Online Auction Begins Tonight!

Our Online Online Silent Auction begins tonight (@7PM) at www.32auctions.com/dougherty

We've had 30+ items completely donated so that all proceeds will go to help us get to Peru!  The auction has gift certificates, vacation stays, artwork, gift baskets, photo sessions, and even a home cooked meal!

Visit our auction site now to participate!

View our recent update letter to see more details on how the auction works.

- Derek and Laura Dougherty

God Sightings Today

I had several God-sightings today.  I didn’t recognize any of them as such when they occurred, but now, sitting down the reflect on my day at the close of it, I realize that He was right there with me, offering regular assistance as I went through the day - kind of like a parent would for their young beloved child.

1.  Finn came down with what seems to be a fever virus early this afternoon.  He woke up early from his nap screaming.  I got him up and saw that he had spit up a tiny bit on himself, and he was really really hot, so I started a lukewarm bath for him.  As soon as I put him in the bath he lost his lunch.  Thank you God for letting that happen AFTER he was in the bath!  What a sweet mercy that was!

2.  It just so happened that we had the exact amount of children’s tylenol that we needed when his fever spiked tonight.  We gave him what he needed, and Derek could pick up some more when he was out and about this evening.  Thank you God!

3.  Several days ago I noticed that lifeway.com had a REALLY good deal on their Read and Share Bible Story DVDs, and so I decided to order a couple of them for Finn.  This morning, just a few hours before the fever struck, they were delivered to our doorstep.  It turned out to be the perfect thing to help him rest and divert his attention from feeling uncomfortable.  Thank you God!

4.  Tonight I was talking with Derek about whether it would be a good evening to watch one of our Spanish subtitled movies from the library, and it occurred to me that I should probably check to see how many days we had before we need to return them.  I knew we had at least another day or two.  So I went on my library account online and low and behold, a couple of books that I COMPLETELY forgot we had checked out were due TODAY!  Thank you God for sending me to my account today!  Thank you God for the ability to renew library books online so that I don’t have to leave my sick baby to return them tonight!

Who knows how many other little things God did for me today while I took them granted.  What a tender loving Father I have!

What did God do for you today?

Another Reason We're Still Here

I feel like every single week, and sometimes daily, I have the thought, “maybe that is why God still has us here?” Sometimes it is after a great conversation where I am able to see God using me (or Derek) to encourage or motivate someone.  Sometimes it’s after God puts me in a situation that causes me to turn to Him and ultimately grow a little closer to Him.  Sometimes it’s after we meet someone new who becomes interested in helping the gospel go forth in Peru.  Sometimes it’s after connecting with someone from long ago who turns out to need some encouragement or prayer.  Every week I am noticing ways that God is using us and growing us here right now, and I wonder afterward whether that is the reason God hasn’t moved us to Peru yet? So that we could have that encounter? 

In truth, the answer is probably yes, yes, and yes.  There must be a million reasons, and all of them intertwined and connected; we serve a God who is infinite and thorough.  And tonight it occurred to me that this waiting is causing me to notice these significant “God-moments” more than before.  In looking to justify the wait, I’m seeing God’s hand at work.

The title of our website is inspired by this quote: 

“There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize him or not to recognize him. . . in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.” - Frederick Buechner

I think that all moments could be key moments if we would recognize them as such.  The challenge is to see God in everything and accept His constant presence and orchestration.  In this seeing and accepting the yoke becomes light, and the struggle becomes purposeful.  Yet most moments pass without us noticing Him.  

Through this waiting season, however,  God is opening my eyes to a few more moments than before.  And THAT is significant.  I hope it doesn’t stop when we finally do get to Peru!

Summertime Fun with Finn

Here in Alabama, we're busy coming up with fun things to do INSIDE and out of the HEAT!

Mom was busy with the camera, so Finn took her place cooking next to dad.

Last week we pulled this fun Train Set (Thanks so much to the Vander Noots for this awesome hand-me-down!) out for Finn, and he has been absolutely enthralled with it.  It's the first thing he wants to do each morning.

Playing Peek-A-Boo with Dad (Rearranging his face a bit in the process).

                                      

Finn enjoyed his first popsicle in the bathtub!

Climbing on and off of chairs is a new hobby of Finn's.  Unfortunately the climbing on part usually requires assistance still.  

- Derek and Laura Dougherty

Distract Me, Please!

 Finn is learning to be patient.  He's decided that he really likes having the TV on and will often run up to it and put his hands on it, letting us know that he'd like us to turn it on, and so this affords us a regular opportunity to teach him about patience.  We do let him watch some TV most days.  He currently enjoys Barney, Sesame Street, Curious George, and his favorite - this completely obnoxious thing called "Baby First" (no plot whatsoever - just cartoons characters bouncing around and super silly music).  But quite often we have to tell Finn, "It's not time to watch TV yet, we'll do that later."

You can probably all bring to mind a relatively accurate picture of a toddler's response to this sort of directive.  One of the beautiful things about 16 month olds, however, is that they are still young enough that they are fairly easy to distract.  So redirecting Finn quickly to some other activity is generally the best way to avoid much struggle in these situations.

This whole scenario happens on a regular basis at our house, but it wasn't until yesterday that I realized how similar I am to a toddler in my relationship to God and His plan for me.  I was at a women's Bible study yesterday, and at the end as everyone went around and shared prayer requests, I was struck by how each person in the room was, like me, having to wait on something.  And that is probably true of most people.  We all have issues in our life that we want resolved and we have to be patient for God to either resolve it for us (or in some cases, to show us that it's not His plan to resolve it - in which case we must resign ourselves to wait until heaven). 

As wonderfully faithful as God has been to us through our entire missionary itineration, it's so difficult not to dwell on the fact that we're trying to get to Peru, and we're not there yet.  I am constantly asking God for patience, and a willingness to accept His timing gratefully.

Like Finn, I so often run back to the TV, slap my hands on it, and whine that I'm not getting my way.  "Why is it taking so long?  I really just want us to be at 100% now so we can go!"  But just like how the TV isn't always the best thing for Finn (I know, I know, it's probably actually never the BEST thing for him), being in Peru is clearly not the best thing for me currently either, or else my loving father would have brought me there by now.

So my new prayer is this.  "Please, Father, distract me!  Redirect my attention away from the thing I'm waiting for toward the things that you have for me right now.  Please lead me like a toddler away from my discontentment and toward the activities that You have for me to do now.  Amen."

- Laura Dougherty