Change of Focus

Since we aren't in Germany anymore, I can no longer tell you about the amazing places we get to see, so I've decided to change my blog up a bit to talk to you more about my relationship with Christ, my husband, and maybe Lilly, the cat. I am incredibly open to your ideas and opinions, so leave comments! Also, if you have a particular topic you'd like for me to discuss, bring it on. I love the opportunies to learn about things I may not know anything about! Email me your suggestions: mrsehl@gmail.com.

Beth

Job Hunting

So I've been looking for a job now for about 1.5 weeks. It is quite frustrating work! I came to this realization while I was in Germany that I was sick and tired of working ALL the time, and even when I wasn't working, if I was on call, I was still kinda working. Granted, the money is great, but life isn't all about that. I want to live!! So I've been searching for a fulfilling job that meets several qualifications.

1.) No weekends...haha...yeah right
2.) Day shift only...I did nights for a year, and I'll never do it again
3.) Something that is challenging and something from which I can really grow

Ok, so right now there's not a single nursing job in the Anderson/Greenville area that 100% meets those specifications...not even 85%...haha. It must be unreasonable to think that I can have a career, hopefully a family someday soon, and a reasonably fulfilling life. Hmmm...there's just gotta be more, you know?

Thoughts? Comment? Further Observations?

One Week Later...Reflections

Well, we've been home now for one week. (It was really strange to drive home from Atlanta and see all of the gigantic cars). We had a fabulous surprise party waiting for us at our house. Andrea Evans probably spent hours cleaning everything up for us. God bless her!! It was great to go home and everything be there almost exactly how we left it. We felt so loved having so many people there waiting on us. We are truly blessed individuals...no doubt.

So our first few days were quite nice actually. All the unpacking and organizing went very smoothly thanks to my husband...such a diligent guy.

I had band practice for the first time in a year. It was great to sing again. In all, leading worship was the hardest thing I had to give up this past year, and I think God has some great things in store.

I've been applying for various nursing positions. This morning, in fact, I've had three calls for interviews. That's pretty exciting. Maybe I'll have options! Pray for clarity.

It's nice to have all of our friends again. Kenny and Tiffany are literally a phone call away. Playing Wii boxing was freakin' awesome!!! Watching Kenny play Wii Boxing was priceless.

So here are my reflections from Sunday: I was so nervous singing. I was thinking maybe they remember me as something I'm not...haha. You always kind of inflate a person in your mind when they've been gone for a while. I was really humbled and thankful for the warm reception. It's hard coming back after not having sung in an entire year. I think there is a very warm chemistry between Jeff, Becky, and I, and I think that God is going to do amazing things. It was just incredible to see everyone again and to see all the new faces. Hope is a great church, and I can't imagine being anywhere else. It's a church that truly desires to reach its community and to fulfill the great commission. It's just awesome to be a part of such a ministry! Danny and I are both ready and willing to be contributors, as Pastor Mark talked about, and not consumers.

Question of the Day...9/11/2001

Where were you and what were you doing when the terrorist attacks occurred? What was your initial reaction?

I am going to answer this myself first. It was a huge turning point in my life, I think. I was living in the garage apartment at the Parkinson's house. I woke up, turned on the television to watch the news, and that's when I saw the first building in flames. I watched for several minutes in complete disbelief, and then when I thought it couldn't get any worse, a second plane crashed into the second building. I saw it on Live tv. I remember one reporter in the background had been debating whether it was an accident or a terrorist attack, but after that second one happened, she began to panic. Then I began to panic. I ran downstairs to try and wake up the Parkinsons. I really thought we were under attack or something. I remember thinking that life as I know it will never be the same, and I was right.

Seven years later, terrorism is still a major problem in the world, and it will probably always be. Not long after we moved here to Germany, there was an attempted terrorist attack at the Frankfurt Airport. They traced the terrorists back to the town of Ulm...about 1.5 hours away from where we live in Reutlingen. Recently, it was uncovered that these men had plans of attacking about 5 other German airports. These were all attempts to target Americans. One of these 5 airports is the one we are flying out of on Sunday. It's kinda scary, but my trust and faith is in Jesus. Ok, enough of that. What are your thoughts?

Why So Serious?

Ok, so my last few posts have been too serious, so I wanted to write you and tell you what's going on. We are in our last two weeks here in Germany. It's kinda surreal to us right now. We have been so blessed this year. We've had many opportunities to share our faith, and we've made so many life-long friends here. Now, we're already having to say goodbye to some of them...so sad. We do, however, have the best friends in the world to come home to, and we are SOOOOO excited about that. I can't wait to start singing again on the worship team, and we both are so excited about having our church family again. I'm not looking forward to the whole job hunting process, but apart from that, things couldn't be better.

Tomorrow the packers are coming to take away the majority of our things, and then we'll be living out of suitcases for the next 9 or so days. My mom and step-dad are picking us up at the airport, and Danny's family is going to meet us at our house when we get home. It's going to be so nice to sleep in my own bed, cook in my own kitchen with my own kitchen stuff...hehe, and chill on my own couch. We need to have a party when we get back, but I am not sure when we'll do it. We need to get settled first.

We also have to buy another car...yikes! I sold my little red machine before we left, and I think we are looking into buying a hybrid Ford Escape. We aren't sure, however, how available those cars are. If we weren't looking to start a family soon, I'd want one of those Smart cars. Have you seen them? They are so cute. Lots of people have them here in Germany, and they are incredibly convenient. You can park those things perpendicular in a parallel parking space. It's amazing!

I heard that hurricane Fay brought some rain to Anderson, and that the lake is a bit higher now. That's great, b/c we've gone a year without wakeboarding and that's just unacceptable. I am also hoping to get to the beach soon. We are so landlocked here, and it's no fun. Unfortunately, it looks like there are about 3 more hurricanes brewing in the Atlantic, so we may have to take in some people in our house rather than them taking us in. I MISS YOU, BETH,CHRIS, AND CARRIE!! You are welcome anytime at our house...lol.

Alright, enough of my rambling. We love you all so much, and we are looking forward to seeing you again really soon!!

Beth

What I Believe

I've had people who have questioned my morals and values over the last few weeks just for simply evaluating both presidential candidates fairly and without bias. I think that it's easy for people who don't really know me to judge me in such a harsh way. So I'd like to clear up some things.

I believe:

1. Most importantly, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. I believe that my life must, in every way, reflect the mercy and grace that was given to me so freely in that I show the same grace and mercy to others.

2. Abortion and especially partial birth abortion are definitely the most hideous practices that we have in the U.S. I was talking to a German friend here, and he absolutely could not believe that in some states in the U.S. the practice of partial birth abortion is legal and acceptable. For people who say that life doesn't begin until such and such a time, I say, "How do you know?" Are you willing to take a chance on such an assumption? I am not. Life begins when Jesus breathes life into a child, and that happens at conception. Who are we as mere mortals to decide who lives and dies? We are not God, and we should not pretend to be.

3. The war in Iraq is an illegal and unethical war which is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people: our soldiers and innocent civilians. However, I believe that our soldiers are brave and are doing a noble thing by fulfilling the duty in which they were assigned. I think our soldiers' votes in this election should count twice!

4. The genocide that is going on in Zimbabwe and in other parts of Africa is one of the worst in our lifetime, and I think if they had oil, we'd be "liberating" them as well. Unfortunately, they have no one to fight for them, so women are being castrated and raped, children are being brutally murdered, and people are literally starving to death. No one is there to help them, and it grieves my heart more than you can imagine.

5. It is the church's job to provide the majority of the social services that the U.S. so desperately needs. How much money do we put into social activities and various programs in our churches that could be used to feed families in our communities who have no food? Why don't we have more orphanages that are church supported so that women who want to have an abortion have an alternative? The Bible says in James that true religion is taking care of the widows and orphans, and I think that many churches in America have missed the mark. Please note that I am not trying to dis the church, but I think that most of us can agree that for some churches the priorities just aren't in the right place. I can also say that there are many churches who are doing the right thing, but I just want to appeal to the ones who may not be.

6. Insurance companies in America are the bane of our existence. Because of insurance companies and their deals with doctors and hospitals, people are paying unbelievable prices for healthcare. There needs to be radical reforms here. I don't know if universal healthcare is the answer, but I think we can all agree that something has got to give.

7. Many people in America misuse their 2nd Ammendment rights, and as a result we have too many incredibly dangerous weapons on our streets. Why does a person need a semi-automatic or an automatic weapon? There is absolutely no reason! These types of guns are polluting our streets and causing the deaths of too many Americans. The laws need to be more strict, not less. Many would say, "Guns don't kill people; people kill people." And to that I say, if the person with the gun didn't have a gun, maybe that person on the other end would still be alive. Why are we so blah see when it comes to human life?

8. Racism in America and all over the world is completely unacceptable. To discriminate against someone based on religion or color is atrocious. We can all agree that people are people. Everyone has a vital role to play in this life, and how dare we suggest that one race is inferior to another. Our differences should be things we celebrate and respect. Some of the racial things that I've heard about Obama from people who live in my community have embarrassed me so much. I love the south and America, but I am ashamed of the racial prejudices we have in our country. I don't know how we bridge the gap, but we have to find a way.

9. Americans are some of the most wasteful people in the world, and we have to take responsibility for our actions and the damage our actions have caused to the environment. How many Americans drive gas-guzzling cars for no reason other than vanity? How many Americans drive around in F250s or 350s, and they don't even have a farm. Oil is not a renewable resource and America with its 300 million people uses 1/3 of the world's yearly oil supply. That is preposterous. On top of that, we don't recycle, and therefore, our landfills are overflowing and pollution is at an all time high. For the record, in Germany it is unacceptable for a person not to recycle. It is mandated here as it should be in America. I applaud Gov. Schwarzenegger for leading the way in these good practices in America.

Ok, so I think that's enough for now. I beg you, before you judge me, get to know me. If you have a question about what I say, ask, but don't attack me. You have your own opinions, and they are valid just like mine. I've been crushed by people this week who have even questioned my commitment to Christ. Please know that I weigh everything I believe against what the Bible says and the example that Jesus Himself left for us. I am changing and growing and learning (the reason for the title of this entire blog), and I am very opened to others' opinions as I continue on this journey of knowing Christ and following Him wholeheartedly. I welcome your thoughts and opinions, but I do not welcome personal attacks against me. I am willing to accept that I am wrong about certain issues, and I would hope that anyone who reads my blog is also open to the fact that they may also be wrong. We are all learning here. No one has all the answers, and we need to listen to one another rather than arguing. I hope this helps clear up some doubts that people have had about me. =)