If I Ever Get Tired of This Picture....

If I ever get tired of this daily picture, then someone slap me.  Just a few more pics from our balcony. Just couldn't resist sharing God's goodness to me with you all.  Seriously, God provided this place for us. No other explanation to it. In case you didn't read about how that came about, you can click here.
These are just some pics that we've taken over the course of a few weeks:

Got to start with this...

What I wake up to almost every morning....

And just a closeup in case you did get the beauty of that sunrise.

And then later in the afternoon...

Taipei 101 just reflects the sun's rays.
I sure hope my life reflects God's light like that.

And then at sunset we enjoy this...

In case you're wondering, Taipei 101 says "Green On"
Cracks me up ONLY because the sky is screaming PINK.
But, don't worry, I get the real meaning of the sign...(in case you don't:
"Be environmentally sensitive...Go Green!")

Just the pink sunset from the other direction....

And one day we had a small visitor land on our balcony to take a rest....

I think he was making his break out of "prison"...

And then on a few afternoons we get some storms.....

Can you see the rainbow? How about Taipei 101?

So, how has God blessed you recently? Have you stopped to take time to thank Him?

Downsizing

Downsizing is a nasty word for many people...okay, I'll admit I used to dislike the idea of getting rid of things. I mean, you might use that ball of string for something someday, right?
And that extra fabric from the curtains...
And those socks with holes would make great puppets...
And...well, you get the picture.

I've been married 12 years on Sunday. We have moved on average every 1-2 years. Each move required boxes and boxes and boxes. After say, the third move I gave up hoarding cold chicken. I was sick of packing and unpacking treasures that I hadn't really looked at since the last time I had unpacked it from the last move. It was like my eyes opened and I saw how crazy it was to have it and not be using it. So, began the downsizing campaign.

It was so freeing not having so much STUFF.

But, after living in our apartment for the past five years, that habit returned with two ugly heads.  I can't believe how much stuff I had collected. Ever watched the Veggietales show with Madame Blueberry and her adventure to the "Stuff-Mart". If you haven't, it's convicting in a sort of funny way.

Anyhoo, at first I was as resistant to downsizing as a child giving up her blankie. I did not want to let go.
Then I bought a book that reopened my eyes to the freedom of only having what I need. The grip hold loosened and the hoarding blanket fell to the ground.
The book? Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider
I really recommend it if you are thinking about living a simpler life. Sort of a step-by-step approach to gaining control of your life again.

What I've learned from downsizing:
1. It's freeing. Really, it is. You don't have to find a place to store the stuff. You don't worry about it, instead you enjoy what you do have. Crafts got cut quite a bit. I used to do LOTS of cross-stitch and other needlepoint crafts, but not in a long time. So, I cleaned out most of the crafty things.

2. It leads to a simpler life. After you downsize your home, you start on your activities and just do the ones that fit your family's purpose statement. This book guides you into making a purpose statement for your family. At first I was a bit skeptical, but after talking with my husband we both can't wait to finalize ours. We tossed the TV and cable already. We now have a simple monitor that is in the "TV room" that plays DVDs. We have both been reading more...and maybe I'll get to do a few crafts, too. Who knows?

3. It frees up the home. It is not so cluttered. I'm still working on this one since we still have a few boxes left that needs to be unpacked and I tend to make piles. But, we are still downsizing. I have a box ready to be taken to the give away table at our old building.
Do you have any downsizing stories or tips for those who battle the two headed hoarding monster?

My One Word Revisited....(and pics of the new place)

If you have time, you should read this older post to understand what myoneword is all about.  

I had chosen "Secure" as my word. And it has been perfect...in not always an easy feeling way. Who am I kidding saying "not always"? Actually, it's hasn't been an easy feeling At.All. 

A few months ago began the worst of it so far.  Apartment hunting had started. It seemed that everything we looked at was either out of our price range, too far, or way too small for our family of five.  It was getting crazy.

Then a couple of things happened that encouraged us.

1. Huge donation was given to us to help cover rent. It allowed us to look at housing a bit more expensive, which opened up more possibilities.

2. Financial help was given to help with tuition for two of our kids to be able to attend the Christian school.

3. Gege asked to be baptized.

So, Uwe ended his last day at Bethany. Gege was baptized the following day. And we began to search for housing. We had three weeks before move out day.

Again, our search led us to nothing. We looked online, we walked streets and called numbers, we talked to agents and friends....but there just seemed to be NOTHING.  

Deadline creeping up...15 days left.  We found a housing complex that seemed perfect. There was a park across the street where the kids could play. It was near the subway station and bus station. It was also close to the school.  But, we couldn't move in until 15 days after we were suppose to move out. We considered storing our belongings in one place and living at friend's apartments, but that just didn't seem reasonable.

We were feeling quite depressed. Feeling like maybe we should consider moving to another country or live with our parents for a bit and try to figure out what we were suppose to be doing next.

But...

9 days before moving day we went to a different area of the city to have a look. Our friend had heard of a few places in the area that might work.  It also was near a park. Transportation wouldn't be as easy, but it was near the school as well.  We met a lady that showed us a 3-bedroom apartment. We really liked it, but felt that we needed a 4 bedroom.  We called the real estate agent for this complex about a 4 bedroom. She told us she'd get back to us.

5 days before moving day. Still hadn't heard from the Realtor. The next morning we decided that we needed to call the lady with the 3-bedroom and make an offer. 

I was so sure that God had forgotten us, yet fighting to believe that my security was in HIM alone. That inner battle was at a point of climax as I came to the conclusion that I just needed to accept the smaller place and learn to live in a tiny space. That maybe God wanted to teach me something through that.

But, right after lunch the Realtor called and told us that she had found a 4-bedroom that we could look at that afternoon.  

So, I prayed 2 tiny prayers.

1. That the kitchen would be a bit bigger than the 3-bedroom place. 

2. The view might be a little better as well since the 3-bedroom looked across the street to another building.

We got there and as soon as we walked in we knew that this was it. I almost cried. You see, the view was mountains, river, and grass....as well as buildings, but not so close. Also, the kitchen space was larger. My two prayers were answered.  God did want to teach me something...that HE is my security...and that HE loves me dearly enough to answer my two selfish prayers. He didn't have to, but he did.

This place was from God, there is no other explanation. 

Just look...

One of our views from our balcony.

Another view on a hazy day.

The complex we live in.

The playground inside the complex.

Our "backyard"...Qing Nian Park

Love how the sun glows on the buildings in late afternoons.

Taipei 101

For those of you that I've talked to about this place...now do you understand why I've sounded like a high school girl who just got asked to prom by the best looking guy in school?  

Just an update...

Well, I haven't written in over a month and I haven't read a single blog in that time either.

I feel guilty for writing this one, knowing I'm not going to be able to read any of yours at this time either. Forgive me.
I'm still at it with packing and well, truth be known surviving. And I think we are surviving quite well. I'm still cooking most of the meals at this point in the process. =)

If your new and wondering about what I'm talking about below or just can't remember because it's been so long. Click on these links here, here, here  and here for more back up story.

Here's what's been going on:
1. Elevator saga: We survived. Matthea improved in coordination. I lost 0 weight (what is up with that?)

2. Apartment Search:
Still searching even as I'm writing this. I've been checking an online site to see if anything new pops up. I've gotten a bit frantic on a few occasions. (but not right now...)  But, we do have some leads, which look promising. Planning to go and view a new housing complex early next week.  Oh, Moving Date is June 24th.

3. Packing:
Downsized our stuff and had a "yard sale". I say it in quotes because I don't really have a yard living on the 7th floor of an apartment building. But, I do have gracious neighbors, a church in fact, that let me and another friend sell our goods one hot Taipei afternoon.
But, there is still more to pack and things to get rid of.....never ending.

4. Celebrations:
    *Bethany Christian School (where the Hub works) just celebrated 50 years. It was a great weekend with some alumni and LOTS of old stories from the days of old. Really great for history lovers like the Hub (and me, too.)
     *The son is getting baptized this weekend. We are very excited about this decision he has made. He became a Christian at a very young age and we have been waiting and praying for him to take this step in his faith. He's growing up way too fast, but this part of his growing up stage is just AWESOME to observe.
     *Mei Mei graduates from local Kindy at the end of the month. Actually, the day before Move Out Day. We are excited about that, too.

5. Future
And we have been working out future plans. What will we be doing next year? Well, this summer we will run an English Camp for the Taipei City Government. They are 3-day camps and we are only doing two of them. Should be interesting and a bit fun.
Also we will be planning out in more detail to start an educational center for foreign children with special needs.
And working with Taiwan Sunshine a nonprofit organization that works with families with special needs children (local or foreign).  June 11th will be "I Am a Hero Games" #5. Jie Jie will get to participate in those sporting events.

This post really sounds more like a newsletter, which I apologize for if you were hoping for something a bit more juicy and interesting. But, for those of you who were wondering....hope that helps with figuring out the mysteries of the Maurer family.

This Crazy Life....

Image via Wikipedia

We all lead a crazy life don't we? Or am I just the only one these days? Come on, I know I'm not alone. There are others out there that are going through a season of unknowns and craziness. Raise your hands. Yeah, I see them.

It is about mid-April and the school year is coming to a end. That means a few things for our family.
1. The roller coaster is speeding up. You know, all the concerts, activities, and parties that fill up every weekend until the last day of school. I'm not complaining. It is like this EVERY year, though. It is just how it is. So, I have to choose to either whine and shut my eyes and grit my teeth. Or I can have my eyes wide open with my hands up in the air screaming with joy as that car rolls faster and faster down the hill. I'm choosing the latter. It's more fun, freeing and a lot less stressful on the family. But, it is something I have to choose daily.

2. Packing. Most of you know that we will be moving in June due to a change in ministry for our family. We will still be in Taipei, just doing something a bit different yet the same. (That will have to be another posting after a few more puzzle pieces come to us.) So, I'm sorting away, which translates into downsizing our apartment. Three words I think about for each item: Keep, Pitch, Giveaway/Sale.  And the great thing is that we have an extra room that has become the holder of all these things. It's great because the rest of the apartment doesn't look like a warehouse, only that room. Door shut....and the apartment is back to a home.

3. Searching for new apartments. I'll be posting about this hopefully on Thursday how we've been doing that. It has been interesting and fun searching for apartments online. Fun, as in exciting to see the possibilities. Today we actually will go and see a few of them for real. But, it is still too early to sign any contracts, but it will give us an idea.

4. Waiting on God.  Yes, I am. Not always patiently, trusting him to provide. But, getting better at it. (At least I hope!) God is never in a hurry and he is NEVER late. So, the unknowns will become known in time. So, daily (sometimes hourly), I must wait on the Lord and not be anxious about anything. Praying continually for his wisdom for the future.  I'll blog about this more in the next few weeks. It just deserves a post of its own. 


5. Living without an elevator. I lived without an elevator for many years in China, even on the 5th floor. Today, our elevator is getting changed and will be out for at least two weeks. We live on the 7th floor. Again, attitude check for me. I can grit my teeth and be angry and upset about a lot of things concerning this...especially with a child that has special needs. Or I can choose to think positive like, how Jie Jie should have stairs mastered by the end of this two-week period. How using the stairs will help with areas of my body that need some shaping up. And well, you get the idea. So, I'm trying...we'll see how the attitude is in a few days. I am thinking about posting some encouraging verses in the stairwell to motivate me towards positive thinking. That might just help me....Can't really grit your teeth at a Bible verse, can you?

How are you handling the craziness of your life?
**Note that I am sorry for not writing or reading your blogs as much these days, but with homeschooling the girls and all the above mentioned....blogging and checking blogs have been put on the side for now. I'm still around and will hop over once in a while. And when this season is over, will be back in full swing. =)

QBR...No Talking

Cover via Amazon

I don't mean I'm not talking or that I mean you should not talk. What I mean is this book review is about the book by Andrew Clements, No Talking.
This was a fun middle grade book that I read for my FitG list, so if you want to read the full review click here.

I might be hit and miss the next few months as I am packing up the apartment, searching for a new apartment,moving to that new apartment and homeschooling....but I'm around. Just maybe not reading as many blogs as I'd like or writing as much as I'd like at this time. Marking it up as a season of life, which will pass on and a new season will begin. Hopefully, with more writing involved. =)

WiP...and giving speeches with translators

Yesterday I did something I've never done before. I gave a speech with my husband. I've given a few talks in the past, but never with my husband. Also, I've never needed to use a translator. My audience in the past has only been English speakers, so translators were never needed before. Yesterday's talk was with a handful of English speakers, but mainly Chinese speakers. I had a translator.  We talked about what God has taught us through Jie Jie's special needs. How he challenges us with our disappointments in life to look at those down points through His eyes and not our own.
Our speech wasn't perfect. It wasn't all that smooth. But, it was fun. More fun than I had expected.
I don't really like being in front of people. I actually thought I had an allergic reaction to microphones.  But, that was all mental allergic. Not reality. Nerves. They can really play with your mind, can't they?

I am no pro at giving speeches. In fact, I still have a lot to learn, but, here are a few tips that I did pick up from this experience with a translator.
1. Having a translator is wonderful! While they are translating, you can look at the next couple of sentences/ideas. It slows the speech down so you don't stumble over your notes.  These little breaks really helped my nerves.

2. When writing the speech mark breaks for translation.  This helped remind me to stop after a few sentences, so the translator could do her job. I actually put a colored mark at each place I needed to stop for translation. I know that if you are a pro at speeches with translators, you get the feel for it. But, if you are new at it, the marks are helpful reminders. You don't want to talk to long because your translator might have to ask you to repeat what you said because it was too much information.

3. Using notes vs. written out speech.  I think this really depends on the style of the person. Most speech givers will tell you to use notes to help you remember key points. And I think that is probably the best method.  But, with a translator, they may want to know more of what you are going to say than just notes. It depends on how comfortable your translator is. I used my written out speech because I was terrified and new to this.

4. Adjusting length.  If you do use a translator, then you have to remember to double the time you think your speech will be. If  you think your speech is a 30 min. speech. Then with a translator, it is probably closer to an hour.  So remember to adjust accordingly.

Like I said, I'm  not a pro. I don't think speech/talk giving is in my future. But, if God leads to me speak again than I will obey.

WiP (Work in Progress)
Hmm, sad to say but I've not edited one thing. I'm feeling the "bored out of my mind" disease that I have read about. It is time to just "get er done".  But, I'm not going to feel guilty about it. I did write a speech, so writing wasn't all lost, right?