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