New Life

It's been 4 weeks today that I've got a new life in my house I have the privilege to take care of. A bad thing is I didn't have those 9 months one usually has to prepare for a new child but only 8 weeks. The good thing about it is, I don't have to change diapers.

If I would write down all the miracles that I experienced since my 15 year old niece called me late June to ask if she could move in with me from Elizabethtown, Kentucky USA and finish school here in Germany I probably could publish a book.
And although it is an overwhelming blessing, I am still working full time and time is not only flying but dashing. And since I get up at 4:30 in the morning, go to work at 6 a.m and get home to be busy with listening to what my kid has to tell me about her school day and prepare for the next day (I better don't mention all the paper work I had to take care of so that she has a good health insurance and so on), I could go to bed at 9 p.m. every evening.

I will see if I will find time to write down some of the unbelievable things our Heavenly Father blessed us with. Even the best planning would fade away compared to how precisely things and people were at the right time at the right place we never had even thought of!

But for now: Good night world, sleep well!

cleaning help

Found those two pictures while making more space for my girl. She has always insisted on helping her aunt - I remember it was the last "only-you-and-me" visit before they moved to Würzburg and then later that year to the US. It is exactly 7 years ago (July 2004) and I couldn't get the brush out of her hand.

Kris

My friend Kris is a phenomenon.

I met her and her family in my church and during their stay in Germany we said "hello" to each other once in a while when we met on Sundays.

I really loved her kids, especially the 2 (later 3) cute little girls she had always tripping around her.

Not long after the family had left Germany - when, Kris, 2007? - I discovered her blog. That was the time I really started to get to know her, somehow sad, but I think better late than never! I already told her that I think we could have had so much fun together if that had happened at the time they still were here in Germany...

Anyway - I am always happy to hear or read from her on facebook (which has been more lately) or on her blog.

And this morning I realized that I feel similar towards Kris like I feel for my sister, with whom I never had the best relationship until she moved to the U.S where she finally decided to live her life as a daughter of the Great King (when Esther, 2 years ago?) and left her wicked ways.

So, Kris, I don't know if you will like this, but I've officially decided to adopt you. And if you think this is weird, you have to get used to it, you won't be asked in this matter!

I love you, Krister sister! :) 

New Year, new things

I am excited about this new year! More than the years before. And it already started different. Not as splendid as my sister's (new-hubby-job), but I love those little ones as well. So I started January 1st in PJ's, all day long - haven't done that for years. Sunday (new as well) I decided what kind of cake I wanted in a café just by passing the cake bar (usually I can't decide and it takes MINUTES!). Yesterday, Sandy showed me that "perfect day" coffee bar that has probably best coffee in town AND she found me the perfect warm winter jacket at peek & cloppenburg.

Oh and this one is the best! Since over a year I try to have my quiet time right when I wake up but especially during winter time I too often fall kinda asleep again. It's dark and cold and bed is so snugly... well, you probably know what I am talking about. During the last weekend I really racked my brain (and asked the Father for an insight) how I could change it and TADA, suddenly it was there - so bright, clear and easy I am stunned (and annoyed that this didn't appear sooner):

I have to get up early to feed the cats anyway, they always put up such a fuss unless I give them their breakfast... So I get up at 5 a.m (or 5.30 this morning) and when I go into the kitchen to get the cat food, I turn the heating on. Then, while the cats are eating, I take a shower and dress up and prepare everything so that I easily can leave to get the bus to go to work. When preparations are done, I go back into the kitchen, wich is warm and cosy by that time, sit down at my big kitchen table, set up my kitchen timer (about 20 minutes) so that I wouldn't miss the bus and start reading. It works! I don't fall asleep anymore and I get the most benefit out of it! I finally found my "holy place" even if it's only a kitchen table...

Happy New Year 2011

 

please click the icon to watch the e-card.

wishing my friends and family all the best!

the enemy is doing a great job

there are so many thoughts cruising my brain and I don't know if I will be able to put the feelings that I have about it into correct words but I try.

basically it starts with the question: why am I one of the few who are privileged to be able to understand the concept of life? O yes, I know, to say something like that in our post modern world, it is arrogant and probably will be soon declared discriminatory because I say there is no other way to see the whole thing.
Well, of course you can see it differently. In these days everything is allowed, you can define your world the way you want to see it and do whatever you want as long as "it makes you happy" and no one else is harmed or at least not so much harmed.

Fact is, I had so many conversations with people recently, who are proud of being "modern" and able to do things the way "it makes them happy" no matter what and they fight for their right to be happy. Although in todays world you don't have to fight so much for what they are standing for, because today, it is cool for example to be homosexual. (but if someone dares to say homosexuality is not normal it is - again - discriminatory.) So why are they still - sometimes aggressivley - proclaiming their rights? They are already doing "what makes them happy", but you can almost smell it: deep inside they are not. I could list a lot more things like "take whatever you want, as long as it makes you happy" or "sleep with whoever you want if it makes you happy" or "leave me alone, I am having a nervous breakdown" when they realize this "happy feeling" didn't last. That's why I sum those "happy-makers" up by calling it sin.

WHAT??? don't you dare! sin is UNCOOL. And of course it is a religious invention/concept/fiction. Religion was always used to make you feel bad and guilty about things you have a right to do. It cuts down your self.

But why are those who live out their needs so extremely unhappy and distressed when you look underneath their happy surface?
And why do only a few realize, that as soon that they admit they are lost and (yes I dare to say it) sinners, something changes, the healing begins and the real happiness moves in? A happiness that is not dependent on the outer circumstances?

The enemy said to Eve, hey, eat that fruit because it is so beautiful to look at and so sweet; it will make you happy and you will be as wise as God. Eve did and she lost paradise.
And the enemy is still doing a great job.
A whole generation today is eating the fruit because it's so beautiful to look at and so sweet to eat. And they think they are as wise as God. [Excuse me? God?? What God? I am God!]
And they lost paradise.
Why are there only so few who can see the connection?
It breaks my heart - especially when I talk to those who I love. They reject the only thing that would make them happy, from deep inside, everlasting.

too bad, God doesn't have email!

I just wanted to add to my facebook profile, that God is my father. Here's what they wanted:

Heaven's jubilant

After a long time of praying, waiting and crying my sister is now my real sister, she got baptized last Monday! I am still overwhelmed. Finally all she knows about christianity (and she know a lot, believe me, our mom is a great teacher) she is starting to put things into action. She's like a skyrocket!
As many countries and an ocean are seperating us, I asked her today if she would be interested in sharing our bible readings on a blog and here it is: 2 sisters and 1 bible (it is still under construction, though)
If you like that and maybe want to be one of our sisters as well, let us know and we will authorize you to be a contributor.

old pictures found

My sister and me, I was almost three years old and she about 1 1/2. I think that was the time when my parents got divorced.
That’s probably the reason why I don’t look very happy.









The second one is probably one year later and you can see I was over it ;-)
Oh and then I found some pictures that are about 13 years old and you can see I had my hair almost the same style like now. (I never wanted it again like that!)


The sweet sunshine I am looking at is my niece Michelle Scharon, she turned 13 last December – can you believe it??
And if you want to have an idea how I probably look like in awhile check these pictures (my hair was growing).
I can remember that situation pretty well: Ronny (that’s how we called her) wanted to play with me but I wanted to read my book; so I sad, go and get your own book and we can read together. She went to pick her favorite book right away and “read” like her auntie Tina. She was so proud!





I just hope my hair won’t look like THAT in two years from now…!

overwhelmed!

my birthday is almost over and WOW, I've never thought that I could feel so blessed! I actually feel MORE than blessed but I don't know if that is a "possible" feeling (because being blessed and realizing it is actually the best that can happen to someone... so is it possible to double that very best?).

So many friends that called, emailed or left a note at facebook today and so many thoughtful wishes... let alone the precious flowers and gifts I got. I am thinking about making a list and coming back and tell you but even if I don't do it, you know if you are one of those who made my day so special!

May God bless you all richly and thank you for thinking of me!

busy day

my mother had a surgery today and I spent the afternoon in hospital. everything went well and she is doing fine!
i am pretty tired now!

close to home

Well, another 2 weeks are over and we are packing again to leave Texas tomorrow morning around 6 am. The weather finally is giving its best, so we could sit in the backyard the whole afternoon, yesterday. We had a BBQ in the evening and a lot of fun!
Even right now it is 74* and I'll keep this post short to enjoy the last warm sun rays before being back in "Good (c)old Germany".

Lynn and Billy

Dear WW-Friends, thanks a lot for stopping by and leaving your comment. I might be too busy to check out all of your beautiful pictures because I am visiting family in Texas (see my niece and nephew above) but I will be back commenting on yours next week for sure! Have a great Wednesday!

kinda bad luck

It's official: I've got a bad cold! Since two days I'm having such a sore throat and this morning I woke up and had no voice.
Next Friday my sister wanted to show us Sea World in San Antonio, but - as we figured out today - most of the parks are closed because of winter season. So we don't go to Sea World. But there are some more attractions in San Antonio, so I think we will have fun anyway.

At least we could spent time as family together!

sun showing up

Finally the sun is showing up today! Here you can see the sunrise today from the entrance of my sister's house.
Now it's 2pm here and around 70F/23C.

Yesterday we did do nothing - I read a book (The devil wears Prada, I missed the movie). Started in the morning after breakfast and had finished some time after dinner. It's a fun book!

Today we went - have a guess - right, shopping, but we didn't leave the post. Just were at PX. We had a lot of fun anyway.

That's me and Mom after the shopping tour today, waiting for my sister to get the car...

feel kinda sick today

Today we just hang around. The weather is a little better, the sun came out for the first time we are here and the fog is gone. But it is still cold. Rumors are we're gonna have some snow tonight, others say it would be warm on Monday... we'll see.

My sister wanted to show us HEB today and so we went there shopping. I like that place! They offer a lot of European stuff so it felt close to home (no, not the TV show!).

We just got back (it's around 2pm) and I feel a little sick now... Hope I didn't catch another cold!

mymommyhaddydirday...

... that's what my nephew Billy (3) is telling us since we arrived. He's so excited about my sisters birthday today and when he saw my mother preparing the cake for her yesterday he stretched his little finger, pointed at it and said "my mommy haddydirdaycake?!?" He's so smart!

Pictures will follow! Going back to the birthday party now...



Esther’s B-Day (click the slideshow twice to see pictures better at webshots)

sunday visits

Last sunday (25th) after church my mother and I were invited by some friends for lunch. It was really interesting for both of us because my mom fell in love to Max, one of the cats our friends have at home. He is really beautiful and so cuddly.

The afternoon was also very special to me because Sonja has a horse - Santiago - and I've never seen it before. It's a long time ago, anyways, that I've seen a horse so close but I actually like horses very much!
Santiago has back problems and she couldn't ride him for several weeks but she has to move him anyhow. So we went for a walk through the vineyards after Sonja had cleaned his stall (she showed me how to groom Santiago meanwhile) and when we got back from the walk she had to longe him for 40 more minutes. I had so much fun watching!

more impressions of the retreat

What I really miss at home is to step out of the house and standing in front of a forest - like I did in Gemünden. I' m a morning person and so I went out walking between 7 and 8 before breakfast and I took my bible, had a little break (I found a bank where I could sit down) and had a real quiet time. Only "disturbed" by twitter of the birds. That I can't do at home - in a big city...

Something else:

• walking through the fields, the only sound you can hear is the wind or a small sporting airplane
• discovering water lillies on a little pond
• a dead looking toad in the same pond
• a dragonfly passing my head (some wouldn't like that part...)
• foxgloves beside the path
• a swimmingpool in front of the house and not to forget:
• having a great time with real friends from the christian family - fellowship

Clip: Walk

Billy and his new swim suit

When I came home from the restaurant later in the evening I chatted with my sister online. After a while she said: Billy has a new swim suit and he didn't want to take it off; but he fell asleep in my arms...

I asked her to turn the webcam on...: