A Disagreement with Webster

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to talk...alot. Get me going and look out! It was the one consistent comment on my report cards as a child "Carla speaks too much in class" "Carla likes to talk too much" "Carla is a very social child". This is why I thought the title "Babbling along" would be a good one for my blog spot...that is until I looked up the definition for "babbling"...

bab·ble
v. bab·bled, bab·bling, bab·bles
v.intr.
1. To utter a meaningless confusion of words or sounds: Babies babble before they can talk.
2. To talk foolishly or idly; chatter: "In 1977 [he] was thought of as crazy because he was babbling about supply side" Newt Gingrich.
3. To make a continuous low, murmuring sound, as flowing water.

Hmmm.... I had always pictured "babbling" as being a happy, if somewhat over-exhuberant expression. At least I much prefer aligning myself with that sort of behavior, rather than some meaningless, indistinct murmur.

Then I found this quote from Jack London's Sea Wolf.

"That is all, the drunkenness of life, the stirring and crawling of the yeast, the babbling of the life that is insane with consciousness that it is alive."

Now that is more like it! Here is what I am about.. this deep seated excitement... a sense of almost giddiness when I realize that life, complete with hills and valleys, is such a great gift. And I'm not just an observer but I have purpose and meaning. It's not just some cosmic chance that has put me here, in this place, at this time... but a Grand Design, ordered and organized and created by the God of the Universe. He has allowed me the chance to have a part in it. How fabulous is that?

To further quote Jack London's book

"... It is the bribe for living, the champagne of the blood, the effervescence of the ferment" - it is what makes my life bubble...or babble if you please.

South African Views

A few sights that have made an impression on me since I have been here...
(just click on the top photo to see the ones beneath)

The Comfort Zone

Today is very very cold. It's my first very very cold day since we arrived in South Africa. I've even decided to keep the kids home from school. It's -3 Celsius, and factoring in the windchill feels like -12. That's like 11 degrees Farenheit! And in this country, central heating just doesn't happen.

So here I sit, with my laptop, in bed under my nice thick duvet. Oh, yeah! It's comfortable. Much better than standing on those cold hard tiles and cooking breakfast! Of course, the family will go hungry, the house won't get cleaned, and my friends will think I've died.

Comfort - a nice cozy place...no danger...no challenges... all fuzzy, happy feelings and coosh.

It's something we always strive for, isn't it? A nice job, a nice savings account, the house of your dreams... but once you get there, it just isn't satisfying.

Comfort and complacency seem to go hand in hand. Once we are all comfy, we tend to get lazy. And then life seems hollow.

My coming to South Africa was all about getting out of my comfortable rut. New adventure! New culture! And while it seemed like it would be so exhilerating, once I landed my feet on this red earth, I realized it was not going to be as easy or as fun as I thought. I had to kind of just push up my sleeves (or hike up my pants, Urkel style!) and just kind of plunge in. It's had its embarrassing moments (You try to be friendly to someone who doesn't have a clue what you just said, or why you would want to say it in the first place!), but it's also been rewarding.

What could be rewarding enough to give up that comfortable existence I once had? Is it the excitement? I'm not an adreneline junky! The adventure itself? No ways... It has been all worth it because it has taken me to a deeper faith...and closer relationship with God.

When everything familar is gone and the strangeness around you is overwhelming, when you realize you are in deeper than you ever planned to be...it's awesome to know that there is a Rock and Refuge to run to - and that Rock is the very one who is leading you and guiding you. Stretching you, Refining you, and showing you every day more of Himself. It's less about being in a place that is comfortable, and more about being closer to the One who made you. Worth it all.

The Great Wait

I know a million quotes about patience...well nearly. I remember as a teenager memorizing a verse in the Bible about developing patience, and thinking "Yeah...like that's ever going to happen". David will attest to the fact that somedays I can be especially impatient..most noticeably when I want something to get done. And of course, I wonder somedays when I am tapping my toes and barking a bit at the kids, if after all these years, God has really done any of that wonderful development He promised.

The biggest test of my patience hasn't had anything to do with queues, or bad traffic or slow checkers at the grocery store. They don't really bug me at all. What has shown itself to be the most difficult test of my patience has been waiting on God. Am I the only one who feels this way?

There are no real chance "co-incidences" in life. I have always believed that. Then, perhaps I'm being encouraged by the Holy Spirit as I keep coming across messages from His Word about waiting. The story of Esther is a perfect example. We studied a portion at a ladies Bible study last week...and this week our Pastor spoke about just that as well. And during my quiet time this week? A simple message, as if God whispered it in my ear... "If you want to hear me, come close to me".

Our "adventure" to South Africa has, for me, been all about following God's prompting in my life. And I thought that by making the big decisions in coming, that the other pieces would unveil themselves in perfect timing (okay, admittedly, MY perfect timing). I have been so busy looking about me, wondering WHAT coming here has been all about, that I have neglected the relationship that is most important. It's not about the WHAT of this chapter of my life...it's about the WHO - WHO is the one that I long to know more than anything on earth? WHO is the one that I long to share with those around me? WHO is the one who motivates me, inspires me and gives me the strength and endurance I need? If I neglect this relationship, even by portioning my attention, then HOW ON EARTH am I supposed to know WHERE He wants me to go? Or WHAT He wants me to do?

Not Forgetting

As I get older, I am struck by those things that I now recognize as being innately ME. Not things that are just bad habits, or things that are passing fads, but things that make me who I am - warts and all. So in light if that, I have to post this list - because it somewhat defines me - not as a whole..but it does shed a little light on why I do the things I do. I am sure that sharing this with David's family would give them a huge "Ahhhh".

You know you are from Oregon when…..

-Your children learn to walk in Birkenstocks.
-You throw and aluminum can in the trash and feel guilty.
-You complain about Californians as you sell your house to one for twice as much as you
originally paid.
-You only honk your horn if collision is imminent and never for anything else.
-You consider something a “hill” (not a mountain) if it doesn’t have snow on it or has not
recently erupted, regardless of its altitude.
-Most of your friends are from California.
-You find a wallet with $500 and give it back to the owner.
-You used to live somewhere else but won’t admit it publicily.
-You’ve ever ordered a half caff/decaf, nonfat mocha grande with sugar-free cranberry whip
(or you know what it is).
-You know a bride & groom that registered at REI.
-If someone ran your car off the highway, you might drown.
-You’d be miffed if the store was out of your favorite brand of water.
-Every day is casual Friday
-Hear the word “ferry” and think of boats and long waits.
-Know at least eight people who work for Intel or Nike, or used to work for Tektronix.
-You think skiing always means being covered from head to toe, in snow or water.
-Know that Boring is a town and not just a state of mind.
-Have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
-You design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.
-You return from a California vacation depressed because “all the grass was dead”
-Remember the date, severity, time of day, where you were and how long you were out of
power and phone service for every winter weather event in the last five years.
-Have ever called you insurance agent to ask if your homeowners policy covers falling trees,
flooding or mud slides.
-You never go camping without waterproof matches, ponchos and mattress pads that double as
floatation devices.
-You believe swimming is not a sport but a survival skill to prevent boating deaths.
-You own more than 10 articles of clothing that have the names of microbreweries/brewpubs
printed on them.
-You think downtown is “scary” because you were panhandled there once.
-You believe people who use umbrellas are wimps or Californians, or both.

Geckos and Monkeys and Snakes..Oh My!

As we were getting ready to leave Oregon, our friendly neighborhood postman told me story upon story about his friends who had moved to an African country. Nearly all of them had to do with snakes..coming in, dropping down, just generally being part of the their daily life. Despite my insisting that he stop, he felt it his duty to warn me.

It wasn't until we bought our first house in Amanzimtoti, that I came into contact with Kwa Zulu Natal's wildlife. My journal for April 2005 has this entry

"I have some adjustments to make to living in a house in South Africa, for sure. We have geckos everywhere - and if they decide to come in there is no stopping them. They usually startle me, but I did discover that if you speak very nicely to them while you are closing the window, they might just oblige and move themselves back outside. I think that Joshua will have a full time job in gecko removal. Either that, or David will have to invent a gecko trap. We also discovered that we are smack in the middle of Monkeytown. The old man (owner's father) warned me to not keep the kitchen windows open too far with food out, or they will help themselves. They are cute to watch, but if they are used to being fed by people, they can become aggressive. So we'll have to see how skittish these critters are. Once we have our dog in place, they will mostly stick to the trees, so that will be good! :)
Oh yes, and one other resident that I don't think I'll get used to..... as we were putting the pool net on a nice snake skin came uncoiled in the net. Gulp. I think that I'll just have to keep myself from looking for them."

It was only a month later that a troop of monkeys found their way into my kitchen..the babies were sent as decoys to the back, drawing the occupants of the house..and the resident dogs.. to the back to coo and oooh over how cute they were. Meanwhile, the large male and females played havoc in my kitchen, even playing with a cookie sheet left on the stove top. My maternal instinct took over and I became something of an animal myself screaming for them to get out of my house. The geckos and I eventually made peace - most of them moved back outside, though a few stayed behind just to give me a fright when I would move a box in the closet. And as for snakes... it wasn't until we were selling our house to move again a year later that we discovered not one, but two black mambas hiding around our house. I am thankful for the protection that God gave to Allison and Josh who discovered them, and am even more thankful that David was there to dispose of them.