About this Blog: Why Olive Tree?


From Wikipedia

No, my real name is not Olive!  It’s the name I chose for myself when I started blogging a year and a half ago. 

Why Olive Tree?
The name Olive Tree comes from Psalm 52:8:
"But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever." Psalm 52:8
I love living in the Middle East, but let’s face it, the spiritual climate is dry and fruit is slow in coming. It's easy to get discouraged, and many cross-cultural workers leave after 2 or 3 years.  When I read Psalm 52:8, I sense God giving me a promise that even in the middle of this spiritual desert, He will keep me green and flourishing as I seek to remain in Him.  So I’m trusting Him and choosing to stay put and bloom where He’s planted me. My husband and I have been here ten years with our two children, and God has given us a joy that far outweighs our challenges.
About this blog:
My vision for this blog is to write about faith and cross-cultural living from my vantage point as a cross-cultural servant in the Middle East. I want to share what God is teaching me in daily life, both about growing spiritually in a dry environment and about practical issues like juggling cross-cultural relationships, family, life, ministry, and the stress that comes along with them! I want to include occasional posts about Turkish cooking, which is one of my hobbies.
 After a 2 1/2 month home assignment last spring and a busy summer, I'm trying to figure out how often and when to post this fall.  
Let’s encourage one another.
One thing that surprised me about blogging is that it has been a door to virtual friendship with other expats living in different countries. I love reading their blogs and getting a glimpse of their lives.
If you are a cross-cultural servant living in another country, I hope you’ll find things you can relate to on this blog.  I also hope we can encourage one another. Leave a comment to share your experiences with me or to leave me a link to your blog if you have one.
You might also enjoy this blog if you live stateside and want a window on life in the Middle East. 

Thank you so much for reading my blog. It means a lot to me.

Olive