ICF Friday night!

Erik leading worship.

Tom Foley teaching.

Eszter Szabo-Gillinger and Joanna Foley!

The girls enjoying Klari's wedding photos!!!

We had a wonderful turn-out on Friday! 35 people came together to worship the Lord from 9 different nations! Erik led us into worship and Tom Foley brought a message from 1 Corinthians...."Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."

God's love in nature

See the heart?

Looking at............
.....a beautiful...........
.........bride!!!!

A friend of mine and I were taking pictures in the "good light" we had today in Szeged. We happened upon this cool tree....check out the heart-shape at the foot of the tree. Sweet reminder of God's love for us as we enjoy His creation!



I also saw this sweet little girl who was very intrigued by something....the series of pix shows exactly what...every little girls' dream.

Food?

The huge "fish soup" pot on the bank of the Tisza River! It's nearly the size of that small car!

Yep, they actually cook a HUGE pot of fish soup in this!

In the late summer, early fall, here in Szeged, they have a big fish soup festival! They close the road which runs next to the river, and all kinds of stands are set up with various people selling their versions of fish soup, as well as other wonderful foods! It's a big, fun party for families and friends!



As I was walking a few weeks ago, I was crossing the bridge and saw that they had not yet removed the largest of the fish soup pots from the bank of the river. It's pictured above, and made me think about how many people could actually be fed with the soup cooked in this huge pot! Then I got to thinking about God's endless supply of food for us...not just physical, but even more importantly, spiritual food! He is infinitely able to provide ALL we need, but do we go and drink deeply and eat deeply from Him? Or do we at times...I know I do....look to other sources for my "food" and satisfaction?

Sleep Reading

Ok, we've all heard of sleep walking and sleep talking...but sleep reading???? Well, guess what? It exists!

My friend, Dori, has been staying with me for the past couple of weeks. Last night, I turned in to bed about 9:30 and was reading my book, as I usually do. I got sleepy and closed my book, put it on the floor, looked at my alarm clock and saw it was 10 p.m. I was sooooooo excited to be going to sleep so early! I turned off the light and curled up with my cat.

Well, this morning, Dori asked me if I had a tough time sleeping last night. Why? I asked her...."Well, because when I got up to go to the toilet at 12:30 a.m., your light was on; so I went up the stairs and there you were, sitting up straight in your bed with your arms outstretched and a book in them. Your eyes were closed, so I thought maybe you were praying."

I thought she was totally kidding!!! I have absolutely NO recollection of this "sleep-reading" incident! I did wonder why my back was a bit sore this morning when I woke up...must have been sitting up and reading in my sleep! Anyone else out there ever slept-read?

What comes out of our mouths....

The power of words is more profound than, I believe, any of us can ever imagine. In the book of James in the Bible...have a look at it sometime....James compares the tongue to the rudder of a ship. A small object which can steer the entire ship. Throughout the Bible one can read about how the words that proceed from our mouth are a clear indication of what is TRULY in our hearts. Our words are the fruit of the "tree" which is our heart.

So, it naturally follows that if bitter words are coming forth, then there is a bitter root from which those words are flowing. If loving words flow out, then a heart of love has taken root. If lustful words pour forth, then a root of lust is producing that fruit.

Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruit."

Paul, in Galatians, lists the fruit of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.

"Create in me a clean heart O God..." is the cry of my heart today, so that not one bitter or fleshly root remains and my words are life-giving, life-producing, and filled with the Spirit of the living God!

Oswald Chambers

"The Bible does not say that God punished the human race for one man's sin, but that the nature of sin, namely, my claim to my right to myself, entered into the human race through one man. But it also says that another Man took upon Himself the sin of the human race and put it away---an infinitely more profound revelation (see Hebrews 9:26). The nature of sin is not immorality and wrongdoing, but the nature of self-realization which leads us to say, "I am my own god.""

Fun weekend

Author of "The Heavenly Man" speaking in Kecel, Hungary. There were about 500 people in attendance!

Dori and Judit coming out of church on Sunday morning in Kiskoros!

Arden, trying her hand on a 26 year old, east German motorcycle!

Dori's parents....sporting a 25 year old motorcycle!

I travelled to Kiskoros this weekend to hear the author of the book "The Heavenly Man" speak. It was fun to be with two dear friends, Dori and Judit, to hear this Chinese man who has been severely persecuted for his faith and has an amazing testimony, and to enjoy being with a Hungarian family and eating LOTS of great food! Praise God for good weekends like this!

ICF

Zsuzsa, Timi, Katie and Cathy.....a bit surprised by the camera?

Some of our Hungarian delegation!

Some of our Nigerian delegation!

Eszter teaching on Psalm 91!

Fellowship time!

We had a great meeting on Friday night at ICF! 20 of us gathered together for worship and a wonderful teaching by Eszter Szabo based on Psalm 91! She helped us to see through this Psalm God's protection, the dangers we face, and God's promises for deliverance!



As the various nations gather (7 different ones represented last night), continue to pray for us and these who are seeking to know Jesus more and more!

Life and death

One of my dearest friends in the world sent me an email this week. In it, I learned of her father's passage from here to heaven. This transition for him has been expected, but it still doesn't make it any easier on those left behind to grieve this loss. God did a very cool thing just before taking this man home...He allowed this man's daughter to give birth to her first baby, 3 weeks early, and allowed this man to talk to his daughter and see his grandchild...all the evening before he took his journey into the arms of our Heavenly Father!

Life is precious, and death is difficult for those of us left to grieve and miss the one who is taken home. However, life with Papa (thanks William P. Young, author of "The Shack") for eternity promises to be an amazing reunion in His great love!

We loved and love you Mert!

Wildlife

A friend of mine and I went walking and suddenly, we saw this red fox next to the path! I fully expected it to run away, but we quietly approached and got these couple of shots of it. It was a sweet surprise!

How often is God like that? Placing sweet surprises on the path right in front of us as we walk through life!

Friend returns to Szeged

This is a pic of me and my dear friend, Dora, who recently moved back to Szeged after having been gone for 2 years! We are so excited to have her here...I've loved having her stay with me until she finds a flat of her own.

God is reminding me how incredibly blessed I am with friends! He's so good all the time!

Friday at 7 - ICF

Our intensive prayer time before ICF with part of the leadership team, Judit, Erik and Sara. Sara and Erik were recently engaged and will marry next summer in Sweden!!!

We're all smiles at ICF! :-)

Some of our Nigerian sisters and Kimberley!

Katie from the U.S. and Blanka, from Hungary are two new ladies in our fellowship!

Abraham was called to leave his country and family and go to where God would show him...Abraham at age 75 was told by God that he would be a father to a son and his descendants would be as numerous as the stars above...Abraham had to wait years and years and years...and years to see the fulfillment of that promise...Abraham, at one point, took things into his own hands and Ishmael was born...but that was NOT the way God promised...finally Isaac, the promise of God arrived...then came the test: "Sacrifice your only son, Isaac, to Me!" declared the Lord...by faith, Abraham obeyed...and God provided HIS sacrifice.



Sara Gisel brought this story and a message about the dreams of God which HE plants in our hearts to those at ICF on Friday night! Are we willing to listen for God's voice, believe the plethora of promises He gives us in His Word, patiently wait for God's promises, and obey in all He says?



We walk by faith, not by sight...and that is going to become even more evident in the days, weeks, months and years to come as world events unfold in interesting ways and we are pushed to believe God and trust in HIS faithfulness like never before!

Anything wrong?

I was sitting in the university cafe today when I looked outside and saw this image above. At first I didn't think much of it, but as my eye kept returning to it, I began to notice the oddities. Can you see at least 2 strange things about this situation?

Yes, the two cars are parked on this street.

Year of the Bible

As I went for a walk the other day, I walked past my favorite fountain in town and noticed these banners hanging on the largest museum in Szeged, part of the celebration of the year of the Bible. I pray many who have never picked up this living and active Word would do so, and that God would touch them with His Truth for their lives!

Fall and harvest

Rows and rows of corn!

Practicing self-timer pix!

" Narrow is the gate that leads to life!"

I love going for long walks. I usually take my worship music on my Ipod and enjoy being with my Jesus, enjoying getting a bit out of town and getting some much needed exercise! Here are some pix from my latest jaunt along the river Tisza!

ICF - Szeged

We had a great meeting on Friday evening for ICF! Sorry, no pictures! Erik and the worship team did a great job of leading us into worship! We had 4 new faces, people from 7 different nations, and the fellowship was wonderful, full of joy and laughter! We heard a message on "the voice of God", mostly drawn from John 10:1-30.

For those in Szeged, come join us next week from 7-9 p.m. in the basement room of Honved ter Reformed Church.

Goodbye blue sky!

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed swimming today...the air was chilly, but the pool was amazingly comfortable, and I LOVED it. However, as of Sunday, they will put the huge cover over the pool for the entire winter, probably til late April or early May.

I soaked in the sky and clouds, relishing every lap (I mostly do backstroke) and the freedom that having an open sky above affords!

Change...yes, this event happens every year...but it is still change. Dealing with change in our lives is always challenging, but if God is doing the changing, then we need never fear...never fear...never fear....He loves us so much, and there are seasons when the skies are blue and puffy white clouds scream of warmth; then there are seasons where we are under a covering...both are for our good, when they come from God.

Relish today, soak in the moments, dance in the joy of all that surrounds you, and know that the changes coming in the future, when submitted to God, will be wonderful and for our good and His glory!

Lessons from dried plum jam

I was doing some cleaning out of my fridge when I decided it was high time I throw out some home-made plum jam a friend had given me...quite a while ago. In the bowl, it still looked like jam. However, upon closer examination, it was hard as a rock and stuck in the bowl like super glue!

So, I had two choices: 1. toss the bowl and forget it, or 2. put the bowl under water and let it soak to loosen up the plum jam. I chose the latter. What transpired was interesting....the water simply richocheted off the rock hard plum jam. At first I thought I would have to resort to number 1. above. I decided however, that I would let it sit in hot water and just soak.

The next day, a bit of the plum jam sort of "broke off"....so I ran more water over it and let it soak again. Day 2: more jam disintegrated. Day 3: even more, but a small remnant remained in the bottom of the bowl...more soaking time.

Finally, this afternoon, I ran fresh, hot water into the bowl, and the last remnants of the hardened jam loosened up and washed away. God immediately showed me how similar our hearts can be sometimes. There's a hardness that only the fire of the Holy Spirit can penetrate, and it could take days...or even weeks or months...before things are softened up enough for God to break through, wash away that which keeps us from being clean and ready to be filled with His freshness, for His purposes.

Ah schedule changes!

I arrived at school today to learn that the entire schedule had changed. Now, on Mondays, I teach from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Of course I have 4 periods of "breaks" in between all these hours, but this will be the first year I have a 9th lesson! So, I hung around today only to find out at 3:15 that the class I was supposed to teach in the 9th hour didn't know the schedule had been changed. Oh well. I spent a wonderful afternoon talking with colleagues, so it was worth waiting around for that last lesson!

More Wisdom From Francois Fenelon

I wanted to write more excerpts from this amazing book I'm reading, but as I continued to read, I realized that I would simply have to write out the entire book, so instead, I will encourage you in the strongest, most loving way possible: GET THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Let God - The Transforming Wisdom of Francois Fenelon" by Winn Collier. Paraclete Press http://www.paracletepress.com/

Freedom!

This is the theme of my life! FREEDOM! It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free! Each day, I long to experience more and more of that freedom that only the Holy Spirit can give...because that is the ONLY TRUE FREEDOM! All other freedom is simply counterfeit.

I was on a cruise this summer with family, and these seagulls were circling the ship as we departed a port. I am continually struck by freedom birds exude. Lord, teach us to fly in Your freedom every moment of every day!

Our new ICF poster!

Isn't this great! Great work, Erik and Sara!

Friday at 7 - ICF first meeting!

Worshipping.
Erik leading worship!
We were heavy on the females. Pray God brings more males to our fellowship!

We began ICF 2008-2009 this past Friday night and 15 people gathered to worship, share about their summer adventures, pray, hear a short message and fellowship! We are really looking forward to what God is going to do in our lives and hearts and in all those who will come! Join us in praying that God will make Himself known in the English speaking community here in Szeged through ICF!!!

Conference in Miskolc

MJ, translator Eva, Clem and Jason, enjoying goulash and retes for lunch!

Jason, teaching.

Last weekend, I drove to Miskolc in north-east Hungary to attend a prophetic conference. I'd never been to Miskolc, so it was an adventure trying to find the meeting place. But my friend Mary Jill and I finally met up and enjoyed a wonderful day of outstanding teaching and wonderful worship as well. These are just a couple of pix of the conference and the main speakers.

Atlanta friends

Here are two dear friends from Atlanta, Dan and Vicki Chamberlain, who met me at the airport and drove me around, then we had lunch with another friend during my 7 hour layover there on my way back to Hungary! Precious people who love Jesus and have hearts for the world!

Wisdom from Francois Fenelon

To a spiritually lethargic friend.

"Dear friend,
Peace. Just sit in it. It's not your job to work up passion and fiery devotion for God. It doesn't depend on you. All you can do, all you are responsible to do, is to choose the one you will obey. Hand your will, your obedience, over to God. don't hold anything back.

Frankly, it's irrelevant how much intense feeling you have in your spiritual life right now. The more important question to ask is this: Do I want what God wants? Humbly confess your faults. don't hold onto your world. Abandon yourself to God. Choose to love God more than you love yourself. Desire God's name to be made great. Desire God to have God's way---want that more than you want your own life. If you don't feel these things, then just want to feel it, hoping you will someday. In the meantime, ask God to give you this kind of love for him. He will. God will love you, and he will pour peace into your heart."

Some excellent food for thought, isn't it?

The cry of the heart...

"Father, I'm willing to be willing."

Student questions

I have 3 new classes of students this year. One is an 11th grade "advanced level" group. Every new group of students eventually come around to asking the question: "So what brought you to Hungary?" This question usually comes later in the semester, after they've gotten to know me a bit. Today, however, a young lady in this 11g class raised her hand and asked....it was only our second lesson together.

I actually prefer when this question comes later, after we've established a trusting relationship with one another. So I quickly prayed and sensed I was to give her the "short" answer, rather than the longer one.

Short answers...just enough to answer and to peak their interest to know more.

There was someone who did this really well...and people flocked to him...and he was able to speak and declare Truth. Sometimes his answers were short, sometimes long. He knew how to answer because He listened to His Father.

I want to be a listener to my Father, so I can answer my students' questions the way He wants me to...short or long.

Thought for comments

Here's a quote from a Kevin Prosch song:

"The mercy you don't give....Is the mercy you don't get."

Thoughts?

Miracle boys

I love this picture! On the left is Tamas Lauko, and on the right is Denes Lauko! Both of these little boys were miraculously healed by God. Tamas had water on the brain in the womb and God intervened and removed every bit of it before his birth! Denes, suffered from "floppy baby syndrome", where the muscles don't work properly and one cannot even hold one's head up, and certainly cannot push oneself up like he is doing in this picture! His mom and dad, Anita and Zoli, brought him to one of our ICF meetings on Friday nights and we prayed for him. Two hours later, he was already showing signs of being healed by God. He returned to the lead doctor a week after that who declared him "perfectly healthy!"

We serve a good and gracious God! Pray for this family as the Lord has great things in store for them as a family and these boys, for sure!

Finished first week

Thankfully, the Lord has blessed me, once again, with teaching on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So, I just finished my first week of teaching for my 20th year of teaching!

Opening ceremonies

No pictures...sorry....we had opening ceremonies today at school. It's a "formal" affair with students dressed up in black and white, and teachers as well. They "welcomed" the "new" American teacher...a Fulbright teacher who is here for a year...interestingly, no mention of the three other American teachers who have been here for 3 and 8 years respectively...hm, interesting. The Hungarian national hymn was played then the "extended" version of the American national anthem. After the formal opening, students went off with their advisors and those of us who are not advisors were free to "do whatever". Teaching starts tomorrow! I've been blessed again with teaching Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays so I can spend Thursdays and Fridays focusing on Friday at 7 - International Christian Fellowship. It's going to be a good and very interesting year, I'm sure!

Back in Hungary

Miraculously, bags are unpacked already! I'm back home in Hungary after 26 hours of travel on FREEZING COLD airplanes. You know it is cold when nearly everyone on the plane is putting on coats, hats and huddling under blankets...not sure why it has to be THAT cold on the plane.

My last day in the U.S., which was also my travel day, I was blessed to be able to meet 3 friends in Atlanta during my 7 hour layover. We enjoyed lunch together and catching up "in person" on what's happening! Bless you dear ones for being God's gifts to me!

School begins tomorrow....nothing like hitting the ground running! It's good to be back, to see my boys, and I'm looking forward to all God has in store for this next year!

Only in America.....

In Kansas City, I'm staying in a guest house and the other day, I decided instead of driving to the International House of Prayer, I would don my IPOD, backpack and walk...seeing as I'm european...hee hee hee. It is an easy 25 min. walk, no problem.

As I was walking home, a man stopped in his car and yelled out to me, "Do you need a ride someplace?" I smiled and replied, "No, thanks, I love walking!" He was clearly taken aback a bit. You certainly don't see many people walking places here, even short distances like mine from the house to the prayer room! Interesting......

Orphan Justice Ministry

How amazing does this sound? Rescuing kids from all over the globe out of the sex trafficking industry and adopting them as well as other "unadoptable" kids, bringing them into a home in a community where worship, prayer and training in the Bible is the "heartbeat" of life.

IHOP and my friend Michael

I'm spending two weeks in Kansas City at the International House of Prayer. http://www.ihop.org/

I "snuck" a couple of pictures of the main prayer room, which is an amazing place to go, sit, stand, worship, pray, or read and just soak in the Lord's presence with worship music being played 24/7.

I've also spent some days with a dear and precious "new" friend, Michael. He's a biker for Jesus and yes, I got to ride on the back of his motorcycle a number of times!

5 more days before heading back to Hungary...planning to relish every moment!