Fun Tag

Hey! If any of you are actually still checking my blog, I hope you enjoy these tid-bits of information! I had fun doing this over the last couple of days! See you soon!

I AM: a lover of most things pink, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a preschool teacher, a prayer warrior, a lioness, um…slightly annoyed at the moment with my neighbors’ volume level at 11:00 at night… hehe! creative… yeah, loyal, full of J-O-Y, and simply in love with my Jesus!

I WANT: to be a moon with my face fixed on the sun, ready to shine (for all you Sara Groves fans)!

I WISH: sometimes that I could be in two places at once.

I HATE: trickery of the devil! I mean… he is just sneaky and I want to just smash him!

I MISS: America when I am in Bosnia & Bosnia when I am in America.

I HEAR: My obnoxiously loud, yet somehow comforting, clock; ‘There is Nothing Lost’ from the Sense and Sensibility soundtrack; Salty, Beba, and Hershey Kiss (my neighbors puppies) barking at the wind or rain.

I WONDER: where I will be in 10 years.

I REGRET: immediate reactions a lot of times. I tend to sputter out stupid things in the heat of a moment, and after a little thought I am just fine. So yeah… trouble= reacting before the thinking.

I AM NOT: an open book.

I DANCE: only for the entertainment of the 8, 5, or one year old on our team. No that’s not true… I dance before God in worship!

I SING: non-stop! I make myself crazy! One word that sparks that song database inside my brain is all it takes and I am off!

I CRY: seldom. Lately anyway… it is interesting. I have always been really emotional. I am moved in worship or by God things at the oddest times, it seems… or when I read Chronicles, but yeah… I am not much of a crier these days.

I AM NOT ALWAYS: outgoing! Hehe… this year, I have discovered that I am quite the introvert. Weird change!

I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: food. Joj! Nothing here seems to come very easy, so I end up baking something to last for days; quilts for people- friends, babies, brothers, etc…

I WRITE: down most dreams that I have, because I am finding that God really likes to tell me things in my sleep; notes from meetings… I am a minute keeper. I like to have notes from every worship & prayer time! I like to build little alters on paper, so that I can go back later and remember what God was doing!

I CONFUSE: the bosnian words for ‘vegetarian’ and a ‘big breasted woman’.

I NEED: to stay in the Word, otherwise I take everyone else’s opinions about God, wrap it all together to form a belief, and then have no idea what I think about things!

I SHOULD: take more time to love people the way Jesus did. It is easy to get busy with tasks, even though they are tasks consecrated to God, and forget to just love on the people, taking heart-felt interest in them.

I START: many things that I never finish.

I FINISH: most day to day responsibilities. I rarely finish hobby things… unless they are for someone else, and even then it is tricky. So maybe you have a piece of gift, half-finished or barely started somewhere in my scattered belongings. It's the thought that counts, right?

I'M GLAD: that God asked me to follow him to beautiful Bosnia; to be going home for a visit in 6 days!

I LIVE: about half as “recklessly” for Jesus as I would like to; one day at a time- not that I don’t plan or have dreams… I just find it much more pleasurable to be committed to a day, able to say that I obeyed, loved, and spread a little sunshine!

I PRAY: often, also at the oddest moments and over the most random things. I like for my conversations with Jesus to never end. Halfway through the morning, we pick up where we left off earlier!

I SEEK: to deeply & intimately know God and understand His character.

I WOULD RATHER: be sleeping right now… the blustery day is tempting me to sneak an afternoon nap. I can’t do it, but it would be nice, since I got 3 hours sleep last night!

I PREFER: not to stick my hands in dirty dish water; bosnian coca cola light to diet coke anywhere else in the world I have traveled so far.

I KNOW: less and less & more and more everyday. Does that make any sense? Everyday I am challenged… I think I know something, then find out I don’t, & then I learn something new!

I MUST HAVE: Jesus & Sara Groves every morning… hehe; something salty after chocolate and some other sweets; one happy, pink gerber daisy smiling at me from a vase on my bookshelf.

I HOPE: to reflect God’s glory every second of everyday- to be a good representation of the character of God, being created in His image; to be bold and never refuse the Lord when He asks something of me, especially in the little things; to be able to get all the things done this week that I need to do before I go home- work, team, visits, pack, clean, plan, etc… and still be able to sleep!

Tell All Tuesday???

Hey guys! I am so sorry that I have been so slack about this lately, but I have still loved reading up on each of you! Well... when you have found times to write ;)! It seems like this is the busy busy time of year whether you are a school teacher, the maker of pretty accessories, in school, or umm... a wanderer in the streets of Sarajevo! Hehe! Goodtimes.
I love spring! Just the other day we had a threat of snow. It got freezing, and I was not super happy about the thoughts of slushing my way from here to there again. But here we are a few days later, and it is more than 25 degrees (celcius) and gorgeous!!! My laundry is drying in about two hours instead of two or more days, there are beautiful flowers and trees blossoming everywhere I look, I am waking up every morning to birds chatting back and forth to one another in the tree tops... life is beautiful!
We have a team here with us from America. We spent last week distributing Bibles in different villages in Bosnia. It is so awesome! I feel so charged and refreshed when a team arrives! When our team is able to work with them, we can partner with other organizations in the country who are able to be much more open about our faith! When they come we can sit on a Bosnian's porch for hours on coffee, sharing with them about truth and hope! Wahoo! It is so awesome! Since I have not been able to walk, I have been leading a prayer covering for the team members as they are out distributing! Oh... very awesome times of intercession for this place I love! Hehe! The team consists of 13 boys and 4 girls! That is really opposite of what we normally see on an outreach! They are from a Boarders DTS in Denver and have a whole lot of energy! Ha! We have been doing lots of children's programs, working on playgrounds, and some other fun stuff! It is crazy busy, but such a blessing!
Ok... I've gotta to run! Talk to you soon!

This Looks Fun!

The top 5 must haves

In My Fridge (& pantry... the pantry was more exciting, not by much, but ehh;)):
1. Diet Coke
2. Tortillas
3. Kraft Mac & Cheese
4. Tea & Coffee
5. Frozen Broccoli & cheese for top

In My Closet:
1. Comfy, warm pjs
2. Pink & Black Duke hoody
3. Yeah, I am a fan of my birk sandals too
4. Fun socks!
5.

In My Purse:
1. Chapstick (same here, Sazi)
2. Sunglasses (and again)
3. Orbit Grapefruit Gum!
4. Random Chronicle (of Narnia) of the Week (for long walks or rides on the tram)
5. Cell Phone (and again)

In My Car (well, I will tell you what is in my travel bag):
1. Diskman (it is still kickin' from like, 1999... thats like ancient in electronic years!!!)
2. Collection of fun cds (Sara, Nora, Nickle Creek, Inspirations, fun soundtracks & mixed cds)
3. Pinkish-purple blanket, throw thingy
4. Boz-Denny (my favorite teddy bear!)
5. And again, books... usually a chronical and another fun book (currently Captivating, by Stasi and John Eldridge)

On My TiVo (If you don't have it, pretend!):
1. Hmm... I think, maybe, Alias!
2. Home Edition (I don't remember the full name or if it is still on, but you know! Haha!)
3. Everwood
4. Gilmore Girls
5. (I have no idea really about this must have! Haha! I don't even know if these shows are still playing or are any good!)


This was fun times! Sorry I haven't been writting lately! It just so happened the first week that I started this, I was sick and in bed! I thought, "hey this is no biggie!!!" And now I am like, ahh! So anyway... I do love this so much, and hope to be able to write in this more often

Things I Love Thursday

So, I am here today to tell you all that I absolutely love fun fabric! I was thinking about this fact this morning when I pulled out a baby quilt I have been working on for my friend Teenie' s baby. I could spend hours in walmart, going through all the different fabrics! With fun fabrics, you can make beautiful wall hangings for pictures, a cover for your favorite journal, use it as a matt for a pretty picture in a frame, make fun quilts, yeah... the list goes on! I have gotten into canning quite a bit since we have been here, and one of my favorite uses of fabric was to cover the tops of the jars of the pumpkin butter I made! Hehe! I felt like I was back home in Appalachia! My most recent completed project was when my friend Stephanie and I made Christmas stockings for our team. Making them was a pleasure, and filling them with sweet things for the team was fun, but my favorite part was the actual assembly! Trying to find fabrics that reminded us of each of them or that we thought they would love. It was good times! Fabric in Bosnia... not so much, but I have been lucky in finding sales when I have been in America, and I always leave a bit of room in my suitcase so that I can add to my stash. So yeah... I love fabric!

Mad Music Monday... Hehe!

Hey! So I have loved reading all your responses to the weekly prompts and I am excited to join in the fun!

I have had the new Sara Groves cd since Christmas, and I love it! I have listened to it quite a bit, and yet I think it is funny how you can listen to something 50 times and not actually get or listen what it's saying! Well, that was my experience with the song "You are the Sun".

You are the Sun shining down on everyone
Light of the world giving light to everything I see
Beauty so brilliant I can hardly take it in
And everywhere You are there's warmth and light

And I am the moon with no light of my own
Still You have made me to shine
And as I glow in this cold dark night
I know I can't be a light unless I turn my face to You

I mentioned in a previous blog about the culture shock I experienced when I went from not being able to be completely open about my relationship with the Lord to that being a huge part of everyday when I was on outreach in Italy. During the first few days I felt so completely ill-equipped! I was like, "Whoa now... I am not used to this, I have had so little practice, the switch is turned off, and now you are sending me out into the streets?! What do I do?" I was a mess! Then one afternoon early in the outreach, as I was taking a prayer walk throughout the city, the Lord really encouraged my spirit. He said to me, " Beth, just be here. Be a dwelling place for My Spirit! Be filled and overflow. Love the people. Be a reflection of me to them." And I was like, "HELLO!!!" Yeah, of course... this I know! I felt really silly.

That night, I got into bed and played some worship music as I was going to sleep. The song You are the Sun came on. For the first time, I really listened to the words of the song, and I just bawled! I prayed, "Thank God I am no sun! But thank you God that even though I am a silly mess of a girl sometimes, that when I turn my face to you, you make me to shine." The Lord really ministered to my heart through the song and the words He had given me earlier that day, and yeah... I just love it. I play the thing every morning here in Sarajevo now, just as a reminder to myself of my dependency on the Lord. That words and works are nothing to the people here. They need to see Jesus. And what a comfort it is to know that if I keep my face turned to Jesus, He will be shone brightly... reflected, if you will... to everyone I meet each day. Man... goodtimes!

Precious Story

So, ultimately I know that I am in this lovely country to shine and share the love of Jesus to these amazing people! And I do... I mean, our team spends much time in worship and intercession, I play with and love on children, I smile at everyone I meet on the streets, I get on my knees and pray for my friends here that do not yet know the Lord... but when it comes to verbally sharing TRUTH, I worry. I error on the side of sharing anything, because I am too afraid of reprocussions.
While I was in Italy, I spent the first week of our outreach learning how to be open about my relationship with the Lord! It was weird! I mean, at first I was terrified to open my mouth! The first day we were there, during part of our 2 hour train ride to town, I listened to a few of the other team members from Denver share with some highschool kids about the reason we were in Italy for the Olympics. "We love Jesus!" they proclaimed. I'm embarraced now to say that when I heard this, I actually shrank in my seat! I was really ashamed, and then ashamed for being ashamed, but then I asked the Lord to open my mouth! And wow... did He ever! The whole rest of the outreach, I was so in love... so refreshed! I didn't really feel like God was asking me to stand in the street and pass out tracks, but to just talk to people. And out of the people from which you would least expect it, started coming deep questions about life and purpose, and I was allowed to be just real with them. To befriend them, and then share my Source with them. It was so awesome!
So then I came back to Bosnia! Wow... what a difference! I am back in the land of tomorrows. Well, thinking about tomorrow anyway... "if I do this today, what will it be like tomorrow?" And that's reasonable! I can't be careless. Some precautions must be made. But I am not going to hide behind "goodwill" anymore. I feel like the Lord has said, "ok, you have walked for a while... they are ready for a bit of talking!"
So, do you wanna hear a cool testiment to this new philosophy? I wish it was mine, but I can't take credit. My landlord's wife, Tidza, came to my door the other day! That doesn't sound too unbelievable unless I tell you that she is paralized on the left side of her body from a stroke that she had last summer! She came to my door so proudly! "Cao Beti," she said, with a huge smile on her face! I burst into tears, hugging and kissing her! "You are so strong," I said, as I promised to go have coffee with her. I watched her walk, slowly, but surely, back upstairs.
Later, as I was having coffee with she, her husband, Murat, and their daughter, Melisa (I use the heck out of some commas! Help me, Dood!) she told me that on Valentine's Day she was paid a visit from Daniel & Analise (my team leaders' children). They came, by themselves, to visit her and brought cupcakes for the holiday. Melisa, who speaks English beautifully, translated for the kids. Tidza explained to me that about halfway through their visit, Lisie says to Daniel, "remember how we saw on tv, when the people laid hands on that man and prayed for him and God healed him? We should lay hands on Grandma Tidza (a professed Muslim) and pray for her!" And they did! They laid their little hands on Tidza's hand and leg and prayed for her healing in Jesus' name! I love that about kids. Such blind faith, and no worry! Tidza told me, "hvala, hvala, hvala"... thank you, thank you, thank you. And she's walking. Everyday better than the day before! Am I surprized? Completely! And I don't know why, because it should be no surprize that God does these things!
All that to say, wow... I hear you Brooke (your blog about the little girl from your class). Kids seem to have the best ears to hear. They are pure and precious! So now I am challenged to follow the example set by the 5 and 7 year old and not only shine, but share and be open with the people I love here. Jesus is awesome!

it's me!
Haha!!! Yeah... Just what I wanted... a really big picture of myself here on my blog! Haha! I had wanted to put a pic on the profile part and I ended up with this! However (thank you my Sazi), if you will all look a bit to the right, you will see that the job has been done! Yay!

Too Much Fun to Pass

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:30 & out of the bed @ 7:39
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the movies? The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe! Wahoo!!!!! Oh my gosh, I am stinkin' excited about this movie!
4. What is your favorite TV show? ALIAS!!! Although, I am not caught up with this season (5) and have only seen half of 4, and I am so nervous about the rumors I have heard. Oh well... I am no fair-episode fan, I'm sure will love it!
5. What did you have for breakfast? A Corney Bar- its a little granola bar over here... yumminess with cranberries!
6. What is your middle name? Elizabeth, first name Martha... in case you thought my name was Beth Elizabeth
7. What is you favorite cuisine? Right now it is pizza, and more specifically, BBQ Chicken (pizza, that is)
8. What foods do you dislike? red meat foods! I hear ya, dood!
9. What is your favorite type of music? Oh dear, oh dear... this is hard. I think I would have to say bluegrass, actually. Anything with a little banjo! I am a huge fan! But honestly I have very eclectic taste in music!
10. What kind of car do you drive? No auto! Samo pijeskom... Only by foot!
11. Favorite sandwich? Um... I ate sandwiches 2 meals a day for the past month... right now I can't think of one that sounds appealing at all!
12. What characteristics do you despise in others? dishonesty, manipulation (funny... I have recognized it and dealt with it in my own character and have come to really despise it!)
13. Favorite item of clothing? papuce (Bosnian sock slippers! Now my feet feel naked without them!)
14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation wherewould you go? Home to BC!
15. What color is your bathroom? mauve and navy blue
16. Favorite brand of clothing? H&M!
17. Where would you retire to? Um... I don't know! Maybe I retire in NC. Or maybe in South Africa! I don't know, I am 24 for crying out loud!
18. Favorite time of day? Hm... mid-morning, I think. But if I am outside in the summer time, it is definately twilight!
19. Where were you born? Sylva, NC
20. Favorite sport to watch? Baseball, but only live.
21. What laundry detergent do you use? Um... I am a little embarraced to say... believe it or not, it's called... Ass (Crazy Bosnians!)
22. Coke or Pepsi? Coke
23. Are you a morning person or night owl? Hmm... I work better if I start the day early, but I thin maybe I'm and all day person.
24. What size shoe do you wear ? 9
25. Do you have pets? I do today! Not usually though... I am dog-sitting Daniel and Lisie's puppy, Naboo!
26. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? Not really, no.
27. What did you want to be when you were little? Well apparently I announced to my preschool that I wanted to be a cheerleader! I wanted to be a pediatrician for a very long time...
28. Favorite candy bar? Milka cream bar
29. What is your best childhood memory? BIG FAMILY GATHERINGS!!!
30. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Um... I was a camp councelor at Truett for many a year, made pizza, subs, and dough designs at Papa's Pizza, I babysat loads and loads of times, and was nanny to my favorite little 7 year old, Maggie, and I guess my job now is obedience to the Lord, whatever that means each day!
31. What color underwear are you wearing? Two guesses... well ok they are PINK, of course!
32. Nicknames: bethy, betney, mazi, bethany, & besh. In Bosnia, I have a nickname everywhere I go! plavusa (pronounced plavusha- means blondie), lutka (dolly), and dusa (pronounced doosha- means sweetheart)
33. Eye color: blue-green
34. Ever been to Africa? yes!
35. Ever been toilet papering? yes
36. Loved someone so much it made you cry? I don't really know how to answer this one
37. Croutons or bacon bits? croutons
38. Favorite day of the week? Thursday- preschool day!
39. Favorite Restaurant? Red Lobster, Chiles, Hot Wok (Thai, in Sarajevo)
40. Favorite flower? Orchids!!! Oh my, I love orchids!
41. Favorite ice cream? Supa Englesa! It tastes like eggnog with bits of cinnamon soaked cake stuff
42. Disney or Warner Brothers? Disney?
43. Favorite Fast Food? Taco Bell
44. What color is your bedroom carpet? I don't have any
45. How many times did you fail your driver's test? None
46. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? H&M and Ikea!
47. What do you do most often when you are bored? sew, read
48. What is your bedtime? usually around 10:30
49. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? well, I already saw them!
50. Last person you went to dinner with? I went to McDonalds with Stephanie in Italy! Not usually a fan, but there's just something about the familiarity that makes it yummy when it's available!
51. Ford or Toyota? Ford... but really, I don't think I have an opinion
52. What are you listening to right now? Norah Jones
53. What is your favorite color? Pink! And I love purple. Green is really growing on me though! I don't think it could ever surpass pink, but it is getting up there. This is like, bright, fun green, by the way!
54. Lake, Ocean or River? River! Rushing water has a lovely noise! So does the ocean, but for some reason the vastness of the ocean is pretty intimidating to me! Yeah... I love a river.
55. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Hm... chicken