God, what time is it?

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--

A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.

( Ecclesiates 3:1-8 )

Berlin and More

Sara inspects the more colorful sections of the Wall that are on dsiplay



Yesterday was pretty darn cool. I woke up at about 9AM, (how could it get better, right?) superdad already had the car rented and ready, so we loaded up, and drove the three and a half-ish hours to Berlin. I was able to play my tunes through the car stereo, so that made it better for....well me at least. Everyone said they liked it. Anywho, we got therethere and went to a holocaust museum, saw the Berlin Wall and all that accompanies it, and went to the top of the capitol building. The Wall (not facebook) was very coooool to see in person, and i could have spent a lot longer there. The capitol building has a huge glass dome on top (which was debated as to whether its asthetics blended with the rest of the older building) which you're able to go up in (for free! :) and see the city.
All in all, it was most excellent; especially when we got to go to a nice steak restraunt right around Alexander square (from the Bourne Supremacy).

Right now, i'm catching my breath from playing ultimate frisbee and getting ready to catch up on some homework. I love Sundays.

Berlin

whoa

Whas that really a whole week?! It was like one big job of painting in one long day, with a few naps and meals in between. I sat down on my bed to do some homework one night at about 8 PM and then woke up at 10:30, then 3:30AM. So i will now be doing homework in the dining room from now on.
Except for tomorrow. Tomorrow we are renting a car and going into to Berlin for the day. I'm pretty excited, i love to travel anywhere, but I'm so behind in....everything. I almost decided to not go, but who knows when i'll be in Germany again ; )
I just keep telling myself, "I'll get to it when i have no more 'once in a lifetime' opportunities"



Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I'm waiting for the dawn

Take this heart
Take this heart
Take this heart......And make it break

A Little Bit of Football

Sunday was cool. Great worship, ultimate frisbee, soccer (aka: football), and da superbowl. Yes, i did get to watch the superbowl with a bunch of the Americans that are here. It was at a sports bar, which was a little awkward, but it was still pretty fun. I think i could have come in the last five minuets and still have gotten the same excitment. Oh well, it was worth staying up till 4AM. At least i had Monday off, because i worked Saturday!

Then tonight, the new PST (Pre Ship Training) people came so we had us a big party, and céilidh dance. (sqaure dance, to us good ole' boys!). Always fun, the more the merrier.

I'm learning now that it takes discipline to learn discipline. I hope it's like riding a bike, in that it's near-impossible to forget once it's learned. That would be nice, right?

Anywho, i'm pretty tired after that dancin', so i'll peath out.

let me explain to you about week 1; no, no time, let me sum up

Wow! After an awkward/sleepy takeoff, week one has ended better than i ever imagined. I'm comfortable in the engine room, and working in other places too, i've made a friend or two and seen snow. Yes, that's right: snow. The wet, white stuff that makes anyone smile. The first time it snowed was after work and we all just came up to dinner (from the depths of the engine room) and the windows were streaming with the melting snow. I still went outside and had a look. The next time it snowed was today. I was in route to another job, and my 'boss' (who is from Texas) ran by telling everyone it was snowing! She, another dude from Bermuda and myself all ran outside and had a snow dance and race. It was actually snowing quite well, well enough to taste and incredible looking enough to forget how cold i was. It stopped until tonight after my siesta, when it actually stuck! Snowballs were thrown at strangers who threw them at me. I think that's all we need, is a worldwide snowday to solve all the fighting in the world. So that's about all from here, we're (the Americans onboard) pretty excited about watching the Superbowl here at midnight on Sunday!!!!! I even got my one day off for the week on Monday!! So all's very well, i do miss all my readers who aren't here right now, but i am having a most excellent time!

Learning

The days are actually getting easier as they are going by, I guess that's because i'm finally over jet lag now. Today was a lot of painting.
We went out to McDonalds last night. I've put McDonalds under the "last resort" list as far as fast food choices, but that's in the states. European McDonalds rock my socks!!!!! McCafe hot chocolate is most excellent!! Yes, there is a coffee place in Mckee D's here. (at least in Kiel)
I'm going to put up a list of things i've learned here on the Logos Hope. This is mostly so i can remember them, but i'll let ya'll enjoy as well. Like any one else reads this. I'll bet this blog would bore stalkers away. Anywho, the first item to go on the list is "i care to much about appearances". This, coming from the guy who spent a good two hours painting a section on a pipe that no one will probably ever see again. But to get all serious on ya, i have written too many people off at first, based solely on how i think they look, or present themselves. I think there is a certain amount of truth in this, at least, as far as in how people present themselves, but i definitely do not need to judge people before i know them. Wow, i sounded like shrek right there. I guess that's in the Bible too. The thought hit me when we were walking around town here. No one on the ship here, excluding myself maybe, puts that much value on what they look like. Just going around town; in the 'real' world, people spend how long making sure they look like how they want? Here, surrounded by people who want to do nothing but serve God, it's not that important. It just put things in the proper perspective.

So, in case i don't make it......."after three days of labor: "moral is good, opportunities abound"

jump

I'm not sure, but i think just about everyone who reads this already knows i'm going to Germany for three weeks. If you didn't know, consider yourself told. The long story is; my dad used to work on a ship (called the Doulos, part of Operation Mobilization ministry) after college that went around the world spreading the gospel. He's wanted to take us onto the ship to participate in what he did, so now my parents, sister and I are going to be in Kiel, Germany for three weeks. We are going to be helping prepare the new Logos Hope ship for service. I have no idea of what we'll be doing beyond that description.
I would appreciate any prayers anyone could offer. I will be missing so much at school (i got cleared with the teachers since it's a missions trip and i go to the best school in the world, but i'm bringing all my books with me.). Not just the regular work, but stuff like sprirt/spiritual emphasis week and stuff like that. I've never trusted God with so much before. This is probably the biggest leap of faith I've ever taken, to date. (I'm not sure how you measure that btw). I hate letting anyone down, but i'm trusting God will teach me a lot these next few weeks.

Tomorrow: 8AM-4PM: getting to Philly, 6PM-eight hrs later: get to Frankfurt, Germany (not sure of our flight times or how to measure the time difference (6hrs ahead) into calculating time)
Sunday: take the scenic route to Kiel. The scenic route being by way of the Rhine river, a castle or two, and the concentration camp where Anne Frank was killed.


I will blog as often as i can while i'm there.

God is funny. I was kinda nervous this morning, thinking about going to Germany, and then we read this verse as an introduction to the passage, in chapel this morning:

Matthew 8:23 "Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him."

Oh ya.... (thoughts on abortion)

(*note before reading* The below statement was typed as recalled from my memory and is accurate except for where noted.....but i could be wrong somewhere. If you disagree, do your research and come back to me)

Friday was a super busy day, so i forgot to mention what an awesome chapel we had that morning.
Our principal and vice principal showed us a documentary about the Roe v. Wade lady. The lady's (Roe) actual name was something else (i can't remember), but it was just one lady who had a few previous abortions and wanted to make it legal so it would be easier, and that's what she believed: that women should have a choice.....at the time. The documentary showed how her primary abortion clinic was located right beside a small church, and that church would witness to her and everyone that went into the clinic. "Roe" eventually let Jesus into her life and, as far as i could understand, was last seen trying to reverse the law she helped put in place. It also showed how effective an ultrasound machine is. A majority (i can't remember exactly what the numbers were) of women that wanted an abortion and saw their baby in the womb, changed their mind and delivered the baby.

Then after it was done (and all quiet) our principal led an alter call to pray for God to work in this dilemma. I have never seen that many people respond to an alter call at my school. It was an awesome time before God.

"Now my thoughts":
It was just one person that changed the laws, it was just one person that changed eternity, don't tell me you can't do anything. (see Philippians 4:13 for details. Note the "all" part)

And this is the quote that jogged my memory:

"Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born."
- Ronald Reagan

calm

It was the best surprise to get a phone call after school reporting that the Lilleys were coming through!! Only one night, but alas.....they were present.


Hot chocolate is nice. Real nice!


So now i'm sitting here wondering what in my mind i have to say that the world needs to hear.
I'm glad i have Monday off.

Road trip pics

"TGIF" took up most of my thoughts today. I guess the teachers were making up for lost time this week. Ugh.

I've realized lately: For the longest time, i've thought i have no idea what i'll be doing after high school. But...duh...God has laid out the path for college, time for direction, people to help and comfort. It's not like i'm graduating and then looking for something to do. God is already setting up the next part.

So that's that, here's this: (61 pics, if you're wondering)

That Awesome Road Trip

Our Road trip: it was the best. pix to come soon to help explain. oh, and i can cross "greyhound" off the "things to do before i die list" (yes, i know, aka: 'bucket list') I'm glad my tunes stayed with me the whole way.




(the following is in no way related to the previous statement)
so ya, uh....life:

it's.....quick(?).

i'm inconsistent.

It seems like no matter what i do or don't do, i still feel like i'm missing out or messing up. (Why is it easier to tell everyone something when no one's listening?)

when.....