In ALL Your Ways

Hello Readers!

Woke up like any normal morning..to a moon rise?

I hope all is well. The school curriculum at my high school has finally come to a close, though we have school until June 22^nd. We are starting to begin review for next year. The last year of German high school will mostly be used as a repetition in order to prepare for their type of SAT or ACT. Thoughts about my senior year send my head spinning with excitement, anticipation, and expectation.

Hand-made pizza with Chiara.
First time I ever used fresh yeast!

I came home Sunday and went to www.upcilivestreaming.com, which is a website that shows all the services being aired real-time. I clicked on one in Florida, they sang the song ‘Order My Steps’. This song refers to Psalm 37: 23 – 24. ‘The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand’. Although I didn’t know the words, I happily clapped along as I answered my Mom’s Skype phone call. I stopped watching the first video, to watch Pentecostals of Alexandria with her. It was the graduation ceremony service, where the Pastor was congratulating each student and at the same time exhorting them to submit all their ways before their Lord. Before I got home to watch the services I went for a bike ride to give myself some quiet time. My spirit felt uneasy, and my stomach queasy at the thought of this year. The tasks before me are accomplishable in themselves, but eight or nine all at once is a totally different ball game. I remembered the verse ‘Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah’ Psalm 62:8. So I poured my heart out.

I don’t know the age group of my readers, but if you around the pre-college/college range you can understand me perfectly, when I say that there are a lot of decisions to be made. And naturally, this isn’t only true for freshly graduated college applicants, it is true for every person. We have all made decisions, and thousands of them, but it seems at this age we are making them all at one time. So, my heart needed a rest. It felt heavy. I needed heavenly guidance. The main focus of the sermon was, as young people, it is essential we submit our ways to Him. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Proverbs 3:5-10



I never cease to be amazed by
how detailed He made everything.



God is always there to help those standing at crossroads. Proverbs 3:5 is a promise that He will direct our paths. A lot of biblical characters were confronted with trouble when they ‘jumped the gun’, and proceeded with their lives based on their own thoughts. They acknowledged God, then waited a couple hours (days if they were really patient) and proceeded as normal. The problem with living based on our own carnal decision making skills, is everything seems right in our own eyes. Even with the best of intentions and planning, we can order our lives and we would consider it right, when the truth is we are on a totally different path than the one God wants us to be taking. But it seems right in our eyes.

I think this would be a good point to stop and remind you, that I am just as human as you reading this article. I confront situations where I don’t know where to turn. The most natural thing for us to do, is to ‘think it out’. Giving my ways to God is against my human nature, because I’m a list writer. I love writing lists. Whether its for grocery shopping, homework, things to do, order of how I am going to clean my room, or what I want to accomplish in a week's time...I write lists. Do you know the saying, ‘I’ve got a lot of thoughts swimming in my head’? Well, I picture thoughts as fishes and when I write a list I am fishing them out of the sea of my mind. It brings a sense of order, which is important to a human’s life. (Any former German exchange student would be smiling right now, Ordnung!)



Barn house that I always pass on my way to school.

 I seem to bottle up all of my thoughts, until I’m jacked up like a coke bottle that has fallen down three flights of stairs. That is not the way Christ wants me, or you to live. We are to pour our heart out to Him, on a daily basis. When I did, I had the feeling like when you come in the house on a cold winter day, and peel off every scarf, hat, mittens, gloves, socks, fuzzy socks, vest, and jackets. I felt so light! Not only because I was not being burdened anymore, but because I know I had done my part in the promise. I acknowledged God, and I know He will answer me. (Key here, is also to keep listening!)

Caught in a sun-filled rain drizzle.
That kind of sounds like a Dairy Queen dessert...
What's that called again? Sun showers!
Yes, caught in a sun shower.

Sunday was Mother’s Day, which is also my Grandma’s birthday. She turned ninety years young, she doesn’t say ninety years old. After we had the rush of sixty people in our restaurant, I skyped my sister.  To my surprise, the whole family was there! I got to talk with my Uncle’s, Aunt’s, Cousin’s, and both of my Grandparents. When they asked how I was, I whipped out the guitar and played a couple songs for them to share my joy that can only be expressed through song. I guess my Grandpa had been playing on my Macintosh computer with my sister, they were using the photo warp program to take silly pictures. So when it was finally time for him to talk to me on my sister’s iPhone 4, he put the phone up to his nose/ear and strained to listen. He didn’t realize that I could see him, and he could see me! My Grandma also thought it was absolutely crazy, she kept saying ‘and you’re in Germany and I can see you?!’ I talked with my cousins who have grown up so much since I ‘ve been gone. It was absolutely astounding for me too, that with today’s technology, I could be 4,116 miles away from home, and still take such a great part in our family day. I remember a preacher telling me how quickly technology has developed merely in his time, and then he posed the question, ‘Do you think God is behind?’

The last memory that I have time to share is about a cello. I have played cello since kindergarten, it is (selbstverständlich) a part of me. I rented one in November, but as you all know finding lessons here did not work out so I had to bring it back. I had heard back a couple weeks ago, that there would be a cello concert in a nearby village. I figured either of my host parents could bring me, but it turned out to be on Mother’s Day so they were both busy. I knew the way to the village, because I had driven there and back the day before for a school choir practice. It was six miles one way. The funny part about the path is, despite the state I live in, to be considered one of the flattest, all of the hills in Meck-Pom are probably on this road. So, I had driven twelve miles on Saturday, recovered, then had to decide if I wanted to drive again twelve miles to watch an hour long concert.

Though every aching muscle told me to stay home, my heart pulled me to go. So I did, it was exceptionally windy so that I had to bike on first gear the whole time. When I got there, I had to check first in the mirror to make sure my eyebrows were not completely blown off by the wind. Then I went upstairs and talked with the Pastor and the man tuned is FIVE STRING CELLO! Cello’s only have four strings, and some really talented players play with three J (A,D,G,C). A five string cello was outrageous! We all sat down in the cold, candle-lit upper room of the church built in the early 1200’s. The cellist closed his eyes, took a deep breath and played for an hour long without notes. It was phenomenal. Hearing him play was worth the ride through the woods, up the hills, across unpaved sidewalks and dodging through traffic. It was one hundred percent worth it, and even on my most tired day I would do it again. I have noticed a general pattern in my generation that can be summed up in a formula.

Effort I have to put in + time I would be away from what I want to be doing + the possibility of it not being worth it = not doing it.

They don’t realize how much they miss out, because the beauty of the destination is almost always found on the way there. I remember going to a quartet concert with my Mom. We didn’t know the band at all, and they turned out to be awful but we had the greatest time finding the place.

Cow Crossing sign found on my was home from the concert.
I'm kind of tempted to go when all the cows are being herded
across the street... :D

And finally, finding my place to sit on a tree.

Do yourself the favor and pour your soul out to God.
He loves you and is waiting.

God Bless You, Genevieve

P.S. Please excuse me for any formatical imperfections, blogger is giving me a super hard time.