'Venice of the North!'

Isn't this cute...Air Force Pilot and Army Nurse. That's Eddie's plane in the background. We decided to take a trip for Eddie's birthday, where did we go...

Brugge, Belgium!! I started off the trip by getting tattooed! When I decided I didn't want it anymore I just washed it off with warm water.
We took a boat ride on the canal. They call Brugge the Venice of the North because of these canals and, of course, because of the beauty of the city. The rose is from the church service we went to that morning. The whole service was in Flemish, but it was fun to be a part of.
This is Michelangelo's Madonna, it is in the same church we visited for the Sunday Service. It is beautiful, Eddie's words were...,"That's small." Yeah, I guess it is!

Then we decided to take a walk to the 'Lake of Love.' It was a beautiful day, and fun to get away from our busy schedules. I recommend Belgium for the waffles, just let me know, I will take any of you there! Lots of Love!

One Man

I went to Austria skiing, it was amazing...but I have something more important that I would like to share with you that I read this morning!

ROMANS

17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

"We are all equally guilty and contaminated before God. " Ben Young said this in one of his devotionals and humbled me in an instant. We could be Mr. or Mrs. Perfect doing everything that is right and proper, but in the end it is GRACE that saves us. We are created to do perfect works through Christ Jesus, so why are we trying to do it on our own? (Ephesians 2: 10). Because we are saved from sin and we know God's amazing grace, we cannot help but do good things. That is when love is made complete in us and we are able to share it with others. We can give love WITHOUT God's GRACE, but it does not come from our heart of hearts, it comes from the part of us that just wants to do the right thing. We know right from wrong, but God knows life from death.

Today I am truly thankful that I know what Jesus did for me, He has completed me. I am finally whole.

Falling in Love in Ireland!

I have learned that if I wait on the Lord and give all of my insecurities and worries to Him, there is a peace that radiates from me. I never knew that this peace is what would draw me to a man. I wish you all could meet him, he has the kindest, biggest heart that could only be from a man that loves God. Now enough about that, let me tell you about Ireland!

Eddie and I took off to Dublin, Ireland, the first time either of us had been there. It was such a fun trip, it was hard to leave. Especially when we missed our flight and had to stay an extra night!
We took a tour of the city, meeting Molly Malone and St. Patrick. Rumor has it Dublin has the best Guiness in the world. We had to find out for ourselves, and...yes that is most definitely true!
My favorite part of the trip was talking with the people and imersing ourselves in the culture. The music was so much fun, and everyone was invited to sing or play. I love the pipes and the flute and the banjo, oh and the drum and guitar...the violin was pretty cool, then there was the oldest accordian looking thing, I don't even know what it was, but it added an amazing sound! I couldn't get enough!
We went to the oldest pub in Ireland, The Brazen Head, 1198. Eddie and I ordered some cider and just sat and listened while the locals each sang their favorite songs. I felt so welcomed and blessed to experience all of this!
It was raining and windy on our last day, but that did not stop us from visiting the Irish Sea! There is so much more to see in Ireland and we will have to go back someday! Love to you all and prayers for a beautiful day!

Spain

We got up really early one morning to see the sunrise over Murcia, Spain. We had to walk a little ways from our hotel as we were on the bay side and the sun was rising over the Mediterranean. It was a cool morning, but as the sun came up, I decided to jump into the water. I went to Spain with full intentions of swimming in the Mediterranean, and my friend Enma jumped right in with me! The water is so clear, so beautiful!




We went over to Granada and visited the Alhambra Palace. I have found that each country I visit is so different and unique from eachother, Spain did not disappoint me. The sultan's palace was on top of the Sierra Hills overlooking Granada.






We spent as much time in the sun as we could before heading back to the gloomy weather of Germany. And of course, I ate as much seafood as possible. We tried everything, even the ones with tentacles, chewy!

I am Thankful

I am thankful for yardwork, not doing it alone, having help. The fresh air, smell of grass, beautiful sunsets. Even the smell of the weed whacker engine! I am thankful for cool drinks after working hard and being able to laugh with someone about the day we had.

Journal of Africa

There's no breeze on the beach this morning, but the waves are still crashing in. The water doesn't need the wind, the wind doesn't need to guide the water. They are separate but still create one environment where the sound of the waves and the touch of the breeze soothes whoever takes the time to sit and experience it. My time with the Beninoise has been very similar. I could have gone my entire life without knowing them or their culture, but instead here I am, feeling new feelings and experiencing life more complete. The Lord has truly blessed my life.

Lord please help me to show your love to these people. When I am tired, give me your strength to continue. Give me patience and gentleness, help me to communicate with my patients. Lord, I know you are here, thank you.

Coffee House Ministry

Some of you know that I lead a young adults group at a little cozy coffee shop in downtown Landstuhl. It has been such a blessing. There is so much love that is shared through this ministry, the Lord created friendship and has perfected it. We recently went on a camping trip near the Austria Germany border. I had an amazing time hiking, rolling down hills, swimming and just enjoying eachother's company surrounded by mountains, lakes and starry skies. Yes we made smores! Before I came to Germany, I prayed for a church and a ministry to get involved in. The Lord led me straight to the coffee house and Vogelwey, where I have attended church ever since. Praise God!






Cory and Anda! I love those guys! Japan is so lucky to be welcoming them in just a couple weeks. I will miss them soooooo much, but I am so thankful for the times that we have had. They have put their hearts into the coffee house and the young adults ministry. Blessings and safe travels!
Love, Sarah

I LOVE Greece!

I little view of one of our island stops, Poros.


There is so much history here. I walked on the same ground as my buddy Paul did (Paul from the Bible!) I was reading to Holly from the bible and looking at the same places that I was reading about! It just became a little more real to me!


We visited The island Agean and went to the this beautiful church.


We climbed to the clock tower (which every island and city has) and enjoyed the beautiful view. What a blessing!


Yes, that is Holly riding a donkey on the island Hydra, than came Nils our new friend from Denmark, me and Dawn, our new friend from New York! I love donkey's and they are so funny. They fart louder than humans do, yeah!


I thought this was nice!

God Believes in Me!

"Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently." Romans 8:24-25

I learned something today about myself. I got a whole lot of love to give! I am armed and dangerous, so here is my warning to you all! Of course God wants me to love others. At our bible study we talked about how God believes in us. I believe in Him and trust that he will not leave me, but I never realized how much he believes in me and trusts me! He gets excited when my faith is growing and I am filled with Joy! I can make an impact on this world because I have support that never fails. And I plan on making an impact. How many people can I love today? I love you!

I was reading a magazine article on ways to be happy. One was to always have something on your calendar that you are looking forward to (trip to Greece and Africa maybe...) We are guaranteed to one day be in God's presence, for His love to finally come full circle. We all share equally! Actually I'm just looking forward to it not being so crazy HOT in this little house of mine! I'm sleeping outside tonight!

My Trip to Heidelberg

Do you ever just want to go somewhere, it doesn't matter where, just as long as it's far away from where you are. I love to get into the car, roll the windows all the way down and race down the road while my hair whips around. Today was a beautiful day and my house was cleaned, my laundry done, it was time to go. You can lose yourself in Heidelberg, it's a busy city, with beautiful streets and of course Heidelberg castle. Most importantly, it is the closest Starbucks. I grabbed my Janet Evanovich book, thanks to Holly, my jazz CD and took off. By the way Janet Evanovich makes you laugh out loud at least every other page, I love it! I snuggled into a comfy chair with my mint mocha and just let the peaceful feeling wrap me up. Turns out some of my friends had the same idea. They walked in shortly after I had started reading, so we sat outside for hours just talking and laughing. Jen had her baby Ella with, so I got to cuddle with her and listen to a young man play his acoustic and sing some of my favorite songs. Random days are my favorite and what I believe keeps my heart light. Thank you Lord for this day!

These pictures are of Heidelberg, I took them when I first got to Germany, didn't have my camera today! I also snuck in a picture that was taken when I went home on leave. Kerry, Holly and Anna I love you girls with everything this heart can hold!

Beautiful Germany

While at Neuschwanstein Amy and I ran into this fountain. Out of all the artwork here, this is one of my favorites!



We went to the "Cinderella Castle" and hiked around. This castle was left intact with everything inside as it was for King Ludwig.



I snuck down behind our hotel to the Lech River by the Austria border. It was very peaceful. The mountains down there are amazing!