Summertime & Sea-Monkeys

Summertime is in full swing and we are so very happy about it!  So far it's been a series of simple days and a little bit of VBS.  We have been anticipating the arrival of summer and it's lack of a structured schedule for several months. Becuase we had moved and I began a new job and everything else, the school year began to wear us down a good bit. We were a family that needed some rest.

And oh boy have we gotten it!  As my seven-year-old puts it "It's wonderful to be excited for nothing."  She is over the moon with the freedom to "just be" that comes with summer.  My youngest enjoys his summer freedom by chillin in a Starwars shirt matched with Spiderman shorts.

But who cares... It's summer!

And it has been splendid! My work schedule had worked out quite nicely thus far so things have been pretty well balanced. It's great to have time to have breakfast together, lunch together, and dinner together often.

Mmmm, yum... I can smell my husband making his delicious biscuits and gravy now. Rumble rumble goes my tummy as I try to concentrate on finishing this post!

It's been such a joy to listen to the kids play and use their imaginations.  Bike riding, fishing in the lake in the back yard, Lego's, Starwars, music, crafts, the list goes on and on.  Oh, and what does this child of the 80's introduce her kids to this summer? SEAMONKEYS!!! The perfect summer pet and science experiment in one! The kid's reactions to the unopened package in the store was worth the 3 dollars we paid for a small plastic tank that at this point holds water and a few specks, which really could be anything at this point.

Summertime memories are great.  I cherish them.  Sometimes it can be as if the memories are fleeting and I am going to forget this time with my husband and kids.  Sometimes it feels like there just isn't enough time, or I get frustrated we don't have the money to do everything we think would be fun and fantastic down the road in Orlando.  I feel that this year especially as I will be gone on my mission trip and away from them for nearly two weeks.  However their support and excitement engages them in all of it, even if they won't be in Slovakia with me.  We will have so much to share and talk about when I return.

It's easy to be anxious, to feel like there isn't enough.  Or to reject the simple season of life placed before us with feelings of discontent.  But this takes the blessings God has given for granted.  It's an ironic sort of idolatry that steals away the simple joys of life. Thanks be to God that he sends Jesus to take up my anxiety and discontent, forgiven my sins, and give me life.  I may not have everything I think I've ever dreamed, I may become annoyed and even angry when my kids complain and fight this summer, I may even become grumpy and not like having so much work to do, or true suffering might come.  But at the center of life stands Christ, who is with me in all seasons, reminding me through His Word and Sacrament how much he loves and cares for me.

So come what may, we will enjoy this quiet (as quiet as four kids can get) simple summer. Which in the end, because we have each other, won't be a bummer.

Travnice: Slovak Music

Getting to know the neighbor you serve can be a very hard task.  Learning about a culture before you actually go to a place is quite a bit more difficult, especially if the history is complicated.  As I prepare for my mission trip to Slovakia, you can read more about it here, I am trying to get to know the neighbors I will serve.  Of course, I won't actually know anything or anybody until I actually get there and get to know individuals. But in an effort to be able to understand and connect with those I serve I am attempting to prepare myself with travel guides and Youtube videos.

Human connection is precious indeed.  We all need it.  However, these connections can be challenging to establish. Our self-centered sinful nature and clumsy ways can make for some awkward moments. But we have a few things that are wonderful universal connections.  These things transcend culture and time.  

The Gospel

First and most importantly is the Gospel. The good news of Christ binds us in forgiveness to Himself but also to another.  In Christ, we are free to love and serve each other in spite of our differences. 

Food

We all need to eat. Eating together is a great way to get to know each other and foods have a fantastic way of helping us understand each other.  When someone cooks good food for you there is a bond of acceptance between both the giver and the gracious receiver.

Music
Music is a language all it's own that has the ability to connect people of all ethnicities and all ages together. One of the first things and perhaps the easiest thing to learn about different cultures in their music.

Naturally, as I am musical, one of the things I have been enjoying as I prepare for my trip is listening to music. So I thought I would share some of my favorite finds.

I love the depth of Slovak folk music, with familiarness to Hungarian and Celtic folk songs, but then also there is a strong German influence as well.  Folk music is great in the way the tunes tell the stories of the people and the land throughout the ages.  It gives an insight to the world as it was while still teaching about the of the world around presently.  I also love the sound of the Fujara, a type of shepherds flute, the national instrument of Slovakia.

Enjoy!!