on the way to hang out with a couple friends, i stopped to get my mail. and i found a book that i've been eagerly waiting for! once i arrived, i pulled out the package and opened it, and had this silly grin on my face as i saw the book and started looking through it. my friends looked at me like i was crazy. (this happens more than you might think.. :P ) on this particular occasion, the look was well-merited. because, you see, the book has 782 pages, and it is a textbook. all about the world Christian movement!
i am taking an online class called "perspectives" and am really grateful for the opportunity to read a large variety of authors and subjects, to be challenged in my view of God and mission, and to do so with a cohort of fellow believers from various places around the globe. here are a few quotes from this week's reading that stood out.
"Holiness is wholeness. To be holy is to be wholly the Lord's." -- Walter C. Kaiser
"None of God's gifts were meant for our own consumption. They were not meant to be mere badges or titles. They were for the purpose of declaring His wonderful deeds and calling people to His marvelous light." -- Walter C. Kaiser
"Blessing is God's provision for human flourishing. But it is also relational: to be blessed by God is not only to know God's god gifts but to know God himself in his generous giving." -- Richard Bauckham
I hope to continue to share quotes and ideas throughout this four month class. Some ideas are just better when they are shared!
Showing posts with label God lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God lessons. Show all posts
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
good bacteria!
one thing i have been doing regularly, for at least four or five months now, is making yogurt. it's actually a very simple process .. heat milk until it almost boils, let it cool down a bit, add 2 big spoons of yogurt, then wrap it up in towels and wait. the bacteria does the work. six hours later (or so) i unwrap it and put it directly in the fridge. the next morning .. yummy yogurt!
i like this process for a few reasons. one of them is that it tastes very good! another is that i know what is in the yogurt. and it's a bit cheaper. (not much, but still..) but i also value the picture! feels like a good image of what happens so often in our spiritual lives. God puts is in the right atmosphere (i would say .. some challenges, but not so many that we break) .. and then keeps us there while He builds up our character. or while He sands away sinful habits. or while He deepens our roots. or while He hollows out more space inside us so that His Spirit can fill us even more. whatever He may be doing .. it is His work! and we are changed, not through our own efforts .. but through His grace! so. yogurt is good to eat. and it reminds me that we have a God who is always, always working!
i like this process for a few reasons. one of them is that it tastes very good! another is that i know what is in the yogurt. and it's a bit cheaper. (not much, but still..) but i also value the picture! feels like a good image of what happens so often in our spiritual lives. God puts is in the right atmosphere (i would say .. some challenges, but not so many that we break) .. and then keeps us there while He builds up our character. or while He sands away sinful habits. or while He deepens our roots. or while He hollows out more space inside us so that His Spirit can fill us even more. whatever He may be doing .. it is His work! and we are changed, not through our own efforts .. but through His grace! so. yogurt is good to eat. and it reminds me that we have a God who is always, always working!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
sounds of Easter
one of the things i really savor about living in Romania is the seasons. not just the four seasons (although they can be rather glorious!) .. but the other signs that a certain time of year has come. say, for instance, the week and a half when strawberries are in season, cheap, amazingly juicy and sweet, and everybody eats them while they can! or, perhaps, knowing that it is near Christmas because it smells like oranges and a sweet-bread that is made traditionally here.
Easter is clearly coming. the most obvious reason being that everyone is cleaning their rugs. and this process looks a little bit different than in the States. rugs are rolled up and carried to the nearest bar, which are probably within a 5 minute walk of just about anybody. there is an instrument, much like a racket, which is used to beat the rug over and over until there isn't much dust left in it. this makes a loud sound, which one might mistake for some sort of violence, if one didn't know better .. everyone is cleaning house before Easter and visitors, so i hear this sound often. but i take it as a reminder of what this week represents, of what happened on Friday .. and what happened on Sunday. and it's all true!
Easter is clearly coming. the most obvious reason being that everyone is cleaning their rugs. and this process looks a little bit different than in the States. rugs are rolled up and carried to the nearest bar, which are probably within a 5 minute walk of just about anybody. there is an instrument, much like a racket, which is used to beat the rug over and over until there isn't much dust left in it. this makes a loud sound, which one might mistake for some sort of violence, if one didn't know better .. everyone is cleaning house before Easter and visitors, so i hear this sound often. but i take it as a reminder of what this week represents, of what happened on Friday .. and what happened on Sunday. and it's all true!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
an apt picture
this winter, we had a few really cold weeks. because of the way the heating works, i always left my bathroom window just a little bit open, so there would be some airflow. a few days into our incredibly cold streak, i started to hear bird noises more often, but i didn't immediately realize why. some mornings i would find old bread crusts in my bathtub, which sits right below the window. strange, i thought .. but i still didn't guess why. upstairs neighbors and wind? bored kids?
eventually, it clicked. these birds had been coming to my window to find shelter. because the window was cracked open, it meant that there was air just a little bit warmer than outside, and they were taking advantage of it! sometimes for a few seconds, sometimes much longer.
talking with God, this felt like a picture of what He has invited me into. people can come into my home (and friendship) and they can be warmed, comforted, refreshed. these birds needed a place to really rest, and it feels like i sometimes get to do the same thing for my friends! invite them in, share what i have, be present with them, enjoy life together, and send them on their way with just a little bit more hope, Lord willing.
a friend recently visited and the birds kept reminding her of the passage of Scripture that talks about God taking care of the birds of the field, and that we can trust Him to provide for us as well. she encouraged me to trust Him to provide for me and for whatever the future may hold. so .. each day as i hear and see the birds (who still come around and visit, even if it's not cold outside) .. i remember these two thoughts, and wonder what else is in store for me to learn!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
'providential'
apologies for the long pause. hope you enjoy this story!
wednesday i traveled from romania to germany. two plane rides. each of them less than two hours. but still .. i got to be on a plane! traveling is something i always enjoy, and this day was no exception. i arrived at the airport in germany and needed to get down to the train station (connected to the airport, just takes a bit of walking to get there) for the train i had a ticket on that left 40 minutes after i had collected my baggage.
when i arrived at the train station, i looked up at the wall to see which trains were leaving when. my train wasn't on the list. i got a feeling that all was not well with the world .. and walked back a short ways to the place where you can buy tickets. i showed one of the women working there my ticket, and she said 'oh.. this is from the main station in the city, not from the airport station.' she looked at my sad face and said 'there's a train leaving on line 4 in 4 minutes. it's ten minutes into the city center and the conductor probably won't come and ask for tickets. so .. that's what i did. i walked very quickly and made the train (it was two minutes late, even, so i didn't have to worry!) and although the conductor passed by, there were many people already waiting to exit the train at the stop so she didn't ask for any tickets. thanks, God!
the track i needed to be at was just one over, so it was easy to get there and i even had almost 10 minutes to spare! turns out the train was running 10 minutes late, so i had a bit more time. once i got on the train and found a seat (i had a seat on my ticket but it was in use, so i just found one nearby) that was next to another woman. i assumed she was a german, and when she went to the bathroom she spoke german to me. but .. after she came back, she called her mother. and .. what language did she happen to use?! why, romanian, of course! so we had an hour and a half to talk about all sorts of things! there were some mechanical problems with the train, so it stopped for a bit and went a slightly different direction .. but God had provided this woman who would kindly translate for me! and who let me use her phone to call the friends i am visiting, letting them know i was going to be late.
it felt so .. providential. something that is just too much to be a coincidence. i come to a different country .. and end up having a ticket for the wrong train .. and sit down next to a random woman .. who just happens to be fluent in romanian and german (and at least 3 other languages as well!) .. and who wants to talk about some of what God is doing in romania, and things we understand about the culture. such a gift! made me feel that i truly am taken care of. with nothing to worry about :)
wednesday i traveled from romania to germany. two plane rides. each of them less than two hours. but still .. i got to be on a plane! traveling is something i always enjoy, and this day was no exception. i arrived at the airport in germany and needed to get down to the train station (connected to the airport, just takes a bit of walking to get there) for the train i had a ticket on that left 40 minutes after i had collected my baggage.
when i arrived at the train station, i looked up at the wall to see which trains were leaving when. my train wasn't on the list. i got a feeling that all was not well with the world .. and walked back a short ways to the place where you can buy tickets. i showed one of the women working there my ticket, and she said 'oh.. this is from the main station in the city, not from the airport station.' she looked at my sad face and said 'there's a train leaving on line 4 in 4 minutes. it's ten minutes into the city center and the conductor probably won't come and ask for tickets. so .. that's what i did. i walked very quickly and made the train (it was two minutes late, even, so i didn't have to worry!) and although the conductor passed by, there were many people already waiting to exit the train at the stop so she didn't ask for any tickets. thanks, God!
the track i needed to be at was just one over, so it was easy to get there and i even had almost 10 minutes to spare! turns out the train was running 10 minutes late, so i had a bit more time. once i got on the train and found a seat (i had a seat on my ticket but it was in use, so i just found one nearby) that was next to another woman. i assumed she was a german, and when she went to the bathroom she spoke german to me. but .. after she came back, she called her mother. and .. what language did she happen to use?! why, romanian, of course! so we had an hour and a half to talk about all sorts of things! there were some mechanical problems with the train, so it stopped for a bit and went a slightly different direction .. but God had provided this woman who would kindly translate for me! and who let me use her phone to call the friends i am visiting, letting them know i was going to be late.
it felt so .. providential. something that is just too much to be a coincidence. i come to a different country .. and end up having a ticket for the wrong train .. and sit down next to a random woman .. who just happens to be fluent in romanian and german (and at least 3 other languages as well!) .. and who wants to talk about some of what God is doing in romania, and things we understand about the culture. such a gift! made me feel that i truly am taken care of. with nothing to worry about :)
Thursday, July 16, 2009
connections .. God style!
our God is rather crazy. in an amazing and astounding way. but for the end of this story to make sense, there are a couple important pieces that you need to know first.
two years ago, a friend connected me through email to another friend of hers who lives and works in romania. this person works with another missions organization that has a similar perspective on life and missions to the one i'm part of. although we communicated just a little bit through email, it didn't work out at that point for me to go and visit at that point. it's not too far .. about 4 hours by train. but things got busy, and i got focused on other things, and nothing ever happened.
things have been changing on my team, and i am stepping into a posture of learning what God is doing in my neighborhood, the city i live in, and even a wider perspective of what God is doing across the country. i haven't been particularly sure how to go about this, but have been praying and asking God to direct my path.
last week, i spent the week at camp with kids from our program. to arrive at this particular location, we took a train four hours south (generally). then we got on a bus for another two hours to arrive in a village. then we walked half an hour on a dirt road to arrive at the actual place we stayed. it was a marvelous location .. tucked away in the hills, with plenty of activities for the kids to do. from where we were, we couldn't see any other houses or buildings. just green trees and hills! there were houses nearby, but not visible. it was a bit tricky even to get cell phone reception. by the end of the week, everybody knew where their particular phone had a couple of bars, and spent time there once in a while to call parents or friends or send a text message.
anyway .. turns out, that the organization that i had made contact with long ago also comes to this same location with their kids during the summer. and it turns out .. someone from their organization had come to spend a few days on retreat. through a couple of conversations with different people, the connection was made that he works with them. so .. i got to make a new connection. and have the possibility of visiting come up again, with an invitation, even! at the end of a dirt road .. from a small village .. in the middle of romania. one could say that it was coincidence .. but i don't think so. only God has a sense of humor like this!
two years ago, a friend connected me through email to another friend of hers who lives and works in romania. this person works with another missions organization that has a similar perspective on life and missions to the one i'm part of. although we communicated just a little bit through email, it didn't work out at that point for me to go and visit at that point. it's not too far .. about 4 hours by train. but things got busy, and i got focused on other things, and nothing ever happened.
things have been changing on my team, and i am stepping into a posture of learning what God is doing in my neighborhood, the city i live in, and even a wider perspective of what God is doing across the country. i haven't been particularly sure how to go about this, but have been praying and asking God to direct my path.
last week, i spent the week at camp with kids from our program. to arrive at this particular location, we took a train four hours south (generally). then we got on a bus for another two hours to arrive in a village. then we walked half an hour on a dirt road to arrive at the actual place we stayed. it was a marvelous location .. tucked away in the hills, with plenty of activities for the kids to do. from where we were, we couldn't see any other houses or buildings. just green trees and hills! there were houses nearby, but not visible. it was a bit tricky even to get cell phone reception. by the end of the week, everybody knew where their particular phone had a couple of bars, and spent time there once in a while to call parents or friends or send a text message.
anyway .. turns out, that the organization that i had made contact with long ago also comes to this same location with their kids during the summer. and it turns out .. someone from their organization had come to spend a few days on retreat. through a couple of conversations with different people, the connection was made that he works with them. so .. i got to make a new connection. and have the possibility of visiting come up again, with an invitation, even! at the end of a dirt road .. from a small village .. in the middle of romania. one could say that it was coincidence .. but i don't think so. only God has a sense of humor like this!
Sunday, February 01, 2009
taking a Sabbath
apologies for my long absence. too much has happened .. and i haven't been sure what to write about or how to summarize .. so i'm just starting with this week. i'll try to be more consistent about writing, with God's help :)
each week i make a point to take a Sabbath. and it really does need to be taken. there are so many things to be done, and people to spend time with, and pushes toward accomplishing -- if i don't set aside a day, it won't happen. so what is Sabbath? a day to rest. to be refreshed. to spend time in God's presence. to not work. to be creative. those are a few of the 'goals' i have each Sabbath.
this past week, when i woke up on Sabbath morning, i really wanted to finish my book. but i curbed my desire for a while and spent some time with God in His Word, savoring His truth and yummy coffee at the same time :D and then i pulled out this book. it's a book i've read before at least twice, and every time i read it i understand new truths. or old truths more deeply. this particular book has a Christ figure .. and even though the book is not explicitly Christian when i read it, my soul understands it spiritually. all that to say .. i spent a good two or three hours reading, and wasn't sure if i should feel guilty. that i wasn't journaling and reading my Bible and listening to God in silence. but then God reminded me that He is not limited to the Word. He graciously allowed me to commune with Him and take delight in His character through this amazing story. and that's a pretty good way to spend a Sabbath!
each week i make a point to take a Sabbath. and it really does need to be taken. there are so many things to be done, and people to spend time with, and pushes toward accomplishing -- if i don't set aside a day, it won't happen. so what is Sabbath? a day to rest. to be refreshed. to spend time in God's presence. to not work. to be creative. those are a few of the 'goals' i have each Sabbath.
this past week, when i woke up on Sabbath morning, i really wanted to finish my book. but i curbed my desire for a while and spent some time with God in His Word, savoring His truth and yummy coffee at the same time :D and then i pulled out this book. it's a book i've read before at least twice, and every time i read it i understand new truths. or old truths more deeply. this particular book has a Christ figure .. and even though the book is not explicitly Christian when i read it, my soul understands it spiritually. all that to say .. i spent a good two or three hours reading, and wasn't sure if i should feel guilty. that i wasn't journaling and reading my Bible and listening to God in silence. but then God reminded me that He is not limited to the Word. He graciously allowed me to commune with Him and take delight in His character through this amazing story. and that's a pretty good way to spend a Sabbath!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
reflection of the Father
people who spend their lives seeking God and seeking His Kingdom are pretty amazing.
getting to spend time with them .. also amazing. you might not be able to pick them out of a crowd (although CS Lewis writes about a recognition of God's children between one another..). you might not be impressed by their appearance. you might not choose to sit next to them at the airport.
but if you get a chance to sit down and hear a story, you would be surprised at the depth you hear. you might hear questions that grasp more than you'd expect. you might hear stories of great pain told without bitterness or anger. you might find your soul suddenly finding room to breathe. you might wish you could spend a few months living and learning from them (or a lifetime!). you would be able to say like the religious rulers of the day "they knew they had been with Jesus." only by His grace is that possible .. may you continue to evidence yourself in your beloved children, Father.
getting to spend time with them .. also amazing. you might not be able to pick them out of a crowd (although CS Lewis writes about a recognition of God's children between one another..). you might not be impressed by their appearance. you might not choose to sit next to them at the airport.
but if you get a chance to sit down and hear a story, you would be surprised at the depth you hear. you might hear questions that grasp more than you'd expect. you might hear stories of great pain told without bitterness or anger. you might find your soul suddenly finding room to breathe. you might wish you could spend a few months living and learning from them (or a lifetime!). you would be able to say like the religious rulers of the day "they knew they had been with Jesus." only by His grace is that possible .. may you continue to evidence yourself in your beloved children, Father.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
am urcat ceahlaul!
last friday afternoon i received a phone call from a friend. asking if i wanted to climb a mountain the next day. with some people from church. i thought about it for a few seconds and said 'yes'. and then i discovered that we were leaving at 5am saturday morning. aka very early!
i slept over at my friends' place (to make sure that i actually woke up that early!) and we were indeed leaving shortly after 5. there were 8 of us total. and the drive took about 3 hours (since mountains aren't exactly close to the city where we live). we arrived (after a stop for some breakfast and hot coffee!) and were on our way shortly before 9am. it was chilly, so all of us were in some sort of coat (and some in winter hats, too!) .. but with the exertion of climbing a mountain we quickly warmed up. it was wonderful to be outdoors without out a cement building in sight!
sometimes when i've gone hiking in the past, those who are more fit are way ahead and get frustrated at those who are slower. that didn't happen this time. those who were ahead just waited periodically. and even though i was slower i didn't get left behind. somebody was always close enough to help if need be and to encourage too :) i felt very cared for .. part of the reason i really enjoy the church i get to be part of. by the time we neared the top, it was so foggy that we couldn't see more than 100 feet (that's my guess, at least). but we were easily able to stay on the path and arrive to the chalet at the top where we got some wonderfully warm tea! from there we walked the ridge up to another peak that is pretty abrupt. when we got there, it was so foggy that we could have been anywhere. it was just the eight of us, the rocks that we stood on, some monument-type thing that was on the top of the peak, and fog. surreal.
beauty is something that God uses to speak to me and bless me. (as is true for many of us, if we stop to acknowledge it, i suspect.) near the top of the mountain, somehow the wind and cold temperatures and humidity had combined to make beautiful ice sculptures. the tall grasses and pine trees and various flowers had icicles. that were horizontal. all in one direction. something i'd never seen before and not thought particularly plausible. but there it was. gorgeous and stunning and other-worldly.
with all the fog, we didn't have much of a view. but after we had enjoyed our warm tea and came back outside into the 'brisk cold' .. we had a view. the fog had cleared away in one direction, so we could see a nearby lake and the surrounding mountains. it was astounding! fog on three sides with a clear view in one direction. after a few minutes (maybe ten?) the fog rolled back in and it was just us, the crazy horizontal icicles, rocks, a few green plants, and two dogs who hang around the chalet at the top of the mountain and decided to accompany us to the other peak. pretty amazing. and such a picture of how life can be with God .. sometimes we get a glimpse of where we are, where we have come from, what we have done .. and other times we simply keep walking and moving forward on the few feet of path that we can see. trusting that Somebody knows what's ahead.
oh yeah. the title of the post. it's romanian for 'i climbed ceahlaul!' aka the name of the mountain. sounds sorta like chay-ah-low-ool. sorta :) hope to post picture soon. sorry i can't today.
i slept over at my friends' place (to make sure that i actually woke up that early!) and we were indeed leaving shortly after 5. there were 8 of us total. and the drive took about 3 hours (since mountains aren't exactly close to the city where we live). we arrived (after a stop for some breakfast and hot coffee!) and were on our way shortly before 9am. it was chilly, so all of us were in some sort of coat (and some in winter hats, too!) .. but with the exertion of climbing a mountain we quickly warmed up. it was wonderful to be outdoors without out a cement building in sight!
sometimes when i've gone hiking in the past, those who are more fit are way ahead and get frustrated at those who are slower. that didn't happen this time. those who were ahead just waited periodically. and even though i was slower i didn't get left behind. somebody was always close enough to help if need be and to encourage too :) i felt very cared for .. part of the reason i really enjoy the church i get to be part of. by the time we neared the top, it was so foggy that we couldn't see more than 100 feet (that's my guess, at least). but we were easily able to stay on the path and arrive to the chalet at the top where we got some wonderfully warm tea! from there we walked the ridge up to another peak that is pretty abrupt. when we got there, it was so foggy that we could have been anywhere. it was just the eight of us, the rocks that we stood on, some monument-type thing that was on the top of the peak, and fog. surreal.
beauty is something that God uses to speak to me and bless me. (as is true for many of us, if we stop to acknowledge it, i suspect.) near the top of the mountain, somehow the wind and cold temperatures and humidity had combined to make beautiful ice sculptures. the tall grasses and pine trees and various flowers had icicles. that were horizontal. all in one direction. something i'd never seen before and not thought particularly plausible. but there it was. gorgeous and stunning and other-worldly.
with all the fog, we didn't have much of a view. but after we had enjoyed our warm tea and came back outside into the 'brisk cold' .. we had a view. the fog had cleared away in one direction, so we could see a nearby lake and the surrounding mountains. it was astounding! fog on three sides with a clear view in one direction. after a few minutes (maybe ten?) the fog rolled back in and it was just us, the crazy horizontal icicles, rocks, a few green plants, and two dogs who hang around the chalet at the top of the mountain and decided to accompany us to the other peak. pretty amazing. and such a picture of how life can be with God .. sometimes we get a glimpse of where we are, where we have come from, what we have done .. and other times we simply keep walking and moving forward on the few feet of path that we can see. trusting that Somebody knows what's ahead.
oh yeah. the title of the post. it's romanian for 'i climbed ceahlaul!' aka the name of the mountain. sounds sorta like chay-ah-low-ool. sorta :) hope to post picture soon. sorry i can't today.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
communion
today at our Christmas eve service, i got to take communion for the fourth time in less than two weeks. you might think that's a bit much .. but some people take it every day. and i've been averaging about once a month, so it's nice to have an abundance for a few days. each time, there have been different ideas that God has brought to mind. tonight, i was aware of the weightiness of choosing to follow God.
our paster (the one at my church in salt lake) talked a bit about the gifts that God has to give us. first of all is the gift of His Son. (clearly!) but then there are other gifts, like grace. and forgiveness. and ... the list could go on a long time. and in return, He asks us to give back to Him. to choose Him. to love Him more than we love things, more than we love friends, more than we love family .. to follow Him even if it means leaving much that we love. because He is good and if He wants us to go somewhere, it must be the best place for the next season. not the easiest place, or the warmest place, or the most beautiful place .. but the place where He will grow us and make us more like Him, the place where He will be glorified, the place where He is present and ready to bring His Kingdom even more. and as i took communion, i again told God that i will follow Him. even if it means some of the things above will be true. because He has put this deep love for Himself in me that i cannot deny, and i believe in the depths of my soul that His plans are the best ones. even if it means i have to say 'goodbye' waaaaaayyyy too often.
our paster (the one at my church in salt lake) talked a bit about the gifts that God has to give us. first of all is the gift of His Son. (clearly!) but then there are other gifts, like grace. and forgiveness. and ... the list could go on a long time. and in return, He asks us to give back to Him. to choose Him. to love Him more than we love things, more than we love friends, more than we love family .. to follow Him even if it means leaving much that we love. because He is good and if He wants us to go somewhere, it must be the best place for the next season. not the easiest place, or the warmest place, or the most beautiful place .. but the place where He will grow us and make us more like Him, the place where He will be glorified, the place where He is present and ready to bring His Kingdom even more. and as i took communion, i again told God that i will follow Him. even if it means some of the things above will be true. because He has put this deep love for Himself in me that i cannot deny, and i believe in the depths of my soul that His plans are the best ones. even if it means i have to say 'goodbye' waaaaaayyyy too often.
Friday, September 28, 2007
perfect timing
i recently moved into a new neighborhood, and have been thinking and wondering about how to meet my neighbors. not an a loud american way, but in a more culturally sensitive (and personally appropriate) way. because romanians are fairly suspicious of strangers (a characteristic that was necessary for survival during communism), it's hard to meet people .. and to build relationship. especially with a foreigner who doesn't speak the language very well. but our Dad has a cool way of working things out .. in a way that does not bring honor to us but to Him. and that can help us trust Him more that He really does know what's best.
a few nights ago, i arrived home right before it got really dark. most of my thirty minute walk it was about 'dusk', and by the time i got home, it was getting past dusk to 'hard to see' and 'light in the sky but dark in the street. but when i got to the steps in front of the apartment block where i live, one of the kids that we work with was sitting there. he lives in the next building over (same building, different stairway, to be exact), and knows all the other kids and a fair number of the adults. he invited me to sit down, so i did .. and we had a nice 45 (or so) minute conversation. outside. so i got to meet a few of the other kids who came over to listen for a bit or to ask him a question or to just sit down and rest from a hard game of football (aka soccer). and some parents saw me sitting and talking to my friend. and i got to listen to some of his stories and how his day was and share what i think about imagination and hear some recipes. in fact, tomorrow he's coming over and we're going shopping and then he's going to teach me how to make bors. it's a sort of sour soup that romanians make. and it's very tasty. sounds like a nice way to spend a saturday afternoon to me!
a few nights ago, i arrived home right before it got really dark. most of my thirty minute walk it was about 'dusk', and by the time i got home, it was getting past dusk to 'hard to see' and 'light in the sky but dark in the street. but when i got to the steps in front of the apartment block where i live, one of the kids that we work with was sitting there. he lives in the next building over (same building, different stairway, to be exact), and knows all the other kids and a fair number of the adults. he invited me to sit down, so i did .. and we had a nice 45 (or so) minute conversation. outside. so i got to meet a few of the other kids who came over to listen for a bit or to ask him a question or to just sit down and rest from a hard game of football (aka soccer). and some parents saw me sitting and talking to my friend. and i got to listen to some of his stories and how his day was and share what i think about imagination and hear some recipes. in fact, tomorrow he's coming over and we're going shopping and then he's going to teach me how to make bors. it's a sort of sour soup that romanians make. and it's very tasty. sounds like a nice way to spend a saturday afternoon to me!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
house church .. and a cool image
this past thursday i went to house church for the first time in a long while. with the busy-ness of the summer and the traveling and activities, it just didn't happen (and there were a few weeks where it didn't happen because everybody was on vacation!). it was nice to be back. and surprisingly, it was only females (except for the leader and his son). the main topic for the evening was what questions we would ask Jesus if he came and pulled up a chair on our circle. i love that image. i know that when two or three are gathered together in His name, He is present .. but thinking of Him being present in such a tangible way can be helpful. we each wrote down some of our questions and then shared them. it was great to hear some of the things others wonder about. and it got me thinking .. so here are some of the questions i'd love to sit down and ask Jesus and get an answer for! (i know i can do that in prayer .. but sometimes i'm still learning to hear His answers well.)
what do you have me in romania to do?
how do you specifically want me to spend my time?
why do you give people and then take them away?
how can i love you better?
how can i speak truth to "lisa" in a way that she'll understand?
what are you doing in my neighborhood?
is it part of your plan for me to get married?
hmmm... as i am writing these, i'm realizing that i feel fairly vulnerable. questions reveal a lot about a person. and these aren't all of my questions. but some that i feel comfortable sharing. if you want to comment and add some of your own .. please do. maybe writing them and acknowledging them will allow us to hear better.
what do you have me in romania to do?
how do you specifically want me to spend my time?
why do you give people and then take them away?
how can i love you better?
how can i speak truth to "lisa" in a way that she'll understand?
what are you doing in my neighborhood?
is it part of your plan for me to get married?
hmmm... as i am writing these, i'm realizing that i feel fairly vulnerable. questions reveal a lot about a person. and these aren't all of my questions. but some that i feel comfortable sharing. if you want to comment and add some of your own .. please do. maybe writing them and acknowledging them will allow us to hear better.
Friday, August 24, 2007
conference in hungary
i'm sitting at the hotel in hungary, at the end of our four-day conference with CRM. and it has been wonderful to be here. the theme of the conference was rest .. so we talked about rest, got to practice a bit of rest, discussed in small groups what keeps us from rest, worshiped, and got to enjoy people. there were about 70 adults here for the conference, who are missionaries from all over the europe & this part of the world .. (hungary, france, russia, poland, uk, romania .. to name a few).
i'm part of innerchange, and innerchange is part of crm. i've spent a fair bit of time with ic people, but less time with crm - so being at this conference has been a gift. the people who are part of this organization are quality. some have been in missions almost as long as i've been alive, which is a bit mind-boggling. my three year commitment feels pretty wimpy. but then i remember that i'm only 24 and it's okay that i don't know what i'm gonna do for the rest of my life. God knows, and that's enough. it has been a blessing to spend time with people who have chosen to serve God overseas in cross-cultural contexts. have chosen and have been called. and encouraging to know that it's possible to stay in this sort of ministry for many many years. and to see that God does really call us to be faithful and not to be successful -- although sometimes he honors that faithfulness with great success and visible movements of people into His Kingdom. He is powerful, and He is moving. mmm.
i'm part of innerchange, and innerchange is part of crm. i've spent a fair bit of time with ic people, but less time with crm - so being at this conference has been a gift. the people who are part of this organization are quality. some have been in missions almost as long as i've been alive, which is a bit mind-boggling. my three year commitment feels pretty wimpy. but then i remember that i'm only 24 and it's okay that i don't know what i'm gonna do for the rest of my life. God knows, and that's enough. it has been a blessing to spend time with people who have chosen to serve God overseas in cross-cultural contexts. have chosen and have been called. and encouraging to know that it's possible to stay in this sort of ministry for many many years. and to see that God does really call us to be faithful and not to be successful -- although sometimes he honors that faithfulness with great success and visible movements of people into His Kingdom. He is powerful, and He is moving. mmm.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
artistic leaves
i like beauty. i need it. my soul needs it. and -- when i live in a city composed largely of big blocks of cement .. i have to look for it. recently i've been enjoying the fall leaves. the colors, the shapes, the sizes (i've seen some that are bigger than my two hands together!), and the sound they make when they're dry and i walk on them. that's the sound of autumn!
of course, God keeps teaching me things. so the leaves have become highly symbolic. and i've been collecting them left and right. and pressing them flat under my large journal so they don't break and crumble on me. at least not as fast. and today i took about an hour to be artistic -- with black construction paper, lots of collected leaves, and my camera. took a few pictures (actually .. about 60..) and really enjoyed myself. finding beauty in the 'mundane' and capturing some of it too! i took this one on the left all by myself!
notice all the colors of the leaves? nerd that i am, with all this thinking about leaves and autumn and death .. i did some searching online to find out what is behind leaves changing color. and here are some interesting facts (at least for me!) ...
-- trees can tell the seasons are changing because the daylight period gets shorter
-- trees prepare for dormancy, and take all the nutrients from leaves back into trunk and roots
-- without daylight, less chlorophyll (which causes the green in leaves) is produced
-- other colors (yellows, oranges, browns, and reds if there's lots of sunlight) which have been present the whole time can be seen more clearly
-- instead of making chlorophyll, plants make sugars and amino acids that serve as a sort of antifreeze to get them alive through the winter
now the spiritual dimension. seasons are a normal part of life. and we often savor the amazing colors of fall and the leaves. but -- they fall off because they died. the tree had to lose them to stay alive and healthy (otherwise the tree might not make it through the winter with its resources spread too thinly). in our own lives we don't celebrate loss or death. not that i'm saying we shouldn't mourn, but maybe there is also something to rejoice over? the leaves are beautiful! they are part of the tree but the tree is still there and solid. in the spring new growth will have particular places to start. as humans we can only do so many things. and sometimes that means we can only do one or two things really well. other things must 'die' or 'be lost' -- and in God's time they might return with new life and energy. sometimes our dreams have to be given to God and set aside so we can concentrate on being 'the Beloved' of God and not on accomplishing and doing -- but just being with our Daddy.
of course, God keeps teaching me things. so the leaves have become highly symbolic. and i've been collecting them left and right. and pressing them flat under my large journal so they don't break and crumble on me. at least not as fast. and today i took about an hour to be artistic -- with black construction paper, lots of collected leaves, and my camera. took a few pictures (actually .. about 60..) and really enjoyed myself. finding beauty in the 'mundane' and capturing some of it too! i took this one on the left all by myself!notice all the colors of the leaves? nerd that i am, with all this thinking about leaves and autumn and death .. i did some searching online to find out what is behind leaves changing color. and here are some interesting facts (at least for me!) ...
-- trees can tell the seasons are changing because the daylight period gets shorter
-- trees prepare for dormancy, and take all the nutrients from leaves back into trunk and roots
-- without daylight, less chlorophyll (which causes the green in leaves) is produced
-- other colors (yellows, oranges, browns, and reds if there's lots of sunlight) which have been present the whole time can be seen more clearly
-- instead of making chlorophyll, plants make sugars and amino acids that serve as a sort of antifreeze to get them alive through the winter
now the spiritual dimension. seasons are a normal part of life. and we often savor the amazing colors of fall and the leaves. but -- they fall off because they died. the tree had to lose them to stay alive and healthy (otherwise the tree might not make it through the winter with its resources spread too thinly). in our own lives we don't celebrate loss or death. not that i'm saying we shouldn't mourn, but maybe there is also something to rejoice over? the leaves are beautiful! they are part of the tree but the tree is still there and solid. in the spring new growth will have particular places to start. as humans we can only do so many things. and sometimes that means we can only do one or two things really well. other things must 'die' or 'be lost' -- and in God's time they might return with new life and energy. sometimes our dreams have to be given to God and set aside so we can concentrate on being 'the Beloved' of God and not on accomplishing and doing -- but just being with our Daddy.
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