And the river flows on.

It actually is hard to believe that Friday is the last day of the year 2010. Honestly, that's weird. I know that every year I hear at least one or two people who say "I can't believe it's already [month here]!" or "this year has gone by so fast!" or something of the like. Now, I have times when I feel like we should all get used to the speed of time but right now I feel like there should be a few more days left.


So 2010! What a year. One more crazy year in my crazy life. I've learned a lot, met some great people, came closer to my Savior and put two more countries under my belt. I know I was talking about how it feels like it was short but now I have a hard time thinking back to the start of the year. Oh yes, we got back from a good trip to the lovely US of A and got to work on school and a normal life again. I prepped for the SAT, took it, rode my bike, travelled to nearby countries, listened to music, went skiing, climbed a mountain, climbed on an airplane and flew to Texas for Frontier camp. (With a 20 minute detour in London.)

Oh camp, I love camp so much. You really have to be a staffer to fully understand my sentiment for FC. Through all my travel and experience I don't think I've learned so much as in my two months at Frontier Camp. I became a lifeguard, learned how to be efficient and have fun at the same time and learned a lot about myself, my Lord and my brothers and sisters in Christ. And kids, a lot of those too. I remember how every week I would be so annoyed with those 14 little tikes on the first morning and by the third day I would sigh at some moment in the craziness of the cabin and admit to myself that I love those guys.
The day after camp ended I was on a return flight to back home to Slovakia. I had grown so close to so many wonderful people but life waits for no man. The river of history flows with the current of time and your life is a bubble on the crest of a ripple and you've got to flow. I don't remember much of my five days at home and I don't know that I would remember anything if it wasn't for photos on facebook of me being tired, playing the guitar and sleeping in a pool. If it wasn't for that, I think I would have thought I flew straight from Houston to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for my mission trip there.

Ethiopia. I don't know what to say. I'd been to Africa before, the summer of 2007 I went with the same organization to Uganda so I had seen the state of things but I'd learned from Eastern Europe how different things can be across a boarder. Ethiopia is a green, rainy, beautiful country filled with broken, beautiful people. We were some thousands of somethings above the sea level so it was cold and wet. I loved it. It rained every day but about four. Yet despite the rain our ministry was hardly crippled. We showed the Jesus film, shared the gospel and played with orphans and the rain never closed down shop to my recollection.
Ethiopia was hard. There were mornings when all that got me up was duty and porridge. I loved the porridge and that was good because we had it every morning. (All but the few mornings we didn't... hated those mornings.) But despite that I loved it there, I was happy to be home when I got back but while there I was there and I did what could be done. I met a lot of people that I got to know, and hopefully, Christ's light and glory was somehow shown to Ethiopians and teammates both.

Heh, since then I've been back to America, learned to drive, visited amazing people in Prague, found great new music and made an igloo. It's hard to believe I've flown back and forth between here and Texas three times this year, that's crazy. I've really come to love it there, which is such a blessing. I'm leaving here next year and I'm going to miss people so so so very much. But history flows at the speed of time and I can't lag behind because that's physically impossible as far as we know. I'm looking forward to it a lot, it'll be fun.

Well 2010, here's to you! May you always be remembered and never frowned upon!

Psalm 148

Happy December everyone!

My pen hasn't been all too intrepid of late but hopefully with life slowing down that wont be the case for long. My traveling has finally come to a momentary end. I've been all over the past month and now I'm here at home to do school and enjoy the winter.

Snow, lots of snow. Snow is so white, beautiful and lately it has been quite bountiful. In the last three days I've cleared our large driveway twice, spending about four hours at it total. I've actually really really enjoyed it, not only because I get to listen to Mumford & Sons but I get time to pray and be in God's presence. Today I realized just being in his presence in silent worship is far from a waste of time. Watching the snow fall to the ground, listening to the silence around I worship that God who I know is there.

Another recent thought: What if we listened to God like we listen to music? Listen to the same stuff over and over, hearing all the individual elements, getting excited when you find something new, listening all day long. What if we read the Word of God like this? I wish I did.

A Spoon Full of Thought

The other day was I fixing some tea. I grabbed a spoon from the drawer but I stopped to find a different one, an individual one, a prettier one, a better one. It was after I found my quarry that I stopped to think: why did I want this spoon? Sure, it's nicer and yeah, it has some working on the handle that gives it a sense of class and beauty. But why? Why do I want something better? The other spoons would do their job just as well, why do I have a desire for this spoon?
I believe we, as humans, want what's best, we want the greatest thing ever. Often this comes out in such a wrong way. We have to have the latest, the greatest, the most freakishly awesome no-doubt-about-it super cool product and we'll go to whatever depth and height to get it. We put this desire we feel into a hunt for something to fill us with, something to make us okay, that's how we are and that's how we were made and it's honestly beautiful. Sadly, we're a beautiful letdown. See, we all have these emotions driving us to cling to things, to find our significance in them and that's just what we should do, we just don't go far enough.
There is only one Thing, one Being, that can really fulfill that desire we all are dying with and that's the one Thing that's always been there waiting for us. God is the most awesome, the most fantastically phenomenal Being there ever has been or will be. In fact, he made awesome, He's so awesome we have to write a new song about Him quite frequently because we simple can't hold in what little of Him we actually understand.
So learn a lesson from the spoon, seek the prize of true fulfillment. Read this and know that I mean this whole heartedly, EVERYTHING in this world isn't going to last a day longer than God wants it to, and He knows best and it's all going to be gone before we know it and I hope that's not before you're ready.
I hope this meant a little to you, I can understand how this stuff can start bouncing off the callused. Please have a good night, day, and everything in between.
I pray you don't miss it.
In Christ
Michael

A New Friend

So this weekend has been rather wonderful. On Saturday I went to an antique market where everyone who collects stuff from grandma's attic comes and sells stuff to people who wish they're grandma had a cool attic. There's stuff from wars and countries past and irons, cameras, accordions, money, boxes, typewriters, postcards, family photos, you name it. It's all old too, really old. One of the many wonderful parts of living in the middle of such a fascinating place like Europe is the history. I got two coins from two different countries from two different times and both coins were used in that same town. Craziness.
We were having a great time looking at all the art and nic-naks when what should I see on a coat hanger but a poor old mandolin. I asked the owner to see it and despite the obvious signs of age it seemed to be in pretty good repair. It only had two sad strings on it but I thought it was worth a shot. I walked away with my brand new antique mandolin and only 15 less Euro. ($20) I was very satisfied to say the least.
Today I got a much needed hair cut that cost about the same as the mandolin and while we were at the mall I got some strings for the mandolin and now we're in business! As far as I can deduct by the scribble on the inside of my mandolin, today is it's 39 and a half "birth" day, sort of exciting to have gotten in yesterday.
Anyways, I hope everyone else enjoyed their weekends as much as I do, do share! Also, any good names for my new friend?
Take care everyone and know that God does bless.
In Christ our Savior.
Michael

The 21st of September 2010

Today is the 21st. I've sort of always liked the number 21, 7 and 3 are some cool numbers so 21 is just satisfying. This is the last day it will ever be the 21st of September and this morning I gave myself 30 more minutes to waste in bed and I think it was well worth it. There's all sorts of things I need to do and so little time before time is gone. I didn't mean for this to be abstract, it just that I was thinking about what you choose to do in your day and what you need to do for the next step in life and what you need to do to enjoy life and what you need to do to retain life all has it's place but you need to find a balance. There's also the worry factor that sneaks in and you can worry about anything if you care for it. I realize I care a lot about my future simple because I worry about it. This should not be, my future is in good hands.
Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys their final 21st day of September 2010. I have things that need happening so fare thee well!

Greetings

Hello, welcome to my blog. I'm here to post my writing, to inform you of many things and to hopefully change the world. Please feel free to read what's been written after this, I hope it's good. The thing is, a lot of what I write is on paper so it's a rare moment that I sit down at the computer and copy my scribbles into pixels. But! hopefully I'll have some stuff up before too long. Also, I plan to be apart of another site starting soon that hopefully will be used by God for His glory.
In closing, take care out there. =]