oh, what fun

-Helping with my niece's baptism by preaching and leading prayers and blessings. I was the first woman to preach at the church and was so honored. The deacon leading the service (it's a Catholic church) was really casual and friendly and made me feel welcome and comfortable. He would start reading a liturgy, pause, and then hand me his book to continue it. It was a great time with all of the family.

-Seeing my friend Jen again. We were roomates in Belfast, and I haven't seen her in over a year, so I flew to Tulsa for a quick reunion. It was so fun to fit into familiar patterns of conversation after such a long time. I loved her place--with pictures from around the world, fresh flowers, a sunroom with french doors (in which I stayed), old wooden floors and a tiny red kitchen--it was just as vintage, quirky and traveled as she is.

-Escaping from the rain into a sort of bohemian wine bar heaven. Jen and I chatted over our $4 house reds and relaxed comfortably into the worn velvety furniture, with the sounds of The Godfather being broadcast from a t.v. in the back.

-A swirly wrought-iron arch intertwined with dark green leaves.

-Hanging out with my precious niece and seeing her really respond to me with smiles and giggles.

-Sitting on the beach and soaking up the Texas sun while reading The Dubliners by James Joyce. It made the descriptions of a cold, rainy Grafton Street feel so far away, and yet close by in my memory.

-A weekend at Port Aransas with my family spent relaxing on the beach, watching the Olympics and cheering, laughing and telling corny jokes and eating delicious seafood. With my flight to Belfast only 3 weeks away, these times are very precious.

there and everywhere (but not here)

Hello lovely blog people,
I'm going out of town tomorrow to preach at my niece's baptism (in a Catholic church...so fantastic!) and then I'm off to Tulsa to catch up with my great friend Jen, then I'm in Houston hanging out with my sister, brother-in-law, and freshly-baptized niece and then off to the beach next weekend to soak up some Texas sun one last time before I go to Belfast. I'll be sure to share many glimpses of grace when I return! If you like, comment some of your glimpses to share here while I'm away. I know they would be enjoyed.
Peace,
Whitney

bold moves

-Booking my flight(s) to Belfast. It feels fantastic for it to actually be happening.

-Going solo to see a movie. Sure, I can move to a foreign country, but going to a movie alone in my hometown? Now that scares me. It really was great fun, though.

-A huge brownish-orange mushroom growing boldly out of the green grass.

boil and toil

-Shiny bubbles of water boiling the egg I cooked for breakfast.

-Enjoying my tea outside in the morning right before it got hot and steamy outside. I could literally feel the moment the heat came, and luckily I had just finished my last sip and was ready to go inside anyway.

-Finishing a sermon for my niece's baptism on Sunday.

mamma mia it's raining

-The swoosh and plunk of raw sugar being dropped into my tea. Yum.



-Dancing around to Abba on my iPod. I'm a bit obsessed with the music from Mamma Mia at the minute.

-Sudden heavy rain followed by brilliant sunshine. Texas seems to have no patience at all for rain, geting it over with as quickly as possible, and immediately bringing the sun back out again. Half the time, the sun doesn't even have a chance to go away at all.

dancing bears, stretching, happily ever after

-Dancing bears carved out of shrubbery in someone's yard. They were so whimsical, bizarre, and yet, right at home, that I laughed and circled the block for another look.

-Bright streams of sunlight stretching out like fingers from behind fluffy clouds.

-Finishing a good book (and being able to laugh at the overly-cheesy ending).

arrive, chat, kiss

-Leading worship at my home church and feeling so welcomed and valued. One woman came up to me and said, "I'm so excited for you. You've arrived!." I'm not entirely sure what that meant, but I know that, whatever it is, I want to "arrive."

-A nice long lunch with my good friend Kyle. I love those conversations that just last for hours and feel like ten minutes.

-Seeing a woman come in the coffee shop, sneak in behind a man sitting alone at a table, and give him a kiss on the cheek as a greeting. They both smiled and she sat down.

pretty in pink

-The first glimpse of the aquamarine ocean through the grass as we drove to Rockport for some authentic seafood.

-A lovely bright pink bohemian blouse, which is soft and flowy and gathers in all the right places. I usually avoid pink, but this magenta shade was so bright and fun.

-Stopping at quite possibly the most quirky coffee shop I've ever been in (and that's saying a lot). The place was cozy and beachy, with wicker chairs everywhere, hand-painted walls and puffy sofas. The woman working at the counter greeted us with her bubbly personality and purpley-penciled eyebrows and charged us for basic drinks and then told us to head to the barista ("who is FANTASTIC") at the bar and "have fun, go crazy" with flavors. There was a live guitarist filling the place with impromptu music, and the barista was great. I got caught up in all the fun and added coconut flavoring to my frozen mocha drink, and it was fantastic. The barista, Adriana, also brought me what was left in the blender from making my drink in a little glass. What a delightful place.

hooray it's here!

-Getting my passport with the missionary visa in it in the mail today! Getting my visa approved required a great deal of work from a lot of great people, and so it's wonderful to actually have it in my hand. This is such a huge glimpse of God's grace and God working through every part of my journey of getting ordained and returning to Belfast.

-Receiving words of celebration and joy from so many of my friends and family. My Mom was right next to me when I got the email that my visa was approved, and we jumped up and danced in a circle singing "I'm/You're going to Ireland!" because we were so excited.

-A lazy, relaxed morning spent shuffling around in my pajamas with a cup of coffee and making eggs with potatoes and toast.

Approved!

I just received an email saying that my application has been approved and my visa has been issued! Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. On top of that, I spoke with Chris, who I'll be working with in Belfast, on the phone this morning, and am absolutely thrilled about this position. Thanks be to God!!

say a little prayer for me

Hey everybody,

I got a call from Patricia at the British Consulate today saying she needed more documentation from me, and I've faxed it to her and she decides on whether or not to approve my visa for Northern Ireland tomorrow. Please say a little prayer for me if you get a chance (and pray that Patricia will see the light and let me go!).

Thanks,

Whitney

talk, listen, look

-While walking by the refrigerated biscuit section, a man asked me, "do you ever make chicken n' dumplin's?" I said that sometimes I did. He said, "Well, get you some of these crow-sants and tear 'em up and put them in. Oooh, it's good!" I thanked him for the advice, and walked away smiling at his openness in sharing his recipe with me.

-Wild sunflower-lined railroad tracks and trains with slow, forlorn whistles.

-Peering through a kaleidoscope and shaking it to change the colors and light completely.

whew

-Passing my examination! It was a very challenging hour-and-a-half, but knowing that Marie was behind me (literally and figuratively) praying the whole time made all the difference. Marie is one of the pastors at my church and chair of the CPM, and she has been overwhelmingly supportive of me during this whole journey to ordination. She later told me that when they would throw me a really tough question or not really hear what I was trying to say, she would just pray harder. It worked, and I'm now cleared to preach before Presbytery and (hopefully) get approved there and then get ordained as a Mission Worker August 31.

-As soon as my exam was over in Houston, I drove to Mo Ranch to meet up with my family. We always get together at the end of July and enjoy a few days of soaking in the river, eating entirely too much food (much of it being the grilled variety), sharing stories of past experiences together and shuffling in one by one in the morning and getting a cup of delicious coffee. This time, when I arrived, I was pretty exhausted from a long drive and a grueling examination and it was all made better when I said hello to Natalie and she beamed at me with a smile of recognition.
-Moss-covered trees, looking like hairy monsters or underwater creatures. I know that the moss isn't great for the trees, but I like how it looks anyway.

-Light coming through the skylight in the living room. Where we stay at Mo has a wonderful common meeting room with incredibly high ceilings and comfy sofas.

-Sitting out on the dogrun and enjoying the evening breeze and talking with my cousins all about our future dreams of travel and adventure.

the sweet life

-Glimpsing a blue jay outside of the window.

-Playing a favorite CD and dancing along (curious? it's Sawdust by the Killers).

-Baking to reduce my anxiety about tomorrow's meeting with the Committee on Ministry. (Prayers, please! They're essentially deciding on whether or not to ordain me.) I made tasty nutella dark chocolate brownies. Cooking always relaxes me--I'm very grateful for this. I don't know how theologically sound it is (and I don't care)...chocolate has great powers to soothe and relax.

broken in, basil, best days and brogues

-Drinking coffee from my great-grandfather's favorite coffee cup. It is well-loved, and has apparently been with him on many a ranching adventure.

-Bright green tender leaves of basil from the garden ready to be chopped and added to my roasted vegetable couscous. They added such a sweet freshness to every bite.

-Overhearing a little boy tell his Mother, "this is the best day EVER!"

-Reading a book about women during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and suddenly realizing that I was reading with a Northern Irish accent.

grace and peace to you

-Being given lots of encouraging letters and a lovely bracelet (with the words from "Amazing Grace" on it) by the kids from my small group. I had to leave early because my Grandfather passed away yesterday, and so they wanted to be sure and let me know that they cared for me. It was so kind. Teenagers have this great capacity to shock you with kindness in unexpected moments.

-Erin sending me off with a teary hug and the lovely little pocket piece we had admired in the bookstore. What a wonderful friend.

-The man who drove me to the airport in the shuttle from Montreat was so kind and gracious. I loved his soothing accent and constant smile. As we drove along, I thought of how often it is that a taxi/shuttle driver makes an impact on me.

preordained meetings

-The session of my home church approving the decision to call me as a mission worker (technically a "supply pastor") for my work in Northern Ireland. This means that, pending a couple of examinations, I will be able to be ordained before I leave in September! Wow! The way it all happened was also very much a "God thing": I was leading worship at Mo Ranch for their Youth Celebration a couple of weeks ago, and a member of my Presbytery's Committee on Ministry was there and heard me preach. We got to talking about my call situation and my position in Belfast, and he took it upon himself to contact all of the necessary parties at Presbytery to figure out how I might be ordained into this ministry. They even held a special meeting just to discuss my call process, and now it's all happening. I can't believe how it's all seemed to fall into place.

-Hearing my Nana describe seeing her great-granddaughter for the first time: "Her hair is so soft, it's like silk. And she's sooo good. Her eyes are blue, just like your Grandmother's, and your Mother's and Aubrey's. She's starting to get chubby too!"

-Finding a perfect stole for my niece's baptism (and most likely also for my ordination service).

mo(ntreat) grace

I'm in Montreat, North Carolina for two weeks helping with Youth Conferences and catching up with great seminary friends.

-The view from my window. The mountains, lake, trees and hills are gorgeous. I also love the windows open, letting cool-from-a-fresh-rain-air inside.

-Lovely pink zinnias adding spashes of color to our walk as Erin and I explore Black Mountain, NC.
-An old weathered wall with shadows from trees dancing on it.

-Seeing mountains in the distance. It just adds an outdoorsy and natural feel to the scenery.

open road

-A really great meeting that made me very excited about the future and grateful for God's call.

-Driving with my sister's dog, Hayden, next to me. It was so relaxing to drive on an open road with a bright blue sky overhead with a cute dog by my side.

-Hanging out with Ash and cooking her dinner and then watching a movie. It's so nice to spend some time together.

sharing beauty

-Having dinner with Karen and Rob and enjoying being together for the last time in a little while. I looked at all of their pictures of traveling through the Muir Woods and the Badlands and couldn't believe all of the beautiful things they had seen since we'd last been together. I hope that every time we catch up we have lots of stories and pictures of beauty to share.

-An intense Texas thunderstorm, complete with hail and lightning, that woke me up and then lulled me back to sleep.

-Getting a very thoughtful message from a friend that was encouraging and affirming, both of my sense of call and of who I want to be.

more mo ments

I've been at Mo Ranch leading worship for their Youth Celebration and then catching up with friends, and have had so many meaningful moments. I'll share a few.

-The light is just somehow different at Mo. It reflects off of the water and makes everything greener, hazier and softer.

-Seeing good old friends and making new friendships that will last for a long time.

-Connecting with the kids and having them confide in me, laugh with me, cry with me and pray with me.

-Peach-hued flowers that grow along rocks in spiraling spurts of color.

-Leading worship at the Chapel on the Hill, one of the holiest of places for me. I felt called to preach a very prophetic sermon, and when it was over, had never felt the Spirit guiding me as strong as in that moment. Words fail to convey the power of that experience.

-Canoeing down to the rapids at night and sitting in the swirling waters while laughing and telling stories. We were then silenced with awe as we stared at the explosion of stars overhead just in time to see the brightest shooting star I've ever seen (comet-like) gracefully dance across the sky.

-Driving through Texas wine country with my friend Katy and enjoying deep theological discussion and little stops for a sip of wine here and there.

-Stopping at a roadside stand for fresh peaches, and having the farmer drive up on his tractor. He let us sample a peach first, and the sweet fruit was juicy and made you smile as you ate it. I brought some to Ash and Clay and baked them a tasty peach cobbler with them.

-Meeting up with Karen and Rob to catch up. So far, we've met up in three states in the last month and a half or so, and it was so nice to walk in and receive really heartfelt hugs.

mo grace

I'm now at Mo Ranch to lead worship for Youth Celebration. I'll post as often as I can!

-Driving by rocky hills and tree-laden rivers, with sun, cloud and blue sky reflected. The Texas hillcountry is a holy place.

-Seeing a group of campers and feeling brave enough to go up to them and say hello and tell them that I was once a camp counselor at Mo Ranch. It turned out, one of them was Erin, a wonderful child from my home church, who was healthy and joyful. Another was a former camper of mine, who is now a counselor-in-training! What a blessing I stumbled upon.

-Walking familiar paths and feeling like I've never left. Every step I take here is rich with memories and stories.

storytelling

-Discovering my old journal from my first couple of months in Belfast. It made all of those memories come alive again, and stirred in me a fresh awareness of the journey back I'm soon to embark upon. Do you know that in almost every entry I talked about how sure I was that I was called to be there? I'm praying for that same clarity and trust again. I'll share a favorite excerpt.

{September 10, 2004}


"For tea (dinner) tonight, I went to the Blake's from Fitzroy. It was probably the most delightful meal I've had yet--and I'm invited every Friday! We chatted with Chris and their housekeeper from South Africa while the aroma of garlic and tomatoes filled the air and my first real Irish rain pelted the clear ceiling. While drinking the tea I'd longed for all day, I thought this was one of those moments I'd really remember."

-Making a quick trip to pick up my sister's dog Hayden and getting to see my lovely niece Natalie. Her eyes are so bright and full of hope and depth.

-Hearing a thump against my door and seeing Hayden shyly poke his nose in at me.

life's a beach

-Lovely long sips of cool chardonnay on the hot beach. My Dad bought some vino for the occasion (aptly named, you might notice) and, with white cheddar cheese and cracked pepper crackers, it was perfection.

-Swimming in the ocean, letting waves carry me and jumping over them so I wouldn't get knocked over. The bigger the wave, the higher I jumped, as I laughed and swam my way through the warm, swirling, foamy, green waters. Kinda like life, isn't it? The bigger the "wave", the higher we have to jump over it, all the while keeping moving and laughing and enjoying the view.

-That feeling of tired-muscle exhaustion and deep-soul contentment that only comes after a day at the beach.

all things Irish (tea, rain, flowers)

-That first sip of tea in the morning. (Coffee's great too, but this morning I craved my tea from Northern Ireland, mellowed with milk and sweetened with sugar.)

-Talking with my sister on the phone and seeing a sudden heavy downpour outside. Sure it was a sprinkler, I rushed out to the backyard in time to witness on of those unpredictable Texas rainstorms. It all happened so quickly that the sun didn't even have time to go away.

-Mom coming home from the grocery store with lovely bells of Ireland for me. They're gorgeous and whimsical, twirling upward with bright green folded leaves and tiny white blossoms nestled inside.

natural inclinations

-A day without any makeup. I usually wear at least a little, and it was liberating and relaxing to go without.

-Catching up with a great friend.

-A book I can't out down. (Curious? It's Someone Knows My Name...a powerful and important story. I recommend it.)

come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away

-Watching butterflies dance and perch on the butterfly bush at the nursery. We bought one of the plants, so I'm hoping it attracts them as much at home.

-An icy cool blackberry smoothie on a very hot summer day.


-Watching The Holiday and dreaming of living halfway around the world, and then realizing that, come September, I will be.

all you need is love (and dandelions)

It's been so long! I was at a friend's wedding in Minnesota. I'm back now. :)

-A weekend of celebrating love: my parent's 35th anniversary was Sunday and we celebrated by getting them a park-style bench for their backyard, complete with an engraved plaque. We had to celebrate early because my parents, sister, brother-in-law and I were all at weddings on Saturday. -Going to Minnesota to see my friends Sarah and Chris get married. It was not only a time to celebrate them, but also a time for all of us to be together again and laugh at corny jokes, perpetually give each other a hard time, reminisce and play. Being in the same place (state, even) was comforting and grounding.

-My flight left late Sunday afternoon, which gave me time to hang out with Karen, Rob and their friend Megan some more. We went to the Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens, had a yummy rooftop brunch and coffee. Some of the sculptures were interactive, and felt like a glorified playground.



-Having dandelion wars in the park. Big, fluffy, feathery dandelions were everywhere and Rob decided to grab a handful and smack them on my head. I didn't even realize it until it looked like a chicken had exploded behind me. We had so much fun.

a woman's right to shoes

-Seeing Barack Obama become the first African American Presidential Candidate, and hearing that awareness, struggle and passion in his voice as he announced it. It was also inspiring to have Hillary Clinton get the most popular votes in history. Times are changing.

-Getting a great pair of new shoes for a wedding I'm going to this weekend. I saw them in the store, loved them and held my breath as I turned them over to see the price...40 % off! They'll make great dancing shoes.

-Sitting outside on a bench in the shade and reading.

wise stumbles

(Sorry it's been so long! My sister and niece were in town, and I was happily distracted.)

-My niece looking at me with such a soulful look, I swear she's got a ton of wisdom tucked in that adorable head of hers. I can't wait to see it bit by bit.

-A great long chat with a good friend.

-Stumbling upon a fantastic movie: The Girl in the Cafe. I'd never heard of it, but was drawn by the Damien Rice song playing at the beginning of it. What I expected to be lightly romantic was romantic in its own way, but also thought provoking and inspiring.