sad farewell.

for the last two years i have enjoyed having an aussie mate live nearby.  Mick brought his Canadian wife and two kids (they had a third while here) to study at Asbury Seminary.  it is no guarantee that a fellow ex-pat will become a good friend but we hit it off and relished in the opportunity to talk cricket and aussie football as well as share ‘lost in translation’ stories than only foreigners can relate to.  Our time sharing in life and reflecting on his masters work in biblical studies has been a true gift.  anyway, he is finished his degree and he left yesterday to drive back to British Columbia where he will serve in ministry.  we’ll keep in touch via skype but there is nothing like a proper chin-wag in person.

 

lest Mick think i am becoming soft and sentimental i should point out that Mick is a very difficult person to put up with…he is horribly ugly, intolerably loud, and he is from Adelaide.  He also struggles to admit Collingwood are the greatest footy team ever and the Crows will never get off the bottom of the ladder because that is where bottom-feeders belong.

 

here are a couple of pictures of our community farewell to Mick’s family and another seminary-student-family who have become dear to us these last couple of years – here’s mick with his youngest.

 

cousins

we had a quick but fun trip to atlanta last weekend.  we met with some wonderful people planning to form a mission team and vsiit us in the summer.  we spent some time with family (including a visit to Krispy Kreme and a visit to Chic-fil-A).  And we took isaac to his first broadway musical at the fabulous Fox Theatre in downtown Atlanta – Mary Poppins.  we all enjoyed the great show and isaac’s favorite song was supercala…etc.

dog trials

isaac and i went to check out the collies in action at the dog trials yesterday.  nice to see dogs and humans work so beautifully together…a sign of God’s kingdom?  we then got caught in a huge storm.  it’s one of the many things i really love about living in this part of the world…the powerful storms that roll across the bluegrass.

things that grow in our yard

took some pictures of blooms in the yard over the weekend and some cut flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

is this the beginning of adolescence?

isaac made it clear to us sunday afternoon.

plees leef me ulaon

staying is the new going

Chris (from word made flesh) writes beautifully here of what it means to engage in meaningful mission in our day and age.   he is writing in response to Jonathan’s wonderful book, “the wisdom of stability.”

read the article

keeping our faith cheerful

"What keeps our faith cheerful is everywhere in daily life, a sign that faith rules through ordinary things: through cooking and small talk, through storytelling, making love, fishing, tending animals and sweet corn and flowers, through sports, music, and books, raising kids ­p; all the places where the gravy soaks in and grace shines through. Even in a time of elephantine vanity and greed, one never has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people."
-- Garrison Keillor

gardening and faith

check out this post from Christine Sine at MSA where she references seedleaf.

http://godspace.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/edible-art-churches-and-backyards/

missionary lesson

from our most recent newsletter:

Missionary Lesson:  Love thy neighbor

To be a missionary across the street or across the world one must come to terms with the most basic unit of loving engagement….being a good neighbor.  As the weather warms up and people are outside walking the neighborhood we are reminded about the importance of kind words and actions that pass between friends and strangers alike.  We have discovered that being a good neighbor does not mean “minding your own business” with an occasional friendly but distant wave while you collect your trash cans.  It is, rather, much more involved and a lot less convenient to be the kind of neighbor Jesus demonstrated.  If we can look to the Good Samaritan as our pin-up neighbor we soon discover that being inconvenienced and finding ourselves outside the bounds of safety are critical elements in biblical neighborliness. 

This last couple of months we have found ourselves put out and frustrated with our neighbors…many of them show up just at the wrong time, outstay their welcome, and leave us frustrated with our lack of progress on the work we had deemed ‘most important’ that day.  But through all this God gently shows us what it means to be gracious when we feel least like it and to give as freely as we have received.  We are being formed by the inconvenience as we receive it as a gift for our discipleship.  May the Lord of the Universe (and of our front door) keep disturbing our comfort and drawing us deeper into the lives of our neighbors…for the sake of the Kingdom that is coming.

overflowing weekend

so many wonderful gatherings this weekend…and then several of our basements flooded. cups runneth over!

we had the growing community event in the east end, (saturday 10am-2pm), billy’s birthday party and derby gathering (saturday night), and the baby porter shower/celebration at the koch’s place (sunday morning).  good times and even in the midst of soggy basements, some cherished community time.

here are some picture (see more here)