Thursday, December 25, 2014

Movie Monday (on Thursday)

I know I know it is not Monday, but I wanted to share my favorite Christmas movies with you and I'm doing it today!
First up: Elf.
As you know I am not usually much into comedies but this movie is one that makes me laugh more than others. It is hilarious, cute, full of good Christmas spirit. My favorite line: "I'm in love, I'm in love and I don't care who sees it". My favorie scene: When Will Ferrell jumps at the tree to put the star on. Hilarious!

2.  The Holiday.

I mean how could I not love this movie? It is full of love and romance and great actors. And let's just say that I may or may not have danced in my pyjamas to The Killers song before.

3. The Family Stone
This one has quickly become one of my favorites because it shows family life so well. The craziness, the little packages we all carry and the love and forgiveness. One of my favorite scenes: When Luke Wilson tells Sarah J. Parker to just stop, stop trying. Perfect moment.

4. Meet me in St. Louis

I love love love old movies. It is those movies I grew up with watching on Sunday afternoons. I love this movie because I don't think that much has changed when it comes to girls and having crushes on men. Oh well. What can I say.

And lastely: Rocky I-V

Yes you heard me right. I love all the Rocky movies. I grew up watching them and think we should all watch them around Christmas. The most "christmasy" one is probably the 4th one but they are all amazing. Trust me on this. I cry every single time!

So here it is. Enjoy these Christmas days with your family and friends.

xoxo

Ramona

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Merry Christmas



"He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less." (2 Corinthians 5:5)

With this verse I am wishing you a restful, reflective and refreshing Christmas. Remember why we celebrate it: Jesus, Immanuel came here to save us and set us free! Let's celebrate that!
xoxo
Ramona

PS: Tomorrow I'll share my favorite Christmas movies with you





Saturday, December 20, 2014

#partyseason


Today I want to ponder about a few thoughts with you because I am not doing my calendar but really feel the urge to remind us all to take this Christmas season one day, one minute a time and really take it in. Remember each day why we really celebrate Christmas.
December for me is always party season (hence: #partyseason) and today the marathon of gatherings and parties, and eat-outs is coming to a close.
But this week I thought about why I love it so much. It is not because I love to plan parties or because I love to gather people. No. The months before the end of the year are always pretty full work-wise, life-wise and just in general there is a lot going on.
And then the parties and gathering to me personally are like the complete opposite to work so they form a nice balance to the workload. It is like work and play balance each other out in two pretty extreme ways.

It is always during this season that I see my friends the most and spend the most time with them which makes me so happy.
So this morning as I was looking at our tree and the presents and the parties and gatherings I just thought about my friends and how lucky and thankful I am. And there are already some new ideas and dreams forming for this coming year. Some very exciting things which I can't wait to tell you about.
So having said that I am leaving you with three posts from the calendars of previous years: 1, 2 and 3
Why don't you take today and email, write, text whatever it is your friends and tell them how much they mean to you and how thankful you are for them.


xoxo

Ramona

Friday, December 12, 2014

To Rise. To Stand. To Deliver


When I bike to work these days the world still lays in quiet darkness. These mornings have their own beauty and special feel to it. There is a privacy and intimacy connected to it which I cherish. These moments are for myself and spending them with God every morning is quite amazing.
Today it made me think of the verse in Proverbs 31 where it says: "She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls."
I personally am a big fan of Proverbs 31. It is a constant reminder of the woman I desire to be and an encouragement in daily life. If she can do it, I can do it.

But this morning this verse in particular came to mind. There is so much in rising before dawn and I love how she while it is still dark outside prepares nourishment for her household.

Now, we do live in pretty dark times and it is easy to get frustrated with a lot of things. In these dark times I believe it is important that we rise up to nourish our household. I believe this to be true in the most literal sense as in preparing food for our household because there is power in gathering but I also believe it to be true figuratively to rise up in the darkness and nourish our house, may that be family, friends, church, anything. And with nourishment I mean spiritual nourishment. We need to take stand in the darkness of the world and stand up for the lost and broken, those without a voice, those who can not stand for themselves. We might not be able to do it all, but I believe we can all do something. I believe it is our daily decisions to rise up and do something. May this be by gathering a group of friends and praying or by fundraising money or by actually reaching out a hand to the people around you.

I did a little research on this verse using a concordance and looking into the Hebrew version of the verse and the verb to rise up, to stand up actually stands for the following words: arise, assume, carry, stop, endure, establish, restore strengthen.
Then the word night has the following meanings: night, suffering and weeping, dubious, radical
And the word to give means: abandon, deliver, prevent, roar

Wow, that's all that's left to say. I want to be the kind of woman who restores and strengthens and stops and endures, the kind of woman who delivers and prevents and gives!

So as this year is ending I am starting to think of things ahead and I guess this morning my desire to rise up in darkness and be the light just grew and it is always good to have something to work on. That being said I hope you are enjoying this Advent. It is a special time. May we not forget why we celebrate Christmas.

xoxo

Ramona

PS: Some of you might have noticed that I am not doing my Calendar this year. It is not that I am not inspired every day but it wasn't time and place to do it this year. If you would like to read up on the past years you can do so here, here, here and here. Some of the video links might not work any more. My apologies.



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Thursday, November 27, 2014

Thursday Tunes

I love gathering for praise and worship. I love gathering in a large place with thousands of people or in church or at a conference. It has been those place where God spoke some amazing things in my life or healed things which needed healing.
And at the same time I love gathering in a smaller setting, best friends, a guitar, worship. Those are some of the most anointed worship gatherings because of their intimacy. A couple of weeks ago I had shared music from The United Pursuit and I love how you can tune in to their living room gatherings and be part of it. Their music has influenced me a lot and I have had some pretty awesome worship moments in my car with their music.
Today I am sharing music by Elevation Church which in all truth I only started listening to a week or so ago, but my flatmate sent me this link and something inside of me clicked. I love the music in their big gatherings but I also love this intimate setting.
The following song is from their newest album and it has been on repeat this whole week. I have no words for how it is a blessing but if you've ever experienced something just being right in your spirit, then you know what I'm talking about.
So how could I not share?



xoxo

Ramona

Monday, November 24, 2014

The Nature of Rest

Running, working, doing, producing, smiling, more make-up, more deadlines, more planning, less sleep, more coffee. That is how November felt like. Trapped in time, chased by time and with no means to stop it. I stood like a stoic warrior. Enduring, pushing through, not complaining, taking on everything put in my heads, steadfast. Not giving up, not giving in.
Still, in the midst of all of it I was inspired. I had ideas and I stayed creative and found moments of rest.
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers." (1 John 1:2, AMP) This verse has been with me over the last couple of weeks as time seemed short. It was a constant reminder that I need to rest in God, that my soul needs to prosper and rest in Him.
For me preparing a meal and gathering people around a table is breaking out of my time and space framework. It is in those moments that time stands still. It is then where I become creative with many ideas. The steady kneading of a dough of dinner rolls or the circular motion of preparing mashed potatoes which involve a multitude of cheese or the simple beauty of meringue. It is the process of waiting which slows me down. I cannot make it happen faster. Homemade food takes time and patience.
As the different fragrances mingle and fill my apartment I light candles and set the table. I gather my friends around a table and serve them with food. We eat.
We drink. We laugh, we dream and and share life. We are thankful and full of hope.
As our bodies are nourished our souls and spirits are nourished. We gather and break bread. We practice community like Jesus did. 

That is how my annual German Thanksgiving was: A moment of real rest and nourishment of friends and food and breaking bread and having real fellowship.

The menu for the night was:

Amuse
To warm up
Something light
Green Salad with  apples, walnuts and goat cheese 
Goat cheese biscuits
***
***
Sweet
Chocolate Meringue
"Autumn" 

xoxo

Ramona




Thursday, November 13, 2014

Thursday Tunes

Hello Friends, I am back with yet another Thursday Tunes music sharing afternoon.
When it comes to buying music I really don't often buy mainstream or what's on the radio or popular right now. But Sam Smith's album In the lonely hour was a total exception. I bought his album a few months ago and I still love love love it. It is beautiful, romantic, sad and can we just talk about his voice for a second. The versatility of his voice is beyond beautiful.
So today I am going to share my current favorite song of the album. It is called Make it to me. May it make your day more romantic. If you're married, go do something nice for your spouse and if you're single like me, don't lose hope. Keep your head up!



xoxo

Ramona


Thursday, November 6, 2014

Thursday Tunes

I don't think I ever wrote about johnnyswim before but their music is amazing. The couple is not only the sweetest but they are so talented and beautiful in their music writing and performing. So as last week I am sharing a SerialBox Session with you but it is a 30 minute session for your 30 minute musical break which I think you should totally take to soak up some beautiful tunes.
Here's the video for your enjoyment.


xoxo
Ramona





Thursday, October 30, 2014

Thursday Tunes

We all know how much I love The Lone Bellow. They just released a new song and I cannot wait for their next album to come out.
The new song is phenomenal as expected and they teamed up with SerialBox for a live session. So I am posting the video here for you all to see and listen that you may also fall in love with them!


 xoxo
Ramona

PS: I have a few new Thursday Tunes lined up for you with some beautiful music I have been listening to recently. Keep coming back and not only Thursdays.


Monday, October 13, 2014

Movie Monday

I doesn't happen too often that I really like a comedy. Mostly because often I don't find them funny or deep enough or think they are too vulgar and I don't like the language.
So whenever I happen upon a good comedy I try to save it for all the nights when I really want to watch a comedy movie.

Last week I watched Mom's Night Out and let me tell you I laughed so much and I cried and it was the perfect end to the weekend. I thought there were parts which were pretty profound but not cheesy and parts that were so hilarious I just could not stop laughing.
I think this movie is a must for every mother. It is a christian movie which I am usually super sceptical about but this one is such an exception for me.
So, if you find yourself on somewhat of a triste day, put this movie on now!

xoxo

Ramona


Thursday, October 9, 2014

Thursday Tunes

I know I know it has been forever since I shared music with you. Not I don't have anything to share it just kind of didn't happen.
I have said it so many times but I really think that music sometimes comes to us as we need it. So it was with the Endless Years album by Will Reagan and the United Pursuit. I have their Live at the Banks House album and love it.
So during our prayer and fasting time at my church this August I started listening to it and it has been on repeat on my runs, in the car, during my quiet time with God.
It is a beautiful, Spirit filled album that really gets you to worship. There is one song called Endless Years and it is one of those songs that not only enters your ears but your soul and your heart and your spirit. The words are beautiful and actually quite simple but they take you on a journey.
So here's the song... enjoy it.


xoxo
Ramona


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

On friendship and food and breaking bread

Two Sundays ago I was alone at home. It was late afternoon and the sun was already setting. A sign for the new season. One of my favorite seasons which is fall.
It had been a great Sunday where I shared lunch with my parents in a tiny village soaking up the sun. And now I was home and my hands were itching to make something, to see something produced and done and so I made these Meringue Tartlettes I saw in the Kinfolk cookbook and realized I had all the ingredients at hand. And so there I was, alone in the kitchen and whisking egg white and baking dough and spreading homemade jam on it.
 My Sunday nights are usually all alike. There is popcorn and some cooked vegetables and a dip and a movie. My flatmate and I have this Sunday night routine where we shut out everything else and just soak up Sunday nights with a good movie.
So even without her being there I decided to make popcorn and watch a movie. I watched this movie (Movie Monday coming soon) and after it was over and the credits were rolling I sat on my sofa, a bundle of tears. Something about the friendships and the connection and the togetherness and the changing about relationships in this movie stirred something up within me.

I have been thinking about friendship a lot lately. More than usual. I have taken account of the people who I call my people. The ones where time together is life giving. The ones where you can fully be yourself and yet being with them makes you a better person because they challenge you.
I have been reading this book and this book a lot lately and although it is about food it is more than that about gathering people around a table to break bread and over the last couple weeks I feel I have gotten a new understanding of what it means to gather people around a table. There is so much power in sharing a meal, in conversing with each other in breaking bread. It nourishes not only our bodies but our souls and our heart and spirits.
 Last Saturday I went out for dinner with a couple of friends and it was one of those magical nights. It was a perfect mix of people with 3 married couples, one expecting a baby, one with a one year old who was part of the party and two singles. I sat there and thought these are my people. The night was filled with laughter and food and conversation and dreams and when we left the table I felt refreshed, accepted, loved.

I pray that whenever we gather around a table to break bread that we make it intentionally and that whenever we leave said table that it leaves a mark on our hearts and that it changes us for the better.

xoxo

Ramona


Friday, October 3, 2014

An Ode to Fall

I love all the seasons. I love how the atmosphere changes, how the things which grow and which we harvest change. But every year when fall comes around my heart skips and my morning bike rides in the crisp air become magical. It is the fog that lies deep on the ground and the sun fighting to break through. It is the air which becomes visible when I breathe and the leaves that fall from the trees as I bike through the forest.
Nature at this time is almost mystical and it feels as though in one last powerful strike shows its beauty before it gives it all up, everything that has grown only to be changed again and start to grow and flourish again in the Spring.
Fall to me is the most romantic of the seasons and I dream of blankets and candles and sipping tea and cuddling up on the sofa, of cooking warm soups and staying in bed and the smell of cinnamon and apple and coffee before the sun rises and a new day begins.


* picture via


Monday, September 29, 2014

Movie Monday

Is it Monday again? Time is flying but I love that Fall is upon us and the change of the season!
Today I am going to share a movie with you the book of which has been on my reading list for a couple of months already but I just got around watching the movie first: A long way down

It was kind of a spontaneous moment to watch it but oh was it good. The cast of the movie is absolutely brilliant.
It is morbid, deep and sad and at the same time light and funny. It's that perfect mix and still leaves you sitting there wondering about life and the own thing you can't fix and how people must feel and how the only thing that can really change us is Jesus!
I highly recommend this movie.

xoxo

Ramona

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The good kind of chaos

It was one of those afternoons which leave a total mess and chaos in your kitchen, dining and living area that it takes you a while to sort it all out especially if you have to wash your dishes without a dish washer like me.
But it is the kind of chaos which is proof of having gathered people around your table and invited them into your home. It is proof of a shared meal and conversation. The table was covered with glasses and coffee cups and plates with crumbs from cake and drawing paper and pencils and napkins and burnt down candles.
It is the kind of chaos which cleaning up keeps you thinking about all the conversations and prayer and tears you shared with your favorite people. The people you love sharing life with.

That is how last Sunday was for me and cleaning up that kind of chaos is never work but happiness and joy and process of new built memories.

xoxo

Ramona

PS: I made this cake by local milk and it was absolutely amazing.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Movie Monday

Today I have a movie for you that is quite fitting with this year as I had my 10 year reunion as well.
I watched 10 years recently with two of my friends and when watching the trailer you could think it's somewhat of a romantic comedy, fun and all but it really is different and shows the reality of how life can be. How it is messy sometimes and how we all deal with our own things and it's also about overcoming and moving on.
What I really liked is how the movie became deeper as it continued offering more questions than answers. I thought the use of camera was very well done.
I think it was so interesting and also realized that at my own reunion that we all somehow feel like we need to proof something. Show that we have accomplished something in life, gotten so and so far.
But even before my own reunion when I thought about it I didn't like that fact because I don't want to find my affirmation in what I do for a living or how far I have come. My journey is my journey, I've gained experience, grown, become more myself and know who I am and where I am headed. I found myself in Jesus and that ultimately puts you at ease.
So to finish this movie recommendation I'd say, watch it, have a calm evening and be in for a surprisingly good movie.

xoxo

Ramona

Friday, September 19, 2014

Feasting and Fasting

Over the last year I have discovered or rekindled a love for cooking and baking and it is not a phase but it has become a certainty in my life. I am making an effort to make as much as possible on my own starting with granola or bread or dinner or lunch.
I have always known that a love for producing meals was in me but being busy and not wanting to take the time to slow down to prepare a meal have kept me from it for a long time. I have always loved gathering people around the table and sharing a meal and cooking for them. But there is a difference between the everyday cooking and the special cooking in that that you have to stay creative everyday and really make an effort to feed yourself well.
For my birthday this year I got this book and it spoke to the innermost part of me. I could hardly put it down. The other book I got was of course by Kinfok and I had wanted it for a long time. It is such a beautiful book with great stories and recipes and again the effort to gather people around a table in very simple ways.
So of course my summer has been about trying out recipes, eating well, having friends over, baking, drinking lots of coffee (hello that's what you do when you're in Italy) and lots of cheese. It has been a season of feasting and enjoying.
But I believe in balance in my life and I don't mean the ying and yang kind of balance but having your priorities in check, knowing where to invest yourself, knowing when to rest, knowing when to push, knowing when you need your family and friends and when you need alone time. I also believe in balance when it comes to food. I do not believe in diets and all that comes with that. I believe in real food, seasonal and local and in whole fat milk and yogurt.
So after a season of feasting I also think it is important to take time and fast to get back into that balance. Thankfully this whole week we're having a prayer and fasting week in my church and I love it. It was the perfect opportunity to cut some thing out of my life for a week like coffee or sugar or TV or movies. It was a week to rethink, regroup, refocus. It is then when we cut out all the unnecessary things and focus on God alone that we hear His voice even clearer, that the path becomes more enlightened and that we are more sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
It was the perfect transition from a calm and relaxed summer to Fall and all the change and adventure that it will bring. It was perfect because I was able to get back in balance and see the my priorities and what really counts. And one of the main things I am taking out of this week is to stay the course no matter what comes my way.

xoxo

Ramona


Thursday, September 4, 2014

Of Rest and Food and Italian culture

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I have actually been back from my summer break already a while ago but it took me a little bit to sort through my pictures and share with you. But here I am ready to show you all the beauty and fun and adventure that was my summer break or at least the part I spent in Italy.
This is already the second time this year (oh the beauty of living in Central Europe!) that I have traveled to the beautiful land of pasta and tomato and cheese and wine and so much history.
We all know that I love Italy a lot but this time around was different and I got to experience it all a lot more local and people based than ever before.
So this is going to be a post about winding down, calming down, new appreciation for food, exploring history and dealing with a language I don't speak. All accompanied with the pictures I took.
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Becky and I had decided to make the trip down to Orvieto a journey as well and stopover for a night at Lake Como. We decided to stay at a youth hostel for the night and keep driving the next day. It is after all a 8-10 hour drive. We arrived at the hostel in the evening. Upon entering I personally just wanted to start laughing because all my European youth hostel stereotypes came alive in one little instance. There were people from all over the world sitting around tables drinking wine and there were bulletin boards with lots of offers for leisurely activities. On top of that the owners were dressed in their alternative style. When we entered our group room we both had somewhat of a coming off age moment. It was a moment where I knew this was it, the last youth hostel I'll probably ever visit again. The night was well half asleep half awake and when we woke early in the morning we were happy to just take the ferry to a nearby town to explore and indulge in Italian breakfast. We also had this breakfast the way it should be, at the counter sipping Cappuccino and eating croissant oozing with chocolate. Heavenly and one of many of this trip. When it comes to pastries you can hardly beat a chocolate croissant and I am not even a big chocolate person.

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The next couple of days we stayed at a private B&B which I would like to call "Marcella's castle". In fact the tower is over 1000 years old and Marcella did a great job at up keeping this property.
While Becky was out glazing her pottery with a local artist I stayed with Marcella who barely spoke English. So I tried my best Spanish and mime and we found a way of communication. We went for a walk and hung out by the pool and she cooked amazing food for us. All natural, all local and simple. The first night when we arrived she made Bruschetta with tomatoes and truffle cheese accompanied by a good wine. She called this the perfect meal for when you have a lover at your house. I will just take that as an idea for the future husband. Check and check.
As she also does cooking classes we asked if we could do one and cooked a four course meal with her from soup de courgette to tomato sugo and eggplant parmigiano and filled zucchini. All of it bathed in her own olive oil. What more could you ask for?
It definitely upon everything else helped me view food a little different again and how to go about creating and remembering recipes and trying new techniques. And that is the core of any cooking class isn't it?
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We left Marcella's castle and stayed in Orvieto the rest of the trip. One of the days we spent the morning at the art studio glazing. I learned how to glaze in the most simple ways and while the professional artists went about their amazingness I sat there listening to the music, glazing tiles. It was nice and cool inside the studio and getting hotter and hotter outside. Every once in a while I stepped out and breathed in the air scented with fresh rosemary other herbs. It was beautiful and quiet and so far removed from my day to day life. It gave me time to breathe in and be inspired, to let my soul rest.
The afternoon continued like this as we went to Lago di Bolsena and laid by the beach or talked in the water. It was probably one of my favorite days as we didn't watch the time and we had some amazing conversations where we shared our hearts. There is something about being by the water. Maybe it's the rising and falling of its melody or the way the sun reflects on the water and makes it shine like little diamonds. Whatever it is for you or for me it was definitely the perfect afternoon finished with a trip to Civita, the city on the hill.
This day was followed by me traveling to Rome and seeing it in the 12 hours I had walking everywhere with a vague city map and a city guide. So I walked from the train station to the Colloseum, through the Roman Forum, to the Pantheon, to the Vatican, then to the Spanish steps and Trevi Fountain and back to the train station. Crazy I know. To summarize Rome I have to say I am glad I went. I saw the main things, quickly, but I did. I had to remind myself in between that I was walking on historical ground, I decided to watch Gladiator again and was affirmed again that this is not how I like to visit some of the most beautiful cities in Europe and that I'd rather take my time, explore, go where the locals are, take it all in. But you learn out of experience right? Right.

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After Rome I only had two more days left before I took the train back to Germany. So we did as the Italians do. We got up in the morning went for a run, had Italian breakfast at a cafe, strolled through the city and explored the farmer's market and made it back into the B&B right at noon. We stayed inside eating tomatoes and mozzarella and pecorino and cucumbers and peaches drinking espresso and watching So you think you can dance. Then we spent the afternoon visiting the beautiful town of Orvieto which I totally fell in love with.
The Duomo is one of the most beautiful churches I have seen so far and the frescos which initially inspired Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel impressed me a lot more than the Sistine Chapel did.
The evenings were spent at local restaurants with lots of truffle on everything and good conversations before we fell into bed happy and rested.
Looking back this vacation couldn't have been better or at a better time. It was all I could have asked for and the two weeks followed by this trip I mostly just stayed at home as it was raining and cold. But it didn't matter because I was cooking and trying out recipes, watching Sherlock and having my girl friends over to share dinner and stories.
And now the summer is slowly coming to an end and one of my favorite seasons lies ahead and I hope with it new adventures and growth and all the change that Fall holds.

xoxo

Ramona

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