Did you ever want to know...

how to make a real chocolate mousse? I came home on Sunday from our young adults Bible study and heard lots of laughter from the living room. I had to join in when my beloved showed me this. It's so funny! So of course I had to share it with you too.
Btw I also recommand the one about making donuts!

My first digiscrap

Today I finally managed to do my first digital scrapbook page. I love scrapbooking with paper, but this was great fun too! And I thought that maybe it was time to announce something on my blog for those who don't know yet. I know the text is German, but can you guess from the pictures?
The scrapbooking kit I used is the kit "Amore" from Shabby Princess.

My difficulty with letting go

Sometimes I think if there is one thing I'm good at it is - worrying. At least where I am in my life right now. Many of you may know that I will take the written exams of the German legal bar in three weeks. And of course it is farely easy to worry about that - grades, jobs, career ... Even though I do want to be a mother and a home-maker, I would be lying if I said that I did not care about my final grade. But of course there are enough other things to worry about as well ...

BUT truth to be told I do not want to worry. And I think I should not worry either. I believe that God is sovereign. His will will come to pass. Nothing will happen that He does not allow. So no matter if my grade is good or bad, God has a plan with it. Many times in the Bible we are told not to worry or find assurances that we can rest safely in God's hand and trust Him. Here are some verses that come to my mind when I try to fall asleep:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? [...] Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" Matthew 6:25,27

"For we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose." Romas 8:28

"Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He care for you" 1 Peter 5:7

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10

I do give my care and worries to the Lord - but I'm really good about taking them right back out of His hands too. I really need to learn how to let go! Sometimes I get so frustrated with myself. My only hope is clinging even more (a lot more!) to God. Running to Him with everything right away. And bringing Him my anxiety again and again.

Another reason I do not want to let my worries rule me, is for the benefit of others around me. Don't get me wrong now, I think it is a perfectly normal and also sometimes beneficial to share your anxieties with your friends or your husband or someone else close to you. But I think we should not be a burden either. It is difficult to make a general statement on this, I hope you will get me right.
I just know that I don't want to be complaining to my beloved the whole time about my worries. My expectatons are from God, I should never forget that (Pslam 62:5). I don't want to burden someone to much, e.g. to the point that they are just frustrated too or that I turn into an almost-always whining person who isn't at all enjoyable to be around.

Last Sunday our Pastor shared four rules with us. He was taught them at a Pastor's conference by a 93-year-old Benedictin monk from Hungary who had to spent ten years in a Gulag. These were the rules he and his fellow-prisoners came up with to survive the Gulag:

1. Don't complain.
2. Find joy in the little things.
3. Be humble and noble.
4. Cling to God

I think these rules are very true and I hope they will help me through these days. To help me put into practice what God teaches me in His word.
There is an old German hymn by Paul Gerhardt (from 1653) that has also been very helpful to me. I'll quote my two favorite verses for you (and sorry for the German :)).

Befiehl du deine Wege und was dein Herze kränkt,
der allertreusten Pflege des, der den Himmel lenkt,
Der Wolken, Luft und Winden gibt Wege, Lauf und Bahn,
Der wird auch Wege finden, da dein Fuß gehen kann.

Auf, auf, sag deinem Schmerze und Sorgen gute Nacht,
laß fahren, was dein Herze betrübt und traurig macht.
Bist du doch nicht Regente, der alles führen soll,
Gott sitzt im Regimente und führet alles wohl!

House styles - Fachwerk

Sarah at Walk slowly, live wildly has a great post on alternative homes.
My Beloved and I would love to build a house later (or better have it build). I think I'd also enjoy buying some really old house and fix it up. We'll see if we can ever afford to make that happen.
My favorite style of houses so far is either a Scandinavian house or "Fachwerk". That is a style which is very typical for some areas of Germany. The picture below shows me in front of a whole row of Fachwerk houses.

Full of truth and grace

Just a little thinking and dreaming (not very profound, I'm typing this out during a short break in studying criminal law for my legal bar).
The church I would love to attend ... It should be a place which is full of truth and full of grace. A place where people will hear the truth. Where they will learn more about our God and all His attributes (not concentrating only on one of them, like "only" His love or "only" His holiness). Where they will learn to love God's word and to live according to it. Where there is room for sermons which teach profound theology, but also spell out how to live it. A place where people can be who they are - and where they are loved and accepted. Where they are also lovingly corrected. Where people truly love the Lord and love each other.
A church where there is room for the family with ten children and the family with no children. For the married and the single, the old and the young. A church that is open for the doubting and hurting and the ones who seem different. Where they can experience God - through His word, but also through love and grace extended by His people. Where the young single mother is welcomed, and the guy who is tattoed all over, and the alcoholic and the business man and the lonely elder lady...

A church full of love, truth and grace.

Pray for Heather

Please pray for Heather. She was diagnosed with a tumor in her brain. Today (Thursday) will be the first operation. For more detailed information please go over here to her blog.
Reading her blog over the last week has been edifying and so encouraging. It touched me a lot. So please pray for her and for her family.