Learning to Learn

This seems to be the theme of my life: learning to learn - maybe I should make it the title of my blog…it will never cease to be true as long as I am living on this earth.

My heart and my mind are so full today.  I have been bombarded with learning so many new lessons recently…learning about church, sacrifices, disciplines in my walk with the Father, how hard it is to be patient sometimes, how much I love where I am at right now…all of which would require seperate entries and multiple hours of writing and processing for each individual topic.

But today, I am thankful to learn from people the Father has placed in my life.  I have established that I absolutely adore people-watching.  I get so distracted doing it.  Even on days like today I have to turn my back so that I can concentrate on what I am trying to accomplish…obviously, I not only get distracted by people-watching, but also in writing and letting my thoughts fall all over each page…focus, Anna, focus.

What I was originally trying to say is how much I have been able to learn through watching and observing people.  The list goes on and on…I wish I could have written down every lesson I have learned from people this fall while living overseas, especially from my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I have learned and been taught so much through watching and asking questions.  In just a nutshell, I have learned (or am still in the process of learning for many of these) how to…

• adapt to living in another culture.
• get around on public transportation in a city of millions.
• work appliances that are not written in English.
• communicate through written words.
• cook (i am amazed at how little i knew).
• be a submissive wife through watching wives adjust to living in this culture and follow their husbands leading.
• be a loving mother.
• ask lots of questions.
• have joy in preparing healthy meals. and making things from scratch.
• find joy in life.
• appreciate Skype (even when the Internet doesn’t want to stay connected).
• order food in restaraunts with my minimal language.
• appreciate early mornings.
• make good coffee without CoffeeMate creamer.
• stay cool in hot and humid summer heat.
• find a hundred different combinations from clothes in my limited wardrobe.
• treasure the Word.
• take risks and be adventurous.
• laugh at my mistakes (i make a lot of them, especially in language).
• know that it is possible to continue to make the most of your time, even when you’re retired.
• shop for groceries.
• deep clean a house.
• appreciate the simple joy of a finding an e-mail from home in my inbox :)
• drink lots of water to stay hydrated.
• love walking everywhere.
• love and appreciate reading.
• etc., etc., etc.

Please pray for me as the Father grows me in many of the areas above.  Many of them are a work in progress as I seek to become more like Him and I desire to keep learning.  He is my delight and my reward and I desire to be more like Him every day!