Back to "normal life..."

Hello everyone, and Happy New year! Can't believe it's 2010. Crazy. I hope you all a wonderful Christmas holiday!

I know this should be a long post, since it's been two weeks since the last one, but I will have to fill you in with details and pictures in a day or two. I'm still trying to get caught up on lesson plans and Christmas thank you's, and all that fun stuff that comes with taking a two week vacation. :)

I will tell you though, that the past two weeks were absolutely wonderful and the time spent with my family over here in Europe was so so good. We had a blast exploring my Aunt's world in Germany, playing games in their cozy log cabin and just being together. Then traveling 8 hours back to Prague with everyone where we crashed at my flat for the next three days. Again, it was the perfect mix of exploring the city and relaxing at home.

Saying goodbye again was (or should I say, is) hard though. I'm so thankful that God worked everything out for my family to visit, but it is hard getting back into life here again. The moments of feeling homesick are once again quite fresh. I know God is still with me though, and He has brought me here for this time. I'm trying my best to remember that, and look forward with excitement to what he still has in store for these next 6 months. I'd greatly appreciate your prayers for all of that too.

As I was reading a favorite passage of mine after I dropped the family off at the airport, I looked at it in a new way for the first time...

Psalm 139 is written by David to God, expressing his praise for these promises that he knows are true. When I looked at it this time though, I read it as God speaking those promises to me...pretty encouraging when you think about it...

"o (your name here), I have searched you and I know you. I know when you sit and when you rise. I perceive your thoughts from afar. I discern your going out and your lying down; I am familiar with all of your ways. before a word is on your tongue, I know it completely, My love. I hem you in - behind and before; I have laid My hand upon you. Such knowledge is too wonderful for you, too lofty for you to attain.

Where can you go from My Spirit? Where can you flee from My Presence? If you go up to the heavens, I am there; if you make your bed in the depths, I am there. If you rise on the wings of the dawn, if you settle on the far side of the sea, even there My hand will guide you, My right hand will hold you fast.

If you say 'surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to me; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to Me.

For I created your inmost being; I knit you together in your mother's womb. You can praise Me because you are fearfully and wonderfully made; My works are wonderful, you know that full well. Your frame was not hidden from Me when you were made in the secret place. When you were woven together in the depths of the earth, My eyes saw your unformed body. All the days ordained for you were written in My book before one of them came to be.

I know how precious My thoughts are to you, My love! How vast the sum of them! If you were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.

When you awake, you are still with Me."

Ok, that's all for now. More details of the week and pictures to follow, I promise! :)