Christmas time

So this Christmas time, I decided I wanted to see some Christmas markets. So I planned my weekends so that I was able to see many of them. My first was in Olomouc, a city about an hour from Ostrava. I really enjoyed this Christmas market. It wasn't too busy. It wasn't too crowded. They had nice things and good prices. I had a great time and bought some cool stuff.

The following weekend, I went with Shelly and Ashley (two other ESI teachers at Fishnet) to visit the ESI teachers in Bratislava and then go to the Christmas markets in Vienna. Well, we got to go to the Christmas market in Bratislava, too, and ate dinner there. The food was fantastic! And they also had some great things to buy. This market wasn't quite as big as Olomouc (or any of the others-except maybe Ostrava) but it was still nice. I was able to get some nice stuff there, too. Then the next day, Saturday, we hopped on a train to Vienna-only about an hour away-and went to three different Christmas markets there. The first was in front of the town hall. And it was PACKED. Like sardines in a can packed. You could barely move. I was so stressed out by the end of it that I was ready to just be done, even though I'm certain I didn't see everything, and I might have liked to get a mug of punch. The second one was nice. It was less packed, which was very nice. And this one was more artsy. There was some stained glass, handmade candles, photos, paintings, and other such things, as well as food and punch. This was one where I might have liked more time, but overall it was fine. I could have had a cup of punch there, too-and gotten the mug (there was a different mug you could get at each Christmas market.) and at this one, they had a bunch of hay in the middle for the kids to play in. There was absolutely no snow there, so it was fun to see the kids playing in the hay. Then we went and saw the church in what I assume is the middle of town. And on to our third of the day. I have to be honest, by the end of the day, I was just stressed out. I really enjoyed this Christmas market, too, but I was really hungry. By the time we ate, I didn't have time to look much more, so though there were a few things I'd have liked to buy, I didn't get to. But at this one, I did get some punch (though I think they actually just gave me hot wine... which was still good) and bought the mug, so I got one mug out of it. It was, overall, a great weekend.

And this weekend. This weekend, I went to Prague. I couldn't go until Saturday morning because we had the Fishnet Christmas party on Friday night. But Saturday morning, I woke up and hopped on the train and headed to see my friends Sierra and Amy in Prague. They took me around to the many Christmas markets. They were nice, but very much for tourists. And in a few, it seemed like they had 3 different shops that manned every 3rd booth... But I did find a few things to buy. And we had some good food and some punch-that wasn't so good. I was disappointed to find that Prague didn't have mugs for their hot wine and punch. But oh well. Then tonight, when I was back in Ostrava, I went to see my friend Teresa sing at the Christmas market here. I got some Christmas punch (WAY better than the punch I had in Prague) and got to hang out with some friends. Overall it was a successful weekend.

And overall it was a successful Christmas market season-and it's not over. I hope to go back to the Ostrava Christmas market at least once more, and I'll go to any others if there is time, but I fear that there will not be any time to go anywhere else, since there's a week left before Christmas, though some are open the week after Christmas. We shall see. :-)

lots of little things

So lots of little things have been on my mind as of late. For one thing, (though not necessarily next on my mind-just the next that comes to mind to discuss) I went to two new countries this weekend. I wish I got a stamp when I went to a new country. It would be really fun to have visa stamps galore in my passport. But this will not be happening. However, I saw a Christmas market (or the Christmas market) in Bratislava, and then we went to (the?) three in Vienna. What a great weekend. But what an obnoxiously large crowd of people in Vienna-and going back to Bratislava. It was fantastic. I bought a few things. But I am glad to be home. And was so thankful for a nearly empty train car on the way back to Ostrava. And I am thankful to be back home-where I am more familiar with the language and am more confident to talk to people and tell them what I want at a store or something like this.

Next, I find it interesting that God speaks to His people. But most interestingly of all is how we listen (or don't). When God tells us something we need to share with others, we tend to be all over that. But when God starts talking about something we need to hear, want to know, or something of this variety, we question, "Is this really God?" or, "How do I know if it's God or me?" Or something of this sort. I am so guilty of this. Why would we not question if it has nothing to do with us, or is mostly to do with someone else, but then totally question every aspect when it has to do with our own lives? I do not seek to find an answer in today's blog post. Perhaps another day, I will delve into this. But for today, I will simply pose the question.

Lastly, I will say that I am tired and should go to bed. This means that I am going to sign off :-) Hope all is going well with you!!

threes and such

I like things in even numbers and I like things in threes. Somehow I think words work best when you can use three. I'm not sure how to explain exactly why I feel this way, so I'm not going to :-)

At night, I like to dream. I usually have dreams-as apparently everyone does. But I also remember them a lot. I don't always write them down, but I remember a good number of them. In the past month, I've had about 7 or 8 that I have remembered. Or at least that many that I have written down. Most of my life I've had interesting ones, from flying to falling, to being at a pool party, to seeing Philadelphia in ruins, to people having babies, to me even having a baby for someone else. And last night, I had a dream that I "caused" someone to have an abortion. I usually will remember many details-when I write them they are often very long. But this dream, there are only a few things that stick out to me, though the more I think about it the more I remember. But still. I wrote about it today and only got about a paragraph or two-often they are like 5 though. Anyway. It's always interesting trying to figure them out. Often God speaks to me through them. Don't think I'm too crazy. If you want to know about them, let me know. It's been pretty crazy at times.

But one dream I had maybe 2 nights ago was that I was on a train, sitting int he front with this guy, and then we went around a corner and the front of the train derailed. I tried to yell for the conductor to stop but he didn't, so I got off and started waving my arms. But at this point, the engine (which, strangely, was in the back) did the same thing the front had done, and was also derailed. So he got off the train to try to fix it. I was looking at where my train car was and how I could put it back on and what had caused the problem, and I noticed that part of the track was missing. It was like we were going over a part that was an intersection, where you could go one way or another (or in this case, come from one way to another) and the inside parts were missing. Well when I went back toward the conductor, he shot a man. The conductor was dressed in a white t-shirt that was kind of longish and it had some black print on it. And he had on some jeans. Very odd clothing for a train conductor. But then these other people came in suits and wanted us out of their way so they could talk without us hearing. These are just some of the details. The dream itself was much longer. But it made me think about what it could mean. Obviously it can just be a strange dream. But I think that it has some kind of meaning. I have no idea why I am sharing this with you, except that I think it has to do with the "track" I'm on, some kind of intersection, and some "missing pieces." So if you pray, will you pray with me that I will find the "missing pieces" and figure things out so I am not too lost and feeling like my train has "derailed"? Thanks.

But what about you? Do you ever have weird dreams? Like where you dream you're flying, and then think that it's so much cooler because it's actually real life, and not a dream? I had one like that once. Or how about where you can actually feel your stomach dropping as you get closer to the earth, like you're sky diving, except you're not? I'd love to hear about the dreams you remember!

i missed you

So I have to be honest, it was a little strange going to bed last night without writing a little something about what I'm thankful for, though I was beginning to come up with the same things, people, other people, fun times, hard times, and the like. So I'm glad I don't have to come up with something new every night anymore. But I want to tell you more stuff. So maybe I'll write like every couple days or something.

But I'm going to tell you something I'm really thankful for today. It's a repeat of what I've said before, but I am so thankful for the friends I have here in Ostrava. God has blessed me with such a variety of friends. Friends at church, friends at work, and then just friends that I met through other friends that I met in a somewhat "random" kind of way. But they are some of the best friends I've ever had. And I love that I get to experience life in Ostrava with them :-)

What are you thankful for?

SNOW!!!!

All month, I have been waiting for it to snow so I could say I was thankful for snow. And would you believe it has not snowed a single bit! Well, not that I have seen. Supposedly it snowed in another part of town, but I never saw it, so I'm not completely convinced that it happened. It did, however, rain for the first time, I think all month. Precipitation-we'll take what we can get, right?

I am also thankful for Russians. Or people in Russia. This one is two-fold. Tonight, I went out for dinner with my friend Victoriya (I hope I spelled that right)-and she is from Russia. And we had a great time. And also, today, I have had 3 blog views, and all 3 were from Russia. I have no idea who it is, but it makes me feel special that I get so many views. And I get usually around 3 a day from Russia alone. So thanks, Russia, whoever you are. Feel free to leave me a message to let me know who you are!!

Christmas

So yesterday I was thankful for Christmas movies. But today I'm thankful for Christmas. I'm thankful that a loving God sent a baby to live like men so that eventually he could give up his life for us. I'm thankful that Christmas is a time to show love to people, maybe more than you would show on a normal day (though, of course, that begs the question: why should it be more so at Christmas than on any other normal day?)

So, while it doesn't feel like Christmas at all because there is no snow, I am still thankful for this month of Christmas which follows a season of thanksgiving (at least in America it's a month long and follows Thanksgiving!) And now I'm praying for snow :-)

Christmas movies

Since technically Thanksgiving is over, but I'm still doing this, I am lucky. I get to be thankful for Christmas movies! Tonight, Erica bought Elf so we could watch it. So we did. Can I tell you, that movie is probably one of my favorite Christmas movies... I know, I'm nuts. But I love it. And the end usually makes me at least tear up a little... It's such a heartwarming story about a guy who just loves people, haha. I just love it. And I am so thankful that we got to watch it tonight :-)

mashed potatoes

Today, I am thankful for mashed potatoes. Yesterday, at the Fishnet Thanksgiving, I remembered and told about one year at Thanksgiving (possibly 2006), when we were "forced" to go around the table and say what we were thankful for, and my Aunt Lisa and I said we were thankful for mashed potatoes. I am pretty sure we were the 2 who were thankful for it. And I think my cousin Billy said he was thankful for the Orange Salad (which I am also thankful for, and wish I could have-hopefully this summer, I will make some, just so I can have some!). Anyway. We said it so we didn't have to say anything serious (why do we actually avoid saying things we are thankful for?) and because we just wanted to eat.

Well today I can tell you it's not just because I want to eat. I've eaten plenty today-and over the past 2 weeks. But there is something special about mashed potatoes. Or even just potatoes in general. They are wonderful, and I am thankful for them :-)

more

Today I am thankful for being able to celebrate Thanksgiving three times when I'm not able to be with my family. I haven't been able to actually celebrate Thanksgiving with my family since 2006. When I was in Philadelphia, I worked a full day the day before Thanksgiving, so I didn't have time to drive 8 hours-or more I didn't want to drive all of Thanksgiving day, only to get somewhere in time to eat, then probably run off to some other place. So I got to celebrate with one of my coworkers.

But even so, I miss my family's traditions. And I'm sad that this year I missed having Thanksgiving in my cousin's new house. But I got to celebrate Thanksgiving three times, each time with awesome people who have become like family. It has been wonderful :-)

winter jackets

So today I could tell you how having no dryer causes my clothes to dry slightly bigger than if I could put them in a dryer. But I'd rather tell you how thankful I am that I have warm clothes. Mostly my jacket is warm, but my clothes help to keep me warm, too. Last year, I managed to get through the winter in only a fall jacket (with many layers underneath it). This year, I brought my winter jacket from America back with me. It is much warmer, and yet I am wondering how I got through the winter with only a fall jacket. I guess you make due when you're desperate. But this year, I get a warm winter jacket. And it has a hood. It's fantastic. My gloves aren't so helpful, but I am so thankful that I have other stuff that keeps me warm-like a jacket :-)

Family

So today is the perfect day to be thankful for my family :-) It is the most popular answer, isn't it? I asked my cousin Nicole today what she was thankful for, and she definitely said her family-but in all fairness, I'm pretty sure she also said "everything" haha. I definitely understand her on that one!

Today, I got to talk to almost everyone in my family-but my immediate family, meaning my mom, dad and brother, I did get to talk to. By the time I got to talk to them, it was at least 10:30 here. Right now I'm exhausted, but I assure you I was no less exhausted when I talked to them an hour ago! But I am so thankful that I got to talk to them. Perhaps technology would be a better thing (is better actually the word I'm looking for here? maybe just more appropriate...) to be thankful for, since I wouldn't have been able to talk to them if the technology didn't exist.

Anyway, my family has definitely had its fair share of ups and downs. But I am thankful for all of them and that I had my family to go through them with. It wasn't always easy for any of us, but if it hadn't been what it was, I wouldn't be who I am, and I'm definitely thankful for that-most of the time :-)

I am also so thankful for how supportive my family is of every little crazy thing I want to do. When I wanted to go away for college, they supported me and helped me make it happen. When I wanted to move away from them to teach in Philly, they supported me and believed in me and were there to answer my phone calls when I called home crying after a rough day. And when I decided to follow God's call and pack up and move to the Czech Republic, they supported me then, too. And even now, when they don't necessarily like that I'm gone, they still support me and I am so thankful for that!

helping hands

Today, I'm thankful for helpers. What brought this on was that today I had a couple of girls over and they helped me cut apples for 3 apple pies. This was a tremendous help. While they did that, I was able to knock out the crusts for those 3 pies-well at least making them. I just got done putting them together not too long ago. I'll try baking them tomorrow, probably. But anyway. I have been so blessed in my life to have so many people who are willing to help. Of course probably one of my biggest faults is not wanting to accept the help-but I have to start giving up control at some point, right? Haha.

This reminds me of coming back to the Czech Republic in August. Did I ever tell you that 7 strangers helped me with my luggage between Maine and Ostrava? Yes, 7. This number, I think, is quite significant. But just to make sure I never forget, or always have somewhere to go to look for it, I'm going to chronicle it here for you now.

1) On my first flight, the man sitting next to me on the plane put my backpack in the overhead compartment.
2) On my second flight, the man sitting next to me took my backpack down from the overhead compartment.
3) Then, when I landed in Prague and got on the bus to the train station and because I had 2 suitcases, I was struggling to get everything on the bus and move back so everyone else could get on. So a girl brought one of my bags back for me.
4) Then I had one bag that was falling over, so the guy standing by the door offered to hold it for me so it didn't fall.
5) On the train, a man helped me get my bag down from the top rack.
6) When I was trying to get off the train, a child held the automatic door open for me so I could get all my stuff out.
7) At the train station in Ostrava, a man offered in Czech to take my bags downstairs for me. I told him I didn't understand, so he actually stood there and thought, then said it again and motioned to what he wanted. At this point, he said it slowly enough and with enough gestures that I understood and he took a suitcase in each hand and carried them down the 2 flights of stairs, only to turn around and walk back up them.

While they seem insignificant, and some are more difficult to remember than others, seven different people helped me when I needed help. And they didn't even know me. I am thankful for people who offer help, no matter how insignificant it may seem. I am also thankful for friends who are always willing to help.

the family you get to choose

Today I am thankful for family and my family-away-from-family. I have been blessed in my life to have had circumstances which caused me to accept so many as "family" and I have had so many "family" members for which I am truly thankful. Of course I am hugely thankful for my family, but I'll save them for another day. Right now, I am especially thankful for the "family" of friends I have here in Ostrava. From other ESI teachers, to other foreigners, to Czechs who have welcomed me as family, I am ever-blessed for such wonderful family. And I'm totally looking forward to Christmas day this year because of it :-) I think Christmas in general is going to be really awesome this year. I'm thankful for that, too!

Cross-cultural communication

Today I am thankful for just that - cross-cultural communication. And for being recognized. Though I have lived here in the Czech Republic for over a year, I am by no means fluent in Czech. In fact, I still only know a little bit, though I understand far more than I used to-and more than I can actually produce. That being said, I had a conversation today with our office manager, Květa, who speaks about as much English as I speak Czech. The conversation was in Czech. And it was about my transportation pass, or měsičník (I think that's how you spell it). It was interesting to learn about it and actually be able to communicate in my broken Czech and understand what Květa was saying.

And then tonight, I went to Albert. I have to be honest, my last few trips to Albert, our local grocery store, have been "pennies" particularly because of one cashier. We have been going to the same store about the whole time we have been here, and over that time, we have come to recognize the cashiers, since there are probably 10 at the most that we come into contact with. But one in particular has taken to greeting me with a smile, in a way that says "I recognize you and I'm glad you're here." I think she knows I don't speak much Czech. If she truly recognizes me, she knows this very well :-) But even when I'm not in her line, she will say hello to me and smile kindly. And tonight, I got to see her again. I look forward to the day that I can understand and answer her questions that are not the normal "Do you have (enter small number here) crowns" or "How many rolls?"I am pretty sure she said something about what I was buying, but I didn't understand enough to answer. Fortunately she said it more like a statement than a question, so she knew she wouldn't get an answer. In any case, she is super nice and I love going to the store and having her as my cashier.

There are still moments that catch me off guard, like when a guy was coming out the door of my building and his dog was barking and pulling on the leash, so he accidentally closed the door, rather than leaving it open for me. I understood that he said that it closed and sorry, but I couldn't think fast enough how to tell him it wasn't a problem. Oh well. I love that communicating is getting easier and easier every day that I am here. And I am so thankful that some things can be communicated across many cultures without words.

bottle drives

Today I am thankful for redemption. This word redemption has so many different meanings... well the meanings are all pretty much the same, but I guess what I mean is so many things can be redeemed. For example in Maine, and in other states in the US, you can take bottles and cans to a redemption center and get money for them (of course you pay a deposit on the bottle when it is purchased, and then you take it to the redemption center to get your money back).

But perhaps the redemption I am most thankful for is mine. I am thankful that I can be like a crappy old bottle that needs to be returned to the redemption center, and rather than allowing me to just sit in a can somewhere, waiting for more "bottles" which need to be redeemed, Jesus has already redeemed us, before we were even empty. When I was ready, at about 11 or 12, I was emptied of myself, and redeemed by Jesus. And now he fills me and uses me for something way beyond what I ever imagined. He melted me down and reshaped me. He redeemed me, and this is what I am most thankful for.

Pennies from Heaven

It's a fun song, and ties in to what I am thankful for today. This weekend, we have our ESI Thanksgiving conference, and among the TEFL training that we have had, we have also had other sessions, including worship and devotions. Last night, one of our teammates who teaches in Hungary talked about pennies. There was so much more to it than that-but basically it was about the small blessings that add up, and how they are like finding pennies. They may seem worthless at the time, but we should always be thankful for them. So today I am thankful for the pennies-the small blessings which I take for granted.

And today the penny I am most thankful for is a song being sung in four-part harmony. I love music. I love hearing music. And I love participating in music being made. And it's always wonderful to hear music in parts. I think, though, that the best is when there is a strong, deep bass to sing along with the group. There is something that sings in my soul when all four parts, especially the bass, is present. Which is your favorite part?

Technical difficulties

Due to Internet connectivity issues, I am writing a post for the first time using the app for my iPhone.

For today's post, I will mention how thankful I am for small reminders of good things, and for one seemingly small thing which makes my day-being recognized and remembered. I don't mean like being recognized for some reward, but like seeing someone you might see every day and have never talked to-but one day, that person smiles and says hello when she sees you. Or when your students each make a point to say hello. Or when even their parents say hello an smile even though you have so little contact with them. Seeing that person you actually only met once before but yet she remembers you and you get to chat a bit. Even in the grocery store when the cashier recognizes you. These simple things can mean so much!

were those gunshots?!

Tuesday evening, I was teaching a class and in the middle of the lesson, we heard a few loud popping sounds. I asked the class, "What was that?" And one of the students replied, "Someone killing someone." The tone in which it was told, you could tell they were obviously joking. The lesson continued and nothing else happened.

Fast forward to last night. I got home from a lesson and had to make a pie, so I started making it and realized that I didn't have enough butter to make it, so I had to trek back out to the store. On my way, I saw some teenagers (one of whom I recognized as a student of mine), who were probably actually only 12 or 13-maybe one or two were 14. Anyway, one of them appeared to have a cigarette in his hand, and something else, though I couldn't tell what. He took the other thing and kind of flung it toward the grass. About 30 seconds later, I heard a loud popping sound. I found the source of the "person killing someone"-fire crackers. It scared the tar out of me, no doubt, the first time I heard it. After that, it didn't scare me though.

But this brought me to realizing that my first thought, even in the moment that I knew it was a fire cracker, that it was a gunshot. I am not from Philadelphia, and I didn't live there long enough in a bad enough part of town to be used to hearing this on a regular basis, or to actually build up a reaction to it. But automatically my first thought was that it was a gun, and my instinct really was a "duck and cover" kind of instinct. Thinking about this made me realize that so many people live in neighborhoods where hearing actual gunshots is commonplace. Having at least one, if not more, family members shot and possibly killed by gunshots is normal. 

One more conversation happened today. One of the girls who teaches in Hungary was talking about how people say her city is not safe, but that you totally feel safe there-and I was telling her about how Ostrava is very similar. You mostly feel safe, but people will tell you that it's dangerous. Really, you just have to be careful which part you're in. All of these together, though, made me realize how thankful I am that I live in a safe city (or at least I feel safe there). I am thankful that I don't have to worry about being shot, and it's pretty rare that I would be attacked and other such things. I am so thankful for a safe, beautiful city to live in, where I have fabulous friends and people are wonderful.

it's so... wet

Today, I am thankful for water. I don't necessarily drink it as often as I should or as I used to. But I use it every day, and without it, I guarantee I'd at least feel a little lost. You can't wash your hands without it. You can't flush a toilet without it (though there are "toilets" which don't use it at all-I suppose you could use one of those.). You can't wash dishes without it. You can't quench your thirst without it. You can't really cook without it. According to cleanwaterfortheworld.org, every 15 seconds a child dies from a water-borne disease. And 1.1 billion people in the world lack access to clean water... that's about 1/6 of the people in the world. I am not part of that 17%. Today, I choose to be thankful for that.

To find out more about how to solve this problem and get clean water for the world, visit cleanwaterfortheworld.org, water.org, or google "world clean water access" and find a number of pages related to this topic.

Also, to let you know, I will be going out of town until Sunday. I will do my best to write while I am gone, but if I don't, I'll make sure to still post for those days once I get back.

winter is coming!

Today, I am thankful for heat. It's the middle of November, and you can definitely tell that winter is on its way, if it's not already here. The temperature just seems to get colder and colder every day-sometimes throughout the day. But I am so thankful that I can go home to a warm flat. It's nice to know that even though I can't feel my face or my fingers, soon I will be home and able to warm up. I don't fear that when I get home, things will be just as cold there. For this, I am thankful :-)

short and sweet

Today, I'm thankful for sleep. This weekend, I had a ton of fun and am super thankful for that. And today, I'm thankful for being able to rest. I get to go to bed in 2 minutes and sleep for at least 8 hours. And it will be fantastic :-) Apparently you can tell where my mind is, since yesterday and today I posted about sleep of some sort. Yesterday it was for naps, and today a long night's sleep... But they are different, for sure!

rest

I must say that today, I am thankful for naps. With all the commitments I had yesterday, I literally was going from the minute I woke up at 8:15 until I went to bed around 3 this morning. It was an awesome day of baking, learning how to bake Czech cookies, practicing and speaking Czech, and partying. But, since this morning started at 8 (though I hit the snooze 3 times before I even realized it was going off, so I should have been up at 7:30), I have been tired. But after church, I came home and then I took a nap. And it was fabulous. I haven't taken a nap in forever. I rarely take them, though Sundays tend to be the best days for them. I woke up still tired, but I had rehearsal tonight, so it was ok. Of course now I'm not so tired, but I must go to bed :-)

silver and gold

Today (I'm writing for Saturday here), I am thankful for meeting new people. I have already said how thankful I am for my friends. I have been blessed with wonderful friends. And it's been tempting to again write about how much I like them. And today, I'm thankful for meeting new people-not quite friends yet, but people to potentially add to the friends I have. Being an extrovert, I get energy from being with people. So in my opinion, the more the merrier!

it's the little things

Today, I am thankful of the little reminders of home, whether it's remembering that it's Veteran's Day because of Facebook (Thank you to all the Veterans out there, including my grandfather, my dad and several friends, as well as to their families), or an American film or tv show, or even going to the grocery store and finding that they now sell Oreos here. I'm so thankful for the little things that help to make this feel like it's my home.

Welcome back to our 11th installment of what Jess is thankful for, 2011.

I am thankful for... family. I am so thankful for people who care about me and love me and take care of things for me while I am gone from the country. Things haven't always been just peachy, but we have had some fun memories and even witnessed some fine miracles (hey, if driving across the US and no one dying isn't a miracle, I don't know what is). Together, we have been all over the US, including living in Hawaii (that was just horrible, as I'm sure you can imagine, lol). But we always had each other. We didn't always get along, but we were together.

Now-a-days my family looks different than it used to-there are new members grafted in, relationships which have been redefined. But perhaps that makes me all the more thankful for everyone I consider family. So thanks to my family for being so wonderful :-)

Easily amused

Today I am thankful for what some (or maybe most) would consider rather silly. I am thankful for blogger and the various tracking methods it uses. I am thankful that I can see that I have friends from all over the world who read, or at least have read, my blog. I'm having a hard time figuring out who from Russia is reading my blog. If you want to tell me who you are, feel free :-)

I am able to see when the best time is to post that I've updated my blog-well ok, I haven't mastered this yet, but there was one night that I had 73 views-that was incredible to me. I have learned that there are people in 9 countries who have read my blog-the US and the CZ have the biggest numbers, but then I've had people read from Russia, North Africa (I know the country, but it will remain nameless to protect those who have read-thanks for reading!), Germany, Liberia, Vietnam and Azerbaijan. Before last year, I had never even heard of Azerbaijan! I hope to add more countries, but that means I need to meet more people, hahaha (I won't lie, I do kind of wish that they broke down the US by state-but oh well!).

I have learned that 57% of my readers have read from a Windows operating system, while only 24% have read from a Mac operating system. Then others use either Android, iPhone or iPod. And possibly the biggest surprise of all-27% of the views come from Internet Explorer. And interestingly Safari is used more than Chrome. I will take this opportunity to recommend Chrome-though I suppose one of the biggest draws for me is that it will translate whole webpages-I guess it wouldn't be useful for many of you. It's incredibly useful for me, though :-) I even learned about a new operating system (well new to me) called RockMelt, as well. Oh, and "sites" are sending people to my blog, but when I try to find out what they are, they are just junk types of pages. That's fascinating to me... wonder what the real story is. Anyway, I am sure this information is not interesting at all to you, but I am thankful for it-or at least some of it :-)

what would you do if time were currency?

I saw an interesting movie tonight with Erica. In Time is a science fiction film where time is currency. The main character, Will, lives in "the ghetto" where people live day to day. When your clock runs out, you "time out" (or die). I won't ruin the film for you, in case you want to see it, but I'll recommend it, saying that it made me re-evaluate what I do with my time, as well as how I view wealth.

So today, I'm thankful for time. So often, I complain about having none, but in the big scheme of things, I have plenty. And even if I don't, I can't complain because we all are given the same amount of time. Ultimately, it's how we use it that matters. When Will is given a large amount of time, a message is left for him which says, "Don't waste my time." This made both Erica and I think about how God is like the character which gave his time as a gift to Will, and how God doesn't want us to waste His time. So anyway, I am thankful for the time I have been given, for the time I have spent here in the Czech Republic, as well as every other place I've been and will be in my life. I just hope I don't waste it.

...delicious...

So I'll write a little something a little early in comparison to every other day before today. But for now, I have time, so I will tell you what I am thankful for. I am thankful for some ability to cook. For me, cooking is in some ways a stress reliever. I don't mind spending 2 hours cooking dinner after working all day long (at least not most nights), and in fact, I usually enjoy it. Cooking is therapeutic for in some way. And so, I say I am thankful for at least some ability to cook because if I couldn't cook and enjoyed it this much, life might not be so enjoyable (though one could also argue I might not enjoy it so much, either! hehe). So tonight, after making bacon and eggs for dinner, I think about how much cooking (or actually baking) I will be doing in the next few weeks, and how much cooking I'd like to do. It makes me smile. Cakes, pies, cookies-I can't wait. I'd also like to get some fudge in there. And hopefully I'll be cooking more dinner-and possibly a thanksgiving dinner... maybe. It makes me happy. The only thing I worry about is not having enough time all at once to actually get everything done in :-)

power

I am thankful for music. Music has the power to heal. It gives a voice to the deepest, most sorrowful groanings of your soul. It evokes memories. There are songs I hear and I can vividly remember a time I heard that song-where I was and who I was with. I can't even put into words exactly why I am thankful for music. Perhaps this quote from outside an old opera house best sums it up, "... God gave us music that we might pray without words."

a fiery beauty

Today I was thankful for several things. As always, I was thankful for my friends-I had a great day and night with many of them! But the one I'll write about today (since I already wrote about friends anyway) is for fall. Today, we had beautiful fall weather! This year, our fall has been rather dry-though typically fall in Ostrava is pretty wet. I remember that last year I was somewhat disappointed with the fall because the colors weren't as vibrant as they are in New England. But this year, probably mostly due to the fact that it has been pretty dry, we have had a gorgeous fall. The leaves have been all colors from red to yellow to orange. My favorite, though I didn't take a picture, was of one tree that looked very much like there was fire in its branches, because of the way it went from yellow to red. My favorite color of all is this red color that leaves turn. So this year, I have been so thankful that I have been able to partake in the beauty that is the fall. And for today's gorgeous weather in general.

it's good for the soul

Many things can be said about what I am thankful for today. It's good for the soul, it's good medicine, it's the shortest distance between two people, it's an instant vacation. Today I am thankful for... laughter. In fact, in trying to find the perfect quote about laughter, I found a Yiddish proverb which says, "What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul." And Kurt Vonnegut compared laughter and crying saying, "Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion.  I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward."  On a similar note, Puzant Kevork Thomajan said, "A hearty laugh gives one a dry cleaning, while a good cry is a wet wash." I have no idea who Puzant Kevork Thomajan is, but I agree with both him and Kurt Vonnegut. 


More than being thankful for laughter, today I'm thankful for my "instant vacation" multiple times today. I love to laugh, and it's even better when there are several opportunities to partake in the good medicine, the medicine for the soul, multiple times a day.

bumps

Only my fourth day in, and I'm already encountering bumps. Or at least one. All day, I have been thinking about what I can write about, what I am thankful for today. This is not to say that I am not thankful for anything. I am thankful for many things, but what should I mention today? The past few days, there have been recurring themes throughout each day, so I know just what to be thankful for, or what to write about. Sitting here now, I am realizing that my theme for today is just not as "happy" as I expected. In fact, it's something I'm pretty sure I have blogged about recently, too.

Today, I am thankful for the bumps, the trials, the difficult times. I am thankful for every bump, jostle, trial, and difficult time I have been through, and this is for a couple of reasons. One reason is because, just like my friends, each bump along the way has shaped my life into what it is today-a beautiful, crazy life. If not for each difficult time, I would not be the person I am today.

I am also thankful for the hard times because without them, I wouldn't be able to recognize the good times. This year isn't as peachy as last year. Don't get me wrong, in it's own way, this year has been amazing, and I anticipate that as this year continues, it will also continue to be amazing. But in many ways last year was better. But I know when I get out of this slump, or the next one, that the good times to follow will be that much better. If I didn't have tough times, I wouldn't be able to fully enjoy the good times though. So today, I'm thankful for them-the hard times, the bad times, the rough times. After all, if a caterpillar didn't have to fight to get out of its cocoon, it wouldn't make it out as a beautiful butterfly.

You re-ignite my flame

On the days that it feels as if the whole world is against me, blowing out what flame is left on my candle, I am reminded just how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends (and I am joyfully reminded without having such a day). Which brings us to our third edition of Giving Thanks 2011. Today, I am thankful for the wonderful friends that I have been blessed with. I don't mean I'm only thankful for the wonderful ones. I mean I'm thankful for all of them and all of them are wonderful. Each of my friends adds a different dynamic to my life. Some friends are newer, some are older. Some are closer friends, and others I don't know as well. Snail mail, email, sms, phone calls, packages, small gifts, large gifts-you've all blessed me in some way through one or more of these. Over dinner, on a road trip, through skype, via facebook. These are only a few of the mediums in which I have stayed in touch with them, but each friend I have I can say has touched my life in some way. I am so thankful for each and every one of you.

Today, this came to mind because I began my day learning a secret (that will soon be shared with all-and what a wonderful secret to be told!!!), then I was totally crazy discombobulated and changed the time I was meeting with a friend about 100 times and she was totally cool with it every time. Then I got to talk to one of my awesome friends (one who occasionally likes to give me a kick in the pants when I need it-which is more often than I care to admit.). And I saw today that my blog has been read by my friends in 7 different countries! When I think about all the awesome opportunities I have had, even the past 2 weeks, to be with my awesome friends, I've been to basketball games, gone shopping, been out to eat, been to a restaurant hanging out with friends while they eat, watched an american football game, learned secrets, told secrets (my own, don't worry), and had deep, meaningful conversations. And this only touches the surface of how wonderful my life is because of my friends.

Thank you for being my friend and for sharing life with me :-)

perfect timing

Day number 2-I'm on a roll :-)

All day, I have been thinking about what I was thankful for that I could write about today-which is my point. I want to focus about the good things rather than the bad. And a number of things came up for which I am thankful.

But what I am thankful for, that which I will write about today, is something that I am not always thankful for but should be. I am thankful for God's timing... or God's time. There are very many times that I get frustrated with His timing because things don't happen when I want them to (inner 5 year old, anyone?). But today I was infinitely thankful for it. Going into today, I thought that it would be one long crazy hectic day. I dreaded it because of this, and couldn't wait for it to be over. But my doctor's appointment did not take as long as I had anticipated which gave me time to go home and eat lunch. Excellent. Then I went to my lessons-we celebrated Halloween. Yay! I rushed to the Fishnet office to make the copies I needed for my class which was changed to today from yesterday. The copies were made so quickly I hardly believed I actually got them all-I thought for sure I missed something. And I was ready for my lesson 5 minutes early! When the first of my students arrived, he said that his colleague had an unexpected business trip, so he would not be in the lesson, and so he only wanted a half hour lesson, rather than the hour. This gave me time to get to my next lesson with plenty of time. It was wonderful the way everything worked out today. God's time and timing are perfect. And even though I complain about his time and timing too often, I'm also thankful for the reminder today of just how perfect God's plan is :-)

A day early

So I'll get started a day early, in hopes that I actually stick to this... A month of giving thanks. I was talking to my roommate Erica tonight and told her that I feel like this year (meaning school year) has been rather full of negativity. And it's hugely frustrating because I'm generally not a negative person at all-yet I find myself sucked into this negative pattern. And I don't like it. So this month-or rather next month-will be only one part of my trying to get out of the negative rut and thinking more positively. Some days will be longer than others, and honestly, part of me is nervous that I'll come to a day that I have to think really hard about what I'm thankful for-though I hope this isn't true. I want-no, I need-to be more thanksful. So here I go.

Today, I will tell you that I am so thankful for my teammate/roommate, Erica. I am so blessed to have her. She's willing to listen, willing to talk, and willing to kick me in the pants when I need it. The past year and a few months would not have been what they have been if it weren't for her. So, Erica, thanks :-)

lighter and/or shorter

On a lighter and shorter note, I'd like to be more thankful. And so it is my goal (hopefully not too lofty) to post every day in November one thing I am thankful for. Feel free to hold me to that.

"detail-oriented" or "*cough* *wheeze*"

Today I'm sick. And I'm pretty sure you have nothing better to do than hear about it. But I'll spare you major complaints-maybe. I must say, though, the timing is pretty impeccable. See on Friday, I woke up with a sore-ish throat and what some would call "sexy voice." You know that voice you have when you nearly don't have a voice. It's at least an octave lower than your normal speaking voice, and makes singing almost impossible-at least for me-unless, of course, you want to sing bass for the day (or however long it decides to linger). Saturday, I started feeling kind of tired, and while it wasn't so painful to talk, it was exhausting. I tell myself it's because I use so much energy trying to make myself heard... though I'm not sure of the accuracy of this deduction.
Sunday, still had less voice. When I sang, I pretty much sang in the bass range. Sunday night, my nose got stuffy. Monday, I still had little voice. And I had many lessons. By the end of the day, my voice was gone. Tuesday, one of my colleagues said I sounded better-though I'm pretty sure she only meant my voice. Cuz I was more stuffy on Tuesday than on Monday. And last night, my asthma decided to rear it's ugly head... at 3:30 in the morning. Fantastic. After waking myself up coughing, I took another dose of my inhaler and walked around, then laid in bed... for an hour. After an hour I finally fell asleep. Today it's mostly just hard to breathe, but I had a fun trip to the lekárná, or the pharmacy for those of you who don't speak Czech. Well, I guess it's just a medicine shop. You get prescriptions filled there. You get OTC drugs there. It's pretty much not like a CVS though because you have to tell them what you want and they get it for you. You can't pick up some medications by yourself. Anyway. I was so glad that our pastor's wife was working because I knew she'd be able to help me. I am so thankful for knowing English-speaking people in helpful areas. When one is sick, the last thing they want to do is try to communicate in a foreign language that they know very little of. Fortunately I have not been so sick, and this was my first trip to a lekárná alone. And I was glad I was able to speak English for the entire transaction-much less stressful than if she hadn't been there. If you're reading, Thanks Zuzka!
Now that I've given you a run-down of my illness (in more detail than you probably need or want), I know what you're thinking: "how does this make for good timing?" Excellent question. Let me tell you. See Friday is a national holiday. And as such, this weekend every year, it is a 5 day weekend-also known as Fall break. Now, I do still have some classes. Only one today and one tomorrow. But it's perfect timing because it's an extended period where I can just rest. I don't have to have a coughing fit in classes (well not most) and I don't have to find a way to get a drink or worry about not being able to breathe. For the most part, I can just relax at home and get better. This is so wonderful.
This morning I got to skype with a friend of mine who is teaching in Turkey. And she is always reminding me that God is good at the details. And this is just one more reminder for me that God has all the details worked out-there is not one thing He has forgotten or overlooked. It's really comforting to know this. In the midst of all the uncertainty in my life, I know for sure (though I often forget and am tempted to try to do it myself) that God has all the details worked out-none of it is a surprise to Him.

lucky you!

So I'm not sure if it's fitting, but I started writing my last blog fully knowing that I would be writing two blogs tonight. Trials and perseverance were to be the topic of the first, and the topic of this, the second, is exhaustion.

I don't know what is so different about this year, but the first month of teaching has been very taxing on me. Those of you who know teacher-Jess know that working late hours isn't necessarily a problem for me. It was common for me in Philly, at least in the earlier years, to get to work really early and leave really late. I was usually planning or grading work while I was there, and I managed well. It was tiring, but I had no personal life, really, so it wasn't a problem. In fact, I stayed until the school building closed at 7 on Halloween one year. But there's something different about it this year. Perhaps it's the struggle of juggling a personal life with work. This is in no way meant to be a complaint about life. I am very happy with most aspects of my life right now, but am also frustrated, possibly with myself, at the fact that I am missing out on fun things that I normally would love to do because I feel weary. And this makes me a bit nervous because it's only October. Fortunately, my week is most difficult in the beginning of the week, or i'd be headed for at least a 50 hour week! And that's just for work. The hard part is that I want to do social things. As an extrovert, I need time with people. Teenagers and above-that's the only stipulation. Anything younger than a teenager and it feels more like I'm babysitting or teaching than I'm enjoying myself. This doesn't refuel me. But tea at a cafe with one or two friends, or a house party with 25 people hanging out and enjoying each others company, and anything in between-that's what I need. People with whom I have a relationship.

This year is hard because Erica's schedule is so different from mine that we literally have like two nights a week that we can almost enjoy each other's company, but one of those is only every other week, and the other weeks, we do a Bible study, so it's not like one on one quality time. If you compare this to the other team of girls here, that's not so bad. But if you compare it to last year, it's a challenge. Erica and I had dinner just about every night together, and we loved it. We would talk about what was going on, what was tough, what was great, what we wanted to do in the next week, anything was open for discussion. And now, we feel like we have no time! It's a struggle.

While I have been blessed with so many great friends here in Ostrava, I feel as if I can't see them, and this is also tough. I am very sad because I have been feeling so overwhelmed with all of these things that I decided not to go to Film Weekend. I wish so much that I could be there, but for my sanity, I need to not go. It was a tough decision, but I feel that at this point, it's a necessary one. This weekend, I need to rest-and yet I find that even in my "restful" weekend, I find myself wanting to fill my time. In some way, it's not a problem. I want to use the time to work on relationships that I have had to neglect because more urgent matters have come up. I feel bad saying I have no free time. Because I know that on Saturdays I normally do next to nothing, except maybe at night. But like I said before, this doesn't refuel me, it just allows me to feel like I don't have any obligations. Being with people is what refuels me-and teaching isn't quite what I mean :-) though sometimes it suits me well enough-when it has to.

Part of me hopes this is becoming too long for people to finish reading at this point :-) I have to say I am honestly struggling with the fact that I decided not to go to Film Weekend because I need some "time off" not from YL but from responsibilities in general, and then I may decide to go to a Halloween party or have lunch with a friend, or try to spend time with friends to be renewed. And definitely to spend some time with God, as well. But I feel mentally drained right now, and I need some time with no responsibilities and to just be.

Please pray for me as I seek to find ways to rest during the week, and to be less lazy and more restful at all times. And if you have any suggestions or ideas from your own experiences, feel free to share! I am a little nervous that this is hitting in October, and I hope things do get better because I may have a serious issue on my hands if it's still this busy in, say, February!

trials of any kind

In my life, I have had my share of trials-most people have had their own share, let's be honest. Life is not easy for most people, at least not by their own standards, though, of course, when held to the same standard, my life isn't so difficult at all. Yesterday, I was reading a friend's blog, and she quoted James 1:2-4. And about five minutes later, when I refreshed my facebook news feed, I saw that another friend who is completely unrelated to the friend who wrote the blog had posted the exact same verse.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Though I didn't connect it until just now, last night I was at a bible study we have started here and we were discussing various things, but during the time, I wanted to say, but didn't, that I feel as though all the trials and things related to depending on God to provide the things I couldn't provide for myself were necessary. And now I see this verse and am assured that this is exactly true. I am reminded now, also of Romans 5:2b-5:

... we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Perseverance, no matter what the situation, now matter how hard things get, builds character and hope. I don't always feel it necessary to write this way on my blog, but today I had to share. Just when things seem easy, they get harder. And sometimes, just when things start looking hard, they get harder. But we are still supposed to persevere. Perseverance creates in us better character and gives us hope. And when it's finished its work, we are mature and complete and we don't lack anything.

If I had to look back on my life, I would say I am generally at least ok at persevering. I am pretty good at rolling with the punches and sticking with things. I can be quite determined, even to the point of stubbornness. But there are times I just don't want to persevere! Thank God that "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16) It still speaks today. (Now I just have to persevere and memorize the references for the verses I have memorized!)

How are you doing with persevering? Do you consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds (or of any kind, as some translations say)? I encourage you to 'let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.' And help me do the same.

What?!

So it's another day... and another blog entry! Who would have thought it would be another one the very next day? But today, I wanted to post about God's provision. 


For a number of reasons, the past few months have been tight financially. Though I have to admit, failure to properly manage my money is one reason (and possibly the main reason), it is not the only reason. And things have been tight for me both here in the Czech Republic and in America, with the funds I have to pay my obligations there. But God has hugely shown His faithfulness to me by providing even for small things.


The first thing I want to share is how he sold my car. I had been going back and forth about what to do next year because I would need it if I went back to America, so I should try to find a way to pay for it until I got back. But it would have made things so much more difficult if I had to find that money-because it really wasn't there. And honestly, I want to be back here. I love living in the Czech Republic and would love to find a way to be back next year. But I couldn't decide-I had just gotten here. I wasn't actively trying to sell my car at all because I still didn't know. One day, I was talking to my mom on Facebook and she mentioned a friend who asked her if I was still selling my car. I emailed this friend and within a week and a half, my father was handed a check and I paid off the car and now we are waiting for the title so we can transfer it to them. When I had stopped selling the car, and started to pray about what to do next year, God sold the car. It is such a relief, though honestly I miss owning it. I don't miss the headache of paying for it when I can't use it and things like that, though. I also believe this is confirmation that I am not done here yet. I'll talk more about that in a later post.


Like last year, this year I have funds to raise for ESI, the organization I am here with. This year, I had only about half the amount of last year, though. Over the summer, I had hoped to finish raising money for last year and get a good start on this year, if not raise all of it. And while God's people were generous, I didn't quite raise enough to finish for last year. So I was stressed this year, that I wouldn't raise it all and that I would have to pay it back on my own. I was pleased to find at least one or two new monthly partners, though, and some willing to give larger lump sums like last year. But on the same day my car was sold, I checked my account and found that I only owed $1600, and then found that a friend who was in the Czech Republic last year and had a surplus in her funds, donated some of her surplus, or maybe all of her surplus to me! It was over $5000!! Praise God, one less thing to worry about! It was so amazing to me.


For the past week, I have had enough money to buy tickets to get where I need to go, but that's it. But in the past week alone, I had a friend ask if she could buy me a snack at church, a friend give me a ticket for the tram, a friend take me out to dinner, two friends buy me snacks at film night, and I was given money that I forgot I was owed. My roommate was having similar problems, and thought she had also run out of money, but last weekend, she was looking where she keeps her money and found an additional 2000 crowns! More than enough to ensure that we ate more than just pasta with butter for the week while we waited to be paid! In some cases, people knew my situation and offered to pay, but in others, the friend didn't know at all. It has been so amazing to see how God provided. While it has been stressful to not have and sometimes wonder where it would come from, it has been an awesome lesson in God's provision, reminding me that "He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?" (Rom 8:32). And, probably also quite fitting is from the song that has been stuck in my head all morning, "His eye is on the sparrow and he watches over me."


How has God provided for you when you least expected it or most needed it?

New beginnings

Hello and welcome to my first blog entry of my new blog. Perhaps you are wondering why I am here and not on my website. And it's a valid question. I will continue using my website until June 2012, but at that time, I will no longer be able to publish my site to MobileMe because MobileMe will cease to exist. And in reading up on it, I could continue to have the same website with some other domain, but the article I read said I wouldn't be able to do the blog or have view counters and other stuff like that. So, I decided to start this blog, starting now, that I will post on.

Tune back another day, hopefully soon, for another installment of this blog :-D