My last meal was in Murten with Sara.

A little chimney in Murten.

Eric being goofy for his kids!

View from playing the drums.

Another one of my favorite villages - Thun.

This is Magglingen, a famous place where people go to train for winter sports. Simone and I just went walking up here and we were looking down on the clouds in Biel.

This is one of my favorite villages in Switzerland. It is Aarberg.

Erik Mongrain

You have to check this guitarist out...August Rush eat your heart out! Let these kinds of sounds be released in a greater dimension!

Return to the States

It is always hard to leave my other home...but always great to return to life here in the States. There are different atmospheres in Switzerland and in Washington, and both have their advantages and challenges. I realize that being back home here in the US there is a greater anticipation for new opportunities, at least that is how I feel. In Switzerland, I don't feel that as much and I am assuming it's because not speaking the language forces that feeling of restraint. The Swiss love to take the time and enjoy every part of life, especially eating and being with one another -a treasure that Americans can tend to lack. In coming home I am not the same person. I left intending to have a great experience and I come home wanting to change things in my life. I don't ever want to go somewhere and not be changed when I come back to "normal" life. I am determined to take more time to enjoy the everyday moments in life and not to diminish the value of the "now" just because there is a sense of "hurry up" and do more here in this nation. I would encourage everyone to go away every once in awhile and get a fresh perspective of life. One of my favorite concepts that I learned from a dear women in Switzerland is that life has seasons for a reason. Some seasons have rain, some have sunshine...all of them are needed and hold within them treasures for our maturity and growth. The key is to find joy in the midst of every season that comes our way.

I love how I can be in a completely different culture and nation and feel so at home. I have been here in Biel for about 5 days and it feels like I have been here for a month. Yesterday it snowed for awhile and again everything looks beautiful. It has been so cold here that the snow has stayed frozen on everything. It has been about -6 degrees Celsius for the past two weeks here. Well, I must go for now...

Leaving for der Schweiz...

I have a few days left before flying to Bern Switzerland to participate in a worship conference at the JAHU church in Lyss, Switzerland. I am looking forward to being with my friends over there and to just get away for a bit before I dive into my business.

When I look ahead at the coming year, I am excited for all that is ahead. With my natural eyes, I see impossible things, but I know that with Him all things are possible. I am choosing to lift my head and think in faith, not fear.

I walked the streets of Kirkland the other day and met a few business owners on Park Lane. I have time now to get involved with the city of Kirkland and it's local businesses. I am looking forward to meeting new people and making new connections. (by the way, it's snowing right now:) I met one business owner who was so helpful in giving me people's names of Kirkland associations, so that I can get involved now that I am full-time at Blaubak Gallery now.

I find that sitting at local coffee shops (Cafe Ladro, St. James Espresso, etc) are great places to get things done for work.

Okay, I am headed home. Remember that today has enough worries of itself, so don't worry about what hasn't happened yet. (I learned that idea partly from the Word of God and partly from Jane Guthrie!).