Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Posted on August 31, 2010 - by Larry - 1 Comment
Traffic
I am almost scared to look at how many miles I have driven over the last few weeks. I have had a lot of time in the car. Been able to see a lot of people in many different cities. As I was driving up to Michigan the other day I began to think about driving safety. Someone told me once that Sweden has a goal of having “zero” traffic fatalities each year. You can tell by their cars that they value safety.
I am sure our counties and states have a similar goal. They have a tremendous job promoting and implementing safety precautions. I decided I would just list out some things that to me seem important.
I think my top three are “no-brainers” and should continue to be an emphasis.
1. I noticed in GA in the county above Atlanta that they DOT has posted the percentage of people who were wearing their seat belts the month before. The sign said 95%. I thought they were just bragging until I drove in South GA and I saw a similar sign but different county. Their score was 65%. I guess they have to post their scores. I checked to make sure my seat belt was on to help them out a bit.
2. Keep up the emphasis on banning driving under the influence
3. Speed.
My other ones may not be so popular but here they go.
4. May want to consider taking away our phones while we drive though I like being able to work and drive at the same time. We get tickets in Europe for driving while talking on our phones.
5. Trucks, what if you decided to take the weekends off? It would sure lighten weekend traffic
6. What if we only passed in the left lane not drove the speed limit or less in the left lane. After all it is a passing lane. (BTW, I live in Germany. If you drive in the left lane you need to be purposeful)
7. While on the subject of lanes, the right lane is not a passing lane. Just sayin.
8. The difficulty of getting a license. I am still bitter for failing my test so many times in Spain to get my license (smile) but my point is that the tests should be something that you cannot stand in line for 30 minutes and then take the test and pass it. Maybe it is different these days here in the states but back in the day it was very easy getting your license.
I am sure there are more. Feel free to add yours.
Posted on July 5, 2010 - by Larry - 0 Comments
New Photo Gallery: London
I try to post photos in my gallery from various artists who are living and w
orking in Europe. People who work in various jobs but are being salt and light here in Europe.
This month I want to feature Emily Harrison who works with the Roma peoples here in Europe. She is a great photographer. Take a look at her work here.
You may also want to check out more of her work at:
www.imhereyourethere.blogspot.com
Posted on May 7, 2010 - by Larry - 0 Comments
Madrid Favs!
Last weekend my wife and I were able to go as sponsors to Madrid. We tool a small group of high school students from where my wife teaches here in Germany. We had loads of fun. We were able to see some of our old Spanish neighbors. We were able to see friends we use to work with. We were able to hang out with some people from the Skybridge Community.
We also were able to give the students a taste of Madrid both in culture and in food.
I decided to take some photo shots of my favorite foodie places. I missed a few places but got most of them. You can find them in the gallery located at the top of the site. Before you take a look you need to realize that I am not a photographer so I really should not be in the gallery. smile but true.
But give it a look anyway. Here you go!
1. San Gines – for super Churros and Chocolate. Best if eaten after midnight.
2. Jose Luis – for yummy tapas. Locations throughout Madrid but my favs or in barrio de Salamanca and La Moraleja.
3. Cafe de la Oriente – a good cup of cafe con leche next to the Palace gardens
4. La Mallorquina – Great pastries in Sol. You cannot eat just one of napolitano de crema.
5. La Campana – Unbelievable Bocadillos de Calamares just outside of Plaza Mayor. Also only for 2 euros.
I know you may have your own favorite places so feel free to post.
Posted on December 25, 2009 - by Larry - 0 Comments
Merry Christmas
It has been a wild December. I do not remember ever travelling this much during a December.
I made it back to Germany this week and have been playing catch up since. I feel very fortunate making it back without any airport delays or cancellations. I am thankful for that. It has been madness for people who had to travel this week. It does feel good to be home though.
I wanted to write a quick note today to wish you a Merry Christmas. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you find the posts helpful.
Merry Christmas.
Posted on November 13, 2009 - by Larry - 1 Comment
Life after college
A few weeks ago I was able to lead several teaching sessions for a group of new missionaries here in Europe with imb. They have been on the field for less than a year. This is a time where they can reconnect with some people whom they were in pre-field training with at the beginning. It is also a time for refreshment, encouragement and teaching.
This was the second time this month I was so encouraged by people who have dropped what they were doing or planning on doing and followed the Lord’s direction. You can read about the first trip here. I was able to go with a good friend David Putman with ChurchPlanters.com
Back to my teaching time at this missionary conference. There are a special group of young people within this group of new workers that I especially admire. These are young men and women who after college come to serve 2 – 3 years on a church planting team. They do some amazing things and have some great stories to tell about how God is working in their lives and the lives of the people they live among.
One thing that I am so impressed with these Journeymen (this is the designation that imb uses for this program) is that they could be getting started with their careers or working on another degree or even getting married. None of those things are bad things but instead they have put those things on hold to go serve the Lord overseas for a couple of years. As I look back at my early years I wish I had considered such a program. It was not even a bleep on my radar screen at that time.
So here is a shout out to the Journeymen . Thanks for all you do. You are making a HUGE difference.
Keep up the great work!
More soon.
Posted on October 14, 2009 - by Larry - 0 Comments
Remembering
Do you ever have a verse that just keeps coming to your mind?
I was in a place not too long ago where I read the below verses and I cannot get them out of my mind. In fact I wrote about it last week.
8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. Romans 1:8
I have heard some amazing stories from people who are planting churches in some hard to reach places. I am compelled to pray for these people and to find ways to support and encourage them. I hope you will as well. God is truly moving in some powerful ways.
Quite frankly I hope I do not forget these stories anytime soon.
I picked up a book last week that if you get the chance to read you should. It is a different story about a country we read and hear about a lot in the news. Iran: Open Hearts in a Closed Land by Mark Bradley. It is a quick read but powerful. Grab a copy.
Posted on October 12, 2009 - by Larry - 0 Comments
Europe Link
I get the privilege to travel to a lot of places.
I do enjoy seeing new places.
I enjoy having cups of coffee in various parts of the world.
I like studying the new cultures.
I like meeting and talking to people from these places.
It is really more than just my enjoyment.
I go to these places to get a glimpse at what God is doing.
I hope my talks can help encourage workers who are there. More times than not I end up being way more encouraged and blessed than what I have to give. God is truly doing some amazing things in the world.
Though this past month I have been able to go to new places most of the time I am in Europe.
I want to pass a long a glimpse of life and ministry in Europe. I hope you will check out this site but also go there often.
The idea is that new content will come on the site daily. If the Lord has put upon your heart a certain country, city or people group in Europe simply find that tag on the blog and click on it. You will find prayer requests, opportunities for ministry and quick facts about that country.
Here is the link !
Enjoy.
Posted on October 6, 2009 - by Larry - 0 Comments
Surprised by Encouragement
Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:5
A few months ago I was invited by my good friend David Putman who is one of the pastors at MountainLake Church near Atlanta and also the co-founder of churchplanters.com to join a small team on a mission endeavor. Our team was to train and encourage some house church planters.
I like to be prepared for trips such as these so I had put some time in praying, studying and writing out some training sessions. I really did not know what to expect. It was my first trip to this part of the world. I knew just a little about the people attending this school. I knew they were going to some very interesting places to plant churches. I have heard about their work and some of the powerful ways the Lord has been using them.
After the first day of our teaching during our quiet time and prayer time as a group the Lord really spoke to me on these verses.
Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. Romans 1:8,9
I felt an extreme privilege to be able to teach some of the things that the Lord has taught me over the years to this group of people. I hope that I was able to bring some encouragement and help to them in their ministry.
What I know however was that they encouraged me greatly. I received so much more than I gave. They were a blessing to me. Their lives serve as a testimony to the way the Holy Spirit gives boldness in our witness.
One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. Romans 1:10 – 12
Posted on October 1, 2009 - by Larry - 3 Comments
It’s football time in Portugal Part two
Here is the next part of “Football in Portugal” from Brady in Lisbon.
Fast forward a year and I have a few other workers helping coach. We decided it
was time to start a Bible study with these guys. So each Thursday night I
would invite everyone on our team to my house for a Bible study. We had 5-10
guys almost every Thursday for about 9 months. Then we moved so we moved our
Bible study to Chili’s. During this time, we would watch American football
games on DVD and conversations with the guys on the team. We had two great
conversations with Bruno M. and Bruno D. Both shared their anger towards God
and the “church.” Bruno M. shared that he would rather be dead then ever
live a life like ours. But both of these men continued to come to Bible
study.
In June, we had a football camp and had a church from Aledo, Texas come to
Portugal with former UT and NFL player, Dusty Renfro. During these 3 days
these volunteers poured their hearts into the guys on the field and shared
their faith non-stop. The Portuguese players loved Dusty and the team and
thought the world of these guys. The last day Dusty suited up and hit these
guys and then stood up in front of them – with blood running down his arms
and legs and shared his faith. This was the first time these guys had ever
seen a “though guy” talk about Jesus this way. He had them all pray and you
could not hear a sound. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever
witnessed in my life. I had not seen God work like this before.
One month later one of our players gives his life to Christ and is baptized
in the ocean. A week later another player (Bruno D.) saw the video and asked
if he can be baptized too. This Sunday, Bruno D. was baptized and attended
church for the first time since he was 9 years old. Another player, Tiago,
has asked to be baptized this week as well. Bruno M. has prayed the prayer,
but is not ready to give his whole life to Christ yet – but he is close!
If you would have told me a year ago that these 4 guys would accept Christ
as their Savior, I would have laughed at you. Bruno M. has been married for
4 years and leads one of the roughest lives I have ever seen. Tiago broke
his cousin’s arm with a hammer because he broke into Tiago’s house. Bruno D.
well, he is the craziest of them all. As He does with all people, God had a
plan for these guys from the beginning. As for the park where I first
encountered these guys, they had never practiced their before nor have they
ever practice there again. God had a plan for these guys. I have been so
blessed to be a part of their lives. To see what God has done in the last
few weeks is unbelievable!
See a cool video about their ministry here.
Interested in football in Europe?
Check out this website.
Interested in living and working in Europe check out Skybridge Community.
Posted on September 30, 2009 - by Larry - 0 Comments
It’s Football Time in …. Portugal
One of my favorite things to hear each Fall is “It’s football time in Tennessee”. You have to imagine that in a loud and Tennessean accent. This is what the announcer screams over the microphone as the Tennessee Vols come out to the field. Well, this post is not about UT football. We have to think about other things during these rebuilding years. smile.
Have you ever heard of this? It’s football time in Portugal? It has a cool ring to it. A few years back John Grisham wrote a book called “Playing for Pizza”. It is a novel about an ex-NFL quarterback who plays football in a small town in Italy. American football in Europe is not the most popular sport but you are now seeing teams pop up in a lot of cities.
Over the next two posts I am going to tell you about a guy who plays football in Lisbon Portgual.
Take a quick glance at a team video.
Here is the beginning of Brady’s story.
My role in Portugal is to take care of all the financial and logistical
items for a team of workers. This includes visas, housing, cars, insurance, taxes,
etc.. in Portugal. When God called us to go to Portugal I viewed myself as a support person and really wanted to do everything I could do to free the people who are great evangelists to do their work, without having to worry about budgets.
About a year on the field, my family and I were watching the Houston Texans beating the Cowgirls, and we decided to go grab dinner. While we were waiting for the restaurant to make our sandwiches, we went for a walk. We rounded the corner and found a football
team – full pads, playing AMERICAN football. I walked right up to them and
asked if o could play.
They offered me a tryout the following week. A week later I was on the team and a month later I was the starting QB. Two months after that, I was the offensive coordinator and month after, that I was the head coach. During this whole time I viewed football as a great tool to
learn the language – God had not shared with me that he wanted me to use
this as His tool to witness to these men.
More soon!
