I even forgot that snow was in the forecast for today . . . well, snow has been forecasted for the past few weeks, but always a 30% chance. So, it hasn't happened. But lately it has been VERY cold and the chance of snow was a little higher.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
1 Peter 3:8-22
8Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,
"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
8Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,
"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
...more adventures in public transportation...
I have a few options on how to get to school. What I usually do is walk a few blocks and then take two different trams and then walk another block. Then I arrive at school. I can also walk to the front of the next block of flats (aka apartment building), take a trolley bus, then a regular bus, then the two trams. Well today, I decided that I would take the trolley bus to the regular bus. But while I was waiting for the regular bus, I changed my mind and decided to walk a couple blocks to the closest tram stop. That way I would only have to make one more change.
So there I am riding along on the tram as planned thinking this worked out. I'll only need to change one more time and I didn't see the bus pass me as I walked so I'm no further behind than I would have been.
Then all the sudden the tram conductor comes on the speaker and says something in Hungarian and everyone gets off the tram. I, not knowing the language, can figure out what is going on. I got off the tram too. Then I have to go across the street to the bus stop, with everyone else and catch the next bus. So, I get on the bus. But this bus won't take me all the way to my school. So at the end stop, which is also a form of a transportation hub, I had to find which bus would get me closer to school. Praise God that I had previously taken a bus from that point with a student on our way to school once, so I could kind of remember where to catch it. I found the bus, got on and rode that to as close to the school as it would get me. Then after getting off that bus, I walked down the street a little and caught the tram that takes me a block away from my school.
So...all that to say, I took 5 forms of public transport today. I'm just glad my first lesson for today was cancelled, otherwise I would have missed half of it. But all was good...I made it to school and had plenty of time to do what I needed to do. Life is an adventure!! And I'm enjoying every minute of it!!
I have a few options on how to get to school. What I usually do is walk a few blocks and then take two different trams and then walk another block. Then I arrive at school. I can also walk to the front of the next block of flats (aka apartment building), take a trolley bus, then a regular bus, then the two trams. Well today, I decided that I would take the trolley bus to the regular bus. But while I was waiting for the regular bus, I changed my mind and decided to walk a couple blocks to the closest tram stop. That way I would only have to make one more change.
So there I am riding along on the tram as planned thinking this worked out. I'll only need to change one more time and I didn't see the bus pass me as I walked so I'm no further behind than I would have been.
Then all the sudden the tram conductor comes on the speaker and says something in Hungarian and everyone gets off the tram. I, not knowing the language, can figure out what is going on. I got off the tram too. Then I have to go across the street to the bus stop, with everyone else and catch the next bus. So, I get on the bus. But this bus won't take me all the way to my school. So at the end stop, which is also a form of a transportation hub, I had to find which bus would get me closer to school. Praise God that I had previously taken a bus from that point with a student on our way to school once, so I could kind of remember where to catch it. I found the bus, got on and rode that to as close to the school as it would get me. Then after getting off that bus, I walked down the street a little and caught the tram that takes me a block away from my school.
So...all that to say, I took 5 forms of public transport today. I'm just glad my first lesson for today was cancelled, otherwise I would have missed half of it. But all was good...I made it to school and had plenty of time to do what I needed to do. Life is an adventure!! And I'm enjoying every minute of it!!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
| Like many languages, Hungarian does not have the 'th' sound that the English language has. So, you can imagine my delight when I found Heather (the plant) being sold on the street. Then I knew there was a Hungarian equivalent to my name, which is Erika. (News to me) While I was talking to Erin about this new revelation, I came across a website that has more information than I could ever imagine about Heather (the plant). This included this cute story that I have included below. My desire is that my response to God would be the same as in this story, and that from that I would have the strength, fragrance and sweetness of a woman who is pleasing to the Lord. |
When God first made the world, He looked at the bare and barren hillsides and thought how nice it would be to cover them with some kind of beautiful tree or flower. So he turned to the Giant Oak, the biggest and strongest of all of the trees he had made, and asked him if he would be willing to go up to the bare hills to help make them look more attractive. But the oak explained that he needed a good depth of soil in order to grow and that the hillsides would be far too rocky for him to take root.
So God left the oak tree and turned to the honeysuckle with its lovely yellow flower and beautiful sweet fragrance. He asked the honeysuckle if she would care to grow on the hillsides and spread her beauty and fragrance amongst the barren slopes. But the honeysuckle explained that she needed a wall or a fence or even another plant to grow against, and for that reason, it would be quite impossible for her to grow in the hills.
So God then turned to one of the sweetest and most beautiful of all the flowers - the rose. God asked the rose if she would care to grace the rugged highlands with her splendour. But the rose explained that the wind and the rain and the cold on the hills would destroy her, and so she would not be able to grow on the hills.
Disappointed with the oak, the honeysuckle and the rose, God turned away. At length, he came across a small, low lying, green shrub with a flower of tiny petals -some purple and some white. It was a heather.
God asked the heather the same question that he’d asked the others. "Will you go and grow upon the hillsides to make them more beautiful?"
The heather thought about the poor soil, the wind and the rain - and wasn’t very sure that she could do a good job. But turning to God she replied that if he wanted her to do it, she would certainly give it a try.
God was very pleased.
He was so pleased in fact that he decided to give the heather some gifts as a reward for her willingness to do as he had asked.
Firstly he gave her the strength of the oak tree - the bark of the heather is the strongest of any tree or shrub in the whole world.
Next he gave her the fragrance of the honeysuckle - a fragrance which is frequently used to gently perfume soaps and potpouris.
Finally he gave her the sweetness of the rose - so much so that heather is one of the bees favourite flowers. And to this day, heather is renowned especially for these three God given gifts.
Story copied from:
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