Jesus commands my destiny.

Today i spent 5.something hours for an application...i really want it to be perfect (because it is my first :)). It is for a part time job working with children with disabilities.

I found a wonderful version of my favorite song :)Ii think this also from the people who wrote the song...Stuart Towned and Keith Getty...but i´m not sure. What is your guys favorite (worship?) song?
When i hear/sing the last part, i get really emotional. Sometimes i cannot finish the song, because my throath gets to tight...sometimes because i´m so happy about those wonderful promises god gives in the lyrics of the song, sometimes because i whish and long with all my heart that what i sing will really come true.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

As time passes, the day will come when everything will fade to memories.

Sewing-machines are low priced at amazon at the moment... so i bought myself my first sewing-mashine :) ! It is a Singer 2259 "Tradition" (ignore that it says Singer "Symphonie"...it is the same as machine as the Singer "Tradition"....just the price is lower)...which has more stitching programs (for example the "blind stitch") than the Singer "Mercury" (which is "the" beginner sewing-mashine...but the "Mercury" is produced in China, while the "Tradition" is produced in germany).
Anyways, amazon only deliverd a boring white plastic cover..so i made one myself. It was the first time in my live that i did some quilting...and the ferris wheel is the second time in my live that i stitched something by hand...behold the uneven stitches :).
The ferris wheel is a free pattern, designed by Kathy Lewinski & Susan Cornish, found at http://www.justcraftyenough.com/2011/08/free-ferris-wheel-embroidery-pattern/.
The style of the patchwork/Quilting is called Zakka. Zakka (from the Japanese 'zak-ka'（雑貨）or 'many things') is a fashion and design phenomenon that has spread from Japan throughout Asia. Zakka has been loosely translated from Japanese to mean “miscellaneous goods,” “many things,” or “sundries.” However, zakka has also come to represent a style of art and craft that is simple, charming, and of Japanese esthetic. Zakka has also been described as "the art of seeing the savvy in the ordinary and mundane". I found a nice sewing-machine cover at http://www.flickr.com/photos/iheartlinen/3537436742/ by Rashida Coleman-Hale, who is also the author of "I Love Patchwork - 25 Irresistable Zakka Projects to Sew'' which i do not own yet (hint, hint!).
I also printed next to the ferriswheel embroidery a quote from my favorite anime called "honey and clover", which is full of good, wise, sad and happy quotes. The ferris wheel reminded me of the anime, i chose one of Takemotos quotes:
"As time passes, the day will come when everything will fade to memories. But, those miraculous days, when you and I along with everyone else, searched together for just one thing.... will continue revolving forever.... somewhere deep in my heart as my bittersweet memory." (This quote makes me feel a little bit warm but also sad....reminds me of my time in England...) There was not enough space for the last word...so had to print it in a corner. I printed the quote with Acrylic paint and my letter stamps (which i bought in canada in a one dollar store....what a lucky buy!)






backside:

I bought those fabrics in a quilter shop in new port, oregon

I wanted to buy a brooch on etsy...but the one i liked were to expensive...so i made some myself. I used salt paste, acrylic paint and varnished them twice (so that the salt paste will not get wet and break)

from left to right:
Maiko, great horned owl, plum blossom, typewriter, feather
jellyfish, Frida Kahlo, barn owl, sleeping fox, fox medal, barred owl

I totally forgot:
A blessed New Year to everybody!
I hope you will experience gods love and guidance 2012 and that he will give you joy and peace!

I spent New Years with my brother and 2 friends....well, one is a female friend i have known for over 10 years, and she brought her British boyfriend with her. He is a nice and funny guy...i approve :)
We all went to a christian festival, which took place in Erfurt (that's like in the middle of Germany, only 30 minutes by train from Jena, where i study). First we were not so sure if we could go, because of the founding, the festival was really expensive...but then we decided to go and buy day passes (only 55 euro each one). And God made a way for us: a Friend of a friend offered her flat for the 4 days when we wanted to go to the festival! Looking back this really was Gods plan, because i was really sick after Christmas, i got a really bad cold, and i probably would not have gone to mission-net, would i have not been able to stay at the flat (hey, it is not fun to sleep in a cold room with 1000 other girls when you are sick...if you sleep at all). So we went to mission-net, the focus was - as the name might tell you - on mission. It was so great. A really blessed time.I felt Gods love and guidance, the first time in nearly 4 years! God told me a lot about things in my live which he wants me to change with his help....a lot of difficult stuff. For example i need to make more time for him, doing that i need to reduce my reading time...and let me tell you, i´m kind of addicted to books. They make me feel calm. Which is OK, but God wants to give me peace...how will he do that if i always try to archive peace through other means?! Also i need to go to a different church, which i will go to starting Sunday the 22st of January...please pray that God will help me change these things. There were also a lot of other things, like trusting in the Lord, and believing that he has a plan for me, which i struggle with....but hopefully with Gods help this will get better. I also got a lot of free christian books....so exited to read them! (in the last 4 years i did not read a lot of christian literature...so this is really a good change)
My whole live did not suddenly change and now everything is easy and so on....i still worry about my family, master thesis and getting a job...but mission-net left me really refreshed and i was able to feel gods love. So: praise the Lord!!!
Also, i met Claudia P., an Italian missionary who is with WEC, and who was my English teacher in Bulstrode in 2005/2006. It was so wonderful to see her, i nearly had to cry....we had a good talk, in which some of Gods plan for my future got confirmed. I really miss all my old mentors from Bulstrode, they gave me a lot of strength and wise advice. I hope i will find somebody like that in the new church.
Here are some pictures from mission-net:

tis is painting a artist drew while a couple who are missionarys in egypt teached about the story of daniel each morning

claudia and me

George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilisation, was one of the speackers...one crazy guy, but i liked him.

2500 people attended mission-net

Yesterday...

This saturday i finaly went to see the ophthalmologist ...it only took 2 months to get an appointment, i was lucky (crazy, isn´t it?!). I need new glasses, and if i want my health insurance to pay anything, i first need to get a prescription from an ophthalmologist...and that appointment is really expensive...so i hope they will pay for that as well. Anyways, so yesterday i went to get new glasses! I choose this model, because i really liked the colour and shape...not to harsh (like black would look on me....when i wear black glasses, i look like a really strict teacher :)) and not to big :)

Life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestioningly. Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate, or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy, and strength, if faced with an open mind. Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.

- Henry Miller (1891 - 1980)

How inevitable it is; we step into an ordinary moment and never come out again.

I went to see the owls. i just love the. they are quiet but give you there full attention. well, mostly :)

snow owls...not hedwig



barred owl



i actually have no idear what kind of owl this is...well it is really small and cute...does anybody know this one?



it looks happy...but it is probably tierd and annoyed (of the visitors)...mhm...could be me



hiding

long eared owl

barn owl

great grey owl






I also went to Würzburg last weekend, with my mum. We visited my brother, he writes his master thesis there and does some research at the uni.



there was this lovely japanese garden close to my brothers place





small but beautiful



it´s autum now.



würzburg castle




view to a special chapel, called "Käppele"

everywhere are vineyards...mmm!



the walk up to the Käppele is quite romantic...and exhausting


inside the chapel "Käppele"...rococo style...its kind of to much for me...especially considering this is a house of god!

würzburg castle

würzburg has over 50 churches







würzburg residence



view from the castle



little village near würzburg called "sommerfeld"