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!!