A Sunny Day in Gießen :)

Gosh, so many things to do and so many things on my mind! I have 6 exams coming up next month, a German presentation on Thursday, lesson plans to prepare, and ...probably a bunch of things I'm forgetting! Alas, this is the life of a college student especially one like me that doesn't know how to say "No, sorry I'm too busy." I think that learning to say "no" is a long way coming for me. However, between all the madness I am loving and enjoying life! I know that everyone has busy times in their lives once in a while. Today I realized that despite the craziness you can really enjoy every minute of it. It's a mind set I think. When I just decide that I am not going to let something stress me out it helps a lot!

My friend Kevin and I took a walk through the countryside today. It was a beautiful sunny day and the melted snow left behind a green grass bursting with life! Even though I had a lot to do I just couldn't stay inside! I never thought I would see such beauty in Gießen! No offense but it is not the most aesthetically pleasing place. Kevin and I just wandered around. We passed an old U.S. Army Depot and went into a little German town. We walked through fields with newly turned soil and sleeping orchards that I am sure yield delicious apples in the fall! We stopped to observe a noisy flock of hens and roosters. Kevin liked them more than me and snapped some pictures. It was so beautiful and the air was so fresh! It was then I realized how important it is to take time to enjoy life, to be still and not let your business overcome you. It was truly a wonderful time and a beautiful memory.

On another note, my family has been on my mind a lot. They are in Guatemala right now and will be there until Monday. This the first time my little brother and two little sisters have been outside the United States of America. I am so excited for them! I am praying they have a wonderful, blessed time and really learn a lot. Even though the time is so short, I think that it is such a good thing to be taken out of your own, familiar context and be placed somewhere completely foreign and new. Guatemala especially presents a stark contrast because it is different than anything they could ever see in Milwaukee. They are there visiting the family of a pastor that is very dear to our hearts. His daughter lived with us for 6 months about 10 years ago and recently their older son passed away in a horrific car accident. My parents felt strongly that they should go down there and be with the family. They felt a connection to them because of our loss of Caleb. I really pray they can be a blessing and I know beyond a doubt they will be blessed by the family as well. Being away from my family for almost 6 months now makes me realize, really realize with all my heart that I love them so much. They are my treasure in this world. I am so immensely blessed.

I'm Back!

Wow, it's weird but I feel like I'm actually home after being away from Gießen for two weeks. It's weird how accustomed you can get to a place. I walked home from the train station last night around 11pm and was welcomed by a light warm rain. The night was so pleasant that I took off my hat and jacket. It is strange to feel so familiar with a place that was completely unfamiliar four months ago.

Traveling for two straight weeks was amazing and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Being able to spend time with Leilah was so encouraging. I don't know what I would do without my loving Christian friends. We spent three days in Paris mostly eating crepes and drinking coffee. We were the kind of tourists (even though I hate that term) that simply looked at the outside of pretty buildings, avoiding long lines and entrance fees.

Our time in London was nice but very hard on our bank accounts. I think London is the most expensive city I have ever been in! We basically did the same as we did in Paris. Drank coffee. Looked at pretty buildings. We read our Bibles, prayed, and talked about God. I love doing these things with Leilah! We brought in the New Year by eating falafel, going to see "Grease" the musical, and then coming back to our hotel room and celebrating with wine and chocolate (and might I add...cheap, disgusting wine!). This may sound lame but we were out like logs at like 12:15am on New Years! :D

I think Dublin was our favorite city. Even though it is not as extravagant as Paris and London it is homey and the people are so warm. After being in France and England a warm, smiling face is almost shocking. One night we were sitting in a pub and my camera was resting on the table. A random woman walking past said, "Hey! I can take a picture of you guys if you want!". I couldn't believe it! The Irish truly are kind people. We took a day trip through the Irish countryside as well. Breathtaking. It was so green even in January! There were rolling hills with amazing shades of brown, gray, blue, and green. Our guide said that in the summer when the heather is blooming the hills blaze with purple. I would love to see that! Yes, Ireland was beautiful and a perfect way to end our time together.

However, Leilah and I did not only see beautiful places together but we talked about beautiful things. We talked about what it really means to implement God's word in our lives. We are still figuring so much out. What does it mean to truly live for Christ and in complete abandonment of everything else? Leilah lent me a book to read called "Radical" by David Platt. I read it so quickly, almost soaking it in! David Platt talks about so many things that just make sense. He wrote that the "American Dream" of wanting accumulate wealth and build oneself up is not biblical. Jesus's whole message was to live a life of love and give to the poor, orphaned, and widows. He came to earth not to accumulate wealth but to give it. Reading this book and seeing life from this perspective makes me analyze my life in a new way. Am I just accumulating worldly wealth and holding on to my possessions? What am I doing with the stuff that I have and how can I better use the resources God has given me?

It is true that as a college student I do not have a lot of money and my income is almost entirely financial aid based. However, if I only bought what I really NEEDED and stopped buying little things that I just want, I would have so much to give away. I could give away the money that I would spend on boots to fund a child in Africa every month - and that little bit of money would make a world of difference to that child while I could live without new boots.

Another thing that David Platt wrote about was the concept of holiness. He wrote that holiness is defined not by what you don't do but by what you do. Jesus never intended Christians to merely go to church every Sunday, sit in their comfy seats, and obey all the rules. He didn't do that. Jesus went OUT to the people. He sat with them and talked with them...he LIVED with them. He was relational with people and through those relationships people began to see who he was. This is exactly what we as Christians are called to do. We are called to go out.