So Where in the world am I??

Hey all! This is my WAY overdue update on what is going on in my life, where I am at, etc.

As my three months were wrapping up in Canada mid-June, I went back to the Mid-West for a few weeks, visiting friends in Chicago (especially participating in Nick Mullen's Ordination!!), and then home to Ft. Wayne to see family and go through all the C-R-A-P I have managed to collect and store in my parent's basement. Thank God for parents, no?

Then I got back to WA in time for July 4th celebrations, as well as to speak at the first week of kids camp at Cascades Covenant Camp in Yelm, WA. AMAZING! I somehow forgot how much I love camp, and it was a privilege to get to hang out with those awesome folks and share a little bit of God's love with them each night.

Along the way it seemed like there was a new opportunity developing in Clear Lake, WA. But rather than write it all out (because I'm lazy, and it's easier just to say it for me!), here is a short video for ya'll!

Strange Memories...

Now for something totally different...

I had a strange memory pop up in my head yesterday.

I'm not sure how old I was, maybe 15 or 16. I'm at the grocery store in the checkout line and I look up and see a boy bagging groceries. He looked to be about my age or maybe a few years older. And he is beautiful in that boyish, I know I'm cute sort of way, but I find I can't look away. And then he catches me staring at him, catches my eye. And would you believe of all things he throws me a cheeky grin as if to say, yeah, I know I caught you staring, but I'm worth staring at. My eyes skitter away in embarrassment, heat flushing my neck and cheeks. But inexplicably I can't stop my eyes from finding their way to his face again and horror of horrors he's staring at me with that stupid grin! And as my eyes hit his he has the audacity to wink at me! For some reason this disgruntles me. I don't even know why particularly. I spend the rest of the time at that checkout studiously looking anywhere but at him, avoiding another dangerous collision. And that's where the memory ends. The entire exchange happened in the matter of seconds without a single word spoken.

Now what is it about memory, that of all of the things I have experienced in my lifetime, I should happen to have filed this memory away? It was no momentous occasion, no date of significance to help me mark the event. I can't even actually remember what the boy looked like, just the interaction. And even more strange, what made it pop into my head randomly yesterday morning as I was getting ready for the day? I have thousands of strange memories and thoughts in a day, but this one struck me as so out of the blue, disproportionally large in memory for the insignificance of the event I had to share it.

What is up with my brain? *sigh*

And yet there it is.

LifeTogether in Langley

Just wanted to pass on info about the project I'm working on- LifeTogether in Langley. I am working on forming an intentional Christian community in the Lower Mainland of B.C., Canada, an hour Southeast of Vancouver. My task right now is to recruit people to join the community and commit to a minimum of a year doing "life together." It it my hope that we will form a sustainable community that is here for a long time, living into a Kingdom vision of community and growing more into being the family of God.

Please follow our journey at:

lifetogetherinlangley.wordpress.com

Also here is our intro video:

The Rollercoaster...or Art isn't easy

I will never question the genuineness of over-emotional stars of reality contest television ever again. Why, you may ask? Because I can totally identify with them now.

I have been at this LifeTogether project for just over a month now and it has been quite a ride. Describing it as an opportunity to be creative is an understatement. It is exhausting stepping out in a new project like this, putting it all on the line, everything you are and everything you have into making it successful. The buck stops here folks. And like an artist commissioned to create a piece of art, I have no idea if what I'm creating will be anything good at the end.

I find myself from day to day and even hour to hour feeling vastly different. After a meeting connecting me with someone in the community I feel like I'm on top of the world and that I'm creating something that will be successful and last. In other moments I think about all that needs to get done and how quickly and I doubt that anything will be accomplished. People stop me and ask, "No really, how are you?" and I find myself bursting into tears. How over-dramatic. How annoying! But I can't help it. I'm in a very vulnerable place, and my emotions are running very close to the surface these days.

So thank God (quite literally) that the success of this project doesn't depend on my fragile emotional state, but on the reality that this is precisely what God has called me to do right now. My job more than any other is to live into that call as faithfully as possible. It doesn't matter in the end how exactly this all turns out, LifeTogether in Langley is in God's all-powerful, creative hands. And I will continue to remain a beloved, called child of God no matter what.

This is most certainly true.

Video Uploads!!

Here's home for now!

Oh Canada!

Well folks, I've finally arrived in B.C.! As promised, here are a few pictures from where I'm living now- a real farm!! That horse is my next door neighbor-we share a wall! I'm working on uploading a few videos too- they will follow very soon. Right now I'm spending a few days in Victoria on Vancouver Island with my friend Phil. He's introducing me to all things "Canadian." He's helping me feel more at home here, which is awesome.

All I have to say is all ya'll in the U.S. better appreciate your cheap cheese and milk! It's double to triple the price here!! So eat a cheese stick for me, please?

Four Years in *brief* Review: or, “How Seminary has Shaped Me…”

In no particular order (ok there may be bits of order here)

Things I’ve changed my mind on:

-Hunting

-Farming/rural life

-Missionaries

-(some, dare I even say most?) Evangelicals

-Being a full-on pastor instead of “just” a youth minister

-(some, dare I even say most?) weird food- like fish and Indian…well it is weird if you’re from where I am!

-How the Holy Spirit acts…to a certain extent

Things I haven’t changed my mind on:

-Loving being with people 24/7

-The excitement of city life

-The dread of suburban complacency

-Narrow-minded and judgmental people (especially Christian ones!)

-Being Pro-Life (as in ALL LIFE, plants, animals, people old and young, unborn and on death row)

-How the Holy Spirit acts…to a certain extent

-being liturgical!

Things I’m *trying* to give up:

-Being narrow-minded and judgmental

-The need to be with people 24/7

-Fear of failure

-Seeking my own plans and good over God’s plans and neighbor’s good

Things I haven’t given up on:

-Truth

-The power of music

-Humanity

-The power of creativity

-God

-The power of story

-Love

How about you? How has/is God shaping you?

Sept 25, Hamburg

Sept 23- Amsterdam!

Sept 22- Brussels and U2...

Sept 21- Eating our way through Antwerp!

oh Belgium...how I loved your food...and how glad I am that I don't live there for the sake of my waistline!


and here is the hallowed youtube clip of the Sound of Music flashmob!

I have more than a few days of catch up to do, but I couldn't skip any of Prague! So here are three of my favorite videos from Prague...

Finally Auschwitz...and crepes in the Czech Republic!

Sept. 16th

Auschwitz. Terrible, aweful, overwhelming Auschwitz. I spent most of the day in stunned silence, and managed to only cry once. In a building filled with "evidence" of what the Nazis did (read piles of stuff they took from the Jews and others they killed), I became completely overwhelmed in a room where both sides up to the ceiling were piles of shoes. The sheer amount made me hyperventilate into tears, and it was only a small fraction in reality. This place is a big burden on Poland, but one borne proudly because of they way they fought so bravely against the Nazi occupation the entire war. It meant that many of their cities and infrastructure were destroyed by the Nazis, and then somewhat suppressed during communism. Now Poland is quickly catching up to the rest of Europe!!

Sept. 17th
We took it easier on Friday, but did go to a lovely French restaurant for some excellent crepes, and then for an evening stroll to the highest point in Ostrava- created by digging for coal! It was a beautiful evening all together- a fitting end to a "down" day.

I didn't know Madonna was Black!

Sept. 15 Vlog #2
So after leaving Lodz earlier in the morning Jarek and I visited a few fantastic places on the way to our friend Katka's place in Ostrava, Czech Republic. First a stop to see the famous Black Madonna icon, then on to a lovely ancient castle. It was a long day, but worth it.


Here is a picture of a copy of the Black Madonna, since she wasn't in her place when we went in!

mmmm! And here is a fairly traditional Polish lunch on the way to the castle!

The Castle!!

Lodz- 100% Cotton!

Poland!

Savoring Stockholm

Another day...another city! After a quieter day in Gothenburg on Friday with my good friends Aaron and Sara, bright and early this morning I got on a train to Stockholm. In a mere 4.5 hours I traveled from one coast of Sweden to the other through striking but homey countryside (think little stugas lining little lakes!). Stockholm was fun to wander around in, lots of little islands connected by bridges. I didn't get too lost, and by the end of the evening I even stumbled upon the royal palace where I got yelled at by a guard- maybe for getting too close to some cannons? Or him? Not really sure, but it was kind of thrilling all the same! I had a momentary thought of- what if I get arrested by the royal guard on my one day in Stockholm?? What a great story that would be! :-D
Now I am hanging out in my hostel where fortunately I have the room to myself right now- though my roommates (3 19 yr old boys from Germany here to hang out before starting university) told me they will come in around 3 in the morning! We'll see how much sleep I get tonight!! Tomorrow I will fly to Warsaw, Poland to hang out with my good friend Jarek! YAY!
Vlog for today:

Castle Ruins!

Here it is! Bohus Castle ruins!

Guest Vloggers and a Danish Home (and Gothenburg!)

Sept. 5-7 (Aalborg, Denmark and the Ferry to Sweden)

Well it is very late in the evening here and I think I'm finally starting to adjust to the time difference- which means I am a yawny mess right now, but trying to get these in while I have good wireless internet! Sunday Sept. 5 in Aalborg we went to two services, a very traditional Danish Lutheran National Church service, and the other a contemporary youth service in the evening. The stark differences as well as the similarities were fascinating. I wish I could have snapped a picture of the "priest" (pastor) in his robe and collar, whew! was it funny. I am so happy I am not a pastor in the Danish National Church!

Yup, this is what he dressed in, though the flower is a bonus in this picture!

At the Sunday evening youth service we had coffee and snacks afterward- the name of which I've forgotten in Danish because all I can think to call it right now is the Swedish word- Fika. There I met some lovely young women who did a guest vlog:

Sorry it's a little long! After all their hard work to translate it I wanted to make sure it all was here. Thanks Cecelia and Sara, and I loved meeting you both!

On my last day in Denmark I took a little video tour of my friend Maria's home so you all can get an idea of what a "typical" Danish household is like. Actually, I have no idea if it's typical or not, but you get the idea. This one is long too, so feel free to fast forward if you prefer. And mom, I know the camera work is shaky and is giving you motion sickness- I'm working on it!!

Tuesday evening found me on the giant ferry to Sweden! This ferry was definitely a step up from the Seattle ferries I've experienced. It had multiple restaurants, a mini casino, and sleeping cabins, as well as a full blown "duty free" shop on board. Mmmm yummy giant bar of Marabou Daim chocolate here I come!!

Sept 8- Gothenburg, Land of Goths?
Then Sara Moller, a Swedish friend from Seminary took me in for the night and exploring in the morning!Spent Wednesday trolling around Gothenburg- where public transportation is king!

One last one I promise and then I'll be all caught up! Wednesday evening I got to hang with Lina Marklund, another Seminary friend-thank goodness for Seminary and all the cool Europeans I met there- at least it was worth something! ;-) We spent the evening having Swedish take out by the sea at sunset- very romantic!

Good Morning!
I hope you have a glorious Lord's Day! It's beautiful here in Aalborg and we are going to a traditional Lutheran service in town. Yesterday (Saturday) we went to the very tip of Denmark where the North Sea and the Baltic Sea come together. It was a radiantly beautiful day. Strangest sight of the day? Nazi bunkers from WWII that are all along the northern coast of Denmark. This was the position the Nazis defended against Sweden from! I must say even walking by the bunkers was disturbing, especially in such a starkly gorgeous place.

Vlog from the night of my birthday:


Vlog from the tip of Denmark: