What kind of dropout are YOU?

mmmmhhhh........it's been a while......

2008-01-14T03:14:00.000-08:00

yes, I am back........who would have thought........I don't know why I actually stopped posting...I guess I thought I was too busy, well, I am still busy, probably busier than ever but decided to break the silence. A lot has happened, we're still our jolly selves, still in Australia, had another munchkin......what else, well, the future is still as bright as the promises of God so it should be a very exciting year
To make a long story short, I'll just post our Christmas newsletter, that just pretty much sums it up........

What we've been up to

2008-01-14T03:08:00.000-08:00

Just because I haven't been writing anything for a whole year, I'll attach our Christmas newsletter as a recap of what's been happening in my life this past year.....here it comes:

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas to all of you! We really love each one of you and want to let you know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.
This year has been a rather eventful one, and with the Christmas season in full swing, things are not about to slow down for a while…..for quite a while in fact; as you can imagine, life with 4 little kids is always busy, no matter what you do.
It all started with our coming to Australia the beginning of this year. What we thought was only going to be a three month visit turned out to be of a more permanent nature: we had another baby along the way,we’re still here and haven’t set a deadline for leaving yet either…..we’ll see what the new year brings. The idea of returning to the Middle East is still in the back of our heads as well.
Australia is a great country, especially when you’ve got little kids as the opportunities to go out and do fun things are almost unlimited: it has a great climate ( nothing like Iceland…brrrrrrrr), beautiful beaches, the bush with its incredible smell of eucalyptus, lots of really cool animals right at your doorstep, and the list goes on……before I bore you with too many details that sound like they’re out of a travel guide, let me sum it up in a nutshell: we’re having a ball here…..and I’m slowly getting used to the very unique ( in European terms rather ‘crude’ ) Australian sense of humour, ha…….

We’re based out of Sydney’s North Western suburbs where we live in a beautiful old heritage house, right next to a nature reserve. We’re a team of 20, consisting of another large family and several dedicated young people, all of whom are a lot of fun to work with.
Our team runs a charity called ‘ Change the World’ and as such we’ve been involved in a variety of projects this year, including clown shows at hospitals and for underprivileged children, support for farmers affected by the draught, relief work after huge storms on the Central Coast earlier this year and our ongoing teamwork with an organization for the Homeless.

Apart from this, our little family is well and thriving. Our latest addition, Elektra Estelle was born on the 25th of October, and she is such a joy. She’s been smiling at us from about 5 days of age and hardly cries…what a change from the boys…..don’t worry, we love them all the same!
Emma ( 20 months) has graduated from being a cute little baby princess into a big sister with quite a regal attitude. She is starting to talk now and hasn’t stopped telling us about what’s going on in her little universe ever since….
The boys are exploring the world around them: Ethan (5) continues reading lots of books and is learning to swim and ride his bike without training wheels. He will be starting first grade in February. Eliot (3) has developed a passion for gardening and being Daddy’s handyman helper. He loves his preschool workbooks and his favourite videos are animal documentaries.
Both of them had a blast going carolling this Christmas season. They were in their cute matching outfits with straw hats and really let their little light shine.
So, as you can see, lots has been happening this year; I also made a trip to Germany and Nick went up the Gold Coast for a very fruitful and inspiring road trip

If all of this sounds a bit too rosy for you, don’t worry; we do have our trials here and there but life is just too precious to be consumed by worry and stress. That’s my lesson of the year: Relax and savor the moment; it’s love that makes it all worthwhile. Even if the outlook seems a bit dim at times, the uplook is always great !
As always, through the darkness the Christmas star shines its pledge of peace and freedom, so may the spirit of Christmas bring you love, new hope and courage for the coming holidays as well as for the new year. Have a wonderful 2008!

God bless you all!
Lots of love from Nick, Katja, Ethan, Elektra, Eliot and Emma

me again

2007-01-22T02:34:00.000-08:00

in case you missed my rambling......
you might have wondered if I'd let you get away with just looking at pics.....well, of course not......can't help myself.....but I'll save the musings of my mind on the state this world is in for next time ( they're running through my head,though at high speed, especially after watching some movies again, I just got to let the Commander put them in order first before I expose you to any of them)
so what's this one about then, well, you could maybe call it an 'hommage to friendship'
nothing big nor too deep, don't worry
It's been one of my New year's resolutions to make more of an effort to let my friends know that I care about them....I tend to be a bit lethargic when it comes to staying in touch and I always seem to have a very legitimate excuse why I am just too tied up with other urgent matters.....so, this year things will be different and things will change, I am determined.....so please choose an appropriate form of punishment if I don't follow through on this and you don't receive your bi-weekly personal letter...just kidding...

maybe having reached the end of the world ( geographically speaking) has made me sentimental but I just wanted to let all my friends and friends-to-be know how much I love you,appreciate you and need your friendship. i also pray that I can be the friend the Lord wants be to be this year and in the years to come
I love you!

2007-01-22T02:32:00.000-08:00

2007-01-22T02:29:00.000-08:00

Just some recent pics

2007-01-21T03:32:00.000-08:00

it's been a long break since I've last written...much has happened between now and then, we're literally at the other side of the world.....from Iceland to the Australian summer, via Germany and Brunei.....Eliot's got more curls, Ethan reads fluently now and Emma's got a tooth, finally...just to name a few highlights...(the joys of parenthood) I wish I had more time...but will write more soon, promise...in case anybody's even going on my blog....
love, peace( stress is a bad bad word these days)and prayers to you all!

2007-01-21T03:31:00.000-08:00

2007-01-21T03:30:00.000-08:00

2007-01-21T03:27:00.000-08:00

2007-01-21T03:25:00.000-08:00

The atmosphere of Heaven

2006-12-03T15:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas is My love come down to Earth. Let it possess you and fill you and take you to Heaven.

A heart full of love and thankfulness is a heart full of Christmas daily.
And as you pause to thank me, you'll realize that frankly,
Christmas is a time of praise
that can brighten ALL your days.

Praise me for the things in your life that have happened in this past year.

Praise me for the blessings that brought a smile to your face or laughter to your lips because they lifted your spirit.

Praise Me for the trials that brought tears to your eyes and pain to your heart because they caused you to search your heart and seek out something higher to make you rise above.

Praise Me for the tests and challenges, because they strengthened your character and fortified your resolve to contunue fighting.

Praise me for the love that you received from your loved ones, from those I brought across your path when your cup was empty.

Praise me for the opportunities to reach out and and give to others because these actions are changing the world one heart at a time.

Praise Me for the children, yours or those of others, because of the purity and simplicity they bring into the world.

Praise Me for My creation, for the beauty that I have placed around you-both in nature and in the hearts of those around you-because it refreshes your spirit and renews your physical being.

Praise Me for My light and truth, because it shines brightly in an ever increasingly dark and desperate world.

Praise Me for everything.Praise is the atmosphere of Heaven

Jesus

Let your light shine

2006-12-03T14:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas time and the approaching New Year have a way of bringing out the best in people. It is a time when we tend to look upward in search of peace and hope; inward for the resources to care and give freely to others; and forward to brighter and better days ahead.

But what about this year?
Considering all that is happening in the world around us, is there any reason to believe that peace and brighter days will ever come?

One of my favorite true stories makes a great thought for Christmas and the coming year-a time when we all hope to make a difference and change things for the better. It's about a humble shepherd who single-handedly transformed a barren region by planting nuts as he watched his sheep graze on a different hillside every day. Over 20 or 30 years that one shepherd reforested the entire area, which brought back the wildlife and improved the soil for farming. After that, many people moved to the once nearly deserted area and it became alive and prosperous. The shepherd slowly but surely made a difference in his part of the world.

What turned out to be a great thing was probably the result of a sudden inspiration. How many others, do you suppose, would have brushed off the idea as crazy, impossible, or not their job? Not this shepherd.
He believed and put his inspired idea into action.
What he did each day wasn't especially difficult, but he stuck with it day after day. Great things are often the result of patient plodding. He did what he could do and trusted God to do the rest.

We, too, can make a difference and influence those we come in contact with for good through our attitude and actions. A song that was popular a few years ago put it like this: ]
" If everyone just lit one little candle,
What a bright world this would be! "

We may not be able to change the whole world, but we can light our part of the world. We all can!

Heaven is....

2006-12-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

Heaven is God's Love.
Heaven is in your heart,
and in your home,
every time you share a smile,
wish someone joy,
lift somebody's load,
do something that helps another.
Heaven isn't just when you finally finish your life here on this Earth and we're together in the Heavenly Kingdom—that's just part of Heaven.
Do you think that I would keep something as wonderful as Heaven all to Myself, all that time, and not share it with you?! Oh, no! I like to give you Heaven every day, every moment! It's part of My love gift to you on Christmas.
I give you Heaven —not just in the future, but today! Now, this very moment, I hand you Heaven!

Jesus

Even if everyone says you don’t stand a chance, don’t give up on your dreams.

2006-12-02T15:31:00.000-08:00

Be yourself!

2006-12-02T15:29:00.001-08:00

Be yourself! No one will be disillusioned when they discover the “real” you, if that’s what they’ve known and loved all along.

2006-12-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

Happiness is a state of mind

2006-12-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

2006-12-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

My little man

2006-11-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

In case you ever wondered...

2006-11-04T14:52:00.000-08:00

Yes, by the way, in case you have indeed wondered why I have chosen 'mountainmaid' as my blogger name, here is why. This is the song that explains so perfectly well what has always been my driving force. May it also be an inspiration to you.

MOUNTAIN MAN

Something deep inside of me
Kept me moving endlessly.
I could never really be free
As a valley man.
I traveled 'round, I tried to be
Somebody else but never me,
But then Jesus set me free,
Now I'm a mountain man.

Mountain man, mountain man,
We're going to walk hand in hand
Way up here where the air is fresh and clean
Mountain man, mountain man,
I'm going to love every soul that I can.
I'm just a proud, unworthy, but happy mountain man.

When I could not see the light,
There wasn't any reason to fight,
But now I'll fight with all my might
To stay a mountain man.
I realize that I can't see,
So I'll let Jesus speak for me
And I know I'll always be a
Fightin' mountain man.

Heal the sick and preach the Word,
The sweetest sound I ever heard;
Evolution is so absurd,
It's very plain to see.
Many come and many go,
People running to and fro,
To the valley they all go,
But I'm glad I'm a mountain man.

Mountain man, we're going to walk hand in hand
Way up here where the air is fresh and clean.
Mountain man, mountain man,
I'm going to love every soul that I can.
I'm just a proud, unworthy, but happy mountain man.

Love and prayers to all my fellow mountain men and mountain-men-to-be, Katja

Excerpt from 'Baghdad Burning'

2006-10-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

I'll include a post from this girl's blog here because it expresses so well what so many of us feel these days, and what the rest of the world should know:

Qana Massacre...

Although the sun is blinding this time of year in our part of the world, the Middle East is seeing some of its darkest days…

I woke up this morning to scenes of carnage and destruction on the television and for the briefest of moments, I thought it was footage of Iraq. It took me a few seconds to realize it was actually Qana in Lebanon. The latest village to see Israeli air strikes. The images were beyond gruesome- body parts and corpses being hauled out from under tons of debris. Wailing relatives and friends, searching for loved ones… So far, according to humanitarian organizations, 34 were children. They killed them while they were sleeping inside their bomb shelters- much like the Amriya Shelter massacre in 1991.

We saw the corpses of the children on television, lifeless and twisted grotesquely, what remained of their faces frozen in expressions of pain and shock. I just sat there and cried in front of the television. I didn’t know I could still feel that sort of sorrow towards what has become a daily reality for Iraqis. It’s not Iraq but it might as well be: It’s civilians under lethal attack; it’s a country fighting occupation.

I’m so frustrated I can’t think straight. I’m full of rage against Israel, the US, Britain, Iran and most of Europe. The world is going to go to hell for standing by and allowing the massacre of innocents. For God’s sake, 34 children??? The UN is beyond useless. They’ve gone from a union of nations working for the good of the world (if they ever were even that), to a bunch of gravediggers. They’re only good for digging mangled bodies out of the ruins of buildings and helping to identify and put them into mass graves. They won’t stop a massacre- they won’t even speak out against it- they’ll just come by and help clean up the mess. Are the lives of Arabs worth so little? If this had happened in the US or UK or France or China, somebody would already have dropped a nuclear bomb… How is this happening?

Where is the Security Council??? Why haven’t they stopped Israel? Ehud Olmert recently told Condi that he needs 10 to 14 more days of bloodshed- and nothing is being done about it! Where are the useless Arab leaders? Can’t the pro-American, spineless emirs crawl out of their gold palaces long enough to condemn this taking of lives? Our presidents/leaders are only as influential as their oil barrels are deep.

And the world wonders how ‘terrorists’ are created! A 15-year-old Lebanese girl lost five of her siblings and her parents and home in the Qana bombing… Ehud Olmert might as well kill her now because if he thinks she’s going to grow up with anything but hate in her heart towards him and everything he represents, then he’s delusional.

Is this whole debacle the fine line between terrorism and protecting ones nation? If it’s a militia, insurgent or military resistance- then it’s terrorism (unless of course the militia, insurgent(s) and/or resistance are being funded exclusively by the CIA). If it’s the Israeli, American or British army, then it’s a pre-emptive strike, or a ‘war on terror’. No matter the loss of hundreds of innocent lives. No matter the children who died last night- they’re only Arabs, after all, right?

Right?

- posted by river @ 10:16 PM

New links

2006-10-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Check out the new links on this blog:

Global Research is an excellent site for finding out what is really going on in the world. It contains very good articles by various academics and gives you the inside scoop of WHAT YOU WON'T FIND ON CNN.

Baghdad Burning:An absolute must: The sad truth of what is happening in Iraq told by a girl living in Baghdad. I really like her writing style too. Breaks your heart...and makes you pray.

Turn to Islam: A site aimed at doing away with common misconceptions about Islam. Also gives you THE REAL NEWS on what's happening especially in the Arab world.

Enjoy!!!

2006-09-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

Freedom Within- a Tribute to the Master

My Spirit’s been dancing with You,
I’ve felt I was flying higher than ever before
That’s when You said
This was just the beginning

Being in love with You means freedom
I feel like a child who is only slowly coming to grips with what this even means,
It’s such a foreign concept
But once you’ve tasted of it, you just want more and more

You are Freedom to me, in its purest form
Being with You is just like inhaling the freshest, purest air there is, that makes you see things in all their grandeur and glory, how they truly are, it’s like getting addicted to smokes, you just want more and more throughout the day because they soothe you and make you feel good. And Your ‘Heavenly Smokes’ do even more, they make Your reality my reality every time I have one and our lives start merging more and more. Things around me start changing, as they take on a form that only You know of, that only You could have shown me.

You are Freedom, dancing with You is life, light and happiness
I feel like such a child when it comes to being free and you are the master of it, in fact, You are it, You are Freedom
Letting my spirit go places with You is like a feather sailing on the wind of the spirit. The feather does nothing of itself, it’s all the wind.

Being with You is even more than, as an absolute novice, taking painting classes from the most famous painter that’s ever lived; it’s more like reveling in the colors themselves, bathing in them, becoming one with them, dancing with them in perfect harmony, melding into a true masterpiece of colors as they take on a life of their own inside of you and you are just the canvas on which they perform their grand symphony.

This is what You are to me, what You do to me.

Real freedom starts within, and in turn liberates all those being held in captivity. Let’s all be freedom fighters, shall we?

Inspired by Che Guevarra

Freedom

2006-09-25T03:26:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my favorite songs

Sailing

by Rod Stewart

I am sailing, I am sailing,
home again 'cross the sea.
I am sailing, stormy waters,
to be near you, to be free.

I am flying, I am flying,
like a bird 'cross the sky.
I am flying, passing high clouds,
to be with you, to be free.

Can you hear me, can you hear me
thro' the dark night, far away,
I am dying, forever trying,
to be with you, who can say.

Can you hear me, can you hear me,
thro' the dark night far away.
I am dying, forever trying,
to be with you, who can say.

We are sailing, we are sailing,
home again 'cross the sea.
We are sailing stormy waters,
to be near you, to be free.

Oh Lord, to be near you, to be free.
Oh Lord, to be near you, to be free,
Oh Lord.

See what I mean? Life's getting better every day...at least for some of us

2006-09-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

See what I mean?

2006-09-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

a solid piece of advice: Marry an Aussie and you'll never have a boring moment!

Too serious.....?

2006-09-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

Someone recently commented that my blog was rather on the serious side and asked what had happened to the fun loving me...actually, what he really had asked was whether my (usually well-hidden, at least that's what I think) German side was coming to the fore.....mmmmhhhhhhh, well.....
All I can say is: I am really pissed off about the state this world is in, excuse the language, but it truly breaks my heart and makes it ache beyond words. I guess that's what this blog is about, at least to some degree.
I love fun and really like to have a good laugh at least once a day (that's why I'm married to an Aussie) but I do find myself in a more somber mood these days. It's kinda hard for me not to think about all the atrocities that are going on in the world. I almost feel responsible to remind myself of what's going on in various places such as Palestine, Iraq, Sudan, Niger etc so I can pray and turn these feelings of hopelessness and anger into a force for good and actually change something. I feel I owe it to the people who are suffering that I don't forget about what's happening to them so they don't feel alone.And in turn, I get my eyes off myself and forget about my own, in comparison extremly petty problems that seem to constantly drag my spirit down...yep, guessed right, I am a pisces....trying hard to swim upstream, though....
When you think about it,despite our own trials, we lead such happy lives compared to the vast majority of people out there. I've watched some really good movies recently, such as " Paradise Now" about the Isreali occupation, "Sometime in April" about the genocide in Rwanda, , " Munich", "Lord of War", "Beyond Borders" (didn't like the ending, though)that really really shook me up and make me pray that I don't end up with 'compassion fatigue', accepting the misery of this world as a part of life and in turn live in blissful ignorance and complacency.
I guess, it's true, I am a serious person but I guess the answer is as always looking to Jesus, Who, as a man of sorrows, also knew how to have fun and came to earth so our joy could be full and hence made it possible for us to have light, freedom and peace.

2006-09-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Ethan's 4th birthday

Simple solution

2006-09-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some wise words from a friend of mine that also come straight from my heart. Every time I watch the news or read the paper these days, I could either cry or get really really mad but since that doesn't help anybody I'd rather do something constructive....ok, here it goes:

"Life is a great cycle of cause and effect. Everyone makes choices every day, and everyone's choices affect others. The combination of everyone's choices and the effect those choices have on others make the world what it is.
Every problem can be traced to some unloving or selfish choice someone made. These things are the major cause of any problem in the world, from small arguments or quarrels up to wars and violent conflicts or even genocides-selfishness and lack of love. people either don't see how their wrong choices affect others or they don't care enough to do things differently. A simple illustration is the difference between light and darkness or the goodand the evil and how people's choices either bring them closer to the light or pull them further from it.

You may feel that the world is too messed up, that there is too much darkness, too many wrong choices have been made, that it doesn't matter much what you do, that it's hopeless. BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE, AFTER ALL THIS GLOOM, HERE COMES THE GOOD BIT NOW:

Just as every problem can be traced to a wrong decision, every solution begins with a wise and loving decision to do the right thing, the loving and unselfish thing.

a little bit of love can make a lot of difference. One act of kindness or unselfishness can start a whole chain reaction of events that will in the long run, make life a lot better for a lot of people. So don't despair because there is so much suffering and grief and wrong in the world. Instead, do what you can do make things right and encourage others to do the same.

The world won't change in a day, but you CAN make a difference if you try" (end of comment )

So let me challenge you and i guarantee you that it will work:

Do you want to make a difference in YOUR life ?Do you want to make a difference in the lives of those around you? Do you-dare I say it-want to change the world?

Jesus said: "I am the light of the world! He that comes to Me, I will never cast out".

And yes, it is as simple as that, it starts with yourself: YOU CAN INDEED CHANGE THE WORLD, BY STARTING WITH YOURSELF, as you sincerly ask Jesus to be the light of your life.You can talk to Him just as easily as you talk to your best friend. In fact, He is your best friend! Just give Him a chance, accept that He truly is the light and has the power to overcome the darkness in your life and the whole world. Let Him light your way and be free to be happy. I promise, he will help you find the KEY TO DO YOUR PART TO CHANGE THE WORLD!

summer in Iceland

2006-08-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

Thinking of Lebanon

2006-07-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

A Message From Jesus
Darkness flees when heaven sees
A child facing the light
It won't let go until it knows
you're getting near the light
the light it glows and so it knows
that love will pull you through
Let go of the past and find at last
That heaven's real for you.

Face the light and don't let go
Don't look back or fight it so
Light will pull you and you'll find
Darkness flees out of your mind.

Like when you walk into a room
And it's all dark in there
Do you chase it, beat it push it out?
Or scare it with a dare?
No! You go and turn the light on
And then the darkness, poof, is gone.

Darkness seems much more than light
It thunders and rages and storms
But it can't put put the light
Nor catch it with its ugly forms
Darkness is afraid of the Light
Because the Light destroys it.
For God is Light and He is Love.
His power is there when you ask it.

So come, you children of the Light,
Come chase away the shades of night.
Be drawn and and start to glow and turn
Like a candle, shine and burn.

You think there's no use for your little light?
You see a candle for miles in the night!
In the midst of great darkness, don't feel your light is odd.
Nothing quenches the fire of the Spirit of God!

2006-07-25T16:43:00.001-07:00

The world is truly full of beauty when the heart is full of love!

2006-07-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

Nick with Emma (3 months) and Eliot ( 22 months)

2006-07-25T15:17:00.000-07:00

Freedom does not mean I am able to do whatever I want to do. That's the worst kind of bondage. Freedom means I have been set free to become what God wants me to become, achieve all that God wants me to achieve and enjoy all that God wants me to enjoy.

2006-07-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

The real voyage of discovery consists not of seeking new lands, but of seeing with new eyes, the eyes of love.

Ethan (4) and Eliot (1) at a recent BBQ