Decisions, part 1

From the very first minute of a day when we wake up we decide things. When to get up. What to wear. What to do next. What to fix for lunch. Where to go, where to stay. Whom we meet. What we do when all the daily duties are checked off our list (if we have a list...), what book we read or which show we watch. When we go to bed. Who we chose to be our friends. What job we apply for. Who we marry. This list goes on and on and on.

If we want to live as Christians, we certainly decide some things differently. Our only desire should be to do what God wants us to do. But how can we know what God wants from us in so many specific situations during the day or on an even greater basis?
Over and over again I hear people say it doesn't really matter. We can do whatever we want to do as long as we take responsibility for our actions and God, as a good father, is watching us from a distance enjoying whatever we are doing.

One of the most dangerous quotes in my eyes I read yesterday again while surfing the internet for a certain quote is from John Eldredge. He says something like: "because Jesus died on the cross, he saved us and restored mankind so we can live our glory - as we were meant to be". (quote) I must admit, when I read another book from him a couple years ago this idea he promotes very often sounded great to my ears! I am special! I am someone!! And now I can live MY GLORY!!! Thank you Jesus!!!!
Revolutionary thought!

Last Sunday I watched a sermon about the coronation of two men that and who couldn't be any different. The coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte on one hand. Please read here to see how glorious it was.
An on the other hand - have a guess - the coronation of Jesus Christ, which is, can you believe it, His crucifixion.
What happened during these two ceremonies? The first one did all to have HIS GLORY shine and people, no, the whole world throughout history see it. The second one did not only give up all and died, he did it in the most horrible and shameful manner. For the whole world throughout history to see it.
Old man: self-confidence, self-esteem, self-respect, self-WHATEVER (aka flesh) on its highest
versus
old man: self-confidence, self-esteem, self-respect, self-WHATEVER (aka flesh) being killed.
Someone who wanted to live out his own glory
versus
Someone who never did something for His Glory or out of His own decision but "became obedient unto death" (Phil. 2:8) and did not one thing out of Himself (John 5:19).

Can one really assume that Jesus died the most horrible death so that MY GLORY can shine afterwards? I don't think so.

Interesting is, after I had listened to this lesson last Sunday, I read something about Abraham two days later. Abraham wanted to have a son. To have kids or not is a decision to take for many couples. Especially today we can plan and control even birth. But wait! If you look closer, it was not really a decision for Abraham, was it? Sara just didn't get pregnant! For ages! And this, although God had already agreed to Abraham's plan to have a son. Or wait! Maybe it was God's plan for Abraham to have not only a son but ISAAK...? And Abraham decided to have a son, but the result was ISHMAEL. Some would say, it doesn't matter. It's a son anyway.

Did you know that when Abraham had Ishmael God remained silent for 13 years (Genesis 16:16 - 17:1)? Did you know from the time that Ishmael was born there was no peace in Abraham's home and he didn't even care about it? In fact, he prayed "Oh that Ishmael might live before thee" (Genesis 17:18).

So what is the difference between Ishmael and Isaak? And what does that mean for us on a daily basis? I will continue in a following post.

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! :) 

teeth

As my friends know, I've got that bone problem nobody knows what it is (and many doctors tried to find an explanation for it for 31 years already, but that's another story).

The German Wikipedia tells me that teeth are not the same as bones but since I had to have my first filling shortly before I turned 4 years and later the dentist detected caries on an outgrowing back tooth that was still 90% covered by gums, I think there must be a connection between the existing disorder of bone metabolism and my teeth.

My teeth act funny anyway. The one that was initial for my actual problem started hurting AFTER the dentist found a spot of caries on it and had changed the filling. Not only this, after a while it started ulcerating as well. Only a bit but together with the pain it was really annoying. After I had changed the dentist, got a crown on that tooth and the same story of pain and suppurating started again I decided to say good bye to that rebel. I had a space for at least 2 years now because I couldn't decide for what to do next.

Behind the space I've got another crown so on this side a bridge would have made sense. But the tooth on the other side of the gap is one of the last teeth that has only a small filling, no inlay, no crown. For me, it's like a crime to destroy a nearly healthy tooth just to have a support for the bridge.

That's why I finally decided to have a dental implant.

Surgery was Thursday around 9 o'clock (if you are strong enough, peek at how it looked after the surgery) and I got a doctor's notice for that day and yesterday to stay home.  Right before I went to the check up yesterday afternoon the wound started leaking. But the dentist said that's normal. And it stopped when I got home.

Later in the evening, maybe 9 p.m. it started to bleed really bad and didn't stop during the night. I had to get up at least 4 times to spit all the blood out and I have no idea how much I swallowed because this morning I feel really sick. Let alone the nasty taste of blood... (I have no idea how some people can do this by choice).

My dear friend Kris recommended to try the salt water trick and so every time I got up last night I cleaned and washed my mouth with salty water. This morning, when I got up and not much had changed, I just took some salt water in my mouth and let it be there for a while (one or two minutes). I did this at least 4 times, basically to get rid of the awful taste. But surprisingly, every time I "changed" the salt water, the amount of blood that came out with it decreased! And now it really seems the bleeding has stopped!

I did some research now on the internet and all they say is after dental implant surgery you should not wash your mouth to avoid bleeding and when bleeding starts one should put some gauze on the spot and bite on it slightly.

Honestly? I prefer the salt water trick!! Thank you, Kris!