Simply Trusting

"If I didn't have__________, then I would _______________." Have you ever tried to fill in the blanks in the sentence above? If you haven't, or even if you have and it has been a while, I invite you to do so. Fill in the blanks with the first things that come to mind, and then allow yourself to reflect for a few minutes. If you need some food for thought, might I suggest the following questions: "Are my answers in line with the calling God has placed on my life?", "Is there something in my life that needs to change because of my answers?" Maybe your answer startled you a bit, and you spent the next few moments trying to take back what you thought. "Surely, I'm not THAT out of line. I didn't really fully comprehend what I was being asked. I didn't have time to think it through..." Perhaps, like me, you found God pointing to yet another idol and misplaced priority in your life. Let me be the first to encourage you that this is...

Dear Friends, I have been wanting to post an update for a while now - please forgive the delay! This weekend I am enjoying some much-needed rest. But the events of the last few weeks have been exciting. Both our guys and girls basketball teams won their DoDDs European championship. This was a historic year for them, with the girls clinching their fourth title in a row, and the boys winning their first title ever. We are proud of our teams, their coaches, and all of their hard work! It's a good time to be a Falcon! The same weekend as our basketball teams were busy winning, our high school cast of Treasure Island was busy putting on their production. It was pretty amazing to see the stage, that is used for so many purposes during the week, transform into a pirate ship. I had the privilege of helping with hair, which might not sound like a big deal. My experience with making people look like pirates is rather limited, so when the need came up I have to admit that I wasn't o...

Happy New Year from the Hollands! (some of us, anyway) First of all, Happy New Year 2017! I had the privilege of hosting my parents and two of my brothers here for Christmas. When you've lived outside of your home culture, even for a little while, the ability to share it with those close to you is both sensitive and sensational! Sensitive because welcoming others into your world is scary sometimes, no matter who they are. And sensational because of the joy that comes from that kind of vulnerability. I love that when I talk to them next, and tell them that I wrote this post sitting in a Starbucks in Basel, they'll know the city I'm talking about because they've been here! We traveled and talked and laughed and ATE and even sang together for a Christmas Eve service.  They met and engaged with so many people here who are dear to me.  There is absolutely nothing that compares with being with and together with those whom you know and who know you. And even though I was t...

Dear friends, I have to admit that my mind has been a whir lately, so this is going to be more of a reflective post. Watching the political struggles in my homeland has been disheartening and disconcerting. To-do lists seem endless. Balance is an elusive thing. But there have been some wonderful moments too, like getting together with my small group girls. My piano class is making some exciting progress on their ensemble pieces. They are improvising left and right, and grasping the style of their solos. Last night I was privileged to perform with my colleagues in the Performing Arts Department in our annual Faculty Recital. Today I was a guest at a baby's 1st birthday party. I'm grateful for these things. And there have been some unplanned moments of quiet that have restored part of my spirit. Please allow me to share a moment from the other day with you:  Something about it felt different.  After I finished teaching during 1st period, sunlight was beginning to seep thro...

Happy October! We are in the midst of a beautiful Autumn season here, full of the lovely colors of changing foliage. This month has been jam-packed full of life and happenings! This update is my attempt to summarize all that has happened. One question that I hear frequently when I talk to friends and family is "How's Germany?" Well, Germany (and some other places) has been pretty exciting lately... Three weeks ago, I was privileged to travel with the senior class and a group of adult sponsors on the senior trip to Italy. We are very fortunate to be able to tour such a beautiful country! Every day we saw something exceptional and unique. The educational and social value of seeing and experiencing things that so many of us grew up only reading about in textbooks is immense. Only when you walk through the Colosseum do you really begin to understand how huge it is and how much happened in that place. As amazing as it was to get to see the Pantheon and St. Peter's Basili...

The last weeks have been full of new beginnings and activities. We have now completed our first two weeks of classes and the days have gotten busy! Let me fill you in on what a day can look like right now: I try to get to school by 8:15am so I have time to get some coffee in my system before my 1st period class comes in. I have a small section of Piano 2 during this time, so it's a really nice, gentle start to the day. They're there because they want to be, and they are eager to learn and grow. Each one has voiced specifically how they would like to grow this semester, and they are well on their way to meeting their goals. Class time involves a short warm-up time (because fingers take a while to wake up!), group improvisation, sight-reading, time to check individual process on the pieces they're learning, and discovering other topics, such as chords, scale and arpeggio fingerings, and many other things. I'm always a little sad when the bell rings to end this class. ...

"I've learned that God's timing is perfect, He knows in advance the who, what and when of every situation; I can't plan God's actions for Him." - Csehy Counselor Dear Readers, For the last month or so, I've been processing and pondering. How to sum up one of the fullest summers of my life thus far? Some words that come to mind are intensity, joy, longing, and most of all peace. It is my deep privilege to serve at the Csehy Summer School of Music, helping to lead the team of counselors, and contributing to life there in any way necessary. More than ever before, this year I was asked by my colleagues and friends at Black Forest Academy, "WHY, after a busy school year, would you choose to spend your summer at CAMP??" While Csehy has been part of my life since I was thirteen,  in my adult life I have pondered this question myself. But, as with anything in life, when God's calling is evident, one simply must obey. This summer was full of many...