The view out my window

I'm sitting here, as I do many mornings, sipping coffee, reading and responding to emails, beginning the day with computer-related tasks. Which this morning includes some online Christmas shopping and translating a dental bill. (And by translate, I mean roughly, with the help of my favorite online German-English dictionary: "Leo" as I commonly refer to it:) You have to love how precise and technical German medical bills are. I'm still not sure what "dental pulp" or a "dental dam" is, but I'm thankful to know what exactly we paid for. :)

Now...back to why I am writing this post... (Kind of like the TV announcement, "Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming." :)



I am so thankful for the view out of the window in our guest room/office. I can see out over our small but beautiful town. I can see the surrounding hills which are dusted with snow this morning. I have marveled recently at the variety of what I have seen, looking out this same window, these past few weeks. Sometimes the taller hills are snow covered while the shorter ones are still green. Sometimes the sky has been streaked with pink. Sometimes there is blue sky and sunshine. Other times, like this morning, the sky is a layer of solid white and grayish clouds.

Pictures don't do it justice. I wish you all could be here to see the beauty I see out this window everyday.

The view out of our living room window:

A view on a recent morning's snowy walk:

Gratitude Journal #23

What I'm thankful for:
*Birthday packages and reminders of what wonderful family and friends I am blessed to have
*A wonderful weekend spent visiting a college friend and catching up on life
*A delicious Thanksgiving dinner shared with friends
*Laughter
*Healing
*That we currently have a winter wonderland - we've had snow on the ground for the past week (which isn't common here!)
*Sunshine and the way it reflects off the snow
*Music
*Reminders that life is short - seize the day!
*A warm, comfortable home
*Grace, Truth, and healing
*My wonderful husband, for many reasons, one of them being that he takes care of car stuff - most recently, putting on the winter tires

What I want:
*To go for a walk in this crisp, beautiful winter weather! (which I will do as soon as I post this) Done! It was great!
*To live each moment to the fullest (and this doesn't mean busyness)- to not take any day or any one for granted
*To seek God first, always, and above all else
*To "absorb" Christ
*To spend more time reading and journaling
*To love and encourage those around me
*And to be honest, I want the bright yellow mail truck to bring my birthday box from my parents...it's somewhere between them and me and has been for a little while (maybe the "Zoll"/Customs guys are having fun going through it? :) It came today! YAY! (I'm waiting til Mike comes home to open it - it's more fun to open packages with someone!)

Thanksgiving Day

The weather here this week has been cold with various types of wintry precipitation. Christmas/advent decorations are beginning to appear. That, combined with the fact that we live on more of a German calendar when it comes to holidays, means that it took me a bit this morning to realize that it was Thanksgiving Day.

Here, there's no school break, no Macy's Day parade, no feast with family. However, there will be a Thanksgiving turkey dinner with friends tomorrow. And our thoughts are definitely with faraway family whom we miss.

I've been reminded multiple times recently of the importance of having a thankful heart and attitude. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because of the time spent with family, enjoying delicious food without the commercial hype of Christmas (Don't get me wrong - I definitely enjoy Christmas, but Thanksgiving feels less hectic to me). Today, especially, I want to be thankful, but more so I want to be thankful every moment of every day.

I am blessed. Blessed beyond measure. I could write a neverending list of things I have to be thankful for, but let me share just a bit of my 2010 Thankful List with you:

*God's grace and what He is teaching me about it
*My wonderful husband (this is my first Thanksgiving as a married woman) and how he cares for me and encourages me
*This season of rest
*The beauty of creation around me
*Time spent with family and friends, and the ability to keep in touch with them across the miles
*A warm, comfortable home

...and much, MUCH more!

Gratitude Journal #22

What I'm thankful for:
*answered prayers
*that God protects and heals
*His sustaining grace
*BEAUTIFUL weather this weekend - it had me asking "Is it really November?"
*friends
*Truth
*The blessings, flavors, and scents of fall, especially as we approach Thanksgiving

What I want:
*To not let the gray, dreary, rainy weather today get me down
*To keep my mind and heart fixed upon Truth, to keep a proper perspective
*To be optimistic instead of pessimistic
*To be a mirror that reflects Him
*To have thicker skin
*To live life to the fullest

Gratitude Journal #21

I'm feeling a bit weary. But sometimes a simple glance out the window reminds me of all that I have to be thankful for:






What I'm thankful for:
*That I live in a place where I see the beauty of God's creation all around me
*Truth-speaking music
*My wonderful husband, who reminds me of Truth, encourages me, and washed a huge stack of dishes last night. :)
*Radiators: The next best thing to a dryer. (Yes, it takes longer, but I'm thankful to have clean, dry, warm clothes to wear.)
*Sunshine
*Walks
*Colors - their variety and their beauty
*That all of my needs and many of my wants are met.

What I want:
*To not feel weary
*Or, more so, to not get frustrated by the weariness
*To put my hope in God - He alone is my strength, my foundation, my reason for living
*To better understand the purpose God has for me and how He wants me to live my life

English Camp: Pictures

Here are a few pictures of the English Camp that I taught at last week. I'll post more words about the English Camp later...

A very telling picture of my class...

M. & his amazing card tower! This was M.'s third camp, and he brought his sister with him!

My colleague and fellow adventurer, Jennifer, selecting Bible stories for the classes to act out...

Two campers and the "beanies" (I had to go to English Camp to learn this word) that they crocheted during one of the "workshops" at camp...

On the last evening, we each received a piece of paper on which to write something that was standing between us and God. We then tacked it on the cross - handing it over to Him since His death on the cross covers our sins and weaknesses with grace.

L. was in my class and really struggles with English. One day, I was able to have a mixed English and German conversation with him and get to know him a bit more.

H. was another student in my class, and was very sweet to answer the random questions that I asked her. Her adorable baby sister came to pick her up on Saturday.

Gratitude Journal #20

What I'm thankful for:
*blue sky
*sunshine
*a morning walk in the brisk fall air
*red leaves
*holding a warm mug of coffee in my hands
*a warm house
*inspiring music
*my amazing husband
*friends who care and who I can be honest with

What I want:
*to love God more
*to not put God in the box that my human brain tries to put Him in
*more energy today than I had energy
*to love the people around me
*to cling to God and put Him before all else

Gratitude Journal #19

For the past three days, our sleepy little town has been blanketed in unusually thick fog. My mind and body feel a bit like they are stuck in thick fog as well. I start to get frustrated and down on myself for being so tired. But then I remember that it is Friday, and that this has been a pretty full/busy week. I am thankful for all of the people time and good conversations that this week has held. But I do need to find some restoration, some rest, some refreshment. As part of that, a gratitude journal helps my perspective.

What I'm thankful for:
*a mostly unscheduled day
*grace and truth
*friends and good conversations that resonate on a heart level
*all of the people standing with us in prayer, encouragement, and financial support

What I want:
*To love God more
*To love the people around me
*To feel more rested
*To keep a proper perspective of life

Gratitude Journal #18

What I'm thankful for:
*colors
*flowers
*sunshine
*how big my God is
*people who serve a big God, and so have big dreams/vision
*opportunities to be a spectator of or be involved in some of those big things.
*my siblings and the ways they make me laugh/smile
*baked goods
*friends
*deep conversations
*streaming radio online with truth-speaking music

What I want:
*To truly understand how big my God is
*To rest IN Him
*To love God more
*To love my husband, family, and friends more
*To wait patiently
*To be more selfless

Gratitude Journal #17

What I'm thankful for:
- another sunny day
- good conversations with friends
- my OH teaching license came in the mail earlier this week!
- my Mom - and an envelope from her today with a fun baking magazine (like I really need more encouragement to bake:) and some other important papers

What I want:
- to have a good attitude about and be patient with the renovations going on in our building
- to truly understand God's love and grace - and have it permeate my heart
- to be closer to God today than I was yesterday
- to be honest with the people around me
- to encourage the people around me

Gratitude Journal #16

What I'm thankful for:
- sunshine
- the beginnings of fall colors
- leaves crunching underfoot
- friends
- prayer
- Truth
- music that speaks to my heart

What I want:
- less of me, more of Him
- peace
- joy
- rest
- Truth
- wisdom

Frustrations

Frustrations. They're a part of life, right? And how well we "roll with the punches" tells a lot about our character and "what we're made of."

There's no such thing as "totally free checking" in Germany. Bank fees are a part of life. So we deal with it. However, a couple of months ago we decided to be brave and switch to internet banking in hopes of cutting back on both fees and number of trips that we make to the bank. I've been a bit mystified the past few months since our fees have been higher (tripled perhaps?) and we received a statement in the mail (which isn't supposed to happen with internet banking). So I went to the bank today to find out what was going on. Evidently our account hadn't been switched to an internet banking account (which I thought it had been) - we had just gotten internet banking access, and as a result, we have been paying every time we do an online transaction. Oh well, live and learn. Glad that we figured it out now and not later.

I have a feeling that this mix up can be attributed to the language barrier. Or our incomplete understanding of German banking. But at the same time, I realize that sometimes these things (mix-ups, frustrations, etc.) just happen, even in our home language and culture.

Case in point: I had to renew my OH teaching license this summer. While we were in the US, I mailed in all of the necessary paperwork. I hadn't seen anything in the mail or heard anything, so two weeks ago, I called the OH Dept. of Ed. They told me that my license had been mailed on Aug. 9th. I told them that I had not received anything, and that the mail does not usually take that long. So they said that they would mail me another one. It has been over two weeks and I still haven't received anything. I'm going to wait a few more days, but if it hasn't come by the end of the week, I'll call ODE again.

But today I'm going to call my bank in the US because I locked myself out of my internet account last night. I'll spare you the gory details, but let's just say that the instructions for their new internet login system did not make sense.

Such is life. Roll with the punches. Besides, I don't want a boring and predictable life. :)

Gratitude Journal #15

Almost two years ago, someone challenged me to start writing these "gratitude journal" posts. It helps us to keep a healthy perspective on our lives when we remember all that we have to be thankful for.

Recently, someone else challenged me with 1 Thes. 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

So with that, I'm reviving these "gratitude journal" posts...

What am I thankful for?
* grace
* my amazing husband
* our wonderful families
* true friends...and ways to connect with them, whether they be near or far!
* long walks in the woods
* sunshine
* candles
* fleece
* books
* God's Word
* my journal...and colorful pens :)
* time to process
* "drachenfrucht" (dragon fruit) ice cream - a new favorite!
* kelly green flip flops
* BFA students

What do I want?
* "soul strength"...that phrase came to mind this morning and I'm pondering what it means...
* to live in God's strength, not my own...maybe that's what "soul strength" is?
* to live out the purpose God has for me...especially right now, in this season of life
* to be content
* to be full of joy
* for my desires to be God's desires for me...(If it was up to me, I'd want to be superwoman and have enough energy to save the world each and every day. Instead, may I be thankful for whatever energy I have, and use it to His glory...to love and encourage those around me, starting with my husband.)

Hugs

I miss working with students on a daily basis this fall, but I am excited to build relationships with them outside of the classroom this year. I have been anxious to see all of my students from last year and hear about their summers. Because I haven't been around school much, I have only seen most of them from a distance.

Yesterday afternoon, I saw my lone middle schooler from last year - "G.I." is his BFA nickname. I wish I had captured the look on his face when he saw me - it was full of such joy! He jumped up and gave me a big hug! G.I. was a seventh grader last year, and had the look of a boy when I met him a year ago. He is now taller than me and looks more like the teenager that he now is. In the five or so minutes that I spent talking to him, he gave me at least three hugs. (He's a hugger.:) He was just so excited to see me! It was great to hear about his summer, how the new school year is for him, and to see him more settled into life here at BFA.

Mike and I are going to be subbing at HBR every Thursday evening this year - it's the dorm parents' day off. HBR is the dorm where Mike was an RA for 4 years, and I think part of his heart still lives there. :) Last evening was our first evening to sub there. Three of my students from last year are HBR guys. Again, I had not yet seen these guys to personally talk to yet this year. All three of them gave me hugs - not something I expected from high school boys! I was excited to see them, but didn't necessarily expect them to be as excited to see me as they were! It was a joy to see them and hear about their summers! D. is a bit taller and got a haircut - he looks more grown up! J. gave me a one-armed sort of "macho" hug, but that suits J. perfectly. It was a joy to talk to S. and hear how much clearer and comprehensible his English is, compared to a year ago. It was also amazing to hear about how he spent his summer serving in his parents' ministry, helping with the church worship team, translating for a missions team, etc.

These kids are amazing kids, I tell you! We're blessed to be here and love working with these students!

I love these students!

Yesterday morning, the lyrics of a song echoed my heart:

"Our heart, our desire, is to see the nations worship
Our cry, our prayer, is to sing Your praise to the ends of the earth
That with one mighty voice, every tribe and tongue rejoices
Our heart, our desire, is to see the nations worship You."

We are privileged to get a glimpse of this here at BFA, and we love it! Just to give you a taste: last night, we had four high school girls over for dinner. One of them was my student last year, and Mike had all of them in Physical Science. We had red curry (complete with chopsticks - since three of them are Asian, I decided to be "culturally sensitive"...and actually, the fourth girl is American by nationality, but her mother grew up in Thailand as an MK, so she was proficient with the chopsticks as well :) and yummy peach cupcakes with fantastic brown sugar cream cheese frosting. The girls loved it, and loved being in our house! And we enjoyed having them!

Just to give you a glimpse into how multicultural these girls are...
- one girl has three passports, has lived in three countries, and speaks at least 4 languages
- another girl speaks at least three languages and this is the third country she has lived in
- the third girl speaks at least two languages and this is at least the third country she has lived in
- the fourth girl also speaks at least two languages and has lived in at least three countries

I share this with you to show you the vast life experiences that these girls have already had - and they're only tenth graders! They've also had to deal with a lot of changes in their lives. I can't imagine going to school in three different countries and three different languages! But yet they are still good students, and love being at BFA. And students like these are why we love being at BFA!

Oswald Chambers

Oswald Chambers' perspective on Christ and how the Christian life should be lived seems to be what I need in this season of life. In the past few months, I've been challenged, and my heart has been spoken to, by many things that Chambers have said. And so I've been trying to daily read "My Utmost for His Highest."

Yesterday's entry said, "Don't rejoice in successful service, but rejoice because you are rightly related to Me." Today's entry said, "Be rightly related to God, find your joy there, and out of you will flow rivers of living water."

This spoke to my heart. Also, Matthew 6:34 has been on my mind and heart for the past few days ("So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."), but Chambers' words remind me of verse 33 - "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school at BFA. This is a place steeped in traditions, one of which is beginning the new school year with fanfare. The day starts with "Opening Ceremony," which as I think about it, could be compared with its Olympic counterpart. The faculty, ResLife staff, and senior class all march in - I think we call that a processional? (Living in a foreign country sometimes makes me question certain English words.) Each member of the senior class carries the flag of a different country. (Often it's a country that student has lived in or holds a special affinity for.)

Now here's where the ceremony varied from recent tradition. You see, our former director left in July and we currently have an interim director. Mr. Interim Director rappelled down out of the rafters. I for one was definitely surprised. (So surprised that I have absolutely no pictures from this morning to show you.)

One favorite tradition that was also missing was the interviewing of the first graders. It is a memorably funny time because first graders have some interesting answers to basic questions (such as where they live, what their parents do, etc.). One of the two first graders was sick today, so evidently there will be an interviewing of the first graders in a few weeks (when their German counterparts in the bilingual school join them).

After the director's rappelling and introductory speech was the roll call of nations. Each nation represented by this year's student body - either by passport country or the country in which their parents serve - is listed. This year's list was fifty-some countries long, and spanned Europe, Asia, and Africa. (And I'm pretty sure there was at least one or two countries that I do not know the location of.)

It is good to have the students back. After all, that's why we're here. :)

John Eldredge on Sabbath

relief vs. restoration
survival vs. abundance
Life is up to me vs. Life is up to God
Staying on top of life vs. Rest & Renewal Activities

Busyness keeps up distracted

True Sabbath: It gives us perspective. Makes us more centered. More stable.

Mopping and Daddylonglegs

I grew up in a house that was completely carpeted - bathrooms, kitchen, and all! This is the reason I give for my hesitations and insecurities about mopping, at least. But really, what is so difficult about mopping? All you do is take a mop and dip it in the cleaning solution and water combo, and use some elbow grease to go back and forth across the floor. (After sweeping first, of course.) And when you're done, the floor is cleaner, right? (At least that's how I think it is supposed to work. I'm open to any advice or suggestions that you may have.) Today I decided that mopping is not something I should be unconfident (inconfident? nonconfident? Ah! What is it?) about. So my kitchen floor is now much cleaner. :)

Sometimes I vacuum with more...shall we say fierceness?... than other times. Today I was very fierce. Especially when it came to the few Daddylonglegs (or some of their cousins) who had taken up residence in various corners of the apartment while we were away this summer. They, and all evidence of their presence (ie cobwebs) are now gone. :)

Sometimes it's the little things in life - a clean apartment. Family recipes. Talking with my sister about good recipes we've tried. (She told me about this one she recently made and said they're AMAZING! - http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/08/peach-cupcakes-with-brown-sugar-frosting/)

Smile. Sigh of contentment.

Blueberry Jam and Watch Batteries

Sometimes it's easy to get trapped in by the four walls of our comfort zone. But life is richer when we do the hard thing and step outside of that box. Granted, the constant stepping out of one's comfort zone can become wearying, especially when one lives outside of one's home country.

I have fond memories of making jam with my mom. I've heard people talk about how easy it is to use the jelly-making sugars here. So one day last week, while roaming the aisle of the grocery store, I was brave. I bought "Gelier Zucker" (or something like that - I think it literally means "gel sugar"). After some time consulting my favorite online German-English dictionary (dict.leo.org), I soon had a jar of blueberry jam. (Yes, it only made one jar, but that was part of what convinced me - if it didn't turn out, there would only be a small amount of blueberries wasted.) It's fun to have a jar of homemade goodness. And to know that I could understand enough of the directions (with the help of aforementioned online dictionary) to successfully make jam. Granted, it was pretty simple - I only had to stir the fruit and sugar together for one minute.

Then, last Friday, around 3:30pm, I looked at my watch and it read 12:00. After a nanosecond of confusion, I realized that my watch battery must have died. But have no fear! This is not the first time my watch battery has died in Germany. But this time, I KNEW what to do. No moments of panicking and feeling overwhelmed. :) So, after meeting up with some of my English Camp staff friends (from previous years who had returned this summer) at the EisCafe (yum, ice cream!), I walked over to the store-where-I-could-get-my-watch-battery-replaced. Five minutes and five Euros later, I again had a functioning watch. Smile. Success.

Don't get me wrong - I still have my moments of feeling like a kindergartner or inept. For example, I just went to the grocery store. I was slow bagging my groceries, which meant the man behind me had to wait. And then as he walked by me in the parking lot, he said something that I didn't understand. I felt like he must have been insulting me or making fun of me, but I kept on walking and tried to brush it off.

But overall, I have noticed since returning from the US, I feel much more settled here. More settled into marriage. More settled into OUR home. More at ease with life overall. And that is a good thing.

Finding Routine in the Midst of Rest

Mike and I have been back in Germany since last Thursday, after spending about 3 weeks in the US visiting our families. My "sabbath summer" ended up including an unintentional break from electronic communication, including this blog, but I think it was a good thing for me. I think it refocused me a bit - I want to use these various methods of electronic communication as a tool to build and maintain relationships rather than as a way to waste time.

We've been slowly settling back into routine here. Mike is trying to get into a routine for school and prepare to start this new year (meetings start for him next week), and I'm trying to find a daily routine that includes purpose but also rest.

I hope to write some more posts - some including pictures and news of our summer, as well as sharing what is on my heart these days and what I'm learning.

I hope that you too are enjoying the special blessings of summer - a more relaxed pace, the yummy fresh fruits, sunshine, etc.

The Freedom of Summer...

Refocusing. I guess that's what I'm in the process of doing. Last week I spent five days in bed sick. I haven't been that sick - oh, possibly ever. I didn't proctor the exams I was supposed to proctor. Other people covered them. My end of the year reports will get written this week instead of last. Everything came to a standstill and I did nothing. Kind of makes you re-think life, eh? What's important and what's not? Relationships continued last week. But those tasks that I worry about so much? They didn't get done. And guess what? The world didn't stop. :)

I am thankful to be feeling better (still a bit weak, but hey - my body waged war on some gremlin germs last week!), and thankful that I was well enough to attend graduation on Friday and some other end of the year festivities. It's that time of year where there are many good-byes - some for the summer, some for a year, some for who knows how long.

I went back to the doctor this morning. As I walked home, and did a few errands on the way, I felt the freedom of summer. You know - that laid-back, unscheduled feeling to life. :) I haven't felt that in a long time. English Camp pretty much consumed my past few summers, so I'm looking forward to enjoying this "sabbath summer."

The End of Classes!

Today is our last day of classes. In ten minutes, we as a school will gather to end the day (and symbolically the school year) with chapel. Next Monday through Wednesday are exams, and then Friday is graduation. Then we will disperse all of the world - literally - before reconvening as a group to start a new school year in August, with roughly 1/3 of our staff and students being new faces. (Yup, that's how high the turnover is here. That's pretty typical for our type of school/community.)

It's a sunny and warm day. Birds are chirping. There seem to be more students - and visitors! - flitting around during classes. Yup, you can tell it's the end of the school year. We are all ready to be done, but the teachers are trying to hold the reins tight until 3:50pm.

At that point, we'll be just as glad as the students to let them go! Oh, but there are still exams to be taken and graded. Good-byes to be said. An Awards Ceremony and Graduation to be held. One more week. THEN we can really let the reins go. (Oh don't get us wrong - we LOVE our students, but we're just as ready for a break as they are!)

The Way We Say Things

Today one of my students told me that last night she had a headache and her "stomach didn't work."

I gave her a slightly puzzled look, and then smiled as I said, "I know what you mean, but that's not how we say it."

We then proceeded to discuss the following words/phrases and the nuances and differences in meaning:
- indigestion
- I'm queasy
- I'm nauseous
- I have nausea
- My stomach is upset
- My stomach hurts
- My stomach is bothering me
- Lunch didn't settle well.
- My lunch is just sitting in my stomach.

I know this list could continue, but the bell rang. :)

And some people wonder why language learning is so difficult. Oh the nuances, idiomatic phrases, etc.

Almost there....

We have two weeks of classes left, then one week with exams and then graduation. It is a full and busy season. Not only are we wrapping up a school year, but we're also dealing with the transitions and good-byes that this time of year brings in an international school community such as ours. We're helping friends move, saying good-bye to some friends, and also hosting and/or visiting with former staff who are coming back to visit. There's definitely more turnover and transition here than at the school I taught at in Ohio.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how life is different here. We're not just a school, we're a community that is based around the school. Mike & I sent out an update email recently, and someone replied and commented on how it seemed like we needed to learn to say no. That person was speaking truth in reminding us not to be too busy. However, at the same time, we feel like we have done a pretty good job of saying no this year. There are just so many needs in the various aspects of this community. However, we know that just because there is a need, doesn't mean we need to fill it.

This email was probably a good, and timely, reminder for us as we start to look ahead to next year and consider various opportunities and ways to get involved here. How will we spend our time? What will be our priorities? God is #1, and our marriage is #2. What else will fill the picture of our lives next year? Please pray for us - for wisdom, for proper balance, and that we will live life the way God wants us to.

Dr. Wess Stafford & championing children

Dr. Wess Stafford is president and CEO of Compassion International. He shared his heart for "championing children," as well as part of his story, as one of the speakers at the ICE (International Christian Educators) Conference here at BFA over spring break. This article includes much of what he shared with us.

Dr. Stafford has also written a book, that I have not yet read, but hope to: "Too Small to Ignore."

Isaiah 43:19

"Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert."

"Only in Germany"

We've had a couple of "only in Germany" moments this weekend...

#1 - Yesterday (Saturday) was a holiday - "May Day." We still aren't quite sure what the meaning of this holiday is, but it means that the stores are closed. Combine that with the fact that stores are ALWAYS closed on Sunday, and that meant that Friday evening we had to make sure we had enough food (especially moo juice - we drink a lot of that:) for the weekend. (Note - our fridge here is SMALL - about 3 ft tall = a large "dorm" fridge in the US, so we can't just "stock up" - it forces us to shop more often.) So after dinner on Friday, we went to the grocery store. It was probably about 7:15pm when we went to the grocery store (it closed at 8:00pm). The produce section was well picked over, which does happen here. We were able to get what we needed, but it did remind us that grocery shopping and holidays here is different than it is in the US.

#2 - This morning. Sunday. 8:45am. As I drowsily got out of bed, I heard a marching band outside in the distance....
I said to Mike, "Did you hear that band?"
He replied, "I was playing that Tenth Avenue North (a Christian group) song."
me: "No, I mean a MARCHING band."
A few moments later...
Mike: "Oh, I hear the marching band now."
me: "See - I wasn't imagining it!"
Silence for a couple more minutes and then,...
me: "Mike, I hear it again." Walk to the window. "See - there's a marching band marching down the street!"

This was the popular topic of discussion at church this morning. Evidently there is a tradition of "waking up May," so a marching band walks around town, playing their music and waking everyone up on the first Sunday of May.

Only in Germany...

Celebrate

4,000 miles away, my sister is finishing up her senior year of college. Oh how I wish I could be there to watch her walk across the stage on Saturday. I'm so proud of her! I wish I could be there to celebrate with her in person. Instead, I'm an ocean away and trying to find ways to help her celebrate long-distance.

Celebrate. It's the theme of an e-card I sent to my sister this morning. When I saw the word "celebrate," the lyrics to a song popped into my head. "Celebrate good times, come on!" I don't even know the whole song or who sang it, but the memory of that song was solidly planted in my mind as a kindergartner - it was the theme of my first dance recital.

Yes, a kindergartner. At my first (of only two) dance recitals. A tiny kindergartner with dark straight (well, as straight as my hair has ever been) hair, dressed in purple tulle and gold sequins. (It WAS the 80s, folks. But that's not as bad as the florescent pink and turquoise poodle-skirted theme attire the next year.) I'm sorry to disappoint you, but all pictures of this kindergartner are at my parents' house, across an ocean.

This memory of myself intrigues me. Because I don't remember feeling any fear. Which is HIGHLY unusual for me. There is videographic evidence of this lack of fear. This video would reveal to you a side of me that has rarely existed - one that has rhythm and one that does not show fear.

I was shy as a youngster. When my parents sent me off to kindergarten, they were afraid I wouldn't talk to anyone. Well, they were wrong. At least eventually. You see, by fourth grade I
was getting in trouble for talking without raising my hand. (One of the few poignant memories I have of fourth grade is that my teacher taught me - as well as the rest of my classmates - to be polite.)

Why am I rambling about childhood memories, you might ask? Because most of those memories contain some element of fear. But not the sequin-attired child. Why was she fearless? Or was she fearful but doesn't remember the fear?.............

Feeling the width of the Atlantic in my heart...

This morning, my heart aches, missing my family and friends on the other side of the Atlantic. My sister graduates from college next Saturday, and this is the first family graduation I've missed. The younger of my two brothers has a new job and won't be in NY when we visit this summer, so who knows when I'll see him again. And for some reason, walking to school on the beautiful spring mornings this week has brought back lots of memories of the four years I lived in Ohio post-college. Geographical distance has put relational distance in these friendships, and I miss not knowing what's going on in their lives.

Don't get me wrong - my life is RICH and I have MUCH to be thankful for. But everything comes with a cost. For Mike and I, choosing to follow the calling God has given us means living far from those we love. And some days it hits us harder than others....

The Home Stretch

As some of you know, I've been struggling for a while with exhaustion and depletion (I'll have to share more about that in another post.) This past weekend I was once again hit with a wall of fatigue. I wondered why. Last week was a good week (overall, and energy-wise), so why did I "crash" again this weekend? Why, on Monday morning did the full five day week seem almost impossible to survive?

Because we're in the home stretch. (Seven weeks of classes plus finals week and grad week.) The final leg of a marathon. Because I (my body, my mind, and my spirit) have been, figuratively speaking, running the final stretch of a marathon for a long time now. A very long time. Over a year.

Some of you might be thinking, "What is she talking about?" Well friends, my life has been pretty constant for a while now. I could go back further, but let me just remind you of what the past twelve months have looked like for me:
- May 2009 - 4 week intense HMA (home ministry assignment) in the US, touching base with friends, family and supporters
- At the end of that HMA, Mike & I got engaged and began planning a wedding across the Atlantic
- I return to Germany at the end of May, and in addition to transatlantic wedding planning, it's the final stretch of English Camp planning
- July - August 2009 - an intense 4 weeks of English Camp, which feels more like 4 months, in the midst of which Mike returns to Germany (YAY! We're finally on the same side of the ocean)
- August 9th - English Camp staff leave
- August 10th - I start new staff orientation at BFA, jumping right into a new job without closing out the old one
- the fall is full of school stuff, learning my new job, and making a week-long trip back to the US for my brother's wedding
- Christmas break - these 3 weeks are spent in NYS celebrating Christmas with my family, plus getting married on Jan. 2nd
- Mike & I fly back to Germany in time to start the new semester on Jan. 12th
- This semester we've been continuing to learn our jobs, while also figuring out this thing called marriage. (Changing my name on everything, combining lives, learning to read each other's brains, etc.)

So perhaps you get the picture - my life has been FULL the past year, of many BIG events & changes. BUT, I'm at the point where I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Summer break is 8 weeks away, and with it comes the promise of REST. (Stayed tuned for another post about summer break plans.)

Perhaps you now understand why, when one day last week a colleague asked me, "So what big things do you have going on for the rest of the school year?" My response was a blank stare. Inside, I might have been screaming: "HELLO?! Think about what you know about my life the past year - it's time that there are NOT any big things in my life." But my external response was a blank stare, a hesitation, and then a response of "Nothing big. Just "normal" school stuff."

Around the same time, I was discussing with another friend what these next few months look like for me (oops...I mean us...another newlywed pronoun error:), and I realized that yes, these next two months are manageable, because, for the first time in a long time, the near future holds the promise of rest, a true break, and time off.

Along with that, spring has come. And with it, longer days, sunshine, and flowers. Oh the colorful flowers! I have always loved spring, the promise of new life, and how it reminds me of God's love and care for me.

Flashback to Fall....

I just found this post with a few pictures from the fall in my draft folder - evidently I never posted it. Enjoy this glimpse back a few months.

Beautiful scenery

Hanging out with Jenny (English Camp intern) one last time before she left...

Mike & I enjoyed Freiburg (a nearby city) one Saturday with Stephanie (below), an RA friend

Looking Back at St. Patty's Day

The Stuckey family, fellow BFA staffers, are dear friends of ours here. Their oldest daughter, Rachel, was my roommate before she left for Australia last summer. While living with Rachel, I was introduced to many Stuckey family traditions and celebrations, including eating green food (some natural, some food coloring enhanced) on St. Patrick's Day. This was my third year to celebrate this holiday Stuckey-style.

In early March, I was making a red velvet cake - what better way to combine my loves of dessert, chocolate, and the color red. (Side note: we tried to get a red velvet cheesecake or cake for our wedding reception, but that didn't work out. Which turned out fine, especially since I didn't exactly get to enjoy the food at our reception.) That cake ended up being more of a "mauve velvet" cake, since it wasn't dark enough to be called red. But, it did give me the inspiration to make a GREEN velvet cake for St. Patty's Day, and then I had the idea to make it SHAMROCK shaped!

Below are pictures of the cake making process. It was not perfect, but as I told the friends we dined with that evening, what it lacks in professionalism and perfection, it makes up for in spunk!

Two green heart-shaped cakes, ready to be transformed into a shamrock

The pieced together cake is ready to be frosted

Some of the tools I use to make the mess, I mean cake

The "what I lack in perfection I make up for in spunk" finished shamrock cake

Ready to enjoy our green dinner at the Stuckeys with some BFA friends

Enjoying the "Break" in Spring Break

Our last day of classes was last Wednesday, March 24th. However, today is the first full day that we feel is really "break." ACSI's (Association of Christian Schools International) ICE (International Christian Educators) Europe Conference was here at BFA from March 27 - 30th. It was a blessing to interact with Christian educators from across Europe and Africa. God is at work in our world, and it is so inspiring and encouraging to see the global perspective of His work. What a mighty God we serve!

BFA is blessed with the facilities and location to serve as host to this conference. (BFA also hosted the last ICE Europe conference in 2007.) However, we as BFA staff didn't exactly always feel the blessing of this. As a staff who is weary and has faced a challenging winter, we were weary and ready for spring break. For rest and refreshment. The work days spent setting up for the conference, and the extra work of serving meals and other tasks associated with being the host school, as well as the long days of the conference, weren't things we felt like we had energy for. I must admit I didn't hear much outward grumbling. And I don't think any (many) of us felt too negative about the conference - I think it was more the sense of weariness and fatigue that we were feeling.

But as I reflect on the conference yesterday and today, I realize how much we were able to bless our brothers and sisters by serving as host. And really, we saw the truth of "many hands make light work" in action. The steering committee put in many many many hours of hard work. Plus, we had three work teams from North America come and bless us all by cleaning, serving meals, and many other things that we might not even be aware of. They GREATLY helped to lighten the load for our BFA staff, and we thank them for their service.

I wish you all could have been here. To interact with these precious brothers and sisters. To hear the stories of how God is at work around the globe. To hear how He has protected them, or worked in spite of situations such as persecution, visas being revoked or threatened, and financial difficulties. To hear stories of revival in Africa. Who am I to doubt the power of my God and the power of prayer? God is God and we are not.

The conference ended with a banquet on Tuesday evening, which was a wonderful time of fellowship (and great food:), praising God, and hearing the story of the revival of Christian education in France. Mike and I both helped to serve for the banquet, and Mike helped to make some amazing White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. (His dorm experience in large quantity cooking and his sense of humor were invaluable during this time. The other ladies are wonderful cooks and amazing women, but were nervous about cooking in such large quantities. Mike helped to relieve their stress and keep them laughing. He's good at that!)

Mike with the cheesecakes ready to go in the oven

Carrie and Linda with their part of the cheesecake assembly line

Banquet servers getting their instructions

(Most are work team members, with some BFA staff mixed in)

BFA's gym was transformed into a comfortable and beautifully decorated area for our meals, especially for the banquet, as you see here

Kari ready to serve for the banquet with fellow BFA staffers Debbie and Susan

PS - Maybe we're still looking for the spring part of spring break too. We have had some nice weather the past few days, but as I sit here typing, it just started to hail/slush/something. :)

Food for Thought

When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.

Corrie ten Boom

More than just English

Yes, I'm an ESL teacher. But I also find myself filling other roles at times - big sister, mentor, surrogate mother, etc. Here are some of the other things I have found myself doing for my students, other than helping with verb tenses and pronounciation and eradicating comma splices. :)

- finder - I've tracked down more than 1 lost binder this school year.
- caterer- I sometimes say that I'm "loving people with baked goods" - I enjoy baking, and I usually share what I've made with neighbors, coworkers, and students. I also have a seeming "fruit bowl" consistently on my desk (current status: 1 apple, 1 banana, and 4 oranges), and a stash of granola bars and chocolate in my desk drawer. If a student needs a snack (or forgot their lunch, as sometimes happens), I share my food. And my co-workers know about my chocolate stash, in case they're in need of a pick-me-up. :)
- dental hygienist- not really, but when my 7th grader lost his tooth brush in the fall, I bought him a new one.
- travel agent - I recently helped 2 of my students (a brother and sister) buy train tickets for spring break to visit a family friend who lives further north in Germany.
- storyteller - Sometimes I probably tell too many stories, but it's one way I can share life with my students and help connect what they are learning to real life.
- advocate/sleuth - Since my students and I are both new to BFA this year, sometimes they have questions that I don't know the answers to. And sometimes it is easier for me to track down the answers than to send my students on a wild goose chase around the school - it's easier for me to be sent to three different offices (not that that is always the case) than it is for them to be. Sometimes I have to help them understand this system and culture of schooling they are in; to advocate for them, as well as teach them how to be their own advocates.

There are probably other roles I fill, but I think this gives you a more specific idea of how I'm teaching and loving these students who are away from their own families, and most of them in a new culture. Thanks for your prayers and support that allow Mike and I to be here doing this!!

Rest

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
~Psalm 4:8


"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress, I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all time, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us."
~Psalm 62:5-8


"Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
~Psalm 46:10


"Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant."
~1 Kings 8:56


"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
~Matthew 11:28

Back in the Swing of Things...

Wow. So much has happened in the past month. So many good things! :) I spent three weeks in the US - enjoying Christmas with my family and getting married! It was a FULL time, but one that was full of many blessings and special memories!!

Today is the first day of classes for spring semester. The jet lag is hitting me pretty hard (perhaps because of the busyness of the past three weeks?:) and my immune system seems pretty weak, but what a joy it was to see my students today and hear about their breaks!

I'm currently a bit identity-confused - can I just go without a last name for a few months? :) On that note, keep your eye out for a new blog, as I will probably stop this one and we will start a new one as a couple. You know - I/me/my has changed to we/us/our. :)