they come and they go; they come and they go...

Sometimes I just wish they would stay. Not forever, I know, but for time enough. I wish they would stay in my life, in my living room, at my table.

Two friends are going overseas, living for a year in a place where I just hope my letters will arrive. And I know they will return, but we were just getting to know them more, it seems. And the word has now come of another couple leaving, an unexpected friendship, but the kind you know you need to have around; the kind of friendship that needs you just as much. And 4 hours isn't that much, but it's not like living across town.

And what about us? Aren't we always sitting on the edge of our seat, wondering when we'll need to jump up and run to the next town? the next job? Aren't we often discontented (though mostly we shouldn't be) with where we are?

I digress. This isn't really about going or staying... it's about the loss that comes with. It's about change. It's about seasons never staying too long, because without the Winter, the Spring can't be as green. And without the Summer, we can't appreciate hot chocolate and cuddling in the cold during the New Years Eve fireworks.

The seasons must change.

But right now, I'm turning a bit of a cold shoulder to these seasons; they change too quickly for me these days. Will we be given the grace of deep friendships? Of ones who knows us and love us and willingly stay in our lives? Or will we just grasp aimlessly, hoping someone sticks around and chooses to let us in?
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But then I think of Matt and Aislinn, friends who have never been a car ride away (except for those fun 2 months back in Miss-Sippy!) I think of our defeat of time and space and how our times together are filled with jewelry-making and Southern dinners and Vermont hikes and laughter and honesty. And even our time apart is filled with good--good that can't be torn by seaons of change.

In the past 2 years, I've spent time hoping and praying that we will be swept away, "sent" to go be with them, live in a big house, raise our babies together (don't get any ideas; no babies for me yet), and argue and make-up and get through it together. But while I was weeding the onions the other night, I thought that maybe time and distance is a good way to start off. Maybe we are building something unique and unbreakable because we've chosen to keep building this bond across state lines.

At the end of this talk of leaving and hurting and re-building new friendships, I realize this is the stuff of life; I know it. And so I'll take every minute, every laughter, every prayer, every meal, and live into it fully, breathe deep its meaning.

I am long in staying; I am slow to leave
especially when it comes to you, my friend

...I'll take every moment, and every minute that you give me.
["Every Minute" by Sara Groves]

The glory of God is many fully alive.
[St. Irenaeus]

Moscow, Pskov, St. Pete...

I'm less than halfway through my 2-week stint in Russia with a group of folks from my church. We spent a couple of days in crowded Moscow, and though there were some neat things to see, it's just too cramped with too many non-smiling faces. Add cold and rain to the equation, and you have a gal who is ready to get to quaint Pskov, which is where we are now.

We will spend more of our time here (until next Tuesday), and the folks from Pskov UMC are taking such good care of us! We are staying in homes which is so much more personal. The folks are nicer, move more slowly, and laugh at us less often (for being American). I really like it here, AND as a little gift, we have hot water! We didn't have it in Moscow and were prepared not to have it here. They turn it off for about 2 weeks each year to clean the pipes, whatever that means. Anyhow, we're glad to have it, and even if it goes off, we'll be glad for what we had. You become grateful for the things you do have when they are taken away from you. And hopefully you also realize that some of these luxuries you can live without. In fact, I'll go back to the apartment tonight to take some clothes out of the washer and hang them to dry on the little porch.

We go to St. Petersburg next Tuesday and then fly back home on Saturday the 18th. I DO like Russia, but so far, I really like small, charming Russia (Pskov) and not crowded, expensive Russia (Moscow).

Go with God, friends...

Jeff is on a roof, sweating it out with Jr. High kids; Brian is in Ireland, exploring beautiful rocks and lakes and having lots of good conversation; I'm off to Russia in less than 5 days to learn more about the people and culture there than I ever hoped to learn; Aislinn's heart will be forever opened and changed in Uganda. We're all over the place, and it is hard to be apart. But when we come back together - in our living room, on our porch, with our guitars, with our chicken 'n dumplings - we will be glad we went only to come back richer than before.

Peace to you my fellow travelers! Come back with your stories.

http://euromulder.blogspot.com (Brian)
www.matthewclark.net (Matthew)
http://foodieforhire.blogspot.com (Jeff)

thoughts from a Vermont airport

It's 10:07am (Vermont time) and we've been in the airport, oh... 5 hours... and counting. We'll be here another six. Delta was a mess this morning: angry customers, missing flight attendants, cancelled flights, etc. I learned a long time ago (after one big trip with a delay and rebooking that ended in lost luggage but a fun detour) that it does no good to yell at the folks at the ticket counter, and if anything, it will get you sent to the back of the line with no remorse. So we acted calmly... end result? Rebooked flight with no extra charge and $400 flight vouchers - per person - for a flight any time during the next year. Yee haw! And when we got to the gate, the rest of the folks (an hour after expected departure) were just finding out the flight was cancelled and having to go back to the ticket counter to reschedule.

Jeff and I truly knew we'd been given a grace, that God had honored the peace and thankfulness that we extended to the man who was working with us. We'd done all our rebooking after the line at the Delta counter had cleared, whereas the others from our flight would be amid a mass of people trying to rebook. [Grace] So many people were talking to the man at the ticket counter as though he were nothing, that it was all his fault, and in reality, he was working so hard. He helped us so much, albeit over the course of 2 hours, but in the end, our interactions were so peaceful, and we were given compensation - a gift - so we can travel to see friends/family that we don't have to pay for in the end. How wonderful!

The man at the ticket counter is George. We said a prayer for him as we watched the flood of people leave our gate with angry and frustrated faces (and we do know that it is frustrating). We prayed for George to have confidence and patience; for him to extend the same calm, but firm, self that he gave to us; we prayed that people would be kind; we hoped that the peace given him this morning would sustain him throughout the day.

I see George walking across the parking lot right now. He has a break from the counter. He's taking two bags of ice to one of the planes, where maybe they've run out. Apparently George is a man of many trades around this airport, and I wonder if the folks crinkling their noses at him know that he is working this hard, doing the best at his job amidst the general yucky-ness that can come with working at an airport.

Extend peace to others...

Yes, pass the peace, brothers and sisters!

Phew. It's been too long.

You know what I am doing right now? Taking a PERSONAL DAY. See, we leave for the Maytide Makers Conference (aka, 10 friends who are artists and who want to praise the Name through their songs, photographs, music, etc. and are spending a weekend together to do just that.) and we are leaving around noon-ish. But I just really have a lot do this morning before we go, include rescuing my guitar out of someone's house (would be nice to have for the weekend, eh?) before noon.... ish.

The Garden. Wow, who knew gardening was so fun? It's such hard work--weeding, tending, adding dirt to the barren spots--but it's so much fun. And you feel great when you come in after 3 hours in the garden. I'll have to take a picture to show you, but we've got a strawberry plant smack-dab in the middle of our flower bed by the front porch. While digging up this bed, we found a little green army man (you know the ones I'm talking about, the ones whose feet are connected to you can stand them up) and now, he guards the strawberry plant (which by the way, already has 3-4 little strawberries! It's delightful. 

Summer. I'm only going to see Jeff 31 days from now until July 31st. Sucks, right? Yeah, I miss him. He's in Mobile, AL seeing his folks right now, and I leave today so I won't see him until Monday evening.

I don't usually just give updates, partially because I don't think anyone reads this, and partially because I usually blog when I've had some spiritual awakening or am feeling deep about some other topic. But here you go- a regular ol' update. And that's not even the half of it.

Memphis is unique. And so are our lives. This season... mmmm, there could never be another one quite like it.

go and love and serve, friends...

pineapple and living room prayer

Who knew that fresh cut pineapple was so much better than the stuff out of the can? You know, the stuff they served in the cafeteria when you were in school? Jeff seemed to think that I should have known that this would be true, as all fresh things are better than canned ones, but you just can't imagine how much better until you bite into that juicy goodness called fresh fruit. I'm sitting here right now, eating my pineapple while Jeff eats his chicken strips and Neha is trying to decide whether to eat the vinegar-y bean salad or Jeff's leftover General Tso's chicken from lunch at A-Tan. We're quite an eclectic bunch around here. :)

But just before the pineapple...

There was some praying going on in our living room. In fact, there's been quite a bit of praying going on, and it fills this house with a peace; I like it. Michelle, Neha, and I are meeting together once a week, reading Celebration of Discipline (Richard Foster) together and praying together. It's so good to pray with others... to be in each other's lives, and watch each other live the Light in our daily lives (or try our best) and then come together recognizing the Presence of God together and communing together.

Foster's writing is really beautiful. I'd already read Freedom of Simplicity by him, and it was so wonderful, and I'd always heard that Celebration of Discipline was really good. It is, and he's got me thinking a lot about discipline, or lack thereof, in my own life.

Last night I collapsed in bed frustrated and worn out. I'm busy, so busy that I find myself not having enough time to be a neighbor and spend time in solitude and be outside on the porch and hanging out with the families I've made friends with in the neighborhood. And being involved in a lot can't be bad--I don't want to be idle. But that's never been an issue for me.. instead I'm overwhelmed.

Prayers for the peace of Christ and stillness of his presence are needed.

Grace and peace be yours...

I've been meaning to blog a lot lately, but this week has been crazy. Tomorrow we enter into a weekend-long time of learning what is God's heart for our brothers and sisters who are poor and oppressed, both here in Memphis and around the world. We'll lead others from Christ United Methodist through some decision-making and tough conversations as they will likely be outside of their comfort zone much of the weekend. Won't I even be outside of mine? Do I know what it means to go without food and a shower?

We by no means proclaim that this weekend we will "arrive," that we'll know what it means to live a life of poverty. We are fully aware that we aren't even scratching the surface. But we do know that in our white, affluent church, we must start somewhere. We must walk these friends by the hand, a little closer to the heart of the matter.

My friend and brother Matthew said, "Reconciliation can only happen when we submit to the fact that we are all equally valuable in the eyes of God." And so it is. This is why we are going this weekend; this is why we are stretching ourselves... not to be saviors, not to put ourselves in a place of status above those who are "poor," but to know our brothers and sisters who the world says we cannot be in communion with because we are too different, who we are taught to ignore and cast off. From the same Family we came, and Christ came to save us all. We must see the eyes of Christ in each other!

Pray for us as we come together...

Until Sunday..