Finally got my hard hat! It's not pink, but it'll do.

Living the dream in South Texas... :) for another month or so, anyway, and then back to Sweet Home Alabama and, if all goes as planned, a new house! But more on that later...!

Life Lately...

I suppose we're due for an update considering that, since my last post, a LOT has changed. Turns out the "anonymous speculations" were true—we just didn't know it yet! :)

In May we found out this fun news...

A baby! 

In January! 

It's both thrilling and terrifying to think of becoming parents, but we are grateful for so many wonderful examples to follow and are looking forward to learning and growing together in this new season.

We're a little nervous, however, about our child's internet-predicted appearance, but our mothers have already promised to love him/her no matter what. ;)

First trimester took us adventuring to the Smoky Mountains, Alaska, and Colorado. I have a feeling we might have trouble topping that for these next two! :)

A special highlight (literally :)) for me was summiting Longs Peak with my dad and Audra (along with Danny, Austin, LT, Jeff & Clayton as well). Had I known how difficult and dangerous those 14,259 ft would be, I might have stayed home. But all said and done, it was absolutely worth it, and I feel quite accomplished to be counted among the few pregnant women who have reached the top!

July brought another unexpected twist and a two-weeks-notice move to Corpus Christi, TX.

For the past year, Danny has been overseeing (from his air-conditioned office in Birmingham, AL) the construction of a natural gas pipeline in South Texas. In late June, he was "voluntold" to move on site for the remaining three months of the project. So, off to Texas we went!

And before we knew it, this had become our new normal—Danny in his cowboy boots and pick-up truck (which got stuck in the mud last week)...

...and me in this office trailer. Yes, I'm pregnant and working on a trailer in Texas. You know, just living the dream. ;)

But we're counting our blessings. Working alongside Danny and seeing firsthand all the responsibility he carries has made my respect for him grow tremendously. Plus, we're enjoying unlimited "quality time"—shared truck rides and lunch breaks and date nights by the ocean—all of which we know will change dramatically come January! At the same time, we're definitely looking forward to getting back to Birmingham (hopefully late September or early October), reconnecting with friends, moving into a new home (TBD), and preparing for parenthood. 

Wow. Maybe these next two trimesters will be just as adventurous after all. :)

29: A Happy Birthday Indeed

This brings us to the end of a journey, and contrary to any anonymous speculations (ah-hem, my mother and her friends), the only "announcement" I'll be making today is that it's my golden birthday. Sorry for the let-down. ;)

What a happy birthday indeed! 

Danny and I spent this past weekend celebrating a quick layover lunch with Jon & Val...

...and then on to Ohio with the entire Lehman family, swimming and playing and enjoying sweet time together. 

I felt so loved by the special "29" birthday bash they threw for me, complete with Hawaiian leis, "29-themed" gifts, and the traditional doll cake from Grandma Marge.

Danny and Audra even surprised me with a plane ticket-- Audi's coming to visit me in Birmingham next month!!!

Overwhelmed with gladness for all the people, the experiences, and the abundant life of these past 28 years. Anticipating great things and new relationships still to come.

Thank you for joining me on these "29 Days of Gratitude." While I won't miss the daily blogging or the excessive hours spent on the internet, I am grateful for these past 29 days and for the joy they produced in my heart. Funny how practicing gratitude can actually make you more grateful. What began as a "discipline" of thankfulness resulted in bubbling joy. It's a win-win. :)

I'll be stepping away from the blog for a while now ("Appreciation April" is over; time for "Media-Fast May"-- I tend to operate in extremes!). ;) But before I go, let me encourage you to join me in expressing your own gratitude. Certainly we have no reason to stop now.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together! Psalm 34:1-2

May no thankless day pass us by again.

28: New Friends & Family

28-- and marriage to Danny-- opened my world to new friends and family, near and far.

Like the Greenes...

And the Boones...

I had the privilege of being inducted into their Ugandan "family" during our visit last summer. I wrote this then, and I don't know how I could put it any better now-- "We have been so encouraged by these dear friends and so challenged by their example of surrender, sacrifice, and ultimate satisfaction in following Christ. They have counted the cost, and their lives scream, 'HE IS WORTHY!' Truly it is an honor to know them."

Marriage also brought new family... I'm telling you, I hit the jack pot with these in-laws!

Seibert family, thank you for introducing me to Graeter's ice cream (WOW!), for roping me into countless games of keep-away, and for welcoming me with open arms. I am so grateful for your family and consider it a privilege to share your last name. :) I love you all!

Martha, when I think about the stereotype of a "typical mother-in-law," I realize how thankful I am for you. Your compassionate heart and sensitive spirit make you so easy to love. Thank you for taking me shopping, for your contagious laughter, and for showing me such genuine care. You are such a gift, and I am glad to serve as your much-needed back-up in putting up with those crazy boys of yours. ;)

Don, I knew I just had to get into the family when I tried your cajun food... mmm. Thank you for your servant's heart-- it has blessed both Danny and me countless times. Thank you for supporting us in our "radical" adventures and for encouraging us to pursue what God is calling us to do.

Brian, you're the life of every party, with an amazing gift of roping people into your wild ideas, like the gorge-hiking, river-rafting, fire-tower-camping road trip you challenged us to take. We'd love to do it again... but you'd probably back out. ;) I have also really admired the growth I've seen in you this past year, and I'm honored to call you a brother. And ladies, he's single and ready to mingle. :)

Being back in Birmingham also brought new friends, like the Shaws...

Joel & Kristen, from the first time we met you guys, it felt like we'd been friends for years-- an effortless, natural friendship that is certainly a rare treasure. Thank you for the encouraging conversations, for the joy you bring to our lives, and for loving us so well. We love you guys!

We have also been tremendously blessed by our small group-- the Bristers, the Darbys, and the Andersons-- all of whom continually point us to Jesus...

...And by Ronny, our dear Indian brother, with the most amazing story of God's faithfulness and the most sincere love for Christ. When he talks about Jesus, he makes me wonder if I know the same guy. What a blessing to get to know Ronny and to be a part of his life.

...And by Marissa and my Samford girls-- Mary, Lauren, Lindy, and my cousin, Emma-- who keep me young :) and make me want to set a godly example for them to follow.

Certainly the list could go on... we are surrounded here by some pretty amazing people.

My heart is full of thanks. 

27: Danny

Technically we met when I was 26 (you can read that story here)... but it was year 27 when we dated, got engaged, and married, and I thought this guy deserved a whole blog post to himself. So, I'm breaking the rules. They're my rules after all, so deal with it. ;)

Danny, considering that our friendship that began with pancakes, forts, and Lion King...

...I should have guessed that life with you would be so much FUN!

Marriage to you has been the sweetest gift I've ever known.

What on earth was I so afraid of???

You rope me into wild adventures...

and support me when I need you most.

You lead me to Jesus when I can't see the way,

you serve me selflessly and undeservingly,

and you bring me more joy than a Chick Fil-A milkshake. (That's a lot!)

And have I ever told you, we make a great team? :)

When I look at you, I see a man of strength and integrity. A man who is a natural leader and yet would never even realize it. A man who loves God, who works hard, and who knows no such thing as "mediocre." I see a man who I am honored to walk alongside as long as God gives us breath.

Danny, you are my best friend.

My greatest adventure.

And the love of my life.

I have no idea how I got so lucky.

When we were in the Smokies last weekend, celebrating our anniversary and reflecting on all that we have learned and experienced together in just one year, I looked over at you while you were sleeping, and I saw that one gray hair on your head. Suddenly my mind flashed forward, like an old-fashioned slideshow, to all the life and experiences we might share together until your whole head turns gray. It brought me to sweet, thankful tears. I know that sounds strange, but I guess what I’m trying to say is that I look forward (Lord-willing) to growing old with you.

In the words of our beloved Winnie the Pooh, “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”

I love you.

26: Birmingham Extensions-of-God's-Love

Sometimes I look back on my life—all the unexpected twists & turns, the mysterious weaving together—and I wonder how in the world God pulled it all off.

Maybe more than any other year in my life, 26 was exactly that.

The absolute lowest point of my life, when I was convinced God had completely forgotten me, turned into the most beautiful picture of His redemption. "The Year I Learned to Keep Kleenex Beside My Bed" became "The Year I Moved to Birmingham, Got a Free Plane Ticket to India, and Met My Husband."

Who could have known that in the time I thought He was farthest from me, God was actually just setting the stage for the greatest display of His faithfulness towards me???

This is the record of that Faithfulness, which I wrote from India a few years ago. It's long and wordy, I suppose, but I simply can't rob the Author of His story. All praise be to Him.

—

The Indiana snow blew fiercely, relentlessly, and I relished the bitter cold that matched my grief. But as the winter melted, the grief did not. The months that followed were the darkest I’d known.

I waited for God to act, to speak, to reveal His great and glorious plan for my life. I waited with expectation–as if He owed me for my obedience– and all I received was silence.

I was like a little boy at a Little League baseball game, waiting for his dad to show up. First inning goes by, and he looks to the stands. His dad is not there. Second inning goes by, and the boy starts to make excuses, “I know he’s coming. He always comes! He’s probably just caught in traffic...” But inning after inning passes until finally the game ends, and the dad never comes. The little boy just hangs his head and kicks his cleats in the dirt. “I should have known...”

Where was God? I tried to reassure myself of His goodness, His faithfulness, His steadfast love. I memorized Scripture and repeated it over and over, hoping that if I said it enough times I would eventually believe it. But my words fell empty, and I grew sick of making excuses for a God who apparently wasn’t coming to my ball game.

I shook my fists, in anger, in arrogance, “I have been faithful! Where are You?” And in the darkness of night, I knelt by my bed and gave Him one last chance, “Just tell me that you love me!” Still, more silence. Crushing, piercing silence.

Tears stung my eyes, and the poison of disappointment dripped deep into my heart. And then, for the first time ever, I said, and really meant it, “I could walk away from You.” 

I trembled at the words, knowing their honesty.

My faith was gone.

—

636 miles later, I found myself in Birmingham, Alabama, in the home of Anita Bucher– practically a stranger– taking her up on that "Southern-hospitality" invitation to visit Brook Hills and stay in her home. Surely she didn't expect me to actually drive down all the way from Elkhart...

I’d met this woman only once before– by accident, really– while passing through the Church at Brook Hills the previous summer with Hannah on our "vision trip" to Mexico. The “Radical” pastor was out with a surgery at the time, as I recall, and so instead of meeting him, we met Anita. She dropped her To-Do list to chat and pray with us, and soon after that, she even sent me an email to ask how God was working in my life.

Now, just one year later, I wasn’t sure God existed. If He did, He certainly wasn’t interested in my life. But desperate for any open door, I accepted the invitation. I wasn’t really sure why I was going. I only knew my faith was crumbling, and I could either walk away or get help. And so, I got in my car and turned the key. 

In a time when God Himself seemed so distant, so unloving, I felt the tangible extension of His love through the body of Christ. A busy secretary who opened her home. A mother who insisted that I sit with her during the church service. Church staff, like Bob Flanders, Callie Priest, Noah Whitaker, and Paul Akin, who took time to meet and pray with me– a stranger. Each gesture reminded me of the truth I had forgotten: 

God cared for me. 

Then came the move only two weeks later. Never did I imagine living in Alabama, but God opened doors, and I was simply walking through...

Roommates. 

Jobs. 

Friends.

Kindred Spirits.

Community like I had never known.

It was almost comical how things just seemed to work out– a big “bear hug from God,” as Leroy Case beautifully described it.

A bear hug when I least deserved it. If this had been a test– this leaving India and trusting God with an unknown future– certainly I had failed. A lousy, no-good, disappointing F. Amanda Lehman was not worthy of God’s favor. Maybe the missionary to India deserved His blessing, but not this pouting, pitiful child.

And yet, maybe this was exactly the point.

“When we are faithless, He is still faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Tim. 2:13)

The truth of Scripture began to change my perspective. I wasn’t a boy at a baseball game, the victim of some unloving, forgetful father. I wasn’t the victim at all– I was the traitor! The doubting, demanding, foot-stomping toddler in the grocery store, grabbing for candy and screaming red-faced, “BUT YOU DON’T LOVE ME!” Yet through it all, my Heavenly Father held me bear-hug style and wouldn’t let go.

He had not forgotten. He had not forsaken. He’d only torn that He might heal.

— 

It was late September in Birmingham when I got the phone call– it was Leslie Chalk from Brook Hills with a sudden mission-trip drop-out and only five hours to find a replacement or the trip would be canceled. It should be someone from the church, she explained, with an Indian visa, who could drop everything and go to India... for free... next week. I laughed. That ticket was meant for me– and I knew who had sent it.

So here I am. Back in India, bursting with gladness and feeling anything but forgotten. 

As I type from this remote farm just outside of Dehradun, the sun is setting and the boys here are finishing up their daily chores and heading to the fields for play. I will join them soon for cricket or stick-hockey or their most recent favorite, “American football” (thanks to my Brook Hills small group and the nerf-balls they sent in my suitcase). Then we will have family devotions and dinner–maybe even a dance party– and I’ll tuck them into bed with songs and prayers and goodnight kisses. I smile and think, “I must be the luckiest girl alive.”

I would love to promise that I will never doubt again– that this trip is all the proof I need. And yet, I know my heart too well. I know I am but an Israelite, feasting on manna from heaven and still grumbling for meat. When will it be ENOUGH? When will HE be enough?

Surely I will fail. Surely I will forget. I return to Birmingham in January, and I will probably question again if God has a plan for my life. And yet, as I recline on my bed in this little room, yellow paint chipping off the concrete walls and a friendly lizard staring at me from up in the corner, I pull out my Bible and read, “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 86:15) Oh, the sweetness of those words! Steadfast love– better than life. Deep in my heart, I know it! I reach over and turn off the light, then lay back on my bed under the silver light of the moon. For tonight, at least, there are no tears.

—

Today I praise God for Anita Bucher, Brittnie Wilbanks, and the staff at Brook Hills. For Holly, Jess, and Melanie and the amazing community of friends God gifted us. For the Barger family, the Seibert family, and my small group "family"... all of whom were tangible expressions of God's love towards me when I needed it most.

I recently heard an expression from my cousin, Liza– "we're just skin around God's presence." In a time I doubted God's existence, I am grateful to each one of YOU for being the "skin" that I could feel, touch, and be sure of His love for me.

May He receive the praise for your kindness towards me.