Counting My Blessings

On nights like this when I cannot sleep I count my blessings instead of sheep.

I say a prayer for my friends in need and find myself in prayer deep.

On nights like this when I cannot sleep I speak to the Lord; oh the joy I reap, When I say a prayer for those in need. I feel close to the Lord and the promises He keeps.

On nights like this when I cannot sleep I count on the Lord to help me fall asleep!

Stuttgart Trains and Buses

Spent the day traveling on the train.... well sort of.

We took the train to Böblingen and found a new shopping center, picked up the cutest lil’ spoons 30% off!. Then we headed the the Deutsches Rote Kreuz store to browse around, they have the best deals on second hand furniture. Afterwards we caught another train to downtown Stuttgart and walked around for awhile. Then we started to look for a new place to eat, we wondered around trying to find a place to eat. But the thing about Germany is the restaurants do not serve meals in-between meal times and it was after lunch and before dinner time. So we got to shop so more! Then we caught the train to Vaihingen and walked through the Schiller Platz Park, stopping to watch the old men play bocce ball. There were small flowers blooming in the park and it was so nice to be outside in the fresh air without the COLD. Then after cruising the mall we went to dinner at the King’s Palace a Chinesische Restaurant. They have opened a buffet, but we restrained ourselves and just ate off the menu. Afterwards we caught the 82 from the Rathaus back home. It was a great day out and about Stuttgart!!

Its all happening at the zoo!

Wishing I was in Oklahoma and getting to go with Izzy to the ZOO~

Lyrics | Simon and Garfunkel - At the Zoo lyrics

How to Listen to Someone Who Is Hurting

How to Listen to Someone Who Is Hurting

Whenever people face bereavement, injury or other kinds of trauma, they need to talk about it in order to heal. To talk, they need willing listeners. Unfortunately, many of us shrink from listening to people in pain. We may feel like we have enough troubles of our own, or be afraid of making matters worse by saying the wrong thing.

Sometimes we excuse ourselves by assuming that listening to people who are hurting is strictly a matter for professionals such as psychotherapists or members of the clergy. It is true that professional people can help in special ways, and provide the suffering individual with insights that most of us aren't able to offer. However, their assistance, although valuable, is no substitute for the caring interest of supervisors, co-workers, friends and others from the person's normal daily life.

It is natural to feel reluctant or even afraid of facing another person's painful feelings. But it is important not to let this fear prevent us from doing what we can to help someone who is suffering

Response to stressful events is an individual process. Not everyone exposed to the same trauma or stressor will react the same way.

You should take measures to address and alleviate your own stress. If you demonstrate good coping skills, you will be a positive role model for the people around you.

Never forget that you are not a counselor. It is important to show empathy for people experiencing difficulty. However, the best way to help may be to offer resources and suggest contacting outside professionals.

Spring is in the Air

Well, a girl can dream can’t she. We got hit with another snow storm this weekend. It started snowing Saturday and was still snowing Monday evening when I went to bed. It was not very heavy but probably got 2 inches or more. I told Alan on our way home from Berlin that I was tired of site seeing in the COLD.

Berlin was cold and windy; for some reason I have always envisioned Berlin as being cold. But we didn’t let that stop us from getting out and seeing the sites. We tried to work in 5 or 6 of the Top 10 Things to see in Berlin. The remnants of the Berlin Wall, Check Point Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate (the last of the original 18 gates into the city), the Reichstag building (the seat of the German Parliament) , the Gemaldegallerie (the painting gallery and home to many Rembrandtd works ) and Potsdamer Plazt (modern cultural hotspot containing shops, restaurants, cafes, bars and cinemas). The train system in Berlin was very efficient and easy to learn/use and our hotel was only a short 10 minute walk to the nearest Train station. On our last evening we also did the Hop On/Off bus tour and got to see (from a distance) Museum Island, the Berliner Dom, the new DB Train station, the Zoo (just the entrance) and multiple embassy buildings. It was so very cold we opted to stay on the bus and see the sites from the semi-heated upper deck

It was a great trip and I am glad I got to see Berlin!

Difficult Times - But there are still plans for me.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

This past week was filled with difficult things to face...prospect of coming home early and finding out I am torn between staying longer and coming home sooner; a dear childhood friend facing the passing of her father and a co-worker’s life coming to an abrupt end.

These things all reminded me of the battles I had been through this past year. It also reminded me that God has been there with me along the way. To face any of these things alone without him would be more than I could take, as it is I look to the future with hope because I know that God still has plans for me.