tiptoeing through the tulips

Well spring has sprung in NL and it was time to enjoy it. Although it's still less than 20 degrees celcius, it's amazing what a bit of sunshine can do for one's spirits! The other week Bethany, a friend from the US, and I went to the Keukenhof. This is a massive flower garden that is only open March-May for the showcase of spring flowers, such as tulips, daffodils and hyacinth. While I was on the look-out for the perfect purple tulip, I was suprised by the variety of tulips (let alone other flowers) in the garden. Variation with tulips is in colour, size (both of petals and stalks), patterns, doubling or not and even the way that the flower opens. It was truly amazing to see. So basically I just wanted to share some of this variety with you. Our God is a creative god.

 

The image of a tree

Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to be on the planning committee of a retreat for International Students throughout the Netherlands. Although it took some energy to prepare, it was great to finally be away on the weekend with the other staff and students. There are many things that I would share with you from the retreat, but there's an image that came to me while I was spending time with God on the Saturday morning. It's a bit hard for me to share this, because it's quite personal, but I want people to know a bit about where I'm at and my journey with God, so here goes.

At the retreat we were in beautiful surroundings. There was forest pretty much all around us. As I was thinking about the trees, I had the image that I was a tree. I'm currently a tree that has no leaves and feels spiritually dead. I think that's how I've been feeling lately. I tend to spend time reading God's word only for work, and not for myself. I feel like I'm a tree in the middle of winter, that is just surviving. I've cut off so much of myself in order to just survive. It sounds harsh, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. God's word tells that 'there is a time for everything' (read more in Ecclesiastes 3) and I feel like I've been having a time of survival. The image that I got was more than this though. I had the feeling that Spring is coming, that I will soon start to blossom and new life will come from me again. I will no longer be surviving, but I will again start to thrive. This image brings me such a sense of joy and anticipation that I can't express it.

I don't really know what this image fully means, or how it's going to come about. I do know that it excites me and it helps me to understand and explain a bit of how I've been feeling. Let me leave you with a Psalm that has stood out to me, and continues on with this tree theme/idea:

Psalm 1

'Blessed is the man

    who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

    or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

   and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

    which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

    Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked!

    They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the the judgement,

    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

    but the way of the wicked will perish.'

Star Gazing

Last night was the first time since being in NL that I actually noticed the stars. Usually there's a blanket of clouds that covers this beautiful country, which doesn't allow the stars to shine through. Last night I was walking home from the tram stop after 'Life Group' (which is my church's name for small groups) and I noticed the stars. I smiled. I love looking up at the stars. It always reminds me of God and His power. A couple of weeks ago I was looking at Genesis 1-3 with some students and I always get blown away by the way that the Bible mentions how God made the stars.

'God made two great lights- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.' Genesis 1:16-17

He also made the stars. It's such a throw away comment. 'oh and by the way God made the stars'. As if it's such an easy thing to do!! For God it was, because of his amazing power.

I remember being at school and there was some visitors with this planetarium tent thing that was set up in the gym and we sat in it and someone talked to us about the stars, whilst showing us things on the inside roof of the tent. When I was younger I liked trying to find different constellations. I was never really good at it though. These days I can only recognise two constellations- Orion and the Southern Cross. When I looked up into the starry sky last night, I was hampered by the lights of Den Haag. Despite that I could see Orion (although it was upside down to what I'm used to), but of course there was no way I was going to see the Southern Cross. Although it made me a little sad, it made me feel like I was on an adventure. I was in uncharted territory- some place new for me. And I liked that feeling.

Autumn

Lange Voorhout in Den Haag

Sophielaan Den Haag

Autumn in Den Haag is said to be the wettest time. I'm finding this out the hard way! There are days when rain comes out of nowhere and there are days that look like there should be rain, but it just never comes. I'm getting into the habbit of carrying around an umbrella with me- just in case. Other than the rain, autumn has brought with it the beautiful change in colour of leaves that is the signature of this season. Although this happens in Australia, I can't ever remember it happening on the same scale as here. Leaves are changing colour and falling all over the place. The funny thing is that it's come all of a sudden. One day trees were all green, then the next day there's so much colour it's amazing. Soon there won't be any leaves at all!!

The other thing that Autumn has brought is colder weather. Although the end of summer wasn't exactly warm, I'm already in the winter coats I would wear in Australia. Scarves and boots are also a must. The scary thing is that this is just the beginning! It's only going to get colder as the year continues. Before I know it, winter will be upon me and I'll be in thermals and thicker jumpers/coats. The only hope for winter is the hope of snow. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here. Today I went for a lovely walk in the autumn weather and took photos of the scenes unfolding in front of me. It was a beautiful day to see God's amazing creation- and believe it or not, it wasn't raining!