The Best Prank Ever!

Warning: This blog entry has NOTHING to do with Germany or my spiritual Journey.

Today is the 2nd anniversary of the best prank ever pulled on Barry Russell.
If you know Barry Russell, you know that he is not one to provoke. He often threatens to retaliate with a flaming bag of poo. This isn't just a threat. I happen to know of a prank battle that was concluded with this demonstration. However, this prank was just too good to resist and the result was worth more than a million bags of flaming poo!

It all started 2 weeks prior to the anual youth group ski trip. As usual, Jordan, Amanda Jo, and Taylor were hanging out with me and Sam Ridgeway. I believe the credit goes to Sam. She mentioned the idea of pulling a prank on the ski trip. Immediately, we told her that it would have to be really good if it was going to be worth the trouble. Barry hates pranks and we knew he would be annoyed. So, instead of planning something messy, we decided it would be fun to play up the whole relationship thing that seemed to happen on every trip.

Typically, there are at least a handful of relationships that begin and end on the ski trip. The 5 of us decided that, on the trip of 2010, Jordan and Taylor would be the hot new item.
If you don't know these people, you are probably thinking: "why would THIS be a great prank?" The answer to that question is not simple, but I will do my best.
Jordan Coleman was kind of known as the East Lake catch. He had/has great hair, muscles, guitar skills, a big heart for Jesus, and he had led worship for the past 5 years. Any Jordan Coleman relationship was already news, but this one would be BIG news. Taylor Winesett was a youth intern that was/is loved and respected by all. Like Jordan, Taylor is one of the hotties everybody can't wait to see matched up with another "righteous fox" (credit to Adrian Dupre).
Yet, as great as these two individuals are, there is no way they would ever date. They are good friends, but that's it. Convincing others would be hard and would require a lot of planning.

I told Jordan and Taylor to lay low throughout the weekend. Instead of acting affectionate they were often seen walking together, enjoying light hearted conversation. I never made a big deal of it. Instead, I gave little nudges to the other leaders. I whispered things like, "those two sure are hanging out a lot lately" every time I had the chance. Yet what really triggered the rumor was a conversation between me and Amanda Jo, on speaker phone. We knew that gossiping teenagers were listening. So, when Taylor and I called Amanda Jo, we had her ask Taylor why she wasn't in the hot tub with Jordan. As planned, Becca Leboeuf heard everything and Taylor and I quickly turned the speaker phone off, pretending to try to keep the information contained. Sure enough, Becca ran down stairs and told Nikki about the interaction right away. All we had to do then was wait.

On the way home, we stopped at Arby's. One final conversation with a few hints and nudges helped Nikki Russell to put all of the pieces together. When the light bulb went on, she went nuts! She joined Taylor in the bathroom and began jumping up and down with excitement. When news got to Trevor, he was so excited that he (literally) kicked his feet in the air.  Soon, everybody knew. Becca helped a lot with that one :-). Thanks for being on our team and not even knowing it Becca!!
The newly discovered relationship was the big news all of the way home.

Barry began the teasing right away, but we weren't sure that he was really convinced yet.
It wasn't until the next work day that we knew our plan had worked and Barry had been convinced.
I received a frantic phone call from Taylor on my cell. She needed some quick advice because the entire church staff was congratulating her on her new relationship and offering her all kinds of sincere advice. Barry had beaten her to work that day and told everybody about their relationship. When Taylor got there, she was pulled into offices to be given all kinds of lectures about taking things slow. One pastor even told Taylor that he and his wife had prayed for their relationship that morning.

You would think this was a great retaliation on Barry's part. If he had known that everything was a lie, this would have been the perfect way to get Taylor back. Yet, that isn't what happened at all. Barry was fully convinced and so ALL of the pastors were convinced. Taylor ended up having to start the staff meeting with a confession that everything had been a lie. It was awkward, but still worth every second of the charade.

Barry Russell, you was fooled!! We got you!! You fell for the lamest, most obvious, prank of all time!

Don't Presume. Don't Despair.

Don't Presume. Don't Despair
This is the message I gave my Yearbook students today.
I felt that they needed to hear this message on the first day, because we are starting this semester off in a great place compared to last year. However, we are still behind on some major aspects of the process. I didn't want the classes to get too comfortable and presume that everything was on track. I also didn't want them to be feel defeated because of the obstacles we need to overcome.

The title of this blog, and of my lesson, was actually the title of a message Dr. Murray gave this fall at CIU*. When I took Dr. Murray's message and re-purposed it for my class, I had no idea how it would impact ME. Of all days, today was the perfect day for me to chew on this message.

Right in the middle of my preparation for Yearbook class and Art Appreciation, I got an email. The email was from the accounting department at TEAM. They were writing to inform me that my account was incredibly low and that if I did not gain more support in the next couple of weeks, my paycheck would be reduced until further notice. That may not be a huge set back for some people. For me, this was the last financial straw. I was already in the middle of a big loan crisis with two creditors. My school loans became un-deferred and I didn't have the money to make payments. This email from TEAM means that I won't be able to make those payments and I may possibly have too little to pay my bills in Germany.

So, in the midst of feeling inadequate to teach this new course, I received news that left me feeling helpless. I have officially entered the phase that I have anticipated since I got here..... brokenness. I left school as soon as I was able today. I did something that I haven't done in a long time. I simply laid in my bed and cried. I cried physically and I cried out to God. Then I did something else that I haven't done in a while. I spent a significant amount of time on my face before Him.

That's when it happened. God brought Dr. Murray's words back to my mind. Don't Presume.
When I came to BFA I had just won a huge battle. I had raised the money I needed to get here. It was clear that my victory was from the Lord and not of myself. However, when I got here I moved on to other worries and presumed everything would just work itself out. I got lazy in many ways. As a result, I did not receive the extra financial support that I needed to obtain. So, today I sat there feeling defeated. Thankfully the second command in that sermon title now strongly rings in my ears; Don't despair!

Today's reading from My Utmost for His Highest was about receiving from the Lord. While the passage in Oswald Chambers' book was referring to salvation, it reminded me of the truth. Everything I have is from the Lord. All I can do is receive from Him. I can't keep trying to do this on my own.
Verses I had been pushing to the back of mind all day flooded my mind and gave me the comfort I so desperately needed. Philippians 4:4-7, Matthew 6:28-34, and Psalms 121:1-3.

I am still learning my lesson. I will try not to presume. I will not despair.
Instead I will depend on the Lord. I will receive from Him and I will stand strong in His grace (2 Timothy 2:1-3).


*The message was on Joshua and the two battles of Ai. Dr. Murray began his message by reminding us of the story of the battle of Jericho. He then continued to preach about the fatal disaster of the first battle of Ai, which followed that victory. Achan had taken some silver coins and a gold bar from Jericho, clearly disobeying what God had commanded. His sin, and Joshua's underestimation of Ai, led the Israelites to a quick reality check. 3,000 men went to destroy AI. 2,963 returned to Joshua defeated. 36 died in battle.
Don't Presume.
After praying to God, Joshua was let in on Achan's sin. So Achan and his family were stoned. Joshua then received wise counsel from God about the battle. He gathered 30,000 of his greatest warriors, devised a plan, and moved into battle with his army. God gave them victory over Ai. They took of the entire city and were permitted to keep all of the plunder.
Don't Despair.

Sobering Moments on a Small Adventure

   After a long, lazy morning I finally decided that it was about time to head outdoors around 2pm. I had been watching the sun appear gloriously through my windows, only to be hidden again by rain clouds, several times this morning. When I first decided to go on a hike, I was stopped by the sound of hail on my skylights. So I determined that it would be wise to stay close to the apartment when the sun came out to play again. 
   I grabbed everything I might need quickly, as soon as the hail stopped. My gear included: gloves, an umbrella, a water bottle, a towel, my camera (of course), and The Hunger Games. Nothing extreme, just enough to aid me in finding a nice spot to perch in. I figured that I would be visited by the rain again, so I set out as soon as I could.
   I only made it as far as the train station across the street. I remembered seeing some corners near the platform that would be great to hide in. However, some local punks had already beaten me to each of the spots I had in mind. So, against my better judgment, I walked the path of the tracks and climbed onto an abandoned train. I found a nice spot on the back from which I could dangle my feet. It was covered, so I figured that it would do. 
   I spent the next two hours in utter bliss. I was delighted to read my book in private. Facing the hills and the old monument, I felt that I had the best spot in town. Every once and a while, I took a break from my book to watch the way the sun lit up the hills. Seeing the Black Forest that way was quite enjoyable. It was more beautiful than a painting. Yet, I think I felt this way because I was alone and I believed that moment to be for my own benefit. 
   I once read a journal entry that Laura had written in which she claimed the sunset to be a thing of beauty and an act of love, from God, particularly for her that evening.  At first glance, I felt that this was an arrogant reflection. Several years after her passing, I have found myself thinking similar thoughts. Tonight the sunset was for me. 
   I needed that moment. I spent the morning missing Laura. Unashamedly, I admit that I have listened to our Tailors Trail cd repeatedly every night, before bed, this past week. Last night I fell asleep to our last concert. The video brings me comfort, but it also brings me back to the sobering reality that this is not my home. 

Until I do see Laura again, I hope to absorb as many beautiful moments, such as these, as I can. 

Weihnachten

I have not been rich in money this Christmas season, but I have been quite wealthy in love and friendship.

This year God has been so very gracious to me.
So many very specific things had to happen for me to make it to Germany in time for BFA's first semester. I had to: finish all of my classes at CIU, pay off my personal debt, pack up or sell all of my belongings, and raise $10,000. All of this was on top of working hard for All American Imaging and saying goodbye to friends and family.
These seemingly impossible tasks caused me enormous stress, but God gave me the strength and the support to get through it. I'm here! I'm so thankful for everything that He has given me.

So, needless to say, once I got here I knew that I wasn't going to be able to afford to go back to the States for at least a year. While, I had embraced the idea of staying in Europe for the summer, I had not considered what it would be like to be away from home on Christmas. As Thanksgiving came and went, I began to feel the sadness of being away from my family. The feeling of being alone returned and I began having thoughts like, "why am I here?" again.

In my loneliness, I spent a lot of time walking around town listening to carols on my ipod and soaking up the true significance of the holiday. I was overcome with Joy daily at the thought of my incarnate Savior. Spending that time on my own was probably the best part of Christmas this year. I would not have spent that much time in worship and in prayer had it not been for living alone in Germany this Christmas.

Yet, God did so richly bless me with a great group of friends here who have shared so much with me. I have had great opportunities this Christmas that I never would have had if had not been obedient to God's call. Christmas markets in France and Switzerland, Christmas celebrations in downtown Kandern, a trip to the Alps, and SNOW!

So, how did I spend my Christmas Eve's Eve, Christmas Eve, and Christmas day?
I spent Christmas Eve's Eve, and the 2 days prior, in the Alps with friends. We didn't leave the Chalet very much, because of bad weather. So, we stayed in and played lots of games. It was such a relaxing time of fellowship with my co-workers! This trip would not have been possible without the hard work of those who planned the trip and the Chalet, provided by the Janz Team at an extremely cheap price. On Christmas Eve, I attended a candle light service at BFA, which was beautiful. Afterward, I spent some time with a great couple I have had the privilege of getting to know. We ate great food and watched It's A Wonderful Life. However, that wasn't even close to the end of my evening. I later joined 5 friends to settle in for the night. We had a big sleepover to celebrate Christmas and a friend's birthday. We cuddled up in the living room to watch the Muppet Christmas Carol and slept by the light of the Christmas tree.
I woke up early on Christmas morning and turned to the Word for the true significance of Christmas.
Micah 5, Matthew 1-2, and Luke 1-2 filled me with joy this morning! I didn't have a chance to turn there before everybody else woke up, but I was reminded of John 1. The Word had become flesh and dwelt among us! On this day we celebrate the coming of our Savior, who bought us with a very high price.
The 6 of us gathered around the Christmas tree and opened presents from each other and from the loved ones that we could not be with today. After a long breakfast, celebrating the birthday of our friend, we passed a Bible around and read straight through Luke 1 and 2. It was the perfect way to spend the morning! Even though I had been anticipating the Skype dates I had with my family, it was hard to leave these dear friends.
I spent the rest of the day on Skype with many of my family members and then had dinner with my German parents. Fondu was our food of choice. It's more of a Swiss tradition, but certainly worth observing here in Germany. My day has been full of love and merriment. I ended my Christmas with a good time of cleaning my apartment to the soundtrack of Michael W Smith's Christmas.

I will now slide into my bed and sleep well on this silent night.
Thank you for all of your prayers and messages.
I feel so blessed to have all of you in my life this year, no matter where you are in the world.

Halloween in Switzerland

I know it has been a long time since I have posted.

This is mostly due to the fact that life has become too busy for me to be going on many out of town adventures. However, a recent holiday not only afforded an adventure outside the town of Kandern, but it was followed by a day off from school. This “holiday” was Halloween. Yet, the real honored holiday was All Saints Day. This served as a nice day of rest after a late night celebration.

It has been BFA’s tradition for students and staff to pack into rented buses Halloween afternoon to head to Basel, Switzerland. Every year, on Halloween, Basel hosts a large festival known as Herbstmesse. This event reminded me of South Carolina’s state fair, yet it was completely different.

The fair is setup all over the large city of Basel. There are at least 5 major locations filled with monstrous rides and several food booths. Willing participants are thrown to and fro on these huge rides in between skyscrapers. The cost of such rides is not cheap, but it’s free to watch, which is entertaining enough.

I spent the night with new friends that I have grown quite fond of.  Each of us got ourselves something tasty to eat and enjoyed one another’s company while hiking through the city to watch students enjoy the thrills of the fair rides.

Early in the evening we realized we would need some help keeping up with students. So, we headed down to Starbucks. I kept my fingers crossed for a Pumpkin Spice Latte, but I settled for a Caramel Macchiato when they didn’t have it. It didn’t matter. It was a good chance to be with friends and to visit with other staff.

With coffee in hand, we marched across the large bridge that divides the city. The lights of the rides could be seen in the sky. Yet, above it all, the Ferris Wheel stood tall. The site was truly magical. The ferris wheel ride, itself, was no disappointment. Six of us piled into an enclosed cart and went on a relaxing ride that enabled us to see all of Basel. It was breathtaking.

In a near proximity to the ferris wheel was a beloved activity, the bumper cars! I have heard tail of how the BFA students usually took over this arena. This year was no different from the rest. Almost every car was taken by BFA staff and students, for hours.  We all enjoyed ourselves very much.  However, most of us woke up with substantial bruises on our knees the next day. It was worth it.

            For the group of friends that I was with, the evening ended with a good time of conversation by the Rhine.  What could be better?

Jesus Wept

“When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and He was deeply troubled…. Then Jesus wept” (John 11:33, 35).

Most people think that Jesus was weeping because he had sympathy for Mary and Martha. I, however, agree with the theologians who believe that there was a lot more to Jesus’ display of emotion. I believe Jesus was deeply upset by sin and death. Watching man go through the pain of death and loss because of sin must have troubled Him. It’s not that I believe Jesus was a man without emotion, but it doesn’t make sense for His feelings to have been that simple. He knew that He had the power to raise Lazarus. So, why would He have shown that emotion, at that time, if there wasn’t more to it? Jesus wasn’t just upset, He was angry.

I get that.

I felt that.

Yesterday I couldn’t get “Jesus wept” out of my mind when I walked through the ruins of the most abhorrent event of history. On the outside I was collected, but on the inside I was boiling with anger. Yet, I couldn’t fully absorb the stories that I was hearing, because I had the responsibility of guiding 16 teenagers. If I had fully processed what had gone on where I was standing, years prior, I would probably started tossing tables or fallen over with grief.

I was at a concentration camp on a mountainside in France.

The Nazi’s took one of the most beautiful places in the world and destroyed it! They corrupted that beautiful site with the history of the most evil display of hate ever known to man. I have no comprehension of what it must have been like to be tortured in such a beautiful place. What a contrast!

I have had this strange mix of emotions once before though… When I visited Dachau.

Dachau was the first concentration camp in Germany.

Again, Dachau was in a beautiful location and we had beautiful weather the day that we visited. It’s so unreal to think that something so horrific existed in these two beautiful places.

However, reality began to set in more quickly after seeing the gas chambers and ovens at Dachau and the experimentation ward at Struthof. These pieces and places were more frightful and eerie than any horror movie I have ever seen advertised. To think that anybody could be inhumane enough to torture other humans, and find pleasure in it, is beyond my comprehension.

I can’t even imagine doing those kind of brutal experiments on an animal.

Not even an animal that I hate!

Castle Camping

The best adventures include turmoil, challenge, and characters who overcome it. In this story the turmoil was in my stomach and the (obvious) challenge was the weather. Yet, like many stories, our adventure was great because of the characters who overcame these events.

Before setting off on our fantastic hiking adventure to the castle ruins of Sausenburg, I had the wonderful privilege of hosting a portion of a progressive dinner. The dinner was for the birthday of a friend. So, in celebration of such a special event, I broke out my new fondue set*. I figured that the fondue appetizer would be heavy enough to sustain me on the hike, but not has heavy as a meal. I failed to consider, however, the affect of hot cheese on my stomach.

We had not been on the hike 15 minutes when my stomach began to demand my attention. I felt sick and dizzy all at the same time. I couldn’t believe that we had not even topped our first hill before I needed the group to stop for me. Luckily my friend Kristi noticed my anguish and stopped with me for a while and allowed the rest of the group to move on. I couldn’t believe how bad I felt and that I had become the needy one in the group. I typically can’t stand when people are dramatic and feel the need to draw attention to themselves. Here I was, in need of help and complaining about my stomach. Thankfully Kristi was kind enough to share my load and patient enough to hike at a slower pace with me. Later Emily slowed her pace and joined me as my challenge became more about overcoming my being out of shape, rather than my illness. I thought my legs were going to give out on some of those steep hills! Yet, these friends were gracious enough to help me face these challenges. The sickness seemed to fade as I turned my attention toward the physical challenge of making it up the hills.

Less than 2 hours later, we reached the castle! Unfortunately, our light was fading and rain clouds covered the sky. Each of us scattered to different ends of the castle, exploring the ruins before it became too dark. Eventually most of us ended up on the top of the tower, where you could see as far as Switzerland in one direction and France in the other direction. Following Emily’s example, we took a seat on the railing and turned our attention toward Switzerland. The clouds were being lit with lightning above Switzerland, providing us with entertainment. I could have sat there for hours, absorbing the fantastic view, if it were not for the rain that finally caught up with us.

The six of us (Emily Kelly, Jill, Marit, Kristi, Emily Kremer, and I) grabbed all of our belongings and headed for shelter. We found a dry place to hang out in the corner of the main castle walls. It was a cave, so to speak. We piled our things in the corner, took a seat against the wall (forming a semi-circle), threw our food together in a community pile, and sat our head lamps on various stones in the wall (providing mood lighting). It was at that time that I shared my surprise with the group. I pulled my ipod and my portable speakers out of my bag. So, we told stories and laughed with one another for hours with the soundtrack of jazz, big band music, and Jack Johnson. I couldn’t have asked for a more chill atmosphere. There we were, snuggled up in a cave, with rain at our doorstep. It didn’t bother us a bit. We were content to relax and get to know one another better.

That night, our sleeping arrangements were interesting. Kremer and Marit took the two-man tent, Kristi and Kelly found a place in the castle tower, and Jill and I remained in the cave. I slept decently, but I was most disappointed that I was unable to use my ENO. I had set it up as soon as we reached the castle, but had taken it down because of how it blocked the entryway. When I returned to it in the rain, I found it resting in a puddle of mud. Otherwise, I would have slept in the rain.

The next morning we awoke fairly early, packed our things, and headed back to town. It was Sunday morning, so most of us needed enough time to shower and get ready for church. Yet, we had allowed enough time to enjoy breakfast with one another. So, we returned to Kristi and Emily Kremer’s apartment where Kristi prepared a wonderful meal of crêpes with various toppings, including: Nutella, jam, apple strudel, bananas, and syrup. Emily Kelly also contributed to the meal with her tasty coffee. Enjoying this delicious meal with one another was the best way to end our trip!           

Even with the challenge of my hard climb up to the castle and the rain that never let up, castle camping was one of the most memorable camping trips I’ve had thus far.

*A few weekends ago, a very kind family took me to a wonderful flea market in Lorrach. While I was there, I was able to pick up some essential and some not so essential items for my kitchen. My most prized find was a complete Fondue set. I have never seen anything like it. The set has sat in a place of honor in my kitchen for about 3 weeks now, untouched.  So it was with great pleasure that I took the opportunity to use and show off my grand fondue set.