Picture Wednesday

Keep praying for Matt and Cyndi!
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+Photo borrowed from the Holutas

Adventure #2

Our second endeavor in MA proved to be a less arduous task, as we decided to visit the local Charlton Orchards Farm & Winery on Sunday afternoon. This quaint, family-run farm is attractive to both locals and tourists due to availability of fresh produce and food products, as well as the award-winning wine and berry picking opportunities.

My initial misgivings about the choice we made (due to the abundance of goats, chickens, and children running amok) were quickly assuaged by the cleanliness and beautiful craftsmanship inside the winery. Here, we were able to sample some of the most popular picks, and even found a nice Merlot to bring home. At the farm store, we picked up a gallon of cider and a pint of blueberries, and made small talk with the farm owners. I found it satisfying to buy great products locally, and to be able to converse with a real "mom and pop" about their harvest.

When I was a kid, my brother, sister, and I would spend weekends and some afternoons at a friend's farm with my dad. From what I remember, we were always put to work by helping out on the hay wagons or working in the house. I also remember that we were often sidetracked from our work, due to chasing the dogs, riding the ATV, shooting pigeons in the barn, or trying to scare the cows. These are some of the best memories (and funniest videos) I have from my childhood.

If the opportunity presents itself, spending time on a farm would be a great family activity; it's not everyday that one can just gather the kiddos and head to the haystacks, but the work put into an afternoon gathering berries together is satisfying. Check out the local farms or farmers' markets in your area to plan a day of fun.

Adventure #1

First, a note: In case you haven't noticed, I have been changing the blog around a lot. In light of the coming months, when I suspect that many more people will be reading along, I have wanted to make the blog more reader-friendly. I hope you find it as such!

While Chris and I are in Massachusetts, we are planning several excursions so that we don't slip into total sedentary/couch potato mode. Our first adventure occurred yesterday when our friends Simon and Tiffani invited us to hike up Mt. Monadnock with them. I was expecting a tough, rocky hike, but nothing like we actually experienced. It was amazing!

Planning to watch the sunrise at the summit, we left the Freemans' house at 2am on Saturday morning. To the mountain in New Hampshire, it's about an hour drive, and we began our hike with nothing but the moonlight and a few flashlights to guide us at around 3:20am. At this point, I am grateful that we decided to do the hike in the dark, otherwise, I may have turned back before we began...

We hiked at a moderate pace, with a few water breaks along the way. At around 5:10, we reached what we thought was the top, only to realize we had a good stretch of seventy-five degree climb in front of us. We missed the initial sunrise, but when we did make it to the summit, I couldn't believe my eyes; a 360 view of the mist and fog below that made the land appear as a lake was before me. The red-orange sun had only begun to rise above the horizon, and the half moon still hung bright above us.

After we had taken in all that was around us, we picked some wild blueberries (not poisonous, thanks to my eagle scout) and ate the fruit and snacks we brought along for breakfast. It was truly amazing. We rested for about an hour, and then straightened our weary knees for the 2-mile hike back down the mountain. Never before this day had I wished for the sure feet of a horse or a goat...

3 Weeks

Three weeks. That's the amount of time I have until the rolling hills of green become tan, sandy dunes, my bread choice is unleavened, I'm in the religious, racial, and language minority, and all the creature comforts of home are gone. Am I excited? More than you might think.

It's a bit to think about really, that is, what exactly it will be like to live long-term in a place where all of the aforementioned changes will take place. I don't know how exactly to prepare for these changes, or if I could be "ready" if I wanted to be, but I know that God gives us his grace when we need it; he doesn't provide it a moment too soon or too late. It's also helpful to know that there is a cluster of saints, our friends and family in Christ, that are committed to praying for us each day that we are away. Since I am confident that the Lord is faithful, his love is never changing, and his mercies never cease, I can be excited and eager about moving away.

Speaking of friends and family, I know that the hardest part of moving will be parting from those we love. As I think about when Chris and I started attending our church (I think in 2001 and 2000, respectively), we have had about seven years to grow with our family in Christ. We have seen and experienced several phases of life with many of them (ahem, you), all of which have been a joy to experience alongside of you. You've seen me come to know God, helped both of us grow in our walk with Christ, shared countless laughs, encouraged us in times of heartache, made fun of us, and counseled us in the way to go. We could not be who we are without you all.

I don't know what it will be like to have extended time away from my nuclear family, either. Chris knows what it is like to have to spend months away from his family, so in one sense he will be "used" to that, but the longest I've been away from Indiana is for two months. It's hard to think that I will miss a lot of my nephew's firsts, or that I can't just raid my parent's refrigerator whenever I'm cleaning or doing laundry at their house. Our parents have also shared many years of wisdom with us, as well as been our biggest cheerleaders. They've enabled us to reach beyond the narrow dreams we once held. Thank you.

Well, this blog post is turning sappy, but these are the realities that I face. At this point, I also want to put a plug in for the album Come Weary Saints. Though you can generally expect the same musical styling that characterizes the other recent SGM albums, I would venture to say this is my favorite. Some of the lines that I keep singing over and over come from Stephen's song, "So I Will Trust You."

"King of Glory, I know You love me
So I will trust You, yes I will trust You
God Almighty, You have saved me
So I will trust You, yes I will trust in You"

"How could I not trust my King
The One who has formed me and shaped me
I will rejoice and will sing
For the One who has made me has saved me"

Have a listen! In addition to my quiet times, the doctrinally sound lyrics of these songwriters have helped to guide my heart to the place of worship where it should be.

I know that God will bless us with countless opportunities to share the joys of Christ that we know. He'll also give us new friends and colleagues, so I can be excited for that, too. It will just be different.

Picture Wednesday

my nephew at 3months

There's no time for blogging when there's cleaning to be done...
+Photo by dr_loplop

Hello, Butterfly

Friday Photo Shoot

Training

I was scrolling through the GirlTalk blog to look for something specific that I had once read, and came across this quote. You can read the entire post here, but I found the included quote applicable to my life and worthy of sharing. Contemplate this:

"Like an astute coach or a gifted teacher, God prepares his saints for the tasks to which he has appointed them before he uses them. Moses, for example, spent forty years in the desert, herding sheep, before God called him to lead his people out of Egypt. What better preparation in patience could there have been for his assignment of leading an equally stubborn flock of people through wilderness for forty years? Similarly, David learned courage from his own experience as a shepherd. Later the one who had learned how to take on wild animals in the defense of his flock would be called upon to take on the biggest wild animal of all, mighty Goliath, in the defense of God's flock. God knows how to prepare his people for the tasks to which they are assigned" (from Living in the Gap Between Promise and Reality by Iain M. Duiguid).

This Duiguid guy is onto something.

Picture Wednesday

For my friends whom I tease for having short-haired babes, here's my hair-do at 10 mths.

Picture Wednesday- a borrowed idea

the 3 amigos

Motorcycle Mania

It looks as though my nephew, Nicholas, is taking after Pappy in his early stages of life.