3 + 184

I little while back I wrote a blog about a hill that I would attempt to climb daily...here it is:

The climb takes about 10 minutes with only a brief breather about half way up. Then on the way down you want to break to give your knees a rest from them getting all wobbly. I enjoy the great feeling of accomplishment that comes to me at the top of this hill. I walk around a bit to catch my breath yet again and to look at the city below me.

I don't know if you can see them, but I placed an X on three places. Purple marks the Penny Market where I do most of my grocery shopping. Red marks the church and blue marks my home. You might be able to tell that my home is very close to the church.

The hill was put on hold for a little while because of the snow on top of it which covered the stairs like the whole thing was a slope. It was very dangerous coming down the hill with all the snow on the stairs. This Sunday I checked it out again and the stairs are clear enough to walk up and down them...all 184 of them. The ramps (3) are a bit icy but it's getting better daily. So while those stairs were icy I would walk on a trail...here is a picture. About half of it runs along the river.

For the love of chocolate!!!

If you know me well enough you know my love for chocolate. I have kicked myself off of chocolate, pop and chips during lent and hopefully longer. So with this I am allowed one of these things on Sunday, which will most likely be chocolate because I love it so much. Anyway today I went to the grocery store just for chocolate, but bought banana's too so I didn't look like a freak haha. I actually wanted Banana's but didn't plan on buying them until in the store. I want to make Banana bread but need another banana or two. So I come home excited to try this new chocolate bar, but I put a load of laundry in the washer and changed as I got dirty from my walk on the hill prior to shopping. So I came down to the ministry space to use the computer to check my emails. I unwrap my chocolate bar with great anticipation. I am so excited to eat this lovely chocolate that I take a huge bite. To my dismay it tasted and smelled like it had alcohol in it. It was nasty! I couldn't believe how gross it was. OH WOW! I was so saddened by this, a lovely chocolate bar ruined by alcohol. Why do they do that and tease me. I guess it might have helped if I read the label and maybe knew what I was reading haha, but still! I will not go back to the store now as I will look silly to the cashier. So I will wait again until next week, and I will not try something new unless someone I know and trust recommends it. Don't people understand that alcohol and chocolate just don't mix well? Especially when you are not a huge fan of alcohol??? GROSS!

a few modifications

It was made aware to me that not everyone that would like to post on my blog could. So I made some changes so that you can do that if you like. Thanks for letting me know!

Language blunders...

Language is a wonderful thing. This is how we all communicate with one another. Often when you know more than one language you can communicate more with others of a different tongue. Then some times you muddle the languages up and you say something to someone in a language that they don't understand. That would be a blunder. Well I have certainly had a few. I'll tell you of the most recent one and then of the oldest one.

I had fun at the bakery the other day. I went alone and this was also my first time going. So I went in there and said "účím se česky"...meaning I am learning Czech. So I ordered 4 buns, but as it turned out she was filling grocery bags lol. Four buns shouldn't fill bags. I had said 40 without realizing it. Then a couple of teens came in and I told them what I meant and they told the lady what I meant to say. I walked out with 4 buns...next time I will say five it is easier anyway. This is at least the more innocent looking one haha.

This one took place in nineth grade and my teacher would have a game before we wrote our vocab. quiz. So she has two students go up to the front and she would say a word in English and we would have to write our word in French up on the board. The word: Punish, so I wrote it. Well then the whole class starts laughing and I have no idea why, then my teacher looks at me as straight as she can and says Christina can you please erase that off of the board. I look and to my horror I wrote P E N I S. So I quickly erased it all embarrassed and ashamed that I did that and then wrote P U N I S. It was an honest mistake, but still haunts me to this day haha. My teacher thankfully knew that it was an accident because she knew that I stood for Christ even then. I talked with her a few months ago and she still remembers that.

Anyway, it is nice to know that people understand those moments and are willing to forgive. If they are kind haha. Would you care to share your blunders?

One year ago...

One year ago to the day I was treated like a queen. Spoiled by cinnamon buns for breakfast, and a "Hug" placed in my hands, when their hand was placed in mine. One of my best friends got engaged. It was a wonderful day were my friends and I shared much happiness together by sharing a meal together to celebrate the engagement of our mutual friends Jenn and Andy. I could cherish this day forever, however God had a change of plans in mind that would happen within the next two days and then the rest of the week. I did not see this coming for far off, but as soon as it started I knew that something that I did not want to happen was going to happen. God knows this too. I was no longer a piece of this young man's life, God had a different plan. I know that a while back I wrote that my heart is no longer his. However, this day and this week will prove to be a bit tough to work through as I know how hard it was one year ago. I will seek God daily to have me be strong through it and not to focus on the past but to focus on what is to come. He knows my desires and at times I believe that they are in tune with his desires, but the Lord only knows if that is the truth of the matter. God help me to look ahead instead of what is behind. For I fear that I may trip myself up and lose focus for what you have in store for me. I hate to be alone and I have so much love to give. I thank you Lord that you have placed so many people in my life that I can love with the love that you have filled me with. The Lord be my guide and my fortress that I run to in times like these.

God bless what?

That title might have intrigued you, but I have been wondering what the whole meaning of saying God bless is really all about.

Often at the end of a conversation between two Christian one says God bless and the other says God bless you too. However, I have been thinking about this. Perhaps I am thinking too deeply on such a small thing. Why do we say God bless when we know full well that we are blessed by God? I could pray in thanksgiving everyday for an hour or better just thanking him for all that he has blessed me with, this is not including the people that I know that have been blessed by God through various things. I just don't understand or know why it is that we say this to one another. Does anyone have any good solid answers on this? I don't think that this is a Biblical principal, or am I wrong?

Can you help me out with this thought process?

The power of prayer

Alright so this isn't too much of something that has happened as of late. I mean I know what the power of prayer can do.

I have been reading a book called "Touch the World Through Prayer" by Wesley Duewel, it is a book that has got me thinking more regularly about prayer. I love to be in prayer, but this book has me rethinking how and what I pray for. I love books that challenge my thinking and this is one of those. I highly recommend it even though I am not even half way through it. However I think that God is trying to teach me something through this I am not sure what though. Last night I was at my mentors home having dinner with them as we kind of celebrated my completion of my Czech language course and while there I borrowed a couple of movies. One of them was "Facing the Giants" it is a Christian movie, but it all honesty was probably the best one as far no cheese is concerned. If you haven't seen this movie it is also a recommended one from me. It is basically about a coach and his football team in a Christian high school and this team was on it's 7th year of a losing streak. In the school there was a man who walked through the halls and prayed for every individual student as he walked past their locker. The lives of all of those students was changed because of this man. Prayer is the key to everything in the Christian life. Last semester I wrote a paper on prayer and this discipline is still sitting on my heart. I know it is a key thing. I love to sit there and pray for my family and friends, which means that you as my reader get prayed for. I know there are many situations in my life that have been bathed in prayer and though areas of my life have been changed around. I believe that God knows our thoughts before they come to mind, but when we take many of those thoughts and turn them into prayer he is right there with us as well. Now that I am overseas and working with people who are so involved in ministry I see that it comes with its struggles. What is the first thing that we should do? Turn it into a prayer...God wants to be in the battlefield with us, on our side and conquering that battle alongside us and winning the battle.

All this to say, don't underestimate the power of prayer.

Fitness and Finesse

I have made some fitness goals and while at it hope to attain some finesse. I have been battling with my weight for a very long time. I have had success at losing fifty pounds at one point. I also put a bit of that back on when I was in Calgary, AB. Then with being in Europe where everything is salty, fat and with lots of breads I'm sure I added a bit more. No more I say. I need to be active, I know I function better when I have it. With me living right above my ministry space and nothing being more than a 10 minute walk away I need something more.

There is one thing that I am thankful for and that is stairs. I have the stairs to my apartment and then my mentors live on the 5th floor so this week I used the stairs instead of the elevator. I was also told about a hill that I could walk up. I didn't see this hill and thought where is it? Lisa my mentor showed me where it was, it looked pretty high and so I thought hmmm. What if I make it a goal to walk to the top every day? Well I started today, I thought about it many times this week but just didn't do it. So this morning I got up, changed into workout wear and went to this hill. Now it is higher than I thought it was, the steps are covered with snow with maybe a little spot showing where others climbed the stairs. I had to stop once and then when I thought that I was done the climb I saw that there were still more stairs. So after a little breather I went up again. Again I thought that I was at the highest spot when indeed I wasn't. I stopped three times to catch my breath and if you know me at all you know I don't like to walk slow. I finally made it to the top and was in awe of the beauty of the town. There is only one place up there and I believe that it is a restaurant and then there is a look out spot about half way down. I checked out the lookout spot and decided to look for my place, and I found it. So when I get batteries for my camera I'll take a picture of the view. The railings that went up alone the stairs were quite wet which mean my mittens got very wet, I had to wring them out a few times. After getting off the hill I felt great, not only did I get a good workout, but I also got to see a great view of Kralupy. So this is something that I plan to do daily or at least every other day. On top of this I have been doing a floor workout nearly every day also....now just to watch out of the fats, salts and breads.

A revelation of sorts

What an exhausting day! I'm very tired, today I had language class, met up with a new missionary here and we toured the Prague Castle today....quite the walk. I was on my feet pretty much the whole afternoon. It is quite the hike up to the castle, lots of stairs and incline. We walked through a couple of churches. They are absolutely stunning. They can take your breath away with the grandeur of the building and architecture. Your neck gets tired from looking up at the paintings and statues of these buildings. Then to stand there and look at the size of the building and picturing it being packed full of people. Now this wouldn't be a hard thing to do with all the tourists. However, what about those who are there for the purpose of why it was built in the first place. It was built for the purpose of people gathering together to worship God. What do we see this building as being now? A popular tourist spot, some are still free to go into, why does it cost anything to walk into a church??? This nation seriously needs revival! All of these big grand churches are empty. Empty spiritually and physically, not counting those who walk through there for the sights. I mean there are churches here, but with my church being at about 20 people and the building being shared with another church, just makes me ponder. What truly happened to Christianity that it would die a death to this extreme. Sure I know what happened through history, but seriously were there really only a few Christians who survived this? I know that Christianity is growing, but to think of going back generations just after Christianity just died off, how many would claim they were true Christians who are living by the word and worshiping the one true God. Was there just a handful? Obviously I do not know the answer to this, but these are questions that came to my heart and my mind today while walking around. Please share your thoughts.

Garlic!!!

Alright so we all know that I cannot read a lick when it comes to Czech. I went shopping the other day and saw to cheap chips and thought well I'll get them and try them out. I enjoy trying new things so why not I thought.I grabbed a bag of bacon flavour and another with garlic, thinking I like garlic. Well nothing like eating a clove of garlic a chip, OY that's strong stuff. Anyway, with the language stuff said, I'm half way through the first week now. I get frustrated and confused at times, but I know that it will make sense sooner or later.

*Note to self, stay away from the garlic chips lol!