Awake and live your dream

We could call this Day 2 of trying to express what is in my head and in my heart, what I have learned and heard and processed at conference.
But how can you express something that you felt so deep in your heart. Something that God said to you, something you shouted out to Him? It is something so deep and amazing that I feel I don't want to put it online for the world to read, yet I want to express myself, because that is the way I process things. I talk. I write. I dance.
Do you know the feeling when something is best expressed by music? Like it is following you as the Soundtrack of your life. The music your life writes accompanied with the music currently on your playlist?
Well, this song is one of them. It came to me at the perfect moment in time.
Here it is. Enjoy.



xoxo

Ramona

In the Meantime...

So, here I am on a Monday afternoon with so many thoughts in my head that I would like to write out, but cannot seem to gather in a proper way.
I still don't have a new journal to write down all my wild and crazy ponderings, but I'll sure order one soon - very soon because it is so needed now.
This morning on my walk to work all of a sudden I knew I had to finally start writing about some of the things that God has been working on me lately.
Two weeks ago I went to Munich for work and then flew off to London-Town for the Hillsong Conference. It is always a very inspiring and amazing conference with lots to take in.

One of the things which really spoke to me was a message by Judah Smith where he talked about the dreaded "Meantime". It is the time in between, the waiting time, the time where you do not know what is going to happen. All you can do is trust, trust that one day you will find that place you will step into your calling and BE there.
Apparently I have found myself in that place fo a while now, still walking, still trusting, but always knowing that God IS faithful and that He is bringing me there. You go through the valleys and you climb the mountains, but you enjoy every single bit of the journey. You enjoy every single day knowing that you want to be faithful with what God has put in your hands NOW.

So this message just spoke to me and encouraged me to keep on going. At the same time, God has put some pretty amazing things on my heart at conference. He restored some of my dreams and reminded me of some of the dreams he had put there years ago. This in combination with that message was just the best.
It also reminds me of the time when I wrote about The Exciting times of waiting.

I just thank God for reminding me of these things again.

xoxo

Ramona

Side by Side

Good Morning people,

ok... don't know if it is actually morning where you are, but it sure is where I am. 8 am. Still cannot write about all of the things in my heart and what has happened at conference, but I will.
But to not spare you of words I want to share the lyrics of this beautiful song with you. It is (of course) by Sleeping at Last (by the way you should totally check out their Yearbook project) and is called Side by Side:

A single voice
In an ocean of constant noise,
But somehow our ears were trained
To recognize when we hear you call our name.

Side by side,
Every movement was memorized,
Choreographed before
The schools of fish were born.
Their patterns and plans align,
All in a glorious effort to survive.

There is no language for what we've seen,
Only the sweetness that bends us to our knees,
And all of these fumbling words
To explain what it means,
But out hearts were buried deep in the sand.

The sea unlocks
Like the lid of a music box.
It shivers with foreign sound,
As long as the gears stay wound
The whales will sing their song
All in a glorious effort to be strong.

There's no need to be afraid,
Overwhelming love cascades.
The melody will rise and swell
As it finds its way inside the shell.

The mouth is a mirror,
The mouth is a mirror,
The mouth is a mirror.
We must watch what we say.

There is no language for what we've seen,
Only the sweetness that bends us to our knees,
And all of these fumbling words
To explain what it means,
But our hearts were buried deep in the sand

Isn't that just pure beauty in words?

Back... not yet

I am back from a week of traveling, first to Munich for a business trip and then to London for the Hillsong Conference.
There is so much on my heart and mind and so many things that I would like to tell you about, write about and figure out, but I just cannot seem to find the words yet.
I think I have to sit down and just write it all out. I feel like I need to take the time to let it all sink in. And then I will write here, share my thoughts...

So... I'll be back soon...

xoxo

Ramona

The Shepherd

Recently I have been pondering about shepherds and their sheep as on a recent hike I saw a shepherd standing there in pouring rain, just watching his sheep.
It's kind of a cool story, so I better just start in the beginning:

We (that is 2 of my collegues from work and I) went on a hike at the highest mountain in this area called Feldberg. It is truly beautiful up there at this time of the year, no snow yet. Also, the weather was really stormy and rainy which I actually loved.
At one point of the hike it was just pouring rain when we saw this person standing there like a rock. When we came closer we saw he was a shepherd watching his sheep. What stood out to me was that all the sheep were turned towards him, standing real close to each other:
I loved that picture and just thought about the image Jesus gave us of Him being the shepherd. It was so beautiful to see with my own eyes what He meant in John 10.
I just saw the picture of how we have to hold on to the Shepherd at all times (and weathers) because He will always be there for us. Also we have to have community with each other to warm each other, to be there for each other especially in the cold and stormy times.
So let's go, let's do that!

What have you pondered about recently?

xoxo

Ramona

Art in the Church

Today I read a great article in the Relevant Newsletter which was called Why Art should matter to Christians.
The article describes how art is losing its worth in our society by reducing it to a product that has only worth if it sells. Art is therefore reduced to a consumer product.
But,

"Modern culture has forgotten that art is worthy without first having to prove it’s worth."*

Art matters - also within the context of the church. I believe often times the church sees art as something that can only be positive and preppy and nice, when art in fact should show feelings, should shake us by showing what is going on in our world. Art, may it be dance, music, poetry, paintings has the ability to speak right to our heart, it touches our feelings and can transcend us.
I believe we cannot abandon art from (especially) our churches. If we believe in a creating God, then we believe in a creative God also. A God who created this earth, who was able to make such beauty as the Alps, such powerful oceans and He cared for every detail. God is the ultimate artist. Therefore art should be appreciated and supported in our churches. This can be done in so many different and beautiful ways.
Sometimes we just have to look around us to find people with amazing creative potential. We must encourage this potential.

"[Art] is an acknowledgement that something eternal and full of truth lies behind the temporal world in which we live. It focuses our eyes on the pain around us, the injustice in front of us, the joy abounding within us, and the pull we feel towards meaning and significance. Music moves us. Poetry connects us. Paintings shout at us. Dance energizes us. Art draws us back into the fold of humanity when we wander out full of pain, discouragement, and bitterness. It whispers, “You are not alone.”"*

xoxo

Ramona


* quoted from "Why Art should matter to Christians" by Melissa Kircher

A letter to Nature

Dear Nature,

I am sitting in my office looking outside seeing you. I see the beauty of the sun and the deep blue sky.
Right now I wish to be close to you, to dance on your hilltops and to swim in your sea. I want to sleep under the moon and the stars or play in the river.
I wish I could run on your green pastures. I wish I could lie in your grass with the sun warming my body.
I miss you. I miss your sound, the music you play.

I love you nature.

xoxo

Ramona


hiking on our youth leadership retreat 2007 in the beautiful Swiss Alps