Our Worldwind Tour in Italy

We had so much fun on our trip in Italy. We decided to just drive our car and be spontaneous. We didn't even have hotel reservations for every night, which ended up working in our favor!!

We left on Wednesday, April 30, and in one day, we drove through 5 countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Italy)!!! Instead of taking interstates/autobahns, we took the long route to our first stop in Como in the north of Italy. We saw such amazing things on this part of the trip. From spring and summer temperatures to 3 meters of snow in the Swiss Alps, we had such an adventure driving to our destination. We stayed one night in Como (just a pit stop), and then we set out for Cinque Terra.

Cinque Terra is one of the coolest group of towns I've ever been to or seen. It's 5 towns connected by hiking trails, and it's on the Ligurian Sea. We had some of the best pizza, croissants, and cappuccino there. Plus, the views from everywhere were like postcard photos. We were able to relax and lay out on the beach. We hiked 4 of the 5 towns. The weather was gorgeous. In all, it's one of my favorite places on earth.
 

Our next stop was Florence. Initially, we weren't going to go here, but we had a few friends convince us that it was worth a night or two. Booking a room here took some time and effort, though. Thankfully, we had this room booked before we left. Anyway, we were able to get tickets to Accademia, which is where Michaelangelo's David is located. Holy moly!! It was truly the most amazing sculpture I've ever seen. I am no art buff, but I was just captivated by Dave. Michaelangelo was literally given this huge slab of marble and told to create something fabulous out of it. I mean, the veins in his arms, feet, and hands were dead on. His face and his eyes were mesmerizing. I so wish I would have broken the rules and gotten a photo, but it still wouldn't have captured the sheer magnitude of this work. This alone was worth the trip to Florence. Other than that, we walked a lot, ate a ton of gelato, and I found out that there's a crazy bug to which I am incredibly allergic (still don't know what that bug is, unfortunately). After 2 nights in Florence, we were pretty ready to get on the road to Rome.
 

Rome is pretty much the coolest city on earth. It even beats Paris!! Maybe it was because I knew so much more about Rome, but this place was truly like taking a walk through time. But, unlike Florence, it felt like Rome was still a very modern city. It seemed like Florence had just stopped somewhere in the 1700s or something. I couldn't believe we were able to walk where so many early Christians, who died for their faith, had walked. Even Peter, the Apostle, was here and was martyred here. I realized how blessed I am to live in a country (even in Germany) where I can worship Christ with all that I am whenever I want and not be afraid of the consequences. How blessed are we?! We went to the ancient Forum, where people like Julius Caesar strolled the streets, made laws, conducted all sorts of business, and was eventually murdered and cremated. We saw temples to the gods that the Romans worshiped, and I was thankful that the One, True God decided to make His temple in me (and you).

We also saw the Colosseum, which was pretty cool, but for some reason, Danny and I both said that we thought it would be bigger. I guess it really is pretty huge, but with all of the other really huge buildings around, it just doesn't look so large. A few months ago I read The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers in which many scenes take place in the Colosseum. Even though the books are fiction, I could still imagine the real life horrors that some Christian martyrs faced being sent into face lions and other wild animals. After Rome defeated the Jews in Jerusalem, they took over 50,000 prisoners, and many were forced to either fight (the men) or be fed to the animals when the crowd got especially bored. Can you imagine looking into the eyes of a hungry wild animal, praying to God that He takes you fast enough that you don't feel anything? It was heart breaking!! And then I think about the day that may come where I am tested in my faith, and I pray that I have the strength to stand in the face of the worst possible death.
 
 

We also visited one of the catacombs on the Appian Way (remember the movie Spartacus?...ewww gross). I was so impressed by our tour guide. He was Slovakian, and he spoke very good English. We could tell that he was truly passionate about teaching the people about everything including the symbols early Christians used to identify themselves and Christians. He told us stories of the people who were buried here. One that struck me was the story of Cecilia (beautiful name!!) She was a martyr, and over her tomb was a sculpture of her lying on her side, face down. In one had she held up 2 fingers, and in the other, she held up 1 finger signifying the trinity, yet one God!! There was an area down in the catacombs where people could have communion and small memorial services. As we were down there, a group of people were having such a service, and they were singing Praise to the Lord...the Almighty, the King of Creation...in Latin (I think). It was so incredible. I felt so much more close to Jesus than I ever could have in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City (more on that later). It was just such a powerful experience that we'll never forget.

So now on to happier subjects....

My absolute favorite thing in Rome was the Pantheon. We both just thought there was something special about it. The columns were so incredibly huge. I cannot even explain it. There's a huge opening in the dome, so when it rains, the church is totally exposed. But there are drains in the floor, and the floor naturally slants to allow the water to flow out. Ok, this is the thing...this church is soooooo old!!! So old, in fact, that it sits 15 feet below street level. In other words, Rome has literally grown or risen around the Pantheon. Maybe you just have to see it for yourself, but it's incredible.
 

We spent one day in Vatican City, which was pretty cool. We visited the Vatican museum where we saw the Sistine Chapel and many ancient Christian pieces of art. We saw entire rooms painted by Raphael. It was such an incredibly huge museum. I think Danny and I were a little overwhelmed. After the museum, we went to St. Peter's Basilica...the largest church on earth...I believe. There are markings on the ground where the next largest church would fit inside St. Peter's...crazy. The Apostle, Peter's remains are here under this crazy huge canopy. I wonder if he would actually like all that attention being that he lived only to serve and promote Christ. I don't know. What do you think? I know I don't really understand all of the seemingly saint worship that takes place in the Catholic church, but then again, maybe there's something that I'm missing. Feel free to comment and let me know. On a kind of funny note, there was a painting, The Transfiguration, by Raphael that really made me laugh. (I hope I am not being sac religious). So, Jesus is busy transfiguring, and the people who are observing this are really hysterical. There's one boy or teenager in the painting who looks like he's fainting, and the other people on the ground are so busy looking and tending to him that they fail to really see Jesus transfiguring. I think maybe Raphael was trying to say something...think about it.
 

Two minute Soapbox (sorry): While we were in St. Peter's Basilica, I overheard a woman saying, "Man, this is the closest to God you can possibly be." That really knocked the wind out of me. Among all of the decor and gold, bronze, and silver, I can honestly say that the one thing that I didn't feel or see was the Spirit of God. I found myself feeling really sad in the Basilica. I felt the presence of the God so strongly while we were many feet underground in the catacombs. I felt His presence as we were driving through the amazing, God-made mountains in Switzerland and Italy. I feel His presence everyday when I pray and worship. His Spirit cannot be contained is such an earthly container. How dare we think that we can put Him within 4 (really decorated) walls!! Jesus didn't die so that we would make incredibly elaborate temples to saints. He died to SAVE the lost!! How is it that we have missed the mark in such a huge way? I have really wrestled with this since we got back. I just don't understand it. I have a lot of respect for the Pope even though I am not Catholic (He was educated in the university town next to Reutlingen). Why is it that someone whose entire life is dedicated to learning and knowing Christ doesn't get it that it's all wrong?!? Am I the one who is wrong? Ok, end of soapbox...
 

We left Rome pretty early on Friday morning, and I MUST say that I am so proud of my husband for having the patience to drive in Rome. It's absolutely nuts!! We are so used to Germany where there's so much order and structure. Well, in Italy, as soon as you cross the border, it's utter CHAOS!!! Danny did great, though!!

Our next destination: Bolzano/Bozen to see the Ice Man. That's right, the Ice Man. Let me tell you a little about Bolzano/Bozen first. It has two names, because one is Italian and one Austrian. In WWI, a war in which Austria started and lost, Bozen was given to Italy as payment of war damages. So that meant that lots of people were suddenly not Austrian citizens anymore. They became Italians, even though the spoke German, ate Austrian food, built Austrian-style houses, and had blond hair and blue eyes. Over the years, more real Italians moved to the area, and were a little upset that everything was still so Austrian, and the Austrians have tried many times to break away from Italy and rejoin Austria with no success. So you have a entire section of Italy that is truly more German/Austrian than Italy. Most of the people are pretty much forced to speak both languages. The tv is in German and Italian. Menus are in German and Italian. It's just crazy. We had NO idea what language to speak. It was fun, though, trying to figure it out.
 

Ok, so back to the Ice Man. He was found by German hikers in 1991. The hikers just thought that he was one of the many non-ancient people who lose their lives in the Alp/Dolomites every year, but as it turns out, he was from about 5000 b.C. His clothes and equipment were still in pretty good shape. Apparently, the ice preserved him and his stuff very well. Scientists could even tell what color his eyes were...blue. Pretty cool stuff. He was pretty gross looking, though, and this is coming from a NURSE and one who has dissected cadavers before...ewwww.

Our final destination was back in our temporary "heimatland"...the Bodensee (Lake Konstanz) in southern Germany. We met our friends, Kyle and Karen Dresback, there to spend some time with them before they left Germany for good. (They left yesterday...booo). It was really nice to have structure and order again. I didn't realize how much I took that for granted in the Deutschland!! Anyway, we had a great time relaxing, eating great fish, and drinking coffee. On top of that, I had the joy of riding a ferry (with the car) for the first time!! It wasn't quite as exciting as I wanted it to be, but it got us to the other side of the lake in a timely manner. In all, we had a really great time.
 

We drove home on Monday, and I must say that I was really ready to be home and not living out of a suitcase. I really missed Germany while we were in Italy. It was strange. For the first 4 months here, I was so homesick, but now I can honestly say that I feel comfortable here. I am not so scared to talk and just be myself. I think Germany will always be a second home to me, even when we are back in the U.S.

Finally Home

We just got home about one hour ago from our long trip in Italy. It was absolutely amazing. We are, however, very pooped, so look for a blog and pictures here in the next day or two. I journaled everyday, so I'll try to share something interesting from all of the places we saw. I cannot believe we only have 4 more months here in Germany. It's actually not cold anymore, and everything is green and in bloom...just breathtaking. I will really miss this place when we leave. ;)

What's New?

Let's see....

The food here in Germany is very rich...lots of fatty meat with creamy sauces served with starchy potatoes or noodles. Oh, and let's not forget the incredible sugary pastries and breads that fill your senses every time you walk anywhere near a bakery. (They're EVERYWHERE!!!) I had set some goals for myself when we first moved here...even put them in writing...such a dork, I know. After being here for about 6 months, I realized that I hadn't even started working on some of them. Not good!! So, about one month and a half ago I started an amazing new journey in getting myself in shape and eating healthy. I completely changed the way I was eating. Not only did I start feeling so much better and having more energy, I have also started losing a good bit of extra weight that I've put on over the years. Danny's not really participating that much in eating better. He loves his sugar too much!! But, he's lost weight too just from eating healthier dinners, I guess. We both feel tons better, and that's the most important thing. Losing weight should only be a side effect.

 

One of Danny's and my friends came to visit while on business from Bosch. We had dinner in Tübingen on Thursday night, and it was hilarious. Travis, our friend, brought another guy with him, Michael. I so wish I could tell you some of the stories we heard over that dinner, but you wouldn't get the full effect just by reading it. All I've got to say is, "Sprechen Sie Deutsch!!" Only a few know of what I am speaking, and you should be laughing your head off.


Yesterday, Sunday, was a strange day. It was actually sunny outside, so Danny and I really wanted to take advantage of it. We decided to meet up with a friend and go to this place where some meteor hit. Well, needless to say, after about 1.5 hours of driving around the booming metropolis of Metzingen (note sarcasm), we had no clue where to find the parking lot where our friend was waiting. Apparently, stores are only open on Sundays 1-2 times per year, and EVERYONE decides to go shopping whether they really need to or not. After being yelled and honked at for not pulling out into speeding traffic, we decided it was time to tuck our tails between our legs and find another activity for the day. I got the bright idea of going for a bike ride around where we live. It was a marvelous idea, honest!! We retrieve our bikes from the cellar downstairs, and Danny notices that his back tire needs a little air. So we walk the bike down the street to the gas station where Danny proceeds to pump up his tire. He checks my bike again, just to make sure, and he decides that my tire needs air also. What he doesn't realize is that my tire has a different nozzle and cannot be pumped up by just an ordinary pump. He then tries to figure out a way to pump it up anyway. (It's the engineer in him that won't let him just leave well enough alone. I do love that about him, though). In the end, Danny had a perfectly ridable bike, and I had a tire that had absolutely no air in it at all. Then, I decided that, for some reason, God just really didn't want us to be outside. It was such a strange day, full of folly!!

My mom is coming to visit mid-May. Yay!!!! She finally booked her flight a few weeks ago. I was so hoping that she would take this opportunity to visit a foreign country. I think we're going to Paris again, because Paris is awesome. I hope that she is impressed by my German skills...haha. And for the record, the only French I can speak is counting to about 13, so we may be in trouble in Paris. Who knows. (Tiffany used her French skills while we were there before).

On April 30, we are going on our 2 week trip to Italy!! I still don't know where all we are going, but I plan on figuring all of that out this week. I got my new Rick Steve's Italy book, so I should be set.

My birthday isn't for a while. It's in July, but I think I am at the age where I don't really want to tell you how old I am anymore...booo. Anyway, we're going to go to the Canary Islands for a week in July. There's a black sand beach on one of the islands, and we're really hoping to stay there, lay on the beach, and drink pina coladas!! I can't wait to see the ocean again!!!

Well, I think that's about all that's new here. We'd love to hear about what's going on back home. Feel free to leave a comment or email me.

That is the Question

What would you attempt for God if you knew you could not fail?

Figuring Out My Purpose

Having been here in Germany for almost 7 months, I have had a lot of time to think and pray and figure out what's truly important in my life. I've been doing a lot of God seeking about what He wants me to be. I feel kind of like a teenager wondering what I want to be when I grow up, even though I've had a pretty successful career so far in nursing.

Today, God used one of my best friends to show me that for basically all of my life, I have been living in incredible fear of being rejected. I've feared actually stepping out and doing what I know God has truly called me and gifted me to do. I've settled for things in my life, because I was scared to truly go after and pursue certain things.

So, today I've made a decision to put an end to the fear in my life. I've decided to go after my dreams and passions and understand that if I get rejected, it's ok. My life is my Jesus' hands, and if I am going after His will, then He'll open the doors that need to opened and close the doors that need to close. You have to understand that this is a little intimidating and scary for me. I've never really faced the types of rejections that I may face here in the near future. So pray for me, that God will guide and instruct me on this new journey in my life. Ooooo...I am actually really excited about this!!

Beth

Dachau

 

For over a week I've been contemplating what I experienced at Dachau, the first concentration camp here in Germany. It's just really hard to put into words how emotional the whole experience was. Here's some historical background on the place:

1. It was the first concentration camp; all the other concentration camps/death camps were designed from this one.

2. The camp started in 1933 as a "work camp." The Nazi's believed that hard work would rehabilitate Jews, Christians, homosexuals, and really anyone who didn't subscribe to their way of thinking.

3. The camp was designed to house 6,000 prisoners, but in the end, it held over 32,000!!

 

4. Every morning and evening, the prisoners were forced to do a "roll call" where they literally had to stand at attention and not move until all the prisoners were accounted for.

5. There were three barracks that were used for medical experimentation. Humans were used as guinea pigs to try new medications, new surgeries, etc.

6. There was an electrical fence around the perimeter of the camp, and many prisoners would purposely run into it to end their lives.

7. American soldiers freed the camp on April 29, 1945, and they turned the camp into a prison for the Nazis.

 

So this is my experience:

We walked into the camp, and our audio guide had us walk the path that the prisoners would have walked at their arrival to the camp. We could still see remnants of the road that was taken into the camp and the railroad tracks that brought the prisoners from all over Europe. As we walked through the front gate, we could read the iron door...Arbeit Macht Frei, which means Work Sets One Free. It was the motto of this "work camp." We then walked out onto the huge courtyard, where the prisoners were forced to stand at attention for hours until all the prisoners were accounted for. We could imagine the electrical fence running along the perimeter that was an escape for so many of the prisoners. And there were watch towers all over with snipers ready to kill anyone not doing their work. Here, I could imagine men of pride and valor being reduced to garbage as their bodies gave out from lack of food and the strenuous work conditions. These were men who stood up to the regime and paid with their lives.

We then viewed a few of the memorials at the camp. The first stated: "May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933-1945 because they resisted Nazism help to unite the living for the defense of peace and freedom an in respect for their fellow men".

 

Another memorial was actually constructed by a freed prisoner from this camp. It showed men who were starved tangled in a web of barbed wire. I can't even imagine having the ability to construct that after such a horrific experience.

 

Another memorial was a symbol of the different nationalities, religious groups, and countries who had prisoners in this camp. The memorial contained triangles of various colors depicting these groups. (When prisoners were brought to the camp, they were stripped of their clothes and their name and given only a uniform with a triangle patched that contained their i.d. number. Thus, the significance of the triangles in the memorial).

 

Next, we saw the memorial of the Unknown Soldier. It contained an inscription that said, "Never Again".

 

Next, we walked through one of the two barracks. They had been restored, because they were originally torn down. The bunks that men, probably 6 feet tall or more, had to sleep in were incredibly small. And I am sure that some men had to sleep on the floor, simply because there was just no room. Cleanliness was something that was highly regarded by the Nazis, so imagine 32,000 men in tiny barracks but with not a speck of dirt or dust on the floors.

Finally, we made our way to the crematoriums. Originally there was only one, but the death toll had become so high that they had to build another. When I say "they," I mean the prisoners had to build another one. The soldiers did none of the work in the camp. So with this second crematorium, there was also built a gas chamber where, in 15-20 minutes, 150 prisoners could have been exterminated at a time using prussic acid poison gas. This gas chamber was never used, however, there were other means of extreme torture used in killing the prisoners. At times, the soldiers would bring live prisoners to the crematorium and hang them in front of the burning ovens.

 

 

By the end of our journey through the camp, we were mostly speechless and stunned. It's easy to think, "Well, this happened in an uncivilized time, and people are smarter now. It will never happen again." But that is simply not true. This happened only about 60 years ago. The Germans were not uncivilized at all. WWI had imposed some really harsh things on the Germans, and Hitler came promising great things. It was easy for a people so discouraged to believe. Hitler had become their ray of hope, and frankly many of the Germans didn't know exactly what was happening. Everything that the Third Reich did was very secretive. I believe that we came out of this experience knowing that it could happen again, and that we must be mindful of who/what we believe. Just because someone makes great claims and promises doesn't mean that it will happen. And as long as our "ray of hope" is not in man but in Christ alone, we can make it through anything. The Bible speaks of men who will come and, with great speeches and great manipulation, will talk people out of their faiths. Hitler was one, but I believe that there will be a time when we are all tested. And I believe that God has His hands on us, and will give us grace to stand in that day.

I would really appreciate any comments on this post. I'd like to know what you think regarding this time, and perhaps the time that will come.

Thanks,
Beth

HELP!!

On April 30, we are going on a bit of an adventure. We're going to get in our car and drive through Switzerland to Italy. If anyone has been to these places, let us know!! We need to know some great places to visit/stay/eat. We are planning on staying in Rome for a 3-4 days, and we'll hopefully get to attend a Papal Mass. That's really the only thing we have planned that's concrete. I have an Italy travel guide, but I would like some input from people I know who have been there. Thanks so much!!

A White Easter?

This weekend the weather has been really bad. It's been cold, windy, and rainy. This morning, we woke up thinking the weather would be no different, but it was!! It was white!! We were having the Easter blizzard. Nevertheless, we decided to brave the weather and drive 45 minutes to our church for Easter service. (In South Carolina, even church would have been canceled due to the snow). Church was awesome. It was completely packed out. The first song they played was, "Oh, Happy Day" by Steve Fee, and it was in English (a double bonus). A good time was had by all.

The entire day, I've been thinking about what this day really means and how the Easter bunny come into the mix. This the day we commemorate Jesus' resurrection!! Not only did He die for my sins, He defied death by rising again. I would have loved to have seen the faces of the people to whom He appeared. Can you imaging seeing Him and thinking that it just can't be true? But then He shows you His hands, and you have no doubt that this is God in the flesh standing in front of you. Can you imagine His mother? She has seen her Son die such a brutal death, but then He goes to her and says, "Hey mom, Guess what? I'm Alive!!". I can imagine what the disciples thought? It had to have become crystal clear to them that He had told them all of this was going to happen, but they just didn't understand before. They must have felt so dumb, yet so happy at the same time.

Anyway, this has been a great day. I am so hoping that God will reveal Himself to lots of people today. My challenge to anyone who doesn't know Christ is to simply begin to search for Him. Ask Jesus to show you that He is God. It's really that simple. The Bible says that when we seek, we find, and I believe with all of my heart that He will reveal Himself to you if you only ask. That's what He did for me. Trust me, I am about as stubborn and hard-headed as they come, but He has shown Himself to me over and over again.

Happy Easter!!!

Eiffel Tower at Night

 

Wonderful Adventures

I haven't blogged in a few weeks. We've been all over the place. Our best friends from the States flew to Paris for a business trip, so we decided to make it both a business trip and a vacation. We took a fast train to Paris on March 5. They met us at the train station, and I cannot tell you how excited we were to see such familiar, loving faces!! We then took the subway to the hotel, and went to sleep.

The next day, on our first sightseeing day, Tiffany took us to the Notre Dame. It was breathtaking, inside and out. I even learned what a "flying buttress" is! As we were walking, we came across a movie or tv production on the streets of Paris. We waited for a little while to catch a glimpse of a movie star or something. No luck. We walked down the river for a few kilometers, just enjoying the Parisian lifestyle and culture. We made it to the Louvre, where we only toured the outside. It's the largest museum I've ever seen. In the middle of the courtyard is a giant glass pyramid that, when the suns shines at a certain angle, makes prisms on the ground. We walked down the huge garden in front of the Louvre. There we encountered all kinds of art, sculptures from the classical era and from the modern. It was an interesting conglomeration. We then made it to the Arc de Triomphe, a huge arch in the middle of a round-a-bout that serves as a WWI memorial. About 6 or 7 streets converge at this round-a-bout, and there are no lines on the road for lanes. You can imagine the chaos of driving in Paris. We then started walking towards the Eiffel Tower. It was mesmerizing. It's ten times larger than you think, really. I don't think a photo can really capture the enormity of the the structure at all. I took about two dozen pictures of it in all, but it's just something you have to see with your own eyes. We walked a bit more, and then took the subway back to the hotel. Our feet were so tired that we ordered room service for dinner. Kenny was still working at this point, so we decided not to go out and have too much fun without him.

The next morning we woke up, and had a breakfast of fresh croissants with butter and boiled eggs. It was yummy. Our journey on this particular day began with a subway ride to Montmartre. There is a huge basilica there called Sacré-Cœur. This place is interesting, because it's actually fairly modern. There is someone inside the church 24/7 praying for the sins of Paris. Several bombs actually hit this basilica during WWII, but no one was killed or hurt. The people here believe this is because of the faithful prayers. We walked inside where there is complete silence. No one is allowed to talk; to disrupt the prayers going on inside. This church is different from many of the other churches I've seen in France and Germany where the images are dark and gloomy and a little morbid. This church is full of light, depicting Christ as having great love for people. There's a huge structure of Christ in the front of the church, and rather than being on the cross, dying, He's bearing His heart in love for His people. It's really amazing. Once back outside, we could look out on all of Paris. Wonderful!! We then walked down the street to a little square where artists like Pablo Picasso, Renior, and Van Gogh painted. There were amazing pieces of artwork here, created by modern artists. Tiffany and I really wanted to buy one, but the price was a little too high. We continued on and saw Renoir's home. We passed a memorial of St. Denis, who was a martyred Christian bishop during the Roman era. He actually walked down this street to his execution. Interestingly, it was a pretty long walk, and the Roman soldiers got tired. They decided to behead him before he even got to the execution site. The story goes that St. Denis, after being beheaded, got up, picked up his own head, washed it off in a fountain, and walked the remaining 3 miles to the execution site, where he collapsed and died. We continued walking around the city. We passed Van Gogh's home, and then around the corner was the reason I wanted to come to Montmartre in the first place, The Moulin Rouge. The Moulin Rouge is my favorite movie of all time. I can sing and quote the entire thing. I often cry before anything happens, because I know what's about to happen. I'm a sap...i know.

The next thing on our list to see was the Louvre. We had already explored the outside. On this day, we were going to attempt to see a good portion of the inside. The first room we entered into was the ancient Roman room. Interestingly, the sculptures and other items looked very Egyptian. We saw the famous Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace. We saw some famous paintings like the Marriage at Cana and the Mona Lisa. There was just so much. I can't even tell you all of it. We spent hours inside the Louvre, and we didn't even scratch the surface.

Later in the evening, we got all dressed up for our dinner cruise down the river. I don't think I've ever had so much fun. The food was great, but the friends and conversation were ten times better. We got to see many of the sights we'd seen only in daytime at night. At the top of every hour, the Eiffel Tower begins to sparkle for 15 minutes. It's really beautiful. It is true that Paris is the "City of Lights."

The next morning, we took one final small tour of the city, and then headed for the train station to head to Germany. Kenny and Tiffany spent about a week with us in Germany. We went to Neuschwanstein, saw the Austrian Alps, then snowboarded down them. We ate great Bayerish and Swabian food. We traveled to Munich, where we saw the Olympic stadium and the new BMW museum. We then drove to Dachau, Germany's first concentration camp, the camp that all the other camps were designed after. I am going to write about that in a separate blog. It just doesn't seem right to talk about it in this one. Plus, I am still processing some of the things I saw and read.

Kenny and Tiffany left yesterday, Friday, and we are so sad that they are gone. It was great to share such an amazing time with them. You can go and visit all of these cool places on your own, and you'll probably have a great time. But great friends make everything so much better. We love the Tuckers!!!

Check out all the photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/mrsehl.

Open Discussion

Confession time...

I have always had self-image issues. From a really young age, I never really felt girly enough or pretty enough. My biological father committed suicide when I was a baby, so I never really felt like I was worth him living. Feeling that kind of rejection my whole life was just not good!! My adoptive father, whom many of you know (sorry if this offends you, but it's the truth), was very hurtful to me when I was young. He told me so many times that I was fat and stupid. It may have been a joke to him, but I didn't take it that way. When I was in high school, I set out to lose weight, and I ended up losing about 50lbs (23 kg for my European friends). Essentially, I had developed an eating disorder, and it was tearing my life apart. Thankfully, Jesus picked me up out of that place, and I can honestly say, that I don't struggle with that anymore at all. (I am making a long story short, so if you want to know exactly how Jesus did it, I'm more than willing to tell you. Just shoot me an email: mrsehl@gmail.com). Over the last few years, God has blessed me with a wonderful husband who always makes me feel beautiful and never puts me down. God has taught me how to love the person He's made me.

But in a world where physical "beauty" reigns supreme, I can understand how women can sometimes feel ugly; like they just don't fit the mold. How absurd!! Think about this. God created the heavens and the earth; the stars in the sky. All of these things add so much beauty to our lives. God is such a magnificent artist!! He created all of this, and then He created mankind (ending with women...saving the best for last...haha). Man was so beautiful to Him that He chose to take a break (on Sunday) just to admire what He created. He wasn't satisfied with the heavens, the earth, the animals, or anything He created until He created mankind. What I think this tells us is that our view of what beauty is totally corrupted and contorted. God is the embodiment of beauty, and He created us in His own image!!!

So this is the discussion: I want to know what in your life makes you feel beautiful, physical or otherwise. How has God shown you that you are beautiful when society may say otherwise? With all of our physical flaws, there are things we all admire about our bodies. What are those things to you?

Challenge: We need to try to undo our thinking about how we define beauty. Try to see something beautiful in someone else this week. The fact is that when you try to find things about others that you think are beautiful, you start to see those same things in yourself. Also, try to see something beautiful in your enemy or someone you just don't like. It's not as easy, and it really reveals the state of our hearts.

Sorry if this seems more geared toward women, fellas. But I think guys deal with the same issues...maybe just not as outwardly as women. So guys can participate too!!

I Love This!!

"Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong; I cannot. If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata--of creatures that worked like machines--would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they must be free."
C.S. Lewis

This is a quote from Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. He is amazing. I've never had much time to read things I want. Well, now I have a ton of time, so I get the opportunity to do lots of things I've always wanted. I encourage everyone to read Lewis' books, whether you're Christian or not.

My Journal

I've never much been one for keeping a journal. I guess all those years in school where I was forced to keep one just didn't sit too well with me. Anyway, I have been keeping a blog for quite a while. I guess I feel like with a blog, I don't have to write every single day. I can just write when I have something on my heart. So I was reading some of my old blogs (not located on this page), and I am just so thankful for everything God has done in my life.

One year ago, I was struggling a great deal, because we were leaving Cornerstone, the church I'd been going to since I was a baby. I remember crying so much over that decision, but having such peace that we were doing what God wanted. I remember thinking I didn't know where to go or what to do, because there was just no place in this world like Cornerstone. I mean, I met and married my incredible husband there. Cornerstone was a shield for me when I was a kid. When things in my family were tough, it was my place of refuge. Pastor Rick taught me how to love and trust in God with all of my heart. It was also really hard to leave some of our dear friends. That was the hardest thing of all, considering Pastor Rick had been gone for years. It's amazing how people put God in a box, and they see the world only in the four walls of their own church. We lost so many friends, because they just could not see how they could remain friends with us if we didn't go to the same church. For crying out loud; it wasn't like we were joining a crazy sect or something. We were still part of the Church...God's church. But Danny and I learned how to be content with just the two of us, and God showed us what true friendship is all about through that situation. Sometimes I wish He didn't have to use such painful trials to teach us things, but I guess if it weren't so painful, it wouldn't leave such an impression.

Last year I was also having a really tough time sleeping at night. Until you've had insomnia, you can't even imagine how important sleep is. I had all these doctors wanting to put me on anti-depressants and stuff like that, but I just didn't have a peace about that. It's not that I think taking them is wrong. I just had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach about it. I prayed, prescription in hand, for what God wanted me to do, and He said flat out that I needed to just trust Him. (That's the one area that I struggle with the most...Type A personality and all). The Lord promised me that He would take care of me, and I believed it. I decided not to take the medication (because I wasn't depressed!!), and amazingly I started sleeping really well. I believe that God completely healed me, and I am so grateful for that. God took something that was completely out of my control (yep control freak right here), and He showed me how to trust Him and not myself for everything.

So now my opinion of journaling has changed a little. I can now look back on the last year and see how God has worked in my life. There are so many little things He does for us each day that we don't even see. I can't wait until I can talk with Jesus face to face, and He can show all of the things He did that I didn't even know!! Maybe He keeps a journal on all of us. Maybe He writes things like: Yay, Beth trusted me today...finally!!! I guess we'll find out.

Beth

The Tuckers Are Coming!!!

They are finally coming. Our best friends from home are leaving for Paris on Feb. 28. We are going to take a train to meet them on the 5th of March, and we'll say for the rest of the week!! Then they are coming to Germany to visit our home here. There's so much we want to show them. I've got to figure out how to narrow it down!! Yay for English speaking friends!!!

It's Valentine's Day, and I Don't Care

Call me unsentimental or unromantic all you want; I think Valentine's Day is kinda dumb. My husband thinks he is the luckiest man in the world that he doesn't have to go and spend tons of money on flowers and candy just for this one holiday!! He buys me flowers all year round, and it makes me so happy to get them when I least expect it. It means more to me to receive something just because he is thinking about me than for him to have to do on this one particular day. So I don't think we are unromantic at all. We are just romantic with each other for the entire year.

Friendship

The older I've gotten, the more I've come to understand the value and importance of true friendship. And I am not talking about the superficial relationships with people who never come to understand the true you. Personally, I've never understood how a person can say, "Hey these are my 20 best friends!!" Really? Do you really know them? Do they really know you? Can you be yourself 100% of the time, even if that self is wrong, dumb, self-conscious, or disgusting? Do you find yourself trying to be someone you're not when you're around them? Would those friends give you the very coat off their back to help you, and would you do the same for them? How would you feel if they were in trouble or sick? Would you take their burden on as your own? Those types of friendships take a long time to develop, and I think you have to go through trials in order to find them. A friend chooses to be there, whereas family almost has to be there. So the challenge is to not care about the quantity of your friendships but the quality.

A Little Perspective

I am totally copying this from one of my "friends" on myspace, but I loved it. I wanted everyone to read it, and let me know what you think.


"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true, given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we so unhappy about?''

- Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

- Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

- Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

- Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time, and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

- Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

- Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe hotels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

- I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.

- Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provides services to help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

- Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

- Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

**Maybe that is what has 67 percent of people unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens . They see us for what we are. The MOST BLESSED people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have , and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the LORD that we live here.

- I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

- The Commander-In Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

- Think about it...are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the"Media" told you he was failing .
Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.

- They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds, it leads; and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells,and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about "how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way" ...Insane!

Stop buying into the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. God has blessed us and we complain :(

We are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.

"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

Snowboarding Photos

God is Beautiful!!

We woke up this morning after a rainy and windy night to a beautiful rainbow. I tried to get a picture of it, but by the time I found the camera, the rainbow was fading. It was just a little reminder of how faithful, wonderful, and beautiful our God is!!!

Presidential Election

Hey,
To the right of the page is a poll. I just want to see who the you are leaning towards voting for in the Presidential election. The results are anonymous, so don't be shy. Thanks for the help.

Go Eli Manning!!

So it's 2am, and we're watching the Super Bowl!! Could we BE anymore American?!?!

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.

Clemson People Are AWESOME!! / Clemson Leute sind ausgeziechnet!!

Ok, so we've been here now for 3 months, and we've met some really great people. Well, we'd been here only for about 2 weeks when we decided to go hiking on a mountain here in Reutlingen. Danny and I both wore Clemson hats, and I think Danny was also wearing a Clemson t-shirt. When we finally hiked to the top, we were looking out on the beautiful landscape when someone shouted, "Go Tigers!!" Of course, we were like "no way," but sure enough, someone in Germany recognized the Clemson logo. We started talking, and we've become pretty good friends over the last few months.

Then, last week, we were at the Weihnactsmarkt in Esslingen. Of course, Danny wore his brightly colored orange Clemson hat. Again, someone shouted, "GO TIGERS!!" This time we were really taken aback. Ok, so it's a fluke when you meet one person who has heard of Clemson, but now we've met two families!!! Crazy!! The second group of people that we met actually live in Anderson. One is a professor at AU, and had graduated from Clemson in 1968. It really is a small world.

German:

Ok, wir sind heir jetzt seit 3 Monate, und wir haben wirklich nette leute kennen gelernt. Als wir 2 Wochen hier waren, sind wir auf der Achalm gewandert. Danny und ich haben Clemson Hüte getragen, und Danny hat auch ein Clemson T-shirt getragen. Als wir auf der Spitze waren, und uns die schöne Landschaft angeschaut haben, hat jemand "Go Tigers!!" geruft. Natürlich haben wir uns gedacht, dass darf doch nicht war sein. Wir haben uns unterhaltet, und seit dem haben wir uns öfters mal wieder gesehen.

Letzte Woche haben wir den Weihnachtsmarkt in Esslingling besucht. Danny hat seine helle orange Clemson Mütze getragen. Noch mal ruft jemand, "Go Tigers!!" Dieses mal waren wir wirklich erstaunt. Diese Leute wohne in Anderson, und ein Mann arbeitet bei Anderson Universität als Professor. Er hat von Clemson in 1968 graduiert. Es ist eine kleine Welt!!

My Dad

The other day, I was in a really dark place. I turned on my I tunes and just started singing, praying, and listening. I heard nothing; no words of encouragement; no peace. My husband arrived home a few minutes later, and I vented my frustration to him, but still no peace. Later that night, after we'd gone to bed, this song just filled my heart, suddenly, yet quietly.

Your laughter it echoes like a joyous thunder
Your whisper it warms me like a summer breeze
Your anger is fiercer than the sun in its splendour
You’re close and yet full of mystery
Ever since the day that I saw Your face
Try as I may, I cannot look away, I cannot look away…

Captivated by You
I am captivated by You
May my life be one unbroken gaze
Fixed upon the beauty of Your face

Beholding is becoming, so as You fill my gaze
I become more like You and my heart is changed
Beholding is becoming, so as You fill my view
Transform me into the likeness of You

This is what I ask, for all my days
That I may, never look away, never look away…
No other could ever be as beautiful
No other could ever steal my heart away
I just can’t look away…

Lyrics by Vicky Beeching

The crazy thing is that it wasn't me singing this to the Father. It was the Father singing this to me!! It was the thing I didn't know I needed; to hear from my one and only Father how He feels about me. I felt so happy, yet so unworthy at the same time. Now when I am here in the apartment alone, I can sing this song, and just feel my Dad's warm arms around me. I can sing it knowing that I feel the same exact way about Him.

Jesus, let every aspect of my life worship you; to be worthy of being called Your daughter; to make you, and only you, proud of me.

This verse has really been on my mind, and I also want to share it with you:

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:21-24

It's a reminder that no matter where we are, we must worship Him in spirit and in truth; with our entire lives; all that we have. I want to be the type of worshiper my Dad seeks; proclaiming Him in every aspect of my life. I want to be someone who makes Him smile and laugh.

*German translation to follow. Ich bin in eile jetzt. Ich müss eine Deutsche Bibel kaufen, so ich kann genau übersetzen. Tschüß.

My Goal

My goal for all upcoming posts is to write them in German and English, so everyone can easily understand them. We'll see how that goes. lol!!

Ich habe ein Ziel für die Zukunft. Ich möchte gern alle "Blogs" auf Englisch und Deutsch schreiben. Wenn jemand einen Fehler findet, bitte sagen Sie. Ich muss mehr Deutsch lernen, und ich denke das ist eine gute Übung. Was denken Sie?

New Job!!

So most likely, my job will start in March. I know that's a long time away, but we need to prepare for it. I have looked through the text book, and it's pretty intensive. That will be an awesome challenge for me!!

Job Possibility

Whoo hooo! I may have a job!! The manager of the language institute that I go to came to me today and asked if I'd be interested in teaching medical terminology to students learning English. This is a wonderful opportunity to use the knowledge that I have to teach others, which is what I've always wanted to do. So please pray that everything will work out according to His plan. If all goes well, I'll start in the beginning of the year.

Kinda Funny

I've learned to rely on Danny a lot here in Germany. He speaks fluent German with no difficulty. Yesterday, we went to the town of Esslingen with an American friend (who speaks NO German). There were so many people!! We all kept getting a little separated. I saw Ryan, our American friend, looking at some items, and I walked over to him. Danny was wearing his brightly colored orange Clemson stocking cap, so I knew I'd find him pretty easily. As Ryan is looking at things on this vendors table, he says to me, "Ask him how much this is." Without thinking, I ask the man how much the trinket cost, and then I translate the price into English. I had to translate the entire transaction. It was so cool!! We found Danny a minute later, and just as quickly we lost him again. So we went through the same thing a few more times. It was really interesting to see someone relying on me to translate, because I've been relying on Danny so much.

I am so happy that I can now understand and speak so much. Danny and I speak to each other for several hours per day in German. It's great to see that it's all paying off!!

Unconditional

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres".

I've been reminded a lot lately of the the importance of love and the command we have to love one another without condition...the way that Christ loves us (in that while we were still sinners, He died for us). While Jesus was in Jerusalem, the Pharisees and Sadducees were trying to prove that Christ was not who He claimed to be. They asked Him in Matthew 22:36, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" To this Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matt 22:37-40). Nowhere in that command does Jesus say to love your neighbor only if they are nice to you and do everything you want them to do. That wouldn't be much of a commandment or sacrifice. Rather, He says to love your neighbor, who may be your greatest enemy, as yourself. God knows that we are a self-centered people. I think that why He wants us to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. With that same attitude we are to love our enemies, with a love that is sacrificial, true and pure.

Recently as situation has arisen that has reminded me of this. We were put on this earth to love wholeheartedly, and not to judge. I think that the only way to get someone to see the err of their ways is to love them unconditionally no matter what their sin is. Is their sin greater than my sin? NO!! We are all sinners saved only by grace. Someone's sin of adultery is no greater than my sin of cursing the salesperson who takes too long to check me out. So why do we act like the person who has committed such a sin openly is unclean? We are ALL unclean...only made clean through the blood of Christ. Just because our sin is more private doesn't make it less of a sin. This goes back to my previous blog about wearing a mask so people will think we have it all together. We can act like there is no sin in our lives and condemn others of their open sin. Or we can choose to show the kindness and love of the Father to His children and realize that we all struggle with sin. Rather than cutting each other down, maybe we can help each other out and hold each other accountable in love.

The choice is ours.

Women

I've been reading a book series by Francine Rivers called, "The Mark of the Lion," and that is what has inspired this blog.

I think women feel that in everything they do, they must be perfect and look perfect while doing it. I've never understood this, but I am guilty of falling into the trap. I find myself admiring women who can cook, keep the house clean, and keep up with their families all while looking like a million bucks. In their own hearts, however, they are dying. They feel like they are drowning, and they are tired of keeping the façade going. We paint our faces and hide our hearts. We want people to think we have it all together, when in actuality, we want to rip our hair out.

As I was reading the books by Francine Rivers, I found my heart was turning to what the ideal woman is in God's eyes. She is one who prays fervently, constantly. She is a servant in all that she does. She is utterly devoted to her family and friends, and equally, she loves her enemies as Christ loves them. She is one who sees beauty in all things even though she may be scared and disfigured physically. She doesn't hide behind a ton of makeup, but rather, she reveals her true self so that she can grow in Christ and in love. She strives for a different kind of perfection...perfection in Christ, and not in the eyes of men or women.

My personal experience with women has been that they can be very vicious to one another. We feel like we must be in constant competition with one another, and this is not right. We feel like we must be dressed to kill, in the best name brands and with the perfect makeup. But all of this is vanity. What is the heart of the woman? Why do we try so hard to hide it?

The point I'm trying to make, quite unsuccessfully, I think is that it's time for women to take off the "makeup," and let the real person come out. I cannot stand phonies, even though I can be guilty of it as well. Why can't we just be the people God created us to be? He didn't make us robots, so that we would all be the same. He made us individual and different, with different strengths and weaknesses. Rather than dwell on our weaknesses, I pray that we cherish our strengths. What we are weak in, another may be strong, so why don't we work together more?

Just a though. What are your opinions?

Lovis Marie

 

Lovis Marie

We have a new addition to the family. Danny's cousin, Michael, and his wife, Manuela had their first child about a week ago. We had the opportunity to see her on Saturday, and she is the most beautiful little baby girl I've ever seen. It's amazing how little babies are. I'll post a picture in just a second.

Happy Turkey Day

Today is Thanksgiving, so I thought I would write about some things that we're thankful for, especially since my last blog was kind of a downer. (Sorry about that)!

1. I am thankful that I have such a wonderful God, and that He forgives me when I don't deserve it. Faith by grace, not works!!

2. I am thankful that I have a husband who constantly encourages me and builds me up rather than tearing me down.

3. I am thankful that my relationship with my mom and step dad is so good now. I love them so much!!

4. I am thankful that I have two awesome pastors, Mark and Jeff, who teach Danny and I so much, and encourage us in our faith.

5. I am thankful for friends like Tiffany, who send reminders of home when I feel homesick. (Just when I needed it, thanks)!!

6. I am thankful for my brothers and their significant others.

7. I am thankful for Greyson, b/c he blows me kisses and high fives me on the computer.

8. I am thankful that a computer program like Skype was created, so we can still feel close to family and friends even though we are thousands of miles away.

9. I am thankful that we have this opportunity in Germany, and that I can get to know Danny's family here.

There are so many other things we are thankful for, but these are the ones that are the dearest at this time in our lives. We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!

I've Got the Blues

This has been a really tough week for me so far. Maybe it's because Thanksgiving is this week or something, but I just feel really conflicted. I am so happy to be here in Germany, but I feel like I am missing out on so many things in America. I miss my family and my friends so much. I miss singing at church on Sundays. I miss working. I miss being able to have conversations with people and it not hurt my brain. I miss having get-togethers on Friday and Saturday nights. I miss eating Mexican food after church on Sundays. We've been here for 2 months, and I feel like it's already been 6. I am so tired of listening in on conversations, and by the time I think of what to contribute to the conversation, we're no longer talking about it. I've always been a perfectionist, and it's so hard for me to feel dumb or stupid. But it seems like that's how I feel the majority of the time.

I am trying to keep looking on the bright side, but this week, my emotions have just over taken me. Sorry for such a depressing blog. I'll write soon when I am in a better mood.

Various Ramblings

I haven't written in a while, so I thought I'd just write to tell you what we've been doing, in general.

Last week, I started my intensive Deutsch course. This course is 5 days per week for 3 hours per day. On top of that, I have about 2 hours of homework per night. It has really been amazing!! I can now understand almost everything. Especially when we go up to Hessen to see Danny's family, I can understand. They don't speak with a strong dialect like people do here in Reutlingen.

Last weekend, we went to visit Danny's grandmother. She lives about 2.5 hours north from here. We had so much fun even though the weather was not so nice. One evening we got together with Danny's cousins Andi and Martin and their significant others. We had cake and coffee at Omi's house and then we just sat and talked for a while. Later, we went into Frankfurt. I think this is a fairly large city in Germany, almost as big as Atlanta. It seems like there's a lot to do there. We shopped there, and then we went to Darmstadt for dinner. We ate at a Mexican restaurant, which is really funny if you think about it. Mexico is nowhere near here, and trust me, it's not like the Mexican food in America. It's really good, but it is not nearly as spicy or as authentic, I think. Just different.

This week, we've been enjoying all the snow. Every evening and night, it has snowed. This is very interesting considering we live in South Carolina in the US. I have absolutely no clue how to drive in the snow. But with traction control and winter tires, I've done ok so far. The car and I are still in one piece. Always a good thing.

Today I got a call from Michael, one of Danny's cousins. His wife just had her baby last night. We are looking forward to going back to Omi's this weekend, so we can visit with them and see the baby. It's such and exciting time, because three of Danny's cousins' wives are pregnant (well, now one has had their baby). All of them are due this month or next. We are happy to be here this year to see it all unfold.

Anyway, that's about all that's been going on. We continue to meet more people and pray for opportunities to make friends and just get out there, I guess. Thanks for all of you who read this and keep us in your prayers. We really appreciate it. We love you all so much!!

Beth

Neuschwanstein November 1-3

Hallo!!

This past weekend was a holiday weekend for Danny. November 1st is All Saints Day, and people actually don't have to work!! Amazing!! So we decided to go to Baveria...close to Austria in Southeast Germany. We stayed in this nice little hotel...very quaint and cute. (There was no phone or television...not a bad thing, really). Anyway, we started our trip on Thursday. On the way to Neuschwanstein, we stopped in Ulm (Albert Einstein was born here) for lunch and to climb 700+ steps to the top of the tallest church in the world. For lunch, I had "kirbis suppe," which is pumpkin soup. Sound gross? Well, it is freakin AMAZING!!! Take my word for it, not Danny's. At about 7pm or so we arrived in Neuschwanstein. They had the castles all lit up there. It was very pretty, and the mountains were so gorgeous. I took a lot of pictures, but they don't do justice to the beautiful sights we saw.

On Friday, we toured Neuschwanstein castle. It has a sad history really. King Ludwig II set into motion the construction of the castle. He lived in a fantasy world, so he constructed this castle to suit his fantasy of God-like royalty. It took close to 20 years to build, and unfortunately, King Ludwig II died mysteriously after only living there for half a year. (Wie shade!) The castle was not even finished on the inside. I took lots of pictures of the outside, but of course, we couldn't take pictures of the inside. It was so elaborate. The king's bed, for instance, took about 14 wood workers 4 years to carve. It was so detailed. I've never seen anything like it. It was like the Biltmore House times 10.

On Saturday, we decided to take our new to us bicycles around the lake at the base of the Alps near the castle. It was such a beautiful day...probably my favorite day. Danny and I laughed and played. We felt so good. We rode for several hours, up the mountain and down. I really didn't like the uphill so much. My heart was beating so fast. When we started to flatten out, Danny asked me if I like this kind of mountain biking better. I said, "Yes, and I also like to go downhill." Flat or downhill...that's the mountain biking for me. When we were going downhill, we were going so fast. I can't even describe the rush. It was awesome!! It made me wish, however, that we'd brought our helmets. (Don't worry. We were trying to be cautious. Mark and Mirjam are bringing our helmets when they come here in December).

Anyway, after our bike excursion, we decided to drive down the German Alpine Road. This is where we got some of our best pictures of the mountains. By the time dusk came around, the mountains were just magnificent to look at. I told Danny that you see this stuff on the Discovery Channel or in books, but to actually see it for yourself makes you realize how small you are and how big God is.

So hopefully, if you all look at the pictures, you'll really really want to come to Germany to visit us. That's the true motivation for taking all the photos!!

There is a link to the photos on the left side of the page. Check them out, and leave a comment or two.

Schönen Tag und Jesus segne euch!!
(Have a great day, and may Jesus bless you)!!

 
Even Lilly gets cold when it snows. She loves to get under the covers!!

It Feels Like We're Kids Again

We were so fortunate the past two weeks to find bicycles for both of us for a really good deal. Bicycles here a super expensive, like 1000€ for a good one. If you aren't aware of the terribly weak dollar right now, that's a little over $1400. (We still get paid in dollars). I found a website for a place that sells used ones for 70-80€, and then you can sell them back to the guy to get some of your money back when you leave Germany. This place was such a hole in the wall, but he had some really nice used bikes. He sold us Danny's bike for 80€ and I got mine for 63€. Mine has a great basket on the back and a loud bell, so I won't run anyone over.

So on Saturday, we spent the day riding around on our bikes. We went into the Stadtmitte of Reutlingen to find the salon that where I am going to attempt to get my first haircut since we've been here. I am really nervous about getting my hair cut. But I know if I can't speak about exactly what I want, I have tons of photos of the hair cut, so we should be ok, I think.

This coming week is going to be a short one for Danny. Thursday is All Saints Day, so he doesn't have to work. He also took off for Friday, and we are going to spend the weekend in Swabia. We are going to Neuschwanstein. This is a magnificent castle; the one that Walt Disney based the Cinderella castle on. I think we'll take our bikes and ride around some of the mountains in the Swabian Alps. Anyway, that's what we're up to. We'd love to hear about what is going on back home, so feel free to email us or leave a comment.

Die Brüdergemeinde

On Sunday, we went to a church in the town of Krontal. This is about 1 hour away from where we live. I have a friend from high school who went to seminary near the area, and he told us about the place. He said that they are very missions oriented and very friendly. He was so right!! We just happened to go to the church on Missions Sunday. There were displays from all of the missionaries they support, and most of them, I think have come from the church. One of the missionaries works in Brazil and is married to a Brazilian woman. He speaks German, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French. WOW!!

When we arrived at the church, we were a little late. One thing about German churches is that they start promptly at 10 am. The church bell rings and service begins. Even though we were late, we were ushered to the second row, which was a little intimidating with the HUGE projection screen right in front of us. They began to sing some worship tunes. They actually had drums, guitars, a bass, piano (as opposed to the organ), and several singers. It was refreshing. The first song they sang was an American song, but translated into German. So I quietly sang the song with the words I knew. The next few songs were German worship tunes, so I read the words and tried to keep up. The words were so encouraging, so God focused instead of "me" focused. So I'm thinking this is good. Then, they did a presentation of several of the missionaries, and one of the missionaries to Africa gave the message for the day. I was surprised at how much I understood.

When the service ended, people kind of hung around to look at the missionary displays. There were little bistro tables set up with some juice and mineral water. People gathered around them and fellowshipped with each other. I was so happy that people didn't just leave right after service. There is a connection between these people. In the meantime, we met Jarrit Andersen. What a gift from God!! We began talking with him, and he invited us to his home for lunch. Jarrit is a 20 year old student who is the drummer for the church. So we decided to join him and his family for lunch. We met Elka and Klaus, his parents, and many other people who came to lunch there. We ended up spending the entire afternoon at their house talking about God, life, German culture, work, and everything under the sun. The love of Jesus was just so evident in these people.

They invited us to attend the evening service (Gottesdienst). Klaus, himself, had really pushed for about 2 years to have an evening service that was more contemporary and upbeat. They have this service once per month. The service was amazing. People stood up and talked about what God had done in their lives. One lady, who works in one of the orphanages that the church runs, stood up and said that 2 of the children in the orphanage had gotten saved!! This just blessed my socks off.

Afterwards, there was fellowship, food, and drinks. We met so many people, many of whom spoke very good English. It was just such a blessing to be around people with the same heart for missions and outreach, and the same heart for Christ. We haven't seen this here in Germany at all. We got numbers and email addresses from people we met, and hopefully we can build lasting friendships with many of these people while we are here. It's a beautiful thing to have uplifting people in your life. You don't realize how important it is until all of them are thousands of miles away!!

So I feel that a prayer has been answered, and my heart is full.

Add France to "Places I've Been"

This past Saturday, we woke up and decided we would drive to France for lunch. There is a cute little city about 1.5 hours away called Strassbourg that is right across the border. So we went there, and we had so much fun. There was this huge cathedral in the city that was the big tourist attraction, I guess. It was the most ornate thing I've ever seen. The churches here in Germany are beautiful, but the architecture was totally different there in France. I'll put some pictures up from that trip. Go to picasaweb.google.com/mrsehl

By the way, we are going to Greece in November, I think. I am so excited about that. I think it's amazing to see things that were here even when Jesus was walking on earth...things that have that much history. It's really cool.

Just a Thought....

Today I truly realized why, in the Book of Acts, God sent down the tongues of fire on the people, and they spoke with other tongues. In Acts 2, the Word was being brought forth, and people from all over the world were gathered together in one place. They didn't speak each others' languages, so how on earth were they going to be able to understand the Word being delivered? As soon as the tongues of fire fell, everyone was able to hear the Word spoken in their own language. I surely wish that would happen now. I want so much to be able to share the Word with people here, but HOW? I am learning the language, and I can speak and understand a lot more now that I could a month ago. But they don't teach you in language class, things related to sharing the Gospel. So I am praying that God would send down His wonderful tongues of fire, so they can hear His Word. And if He doesn't, that He Himself will speak to the hearts of the people here, and that they will develop such a hunger to know and understand who He is.

 
 
 

1 month down; 11 to go

Well, we've been here a whole month!! It doesn't seem like it's been that long. We haven't found a church yet, but we are going this Sunday to a church that one of my long time friends recommended. I think they have head phones you can wear to hear the service in English. That would be awesome. I'm at the point in my German language skills where I can understand what people are saying, but I have to physically translate it in my head into English. The hope is to one day not have to think about it at all. It can be really draining when everyone is speaking German at one time. Your brain cannot physically keep up with all of the conversations. Here in Reutlingen, we are in Schwabish country, which basically means the dialect is so difficult to understand. Even Danny has some trouble with it sometimes.

Our apartment here is really nice. We have a nice sized living room and dinning room. We have one spare bedroom, so if anyone wants to visit, there's a free room open for ya. Our kitchen is kind of interesting. It's probably smaller than my closet at home. It's basically like a cubby. Needless to say, I am constantly telling Danny to get out of the kitchen.

So, we are still trying to find our place here. The culture is all about clubbing and partying. That makes for a large mission field, but actually making friends is hard. The people Danny works with are really nice, but they don't really do anything after work. I think if we can find a church, it will be easier to make friends and find some ministry opportunities. There is a couple next door that we've met. They are from Hungary. We're getting to know them, and waiting for the door to open to talk to them more about Jesus. So pray for the door to open, and for Jesus to do His work.

We love you and miss you all so much. If anyone has a Skype account, let me know. We can talk. I am ps27gurl on Skype and AIM.

Tschüs!!

 

Pictures

Hey everyone. I have uploaded a bunch of pictures online. Just go to http://picasaweb.google.com/mrsehl and you can see what we've been up to.

We're here. We're safe. We're good.

We've been here now for three weeks. It takes a long time to get things done here, thus the reason this is my first blog since we've been here. We've had some great times here exploring different cities and meeting new people, but nothing can compare to the friendships we have at home. I have a picture of us with our best friends, Kenny and Tiffany, above the tv, and sometimes it makes me sad. We miss everyone so much. My mom and I talked yesterday through Skye. We both bought webcams before I moved. It was so nice to see hers and Johnny's faces. It's amazing how close you can feel even though you are thousands of miles apart.

We haven't found a church yet. The free churches aren't the easiest to find. It isn't like America where there's a church on every corner. It's not so popular or acceptable to be a sold out Christian here. We did pass a building last night that made me happy. I guess it was a youth building for a church. (There was no sign). But they had "Jesus Freak" posters all in the windows. I think we may try to go there if we can figure out when it meets.

Anyway, all in all, we are having a great time. We just miss everyone, so send us pictures, email us, write us, or whatever. We appreciate and love you!! Pictures will follow. Right now, Danny's dad, Bruce, is here, so we are going to go to Stuttgart and explore some things.

More to come...