely onto others.

And yet I can't help thinking about the reality of life, and how sometimes the cup is empty... Do I still trust steadily and hope unswervingly and love extravagantly when I have nothing left to pour out?

When dark deserts loom ahead, when my ceiling leaks, when we say goodbye, when nights are long, when peace is hard to find. It is my prayer that the abundant life from these days would continue to saturate me in the months to come, and that I would be ever trusting, ever hoping, and ever loving, ever joyful, ever pressing forward, come what may. Not affected by circumstance, but living reliant on the constant Perfecter of my faith.

I trust in Your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in Your salvation.

I will sing the Lord's praise, for He has been good to me.

~ Psalm 13:5-6

Fullness of joy.

I've sat at this computer for a while now, searching for words that do justice to the fullness of my heart. Each blink of the eye has outdone the one before.

Fresh tears. Treasured friends sharing the long stroll down the hill and back up again. A tile floor full of freshly painted toes. Catchy beats on the beach. Family experiencing my 'world' for the first time. Coffee cake breakfast. And laughter - so much laughter.

This velvet couch has never held so much love, and it makes me wonder what I did to deserve it. As 1 John 3:1 reads, I can truly testify God's love being LAVISHED upon my heart day after day.

In the quiet whispers of these moments, I feel like once again He is drawing me deeper into His love story. I can do nothing but testify His promises, because it's all I've been living. The doubts of His provisions and fears of loneliness have been dispelled by His resounding presence, from the birds awakening me with their songs in the early morning, to the nighttime pillow whispers of ones I cherish the most.

And even in the letting go and the suitcases rolling back out of my apartment, I am left with nothing but gratitude. All that I can say is thank you for Your love that keeps on lavishing. And may I keep on thanking whether in need or in plenty, because in Your presence there is fullness of joy.