I LOVE FALL

There is something invigorating about the chill in the air and the grand display of color in the leaves of the trees that fills me with an odd anticipation that things are changing and that God is at work.

I thought I would share a couple of pictures of this, my favorite season.

Journey, an update 10-31-07

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:5

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. John 3:17-21

This time of year the sun starts setting earlier, the days here in Hungary turn gray and gloomy and I start thinking about the many effects and impacts of light. Today is not just physically gloomy but spiritually also as there is a worldwide celebration of darkness. In my childhood I could celebrate this holiday with innocence. It was all about dressing up, having fun, attending costume parties where I got to be a princess, giggle with friends and eat candy. But that innocence is long gone. As I have grown from childish innocence to adulthood I have seen the battle between darkness and light with new eyes. Now, every day I get up and prepare to become a tool that is used by God in the battle to draw men’s souls to the light.

God gave me an image earlier this week, a vision of His light. In it there was a canvas of the universe, black as the darkest night with not a trace of light shading the edges. Then there was a light, bright and pure and holy. It was so beautiful, full of hope, the type of beauty that brings tears to the eyes. And suddenly from that light streamed tight beams of pure light down onto a black planet far below. And the light lit up one pinpoint and then another and then a thousand more. These little receptacles functioned like reflecting mirrors so that the light was channeled and amplified into the darkness igniting other pinpoints of light. Thousands of little lights, reflecting the glory of God into the darkness: that vision hasn’t left my mind all week.

This image, this vision, exemplifies how we as children of light are those mirrors, those channels of God’s light into the darkness. We come into the light and testify to how God has turned our darkness into light and given us a hope and a future. Pray with me that God’s light will shine on men’s souls and that His Spirit will move so that they will understand that He desires to forgive and remove their condemnation. Pray that we would be vessels of God’s light and that it would shine brightly within this dark and desperate world.

Patchwork Group and English Program

On Sunday I went to the Patchwork group associated with the church plant in Vecses. It was fun. It helped that my mom made sure that I had instruction in sewing way back in 4-H. Thanks mom. I started a patchwork pillow and met some really nice ladies. Here are some photos from the Patchwork group.

Monday we were back in Petofibanya after the holiday last week. The English program is going well and we had some great discussion during Bible Hour last night. Here are couple of photos.

Gust and Gus (+ Finn)

I haven't been feeling all that great for the last couple of days. I've mainly stayed home and worked on my computer or stayed in bed. I finished a book for CFRB that I didn't think I would have time to read (it will be reviewed starting the 4th) and managed to work on the schedule brochure for our Teambuilding retreat coming up next weekend. One blessing was that my friend Tracey was able to come over and spend a night with me. She always encourages me. The Lord gave me a special gift in her friendship. We watched a movie, hung out and ate kürtös kalács (a yummy Hungarian dessert). Above is the picture of her and Gus. (Tracey's last name is Gust).

Also, here is another photo of the kitties being cute, hanging out on my futon bed.

Family Visit

Wednesday afternoon the Andrews' family (my uncle, aunt and two of my cousins) arrived for a brief visit. My other cousin had to return to Germany because of a problem with his papers. :(

Thursday we a had a great time doing some sightseeing. We went to the City Park and Vajdahunyad Castle. We walked down to Heroes Square and then took the oldest metro in Continental Europe (Budapest's M1 opened in 1896) to the end of the line at Vörösmarty tér, near the Danube.

Next we crossed the Chain Bridge on foot. Then we took the funicular up to the castle, browsed around the area a bit and walked to Fisherman's Bastion where we enjoyed the view and a man showing off his hawk for tourists. Then we took the bus and the metro to the Parliament building and ate at one of my favorite restaurants.

After that we took a quick trip to the central Covered Market for some shopping and back to my house for a brief rest while we sorted out train reservations for the next day.

It was overcast and rained off and on all day, but the leaves are changing so it is still beautiful even without the sunshine. It was a wonderful day! I was blessed and encouraged and so glad to be able to spend a little bit of time with family!

A Safe and Peaceful October 23rd

On Monday night as I was heading home I got news that one of the main tram lines in Budapest was closed. This is the report about the evening.

"Anti-government protesters clashed with the police last night (Monday, Oct 22) in Budapest, ahead of the anniversary of the country's 1956 uprising against Soviet rule. The clashes left 19 people injured. The police detained 12 people."

Apparently this was a relatively small group of protesters whose permit to gather on this date and time had been denied. Thankfully, it was NOTHING like last year.
Here is a picture from the clash.

The actual holiday remained peaceful with close to a million people gathering together!

Here are some photos from the day.

Thanks for praying and please continue to lift this nation before the Father's throne.

I recently came across this song on the Robbie Seay Band release Give Yourself Away. I love it and thought I would share the lyrics.

"Beautiful Scandalous Night"

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

Follow Christ to the Holy mountian
Sinner, sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul
In the fountain that flows
For you and for me and for all

At the wonderful tragic mysterious tree
On that beautiful scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful scandalous night

On the hillside you will be delivered
At the foot of the cross, justified
And your spirit restored
By the river that pours
From our blessed Saviour’s side

At the wonderful tragic mysterious tree
On that beautiful scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful scandalous night

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

At the wonderful tragic mysterious tree
On that beautiful scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful scandalous night

Listen to clip in Itunes Store

Listen to clip at Amazon

Journey, update 10-23-07

He who answers before listening – that is his folly and his shame. Prov. 18:13

In the devotional that I have been reading*, I came to a day titled, “Building Up Your Mate.” I admit it. I sighed and thought about skipping to the next one. Still, principles for marriage are often principles that everyone, even singles, can apply in their lives, so I read on. This devotional turned out to be one of the most thought provoking things that I read all week. The thing that Higgs focused on for building up your mate was listening. I was struck by the truth of what she said. Having someone listen to you, really listen to you without interruption or advice, someone who isn’t afraid of the silence and who waits for you to speak, that is one of the most affirming things I can think of in life.

So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening. 1 Samuel 3:9-10

In today’s fast paced, sound byte driven world, listening is not a skill that is particularly valued. Not just listening to others but listening to our Lord as well. I love the passage in Samuel where he comes to realize that he has been mistaking the voice of God for the voice of Eli. Then, he stops and waits to listen to the Lord. Every day of my life I am bombarded by voices. Voices of others expectations, needy voices of those I am here to serve, angry and hurting voices of those who bitterly reject truth and my own voices that speak of insignificance and insufficiency. This week I was reminded not only to really listen to those around me but I was reminded to be attentive to listen for the voice of the Lord, that I would not mistake His call or miss His gentle words that speak truth and mercy and grace and encouragement to my soul.

*Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs

Pray for Safety and Peace Today

These are images from last year's riots.

On this National Holiday please pray that there will not be any violence.

This is a picture from one of the momuments that I walked by last night.

May the people be able to peacefully remember the sacrifices made in the uprising against the USSR and honor the fallen with respect and peace.

Ok - this really made me laugh. If you've ever had a cat...

Blog Posts of Note...in my opinion

These are links to some interesting posts that I have read recently...you might be interested in checking them out.

#1:
Why I Didn't Like This Book

This is a blog that I read on a regular basis.

Well said Karen. The reason I love Karen Hancock's books, beside the fact that they are very well written, is that they are really about Spiritual Life, not just about a good story. Doctrinal content is important to me in books that I read. The book that she speaks about is one that I decided not to read after reading the Publishers synopsis about it. Speculative Faith also posted an interesting blog in response to Karen's post. You can read it at:

What About the Theology?

#2
Innocence Lost

I was browsing the sites of other participants in the FIRST Book Club and I came across Jodi's site and this post. (FIRST will be posting on Jodi's book in December)

Jodi asks "What are we doing to our children?" And I also wonder what are we doing to ourselves? I think about the things that I see on a daily basis, the news stories, the TV shows, all of it. What can we do to recapture our innocence and focus our eyes (and the eyes of our children) on the One who is Good and Pure and Altogether Lovely?

#3

Light Vision

This is another blog that I came across through the FIRST Book Club. Delia is located in Bakersfield, CA, which is where I was born. This was a wonderful post. Stare at the SON! (Stayed tuned for Delia's book that FIRST will be posting on in April 08)

National Holiday

In Hungary October 23rd is a national holiday.

You can read more about it at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Revolution_of_1956.

Since the Holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, Saturday became an official work day and Monday became a day off. This playing of musical workdays will happen again next weekend where Saturday is a workday (at least for the schools) so that November 2nd can be a day off after the November 1st All Saints Day Holiday.

I had high hopes for being able to spend a little time reading and relaxing today but alas, (insert dramatic sigh here), I simply have too much to do. Maybe tomorrow. I got a note from the US Embassy counseling to stay away from the scheduled protests. After last years riots I'm not plannning on venturing out at all, even to any of the cultural programs. I'm praying that things will stay calm and peaceful this year.

I pulled this comic from my archives of favorite comics. It seemed to fit the moment. Enjoy

His eye is on the sparrow,



And I know He watches me.

I thought of these lyrics by Civilla Martin (1905) this week and the verses that they are derived from. I am so thankful for the way that my heavenly Father watches over me. Though I am sure there are millions of ways in which He protects that my physical eyes never see, every now and then I get a visual demonstration of His hand on me. On Monday a semi truck ran a red light and by the grace of God I saw it out of the corner of my eye. I was able to hit the gas and jump ahead while the person behind me slammed on the breaks and skidded to the side so the truck went between us. It was just another thing to be thankful for in a very long list of blessings poured out on my life.

It also started me thinking and reminded me that God really does take note of the details of my life and that when the hard things comes, that He is not unaware. The things that He chooses to allow to pass through His hand into my life are not without reason or purpose. This morning I was reading in 2 Corinthians 4. Verses sixteen through eighteen say "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an external glory that far outweighs them all. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

I might not ever see the reason for the struggles I face with physical eyes, yet God is watching and more than that, He is filtering the details of life. He protects, guides, blesses and sometimes also allows situations to touch my life for purposes beyond my understanding. So I am thankful for the protection. I look for His guidance and I welcome His blessings. But I also accept the struggles that I find myself in because they too have a purpose. In the end, I pray that through the trials of life I will be molded into His image for His glory.

Grace

I've been reading in the devotional Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs. See at Amazon

For copyright reasons I can't just publish today's devotional here so I'll give you the synopsis...though she says it better.

Today's story was about guilt and grace. Liz talks about speeding and watching a policeman turn on his siren and turn around, only to go speeding past her when she pulled over. The statement that stuck with me was:

"In truth, I'd just been spared while the one with the power to judge my actions attended to more pressing matter. In this is grace: God misses nothing, knows everything, and loves us anyway."

I just wanted to share this encouraging thought with you today.

Cute Kitty

The weather is turning chilly here and the low is supposed to be 34 F tonight. Thought I'd share this cute photo of Finn sleeping on the radiator. That doesn't look comfortable, but I know at least it is warm.

Journey, an update 10-12-07

Do not be afraid any longer, only believe. Mark 5:36

This is a verse that we studied in Bible Study on Thursday that caught my attention. As I talk to non-believers I constantly hear tales laced with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of loss, fear of pain, fear of hurt. You name it, the fear is out there. Tragic events cause broken and hurting lives which often leave people rooted in fear.

And yet, it isn’t only non-believers who fear. I think of all the times I have failed to take God at His Word: the times when I don’t really believe in His promises and the times when I worry about finances or success or people’s acceptance of me or a million and one other things. Do I really believe that God is for me? Do I really believe that His plan for my life is for good? Sometimes I don’t act like it. Even this week I was praying and I was struck by the thought that I was worrying and fearing over minor details while God had literally given me everything when He made me His child and heir. Maybe that is why this verse caught my attention in such a powerful way.

Jesus made this statement to a man whose precious little girl was on the brink of death. In fact, this Father has just been told that the battle is over and his daughter is dead. That’s a huge reason to fear. But Jesus issues a challenge. Don’t be afraid any longer. Stop fearing and instead replace fear with belief. Replace fear with hope in God’s Messiah, the Savior who is Jesus Christ. Jesus is bigger than our fears. He holds the whole universe in His hands. We can set aside every worry, every doubt and yes, every fear. Why, because Jesus gives LIFE. Now not all of us get our loved ones back from the grave. And not all of us will be able to pay the bills all the time or succeed at every task. Life is hard and sin in the world wrecks havoc on people’s lives. But if we believe, Jesus does give life that is both eternal and abundant, and he gives purpose, and hope and a reason to leave all fears behind. We can trust Him with our future.

Do not be afraid any longer. Let go of your fear and believe. Jesus is waiting to meet you at the point of your need. He certainly has met me at the point of mine (and I know that He will continue to do so until He draws me home into His eternal presence).