Sharing a Cup

Time for coffee, literally, is very important to me. Of course, the little jolt one gets to jump start the day or the jolt to keep going are just a couple of the reasons I drink the stuff. But when I really take the time to enjoy my cup, I’d much rather be drinking with someone. Now that I’m in Switzerland for a bit I’m able to have coffee with people I rarely am able to share this simple pleasure. On the other hand, I miss having coffee with my friends in Poland and still have to look forward to sharing a cup with people in Seattle. I wish I could gather around me in one place all those dear to my heart then I wouldn’t feel so torn.

For me the challenge in this situation is to truly remain open and vulnerable. With my heart in several places, I tend to be protective of it so that it can survive being “split.” But God is faithful to remind me that when I try to protect my heart, I end up hiding it away or holding back and this is my idea of protecting it. I don’t know any other way of protecting it. I’m so thankful God is greater than I and has higher ways than mine. Because my way automatically reduces my openness and vulnerability. I need to actively decide for vulnerability since it is not my automatic reaction. But in the end, the joy I reap and deep connections with others are well worth it. This is a “public” decision to keep deciding for openness and vulnerability.

Laughter is always necessary!

I want to write more soon so you know a bit more about what's happening. In brief it's been a tough end to the week as God is bringing out somethings he wants to clear away in me. So there have been some tears as I see things in me I don't want. I look forward to God's good work.

At the same time, I have been reading some in the 'Prairie Home Companion's Pretty Good Joke Book', because it's important to laugh. I thought I'd share a few.

Ham and eggs: a day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig!
(So remember your view of something just depends on your perspective!)

If you are what you eat, I'm dead meat.

How many real men does it take to change a lightbulb?
None. Real men aren't afraid of the dark.

How many women with PMS does it take to change a lightbulb?
Six.
Why?
It just does, OK?

How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb?
Two. One to hold the giraffe and one to put the clocks in the bathtub.

I hope you enjoyed at least one or two. They're kind of silly but all in good fun.

First Full Week

This past week each day has been new for me because each day has had a new routine to experience. It’s been the first full week of my “regular” schedule and trying to keep up with all the goings on of a family with 4 active kids! There are cello and electric guitar lessons, gymnastics, dog training school, and soccer just to name a few.

Earlier in the week I gave the kids some small presents that I brought with me from Poland. Sabina helped me pick everything out and I wouldn’t have been as successful as I was without her suggestions! Not all of them were really classically Polish as it is difficult to find Polish things that would interest kids. But the gifts seemed well received and the next day I got a thank you picture from the youngest. Kayla is 6 and one of the things she got was a soft dog coin purse. Well, she drew me a picture of a couple of dogs and wrote at the top of the page “senkiufor dis dag – vram Kayla”. Now if you need an English – English translation it is: thank you for this dog – from Kayla. So for sure that gift was a hit! (Thanks Sabina!)

Weekend Conference

This weekend I was able to attend a Christian conference in Basel which had either English speakers or translation from German. There were about 300 people and because of the connections in Switzerland over the past couple of years I knew quite a few people. I loved the corporate worship and the teaching. And I can still find it surprising how God works. One speaker referred to a verse in Habakkuk which I turned to and then left my Bible open to that page. Later I glanced down and my eyes went to another verse. There were no lights flashing neither did the verse seem to jump off the page at me; but nevertheless, it spoke to me of my situation. The verse is Hakakkuk 2:1 - "I will climb up into my watchtower now and wait to see what the Lord will say to me and how he will answer my complaint."

This is definitely a time of waiting on the Lord for me, to receive and get some answers. But I wondered if 'complaint' was really the word that fit. After thinking about that for myself and reading Habakkuk's complaint, I had to admit I did have complaints that needed God's answers. Sometimes I surprise myself because I don't even know all that's going on inside of me. And after all, it's hard to get answers to all my questions if I don't know what they are! There were other scriptures and ideas in the teachings that were also an encouragement. I'm thankful that God is already speaking and leading me to a place where I can hear his answers.