Please visit this site:
It’s hilarious. We just enjoyed a nice hour of laughter in the midst of a very long to-do list. A new fave.
laughter.
by Stephen & Kelli Spurlock Filed Under: kelli Leave a Comment
laughter.
hey, hey, hey now.
Does anyone follow that song reference? Likely not, but if you had the privilege of enjoying Amy Grant on the Songs from the Loft album, she sang “Hey Now” and it went something like this:
Hey now, I’m gonna pray for you/Hey now, you’re gonna pray for me/And it’s gonna be different, yeah/It’s gonna be better, yeah/It’s gonna be Jesus and all of us in this together/Hey! Hey! Hey! now…
All song lyrics aside, I just wanted to write and ask for prayer. Not that loads of people are reading our blog, but for those of you who are–please be praying! We are a mere two weeks–yes, 14 days!–away from our departure. God has been good! We are somewhere around 80% of our support and waiting for an update to arrive from Partners, hopefully with even higher numbers. We have gotten our visas approved and received our passports back in the mail. We’re tying up loose ends, enjoying time with family and friends, and beginning to consider packing a few bags.
Even so, there is so much ahead. I just wanted to list a few things you might be praying for and lifting up with us!
– Adjustments. We don’t even know what’s about to hit us, but this probably includes jet lag, living out of a suitcase for awhile, new culture, new languages, making a new place home, new work environment, new schedules, new fears, new friendships.
– Relationships. We’ve been praying recently over our relationships with Partners’ staff and our new community in Thailand. We’ve been praying for new relationships with the local Karen to arise; for them to see our love for the Karen and look past our white skin and all the assumptions that come with that. Also, we’re praying for the adjustment of family relationships and friendships and we switch to phone calls, Skype calls, etc. We’d also appreciate prayers that we would keep up with supporters well, letting them know what their generosity and sacrifices are doing for the kingdom.
– Our marriage. This is big, not only because we’ve been warned at the challenges ahead, but because we’re dealing with the challenges head on. We’re so new to marriage and figuring out so much anyway, we need all the prayers we can get. Some specifics would be for patience, trusting each other, respecting each other, loving well, taking time for date nights, making decisions together, working together, learning roles, keeping Christ at the center, and addressing spiritual warfare together. And there’s more, so whatever you think of–pray for that!
– Finances. We’re obviously praying for the rest of our support to come in, but also for God to give us wisdom as we begin to spend this support money. How can we be wise stewards while we are there? Begin to pray over the big decisions we’ll be making as we find a place to rent, purchase a car, determine what furniture is a necessity, etc. We want to pray that God will provide what we need, whether that’s the same as the budget or not.
– Our new home. We want our home to be a safe haven for us, but also in the community. Please pray over our home spiritually, that it would be a place of peace and rest where the Lord reigns. We also have lots of decisions to make about where to live in the city, how nice of a house, how safe of a street, how much space, etc. This sounds pretty overwhelming in a foreign culture amidst plenty of other changes. (Can you tell in all my posts that God is stretching me? Oh my. Changes, unknowns, and things out of my control in every direction. I’m thankful He is good!)
– Humility. Our prayer is just to go in humbly to a new culture, new workplace, new position, and new community. We want to admit freely that we know nothing, but our tendency is to pretend we do. Please pray for humble hearts and humble attitudes. I think this extends into recognizing God’s faithfulness every step of the way–may our eyes be opened to this, so that we’re joyfully giving him glory for everything that comes our way.
– Travel. Really just the basics here: safety, catching flights, getting things into bags that are easily checked or carried on.
– Time in England. We’re praying that the ten days in England that await us are full of wonderful conversation with my sister & brother-in-law and sweet, sweet rest.
And again, anything else God lays on your heart. I’m sure we need prayer for that, too.
your hands.
Your hands, by JJ Heller
I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn’t there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
That you would take my pain away
I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands
When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost, and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands
Your hands
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
When my world is shaking
Heaven stand a
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands
Amen.
ten day forecast.
When Stephen and I were dating long distance in college, the ten day forecast was my aspiration. Lame, I know, but it’s true. I just wanted the next time we’d see each other to make it to the ten day forecast, so I could see what the weather would be like when we were together, and somehow I knew we’d make it. It was the sign that we’d be seeing each other soon.
It was a little depressing when you waited through ten days of forecasts and then just had two days of actual living out the forecast together, but that’s beside the point. We also typically saw each other every two or three weeks, so I rarely had to even wait ten days to make it to the ten day forecast, but again, that’s beside the point.
I looked up the forecast for Mae Sot today. And Sheffield, too. We’re not quite to the ten day forecast range, but it’s getting close. Close enough to scare me. We’re at least in the season and weather won’t be changing to drastically, and when we’re dealing with such big jumps as lie ahead, that’s close.
I was telling a friend the other day how much out of my comfort zone are lives are right now. We are living in chaos. We are going from people to place and more people and more places. (A challenge for two introverts, mind you.) There are things strewn everywhere in our room: gifts from Christmas, the beginnings of packing, bills, notes, to do lists.
I’m a systematic, organized person. I’m getting much better at flexing since I met Stephen, but I still keep things regulated. You could call it control, if you wanted to be negative 🙂
But all that went out the window, sometime back in November. I began to realize there was very little I could control about the next stage of our lives and there are countless unknowns. It didn’t go out the window easily–obviously, due to the nature of the systems, organization, and control. But God is stretching me.
It still comes out in the little things. I’ve never made my bed this much since I left for college. But there’s something peaceful about having one thing in it’s place. I find myself putting my earrings back in just the right place, or making sure that stack of books is straightened. I simply choose to disregard the ginormous piles of chaos surrounding the straightened stack of books and freshly made bed.
God is good. He truly is good. He is allowing chaos right now, and he’s allowing lots of challenges. He’s allowing a lot of pain and a lot of unknowns. But He is good.
Oh, and happy new year, by the way!
support update!
We’ve just been updated on the status of our support and wanted to share the good news! We are officially at 70% of our monthly support, needing only $810 more per month before we go! We are also at 80% of our start-up costs! It has been one blessing after another and truly amazing to see God provide. We can also honestly, honestly say it has nothing to do with us, and that is a beautiful thing.
So, to all you who are a part of this–thank you! A million times over, thank you. We are excited to see God continue to provide in the next 34 days. Oh my–34 days!
a tender tennessee christmas
I love Amy Grant at Christmastime, so I might use as many of those lines as I can. Hope you can handle them.
After we spent some time with Stephen’s family in Tennessee, we also went back to the Nashville area to visit friends there. We loved it.We stayed with our wonderful friends, the Adams, and loved it!
This is their sweet little girl, standing on the couch to take our picture. And it only took a little cropping!And we couldn’t forget a picture with the life-size Diego.
We also got to visit our Karen friends we spent the summer of 2008 with. It was so fun to see how much everyone had changed, see their beautiful smiling faces, and enjoy their beautiful singing voices! They did a few special songs for us that were absolutely wonderful.
We also got to see the Cartwrights, who we count as a simple privilege to know. They inspire, challenge, stretch, encourage, and love us so well. The best way I can say it is this: if you get a chance to meet them, do it.
And have a very merry, tender Tennessee Christmas 🙂
the underground.
We’ve been running for the past, oh, month; and it’s resulted in blogs getting a little behind. Even so, there are stories that must be told, and the first is of the underground.
We had heard back in February that there was a tunnel that ran under Oklahoma City. It was since discussed every Sunday when we were downtown at church–Where is the tunnel? How do you get in it? Can we go? When? And the glorious day came the Thursday before we left Oklahoma City: we toured the tunnel.
I was pretty scared it was going to be a let down. It was cold and took a good half hour of walking to find the entrance. It was also after work hours, so the businesses underground were closed. It was also a tunnel intended for businessmen to get from one office building to another, not necessarily for entertainment.
That said, we loved it! It was surprisingly fun to explore. Each portion of the tunnel had a color theme that included colored lights and decor. We even enjoyed some fun scaring each other around corners, until we got in trouble for yelling! (Apparently, elderly people occasionally use the tunnels and could be frightened by unexplained yelling. Perhaps, but I was skeptical as I considered the mere two patrons, both middle-aged businessmen, we passed during our hours underground.) 
Aren’t they great? We miss them like crazy.
birthdays!
We celebrated two wonderful birthdays before we left Oklahoma City and wanted to share a couple photos!
And, we taught them how to suck helium out of balloons to make your voice funny. It was hilarious!
family.
I suppose I want this to be an optimistic blog, mostly because I want to be an optimistic person. I want to tell you all the things that are so wonderful around us, and all the wonderful things to come in Thailand. And that’s really why I haven’t written in a few days. I’m scared.
There are so many aspects of our move to Thailand that are setting in as we get closer and take more steps toward January 19. We’re without jobs, reaching the deadline for raising support, watching our bank account drop, starting to say goodbyes…
And it’s emphasized this week. We’re in Tennessee, enjoying a wonderful vacation with Stephen’s family. It’s been fun to have three infants here, a four-year-old addicted to Aunt Katherine, and lots of tired adults, drained in a few different directions. As much as I try to celebrate the laughter, meals, games, and even tears, a picture keeps running through my head: it’s next Christmas, when there are three kiddos toddling across the floor, a five-year-old with more mischief, and who knows what else. And I think of my family, where there will be another baby (!) next Christmas, along with Chris and Jenn from England, and the whole family [almost] together.
I don’t know how to take it in. I don’t know how to wrap my mind around all the changes that will occur in two years, with more babies born to people we love, babies turning into toddlers, engagements, weddings, new jobs, graduations, and retirements.
But I don’t feel like we have a choice. I suppose we do, but not really. I understand only a fraction of the sacrifice, and I understand only a fraction of the call. But I really believe we’re supposed to go, enough that it’s worth sacrificing these things. Well, maybe not worth it, but necessary.
There is so much ahead. And there have been so many tears recently. I have never felt so small, so unworthy, and so unqualified for the next step.
See how depressing that is? I’ll need to limit blog posts while I’ll wrestle through that. I’ll post some photos to make up for it.
First, with our dear friends. We miss you so much!
And with Stephen’s family in the Smokies…
jump 2.
Jump 2: done, done, and done.
We’ve officially quit our jobs and said goodbye to OKC.
There were tears.
But there are good things coming!