[Five Minute Friday] Ten

The other day I was at a party.
About 250 people there, most of whom I knew.
Well, “knew” is a bit overrated. I know their names, what they do, that’s it.

Occasions like this remind me of my true nature.
As much as I love the crowds and their energy, as much as everyone says I am an extrovert and people-person – deep down inside there is this shy girl that can’t handle the masses, the noise, the superficial talk over and over again.

And the more I come to think of it, the more I’m okay with it.
I’m okay with not being okay in big crowds. 
I’m okay with not connecting with everyone and talking with as many people as possible.

People and their relationships are an interesting thing.
How and when do we connect with others?
Most of the people I met at that party were there because we all do the same thing – teach.
We sit together in classes, we laugh at the same jokes, we spend our breaks together. For this assigned time we live in this bubble together and feel like we’re the best friends ever.
But after class ends, when everyone goes home to their own lives, we are not.
We are just two people who might run into each other on the street, say hello, move on.

We need people like this in our lives.
Whatever we may call them (acquaintances, friends, temporary friends…), we need people to walk alongside us for a specific time. It doesn’t have to be much, not very intense, it’s just there for the moment. When this time ends – how many of these relationships will survive?

We can’t survive on these crowds, on mere acquaintances, superficial talks. 
We need something more. 
Deeper connection. Scratching below the surface. Taking off our masks.
People we want to invest in, pour our time and soul into.
People who invest in and pour into us.
Walk through the light and the heavy days together.
Cheer each other on in tough times, rejoice over victories.
It doesn’t have to be the crowds, it only takes a few.
Ten people, maybe only three or five.
Maybe only one.

Are you a crowd or a “ten’s enough” person? Who pours into your life? Who do you choose to invest in? 

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Connecting with a fabulous bunch of writers at Five Minute Friday today. 

[Five Minute Friday] Free

I don’t know what you remember from your teenage years (or how much you actually want to remember), but one thing that I took away from it was that it was hard. A lot of struggles.
Who are my true friends?
What kind of music do I really like?
Why do I do the things I do?
How do I want my life to look like?
What is my opinion on xyz?

I especially struggled with my faith.
Why do I believe in God?
Does the way I believe in him actually make sense?
I felt limited in my expressions of faith, boxed in by opinions I had been taught by family and church.
It was time to break out.

The road to freedom often is not a golden-paved way to the promised land. 
Rather a stony, hilly path into the unknown. 

I also remember conversations with people outside the bubble I had grown up in.
People who lived a completely different lifestyle, had completely different opinions.
People who asked lots of questions and forced me to re-evaluate myself, to step away from all of it for a while and look at things from a distance.
People who encouraged me to pull away the layers of my life that were no longer part of my self.
They were present in my struggles, cheered me on in my search, helped me get rid of unnecessary baggage so that I could finish the race.

Well, the race is not finished yet.
But the more I see and experience in life, the more people I meet, the more I step out of my comfortzone and boxed-in beliefs – the more I discover the great freedom that’s out there. 
Freedom to be and not just do.
Freedom to make mistakes.
Freedom to grow.
Freedom to discover and learn.
Freedom to climb up that hill, no matter how long it may take.
Freedom to believe and discover more of God’s facets in unexpected places.
Freedom to live.

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Linking up with my writing friends over at Kate Motaung’s Five Minute Friday. 

[Five Minute Friday] Dream

I don’t dream at night. No winter wonderlands, no nightmares.
But I certainly have dreams.

I used to dream of becoming famous. Someone people would recognize on the streets.
I used to dream of becoming a professional musician and touring the world.
I used to dream of being someone people look up to.
I used to dream of being married to a handsome man by the age of 25.
I used to dream of being and doing so much more.

What material are dreams made of?
When is a dream a dream and when is it just a simple illusion?

I guess we need to live in order to find out.
We need to run with an idea and see how far we can get.
We need to allow a vision to flood our veins with energy and adrenaline to keep us going.
We need to stumble and readjust our view.
We need to watch a dream shatter at the rocky shores of life, say goodbye to mere illusions and overrated expectations.
We need life to refine our dreams and reveal their true nature.

We need to go through this process of running, falling and seeing clearly.
In the midst of it we might discover that dreams are still there.
That new dreams are birthed in unexpected places.
We might encounter the One who has dreams for us, had them all along, and will never give up on us trying.
We might find that our dreams have a perfect place in the bigger picture.

You can’t measure a dream.
But if we allow the master to dream for and with us we might see them unfold right in front of us.

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As always, linking up with Kate Motaung and the Five Minute Friday peeps today!

[Five Minute Friday] Fear

When I was little I was terribly afraid to be alone in the car.
Whenever my Mom would stop somewhere to swing by a place or drop something off I lost it. As soon as she said, “it’ll only take a minute” I knew what was coming.
My mind started racing with scenarios how strangers would come and attack me, hijack me right out of the car. I sometimes hid behind my seat to not be seen by people passing the car.

So my parents bought a teddy bear.
I actually don’t remember if he had a name, but he kept me company whenever Mom and Dad couldn’t.
That teddy bear didn’t make everything better, but he made me feel less afraid.
He was just there.

About twenty years later I’m totally fine by myself in the car and many other places.
But fear is still there, just in a changed form.
We still feel lonely sometimes and doubt if we are good enough for someone’s friendship.
We still have to face tests in all kinds of areas in life and deal with potential failure.
We still can’t foresee the future and know whether we will sink if we step out onto new waters.
We still live in a world that appears to be more broken every day with suffering, wars, hunger, poverty.

Fear of what’s to come lurks in the back of all our minds.
It freezes our brains, cripples our souls, and binds our hands sometimes.

We are not supposed to live like this, crippled and hopeless.
We are meant to overcome fear and thrive.
This doesn’t happen in a day, but it might start with a teddy bear.
Someone in your life who walks with you.
Listens to you as you share what really bothers you.
Cheers you on as you call fear by its name and put it in its right place.
Pull fear out of the shadows and into the light.

As long as we live in this broken world we can’t take all cares and fears away.
But we can very well decide whether it governs our lives by lurking in the dark.
Let’s find and be teddy bears.
Friends who walk with each other through the dark days.
Who face trials together.
Who help each other get up after we have fallen.
Who don’t take everything away, but make the day or night a little brighter.
Let us remind each other to bring our fear-crippled hearts to the Everlasting, our rock and true safety.

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It’s Friday and we meet up at Kate Motaung‘s to just write. Come and join us!

Navigating the Turbulent Ocean Called Life


I was two when we moved for the first time. 



Ever since then I’ve never lived in one place for more than six years. Due to my dad’s job and my parents’ global attitude, we have moved across town, cross country, and overseas. As a German native, I’ve also lived in Uganda, South Africa, and the US.

Transitions are not easy.
They challenge us, shake up our beliefs of who we are, of how the world looks like and functions, of how God is or seemingly isn’t at work in our lives.

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I am thrilled to be featured with this story at Ashley Hales’ Circling the Story today! Come join me to read the rest of this piece here! 



[Five Minute Friday] World

Time for Five Minute Friday over at Kate Motaung‘s place! Today I am featured with a video over there, so if you want to see a bit of me and why I blog, check it out here!

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“The world is a big place. Go run it.”

I drive by this ad every morning, and every morning I think I only agree half with this statement.
Well, I’m not a runner, so I might not take this advice literally.
Can we say “travel” for run?

The world is a big place. Go travel.
I love traveling. Just last week I got back from the US; once again I was incredibly blessed by landscapes, food, and experiences.
The best thing, though, were the people. The ones who fill that big space. 

My parents never had a lot of money, so we never really went to any fancy resorts or beach trips.
We took our car and just drove.
Stayed at friends’ places.
Saw the back streets instead of the shiny boulevards.
Cooked with people and listened to their stories.
Were inspired to tell our own stories.

You haven’t traveled the world until you know its people.

Somehow this kind of traveling is still instilled in me.
I love exploring other countries, I enjoy seeing breath taking nature and indulge in some good food that’s so different to me.
But I feel like I haven’t traveled, really traveled, a country until I connected with people that live there. Until I’ve seen behind the scenes and got a glimpse into the ordinary.
The ordinary is actually quite beautiful because it makes me realize that the world isn’t such a big place after all. 
We all have struggles.
We all fight through them.
We all experience hope and joys and wonders.

Now I know that not everyone feels like or doesn’t have the time and money to get on a plane and travel.
To discover the world in depth, though, you don’t have to go far.
Just leave your own house and explore YOUR world.
Stay at friends’ places.
Turn from the shiny boulevards to the back streets.
Cook with people and listen to their stories.
Be brave to tell your own story.
And I hope you discover that the world is smaller and more beautiful than you imagined.

[Five Minute Friday] Gift

I’ve been a little out of touch in this space lately, but there’s a good excuse. For the last two weeks I’ve been traveling around North Carolina, taking a break from work, and reconnecting with dear friends.

It’s just been two weeks, but t’s also been so much more than that.
Fourteen days of not thinking about work at all.
Of indulging in good food and free refilled drinks.
Of admiring nature’s beauty in the mountains and at the beach.
Fourteen days of restoring rest to body, mind, and soul.
Of time with precious people, talking late into the night, reminiscing of sweet memories and adding new chapters to the story.
Fourteen days of celebrating friendships.
It’s just been two weeks, but they were intensely filled with gifts.
Like all those people who opened their homes and let me crash on their couches, even though it was often late at night.
Like all those friends who drove me around and did the most ridiculous shopping trips with me.
Like entering T’s house and feeling at home right away. Such a welcoming atmosphere that made me not even think about work or stress for one minute. I was just there and could enjoy every single moment.

Like celebrating beautiful H, watching her get married to the boy of her dreams, and swing dancing the night away. Hiking through the woods and laughing about silly stuff were just the things I needed.

Like driving through beautiful Greensboro or walking around campus with T and sharing about life. Simply starting where we had left off about two years ago, as if we had never been apart. Instant connection, instant depth, and incredible blessings to my soul.

Like going to the beach with E and swimming in the ocean with the most amazing colors. Sitting at the water at night, listening to the waves, and sharing about the essential things in life. E’s view of the world, his attention to and appreciation of the little beauties in the ordinary, and his nostalgia were inspiring.

Like walking around town with ME, MB, and A or going on culinary adventures with C, E, and N made me discover hidden things, rejoice about new developments, and treasure the familiar.

Every single talk was often so much more than expected, so much deeper than hoped for, and so much more a blessing than imagined. Friendships may be silent at times, but once souls have connected they’ll always come back to each other, no matter the distance.

Thank you for the gift of friendship. Thank you for being on that journey together.
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A little later than usual, but I’m still linking up with Kate Motaung’s Five Minute Friday. Another great gift, this community of bloggers and encouragers! 

[Five Minute Friday] Rise

Since I started teaching earlier this year, my life has changed quite a bit.
Every morning my alarm goes off at 5.15 and after a few snooze attempts I really, really have to get up.
In the beginning it was still dark, so I stumbled through my own apartment with just one tiny lamp to not wake my roommate.

I left the house and joined a few other tired faces in the bus and train.
It was simply too early.
However, it was worth it.
As the train made its way through the sleepy landscape, the sun rose. A giant orange ball rose into the sky, pushing away the darkness and drenching everything in a golden light. You couldn’t help but to close your eyes and take in its warmth.

Many mornings I had to think of the verse in the Psalms:
His mercies are new every morning.
What a promise!

It tells me ‘It’s okay. Just try again.’
It reminds me that the failures of yesterday don’t have to haunt my today.
It encourages me to try again. To be myself with all its flaws because there’s a father who looks at me with joy. Just because I’m his.
This mercy inspires me to rise above myself, to step up and out of my comfort zone, a little bit every day.
It challenges me to offer this same freedom to those around me.
They can rise; I give them a helping hand and rejoice with them as they take new steps.

I hope you experience his mercy every morning and allow yourself to live and be in that freedom.
And more than that, I challenge you to extend it to someone else.

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Linking up with Kate Motaung’s Five Minute Friday today.

[Five Minute Friday] Follow


“Some are leaders, others are followers.”
There’s an interesting thing that happens when strangers get together to work on a task. I’ve had quite a few chances to observe these dynamics whenever I had to do a presentation at uni with people I had just met a few minutes ago. Here’s your task, here are your people – go.
After some uncomfortable glances and some shy smiles, a division takes place.

Into leaders and followers.
Those who take the initiative, bring in ideas, or even very clear, non-negotiable concepts. And those who nod approvingly and do whatever the most dominant person in the group suggests.
There has never been a formal round of introductions or vote, no personality type test. It just happens. People fall into their roles of leaders and followers.
I’m sure we’ve all had our shares of pressuring, dominating leaders who left us with no alternative but to nod and do whatever they say.
Who didn’t make us feel like followers but subjects at their service.
But I hope, really hope, that you’ve also experienced great leadership in your life.
People who took time and effort to invest in you.
A fine eye to carve out your talents and personality.
Diligence to sharpen your creativity.
People who gave you a hug when things got tough.
Lifted you up in prayer.
Rejoiced and celebrated with you when you reached another milestone.
We need those people in our lives.
Leaders who are bold to step up and take on responsibility.
Who are firsts in their fields and don’t give up despite all the obstacles.
Who inspire and lead by example, with all its dark spots along the way.
Leaders who blaze the trail for many others to come after.

Leaders who make us want to be followers.
“Some are leaders, others are followers.”
I don’t know if this is always true.
If you can be only one or the other.
There are times when we can fall back and follow into footsteps on paths others have gone before us.
Yet life takes us to many unfamiliar places at times.

There’s new width to be conquered, new depths to be explored.

And we find there’s no one there who we could follow.
It might be time for the followers to step up.
To become leaders.
To take time and effort to invest in others.
To develop a vision and run with perseverance.
To be a first in something and staying with it despite obstacles.
To cry and to rejoice with our running mates.
It sounds like a lot.

But it all starts with one small first step.
Not to the ends of the world, but into the ‘world” you’ve been called to lead.
How do you experience leadership in your life? Where could you step up as a leader?
On Fridays, a whole tribe of writers gathers over at Kate Motaung’s Five Minute Friday. One prompt and we all follow. Five minutes of writing. Lots of sharing.

[Five Minute Friday] Meet

“Church wasn’t my thing today. I didn’t really connect with God during worship.”
“I feel bad. Haven’t opened my bible all week and met God.”
“Me, too. I didn’t even meet other believers to connect.”

I don’t know if you have heard similar statements from people around you or also discovered them in your mind.
I do sometimes. Growing up in a Christian home, walking through the entire youth program the church had to offer, living on the mission field telling others about it somehow implanted a certain thinking in my head:
Read your bible, go to church, meet other believers to meet God.
Which, in general, is a good thing.
But with it comes also a feeling of pressure.
You have to do this.
This is the only way.
Which leaves me guilty every time.
Every day without opening my bible, not connecting in worship or even going to church leaves me with a sense of failure and a spiritual bad conscience.
God is to be found in the church and ‘spiritual’ things, so I better do my part to find him.
And what if I do all that, what if I play by the rules and still feel like he’s not there?

Since I started working, my alarm goes off at 5.15 am most mornings.
I am glad when I get seven hours of sleep.
My body is exhausted, my mind is weary from thinking and planning and worrying.
There’s enough pressure out there, and very little time to meet God in ‘spiritual’ ways.

In the midst of all of this I discovered a new sense of freedom.
I met tons of new people, fellow teachers, students, commuters…
I heard a lot of stories, as I got to know people a bit and they allowed me a glimpse into their lives and struggles.
I shared questions and problems and was blessed with unexpected advice, a good laugh (or chocolate).
I experienced genuine kindness, friendship, and hope.
I have seen the most beautiful sunrises, a perk from getting up so early.
I have savored a good night’s rest or a home cooked meal.
I have raveled in the outburst of flowers and spring colors.
I met God. 
Outside the church.

I don’t know how your day looks like, how your lives look like.
I don’t know if and how you meet God. I don’t say one way is better than the other.
But I want to speak a little bit of freedom to your guilt-ridden soul.
I want to release you from the pressure others or you have put on your faith.
I want to challenge you to widen your perspective and open your eyes and heart.
God is out there, he’s ready to be found and meet you.
Right where you are.
In often unexpected places and people.
In the weirdest circumstances.
Are you ready to meet him there?

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It’s Friday and I am linking up with Kate Motaung‘s Five Minute Friday. Why don’t you join us?