Darkness...

2 Thoughts (stemming from recent conversations with a friend who feels a little in the dark):

God doesn't change in the dark what he told you in the light.
(don't know who to credit for this one)

"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.'
And he replied: 'Go out into the darkness
And put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light
And safer than a known way!'
So I went forth and, finding the hand of God,
Trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills
And the breaking of day in the east." – (Minnie Louise Harkins.)

Promise!

I've been listening to and reading a lot from John Maxwell (JM) lately. Throughout his teachings he references the legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. Between my age and lack of affinity for the sport of basketball, I wasn't familair with Coach Wooden prior to JM's teachings.

Today I listened to JM share some insights after spending some time with Wooden. He shared John Wooden's strategy to find happiness. He said make and keep 9 promises. I think number 7 is a bit crazy to do in Germany and number 8 is my favorite.

1. Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible.

2. Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something in them that is special and that you value.

3. Promise to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best in yourself and others.

4. Promise to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

5. Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

6. Promise to forgive the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements i the future.

7. Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person that you meet a smile.

8. Promise to give so much time in proving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

9. Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, to strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? (I Think I Might Crap Myself)

*Note: this entry does contain use of the word "crap." If you find this offensive, please consider this both your warning and my apology.

For quite sometime I've known that, in addition to my desire to, I need to take German lessons. As I am faced with the reality that I may be here for quite some time, I think it necessary to learn the language. More than thinking it, the longer I am here and the more responsibility I have, I know I need it.

So I looked into German classes (finally) and I went to take the assessment (for class placement) today. The whole process was quite nerve-racking. After retrieving all course & cost info this morning, I talked to someone (who was helping me make some decisions) about it. I thought I was holding it together well until that person's response was, "You're about to crap your pants, aren't you?"..."Yeah" (For the record, and my dear reader's peace-of-mind, I was laugh-nervous, not cry-nervous)

The assessment test was given to me by a nice (and good-looking) young man (who speaks 5 languages). Unfortunately the first test he gave me was way to difficult so I had the humbling experience of asking for the easier test. It wasn't actually that bad, but it did prolong my angst. The second test was much better and went fairly smoothly. I ended up placing right about where I thought I would or slightly better. (Whew! PTL)

Due to the course offerings, I will not be able to take classes in the schedule we'd originally hoped for, but I am happy to report that beginning May 5 I will be taking German classes - 5 days a week, 3.5 hours a day. Oh my!

I've never gone "back to school." Sure, sure after a three month summer break, but that was cake. I wasn't ever worried about it. Now, its been two years since I've been in school and I'm going back to one of my weakest subjects - language arts - and on top of that a foreign language!

POSITIVE: I'm looking forward to it, it will be beneficial, I will be immersed in the language, I'll get to meet and interact with new people, I'll get out of the house, etc.

(I've known others who have "gone back to school" -after much longer periods than 2 years- who were quite nervous. Even though I was sympathetic towards them, I couldn't understand. Now I do. Man, oh man!)

I know this is important and that it will be good. This melancholic nature (a.k.a. perfectionism) might just kill me along the way :) but I really do believe it's going to be a good ride. I'm enjoying the journey.

Sink or Swim?

Today I was thinking a thought that I think I thought awhile back :)
Actually I know I thought it, I just wanted to make that sentence. I also thought I had posted it on here, but didn't see it when I looked for it (quickly).

So, over the last couple of days as I've been trying to make my way to the top of the emails that I feel I am drowning in, my thinker thought the thought again...

Sink or Swim?
Float.

Sometimes you have to settle for floating. Other times you don't "settle" for it, you rest, in peace, in floating.

I'm Just Sayin'

I was chatting with a friend tonight. We talked about life and God a bit. In talking about where, who, and how I am (the good things ;) of course) heres what I had to say:
"...and i mean, what can i say - its TOTALLY because of him- his faithfulness, his pursuit and NOT of me at all...frail and foolish - thats all."

I was reminded once again of just how frail and foolish I am, and just how faithful He is. Oh, he's so good.

I go back to the title of this blog and the original post, a quote from Nancy Leigh DeMoss: "To know God, to live in His presence and to be occupied with a vision of His holiness is to know how foolish and frail we are apart from Him and to be broken from a preoccupation with ourselves."

I think I'm a little over-do for a breaking of a preoccupation with myself.