Music and munchkins

Hello, 3" grasshopper. He infiltrated the kitchen while we were gone.

Friday, April 28, 2017
When we get home at 3:15pm, we have about 10 minutes to clean up before the bell rings at the gate. It's Y and his friend. Y has brought his friend's guitar, as well as 2 cakes - banana and custard.

Typical shops on the edge of the road

W and I have been up since 5am in Malang. We've had an uneventful trip (van and flight) home. It's nice to relax. Our guests join us for tea, relax on the porch, and eat homemade goodies along with their bakery specials.

Mosques line every neighborhood

When the mosquitoes start biting, it's time to come in to make some music. I've only played piano once in church since we got here. But I haven't "played around" in ages. It's so relaxing after our journey - the guys are good singers and guitarists. They know all the oldies from Don Moen, Marty Nystrom, Hillsongs, and a bunch of hymns ...

W and I must have thousands of songs stored up: my fingers run across the keys with utter comfort in spite of their lack of use. I'm too tired to be picky: the music ripples by. I don't have to listen or think about it. Once in a while, I totally zone out - then I have to pay attention and get back on track. We play in all keys, a few styles, and have fun. By 7, we've exhausted our imaginations. They give us a hug before they wave goodbye.

W keeps grading. I'm still working on the book edit. We're not even hungry enough to warm up the leftover Chinese food. By 8:30pm, we turn off the lights and fall fast asleep.

Saturday
.... until 2:30am, when I'm wide awake. At 5:30, I fall asleep for almost an hour. The sun's up. Not a bad night, actually. A bit short, maybe?

Traffic is the same as usual...

I finally complete the rough edits of the book. W reads it through for theological soundness before I send it to the author and publisher for consolidation and corrections. I'll go through it once more before it goes to the format editor. At the start of a book edit, things can seem rough indeed. Each time I go through it, it gets tighter and tighter. When I get it back, the final edit should be easier.

We get a call from our Indonesian kids. They're stuck in traffic, along with the rest of Jakarta coming to Bandung. Finally, we connect and eat lunch together at Ciwalk, Bandung's version of a hangout mall - 3 floors of trendy shops and restaurants.

Kristi and Jojo have the most adorable girls - Kamille munches French Fries, plays with her new xylophone, and finally - keeping herself busy while we talk - watches a few videos on YouTube. Journey, the baby, is fast asleep in her backpack. She wakes only long enough to eat ramen and look at us sleepily with her beautiful dark eyes.

HURRAH! In the evening, I finish grading the papers for the latest online course. The summative project is an interesting one: students include personal reflections, goals, and what they've learned from the Personal Formation course. There are still a few papers to come: they have until tonight (USA time) to finish post-deadline work.

I've come to love the students and their hearts for God. I'm cheering them as when I send off their final grades.

Read more:
*Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Isaiah 53:1

*Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. Isaiah 58:8-9a NIV

*In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.

Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death--even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 NIV

*Paul wrote: Pray for us that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ. Colossians 4:3

Moravian Prayer: In the presence of God lies the promise of peace. May we be guided by faith in all that we do. We joyfully await that time when we can greet Emmanuel, the Christ and the Bringer of Peace, with open and joyful hearts. Amen.