The Bunny Slope Is Important!!!

On December 29, 2007, I had my first experience with snowboarding. I've never skied or snowboarded, but I thought it was a fine time to learn. So after spending half the day on the bunny slope, I think to myself, "Ok, I'm ready to master something more difficult." And I did...quite successfully I might add.

So yesterday, we went to the same slope in the Austrian Alps with our Scottish friends, Amanda and Robbie. At this point I am pretty confident in my snowboarding skills, so we skip the bunny slope and head up to the top of the mountain. It is then that I realize that my snowboarding skills aren't really skills at all. (Keep in mind that this is my second time EVER doing anything on snow). I had totally forgotten everything. On top of that, I had a different board that I think was a little too large for my size, and subsequently was harder to control. Needless to say, I have more bruises than I've ever had at one time, and at one point during the excursion I landed face...or rather, nose first...and had my first nose bleed in many years!! OUCH!!

Lesson of the Day: Spend time on the bunny slope before venturing out into the narrow and steep slopes. The bunny slope should be looked upon as a great friend that should not be denied or rejected.

By the way, my husband rocks!!! He picks up on everything so quickly. He's probably snowboarded 4 times in his life, and he looks like a pro. It makes me incredibly jealous!! But on the other hand, he looks incredibly hot when he's on the snowboard!!

Thoughts, Opinions, Ramblings

Today I was wasting time by searching for interesting blogs to read. As I was doing this, these are some of the things I thought:

1. People try too hard to be artsy fartsy and/or philosophical. Just be yourself, and stop trying so hard to use big words and witty statements so that people will think you're a genius. Hahaha.

2. Most people who have "Jesus" as one of their interests live in Texas. Just interesting.

3. People need Jesus really bad. There are a lot of really screwed up people (like me!!) out there, that need to know that Christ died for them and loves them so stinkin' much.

4. The Church needs to do a better job at not being so separate from the rest of the world. The Church needs to be more inviting, but the message needs to remain: Jesus, Son of God, died for the sins of the world, full of mercy and grace, etc.

5. There are some really talented musicians out there that sing and play just for the Lord. That makes me so happy!!

6. No matter what our opinions, political stances, or world view, God is God and it is awesome to know Him.

That's all for now. I'll be thinking more on these things and let you know what else I come up with.

Beth

What's Going On?

We've had an interesting week. Yesterday was my last German class, and it was a little sad for me. I've met some really nice people there who are all from different cultures. It was really a great dynamic to have in the class. I have a friend, Amanda, from Scotland, who I think I'll still hang out with from time to time. Then, there's Maria from Italy, who is just the sweetest person. There's Reshad from Iran, who is one of the smartest and hardest working people I know. There's Curt and Nelson, my fellow Americans, of whom I am so thankful. I am hoping that all of us will still get together every other week or so for lunch. Actually, Amanda and her boyfriend are going snowboarding with us this Saturday in the Austrian Alps. (FYI: You've not really snowboarded or skied until you've done it in the Alps).

So my job with Vivat Lingua fell through, unfortunately. I guess the people wanting to take the class didn't want to start a medical terminology class until January of 2009 (and I am sooooo not coming back for that). Thankfully, I met a woman at my school this week who works on an American military base nearby, and she's trying to help me find a job there as a nurse, substitute teacher, or whatever. There's not a military hospital there, so the nursing positions are slim to none. I guess many of you don't know my struggle with trying to find a job on a base, but I've tried for months to get in touch with people. So far, no one has even answered the phone. I think maybe they've just really increased security on the bases, so unless you know someone, it's incredibly difficult to find anything. Finding this person at my school is a God-send. I'll let you know if something comes from it.

Our friends, Kenny and Tiffany Tucker, are coming to visit soon; probably the end of February. We are so excited about that. Kenny has a business trip in Paris, so we are going to go there for a few days, and then, when Kenny is finished with business, they are going to come stay with us for a little while. We were hoping to be in Paris for Valentine's Day, but I am not sure that they'll be here early enough.

On January 3, Danny and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. We didn't really do much. It was on a work day, and we were still a little pooped from having Mark and Mirjam over for the holidays. Next year, however, I will get a new wedding band. =)

We haven't been able to travel as much lately, because the weather is pretty cold and rainy. Also, it gets dark here now around 4:30pm. It's really strange and a little depressing. Danny really enjoys his job, and his co-workers are really nice. I think his job here is a lot less stressful than his job in the US. I've had a bit of a hard time lately. It's difficult for me here sometimes, because it seems like all I hear about America is negative. I would never say anything negative about Italy, for instance, to someone who is Italian. But here, they don't really care who you are. They'll bash America or President Bush, because you're there. I don't think Danny experiences this as much as I. Because I am constantly surrounded by people from all over the world, people tend to want to always talk about foreign affairs. It makes me really sad that the image of America to the rest of the world comes from what people see from Hollywood and stupid MTV. I try to tell people that that's only one tiny part America, but unfortunately, their minds are made up. The media here is so biased (CNN, BBC, etc), so it's no wonder that America's image is so tainted here. I wish that these networks that produce terrible television shows that give America a bad name could see what they are doing and take some responsibility for their actions. I guess it's just so much more entertaining to see smut than good things. So that's my soapbox for the day. Sorry about that.

So that's about all that we've been up to. We covet your prayers, and I can't tell you how much we love to receive letters and pictures from home. Also, we'd love to hear from the people who actually read this blog, so shoot me an email sometime: mrsehl@gmail.com.

We love ya and miss you so much!!! 7.5 more months!!!!!!

Fasching

So they have this celebration here right now called Fasching. It's basically Mardi Gras in Deutschland. It's the celebration of the 40 days prior to Lent. People dress up in really elaborate costumes, and there's a 4 hour (or longer) parade through various cities. It's not like any parade I've ever seen in America. There aren't floats, just people walking. Often, they grab members of the crowd; they may carry them over their shoulders down the parade route. They may throw you in a device that spins you around until you vomit.

We visited one such parade (umzug) in Pfullingen last weekend. I found the costumes to be quite scary, actually, especially for the little children. But it seemed like the little children must have been warned beforehand. Some of the characters give candy or bon bons. Some of them throw confetti all over you. Some smear paint or grease on your face. It's really interesting. The different groups of characters called out something in German, and the audience shouted something else back. I didn't really understand what they were saying, but it seemed like fun. By the end, I had green paint all over my face. There's a really big celebration in the city of Rottenburg next weekend, and I think we'll visit that one too. Until then, I've posted photos on the "Photos from Deutschland" site. Please visit.

Oh, How I Appreciate the Good Ole South

I really hope the south (in the USA) never changes. I don't think there is another place in the entire world where children say, "Yes ma'am" or "No ma'am." There's no other place where people smile at you as they walk by or say "Excuse me." I know that I will never take that for granted ever again in my life, and I will try to show the same courtesy to everyone I meet.

As of today, we have now been here 4 months, and I thought that my homesickness would get better. Unfortunately, I find things everyday that I miss. Don't get me wrong...we've been able to see and do things most people never get to see or do, but it's the people in my life that make things fun and exciting. What is so great about seeing the Eiffel Tower if you don't have friends to share it with? (Luckily, Kenny and Tiffany are coming in a month, and we'll see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre together). I am reminded of the motto of Hope Fellowship: "Loving God; Loving People." I love all the family and friends in my life, and I can't wait to be together with you all again in 8 months!!

My New Favorite Song

Download it from I-tunes...it's really awesome. Look for Everybody Worship, and you'll find it.

Break Through

Verse 1:
I sing all the songs.
I read all about You
I know right from wrong.
What does it amount to
If my life doesn’t show
How much I love you?

Chorus
I need you to break through
To tear down the walls.
Let everything fall.
Cuz I want to praise You
With nothing between
You and me.
I need you to break through.

Verse 2:
I know there is more
I've left to discover.
So many things, yeah
You want to uncover.
I’ve been scratching the surface.
I want to go deeper.

Bridge:
Break through the pride.
Break through the shame.
I’ve had enough of staying the same.
Break through the fear.
Open the gates.
I’m getting tired of playing it safe.

Long Time, No Post

I am sorry I haven't written in a while. We've been busy with Mark and Mirjam being here in Germany for Christmas. We had so much fun. I have posted tons of pictures. Just click on the link to the right of the page. Christmas was a lot different this year. It was strange being away from home. I have always loved Christmas in my family. I did get to talk to my family on Christmas which was a blessing. I could have talked for hours, I think. I think the highlight of Christmas this year was actually the day after Christmas. It snowed so much...my first almost white Christmas. That day, we went to Danny's uncles' and aunt's house. It was so much fun. Good wine, good German beer (not too much, I can assure you), and fantastic food. Then, on the 29th, we went to Austria to go skiing/snowboarding in the Alps. It was the most beautiful landscape I've ever seen in my life. I have never seen such beautiful mountains covered in snow...just magnificent. I really don't understand how someone could not believe in God after seeing this. Anyway, I'll write more about it later. I have got to start cleaning the house up and doing the tons of laundry in the floor right now.