Friday, September 22, 2006

Waking up in Dallas



One of the things I knew I was going to miss the most within my transition from Houston to Dallas was waking up to "The Morning Show" on KSBJ.

Even in my time of unemployment I chose to have my alarm go off at 5:30 am, just so I would not miss it. I love Mike and Susan. They are funny, they are encouraging, and they just put me in a better mood. The best part of it all is Susan's sign off in the morning....at 9 am every morning she reminds me that my Father dances over me with singing and that "I am Loved." What a way to start a morning!

Wonderfully I am able to get the stream cast or whatever the technical term for "radio over the internet" is....so I am able to enjoy KSBJ at work all day long. However, this did not solve my waking up dilemma.

Now, most of you who know me, see me when I am fully awake - and most of the time, you see me in a good mood. THIS IS NOT HOW I WAKE UP!! I have difficulty sleeping due to complications with my thyroid and am a night owl, so a 5:30 wake up call really should come in the late afternoon...amazingly, places of employment and others seem to frown on this mentality, so I am forced to recognize that 5:30 comes twice a day, and I must be subject to waking up at the 1st one.

Why 5:30, because I must allow myself time to just lay there and be still...awake...but still (and you all thought that I was always a bouncing ball of energy).

So again a conundrum...no KSBJ...hacking "beeps" are not quite the waking up call that allows my meditation time to be sweet. I decided on a CD.

Now here is a fun choice. It must be positive (or I will be angry, depressed or melancholy for the rest of the day), it must be upbeat, but not "workout tempo", so finding a CD that would be perfect for awakening the princess that is myself (ha!) was not the easiest of things to do.

After much thought and deliberation, I came across one of my favorite artists, Jeff Berry. Most of you do not know this fabulous man. I have the honor not only of knowing him, but at one time I was involved in his ministry and I have the joy of calling him friend.

His newest CD, All That's Left of Us, begins with a reved up, and amazing arranged version of "Great is Thy Faithfulness". This song is one of my favorite hymns ever, and what a way to wake up!!

See and you guys thought my energy was natural! Not so! In recent years, I have become a huge subscriber to the phrase "Garbage In, Garbage Out" Waking up being reminded of God's faithfulness every morning is essential for me. Not because I had let go and forgotten it in the night, but because that when you wake up to positive thoughts your life tends to be more centered and focused in the right directions.

"Great is Thy faithfulness" is followed up with other such songs with lyrics such as: "From the mountaintops we cry out, "You are good!" To the ends of the earth we proclaim and say, "You are good!" From the valley deep and in dispair, "YOU ARE GOOD, YOU ARE GOOD!" (oh the encouragement of these words!)

Plus - "I can't contain the Love You have spoken"

Not to mention... "You are covering - Grace releasing", "We give you thanks...for pouring grace upon the earth to bring us near."

OH! and, "Glorious, You are Marvelous" "We need Your love"

And can you really start your day without saying to Him "Let the darkness fade away, till all that's left of us is You." ?

Ok, ok I know...you all think I am crazy. But seriously...I encourage each of you #1 to head over to http://www.jeffberry.org/ and purchase this album. Not only are these songs wonderful, their truth self evident, and original...but most were written (or at least arranged) by people I love and respect. Grace Live is wonderful, as well....and I was there for the recording and the mixing and the prayerful, tediously long wait for the release of that album!

Not only that, but I challenge each one of you to find your own "wake up music". Or at least music that you play consistently when you are getting ready in the morning. Music is powerful!

Thanks Susan, for waking me up for the past 4 years, you are great!

Jeff and band - thank you for your years of friendship, ministry, great music and faithful prayer over my life - and for making my transition to the Dallas area and my new schedule that much more positive!

You are loved!

Monday, September 18, 2006

News from Botswana

Hello all, due to an overwhelming response to a call for prayer for my sweet brothers, I am posting my mom's latest update rather than try to reiterate all the details myself. Thank you so much for praying and continuing to pray!

News of the new job, and journey to Dallas soon!
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Dear Loved Ones,
In our last update, we said that Devin and I would be going to Johannesburg for further tests to see if we could find out how to help the pain Devin has been experiencing. We thought we might be there four-five days, but we were there nine days! Steve was here for the church, working on the government papers and building a desk.

The doctors ran tests that ruled out things like Chron’s disease and leukemia but did not find anything definitive. They believe all his problems stem from the glandular fever or cytomegalo virus that he has had this past year. This morning, he had another painful attack and we stayed at home. The doctor here did send out some medication that actually helped! That’s a huge prayer because nothing has helped up til now.

We are thankful for all of your prayers.

Steve said that last week, Dut stood in church and committed to helping build the church. He is the young father who’s unborn child died last month. Please keep praying for him and Anne.

Today we were able to have the youth back at our home after a few weeks of being unable to have them because of traveling and Devin’s sickness. It was such a joy to see them and listen to the questions and answers they have during our lesson time. Today’s lesson was on how the prodigal son came to be a prodigal. His wrong attitude toward authority led him away from the Father’s safekeeping. Every day we pray God will keep them walking in His ways.

Botswana culture comes through often when we play games. Today we were teaching them TABOO, the game where you try to get people to say a word without saying certain other words. The key word was POSITIVE....the girl picked it up and without missing a beat said, “When your HIV test has this result you are very upset.” !!! That was the first thing she thought of when she read the word positive. HIV/AIDS is devastating this generation, and we are asking GOD to powerfully change the lives of our youth.

Our son Derek, is also some better although still struggling some with his blood pressure. We appreciate your prayers for him. We are also thankful for one of our dear friends who has reached out to him in the past week.

Amanda, has moved to Dallas this week to take a job working with a company doing cross-cultural training. We are so grateful that God has supplied a steady income for her and has given her a place to stay while she looks for an apartment.

This morning, when Devin was hurting so bad, we were very discouraged, but we looked into each other’s eyes and said, “OUR GOD IS BIGGER THAN THIS!” Thank God he is feeling better this evening.

There is an undercurrent of sadness is our home because in just a few more weeks we will return with Devin to the States.

Please pray for each of us during this time.Thank you so much for your prayers,
Reaching the Unreached,Steve, Pam and Devin Workman

Monday, September 11, 2006

Change


My life...is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. - Gilda Radner

ditto. -Amanda Workman


This time my adventures are turning me towards the Dallas/Ft.Worth metroplex.

As most of you are aware, my passion lies within the cross cultural world. I was raised in a cross cultural environment, spent time in high school with an expert in this field, and subsequently pursued this area of study in my studies at Hardin-Simmons University.

Since graduation, I have found the field a difficult area to get into and yet have continued to pursue volunteer activity on the side.

I spent my JR/SR year with Ruth VanReken. She is a specialist in transitional studies and a well known author on the subject. We have kept in touch in the years since our Africa adventure. In fact, many of my long time readers will remember “Tigpan’s adventures in Thailand” where I met Ruth and her husband for an adventure filled week.

Now that you have that background information….

Ruth emailed me about a month ago and talked to me about a fellow MK (missionary kid not Mary Kay) in Dallas who was looking for someone to come along side her to do some cross cultural training, but it would probably be more piece meal work. Her name is Nancy.
I met with Nancy about three weeks ago in a whirlwind trip to Dallas. It was there that I found out that she was a MK in The Sudan and she went to boarding school in Ethiopia, and then later on to west Africa. I asked her how old she was; and after her revealing that to me, I asked if she knew the Konnerups. She said that Jackie Konnerup was her roommate in college. Jackie is the sister of my father's best friend Ole, who I consider my uncle. Yep once again my world is tiny.

It gets tinier. In May of last year some of you may remember, I sent an email to a company in Dallas called Cultural Awareness International. I found them on the web, and saw that they did relocation assistance and cross cultural training. I send them an email asking if they had ANYTHING available in their company. They called me and asked me to come up to Dallas for an interview. I drove up and back in the same day. They ended up offering me a position in the relocation department as there was not a lot going on in the cross cultural side of things. I decided at that time to turn down what was seemingly the job of my dreams. I just did not have a peace about taking this job.

When I turned it down, several people who I respected told me that I should have taken it; that I could not live a life where my feelings of peace controlled my actions. No offense to those parties, but they were wrong. That is how I have always made decisions and the Lord has protected me in so many areas. He did again here. In speaking with Nancy I found out that the company that she works for is the EXACT same company. The cross cultural training department has taken off, (which I knew with the right person in charge it would), and the relocation department has had some set backs and has even had some lay offs. Now what if I had taken that job!?!?

Long story…longer…..I went up again last weekend to interview with CAI again, and have been hired on as an admin in their cross cultural training department. It is the ground floor, but with plenty of room for movement! I am so very excited.

So, once again God has brought an opportunity that I really wanted, something I am incredibly passionate about!!, to me in His timing not mine.

In His timing, I have struggled....in His timing, I have learned more about Him than I ever would have before....in His timing, I am now more equipped to do this job....in His timing, I have a business that easy supplements any short comings in salary (one of my reasons to turn down before)....In His timing, I have gone against all things that made sense to everyone else even me and waited on the Lord.....In His timing, I do have peace.

One more time...."That's God!" From my tiny tiny world...I bid you adieu....I will keep you updated as I know more (i.e. my new dwelling place, etc)
Love you all

Friday, September 08, 2006

Praise and Prayer

DALLAS BOUND!! That's right, ladies and gentlemen, I am headed to Dallas. The move will be quite swift as they want me there on Wedneday of next week. However, never fear my Houston friends, I will be back in a few weekends to say official goodbyes. Besides, Dallas is only a 3 hour drive away.

I will be working on support staff at Cultural Awareness International, as I step into the industry, and will hopefully move up into a consultant position in the next few months. I am very excited. Very nervous. Very, very overwhelmed! But also praising!!! I am also forever grateful for each prayer that was lifted up for me! The love and support I have received in the past few months has been amazing, I can not imagine where I would be without each one of you.

As for my brothers, thank you, thank you, thank you, for your many emails, text messages and calls to check on them.

Derek, (in Atlanta) has been put on blood pressure medication, and is still in need of a lot of prayer. He is under a lot of stress and pressure at his job, and is not the type to just take it easy because he is not feeling well. The doctor has cautioned him to slow down to a crawl, until his blood pressure goes down. Please continue to pray for him, that the Lord will protect and heal him. More so I ask that you pray that Derek will turn to the Lord for His help.

Devin, (in Botswana) and mom are in Johannesburg, South Africa with the Dr.s there. Praise the Lord his liver and kidney screens came back clear. However, he is still in an amazing amount of pain that they cannot seem to narrow down. He did have to have a colonoscopy, all they found was inflammation in his stomach and intestines, but the doctor said it wasn’t enough to cause the pain he is having. They will probably wait there until Monday to see another doctor, the one who diagnosed his Epstein Barr last year. Again, please continue to pray.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you
Words are not enough. You support me in ways you cannot imagine. I am so blessed because each of you are in my life!
AW

Monday, September 04, 2006

Request for Prayer

On Thursday this week, I got a call from my brother Derek. He was concerned because he was having chest pains. He has had a heart condition since birth that has not given him much trouble since he was about two.
He checked his blood pressure, which registered at 160/100.. NOT GOOD. Friday, he was still not feeling well, so he went to a doctor that evening. The doctor told him that if he did not go home and go to bed, he would have a stroke within 3 days and a pacemaker by the end of the week!
Yikes! Derek is only 25. I thank the Lord for a doctor that knew about this condition and one that treated him for FREE. I am constantly amazed at our AMAZING GOD. This is not the first time that his life has been spared by our great God.
My youngest brother,Devin, who has been struggling with Epstein Barr and a mirror virus called cytomegalo virus for the past few months. His immune system is really down due to these two viruses and this past week has been down sick again last week. He continues to have pretty severe pain in his left side, even keeping him from church yesterday. The doctor in Botswana has refered him to Johannesburg for a full checkup once again. Pray with my family that they will find the cause of this pain. He has had it for a long time. Sometimes it is better than others, but it is definitely always there. We have an appointment for Wednesday morning in Johannesburg. Pray for my mom and he as they travel, and my dad as he stays behind to try to get some paperwork wrapped up with the mission before they return stateside.

Lastly, after 9 months I FINALLY have an interview that is a very good opportunity. It is this upcoming Friday, and I so I want it to happen.

Thanks for praying! I know I can count on my faithful readers!

Fun fun fun weekend!


My weekend was great, my beautiful friend, Marianne and I headed up to Dallas to visit our mutual and equally as beautiful friend Sadie. (fun bit of background here - I met Marianne while working at Sam's, and she knew Sadie from College - I spent the summer living with Sadie when I lived in Hong Kong)
We girls laid out in the morning/early afternoon on Saturday. Then Sadie went to get her hair done and Marianne colored mine. It is my natural color, it just evens it all out.

Then away we went to "praisefest." I wanted to go because my friend Stan Whitmire, who is a professional pianist, was in town with a group called Greater Vision. Southern Gospel. It is what I was raised on, and though I LOVE contemporary Christian music, southern gospel moves me in a way nothing else does.

Dennis Swanburg a Christian comedian was also performing that night.
So...we get there...WE ARE THE YOUNGEST PEOPLE THERE BY 70 YEARS!! (with the exception of the artists, of course) Ha! HA! HA! We LOVED it! There were a couple of "acts" that were, well....a blessing to someone I am sure! But it was fun, we just laughed and laughed and laughed.

"Leave it to Amanda to drag us all to a geriatric convention!"

Chad Kennedy, my pastor's son from Abilene, drove up for the weekend as well. He met us there and couldn't stop laughing! It was so funny!

We had a great time, two MK's (missionary kids) and two PK's (pastor's kids) with a lot of history together, and we just laughed and laughed and laughed!
There is power in laughing you know....

Got home and am continuing to pack in preparation for where ever God is going to lead me! :)