Current dire circumstances that are caused by past decisions were a topic of discussion the other day. I was visiting a friend conversing about how past decisions had created some tough issues they were dealing with.
Up in Hungary (I’m writing from Croatia) at lunchtime in many/most restaurants a set menu is offered for a less expensive price, its called the napi menü (daily menu – anybody remember the blue pate special? no? oh well).
If one needs to eat out often, this is the way to go. You save money. But, there is another advantage – you get to try all kinds of genuine Hungarian dishes that you might not order from a several page menu. When faced with a menu full of choices, many people go to what they know and can afford. This is safe – humans like safe. Going with the set menu (napi menü) means you don’t have to choose, you just go with the choice of the restaurant, you take the risk to eat what they have prepared. As one who leans toward the adventurous side, I love taking the risk. Sometimes I don’t even look at the sign or ask, I just order and eat.
So, the other day, when discussing how our choices often have long lasting impact… I said “Life is not a napi menü.” Lots of choices lay before is… we require wisdom to make good ones. I have found that God gives and builds wisdom in us. He uses experiences to teach us wisdom, but he will also just give us wisdom (James talked about this) in making decisions and then living with them and learning from them.
So, where will you eat lunch today? Will you order from the menu from choices you know and are safe? Or will you take the risk of the napi menü?
or just eat the burek…
Monthly Archives: February 2012
life is not just a napi menü
lots of answered prayers on this trip!
CLICK HERE to see the trip plan and to read answered prayers
Filed under experience
through the ice and snow
Monday was a travel day, at 0630 I boarded a bus which took me across southern Hungary from Szeged to Pecs. Along the way I saw that fresh snow had fallen and that there seem more ice in the Danube since I saw it in Budapest last Thursday…
In Pecs I had a couple of hours to drink coffee and process the trip so far… It was good to get caught up with God… a quiet pub in the railway station provide a chair, a table and warmth…
after a couple of hours, I headed outside to find my train…
it seems as I go further south, the snow is deeper…
finally, after about 9 hours by bus and train I arrived in Osijek and with coffee at hand started asking questions…
Kevin took and posted this shot of me in his and Alyssa’s office… Then I got some good home cooking… and called it a day… this morning, this was my view from my room… a beautiful view to begin the day indeed…
now, its time to go ask some more questions…
just another ministry Sunday
After preaching in Szeged, I was fed lunch and driven to the border, I walked through passport control (think toll booth) and the walked about a km to the Serbia checkpoint (again think toll booth… before I got there I was welcomed to Serbia…
then we hung out and then I got my dinner… burek and yogurt!
then I spoke about the Gospel and discipleship…
and then after a bunch of great conversations, we were back in the car to the borders, a km through a light snow was a good cap to the day…
now, packing the backpack and preparing for a 0630 bus that will, hopefully, get me to Croatia tomorrow afternoon…
Filed under photos along the way, things Central European
200+ are dead from the cold
Freezing Siberian cold air has settled into Europe due to an unusual southerly track of the jet stream.* Over in Ukraine there have been 114 deaths, Poland reports 82, in Serbia the death toll is now 16, 11 in Bosnia, five in Slovakia, four in Montenegro, three in Croatia, two in Macedonia and one in Albania (from news reports).
Here in Szeged the low was -5f (-25c) and tomorrow morning is supposed to be a bit colder. I heard of one fellow who has no heat in his flat and a family on a farm whose pump has frozen and they are melting snow for water to use in the house.
This makes me think of the many people caught up in situations where they are outside for long periods of time… see previous post.
I’ll be heading into deeper snow in a few days as the further south I go, the deeper the snow… I’ve already had to change plans for my Serbia to Croatia leg. The snow is keeping buses from running so I will to return to Hungary on Sunday night after just a few hours in Serbia speaking to a group of churches and on Monday catch a bus across southern Hungary to a train south into Croatia. Hopefully, there will be no problems with this route.
Tonight I read that Hungary closed the Danube. One captain noted that he had not seen this much ice in the river since 1985. Here is what it looked like yesterday before I left Budapest…
I think this closes the Danube to shipping because of ice from Austria all the way to the Black Sea. Amazing.
Your prayers for people here will be appreciated… especially the homeless and sufferers of injustice.
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* The opposite was true back home where a northerly jet stream was keeping the cold at bay. When I left last Friday there were buds on plants and fresh green leaves emerging on my roses. What a contrast.
Filed under photos along the way, things Central European
kingdom travelin' 