Ha! More Lovely Pictures..... :)

The American Team at the BoglerStube for dinner.

Beautiful view from Knuell Camp!


First night of English Camp

Gorgeous :) Sunset

Rachel giving her testimony with Bishop Gerhard

Campfire during English Camp!!!!!!

The glorious Tower at Knuell Camp!

I still don't understand what was going on in this picture....don't recall. :)

Eating dinner at an Italian restaurant in Berlin, our first evening there.

Berlin Parliament Building!

Our group at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin

Berliner Dom!!!!!!!!!!

Abby & Michelle at Berliner Dom

Us with Aaron after church at Berliner Dom

Some pictures for your viewing pleasure....

At the tower in Berlin!

Rachel: True horseback riding professional

The Neunpalais in Potsdam!

Touring Kassel

Our awesome German friends! (in Kassel)

At a cafe in Kassel

Sneaky pictures in Kassel

Canoeing on the lake during English Camp

WE <3 CANOEING!

The view walking up to Knuell from Schwarzenborn!

There's No Place Like Home......

Well, we're back on U.S. soil today- and boy, is it good to be home! Today has been quite a long day for us- I cannot believe that I am STILL awake and that my body is still running on Germany time- nearly 4:40 AM right now.
As we have both seen constantly throughout this trip, God is still good to us, even in the hard times. We had an absolute blast in Berlin, and were privileged enough to stay three extra days, just us two, with our good friends. We traveled back to Knuell Camp on Thursday, which also went well (thanks, God!) and then spent the remainder of our time helping out Grace and Gerhard by cleaning bathrooms for the Summer Music Festival at the camp.
Today, our flight/luggage/travel went extremely well, and even though we nearly missed our connection through Washington due to a late arrival and the eternally long Customs line, we just made our flight and were happy to arrive safe, sound, and surprisingly early at Columbus around 6 PM. Our families and friends were waiting to greet us with huge smiles and huge posters, and it was so good to wrap our arms around them once more. Due to our late arrival in Washington, our checked luggage did not arrive with us, but should be shipped to us tomorrow or later in the week. Yet God is still good.

Honestly, I cannot say it enough- GOD IS SOOOOOO INCREDIBLY MIND-BLOWINGLY AWESOMELY GOOD!!! This trip has been completely suffused with His presence, answered prayer, situations in which the Holy Spirit was present and guided us, and so much more. It was a leap of faith, but God has taught us so much, and we are completely humbled, in awe of the greatness of His plans for us and that He would even choose to use us, and changed in so many ways.
Thanks from the bottom of our hearts for all your prayers while we were away. Stay tuned- we have so much more to tell you, and we will be posting some testimonies, thoughts, lessons, and perhaps a few pictures in the upcoming days/weeks....(jumping right back into "normal" life is pretty crazy....).

"But the godly will flourish like palm trees

and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.

For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.

They flourish in the courts of our God.

Even in old age they will still produce fruit;

they will remain vital and green.

They will declare, “The Lord is just!

He is my rock! There is no evil in him!”

~Psalm 92:12-1

Still leaping....

Abby & Rachel

Hello, everyone!
Just a short update. We are on our tour bus heading to Berlin right now! Someone's laptop has an Internet connection through a cell phone connection...which is pretty sweet!
Camp was sadly over on Tuesday, and Rachel and I miss our German friends a lot. It was hard to say goodbye, and even harder to walk around camp without them there.
HUGE Praise! God totally came through for the Drama production! As the leader, I was worried about it, because we were so busy between canoeing and touring Kassel and hiking and day trips, that we did not have any time to practice the drama beforehand. And it was like pulling teeth to get everyone to give up their free time to practice. But, by the grace of God, it all came together, even with lots of issues along the way.
God really provided in that entire situation, though- originally I had no idea what to perform, and Gerhard REALLY wanted an awesome and involved drama, and then God gave me the idea of Noah and the Ark! It ended up fitting in perfectly with what we had been learning about at Camp about making covenants with God and everything! And then, God have me the idea of making is awesome and interactive, and we moved around the camp- into the "Ark" (the tent) and then building an altar to the Lord at the well. We even had a couple surprises- including Gerhard (playing Noah's father, an added character to fall off the boat and die so he can help convince God to stop the flood) falling off our several foot high stage that was the ark and somersaulting! It was very convincing, though he reassured me that it was just left over from his police training many years ago...... :) The next surprise involved an unexpected "sacrifice" at our altar when Filo, the Bishop's dog, ran up as we discussed offering a sacrifice to God on the newly-built altar. But don't worry, we didn't burn him.
Anyways, that was the first part of Tuesday night. We had a last night of camp cookout and then a hilarious talent night- including some funny skits involving impersonations of Gerhard and James Blunt, learning some German songs, a bottle- whistling band, and a German spelling game....for the Americans. It was a great last night that I think we all enjoyed a lot.
Things were honestly pretty boring after the Germans left. The next morning, Thursday, we left the camp around 7 in our tour bus, stopping in Wartburg to see Bach's house and the Latin school that Martin Luther studied at. We then hiked up to Wartburg Castle, and got to see all these cool artifacts, as well as the room where Martin Luther threw ink at the devil himself while he was translating the New Testament.
Our next stop was very sobering and emotional- Buchenwald concentration camp. We were surprised at how much of the camp n0 longer exists, but what we did see and learn was very emotional. More later, in person.....Then, we drove to Wittenberg and checked into our super-nice youth hostel (Jugendherberge). Rachel and I were abnormally blessed to have our 0wn room- and we had a lot of fun. Wittenberg is a nice town, full of cute little shops and lots of places to visit.
This morning, we visited the very same church where Martin Luther posted his 95 theses, and then s0me gorgeous old churches and Luther's seminary. We had some awesome German bratwurst for lunch, and some incredible (of course) ice cream!!!!!
Now, of course, we will be in Berlin for the next couple days. Please pray for energy and strength, and continue to pray that we are lights of Christ. Our ministry is most definitely not over- we are very much lifestyle witnesses to the other team members from the U.S. Please also continually lift up our friend Joe- he is asking the right questions, but still caught up in the wrong lifestyle- but we know he is realizing some big things about God. Our time with him is running out very quickly.
God is still good. I personally am in awe of His great plan for me involving this trip and how He has used it in my life already. He is sooooo good!
We love you all, miss you, and can't wait to hug you all again!
<3
Abby & Rachel

Hey guys!

These past couple of days have been really good and really encouraging. God is moving over here in powerful ways, and using us in ways we never could have imagined. We are both praising God for the incredible encouragement we have recieved through His word, and the teachings of Bishop Sutton, and the encouragement of the people around us. There are hearts that are being changed at this camp, wounds that are being healed, and lives that are being transformed. Continue to keep both of us in your prayers, and the other campers and leaders. Even now we can see Satan trying to attack us and our ministry, so please pray for the evil one to be binded up before us. God is so good, and we have many stories to share when we get back home, already.

This is a verse that we found that we wanted to share with you...

1 Chronicles 16:23-26

"Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be revered above all gods.
The gods of other nations are merely idols, but the Lord made the heavens!"

In Christ,
Abby and Rachel

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!

Rachel, Abby, and the rest of Knuell Camp would like to wish

Miss Andrea Jo Rodenfels

a very, very, very happy 13th Birthday

this lovely day of July 24, 2009!

I love you so much, Annie, and I am so proud to be your older sister.

I'm so sorry that I could not be there to celebrate with you, but I will be thinking of you today.

I pray that as you enter the crazy world of your teenage years

that God will reveal Himself to you and that you will always trust in Him.

Love you so much, Annie, and I miss you! I can't wait to see you when I get home.

(Give her lots of hugs for me today, guys!)

---<3---

Quick Prayer Requests...

Today was a rough day for both of us. Yet, even in our weakness and despair- God is doing good things. We don't always understand, but so far God has planned out circumstances so that we have been able to talk to two different guys, both from America, about God and His love for them! Praise God that people are seeing Christ's light in us- and please keep praying that they will still see it.



Prayer Requests:

• For Joe- for faith, understanding, and answers to His questions, and that God will keep pursuing Him and changing his heart


• For Sean- as he is trying to live a new life free from addictions to cover up the pain, and that God will continue to reveal Himself to Him


• For Nick- as he asks questions and seeks answers, that he will see God and see God's incredible love for him


• For Martin- for growth and peace about his job right now


• For Rachel and I- for words in our mouth from God, and that our light will continue to shine to God's glory, and that we will follow the promptings, however small, in our hearts to obey God and be used for His glory in these other people's lives

Sorry for the short update- God is still good, even in rough times. Keep praying, please! God is at work and He is still working yet.

Love,

Abby & Rachel

Update! Update! Read all about it!

Hey, everyone!

Sorry for the lack of updates- life has been crazy! Saturday we took a tour of St. Boniface cathedral in Fritzler- which was amazing! The cathedral was so ornate and we got to visit the "Krypta" below the church, as well as a museum full of old church artifacts. We also ate at our first German McDonald's! That was an interesting experience...... :)



When we got back, we had a lot of free time and time to rest before our busy day on Sunday. We went to church in a nearby town, where Gerhard led a service at a senior citizen's home. At breakfast, Rachel and I (who had been working diligently on the worship music and songbook for the camp) found out that Gerhard wanted us to "perform" several songs at the service- which was a surprise, to say the least! We gave it to God- then almost missed our ride to the senior citizen's home in our scramble to get the music together. Then, we arrive at the church, and when Rachel asks where the piano is, she finds out that all they have is an organ. Yup....... Rachel knows how to play piano. But God was sooooooo good to us! We prayed a lot about the whole thing, and God blessed us even more! Our "performance" songs went well, Rachel played the organ amazingly well for the first time, and Rachel gave an amazing testimony that was full of God. It was such a morning of answered prayer!



We got back, and after lunch, the Germans arrived! It was a crazy evening full of icebreakers, games, learning people's names, and our first meal together. We ended the evening with about a 2 hour night-hike, then dragged our tired bodies into bed.



Our mornings here are preeeeeeeeetty early as a part of the leadership team. We get up and have a meeting about the day's activities at 7:30 AM, then morning prayer until 8:30, and then it's off to breakfast! German breakfast is really yummy here, but it is really nice to have "American" food during camp for the experience of the Germans.



After breakfast, Rachel and I have been practicing for morning worship. God is so good to us in this arena as well- He provided us with another singer, a piano player who (hard to believe) is more talented at sight-reading than Rachel, and a guitar player! Our worship has been really good, and we know God is in that.



Morning teaching is next, and Bishop Sutton from Texas has been teaching on Covenants, and how they fit into God's plan, how God uses covenants, and it is very interesting. After lunch, we have free time and more worship practice, then devotional groups. Rachel and I are in the same devotional group, and we have two German girls in our group also, Johanna and Charlotte. They are very sweet, and a bit younger than us, but we have found friends in them and it is really neat to be able to share a spiritual heritage despite the language barrier.



Free time is next, and Rachel and I have been so busy between worship, trying to fit in our own private time, and hanging out with the group that we barely have time to think! Then, after dinner, we have another intense teaching session from Father Steve Rutt from Arizona about Purity of Conscience and what it means to be Pure in Heart, etc. These sessions are awesome! Rachel and I are very much enjoying this higher level of teaching and insight into God, life, and theology. After that, we have fun pre-planned activities or a bonfire with snacks, which is a nice way to end the evening.



God has been teaching us a lot of different things. It is definitely a maturing and growing experience to be the only teens from Ohio, with no adult leader directly over us who knows us really well, and we are learning how to deal with struggles and frustrations, and most of all how faithful our God is. He continually renews us and encourages us in the littlest ways- yet in ways that we totally and completely recognize His touch. We covet your prayers, and I am excited to see how your faithful prayers line up with God's divine blessings and encouragements to us.



Please continually lift up:

• Us two, for our strength and continued trust in God, and His peace in our hearts in ALL situations


• For Bishop Sutton, Father Steve, and Gerhard and Grace Meyer- for effective leadership and planning of this camp


• For the German campers- for encouragement, changed hearts, and hearts open to God's leading


• For Abby as she heads up the drama this week (a large endeavor) and Rachel as she kindly assists, that everything will work out for the glory of God, and for us to trust fully in Him in all things


• For fruitful devotions, worship, and group devotions
• For Rachel and I to be continued lights and salt to the fellow leaders and German campers

"For the harvest is plenty and the laborers are few...." (paraphrase from the Gospel of Matthew)

We love you all, miss you all a lot, and are so humbled and privileged that God would use us! We rely on your prayers!

Impressed by His faithfulness,

Rachel & Abby <3

God is good!

God is so good! He has been not only teaching us a lot, but Rachel and I are consistently in awe of how He chooses to use us, how He times things, and how He is answering our prayers.

We have definitely had some challenges that have been placed in our way, but we take comfort in the fact that nothing comes to us that has not passed through His hand. He is doing so much around us and in us, and in our relationship and our relationships with others- it is impossible to describe it all! Please, please, please, keep lifting us up. The German campers arrive tomorrow, and we are really wanting to see God do something big (and He already has done plenty!). If you could please specifically lift up our team of leaders- Rachel and I are learning how to love like Jesus and He is definitely using us as lights already to the other leaders. Praise God!

God has really used a verse from Romans 8 to encourage us lately. We'd like to share it with you.........

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28

Learning a lot,
Abby & Rachel

I thought I would upload some pictures on this drizzly German day....

Photo shoot in a sweet yellow phone booth near Marberg Castle!

Beautiful houses in Schwarzenborn

Walking to Schwarzenborn with the group!

On our way to Shwarzenborn

Ummmm....sweet picture with the sunlight in our room at Knuell Camp

Our tour of Marberg Castle (after 24 hours and no sleep.....)

Rachel and Abby over the city of Marberg!

Hallo from the Mountains of Knuell......

Hey everybody... Rachel here...

The past two days have been sometimes hard, sometimes good, but all worth it. We have been working a lot on the camp grounds doing yard work, and Abby and I have been working heartily on the Songbook, a booklet that has worship songs and church liturgy, for the camp. Today we picked what groups we are going to lead during the camp. I am the worship leader this year, and Abby is the drama group leader.

We are already seeing God's hand in a lot of things that are happening on this trip, too many to describe, but there are also some things that really really need prayer.

Prayer Requests:

• For Abby: for energy, for boldness, to shine the light of Christ to everyone around her, for discernment and wisdom
• For Rachel: for strength and stamina as we are rather sleep deprived, for discernment and wisdom, that I would not succumb to the temptations of complaining, for perseverance, for a clear focused mind as I am figuring out music team stuff and practicing the worship music
• For Grace and Gerhard: as they are finishing up the planning for the English camp, and taking care of Gerhard's dad, for Grace as she is still in pain and not healing.
• For the Leadership team: that even though we are all very different in personality and we are all at different places with God, we would come together in unity. This has been a very hard thing for Abby and I, so we would really appreciate your fervant prayer for this issue.
• For these two people God has laid on our hearts to pray for: Martin and Joe

We miss all back at home, and we are so thankful to God for giving us this opportunity to think outside of ourselves and bless others around us. Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

Rachel

The First Adventure (of Herm & Kerm)

WE’RE FINALLY HERE!!! After a total of 9 hours in the air, 2 airplane meals, 3 in-flight movies and several beverage cart rounds, we arrived safe and sound, and 15 minutes ahead of schedule, in Frankfurt, Germany. God was SUPER- GOOD to us, and we got through our two flights with no problems in security, no lost luggage, and barely any lines! Our 8 hour flight from Washington-Dulles to Frankfurt flew by. We entertained ourselves through the lovely in-flight movies: 17 Again, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and Pink Panther 2. We had an edible and pretty good dinner as well as a breakfast-type entrée about an hour and a half before landing (which was 2 in the morning Dayton time). Although we tried, neither of us could fall asleep on the flight. We did get some quiet time and rest in, and tried to chip away at our summer AP English assignments, but did not actually catch any Z’s. :(

When we arrived, we could not find any signs leading to Customs. But we followed our noses and kept following the Baggage Claim/Exit signs, eventually found our way to Customs, and got through the line with absolutely no wait and not even any questioning! We then found our baggage belt and were only waiting for 5 minutes before our luggage was among the first to come out! God was so good- everything went so smoothly, and by the time we got our luggage, we were about an hour ahead of schedule. We found our meeting point and waited there for Bishop Gerhard Meyer. When we were about to give up and go looking at another terminal, Gerhard walked in! Within a half hour or so, we had met up with the leaders from Texas and Philedelphia and loaded our two vans up to head off to Knuell Camp.

We rested in the van a bit before arriving in Marberg an hour and a half later. We ate lunch in a small café and then climbed up a long cobblestone road to Marberg Castle. We spent a lot of time exploring the grounds and admiring the scenery and view from the castle- despite our utter fatigue and lack of sleep for the last 24 hours or so! We then visited St. Elisabeth Cathedral, which was breathtaking. With tired eyes, sore bodies, and blistering feet, we piled back into the vans and drove about 45 minutes to Knuell Camp. Once again, Abby napped and Rachel made an attempt to rest. (as Abby writes this, Rachel still has not broken the fast from sleep!!!!!)

When we arrived here at Knuell Camp, we got some refreshments from the Knuell-Jause (a small snack shop/café on grounds) and then Rachel took me (Abby) on a mini tour of the grounds. (Including the AMAZING tower!) The grounds here are beautiful! You can see for literally miles around the gorgeous rolling hills and fields of the German countryside interspersed with little clusters of red-roofed houses making villages every so often. The hills, valleys, and forests are so rich in color, and the weather is a cool, slightly breezy 65o . It is perfect- cool, refreshing, and beautiful.

Dinner tonight was very German and very filling. We had fresh rolls (Rachel’s favorite) and a “mystery meat” patty (very good- like a mix of sausage and meatloaf), and mashed potatoes. Afterwards, we took looooooooong showers, which felt great after a long day of traveling and touring Marberg. It is currently a bit cooler, and the slugs are out. We just spent a long time searching for Gerhard to help us with our Internet connection, and we are exhausted and ready to crash in our comfy German beds.

We are thanking God for His provision and protection on us as we traveled today, and for giving us enough energy and stamina to tour today and to keep us going so far. We are so excited to be here finally, and are even more excited as we anxiously anticipate English Camp and all God’s going to do.

Please pray for our leadership team, that we would mesh well and be able to be of one mind and spirit, so as to effectively serve God and minister to each other and the German teens next week. Pray also for our energy and adjustment to the time change and new schedule, and that we would not complain but have peace in all circumstances.

We love you all and miss you a lot!

Rachel & Abby

Off we go!

Welcome to our blog!

We will be chronicling our journey with God in Germany over the next month. As we prepare to leave this Sunday, July 12, we would greatly appreciate your prayers not only for safe and smooth travel, but our personal concerns as well.

Rachel's Requests:

• For her piano performances during worship and effective practice times
• For a clear mind while packing and traveling
• For safety and health during travel
• For good health and renewed energy during our time in Germany
• For comfort and peace about being far away from home and from her family and friends
• For Rachel to be a blessing to all she encounters on this trip
• For Rachel as she endeavors to build relationships with campers and fellow staff members
• For humility and a sense of servanthood- to be able to look outside herself and focus on others in Christ-like love
• For Rachel, that everything she does will be to God's full glory
• For Rachel, as she leads others during Knüll Camp

Abby's Requests:

• For her to get out of her comfort zone and think outside the box
• For her to lay all her worries and cares upon God
• For the faith to give all to God
• For guidance about the future, especially career paths
• For an open heart to God's touch, an open mind to new experiences, open eyes to see God in everything, and open ears to hear what God is saying
• For her to look beyond the outside and see the internal value of others and things
• For comfort and peace about missing her family and home
• For Abby to come to the places she needs to be to fully learn to trust God with everything
• For the stamina and energy to take care of herself through healthy choices, exercise, food, and rest
• For diligence in her devotional, worship, and prayer time with God
• For richness in her devotions and prayer time with God

General Requests:

• For Bishop Gerhard Meyer and his wife Grace, who run Knüll Camp
• For continued health and healing for Grace's leg after a bad fall in February
• For safety and health for all staff and campers during English Camp
• For the campers to be receptive to God's Word and His working in their lives
• For the worship during camp- response, seriousness, and that it would be meaningful and genuine
• For God's guidance for all the staff and leaders of the camp
• For healthy relationships and the strength to work through rough spots during camp
• For pure hearts and holy lives during this 'Camp of Purity'

Thank you for all your support and all your prayers as we take a huge leap of faith to see what God has in store for us in Germany. We are excited to share our insights and what we are learning through this experience with you. We will try to post as often as we can- probably twice a week or so- so check back often and leave comments, if you wish!

Thanks again for remembering us in prayer.

Learning to Leap,

Rachel and Abby

Waiting on His Word...

O God beyond all praising, we worship you today

and sing the love amazing that songs cannot repay;

for we can only wonder

at every gift you send,

at blessings without number

and mercies without end:

we lift our hearts before you

and wait upon your word,

we honor and adore you,our great and mighty Lord!

~'O God Beyond All Praising'

I love those two lines- "We lift our hearts before you and wait upon your word." I love how that idea of lifting my heart and all I am up to God first requires lifting, but then waiting on His promises. We sang this at church on Sunday, and I really needed to hear it.

Hope for me yet....

There is hope, for me yet,
because God won’t forget,
all the plans He’s made for me
I have to wait and see,
He’s not finished with me yet,
He’s not finished with me yet

~"Wait and See" Brandon Heath

Amen. I am so glad that's God's plans for me keep on unfolding in front of my eyes.

Bless the LORD....O My Soul

You give and take away for my good
For who am I to say what I need?
For You alone see the hidden parts of me
that need to be stripped away.

And as You begin to refine
I’m learning to let go and rely on
One who walks with me
As hard as it may be,
You’re teaching me all the while to say:

Bless the Lord, O my soul
All that’s in me bless Your name
Forget not Your power un- told
not Your glory or Your fame
For You came to heal the broken
to redeem and make me whole
Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Bless the Lord by Laura Story

tough questions

Tough Questions - I am Against Abortion but I Think it Should Remain Legal so it is Safe

People will argue that even if we are successful in outlawing abortion that it will happen anyway so we need to keep it legal so it can be safe. This is one of the arguments I hear most from people who don't want to get involved in pro-life work. It is also one of the most absurd arguments I have ever heard.

The very premise of the argument discounts the reason we are against abortion, it kills a human person. How can abortion ever be thought of as safe? The very act of abortion destroys the life of an innocent child, where is the safety in that?

If you follow this logic you can carry it to ludicrous lengths. You can argue that burglary is illegal and yet it happens anyway so why don't we make it legal so criminals can have a safer time committing this crime. You can argue that rape is illegal yet it happens anyway, so we should open up clinics where someone can commit that crime safely.

These are obviously insane arguments that don't make sense. The same is true for saying that killing children through abortion will happen no matter what so we need to keep clinics open for people to commit that crime.

This question is really not that tough at all. We have laws to protect people from being harmed by other people.

hom·i·cide (hom'i-sid', ho'mi-) American Heritage Dictionary

The killing of one person by another.

A person who kills another person.

Imagine if we changed the definition of homicide to look like this:

hom·i·cide (hom'i-sid', ho'mi-) Ridiculous Dictionary

The killing of one person by another. (Except when done in a safe medical clinic because someone did not want to take care of the other person)

A person who kills another person. (Except when the first person is a doctor who is paid to kill that person by their parents)

Abortion is the killing of one person by another person; therefore it is homicide and should be illegal. It is that simple.

For Christ I stand,
Bryan Kemper

Please feel free to repost on your blog, MySpace, newsletter, etc.

Profound-ness

"O eternal Trinity, You are a deep sea in which the more I seek the more I find,
and the more I find, the more I seek to know You.

You fill us insatiably, because the soul, before the abyss which You are,
is always famished; and hungering for You, O eternal Trinity,
it desires to behold truth in Your light.

As the thirsty heart pants after the fount of living water,
so does my soul long to leave this gloomy body and see You as You are, in truth.

“O unfathomable depth! O Deity eternal! O deep ocean!
What more could You give me than to give me Yourself?

You are an ever-burning Fire; You consume and are not consumed.
By Your fire, You consume every trace of self-love in the soul.
You are a Fire which drives away all coldness and illumines minds with its light, and with this light You have made known Your truth.

Truly this light is a sea which feeds the soul until it is all immersed in You,
O peaceful Sea, eternal Trinity!

The water of this sea is never turbid; it never causes fear, but gives knowledge of the truth.
This water is transparent and discloses hidden things; and a living faith gives such abundance of light that the soul almost attains to certitude in what it believes.

“You are the supreme and infinite Good, good above all good; good which is joyful, incomprehensible, inestimable; beauty exceeding all other beauty; wisdom surpassing all wisdom, because You are Wisdom itself.

Food of angels, giving Yourself with fire of love to men!
You are the garment which covers our nakedness;
You feed us, hungry as we are, with Your sweetness,
because You are all sweetness, with no bitterness.

Clothe me, O eternal Trinity, clothe me with Yourself,
so that I may pass this mortal life in true obedience
and in the light of the most holy faith with which You have inebriated my soul."

- St. Catherine of Siena

ready for summer

Hey little dark-haired darling
Pretty as a Christmas tree
You make my world light up
All the other guys can see
You're as pretty as a snow flake, baby
Falling from the sky
And each one is different, darling
Maybe that's why...

You're such a mystery to me
I can't explain
Each time I catch you
You melt away
And just like the holidays, you come and go away
You leave me thinking that you never came
And you disappear just like a dream
You always leave me longing....

{Dark-Haired Darling}
Josh Bales

Feelings....

I may no longer
depend on pleasant impulses
to bring me before the Lord.


I must rather respond
to principles I know to be right,
whether I feel them to be enjoyable or not.

~Jim Elliot

Spinnin' your shoes...

"You hold your head up to the sky

You say what kind of blue are you? Are you?

Then you ride your pony round and round

It’s diggin’ a hole, right through, right through

You stumble down a yellow brick road,

Spinning your shoes in the air, the air.

Then you, hold your breath, and count to nine,

Hoping that soon somebody will find you, find you........"

~Pony (It's OK) by Erin McCarley

Lucky Star

You are my lucky star
I saw you from afar
Two lovely eyes at me
They where gleaming
Beaming
I was starstruck

You're all my lucky charm
I'm lucky in your arms
You've opened Heaven's portal
Here on earth for this poor mortal
You are my lucky star...

~From 'Singing in the Rain'

The love of God is greater far.....

"The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell........

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky. "

~"The Love of God" by Frederick M. Lehman

My Deliverer

"...I was stayin' down on my knees
That's right where You found me"

~Mandisa, "My Deliverer"

Bilingual Worship

"SHOUT TO THE LORD"

My Jesus, my Saviour
Lord there is none like You
All of my days I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love

My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord
All the Earth, let us sing
Power and majesty
Praise to the King
Mountains bow down
And the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy at the works
Of Your hands
Forever I'll love You
Forever I'll stand
Nothing compares
To the promise I have In You

******************************

"CANTA AL SENOR"
Mi Cristo, mi Rey
Nadie es como Tu
Toda mi vida
Quiero exaltar
Las maravillas
De Tu amor

Consuelo, refugio
Torre de fuerza y poder
todo mi ser
Lo que yo soy
Nunca cese de adorar


Canta al Senor
Toda la creacion
Honra y poder
Majestad sea el Rey
Montes caeran
Y el mar rugira
Al sonar de Tu nombre
Canto con gozo
Al mirar Tu poder
Por siempre yoT
e amare y dire
Incomparables promesas
Me das Senor.

So, this song was stuck in my head.....

"Gift of Finest Wheat"

refrain:
You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat,
Come give to us, O saving Lord, the bread of life to eat.

As when the shepherd calls his sheep, they know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your family Lord, we follow and rejoice.

refrain

With joyful lips we sing to You, our praise and gratitude,
That You should count us worthy Lord, to share this heavenly food.

refrain

The mystery of Your presence Lord, no mortal tongue can tell;
Whom all the world cannot contain comes in our hearts to dwell.

On a Rainy Spring Day....

Winter must be cold for those without any warm memories....
~An Affair to Remember, as quoted in Sleepless in Seattle

So rainy days in spring are damp for those without an umbrella.

Maybe it is written.....

Prem Kumar: So are you ready for the final question for 20 million rupees?

Jamal Malik: No, but maybe its written, no?

Prem Kumar: Maybe...

~Slumdog Millionaire

Jesus Paid it All!

I hear the Savior say,

“Thy strength indeed is small;

Child of weakness, watch and pray,

Find in Me thine all in all.”

Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe;

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.

And now complete in Him,

My robe, His righteousness,

Close sheltered ’neath His side,

I am divinely blest.

Lord, now indeed I findThy pow’r,

and Thine alone,

Can change the leper’s spots

And melt the heart of stone.

When from my dying bed

My ransomed soul shall rise,

“Jesus died my soul to save,”

Shall rend the vaulted skies.

And when before the throne

I stand in Him complete,

I’ll lay my trophies down,

All down at Jesus’ feet.

Quotaholic

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."-- Mother Teresa


<3
abby

Bless my homeland forever.....

Edelweiss

Edelweiss, Edelweiss, every morning you greet me
Small and white, clean and bright,
You look happy to meet me

Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever,
Edelweiss, Edelweiss, bless my homeland forever

-----------------------------------------------------

I still can't believe that it is all over. I have had a blast during musical. I made so many new friends, re-established previous friendships, stretched my voice, laughed a lot, rediscovered the joy of spring and early spring sunshine, and lived my life with a new kind of energy. I miss it. All the inside jokes, the comraderie of the cast, the intimacy and family-like feel, despite the sheer number of people involved. It's sad.

This was also the first "mini-death" in the series of "mini-deaths" leading up to graduation, and the goodbye to my senior pals who I have bonded with over the past three years, who have been there for every single step of my high school experience so far.

It's not really that I have nothing to do with myself now, because I definitely do. It's the relationships that will now be forcibly squashed in between classes and trying to make it to school on time and managing the rest of my life all at once. I will miss the freedom of hanging out with them all the time, doing our own thing in between scenes and call times, and goofing off and laughing with them. The conversations, jokes, and serious talks. The card games, meals, lounge times, and creative outings. It's a sad end. It also doesn't help that now I have college and career decisions looming over my head, and a busy and cram-packed summer ahead of me, all focused on trying to graduate on time.

* Sigh. * I will never forget that moment: all of us sitting around, singing in one voice:
"Edelweiss, Edelweiss, bless my homeland forever........"
<3
abby

It Must Be Grace.....

Why...no matter how far I run, do you pursue me?
Why, when I fall time after time, do you still love me, what could make you love me?

I, I don't understand! What is it you see in the heart of someone like me?
When I let you down, but you still believe! And prove your love time and again, and again....
All I can say, is it must be grace.....
~Women of Faith Worship Song

Grateful for His Grace,
Abby

*h*o*p*e*

"Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tunes without the words

And never stops- at all."

~ Emily Dickinson

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful."

(Hebrews 10:23)

Hope in God, in the living God!

You have bewitched me....

I will have to tell you:

You have bewitched me, body and soul,

and I love,
I love,
I love you.

I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.
---Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice

To Rest In Him.....

'Quiet You With My Love'
by Rebecca St. James

Come to me all who are weary
And I will give you rest
Come to me all who are weary
And I will give you rest

Lay you head down
On my shoulders
Be still my child
Rest a while

CHORUS
And I'll quiet you with My love
Rejoice over YouWith My song
With My song
And I'll quiet you with My love
Rejoice over You
With My song
With My song

Come to me all who are weary
And take My yoke upon you
Come to me all who are weary
My burden is easy and light

Lay you head down
On my shoulders
Be still my child
Rest a while

His Faithfulness

Hola!
This week has been really stressful and overly emotional. But, God came through and gave me a great day yesterday, filled with encouragement from His word and encouragement from people around me. I love His faithfulness!!!!

"Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem!
Rejoice in the Lord your God!
For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness.
Once more the autumn rains will come,
as well as the rains of spring."
~Joel 2:23

Hoping in Him,
Abby

My Head is a Pretty Crazy Place to Live

Hola!

So, my head is a pretty crazy place to live right about now. I have so many dates, deadlines, and to-do lists to remember- and today is one of those days where I feel like I am on "Input Overload". It's on these kinds of days that I neglect to turn to The One who can help me in these stressful times, and I so often try to do things on my own.

My least favorite human trait is forgetfulness. I hate forgetting- and not just forgetting someone's birthday, or forgetting to turn something in on time, or forgetting my lunch at home. No, I hate spiritual forgetting. Forgetting to take everything before Him in prayer, forgetting the Bible passage I read the day before, forgetting all the lessons He has taught me, forgetting His faithfulness and how He has shown His face to me in the past, forgetting His great promises and plans for my life, forgetting where my confidence comes from, and forgetting that I am made in His image. I forget so much, and it is only in Him and through Him that I can do anything. I take refuge in this today, and also the fact that, beyond anything my mind can wrap itself around and beyond anything I deserve, He still loves me! He loves me, even in my forgetful human state.

Clinging to Him,
Abby

Quote of the Day

"In the old days, TV writers used to give their characters lovable traits
: He has a soft spot for the downtrodden! She's self-involved but ultimately principled!
He sings in the shower! She makes great banana bread, and sneezes cutely around cats!
These days, crazy is the new lovable. All you need to get viewers hooked on a character is a succulent psychological disorder or two: Awww, he's so obsessive-compulsive!
Look, an alcoholic with violent mood swings! How cute! Her sense of self is so malleable.
Oh, I love it when she gets all socially withdrawn and displays flattened affect like that!
... If your TV sets are fun house mirrors that reflect who we are (except with whiter teeth and more money),
then it looks like most of us are ready for the funny farm."
—salon.com TV critic Heather Havrilesky [salon.com, 7/29/07]
From a Plugged In Movie Review Newsletter

Bienvenidos!

Hello, everyone! 

Welcome to my wonderful blog. Honestly, I have no idea what I will put on here, but I am thinking probably little snippets, insights, things I am learning, or thoughts. I hope that you will come check it out sometime! 

Have a supersplendiferous day!

Abby Rody