comfort, tx (the actual place)

En route to Mo Ranch for their Young Adult Conference, I (through the good advice of my Mother) decided to go to Comfort, Texas (because who doesn't want to go to a place called Comfort?). It's an adorable town chock full of antique stores and I had such a lovely afternoon. I dined on a fabulous homemade jalapeno pimento cheese sandwich and sweet tea next to a hilarious group of women who were waving their hands in the air to show how it apparently makes veins on your hands disappear so they appear younger. I wandered through antique shops and ended up having an extended conversation with one shop owner who was a retired Nasa engineer about Portrush, Northern Ireland on the coast, where we'd both been. I watched bees buzz around vibrant flowers that spilled over fences to take over sidewalks. The afternoon was slow-paced, Texan, relaxing and grace abounded.

cool chicks

-A delicious, refreshing lunch of homemade chicken salad and cantaloupe. It was amazing. I love food. :)

-A thoughtful text from a friend.

-A great catch-up conversation with Marie. I can't wait to be there for World Communion Sunday in a couple of weeks.

a home in the journey

-Reading while listening to music and being shocked out of the relaxing lull of a captivating story by massive thunder clapping outside. Texas doesn't mess around when it rains. It either really isn't raining at all or it really is. The bird bath got very full today.

-Writing about my understanding of mission and young adult ministry and getting that lift that comes with writing about something that stirs my soul.

-My friend Sarah had this quote on her facebook page, and I found it really appropriate for me right now.

"Significant for my personal life is my growing realization that one’s destination is already embedded in the journey, as the flower in a bud, the spring in a freezing winter, or the butterfly in a chrysalis. With this wisdom I have come to find a home in the journey. Moreover, I have learned to cherish the banal, laugh at myself when I discover my limited knowledge, and marvel at serendipitous events even as I doggedly struggle for the longed-for not-yet."

-Eleazar Fernandez

above and beyond

-This is my view as I drink coffee outside in the morning. Watching the birds, feeling the sunlight and just the slightest hint of an autumnal breeze and reading is such a perfect way to start the day.

-Feeling productive.

-A atranger going out of their way to give me a hand. I really appreciate those serendipitous, unexpected acts of kindness.

homegirls

What a fun weekend! Grandmother, Nana, Ash, Clay & the precious girls came for a relaxing catch-up full of lots of playtime and even more food. We had a fabulous time. Nat & Gigi were charming, hilarious and inspiring as ever. My family's the best. What a wonderful welcome home.

Such a perfect weekend.

comfort, tx

-Sitting on the back porch early in the morning drinking coffee (in my Belfast mug from St. Georges!) while listening to the birds sing and reading Isaiah. I did the same thing yesterday, and have a feeling I might just do it tomorrow, too.

-Cuddling up with my favorite quilt from Belfast.

-Making my tomato pasta sauce and delighting in the aroma of bacon, onions and garlic sizzling in the pan. Nothing smells better than that.

there and back again, again

Hello, blog buddies...

I know it seems I've disappeared but in reality I've had one of the craziest weeks of my life. My two-year mission post in Belfast, Northern Ireland was ending and so I spent the last week hanging out with great friends and colleagues (thankfully that's the same thing) every night, worshipping with Fitzroy for the last time and serving communion, saying tons of see-you-later's and packing up my ridiculous amount of stuff and giving away the rest in preparation to move back across the pond.

There was so much grace to be found...but really not much time to blog about it. Let's play catch-up, shall we?

I saw grace in a day away with Chris, Amy and Pete called "Whit's Sunny Strangford Send-Off" as we explored the scenic, beautiful areas around Comber and Portaferry. I saw grace in tons and tons of food, in tears and laughter, in stories and banter, in worship, in cups of tea, in heartfelt thanks, in so much more...

-We opened up our house for a little goodbye party (or "do" as they call it in Norn Iron) and it was such a gift to wander from room to room full of good friends. We shared stories, I shared books and even gave away the lovely little telephone table I had bought. I gave it to Chris and Amy and as Chris looked at it he said, "I think I recognize this. It looks like one my Granny had." Sure enough, his Granny donated it to the Oxfam where I bought it and now it's found its way back into her family. How whimsical.

-I had my last visit to St. George's Market where I was given free coffee from Mr. Javaman in honor of my last Saturday there. That will always be a place of great community for me.

-Having dinner with the lovely Denise (who is having a baby soon and wants me to come back and baptize it next summer, which I'm very thrilled with!) and Caoimhe and Helen. It was my 5th dinner in a row with friends saying see-you-later and it finally hit me that I was leaving. I felt a little panicky but Denise, in good Northern Irish habit, made me a cup of tea and brought me great comfort and insight.

-Having a last (see a theme here?) cappuccino at Common Grounds with Jo and Chris which was also free because Mo had sneaked my name onto the gift board.

-Hilarious banter with Chris (my former *sniff* co-worker) all during the week that continues as he keeps me informed of what's up via facebook and even wanted to skype at work today. I talked to him and Roberta on Skype as I drank my coffee this morning and they want it to be a daily ritual. I say that sounds fun!

-That last walk through the park to work surrounded by the sun-lit trees and misty autumnal air that just spoke of something magical, other, holy.

And now here are some pictures from my Sunny Strangford Lough Send-Off...

(I should probably tell you I climbed this. :) )

And so I find myself in Texas once again. I am sad to have left Belfast, and know that I'll never fully leave that place, but I suppose that's how it should be, and I'm excited with interviews coming up and future-dreaming. I'm loving the serenity and relaxation of home, that it's not just an idea to me but also a place. I'm grateful for friends sad to see me go and friends happy to see me back in the States again. I'm grateful for the warm welcome your very own brand-new tube of toothpaste can bring. I'm grateful to get to hold my Nana's hand again. There is actually grace to be found everywhere, even in bittersweet transitions, life-altering callings and journeys with friends and family alongside you. Life, it seems, is not static but changing and I suppose I should be grateful for that too.

a dream remembered

Some timely wisdom from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech (the 47th anniversary of him giving it was yesterday). I think Northern Ireland and definitely my own country could do with remembering it in these times when we so quickly draw and reinforce lines between "us" and "them."

‎"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred." Martin Luther King, Jr.

st george's, play, pray & repeat

-Seeing this picture of my niece Natalie on my sister's blog, along with videos of Gigi. They're so much fun...can't wait to see them soon!

-St. George's Market Saturdays...I'm gonna miss these. I love the music, the friendly coffee barista who knows me enough to ask specifics questions instead of a general "How's it going?", tee and toast gal who puts so much creativity, wit and care into all she makes, seeing old friends and making new ones and so much more. They've started opening St. George's on Sundays too and because I have a little window of time tomorrow, I'm sneaking in an extra wee visit. (Tee and toast gal and I conspired this as a we-don't-have-to-say-bye-today ploy.)

-Coffee, life-shaping conversation and prayer with Ri. Our lives are both heading in slightly unknown, but wonderfully exciting directions.

thankful

-Well, the goodbyes (or "very enthusiastic see-you-later's" as I've heard said) have begun. I had coffee with Ken, who was the director of the community project I worked at when I was here before and has been a wonderful friend & mentor to me. Do you know those people who see the absolute best in you? He's one of them. He actually recommended that I apply to be the director of Corrymeela, the largest reconciliation community in Northern Ireland, a position I'm surely underqualified for. I love the vote of confidence. :) Ken's such a visionary and encourager. I'll miss him.

-Walking home (a bit teary) after saying goodbye to Ken, I ran into two of my housemate Katrina's artist buddies and they invited me to join them to go see their friend's studio and to have dinner. What was going to be an evening spent packing alone turned into a great night with fascinating people and the most amazing smoked haddock cake with a poached egg on top. Later I told Katrina how glad I was to run into them when I was feeling a bit sad and she said, "Sometimes God puts people in your path just when you need them." So true.

-Hearing that a family friend who was in a terrible plane crash is going to survive and recover.

office space

-I've had the nicest morning. I went into town a bit early and decided to grab a latte and apricot croissant (how European am I? ha) and instead of just rushing on with it, I sat down at the cafe and had my breakfast while writing a report on the Romania trip. While sitting there, a friend from church knocked on the window to say hello (which I would've missed had I rushed on instead of sitting). It was a great start to the day.

-You probably know this already by now, but I really adore writing. I get a bit of an adrenaline rush, love crafting words together in (hopefully) interesting ways and feel somehow more connected with the world and my own thoughts after having done it. Another good part of my morning. :)

-Our office is being rid of asbestos (oh, joy) and so instead of working there, I went to the Blake's nearby and am doing some work from their house. It's more cozy, I have Jo for company and it's asbestos free!

berlin to belfast then back to america

Hi blog buddies...

I'm back from Berlin and watching my last two weeks in Belfast slip through my fingers like grains of sand! Needless to say, I haven't made much time to blog in all my efforts to spend as much time as possible with folks here. It is definitely a bittersweet thing to leave...my heart will always in some way be here and I know I won't ever really completely leave it, and yet every time I see a toddler I think of how much I yearn to spend time with my nieces and family back home. Alas, it seems life is not a static thing. And I suppose this is a gift. So, in my laziness, I have only posted a few pictures from Berlin here, but invite you to view the rest (all 100+ of them) here on my facebook page. I hope your summer is winding down slowly and that you're still able to sip a glass of wine or lemonade and read a book for fun in the shade. In between Wilbur Smith marathons, I've started reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, a book I halfway read in seminary. It sounds a little cliche to say it feeds my soul, but really, it does.

Enjoy a bit of my Berlin experience...it was so wonderful to be with the Kuhlas again and see their complicated and beautiful city. I got to experience so much of it: Parliament, the Holocaust Memorial, the city park, a flea market (called the Flohmarkt am Mauerpark) and much more. Berlin is such a rich, artistic place.

the haunting and powerful Holocaust Memorial

at the flohmarkt

SO much good food...massive shrimp pasta...

and of course waffles!

such a fun, silly reunion.

german holiday

Hello friends,

I'm off to Berlin until next Tuesday to go visit the wonderful Kuhlas. I'll take lots of pictures and be sure to share them when I'm back! Have a great week. Blumenkohl! (that's german for cauliflower--I'll be great in Berlin ha)

Love,

Whit

signs of support

-Preaching for the last time at Fitzroy (I'm still there for a month or so, but this was my last time preaching) and feeling so loved and supported. I preached on the women at the cross, the women who stayed when everyone else left and how they ministered to Jesus during his life and even went to tend to his body at the tomb, only to discover the wonder of the resurrection. Everyone applauded me at the end of it, which surprised me quite a bit, but was such a tangible sign of their ministry to me these past 2 years.

-Skyping with my Nana who had never seen a computer before and with my sister and nieces.

-Having lunch with my good friend Ruth and catching up on all the exciting developments of life, as well as the perfectly ordinary ones.

-Going to the evening service about Orthodox Heresy (from Belfast visionary Pete Rollins) and David who was leading talking about how this new way of following Jesus isn't about giving the right answers but asking the right questions. Then, he referenced a sermon I preached months ago--which I ended with questions I had--and he said, "If you want to know what an orthodox heretic looks like, look at Whitney." (Then everyone did, much to my embarrassment!) I replied that I considered this a compliment and he said it was the highest compliment he could give. What generously supportive people!

time's a waist-in'

-Receiving a doozy of a going away present from Fitzroy: my very own, shiny new Mac laptop. What an incredibly generous thing! Those people are sneaky. I have about a month left, and can't believe it. I find myself trying to grapple with little moments: writing sermons in the Linenhall Library, strolling through Cornmarket, sipping coffee at a favorite cafe, listening to incredibly talented buskers...I want to grab onto these things with both hands and not let go. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to fully let go of Belfast, and that's a good thing. :)

-Lots and lots of movies in one day. I can't get enough. By the way, dear blog buddy, you should see the new Karate Kid. I know, how can it ever replace the old one? Think of it as a good biblical commentary: not quite the original thing, but oh so creative and wonderful. It was fantastic.

-Wearing my favorite little waistcoat/vest over my favorite little Florence and the Machine t-shirt and my favorite not-so-little green scarf and feeling positively jaunty on an otherwise rainy day.