"the road goes ever on and on..."

(Sorry I haven't written in a couple of days...I was in Houston for meetings, with no internet access. I'm writing more glimpses to make up for it!)

-In the airport, I was eating lunch, and a man sat near me. We started talking and it turned out that he was a part-time minister from England (orginally from Nigeria), in the US on business. I told him that I was in training to be a minister, and that I was going to be assessed as a Candidate for the ministry this weekend. When I said that I was interested in reconciliation ministry, and that I had worked in Northern Ireland, he said, "I thought you were Irish. I just had a feeling you were, and I guess you are on some level." He then said that I should follow my call wherever it leads. It was amazing. Then, he asked to pray with me. After getting over the initial shock of praying in public, I said yes, and he prayed over my travels, for my family and for my call. He prayed that I would be a peacemaker. I also prayed for him, and then we shared email addresses and parted ways. Had I not had his email address in my pocket, I wouldn't have believed he was real. He seemed like a guardian angel. I walked to my departure gate, bewildered, and more sure than ever before that I was going in the direction God wanted me to go.

-Having lunch at the Hobbit Cafe in Houston with my parents after my examination. It is a charming Lord of the Rings themed place, that's been a hallmark in Houston for over 30 years. The sunny outdoor seating under the trees, green wooden paneling and delicious food captures the cheer of Tolkien's Middle Earth.

-The way the sun shined through the glass ceiling of the antique shop my Mother and I walked through. It illuminated the peeling white paint and the brilliant stained glass.

-The feeling of relaxation that really only comes with being home again.