31 May 2010

attempt #1: fail.

my flight to chicago was cancelled due to weather, so i've been rebooked for the same flights tomorrow. 
imagine that- midwest weather problems, in the summer, of all things!  

Come now, you who say, 
"Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; 
whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. 
For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 
Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."
James 4:13-15


Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; 
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
Isaiah 30:18

30 May 2010

auf wiedersehen!


well, it's time to say goodbye once again! i'm nearly finished packing, and i'll leave home tomorrow around noon.
i'm excited to head to europe for the month, and am going to try to share some of my daily adventures on here with you!

prayer requests for now:
no volcanoes!
safe travel, easy connection in chicago tomorrow evening
to be an encouragement to the people i visit
the Spirit's discernment in all things
sunshine :)
and a really blessed month in total!

thanks friends! xoxo.

20 May 2010

of late.


it appears as though my month of May has been a bit neglectful toward this blog! here are some thoughts.

beautiful weather is upon us again. spent yesterday afternoon helping my mother to plant the garden. i can't get over how good it feels to use my own hands to smooth the dirt, make rows, neatly plant and cover little tiny seeds, water them a bit, and leave the rest up to a marvelous Creator to provide the life! sunshine, fresh air, and dirt-covered hands are very good for the soul.

i depart in a mere twelve days for the european continent! i am very excited about this trip, which shall encompass the entire month of june. i'll be back in siegen, my old hometown of three years, for the better part of the month. it'll be a delight to see dear friends, to speak german, to fellowship with the church, and walk the streets of eiserfeld once more! i'm praying for good weather, but rain might be the case, as it usually is. i'll also be doing a bit of traveling while i'm there! my friend karen and i are road-tripping for a week, to visit berlin, dresden, prague, and neuschwanstein, if all goes well! i've never been to any of these places, and karen and i get along swimmingly, so i know it'll be a grand adventure. we're also hoping to see the opera [a first for me!] in prague! the following weekend, we'll be flying out to the london area to visit a very sweet family and a local calvary chapel. i am so excited.

my very very dear friend michelle is getting married at the end of june in siegen, so i'm especially looking forward to spending time with her and helping with wedding preparations! currently the project at hand is sewing my bridesmaid dress, and i must say- it has been getting along quite well!

we're on the last stage of lilac days for the year. oh, how heavenly the scent of a warm spring lilac-breeze! our lilies-of-the-valley remain in prolificness, and not a day goes by that i don't sink my nose into their depths and gaze upon their cheerful beauty. i love spring! i haven't been at home for an entire spring since 2005- my admiration for the prairie runs very deep in any season, but i think currently spring is my favorite. i ride my bike around sunset most every evening, on a path bordering "town" and "country" and feel the warmth of the setting sun and the coolness of the breeze [or wind] whipping across my face, delight in the phlox blossoming in their glory alongside the river, and can't get enough of the sight of sunset gold enlivening the dandelion haloes in a field of clover. the other morning i saw a great blue heron swooping majestically up the stream. God is so good.

been meditating a lot on the importance of hearing, even more-so than seeing. that's another topic for another time, i think.

and last but not least, i mixed up another batch of ciabatta last night before bed. mmmm. can't wait to taste it.

let's see, i guess that about does it for now. lots of love. i'll try to post updates and pictures from my lovely europe upon arrival and throughout the journey.
xo!

07 May 2010

consider.


Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 
and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.


Luke 12:27

06 May 2010

incline your ear.

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;

For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,

So that your trust may be in the LORD;
I have instructed you today, even you.

Have I not written to you excellent things
of counsels and knowledge,

That I may make you know 
the certainty of the words of truth,

That you may answer words of truth
to those who send to you?

proverbs 22:17-21

01 May 2010

adventure week.


i've just come back from a week spent in 3 states spread across the northern USA!
what a blessing it was, after 4 months on the prairie, to see old friends and have encouraging conversation.
here's a little post to help me remember all the friends i've seen.

wednesday 21 april: drive 8 hours to Appleton, Wisconsin, with my family and our friends Mel and Eric. arrive very late.

thursday 22: meet friends Kadi and Kristi for sushi and iced coffees. attend evening session of Leadership Conference.

friday 23: fly from Appleton to Seattle. get picked up by Veronica [bride]! see Lydia and meet other bridesmaids. learn how to bustle a dress. attend rehearsal dinner and meet endless new faces, including Clay [groom]. stay at a hotel.

  

saturday 24: hang out with V and Jae. move stuff to apartment. dinner with bridesmaids and bride. stay at apartment.

sunday 25: The Perfect Day. finish wedding preparations, get pretty, play music at V & Clay's beautiful wedding. say goodbye to dear friends. stay at Jen's house [new friend!]



monday 26: get picked up by Jess and Peter and Rylie! drive into Seattle proper for crumpets and chai, and a look around Pike's Place market. saw first ever Starbucks [tourist moment!]. fly to Minneapolis, picked up by Grandma.






tuesday 27: hang out with grandma. afternoon at the library. Thai food downtown Mpls with my first-ever roommate, Cali!

wednesday 28: time with grandma, talk with norwegian relative Karin on the phone. haircut at Aveda Institute. dinner, Ikea, and Mall of America with Wendy! pick up mom, 3 hour drive home, to bed at 2am. 


the end.