Eine Ausfuehrung in Barcelona

A Realization In Barcelona. I traveled to Barcelona Spain, the weekend of June 8th. We had yet another long weekend, 4 days - I love Germany!! So I decided to check out Barcelona, and I'm so glad I did. It was so beautiful, 80 degrees and sunny everyday. I ended up being there for three days, and two nights. I would say it was one of the most beautiful cities I've seen so far, and the whole trip itself was wonderful. I've been traveling so much that I new I didn't want to stress myself out with trying to "see everything". So I did the bus tour on Thursday and saw all of Barcelona. I saw the Sagrada Familia (bottom right and the crucifixion sculpter is from the front entrance), the Olympic Stadium (from the 1992 games), the Barcelona Football Stadium (soccer), and much much more. I went to a Southern Spainish Gypsy show in a dinner theater restaurant. That was really interesting. They do kind of an improv, stomp-tap dance thing with accoustic guitares. It was very passionate. Then I crashed early that night. Friday I decided was my Beach day. Barcelona lies on the Meditarranean Sea and I put a picture in above. It was gorgeous, and hot, although with the breeze it didn't feel as hot as it was. Needless to say I got entirely too much sun that day. I listened to the iPod and just hung out, it was sehr entspannend (relaxing). I had a nice Sea Bass dinner and some Tapas and the best chocolate mousse with a hint of orange!! It was kinda funny, I had a reservation at this nice restaurant ( when you don't drink you can spend some money on other things like food:), and the reservation was for Mr. White. So, not thinking , I wore all white, cause I had the meditarranean sun and all. And I don't know it just struck me as funny because when I got there I was like, I have a reservation, and the guy kinda smiled and said, for Mr. White, right:) I've come to the conclusion that my whole like is "kinda funny", thanks God for humour, and silliness.

Like I was saying I've done a lot of traveling, and this time I did everything pretty well. I had enough time, I actually researched the hotel (top left) the Olivia Plaza Hotel, which was right in the main plaza Plaza Catalunya. So everything was in walking distance or a short subway ride. It's kinda funny traveling by yourself to all these favorite honeymoon spots - lol. I see and meet a lot of honymooners (not like the old show, well some of them). But it was in this frame of mind that I felt God gave me a realization. I was on the bus tour, and I just felt so relaxed and happy, and blessed to have this opportunity. I was on the top of the double-decker, with no roof, looking at all the beautiful sites. Then I really felt God's presence and I felt like he was saying that these last few months of being in Europe and all the traveling has been kind of like a honeymoon with God for me. I mean don't get me wrong I've definitely gone through the spiritual ups and downs of life, but overall it has been a time of peace and lower stress. I mean I have a lot of stress at work, but I have no problem leaving work at work. And compared with the stress of barely making rent and working til 3am, waiting tables, it's lower over all I'd say. Then I felt like God was telling me that there is a reason for this time. That He will be calling on me soon to give up a lot of these pleasures and I will go into a time of sacrifice for Him. Because, He said, "Josh there's so much work for you to do." And I feel like He is telling a lot of you this right now.

It's been a wonderful honeymoon (when I'm not working, well work's not been too bad too, and it's interesting enough). But I just found out that I'll be coming home to the US sooner than I thought. And actually I feel ready and excited to be back State-side. I've missed all my friends and family and all the small subtleties that make home, home. The verse that really spoke to me this week was Hebrews 12:1-3

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Und auf Deutsch: Hebraeer 12:1-3 (Hoffnung für Alle)1 [a]Da wir nun so viele Zeugen des Glaubens um uns haben, lasst uns alles ablegen, was uns in dem Wettkampf behindert, den wir begonnen haben — auch die Sünde, die uns immer wieder fesseln will. Mit zäher Ausdauer wollen wir auch noch das letzte Stück bis zum Ziel durchhalten. 2 [b]Dabei wollen wir nicht nach links oder rechts schauen, sondern allein auf Jesus. Er hat uns den Glauben geschenkt und wird ihn bewahren, bis wir am Ziel sind. Weil große Freude auf ihn wartete, erduldete Jesus den verachteten Tod am Kreuz. Jetzt hat er als Sieger den Platz an der rechten Seite Gottes eingenommen. 3 [c]Vergesst nicht, wie viel Hass und Anfeindung er von gottlosen Menschen ertragen musste, damit auch ihr in Zeiten der Verfolgung nicht den Mut verliert und aufgebt.

Well God bless you all wherever you are, and remember we are all always at different spots along the spectrum of (in the trenches to on the mountain), but no matter where we are Jesus is there with us, loving us.

Bis Dann,

Mr. White lol - Joshua David

Rom Ist Sehr Schoen!!

( Basillica of St. Paul)Well Hellooooooooo Everyone!! I'm sorry I've been so bad at keeping up with the blog lately. I really don't have a great excuse either. I've been traveling a lot, but there's been time to blog I just haven't gotten to it. St. Paul's Basillica was massive. None of my pictures inside came out because the lighting wasn't too good, and the ceiling was soo high. In this Basillica there are portrait paintings of all the Popes, including the present Frederick.
( The Basillica of St. Paul - the Mosaic)So I went to Rome, the weekend of the 13th of May, sort of right after my Birthday. I really can't put into words how beautiful of a town it is. It's amazing to me to think that the Apostle Paul walked the same streets, almost 2,000 years ago. And I guess the unofficial age of the city is like 3600 years old - pretty crazy. This mosaic was re-made in 1850 because the original was destroyed in a fire. One thing I didn't know about mosaics, is that they are made entirely from pieces of different color stone, so they are almost eternal in the keeping of their color because the pieces of stone are in and of themselves the color they possess.

(The Colosseum)Sorry about having the wording jump all over the page, but BlogSpot has gotta update there software, this is just not too user friendly. So the pictures don't do Rome justice either. I took many more, but it would have been too much. Basically you have to go to Rome someday. The Colosseum, was no exception. My tour that I took the first day, ended at the Colosseum, and I think one of the ladies on the tour said it best - "It doesn't look real". Das Stimmt, it really was like some had placed drops behind and in front of us. Sitting in the Colosseum was incredible and sobering to think of how many of our brothers and sisters have been mardered there.
(Most of Rome from St. Peter's Basillica)

This was from St. Peter's square. It was so awesome to be here, in the same square where so much Christian History has taken place. Also inside the Bascilica, are all the Pope tombs, and these were absolutely crazy ornate. I mean each Pope ( or at least many of them) were barried here, and each tomb is unbelievably ornate. Sculptures, gold, paintings, massive entrances - it is crazy!! It was neat to see this, but I had to think that if I wasn't a Christian, seeing this would not have made me want to become one. I mean I can appreciate the tribute they are paying to God and Jesus, but I don't know it's not the most comforable place.

So anyway I ended up just being in Rome two full days - no where near enough. But like I've said after every major city I've visited - it was enough to want to come back someday. Well God bless you all. I'm running out of energy just yet. I'll try to turn out a better blog on the next city - Berlin.

Tschuess:-)