Celebration time!

It was occasions like birthdays or Christmas when we felt most strongly how far away from family we were - so it was very special to have a family-birthday-celebration again - first one in 3 years! As a nice little bonus we were given a beautiful Austrian summer day, so we could sit outdoors and feel all holiday-y for a few hours!

Stephan's first birthday "back home"

Birthday-family-gathering 

cousins (2 of Steph's nieces)

We even had our very own little fireworks 

(those cool volcano-things, if you know them ;)

bigger machines and cheaper chicken

Eugene Peterson rarely fails to get at least a smile from me as I'm reading his books... not because of any witty jokes, but because of his ability to accurately observe things that I far too often have to recognize as true in my own life.


"Being committed to raising the standard of living" - what an apt and timely description of the dream of Western society, myself far too much included! Bigger, better, faster, more.

"Technology makes things happen and promises to eliminate poverty, pain, boredom. When someone raises the point that there is more poverty, pain, and boredom today than our planet has ever known, the speech is interrupted within five minutes by the breathless announcement of some incredible technological breakthrough, and we are so dazzled by the achievement that we are distracted from noticing the consequences."

What is the greatest need of this world? A higher standard of living?

Better education, bigger variety in food, faster transport or broadband internet, more time, money, friends, happiness?

Do we truely belief that Jesus alone gives what people need most - LIFE of an eternal quality?!

Interesting, too, to learn that aparently "there were times, when pastoral work was defined as preparing people for a good death". Imagine writing that in your prayerletter... 'heading to Austria (or you name it) ... to help people prepare for a good death." How fitting for our age that we much rather stick with the wording of "life to the full" (John 10:10) and the like...

Teach us to number our days, Lord (Psalm 90) - and save us from the illusion that we can make life work, if only we try hard enough.

from E. Peterson, "Working the Angles, Prayer"

voting...

Austria's decided to give us another opportunity to enjoy the tangible privilege of a democracy:

(premature) ELECTIONS are coming up!

It's hard sometimes to not get frustrated with politics - the're difficult to follow, because one has to try and cut through a jungle of half-truths and false promises... and it's hard to be convinced that it's actually worth trying. It tends to feel as if everyone's money and time is being wasted to a certain extent by whoever is in charge.

Nevertheless, it's a reminder to pray for those in authority - and to remember that ultimately, they're not in control... It's one thing to know that God is sovereign when reading the truths of the Bible - but to watch actual political leaders do their speeches on TV and then to affirm: 'The earth is the LORD's!' feels quite different... funny, isn't it?! (or maybe that's just me, easily impressed by impressive people)

Well, hopefully we can figure out the whole postal-voting stuff in time to make our votes count for something... and then we need to decide whom to support... the joy of reading election manifestos and feeling like the dumbest person in the world, because you only understand a third of what's being said... and hardly any of its implications.

The privileges of democracy.

Lessons from 1 Samuel...

"The difference between grace and works
is the difference between worship and idolatry."

D.R. Davis

in his commentary on 1 Samuel

What an insightful observation from 1 Samuel 30... it's amazing how GRACE is woven throughout every single part of the Bible!

That was a good reminder for me ... taking time to read God's word and pray is not some great sacrifice I bring before God. Isn't it amazing how even such 'Christian' things can become an obstacle to true worship, if they creep in to take the place of grace?

God would love me no less, if I hadn't spent time reading his word today - but maybe I can see his love more clearly, because I did;)

Ever been prayed for by your doctor?

... well, that's what's happened to me today, what a surprise;) I went to the doctor to get some test-results back (routine-tests, I'm glad to say - I'm all healthy ;) - and we had a little spiritual conversation about Christ's concern for the lost and the way in which God leads and has a place and a task for each of us. She's a Christian (I knew that) - and at the end of our little chat, she offered to pray for me, just like that.


I felt heaps encouraged by God and the way he uses the body of believers to build each other up. It made me think about the many ways in which I often fail to be this blessing to others, because I don't think to pray - or maybe because I don't value prayer for what it really is... or because I'm not brave enough to offer to pray for someone I don't know very well.

There's a zillion reasons why we're not more prayerful (I'm assuming here that others encounter this as well...) - but I've been gently reminded today that prayerfulness is a command, not an option, when I call myself a child of God. Not as a chore - 'have you done your prayers today??' - but as a privilege, that I may enter the very presence of God, despite of who I am... or more precisely, because of who I am in Jesus.


Thank God for 'royal praying doctors' ;)

The first trumpet call

What was the first trumpet call of the Reformation?

It was not the authority of Scripture,
foundational as that is.
It was not justification by faith,
crucial as that is.
It was not the priesthood of all believers,
revolutionary as that is.

The trumpet call, Thesis Number ONE of Luther's Ninety-five Theses, was this:

When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent,' He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

That first of Luther's theses dismantled all the machinery of religiosity and called us back to human reality. Luther glimpsed and aimed to recover the essential inner dynamic of the Chrisitan life. IT is an ongoing change process. It involves a continual turning motion, turning toward God, and turning away from the riot of other voices, other desires, other loves.

















This life, therefore,
is not righteousness
but growth in righteousness,
not health
but healing,
not being
but becoming,
not rest
but exercise.
We are not yet what we shall be
but we are growing toward it.
The process is not yet finished
but it is going on.
This is not the end
but it is the road.
All does not yet gleam in glory
but all is being purified.

Martin Luther

David Powlison
in John Piper/Justin Taylor (eds),
'Sex and the Supremacy of Christ'

Rollercoaster

The last few weeks were a bit of a rollercoaster, but predominantly in a good way. Even though we had our moments, we really felt that God has been working in our lives and our marriage to cope better with stress and change. By now, we both feel that we've settled again - in our new place in Ashfield (that's a neighbouring suburb to Croydon, where we used to live). We really, really love our new place (it acutally has DOORS leading into different ROOMS!!!) - and we were overwhelmed by the generosity and the help we have received from so many different people and in many different ways.

Our last days in Trowell Court were a bit sad, but also exciting, lots of nice end-of-year-things happening, especially the end-of-Trowell-meeting with Pizza & swapping fun-presents (we got some plastic cockroaches, flies and a nice picture frame;) On Sunday, 25th of November, Claudi graduated at Trinity Grammar School with her Certificate in Biblical Studies (the actual degree (Diploma in her case) always comes a year later, because results must be processed - ah well, burocracy;).

On Friday, 23.11., Klaus (Claudi's Dad) arrived - so we've spent lots of time with him during the last two weeks, showing him around, 'allowing' him to help us move and fix things in our new flat (isn't it GREAT to have a Dad who can fix things!!!) - and just hanging out. It's been almost two years since we had last seen him, so it was great to have him here for Claudi's graduation - and we're looking forward to spending Christmas with him!

Exam results have come through (and once again pleasantly surprised us;), as well as Claudi's visa and permission to work - praise the Lord! We're heaps thankful to God for his goodness and the way he has brought us to this point in our lives and how he has watched over us in every single step of the way. Thanks to all of you who are praying for us!