Happy Easter! I hope you all are having a great Easter and are reminded of Jesus' incredible love for us! These are some of my favorite verses and I would love to share them with you this Easter.
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again. ... God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 21
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Paris and Amsterdam
On Saturday I returned from a week long trip with my program to Paris and Amsterdam. We were in Paris for about five days and Amsterdam for 3. I really enjoyed them both, and I would definitely go back! Paris was absolutely beautiful, especially at night. I think I liked it better at night. The Eiffel Tower all lit up was truly magical. That is the best way to describe it – magical and breathtaking. And Paris is so fun because there are so many places that are famous and make you really feel like you’re in Paris! You always know that you’re in a famous place. So, in Paris, I saw the Eiffel Tower (went up in it at night and had a picnic in front of it during the day), Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, Musee d’Orsey (impressionist art in an old train station!), Notre Dame (went to a Sunday mass and then climbed to the top for the view after the service), Sacre Coeur Versailles, the Moulin Rouge, and probably some other important stuff. We took a day trip to the beaches of Normandy and visited the memorial/cemetery site and a museum. It was definitely cool to see that and learn more about what D-Day was like. And perhaps the highlight of my time in Paris was running into a friend from high school, Horatio Thomas, on a random street in Paris one night! It was crazy and super exciting!
By the time we got to Amsterdam I was all museum-ed out, so I regret to say that I didn’t visit the Anne Frank House, Vincent Van Gogh Museum, or the Rijksmuseum (which houses Rembrandts, Vermeers, and other “Dutch Masters”). But, I did enjoy the canals and leaning houses. We took a boat tour all through them. We also shopped around a flee market and walked around the city. The next day some of us rented bicycles and biked out to the countryside surrounding Amsterdam and had a picnic by a random canal. It was farming countryside and we saw (and at times smelled) lots of horses, sheep, and some roosters. It was definitely a fun bike ride and cool to see some of the more quintessential Dutch landscape (where windmills and wooden shoes are easier to imagine). In case you are wondering, marijuana and prostitution are both very legal and very in your face in Amsterdam. And that was definitely a bit alarming and sad. It really reminded me of Romans 1:22-25: “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised.” The sad part is not necessarily the abundance of sex and drugs, but that it is indicative of the fact that they have exchanged the truth of God for a lie and are worshiping and serving gods who are merely the creation, not the Creator who is the immortal God.
The weather was fabulous for our trip, which I am SO thankful for. It was warm and sunny almost everyday! And here in Berlin it has been warm and sunny as well! It’s amazing to see how the city has become more lively – all the cafes have put out their outside tables and the Biergartens have opened up! Biergartens are really popular in Germany and they are like a big outdoor seating area with lots of tables that serve beer and pretzels and some food. You go up and order your beer and/or food and then sit down for however long you’d like. Some of my friends and I went to one tonight and it was really delightful! I am looking forward to enjoying the warmth and sunshine that has recently come to Berlin!
By the time we got to Amsterdam I was all museum-ed out, so I regret to say that I didn’t visit the Anne Frank House, Vincent Van Gogh Museum, or the Rijksmuseum (which houses Rembrandts, Vermeers, and other “Dutch Masters”). But, I did enjoy the canals and leaning houses. We took a boat tour all through them. We also shopped around a flee market and walked around the city. The next day some of us rented bicycles and biked out to the countryside surrounding Amsterdam and had a picnic by a random canal. It was farming countryside and we saw (and at times smelled) lots of horses, sheep, and some roosters. It was definitely a fun bike ride and cool to see some of the more quintessential Dutch landscape (where windmills and wooden shoes are easier to imagine). In case you are wondering, marijuana and prostitution are both very legal and very in your face in Amsterdam. And that was definitely a bit alarming and sad. It really reminded me of Romans 1:22-25: “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised.” The sad part is not necessarily the abundance of sex and drugs, but that it is indicative of the fact that they have exchanged the truth of God for a lie and are worshiping and serving gods who are merely the creation, not the Creator who is the immortal God.
The weather was fabulous for our trip, which I am SO thankful for. It was warm and sunny almost everyday! And here in Berlin it has been warm and sunny as well! It’s amazing to see how the city has become more lively – all the cafes have put out their outside tables and the Biergartens have opened up! Biergartens are really popular in Germany and they are like a big outdoor seating area with lots of tables that serve beer and pretzels and some food. You go up and order your beer and/or food and then sit down for however long you’d like. Some of my friends and I went to one tonight and it was really delightful! I am looking forward to enjoying the warmth and sunshine that has recently come to Berlin!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
An Adventure Indeed
The weather has been really nice the past couple of days! It's been sunny and blue skies, although still pretty cold and windy. But, the sun has been great.
For my architecture class I had to go on a self-guided walking tour of the Embassy District here in Berlin. I spontaneously decided to go on Tuesday afternoon because it was such a nice day! It was pretty warm and I really enjoyed just walking around, even though I went by myself.
The tour ended in Tier Garten, which is a huge park in the center of the city that used to be hunting grounds way back in the day. And in the middle of it, in the middle of a giant traffic circle, stands the Victory Column. This was the first time I had been to the Victory Column, and it was a lot bigger than I expected! It has a beautiful golden statue on top, and she is a cross between the goddess of victory, Victoria, and a lady who is the symbol for Prussia.
So, I walked around the Victory Column's base and almost left before I realized that you could go up to the top and look out!! So, of course I had to go do that. 265 steps later, I was looking out over Berlin. It was so exciting to be able to pick out buildings I knew and recognized. This made me feel like I really live in Berlin and am getting to know the city, which is really exciting. That was one of my goals for my time here, so that was really encouraging. Also, it was such a serendipity to get to climb to the top and look out over the city. I really enjoyed it.
Today, I went back to the Victory Column with some friends to go up again (this time with my camera!), but little did we know, it closes at 4:30! BOOO. We were just about to go in as the lady closed the door on us. So we ended up walking through Tiergarten and ended up by Potsdamer Platz and eventually the Reichstag. And then I could piece together how all these areas connected, and that too, was exciting!
Tomorrow we are going on a day trip to Potsdam, which is a separate city a little bit south(west?) of Berlin. And a week from tomorrow, I leave with my program to go to Paris and Amsterdam for a week! In that time I have lots of papers to write and various other things to get done for classes, so I'm feeling pretty busy. And it's hard to believe that when I get back from our Paris and Amsterdam trip it will be April!!!
I hope all is well with you all and the Lord is constantly reminding you of his goodness, love, faithfulness, and majesty.
For my architecture class I had to go on a self-guided walking tour of the Embassy District here in Berlin. I spontaneously decided to go on Tuesday afternoon because it was such a nice day! It was pretty warm and I really enjoyed just walking around, even though I went by myself.
The tour ended in Tier Garten, which is a huge park in the center of the city that used to be hunting grounds way back in the day. And in the middle of it, in the middle of a giant traffic circle, stands the Victory Column. This was the first time I had been to the Victory Column, and it was a lot bigger than I expected! It has a beautiful golden statue on top, and she is a cross between the goddess of victory, Victoria, and a lady who is the symbol for Prussia.
So, I walked around the Victory Column's base and almost left before I realized that you could go up to the top and look out!! So, of course I had to go do that. 265 steps later, I was looking out over Berlin. It was so exciting to be able to pick out buildings I knew and recognized. This made me feel like I really live in Berlin and am getting to know the city, which is really exciting. That was one of my goals for my time here, so that was really encouraging. Also, it was such a serendipity to get to climb to the top and look out over the city. I really enjoyed it.
Today, I went back to the Victory Column with some friends to go up again (this time with my camera!), but little did we know, it closes at 4:30! BOOO. We were just about to go in as the lady closed the door on us. So we ended up walking through Tiergarten and ended up by Potsdamer Platz and eventually the Reichstag. And then I could piece together how all these areas connected, and that too, was exciting!
Tomorrow we are going on a day trip to Potsdam, which is a separate city a little bit south(west?) of Berlin. And a week from tomorrow, I leave with my program to go to Paris and Amsterdam for a week! In that time I have lots of papers to write and various other things to get done for classes, so I'm feeling pretty busy. And it's hard to believe that when I get back from our Paris and Amsterdam trip it will be April!!!
I hope all is well with you all and the Lord is constantly reminding you of his goodness, love, faithfulness, and majesty.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Edits
Hi!
So somehow my friend Dan was accidently signed in to my blog when he posted that last post. So that was supposed to go on his blog, but ended up on mine! We are still not sure how exactly that happened! So, sorry to everyone who thought I went to Greece (I unfortunately did not get to go to Greece for 11 days).
I did just get back from Stockholm, though. And I too would like to post a longer post about the weekend, but I will have to do that later.
Real quick, some highlights were:
- eating moose meatballs!
- seeing Jenny Knox, who is living and interning with Campus Crusade for Christ in Uppsala, Sweden (STINT for all you who know the Cru lingo), and meeting her roommate, Ginger (who is also interning)
- seeing reindeer, moose, snowy owls, and wolves (at an open air museum, not in the wild!)
- walking around the really pretty Old Town
-
So somehow my friend Dan was accidently signed in to my blog when he posted that last post. So that was supposed to go on his blog, but ended up on mine! We are still not sure how exactly that happened! So, sorry to everyone who thought I went to Greece (I unfortunately did not get to go to Greece for 11 days).
I did just get back from Stockholm, though. And I too would like to post a longer post about the weekend, but I will have to do that later.
Real quick, some highlights were:
- eating moose meatballs!
- seeing Jenny Knox, who is living and interning with Campus Crusade for Christ in Uppsala, Sweden (STINT for all you who know the Cru lingo), and meeting her roommate, Ginger (who is also interning)
- seeing reindeer, moose, snowy owls, and wolves (at an open air museum, not in the wild!)
- walking around the really pretty Old Town
-
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
God´s Grace in Spain
This post is super long, and if you only have time to read some of it, please skip to the bottom where the Bible verse is. Because it is exciting!
Last week I had my mid term exams for my classes. They went well and this week I have a mid semester break! So, in the wee hours of Friday morning I boarded a plane in Berlin and headed to Barcelona! One of my friends from study abroad, Angela, had planned on going to Barcelona for the whole week and so I got on the same flight as her. It was really nice to be able to fly with someone. I met Jessica Jones, a friend from UNC, in Barcelona for the weekend, and then I came back to Sevilla, where she is studying this semester to stay with her for the week. Jessica came with some of her study abroad friends to Barcelona for the weekend.
So, Angela and I got into Barcelona at about lunch time on Friday and we ate lunch and then walked around the historic district, saw the Cathedral there (St. Maria´s maybe?), walked around the Gothic district, went down to the beach and touched the Mediterranean Sea (!), and ran into Jessica and her friends on the way back to the hostel (which was lucky because they had just gotten in from their flight). Even though we were staying at the same hostel as them we didn´t quite now when we would see them.
I really enjoyed wandering around Barcelona with Angela! We just walked down whatever street looked appealing. All the streets were so cute! They were all narrow with cobblestones and balconies with green plants growing on them. I took so many pictures that probably all look the same, but I absolutely loved it! Then we went to the Cathedral and looked around and found out that we could go up on the roof! So that was really fun and beautiful to look out over the city. You could see the Mediterranean and the hills around the city, with all the buildings. It was breathtaking.
The Mediterranean was beautiful, but cold! Oh, the weather in Barcelona (and Sevilla so far) has been fabulous! So warm - high of 70ish every day and sunny! It´s been a nice break from Berlin. It snowed the whole week before I left, but I really enjoyed the snow, actually. It was really pretty and not that cold...
So then on Saturday, Angela and I walked around with Jessica and her friends. We went to a huge street market in the morning with delicious fresh fruit and somewhat disturbing looking meat (whole pigs!) and fishy smelling fish. Then we walked down to the beach and chilled for a little bit (and of course took lots of pictures of us with the Mediterrranean). Then we went to see the houses the famous Spanish architect Gaudi designed, and I learned from Angela that that is where our adjective ¨gaudy¨comes from! Then we went to see La Sagrada Familia, which is a cathedral that he spent the last years of his life designing and began building, but he died before he could finish it, so it is unfinished. They are still continuing construction on it. And after I paid the 9 euros to get in, I discovered that he died really early in the construction process because basically the whole inside was unfinished (such a rip off!). After La Sagrada Familia, we went to a hill called Montjuic, where they have some big ornate building and a fountain in front of it that they do one of those light and music shows with the water every 30 minutes. It was pretty cool, but the best part was definitely sitting down after so much walking!
The next morning (Sunday), Jessica and I got up early to fly from Barcelona to Sevilla and we arrive safe and sound around lunch time. Then we went to the hostel I´m staying at and checked in and Jessica decided she would stay with me at the hostel, which is really great! So then we walked to her house to get her stuff, back to the hostel, etc.
Later that night, we met up with one of our friends from Summer Project in Santa Cruz, Chadwell, that is studying abroad in northern Spain (Segovia, if you´re a Spanish small cities buff) and was in Sevilla with some of his friends until this morning (Tuesday). We hung out with him and got some dinner, and it was great to catch up and get to hang out with him again!
The next morning (yesterday, Monday), Jessica had to go to class and I walked around Sevilla with Chadwell and his friends. It was good to see more of the city and more cute Spanish streets with cobblestones and balconies, but after 4 days of walking I was pretty exhausted!
Today was pretty chill and I just slept in and had breakfast, coffee, and time with the Lord on the beautiful terrace on the roof of our hostel while Jessica went to class (poor thing). After that we had lunch and went shopping at the mall near her house. Then we went to the Bible Study that she is going to here with other study abroad students in her program. We read Ephesians 3 and talked about how the mystery of the Gospel being extended to the Gentiles has been revealed in Jesus Christ!
One of the verses in Ephesians 3 (verse 8) reminded me of a passage in 1 Timothy that I read last week that totally rocked my world: 1 Timothy 1:14-17 -
¨The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
And looking at it today at Bible Study, especially verse 16 about how Christ showing me mercy displays his unlimited patience, I realized that I don´t have to ¨be used by God in a mighty way¨ in order to glorify Him or tell people about his grace - His unlimited patience is seen in the very act that he had mercy on me!!! I don´t have to DO anything, Christ has already done it. The working out of the gospel in me brings God glory and tells the world of his unlimited patience! That is huge for me, because I have always felt that God was not using me, not calling me to anything. I wanted to step out in faith, change the world, be radical for him, but never knew how and never felt him leading and guiding me in that even though I prayed for it and wanted it so badly! It is freeing for me to realize that simply God´s mercy toward me displays the gospel to the world!
And I have had some really sweet times with the Lord recently - praying on the plane, waiting for people, chilling at the hostel, etc. The Lord is good and I love Him more and more each day. I am looking forward to continuing in this!
Last week I had my mid term exams for my classes. They went well and this week I have a mid semester break! So, in the wee hours of Friday morning I boarded a plane in Berlin and headed to Barcelona! One of my friends from study abroad, Angela, had planned on going to Barcelona for the whole week and so I got on the same flight as her. It was really nice to be able to fly with someone. I met Jessica Jones, a friend from UNC, in Barcelona for the weekend, and then I came back to Sevilla, where she is studying this semester to stay with her for the week. Jessica came with some of her study abroad friends to Barcelona for the weekend.
So, Angela and I got into Barcelona at about lunch time on Friday and we ate lunch and then walked around the historic district, saw the Cathedral there (St. Maria´s maybe?), walked around the Gothic district, went down to the beach and touched the Mediterranean Sea (!), and ran into Jessica and her friends on the way back to the hostel (which was lucky because they had just gotten in from their flight). Even though we were staying at the same hostel as them we didn´t quite now when we would see them.
I really enjoyed wandering around Barcelona with Angela! We just walked down whatever street looked appealing. All the streets were so cute! They were all narrow with cobblestones and balconies with green plants growing on them. I took so many pictures that probably all look the same, but I absolutely loved it! Then we went to the Cathedral and looked around and found out that we could go up on the roof! So that was really fun and beautiful to look out over the city. You could see the Mediterranean and the hills around the city, with all the buildings. It was breathtaking.
The Mediterranean was beautiful, but cold! Oh, the weather in Barcelona (and Sevilla so far) has been fabulous! So warm - high of 70ish every day and sunny! It´s been a nice break from Berlin. It snowed the whole week before I left, but I really enjoyed the snow, actually. It was really pretty and not that cold...
So then on Saturday, Angela and I walked around with Jessica and her friends. We went to a huge street market in the morning with delicious fresh fruit and somewhat disturbing looking meat (whole pigs!) and fishy smelling fish. Then we walked down to the beach and chilled for a little bit (and of course took lots of pictures of us with the Mediterrranean). Then we went to see the houses the famous Spanish architect Gaudi designed, and I learned from Angela that that is where our adjective ¨gaudy¨comes from! Then we went to see La Sagrada Familia, which is a cathedral that he spent the last years of his life designing and began building, but he died before he could finish it, so it is unfinished. They are still continuing construction on it. And after I paid the 9 euros to get in, I discovered that he died really early in the construction process because basically the whole inside was unfinished (such a rip off!). After La Sagrada Familia, we went to a hill called Montjuic, where they have some big ornate building and a fountain in front of it that they do one of those light and music shows with the water every 30 minutes. It was pretty cool, but the best part was definitely sitting down after so much walking!
The next morning (Sunday), Jessica and I got up early to fly from Barcelona to Sevilla and we arrive safe and sound around lunch time. Then we went to the hostel I´m staying at and checked in and Jessica decided she would stay with me at the hostel, which is really great! So then we walked to her house to get her stuff, back to the hostel, etc.
Later that night, we met up with one of our friends from Summer Project in Santa Cruz, Chadwell, that is studying abroad in northern Spain (Segovia, if you´re a Spanish small cities buff) and was in Sevilla with some of his friends until this morning (Tuesday). We hung out with him and got some dinner, and it was great to catch up and get to hang out with him again!
The next morning (yesterday, Monday), Jessica had to go to class and I walked around Sevilla with Chadwell and his friends. It was good to see more of the city and more cute Spanish streets with cobblestones and balconies, but after 4 days of walking I was pretty exhausted!
Today was pretty chill and I just slept in and had breakfast, coffee, and time with the Lord on the beautiful terrace on the roof of our hostel while Jessica went to class (poor thing). After that we had lunch and went shopping at the mall near her house. Then we went to the Bible Study that she is going to here with other study abroad students in her program. We read Ephesians 3 and talked about how the mystery of the Gospel being extended to the Gentiles has been revealed in Jesus Christ!
One of the verses in Ephesians 3 (verse 8) reminded me of a passage in 1 Timothy that I read last week that totally rocked my world: 1 Timothy 1:14-17 -
¨The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
And looking at it today at Bible Study, especially verse 16 about how Christ showing me mercy displays his unlimited patience, I realized that I don´t have to ¨be used by God in a mighty way¨ in order to glorify Him or tell people about his grace - His unlimited patience is seen in the very act that he had mercy on me!!! I don´t have to DO anything, Christ has already done it. The working out of the gospel in me brings God glory and tells the world of his unlimited patience! That is huge for me, because I have always felt that God was not using me, not calling me to anything. I wanted to step out in faith, change the world, be radical for him, but never knew how and never felt him leading and guiding me in that even though I prayed for it and wanted it so badly! It is freeing for me to realize that simply God´s mercy toward me displays the gospel to the world!
And I have had some really sweet times with the Lord recently - praying on the plane, waiting for people, chilling at the hostel, etc. The Lord is good and I love Him more and more each day. I am looking forward to continuing in this!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Exploring the City
So, my goal for the past two days was to "explore Berlin." I was struck the other day by how it's already February and I have a lot planned between now and the end of April. And a lot of those plans involved traveling away from Berlin. So, I made a list of things I wanted to see and do in Berlin and tried to do some of those things Thursday and Friday. I already wrote about Thursday, so this post will only be yesterday. :)
I have to do a 10 minute presentation on a housing development built in the 1920s during the Housing Revolution (basically, better quality yet still affordable housing for the working class). It's called the Horseshoe Building because it's in the shape of a horseshoe around a pond and grassy area. I went to visit it yesterday, and it was pretty cool.
Then, we met some friends and went to a Turkish Market that happens every Thursday and Friday. We got lunch there and looked through the stands selling fruit, vegetables, sweets, clothes, jewelry, scarves, and random other things.
After the Turkish Market, we went to a castle located in a really nice neighborhood called Charlottenberg. The castle was really pretty, but unfortunately by then the sun was setting and it was pretty much dark. But, we still walked in the woods/garden behind the castle. And we decided to come back when it was light outside. It was cool that it didn't feel like we were in a city at all. There was lots of grass and trees and a little brook that ran behind the castle. That's something I like about Berlin - it covers such a huge area that there are like suburbs within the city. Each neighborhood has a different feel and plenty of green space and just space in general, it seems. It's nice not to feel like I'm living in a crowded, busy, and concrete big city.
Something that I have really enjoyed these past two days has been how we have randomly stumbled upon these cool things we didn't know were happening - the Film Festival Red Carpet and the Turkish Market. It's cool to live in a big city where a lot is going on and if you just go out for the day, you'll probably find something to do.
Last night I went to a bible study through the church I went to last Sunday (called Reset) and I really enjoyed it. It was mostly Germans, but there were a couple of Americans (and one British girl!) and we ended up doing most of it in English, which was really helpful for me. We discussed what it means practically to live as a Christian. We talked about whether we should give money to the beggars you see all the time in the U- and S-Bahn stations. And one guy talked about how Jesus said when someone asks for your coat, to give him your tunic as well and when the Roman soldier asks you to walk a mile with him, to go two. And how he always keeps 50 cents in his pocket to give. And I was struck by how generous God desires us to be! He is so generous with me and I am so not generous with others! And we talked about how we all want to live big lives that make a difference, but that can't happen unless we take the little steps, like being generous in giving our finances, love, time, energy, and grace. And it occurred to me that I try to determine which little steps I can take that will make the most difference so I don't have to take the little steps that I deem won't make that much of a difference, like giving a guy on the street 50 cents. But if I gave that 50 cents, how much would that remind me of all that God has given me and give me a mindset of being generous with not only my money, but also my time, energy, love, grace, forgiveness, patience, kindness, etc? Maybe being obedient even in the little steps we don't think mature us or make a difference at all is actually what God wants from us. Maybe that's a little more of what it means to obey the Bible and follow Jesus and his teaching. So much of his teaching involves radical grace and generosity. The kind that can be abused. And I know there is a fine line here and that there are people that will just exploit you and your generosity, but I think, for me, I lean much more on the side of not giving than giving. And I think that Jesus wants that to change.
I have to do a 10 minute presentation on a housing development built in the 1920s during the Housing Revolution (basically, better quality yet still affordable housing for the working class). It's called the Horseshoe Building because it's in the shape of a horseshoe around a pond and grassy area. I went to visit it yesterday, and it was pretty cool.
Then, we met some friends and went to a Turkish Market that happens every Thursday and Friday. We got lunch there and looked through the stands selling fruit, vegetables, sweets, clothes, jewelry, scarves, and random other things.
After the Turkish Market, we went to a castle located in a really nice neighborhood called Charlottenberg. The castle was really pretty, but unfortunately by then the sun was setting and it was pretty much dark. But, we still walked in the woods/garden behind the castle. And we decided to come back when it was light outside. It was cool that it didn't feel like we were in a city at all. There was lots of grass and trees and a little brook that ran behind the castle. That's something I like about Berlin - it covers such a huge area that there are like suburbs within the city. Each neighborhood has a different feel and plenty of green space and just space in general, it seems. It's nice not to feel like I'm living in a crowded, busy, and concrete big city.
Something that I have really enjoyed these past two days has been how we have randomly stumbled upon these cool things we didn't know were happening - the Film Festival Red Carpet and the Turkish Market. It's cool to live in a big city where a lot is going on and if you just go out for the day, you'll probably find something to do.
Last night I went to a bible study through the church I went to last Sunday (called Reset) and I really enjoyed it. It was mostly Germans, but there were a couple of Americans (and one British girl!) and we ended up doing most of it in English, which was really helpful for me. We discussed what it means practically to live as a Christian. We talked about whether we should give money to the beggars you see all the time in the U- and S-Bahn stations. And one guy talked about how Jesus said when someone asks for your coat, to give him your tunic as well and when the Roman soldier asks you to walk a mile with him, to go two. And how he always keeps 50 cents in his pocket to give. And I was struck by how generous God desires us to be! He is so generous with me and I am so not generous with others! And we talked about how we all want to live big lives that make a difference, but that can't happen unless we take the little steps, like being generous in giving our finances, love, time, energy, and grace. And it occurred to me that I try to determine which little steps I can take that will make the most difference so I don't have to take the little steps that I deem won't make that much of a difference, like giving a guy on the street 50 cents. But if I gave that 50 cents, how much would that remind me of all that God has given me and give me a mindset of being generous with not only my money, but also my time, energy, love, grace, forgiveness, patience, kindness, etc? Maybe being obedient even in the little steps we don't think mature us or make a difference at all is actually what God wants from us. Maybe that's a little more of what it means to obey the Bible and follow Jesus and his teaching. So much of his teaching involves radical grace and generosity. The kind that can be abused. And I know there is a fine line here and that there are people that will just exploit you and your generosity, but I think, for me, I lean much more on the side of not giving than giving. And I think that Jesus wants that to change.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Red Carpet
So, tonight I experienced my first Red Carpet event (and by this I mean I watched others arrive on the Red Carpet, not arrive on the Red Carpet myself). My friends Michaela and Dan and I went to a place called Potsdamer Platz this afternoon hoping to explore the area a little and see a movie tonight in the theater there that plays movies in English. It's a pretty hip place with really nice, new buildings and a mall with some pretty nice stores. We walked into the movie theater when we first got there to see what times the movies were showing, and when we arrived there were no movie times displayed anywhere! So, we walked up to the desk to ask them which movies were playing and when and they gave us a program and we opened it and there were no movies playing today! And we asked the guy why there weren't any movies playing today and he said that it was just starting tonight and that there would be movies all this weekend and next week. And then we remembered, it's the week of the Berlin Film Festival, called Berlinale. And apparently, they use all the movie theaters in Berlin to show the movies for the festival. So, we were pretty bummed because we were all in the mood for a movie.
So, we walked outside and ended up running into another girl in the program named Meredith, who told us she was going to see all the actors and actresses arrive on the Red Carpet a couple of blocks away. And we had absolutely no idea that was going on. So, we all walked over to the place where they had set it up and staked out our spot right by where the cars pull up (but it was pretty far away from where the stars actually got out and took their photos). It was fun because I've never been at a Red Carpet event or whatever, so that was fun to be one of those people with their cameras craning their necks to see someone all dressed up and glamorous. Unfortunately, we only saw two people that we actually knew/recognized: Tilda Swinton (the White Witch from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) and Clive Owen. We also got interviewed by some news lady covering the action, but I doubt we'll make it on any real footage. She asked us who were excited about seeing and since we didn't really even know who was supposed to show up, we were just like "anyone from the States that we recognize!" Haha, silly Americans.
This morning my class went on a field trip to Ikea to learn furniture names and ask customers what their favorite pieces of furniture were. Michaela and I were super excited that we got to go to Ikea for German class because we were planning on going there on our own for fun sometime anyway. And, I got a pillow to add some extra fluff to the easily deflated feather pillow that came with my apartment. Ikea was pretty sweet and I had fun seeing all of their furniture and decorations. I'm excited that there is one opening in Charlotte!
Last Sunday, I went to a church called Reset, and I really liked it! It was a small church, and they meet in a room that looks like a coffee shop. It's really cozy and they have a bunch of tables and chairs set up and one corner has a screen and is where the band and preacher stand. I liked the worship band, and we sang some songs in English and some in German. I was really excited because I understood a lot more of the German songs than I thought I would. And I learned some new words through them. The sermon was good as well. But what I liked the most was that the people were really friendly! They have a lunch buffet after the service on the first Sunday every month, and so we got to stick around and meet and talk with some people. We met some Americans and some Germans, so it was a good mix! We met one couple that works with the youth group at the church and some of the high schoolers that attend. Aaron is American (from Michigan) and his wife, Miriam, is half American and half German, but she grew up in Germany.
It turned out that they were taping the Superbowl that night and watching it on Monday evening, so they invited us to come. So, Dan and I went over to their apartment to watch the Superbowl and there we met the rest of their Life Group (small group Bible study), which consists of 2 young German couples and a young single German guy. It was fun to watch the Superbowl and talk with them! Unfortunately, the channel that showed it in Germany didn't show the American commercials with it, so I didn't get to see any of those! And let's be honest, I talked more than watched the game. And they invited us to come to their bible study on Friday nights. I felt really invited and welcomed, and I was excited to feel like I could get plugged in and connected without even really trying. I'm really excited about the possibility of experiencing this community while I'm here!
I asked one of the girls in the group, Stefi, if she thought that the churches in Germany were dying and she said they were definitely not dying! The traditional ones, like the old Catholic and Protestant churches, she said were only really attended by old people. But she said that newer churches were definitely alive. It was exciting to get to talk with her about that.
And, in case you were wondering what German television plays at 4:30 in the morning after the Superbowl ends (Germany is 6 hours ahead of the US), I am happy to inform you that it is a television show in which they mounted a camera on the front of a train and it just rides through Europe. There's no music, just an occasional honk from the train. I think it would actually help you fall asleep if you were watching it at 4:30 AM. It was quite mesmerizing and relaxing.
So, we walked outside and ended up running into another girl in the program named Meredith, who told us she was going to see all the actors and actresses arrive on the Red Carpet a couple of blocks away. And we had absolutely no idea that was going on. So, we all walked over to the place where they had set it up and staked out our spot right by where the cars pull up (but it was pretty far away from where the stars actually got out and took their photos). It was fun because I've never been at a Red Carpet event or whatever, so that was fun to be one of those people with their cameras craning their necks to see someone all dressed up and glamorous. Unfortunately, we only saw two people that we actually knew/recognized: Tilda Swinton (the White Witch from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) and Clive Owen. We also got interviewed by some news lady covering the action, but I doubt we'll make it on any real footage. She asked us who were excited about seeing and since we didn't really even know who was supposed to show up, we were just like "anyone from the States that we recognize!" Haha, silly Americans.
This morning my class went on a field trip to Ikea to learn furniture names and ask customers what their favorite pieces of furniture were. Michaela and I were super excited that we got to go to Ikea for German class because we were planning on going there on our own for fun sometime anyway. And, I got a pillow to add some extra fluff to the easily deflated feather pillow that came with my apartment. Ikea was pretty sweet and I had fun seeing all of their furniture and decorations. I'm excited that there is one opening in Charlotte!
Last Sunday, I went to a church called Reset, and I really liked it! It was a small church, and they meet in a room that looks like a coffee shop. It's really cozy and they have a bunch of tables and chairs set up and one corner has a screen and is where the band and preacher stand. I liked the worship band, and we sang some songs in English and some in German. I was really excited because I understood a lot more of the German songs than I thought I would. And I learned some new words through them. The sermon was good as well. But what I liked the most was that the people were really friendly! They have a lunch buffet after the service on the first Sunday every month, and so we got to stick around and meet and talk with some people. We met some Americans and some Germans, so it was a good mix! We met one couple that works with the youth group at the church and some of the high schoolers that attend. Aaron is American (from Michigan) and his wife, Miriam, is half American and half German, but she grew up in Germany.
It turned out that they were taping the Superbowl that night and watching it on Monday evening, so they invited us to come. So, Dan and I went over to their apartment to watch the Superbowl and there we met the rest of their Life Group (small group Bible study), which consists of 2 young German couples and a young single German guy. It was fun to watch the Superbowl and talk with them! Unfortunately, the channel that showed it in Germany didn't show the American commercials with it, so I didn't get to see any of those! And let's be honest, I talked more than watched the game. And they invited us to come to their bible study on Friday nights. I felt really invited and welcomed, and I was excited to feel like I could get plugged in and connected without even really trying. I'm really excited about the possibility of experiencing this community while I'm here!
I asked one of the girls in the group, Stefi, if she thought that the churches in Germany were dying and she said they were definitely not dying! The traditional ones, like the old Catholic and Protestant churches, she said were only really attended by old people. But she said that newer churches were definitely alive. It was exciting to get to talk with her about that.
And, in case you were wondering what German television plays at 4:30 in the morning after the Superbowl ends (Germany is 6 hours ahead of the US), I am happy to inform you that it is a television show in which they mounted a camera on the front of a train and it just rides through Europe. There's no music, just an occasional honk from the train. I think it would actually help you fall asleep if you were watching it at 4:30 AM. It was quite mesmerizing and relaxing.
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