Simply Trusting

Normally a winter in NJ brings a dash of snow here and there, but I'm beginning to think I brought back more of Germany than I realized! The past several weeks have been littered with snow days, for which both students and teachers have been grateful!  Last week I had the privilege of traveling to upstate NY, one of my favorite regions in the US, with our church youth group for their winter retreat. We spent several days in a cabin with no internet or running water, and had a fantastic time! The purpose was to remove distractions for the kids in the youth group, but I needed it just as much as they did. I was so grateful for the chance to get away with our teens and make time with God an even bigger priority. How often do we think about spending time with Him, and tell ourselves 'I'll do it later'? We make time for that which is truly important to us. Our actions and words stem from our hearts, therefore putting Christ first in our lives starts in our hearts and minds a...

Today is definitely not Saturday, which means that I'm late in posting, but I want to put out a short, sweet request this week. Due to a holiday and two snow days (which has to be some kind of record??)  tomorrow marks the delayed start of second semester. I love the fresh newness of beginnings of things. Middle times can be difficult. Endings bittersweet. With especially these last two in mind, I would ask you to pray with me for the students and staff as they begin tomorrow. That they would come with a mind set to please Christ most of all. That they would really truly love Him. That we would all run our race with patience. That nothing would rob us of our joy. And that we "may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:10 I can honestly say that I am looking forward to what this new semester will bring. Thank you for...

I'm not normally one for making New Year's resolutions, primarily because I'm not very good at following through with them. However, a little over one week ago, I decided to blog once a week, and here I am following through :) School has started up again, and with it, all the joy and drama that Academia brings. During Christmas break I attended the wedding of some family-friends and while the I was challenged, rather indirectly, to live each day with joy. I realized at that time that joy was something that I had not been seeking, at least on a regular basis. How convicting! It was rather startling to come face to face with the fact that I was attempting to live without one of the essential elements of the Christian life. Of course I had been asking God for courage and strength, because those seemed to be the obvious things one would need when doing something difficult. But joy. So this week I've been asking for joy. And with it has come a lifting, both of my spirits, bu...

So it's been a while since I posted last, and there are lots of excuses, and maybe some valid reasons. But so much has happened in the 6 months since my last post. I made a heart-wrenching move back to the US, worked another summer of Csehy, got a new job at my old school, started transitioning back to life with my family, had German 'Danke's' caught in my throat every time I was at a cash register, got grafted back into the loving community of my church, and tried to maintain some degree of 'normal' without really knowing what that meant. All the while, I was dearly missing the people, places, smells, sounds, and emotions that composed BFA in Germany. Tears and waves of emotion stronger than I'd experienced in my short life were my constant companions. And still are sometimes. The reason is simple: I have loved hard, long, and at great cost. This left me feeling much like a worn out piece of elastic, with about as much energy. But I wouldn't have it any...

Life in these parts has been pretty exciting lately. This weekend held the Junior Senior Banquet, organized by the junior class to honor the senior class. I had been asked to help with music,so. Was privileged to attend. It was a fantastic evening showcasing the talents of many of our students, and highlighting tributes to seniors from their classmates and dorms. The entire evening was very special! In addition to JSB, we have had a lot of other activities. Sometimes it seems as though every individual in the dorm is flying off in a different direction. We have had home soccer games, meetings, appointments, recitals, field trips, in addition to normal meal planning and everyday tasks around the dorm. Needless to say, life has been full. However, in the midst of it all, we have had opportunities for quiet times, together, as a 'family.' My favorite times are when I'm sitting on a couch or cooking in the kitchen, and one of the guys will come in and start up a conversation. S...

The other night as study hours began, I struck up a typical evening conversation with Keenan, a junior. Me: "Soooo, what homework do you need to do tonight?" Keenan: "oh only about 20 minutes worth" Me: "yeah right. What do you really need to do?" Keenan procedes to list out his assignments, and starts to rummage through his school bag while I turn to another student to check in. As I turn back to Keenan, he's holding a small orange paper-back book and telling me he wants to show me something. The book is called a 'carnet' (car-nay), he explains, and is the way the French school system has chosen to record all kinds of information about a student. The student is then expected to show the book regularly to his parents. Keenan leafs through the book, explaining its various sections to me. One part has late passes, and another record visits to the nurse. There are several sections in which detentions and the reason they rewarded are noted....

Right now I'm sitting in a room somewhere a little farther south than Germany, and a bit warmer. We're on spring break, and it's been good to get away from the snow. I won't rant here, but I will say that I am extremely thankful for the light and the spring breezes floating in my window right now. I have had a lot of opportunity to reflect over the last several days, so I want to try and catch you up on the last few weeks. We have had a plethora of activities going in. The guys went on high school retreat, and I had the privilege of going with them. We heard the amazing story of a life transformed by grace, and were challenged to make the time on earth we do have count for Christ. Bg themes, but so important. We worshipped together, and soaked in the glory of God in creation. I was also blessed to lead a small group, something I really enjoy, but also something that doesn't fit my normal schedule at this point. We returned to the dorm refreshed, and ready to contin...