The wording on this sign is all over Spain: "Ud. no tiene la prioridad." You find this written by many traffic circles. "You don't have the priority." It means that those cars already in the roundabout have the right of way (not the vehicles entering the circle, like moi!). If I missed that, I could cause a wreck. It seemed to me a metaphor. Another way of saying, life is not about me. The world does not revolve around my happiness. I do NOT have the priority in the Universal Scheme of Things! (ouch!)I was reminded of that last year, when it became clear that I was to move to Spain. Big decisions to be made, a transition to adjust to, new staff coming in, boxes (well, an entire apartment) to be packed up & stored. Tears of good-bye to be shed, just 16 months after moving there .... But God showed His hand-- that He was not taken by surprise. How do you trust, when you're completely caught off guard? When one phone call changes "the world as you know it?" On the other hand, if you've been walking with the Lord for very long, how can you NOT trust Him?! I realized my growing dispensability in one location, and how a sovereign God made me IN- dispensable, if you will, in another city. And what I'd anticipated would be one person to "replace" my leadership role in Braunschweig (and how thankful I was for that, in this "changing of the guard," a one- to -one trade) has now become 4! Not only Anja in leadership, but 3 other staffers have come alongside her to serve, as well as some key student leaders! Amazing! Would that have taken place, if I'd stayed? I did not have the ultimate "say" in my plans. But God did/ does. How reassuring. When this is my attitude, anticipating design instead of chaos during a big change, I find the "red thread" ("der rote Faden," as we say in German, or the consistency of a strategy and meaning). Yeah, it makes sense.
That happened again this week. I went to Bally's Gym, to work out on one of those exercise Life Trainer thingys. Sweating, arms pumping, and legs marching ever forward (but getting no where). A fair work-out. And in the locker room I'd tucked away my bathing suit & towel, anticipating the reward of a whirlpool afterward. Ugh-- I strolled into the pool area, only to find that they'd drained the large jacuzzi hot tub, so they could clean it. So much for relaxing warm bubbles for my muscles.
I promptly, disappointingly, turned around and let the ladies' locker room door close behind me. Then it happened. That sigh & the split second when you think something like, "Does this have a silver lining? Could the world (and God) have a higher purpose? How can I make lemonade out of lemons?" Ok, I'm being metaphorical here -- in plain language, something whispered in my brain, "You COULD go have a SWIM in the pool and really work out some MORE!! And that might loosen up your muscles, too!" It did. Hmm. I mean, I guess it did loosen up my muscles, stretching out some of the tightness. And it did, have a higher purpose. To understand that in life is much more fun. And I may avoid a few accidents.
It was special being back in Germany this November, to attend 2 retreats-- 1 for our Connexxion campus groups, and 1 for our staff team afterwards. They shared with leaders at a church & seminary in Bonn and Cologne. 
The Plaza de Toros (bullfighting ring) is a well-known sight downtown where some of the horse-drawn carriages go by.
Gwen is our new little Santa baby (grandkid, niece, etc.) -- born in late summer to my brother and sister in law. What a fun Christmas "present" from the Father to us all! 
Mom gave her an orange, as a reminder to be thankful for the little things-- an orange used to be in our stockings every year, and was super special when my
parents were being raised and it was hard to import fruit during the winter.
Above are our Jena, Germany staff: Anja & Thomas K., who married less than a year after he came on staff. Anja (pronounced "an-ya") has done associational youth work and he works half-time as a computer programmer and analyst. Vera is super intellegent & graduated this year with a degree in bio-chemistry. She was greatly influenced by Thomas (& others) when she committed her life to Christ. Vera came on staff in April, & will be doing a 3-month campus ministry internship starting in January in Georgia, USA.
Above are our wonderful present staff in Braunschweig - Vincent from Georgia who studied public administration and has never met a stranger! Birthe, who studied social work, and is now at a seminary extension center located in our church facilities in Braunschweig. We got to be roommates for 2 months this year, when she had a soccer injury. And Anja, who graduated from Southwestern Seminary in the summer, and is leading the ministry there. She and I served together in Jena for 3 years already. Then we overlapped just a short, crazy (but blessed!) month before I moved to Spain, and were roommates while she helped me pack up my apartment there. What a help!
