Home came to me this Christmas!

Standing at the airport, waiting anxiously for them to arrive, and then I see her waving and him smiling! My parents came to visit me this Christmas and altogether along with my roommate Joëlle and my boyfriend Michaël, we celebrated Christmas, not once but three times, on the 24th, the 25th, and finally tonight the 26th. The gift that I received, no gift is greater than having one's family around during the holidays! I was able to show my parents a little bit more around my beloved Belgium, the picture is one we took in Bruges, and then tomorrow we are off traveling. From celebrating my parent's wedding anniversary (32 years!) to singing Christmas hymn in church and drinking cider at the Christmas markets, it truly was a Wonderful Christmas! I must now sleep, I have things to see and new places to discover. So I too wish you all the Merriest of Christmas' may it be something we celebrate on a daily basis!

It all happened at the castle!

Music. Laughter. Games. Songs. Messages of encouragement. It all happened at the castle! This past weekend over 25 people gathered in a castle in SFC Brussel's first ever local retreat. We laughed while cooking. We got to know each other while singing. And we all had a good time. For some, this was there first taste of what Jesus and the kingdom of God is like, when they left there, they were hungry for more!

The proxy vote

I have to admit, I am scared. That among other emotions of disappointment and regret I see that the 2008 election date is coming in a few days and my absentee ballot won't arrive in time. This is what I have come to believe the election that will monumentally change the United States and henceforth the world. And I am scared.

Over here in Europe I hear a myriad of opinions. The greater European parliament and general population believes that Barack Obama should be the next president of the US. Yet what I have heard that has struck me the most is from a man who attends church with me. He stated, "All Americans vote by proxy for the rest of the world."

We all vote by proxy for the rest of the world. Thus I am afraid of this upcoming election, the world says "Obama" and I see us handing the entire Middle East over to the strongest hand. I am faced with disappointment and regret knowing that my absentee ballot won't arrive in time to count. This upsets me and may also upset others, but I go into this election not armed with a ballot, and so I have decided to arm myself with the only real weapon I have...prayer. I pray that God will help us all in this monumental time period.

Holding my hand...

"For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." (Is 41:13) I like this verse. God holds on to my right hand. Have you ever felt like me where it is nice just to know someone is there, just holding onto your hand. It is a simple reminder of God's promise to always be there and to never abandon me, to never abandon us.

Today my grandpa died, yet once again today God is holding onto my hand. I don't know where I would be without God. I don't know if I could feel comforted by the world's weak explanations to life. But I do know that God is here--he has taken hold of my hand and when I decided to trust in Him, I took hold of his.

Holding his hand I know that I can trust Him my Adonai, my Master, who provides all my needs. As the verse says, I do not need to fear because God will help me. It is He who is holding my hand.

It's all about making connections...

Often in life I have come to believe that it's all about making connections with one another. Last Tuesday we had our first official SFC meeting after the school year had started, and with a few little words...over 50 people showed up. Now for many the following words may seem like a "no brainer" when you consider working on campuses, but for me the following words resulted in a successful launch year of SFC Brussels. The words... (any guesses?) "all you can eat Pizza." Our first official evening at SFC was held at Pizza Hut.

Birthday's also are a way to draw people in and connect them to others, on September 19th, I turned 27. It's odd, I don't think of myself as 27, I don't even think of myself as 26 sometimes...but to celebrate I threw a party and invited everyone. During the party people were able to mingle and get to know one another, people from SFC and not from SFC were able to talk and get connected. (I included a video of the night, in Belgium it's custom for the Birthday-person to give a speach...so I did thanking them all for their participation and involvement in my life.)

Tomorrow we'll be presenting our different small groups to SFC and I will be giving a short encouraging introduction to small groups. I am excited about it because, once again...it is all about connections. God connecting Himself to us in relationship, how he views our relationship with Him and with others vital parts to every life. In a short amount of time, over pizza, birthday cake, and small groups (the one I'll be co-leading has the catch phrase "How to live life with God" as it's theme); I have been reaffirming the realization that it's all about making connections.

Being the Perfume of Christ...

2 Corinthians 5: 14- 17, "14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? 17Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God."

What does it mean to be the perfume of Christ? This is our theme this year as we head into Back-to-School activities, we want to enter those campuses with "the fragrance of knowledge of him...the fragrance of life." One of my co-leaders, Joëlle, spoke last night at Students For Christ and presented this theme to the group expounding on the idea of perfume stating that "often we wear perfume not for ourselves, but for others...the fragrance we have can either attract people to us or repel them from us...let us be the channel through which God's fragrance attracts people to Himself."

This year, SFC is poised to, not out of our own ways, methods, or plans, attract people to God because we carry the fragrance of Him to others. We carry that fragrance because we approach him, spend time with him, and because it is he who spreads that fragrance through us. How sweet Christ must smell, and I look forward to smelling His fragrance through our group not only this year but for the rest of our lives as we learn what it is to be His fragrance to a dying earth.

Rice Sighting

Yesterday I had a "Rice Sighting." Now I am not talking about grains of rice, but of the Big Rice. Condoleezza. Condoleezza Rice. My sighting came along on an ordinary day when I stepped outside my apartment to go to the bank. As I was walking to the bank I saw three cops on motorcycles come speeding along with Sirens flailing announcing a car procession, then I saw car after car of tinted windows and CIA agents with ear piece and suits. The procession finished with two press vans and three more motorcycle cops finishing up the procession. In the middle of that procession was Condoleezza Rice, and I was standing on teh sidelines with my mouth agape.

Now, I should probably expect to see this from time to time since I am living five minutes from the European Union in Brussels, the heart of Europe. But I confess, I am a newbie and seeing the "United States Secretary of State" isn't something I expect to see. But then again...life has a way of surprising us. My "Rice Sighting" was just one such surprise.

The legacy will live on

Five Brussels students, one vision, one awesome God equates to one powerful experience at this year's CSM. This year over 100 people gathered in Brussels, to be further trained in what is student groups and how they as students can make a difference on their campus. It was a powerful time of prayer, unity, planing, dreaming together, and crying together.

In times of powerful worship, prayer time, teaching, and fellowship--there were also times where we gathered together asking God some very honest questions. Last year at this same time Joe, a campus-worker in Scotland, was leading worship and teaching. Yet this year, after an eight month struggle with cancer, he was being placed in a coffin. It is times like these where I tell God that I don't understand Him. But in my lack of understanding, I choose to trust Him.

Joe was not there to lead worship, to teach, or to encourage us with his insightful wisdom; yet his legacy and vision of seeing students being equipped, trained, and enthusiastic about reaching their campuses was very much alive. The five students who went from Brussels came away from CSM with a passionate desire to redeem the time on their campuses. Small group ideas were "born" at CSM. Dreams became goals to reach. Students caught the vision and prayed for their group that others may also catch the vision. Joe was not at this year's CSM, but his spirit and passion for campuses will live on.

"I want to sit by Diane..."

These powerful words that are now the title of this blog were said numerous times by my niece Makaila while I was in Oregon this past week. They were often accompanied by the words "Diane, what are you eating? I want to eat the same thing as Diane!!...Diane what are you doing? I want to do that with you!" Her words once again melted my heart.

Being home these past two and a half weeks were wonderful! I had quality time with family and friends. The first week I spent at the coast with my immediate family, building sand castles with my niece, nephew, and Dad. Meeting and holding my youngest niece for the first time. Taking walks and drives with my brothers and sisters-in-law. Having some quality "Gilmore Girl" moments with Mom. Plus all the moments of laughter and catch up with friends and service-partners. Instead of trying to do everything, I was just content to "be."

I can still taste Mom's home cooking, hear Dad's stories, see my nephew's "fancy feet," hear my niece's pleading to sit by me, and feel the sand between my toes as I am walking and talking on the beach with my brother. I love how in the "being," my...your...heart can be melted by the simple things of life. "Diane, can I sit by you?"

Tears ran down her face...

I had a front row view. There as I was singing with the worship team (in Arabic I might add) a veiled woman sat in awe as the tears kept running down her face. Her two children were with her as well. They listened intently and danced with the team at the end. God touched her heart, and her tears touched mine.

On June 28th after the SFC Barbecue a friend drove me back to Brussels so that I could participate in a two-week outreach towards Arabs here in Belgium with lead by a Moroccan who before Jesus touched His life he had been a devout in his religion. Out of the 70+ participants in this conference, the majority are also from Arabic backgrounds. To hear their stories of acceptance by God when their families often turned away from them, to hear how God appeared to them in their dreams, and how they now call "Isa" (Jesus in Arabic) Savior--all of that has remarkably had an impact on my life.

During this conference time was equally spent between learning and instruction and times of outreach. We learned about possible obstacles that some might have in coming to Christ and how to respond and share "Isa" (Jesus) with them in a way that is understandable. In the cities of Mons, Charleroi, Liège, and Brussels we handed out over 30,000 Bibles and Jesus-films in Arabic, Turkish, and French. We had the opportunity to hold "Cultural Evenings" with songs in Arabic, fairs for the children and their parents, and talk with people about Jesus at the market place. One woman literally cried, many more were touched and are now (in faith) allowing Jesus to heal their hurts and to give them a freedom that they had never known.

I'm holding my certificate!!

This certificate announces the end of a successful internship with Students For Christ Belgium. Our "End of the Internship" Party was on June 3rd and our official last class was on June 9th. It feels good to have just finished this one year work-filled internship! I learned a lot about working on campus', God taught me a lot about myself in relation to Him, and I learned that I have so much more to learn! Yet I am glad to have completed this step of my life. There is a feeling that I am embarking on something new and exciting. God only knows what is written on the next pages of my life. He is doing some new things as this page of my life has been turned and the next chapters are waiting to be written... :)

In the stillness, He is there...

One of the goals of the Internship program that I am participating in this year is to acquire good, healthy habits to "go the distance" in service. Practicing a weekly Sabbath has been one of those principles. This has been something that God has challenged me in and in which I have been stretched. But, in that stretching I have found refreshment.

To me, this Sabbath has been trusting God that He will enable me to get all that I need to encourage in one less day, six days of work and one day of rest. Sometimes I look at my schedule and I say "But Lord, with all that I have to do this week...how can I take a Sabbath?" But, I am relieved to know that I am not God, I am not all-mighty or all-powerful, that I need rest and that without Him...I am n-o-t-h-i-n-g. So I take my Sabbath as a step of faith, this step means that "Lord, I trust you to help me to get everything else accomplished another day."

Today is one of my Sabbath days, and it has been beautiful! The sun is shining calling me out on a nice long walk, the construction workers are pounding the ground...but that's Brussels, and I hear the call of God "Come Away With Me." And with that call--I go. I delight myself in Him, and I enter into His presence. I just finished reading an article published in "Discipleship Journal" entitled: Keeping Company with God. It spoke of Frank Laubach's, a worker for the illiterate, journey into constant moment by moment communion with the Father. This is not just for a Sabbath day...this is for life, constant communion with the Father. Here's the link if you want to read it: http://www.navpress.com/EPubs/DisplayArticle/1/1.106.7.html Feel free to comment on what it spoke to your heart as well. Is it not refreshing to just be in the presence of God?

How God Brought down the Giant

It is amazing that with just a little stone, God used David to bring down the giant Goliath. Just like that, God also brought down a giant in my life and gave me a story to tell. As I’ve mentioned, my roommate and I have been searching for apartments, I want to thank you for your prayers and expand the story some…

How it all began...
Near the end of October, my two roommates and I started looking for inexpensive 3bdr apartments in a safe area of Brussels. We looked and looked, and right before Dec found the gem of all apartments! We instantly fell in love with it, and told the landlord that we wanted to take it. They said they’d make their decision by the end of the weekend. That weekend, I prayed and prayed, yet somehow...I knew that this was not our apartment. Sure, enough, the landlords gave it to someone else.
After an appropriate mourning period, and after seeing other apartments, we found another 3bdr apartment. We prayed for discernment, and I felt as if God said “No.” It was small, clean, but expensive, and we couldn’t put an oven in the kitchen. It was Dec. 20th and I had planned to move out by Jan 1st, so I prayed “Lord, we’ve seen so many apartments—either break it all up or show us the apartment you have for us.” A few hours later, my third roommate said she couldn’t move at this time, I knew that even though I did not have an apartment—God was moving. So right before Christmas, when all of the agencies closed until after New Years, my roommate and I re-started our search this time for 2bdr apartments.

Re-starting the search, our hope in God alone...
As we were looking, we saw apartments that resembled our criteria, reminding us that God knew what we needed. We put our application in to one, and were once again denied. We put our application in to another, and were again denied. There were times discouragement, people said it would be impossible to find an apartment. Yet, God was building our faith as we chose to persevere and trust Him.
Then, we were shown a small dingy, dirty, cold, expensive apartment in a not-so-safe building; yet it felt like our last chance. The man showing it said we had to act fast. We were discouraged and didn’t know what to do, so we prayed and we knew that this was not what God has for us, so we felt we just needed to wait and not take it.

How God brought the Giant down...
That same night, I received a phone call from an apartment. During the call, I heard it was near our budget-limit and the kitchen had no appliances, I explained my concerns to them yet they told me to come see it and we’ll discuss the rest later. I fell in love with the apartment the moment I walked in the door. It was large, clean, lots of light, two nice-sized bedrooms, a hint of European class, and it gave way to community; in essence it was more than I could hope for. The landlord then said that they would put in a refrigerator and oven at their costs and were willing to lower the price by 50€ (about $75) making it a steal. That same day I brought enough money to block the apartment. I continued to pray that they would accept us. Within the week, I had signed the lease and had my own set of keys to it! It seemed like a dream and I was reminded of how our Father God really DOES know how to give good gifts to his children!

Thank you for your prayers—I am praying for you to see God do the impossible in whatever you may be facing! Our God is bigger than any giant!

Giving away Signatures, aka Signing a Lease!

I got back from the annual Students For Christ - European leaders Prayer and Planning weekend, and God did move. Not only was their a goos time of fellowship, but it was encouraging to pray together with everyone for every country where SFC is or will be. God is moving!

Then, when I returned...God had a gift for me--a beautiful apartment! I had applied for it before I left and they had accepted! As of today I have a new apartment, although I won't move in until February 1st, I have signed the lease and I am thanking God!! I'll post pictures and my apartment story at a later time, but know that today--God worked miracles!

God is bigger than any giant

Since January 1st, I have found two great apartments and I have applied and have been denied at both places. One just stopped communication another said they wanted Belgians renting it, so my American-self and my Congolese roommate started our search again. It has been hard, but I know that God is bigger and that He knows how to give good gifts to His children.

One consistent criteria has been an apartment that will give way to community. It feels like there has been opposition, will you pray with me? This opposition is trying to get my roommate and I down. Yet, I have recently been reflecting on the life of David. He did not have what it took to fight Goliath, David was not strong enough, his weapons were not ‘adequately equipped,’ but he knew one thing—his God was bigger than any giant.

In light of my apartment search which has been extensive and has at times seemed like a massive giant, I here-and-now proclaim that God is bigger. I am thankful that I serve a God in whom I can trust and that He also loves me enough to teach me how to trust Him even when I am faced by giants. In this proclamation, I hope you will also be encouraged that regardless of what you are facing, regardless of how big and massive it might seem, God is bigger. Thank you for your prayers! Let me know how I can also stand in prayer with you to face your giants with our Big God. :)

Life is Great in 2008!

I was talking with my Mom the other day and she said the previous phrase, "Life is great in 2008," so I thought is was appropriate to use here. Today, I am relaxing as I just got back last night from a European-wide Students For Christ conference in Nuremberg, Germany. It reminded me of when I first came to Brussels over two years ago, because that was the first conference I assisted in. It went really well, there were students there from over 10 countries and we prayed and worshiped our God together. There were times of fellowship (as can be seen holding Starbuck's coffee mugs) and times of seeking God together, as a community, as a church.

During one of the services Christopher Gornold Smith said the following: "By thinking that a problem is too big for God, you are limiting Him to a human in His understanding, and by saying that the details of your life are too small for Him, you are making yourself like God for nothing is neither too small nor too big for Him." I like that. It put things in a new wording which brought about new perspective. A great way to start the New Year!

Also, this year I have decided to make some other changes, I wrote a long list of all the things I want to change or do (including being better with emails and going to more museums). But to accomplish those, I realize that it is all in the Hands of God, so God--take my dreams and make them yours!