Sunday, July 26, 2009
We had a great day with Tommy and Christina. We attended a Sunday morning service at a church in the middle of town then grabbed an ostrich burger for lunch in the market place. After lunch Tommy and Christina took us punting then we went on a tour of the town and colleges. It was amazing to hear the stories of the people who have attended or taught at the college (Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, Lord Byron, Prince Charles and William, Charles Darwin, C.S. Lewis for a time.)
Affiliates of Cambridge have won of 83 Nobel Prizes.
Many of the most important scientific discoveries and revolutions were made by Cambridge alumni. These include:
• Understanding the scientific method, by Francis Bacon
• The laws of motion, by Sir Isaac Newton
• The discovery of the electron, by J. J. Thomson
• The splitting of the atom by Sir John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton
• The unification of electromagnetism, by James Clerk Maxwell
• The discovery of hydrogen, by Henry Cavendish
• Evolution by natural selection, by Charles Darwin
• The Turing machine, a basic model for computation, by Alan Turing
• The structure of DNA, by Francis Crick and James D. Watson
• Pioneering quantum mechanics, by Paul Dirac
We are off to London at 5:30 am. The plan is to check out Big Ben, visit Saint James Park, view the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, visit the British museum for a few hours, participate in a church service/observe choir at Westminister Abbey, view London from the top of the London eye and catch the bus to Cambridge by 8pm.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Cambridge, England
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Thursday we left Pam and Roy and drove south to Walsall to visit with our Irish friends Anthony and Laura. Anthony and Laura just returned from a trip to Swaziland to share the good news, serve and encourage the children, churches and prisoners of the country. They were wonderfully loving people who are passionate about wanting to know Jesus and show his love, joy, power, grace and mercy to those around them. Thank you for hosting us.
Our time was short with Anthony and Laura, but we hope to see them in the States one day. We left them and drove south to Cambridge to stay with our friends Tommy and Christina. Christina is part of a team at Cambridge working on a large cancer study in relation to D.N.A. Although I do not quite understand the technical details of their study I do know that the team is doing valuable research that will surely benefit mankind.
Tommy showed us around town today. We visited the various colleges of Cambridge (Kings, Trinity, Trinity College and Clare). The campuses are stunning. It reminds me of the footage from the Harry Potter movies. The students actually dine with their robes in a manner similar to that in the Harry Potter films. The dinners are quite fancy. We hung out at the open-air market and walked along the Cams River. We plan on going to church then go “punting” tomorrow. Punting is essentially us renting a gondola like boat with a bamboo push stick to float down the Cams River. We will float past the backs of the stunning grounds and architecture of the schools. Although the setting is beautiful, much more beautiful is the time in community with Tommy and Christina. They are great people.
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| From England, Cambridge |
Thursday we left Pam and Roy and drove south to Walsall to visit with our Irish friends Anthony and Laura. Anthony and Laura just returned from a trip to Swaziland to share the good news, serve and encourage the children, churches and prisoners of the country. They were wonderfully loving people who are passionate about wanting to know Jesus and show his love, joy, power, grace and mercy to those around them. Thank you for hosting us.
Our time was short with Anthony and Laura, but we hope to see them in the States one day. We left them and drove south to Cambridge to stay with our friends Tommy and Christina. Christina is part of a team at Cambridge working on a large cancer study in relation to D.N.A. Although I do not quite understand the technical details of their study I do know that the team is doing valuable research that will surely benefit mankind.
Tommy showed us around town today. We visited the various colleges of Cambridge (Kings, Trinity, Trinity College and Clare). The campuses are stunning. It reminds me of the footage from the Harry Potter movies. The students actually dine with their robes in a manner similar to that in the Harry Potter films. The dinners are quite fancy. We hung out at the open-air market and walked along the Cams River. We plan on going to church then go “punting” tomorrow. Punting is essentially us renting a gondola like boat with a bamboo push stick to float down the Cams River. We will float past the backs of the stunning grounds and architecture of the schools. Although the setting is beautiful, much more beautiful is the time in community with Tommy and Christina. They are great people.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Day trip to Chester, England
Once again we find ourselves in the company of wonderful people who are filled with the joy of the Lord. Roy and Pam are hosting us for a couple days in Northwich, just south of Liverpool. They are friends of Gary and Roberta’s whom we stayed with in Belfast. We are headed to the town of Chester for the day to visit the Roman ruins. Maybe Mariella will do some driving on the other side of the road. We’ll keep you updated on the outcome. Yes, we do have full insurance coverage on the car.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Liverpool & Lakes District, England
Monday July 20th, 2009
Mariella and I have been offline for a few days. Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to our new friends whom we wished lived closer to California. To the Armstrong and Cotter Clan, thank you for loving us and letting us spend time with you. You are wonderful people. We left Belfast on Saturday the 18th and arrived in Liverpool. We spent half a day exploring Albert Dock and the city center. We visited the “Cavern Club” where the Beatles played many gigs.
From Liverpool we drove a couple hours north to the Lakes District (a National Park). A few years ago I heard of this place when I asked our friend Brandon where he would live if he could live anywhere in the world. He said, Ambleside and explained its beauty. The hope of visiting this place was stored in my mind from that
The Lakes District is stunningly beautiful. The villages (towns) are the most beautiful and idyllic I have ever seen. These villages have to be among the top 5 beautiful places on earth. The place reminds me of storybook or movie. This is a real life “Shire” as seen in the movie “Lord of the Rings.”
We have explored the villages of Windermere, Ambleside, Troutbeck, Grasmere, Coniston (for a county fair) and Keswick. We spent the night in the car the first night, which did not go well. Mariella froze with our little sleep sheets. As a result, night two and three were spent in a hostel in the hills above Ambelside.
Mariella and I have done a lot of hiking. There are hundreds of hikes. If we ever found ourselves living in England, this would be the place to go for good hikes not too technical, but enough to get the heart pumping. The Lakes would also be fabulous for spiritual/emotional/physical retreats from the noise and busyness of everyday life.
Mariella and I have been offline for a few days. Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to our new friends whom we wished lived closer to California. To the Armstrong and Cotter Clan, thank you for loving us and letting us spend time with you. You are wonderful people. We left Belfast on Saturday the 18th and arrived in Liverpool. We spent half a day exploring Albert Dock and the city center. We visited the “Cavern Club” where the Beatles played many gigs.
From Liverpool we drove a couple hours north to the Lakes District (a National Park). A few years ago I heard of this place when I asked our friend Brandon where he would live if he could live anywhere in the world. He said, Ambleside and explained its beauty. The hope of visiting this place was stored in my mind from that
The Lakes District is stunningly beautiful. The villages (towns) are the most beautiful and idyllic I have ever seen. These villages have to be among the top 5 beautiful places on earth. The place reminds me of storybook or movie. This is a real life “Shire” as seen in the movie “Lord of the Rings.”
We have explored the villages of Windermere, Ambleside, Troutbeck, Grasmere, Coniston (for a county fair) and Keswick. We spent the night in the car the first night, which did not go well. Mariella froze with our little sleep sheets. As a result, night two and three were spent in a hostel in the hills above Ambelside.
Mariella and I have done a lot of hiking. There are hundreds of hikes. If we ever found ourselves living in England, this would be the place to go for good hikes not too technical, but enough to get the heart pumping. The Lakes would also be fabulous for spiritual/emotional/physical retreats from the noise and busyness of everyday life.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Next stop Liverpool
It looks like we will be heading to England next. We were going to go to Scotland, but plans changed. The Armstrong family, whom we are staying with near Belfast have directed us toward some friends in England. We fly from Belfast to Liverpool on Saturday and will rent a car to drive up to the Lakes District (the Yosemite of England). We hope to spend a few days there and then head south stopping to visit friends of the Armstrong's in Northwich and Walsall before visiting family of our friends Susan and Maryanne in Cambridge. We hope to take a bus from Cambridge to London over a few days. Then we will catch a flight from London to Amsterdam, spending a couple days in Amsterdam before heading to Nairobi, Kenya for a month. We make our plans, but God directs our steps.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Orangemen's Day
July 12th and 13th
We were fortunate enough to be around Belfast for a national holiday which some celebrate and others do not. “The first week of July to July 12, a period known as “Marching Season,” the “Orangemen”- Protestants celebrating William’s victory over James II- parade through Northern Ireland’s streets wearing orange sashes and bowler hats. These marches usually meet with Nationalist protests. Tensions inevitably run high with the occasional spurts of violence and much of the city preemptively shuts down for the two weeks surrounding the Marching Season.” – (Let’s Go Travel Book). Nationalist are typically people who would define themselves as Catholics and would support Northern Ireland becoming separated from the United Kingdom (Scotland and Britain). Unionists are typically people who would define themselves as Protestants and are supportive of being part of the United Kingdom. It appears that there has been much violence at the hands of people who would define themselves as adhering to a certain political point of view and belonging ta a particular religious denomination. I suspect that the violence that was carried out by people professing to belong to a specific religious denomination is contrary to the heart and life of Jesus.
Here are some pictures of what we saw and experienced. We did make it down to the bonfire, which was lit at 10:30. We joined some friends and a large crowd to watch the massive bonfire (pallets stacked two stories high). I was suprised to see that they purposfully burned the Irish flags fixed to the top of the structure. The giant structure collapsed as it was burning. We were moved further away from the fire because people began to see that the structure was going to fall over. It was a bit crazy. It appeared that most people who were at the fire were young and want to drink a lot of beer and party. By the way, I also found out that the Titanic was built and first sailed from Belfast.
We were fortunate enough to be around Belfast for a national holiday which some celebrate and others do not. “The first week of July to July 12, a period known as “Marching Season,” the “Orangemen”- Protestants celebrating William’s victory over James II- parade through Northern Ireland’s streets wearing orange sashes and bowler hats. These marches usually meet with Nationalist protests. Tensions inevitably run high with the occasional spurts of violence and much of the city preemptively shuts down for the two weeks surrounding the Marching Season.” – (Let’s Go Travel Book). Nationalist are typically people who would define themselves as Catholics and would support Northern Ireland becoming separated from the United Kingdom (Scotland and Britain). Unionists are typically people who would define themselves as Protestants and are supportive of being part of the United Kingdom. It appears that there has been much violence at the hands of people who would define themselves as adhering to a certain political point of view and belonging ta a particular religious denomination. I suspect that the violence that was carried out by people professing to belong to a specific religious denomination is contrary to the heart and life of Jesus.
Here are some pictures of what we saw and experienced. We did make it down to the bonfire, which was lit at 10:30. We joined some friends and a large crowd to watch the massive bonfire (pallets stacked two stories high). I was suprised to see that they purposfully burned the Irish flags fixed to the top of the structure. The giant structure collapsed as it was burning. We were moved further away from the fire because people began to see that the structure was going to fall over. It was a bit crazy. It appeared that most people who were at the fire were young and want to drink a lot of beer and party. By the way, I also found out that the Titanic was built and first sailed from Belfast.
Hanging out with the Kiddos
Wednesday, July 15th 2009
We find ourselves taking a day of rest after a busy few days exploring Northern Ireland with Samuel, Danielle and the kiddos. We have explored the Giants Causeway, the hexagonal basalt columns; all 38,000 of them are amazingly uniform. We’ve visited many other towns along the way and have had a wonderful time riding in the car, having meals, and meeting people in their community. We had the blessing of watching the kids for half a day while Samuel and Danielle attended a family funeral. We took the kiddos to Water World and then to the beach down the street. We continue to be a grateful of having the opportunity to see them parent and serve others in the community. It is very clear that they love with a heart like Jesus.
We find ourselves taking a day of rest after a busy few days exploring Northern Ireland with Samuel, Danielle and the kiddos. We have explored the Giants Causeway, the hexagonal basalt columns; all 38,000 of them are amazingly uniform. We’ve visited many other towns along the way and have had a wonderful time riding in the car, having meals, and meeting people in their community. We had the blessing of watching the kids for half a day while Samuel and Danielle attended a family funeral. We took the kiddos to Water World and then to the beach down the street. We continue to be a grateful of having the opportunity to see them parent and serve others in the community. It is very clear that they love with a heart like Jesus.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Belfast, day 3...4? anyway
I am not really sure how to express everything I've got going on right now. I've written something else on a word document title "my rant" and am choosing to hang on to that one for a while, until I really get a chance to look it all over. So we've been in Belfast 3 days now and we are supposed to leave Monday. I am opting for a change of itenerary. Why? Because I've yet to meet the wonderful people whose house we're in and well I am having an awesome time. The Cotter family, pictured earlier, has been ...beyond amazing, just so awesome to be with. As Craig said, they have 5 kids, 4 girls and a boy, and we have spent some time with them now and they've really grown on me (this doesn't usually take long since I love kids). But these kids in particular are pretty amazing. TOday I played 3 serious games of "go fish" and hopped and ran around the Giant's Causeway (pictures coming soon). It's 1:30am here and only 5:30pm at home. I am up and feeling like I needed to update you all. God is good, so good to us, and perhaps He is always this good, but I really have had a chance to see His daily provision, we are really getting a taste (not a complete understanding) of what "our daily bread" means. Daily God has provided for our needs, be it spiritual, physical, mental. I mean really, while traveling Ireland by car, we had our own built in accomodations and wheels, all in one-it was not always comfortable and I still have the bite marks from those awful midges, miges? (little gnat sized insects with a giant mosquito sized bite, in bee sized sworms) yeah pretty terrible thing to wake up to in Killarney. But really, I mean we could've gotten hurt or a multitude of things could've happened that would've changed the trip. I could've had a nasty attitude, Craig could've had a nasty attitude... you get the idea. Bottom line: Daily I have seen and experienced, the hand of God; his orchestrating, and daily I am ever so thankful to have experienced it and have taken notice of it.
I have recently received an email from an old acquaintance, thanks Katie, who is living in Norway and has openly and quite warmly invited us to come and stay with her and her husband, and hopefully find work to do. Again, this is an acquaintance, I met her years ago, briefly, we had an awesome time together undoubtedly, but I haven't really talked to her since that time and now she is inviting Craig and I to come and stay with her and it is ....once again OVERWHELMING! (Larissa help me out here and give me another word) Thanks so much guys, for your prayers and encouragement, for believing in what God is leading us to do, for opening up your homes, for managing our accounts while we are away (Meg: meow) Craig and I are so blessed to have wonderful people all around us and I am never unaware of this-truly it is something that is in my mind constantly and I am so glad it is. Thanks, keep praying, we love you.
By the way, the fires are beginning to burn, literally, outside the window I can see a huge bonfire burning up, it's not the giant one pictured earlier but another one nearby. Hopefully we will get pictures tomorrow-crazy.
I have recently received an email from an old acquaintance, thanks Katie, who is living in Norway and has openly and quite warmly invited us to come and stay with her and her husband, and hopefully find work to do. Again, this is an acquaintance, I met her years ago, briefly, we had an awesome time together undoubtedly, but I haven't really talked to her since that time and now she is inviting Craig and I to come and stay with her and it is ....once again OVERWHELMING! (Larissa help me out here and give me another word) Thanks so much guys, for your prayers and encouragement, for believing in what God is leading us to do, for opening up your homes, for managing our accounts while we are away (Meg: meow) Craig and I are so blessed to have wonderful people all around us and I am never unaware of this-truly it is something that is in my mind constantly and I am so glad it is. Thanks, keep praying, we love you.
By the way, the fires are beginning to burn, literally, outside the window I can see a huge bonfire burning up, it's not the giant one pictured earlier but another one nearby. Hopefully we will get pictures tomorrow-crazy.
Belfast
Friday, July 10th 2009
Yesterday we arrived in Belfast and caught a bus to Newtownards. We were met by friends of friends. Thank you Mike for introducing us to Gary. Gary is currently in Swaziland working alongside the Swazi’s in prisons, schools and churches. Although he is not around he opened his house to us. Gary’s daughter, Danielle and his son-in-law Samuel along with their five children have been hosting us. Once again we are surrounded by amazing people. Samuel runs a business that is similar to a 99 cent store blended with a 7/11. He is a good man. When we walk with him through the community people are constantly saying hello and stopping him to talk. From what I gather he is highly respected by the community. He invited us to dinner and an evening prayer meeting with his faith community. We were blessed by the listening to God’s word, worshiping Jesus through song and prayer.As we were walking through the neighborhood I was blown away by a towering pile of wooden pallets that will be set on fire during the annual celebration of “Orangeman’s Day”. It is a celebration similar to the 4th of July. We were told by two guys on the train that people build the huge towers out of wooden pallets and set them ablaze. These towers are set up in various areas throughout Northern Ireland. This would not fly in the states. I guess the burning man, a big party in the desert would be the exception. I have attached a picture for your viewing enjoyment.
Hopefully I will get a picture of it burning as well. I think they set it ablaze at 11pm on Sunday. I guess the crowds can get rowdy. Today Danielle and the kids picked us up and took us into Belfast. We walked around the market and surrounding areas. We said hello to Samuel who has a stand in the market on Fridays. He loaded us up on candy and chocolates. We walked around the market with him and again people were grabbing him to talk. Pretty amazing! Their kids are a joy. The kids are well mannered and friendly as can be. We are blessed by being able to observe the way they love and parent their children. There is an apparent legacy that has been left by the grandparents and parents of these children. These people’s lives have been radically changed by their initial and ongoing encounters with the living God. It is clear that all that they have is from God and not themselves. I suspect they give abundantly and reap the joy that comes from holding God’s materiall gifts loosely. We finished the afternoon with a hike to the top of Scrabo a castle like structure that we can see from the backyard of where we are staying. It overlooks the nearby bay. It also sits next to the 3rd hole of a beautiful golf course. Nice! The girls counted 117 steps from the bottom of the castle to the top.
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| From Belfast. Ireland |
Yesterday we arrived in Belfast and caught a bus to Newtownards. We were met by friends of friends. Thank you Mike for introducing us to Gary. Gary is currently in Swaziland working alongside the Swazi’s in prisons, schools and churches. Although he is not around he opened his house to us. Gary’s daughter, Danielle and his son-in-law Samuel along with their five children have been hosting us. Once again we are surrounded by amazing people. Samuel runs a business that is similar to a 99 cent store blended with a 7/11. He is a good man. When we walk with him through the community people are constantly saying hello and stopping him to talk. From what I gather he is highly respected by the community. He invited us to dinner and an evening prayer meeting with his faith community. We were blessed by the listening to God’s word, worshiping Jesus through song and prayer.As we were walking through the neighborhood I was blown away by a towering pile of wooden pallets that will be set on fire during the annual celebration of “Orangeman’s Day”. It is a celebration similar to the 4th of July. We were told by two guys on the train that people build the huge towers out of wooden pallets and set them ablaze. These towers are set up in various areas throughout Northern Ireland. This would not fly in the states. I guess the burning man, a big party in the desert would be the exception. I have attached a picture for your viewing enjoyment.
 |
| From Belfast. Ireland |
Hopefully I will get a picture of it burning as well. I think they set it ablaze at 11pm on Sunday. I guess the crowds can get rowdy. Today Danielle and the kids picked us up and took us into Belfast. We walked around the market and surrounding areas. We said hello to Samuel who has a stand in the market on Fridays. He loaded us up on candy and chocolates. We walked around the market with him and again people were grabbing him to talk. Pretty amazing! Their kids are a joy. The kids are well mannered and friendly as can be. We are blessed by being able to observe the way they love and parent their children. There is an apparent legacy that has been left by the grandparents and parents of these children. These people’s lives have been radically changed by their initial and ongoing encounters with the living God. It is clear that all that they have is from God and not themselves. I suspect they give abundantly and reap the joy that comes from holding God’s materiall gifts loosely. We finished the afternoon with a hike to the top of Scrabo a castle like structure that we can see from the backyard of where we are staying. It overlooks the nearby bay. It also sits next to the 3rd hole of a beautiful golf course. Nice! The girls counted 117 steps from the bottom of the castle to the top.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Dublin to Belfast
Thursday, July 9th
Today we took a train from Dublin (Republic of Ireland) to Belfast (Northern Ireland). As we boarded the train we left the city loaded with gifts in the form of memories and experiences. Our final night in Dublin was spent with Phil and Cheryl. Phil is a master of BBQ. Last week we dined on his amazing ribs and last night on his slowly marinated chicken (and it did not leave a “fowl” taste in the mouth). As the food was exceptionally tasting and fulfilling, more so was our conversation and heart connection with Phil and Cheryl. What an amazing thing it is to sit down with people and discuss the things of life, love and Jesus. We admired the way in which Phil and Cheryl seek to know Jesus and his loving ways. Thank you two for taking the time to be present with us. They were kind enough to dialogue with me about my many questions that were sparked by a book I recently read called “The Tangible Kingdom”.
What I admire about their faith is that they seek to be continually transforming into the likeness of Jesus. They are transparent about their shortcomings and pure in their hearts desire to love God and other people. Thank you for your tangible example of how to love well. You loved us well while we were with you.
Too many times I have been a poor representative/reflection of the heart of Jesus. I apologize to those of you that have seen a poor example of the heart of Jesus modeled in my life and in others claiming to represent him. It breaks my heart to know that many people reject Jesus because of the negative things that have been done in his name. I think of the bumper sticker that says something to the effect of “God, save me from your followers”. Or the statement by Gandhi to the effect of loving Jesus and his ways, but being put off by his followers.
We remember that real life and the ways of Jesus will ring true and resonate with what is right and real in our world. When virtues like integrity, sacrifice, simplicity, risk, adventure, benevolence and justice are present there you will find tangible representations of the ways of Christ. I am convicted of the ways I have been overly religious and judgmental of others. In the coming year I hope to shed the burden of hyper religiosity and judgmental ways that prevent me from loving deeply as Jesus did. It is mind boggling to read about how Jesus befriended people the religious community of his day would reject and exclude.
I am reminded of the main reason why I follow Jesus. It is because I have been seized by the power of his great affection. This great affection was primarily modeled in two ways. The first was in the tangible example of people whose lives were saturated by things like humility, generosity, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self-control etc. These people loved me like I never experienced before. When I dug deeper to find out why they were like this I found that they were captured by the love of Christ. The second and most powerful model was in coming to the conclusion that God truly took the wicked things that I had done in my life and paid the penalty for my wrong doings, taking the penalties that I deserved, being killed on a cross. Then he conquered death by rising from the dead on the third day. My only response to a God like this is to give him my life. The result: freedom.
It’s great to tangibly experience God’s love in Phil and Cheryl’s hospitality. Matt & Hailey’s opening their house to us. In John’s undeserved gift of the certificate to a B & B and John’s invitation to have dinner and cup of tea with his family and to observe him letting his daughter curl up in his arms and squeeze her tightly because she wanted cuddle time in the safe and loving arms of her father. And Martin and Tara letting us camp in their field and inviting us in for a cup of tea and some cookies.
Today we took a train from Dublin (Republic of Ireland) to Belfast (Northern Ireland). As we boarded the train we left the city loaded with gifts in the form of memories and experiences. Our final night in Dublin was spent with Phil and Cheryl. Phil is a master of BBQ. Last week we dined on his amazing ribs and last night on his slowly marinated chicken (and it did not leave a “fowl” taste in the mouth). As the food was exceptionally tasting and fulfilling, more so was our conversation and heart connection with Phil and Cheryl. What an amazing thing it is to sit down with people and discuss the things of life, love and Jesus. We admired the way in which Phil and Cheryl seek to know Jesus and his loving ways. Thank you two for taking the time to be present with us. They were kind enough to dialogue with me about my many questions that were sparked by a book I recently read called “The Tangible Kingdom”.
What I admire about their faith is that they seek to be continually transforming into the likeness of Jesus. They are transparent about their shortcomings and pure in their hearts desire to love God and other people. Thank you for your tangible example of how to love well. You loved us well while we were with you.
Too many times I have been a poor representative/reflection of the heart of Jesus. I apologize to those of you that have seen a poor example of the heart of Jesus modeled in my life and in others claiming to represent him. It breaks my heart to know that many people reject Jesus because of the negative things that have been done in his name. I think of the bumper sticker that says something to the effect of “God, save me from your followers”. Or the statement by Gandhi to the effect of loving Jesus and his ways, but being put off by his followers.
We remember that real life and the ways of Jesus will ring true and resonate with what is right and real in our world. When virtues like integrity, sacrifice, simplicity, risk, adventure, benevolence and justice are present there you will find tangible representations of the ways of Christ. I am convicted of the ways I have been overly religious and judgmental of others. In the coming year I hope to shed the burden of hyper religiosity and judgmental ways that prevent me from loving deeply as Jesus did. It is mind boggling to read about how Jesus befriended people the religious community of his day would reject and exclude.
I am reminded of the main reason why I follow Jesus. It is because I have been seized by the power of his great affection. This great affection was primarily modeled in two ways. The first was in the tangible example of people whose lives were saturated by things like humility, generosity, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self-control etc. These people loved me like I never experienced before. When I dug deeper to find out why they were like this I found that they were captured by the love of Christ. The second and most powerful model was in coming to the conclusion that God truly took the wicked things that I had done in my life and paid the penalty for my wrong doings, taking the penalties that I deserved, being killed on a cross. Then he conquered death by rising from the dead on the third day. My only response to a God like this is to give him my life. The result: freedom.
It’s great to tangibly experience God’s love in Phil and Cheryl’s hospitality. Matt & Hailey’s opening their house to us. In John’s undeserved gift of the certificate to a B & B and John’s invitation to have dinner and cup of tea with his family and to observe him letting his daughter curl up in his arms and squeeze her tightly because she wanted cuddle time in the safe and loving arms of her father. And Martin and Tara letting us camp in their field and inviting us in for a cup of tea and some cookies.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Dancing on the cliffs
Sometimes people spend to much time in the car and need a little exercise.
So you think you can dance?
This can best be viewed by double clicking on the video and watching it from the youtube website.
FYI:By double clicking on any of the photos will take you to a website where they can be viewed in a larger format or slideshow.
So you think you can dance?
This can best be viewed by double clicking on the video and watching it from the youtube website.
FYI:By double clicking on any of the photos will take you to a website where they can be viewed in a larger format or slideshow.
Two year anniversary
We celebrated our two year anniversary yesterday. I love you Mariella! Thank you for going on this crazy adventure and for sleeping in a cramped car and soaking wet tent. While in Lahinch we were blessed by meeting some friends of friends. We had a brief visit with John McCarthy and some of his friends and employees. They were kind enough to have coffee and breakfast with us in the midst of a busy surf season. John is an Irish Senior Surf Champion and he runs a surf school in Lahinch. We were also blessed by being invited to one of their community gatherings in which they discussed the planning of an upcoming Christian Surfers Conference they plan to host. Thank you guys for letting us spend time with you. We were impressed by the hearts of our brothers and sisters who desire to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. We were also blessed to have been welcomed into your community-that was a really huge blessing for Mariella, she loves people, so thanks. And thanks girls for the rice, beans and salsa, we had it for lunch when we got back to Blackrock, delicious!
One morning we were woken up from a nice night in the car. Someone jumped from the hood of the car to the brick wall next to us. Mariella woke up and couldn't sleep for a while and I was back to sleep in a second, we laughed about it the next morning. I guess that’s what we get when we park near a pub. Later, when we returned the rental car, they asked why there was a footprint on the hood of the car. Anyway… after waking up early we cruised down to the beach to wash up. We happened to run into John while he was preparing to open the shop for the day. We mentioned that it was our anniversary, and he spontaneously blessed us with a gift certificate to a B & B. John we are blown away by this undeserved gift. We sincerely thank you. We stayed at a beautiful B & B in the town of Doolin. Where we had a great view of rolling fields of green, a babbling brook with an old stone bridge hovering above. We stayed in the second floor in the corner nearest the creek.
Here are some pics…
Mariella was amazed by the breakfast included. I ordered an omelet and she ordered some smoked salmon, tomato and cottage cheese thing that she couldn't stop talking about. "It was amazing" she exclaimed over, and over again.
One morning we were woken up from a nice night in the car. Someone jumped from the hood of the car to the brick wall next to us. Mariella woke up and couldn't sleep for a while and I was back to sleep in a second, we laughed about it the next morning. I guess that’s what we get when we park near a pub. Later, when we returned the rental car, they asked why there was a footprint on the hood of the car. Anyway… after waking up early we cruised down to the beach to wash up. We happened to run into John while he was preparing to open the shop for the day. We mentioned that it was our anniversary, and he spontaneously blessed us with a gift certificate to a B & B. John we are blown away by this undeserved gift. We sincerely thank you. We stayed at a beautiful B & B in the town of Doolin. Where we had a great view of rolling fields of green, a babbling brook with an old stone bridge hovering above. We stayed in the second floor in the corner nearest the creek.
Here are some pics…
Mariella was amazed by the breakfast included. I ordered an omelet and she ordered some smoked salmon, tomato and cottage cheese thing that she couldn't stop talking about. "It was amazing" she exclaimed over, and over again.
Lahinch (A Beach Town)
Monday July 6th
Today I have really missed our community. I feel that it’s being revealed that even in the most beautiful of sceneries, it can be lonely. Don’t get me wrong, Craig has been awesome. It’s just that I feel that seeing all of this country without there being a larger purpose (serving people, building a house, something that your typical 2 week mission trip has included) seems futile, or empty. We do have a purpose, but we haven’t yet fallen into that groove. So, there is something to pray for. Pray that we would be lead to places that need our giftedness, or just another pair of arms and legs to help with more practical things like cleaning, babysitting, cooking…anything really we just want to serve. Ok, so today we had our first heartbreak. As we drove onto the ferry to get us from Tarbert to Killimer, Craig asked me to get the camera out and snap a shot. I got the camera out and to our surprise slash heartbreak it wasn’t working. I was super bummed and we started imagining what it might be like to do this incredible trip without photos, would you all still be so inclined to read post after post with any visual stimulation?... Well, we continued driving, or Craig did as I slept, and I woke up in Lehinch, sometimes spelled Lahinch. We met up with some awesome people and heard about some great things that God is doing here, we were super encouraged and I was glad to have experienced, no matter how short, a little time in community-it really is what feeds me, being around people.
Just the other day Craig had the nerve to say that I just “wasn’t as adventurous” as he is, well I quickly corrected him and explained the simple differences between him and me. He believes adventure must be tied to extreme physical exertion and must come to some climactic moment, be it a mountain peak or completing a task so as to check off the box. I, on the other hand, can feel completely adventurous sitting at a coffee shop by myself waiting to meet someone new, driving for hours on end rocking out to music, managing to spend an entire day sitting at the beach enjoying the sounds of people and waves and people. I guess my adventure is centered around other human beings and Craig is in nature. I love nature too I just don’t need to get a bird’s eye view to appreciate it, Craig does. Those of you who have spent any amount of time with me in public know that I thrive on talking to strangers, it appears my mom never instilled in me that rule about “not” talking to them. Now back to the camera and our day.
We went to the Cliffs of Moher, as people here exclaim “brilliant”. I loved it, it was super windy and Craig and I had a pretty good time trying to get some good air off the wind-unsuccessfully. The cliffs were amazing, Craig brought the camera just in case it magically started working again, it didn’t. I somewhat jokingly, but seriously prayed to God that He would make it work not to test Him but kind of to see His power. I remember doing that as a child; “God, if you really exist, strike lightning onto a little patch of grass in the lawn so that I might KNOW.” Well, it was sort of that kind of thing-it still didn’t work. So, we enjoyed the cliffs and talked about downloading images online and juxtaposing ourselves into those images for your enjoyment, perhaps some things just need to be enjoyed at the moment and treasured only as memories. We returned to the car found a place to park and eat (Craig: peanut butter and bread for the 4th day in a row, and I ordered a little basmati rice and nan bread at the local Indian restaurant-delicious and full of carbs, yes I shared it). Craig took the camera out to try again and PRAISE GOD, it works again, at least for now. Tomorrow we celebrate our two-year anniversary-hooray, maybe tomorrow we can stay at a B&B instead of sleeping in the car…again…for the fourth day. No, really we are having a great time and enjoying those funny moments of uncomfortable-ness (not a word is it Larissa). Thankful to be safe and healthy and having a wonderful time. Wish you could be here to watch the sun set over the ocean with us. It is 8:00pm and it is still bright out, kids are coming down to the shore for just a little more surf before the daylight ends.
Dingle Peninsula
Here are some photos of the Dingle Peninsula and Slea Head taken a couple days ago.
Killarney National Park
A couple days ago we visited Killarney National Park. The park was sliced up by glaciers, scooping out a series of lakes and glens. The Ireland travel book (thank you Dave and Stephanie for gifting us the book) describes the place as “a paradise of tree-carpeted mountain peaks and blue waters, making for unparalleled hiking, biking and climbing. We slept in the car the two nights we were there and enjoyed a couple day hikes and hitchhiked for the first time. We hiked three-quarters of the way around a lake then decided to hitch a ride instead of walk along a dangerous two-lane road. Did I mention that the roads here are like our bike paths at home. Luckily we returned the rental car with both mirrors still attached.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Mariella taking a bath and feeding horses
She jumped a fence and sat in this bathtube. Then she started feeding the horses. She is nature girl.
More nice camping (It's in Tents)
Friday, June 3rd post:
We left the field in-front of Martin and Tara’s house. Thank you both for letting us enjoy the amazing views and the calming sound of the ocean waves. We had a nice walk and enjoyed exploring the tide pools. Here are some shots of the area.
We left the field in-front of Martin and Tara’s house. Thank you both for letting us enjoy the amazing views and the calming sound of the ocean waves. We had a nice walk and enjoyed exploring the tide pools. Here are some shots of the area.
Three Castle Head
Reflecting on the events a couple days ago...
Thank you Jon for recommending a visit to Three Castle Head on the way up the coast. It was a little difficult to find because there were no posted signs. Luckily the locals were able to point us in the right direction. So we were out in the middle of nowhere winding through country roads and eventually we get to a dead end road overlooking the ocean. I start climbing around and notice the giant wench used years ago to pull boats up the mountain side. I am glad Jon told me to look for the giant crank. That was the only way we knew we were near the castle. The castle was nowhere to be seen. We asked a lady sitting at the edge of a road where the castle was. She said to walk over that mountain, then over a couple fences then walk along the coast. We trekked up and down and up and down eventually stumbling on the castle ruins. I was wishing my nephew Zach was with me to explore the castle with a wielded sword and shield. So Chris here are a couple more photos of castles. I will post more photos of doors at a later date.
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| From Ireland Road Trip, Allihies |
Thank you Jon for recommending a visit to Three Castle Head on the way up the coast. It was a little difficult to find because there were no posted signs. Luckily the locals were able to point us in the right direction. So we were out in the middle of nowhere winding through country roads and eventually we get to a dead end road overlooking the ocean. I start climbing around and notice the giant wench used years ago to pull boats up the mountain side. I am glad Jon told me to look for the giant crank. That was the only way we knew we were near the castle. The castle was nowhere to be seen. We asked a lady sitting at the edge of a road where the castle was. She said to walk over that mountain, then over a couple fences then walk along the coast. We trekked up and down and up and down eventually stumbling on the castle ruins. I was wishing my nephew Zach was with me to explore the castle with a wielded sword and shield. So Chris here are a couple more photos of castles. I will post more photos of doors at a later date.
In a field near Allihies, Ireland
So, I’ve lived in Southern California most all of my life. Now, perhaps there are places out there that are this beautiful and if so, I’ve yet to find them. Tonight we are camping in Allihies in the Beara Peninsula. We knocked on a door, asked if there was a tent camping site nearby, and were invited to pitch a tent on the land here by Martin and his wife, Tara. Now, I know Susan and Maryanne are this way, I’ve seen it for the last few months, but granted we don’t have “land” on which to allow strangers to set up camp, but this is amazing and totally foreign, in a great way, to me. The people here have continuously blown me out of the water with their generosity. We enjoyed walking along the coast and exploring the tide pools. The water is a crystal blue that you wouldn't believe. We spent the day exploring and I felt like a child again, later, on the walk back to the tent, we encountered some horses along the cliffs with a bathtub as a drinking basin. I'm sure you can imagine what came next and the pictures posted can explain the rest of that experience-AWESOME!
The tent is in the yellow fielded area. Thank you Martin & Tara and baby on the way:
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| From Ireland Road Trip, Allihies |
In a field near a town called Schull (Skull)
Written: July 2nd, 2009
The last few nights we stayed with Jon Nash and his family, also previously strangers, we were invited in for a cup of tea and stayed for hours exchanging card tricks, and one AMAZING match trick that trumps my failed attempt at a card trick big time, and I played some serious “Go Fish” with Etain and Aoife (pronounced Atoyn and Efa). Dierdra, Jon’s wife, whipped up some delicious Spanish Omelets and we enjoyed a few cups of tea and fresh (really fresh, like made by the guy down the road fresh) cheesecake. Liam was a joy, an incredibly mature young man armed with just a sketch pad and pencil. Hopefully, we will see him some day in the states (seriously Liam, think about it; surf, great weather, pretty girls…) We are humbled, so humbled by God’s great provision and His leading us to such wonderful people. We had some excellent conversations with Dierdra and Jon and a lot of what we talked about rekindled some old and very practical convictions. One: I don’t “need” a lot of stuff. Those of you that know me, know that I really struggle against this and fail miserably, but I really need to grasp this truth better.
Photo of the rental car and where we camped a couple nights.
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| From Ireland Road Trip |
The last few nights we stayed with Jon Nash and his family, also previously strangers, we were invited in for a cup of tea and stayed for hours exchanging card tricks, and one AMAZING match trick that trumps my failed attempt at a card trick big time, and I played some serious “Go Fish” with Etain and Aoife (pronounced Atoyn and Efa). Dierdra, Jon’s wife, whipped up some delicious Spanish Omelets and we enjoyed a few cups of tea and fresh (really fresh, like made by the guy down the road fresh) cheesecake. Liam was a joy, an incredibly mature young man armed with just a sketch pad and pencil. Hopefully, we will see him some day in the states (seriously Liam, think about it; surf, great weather, pretty girls…) We are humbled, so humbled by God’s great provision and His leading us to such wonderful people. We had some excellent conversations with Dierdra and Jon and a lot of what we talked about rekindled some old and very practical convictions. One: I don’t “need” a lot of stuff. Those of you that know me, know that I really struggle against this and fail miserably, but I really need to grasp this truth better.
Photo of the rental car and where we camped a couple nights.
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| From Ireland Road Trip |
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Southern Ireland Roadtrip
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Hello there. We just want to give a quick update. The drive is going well. We have stopped off in a few places along the ocean to soak up the beauty of the coast line. Currently we find ourselves being blessed by the company and hospitality of a wonderful family. We took a turn off in the country side down a single lane road with only room for one car to drive down. We ended up at the end of one of the southern most peninsulas of Ireland. The land is lush green farmland. We were drawn to continue further into this unknown area drawn by a castle like structure on the tip of the peninsula. As we were nearing the end of the peninsula (near the town of Skull or Schull). We came across a family biking and walking along the single lane road. They were nice enough to make a phone call to a neighbor who gave us permission to put up our tent up. The tent sits near the side of a cliff looking out to the castle like structure and the Atlantic Ocean. Currently we are hanging out at their place that is two fields away from where are tent is set up. Mariella is exchanging card tricks with Etain and Aoife (Eva).
Hello there. We just want to give a quick update. The drive is going well. We have stopped off in a few places along the ocean to soak up the beauty of the coast line. Currently we find ourselves being blessed by the company and hospitality of a wonderful family. We took a turn off in the country side down a single lane road with only room for one car to drive down. We ended up at the end of one of the southern most peninsulas of Ireland. The land is lush green farmland. We were drawn to continue further into this unknown area drawn by a castle like structure on the tip of the peninsula. As we were nearing the end of the peninsula (near the town of Skull or Schull). We came across a family biking and walking along the single lane road. They were nice enough to make a phone call to a neighbor who gave us permission to put up our tent up. The tent sits near the side of a cliff looking out to the castle like structure and the Atlantic Ocean. Currently we are hanging out at their place that is two fields away from where are tent is set up. Mariella is exchanging card tricks with Etain and Aoife (Eva).
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