why I’ve been afraid to blog…

Over the past weeks I’ve kept coming back to a thought… drumming in the back of my mind…. “the blog… the blog… you need to write something on the blog…”

I’ve struggled to know what to put into words over the past few months. Or how, or when, and making the time to just sit down to do it.

In the past I often have had something strong on my heart or natural to share, but there have been either too many or too few most days, things I felt I couldn’t or didn’t want to articulate… and honestly SO many pictures that I haven’t even looked at myself yet. In one sense I’d love it if I could just update often, the small and daily things as they happen, and the thought of starting an Instagram to share the beautiful things around, but to be honest I struggle with knowing what to share out of it all… and want it to be an honest and accurate representation of our lives. So often I don’t post anything… honestly, I know most people would envy the view we have just outside our room, on the other hand most married couples wouldn’t envy the small room we have with two beds pushed together that is our ‘home’ right now. We are so thankful for our room and so glad we are able to live the lifestyle we are currently, but how to display our life honestly over the internet is something I don’t want to learn by making a lot of mistakes.

But making mistakes is really part of the learning process isn’t it?

I admit that fear paralyzes me so that I often do nothing.

But I refuse to be paralyzed any longer. Because the pictures Chris takes are WAY too beautiful to keep to ourselves, and what happens in our life here is NOT so much different from everyone else, full of joys and disappointments, struggles, hard days, and inexpressible joy. Yes we live in the Austrian Alps, but it just rained for two weeks straight and felt more like late February than June. Yes our lives are overflowing with God’s gifts and graces, but each one of us can find this to be true as we learn to say ‘thank you’ in everything. We have days where I cry a lot and wonder, ‘what in the world are we doing?’… and other days where I can confidently say I am joyful to be right where God has me. There are days that I long for a constant community that rarely changes, and my own kitchen to make meals for others in, and then there are days where I am overwhelmed by the blessing of being touched by someone I didn’t know just 7 weeks ago, and praise God that Chris and I don’t have rent bills.

I know we aren’t the only ones who struggle to be content, who wonder where God is leading them, who have to continually refuse to believe the grass is always greener, and who have good and bad days. The struggle to be satisfied in Christ and Him alone is just as strong, whether you have a lot or a little, whether you get to see beautiful places around the world, or drive the same route to work everyday. That is true. And I refuse to envy the person who drives the same route to work everyday, knowing full well they just might be dreaming of the Austrian Alps. I refuse to allow facebook statuses, instagram feeds, pinterest boards, and beautifully written blogs lead me to believe that my life (abilities, clothing, income, location, home, job etc.) is not enough… and I trust you will do the same as we share about our life on the other side of the world. Thank you to my friend Ruth for describing so practically in her blog about how powerful it is to say, “thank you Lord, it is enough” as we breathe in and out throughout the day… may you do the same with each breath in everything you have and get to do today.

Now for some honest pictures…

On the way to Salzburg which is only around an hour’s drive from where we live in Schladming

In Salzburg…

Chris and I went for a hike in  Ramsau, one of the nearby towns…

We both lead student outreach groups… Chris’ is the online outreach group. They are producing a video to be shared on the internet. Here are some shots taken by one of the students while they were out shooting…

 

I had the opportunity to lead the choir outreach group. We sang in two local churches, and were also able to sing in the hallways of the local hospital.

Hanging out on campus with some other staff…

Thats me… in the pink (duh) 

After dropping a group off at the Airport in Munich we stopped in the city for a quick look around, and to eat a pretzel.

Will post again soon about when Charlie and Jocelyn came to visit!!!