Early in the morning, I looked out the kitchen window with only the tiniest hint of light in the early sky. But no, off to the right of this scene, the clouds hanging in the sky were like a stage curtain, scarcely able to contain the light from behind, which was bright white, toned down by the film of clouds hanging in-front of this light source.
One might have considered this a sunrise scene. But no. It was the moon moving behind a layer of clouds so close to the horizon. I ran for my camera, found it and returned. Alas, the clouds were moving in one direction and the moon in another. The moment had escaped me. Yet etched in my memory is the reminder of how God creates blessings each day for those of us willing to look for them.
The shot that I did snap was equally beautiful as rose tones were rising above the horizon and the morning light was lighting up the western skies. Another, but entirely different, beauty to behold.
Traditions Just the word evokes many thoughts Different for each of us Impact of these thoughts is equally dissimilar Some individuals become melancholy Others upbeat and joyful
The word suggests something one can count on Yet in truth, traditions reflect change
My granny baked an abundant assortment of cookies Enjoyed by all, with each of us having our favorites I took my favorite and ensured it was made every year Thus, my children were introduced to my favorite for the Christmas season Then their children delighted in these same little delicate sweets
Each of these children have carried some traditions from my home to their own Adding new twists and turns creating something unique for their families
No littles at my house for the holidays Yet these little green trees still get pulled from the oven to be enjoyed by others An adult grandchild, with children of her own Requested her gift be a box of these cookies for her family
I smile How my granny would be honored to know These little gems she so readily baked Are still being enjoyed five generations later
Soup Warms the SoulBlowing in the StormCrazy Wild Wind
As mentioned last week, we had been invited by JP, the pastor at Listowel Christian Fellowship, to come Saturday and spend the night and have dinner together. This in itself is such a testament to the work God is doing in establishing us here. On the way, we stopped in Tralee to pick up some fresh flowers for their home. I ducked into a grocery store and Linda informed me she was going to get something at the drugstore across the way. I picked up a bouquet and walked over to the drugstore to find Linda. I couldn’t find her, so I returned to the car to wait. About ten minutes later Linda returned. I told her about not being able to find her. She fessed up and told me that she had walked past the drug store and had found herself about a block past when she realized she had missed the entry to the drug store. We had a good laugh.
We arrived at JP and Fidelma’s home and continued our mutual discovery of each other’s history and mission. JP had kitchen duty and prepared a wonderful roast with all of the fixins’.
Our weekend in Listowel ended on the sweet note of sharing in worship and teaching at Listowel Christian Fellowship. This group is transitioning from Zoom only to meeting in person again. The fellowship is lively and enjoys a weekly opportunity for testimony.
Promise of SpringEnjoying the sun
Driving back to Dingle, we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and explore a new area for us, Brandon Point. The sun highlighted some of the spring flowers popping up around the county. We find the activity in the sky fascinating. Cloud formations are different around the world. We drove home over Connor Pass. As the passenger, Linda was able to enjoy lovely views of the seashore, catch glimpses of sheep traversing rocky steep fields and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. Tom got to navigate the long, twisting, narrow pass. At the top, where the road widens, there is a rest stop perched high enough above the shore that one is able to see the sea on both sides of the peninsula.
We lunched with Michael and Ninfa at one of the hotels in Killarney renown for hosting weddings. Much laughter ensued as we talked about some of Michael’s culinary surprises when he visited the United States. Though we all speak English, there is such surprise in learning how each culture uses some of the same words. He was encouraged to try biscuits and gravy for breakfast. He did, but could not imagine being served cookies with gravy for breakfast. They shared some of their dreams for their church. We felt honored to be part of their conversation.
The Tuesday fellowship group continued their gathering, moving onto “anointing” this week. There were good questions, conversation and encouragement.
Sometime in the night, rain moved into the area. There were a few breaks during the day. Laughter and great conversations filled the air of the alcove where the writers met at the Meadowlands Hotel and pub. The heat from the free standing stove kept everyone cozy on a dreary day. National news advised of worse weather coming late Thursday, and continuing onto Friday. A Red Alert was issued. Many events were cancelled.
Thursday, Linda met with the writers via Zoom. Maire Holmes is back as Writer in Residence again. What a treat for the group!
The wind howled and raged through Thursday night. We’d awaken to rain pelting the windows and doors. Brief reprieves offered calm moments. From the safety of our cottage the sound made me think we were in the middle of a brutal winter snowstorm. But no, it was an Irish winter storm. We enjoyed the safety of our cottage. The weather continued. Slightly abating on Saturday when we took a short drive. The wind and rain returned. Another storm on the heels of the first continued through the weekend.
Windand More Rain
This was the week Covid caught up with Tom. Seems to be a mild case, doing a lot of reading and taking naps. Perhaps a good week for the weather to be so bad it too limited our activities. Linda has continued to test negative. We’ll have to wait and see how Covid affects the rest of our trip. We appreciate your prayers.
… the mountain casts a spell over people who live near it. When one leaves the area, the spell causes that person to never really leave, but at least continue to return.
Maybe…
Maybe not…
We left the area about six weeks ago, then returned to retrieve a vehicle we’d left behind. Our conversations revealed we each felt happy to be back in town, driving the streets, seeing a few friends, enjoying the sights and having food from several favorite places.
Let there be no mistake. We know our new home, the region where we live, the town we’re part of is exactly where we are supposed to be and we’re thrilled to begin this new adventure in our life journey.
We’ve returned to locations from our past homes because of the people, but never experienced the feeling of simple happiness by just being in the area. Perhaps there is a spell on us from the mountain, or maybe it’s because we each experienced so much personal growth and deepened our spiritual lives here; made many friendships and memories. We changed living here. We’re not the same people we were when we moved here. We smile, knowing we’ll be back again.
Beautiful Night Scene
Have you ever felt like living somewhere changed who you are?
Yesterday, we ended the day with this beautiful sunset, viewed from the window of our friend’s house. We reconnected after church with friends we met while in Ireland in the spring of 2019.
Sunset in Ireland
The sunset was beautiful.
Yet I find the real blessing to be how God brings His people together. That no matter where you travel, when with Christians you feel like you’re with family.
It is beautiful to reconnect with those we forged bonds with last spring.
‘Twas the night before Christmas, Not a creature was stirring….
Perhaps this is a night for reflection.
…a quiet night to sit by a fire, or simply on a couch
…a time to think of what is right in your life
…or to think on the things you might like to change
Christmas is special to me. I’ll spend this evening in my home, reflecting on Christmas’ past, and the people who’ve impacted my life. I’ll count my joys and blessings, and though I hold those things lightly, for me it’s important to recognize them.
I’ll wait for snow, like a child waits for Santa because that is part of the magic of my Christmas.
I’ll think on that time so many years ago when history was changed a child was born in a manger. Then I’ll think on the time I made his saving grace a part of my life.
May you enjoy the blessings of this holiday season and find joy in the coming year.
We returned home to Colorado in early June. Since that time, we’ve been connecting with old friends and family. Anyone who has spent a large chunk of time out of the country may relate to the re-adjustment time when returning to your homeland. We’ve been living through this change process. Many of our discussions have centered about “when we will return to Ireland.”
As part of connecting with family and friends, we made a trip back to the mid-west and attended the church Tom was part of for many years. It was our first opportunity of speaking to a group about Ireland, our time there and the vision for the future. It was an excellent experience for both of us. Besides being energizing, this time identified areas where we need to clarify our vision.
We send a hearty “thanks” to the folks of New Hope for allowing us to share our experience and vision; for your interest in this work; and for reminding us that when with Christians, one is never far from family.
For more information about this mission, check out CelticMissions.org
Journey to the Heights 