Friday, November 26, 2010
Tom out in the snow
Tom just had to get on his bike and ride - even if it was only around the backyard.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Mystery of Grace
I was so struck by the paragraph below - I have taken from a blog that I am following regarding the recovery of her husband from a terrible motorcycle accident. Her thoughts are profound and ring with clarity and truth.
"The writer Ann Lamott wrote: "I do not understand the mystery of grace -- only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us." As I think of the wave we are riding, I think this sense that we are being carried into a territory that will leave us profoundly and mysteriously and - by grace alone - gloriously changed is the odd and unexpected sweetness that softens the bitterness of this sorrow. When I say glorious I mean it in the strictest sense of the word glory, i.e. praise, worship, and thanksgiving offered to God. There is a grace that is there for the finding in every moment of our every day. And often, we find it. It is mysterious. It does not explain or change or erase what is painful. But it changes us, when we allow it, with a strange sweetness. My prayer is that we will continue to let it carry us to the places that we cannot yet imagine.Please pray with us for that kind of glory."
"The writer Ann Lamott wrote: "I do not understand the mystery of grace -- only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us." As I think of the wave we are riding, I think this sense that we are being carried into a territory that will leave us profoundly and mysteriously and - by grace alone - gloriously changed is the odd and unexpected sweetness that softens the bitterness of this sorrow. When I say glorious I mean it in the strictest sense of the word glory, i.e. praise, worship, and thanksgiving offered to God. There is a grace that is there for the finding in every moment of our every day. And often, we find it. It is mysterious. It does not explain or change or erase what is painful. But it changes us, when we allow it, with a strange sweetness. My prayer is that we will continue to let it carry us to the places that we cannot yet imagine.Please pray with us for that kind of glory."
Saturday, May 8, 2010
I like this!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Really....
Walked past this sign during a recent visit to Pike Street Market. The grapes were really big.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Drive through the tulips
Today, we took advantage of a day off and drove down to Mt. Vernon to visit the tulips fields. For the first time in many years, we got to the fields in their prime. Beautiful, virbrant and strong colors lined the fields. It was a cold spring day, but the contrast in the gray colors made for good photo shooting.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Finding Calcutta
While travelling through India recently, I read an interesting book entitled, Finding Calcutta, by Mary Poplin. In the spring of 1996 Mary, an educator, spent time in Calcutta (Kolkata) volunteering alongside the Missionaries of Charity and Mother Teresa's work among the poorest of the poor.
The book provides a simple and yet profound look into the work of "Mother Teresa's life of work and service to the poor, participating in the community's commitments to simplicity and mercy."
The following are few of the insights I picked up while reading this very interesting book.
"Mother told me (Poplin) how people in the West are poor. In fact, she considered us the poorest of the poor spiritually because our physical comfort makes us believe we do not need God and our busyness makes us ignore him." page 59
"Our will is the only thing that God will not take from us." page 64
"Small things with great love." page 69
"There is nothing small to God, once you give it to God, it is infinite." page 71
"We ought not to be weary doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed." Brother Lawrence. page 72
The book provides a simple and yet profound look into the work of "Mother Teresa's life of work and service to the poor, participating in the community's commitments to simplicity and mercy."
The following are few of the insights I picked up while reading this very interesting book.
"Mother told me (Poplin) how people in the West are poor. In fact, she considered us the poorest of the poor spiritually because our physical comfort makes us believe we do not need God and our busyness makes us ignore him." page 59
"Our will is the only thing that God will not take from us." page 64
"Small things with great love." page 69
"There is nothing small to God, once you give it to God, it is infinite." page 71
"We ought not to be weary doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed." Brother Lawrence. page 72
Our last morning in Kolkata
We had a few hours before our flight home on Monday, so we drove through town to see where Mother Teresa's Mother House. On the drive there we saw people washing in the streets, beggars, and nuns in the traditional Missionaries of Charity blue and white dress. We stood on the street for a few minutes and watch a game of marbles between a young boy and man.
Walking down the small alley way to the entry of the Mother House was an amazing feeling - knowing that Mother Teresa had walked that same alley way so many times.
We were able to see Mother Teresa's tomb, a small museum of Mother's life and her very small bedroom. Very thing was very understated - just like her life.
From Mother Teresa's we drove to the River Ganges. The Hindus consider this a holy river - most Westerners would call it a river full of pollution. The city's sewer system runs into the river, garbage, dead cows and even the ashes of dead bodies. Hindus come to the river to dip and wash in it - the river of life. The river is 3,000 times over the acceptable rate bacteria.
So sad to watch the people make their way into this river of death.
As mad rush back to the hotel, good-byes to some of the team who were headed in other directions and for Jerry, Tom and I a 4-hour wait at the Kolkata airport - which isn't all that large. Our flight went from Kolkata, to Delhi (5 hour wait) to Amsterdam (4 hour wait) to Seattle (1 hour) and finally home to Bellingham.
Many people have asked: "Would you go again?" My answer is: "Yes." This was a fast and yet worthwhile trip in many ways. 13 flights in 9 days was pretty tough. The pollution, the noise and traffic was overwhelming. But the smiles and bright eyes of all those children was more than worth it!
Walking down the small alley way to the entry of the Mother House was an amazing feeling - knowing that Mother Teresa had walked that same alley way so many times.
We were able to see Mother Teresa's tomb, a small museum of Mother's life and her very small bedroom. Very thing was very understated - just like her life.
From Mother Teresa's we drove to the River Ganges. The Hindus consider this a holy river - most Westerners would call it a river full of pollution. The city's sewer system runs into the river, garbage, dead cows and even the ashes of dead bodies. Hindus come to the river to dip and wash in it - the river of life. The river is 3,000 times over the acceptable rate bacteria.
So sad to watch the people make their way into this river of death.
As mad rush back to the hotel, good-byes to some of the team who were headed in other directions and for Jerry, Tom and I a 4-hour wait at the Kolkata airport - which isn't all that large. Our flight went from Kolkata, to Delhi (5 hour wait) to Amsterdam (4 hour wait) to Seattle (1 hour) and finally home to Bellingham.
Many people have asked: "Would you go again?" My answer is: "Yes." This was a fast and yet worthwhile trip in many ways. 13 flights in 9 days was pretty tough. The pollution, the noise and traffic was overwhelming. But the smiles and bright eyes of all those children was more than worth it!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Kolkata (Calcutta)
A 2-hour drive back to Vijayawada and a flight to Hyderabad and on to Kolkata filled most of Saturday. Kolkata is another pollution filled city: to the lungs, ears and eyes. So many people, so many taxi's, and motorcycles. Movement everywhere all day long.
The Stadel was home for the next two nights. This small hotel is built into the bottom of an old 100,000 seat colloseum. The hotel itself is very unimpressive. Black water flowed from the tub for several minutes before cleaner water finally came through.
Brother Ashed came to Kolkata with us, as he lives in Kolkata and travels to and from Guntur. Sunday morning we left with Ashed early for a long day of driving. We briefly visited a new children's home: Ambassadors Kids Home. The same leader that runs the Keshiary Home runs this one. Only 10 younger children (ages 3-5) live in this one room home. The children are from local tribal villiages with unique language dialects. The goal is that these children will follow Christ and be able to take the Gospel back to their villages as they grow older. Our team were the first white people these children have ever seen!
Once giving a piece of candy to each of these young children we headed off to the Keshiary Children's Home. This is the home of that our sponsored child, Solomon, lives at. This visit is the main reason Tom and I wanted to come on this trip. Driving into the courtyard of the Keshiary Home and seeing Solomon in the crowd of children was a dream come true.
As I crawled out of the car and went to him, I said, "Solomon, we are your sponsors!" He, of course, had little idea as to what I just said. But over the next few hours he understood more clearly and before we left he even became a bit emotional as we prayed over him.
The Keshiary Home is home to 59 children; well adjusted, confident and happy children. The home was started in 2000 by Dr. and Mrs. Subimal Dutta. The Dutta' both former Hindus, came to the Keshiary area in order to share the Gospel tribes who have never heard the Truth. After some time they realized that there was real need to help orphans.
All of the children are sponsored by people from Christ the King Church. The church has also provided funding for some one-time needs such as: a water filter, a generator, water pump and tank, a cooking area and retaining wall.
We spent the afternoon playing games with the children, handling out a few gifts and letters from sponsors, enjoying wonderful food over lunch and praying with the children. A final hug with Solomon and we were once again on the road headed back to Kolkata.
The Stadel was home for the next two nights. This small hotel is built into the bottom of an old 100,000 seat colloseum. The hotel itself is very unimpressive. Black water flowed from the tub for several minutes before cleaner water finally came through.
Brother Ashed came to Kolkata with us, as he lives in Kolkata and travels to and from Guntur. Sunday morning we left with Ashed early for a long day of driving. We briefly visited a new children's home: Ambassadors Kids Home. The same leader that runs the Keshiary Home runs this one. Only 10 younger children (ages 3-5) live in this one room home. The children are from local tribal villiages with unique language dialects. The goal is that these children will follow Christ and be able to take the Gospel back to their villages as they grow older. Our team were the first white people these children have ever seen!
Once giving a piece of candy to each of these young children we headed off to the Keshiary Children's Home. This is the home of that our sponsored child, Solomon, lives at. This visit is the main reason Tom and I wanted to come on this trip. Driving into the courtyard of the Keshiary Home and seeing Solomon in the crowd of children was a dream come true.
As I crawled out of the car and went to him, I said, "Solomon, we are your sponsors!" He, of course, had little idea as to what I just said. But over the next few hours he understood more clearly and before we left he even became a bit emotional as we prayed over him.
The Keshiary Home is home to 59 children; well adjusted, confident and happy children. The home was started in 2000 by Dr. and Mrs. Subimal Dutta. The Dutta' both former Hindus, came to the Keshiary area in order to share the Gospel tribes who have never heard the Truth. After some time they realized that there was real need to help orphans.
All of the children are sponsored by people from Christ the King Church. The church has also provided funding for some one-time needs such as: a water filter, a generator, water pump and tank, a cooking area and retaining wall.
We spent the afternoon playing games with the children, handling out a few gifts and letters from sponsors, enjoying wonderful food over lunch and praying with the children. A final hug with Solomon and we were once again on the road headed back to Kolkata.
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