My Roommate Tiana

As some of you know, my roommate is Tiana Weaver. 

I met Tiana over 10 years ago when she came to the college group at Good Shepherd. 

Since then, she has done extensive missions work in Lithuania, North Africa and... well... you can ask her about her experiences. :) 

Anyway, She is amazing and since her two years in Lithuania.. over five years ago... She has had a heart to return there long term. 

She joined staff with Cru and is currently searching for ministry partners to give financially and to pray fervently for her.  She is eager to continue relationships with Lithuanians she already knows and to dive into new relationships as she shares the hope that Christ brings. 

Please, would you pray about joining her ministry team? If you have questions, want to set up a time to meet her, or want to tell her you want to join her team: tiana.weaver at cru.org  

Here you can go to here online giving page: https://give.cru.org/0584135 

Here is a link to her most recent prayer update: Traversing Tales with Tiana

relationships are hard work

I realise that for most of you reading this, the post title is a "duh" statement. But I feel the need to ponder it for this post.

Every type of relationship with another human being is hard work.

With my siblings, I know we come from the same place... the same environment... mostly the same really emotionally and physically and mentally hard things. We learned together about how to be in a variety of situations.

Since we have not lived together for over 20 years now, we have adopted ways of doing things and ways of living that are not always how we were raised. And because we are each unique... even the basics of me being female and them being male... and the birth order of me being youngest, one being middle and one being youngest... there are a myriad of life experiences that are unique to each of us and a plethora of relationships with others that have shaped us to be who we are today.

With my friends, some of us were raised very similarly (values, church, free time, etc...) and some of us were not raised similarly at all. But we have found common bonds and common hearts to keep us connected as friends even over thousands of miles.

With all these relationships, I find myself looking for the balance of interdependency. A healthy dependence and independence. knowing I am needed and knowing I need the other. But also knowing I am quite complete in myself with the Lord.  It is not an easy balance. It takes hard work.

As seasons come and go with friendships and as my siblings and I grow and shift and change, and as I enter into deeper romantic relationship, I am finding it imperative to give selflessly, to love unconditionally, to speak truth boldly, to walk confidently in who God has made me to be but not at the expense of others.

It is hard work to admit I am wrong and it is hard work to draw into relationships when things are challenging, but if that relationship is important enough, I will work through the the hard stuff. I will not run away and I will not cling. I will strive to stand firm in love and truth.

relationships are hard work. but so worth that work.

another step in the process

Sometimes this adjustment back to my home culture is harder than it seems it "should" be. 

I arrived back in the USA feeling like a foreigner. 

I have figured out how to: 

• get a working mobile phone
• set up my home utilities
• given up my German driving license (which allowed me to drive anywhere in the EU) for my Oregon driving license
• drive more slowly on highways
• drive to the shops
• buy groceries for more than 2 days
• tip wait staff
• get around Portland.. well... somewhat
• get exercise 
• change the way I eat since what I ate overseas is the expensive stuff here

etc...

I just today canceled the VOIP phone service I used overseas. Another step in the process of feeling like the USA is "home"

... but in reality... 

Nowhere in this world is my home. My home is Heaven. I long for that kind of home where belonging is easy.