Life in Brussels.: Sundays Are My Favorite.

This Sunday Sara Beth, Adair and I tried to go back to the International Baptist Church where we had felt so welcomed the week before, but confusion over a broken down metro stop led us back to the Scottish Presbyterian church with Dr. Nelsen. Still this was a great experience as well and an interesting sermon (especially in light of Les' fall con talks... again so thankful for those ruf recordings). The rest of the day I got to enjoy the beautiful weather, walking around the market and sitting out by a lake reading. That night a group of us also went to Dr. Nelsen's for a Bible study and time of praise. My oh my was this wonderful. First of all, Mrs. Nelsen had a laid out a tray of fruit, crackers and cheese, and some orangina (with ice!!). It felt so homey, which was wonderful, restful, and encouraging. Then we spent some time singing songs (ahhh all songs that have become so dear over the past two years of ruf and that I have been missing so much) and reading over the beatitudes - learning about having an eternal perspective. Frustrating how quickly I allow the stress of work or booking plane tickets to wipe that perspective away. But still the Lord makes me new each day and draws me back to Him - which I am so thankful for because I am too weak to even have faith on my own. May He be glorified in my immense weakness. It was interesting especially to talk about how one of the "kingdom characteristics" as laid out in Matt 5 is meekness which really has to do with the idea of being fully dependent on God. Here I have been thinking that I am developing this really independent life, only to be reminded how I am so far from independent. I must be fully dependent on Him who gives me the strength to get through each day, to face the work as well as to rejoice in the beauty around me.

Such a full weekend - as further evidenced by the pictures included below!

Other weekend highlights included, Ashlyn visiting Brussels! (yay for our first vistitor!) and our trip to Ypres on Saturday, which was a very long but beautiful look into the tragedy of WWI. We saw so many cemeteries, battlefields, and exhibits at the Flanders Field museum. I cannot even begin to wrap my mind around the depth of tragedy but am thankful for the beautiful cemeteries that mark the work of these men.