It's That Time Again (and other interests of mine)

     I think at this point, it is quite safe to say that I never have any idea of how long I'll be in one place. It's not at all that I am not striving to have some sense of permanency, it's more that it just seems God has a lot of short chapters for me to walk through on this journey. On that note, I have been home from Warsaw and back in the States for about four months now. It has been four of the strangest months of my life, mostly because I had thought everything was sorted ahead of time, only to find out my original plans were actually rather not doable for me at the time. No, I do not suggest stepping off a plane after living abroad for five months and expecting to be able to function at full American-life capacity a mere one week later. It just doesn't work. I say this to say that I have spent these past four months readjusting, resting, and pursuing Christ both in my personal relationship with Him and in which path He would lead me down next. At times, it honestly seemed as though there was no plan or point or anything. For me, waiting on Him to lead is not very easy, but I am learning.
     This week, though, everything suddenly fell into place and I am so grateful and excited for this. I won't bore you with details, but I've been hired for a position working for a small nonprofit who does work in public schools with students with autism. I am thrilled to be in a position where I am working one-on-one with students and I am equally excited about the specific work this organization does. The location is also right near one of my newest favorite Jersey towns near New York City and this week I was able to find a tiny apartment in a big old building in walking distance to downtown (if you know me at all, then you know how perfect this is). In a lot of ways, this is feeling like a whole new adventure and I can't wait to see what's in store for the rest of the school year.
     As a side note, this does not at all mean that I won't be returning to Poland (or even somewhere else in Europe) as that truly is where my heart lives. Like I said at the beginning of this post, I never know how long each chapter will be and there is still a very real possibility of me returning to Poland in the semi-near future. So, that's a brief update of my life.
     What I really wanted to write about today, though, is actually quite different from everything I've just written. This blog was originally intended for me to keep friends and family (and whoever else stumbled on this) updated on my life in Warsaw, but seeing as how I am not there anymore, I don't think it would be very interesting to anyone if I were to blather on constantly about daily life in New Jersey. So, I'd like to try something different and maybe change the direction of this blog sightly so that in future I feel freer to chat about whatever it is that is currently rattling around in my brain. With that being said I feel like this past year or so I have come to discover some completely wonderful things out there in the worlds of entertainment, music, news and spiritual encouragement. In a sense, often they've overlapped and discovering one thing has led me to discover another thing. Anyway, I've chosen a few specific interests of mine that are wonderful enough for me to want to share them with you. Here goes...(also, I think I'll go from least serious to most serious).

*Entertainment(or as I like to call it: therapy): A little bit over a year ago now, I came across the incredibly talented British writer/comedian/actor/ect. who is John Finnemore. Most of his work consists of radio shows that he has written and acts in, but he also does several other projects from time to time. (I will include links after I stop rambling about him.) I really cannot say enough positive things about this person or even count how many times he has made me laugh out loud (alone in my car, on public transportation in front of strangers, ect...) this past year. Why this man is not just as world famous as some of his colleagues (which include Benedict Cumberbatch and David Mitchell) is not something I really understand. I will also add that in comparison to most comedic work out there, John Finnemore is very nearly squeaky-clean when it comes to adult language or rudeness. Obviously, parents will still need to review his radio shows first as not every single piece will be appropriate for the youngest audiences, but overall, Finnemore's work is some of the cleanest currently out there. If intelligent, sarcastic, witty, often satirical, but more often just outrageously silly humor fits your fancy, then you will find John Finnemore's works...well, absolutely brilliant! The following are some links on which I very much suggest you click...
1. Cabin Pressure is a radio sitcom about a barely-holding-on airline and it's crew and so much more. You can find out more about this here and here.
2. John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme is a radio sketch comedy show that has a sketch for almost every situation and topic in life. Click here.
3. John and Kevin's Sunday Papers have appeared almost monthly this year with a video review of several Sunday editions of various British newspapers. For a heavy dose of satire click here.
4. Finally, for information about all the above and more hilarious musings, you can just read John's blog over here.

*Music: The latest music group that I have been introduced to is called Rend Collective. They are a very talented bunch of musicians from Northern Ireland. They are Christians and their music very much reflects this. During my time in Warsaw, and ever since, I have been so encouraged in my walk with God through their worshipful and celebration-style tunes. You can find a good collection of their songs here.

*News: I think we all know that staying current with world events and trends is very often frustrating or overwhelmingly stressful or both. I have recently become a little acquainted with a Christian Southerner-moved-North named Jonathan Merritt who is senior columnist over at Religion News Service. Jonathan's articles and interviews provide very intelligent, helpful and balanced insights to those of us interested in a fairly conservative, but open-minded religious view coupled with a fairly moderate and reasonable political view. You can find Jonathan's articles over here and here. Jonathan has also written a book called Jesus is Better Than You Imagined which I have not read yet, but plan to very soon (and if someone reminds me, I'll write about it on this blog).

*Spiritual Encouragement: It goes without saying, but as a Christian adult living in the northeastern section of the United States, I find it takes constant vigilance and effort to ensure that I am taking in as much spiritual food as possible so as to go further into my journey with Christ and ward off the advances of the enemy. This past year, I have been so thankful to find a couple new sources for such spiritual food. Here are a couple I will suggest to you for now:
1. Think Theology is a website with which I am still getting acquainted, but thus far, I have found it very insightful and challenging in the process of thinking through current world trends and eternal Biblical truths.
2. There is a longer back-story here, but for now I will simply tell you that Kings Church over in the UK was a great source of encouragement to me while I was in Warsaw. I would often watch their sermons online on the weekend in part of my recharging process before another week of teaching and navigating a foreign city on my own. Even since I've been home, I have still been encouraged and challenged each time I've watched a sermon. What makes Kings Church so unique is that without trying to be stupidly "hip" or "cool," they really are frankly addressing very relevant topics from the pulpit and doing so with very sound doctrine and in a very loving manner. I am excited to watch from afar as God leads more people to Himself through His work at Kings.

     This is all for now. I sincerely hope that whoever stops by here finds at least one of the above sources to be a positive or helpful force in life. Also, obviously, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I do not have many pictures yet of my new town, but these two are of a beautiful little park there I visited in October.

Hippos Are Cool (and other aquarium adventures...)

     About three and half years ago, I took my oldest niece to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey for her very first visit. I will never forget the look of absolute surprise and thrill on her face as we walked just inside and she saw a turtle about three times her size (and I snapped a photo of the moment, so when my memory fades...there's still that...). What followed was one of our most fun days together and it has become one of my favorite memories with her.

     Since then, her and I have been successfully conquering other equally exploration-worthy destinations around the Garden State. In a way, this has sort of become our "thing" and we really do risk it all. No matter the weather, the drive distance, or even the crime rates of the general area, if there is advenure and family-friendly fun to be had in our home state, then we want to have it. Science and history museums, farm festivals, beaches, massive jungle gyms...we really should consider writing a guide book as we go along. 

     Anyway, I say all this to say that today, we finally made it back to the Adventure Aquarium for a brand new visit. It was perfect timing and such a blessing in the midst of a time in my life that's been particularly confusing and difficult. Below are some photos from the day, if you'd like to have a look.