HARK!

Well, I'm home for the holidays! Right now I'm happily soaking in the oh-so-available wifi and coffee and trying to understand why my sister's tiny little fluffy maltese keeps barking at the door.

Since I last blogged things around the Forge have been very extreme! We went on a really eye-opening trip which changed a lot of things for me. Rather than just a group of people that I'm living with and learning from, my Forge family has become something much deeper. We're experiencing big change together, suffering together, victory together and sorrow together. Life together. Its so good.

Lets see, what to share??? Most recently we've been talking a lot about femininity and what it means to be a woman. I love this topic, no lie. Within the last few months I've grown to recognize that I am a very feminine woman. Yes, I've always know that I'm girly but sometimes I feel like its a weakness rather than a blessing. Lately though, I've seen that my femininity is not simply just a love for dressing up, wearing headband, fixing my hair and being good with kids... its something far deeper (a sigh of relief from the dress-hating crowd). The tough part is trying to describe what that "deeper" is. I think about the women in my life who are very feminine, although they aren't super girly, and try to discern what quality they possess that makes them significantly woman. What do you think? What is it that makes a woman's presence so significantly different than a man's? Our culture has engrained it into us that women need to be strong and fight for their "proper place" alongside men. To a fault now that the role of a woman as a nuturer and feminine presence is often shamed or seen as weakness. And what has this done to the men in our society? Their roles of masculinity have been so blurred that its difficult to find any man who could even begin to give you a clear definition of true masculinity. It can't be all about big trucks, hunting and weight lifting... right? If not, then what is it?

just something to chew on a bit. What does it really mean to be a woman? and even better... what does God say about it?

This week has been an interesting one for my family. My dad is in the hospital still recovering from an emergency appendectomy. He's doing well, but is definitely ready to get out of his hospital room. Please pray for a speedy recovery and financial miracles! What a relief to rest in the sovereignty of God. Although our Christmas season isn't going to be very typical at all, I'm still so excited to celebrate this year. This morning I got to sing "O Come All Ye Faithful" at church and although I've sang this song a million times, something is different about the words this year. A renewed perspective and understanding of the grace that we sing of so freely, changes a lot. We ARE joyful and triumphant. Its not just a feeling, its something was claim as a people who have been set free.

meet Zoe! the Melinder family's new obsession.