Beijing in May

Beijing in May. Doesn't that sound lovely? Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be able to spend a few days in such an amazing city at such a pretty time of year just before the entire world turns their eyes the same direction. We'll be in and out long before the Olympics, and yet the excitement they generate will be felt while we're there, I'm sure. We get to see the Great Wall (tram up and toboggan down!), the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, Tian An Men Square, an acrobat show, and best of all, the place Logan has spent the last 3 1/2 years.

Along with the excitement comes some fear. Will our airlines still be flying when we travel? Given the bankruptcies and the cancelled flights for inspection and repair, this one gets me. We simply can't afford this one! How about the trouble with the Olympic torch relay and the protests about Tibet? The torch relay will be in China when we're there, although not in the same cities at the same time. But will it cause the public reaction there that it has here and around the world? I know the risk is small, but I don't love the thought of walking into trouble with my children in tow! How about the terrorist threats against domestic flights in China? We have to take some of those. Those threats can be frightening! How about Logan? How will he react to a new family, to the huge group that we are? Will he shut down entirely or becoming a furious raging 3 year old? How will we communicate?

I can get caught up in those fears very easily. And there are more. What about Brent? How can we keep him "in the loop" since he's not traveling with us? How about the flight? What do you DO with a 3 year old on a 13 hour flight?? How about TWO three year olds??? What about the logistics of the whole thing? Our house while we're gone? The girls and their schoolwork? The list goes on and on...

Fortunately, we are only responsible for following where God leads. He's in charge of the rest. And you know what? He can handle every one of those fears. Quite easily, I might add. None of them are too big or too hard. And so, about a billion times every day I give those things to Him, knowing that there's no reason to worry about tomorrow. He's got it all under control. And guess what? Today's got enough stuff of its' own!

We're all doing well. I'm feeling much better after a minor case of the crud and hoping no one else gets it. The sun is shining, and today is Friday! Jim is still feeling good after his surgery. The girls are doing well in school. Brent was good the last time we talked, recovering from his bout with the crud. My car is going to be washed--finally. Does life get any better? :)