This blog post is a combination of a few pictures that I shared on my travel Instagram account. Someone on FB suggested that I make a “day in the life of” blog post and I took that suggestion and ran with it. I hope that you enjoy! I’ve added more pictures of our life in general to this post. You’ll probably realize that my life in Izmir, Turkey isn’t that much different from your life in your home town ☺️
Morning // when I try to assemble my thoughts for the day. When I try to reconnect intentionally with God. When I try to begin with gratitude. When I examine the anxiety and low-level disquiet in my soul and ask myself why it’s there and do I really need to hold on to it (spoiler alert, I don’t ☺️)
At this hour in the morning, most of my friends and family and followers are either in bed or headed there shortly. It’s taken some adjusting to get used to feeling “alone” for the first 6-7 hours of my day. I can’t call home. Can’t text my friends (man I hope y’all set your phone to sleep mode because I have definitely forgotten and sent you a bunch of texts before I realized the time! 😆) Can’t scroll through Facebook and see that you‘re online too!!
A favorite song of mine is "10,000 Reasons." It's first stanza states, "The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning. It's time to sing your song again. Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes."
This is my “new day dawning.” And while my “new day” in Izmir is so very different from a “new day” in Anchorage, or Dayton, or Telford, or Detroit or Greenville each morning is still a chance to start fresh. This day it is in Turkey. This is my home for now and even if I miss being closer to my tribe, I want to be intentional about my life here from dawn till dusk.
So I decide again, purposely to embrace this life. I’m embracing the seasons here, the city-life that I’m not used too, the gorgeous view from my apartment windows and a chance to be present, today. I want take whatever today holds and live through it in the power of Christ's grace. I want to sing (sometimes out loud, but often just in my head : ) of the goodness of God regardless of how the day plays out. Truthfully, my life such a great adventure and most days I love it. This morning just felt different and writing helps me process ☺️
(I’ll even embrace these janky, last-in-the-bowl pears…I guess it will a baking day 🤣🤣)
Noon // We might be in a foreign country, but I’m so thankful for the chance to shop at DoD commissary!! It’s like a tiny slice of America housed in a Turkish building. With a quick walk between our apartment building and Paul's office building I can be surrounded by familiar foods and other American items. I don't need google translate to determine what is written on labels. I can go crazy and buy things like maple syrup (a expensive luxury in a Turkish store.) It's lovely.
Paul is on a short tour with the Air Force, meaning, it’s only one year in length as opposed to three (or around three…with the military it’s never been exact 😆.) So we’re cramming as much adventure and experiences into the year that we are here.
Still, while adventures are awesome, there is something really wonderful about the absolutely normalcy of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. School work, house work, grocery shopping, game night, dinner time…these are the regular moments of life that are also my favorites. 😊 Sometimes it's easy to overlook them because they are so...ordinary. But there is a sacred joy that can be found during ordinary moments. Laundry can become a time of prayer, ironing is chance for me to listen to podcasts, crafting time turns into good conversations about hopes and dreams of the future.
These fleeting activities are the structure of life. They ground us. They help us stay close as a family. All the adventure is kind of like icing on the cake.
From the book, "Every Moment Holy," I read this phrase from "A Liturgy Upon Tasting a Pleasurable Food" and I LOVE it. I think it perfectly applies to PB&J.
"For the infinite variety of your creative expression, I praise you, God. You have made even the necessary act of eating a nurturing comfort and perpetual delight."
Stay tuned for the second post with the rest of my day included!
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