The 'C' Word.
I call my parents in England everyday at the momment. It's great. I talk to them about my new cooking experiences and all the funny things I'm making. Who else would listen to their daughter banter on about nothing very important, but loving parents. My friend in England was right when she said I'd value every momment I got to spend with them before I moved countries, she is right...she has gone before me in the adventure of transplantation. I showed them my new chair today and the plans I have for patching up the broken leather (a nifty thrift sotre bargain we picked up). My husband has a knack of getting things done, he is a very driven person. We had our mid-week 'weekend' and he had said he wanted to get me a chair. We got the chair.. no sooner had he said it than it was done. Does his driveness match well to my erm.. impatience.. yes!! Ha ha... I like to get things done yesterday so we are a good mix. It's a good feeling when things are going smoothly.
Life isn't always smooth though, sometimes we loose unity within ourselves and then within our families and communities. I've been thinking a lot about unity these few weeks in a new city. I listened to a wonderful sermon about unity by a local Anglican vicar who suggested that we need to be introspective for a time and locate the disunity within ourselves, within our hearts to build true unity within our families and communities. I love getting back to the simple things like introspection ha ha - think of it like looking for something in the dark with a flashlight...an adventure not a chore.
There have been a couple of very unexpected things happen during my move to America. Nothing that has devastated me or caused me to questions Gods love or intention, his grace has been overwhelming through this whole transition, but life happens, unexpected things occur. Sometimes we hear of happenings that we wish not and almost dare not believe to be true. In these times we must fix our eyes more fervently on Jesus. If nothing else these lapses these moments of trial must bring us in humilty before our maker with one singlemind to love and trust Him wholeheartedly, for our selves and for the ones we love.
I've talked with people over the last few weeks who seem so discontent, there is a shcism in their inner man. A desire to search for meaning outside of the peace and presence of God. I've been there...I know the temptation to strive for happiness. I really find that today in all the myriad of answers available to a weary discontent soul there is a very simpe, solution: LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE.
I don't know how many times I've heard Vic Gledhill preach this message, but it's weight and truth sits in my heart like a cannonball. People want to have a real exciting expressive relationship with their maker..to know they have purpose, are loved. they also want to have meaning and relationship in the day to day. Community - for want of a better, less used word. Friends, Cheers all these TV shows higlight the joy and solidarity that comes from authentic community.
My husband and I are SO lucky, blessed fortunate to have family and friends who are just amazing at doing community, teaching us about hospitality, valuing the individual, feeding people, showing people physical love that need it (ie. hugging someone who's not been hugged in a LONG time), creating a safe place for people to exist, find themselves, find Jesus, be creative, be themselves. We are not naturally bent that way..I love solitude and so does he.
Last night I thought how not everyone has had what we've been given...life lessons in how to 'do community', how to value it, not despise it. We've seen it work!!! I'm excited that we are thinking about learning some more about being trustworthy pioneers of community here on top of our hill in a new city. We maybe new, but we are excited to bring people together, to help people heal from past hurts and betrayals. To be a bridge.
I love that my parents home has been open to their friends, the ones that are doing well and the ones who need a listening ear and a friend to stand by them. I love that my friend coffeebeings have practically shown me how to do this with strangers and people exploring faith in Jesus. I'm so grateful for the wealth of experince they have bestowed, for receipes, for wisdom, for the learning through existing alongside the happy times, the sad times, the fun adn difficult times. I've learnt so much, how to handle the unexpected with resilience and grace...some thing I didn't even know I had until it was tested. I love my husbands heart, he's so pure hearted.
A friend in our community died this year. I hadn't realised that his life was one that gave me such a great sense of value. It's hard to explain, we weren't close, but we were closer than I realised. We didn't talk much, but when we did it was anchoring. We so often don't realise what we have until it's gone or what we can offer to others.
Last night we began some new conversations and made movements to be more involved with our immediate community where we live. It is already complicated, people are. It's exciting too. The very thing that makes us so interesting is our humanity. What we bring to life that God can take and turn into a work of art.
Life isn't always smooth though, sometimes we loose unity within ourselves and then within our families and communities. I've been thinking a lot about unity these few weeks in a new city. I listened to a wonderful sermon about unity by a local Anglican vicar who suggested that we need to be introspective for a time and locate the disunity within ourselves, within our hearts to build true unity within our families and communities. I love getting back to the simple things like introspection ha ha - think of it like looking for something in the dark with a flashlight...an adventure not a chore.
There have been a couple of very unexpected things happen during my move to America. Nothing that has devastated me or caused me to questions Gods love or intention, his grace has been overwhelming through this whole transition, but life happens, unexpected things occur. Sometimes we hear of happenings that we wish not and almost dare not believe to be true. In these times we must fix our eyes more fervently on Jesus. If nothing else these lapses these moments of trial must bring us in humilty before our maker with one singlemind to love and trust Him wholeheartedly, for our selves and for the ones we love.
I've talked with people over the last few weeks who seem so discontent, there is a shcism in their inner man. A desire to search for meaning outside of the peace and presence of God. I've been there...I know the temptation to strive for happiness. I really find that today in all the myriad of answers available to a weary discontent soul there is a very simpe, solution: LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE.
I don't know how many times I've heard Vic Gledhill preach this message, but it's weight and truth sits in my heart like a cannonball. People want to have a real exciting expressive relationship with their maker..to know they have purpose, are loved. they also want to have meaning and relationship in the day to day. Community - for want of a better, less used word. Friends, Cheers all these TV shows higlight the joy and solidarity that comes from authentic community.
My husband and I are SO lucky, blessed fortunate to have family and friends who are just amazing at doing community, teaching us about hospitality, valuing the individual, feeding people, showing people physical love that need it (ie. hugging someone who's not been hugged in a LONG time), creating a safe place for people to exist, find themselves, find Jesus, be creative, be themselves. We are not naturally bent that way..I love solitude and so does he.
Last night I thought how not everyone has had what we've been given...life lessons in how to 'do community', how to value it, not despise it. We've seen it work!!! I'm excited that we are thinking about learning some more about being trustworthy pioneers of community here on top of our hill in a new city. We maybe new, but we are excited to bring people together, to help people heal from past hurts and betrayals. To be a bridge.
I love that my parents home has been open to their friends, the ones that are doing well and the ones who need a listening ear and a friend to stand by them. I love that my friend coffeebeings have practically shown me how to do this with strangers and people exploring faith in Jesus. I'm so grateful for the wealth of experince they have bestowed, for receipes, for wisdom, for the learning through existing alongside the happy times, the sad times, the fun adn difficult times. I've learnt so much, how to handle the unexpected with resilience and grace...some thing I didn't even know I had until it was tested. I love my husbands heart, he's so pure hearted.
A friend in our community died this year. I hadn't realised that his life was one that gave me such a great sense of value. It's hard to explain, we weren't close, but we were closer than I realised. We didn't talk much, but when we did it was anchoring. We so often don't realise what we have until it's gone or what we can offer to others.
Last night we began some new conversations and made movements to be more involved with our immediate community where we live. It is already complicated, people are. It's exciting too. The very thing that makes us so interesting is our humanity. What we bring to life that God can take and turn into a work of art.
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