What about Flower's Cove?

So I picked up the newspaper this morning and what should be on page 4 but an article about Newfoundland. The heading? "Neufundland: Kein Platz für blumige Worte" Roughly translated as "No place for flowery words" Hence the nickname "the Rock"


Although it didn't seem to strike anyone else as particularly perculiar, I found it amazing that the regional newspaper of the Ruhr region would choose to do a piece on little ol' Newfoundland considering the hundreds of other spots they could have picked. I like to think it was God giving me a little reminder of my lovely island first thing in the morning. After all Timon's first words when he saw the pictures were "schön!" Smart kid.

Tidbits

Well I'm 3 months into this rather unexpected detour...I am content with the first quarter. My German is still far behind what I would like but I am making progress albeit slowly.

I have only been to one other country besides Deutschland so I'm hoping to visit more in the months ahead.

Although there are many similiarities between here and North America, there are also lots of differences. People's attitudes, lifestyles, just to name a couple. But I have found the people as welcoming and kind as my last visit here. And I guess that is the main thing.

I have made my little flat more "my own" since moving in. It does feel like coming home more often than not. Having the internet and being able to hold video conferences with my family makes it seem like we're only a couple of hours away.

The church services here are quite different. I would use the words reserved & structured. (Even more so than traditional Newfoundland churches.) I would have to say I really haven't felt God's spirit in the services but rather in the fellowship and after-service worship I spend with the Cadets.

Speaking of which, I quiz the Cadets mercilessly on college life and Die Heilsarmee. Just to get a feel for how our two systems compare.

Das ist richtig!

Essen - Germany

I gotta say Essen is great city; much nicer than I expected :-)

First snowfall...in Newfoundland

Well the first snowfall is always a time for dancing & celebrating! Not really I am quite content knowing that I won't be shoveling snow this winter. Having your car buried in snow and doorway snowed in isn't as "cool" as it seems.


So in honour of all those shoveling snow, I'd just like to point out that it is 12 C and sunny here in Essen today!

FYI...I still love Newfoundland, I'm sure everyone here is sick & tired of me saying how wonderful it is :-)

'54, '74, '90, 2006

Germans love their football...
I wish they had won last year :-(

Pachelbel's Prayer

Father, Father in heaven
I need you desperately
I am waiting here for you,
Let your love wash over me.
Father, Father in heaven
I lift my soul to you
Hear me crying for mercy
Let your love wash over me.

Cleanse me in your presence,
Setting my mind on things above
Purify my spirit
Overwhelm me with your love
[Purify me with your love]

Father, Father in heaven
My soul yearns for you
Like a rain from the heavens
Let your love wash over me.
Father, Father in heaven
From the depths I cry out to you
You’re my hope and salvation
Let your love wash over.

-Sam Rowland "Pachelbel's Prayer"

I met Sam Rowland at my first Youth Councils in 1995. He made a special effort to talk to me and make me feel important. As an awkward, shy teenager who was afraid of his own shadow, our simple conversation was perhaps the beginning of my Christian faith taking root. I never forgot that after all these years. This was a song on a CD I bought from him...he autographed it and wrote "David, keep looking out for God's Fingerprints"
This song was like him; genuine, true and just passionate for Christ. Thanks Sam.

Finding the way

Then the Lord said to Job {David},
“Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?”
Then Job {David} replied to the Lord,
“I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.” -Job 40:1-5

The rain falls on the righteous and the wicked

Mine is not to reason why this is

In this I rest in this I find my refuge

That my thoughts and ways are not His

I spend my life on looking up the answers

It’s rare that I can’t find a reason why

But reasons fail at children without mothers

His plan is more than I can know

________________________________________

Have you ever held in doubt

What this life is all about

Have you questioned all these things that seem important to us

Do you really wanna know

Or are you a little scared

You’re afraid that God is not really exactly what you’d have Him be

What should I hold to and what should I do

How do I know if anything’s true

I’m somewhere in-between Canaan and Egypt

A place called the wilderness

__________________________________________

I’m not one who always trusts their feelings

I don’t believe in what you’d call blind faith

But faith that you can do all that you promised

And you said it all works for good

It’s safe to say I don’t see the big picture

I can’t see the forest for the trees

And if five hundred lives

Were mine to get to know

You all could be spent on just this

_______________________________________________

God do you really understand what it’s like to be a man????

Have You ever felt the weight of loving all the things you Hate???

Have You struggled??…have you worried??

How can You sympathize?

__________________________________________________

I have spoken too soon put my hand over my mouth

I can’t contend with You

Your ways are so much higher

And we pass through the fire that Christ endured before us

When You were in the wilderness

~OC Supertones, Wilderness

Cartoon Characters

WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS; THEY BECOME WORDS.

WATCH YOUR WORDS; THEY BECOME ACTIONS.

WATCH YOUR ACTIONS; THEY BECOME HABITS.

WATCH YOUR HABITS; THEY BECOME CHARACTER.

WATCH YOUR CHARACTER; IT BECOMES YOUR DESTINY.

*******

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." --Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

I always tell people I’m taking it one day at a time. Sure it’s a cliché, but it is the truth.. Whether going through valleys or climbing mountain-tops, all I can do is keep moving forward and live each day to the fullest as a child of God. Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t plan for the future and get the wheels in motion to accomplish what is to be done; rather it means as my favourite Bible verse states:

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?” –Luke 12:25-26

Such simple words and yet I am more guilty than most of not abiding by it. I don’t worry such that I get stomach ulcers but I think & re-think that which has happened, is happening and will (might) happen. Basically I take my eyes off Christ and focus on the world around me or worst still on myself!

One day at a time, I will walk this road I’ve traveled so far
One day at a time, well I know I will carry on
One day at a time, I can see you took my life this far
One day at a time, I will take this faith along

All this hope I breathe is given by the hand that carries me
Until I'm complete and I’ll take all I will
To understand this plan you have for me, for me

I've been shut up, shut down, held out, held down
In ways I never knew I would
I can't feel your fullness in my life
Well I’ve been burned out, broken, torn out, torn down
In ways I never knew I would
I can't feel your fullness in my life

One day at a time, I will take these words you've given me
One day at a time, I will rest in knowing you
One day at a time, I will share this gift you've given me
One day at a time, I will walk these valleys through

All I know is that I see how much my heart
Is longing to be cradled by your side
And I’ll give all I can to one day soon
Be held by your hand, by your hand

In all these things I will press on
I'll be with you I know it won’t be long

--Jeremy Camp ~ One Day at a Time

It won't be long, that is definitely true...What are my 75+ years on earth (if I am lucky!) compared to eternity?

"As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone,and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children...." -Psalm 103:15-17

Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Ad from Switzerland

Say What?

"When God wants to orchestrate something, He doesn't need logic, physics or mathematical probability to make it happen."

I think my own logic gets in the way so many times because if I can’t work it out in my head than it can’t be or won’t be. What a ridiculous statement! It even sounds funny writing it down. The creator of the universe is bound by my own small mind. Not hardly.
That’s why I think this quote should be taped on my mirror so every morning I can read it before heading out. What a great reminder and incentive to go out in this world with an utter disregard for what “educated’ man thinks should be possible instead focusing on what God can do.

“…but the foolish things of the world did God choose, that the wise He may put to shame; and the weak things of the world did God choose that He may put to shame the strong” – 1 Corinthians 1:27 (YLT)

“Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the persuasive speaker of our time? Hasn't God turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense?” 1 Corinthians 1:20 (GWT)

and lastly, the reason why I like The Message so much; it cuts straight to the chase and tells it like it is. I believe that is the way scripture was intended to be. Not an unfathomable book to be deciphered but rather a personal letter from God to us about this life we live now and the life to come.

I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head,
I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots.
So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb…” The Message

Die Grammatik

As I am learning German, it brings back memories of learning English grammer way back in elementary school. The infinitive, irregular verbs, conjugate endings, etc…It all seems quite daunting at first, but the thing I realized is that I have no idea about English grammer either! I am just accustomed to using words and phrases enough that I know when something sounds right or wrong. If I were asked to explain the rule behind it, I would be clueless. Hence the more I speak German, the more my brain will get use to its strange guttural sounds & the like. No German I have spoken to even knows all the rules, so there is light at the end of the tunnel!

I’d better get on the ball though, I made a foolhardy promise to preach in German on a Sunday in the New Year! My großes wörterbuch Englisch-Deutsch is going to be well used!