Including Cold, Weight-Loss, Godfathers & Perspective / Including Smoke, Hatches, Numbers & Secrecy

to nobody in particular:

...here are some recent thoughts, followed by explanations...

..."more snow, God? are You kidding me?" -- i walked out of the house the other day and, much to my dismay, the 15-degrees-below-freezing-Celsius weather was accompanied with even more snow, just when the recent barrage was starting to give way to the sidewalks underneath -- i know it is strange for me to think the following, but i was looking forward to having decent non-slip sidewalks to run on in the early mornings/late evenings...

..."wow -- this is tougher than i thought" -- last year, i was part of a group of four who had a small contest to lose weight, and, even though it went well for that period of time, and i was able to lose 15 lbs myself, i gained a couple more over the last month or so (Christmas time is a killer) -- well, to continue my weight-loss, i started a new personal campaign, and i have a goal to slim down to a certain weigh-in (which i will not post here) before the opening kickoff of the World Cup of 2010 -- it is a lofty goal, but i am determined...

..."yes, these have been pretty good, but i don't think they are any of my favorites" -- i've recently watched the Godfather movies (i re-watched The Godfather and have watched Part II and Part III for the first time) and, although i find the arguments behind them being great movies valid and seeing their place in movie history, they are not personal favorites...i did really like the first one, the second one was pretty good too, and the third one is kind of meh -- overall well done and interesting, but nonetheless slightly disappointing, with a letdown in the third act (Part III)...

..."does it all boil down to the matter of perspective, or is that just my perspective?" -- we are encouraged to be joyful always, to pray continually and to always be thankful in all circumstances (I Thessalonians 5) -- but why?...think about it -- and after i did for a while, i've concluded that it comes down to the view that we have on our life, on our perspective, on how we interact with the happenings of our days -- to sharpen a correct perspective on life centers on these three intentional choices, i believe -- living with joy (not happiness), praying as central, and having a constant gratitude -- enormously tough, of course, but invaluably imperative...

----------

currently watching: "LOST" (yes, still)

English Camp / Almost There?

to nobody in particular:

...here's the latest blog post from our family's site (www.xanga.com/thecareyjourney)...

-----

It was a wonderful experience for me (Ben) to spend the week up in Karchow for English Camp 2009! Thanks for your prayers and encouragement in preparation for it and during the camp. We had 24 teenagers and 14 staff (including me and Don from our team here, Katie who has taught three years now, Caleb our intern, two friends of the Jones family who helped cook and a team from Kenmore Alliance Church near Buffalo, NY) enjoy a week full of classes, activities, good food, fun times and, hopefully, spiritual encouragement! I served this year as Asst. Director for the camp and was able to see it all from a different perspective as last year. Next year I will be filling the Director role for the camp, and am excited about that. It was a fairly busy week, but we were able to enjoying moments of relaxation and genuinely spend quality time with the teenagers...

During the classroom sessions, they were able to develop their English proficiency, work their creative artistic juices through painting, baking apple pies/crisps and even doing Improv skits (think "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"). It was really fun to see how they all interacted with the different sessions...

Team and/or leaisure games and activities included Don't Touch the Can, Ultimate Frisbee, baseball, volleyball, "Kickerball" (Fussball, to Americans), 4-way Capture the Flag, Bandanaball, Intersection Races, and more -- and being fully-staffed this year (as compared to last) made it more flexible for all of us staff to join in or watch. All the students were separated into four teams, and throughout the week, all four teams were competing for points, which were gained from winning activities, saying the daily Bible verses (in English), receiving daily votes from staff for "Most English Spoken" or "Most Improved English", and more. In the end, the team I was on came in second, but all in all, it adds an element of excitement and motivation to it all...

Some of the teenagers come from a church-background, and that does not necessarily mean very much. However, several of the teenagers, when prompted near the end of the week, re-committed their lives to Christ, and that was refreshing and encouraging to see! You wouldn't believe how awesome the singing sounds during the worship/music time, and just the fact that several teenagers asked for us to have an extra praise time before the evening "Etwas Mehr" ("Something More") Bible session was encouragement for all of us...

God was truly working, and it was clearly evident -- but we're all praying that the teenagers would carry that encouragement on through these coming weeks and months. We're able to keep in touch with many of the students via internet/facebook and, when possible (but hard to come by) face-to-face visits, but are trusting for the extra bit of spiritual encouragement from the Holy Spirit to continue moving closer to Jesus, no matter where they are in their journey/relationship with Him...

Would you pray for them with us too?

Thanks!

Here are some pictures that capture a general feel for the week



...our main building...




...English Camp 2009!...




...us guys playing a traditional German kindergarten game...




...no, not any of the campers (although there was a hospital visit during the week)...




...what do us manly non-teachers do while everyone else is in class? why, pick berries of course!...




...me and Caleb photobombing Lisa Z.'s picture...




,,,"Etwas Mehr"...




...Jen's Beginner class...




...Laurie's Intermediate class...




...Katie's Advanced class...




...stretching their English through improv skits...




...4-way Capture the Flag explanations...




...bike trip to the gas station...




...volleyball...




...painting...




...Caleb, Dave (both staff) and Michel (camper)...




...playing Settlers of Catan...




...Adeline and Lisa E....




...Don and myself...




...and we had to give them even just a little bit more of American culture (and our generation) on movie night: The Princess Bride...

-----

..."you learn something new every day"...

seventeen days ago, i learned: book-smarts and street-smarts are oh so very different...

sixteen days ago, i learned: i can bike down to Alexanderplatz from Open Door church faster than the Straßenbahn can get there...

fifteen days ago, i learned: what a pastor shouldn't do...

fourteen days ago, i learned: English Camp 2009 is going to be awesome!...

thirteen days ago, i learned: these six years of marriage have gone by quickly but wonderfully -- so much has happened, and i'm eager for the next six and more!...

twelve days ago, i learned: i think i may have seen the best/funniest improv impersonation of Michael Jackson by a 16 year old German girl...

eleven days ago, i learned: to walk in to your room at camp and find flies mating on you bed is fairly disturbing -- "i sleep there, dagnabbit!"...

ten days ago, i learned: 4-way Capture the Flag does work and is fun...

nine days ago, i learned: the genius and wonder of The Princess Bride goes over many of the German teenagers heads...

eight days ago, i learned: slugs are cannibals...

seven days ago, i learned: English Camp 2009 was awesome!...

six days ago, i learned: i can play and sing an original song i've written in front of other people, including both friends and strangers...

five days ago, i learned: playing catch-up is not as fun as it sounds!...

four days ago, i learned: Hertha will be starting this season 33 million Euro in debt -- ouch...

three days ago, i learned: when there, buy it...

two days ago, i learned: Hertha tickets don't go on sale until the 10th of August -- bummer...

yesterday, i learned: men plainly should not wear short jean shorts, no matter how athletic or hairy their legs may (or may not) be...

today, i learned: my daughter is one smart cookie...

-----

recently watched for the first time but definitely not the last: Casablanca



...i'm not sure why i had waited so long to watch this classic, but i enjoyed it very much -- i think it's also my first Bogie movie, as well...

Already Done? / Not Enough Fun?

to nobody in particular:

...we have been busy, busy, busy -- yet a good kind of busy...

...having the Crown team here has been tiring, yes, but it has been great to solidify our relationship with them more through this trip of theirs, and they've been very encouraging for us, too, as they've helped out with their project and even more -- spiritual encouragement and lasting effects that will continue to work for our advantages...

...it was a fast two weeks with them...

...early on tuesday morning, we get on the plane to head to Mallorca (or Majorca, depending on how you would like to spell it) for nine days -- it will be a welcome time of relaxation and rest...

...i'm looking forward to it...

...God is perfect...

-----

..."you learn something new every day"...

...eleven days ago, i learned: not extrovertness, nor extrovertiviticity, but extrovertism...

...ten days ago, i learned: Hertha still has a shot...

...nine days ago, i learned: University of Leipzig since 1409 -- take that, United States of America!...

...eight days ago, i learned: Hertha can't take 1st place, but will finish in the top 5, so that's nice...

...seven days ago, i learned: liturgy has its place, somewhere, of course...

...six days ago, i learned: i have no desire to ever encounter vampire fish -- ouch...

...five days ago, i learned: is the obvious too obvious, or are some people really that silly?...

...four days ago, i learned: Alan Arkin was a musician with hit songs before acting?...

...three days ago, i learned: i still, after all these years, don't understand the God/weather connection sometimes...

...two days ago, i learned: the necessity of flexibility is exactly that -- necessary...

...yesterday, i learned: Hertha, congrats on 4th place -- much better than last year...

...today, i learned: mauerpark + karaoke = greatness...

-----

currently enjoying: the enjoyment and talent of Stevie Starr

Team is Here / Vacation is There

to nobody in particular:

...been pretty busy around here, and will be for the next couple of weeks -- we have a team here from Crown College in Minnesota, and so we'll be helping with them...

...exciting days around here! -- the team got here today, will be here until the 28th, but we're heading off for vacation on the 26th...

...it'll be fun to see what happens with the team here, and how God will work in and through all of us these coming days...

-----

..."you learn something new every day"...

eleven days ago, i learned: buy a newly updated Bahn map -- just go ahead and do it already!...

ten days ago, i learned: nobody has the distinct "right" to an abandoned recyclable beer bottle...

nine days ago, i learned: preparation, preparation, preparation...

eight days ago, i learned: the average mosquito lives for about two weeks...

seven days ago, i learned: don't go through anything alone...

six days ago, I learned: Alfred Hitchcock spoke German…

five days ago, i learned: add more European movies to my hit-list...

four days ago, i learned: i don't have a big desire to be a college professor...

three days ago, i learned: computers are like women -- you can't live with them; you can't live without them...

two days ago, i learned: i rock the Thurn und Taxis...

yesterday, i learned: the Bundesliga is INSANE with only a couple of games to go in the season...

today, I learned: “a rhinocerous beetle can push an object 850 times its own weight – the equivalent of an adult human strolling along pushing a fully grown hump-backed whale in front of them. Or one of the main supporting stones from Stonehenge.” (from Earth: A Visitor’s Guide)…

-----

currently longing for: vacation

Weird Week / Gorgeous Days

to nobody in particular:

...this is a busier week -- we are having our first brunch in a well-known local church building here in the area on Sunday, and we are still working out the logistical and practical details -- but it is a huge step for Freischwimmer...

...Germany won both of their World Cup qualifying matches this week (saturday and yesterday), so that is good news -- and England won their match yesterday too...

...Berlin Eisbären are tied in their semi-final match-up...

...fantasy baseball starts this week -- look for me in the middle of the standings...

...Hannah isn't sleeping very well, Travis is showing more attitude, and Sarah and i love them tons anyway...

...this has been a weird week so far...

...God is speaking to me though, of course...

-----

..."you learn something new every day"...

...seven days ago, i learned: yes -- i can (and do) buy rice cakes...

...six days ago, i learned: the new exhibition at the gallery is pretty awesome -- i like it a lot...

...five days ago, i learned: days where Travis and i can hang out together are good for my soul -- i am looking forward to more, especially when he gets older...

...four days ago, i learned: even though it's gorgeous outside, some people will stay inside...

...three days ago, i learned: Sarah's mom owned Richard Simmon's exercise tapes -- and Sarah exercised along with them...

...two days ago, i learned: some days are just crappy -- but they usually end...

...yesterday, i learned: it feels good to sigh and take a victorious look at a completed 2000 piece puzzle...

...today, i learned: there are roughly 4 million (out of 80 million) illiterate people in Germany...

-----

just finished reading: The Brethren by John Grisham

...randomly grabbed this book of the shelf at the library a week or so ago -- i liked it...

Morecambe F.C. / Berlin Eisbären

to nobody in particular:

...i am desperately looking forward to warmer days -- it is depressing at times...

...and now, on to fun!

-----

Here are the rules for the album meme:

this is a fun one...

1. Go to Wikipedia. Hit "random" or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article that comes up is the name of your band.

2. Go to Quotations Page and select "random quotations" or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very LAST quote on the page make up the title of your first album.

3. Go to Flickr and click "explore the last seven days" or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
The third picture in the top row, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4. Use Photoshop or whatever to put it all together.

5. Post it to Facebook with this text in the "caption" or "comment" and TAG the friends you want to join in.

-----

..."you learn something new every day"...

...three days ago, i learned: sundays can be long -- good, but long...

...two days ago, i learned: i really do miss watching/seeing ice hockey...

...yesterday, i learned: Berlin Eisbären rule! -- got to go enjoy seeing the Berlin ice hockey team (last year's champions), who are now number one in the league this year as well with yesterday's 7-2 victory -- and the kicker is that Nathan Robinson, former Toledo Storm player, got an assist on the very first goal...

...today, i learned: birthday shopping for the wife can be difficult -- especially when she gives you ideas...

-----

recently watched: hilarious English football own goals and embarrassing mistakes on Eurosport...

The World / The Cup

to nobody in particular:

...there is so much in the world...

...then again, is there?...

-----

..."you learn something new every day"...

...four days ago, i learned: even really great things can be frustrating...

...three days ago, i learned: "Travis" is also the name of some deranged monkey who used to act but now attacks humans with a vengeance!...

...two days ago, i learned: two sick and out-of-it kids are NOT fun...

...yesterday, i learned: World Cup 2010 tickets are on sale!...

...today, i learned: i can accept the fact that i won't be able to go to any World Cup 2010 games, sadly...

-----

recently finished reading: The Shack by William P. Young

...after being recommended by 83% of the churched population, we were given this book as a gift for Christmas...with it being so popular, i reverted to automatic skepticism, yet read the book...

...the book is alright -- not bad, but not amazingly fantastic either -- it was interesting and challenging at times, but i felt that it was nothing so new and fresh as i expected -- at times, it felt like it had taken recent thoughts and beliefs and re-packaged them in a new way -- it did have helpful words that spoke truth, but it was also a little sketchy...

...then again, that's what opinions are for, right?...i guess i just wasn't so sold on it as many others have been...that's just me...

...but it was a good read -- now, on to the next...

Berlin Sports / Berlin Television

to nobody in particular:

...13 days until my first Berlin Eisbären ice hockey game -- nice!...

...they are only 2 points out of first place, so we could be seeing another Berlin championship this year...

...Hertha is doing really well in the Bundesliga as well, and they play Bayern this weekend...

-----

..."you learn something new every day"...

...three days ago, i learned: a good idea? -- move forward with it...

...two days ago, i learned: i question lots of things, and disagree with lots of things -- but that's not a weakness...

...yesterday, i learned: even though i can't understand some spoken German, that's okay -- some native Germans don't even understand some spoken German...

...today, i learned: "Richter Alexander Hold", even though an interesting experience, will not be a regularly-watched television program in my life...

-----

recently watched: Amadeus



...mmmmm -- good film-making...