GLIMPSES OF GRACE

a life of whimsy

2012-01-30T13:23:00.001-06:00

-Receiving a stunningly beautiful stole in the mail. My Grandmother ordered it for me (THANK YOU!!) and it's reversible green (for ordinary time) and purple (for Lent/Advent). I am delighted with it, and it's made to suit my height and size. Jan Laurie makes these creative, delightful stoles.

-An email from my friend Ri in New Zealand in which she described an upcoming hike. Rather than saying she hoped for good weather, she said she "hoped the weather didn't turn to custard." Ha! How amusing.

-Seeing a lone and very speedy turkey race through the church parking lot.

what a hoot!

2012-01-26T06:44:00.000-06:00

-My dear friend Ruth in Belfast sending me a belated birthday surprise. I just love it.

-Skyping with my nieces and hearing them shout "Weeeezzaaa!" when my face appeared on the screen. So precious.

-Hearing an owl hooting from way up in a pine tree in my backyard this morning.

-The random urge to pirouette in my kitchen (love those hard wood floors).

-This yummy cake.

Billbo's Birthday

2012-01-23T07:20:00.002-06:00

a wee bit o' green

2012-01-23T07:01:00.000-06:00

-Moss growing on a huge tree in my backyard, carpeting it in green velvet. The tree must be at least 30 feet tall, and the moss goes as far up as I can see. It makes my back yard feel a bit more enchanted.

-The way most of my Sunday morning handshakes have turned into hugs.

-Listening to Thistle & Shamrock on NPR (Irish and Scottish music) and feeling the different experiences of my life come together.

finding home

2012-01-22T06:48:00.000-06:00

-Light making raindrops on branches glitter like diamonds.

-Getting to catch up with my good friend Kevin. It's wonderful to live relatively near wonderful old friends.

-A stray dog wandering into my yard in the middle of a rainstorm. She was a little shitzu and I kept her overnight and then looked for her owner. I didn't have much luck and she escaped out of my front door, bolting down the street (twice). Apparently, on her second getaway, she went home because I heard from a neighbor that she was back with her owner now.

morning glory

2012-01-19T06:13:00.000-06:00

-A fiery sunrise behind wintery trees.

-Meeting a teenager from the church for coffee and being impressed with her strong sense of self. In a world where teenagers are told more and more who to be, this gal with blue-streaked hair and dreams of being a writer isn't afraid to be herself.

-Going to a clergy gathering and seeing my friend Jeremy from seminary. It's wonderful to walk into a room of would-be strangers and immediately get a hug from an old buddy. During the lunch, I had a moment where I looked over and thought how interesting it was to have served in different places and wind up back in the same room again.

make new friends, and keep the old

2012-01-15T06:42:00.000-06:00

-Beginning elder training with a little get-to-know-you activity (which one man dubbed "happy time" ha) and watching the room transform from sleepy coffee sippers (myself included) to chatty, laughing friends.

-A much-needed delightful nap in the middle of the afternoon. I can't remember the last time I had a nap.

-Receiving a phone call from Berlin—my dear friends Andrea and Tilmann— to let me know that they're coming stateside in March/April and want to meet up. How exciting!

it's a winding road

2012-01-13T08:17:00.000-06:00

-Mary the Magical Music Director surprising me with a cup of coffee. She's the best.

-A day full of visiting with folks, building new friendships and learning people's stories. I love what I do.

-Driving on a winding road lined with pine trees as sunlight reflected off of a lake. (I would've taken a picture if it weren't for those aforementioned winding roads!)

Tranquilitea

2012-01-09T19:26:00.002-06:00

-Sipping a cup of camomile tea while reading a book and listening to the rain outside.

-Wearing my favorite trench coat to ward off the rain.

-Meeting a new colleague and enjoying the easy conversation and warm company.

-The first few moments of a worship service at my church, where my nerves give way to a calm sense of peace.

2012, you're splendid

2012-01-08T06:32:00.001-06:00

Hayden loves his Auntie Jen.

I had such a brilliant time with my friend Jen here for New Year's! We've decided that 2012 is going to be a fabulous year. We got the new year off to a great start by exploring this fun area and just enjoying each other's company as we cooked yummy food and caught up.

Downtown Southern Pines is so charming. I quite liked this sign. :)

For a bit of culture, we went to see a movie (My Week with Marilyn) at the stunning Sunrise Theater.

For a different type of culture, we had a divine (and oh-so-healthy) Southern breakfast at Angie's Breakfast Barn. There were copious amounts of "More coffee, honey?", huge homemade biscuits and gravy.

A fiery sunset to send Jen home again. I'm absolutely delighted by the friends I have in my life. Thanks so much for coming, Jen! I loved every minute.

While here, she even helped me get my final boxes unpacked and set up my little listening area with my record player. The tree paintings were my Nana and Papaw's and I've always loved them (wee bit Middle Earthish, no?). The frames were pretty big and we just popped them out to discover they looked better just as canvases.

Life is full, full, full these days y'all. Full of rewarding work, extravagantly generous people, relaxing sabbath days with the windows open, cuddles with my little fluffy guy, good books to read, and plenty of sermons to preach. Carolina's treating this 30-year-old very well!

What an epiphany!

2012-01-06T07:43:00.000-06:00

“Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you're exactly the same.”

-Audrey Hepburn

30 love

2012-01-04T11:03:00.000-06:00

It's a big day, today, y'all. This lil gal is 30! I'm having a lovely birthday so far. I also had a brilliant time with my dear friend Jen for New Year's and will be sure and blog all about that soon. Life's blissfully busy these days, and I'm loving it. I do believe 30 is going to be a fabulous year!

one good thing leads to another

2011-12-29T19:57:00.000-06:00

-A phone call from my good friend Karen in Texas.

-Coffee with Joanna that turned into sermon writing together that turned into a quick Goodwill run.

-Folks going out of their way to be helpful and thoughtful. It's said that the world is getting more selfish and individualistic. This may be, but there sure is a lot of good to be found.

even the rain is lovely

2011-12-27T20:55:00.000-06:00

-Reading a journal I kept in Honduras when I was there over a decade ago as a bit of research for a sermon. I can see how God was moving in my life then and leading me to where I am now. It brought back vivid memories of rain-soaked mountains and jubilant children.

-A nice little glass of wine at the end of a blissfully full day.

-The sun shining through raindrops on the window, making them glisten like diamonds.

-Several thoughtful gifts, including a first edition of the Church of Ireland and England Book of Common Prayer, a coffee mug with a picture of my nieces and me and Hayden on it and a picture from my Grandmother. I have a rather big birthday coming up pretty soon, and was contemplating splurging on some really nice fleur de sel (French sea salt) to cook with. But then my car decided that 2012 was not a year it wanted to see and went off to that salvage yard in the sky. So, rather than the sea salt, I ended up purchasing myself something a bit more exciting:

Adorable, huh? She's a dream to drive and just fits my personality. I'm still deciding on names (suggestions welcome!).

(Hayden seems to enjoy it.)

There Will I Go

2011-12-25T07:32:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas!

Light looked down and beheld darkness.

There will I go, said Light.

Peace looked down and beheld war.

There will I go, said Peace.

Love looked down and beheld hate.

There will I go said Love.

So Light came, and shone.

So Peace came, and gave rest.

So Love came and gave light.

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

-Laurence Housman

presents and presence

2011-12-22T08:37:00.000-06:00

-Watching a child stand on her tip toes, with a giddy smile on her face, to pass a Christmas present to a friend.

-Being brought chocolate Blue Bell ice cream, and with it an invitation to Christmas dinner.

-Going to the movies with Jane and Jennifer from church and laughing together at the hilarious antics of Robert Downey, Jr. in Sherlock Holmes.

pigs, plays and pals

2011-12-19T06:29:00.000-06:00

-Going to the Pik N' Pig with Cat (the clerk of session and now a good friend). We had a wonderful time! And I got to sample some North Carolina barbecue. It was delicious, and thankfully they had a barbecue sauce that was pretty close to what I was used to.

-Those cornbread muffins with jalapeno butter made me feel right at home! There's a little airport right next to the Pik N Pig and so military folks often fly in for lunch and then fly off again. It was a great time with Cat (as always) and I will definitely be returning to that perfect piggy place.

-Going with Cameron folks to see A Christmas Carol at the Temple Theater in Sanford. It was a creative and uplifting rendition of the traditional tale, made even better by the wonderful company, tasty food and energetic conversation.

-Waking up in the morning to perfect golden light to warm me as I sipped my coffee.

-My dear friends from Atlanta, Joe and Bonnie, coming to visit for my first service at Cameron. They go to Eastminster, the wonderful church where I worked during seminary. It was so kind of them to come all this way to wish me well. We enjoyed dinner at a great local Italian place and talked world travel (they've been everywhere). It was wonderful to see old friends and especially cheering to see their smiling faces when I stood up to the pulpit at Cameron the first time.

-Tonya from church giving me these hilarious (and true, I might add) earrings. Those Cameron folks have welcomed me with open arms.

-Speaking of hospitality, Jane and Billy from church called to let me know that when they were out buying their Christmas tree, they also "picked one up" for me, like it's the most ordinary thing in the world to do. What a kindness! I have a gorgeous, wintery-smelling tree in my living room and now it really feels like Christmas.

-Enjoying my first service at Cameron and feeling overwhelmed with joy at being here. What a gift this place is to me.

God gives us ourselves

2011-12-14T06:14:00.002-06:00

-A nurse who's humor and joy revealed her love for her job.

-Being in a store and hearing someone call out "Whitney!". It was my friend Chip, who's an Associate Pastor at a nearby church. I was doing a bit of shopping with Jane from church and later, when getting dog foot at Petsmart, we saw Juanita buying food for her cats. Nothing makes a person feel at home like running into people who know you.

-Sermonating on Gabriel's visit to Mary at the same moment when my Irish Catholic friend Padraig posted about Mary on facebook. I asked him for a few thoughts on that often-overlooked Mother of God. His words wowed me (as Padraig's words often do). Drawing upon Rahner, he said, "Mary’s life, in the midst of the complications, poverty and sorrow it contained, gives us the courage to recognise that holiness is not so heavenly and ethereal, but is ordinary, and this helps us to see that everything is not so recalcitrant, but rather the seat of grace. In Mary’s gracing, we see the holiness of God, not coming with wrath, but rather in the gentleness of spirit with life, light, mercy and beauty. In the transformative light of God’s grace, we become who we are meant to be - God gives us ourselves."

a pastor's pounding, y'all

2011-12-12T19:57:00.000-06:00

Cameron had an old fashioned "pounding" for me on Sunday! I know this sounds scary but it's actually wonderful — it's a Southern tradition to welcome a new pastor to town by helping them set up house, like giving them a pound of flour, sugar etc. They welcomed me so well with a delightful lunch...

...and just a few household essentials! What a generous bunch.

Hayden even got several treats, including this snowman dog toy he immediately chased around the room. Thanks for all the love (and paper towels), Cameron!

the whole enchilada

2011-12-10T07:49:00.000-06:00

-Opening a box (my primary activity these days) and discovering that it was full of Christmas presents! I am trying to be strong and wait until a Skype Christmas gathering with my parents to open them. But that little zebra one's just begging to be peeked at. Self-control is not easy, folks. I remember when I was little and my sister and I would scout out the house for presents. There was a big chest in my parents' bedroom and we meticulously looked at how everything was arrayed on top of it (including a perfectly parted tassel) and then delved into it, discovering all of our presents. We then carefully put everything back, even parting that tassel in the exact same place, and my parents never knew until I told them years later. I will be strong, I will be strong...

-The kind woman at JC Penney who, when I asked where she found her coupon for $20 off, said they came in the mail and then just handed it to me, saying she was only going to use the $10 off one (you had to spend a certain amount per coupon). I was buying a down comforter for my bed, and that $20 off, plus the half off sale in the store, made it an amazing deal. People are so kind.
(And I do love my Nana's quilt I mentioned yesterday, but was just looking for all-white bedding in my room. That wonderful quilt will go in the guest room.)

-Making enchiladas and rice and beans for dinner. There's something about us Texans that, when the weather gets a little chilly, we crave Mexican food to warm us up. My enchiladas were a bit too light on the sauce but tasted amazing and did the job. I'll post the recipe on Wild Honey soon.

home again, home again, hoppity hop

2011-12-09T07:04:00.000-06:00

-That glorious Mayflower van arriving with my things! I'm surrounded by boxes and have plenty to do in deciding where I want everything, but I slept in my own bed last night, with my Nana's quilt on it. Perfect.

-Driving up to my house and seeing a little bunny scurry off into the trees.

-Going to visit someone from the church and having him immediately offer his hand for me to hold as he told me wonderful stories.

you've come a long way, baby

2011-12-06T22:50:00.020-06:00

My oh my, y'all, there's been lots going on! I haven't blogged in forever, but I'm back. I've been blissfully busy with some big life changes of late, but first let me share a bit of the Thanksgiving fun.

Of course there was amazing food. This chicken tortilla soup was especially yummy. (How cute are those chips?) When my family wasn't eating...

we were lounging outside enjoying the sunshine and conversation. Which, of course, made us hungry, so...

we had homemade pecan pie and coffee. All the time. My mom and I made this pie and I have to say that whole "easy as pie" saying is like saying "easy as rocket science." Easy for me, it wasn't. Absolutely caramel-y, pecan-y delicious, it definitely was.

There were precious nieces in sparkly shoes and (you guessed it)...

more food! This was the main event: Thanksgiving lunch, which we had on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It was as yummy as ever. (Gigi gets her food excitement from Aunt Weeza.)

And then, before I knew it, ~~Santa's~~ Mayflower's truck was there ready to take all of my things to charming Cameron. It was the largest moving truck I've seen.

The fellas doing the loading were really friendly and did a fantastic job. I've already heard from the driver Ramiro (on the right) and he says he'll be in Cameron this Thursday after having to make a trip to Florida earlier this week. It was hard work getting everything packed up, which, you know, makes a gal hungry.

This, my friends, is a Jim's Big Burger. Best burger place in my hometown, made even better because my dear friend Ashley works there.

And then that night, I had a Texan send off of steak and potatoes. De-licious. I promise this post won't be entirely about food, y'all. I went to bed that night, barely able to sleep with excitement for my journey to Cameron to begin the next morning.

Bright and early, Hayden and I headed out and after making a quick trip to see my fabulous Sista, we were off on a 14-hour voyage to Birmingham.

It was a bit early for Hayden. Fueled by coffee and anticipation of seeing my dear friend Pierce in Birmingham, we drove and drove.

We went through Louisiana and saw beautiful bridges, Cameron's Creole twin and the swamplands.

Hayden perked up a bit and enjoyed some sunshine and air conditioning. He loves to stick his face right up to the a/c vent and let the wind blow in his ~~cotton fluff~~ hair.

We also drove through (quickly it would seem from this picture) Mississippi.

And through Alabama, finally making it to Pierce's house that night.

Pierce is one of my all-time favorite people. (And yes, she is holding her homemade biscuits!) We were on the Presbyterian Committee for Northern Ireland together and have been great friends since then. She welcomed me with wine and delicious food.

We visited for hours and reveled in the chance to catch up. She even had a lovely little Chrismassy cup by my bed (that of course had some Irish personality). I ~~drifted off~~ collapsed into heavy slumber and awoke early the next morning.

She had not only divine Nicaraguan coffee waiting for me,

but also a massive Southern breakfast of sausage casserole, eggs, homemade biscuits and cheese grits. What a hospitable gal! I'm so delighted to be a few states closer to Pierce.

Slightly awkward early-morning self-portrait. Haven't trained Hayden to take pictures yet. Really wish I'd trained him to drive, too!

Caffeinated and full of Southern hospitality, I headed off for the rest of the journey to Cameron.

I drove from Alabama through Georgia and saw that familiar golden dome.

I even saw Santa's number one reindeer hard at work. After heading through South Carolina (yep, that makes the 6th state to go through including Texas)...

I finally saw the sign that I was entering North Carolina! Angels sang. The heavens rejoiced. And Hayden kept on sleeping.

It was a glorious sunset that night, much like the fiery sunrise my journey began with. When I arrived at my house (which I'm renting from a delightful couple in the church), I was greeted by Cat and Jane with wine and pizza. As soon as Hayden got in the house that frisky eleven-year-old started running around it like a puppy, thoroughly enjoying himself. Cat had a spare bed in her basement which she set up in the guest room of my house, so after laughter and excited conversation and yummy food and drink, I slept in a comforting bed. I was home. A new home, but most definitely home.

Hayden loves it. I went to church on Sunday (the day after arriving) and also to the Christmas dinner at church that night and was so glad I ignored my tiredness to come. I just fell in love with the folks at Cameron. From the nice-to-meet-you bear hugs to the heartfelt way they pray to their compassion for their community to the delicious food they share together to the incredible love they've already shown me, I am overwhelmed by God's goodness in bringing me here.

My first night home for dinner, I planned on making something special and something even more special arrived right when I was thinking about what I'd fix: homemade sausage spinach soup from a member of my church who also happens to be my neighbor. And y'all, that soup was sooo good. The last couple of days have been a whirlwind of typical relocation activities (setting up tv, internet, phone etc.) but this morning, I took Hayden outside and this is what I saw in my backyard:

Heaven is glimpsing early morning fog through sleek pine trees. The old saying goes that you miss the forest for the trees but with the flurry of excitement the last few days, I missed both the forest and the trees until this morning when I paused, looked up and said, "Wow." I love this place. I love the charming post office, the lit-up Christmas wreath adorning the telephone pole outside of my house, the way people wave at you as they drive by, the astounding kindness of folks in making me feel welcome. Joe from church stopped by and we got to talking about old books and small towns and he explained the gift of Cameron really well, saying that as you drove from larger towns (which are very close by) into Cameron, you just felt yourself physically relax, breathe deeper and all the tension leave your body. People have a different way of living in small towns (it's a village here, really) and it's just delightful. I can be at Starbucks in fifteen minutes sipping gingerbread lattes, but I can also hear a cricket lullaby at night and a songbird wake-up call in the morning. Life is good. There's so much more grace to be discovered here, but for now, I'm going to sleep in a new state, new house, new call, feeling very much like this is exactly where I'm meant to be. And with that, I can sleep easy, listening to the crickets as I drift off.

giving thanks

2011-11-24T11:13:00.000-06:00

Wishing you all a terrific Thanksgiving!

This bow is ridiculous. But Happy Thanksgiving, y'all

pixies & giraffes

2011-11-23T09:39:00.000-06:00

-Being brave and getting my hair cut in a pixie. I really like it, but also don't quite recognize myself in the mirror yet. As I left the hairdresser, he asked the woman waiting, "Are you going to be as brave as Whitney today?" She replied that she can't pull off short hair because of what she called a "giraffe neck." I said that I didn't have a giraffe anything and we all chuckled.

-Feeling grateful for my ability to pack boxes and lift them (well, most of them) and also grateful that manual labor is not what I do for a living. I will have newfound respect for my movers when they come.

-A thoughtful invitation and hospitality experienced before I even arrive in North Carolina.

just us chickens

2011-11-22T07:44:00.000-06:00

-A stunning, cotton candy sunset.

-Reading a bit of Annie Dillard as I sermonate on Isaiah 64 for Sunday:

There was no formerly heroic times and there was no formerly pure generation. There is no one here but us chickens, and so it has always been: a people busy and powerful, knowledgeable, ambivalent, important, fearful, and self-aware: a people who scheme, promote, deceive and conquer: who pray for their loved ones and long to escape misery and skip death. It is a weakening and discoloring idea – that people knew God personally once upon a time — or even knew selflessness or courage or literature — but that it is too late for us. In fact, the absolute is available to every one in every age. There was never a more holy age than ours, and never a less.

...And later in the afternoon, as irony would have it, I saw a chicken wandering around the Goodwill parking lot. I immediately thought, "there's no one here but us chickens" and giggled a little.

-The moving company giving me loads of boxes for free, including wonderful wardrobe boxes with hanging bars in them for clothes. It's such a kind thing when people go out of their way to be helpful. When I arrived to pick up boxes, the woman who works in the office came out and said, "Are you Whitney, who called about the boxes?" like she was excited to be seeing an old friend. She cheerfully gave me plenty and wished me a great day.

sojourn to smiley

2011-11-20T22:05:00.004-06:00

Meet Katy. She's a dear friend of mine from seminary and we've managed to keep in touch pretty well in the years since then. Katy is one of the most unique people I know: the girl who wore vintage skirts, pearls and tennis shoes to class, who takes stunning pictures, who laughs infectiously and who is always up for grand (and sometimes random) adventures. Our most recent time of catching up was no exception. Katy was home visiting family in San Antonio and I live in Victoria, so we made plans to meet somewhere in the middle. As we went to Goliad and explored the missions last time we met up, we were looking for something new to do. Our conversation went something like this:

Katy: "Hey! What about meeting in Smiley or Nixon? They're halfway

between us."

Me: (pausing to think of what there could possibly be to do in Smiley, Texas)

"Okay, that sounds good."

Katy: "Do you like old cemeteries?"

Me: (pausing to take in that question) "Um...sure."

Well, apparently Katy and her husband Will loved wandering around old Victorian cemeteries in Atlanta and sort of have a habit of exploring tiny, old cemeteries. (This was apparently a very romantic first date of theirs!) Katy takes pictures, Will takes in the peaceful quiet and they have themselves a grand ol' time. I've learned in my friendship with Katy that if she suggests something new to do, as strange as it may be, you'll wind up having the most fun day ever.

And so on Friday we did. It was fantastic to see Katy and Will again and they had mapped out on their iPhone all sorts of teeny country cemeteries to explore.

And you know what? They were beautiful and holy, peaceful and relaxing.

I loved all the different imagery used, and could feel the love with which people were remembered.

We also discovered some caterpillars: this quite friendly looking one.

And this not-so-friendly fellow.

Katy and I took pictures and talked about seminary days and exciting calls we're both starting soon.

Cemeteries really are beautiful places: in Victorian days, folks used to go to cemeteries all the time. They were like parks, with winding pathways, benches and families enjoying picnics, celebrating life in the midst of those who have passed on.

I loved the different ways people were celebrated: some with hand-written care and thought.

Others, simply remembered with a cross (what else do you really need?).

Smiling, adventurous Katy.

We then went to this cemetery, where color and imagery abounded.

Will was feeling quite inspired.

I wonder about who made this heart in the dirt and left the rose. Such deep love. Cemeteries could be seen as depressing, but I think they remind us of our connection to God and one another that never dies. And in a world where everyone is pressured to be fine all the time, they create space to acknowledge our grief and express our emotions.

It was definitely an adventure. In the middle of finding ancient resting places and admiring unexpected beauty, we also took time to sit on a blanket and eat lunch, tell stories, laugh and breathe and celebrate life for the gift it is. What an unexpectedly lovely day.

ain't life grand?

2011-11-17T23:03:00.003-06:00

We've a wee bit of catching up to do, don't we?

First, a glimpse of grace from a few days ago: perfect cheery sunlight streaming in through the window and onto my chair, making it seem like that's exactly where I was to be sitting in that moment. (And under the chair seems to be exactly where Hayden preferred to be resting at that moment.)

With a move to North Carolina coming quickly, I decided to take a break from packing (going great!) to visit my Grandmother. Isn't she lovely and joyful? We had a wonderful time.

She made me what I've had at her house for as long as I can remember: biscuits and gravy for breakfast.

There's nothing as good as my Grandmother's gravy.

(And of course, copious amounts of coffee to go with it!)

I went with her to get her hair fixed, and met her hilarious hairdresser. As you can see, they get on famously.

My Grandmother lives in Alice, Texas, a small South Texas town with plentiful palm trees, several Mexican restaurants, a friendly feel and, apparently, an old Mexican-Italian restaurant. Judging from the disrepair of the place, I take it fusion food isn't too big in Alice. We did, though, discover some very fun boutiques in Alice.

This monarch butterfly fluttered around a blooming bush near Grandmother's apartment. If I got a bit too close, it would just take off in large arcs around me before finding its way back to that same bush.

Thanks for everything, Grandmother! What a fun time. Love you!

purple cows and striped horses

2011-11-13T15:28:00.001-06:00

Guess what? Cameron Presbyterian had their congregational meeting to approve my calling as their next pastor! I'm thrilled. I'm getting all packed up and ready to move, but I also made a quick trip with my parents to Brady, Texas to see my Aunt Madelynn and Uncle Jack. The great thing about driving that direction is that you go right through charming San Antonio, where somehow your car magically drives in the direction of the riverwalk and tasty Mexican food.

Casa Rio is the best place, with their vibrant umbrellas and relaxing view. It was slightly chilly, so I had a delicious bowl of tortilla soup.

Hayden enjoyed himself, too. Though he began to think his name was "Awww" with all the doting dog fans who passed by.

Papacito.

Full of yummy Mexican food, it was off to Bradytown. Hayden enjoyed his nap on the journey. Fortunately, fantastic Fredericksburg is also on the way, so we stopped in their tempting kitchen store.

(They also make fantastic dark chocolate mochas.)

We arrived in Brady, had a fabulous dinner and enjoyed catching up and then the next day went back to Fredericksburg to really explore.

This sculpture is in the park, and it shows a peace pipe being shared between a Native American and a settler. The treaty between the Comanche Nation and the people of Fredericksburg is the only known peace treaty with Native Americans that was never broken. The things you learn walking through a garden.

The antiques abounded, and I found this vintage canister set that will be perfect in my kitchen. And really, what does a person need besides tea, coffee and sugar? :)

The sunrises at my aunt and uncle's house were stunning, especially with the full moon glowing.

Hayden enjoyed his own moment in the sun.

We had a delicious Texan breakfast of taquitos with bacon.

(Perhaps I need a 'bacon' canister!)

My Aunt's stylish sitting room. I adore the color combination and especially love that green loveseat.

My uncle works on a ranch and took us driving around. There were the usual sights, like old barns and windmills. But then we saw something unexpected...

Purple cows! They've been eating prickly pear (cactus) that has a beetle living on it. The cactus looks like it has a white substance on it, but when it's smushed (technical term) it produces a bright purple dye. So, the cows wind up purple.

Okay, lady, enough with the pictures.

These are cave drawings from around 1000 ad. It's pretty amazing that they're still so vibrant.

Speaking of vibrant, purple cows were not the only strange creatures to see. They have some exotic animals and we came across a zebra gathering.

This is the charming little house that my Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Travis would stay in from time to time. I remember visiting it when I was young.

A gorgeous sunset on the way home. What a fun little trip.

golden oldies

2011-11-09T07:50:00.001-06:00

-Offering plates at church, scratched and worn by years and years of generosity.

-The refreshing change in the air as a cold front blew in.

-Remember that old mirror I was restoring? I've finally finished it! It was one of those start-and-stop projects that kept getting interrupted by wonderful things, but it's done. It needed a serious cleaning, the largest section of mirror needed to be reattached and the wood was woefully dry.

Here it is! I'm going to love putting it over a fireplace (a North Carolina fireplace, to be exact).

it's a small world after all

2011-11-06T20:50:00.002-06:00

-My friend Chris sending me this picture from worship at Fitzroy this morning (the church I served in Belfast). It seems Steve let everyone know about my exciting call to Cameron Presbyterian and they prayed for me. How thoughtful. I think those two congregations would adore one another.

-Receiving a very thoughtful, beautifully hand-written letter. I fear my generation and those after me will have forgotten how to write a letter with all of our constant typing. The letter also included a peanut butter fudge recipe I'm eager to make.

-A precious little ball of fur sleeping on my lap, barking and running as he dreams.

carolina grace

2011-11-04T20:18:00.004-05:00

View from my hotel room. I opened the shades my first morning and involuntarily said out loud, "Oh wow." I had a lot more "wow" moments the rest of my trip.

Get ready for a lot of pictures, y'all! Coming from me, you know that's a ton. I couldn't help myself, though. Grace abounded the past several days. We begin our tour of enchanting North Carolina with that charming village of Cameron.

(Starting with, of course, the most delightful place of all: Cameron Pres!)

They've just completed building renovations and restored all of their old pews. It's open, welcoming and inspiring. I was able to sneak into worship last Sunday (though folks are so friendly I'm not sure how covert the operation really was). It was very difficult not to have a cheesy grin plastered to my face the whole service: the music brought tears to my eyes, the engagement of the congregation with the preacher was natural and warm and the depth of prayer was so powerful. I am overjoyed to be called to that dynamic community.

I had lunch at this delightful deli with hilarious Cathy, and of course had the "Cameron" sandwich. This quaint restaurant is below a tempting antique shop (one of several in Cameron).

I loved this little picture in the antique shop (but not enough for $100 thankyouverymuch).

Another cute antique shop in Cameron. I know it's probably not great for the roof, but I love the moss growing on it. It reminds me of Ireland.

I took this picture on Halloween...it really looked like a festive tree for the occasion. This tree is in the park in Cameron named after a vibrant ninety-nine year old woman in the church (whom I had the pleasure of visiting my last night there).

I even discovered a Coke in a glass bottle to sip as I enjoyed my antiquing amble around town.

And this might just be the backyard of where I'll be living in NC. And that precious house might just have a guest room (hint, hint).

This ancient pine tree is one of many in that backyard, complete with an elf door!*

*As a child, I believed that elves lived in trees and came in and out through doors like these.

I had some delightful dinners with folks from the Pastor Nominating Committee and Alice gave me some homemade peanut butter fudge for a nightcap.

I had a wonderful afternoon with Ed and Lois visiting some gardens at the Sandhills College. Ed enjoys taking pictures as much as I do (and Lois was very patient with our stopping every few steps to take some snaps).

Love those longleaf pines.

You're loving North Carolina as much as I am already, aren't you? We still have two more delights to see: the painted barns and the quirky elegance of downtown Southern Pines.

First, those brilliantly-hued barns. A New York artist brought several of his friends back to Cameron, his hometown, and painted old barns in fantastical ways.

This one is my favorite: it looks like a lollipop tree.

(I love this little one!)

A very, um, alien take on American Standard.

There's something relaxing about watching birds lazily swoop over fluffy cotton fields.

They also showed me gorgeous autumn trees. I couldn't get enough of the towering trees everywhere.

(This is Lois' favorite tree. It just may be my favorite, too.)

I absolutely fell in love with downtown Southern Pines. A train running through it, delicious coffee shops, colorful quirky shops, theaters...so much to see! I went back a few times.

White tree of Gondor perhaps?

I'm going to have a lot of fun frequenting this place.

There are several defining characteristics of Cameron Pres folk that I've picked up on so far: warm hospitality, a deep faith in God and one another, fantastic senses of humor and...a love for dogs! Here's one of Cathy's (Jackie Chan, I believe) all dressed up as a bumblebee. Hilarious.

And here is Bob and Alice's dog, Ruby, whom Bob quickly informed me was "The Best Dog in the World." I modified that to the best female dog in the world (as I clearly have the best male dog). She is adorable, very welcoming and has an uncanny ability to know when visitors are coming and waits expectantly fifteen minutes before they arrive. And she's also quite the gymnast here.

What an amazing journey. I can't wait for it to continue!

In my mind I'm going to Carolina

2011-11-02T18:33:00.000-05:00

It is with deep joy and excitement that I share the news that I have been called as Pastor of Cameron Presbyterian Church in Cameron, North Carolina. It's a delightful place, full of warm people, heartfelt worship and a passion for their community. I could not be more grateful for God bringing us together. I've been visiting them these past few days and will post many pictures from all the fun we've had soon (colorful leaves and painted barns!). What a thrilling glimpse of grace. God is good.

a dance in the clouds

2011-10-28T22:03:00.001-05:00

-A gorgeous wintery-looking sky. (Yes, I'm playing around a bit with photo editing on my mac.) I loved the silhouette of trees against a cloud-dominated sky.

-Driving by a train, listening to its forlorn whistle and admiring the beautiful graffiti as I zoom past it. It feels a bit like different periods in time colliding.

-Seeing those fun nieces of mine today: Olivia all cozy and contented after a bath...

having a cuddle with her mommy.

(I believe this picture is mid-hiccup. So expressive!)

Gianna preparing for Halloween by giving herself quite the beard with the help of oreos.

She only likes the cream in oreos, but apparently makes good use of the cookie part as, er, makeup. She looks like she's wanting another one.

Natalie only wanted her feet photographed, but kept moving those happy feet so much this was the best I could do. She later serenaded us with her own original music, including songs about alligators, rainbows, hotdogs and princesses. My sister and I danced along, to the delight of all of us. What fun.

sock it to me

2011-10-26T22:33:00.001-05:00

-Receiving an incredibly thoughtful book.

-A butter-yellow butterfly fluttering past my face.

-Running into a shop for some socks (thrilling life, I know) and the sales clerk asking me if I was the "secret shopper" who covertly checks out the store. I laughed, and said that I was not. Perhaps I should've replied more cryptically with "Maybe I am and maybe I'm not..." It was an amusing conversation. Apparently, I exude a strong sense of purpose in my sock purchasing.

morning, noon & night

2011-10-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

-Enjoying sitting under the trees in the afternoon with my little helper and cleaning up/restoring this beautiful mirror. Once I'm done, I think it will be just lovely over a fireplace.

-Waking up at 6am wide awake and ready to go, and then letting myself drift back off to sleep for another hour.

-A harvest moon peeking out from behind mysterious clouds.

hug it out

2011-10-23T22:42:00.000-05:00

-Natalie (3 year old precious niece) watching me get ready for a meeting and holding up my watch saying, "I put your watch on you??" in the same cooing tone of voice that adults use when speaking to babies. I said yes, please, and she put in on me with a proud grin at being such a big helper.

-A man with fluffy white hair sipping on pink lemonade.

-A movie-style hug, where a good friend and I rushed down the hallway to each other to say hello. Presbytery meetings always feel a bit like family reunions to me.

-Coming downstairs to the aroma of fresh coffee made by my sister.

-A kind woman after this morning's service coming up to me, looking me straight in the eye and declaring, "I like you!" before giving me a heart-warming hug. Apparently, we Presbyterians tend to be huggers.

(Remember those blogaversary pumpkin cupcakes? The recipe is now on my Wild Honey food blog. I recommend them for celebrating a blog milestone, or just an ordinary Monday.)

starbucks & songbirds

2011-10-21T19:51:00.001-05:00

-I'm in Houston this weekend for a presbytery meeting Saturday and a service on Sunday, and so am staying with Ash and Clay (yay!). My parents are looking after Hayden for me, and my Mom sent this picture of him, doing some reading apparently. (I think he was interested in the cake on the cover.) Such a regal little guy.

-I took my sister to pick up her car at the shop, so we came back to her house in two cars and made a quick stop by the Starbucks drive-thru. When I pulled up to the window (after my sister), the barista grinned like she was in on some private joke, handed my cappuccino to me and said "Your sister already bought it for you." So thoughtful!

-Being stopped at a light and watching dozens of birds soar in formation, in perfect time to the song that happened to be on the radio.

orange you glad it's thursday?

2011-10-20T22:12:00.001-05:00

-Wearing a cozy oversized orange sweater that kept me warm enough to read outside this afternoon. Honestly, if this weather was in Belfast, it would be cause for shorts and sandals, but in Texas we call it fall. You can probably guess where I picked up this cozy cardi. I'll give you a hint: it starts with "good" and ends with "will."

-The fun of writing sermons in the coffee shop. Also, the fun of free refills!

-Finishing a book and being shocked by the ending (in a good way). I'm so glad it's only book one of the series (Game of Thrones) and that I have several more to savor.

welcome warmth

2011-10-19T20:36:00.000-05:00

-Weather delightfully cold enough to wear flannel pj's. (Hayden would apparently like a pair.)

-A stimulating discussion.

-A delightful pumpkin spice latte. I love this time of year.

opening windows

2011-10-18T18:27:00.000-05:00

-Weather so autumnally awesome that the windows could be left open all day long (without turning into the Sahara or inviting a plague of mosquitos to inhabit).

-A woman telling me about her four-year-old daughter, with her face lighting up as she described how helpful she is. The woman happens to be blind, and I helped her take an exam at the college this afternoon. Her husband picked her up after she finished and grasped her hand, not just out of necessity, but out of love. You could tell.

-My friend Tom telling me that he's decided to start a blog of gratitude (a bit like this one). Tom contributed the stunning photo from his Irish drive to work for my blogaversary. Today, he's grateful for a friendly comic book store owner and the discovery of several great second-hand dvd's for a bargain. It's going to be fun keeping up with his blog.

smiley & breezy

2011-10-17T21:36:00.000-05:00

Whoa, lady, that picture's a bit too close for comfort!

-The way Hayden always looks like he has a little contented grin on his face.

-A woman driving with a broken window and door duct taped together, with her hand dancing outside the open window in the breeze. Now that's making the best of things!

-The feel of soft grass on my bare feet.

{Thanks for celebrating with me today, y'all! It's been a fantastic blogaversary. I'm so glad your glimpses of grace were a part of it.}

here's lookin' at you, cupcake.

2011-10-17T18:38:00.002-05:00

My 5th Blogaversary celebration continues with divine, fragrant pumpkin cupcakes. If they weren't amazing enough, I topped them with cream cheese frosting, which makes everything better, and toasted pecans. Yum, yum, happy blogaversary, yum! I'll post the recipe soon on my food blog. It's very simple. And they are such a delicious way to celebrate five years of glimpsing grace.

Moist, autumnal, creamy, sweet. Do you think I can eat five to celebrate five years? And speaking of cute pumpkins...

My precious nieces hanging out in a pumpkin patch.

I'll share some glimpses of grace from today later this evening to round out our festivities. Hope you've had a better-than-ordinary Monday! Wish I could invite all of you over to devour these delightful pumpkin cupcakes with me. I suppose I'll just have to eat one for you. :)

5th Blogaversary!

2011-10-17T12:04:00.004-05:00

Hey, blog buddies! Welcome to the party. My lil' inquisitive, grace-full, joyful blog is now 5 years old. Let the festivities begin! Our 5th Blogaversary party begins with sharing the glimpses of grace you all sent me. I know everyone will enjoy them as much as I have.

My Dad, in Texas:

A walk in the moonlight when you were a child. The air crisp with the feel of Fall. Drifts of brittle leaves crunched beneath and drifted around our feet as we worked our way toward the wooden span of bridge leading into the park. A gibbous moon rode high competing with the vast velvet darkness of a sky dusted with stars. Your hand would, occasionally, clutch fiercely at mine as you navigated your way through the stillness.

A gentle tug drew my eyes down to see the frosty breath framing your tiny face. "Look at the moon, Daddy"!

Smiling, I took in the spectacle overhead.

"Isn't it beautiful?" you inquired.

"It's amazing." I responded.

"It's so white!" you exclaimed.

"So very white." I responded.

"Why?" was your question.

I was completely lost in the attempt to answer that question in terms of refracted light, dust particles and reflected sunlight. That night I learned the amazing power of that same question repeated after every answer I gave. I was helpless before it. It grew to dominate so much of your life. From sand lions, to frogs, to rainbows, you always wanted to know why and how things worked. You see magic in a dancing flame. You sense wonder in the music of life.

Your soul soars and you carry me along.

You see what is not, but might be, and ask... "Why not"?

You are grace and I love you for it.

Love you, too, Dad! Thanks for never tiring of all my questions. I remember being a child and asking on a long car trip (and continuing to discuss it for a while), "Who made God?"

Neil in Belfast:

“A glimpse of grace that sits on my desk everyday with memories of Greenhill.”

Neil's a buddy of mine who was a youth volunteer when I worked at Fitzroy in Belfast. Greenhill was our annual youth retreat camp, and the little mirror was given to remind us that we reflect God (or something along those lines). Neil says “it's a reminder of a great weekend and the best bunch of folk I have the privilege of working with.”

I still have my mirror, too, Neil. Those weekends at Greenhill full of good chats, walks on the beach and hilarious banter will always be among my favorite memories.

My Grandmother, in Texas:

I was very early for Morning Worship while on an out of town trip, so I sat all alone in the large, beautiful and very quiet Sanctuary. I began to sense a lot of movement behind me but there was no sound. In just a moment a young man came down the main aisle hurling his body toward the Altar in the most perfect cartwheels I had ever seen! Before I could even phrase "WHAT in the world?......" in my mind, I began to think about what I had just witnessed. Insight took charge and I knew that I had just seen a young worshipper entering into His gates, overjoyed at the prospects. What a way to go!

A wonderful observation, Grandmother! As we pastor folk say, "That'll preach!"

Jessi in Tennessee:

Back in January a close sorority sister of mine gave birth to her first child, a daughter, Riley. The only problem being that Riley was due in April. She was 4 months early. She was barely 20 weeks which in baby land gave her about a 50-50 chance. We prayed hard, our group of friends pulled together and prayed constantly. There were rough days and nights and even rough weeks. And then one day I got an email that seemed to turn everything around. Riley had turned a corner, gained weight and things were looking up. This past weekend, for my birthday, I held Riley for the first time. She's now 8 months old and PERFECT. You'd never know that she almost didn't make it. We walked and talked, she giggled at me and I was in heaven. I had 2 1/2 days of Riley and it was a true miracle. When I look at her I know there are miracles. When she drooled on my shoulder it was the best drool I'd ever seen. I can't have bad days looking at Riley pictures. I don't doubt God's real presence in our lives. I don't doubt miracles or grace knowing that there were days when I begged God to let Riley make it. Now she is perfection and I will spoil her rotten!!!

Jessi, you know I was born three months early (actually on the same day as Riley!) and so this story is really special to me. Thanks for sharing it. Riley's lucky to have you.

My Mom, in Texas:

I've known Charley almost as long as we've lived in Victoria. He was among the first we met at church; a gregarious old newspaperman and an interesting character--proud of his Hispanic heritage, strong in his faith, obstinately loyal to his Longhorn football team. We liked each other from the beginning, bantering back and forth, he with his beautiful, melodic Spanish and me with my inept, chopped-up attempt at Espanol. He laughed a lot, always ending our chats with a 'Hook 'em Horns' hand sign, which I countered with a 'Gig 'em Aggies' thumbs up. The passing of years has been a challenge for Charley as he faces the slow grip of dementia, slipping quietly away from us. Recently he hasn't always recognized me, so I was thrilled when I ran in the Fellowship Hall at church yesterday and found Charley alone, waiting for his wife to finish with her Circle meeting. He jumped up, grabbed my hand and said, "Bonnie, I've been meaning to call you! How's your mama?" I was stunned at his enthusiasm and clarity--Charley Bear was back! I told him Mother was great and that I was so happy to see him. We chattered in English and Spanish a bit, and then slowly his eyes became distant and he began drifting away. About that time his wife walked up to him and gently took his arm, saying, "Charley, let's go home." They walked hand in hand down the hallway, and then Charley slowly turned around one last time and flashed a 'Hook 'em!' gesture to me. For a brief, grace-filled moment, I had a glimpse of Charley.

Mamacita, what a beautiful tribute to Charley. I'm betting you're his favorite Aggie.

Lynn in Georgia:

God's beautiful world. This is what I call a "glory" shot. Taken from my car window in Decatur, Georgia.

Just gorgeous, Lynn! And I think I know exactly where you took this picture. :)

Ed in North Carolina:

Our dogs give us a Glimpse of the unyielding love of God.

My dog does, too, Ed. Such unconditional, constant love.

Jen in Oregon:

This was taken at Bring, a place that helps people reuse and recycle just about everything you can imagine. Their store ( re-sale shop for bits and pieces left over from demolition projects primarily) is called a "planet improvement center" and this is a picture of the chapel they have built in their courtyard out of some of the objects that have been donated to them (aka - trash). I LOVE that it occurred to someone to build a chapel out of someone's cast offs - to me it is a holy place reminding me of the cornerstone that was rejected, that nothing (even junk) is too secular to be sacred, and that even tree hugging hippies like to have a place to pray!

I love this, Jen! How creative and powerful.

Tom in Dublin, Ireland:

When I drove to work from my old house, I used to have to contend with busy lanes of traffic through rush hour for 20 minutes, but a year ago I moved to a new house where this view accompanies my current commute to get to work. Every time I turn out of my street straight onto this quiet road by the sea I'm struck by the beauty and by the hand of God that put it there, and so thankful that this is what I get to look at every day instead of the back end of someone's car.

What a view, Tom! I imagine it's hard to get the Monday blues looking at that on the way to work.

Our festivities continue with some delicious pumpkin cupcakes (yep, they deserve bold status) this afternoon. It's not a party without some baked goodies...wish I could mail one to each of you. And later, I'll share my own glimpses of grace from today. If you didn't get a chance to send a glimpse of grace to me, but would like to, go right ahead (revwhit11@gmail.com) and I'll post it later today.

What a fun day! Thanks for being a part of it and this journey of grace the past five years.

sit down and take a load off

2011-10-16T22:17:00.000-05:00

-Light filtering through a stained glass window to illumine one particular spot in a pew. The little church I preached at this morning was charming. I knew it would be when I arrived and, within minutes of meeting the organist, heard her whole-heartedly laugh as she told me a story.

-Fluffy, cottony clouds in an endless sky of blues, ranging from calm cornflower to astounding azure.

-A stout cup of tea to revive me before heading out to do a brief service at a nursing home this afternoon. There's nothing like a wee cuppa to get you going again.

splendid Saturday

2011-10-15T14:38:00.001-05:00

What a restful Saturday this is! It started off with a trip to one of my favorite places, where brave souls trudge through racks and racks of clothing and mountains of furniture for a glimpse of something worthwhile:

Today was half-price day, which is just that: everything in the store is half-off. They open early on these days and it can get pretty packed, so there I was bright and early at 8:30 (with my to-go cup of coffee in tow, of course). Today's loot was light: simply a cozy oversized cardigan in an autumnal shade of rust, for the humble price of $2.

Then, I went with the folks to have breakfast at a local Mexican place. This is a glorious, spicy chorizo taquito. Delicious.

After stuffing ourselves with Mexican munchies, my mom and I headed over to the Methodist church (I do love ecumenism) to see their pumpkin patch and stroll around their craft fair. It was apparently the place to be! Everyone enjoyed the (slightly) cooler temperatures and plethora of handmade goodies.

Isn't my mamacita lovely?

Hanging out with some pumpkins.

I just love the strange knobby ones.

LOTS of pumpkins.

Downtown is such a historic, relaxing place to stroll. And now onto our (crafty) loot:

I was charmed by this simple little pressed flower on vintage-looking (but surely not) polka dot paper.

We also found an adorable pumpkin hat for our adorable punkin' Olivia.

My mom bought me this really fun wine bottle/light. Note the label. :) I love it.

And, even Hayden got a treat. Peanut butter dog biscuits that honestly looked good enough for me to eat (don't worry; I didn't). He loved them, of course. But I'm pretty sure he would love cardboard if I smeared peanut butter on it! All in all, a relaxing day. Now, to read over my sermon, write a prayer and perhaps take a nap with my little peanut-butter-loving pup. Hope you're having a recharging day!

**You can still send me your glimpses for my 5th blogaversary festivities on Monday! Email them to revwhit11@gmail.com. I have a diverse and creative collection so far.

from dusty to dazzling

2011-10-14T22:10:00.000-05:00

As the song goes, there are a few joys I count as "my favorite things": coca cola in glass bottles, spontaneous laughter, the way my dog cocks his fluffy ears at an inquisitive angle when desiring a nibble of whatever I'm eating, cooking something adventurously new or comfortingly old, and painting furniture. I love taking something with promise and making it one-of-a-kind. Here's my latest project: a coffee table my good friend Ashley picked up for me at Goodwill for the handsome sum of $2.50. I've been looking for a coffee table, preferably something with a geometric, Moroccan feel to it and she discovered this diamond in the rough. Here it is when I first received it.

And here is it after a bit of cleaning up, without the glass top. I think it's lovely as is, but a bit bulky feeling all being brown wooden. So, I decided to jazz it up a bit!

Inspired by this beautiful Spanish cabinet from the 1940's, I decided to play up the star-like shapes on the top of the table and make it look a bit like an old Moroccan door.

After multiple coats of paint, gold gilding, distressing the wood and then cleaning the heck out of that glass, here's the finished product! (Hayden's checking it out.) It actually looks a bit Egyptian to me, and I love it.

Doesn't the golden top look like a bit like gilded stars?

I'm really happy with it. And there's just something so cathartic about painstakingly adding coppery gold paint brushstroke by brushstroke (yes, I had to use a teeny brush on the top — whew!) and transforming it into something totally new. What a rewarding little project.

Good Friday morning, blog buddies!

2011-10-14T08:27:00.003-05:00

I hope your day's off to a great start. (If you need a breakfast idea, head on over to my food blog.) Mine is lovely so far: an early rise with full moon still shining in the sky, cold autumn air wrapping itself around me, and now an adorable cotton ball dog curled up next to me as I drink cinnamon-flecked coffee and read the (great smelling) paper. I've been enjoying a bit of artistic expression this week through redoing a Goodwill coffee table my friend Ashley picked up for me and it's been cathartic and worthwhile work. I'll post before and after pictures soon, probably later today.

I've received several wonderful glimpses of grace from you all that I'll be posting on my 5th Blogaversary (Lynn's clever word) Monday. We're going to have us a fun party celebrating the little things in life. If any of you have been meaning to send a glimpse to me, go ahead and get-r-done and send it to revwhit11@gmail.com. I look forward to the festivities. Five years, don't they go by in a blink, and yet I have most days of them recorded here. I'm not sure I ever realized when I started this whole joyful spiritual discipline of mine how much it would impact my life. And how much it would bring me closer to all of you! Feeling grateful this morning. Okay, back to that cinnamon coffee...which is how this all got started.

Peace,
Whit

word art

2011-10-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

-The smell of newspaper.

-Reading a bit of Frederick Buechner and continuing to be astounded by his writing ability that makes a text both deeply profound and viscerally down-to-earth at the same time. I imagine that even his grocery list deserves a Pulitzer.

-Spending hours outside working on a painting project (a Goodwill-acquired coffee table) and ending the day with a sense of accomplishment. It's not entirely finished yet, but when it is, I'll share some before-and-after pictures here.

seasonal joys

2011-10-10T19:56:00.005-05:00

-Making one of my fall favorites for dinner last night (yes, it really is that vibrantly colored!): rosemary roasted butternut squash risotto. The recipe will appear soon on my food blog.

-Going to the coffee shop to do a little sermonating and getting to also catch up with my buddy Ted while I was there.

-Walking down the sidewalk downtown, and enjoying the autumn air so much I took my time, admiring the old buildings and blue skies as I strolled.

**Don't forget!: Come to my blog birthday party by sending me your glimpses of grace at revwhit11@gmail.com by Friday if possible. I've received some wonderful ones so far!

froth & flutter

2011-10-07T20:00:00.001-05:00

-Having my morning coffee with vanilla Blue Bell ice cream in it instead of cream, because my sister likes hers that way best, and I seem to crave it when I'm around her. I love the way it froths a bit like a latte and those tiny flecks of real vanilla bean are divine.

-The way my niece Olivia's eyelids droop sleepily as I give her a bottle. There are so many lessons that come from babies: contentment and interdependence being two.

-A rapid gust of wind, sending leaves on trees rattling and Hayden's fur swirling around his face. There's a change in the air.

overflowing grace

2011-10-06T21:39:00.001-05:00

What a fantastic week this has been, full of delightful conversations and blissful time with my nieces and Ash and Clay. I came to help out a bit, but I'm not sure I've done a lot more than be a live-in paparazzo, constantly taking pictures of them. Case in point: these precious pictures of Olivia's bath time.

This is the life.

A wink and a smile.

A clean and warm little glow worm.

We all have interesting hair in the morning!

Her staring contest with Aunt Weeza (she won).

Playing with Nat and Gigi. Pillows = lots of entertainment.

Natalie playing with her new Tinkerbell toy. She loves Tink.

Gigi hugging her teddy.

What a wonderful week!

not so far away

2011-10-03T22:08:00.000-05:00

-Stars twinkling through tree branches at night. That just never gets old.

-An email from a friend in Ireland letting me know that he'd read a book I'd love and that a copy of it is on its way to me.

-Preaching yesterday at the wonderful church in Corpus my friend Karen grew up in. As I shook the hand of a sweet, older woman, she told me with a proud smile that she was Karen's Grandmother. The handshake quickly turned into a hug.

Round Top, TX

2011-10-01T17:34:00.001-05:00

What a fun couple of days. My awesome Aunt Madelynn came for a visit and a quick trip to Round Top for their huge antique markets. I've never been and it was just fantastic. Stall after stall of antique and not-so-antique goodies, a sunny but not too hot day and fabulous company.

Good things come in tents.

Look familiar?

(Here's my Nana's old hutch that I painted turquoise on the inside! Perhaps I started a trend...)

There were plenty of colorful, peeling things to look at. I love furniture that is peeling (you blog buddies know this after looking at so many pictures!). From the slightly, er, rustic...

...to the elegant!

From the massively beautiful...

...to the tiniest vibrant touches.

There was color in regal couches and mod windows...

...and in my aunt and mom's favorite form: fiesta dishes!

There was also some interesting animal furniture.

I found an adorable little pin (a $3 bargain!) in the shade of mustard I'm obsessed with these days.

The color was right, but sadly the price was slightly more than $3. Loved this gramophone. Interestingly, the man running the stall was filling his plastic cup with champagne when I approached. He seemed to be really enjoying himself.

And here the color was right, the price was right and yet somehow I resisted these earrings. Somehow.

There was a stall full of 1950's kitchenwares. So vibrant and functional. My mom said it felt like walking into the kitchen she grew up with. I loved this little copper percolator coffee pot, but I'm guessing the handle's not the original one. We did find some great treasures, though:

My creative aunt took three lovely china plates (a dinner plate, a luncheon plate and a salad plate) and made a beautiful three-tiered pedestal.

Stunning, huh? Now to fill it with sandwiches or cupcakes, make some tea and throw a party!

This was an amazing find for me. I gravitated towards a stall that had things just like markets I visited in South Africa years ago. I hovered there, gripping this beautiful chalice until I could talk with the man running the stall. Boy, did we talk!

He was a lovely older South African gent, and we discussed everything from mealie meal to horseback riding on the Drakensburg Mountains in Lesotho to those dusty, glorious sunsets that, as he put it, "call you back again." I left with the carved wooden chalice (for a generously discounted price), the card of his Scottish Presbyterian wife who will want to visit with me and my memories of wonderful travels renewed again. The reason this particular chalice spoke to me (other than being a minister and loving all things that remind me of communion) was that I own a small carved wooden jar that I discovered in one of the markets in Durban, South Africa. The charming chalice is its twin.

See?

Aunt Madelynn very sneakily bought me this lovely peridot cross. I'm going to wear it to lead worship tomorrow.

And my mom found these beautiful beads in a bargain bin full of jewelry, half price. It turns out, they're black onyx with 14k gold spacers! Quite a find.

Round Top, you're top notch.

(don't forget!)

2011-09-28T08:53:00.000-05:00

Celebrate 5 years of glimpsing grace with me:

Here are the details of how you can celebrate with me:

1. Record a glimpse of grace of your own, including a picture if you want.
2. Email it to me at revwhit11@hotmail.com along with your first name andwhere you're from (please try to get it to me by Friday, October 14).
3. I'll post them all on Monday, October 17 and we'll have a birthday party worthy of Bilbo!

Thanks for being a part of my journey these past 5 years. I look forward to celebrating with you!

Peace,
Whit

golden & delightful

2011-09-27T18:59:00.000-05:00

-Golden sunlight pouring in the window. I love this time of day.

-The smell of cookies baking. Is there anything better? (Okay, eating those fresh-baked cookies is better.)

-A precious little boy in the hospital who was genuinely delighted that I visited him and waved enthusiastically as I left.

shining moments

2011-09-26T13:33:00.000-05:00

-Leading worship at Nicea Presbyterian (one of my absolute favorite congregations) and noticing the beautiful light of the stained glass window illuminating the floor with vibrant colors.

-The north star shining brightly in a velvety dark sky.

-Having a cup of rich coffee with my Grandmother.

Gigi's birthday!

2011-09-24T22:24:00.002-05:00

It's my birthday, y'all. I'll wear as many necklaces as I want to!

Today, we celebrated Gianna's second birthday. From the second we knocked on the door and she shouted with glee from the window, we knew this gal was excited it was her birthday. Though, excited is just part of Gigi...she gets pretty ecstatic about everything (cd cases, plastic necklaces, wearing shoes to bed etc). It was so much fun, and of course, I had to take lots of pictures of all of the festivities.

Big sis Natalie celebrating.

Grandmother holding sweet Olivia (her Great-Granddaughter) for the first time.

The giant chocolate chip cookie I made for Gigi. It's sort of a (sweet, decadent) family tradition. (Here's the recipe!)

Big cookie & big candles for a little girl.

Gigi blowing out her candles.

Mmm.

Now it's a party!

Present time!

Natalie got a wonderful present of a Tinkerbell costume (which she immediately put on).

Gigi looking at her colorful children's Bible paraphrased by Desmond Tutu and illustrated by people from around the world (you can guess which nerdy minister-type gave that to her...)

This train was a HIT! She had so much fun zooming around.

(Blurry 'cause I'm moving so fast!)

My fabulous Sista and me.

Gigi and her new Abby doll cuddling.

Nonnie and Olivia cuddling. (And a few more pics of that precious brand new angel...)

She's just perfect. I love all that hair!

Such a fun little family celebration of this independent, hilarious, boisterous, delightful niece of mine!

heavy as a feather

2011-09-22T18:28:00.000-05:00

I have a heavy heart today because of the execution of Troy Davis. I think a lot of us do. But even (and especially) on days that are wearying, it's important to look for grace. So here are my glimpses from today:

-A fluffy white feather gently resting on my car windshield until it whooshed off with the wind.

-Today's my wonderful friend Jessi's birthday. She's such an important part of my life. Happy birthday, Jessi!

-Finding myself preaching (to myself) whilst driving around running errands. That was my cue it was time to put my sermon down on paper (er, laptop). True enough, it all came in one rapidly inspired hour.

my circles

2011-09-21T16:36:00.000-05:00

-The first breathtaking notes of The Mission soundtrack by Ennio Morricone, heard on vinyl from my record player. I like the occasional crackle, making it more grounded and relatable.

-Pirouetting my way into the kitchen — just because I felt like it.

-A familiar voice on the phone.

You're Invited!

2011-09-19T17:20:00.000-05:00

Monday, October 17 will be my Glimpses of Grace 5th birthday, and I want YOU to celebrate with me!

Here's the deal: I'm inviting you to email me a glimpse of holiness/joy/whimsy/grace you experienced, with a picture if possible. It can be from something in your past, or something in the next month. Remember folks, there's nothing too random or small. (I do believe I've glimpsed grace in an abandoned kazoo box.) No pressure, clearly. I know that you blog buddies are from all over (Norn Iron, Ireland, Indonesia, Canada, England, Scotland, USA and other places). Some of you are old friends and some of you I've never met but are part of my community here. I want to include all of you!

Here are the details of how you can celebrate with me:

1. Record a glimpse of grace of your own, including a picture if you want.
2. Email it to me at revwhit11@hotmail.com along with your first name and where you're from (please try to get it to me by Friday, October 14).
3. I'll post them all on Monday, October 17 and we'll have a birthday party worthy of Bilbo!

Thanks for being a part of my journey these past 5 years. I look forward to celebrating with you!

Peace,
Whit

beautiful dereliction

2011-09-17T18:03:00.002-05:00

Glen Flora: what a remarkable ruin of a ghost town. I've posted some pictures from Glen Flora before, but I had the chance to make a quick jaunt there on the way back from Houston and found my camera (and dog, who was enamored with every single grass burr to be found) to be very enthusiastic about the place. In taking pictures I was trying to capture the mystery of the place: how dereliction that should be depressing has a beauty all its own, how the walls left standing seem to have personalities, and the air seems thick with a history lost but not entirely forgotten, at least by the dilapidated remnants remaining. It's a whimsical place, where friendly folks stroll through antique stores and stop to pet your dog, and flowers valiantly bloom in the middle of cracking concrete and crumbling bricks. So make yourself a wee cuppa tea and amble through the ruins with me, will ya? And if you ever find yourself Inthemiddleofnowhere, Texas between Houston and Victoria, take the time to discover Glen Flora for yourself.

This is a picture of the same doorway in the last picture, only with direct sunlight pouring into the camera. I think it looks haunted, or underwater.

The original Giving Tree, perhaps?

There was something forlorn and slightly eerie about this fan moving wistfully with the wind.

Hayden made friends with a lovely lady in a necklace. I think he was smitten, but I told him that only floozie dogs wear necklaces like that. :)

He made another (less polite) friend, whom we can call Clifford.

I wish I knew the story of Glen Flora. Nature is just taking back over. If those crumbling walls could talk...

2011-09-17T14:48:00.000-05:00

Some more pictures of precious Olivia...

And some pics I took at the park with the girls...

Fun, fun, fun!

Meet Olivia Grace!

2011-09-14T15:14:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a VERY exciting day! My third niece was born, healthy and happy, with two adoring sisters ready to spoil her. Her name is Olivia Grace, and she is just perfect. Here are some pictures from that blessed event...

Clay sharing the amazing news!

Meeting Olivia.

Such a great Momma (of three!).

Showering new sister with kisses.

A very thrilled Papa and Nonnie meeting Olivia.

An equally thrilled Mia and Gramps meeting her.

Gianna was SO excited!

Looking at Olivia through the nursery window.

Olivia looking right back at her sisters.

Natalie stroking Olivia's hair.

This whole being born business is exhausting!

Happy girls (Clay's way outnumbered now, but I know he can handle it!).

It's official. I'm smitten. She's adorable.

All swaddled and cozy.

Holding hands with big sister Natalie.

Babies have such wisdom in their eyes.

Welcome to the world, Olivia Grace! It's a more joyful place with you here.

Music Where It Least (and Most) Belongs

2011-09-11T08:50:00.002-05:00

There was a single black roach creeping along the whitewashed concrete walls of my dorm room like a brooding villain. I thought that would be the worst thing that happened that day. I thought wrong. Gulping down coffee, I rushed off to my first class, World Music. A little beacon of beauty and strangeness in the midst of a mundane schedule of chem labs. As I entered the room, the air was somehow different than before. Was it colder? Not temperature-wise, but there was something chilling to the silence. It was somehow frozen – stiller, without the usual murmurings of sleepy students and rustlings of bags and papers. I took my seat, in the front (because that's often where the left-handed desks were to be found), and joined the uneasy stillness. My professor looked at us with a look that could break your heart in one glance, full of oceans of sorrow and waterfalls of confusion, the eyes of a grieving mother.

Slowly, deliberately, with the same measured monotone of words like “She's gone” and “There was an accident...”, she told us that planes had been hijacked and flown into buildings. Two planes, two buildings. The twin towers, in New York City. I struggled to take in this information, like I had just been told the earth was flat or gravity decided to take a break. I couldn't comprehend it. She said that, for the moment, we would have to stay in our classroom, until it was confirmed safe enough to leave. Now the silence took on a forced quality, like we had all forgotten what it was to speak. Wondered if we'd ever spoken before. She said that she didn't know any more details or why it happened. I can't imagine what it would've been like to be in that professor's shoes that day. She had the grueling job of conveying unimaginably terrible news, and then she had to sit with us, and with the living thing that was the uneasy silence, and wait. For what? Wait for the news that it was a hoax? Wait for the news that other places across the nation – even our own – were under attack too? Perhaps that waiting is not unlike waiting for the call from the doctor, or waiting for the loved one who should've been home hours ago to turn the key in the door and shuffle down the hallway. We were forced to wait, together. The days of smalltalk and surface-level conversation left us unprepared for the intimacy of that waiting moment. But my professor, that woman with the grieving eyes, did the only thing that could be done in that moment: she put on music.

She filled the tumultuous silence that was laden with our unspoken questions with the most beautiful music ever composed, with Bach, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky. Suddenly the tears that had been waiting behind all of our eyes were freed. We wept together, silently, and let the music wash over us. It did not answer our questions of why and how and who, but instead called us to lay them aside for a moment and breathe, listen, become one with the music and with one another. Because in the waiting for greater agony or relief, that's all that can be done: breathe, listen for echoes of faint or overwhelming music, become one with each other, with God, with ourselves.

The music took us from the habitual, impersonal surface-level relationship to the deepest of intimacy in a second. I imagine the grief did that, too. But the music opened us up to our grief and the professor, well, she opened us up to the music. So in that moment, before the television would replay the horrific scene of 9/11 over and over like it was some great football touchdown or viral Youtube video, before the impulse of revenge was indulged and we were all too raw to see another way, before our national grief gave way to the mental-internment of Muslims and those from the Middle East, before we would be shaken to our very core and built up by the stories of bravery and courage of ordinary people, there was the music.

Much worse things happened that September day than a roach crawling on the wall. But I give thanks to God for that professor who, with a heart full of music did only what came naturally, and let it overflow onto all of us. Not even remembering her name, I won't forget her kindness. Her courage. Her watery eyes. Her ability to take the most terrifying events and respond with what she loved most: music. May God give me the same conviction to respond to the deepest of hatred with the deepest of love.

style, strangers & slumber

2011-09-08T15:11:00.002-05:00

Look fetching, don't I?

That sun is bright!

-Hayden coming back from the groomers looking fluffy and adorable. I'm not sure he enjoys the experience, but I enjoy the result for sure.

-Making friends with strangers. Texans are such friendly folks (though I suppose most people are). I made my new friends at the charming wine bar here in town. It's such a cozy place, and feels like several antique living rooms merged into one, with mismatched upholstered chairs adorning old carpets and wooden floors. Perfect for a glass of vino and a book, meeting an old friend or making new ones.

-Sleeping in...til 8:30! With the colder mornings, my room was nice and cool and I nestled under a favorite blanket, grateful for the extra shut eye.

Gracie abounds

2011-09-06T21:23:00.004-05:00

-Getting to have lunch with one of my best friends, Karen, her Mom and Gracie, Karen's little girl. I see so much of Karen and Rob in Gracie, and can't help but smile being around her. She's so joyful and curious about everything. And, at 10 months, that girl can move! Karen lives in Ohio and was home in Texas visiting family. I was so glad we had time to see each other. I left feeling known, filled-up (and not just from the Mexican food) and grateful for friends who I know will always be in my life.

-Skyping with the fantastic Blakes in Belfast. They are just wonderful folks and it was so great to see them, share stories and catch up on life since we've last talked. I miss them loads, but in that hour-and-a-half or so, it felt like the ocean separating us (literally) was a puddle.

-Walking outside and being greeted by a surprise autumn chill. By noon it was warm again, but for the morning with the doors flung open and fresh fall air wafting through the house, it was bliss.

-The comfort of routine: every morning's quite similar in terms of taking my dog out, drinking coffee, checking emails etc...but now a bit of Buechner reading is part of the mix and I wonder why it hasn't been all along.

changed by the scenery

2011-09-03T14:34:00.007-05:00

-Beautiful Texas scenery on a road trip...

...admired while my precious dog slept on my lap.

-A relaxing evening spent reading some Frederick Buechner. He's definitely one of my favorite theologians (as I'm sure you can tell by the quote on this blog). Here are a couple of my favorite snippets (from his compilation, Secrets in the Dark):

We all want to be certain, we all want proof, but the kind of proof we tend to want—scientifically or philosophically demonstrable proof that would silence all doubts once and for all—would not in the long run, I think, answer the fearful depths of our need at all. For what we need to know, of course, is not just that God exists, not just that beyond the steely brightness of stars there is a cosmic intelligence of some kind that keeps the whole show going, but that there is a God right here in the thick of our day-by-day lives who may not be writing messages in the stars but who one way or another is trying to get messages through our blindness as we move around down here knee-deep in the fragrant muck and misery and marvel of the world. It is not objective proof of God's existence that we want but, whether we use religious language for it or not, the experience of God's presence. That is the miracle we are really after. And that is also, I think, the miracle we really get.

All the absurd little meetings, decisions, inner skirmishes that go to make up our days. It all adds up to very little, and yet it all adds up to very much. Our days are full of nonsense, and yet not, because it is precisely into the nonsense of our days that God speaks to us words of great significance--not words that are written in the stars but words that are written into the raw stuff and nonsense of our days, which are not nonsense just because God speaks into the midst of them. And the words that God says, to each of us differently, are, "Be brave. . . be merciful. . . feed my lambs. . . press on toward the goal."

-A free Coke with a gas fill-up. As Buechner would say, it's the little things that add up to much.

little red running coat

2011-09-02T08:46:00.000-05:00

-Getting my little (or, really, not-so-little) red coat to show that I'm a pastoral care volunteer at the hospital. I've enjoyed getting to know the chaplain and am looking forward to visiting folks when they find themselves in the overwhelming experience of being in the hospital.

-Having to take my dog Hayden outside in the wee hours of the morning and glancing up at the sky to see Orion brilliantly shining down at me. I've seen Orion in so many places, and it always makes me feel at once very small and part of something bigger than my understanding.

-The satisfaction of starting to run again. I traveled a good bit this summer and fell out of my running routine, but this week, I've run four times and feel great. I've learned that treating myself with a delicious frittata when I'm done motivates me as I'm running.

drawing closer

2011-08-31T07:55:00.000-05:00

-A stunning orange sunrise this morning. It's going to be a good day.

-Going to a presbytery cluster meeting and seeing so many wonderful people I know and meeting a few other area ministers I didn't know yet. I found myself one of the last to get in line for dinner (nothin' like a Presbyterian potluck, y'all) because I was so engrossed in conversation with folks and I was also one of the last to enter the meeting room, for the same reason. There was a palpable sense of community in the place.

-Tiny leaves crunching underfoot in the front yard. I'm sure they're more a result of the drought than the advent of fall, but I also sensed a slight coolness in the air. Autumn's my favorite time of year (roasted butternut squash risotto! apple cider! scarves!) and so it's a hopeful thing to know that, with each day, it's drawing closer.

it's about time

2011-08-29T16:43:00.000-05:00

-Sitting outside in the shade with my precious (windblown) dog while reading a captivating book and sipping on a frosty iced coffee.

-A Saturday of sister time: we spent the whole day together shopping, eating, seeing a movie and just relaxing. It was a perfect day.

-Impeccable timing (by happy coincidence, not planned).

hugs & kisses & cats & dogs

2011-08-25T21:46:00.002-05:00

Here are a few more pics of those precious nieces of mine... (They were playing in the bathtub by attacking each other with kisses and giggling with glee. Adorable.)

And here are my glimpses of grace from today:

-Rain, o glorious rain! We've been desperate for rain and so the sudden thunderstorm this afternoon was thoroughly delightful.

-Going to a Presbyterian Women gathering at First Pres. and seeing so many fabulous women. It's a wonderful thing to enter a building and get hug after hug.

-Discovering a new musician I love already.

zoosday tuesday

2011-08-23T15:50:00.000-05:00

I've had so much fun the last few days with my nieces. They came to church, went to the library and today was the zoo! This morning started off with the girls making bacon-cheddar biscuits (YUM) with Papa. They were delicious (proven by the fact that I ate them too quickly to take a picture).

Full of biscuits (and coffee for Aunt Weeza) and decked out in safari hats and glittery sunglasses, we headed to the zoo! Now, I should warn you: when I'm around my nieces, they're so gosh darn cute that I turn into the paparazzi. I just can't help myself taking pictures (and I know my sista's gonna want to see them!), so get ready for LOTS of snaps.

Cute sisters holding hands.

A very well-accessorized Gigi holding my hand (one-handed camera skills! impressed?).

Natalie walking with Papa and Nonnie.

Our zoo adventure began with a tapir sighting while Gigi continued to look like a safari diva.

Then came a precious little monkey. Both girls spoke "monkey" to it ("oo oo ah ah!").

Then there was a fun community lesson on chickens, complete with making our own little chickens.

We saw a gorgeous, vibrant peacock.

And Natalie fed some chickens.

Then, it was on to the petting zoo! These sheep were extra cuddly (but must be SO hot in wool in the Texas sun).

This goat was giving Gianna quite the look.

It later tried to find the goldfish crackers in her bag.

Both girls loved the bunny rabbits.

(This might be my favorite picture from the day.)

The look on this goat's face is pretty priceless.

Natalie then conducted her very own train. (Also a favorite pic from the day!)

"Reeeaach!"

There were lots of colorful birds.

This little cheeky fellow was my favorite.

Then, we got a lesson about reptiles and pet some turtles...

...and a lizard.

And then things got a little more adventurous (gulp!).

Gigi the little monkey getting a ride with Papa.

And a couple of artsy shots...

So much fun! Love those precious nieces of mine.

clouds, welcoming committee, coffee

2011-08-22T13:58:00.000-05:00

-Gorgeous, fluffy clouds lit by a pink sunrise. (I brought my early-rising nieces outside to look at it. Natalie's response: "Clouds look like Hayden!")

-My nieces greeting me by shouting "Weeeezzzaa!" and barreling down the hallway to attack me with hugs.

-The first sip of a delectably decadent hazelnut latte.

erin comes to town

2011-08-18T19:48:00.000-05:00

My fabulous friend from seminary, Erin, has been here visiting me for the past few days. We haven't seen each other in way too long and I had a great time showing her some Texan hospitality. We had the best time at Port Aransas (my favorite place to go in the summer) just relaxing on the beach and wading into the warm, salty water. Erin also found a fantastic hat to beat that persistent Texas sun.

Then I took Erin to Goliad to see the Mission Espiritu Santo and Presidio La Bahia. The Mission was just that (a mission) and La Bahia was an old fort. Both have amazing chapels (which I knew a fellow churchy person like Erin would love). She said they reminded her of what she saw in Merida, Mexico.

I love the doors to the Mission.

I always have to take a picture of this font. It's the most beautiful one I've seen. (Though, like everything in Texas, it could use a little water.)

Erin giving the impressive pulpit a try.

Yes, were both Presbyterian ministers, but we have no qualms about a little Catholic candle lighting for prayer.

Erin having a Jackie O moment.

Then we moved on to La Bahia.

Where the hardware was amazing, with brilliant turquoise oxidation.

The chapel had beautiful statues.

And more of those prayerful candles.

(How cool is that rainbow the light made? Holy ground, indeed.)

We also enjoyed lunch at the Blue Quail and a little stroll

around the square in Goliad.

What a charming place. And a wonderful time with Erin. There's nothing better than a few days with an old friend spent drinking wine and talking life, exploring some of my favorite Texas places together and just relaxing. My dog Hayden's a bit infatuated with Erin...I better check her suitcase before she gets on the plane tomorrow! :)

this little preacher goes to market

2011-08-14T22:58:00.002-05:00

-Going to Market Days in Goliad with my lil' guy Hayden in tow and leisurely perusing the random assortment of mostly-homemade wares for sale. What I most enjoyed, though, was the beautiful architecture of the square in historic Goliad. (That, and the icy cold lemonade that helped me survive the heat.)

(One of the more eccentric stalls. My nieces would've had so much fun!)

(Hayden really wanted me to buy this for him, but I think he was satisfied with the icy water I gave him instead.)

-Preaching at that charming little church in Port Lavaca again and being greeted as soon as I walked in the door with a big bear hug and a "I'm so glad you're back!" What wonderful folks.

-Seeing adorable pictures of my sister and nieces. She's such a gorgeous pregnant lady. :)

thanks a latte!

2011-08-11T17:22:00.000-05:00

-Getting a fun new haircut. I realize that in light of rioting and looting in England and conflict in Syria, a haircut seems pretty insignificant. But you need to know a bit of my haircut history, y'all. Our story begins, of all places, in a hair salon in a massive shopping mall in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. I was there as a leader for a cross-community reconciliation trip of Protestant and Catholic teenagers from Belfast in the summer of 2005. These kids were fantastic, and had a very particular way of showing affection: sarcastic banter like you've never seen it before. Insult = endearment with them. At the end of our life-changing trip, we stopped by a mall before going to the airport so folks could get last-minute gifts and I had the sudden impulse to spend my last Rand on a haircut. "A fresh haircut will make a 13-hour flight much better," thought I. I thought wrong. I wanted a simple bob: what I received was somewhere between a mullet and a pageboy haircut...choppy in the back, straight across at the sides and just plain terrible all over. The woman who cut my hair - I kid you, not - cried because she was so embarrassed by the hair cut. She wouldn't even let me pay her. I ended up giving her a hug, telling her I loved it and hurriedly leaving to catch our bus to the airport. I knew it was truly dismal when those quick-witted, harsh-bantering teens saw me and said, "Oh, it looks nice." At one point on that flight back to Belfast when I went to the restroom on the plane, I looked up at the mirror and jumped from my own weed-eater hair looking back at me. So you see, dear blog buddies, a haircut is just a haircut, but a great one like my Audrey-Twiggy-ish one today is a rare and wonderful thing. After my hairdresser Gary finished my hair today, he said, "We did good today." I replied, "YOU did!"

-A particularly delicious and sermon-inducing hazelnut latte.

-Walking barefoot in soft grass.

shine, hum, refresh

2011-08-09T19:19:00.000-05:00

-Sunlight dazzling on the coffee pot this morning. It's like God was making sure I could find it!

-Putting together the bulletin for Sunday, and selecting some great old hymns that fit well with the text. I found myself humming "I've Got Peace Like a River" all morning.

-An unexpected breeze that brought some relief from the heat.

colorful creatures

2011-08-07T13:47:00.000-05:00

-Taking Hayden outside before bedtime and seeing the vibrant, loquacious tree frog who lives in a planter on the front porch hanging out on the wall. I've never been able to see him before (though I've certainly heard him). What a cute little guy. Speaking of cute little guys...

-Hayden stepping into a rainbow coming through the window this morning, alighting his face with color.

-The sizzle of blueberry pancakes cooking.

port a day

2011-08-06T16:09:00.000-05:00

My great friend Ashley and I made a little trip to Port Aransas for the day yesterday. It was so relaxing (and the food: coconut shrimp, oh wow!). There's a level of easiness and rest that only comes when sitting with your toes in the sand, a good friend by your side, an enjoyable book on your lap and the lull of the ocean in your ears. Just delightful.

As we drove onto the ferry for the brief ride to the island (Port A is an island), the navigator made it look like we were being far more adventurous (or perhaps more like the Magic School Bus).

Ashley relaxing.

Those are my very happy feet! What an idyllic day.

extended family

2011-08-04T18:55:00.000-05:00

-Two little grey-haired, young-at-heart ladies holding hands in the grocery store.

-My mom giving the mailwoman and her friends cold water as they worked in the heat to get her car started again.

-Getting another supply preaching invitation. And at the church that has a wonderful pint-sized pulpit!