Grace for today

I've made a few self discoveries over the last couple months during this move of my families'. The first being I don't always have the best time management… I mean, yeah, I DONT have any skill when it comes to time management. I have a huge list of books I planned on reading, a room full of boxes I planned on having unpacked and totally organized, and a new city i planned on exploring and knowing everyone there is to know by about this time. I have not done any of those, but, here is what I have done. I re-furbished a piece of furniture the family before us left behind. I started reading three books (yet to finish any of them). I've built several fires, drew up plans for several Christmas project DIY-ers, watched countless tv shows, packed and unpacked my suitcase four times, and slept in an equivalent of a week. Oh, and I did help get out Christmas decorations and decorate two trees and three banisters and four bushes…. :) I LOVE CHRISTMAS!  -- I've baked apple dumplings, rolls, bread, cake, and more apple dumplings. But, I've still yet to look for a job, or go make friends in this new city. 

It's hard most days to feel like I'm not wasting away doing nothing. Hrmph. 

The second self discovery i've made is: I don't and i mean really really really hate, being the new person. I despise it. With everything that I am i soooo dislike being the newbie. It's so hard. I have never realized that I am horrible at making friends. When I am in a totally new environment, I suck. I get all awkward and avoid anyone who breathes. I am more than a wallflower, I think I am a wall. I kick myself every time I think about those social interactions in the past month. There have been three or four film groups from dad's program to come out to the house to shoot and I've been zoo awkward. Im not normally an awkward social person, I mean I use to be a guest producer for a tv show for crying out loud. It's ridiculous. 

I was reading one of those three books i've started weeks ago (and yet to finish). There was a quote that stuck with me and still is bouncing around my head. 
"…God gives me grace only for the present. It's hard to experience grace for the future…" 
It's so true… thanks God for the proverbial bag of bricks to the head. God's grace is new every morning and he proportions it for the day. Today, He has given me grace for the abnormal socially awkward me at church today. Today's grace covers the moment I should have talked more to the girl who was visiting for the first time sitting next to me. Of all people, I know VERY well what it is to be at a church for the first time. HECK that WAS me a couple weeks ago. God's Grace for today covers it. Im all good. I can go to sleep and try again tomorrow with a new dose of Grace.

The author goes on to give an awesome quote from the famous educator Booker T. Washington, he said, "Success is not measured by the heights one attains, but by the obstacles one overcomes  in the attainment."  

It's in a way about perspective and definitions… what is Success?-- the destination you achieve once tasks are completed? or the lessons learned and obstacles worked out along the way?  

I will leave you with some photos of the buddy I've been spending most of my days with here. :) I do believe that this is a measure of my success a couple days ago -- getting Bogart to sit in a respectable pose for just long enough to nab a sharp photo of him. 

Hope you enjoy. 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

                  Love, Bogart

Home.

I am home.

It has been a long time since I've posted on here. For which I am sorry.

If you would like more of my activity, I have struck up my tumblr account again and you can find that here. Last week, they came out with Instagram for Android. So, I've taken advantage and i've been taking random photos throughout my day and posting them to my tumblr and my twitter accounts.

It has been really good to be home the past two weeks. I can not believe it has been two weeks already. The transition was harder emotionally then I was expecting but I have to admit I've enjoyed seeing people again for the first time in seven months.

Today I talked a lot with God and I've had something on my heart all afternoon and evening.

God won't deliver us just to strand us in the desert. He has a plan and will see it played out.

If God delivered the Israelites from Egypt and out of Pharaoh's hand and from the red sea, why would he desert them in the desert? I mean think about it. He took them from captivity and miraculously split the sea for them to cross and then washed away their enemy, just to forsake them in the desert? No. That is ridiculous. They were right in from of the promise land. They lost sight of the goal and began to focus on their 'right-then' problem. Their hunger.

It reminds me of before I went to Germany. I was panicking because of all the 'unknowns'. I had never been in another country completely on my own before. I had no idea who I was to meet at the train station. I had no idea how I was going to pay for everything. And the list went on. Before I knew it, my mind was swimming in fear and unbelief that I would ever make it to Germany. That weekend God spoke to me. Several times. But the time that hit me the hardest was when he began to sing to me, "I am faithful to the end. I was faithful to the cross." He expounded on those lyrics to point that He has been faithful to me for my entire life and that he has promised to be faithful to me for the rest of my life. So, if he was that faithful and he would bring me to this point, he will certainly bring me through a trip to Germany. And, he did.

How can I doubt God when he brings me from my enemy? When He brings me out of captivity? How dare I believe he will strand me in the desert? It's just plain crazy. Illogical.

DTS. Wow, I can not believe the end has come so quickly. So much has happened and God is continuing to do a lot in my life.  

The time has come that I realized my trips to town, hanging out with friends, corporate worship times in the dining hall, and all the walks through the forest are numbered and the number is rather small. 

Ready or not Good-byes are coming. 

God is so good. Seven months ago I stood in the airport hugging my family and crying. Stoked for the adventure ahead of me but insanely nervous about how it would all go down. I did pull it all together and took the plunge. I got on the plane and began this crazy adventure with God. 

Seven months on paper looks so long. However, looking back it is short. All the awkward “hellos” and “what track are you in?” seem like they were just happening yesterday. 

Today, was a “normal” day around the castle. As we have learned through lectures, God likes “normal” days. :) He has most of his fun on “normal” days. They start similar, and somewhere in the routine of things something happens. God plays with the normalcy and makes it his own. 

I am going to miss so much about this place and season of my life. God, has revealed a lot in my heart. We have tackled baggage from the past and we’ve built plans for the future. I can’t seem to say it enough, God is good!! HE IS SOO GOOD! 

Thailand and Bangladesh were so good. While in Thailand  I worked in some flood relief, shared the christmas story to a village for the first time, and spent time in the red-light district in Chiang Mai. Bangladesh was so different then Thailand. I did some video work for a youth conference, visited some of the biggest Tea Gardens in the world, and played with so many street children. There are so many little stories of God’s goodness and faithfulness in both countries. I still can’t believe that I went to both places. 

I keep looking through my photos at all the faces, it’s my virtual pinch. I’m happy to say I’m not dreaming. At least I haven’t woken up yet and my pictures are still there. :) 

I still have 15 days until graduation. Let me tell you, these 15 days are going to be packed. I leave Herrnhut again on Friday and I am going with a small group to Czech Republic. We will be on tour there for a week. Traveling from church to church sharing stories and showing art. We are going with the primary focus on promoting DTS in Czech. I am so stoked to be finally getting the opportunity to go to Prague before leaving Germany. :) I wanted to go for the weekend during Lecture, but it never worked out. Now it is. See, God is faithful even in the smallest details. 

The following week after tour is graduation. The week after graduation I fly home. AH! I can not believe it. It is so stinkin’ close it’s ridiculous! 

It will be a bittersweet time for sure. The emotions come in waves. Hearing everyone’s plans for after DTS is exciting but also a huge reminder that we won’t be this unique group of people in a few weeks. Everyone will split, head back to various places around the world and who knows if we will be back together again, this side of heaven of course. So sad. 

But things are happening at home as well and I so badly wish to be there. Being away from home for 7 months is tiring. As much as I would like to have had everything and everyone at home hit the pause button, they didn’t. (I asked.) :) So, I am ready to be home and recharge. Hug everyone and just chill. 

Determined not to leave on a bummer note... here are some more photos. 

 

Until next time, go take a photo of a kid. :) 

first of many Bangladeshi Babies photos!!! :)

Almost finished.

My time in Bangladesh is coming to an end. We have 7 days left and it's not enough.

Disclaimer: This post will most likely be random bits of information and thoughts.

My apologies in advance. 

I've come to really love Bangladesh and the current thought of finishing things up here and heading back to Germany makes me sad. I am super stoked to head back to see everyone, especially the bestie who has been in China this whole time. But Bangladesh is such an ... interesting place and we have become a family while here. So, the dynamics of re-entering the "western" world is ... not so appealing. I like it here. I've made some good friends.

-- ah, friends and Germany and reunions. The reunions are going to be gnarly. Lots of hugs, screams, How-are-yous? and most likely some tears. Yes, I've become that girl who cries at almost everything. ;) I just love life, what can I say?


-- Bangladesh.... what words?  it has been amazing. God has shown up and stretched me and challenged me. Of course I wish I had more time. I always need more time. Always. There are projects I would love to continue and finish before we head out. But my race against the clock is one Im afraid I might lose.

--Bangladeshi babies are every where and I love it. The children I've come across on the streets selling candies, flowers, anything else they may have, have been the most amazing children I've ever seen.

-- I never thought that I could/would but I think I've gotten use to people stopping and staring at me. :) I have some fun pictures because of it too! :)

-- We went to Cox's bazaar a couple weeks ago. It was BEAUTIFUL! I would LOVE to live there one day. A little house right next to the beach. Not many people around. *Sigh* Heaven. It's the longest Sea Beach in the world. I think.

After Cox's Bazaar I went to Syhlet for about a week and we visited some of the largest tea gardens, in area and production, in the world. It was really cool to see where tea comes from and the people that work the gardens.

There are many many more stories of God showing up and Him working in my life. But as usual, i've seen something shiny go by and I've lost all train of thought. Also THERE ARE PICTURES from each of the points and I will edit them and post them shortly. :)


Love all!

Until next time, go lay hands on a stranger and pray for them. (I've been doing that a lot lately.)

Photos from Bangladesh

Here are some of the first photos from Bangladesh. A few pieces of Culture. :) 

Death Cabs! -- Formal name, CNGs. Also I would like to make note, this is the right side of the road so all the vehicles should be heading left to right, like the ONE in the corner left. 

When we came to a stop because of traffic, I happened upon this scene. It was about 5:45AM and the gray cow was NOT moving. 4 grown men yanked and yanked to get him up and he didn't budge.

This is Bangladesh. :) 

We went and saw Biswa Ijtema, the second largest Muslim gathering. This was one of my personal favorite images from the day.

 Yeah, 40+ Million muslims in an already densely populated city. Makes for fun pictures.

Please continue praying for Safety, Finances to come in, and protection against spiritual attacks. God has so much for Bangladesh and the church here!

Until next time,
JJ!

Our first week here in Chiangmai we spent in a village in the north. Here are a few photos I quickly edited and decided to share. 

.....More coming...