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Beauty

"A woman in her glory, a woman of beauty, is a woman who is not striving to become beautiful or worthy or enough. She knows in her quiet center where God dwells that he finds her beautiful, has deemed her worthy and in him she is enough."

~ Stasi Eldredge

Picture from here

Men and Guitars

A man with a guitar and dreamy eyes singing love songs gets me and melts my heart in an instant.

Yesterday my friend and I went to a Joshua Radin concert and I loved every single bit of it! I just stood there and soaked in the music, closed my eyes and even cried.

Find some of my favorite songs in the Current Soundtrack.

xoxo

Ramona

Epic

All my life I have had this feeling in my gut that my life was about so much more. That my calling is so much greater than I can anticipate. That God has something planned for my life which I cannot even imagine.
Before this new season started I had the feeling that something beyond imagination was going to happen in the fall. That some of that epic is going to start. Then I started reading this book called Epic and it summed up what I felt my whole life. The series we do at church right now is called "Taming the lions" and somehow all of it fit into what I was feeling.
I believe we all long for it. That special something. That heroic act in our lives. When we watch movies there is always something amazing which happens. Something we sometimes don't dare dream about. Something we don't allow ourselves to hope in because we think this couldn't happen to us. I believe a lot of single women feel that way when watching movies like Pride and Prejudice. We dream and want this amazing man to win the world for us, pursue us and win our hearts. All to finish with an ... and they lived happily ever after. Then we look at our own reality and get disappointed. We don't believe anything like that could ever happen to us. I have talked with a few of my single friends lately and sometimes I can see and feel the frustration and I can relate. Because I too get frustrated sometimes. I too watch these movies and ask myself why this doesn't happen to me.
Yet I don't think that is the right question to ask. We should not ask why not, but what do I dream of? To be honest with you within the last weeks and months one thing I have learned is to dream again. To actually allow these dreams to take root. To allow these dreams to prosper no matter how high in the sky they might seem, no matter if they seem unaccomplishable. All I know is that I am dreaming these things for a reason.

Last week I watched the movie Gladiator again. I hadn't watched it in years but it was perfect timing. It summed it all up. We were created for so much more. I have always been completely in love with these epic movies. They trigger something in me. They trigger my desire for adventure. They make me want to save the world. I have this desire of doing something big and heroic. Not just for myself but for God. My whole life I have had this feeling about something big and heroic I am supposed to do.

And then life just somehow happens and we forget about it. We go about our normal ways, our routines and we lose that feeling. We grow up.
I don't want to become like that. Over the last years I have not dreamed like I am dreaming now. I don't want to get settled and comfortable and save.
I want to live a life that is on the edge, full of adventure and danger and victorious battles. I want God to look at me not only as His princess, His daughter, but also as His mighty warrior with whom He can conquer the world. A heroine representing His love and grace and faithfulness on the earth. Because merely do I live for myself. My life should not center around myself but around Jesus. The words of Maximus in Gladiator get me every time, "What we do in life echoes in eternity." ETERNITY. What word. What a thought.

And so I have jumped right into this season and I am on my way. The big thing might not have happened yet but it is on the verge. Every day is filled with amazing things. Every day I am learning new things. Every day I am becoming more the woman of God He wants me to be. Therefore even if I don't feel or see it yet it is already happening.

One thing I have learned already and with that I want to encourage you (especially the single women I have talked about) is that God wants us to experience this Epic. This epic love story. This epic life. Allow yourself to dream. Allow yourself to start seeing these things. Not only relationship wise but in every aspect of your life. Start living the epic and do not, please do not settle for anything less than what you dream of (I am writing to myself here... everyday I tell myself that!).

"This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies— they lie down and then can't get up; they're snuffed out like so many candles: "Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands." - Isahiah 43:16-19 The Message

xoxo

Ramona

PS: The new music in my Current Soundtrack is the language of this season

Pure

Just wanted to leave a quick note. We live in exiting times and I love how the Lord keeps showing me things, pouring His love over me.

This song really touched me yesterday at my church's praise and worship night. There is nothing like His love!

How has your week been so far? What are some new dreams and visions of yours?

xoxo
Ramona

Goodbye Summer, India and welcome Fall

This summer has been a very interesting one. One that was different from the others. And as we are heading full force into Fall it feels like I am leaving something behind. Yet all that has happened within the last couple of months has been leading up to this point. The start of something new, new grace, new beginnings, new dreams – all of it and I am on the verge of something magnificent. I haven’t seen it yet, I cannot touch it yet but it is there lingering around the corner, about to become visible. In order to start the new season I have to finish one, recapitulate what had the most impact on me. Gather my thoughts and remember what it all was so I can learn and grow as a person.

I had the priviledge of leading a team of youth together with a friend to India to serve a ministry there. It wasn't my first time in India but I took so much from the culture, country and people with me like I understood all of it a little better. I took in every single moment trying to memorize all the beautiful faces I saw because truth be told Indians are beautiful people.
We were extremely blessed by the people and their hearts and culture to honor I believe I should adapt some it in my own life. To always hold other people higher than myself.

We taught some German at the school, answered their questions about our country and sang songs with them. I love these kids. I love how happy they are and how inviting into their lives they are. You don't get that here in Germany. These kids just smile at you and want to be close to you and call you sister or "aka". Their eagerness to learn amazes me. How often did I sit in school not even being remotely interested in what we were learning. Yet these kids here love school. It is one of their favorite places to be.

I am all for helping to help yourself when it comes to development aids. I think it is completely wrong to impose our western ways of doing things on other cultures. I also believe it is wrong to keep giving money and keep giving money and hence making people dependent on our money. Rather help people to earn money, help them find ways to be better off or sustain themselves. That is why I thought this ministry was doing such a great work. Their goal is to be self-sustainable and they keep finding new ways to do so.
Oh and by the way they serve about 2000 meals each day. Above you see the kitchen where they make tons of rice and curry. The smell and the heat in that kitchen were indescribable and the things cooked were delicious. On a sid note: I love indian food.

The area we were in was extremely beautiful and green because it had rained a lot before we came. The beach was so different than what we westerners are used to. We actually went into the Indian Ocean with our feet, the waves rushing in an out.

  

Yet when you do go into the villages and towns you do see an India that is hidden in the Bollywood movies. It is the real India which you get a glimpse of in the movie Slumdog Millionaire. It is the India that a lot of people might be afraid of or where the cultural shock could come from because it is nothing of what we know. But to be honest for my team and me it was just beautiful to experience. We wanted to see everything get a look at everything and really experience the real India which in fact is the people.

There are so many things and highlights I could talk about. Things I learned, things that were terrible to see, things which challenged me. I think a lot can be said through the pictures and I hope you get a glimpse of the beautiful summer I had.
Now it is starting to be Fall and like I said I am ready for change. My arms are wide open for whatever is coming my way. I know it will be fantastic because I trust in a God who gives exceedingly, abundantly and above. I can take these things learned now and transform them into something new. I can use these things and become a better person and a better leader in order to fulfill God's calling for my life because that is all I want.

So, hello Fall and all you have to offer. I welcome thee with my arms wide open.

xoxo

Ramona

Back... not yet

I'm back from an unbelievably awesome time in India. I don't feel ready yet to write about everything. So please, give me a little more time. I'll write. I promise.

xoxo

Ramona