The Monday after a free weekend

How else to relax better with an exam session rolling up dangerously close to this week, than to go on a bike tour with friends?!

I had a free weekend and just knew I wanted to be part of this. A bunch of friends from Campus Crusade, sixteen bikes, two days away.

Before us the road, above us pouring clouds... well that the weather had been kind would be the understatement of the year... but somehow all of that crumbled into insignificance as the group grew closer with each bend in the road and the conversations deepened with each hill left behind.

As the hearty welcome of arriving was shared, changed into dry clothes and the fire lit... all was forgotten and before us was time. Time to spent, with the cellphone put far away, to listen to the birds, the cracking of wood, to each other and to God.

A different Monday story

This Mondays story is not about a wedding. It was Wednesday morning as one of my cultural studies professors approached me with a special request. She knew I was a photographer on the side (during the week I'm still a student/ tutor at university) and inquired if I could document an opening ceremony for a rather huge American Study conference. 

This was how I found myself on Thursday afternoon scouting a huge renaissance church in the middle of Würzburg surrounded by security people. Yes, you read that right. Huge security guys swarming all the good hiding places between columns and side aisles.

As it turns out there was the US ambassador John B. Emerson amon the honored guests and first speakers.  

So there I was, holding my breath, trying to tiptoe around the facility as unsuspicious as possible, while carrying my smile to get in all the corners of the building. It was the most beautiful thing to see how far a friendly smile goes. Let me take a moment to emphasis that three of the six bodyguards inside the church responded to my smile! That I did not get tackled to the ground is the second biggest success I count for the afternoon.

Here is to melting the big guys and wikipediaing all the honored speakers beforehand to be prepared of who among the 400 guests is who. 

Sneak peek

The joy of my last Saturday :)

Have a great weekend!

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Open letter to a friend

My dear friend,

today I write a letter to you, because I want you to know something important.
Sometimes when we sit across the table, in-between California rolls and nigiri plate...  and you dare to tell of dreams... you let them slip into the conversation every now and then.... I see a glimmer in your eyes. A passion kept quietly away, close to your heart. And I want you to know; these passions tamed to be still, the ones which scare you... you carry them for a reason! Those silent dreams are there for a purpose.

And when with quiet tears at the corner of our eyes, you timidly let go of the unhappiness stored away, of situations you simply don´t want to be in...
I hear it and I want you to know: you don´t have to stay there.

And when people treat you unjustly, when they break a part in your beautiful inner self, when they throw dirt at you and when they make you feel small...
I want you to know: you can leave that room. You can leave it and close that door behind you.
Because you deserve to be treated with kindness and warm respect.
 Because you deserve to be encouraged, not belittled. You deserve much better than this. Each and every single day. You deserve a situation in life which makes you reach your potential.
  You deserve it.
You deserve it.

And when you voice with doubts the fears breaking loose... I tell you, yes you have the strength to change and leave for better things to come your way. I tell you, yes that is scary. It scares me too, and that is ok. Because we have these dreams. Oh and dreams, :) dreams go a loooong way. Much higher and longer than we can phantom. You don´t have to plunge into the unknown, you know? You can take small steps. One. after. the. other.
Because you deserve it.
And I will be right here. Walking beside you.
I just wanted you to know.

Your dreamer-friend.

See you soon!

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Words

There was actually something else on the Blog for today, but I just had this quote in mind and reallyyyy wanted to share it. 

It´s from one of the good book. ;)

Have a lovely day.
Come back tomorrow for a personal letter.

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Viola and the glittery light

Back then as we were still living in the same city, she was my number one. My number one for taking out and practising the new things I had recently found on the web. The number one for movie nights and we made my brother jealous. You see Viola is my brothers wife and my sister-in-law but I always call her sistaaa (with three a).

During the last months Viola and my brother have supported my like no other. From all the weekends this past winter it felt like I spent at least half of the time at their place in Stuttgart. 
I have to say, I really love to travel there and spend a couple of days. Not only for the client meetings and business fun. Because it always means I have some time with these two lovely guys. 

Monday - how not to work

We met up early on the Saturday, as we searched for towels, scissors, cleaning agents and spread across the building in pairs of two or three to get some serious spring cleaning done. To tackle the layers of months past, to wipe away, thin the plants, paint the walls, fix the chairs and clean the windows. 

It was a Saturday and call me nuts, but it was special to me. You might could have come up with more creative ideas of what to do with my Saturday off... But I had actually looked forward to this pimp my church action we had at the church which is providing the rooms and facilities for our Christ Crusade group. 

It was special to me because I could wind down and work along side some precious people. At times shared work is better than just sitting next to each other across a table. At times kneeling on the floor or struggling with the humongous window panes will bring you closer together.