Summertime Pics, vol.3 -- Berry Pickin'

We spent the morning picking blueberries with Sherry, Isaac, Asher & Jodie at Reed Valley Orchard. They have pick-your-own prices, as well as pre-picked berries and all manner of yummy jams & spreads inside. (I'm dying to try the pumpkin butter.) We spent about an hour amidst the bushes, enjoying the sunshine and the peacefulness of being outside.

As relaxing as it sounds (and it was), I have a new respect for folks who grow and pick produce for a living. This hearty berry crop didn't just spring up overnight, like green beans or squash. These bushes took several years to reach full bearing potential, and must be covered with fine mesh to keep snacking birds away. (This grove of bushes was grown inside a huge mesh tent.) And after the bushes fruit, someone has to pick the gorgeous berries, and this takes a little longer than picking a squash.

I don't say this to complain; it just bring the price of food a bit more into perspective. I realized that when I go to Krogers, or even to the farmers' market, I tend to get a little judgmental and dissatisfied with the prices. "Why does a pint of blueberries cost so much?" After sweating in the sun for an hour picking berries, I began to wonder why they don't cost more. And it became more apparent at the register -- you save $2 a quart picking your own. No question, it was worth it.

We ended up with almost a gallon of blueberries (picked by us), a quart of blackberries (pre-picked), and a jar of pear preserves that Sherry highly recommended. Plans for the fruit include a batch of jam and at least one pie. Sherry was telling me how to freeze them, but I didn't pay much attention -- I'm fairly sure none will make it that far.

Miranda assesses the crop. At first, she didn't distinguish between green and blue berries, but after a while she would come up to me with a handful of gorgeous ripe berries. (I don't want to know how many she ate on the sly.)
Sherry displays her harvest.

Isaac and Miranda take a well-deserved rest in the shade. Ah, the life of the preschooler.

Praying, I guess.

Summertime pics, vol.1 -- Summertime BBQ

I shamelessly stole the idea of summertime pics from Caren (but she borrowed it from another friend, so I suppose it's ok). Instead of trying to completely chronicle every occurrence of the past few months, I'll bring in some pics and try to give some glimpses of the fun things we've done lately.

Speaking of stolen, pretty much this entire post came from the ashram. Our friends the Nystroms hosted a summer barbeque for an Iraqi family, newly arrived as refugees and sponsered by our community. Omar, Suhair, and Yousef are lovely and blended easily into the evening's program of burgers, swimming, forest exploration, cornhole, and catching fireflies. They will hopefully be coming to our place soon for hot dogs and swingset revelry.

Cornhole, anyone?

Graham, Isaac, Ya 'el, Yousef, and Miranda

That's a funny face, Asher!

Graham & Isaac proudly display their catch

And now, the rest of the story

To all the sweet folks who have emailed or called -- John is fine, he's not dead. Sorry to get everyone concerned. Yesterday, it was all I could do to get the pictures up. Today, I've added some commentary and now, the fuller story. My hope in sharing it is not to impinge on anyone's dignity, but to share with the people who love our family -- all of it -- and seek their prayers and support.

Ever since our move, just one year ago, John has been slowly sliding downhill. We've struggled as a household over issues of rent, medication, family connectedness, and other things. By April, we all knew that a change was coming. It's been a difficult decision, and as a wise friend surmised, even more difficult thing to carry out. Yesterday was so depressing in so many ways, as we packed up the things which we'd accumulated during our 6 years of common life -- his NBA and UK posters, his pictures of JFK and Jesus, his Ghanaian shadowbox (which my family compiled for him), his clothes. I cried several times, especially when I came across his Christmas stocking, which I made for him for him in 2002, our first Christmas together.

John has many decisions to make now, some of which will be difficult. It's hard to know how to feel. Could we have been more faithful? How do we avoid vilifying ourselves, or him, in an attempt to ease the grief we feel? How do we trust God to care for us in this time?

Sigh.

Go well, dear brother

August 2007: I love this picture -- affection and trust (or was it just the 3 of us being squashed in the truck??)

June 2008: Paint paint paint!

March 2008: John always made sure that Miranda wouldn't fall. He took very good care of her.

Sept 2006: All the neighborhood kids liked John.

July 2006: The Trifecta Trio (Billy, Mike & John) and their mascot, the Wunchinator.




December 2006: Munchie shares her scarf with her buddy.

December 2007: The beautiful shadowbox of Ghanaian items, which my family collaborated to create for him.

February 2007: Reading with Munchie. She always liked that.

December 2006: Santa brings some of John's favorites in his stocking.

January 2006: Miranda's first trip to a beer garden, where she hangs out with the only non-drinker!

Summer 2004: Billy & Troy are good pals.

October 2005: John and the Munchie.

August 2006: Eating at "Country Cookin', by George!" with Maria & Miranda, on the 4th anniversary of his moving in with us.

December 2006: Decorating committee, chair and co-chair.

March 2007: We celebrate John's 40th birthday.

December 2006: John helps Miranda take a spin on her new tricycle.

This is how I always think of John -- smiling. We're so glad you're our friend, and we trust God to keep us so for a long time.

Pics from last year's garden Wunchie

Helping dig the rhubarb bed, which was hard work!

Does this big shovel work any better?

Getting instruction from a friend (and his owner).

At home in the rows.

Sampling a fresh cuke from Three Springs Farm.

A butternut squash from our garden!

Wunchie-sized pumpkin

Holy Week 2008: Footwashing

Ash Wednesday 2008 (with a flashback to 2006)

Advent III: Be Patient

Wholeness, love, and joy come with the Advent of Messiah. We've been awakened to that. But we've also been awakened to the reality that our journey is potholed by brokenness, hate and discontent... and we're caught in the middle.

We welcome the coming. We are surprised and challenged by the glimpses of advent that God reveals to us, and we would welcome its full coming sooner. We expect it; we anticipate it; we long for it.

And we wait.

Wait for the coming of Messiah. Slow down and watch for it carefully. The faithful have been doing so since the story began. Abraham looked for the seed of blessing, and only caught a glimpse. David shepherded the people of Israel in seeking God's heart, and struggled through. Isaiah prophesied of the judgement and restoration of that inbreaking of Messiah, and himself waited for that culmination.

And so we wait as well... and active, hope-filled waiting leads us to faithfulness.... and calls us to patience.

Some suggestions for action:

• Fast from convenience. Fast from the microwave or the car or perhaps fast food.
  Choose to wait in line. Take the "human" register at the supermarket and take the time to tell the cashier, "I appreciate you."
• Think of a person or situation that has left you in a place of exasperation or wanting to give up, and pray for patience. Genuinely, expectantly... pray for patience.
• Read Psalm 146, James 5:7-10, 2 Peter 3:13-15

Advent II: Welcome

Here's the meditation and scripture for the second week of Advent.

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Welcoming the Advent means welcoming not only Messiah come to us, but also welcoming Messiah come through us. We welcome as God has welcomed.... graciously, eagerly, lavishly, expectantly. This week of Advent, open yourself up and invite the "other" in. You may find you are hosting Jesus; you may find that Jesus is hosting you.

This welcome surprises us. It comes in times and places that are unexpected, and draws us into journeys that are challenging. No less could be expected of the coming of Messiah.

The call of the first Advent was the call of love and was the call of transformation. Within the incarnation is found the welcoming of God on all that is human; it is a divine and intimate embrace of creation, if you will. Similarly then, in that same incarnation is found the exposure and rejection of all that is inhumane; and herein lies our responsibility to welcoming the new life to which God invites us.

We hope to go beyond remembering this Advent season. We want to do more than recall the events of 2000 years ago. We hope to learn what it means for us to be re-made and re-formed as if this incarnation was as close to you in time and space as the skin on your hands and the tears in your eyes. Our being welcomed by and welcoming Messiah should quicken us with the same present-tense energy as today’s headlines.

Some suggestions for action:

· Host a lavish dinner at your place and invite someone who would not be able to do the same for you.
· Spend time in prayer and meditation. Imagine that you have an evening get together with an old friend, and share that kind of time and space with God.
· Invite the change and transformation of repentance. Call on a friend with whom you can be vulnerable and open up your sins and struggles with him or her.
Read Romans 15:1-13..."welcome one another!"

Advent I -- Awake!

Growing up, I attended the Episcopalian Church with my family. Although not quite as liturgical as the Catholic Church, it nonetheless faithfully followed the church calender throughout the year. Surprisingly, the church year begins again -- not after Easter, which always seemd to make sense to me -- but during Advent, that season during which we await the arrival of Christ in the infant Jesus.

As a child, the meaning of Advent was largely restricted to the opening of an Advent calender each day, and counting down the days until Christmas. But in reality, Advent is a time not just of joyful anticipation, but of somber anticipation as well. It's similar to Lent in that it's a season of examination, of preparation for a special event the meaning of which we may not truly understand. It's true, we are awaiting the arrival of Christ, and that's exciting. But it's also extremely serious in a way that is somewhat lessened by the festive nature of the season in our culture. Don't get me wrong -- I love the excitement of the season. But it's only been recently that I've genuinely understood the true meaning of Advent, and been able to participate in its richness, in both the solemnity and the joy.

The theme for the first week of Advent was Awake! Below is the community's reading for the week. Since Advent actually began on December 2nd, this reading is a week behind. Hopefully you can jump in now, if you like, and savor the anticipation that the season beings.

Advent I: Awake

Wake up! Rub away the comfort of drowsy eyes and take a look around. We live in a world of injustice and pain... Can you see it? Can you hear it? It echos from the groaning of the earth consumed by greed, to the cry of the refugee torn from her country, to the silence of the man sitting cold and alone on the park bench downtown.

Advent calls us to become aware of the need for healing, for hope, and for help. Advent calls us to be awakened to the need for Messiah.

As the faithful waited for the advent of the Messiah many years ago, their longing was filled with the desperation of those on the margins. During this Advent, let's participate in that desperate expectancy by remembering and confronting the brokenness and struggle around and within us.... so awaking ourselves both to the need for and hope of God's life-renewal.

Some suggestions for action:

· Fast this week... skip lunch, or simply eat rice and beans for supper. Remember those for whom choosing what or whether to eat is not an option.
· Donate time and money saved by fasting to the Catholic Action Center or Lexington Rescue Mission
· Sit outside for an hour... on your porch, in the park, where ever. Experience the cold and remember those with whom you share this hour.
· Donate a pair of gloves and a winter hat to Kentucky Refugee Ministries as they welcome folks relocating to Lexington who are not used to the cold of winter.

Read Scripture:

1. Mark 14: 32-42 - your eyes are very heavy…keep awake!
2. Matthew 24:37-44 - be awake and ready
3. Romans 13:8-14 – now is the moment for you to wake from sleep.

Catchin' Up -- Communality retreat

When you get as far behind on your blog as I did between May and November, just getting started again can feel overwhelming. Do you jump in wherever you are, or do you attempt to backtrack and cover some of the things which went unchronicled? Well, I did the former, and now I'll attempt the latter. They probably won't be in any particular order, just as I find pictures or remember stories which are blogworthy.

So, here's the first. I found the most precious picture of Miranda on Billy's desk today (see above). It's of Miranda holding a hammer (I call it "Still Life with Hammer") during the annual Communality retreat this September. We drove east to beautiful Letcher County, where we spent the weekend working with ECCO, Eolia Christian Community Outreach. We extended a porch and added some steps to the community center, sorted clothes for a community yard sale, and generally enjoyed the fall weekend in gorgeous Appalachia. Here's a quick pictoral journey through the weekend. Photos and some captions are courtesy of Geoff Maddock, who takes great pictures.