Have you ever listened to a song you know in English (or whatever your native tongue may be) and then heard it in another language? Right now I'm listening to How Great is Our God in Russian. I love this song. And to know I can sing along with it during a worship service in Ukraine, and actually KNOW what I'm singing is awesome. There are songs I sing along with at the Gypsy church we go to in Ukraine. I haven't the slightest clue as to what I may be singing, but you can feel God there just as much as if you knew what you were singing. I just downloaded a few songs in Ukrainian to my phone, worship songs. I'll be happy when I can sing these songs in two different languages.
In a few weeks I'll be traveling to Ukraine. I can't wait. I love it there so much. I have great friends there, I love worshiping with the Gypsies at their churches, I love spending time with the teenagers, having youth meetings with both the gypsy youth and Ukrainian. I love having girls night with some friends (in which all the men are kicked out :P girl time! especially since I'm the only girl going this year!)
One of my dreams is to travel the world speaking to teenagers/young adults. and I do! I have gone to Ukraine every October since 2010. Every trip we have had meetings with the youth. Every trip we have seen amazing things take place. Every trip we meet new people, make new friends, see healing, restoration and revelation happen in peoples lives. There are the kids to love, the youth to hang out with, the friends to spend time with, the people to pray for and be prayed for by. New words we discover in Ukrainian. Its amazing. I can hardly contain my excitement as I sit here and type this.
The cities where we spend our time are beautiful. The food is delicious. Our hosts know how to treat a guest! (seriously, we would each pack on about 50 pounds of weight if they'd let us! the feed us soooooo much!) its the standing joke that our friends try to kill us with food. You have to eat slowly, otherwise they will fill your plate back up when you aren't looking, and its impolite to leave food on your plate.
I love it. I love them. I love that country. I love the fact that God can use them to minister to me as much as do them, if not more.
I'm excited. Can you tell?
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Change.
I really don't care for this. What? Starbucks, MY Starbucks has remodeled. I haven't been here to work in a few weeks. I come in and my favorite table is gone. Replaced by tall round ones. Even the Artist by the door can no longer be the artist by the door. His table is tall round one too. No room for his 3 cups of coffee, portfolios and drawing materials. He chatted with me a little cause I hadn't been here in so long. He said he didn't like the changes either, the tables are too small. I'm sure within time we will both be used to the changes. I just don't understand why they made them. I'm sure that there was a reason, but I liked the old way. Plus, they got my name wrong on my cup again. Just after they started getting it right, I guess that's what 3 weeks absence does.
However, the atmosphere is still the same, even if the interior isn't. I can still work with few distractions, and honestly, there are more things in this world that irritate me more than some new tables and furniture arrangements.
I think I mentioned it before that I'm a creature of habit. I have my slightly OCD tendency's. Fortunately I am the only person the affect. Some things have to be certain way with me. For instance, I've decided I'm going to break my habit of wearing the same sweater on my plane trips as I have the last 3 years when I've traveled to and from Ukraine. I felt in my mind that I MUST wear the same sweater, otherwise it just wouldn't be the same. However, I intend to break free from that one. Mainly cause it kind of annoys me that I felt helpless to overcome the desire to keep things exactly the same. Its ridiculous really. Hence the irritation of coming to a newly decorated and rearranged store. Its just not the same. But change is good, right? its healthy. I don't want the old things to become moldy, I should want to keep things fresh and healthy. They say the first step to overcoming things is to admit you have a problem. Consider this my admission to having problems. Next month I will take the first step by breaking my sweater 'problem'. Its the little things that count, right?
However, the atmosphere is still the same, even if the interior isn't. I can still work with few distractions, and honestly, there are more things in this world that irritate me more than some new tables and furniture arrangements.
I think I mentioned it before that I'm a creature of habit. I have my slightly OCD tendency's. Fortunately I am the only person the affect. Some things have to be certain way with me. For instance, I've decided I'm going to break my habit of wearing the same sweater on my plane trips as I have the last 3 years when I've traveled to and from Ukraine. I felt in my mind that I MUST wear the same sweater, otherwise it just wouldn't be the same. However, I intend to break free from that one. Mainly cause it kind of annoys me that I felt helpless to overcome the desire to keep things exactly the same. Its ridiculous really. Hence the irritation of coming to a newly decorated and rearranged store. Its just not the same. But change is good, right? its healthy. I don't want the old things to become moldy, I should want to keep things fresh and healthy. They say the first step to overcoming things is to admit you have a problem. Consider this my admission to having problems. Next month I will take the first step by breaking my sweater 'problem'. Its the little things that count, right?
Lessons.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder they say, so aren't you happy that I'm back?
Life has been moving at a fast pace, leaving little time for things like blogging. But things are slowly going back to the old routine, work, youth group, running. My half marathon is in two weeks. I'm freaking out inside.
Things are coming together for my European excursion next month (Ukraine). Speaking of Europe, I have decided that Switzerland is a must, and that I shall go there one day. I keep seeing pictures. Its gorgeous.
We went through fair week, my siblings did well with their market entries. I did not win anything for my entries. I'm an impatient person. Because of that, my apron sewing was atrocious. It looks okay from a distance, but don't look too closely. Its not pretty. My one blot of dissatisfaction of my abilities (okay, one of my many dissatisfactions) is that I am terrible at crafty things. Like sewing. and crocheting. and knitting. Basically anything that has something to do with string and needles.
I have been making improvements though. or instance, I ran my best time for a 5k last weekend at a race, winning 3rd place in my age group. That was exciting.
I've been learning that I have more patience with people than I do with "things".
I've been learning that forgiveness can be tough, but oh so relieving when you give it. I've been learning I tend to feel motherly to my youth kids, and that though it hurts like anything when they screw up, I can still forgive and love them, and do my darndest for their future wellfare.That punishment is hard to delve out when you just want to hug and forgive them on the spot. I think every girl, no matter how reckless or tomboyish, is instilled with motherly instinct to some degree and can't help but let it leak out every now and then.
I've learned the importance of being the best example I can be, because whether I always realize it or not, people look up to me.
I'm learning I'm far more capable than I give myself credit for, and as long as I keep looking to what I can do as opposed to what my body (specifcially my legs) tells me I can't, I can do more things more easily. I've said it before, running is a love/hate sort of thing. When you run your best time and win something for your efforts, its quite an accomplishing feeling and makes you want to reach that next goal. So really I shouldn't be freaked out about doing my first 10 miler this week (which is what I've been trying to convince myself of. Sometimes its a losing battle)
I've learned that walking nervously back and forth on stage steps as you share your first message with the entire church on a Sunday morning does not bode well for your dignity. I almost fell down them. I'm a klutz.
I've learned that I can't do things on my own, and how its so important to surround yourself with people whose strengths are your weaknesses, who can help you and guide you when you are terrified about how to handle hardships.
And I've learned that I really hope that season 3 of Once Upon a Time is as good as the first 2. And that they place actors in rolls I think they should (right Tory ?:-P)
Life has been moving at a fast pace, leaving little time for things like blogging. But things are slowly going back to the old routine, work, youth group, running. My half marathon is in two weeks. I'm freaking out inside.
Things are coming together for my European excursion next month (Ukraine). Speaking of Europe, I have decided that Switzerland is a must, and that I shall go there one day. I keep seeing pictures. Its gorgeous.
We went through fair week, my siblings did well with their market entries. I did not win anything for my entries. I'm an impatient person. Because of that, my apron sewing was atrocious. It looks okay from a distance, but don't look too closely. Its not pretty. My one blot of dissatisfaction of my abilities (okay, one of my many dissatisfactions) is that I am terrible at crafty things. Like sewing. and crocheting. and knitting. Basically anything that has something to do with string and needles.
I have been making improvements though. or instance, I ran my best time for a 5k last weekend at a race, winning 3rd place in my age group. That was exciting.
I've been learning that I have more patience with people than I do with "things".
I've been learning that forgiveness can be tough, but oh so relieving when you give it. I've been learning I tend to feel motherly to my youth kids, and that though it hurts like anything when they screw up, I can still forgive and love them, and do my darndest for their future wellfare.That punishment is hard to delve out when you just want to hug and forgive them on the spot. I think every girl, no matter how reckless or tomboyish, is instilled with motherly instinct to some degree and can't help but let it leak out every now and then.
I've learned the importance of being the best example I can be, because whether I always realize it or not, people look up to me.
I'm learning I'm far more capable than I give myself credit for, and as long as I keep looking to what I can do as opposed to what my body (specifcially my legs) tells me I can't, I can do more things more easily. I've said it before, running is a love/hate sort of thing. When you run your best time and win something for your efforts, its quite an accomplishing feeling and makes you want to reach that next goal. So really I shouldn't be freaked out about doing my first 10 miler this week (which is what I've been trying to convince myself of. Sometimes its a losing battle)
I've learned that walking nervously back and forth on stage steps as you share your first message with the entire church on a Sunday morning does not bode well for your dignity. I almost fell down them. I'm a klutz.
I've learned that I can't do things on my own, and how its so important to surround yourself with people whose strengths are your weaknesses, who can help you and guide you when you are terrified about how to handle hardships.
And I've learned that I really hope that season 3 of Once Upon a Time is as good as the first 2. And that they place actors in rolls I think they should (right Tory ?:-P)
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