What Box?

A NEW BLOG

2010-12-15T12:20:00.002-05:00

I AM STARTING A NEW BLOG AT WORDPRESS CALLED INTERSECTIONS.
THERE ARE JUST SOME THINGS AND THEMES I WANT TO EXPLORE THAT REQUIRE A NEW START. I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN ME OVER THERE...

http://deannadavis.wordpress.com/

A Great Song

2010-12-13T05:11:00.000-05:00

Just heard this song and really liked it. The video also spoke to me about how worship music, and God's children, cannot be put in a box. We look, sound and worship in a style and way that reflects who God made us to be and the cultures He has put us in. What I'm saying is that I'm not sure I'm really cool enough to like this song:) BUT THE TRUTH THAT SAVES AND MOVES US IS ABSOLUTELY THE SAME ACROSS GENERATIONS, CULTURES, MUSICAL STYLES AND LANGUAGES.

The lyrics are here.

Fear and Safety

2010-12-07T07:41:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that I speak and teach from my own personal neurosis and spiritual struggles. I've often described my teaching style as if I were on a therapist's couch with my Bible open, and everyone else in the room is getting to listen in on my very private thoughts, emotions and interactions with God. Case in point:

I've been struggling with fear recently. Clarification: I've been struggling with fear for quite a while and to great lengths, but God just moved it to the front burner for me in the last few weeks. So I've done what I know to do when there's an issue for me, I went to the Word of God. I've been meditating on I John 4:18 which says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." There is so much there that I'll be digging in for several weeks, I'm sure.

This morning, I tried an interesting spiritual exercise. I tried to talk about this verse with my kids. Can I just say, nothing sheds light on spiritual truth than seeing how it hits a young person. Here's how the morning went...

Mom: Hey guys, let's read the Bible together before you go to school. I read this verse I want to talk with you about. ( I read I John 4:18). I want to talk about fear with you. Is there something you are afraid of?
Georgia: I'm afraid of things under my bed. (her little sister Abby sleeps on the bed under her.) I'm afraid that a monster with red eyes (Abby has an eye infection right now, complete with red eyes) will crawl out from under my bed and climb up the ladder and get me.
Mom: (Trying to keep a straight face...) So you are afraid of what's in the dark, that something might get you? That's a pretty common fear. How about you Jeffrey?
Jeffrey: I'm afraid of not getting homework done. (He's a classic firstborn.) Mom, what are you afraid of?
Mom: I'm afraid that something might happen to you guys. And I'm afraid that I won't get to do some of the things in life I really want to do. (Both, major sources of Deanna-angst) The verse we just read though, says, when we really love God, we don't have to fear anything. Why do y'all think that is?
Georgia: God says He'll take care of us, doesn't He? Since He keeps His word, we don't really have to be afraid of anything, do we? (Oh my sweet, deep Georgia, of great faith...)
Mom: Yeah, I think that's the point. God is bigger and stronger than anything we are afraid of. And if says He loves us, we don't have to fear things, do we? We are safe when we are with Him. Godlove = safety. There's no place for fear. Pretty cool, right?
Jeffrey: But, why does the Bible say we have to fear God then? (He is a little theologian, that one. Almost German in the way he wants to debate an issue...:)

I went on to describe with my kids the different types of fear, one of course being respect, but this was an interesting conversation for me. I've read that verse probably a hundred times over the last 20 years and never really READ it. That my kids instinctively knew the truth, that if God loves them, they are safe, was quite eye-opening. I've got a lot more theological training then they do, yet that truth is just now soaking to the depths of my soul in a way they just knew.

Christmas With The Davises

2010-11-29T19:52:00.001-05:00

So this past weekend we began decorating the house for Christmas. Here's the scoop.We got an amazing handmade nativity scene when we were in Ecuador years ago. I back light it on the mantle every year, along with a few reindeers, trees and our Ga Tech stockings.
When I was growing up, my parents had a Frosty the Snowman just like this. Kitsch? Sure, but every year when I was little, we took pictures with my sister and I hugging Frosty. Now, my kids get to do the same thing.
Not sure who gave us this ornament, but it comes out every year.
Speaking of Ga Tech, Jeff decided on our tree topper this year and he creatively found a way to put Buzz up there. By the way, this Buzz was a wedding present from me to my man.

And my grandmother always said every Christmas tree should have a bird in it, so this blue bird is an annual thing for us. In fact, he hung out on my grandmother's tree too.

Great Memories

2010-11-25T04:29:00.000-05:00

During my recent visit to Germany, I got to see some great friends and carry a personal gift for them. I think there's something beautiful about full circle moments. I gave my friends photos of one of the first times we were together, and one of the last times we were together. Sort of a meditation on how our paths have continued to cross over time and how important those crossings have been.
I also got to stay with Anja and Lydia in Braunschweig, and while the time was too short, it was really, really good! Sometimes, certain visits are so refreshing, so encouraging...this was one of those times.

Berlin From The Train

2010-11-20T03:57:00.000-05:00

I didn't realize that on a recent train trip in Germany I would actually get a mini-tour of Berlin from the train.I love photos in train stations, by the way. They look very cool, like an adventure is just around the corner.
The tv tower in Berlin, quite an iconic landmark.
The Berlin Dome.
I even saw parts of the actual Berlin wall!

The Reichstag.
And how cool is this, the Berlin Hauptbanhof sign, with the Reichstag moving in the background. Actually, it was me moving in the foreground.
I was reminded during this brief trip just how much I loved living in Europe and how amazing her cities are. There is still so much for me to see and explore on this continent, that it seems I must return one day:).

Never Know What You'll See In An Airport

2010-11-18T05:01:00.000-05:00

Since you never know what you'll see while traveling, I usually keep my camera handy. The Irish Women's Boxing Team? How awesome is that? The Russian Women's Boxing Team was nearby too, but I admit, I was too afraid of them to take a photo.

Happy Anniversary to Us!!!

2010-11-15T06:46:00.003-05:00

Now that the kids are a bit older and more self-sufficient, Jeff and I are entering a nice season of marriage. In other words, we can revisit the time when we were a couple, not just parents of small kids. (Can I get an amen from the other parents out there?) So, to celebrate 15 years of marriage, Jeff and I took a little trip, just the two of us, to Gatlinburg Tennessee. In a moment of rare spontaneity for us, we saw a sign for horseback riding in the mountains, and went. Can I just say, "Wow!". The Smoky Mountains are truly beautiful, and we had a great time being outdoors. And, since many of you know I'm all about the photo op, we got a great picture out of it.
We caught some great weather too, sunny and pretty warm. We sat out for a while on the main street and people watched. Gatlinburg is one of the best places in the world to people watch. I'm pretty sure people were watching us, and thinking the same thing.
I'm a nature lover, I can't help it. I did teach biology and even botany for a while, so I loved getting out and walking around a bit.
And, more photo ops, near the fall harvest-themed photo op place.
All in all, we had a great time reconnecting, laughing, being spontaneous and relaxing. Jeff and I aren't especially known for how we chill out, so not only was this a healthy departure for us, but hopefully a permanent adjustment to how we do things.

I love being married to Jeff! It's been the most amazing 15 years, with so many great experiences and memories! Even a cursory glance at the last 5 years of blogging tells the tale.

European Food Adventures

2010-11-10T07:54:00.001-05:00

For me, some of the best parts of traveling is to eat the local food and experience new cultural things that are off the tourist path. Even though I've lived in Europe for years, I had several new experiences recently during my last trip. While staying in Oslo, my friend and her grandmother let me share an authentic Norwegian meal called fårikål. I was told by several Norwegians that I really should try this lamb and cabbage meal, so they made it my last night there. This was a special occasion where, not only did I get to try something I never would have had on my own, but I also got to hear many stories and learn much during the conversation.
On the plane ride over on Air France, this was my lunch. It is a smoked (i.e. slightly raw) salmon sandwich. While it is outside the normal tastes of the average American, this was quite tasty! I can't believe I've lived in Europe for 6 years total, and never got around to the salmon.
And speaking of the fish genre, I ate some more Norwegian salmon, which evidently is among the world's best. I must say, this meal was very, very tasty.
Then, I was invited to an authentic Norwegian dinner with some friends of mine. Again, what a privilege to be invited in to an experience that is completely outside the normal tourist thing. And of course, the best part of the meal was the company I got to share it with.
And what is a trip to Germany without a wurst? While not my beloved Thuringer brat, I found this at the Berlin airport and it made me very happy:)
And since I enjoyed salmon so much on this trip, I decided to eat it one more time before leaving the country. Note to self - next time be sure to spread out the horseradish sauce all over the fish instead of eating it all at once. My nose is still running. This was my last European meal before getting on a plane.

This trip was a really enjoyable culinary adventure - one that seemed to involve lots of salmon, for some reason. But, it was so great to try new, and really authentic national food. MMMMMMMmmmmmmmm.........

Many Other Friends

2010-11-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

While in Europe I had the chance to reconnect with many beloved friends. We used to live life and minister together, but now our paths have led us to places all over the Western Hemisphere. One of the best things about a missional lifestyle is that a goodbye is never really a goodbye, but a "see you later". Since many of my readers will know these people, I wanted to include some photos of this special time.
Who doesn't know Martha. Really, Jeff and I have traveled the world in student work circles and everyone seems to know Martha. Of course, she is more than a co-worker to us. She is Tante Martha (Aunt Martha) to our kids and perhaps one of the greatest influences on our lives. We love Martha M.!!!
This is a rare photo - it's all the present and previous staff who were at the Zoom Conference. Since we are a people on the go, I'm glad we stood still for a few minutes to enjoy the moment of being together.
And this is Maria and Lukas - two students from Connexxion who are now married and expecting their first child soon. One of the great things in student ministry is seeing young people move through the seasons of life.
And this is just a greatl photo. While Vincent isn't a current staff member, he is quite a beloved one. Vera, Anja and Birthe are presently working in Hamburg and Braunschweig, and are very, very cool.
And to know Maria is to love her. She and I have had so many conversations over movies, tv, our love of stories and Jesus. She is very special to me, so seeing her in person brought a big smile to my face.
Some of my favorite times in Germany seem to always involve Antje and Vera.
This is Nicole, my friend and former language tutor. The reason I can speak German at all is largely because she worked me really hard. Danke, liebe Nicole.
This is Julie - she was on staff with Connexxion before Jeff and I came. We like to joke that it took two of us to replace one of her, which is actually true.
So as you can see, my time in Germany was very special, filled with quite a few divine appointments.
.

Teaching In Germany

2010-11-05T03:52:00.001-04:00

The main reason I went to Germany was to teach at the Zoom Conference, a time for the Connexxion staff to download what they've learned about student ministry in a post-modern setting. I got to speak to the group also. My topic? The Main Thing In Ministry Is Integrity. This is a topic I'm passionate about and have heard that it resonates strongly with those in our line of work. Basically, I try to answer the question, "What can a person do now to prepare for a lifetime of ministry, a lifetime of following God faithfully?"

Hans and Franz Show Up At The Zoom Conference

2010-11-02T15:44:00.004-04:00

So, before I went to Germany for the Zoom Conference, Jeff and I were asked to film a video. Years ago, we sat down and came up with our family mission statement - a way for us to make decisions and discern God's will for our lives. It is a way for us to choose between really good things and God's best for us. But rather than create it using business-speak, we decided to do something a bit more creative. Thus, Hans and Franz. Our mission statement is hidden in here (and it's not too hard to find). We hope you enjoy:).
Be sure to click on the video twice to get a full screen.

Annalie, Who I Want To Be When I Grow Up

2010-11-01T14:56:00.004-04:00

Usually when I blog about things in my life, it's in a very linear way. I tell stories from start to finish, from beginning to end. Not this time. I just spent a week in Oslo and Germany - it was a combination of vacation and work. I was speaking at the Zoom Conference for Connexxion, the ministry Jeff and I worked with during our time in Germany, so I used that as an excuse to visit with friends.

But a highlight of the trip for me? My time with Annalie M. Annalie is one of the most amazing women I met in Jena Germany. Let me tell you about her, then about why this photo is so special to me. I don't often beg my readers to read my writing, but today is a first, so please hang with me.

Annalie and her husband Gunter have done life right. They have lived most of their adult life in the same town, been a healthy part of their church and raised their kids to love Jesus. In addition, since they live in a university town, they have loved the students God has sent their way. You should see how the women students love her!

What makes her special to me is...she is one of the only older German women who really took an interest in me personally during my time in Germany. She would pull me aside regularly and put her hands lovingly around my face and speak words of such affection and love to me that I was frequently reduced to tears. She always encouraged me about our work with students. She cooked authentic Thuringer meals for us, along with coffee and great desserts. She never failed to show me love, very tenderly, very authentically. She's a hugger and toucher, which is unusual for a German, but if you know Annalie, you know she's just Annalie. If she wants to hug you, you let her and receive it.

During this trip, we unexpectedly saw each other as she came to a celebration that was a part of the conference I was at. She and Gunter, in their endearingly German way, asked for some time for us to catch up in person. So for about an hour, God miraculously multiplied my German language skills so we could talk. And oh, did we talk! They continued to encourage me about God's will for my life and helped me see how He is working with me. And they prayed for me!!! If this conversation was the main reason for my coming to Germany, it was enough of a reason to come!

So, this photo is very meaningful for me. I have so few people in my life who I would view as ...not sure how to describe it...a combination of mother figure/mentor, cheerleader, friend... And how she's looking at me says it all. I'm crying as I'm writing this. It was such a sweet day with such a sweet friend.

Update from Deanna

2010-10-20T16:57:00.006-04:00

To my faithful readers, I'm so sorry for the slackness with which I've managed this blog for the last month. There are reasons...big reasons...We've had pretty big family directional shifts that we weren't expecting and I wasn't ready to blog about it to the world. I'm also getting ready to begin a new blog and have been putting a bit more of my writing efforts in that direction. But I did want to update today because in a few days I'll be traveling back to Europe to visit with friends and attend and teach at a student work conference. I can't wait. Sometimes a trip outside of your comfort zone, to places that are spiritually significant can jumpstart thoughts, directions, etc. I'm praying that my time away will be an investment in my life, relationships, heart and family that will reap dividends for years to come. I'll either get back to blogging here or launching the new one soon.

On a more random note, my good friend Melissa and I got to go to one of the Braves playoff games a week or so ago. It was quite an experience, going to a baseball game people actually care about:).
In case you didn't know, Hank Aaron broke the all-time home run record while playing for the Braves. This place marks the spot, so we had to get a photo.

And anyone who knows me knows I live for the photo op. The baseball mascot came running by, so I had to get a picture. Here are some other examples of mascots I've tracked down for photos.Buzz, the nation's best mascot!!!!! Go Jackets, sting em, buzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Thrash, our hockey team mascot.
Maximus, the Gwinnett Gladiator mascot. Unfortunately, technical difficulties have flipped this photo upside down, but you get the idea.

Pop Truth

2010-09-23T05:19:00.001-04:00

I had a good cry today. I was listening to Katy Perry's song Teenage Dream...ok, stop laughing.

No really, you need to stop laughing at me and let me explain. If you haven't heard it, first of all, where have you been? And secondly, you can here. It's an almost perfect pop confection with a beat, great hook and lyrics that nearly every modern teen or everyone who's been a modern teen can relate too. It doesn't pretend to be especially deep, but it does rather successfully capture some of the passion and emotion of teen love. Do you remember how it felt when you were first in love? The electric charge of hormonal adrenaline that is impossible to replicate or sustain, but is oh so wonderful while it lasts? What a clever idea, to write a song as an adult about how your significant other takes you back to those days when love was so exciting and you were so happy, you thought you just might die. Of course mature love done right settles into something deeper and longer lasting than that, but oh that every husband and wife could recapture a bit of that teenage passion for each other!

What got me though were some of they lyrics and the underlying meaning hidden behind them.

She sings "Let's go all the way tonight. No regrets. Just love." What she is saying in the first phrase is pretty obvious and there's no layers there. But the phrase, "No regrets. Just love," is worth a bit of thought. A Christian would assume that having sex before or outside of marriage brings regrets. But she's saying "Let's do it so we don't regret not doing it." Or that there are no regrets necessary because there is nothing wrong with having sex with someone with whom you are in love. I also suspect and have heard from many young people, that honestly, there isn't nearly as much regret the morning after as we in the Christian community would think.

This is the air most young people breath, that "where there's love, of course there is sex." In the modern worldview, sex is a natural part of any romantic relationship - expected, normal and if both are consenting, then knock yourself out. In fact, if you claim to love someone, then of course you sleep with them. It's assumed.

Here's where I started to get a bit emotional, as it illustrates a radical misunderstanding of what love and sex actually are. I've just met too many young people who come to Christ later in life, after they've operated in this worldview for a while, and I see the damage done to their hearts and souls. Sex is more than just something you do with your body. It involves your heart and soul at an unbelievably intimate level. In marriage, it it acts like superglue, helping to bond a husband and wife permanently. It allows our bodies to give full expression to what our hearts are feeling. It is perhaps the most intensely pleasurable of human experiences. It creates life.

How we go about our sexuality says volumes about our spirituality and world view. And how we go about our sexuality determines the potential depth and quality of our marriage relationships. As a middle aged woman now, I see more clearly than ever that what young people do in their teens and 20's sets them up for success or failure in adulthood and the real world of family relationships.

Our culture is actively redefining the truth that our hearts instinctively know - that sex is more than just a physical act but a deeply spiritual one, deserving of more than the casualness with which we treat it. And since it involves such deeply personal and powerful emotions, (like the ones teenagers feel when they are in love) how we communicate truth about it has to be not only clear and bold, but compassionate.

So yes, I cried at a Katy Perry song and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Oh, that more of us would.

2010-09-18T19:55:00.002-04:00

I've had quite a month or two here. I've been inundated with stories from friends and women about...well...so much pain. Divorce. Abuse. Disappointment. Depression. Guilt. Loneliness. Anger. Spiritual challenges. Confusion. Job loss. Marital or relational strife. Death. And I haven't even started with what's been going on in my personal life, which has been very complicated. I know God is in the process of healing broken hearts. I know He only acts towards those who love Him in a way that is loving. I know He has plans for His children, plans to prosper and not harm. I know one day He will return, right every wrong and wipe away every tear. But right now, in the present, with what I see in the lives of those around me, I confess that I'm very sad about how I'm seeing sin play out all around me.

Random Women's Ministry Things

2010-09-12T02:49:00.000-04:00

I went to a women's ministry conference last weekend to speak and facilitate a dialogue on vision in women's ministry. I've been spending a few weeks now thinking about what are some of the most important things to know/do in women's ministry.
Here's a brief, incomplete list, in no particular order:

1. Know who you are NOT called to - it's not that we don't try to reach as many as possible, or that everyone isn't welcome, but there are only so many hours in the day. Trying to make everybody happy is a sure way to make no one happy. If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it everytime, meaning - you need to aim at something. It's not about being exclusionary, but focused.

2. Self-Inventory - it is impossible to separate leadership from the leader. God uses people to lead, warts and all. So if the leader is an important part of the equation, it makes sense to spend some time in reflection - who am I? How has God gifted me? What am I passionate about? Not knowing these answers can limit a leader's focus and efficiency.

3. Read as broadly and voraciously as possible. Since there is nothing new under the sun, why not see what others have already learned? And read from non-Christian sources also. By inputting a variety of ideas and information in your head, you have more sources for creativity to draw from later.

4. Make sure you are working for an audience of One. At the end of the day, did you do what God asked you to do? There will always be more ministry to do than there are hours in the day. There will always be another opinion of how you should have done something. The question is, "Whose approval are you working for?" In ministry, we've got to get to the place where we are looking to find out what God wants us to do, do that, and let it be enough. I've found over the years that what God wants me to do is almost always less than what I think He wants me to do. The pressure to do more, more, more, bigger, better, faster, rarely comes from Him. It comes from my own perfectionist tendencies or from others.

I love my family

2010-09-01T20:53:00.001-04:00

We have a family tradition where the birthday kid helps me bake their birthday cake. This summer Abby took her first foray into baking by sprinkling the top of the cake. Here's our handiwork.
One of our favorite girl activities is painting each other's nails. Abby's favorite part is drying hers with the hair dryer.
Georgia and I on the Dahlonega Mine Train at 8 flags.
Abby demonstrating that she's not afraid of her big brother.

Eating Tomatoes

2010-08-29T17:50:00.005-04:00

The role of innovator vs. the establishment is a tricky one. I was discussing this topic with a group of women at a women's ministry conference just this weekend. Of course, all the younger women were championing those who dare to try new things, throwing caution and tradition to the wind with the hope of unlocking the future direction of women's ministry. The older women however, were justifiably concerned with throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I heard them wisely say that not everything with women's ministry today is broken, and change just for changes sake isn't always a good thing. So, how to balance the two opposing view points? How about this illustration:

Someone had to be the first to eat a tomato. Someone was probably walking in a field somewhere and said, "Hey, I'm hungry. What if...what if I eat that red thing over there?" The problem though is that tomatoes are actually part of the nightshade family - and many in that group of plants are poisonous. That means that likely, some of the first tomato eaters suffered and died. And I imagine many had to face mostly well-meaning criticism from those who only knew tomatoes to be poisonous - "Stop! What, are you crazy? No one eats those things and survives!" Not exactly an encouragement to the next guy to try the next tomato-looking thing.

One day however, someone broke out of the old paradigm and either on purpose, or accident, tried one. Not only didn't they die, but they discovered one of the tastiest, most versatile fruits known to man. (Yes, since a tomato bears seeds, it is a fruit, not a vegetable:)

But it took skilled chefs to figure out that if you blend mushed tomatoes with garlic and olive oil and pour it over pasta, you create something truly extraordinary - spaghetti! Or spread it on bread and top it with cheese - pizza! Or pour a tomato sauce over french fries - ketchup! The chef knows, through years of training and practice, how to prepare and combine foods so that the sum becomes greater than the parts.

Both the innovator (tomato-taster) and the establishment (chefs) have a valuable role to play.

In ministry, some women are tomato-tasters - innovators who buck tradition, brave criticism and try new things, even if they aren't sure what the outcome will be. Some women are chefs, trained power-brokers who figure out what to do with these new discoveries. Working together, they can move things to the next level.

I would love to see a future where the gatekeepers and present leaders encourage those with a more adventurous spirit, realizing that they will discover the future. And I would love to see innovators respect and cooperate with the establishment, realizing that they have the power and ability to maximize those new discoveries.

Teenage Dream - very cool!

2010-08-26T09:40:00.004-04:00

I appreciate musical talent and this guy obviously has it..
Be sure to click on it twice to get a full screen view.

Photos from the North Georgia Mountains

2010-08-24T08:44:00.000-04:00

Sometimes landscapes and visuals stir the soul. North Georgia does that for me everytime.

A Writing Retreat

2010-08-21T01:32:00.000-04:00

I had a chance this summer to get away to North Georgia College and take about 24 hours to begin a writing project...It was a great time of creativity and organizing my thoughts. Here I am in the morning, with my thoughts and my Macbook.

Decision-making and Fear

2010-08-19T03:04:00.000-04:00

I discovered a good decision-making exercise the other day: if I were someone else, looking at my life circumstances from the outside, what advice would I give myself? Is it different from how I'm handling my circumstances from the inside? It's a great question as to why there would be a difference, why the perspective from the inside and outside might not line up. And it's a great spiritual practice, learning to get the two in line.

I've been working through a big decision - a really big one - and as I've been wrestling, talking, praying, thinking, I realized, if I were watching someone else going through the same thing, I would know exactly what counsel to give. I realized I can see into someone else's situation much more clearly than I can my own. Isn't that odd? That I struggle giving myself advice that would be obvious for someone else?

My self-prescription? For the believer, decisions should be made by faith - that God is and will faithfully lead, that He'll provide, that in this life we have one shot to make things count for eternity, so my priority should be Him and not me. My decisions should be made out of faith, not out of fear - that things might go horribly wrong, that we won't have what we need, that we'll make a huge mistake... On my own, I've found I lean towards the fear side of the equation. I can see that clearly in the lives of others but it's been a bit more clouded in my own life.

I John 1:8 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Those Davis Kids

2010-08-17T20:23:00.001-04:00

It's been a great summer with the kids. We've definitely got the new school shoe thing going on.
As always, we celebrated the fourth of July at my dad's, watching fireworks on the golf course.

We even spent some time at 6 flags. Good times.
Gotta love happy kids.

Decision-making and Waiting

2010-08-17T18:30:00.004-04:00

When you have a huge decision sitting before you, how do you go about making it? There are pro and con lists, the advice of others, how circumstances are pointing, past experience, future desires, logic, emotion, looking at things in view of long-term goals, etc. But for the believer, at the end of the day, in big decisions, what matters is what God wants.

Therefore, one of the greatest skills a believer needs is the ability to discern God's voice and will. I'm finding that often, it's not as cut and dried and easy as one would think. Sure, God shows up sometimes in burning bush, Damascus road events, where He speaks clearly and forcefully into a situation and there is no doubt what He wants. Other times though...He makes us wait for direction. And wait. And wait.

So why doesn't God just come out and "say it" sometimes? There is clearly something of value to be found in the waiting, in the uncertainty. Perhaps a building of faith, of obedience in the little things or known things, character development, building a greater desire to hear and a greater willingness to obey, or orchestrating situations till the time is right.

Therefore, one of the greatest skills a believer needs is the ability to wait well. To trust. To keep walking forward even when the way ahead is unclear.

It's easy to trust God when you don't really have to, when, if He doesn't show up and move on our behalf, we can still take care of things on our own just fine. But when the issue is forced and we have no choice but to trust, when, if He doesn't show up and move on our behalf, then all is lost... It is in times like those that God takes away certainty in order to give us more of Himself. That's a good trade.

Indian Pole Gymnastics

2010-08-16T12:22:00.002-04:00

Let me just say, I've never seen anything like this before. It's pretty amazing and worth a few minutes of your time. My question is, who thought this thing up?

A Fun Saturday Afternoon

2010-08-15T01:13:00.000-04:00

For fun one Saturday we took our cameras to Super H Mart - a local Korean grocery - and played a game to see who could find the most unusual item. Here are some of our finds.We tried to imagine in what language a drink with sweat is appealing.
Beef tongue...yummy.
Lychee flavored popsicles...
Toasted octopus balls.

Church This Past Sunday

2010-08-11T01:07:00.000-04:00

This week at church we celebrated the Lord's Supper. The sanctuary was rearranged with a cross and small stage in the middle of the room. It was a great example of how certain visuals connect with the heart in an instinctive way. The cross was in the middle. We were all focused on it. It wasn't business as usual.

Um, Wow!

2010-08-08T07:09:00.000-04:00

I've been ignoring you, my blog readers and for that I'm sorry. My two excuses are that I've been really busy with something that I'll probably announce in the fall - and I'm planning on starting a new blog sometime then. Please keep checking back for when the link goes live! The reboot plans to be pretty cool. But in the meantime, I offer this story...

So the other day I went to the Eddie Bauer store at Discover Mills mall since I had a 10 dollar off coupon. (So you know right away this is not an earth-shattering blog entry) As I was perusing the men's sale section I found a whole rack of things that were 4.99. As I looked closer, I realized it contained some of their high quality winter stuff. Since Jeff doesn't change sizes, buying out of season is easy. I came home with 8 unbelievably nice sweaters and shirts (one was even $99) and I couldn't believe it - Jeff and I tallied the original prices since the deal was so amazing. I got 360 dollars worth of men's clothing for 42 dollars - and 10 dollars off that! So for 32 dollars I pretty much equipped Jeff for a very styling winter season.

It reminded me of this, "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" Matthew 6:28-30.

A Morning Reflection On Jealousy

2010-07-03T07:33:00.002-04:00

I spent a bit of time this morning walking around a small town in the North Georgia mountains. As I was walking past some of the beautiful old homes, I was overcome with feelings of... was it jealousy? Want? I saw in this town the life I’d love to have for myself: stable, comfortable… I began to wonder if the life I saw represented in these homes that were obviously owned by long-time residents could ever be mine? Would God ever let Jeff and I move to a small town and plant for a long, long time? Long enough to buy furniture that we didn’t have to screw together? Long enough to plant a beautiful flower garden that came back every spring? To have a front porch with rocking chairs that overlooked sidewalks where we could walk to visit long-time friends and neighbors?
Then, I hung a right turn onto a college campus and realized that God most likely has other things for us. In front of me was the location where thousands of young people will begin their adult lives. It is a place of influence, where students will make the decisions that affect the rest of their lives. The contrast was startling.
So I began to pray that God would keep me from wanting what He doesn’t want for me, and that I would begin passionately wanting the kind of life that He does want for me. Whatever that is. It’s not that the house or comfort or stability are bad – but they can be if they keep me from the greater good of desiring Him above those things.

Mega what?

2010-06-29T20:18:00.003-04:00

How on earth did I miss this? We have a thing in my family for really good bad movies: movies that are so bad, they end up being fun. (Deep Blue See anyone?) I think this one must be a classic bad movie in the making. It's worth watching the trailer for the laugh at the last 2 seconds.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-06-17T10:31:00.003-04:00

I just got excited about something. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is coming out around Christmas. It's no secret that I love the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. I re-read them every few years, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is my favorite of the series. It has more beautiful imagery of deep spiritual truths than just about any book I've ever read. The trailer looks fantastic - and I can't wait!!!

They are getting so big!

2010-05-30T04:41:00.005-04:00

I came upon these two photos recently and had to smile. One was taken in the summer of 2005 and the other just a few months ago. My how the time flies.

I'm So Blessed!

2010-05-26T00:29:00.000-04:00

I am truly a fortunate woman! I've been blessed with some wonderful friends that I would like to say I chose, but in reality, I think God chose them for me. Here are my girlfriends - those ladies that I can get honest with, who get honest with me and who I count on for more than they could ever know. Two of them are Yankees, which is almost European, so I still get a bit of cross-cultural fun everytime we get together. They can be lovingly direct sometimes, which I find alternately refreshing and hilarious. Jennifer however, is a southern girl like myself. In the German tradition I threw myself a birthday party with my best buddies. And in an American twist, I invited myself over to a friend's house to host it.
Here's the whole adult gang, with Abby wandering around in the background. This was a great afternoon of grilling hamburgers and hotdogs, catching up on each other's news and letting the kids run around like, well, kids!
And I also got to visit with an old college friend, Cheryl. We go way back - and she's still one of my all-time favorite people.

Da Dum, Da Dum...

2010-05-21T00:22:00.000-04:00

One of Jeff's favorite things to do at the beach is to fish in the surf at sunset. So we try to make that happen any time we happen to be on the coast. He's a pretty good fisherman too and usually catches a lot of fish. This night however, Jeff caught something very cool and unexpected. It was literally his last cast of the night and he knew right away that it was something a little bigger than a catfish.
Jeff caught a shark! He was so excited that he brought it over to the condo so I could see it before taking it back to the beach and letting it go. Let's just say that this shark wasn't very happy with Jeff. In fact, it barked at him! It also tried to take a few bites out of him. I'm so glad Jeff looked at it closely before trying to get the hook out of it's mouth.
Here's the shark planning his escape.
And here's my manly husband with the most unusual catch of his illustrious fishing career.

Thunder Beach

2010-05-18T04:13:00.000-04:00

While we were in Panama City, we got to experience a very uniquely American thing called Thunder Beach - in other words, it was Biker Week at the beach! Thousands and thousands and thousands of bikers! I can't even begin to describe to you all the different types of people we got to see cruising around on their motorcycles, but let's just say it was something I'll never forget.

Right across the street from where we were staying was some sort of rally point, so Jeff and I walked over to see what we could see. From what I could tell, it's a tight subculture of people who love their machines and their lifestyle.
And I found it was harder to snap photos of bikers than one might think. First, they are usually moving. Second, I didn't want to seem like I was laughing at them by wanting a photo, so the timing was a bit tricky. And third, there was no way for me to take a photo that would do justice to the sheer numbers of bikers I saw without going up in a helicopter. So here is the best I could do - I took this from our minivan (how awkward is that, being at Thunder Beach in a minivan?) while waiting at a traffic light.

Swagger Wagon

2010-05-17T09:50:00.004-04:00

This is hilarious...why you ask? B/c I know so many people just like this...thinking that somehow they make suburban family life look much cooler than it is. (Admission - this hits closer to home than I'd like to admit, which is why it's so funny) Let me just say for the record, I cook, I clean, I bake, I drive, I wipe noses and bottoms, I go to school plays, I play dress-up ...and I don't think I make it look nearly this much fun. ENJOY!And I often say, "Where my kids at?"

The Discipline of Personal Accountability

2010-05-15T17:58:00.003-04:00

Here's the link to last week's teaching from our women's Bible study at Crosspointe Church. This is the last one I will teach this spring. Our theme for this session has been spiritual disciplines - finding the practical things that help us move our lives in God's direction. This night I talked about the discipline of personal accountability and the practice of developing a few key questions that, if answered honestly, reveal your spiritual condition. Inviting a trusted friend to ask them of you can be a powerful, powerful practice that acts like a spiritual speed bump - a warning that your life is going in a wrong direction before things go too far.

THE DISCIPLINE OF PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY

This talk was an enjoyable one for me to give as it's more conversational and with some pleasant crowd interaction. I just love the ladies of Crosspointe.

My Beautiful Georgia's Birthday

2010-05-13T16:28:00.000-04:00

To celebrate Georgia's birthday, we took her to a Thrashers hockey game. Man, it was AWESOME!!!
Someone in our life group works for the Thrashers and gave us some amazing tickets.
And if you know me, then you know I'm all about the photo op! I saw Thrash from across the arena and worked hard for this photo!
Love this photo! We try to get some quality time with each of our kids, and this night ended up being something special.
And Thrash was more than willing to recognize Georgia's birthday with a photo!

Out On The Beach

2010-05-09T14:51:00.000-04:00

While in Fla I got to spend several mornings on the beach, reading, praying and spending time with God. Since I don't leave home without my camera, I was able to record the moment.
Gotta love a Florida sunset! I spent this one with the students enjoying the beauty of God's creation.

Full Moon Over The Beach

2010-05-07T14:44:00.000-04:00

There was a fantastic full moon over the beach and I had to record it for posterity.

The Discipline of Study and Meditation

2010-05-06T10:11:00.001-04:00

Here's the link to last night's teaching at Crosspointe in the women's ministry. It's a topic that I'm very passionate about.

THE DISCIPLINE OF STUDY AND MEDITATION

Golfing

2010-05-04T14:52:00.000-04:00

A highlight of my time in Fla was getting to join some students for a round of golf. I don't get to do this, well, like, ever, so I didn't let the opportunity pass me by. I wish I could say I did well...but at least I did.
Except for a few brief surprising putts... This one came out so well that I had to take a photo to show how close I came. I had a great time!

Teaching

2010-05-02T20:56:00.000-04:00

This past week I was in Panama City Florida teaching at the North Georgia College and State University BCM leadership retreat teaching on the topic of Spiritual Disciplines. It was a tremendous time for me to process some deep thoughts out loud and see how God's truth lands on hearts and lives. Deanna's definition of discipline? The willingness to accept less now in exchange for more later. Isn't that why we do so many of the spiritual things we do?
The disciplines are a way God deepens our hearts, getting us ready to love Him and others. Bible study, meditation, forgiveness and intentional relationships are the keys to more of God. But first, there has to be more of us.

A Very Cool Birthday

2010-04-28T14:49:00.002-04:00

I've just had one of the coolest birthdays ever! I've been in Panama City Florida for the last few days, teaching at the North Georgia College and State University BCM beach retreat. My topic? Spiritual Disciplines. I've loved the topic and I'll share more later on some of the things I've been teaching. But I had the chance to speak to the group outside on the beach as part of my gig. One word...WOW!
I was talking about how we should live now in light of the fact that Jesus is coming back - what difference should that make? There are some times where I am acutely aware of God's presence during my teaching and this was one of those times.
Come on, how cool is this?
And afterwards, the whole group sang me Happy Birthday! This was a birthday to remember - getting a chance to talke about my Jesus, surrounded by His creation to a group of young people that want so much to know and love Him more. It was just about perfect!

Books, Books, Books

2010-04-23T06:18:00.002-04:00

Most of you know that I am a voracious reader. My reading style generally involves a very busy season of reading many books, followed by a time of reflection and review. I've updated my Currently Reading and Recommending section on the right if you want to see what I'm thinking about right now. (Hint - history and influence are at the top of my list right now) I would also welcome suggestions of thought-provoking books that you would recommend.

Forgiveness pt. 2

2010-04-22T22:20:00.000-04:00

Some further thoughts on forgiveness - a topic I'm teaching on at a student retreat this next week.

Jesus said some pretty provocative things about forgiveness. In fact, he links our willingness to forgive others with His forgiveness of us. I don't claim to understand just how this works but I feel the weight of it. This truth puts a bit of fear into my heart - that how I manage my relational debts has huge spiritual consequences. God does not give me the option of sweeping it under the rug.

Matt. 6:12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matt. 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matt. 18:32-35 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Take a moment and really read what these verses are saying.

Multi-Culti America

2010-04-22T04:01:00.000-04:00

For my German readers. I found this at Aldi and had a German flashback.

Oh, Where Did My Baby Go?

2010-04-18T22:25:00.000-04:00

No matter how old she gets, she'll always be my baby.

The Pursuit of Spiritual Depth - Why Spiritual Disciplines?

2010-04-15T04:17:00.003-04:00

Women's ministry at Crosspointe started back last night and our topic for the next 7 weeks is The Pursuit of Spiritual Depth. We are exploring the spiritual disciplines - what they are, why we should engage in them and why they are so very important for us as believers. I started with an overview and introduction to the topic. Here's the link to the recording from last night.

Why Spiritual Disciplines?

Forgiveness

2010-04-10T18:20:00.005-04:00

I'm preparing to teach at a university student retreat in a few weeks and one of my topics is forgiveness. It's a powerful one, that affects more people than I think realize. The weight of how we manage our emotional debts with one another brings life or destroys it. I read a powerful book once called Healing For Damaged Emotions by David Seamands, and in it, he gives a test to see if we need to forgive anyone. I thought I'd share it as it's greatly impacted me over the years.

1. Resentment - Is there anyone in your life you resent? Who the very thought of makes you angry?

2. Responsibility - Do you blame someone for something? Do you think about them, "If they had just done this, or not done that, my life would be completely different? It's all their fault?

3. Reminder/Reaction - Do certain things in your life remind you of a past hurt or someone who hurt you? Do you ever react out of proportion to an event, not b/c you are especially upset about it, but b/c it reminds you of something that happened in the past? For instance, you are meeting someone for lunch and they are running late. You explode in anger over it. The link to your past could be that your father always ran late, showing a disregard for you and your schedule. The present event triggers past anger in you, often without you even realizing the link.

You can use these questions as a way to check your heart and see if there is someone you need to forgive, This is pivotal to our spiritual condition.

Father-Daughter Dance

2010-04-08T07:57:00.000-04:00

One of the highlights of the year for our daughter Georgia is her school's father-daughter dance. The photo op was mandatory or course!
And here's my husband and first daughter getting ready to leave. Both had a great time dancing, eating a little chocolate, competing in fun games like a hula hoop thingy and making a pretty cool memory.

Easter Video

2010-04-06T07:43:00.003-04:00

Our church played this video for Easter Sunday. Thought it was powerful, so I'm sharing it with y'all. The cadence of the words, the music, the visuals...well... you can see for yourself.

Love My Family

2010-04-03T06:12:00.000-04:00

Truly, we are in a golden age for our family. The big kids are growing into such nice young adults, Abby is more fun than I can say and Jeff is just the man! Wish it could stay like this forever...

Getting a Picture Just Right

2010-04-01T04:32:00.000-04:00

Sometimes taking a picture can result in comical results. Thank goodness for digital photography, so we can check the results immediately and take a second photo when needed.
I obviously caught Ginger and April unawared.
Abby however was on both times. I love these ladies.

Women's Ministry Leadership Retreat

2010-03-29T16:35:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I helped lead a retreat for the key leaders in our women's ministry at Crosspointe. It was a pretty amazing weekend of fun and focus. Here's the 411.
We went to the Dillard House and stayed in a cabin. We even made the announcement board:).
We did a number of things in smaller groups - from team building to training to planning.
You just have to know Pam to know why this photo isn't so unexpected. Wherever the party is and people are laughing, there's Pam. This was an icebreaker game where we had a few minutes to attach as many ballons to one person as possible. Surprisingly, Pam didn't win on number, but did win on style.

And below are some photos from the weekend. It's too much info to share what all we did together as we prayed, planned for the future and transitioned leadership to the next generation of women, but I think all involved would agree that God showed up among us.

Family Fun Day

2010-03-22T07:56:00.000-04:00

The Davis's are big on Forced Family Fun - a humorous way of saying that we like to get together and enjoy each other's company whether we want to or not. For the record, we do enjoy it. Here are a few photos of the recent merriment.We never could have imagined that God would let my sister and me have daughters about 4 months apart - which means Abby and Zoe have the opportunity to be very close cousins. So far they seem to be very attached to each other.
When we tell Abby we are heading over to see Aunt Jojo, she says, "I want my Zoe! Zoe Zoe Zoe!
And here's Jeff and Jeff. It's sort of funny that my sister and I both married Jeff's. They are a handsome two, if I do say so myself.

Proverbs 31 - Her Conduct

2010-03-18T19:29:00.005-04:00

Here's the link to our latest and last women's Bible study from Pr. 31. I have so enjoyed how this whole series has turned out - and we've seen God show up in our midst through His word.

Her Conduct - Pr. 31:26, 30 and 31

Happy Birthday Georgia Beth!!!

2010-03-16T06:41:00.002-04:00

Today is my daughter's birthday - and oh how I love her! Hard to believe it's only been 8 years.Pretty sure she's doing the YMCA.
Ga in Copenhagen.
They actually look like brother and sister here, don't they?

Speaking At North Georgia College

2010-03-14T07:41:00.002-04:00

I had the chance recently to do something I love. I was invited to North Georgia College and State University, my alma mater, to speak to the Baptist Campus Ministry group. It is always a privilege to be asked to teach to university students, as I've found them to be among the most receptive of groups out there. And this group is so special to my heart, because I used to be one of them.I spoke about grace and the woman caught in the act of adultery.
And they've got this very cool missions room where they've got several maps on the walls with pins in them for where students have gone. They've long since run out of space as the sheer numbers of students going out from NGC over the years is overwhelming. They are consistently a national leader, which is amazing considering the small size of the school. But since I went to school soooooo long ago, I made the map. Here's my pin for the year I spent in Ohio as a campus minister at Kent State University and the University of Akron. Number 135, that's me!
And I'm the pin in Seoul Korea as I spent an amazing summer there forever ago. Both of those missions experiences helped shape me beyond description, instilling in me a love of students and internationals. Who knew how pivotal those two things would become for me?

Proverbs 31 - Her Hospitality

2010-03-12T09:34:00.002-05:00

Here is the recording of last week's teacihng from our study of Pr. 31. Linda Vercher, a master of the ministry of hospitality shared some important truths on the topic.

Pr. 31:14-15 Her Hospitality

What's Going On With The Davises

2010-03-04T05:51:00.000-05:00

Here's just a brief update for those who know and love us...
We got all dressed up for church one Sunday and couldn't resist taking a family photo. As you can see, Abby is developing quite a bit of personality.
The big kids had an art project day - and it was more fun than Jeffrey's face would indicate.
We are in quite a routine around here. Every morning we go up to the bus stop to see the big kids off. It's a favorite part of Abby's day...not getting rid of the big kids, but seeing them get on the bus. It's been a bit cold around here this winter too. Brrrrrr...
And my oldest daughter is a brownie. So we've been doing the girl scout thing this year.

Visual Worship

2010-02-28T07:50:00.001-05:00

I was at a conference recently and they did something called visual worship. While music was playing, an artist created a work on the stage, right in front of us. Here's how it played out. Very cool.

I appreciated the lesson that corporate worship isn't exclusively musical, and that engaging believers visually can be a powerful experience.

Proverbs 31 - Her Confidence

2010-02-26T11:29:00.003-05:00

Here's the link to this past Wednesday's teaching time. The topic was fear and how the Pr. 31 woman leans into her fear and uses it to drive her to God, not away from Him. She wears a confidence about her that comes from a proper and healthy relationship with God. It was one of the most personal of issues I've taught about this session. B/c of that, it's a bit raw, but it's the only way I know how to teach.

Proverbs 31 - Her Confidence: When we fear God properly, we don't have to fear anything else.

Speaking At Kaleo

2010-02-24T07:43:00.002-05:00

I had a pretty neat opportunity a few weeks back to lead a breakout session at a conference called Kaleo. It was for young people exploring a possible call on their lives to ministry or missions. My topic was The Main Thing In Ministry Is Integrity. I spoke about how important it is to make your outside walk and your inside walk with God match, which is what integrity is all about. It's so easy to fake too, since no one can see your heart from the outside. And integrity is hard, hard, hard to develop! Many look for shortcuts or bypass the process all together, as there are much more enjoyable parts of ministry and spiritual growth. But those who want to make a deep impact, who seek to please God first and only, will let Him press and mold and bring a truth and depth to their lives that will make them extremely useable in His hands, for whatever He might ask of them later. We also talked about several practices that young people can develop now in order to get themselves in the best possible position for acquiring integrity. It was a good weekend for me.

Proverbs 31 - Her Clothing

2010-02-20T12:13:00.003-05:00

Here's the link for last week's lesson from Proverbs 31.

Proverbs 31 - Her Clothing

Here's a picture of the pink thing that I reference in the talk. It's me in the Swiss Alps doing my Julie Andrews impression. Yes, I sounded just like her:)

I really enjoyed everything about this lesson - from the preparation, to presenting it and seeing how God taught me so much personally with it. Hope you enjoy it!

End Of An Era

2010-02-20T06:48:00.000-05:00

Abby is now officially sleeping in her big girl bed. Here's Jeff and our technical Georgia taking down the crib that's held all three of our kids. It's sort of funny. We got rid of so many things before we left for Germany a few years ago, but for some strange reason, we kept the crib. It's almost as if we knew someone else would be joining the family. Now, if we can get her out of diapers, we will be officially out of our baby phase. Sniff, sniff...not quite sure how I feel about that just yet.

Speaking Of Valentine's Day

2010-02-18T05:46:00.000-05:00

Speaking of Valentine's Day, I came across this blog entry from Dr. John Piper. It tickled me and I have never, ever previously used the word "tickled" and "Dr. John Piper" in the same paragraph. If you've ever listened to Dr. Piper's preaching, it's easy to think of him as, well.., not human. He's so laser beam focused on spreading the renown of God's glory among the nations, that sometimes he sounds like a machine to me. A godly, passionate, spiritually challenging one, to be sure, but...well, if you've listened to him, you know what I'm talking about. This entry is sweet, funny and shows him and his wife in a wonderfully normal light. It made me smile and appreciate his teaching even more.

Dr. Piper's Valentine for his beloved wife.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-16T03:47:00.001-05:00

How great is my husband? Well, he's the BEST!!! In a completely random confluence of events concerning my women's Bible study and this blog, I was recently reminded of just how much I love Abba. Well, unknown to me, Jeff's Valentine's Day plan was to take me to see Mamma Mia, which was coincidentally playing in Atlanta this past week at the Fabulous Fox Theater. What is not to love about a play built around the music of Abba? It was like a huge jigsaw puzzle and mystery all rolled into one. Which songs would they sing? How exactly would they put them into the plot? And the fact that the actors were all having such a good time, winking at the audience in a not-quite-camp, not-taking-themselves-too-seriously, but musically excellent way...well, by the time the cast put on the mini-Abba concert at the end, I was a very happy girl.
Yes, for my Atlanta readers, we went out on Friday night - the night of Snowmeggedon or the Snopocalypse, whichever name you prefer. It was cold, very icy and yet very memorable. We had to really work to get downtown with all the traffic and weather related accidents. But we prevailed and made a wonderful Davis family memory!

Is This Really Atlanta?

2010-02-13T15:49:00.002-05:00

Wow! We just had a freak snowstorm here in Atlanta that was so awesome! It dumped probably 2-4 inches in a few hours, froze all the roads, and then melted away within 24 hours. Gotta love living in the south! Just enough winter weather to experience it, but not so much as to get sick of it. Here are the photo highlights.The homestead in all it's snowy glory the morning after.
Here's the boy looking for someone to play with in the snow. I'm proud of him. He and a buddy made a little money shoveling off some driveways in the neighborhood. And I don't know if you can tell, but the roads are pure ice, at least an inch thick.
I love trees. Yes, I know, I'm a nerd.
Here's how deep it was in my front yard. My feet don't often walk this way.

Our Church Artwork

2010-02-12T06:49:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday our church started a series called See Jonah Run. I really loved the artwork that the creative team has produced. As a visual learner, I think it is an often neglected part of worship that when done well, really captures and teaches the heart.
I guess I would call the style sort of like "children's stained glass". In older churches, stained glass was for more than decoration - the pictures told stories that people could teach from. Ours basically tells Jonah's story in a series of images. Very cool.
This one is my favorite. It's the fish literally spitting Jonah out towards Ninevah. My favorite part of the story is the contrast between how everything in the story - the storm, the sailors, the fish, the Ninevites, the worm, everything obeys God. Except God's servant Jonah. What a contrast.

Very Cool

2010-02-08T07:53:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I had the chance to lead a breakout session at a conference for young people who are exploring a call on their lives to ministry, missions, etc. While there I ran into some of my all-time favorite people. And they are more than that. These are some of the people who, more than any others, have helped shape me into who I am today.
On the back row left is Von - who sang at my wedding and constantly challenges me to just love Jesus more and more. She ministers to the students at NGCSU in so many ways...
Next is me...
Backrow on the right is James, Campus minister at my alma mater of NGCSU. He and I went to school together and his wife and I were good friends. They have always shown me that life is meant to be enjoyed - that I decide how much fun I have, regardless of what God throws at me.
Up front on the left is Ken, my campus minister, the man who performed Jeff's and my wedding, and probably the one who's had the single greatest impact on the trajectory of my life.
In the middle is Beth, the first person who ever said to me,"Why don't we spend some intentional time together?" I credit her with being my first mentor, the first person to see a glimmer of potential in me. (And she must have had really, really good eyesight, b/c it sure wasn't obvious when I was 19 years old:).
And front right is Jeff, Beth's husband - campus minister at Valdosta - he and I also went to school together and he was BSU president right before me. He was the first person I saw, my age, with a clear gift for teaching and wisdom. I remember watching him teach at the Panama City Beach retreat in 1992 and thinking to myself, "How did he do that? Could I ever do that?" (Jeff, if you are reading this, your topic was bitterness, and it was a great lesson.)

This weekend was supposed to be about looking forward for many young people, at what God might have in store for them. But for me, it was a great time to look back and be so grateful for what God has done and the people He has let me know and love.

Trading My Life For Abba

2010-02-04T19:31:00.003-05:00

Last night at Bible study something happened that made all the older women say, "You're kidding me!". Something so profoundly unbelievable that I am compelled to share it here for the blogosphere to marvel with me. I was using Abba as an illustration - that isn't what was so unbelievable as my affection for the 70's supergroup has been well documented here. The illustration was that we make trades in our lives everyday - my example was that when I go walking, I can easily trade 20 minutes of my life for the joy of listening to Abba music on my ipod. After I got a few good natured chuckles, which was the goal, someone in the room actually asked, "Who's Abba?" Granted, this was probably one of the younger women in the room, but I was shocked. Who hasn't heard of Abba? At the very least, Mama Mia? Come on, we all know the only thing that making that movie bearable was that you are never more than 5 minutes away from an Abba song. Well, in the interest of educating a whole new generation of music listeners, here's a fun, very dated Abba video capturing them in all their 70's glory.

Part of what makes this so much fun is the combination of great music (if you didn't change a thing, this still would be a hit today), cheesy 70's Brady Bunch-ish video and groovy stylin' clothes and hair, all done with a touch of Euro-kitsch. It's a guilty pleasure that only the heart of stone could resist.

Proverbs 31 - Her Choices

2010-02-04T06:41:00.005-05:00

Unfortunately we didn't get last night's Pr. 31 talk recorded. :(. We usually have technical difficulties and last night was no exception. But since I've received a few requests I'll post the main points here for anyone who's interested. (It does lose something in writing, but you can get the gist.)

We've been going through the passage thematically because verse by verse would mean a lot of repetition. For instance, her husband is mentioned in v 11-12 but also in 23 and 28. Tonight the theme was Her Choices - how she chooses what to make of her life and how she chooses to multiply what she's been given. I framed the talk around 3 verses and a few key questions so that as we read the text, it would also read us.

Main Points: Our choices determine how much of God we get.
Pr. 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways...
We need to think about the choices we make and not just go through the motions. We are either choosing God and His will or we are choosing our own. How tragic that we might willingly choose that which doesn't satisfy over a God who always satisfies deeply!

Our choices determine our impact.
I want to change the world. God does too. When we choose to line up our lives with God's will and ways, we can become powerful agents for change, not only in the world, but in our homes and circles of influence as well.

Pr. 31:13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
Wool and flax were the materials that women of that day worked with. They were intentional about seeking out just the right material and then, with skill and design, weaving and sewing it together to make something more than what they started out with.
What is your wool and flax? What is the material of your life that you are choosing to work with? For me at this season of life, my wool and flax are my children and my intellect. How about you?

Are you choosing joy as you work with your the things in your life? The passage also refers to eager hands. In the Hebrew it means she is working with her hands joyfully, that she finds great pleasure in what she is doing.
Choosing joy in the midst of our work or difficult circumstances and darkness is a powerful thing. When we learn to see God's hand in our wool and flax, even when what we are weaving and creating isn't coming together like we had hoped, we also find the strength to choose joy in it.

Pr. 31:16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
We see here that she is a woman to whom many resources are entrusted: the trust of her husband (v. 11), money and the freedom to make decisions for the family. She is a forward thinker - a planner. We can also infer that she is a gardener and a wine maker. What beautiful metaphors - she grows things and creates things with great taste! She has an income apart from her husband. The Proverbs 31 woman is not a wallflower or soft! She is independent, motivated and trustworthy.
What resources have you been entrusted with? Is there a field before you? A place God might want you to invest? Don't think just money. Think time, relationships, talents, etc. Many people have never taken stock of what God has given them.
What has God given you and asked you to manage and multiply? Do you have a plan in place?

Pr. 31:18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. All of life is a trade - we trade time, emotion and energy in exchange for money, information, entertainment, etc.
Is what you are trading away bringing a profit in your life? Is your life working for you right now, or do you feel like the trades you are making are not profitable? Give thought to your ways. Sometimes a wise investment in your own spiritual, physical or emotional health can dramatically bless you and your family. Pr. 31:17 says, "She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks." A wise woman knows how to make strategic trades in order to make herself stronger for her tasks.
What is this particular season of life asking of you? Keeping your lamp on until late at night isn't always an option or even necessary. But in certain seasons of life, we need to learn to lean into what God is asking of us. Are we embracing slothfulness? (Personally, I love to eat of the bread of idleness:) v. 27) Or are we being intentional in learning what God is teaching through where we are in life right now?

I often pray, "God, help me to choose you, even when I have other choices." Selah.

Just Being Pensive

2010-01-31T20:39:00.004-05:00

So I've been thinking recently about how I'm different. Let me explain...for fun Jeff and I have been watching old family movies of when Jeffrey and Georgia were first born. It was so interesting to see how little they were...how different they were. But I am also. Just like they've grown, I have too. And here are some of the things I've noticed.

1. I move slower. Not like an old lady or anything, but like I have more purpose and confidence in what I'm doing and who I am. I'm not as nervous or anxious as I was. This one has become more pronounced in the last year and a half after returning from Germany. I feel OLDER (in a good way) than before I left or even when I was there. I guess this is a natural byproduct of age and experience, but it's one that actually feels pretty good.
2. I listen to music a lot less. I used to have the radio or a cd on all the time. Now, I find myself being perfectly content with quiet. I think I can chalk this one up to the fact that I have so much more background noise in my life now with three kids that I'd rather have my down time all to myself.
3. The future pulls me instead of the past. When I was younger I seemed to spend a lot of time looking back. Now, my focus is firmly facing forward - years down the road in fact. I don't think I would've been capable of visioneering like this in my youth.
4. I don't refer to Jeff and I as "Jeff and I". I refer to us as "we". We've made a monumental shift in our relationship in terms of oneness, teamwork, mutual affection, politeness and consideration for the other. Maybe it's b/c we've been together over 15 years now. Maybe it's a byproduct of 9 and a 1/2 years of joint child-rearing. Maybe it's b/c of our time in Germany where we lived and worked together for 3 years pretty much 24/7. And maybe it's just a grace gift from God that we are getting a glimpse of how beautiful a God-ordained marriage can be. Either way, I love being married and I love my husband, so much more now than I ever thought possible when we first started walking this road together.

Weird or Different?

2010-01-29T19:13:00.001-05:00

A very cool 3 minutes...especially if you are at all interested in cross-cultural differences.

Proverbs 31 - Her Character

2010-01-27T22:39:00.004-05:00

Here's the link to week 2 of the Proverbs 31 study that I am teaching in the women's ministry at my home church of Crosspointe. This week we looked at Pr. 31:10 "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.".

Proverbs 31 - Her Character

P.S. - This talk is for women...so you men might find it a bit tmi. Apologies upfront.
P.P.S - If there are any German listeners out there...I'm so sorry about mispronouncing "Die Tuchtige Ehefrau". I think I should come back to Germany soon so I can practice my German:).

My German Baby

2010-01-25T22:06:00.003-05:00

I recently came across a picture of a very German looking Abby that made me smile. She was probably 8 or 9 months old. The sweater, the scarf, the rosy cheeks...She certainly doesn't look very American does she? My, what a difference a year and a half makes.

An Introduction To Proverbs 31

2010-01-21T08:48:00.004-05:00

I am teaching a Bible study series on the Proverbs 31 woman and my friend ReAnn recorded last night's talk. It's an introduction to the passage that we will spend the next few weeks walking through. It's about 30 minutes long and gives you a glimpse of my heart on the matter. Here's the link if you want to follow along.

An Introduction To Proverbs 31

Christmas Upside Down

2010-01-18T07:38:00.001-05:00

Um, wow.

I'm A Dreamer

2010-01-18T04:06:00.000-05:00

I was reminded recently of a series of recurring dreams I've had for years. Yes, this is probably TMI and you, my 20 readers may not be all that interested, but I thought I'd throw it out here in the blogosphere for some input. Sometimes I dream that I have to leave my home quickly, either because I'm being chased or because I just have to go somewhere, and I have to pack quickly. And the packing stress always centers around socks. Do I have the right socks? Enough socks? Matching socks? Is there room in my bag for any extra socks? As you can see, I have a thing for socks. So, the meaning? I can guess, but I'd be interested in what some of y'all think. Leave a comment or two and let the dream interpretation begin...

2010-01-12T16:41:00.001-05:00

I'm occasionally asked what I'm reading these days. With that in mind, I have updated my links on the right of the blog. These are the people, blogs, sites and books that have captured my attention at the moment. Feel free to check them out.

Christmas With The Davises

2010-01-11T09:22:00.000-05:00

Christmas with the Davises was a good morning. Here's just a few photos of the fun. I got a photo of my kids loving on each other. I'm digging the Ga Tech Santa hat. And how sweet they are being to each other. How did my babies get so big?
Jeff and I on Christmas morning, getting ready to hand out some gifts. Traditionally, we do presents in our jammies as the kids get us up EARLY to open their presents.
The Nerf dart guns were the hit of the season as my kids are doing their Jack Bauer impersonations. BTW, the Davis's are looking forward to Jack's return in a few weeks.

House Church

2010-01-09T09:13:00.001-05:00

The Sunday after Christmas was a good day to do house church - so we invited our good friends the Dove's over for church and lunch. To start things off, we had a welcome/mission activity. We used our front door to finish the sentence, "Jesus is..." And we wrote it on the outside so that folks passing by could read it.
Here's the finished product. So the Davis' and the Doves are in the process of learning to be artists (I suspect it will be an incredibly long process:), but you get the idea. Some answers included "my best friend" "da bomb" (der Hammer auf Deutsch), "the Lord" "Life" etc. You can see Abby standing behind the door. She's a was a bit too young to participate in the writing, but she was right there with us every step of the way.
We've got our liturgy down pretty good by now. Zack led worship, Jennifer did the mission update from the field and Jeff brought the message. It was a very cool day that felt very New Testament-ish. I love how Abby is sitting in Georgia's lap, to the bottom left.
Afterwards we ate our fave, buffalo chicken and talked about all kinds of things. It's days like today that remind me just how simple and beautiful our faith can be.

Holiday Memories

2010-01-05T21:02:00.003-05:00

One of the things we wanted to do this holiday season was to create some memories. Here are the photos.
The kids and I made a gingerbread house, although picking the candy off of it was more fun than putting the candy on it.
Jeff and I splurged on a date and went to the 3D Imax version of Avatar. It. Was. AWESOME! There were times during the movie when what I was watching took my breath away. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

2009-12-27T21:27:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the long delay since posting. Things have been busy, what with the holidays, study and time with friends and family. I'll try to get a few photos up before too long, but rest assured we are doing well. We've had a great Christmas season and are enjoying some down time together.
Some highlights? I'm memorizing Proverbs 31, learning to knit, finally printed out some photos of Abby to put on our mantel (she came along after digital photography, and being the 3rd, has a humorous lack of pictures around the house), and continually folding amazing amounts of laundry for the family. I've also had some great time with my girlfriends and husband. God is teaching me that not only can He provide for my needs, but sometimes He also provides for some of the things I just want. Overall, I've been blessed and am more thankful than I can say.

The Busy Davises

2009-12-16T19:17:00.005-05:00

Christmas season is upon the Davis clan - as if we could get much busier. But things have been going very well for all 5 of us. Hard to believe there are so many Davises...

Jeffrey's boy scout troop got to tour the Atlanta office of the FBI. This was one field trip that Jeff and I were totally into chaperoning. Look what we got to do...try on the very cool helmets and use the riot shields.
I think the look on Jeff's face says it all.
And I took the girls dress shopping. I took this photo in the fitting room 'cause they were having so much fun.
Frosty has been a family institution for as long as I can remember. My parents had one just like this when I was Abby's age and I remember loving it. So Jeff got us one years ago and he comes out every year. A bit tacky? Maybe, but who cares. Frosty rocks! And Georgia had to make him look a bit girly.
And here's our little boy scout.

The Deanna Update

2009-12-06T18:32:00.005-05:00

I've been asked a few times recently what I've been up to - so here's a brief update on what I've been doing.
Jeff managed to round up some tickets to the Ga Tech basketball game one night. And anyone who knows me knows I'm all about the photo op, so when I saw Buzz, the country's best college mascot, across the stadium, I walked over to get this picture. Psssssst... I think Buzz might be a girl...
Today was my family's Christmas party - and my family lives in the Dahlonega area. Dahlonega is also home to North Georgia College, which is my alma mater. We drove around a bit so that I could reminisce and take a stroll down memory lane. Some of my most formative years were spent here. I played flag football right behind where I'm standing. So many memories...aaaahhhhh... I easily could've gotten choked up if I'd have let myself.
A few days ago I took Jeffrey to the manliest place I know, Duluth Barbershop, to get a haircut. Jeffrey, Jeff, Jeff's dad, Jeff's brother and Jeff's grandfather have all gotten their hair cut here over the years. The deer heads on the wall are killing me.
I recently finished a teaching series at church on Titus 2:3-5, discussing how women are to intentionally teach each other things and be in relationship with each other. Here's my group on the last night. They are great! We spent 8 weeks going over 3 verses and still ran out of time. It was a paradigm shift for many of them, but it's amazing what happens when you really slow down and unpack scripture in a slow, deliberate and meditative way. It went really well and I'm already looking forward to our winter study where we'll unpack the Proverbs 31 woman.
And in Dahlonega we ran into Santa. Abby wanted to say hi.

Pink Glove Dance

2009-12-03T12:06:00.005-05:00

Yeah, I'm a sucker for normal people letting their hair down - and this is for a good cause. A hospital in Portland put this very viral video together to raise awareness about breast cancer (It was just BC awareness month around here and pink is the color they use). What I love is that this is obviously actual hospital employees gettin' in on. Looks like a fun place to work. Be sure to watch the whole thing as it just gets better as it goes along. I love the surgical team.

Thoughts on Black Friday

2009-11-27T14:58:00.004-05:00

I feel slimed. Why, you ask? Because I, like many looking to find a good price on a few Christmas things, woke up early and went shopping this morning. Early. Very early. And. It. Was. Crazy. For my non-American readers, today is Black Friday, thusly named because today is the day that many businesses flip from being in the red into the black (that is, they make a profit for the year). It is a traditional part of the Thanksgiving holidays and it is the busiest shopping day of the year with crazy cheap sale prices on just about everything you can imagine.

I won't go into the details of just how early I got up. (3am) Or how long a line I waited in to get into Target. (well over a 1/4 of a mile - not kidding). Or about the women in their pajamas traveling in packs and running, RUNNING to grab some discounted bed linens and cooking pans. I won't describe the grown men with travel mugs sprinting in search of wide screen tv's and ipods. Let's just say that the unashamed materialism and avarice left me feeling queasy, like something had slimed my soul.

Don't get me wrong. I felt vaguely Proverbs 31-ish in that I saw a few fields and bought them, clothing my family in scarlet, getting up before the sun to provide for my family and all that jazz. It felt good to know that with a little planning and being proactive I actually saved some money on things my family needs and wants. I'm not slamming shopping as a whole. It can be useful. It can be fun. But the word I used to describe being at a shopping mall at 3:30 in the morning with thousands of other people, listening to Christmas music, was "madness".

I understand that from the business owners' perspective it's just economics, creating desire and joining supply and demand. For them it's all about job security. My problem is with us - let me be honest here, with me, the consumer. Just that name. Consumer. What is wrong with us that we want so much and are never satisfied? That we are so easily mastered by our desires? That we are ruled over by our eyes and our stomachs to the extent that we let people we don't know and who don't care about us, dictate to us what we want, how we dress and on what we spend our money?

I did like the deals I found, but I didn't like how this morning made my soul feel. And I'm not especially looking forward to the internal battle that I'll have to wage during the Christmas season in order to keep they WAY I celebrate from overwhelming WHAT I celebrate.

The Background To The Desert Song

2009-11-24T16:26:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago I posted The Desert Song on my blog as I found it to be incredibly moving. But when you hear the story behind this performance and behind the women who led it, well... as a woman who's lost 2 children to miscarriage, it moves into the realm of amazing.

The last 4 and a 1/2 minutes is the music video, so you don't have to commit to all 8 minutes if you don't have that much time.

And since we are talking songs here I thought I'd post one by Brooke Fraser, who leads worship with Hillsong United. She is also an accomplished musician on her own and rapidly becoming one of my favorites. So I thought I'd include a video of one of her songs "Arithmetic". I've also included the words at the bottom as they are truly beautiful.

I've been staring at the sky tonight
Marvelling and passing time
Wondering what to do with daylight
Until I can make you mine
You are the one I want, you are the one I want

I've been thinking of changing my mind
It never stays the same for long
But of all the things I know for sure
You're the only certain one
You are the one I want, you are the one I want

I've been counting up all my wrongs
One sorry for each star
See I'd apologise my way to you
If the heavens stretched that far
You are the one I want, you are the one I want

[Chorus]
I won't find what I am looking for
If I only "see" by keeping score
'Cos I know now you are so much more than arithmetic

'Cos if I add, if I subtract
If I give it all, try to take some back
I've forgotten the freedom that comes from the fact
That you are the sum
So you are the one
I want

When the years are showing on my face
And my strongest days are gone
When my heart and flesh depart this place
From a life that sung your song

You'll still be the one I want
You'll still be the one I want
You'll still be the one I want
You'll still be the one I want

2009-11-22T21:59:00.003-05:00

Today I was looking down at my wrist and began to watch my beating pulse. And I realized that every life giving beat was initiated and made possible by God. Put your finger on your neck or wrist and feel the God-rhythm He's pounding out with your flesh. It's as if He is saying "I love you" and "I am here" with every beat.

A Wonderful Visit

2009-11-11T12:35:00.005-05:00

Our good friends Sven and Severina came to spend a few days with us in Atlanta. Since I know many readers are mutual friends I thought I'd post a bit of their trip here. Last night we went out for a nice meal, a double date to celebrate Jeff's and my 14th wedding anniversary. We had a great time of good food, conversation and making memories. It was a very special way for Jeff and I to celebrate.
Those from Atlanta know that no visit here is complete without a trip to the Coca Cola museum. The polar bear was out and about and feeling a bit frisky. That meant a photo op for us.
We also took them with us to our life group at church and interviewed them. They got to share their testimonies and about the spiritual climate of Europe.
And it was just nice for me to have my friend here for a few days.
Jeff felt the same way. Here they are at his work place looking like the professional men that they are.
We also went down to the Varsity and ate chili dogs and wore silly hats.
Speaking of food, we also took them down to the mothership downtown and introduced our friends to the wonder of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
And we also invited some of our best friends and all their kids over to hang out for a night. It was a bit crazy but very memorable.
And in an unexpected turn of events, Sven and Severina were invited into a local high school to speak to a Controversial Topics class about European and American healthcare. Let's just say the conversation wandered a bit away from that topic and fun was had by all.
It wasn't that we showed our friends around Atlanta, it was that we showed them OUR Atlanta. Those places that we love and that are special to us. The Georgia Tech football field is one of those places for Jeff and surprisingly enough, it was open this afternoon.
Proverbs 25:25 says "Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." These few days were just like that for Jeff and I.

Ministry Truths - Showing Up Matters

2009-10-31T11:02:00.000-04:00

One of the most important things in ministry is showing up. Literally. I'm talking about the actual physical location of your body. Is it next to people who need you and need the Lord? Or is it somewhere else?

I can say that because lots of people like to give input on how things should be done or could be improved, but they don't show up themselves to be a part. I've worked with many women who have all the leadership potential in the world, who are polished, well-spoken and beautiful inside and out. One would think they could rise to positions of great influence. Yet when it comes time to show up to any thing, there are always reasons why they can't come. They may be legitimate reasons too. But when your body isn't somewhere, it doesn't matter what potential you have. It doesn't matter what your intentions are.

It's always interesting to me to see who stands the test of time and shows the character trait of faithfulness and availability. It's often not who you expect. I've learned over the years that even if that person is the unexpected one and maybe isn't even the one I would have chosen, she is still the one who should get my attention. Half the battle is showing up, and they are already half-way there.

Ministry Truths - Food Matters

2009-10-26T11:17:00.005-04:00

I've worked with ministries that went overboard in prioritizing lots very nice, expensive food, complete with beautiful tableware, mood lighting and flowers. And I've worked with folks who literally served cold mac n cheese and beanie weenies on paper plates in an effort to save money. Regardless of your preference (and mine lies in the middle) food is important. It sets the stage for people to encounter God. It not only provides for a person's physical needs, which is very important (Try teaching a hungry person if you don't believe this.) it also opens the door for heartfelt conversation. It is a tangible way for someone to say "I care about you." For a fun exercise, skim through the New Testament and see how often Jesus and food go together. He spent a lot of time making food and sharing it with others. He even calls Himself the bread of life, since that was an analogy He was sure people could understand.

Ministry is mostly about creating an environment for God to show up and make Himself known. We do this through many means, but it is a mistake to only focus on the intellectual, only on those things we study. People's brains reside in bodies, and those bodies like and need to eat.

The Women's Retreat

2009-10-21T16:06:00.004-04:00

Here are just a few photos from the women's retreat in Germany that I spoke at. Truly, it was a highlight for me of my entire last year. Here are most of the girls at breakfast. Really, it's tough to understand German breakfast culture without being there. It's a big deal. Lots of bread, things to put on it, coffee and much conversation. My breakfast times in Germany were precious.
I got it! Proof that Germans actually do laugh!
We sat out in the garden and had a great picnic time. The weather was perfect and the company was excellent. I love this picture.
The girls are so talented, especially in the music area. Here I am, just listening and enjoying how everything looks, sounds, tastes and feels.
We also sang often. Here we are before a Saturday morning session. The room was way cool.
Where do you find women? In the kitchen, of course!
And here's the whole gang. I loved everything about this weekend, except being away from my family.

Speaking In The Church

2009-10-16T03:24:00.001-04:00

While I was in Germany a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to speak to a group of women at the church I used to attend. In a word - awesome!
Here I am with Vera as we are getting our introductory comments together. One of the questions she asked me was to share a funny story about living in Germany. I told about the time I was at a restaurant with a friend trying to make sense of German grammar and at some point, a lady next to us wanted to join the conversation. I thought it was so funny that only in Germany would two people at dinner be discussing grammar, and only in Germany would a random stranger think it was so interesting that they would want to join the conversation.
I've been asked several times about this evening, "Did you speak in German?" My answer, "Very little." I did a few things in German but then, to avoid embarrassing myself any further and to be able to truly express my heart, I spoke in English with a translator. If you look at this picture it appears that I needed two translators - not quite! This is where Vera was introducing me in English and Conny handled the translation. Let me just say that she's so great at it! If I didn't have aspirations of being able to do my own translation one day, I would say that I want Conny to do this for me everytime in the future.
This is one of my favorite photos from the evening. This is Annelie and Ulrike, two of the most dignified, most godly older women I met during my whole time in Germany. That they came was an honor. That they told me after they thought I did well...that was a gift I will treasure.
A few of the men in the church showed up to serve refreshments to the ladies. It was a very thoughtful and fun detail to the event. It looks like they had a good time too.
Here are the musicians who played at the start and end. They did just great! There is so much talent among the young women of Europe that it's quite amazing to behold. Which is why I love speaking to and living with them. And here's a fun game. One of the ladies in the photo is American. Can you guess which one? Those who have lived in Europe probably can. Like most things, it all lies in the details.

A Beautiful Song

2009-10-12T21:07:00.002-04:00

We sang this on Sunday at church and I was blown away. I wanted to share it since it moved me. It takes about 20 seconds for it to start, but this version came with the words at the bottom. Enjoy!

Funny Photo

2009-10-09T09:21:00.000-04:00

You know, signage always makes me laugh. Throw in an international flavor and, well... take a look for yourself. I saw this in a bathroom on the way to the airport in Germany. I think it has to do with flu-prevention, but sometimes a picture is just worth a thousand words.

Beautiful Morning

2009-10-06T12:22:00.001-04:00

On my last full day in Germany, Vera and I took a walk up a nearby mountain (you just gotta love how you can do that in Europe) and here are the photos from that morning. Don't worry, I probably have a few more blogs in me about my time there;) The details of our conversation belong to Vera and me, but you are more than welcome to share in the photos. That's Jena in the distance.
Um, yeah, it was a bit early in the morning.
But Vera was all wide eyed and bushy tailed.
And this is perhaps one of my favorite photos of the German landscape I've ever taken. Just breathtakingly beautiful.