Friday, November 25, 2011

Grateful

On Fridays around these parts we stop, drop, and write.

For fun, for love of the sound of words, for play, for delight, for joy and celebration at the art of communication.

For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.

Won’t you join us?



1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Most importantly: leave a comment for the person who linked up before you – encouraging them in their writing!
OK, are you ready?

GRATEFUL

GO


It must be on everyone's FMF post, but that's what I am truly grateful for. FAMILY FRIENDS HEALTH CHURCH.Here are my top 10 :

1.I am truly thankful to God for the place he has put me in.He had a purpose and a plan for me being here. Thank you revealing a part and guiding me through rest of your purpose here.

2. For my family. For my husband who is understanding and patient with me. For my oldest sweet and caring Benjamin. For my rebellious yet loving Elijah. For my parents who made me who I am today. My brother, who is still my baby brother even though he is 26 years old.


3. For good health.
4. For the home we have.
5. For great friends. Our family in Eindhoven.

6. A good church to be part of, to be fed and to serve God.
7. To work as a Speech Therapist in a place even if the language is a barrier.It is amazing how God led me to be where I am in my professional life here in Eindhoven.
8.God's patient nature , ready to forgive me for the 100th time and always by my side.
9.Financial stability and a husband who has work in these times of uncertainty.
10. Peace,joy and happiness.

What are you grateful for today?

STOP

Sinterklaas Fever and Advent

For those who are wondering what this means.... this is a Dutch version of Santa Claus. With its own story from Spain and not at the North Pole.There are many theories or preferred versions of "Sinterklaas".He was a Bishop from Spain who came in a steamboat to the Netherlands with his little helpers. Not so little like the Elf but helpers called "Zwartepiets". A literal translation could mean "Black Peters".

Sinterklaas traditionally arrives in the Netherlands each year in mid-November (usually on a Saturday) by steamboat from Spain. Some suggest that gifts associated with him, the mandarin oranges, led to the misconception that he must have been from Spain.

It is a media frenzy when he arrives at the harbor with the entire population of the Netherlands watching him arrive on Television. This is also a family event. Some go to see him as the Sinterklaas arrives at different places.

This pre Christmas celebration continues until December 5th when it is the chief evening of celebration with gifts with hot chocolate and "pepernoten"(are a cookie-like kind of confectionery).They are light brown, randomly shaped, and made from the same ingredients as taai-taai (flour, sugar, anise, cinnamon, and clove) and is fairly chewy, though it hardens gradually when exposed to the air. Pepernoten sales are usually high and its in every house from the time he arrives in the Netherlands.

Children also keep their shoe near the door with a letter or poem for Sinterklaas and a carrot for "Amerigo", the white horse that Sinterklaas rides on.

On the television every evening at 5:40 pm , children huddle to watch the "Sinterklaas journal". Every year there is a story revolving around him. So this year, as far as I have understood, the steamboat came in only with Sinterklaas and something about his book of names for good children was missing. Most Dutch schools watch this the next morning and discussions and themes in class revolve around this. The kids are very serious about the whole affair.

This year, we decided to follow the event.Benjamin, being in a Dutch school was surrounded by the story and the activities, so I had to get involved in some way too.

So, we decided to keep the shoes near the door only on Saturday since, Sinterklaas and the Zwaarte Piets come only on Saturday to our house because they are so busy(Ya right!).In the morning, there will be treats or small gifts in their shoes. I decided only Saturday, since buying gifts and treats for everyday wasn't what I wanted to do. But some families have it everyday and sometimes really huge gifts too.

We go through the huge book on Sinterklaas with only pictures. By the way, this is a beautiful book with just pictures giving the entire story.


And then on the eve of December 5th, A laundry basket of gifts for the entire family magically appear near the door. Chocolate letters with the first letter of each of the family members name are also given as gifts.

The older kids and adults gift each other a funny "Supris"(I think thats how they spell it?)with crazy gift wrapping in different shapes and a poem attached to it...

I guess I have educated myself enough for doing Sinterklaas this year!

There is no religious sentiments attached to this and this is merely a fun event that happens in the Netherlands.

As Advent arrives, I also decided to do the Advent devotions" A Jesse tree Journey" written by Ann VosKamp over at the blog"A Holy Experience".You can download this free printable.

Each of the 25 days this journey includes Bible texts, a devotional that can be read out with the whole family, a short simple action point for the day and a small ornament to hang on your own Jesse Tree.

What is your family tradition as we celebrate and remember our Christ coming into this world to die for us and save us?

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Growth of an extrovert

On Fridays around these parts we stop, drop, and write.

For fun, for love of the sound of words, for play, for delight, for joy and celebration at the art of communication.

For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.


1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Most importantly: leave a comment for the person who linked up before you – encouraging them in their writing!
OK, are you ready?



GROW

GO

Being an extrovert, one might think its easy peasy to make friends. Ya, you're right easy to make friends, to carry an entertaining conversation through the evening, and on goes the list.

But it is difficult for an extrovert to make long lasting friendships and grow in that relationship.
Being in the Netherlands has especially been difficult to keep friends. Being a moving expat community, friends come and leave. And that makes me,very careful in making friends. And growing together with them.

At least I am glad to say there are two , who are so far away from me, still close to my heart and me in their' s.

It's been hard to trust that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you meet someone and think, "She is going to be a keeper!" Because I get them often and nothing comes out of them.

So, here I am a day later on our usual "Five minute Fridays", and cheating on the rule of not thinking much of the topic.... How can I not think about it?

I wonder at times, we are all busy with something called "Life"and yes we have priorities. But there is definitely time to feed the "heart of friendship."

So I decided to write my prayer in my journal ,the kind of friendship I would love to have and and the kind of friend I need to be.

Have you told God lately what a friend means to you?

In God's hand, I wait(patiently and not downcast) for that Jonathan and David kind of friendship.

P:S: Thank you Monica and Lingwei for the comments on my earlier post. That has surely lifted my spirit.

STOP

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Garments of Praise and Prayer

As I wore my gloves before leaving the house, I remembered something beautiful about these gloves. I bought these stripped ones because my best friend Lingwei loves anything stripped. So each time I wear them, I remember her and say a prayer for her and thank God for her in my life. So even though she moved from the Netherlands to Boston, memories of our weekends together drinking wine and going crazy over a stationary/arts and craft store, comes back, bringing a smile to my face.

I realized, as I was driving back home that I have few of these things that remind me of someone and a floodgate of memories rush in.

Every time I use Wim's chilly from his garden, I remember what a wonderful man he was, and how much his family misses him. A moment to thank God for his life here on earth and the legacy he has left behind.

Every time I wear a bracelet gift from another best friend, Blessy, I am reminded of our times together eating real spicy fish curry and watching Oprah! A moment to thank God for best friends like her. Even though we live in two different parts of the world we are able to pick up and connect no matter how long it has been since we chatted.

Every time I read my Bible, I come across an almost yellow, 10 years or more, old piece of paper with verses written on it, given to me by yet another best friend, Monica before we went in for our final university exams. A moment to thank God for her friendship and how the prayers of her mother and her, that kept me from falling! We had terrible issues with writing really long sentences for our research paper! I still do this Moni!


Are you wearing something,or come across something that reminds you of those precious people that God placed in your life? Take a moment to thank God for them and pray for them.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Five Minute Friday: God in the unexpected

On Fridays around these parts we stop, drop, and write.

For fun, for love of the sound of words, for play, for delight, for joy and celebration at the art of communication.

For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Most importantly: leave a comment for the person who linked up before you – encouraging them in their writing!


GO


When life doesn't turn out quite the way you imagined, God steps in, in His right and perfect time revealing His plan for now. Why did I ever think I could do this better? Why did I ever think I know what's best for me?

When I worry on how to tackle an issue, How to use this matured 30 year old brain I have from this October onwards... God in the unexpected reveals the solution.... which is so WOW... and I try not to take pride in that decision or solution.. as if I thought of it...

Even when I run around a chaotic morning and forget to dwell in your presence first, you shelter my children from harm and watch their every step as they bump into other kids and have a bloody lip, and hit their tiny heads at the edge of the table. Your presence surrounds us no matter what promise we keep with you.... You still keep your Word and stay with it.

God, your presence is ever so near...

STOP