Exciting News

When we first formed the “The Wandering Watson’s” I said there was a real reason for the blog. I have not been able to contain my excitement, so most of you have probably already heard me talking about it.  In fact, I couldn’t find a cool way to announce it either, so here we go...

We will be spending next summer in Nepal!

What are we going to do for a whole summer in Nepal? Well, we are going to be working closely with Gajendra Tamang as he sets up and works with Kathmandu area children in the newly built Hope Center.

The Hope Center is going to be a multi-functional facility where Gajendra will regularly provide children with a safe place to go after school where they can receive tutoring while having some physical needs met, but most importantly, they will have opportunity to learn about Jesus.  There are other uses for the building such as hosting conferences, youth and children’s events, and trainings. Right now the Hope Center is non-existent and stands only as a well-thought-out idea on paper.  The land is there and the plans are drawn, but the purchasing of the land and the building of the facility is not quite there yet; however, we are fully confident funds will be raised, and the Hope Center will be up and running before the end of the year.

What’s crazy about this whole thing is that Parker has never been to Nepal!  In fact, he has never been to Asia.  I first talked about my love for India and Nepal on our first date, and ever since then it has just been a “summer trip” to me.  Not long ago I remember riding home from church with Parker, and I said, “I want to live in Nepal.”  Parker didn’t really respond, so I kind of set it aside and said, “Oh well.”  We were supposed to take a two-week trip to Nepal this summer, but we decided it was not a good time to leave family and head to the other side of the world, even for just a few weeks. Then one day Parker completely knocked me out of my chair and said, “Hey, let’s spend next summer in Nepal.”

Unbelievable!!! So, we are going to Nepal!  Hopefully for six weeks next summer.  There’s a lot of details to still hash out, and we know it is going to take a great deal of money for us to go; however, we are going to be creative in how we raise our funds knowing He will provide.  India and Nepal have always been a special part of my life, and I love how God has already prepared Parker’s heart for it. Maybe he is just tired of hearing me talk about it and he just wants to experience it for himself. Whatever the reason is, I am extremely thankful that, for the first time, I will have my best friend exploring and serving with me. You can bet that there will be a lot of wandering going on.  

Let it Be

Summer is here!  I can always “feel“ summer when Memorial Day festivities are over, and I settle down, sleep in (until 7:30 of course), and get some things done that I have pushed aside for months.  As the final bell rang at the end of the last final exam, I shouted, “We can go!!!!!!” and raced down the hallway leading the students out of the building.  Boy, I can honestly say I have never been so ready for summer in my life, and this is the first time I have truly sang, “School’s out for SUMMER!” as the kids left the building one last time.  It was one crazy year.  I ran back to my classroom, cranked up Adele’s Pandora Station, entered my final grades, and rode home windows down singing to the top of my lungs.  However, as this summer began, there were also several things on my mind that have kept me from relaxing like I should.

I am a worrier.  Parker is not, and I am forever grateful for that.  As I went through one of my worrying phases, what if this and what if that and trying to plan and solve all the worlds problems riding down the road the other night, I asked Parker at one point, “What if this happens, what are we going to do?” Parker’s response as he stopped at the stop sign, and looked at me was simply:   “Let it be.”

I keep thinking there’s some formula that I can solve that will tell me everything, and I keep working out the problem over and over again in my mind and I just cannot seem to get the equation right. 

This summer, I am going to try and focus on three little words... “Let it be”.  I cannot control what happens in life, when it happens, or how it happens, so why worry?

I know there is a reason we didn’t go to Nepal this summer, and for many other things going on right now, so I am just going to “Let it be.” 

This quote from Oswald Chambers will forever be one of my favorites:

“To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God.”

I am embracing this uncertainty while being certain of God, and knowing that He has it all figured out, and He is going to blow our minds.  That’s the “breathless expectation” that I too often confuse with worry. 

So what’s my goal this summer?  Soak up some sun, enjoy family, and “Let it be”

Jesus Loves the Yankees

This is Parker. I would not consider myself a great writer; in fact I got through college with a lot of procrastinating and maybe even a tear every once in a while when a paper was staring me in the face. Ashley is really the brains in the relationship (maybe she won't read this and get a big head). We titled this blog "The Wandering Watson's".  One, let's be honest, it one of the only alliterations that sounds cool with Watson, two, we love to travel, and three will be talked about at a later date.

Enough of that. I was raised in the South. I was born and bred right here in Barrow County, which might explain my writing problem. My parents always taught me to say "Yes Sir" and "Yes Ma'am," I was always expected to help out when I could without any backtalk, and it was never even a thought in my mind to get in line for food or walk through a door before my sisters. I was taught to shake hands with someone by looking them in the eye and shake with a firm grip. Having been raised in the South though I grew up with the connotation that everyone who lived past the Mason-Dixon line was just rude and terrible.

Not too long ago, Ashley and I were offered an opportunity to go with her family and visit Chicago. I am always excited about visiting new places and seeing things I have never seen, but there was a little hesitation with how I would relate to the people from the "Great White North." When we arrived in Chicago, we went to a car rental place and all my expectations were confirmed by how rude the customer service people there. However, our experience soon turned around the next day with a trip to Wrigley Field. I am a huge baseball fan and I was so excited to be able to see one of the oldest parks in history. Decked out in my Braves gear and knowing how notorious Cubs fans are for heckling I thought for sure we might have a run in, but to my surprise the tour guide was about the nicest person I have ever met in my life. After this, the experience with Chicago just got better and better.

I feel like a lot of times in life we have preconceived notions about all sorts of people. We make judgements about people before we ever meet them..  

"He has tattoos he must not care about his body"... "He had a beer he must be an alcoholic"... "He is homeless he must be a bum"... "He is a Yankee so he must be rude."

I think the CHURCH is one of the worst when it comes to this. We expect them to change and look like a Christian before they even become one. Jesus wasn't about that He met people where they were. I think this is easy for me to forget. Sometimes I go out of my way to avoid people or not interact with them, but they could be one of the coolest people I have ever met or *gasp* maybe not even believe the same thing. I feel like Jesus is screaming, "WHO CARES!" Jesus did not come to hang out with well people he came to bring life to the sick and broken. Jesus would touch the untouchable, He would walk through towns he wasn't supposed to walk through just to talk to someone, He hated religion, He spoke against the Pharisees.... I look around... Are we turning into that? Am I turning into that? Do I expect people to be like me? Do I think I have it all right? 

Ashley and I are currently reading the book, "Jesus Is _____."by Judah Smith. It is really great and sometimes makes me examine myself and how much of a Pharisee I can be sometimes.

Check out this video:

Here we go!

Here we go!  We are starting a new adventure...blogging.  There’s actually a true reason behind starting this blog, but we’ll get back to that later.

So we are closing in on our five-monthiversary.  In a way, it feels like just yesterday we said “I do” while at the same time it feels like we have been at this marriage thing for years now.

In any case, I am kinda wondering what people mean when they say “the honeymoon is over, “ or,  “just wait, you are still newlyweds.”  Yes, you come back from the cruise, and go back to work, and deal with disrespectful hooligans, and pay the bills, and cut the grass, but at the end of the day, you come home, set your worries aside, and get to spend EVERY evening with your best friend.  How could it get any better than that?

Before we got married, we were privileged to receive numerous “words of wisdom” from family, friends, and even an older lady from the Winder Probate Office.  Many have said your first year of marriage is just awful.  But while I am no expert, and only five months into this thing, I cannot say I agree.  Yes, it is an adjustment living with someone else, and going behind them putting their belt and socks and shoes in the closet instead of on the nightstand, but I wouldn’t say that makes marriage “awful.”  We have our quirks, we point them out, and then we make fun of each other and laugh about it.  Because really, who cares which way you fold the clothes, cut the veggies, or make the bed. 

These past few months have been stressful at times, yet extremely rewarding.  I am sure many of you know that Parker’s Dad has been battling cancer.  While often I wondered why this is happening and especially why now, during our first year of marriage when exciting things are going on all around us, it has put things in perspective.  It has shown me the true value of a relationship, and love as I watch Parker’s Mom care for his Dad.  It has shown me not to take things for granted, and to cherish every single moment together. 

We titled this blog “The Watson’s Wanderings” because that’s what we do....we lay in bed at night, and our minds wander.  We think about what happened throughout our day, talk through things together, and try to solve all the worlds’ problems.  While we “wander” we are not lost.  We know exactly what God requires of us:  “To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.”  

As the months and years go by, we will wander together, resting in what Jesus has planned for us in this crazy adventure called life.   Life’s a journey, and while we wander, we are not lost.