Europe

So I went to this wicked awesome place called "Europe".  It was probably the greatest thing I have ever done.  I struggled with the decision to go because I was concerned I would financially strap myself and what-not.  Maybe I should have spent the money to do a missions trip...maybe I should have given all the money to the poor.  Maybe all of that is true.  Which means maybe I shouldn't be writing this blog post about how great it was...

But....it. was. GREAT!!!!

Like in every imaginable way, it was perfect.  We flew into Barcelona, Spain and then took the ship to Marseilles, France; Savona, Italy; Rome, Italy; Naples, Italy; Messina, Italy; Venice, Italy; Palma de Mallorca, Spain and finally spent a day in Barcelona before flying out that night.

It was the most amazing trip.  We ate dinner with this super awesome couple who I am sure I will be friends with for the rest of my life.  They joined us on our adventures through the cities of Europe whenever they could.  They were with us for our adventures on the ship.  They provided a buffer for Matt and I when we wanted to do separate things.  It was amazingly awesome.  I could not have asked for a better cruise partner than Matt or a better cruise friendship than Steph and Pierre.

I wrote everyday on a little card what I loved about the day so I would never forget.  That will probably make it's way to this blog soonly...but the thing that blew my mind about Europe was this: they loved God so much that they made their churches and their cities beautiful places to worship Him.  Literally.  Every day we went to a new city the highlight would be some unbelievably beautiful church that was commissioned for the sole purpose of worshiping God.  Unbelievable.

We went to Notre Dame, the Sistine Chapel of Savona, the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, this awesome church in Messina, a huge beautiful cathedral in Mallorca, and finally - the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.  I cannot begin to explain to you the love you see for the Father in these cathedrals.  The sparkling gold mosaics of St. Marks Basilica and the gorgeous painted ceilings of the Sistine chapels that tell these amazing stories of God's love.  The entire exterior of the Sagrada Familia explains the life of Jesus and the history of faith with towers dedicated to the apostles, evangelists, Mary and Jesus.

I mean...my church has a couple of crosses on and in it.  I've seen churches with cool stained glass things.  But to see someone's love for Christ poured out completely in this beautiful work of art still blows my mind.  Pictures don't do it justice ever.  Even their political buildings are full of works of various saints and the life of Christ.  They had reminders everywhere of their history.

It boggles my mind how far we have come that we can't even say the name of God on our currency when there are cities built as a place to worship first.  Every island in Venice had a church built first before anything else came.

What have I done that so fully shows my love of Christ in a way that can bring throngs of people to see the work everyday and stare at it in awe as they take in completely the story of Christ?  What have I ever done that can silence crowds with wonder and adoration for an amazing God?  Granted, I don't have any artistic gift at all, but if these men can use the gifts God gave them to create lasting images of His grace and mercy for centuries of people to see...then it seems to me that God has provided me the same power in the gifts He has given me and it is up to me to use them in such a way that it inspires generations to come.