Christmas

Hey everyone,
the reason for this post is real easy and simple Christmas is about to come and i realized that i lost myself in the crazy time before Christmas and totally forgot about the true meaning of Christmas and what it is about.

The first Question I wanna ask you and me:

What is Advent?

This definition google gives us:

• Advent:
• Noun:
• The arrival of a notable person, thing, or event
• The first season of the church year, leading up to Christmas and including the four preceding Sundays
• Synoyms: coming - arrival - appearance

Advent it the time before Christmas, the time, that leads to the arrivel of a notable person, to the birth of Jesus. It is the time before our Saviour is born.
For a lot of people Advent is a time of stress. A lot of Christmas parties are in that time e.g. one week from our working place, the next time from our sports club and so on. The Advent time seem to fly by, and we search for the perfect gift for our loveones and get stressed if Christmas is around the corner and we dont have a present for them. Every year the same thing. Parents ask they're kids what they wish for and the list is long.
I myself was stressed in this Advent time and totally forgot what it is about.
The Advent time should prepare us for the big upcomeing event, the birth of Jesus Christ. But we get so busy that we often forget about that, commercials are made about the perfect gift but dont we already get the perfect gift at Christmas? more to that question later.
Advent should prepare us so why dont we use that time to prepare ourselfs for the upcomeing arrival?
I wanted to read each week one gospel, and i have to say that i failed. I am not happy about that and i restarted. I wanted to prepare myself by readying again the events that led to the birth of Christ.
I complety forgot what Advent is about or should be about, it should be a time where we prepare ourself and the people around us for the upcomeing event, for the birth of God's son. And we should try to not just receive but also be able to give, to give to those who have less.

This kind of leads to my next question

 What is Christmas?

If we ask this question we will hear different answers. This definition we will get when searsching in google for christmas definition:

• Christmas; 
• Noun: The annual Christian festival celebrating Christ's birth, held on December 25.
• Exclamation: Expressing suprise, dismay or despair. 

Christmas is the day or better said the days when we remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus. When he the son of God became Human to live a life that will be an example for us. A life we should follow after. A life full of struggle for one purpose, to bring us back in relationship with God the Father. Christmas already has its meaning in the word, it is about Christ, God's son. CHRISTtmas without Christ wouldnt be the same. It is the celebration of love, joy and peace. Love for the Love the Lord has for us and we have for oneanother. Joy about the birth of the saviour. Peace that we have through Christ with God. It is a celebration of family, for we became part of God's family through the birth of Christ Jesus.

There are some cute videos of Christmas out there that i wanna share with you

Have a wonderful and joyful Christmas season, remember what it is all about and be a blessing to the people around you.
Lots of love

Look in the inside

Tuesday night  in the small group / bible study of the church I go to, we heard about Jonah and how God used him even tho he didn't want to be used and how God just uses every situation for his Golry.

Something that made me even think more about things was someone sharing that if he looks around his uni mates they look fine and living a happy life just as if they even don't need God.

The more I think over this word from tuesday night the more it kind of reminds me of myself. We might look as we have it all together and we are happy but the truth is, these people are feeling an emptiness and maybe they're life isn't as it looks on the outside, they can be broken inside. 

I was there, I was this person. I was in university, everything looked good on the outside, everyone thought I was good in uni and that I would like it. At that point I've already changed university once, moved backed home and quit university once. I showed everyone that i am alright and that my life is happy, even tho I was already broken once.  Durning the following semester my life changed and I've been broken more. No one saw it not the outside I went out with fellow students and just lived my life, showing I would be happy.

I had a boyfriend at that time that I loved and just been happy with on the outside. On the inside our relationship was a struggle for the beginning, we had to met in secret and fought a lot. At the end I pulled the emergency brake and end that relationship that already lay in shards. I was broken on the inside again. I pretended everything is alright and that I was fine, no one of my friends saw a thing. 

One of my former classmates questioned my lifestyle, and I started to open up a bit. After a while I told her all about my brokenness and she shared about Jesus and prayed for me that night my emptiness came to an end. I started searching, and somehow started to find an answer for my inner search / emptiness. I didn't accepted Jesus in my life that night but soon after, my hunger to know more about him started in that night. My former classmate saw in my inside not my outside where I pretended to be happy and everything is alright.

I am thankful that God showed my best friend my inside and that she acted on what God told her. 

To come back to the beginning I just wanna tell you, be encourage and take a step if God tells you to, take a step in faith.  People might seem happy and as if they don't need Jesus but the inside might look completely different, ask God to reveal himself to you and open your eyes for the people around you and they're inside.

I don't say with Jesus everything is easy and you will life a happy life, there will be even more struggle cause the enemy is attacking you. Your inner search and emptiness will come to an end with him and you don't need to face life alone cause Christ will always w be with you.

May prayers is for all who read this that God will open your eyes to see the unseen in a person. That God will speak to you about the people around you, and that he will fill you with courage to go and take that step in faith to ask people and bring Christ to them. Be open to be used by God to the people around you. I pray that he will use you in every way and that people around you will see Jesus in you. 

On the way I also wanna give you a bible verse that speaks to this situation

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1. Samuel 16:7 (NLV)

 



Have a wonderful and blessed weekend

Update - 2 weeks till outreach

Hey guys,

this will be a quick and short update but i hope i will update all of you soon about more that is going on.
The biggest news is that we are leaving in 2 weeks for the philippines which is 2 weeks earlier as planed!!!!
I am so excited for the philippines and I cant wait to go there!!!!
We learn so much durning the week and I've never thought it would be that time consuming but it is worth it.
God is working so much not just in my life but in all our lifes. It is amazing to be a witness on how close everyone is growing in they're relationship with God.
As Outreach comes faster than we can think of I have some Prayer request:

• Please Pray that God will provied for us financially
  we still need 19000 Pound for the Outreach
• Please Pray that everything with the VISA goes well
• Please Pray that God will give us energy as this last weeks are getting more and more intens
  and we are all getting tired and just wanting to rest
• Please Pray for our Staff for they work so hard to make everything work
• Please Pray that God will bless out time in the Philippines and do amazing works in us and trough us
  to bring his glory there

Thank you for keeping me/us in your prayer

Be blessed and have an amazing weekend!!

recape on the first 2 1/2 weeks ... more to come

Hey everyone

I am doing alright at the weekend we got 3 more trainees. A couple from Canada and an American guy. Now we are fully completed and i am really excited for how we will be challenged.
We are here at the lodge about 100 people from 26 nations that are living together. My room is in the 1st floor and i share it with a girl from Switzerland and 2 Egyptians. I love them. Some times the culture difference is something that we struggle with but i love to learn more about they're culture and to learn some Arabic.
 We are working together with the livechurch here and to see these kids so broken is sooo hard. I somehow don't know how to handle it. When we've been there for the first time i felt so insecure and i didn't knew how to go to these kids and start a conversation with them.
At the weekend we had an amazing sunny spring day. I went to Manchester with 4 others for a bmx world competition with some of the Olympic athletes. 2 of my friends where real close to be part of that race, one second made the difference why they couldn't qualify. It is an amazing sport and it was an wonderful trip.
Yesterday we started cleaning the old tennis court, with the kids at the base, to make it a basketball court for us.
I wish you all a wonderful and blessed week i try to update some pic soon.
Love you all xxx

where i live :)

update

Hey guys
sorry for this long overdue update. Will be a short one since all of my roommates are already sleeping and i have to get up early tomorrow. Breakfast is always at 7.
I settled in here perfectly it was more like coming home. I love the people I live with and they're hearts are so amazing.

I want to ask you to pray for us that we may grow closer together and for provision for all of us since we have to raise 900 pound for each one of us within the next 2 weeks to go on outreach for the Philippines.

I will try to write an update tomorrow with more that is going one till then be blessed
love you xx

10 days and the craziness continues

Hey guys

not that I already started a Countdown but now that there are just 10 days left for me in germany the Countdown startet :)
Where to start well the Craziness continues with all the errands to run and planings that are going on. I take it most of the time real relaxed till now and chill a lot but I think this will change faster than I can think of ;)

Health & Wellness

Anti-wrinkle mask
Aging is fun, and every wrinkle tells a story. Nevertheless, we all want to look young and stunning.

First wrinkles can easily fight with cucumbers.

14 days or where is the time gone?!

I still remember like it was yesterday when I told my boss in february that I might have to quite to work with YWAM and now I already quite my job and I have 14 days left her in germany with my family and friends before I move to the UK for 5 month. It seems so surreal but in a good way.
Last Saturday was my unoffical going away party from work. It was a great celebration of 10 year IKEA and I had a amazing time with all my coworkers, this makes me miss them even more. Yesterday I went to work again and I got beautiful flowers from my boss.

The beautiful flowers I got. Love my work

I also started to sort out my clothing on which to take with an which not and I have to admit this is real hard if you have just 23kg of luggage with you.
As for now preparation are going well but I feel a bit unprepared and like i dont have enough time.
2 days ago I had my last practice with my girls and saying goodbye to them was as hard as saying goodbye to the people I worked everyday with. But I decided to not see it as a real goodbye, more like a see you again when I am back. Just thinking of to how many people I still have to say See you in august makes me sad. The more I talke to my coworkers the more I already miss them. But I know I see all of this people again in August / September.

Wish you all a wonderful friday

Health & Wellness

Hey everyone

again a wellnes advice from me :) it took a while i know but I really like this one esp. since it is still so cold.
We have march and it is still frezzing cold (beside one week) my advice for you is to wear layering or how i would call it onion look. Once it get warm you can peel of  one of your layer. I absolutly love this look. The only thing that i dont like at the look is, the skin gets dry cause it is hard to breath for the skin through all of the layers. 
If you like this look as much as I do and you wear it often there is an easy way to help your skin. 
When you get home, take a moisturizing bath. All you need is

• 1/2 l Whole milk
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil

Simply add these ingredients to your bathwater. 
When you are done with the bath rub down your skin and lotion it.  

Enjoy it and have a wonderful rest of the week 

Easter vs Christmas

I've been working sunday and talked to a women there, as we talked we came to speak about Easter that is just right around the corner. As we talked about Eshe told me for her always Christmas was the bigger celebration cause it is the day Jesus was born until someone once told her Easter is bigger cause it is a 3 day celebration. I've been thinking about it alot recently. I first wanna give you a short definition of Easter and Christmas that I found online.

21 days

Hey everyone,

21 days till my adventure is about to start.
I booked my flight finally :) I will leave at the 4th of April at 8.30pm. I am excited and a bit nervouse.
My last working week has started and saturday will be my last day. I cant believe it, it is also making me a bit sad cause I like my work and the people I work with, Hopefully I can return in September.
I like my work and I kind of already miss working with the people.

Last week I got my final vaccinations and preparation and packing are going really smooth.
In some moments I feel so not prepared for what is about to come, the other times (most of the time) I feel well prepared and get really excited.
For my flight I have 23kg of free luggage and 10 kg for my handbag, this makes me really nervouse cause i have no idea how to pack for 5 month with simply 33kg. I already reduced my books to simply 2 or 3 books to take with and my kindle. 
That is how my preparation are going on right now, really slow but I am ok with it. I hope i can finish all the other things that I have on my plan cause there are some suprises waiting for my family during my time away.

Be blessed
xxx

NEWS - Moving to England

Hey Everyone,

I have some great and exciting news. I will be joining YWAM (Youth With A Mission) for 5 month to do a DTS (Discipleship Training School). I will be doing the Encounter DTS in England, The Kings Lodge in Nuneaton. For those of you who dont know here is a link http://www.thekingslodge.com/ . As part of the school there will be an outreach witch will be going to the Philippines. A part of the outreach will be something that is called Mega Outreach, for more information check out the link on top.

God called me to do a DTS the first time in August 2011 shortly after I became a Christian. I had a huge problem to walk by faith. Doing the DTS means I will be stepping out of my comfort zone and start walking by faith and putting my complet trust in God.

I will move to England in less than a month, I havent booked my flight till now but the school starts at the 5th of April so I will fly to Birmingham at the 4th or 5th of April. It also means I will have to raise my funds in less than a month. If you wanna support me please contact me. I will also try to make a link so it is easier to donate but for now please leave a comment or message me to gassner.ramona@gmail.com.

There is so much to prepare for and I sometimes done know where to start and dont know if there is enough time so please pray that the preparation time will go smooth and all will work out.

If you do wanna met me before I leave please let me know I will have my last working day at the 16th of March and then take the rest of my vacation days. I might work one or two days somewhere else before I leave but I am sure I will make time for you to met. 
Please also pray that I can get my job back in September.

I wish you all a wonderful and blessed weekend

xxx

Let your Light shine

Hey everyone,

before I started work today I read this bible verse and it stayed on my mind the entire time.

For you are all children of light, children of the day.

We are not of the night or of the darkness.

( 1 Thessalonians 5:5)

It was titeled I am a child of light, not darkness!

language

Hey everyone,

so since I've been in italy for New Years Eve, I have to confess I left my heart there. I felt in love with the language and since I am back I'm working real hard on lerning italian, I dont care that much about the writing but about the speaking and I have set a high goal for myself, witch is that I want to be able to speak italian within 3 to 4 month. I dont say speaking it fluent but at least beeing able to somehow communicate, and since I am just working just 4 hours 5 days a week I am really optimistic in that goal.


I love this italian worship song

I had an amazing time in milano and all the people I got to met are having an special place in my heart. The youth is so on fire for God, it is so amazing to see the love they have for him.

One short look on the weekend that is a head, i will be going to visit the Christian university in germany, probably the place where i will start studying in fall this year, if it is His will!

Bless you all

health & Wellness

I got this new calender were i read this wellnesstip that i just wanna share with you. I will also try to make this a regular post like once a week posting some wellness or health tips that i just tried or am about to try.
We all need from time to time a wellnessday to relax and bring some vitamins to our skin.
I love to relax at a spa place in my area and i am doing it once a month or once in two month deepending on my schedule.

This one i havent tried till now but i will try it in the next few days, it is called citruswater.
Basically, all it takes is the peel of one lemon, this is placed in a bowl with water and pours it. Let the mixture stay overnight.
The next morning, just replace the tap water through the lemon water and wash your face, neck and hands.
The result should be a surprisingly fresh and soft skin.

I am also trying something to make my hair grow longer and faster as soon as i see some results i let you know how it works.

Enjoy it and have a wonderful and blessed week!!