Today we started out early. Skipped the pricey room service and stopped at a local outdoor cafe for breakfast. Kind of an Italian place, we'd eaten there before. They had a full English breakfast for 7 pounds. I had scrambled eggs and cheese bread. The real food to mention, though, was our late lunch back again near our hotel---Steve got the roast beef and yorkshire pudding. A family favorite. I've given out the recipe to friends. IT WAS FABULOUS! (made me think of mummy and duhdy--my fake English accent there.) It was not as beefy since we add bacon drippings but oh my goodness, the eggy delight. I'm getting that next time. I opted again for cheese toast--2nd time in a day. Garlic, I should add.
The best part of the day is that at breakfast we could hear the church bells ringing. I knew we were near St. Martin's in the Field ( you can google it.) But those bells started at 9:15 or something. Just a tad rude to the folks nearby perhaps? Not that I minded, but I think of those muslim calls to prayer. You know, the faithful only need a bit of a honk and they will get to praying or head to church. Drawing it out only irritates the unbelievers----doesn't likely bring any conviction at all. so what is the point? not that I'm deciding what any one needs to do. I'm not on the bell committtee. But I DO love to worship Jesus and particularly observe a special time on Sunday where I worship with others. Any one who follows Jesus Christ is my buddy so off we went. Steve suggested we go in, I think I was nervous once we approached. I have truly visited so many churches around the USA and the world, but I just felt awkward.
In we went and they handed me the program as we passed by. I scooted as close to the front as Steve allows and moved in below the place where the man preaches. It's those olden days kind where he's stuck out there like Martin Luther or one of the Puritans, I don't know. It'd different than those just at the front. I didn't know if we were in a protestant place, angelican or catholic. No matter to me because I read through the program and it was deeply reverent, filled with scripture, and fully loving Jesus. yay! and they had those super cool prayer benches. (I WANT A PRAYER BENCH!)
it's a service you can easily chime in with locals because it's all played out for you. I sang the songs off key because I didn't know them and it is hard to follow in real time. You know, the go up on the note and I was in mid range following them up on that last syllable but whoops, they were going down just then. a bit comical. especially when they got to the greeting part because I know to say God be with you and answer "and also with you" and so I turned to the guy on the other side of me. but he did not extend his hand. I said, "Aren't we supposed to shake?" he said, I think in just a bit. OOPS. nervous laugh. and then it was time and he was obviously a real Christian, that warm nice look in his eye and he said it with meaning. and all the people around me did also. Wow, not common to actually land in the middle of a bunch of people who actually MEAN to love you in that moment. so that was pretty cool. I was blessed. because I am one of them, too, reaching out to each person, even that guy I messed up with: "God be with you." from my heart. Be saved, be forgiven, be loved, be changed, love others joyfully and many more things I mean when I say it. They meant it, too, oh I wish I could describe better.
I didn't take communion, although I usually do, because they do the "drink from the same chalice" stuff and that guy was NOT doing a good job of wiping like they did over in Westminster Abbey when we did communion there. THAT time the guy wiped hard and fully inside and out on the lip of the cup. I just figured I'd pass. You could go up if you were in Christ but they also offered a blessing if you wanted to come up and just bow your head and not get communion. Well, i had worn FLIP FLOPS---kind of not church wear. i still could have gone, right? The preaching was really good and I loved all the symbolism since we dont' have that much. Turns out they were Catholic when they prayed for their father in rome. Well, I pray for him, too. God bless him and lead him. He's an influential man.
This church is particularly meaningful because I am descended from a couple who were married there in that church! how awesome is THAT? and there I was in that church.....great great great something rather. have to ask my dad. He found out about how Clark goes back so far in England and then on one of the women's lines we can go back to 1473.
After that wonderful morning, we got on the underground and headed over to the tower of London and to see the tower bridge. we meant to make it to the Globe Theatre but we had to get there before 12 and we spent so much time trying to find the restrooms after church that we wouldn't have made it. maybe later. We knew from the messsage not to push it. Leave room for silence. Go slow. rest. That's what we are doing now. (uh...i'm not being silent but I am resting.)
Looking at couples and families and clothing and hearing accents and dialects and languages is pretty entertaining. Throngs of tourists. we mingle and weave. The sun was shining brilliantly and the wind was blowing a cool relief and we got to see a great little play just outside of the Tower of London. We went into the National Gallery and found a portrait of the boy who inspired Christopher Robin holding his beloved Pooh bear and i melted and grabbed him close, loving him through his cellophane wrapping. Oh darling pooh. You are a beloved icon! i read it on CNN. I've always loved you, my adventurous bedfellow. All those nights I rescued you from the floor of lava and just barely got you onto the raft (bed) safely. From there we could pick out the mickey mouse and donald duck figures on the sheets together. Silly bear. how I love you.
Perhaps Nicole's little Rayner needs a bed fellow? Or would sarah and I weep at the loss? One favorite sweet quote from little Sarah....."you think I only love pooh bear because you love him???? no. i love him myself." how precious is that? and she said it with the most earnest loving charm and assurance. We still have him and he's lovely. Not like this wild and flamboyant pooh bear of today. Next thing you know, Peter Rabbit will be morphing into Roger Rabbit like Pooh has sort of done. But this sweet old original bear....he even comes before our pooh. We'll decide all together about his future.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
From Germany to London
It has been strange to be unconnected to the general populace. My phone stays off and we rarely have internet connectivity as we are out and about.
Germany was another new country and we drove along the Rheine seeing castle after castle on the high hilltops on either side. Quaint little towns below with adorable old buildings lining the river banks. Barges and boats floating by. The weather was perfect, very warm with a slight wind. We were in the car but we would have loved to climb those steps to the castles which had differing qualities of repair. Some were just ruins and others were clearly still in use in some manner. Oh to have google at my finger tips! I would have looked up St. Goar and Obervessel (I have that second one spelled incorrectly.)
We had driven on the autobahn to Veldhoven in the Netherlands--I have already been through Amsterdam but now I was really somewhere in the Netherlands rather than just passing through. and there was no border check. That was odd. It was just like crossing a state line in the USA. Just a sign and then you are somewhere else.
and oh I already miss precious little Julian and little Sophie!!! My goodness those children have captured my heart. I asked to speak to Julien on the phone and he said, Aunt Stephanie, I am missing you. (PRECIOUS!) because we had gone around that day talking and talking. He's such an interesting little guy. Very verbal in both languages. He told us he wanted to be a train driver. Then later he said he wanted to be a bus driver. His mom asked him, Which one then? and I explained that it depended on what he liked. Did he want to have lots of people get on and off and make lots of turns and go around different places? or did he want to go in one sort of straight line but with lots of power. He thought a minute and said; " I want the power." I told him, "Trains it is, then." and he agreed.
and now we've come to London. It is always good to be in London. Such a hub of activity! and the variety of peoples everywhere--great to watch and pray for. We are close to Picadilly Circus in this crazy hotel. It is very expensive due to location, but they are really working on everything to be ready for the Olympics in 375 days (we saw a countdown clock in front of the National Gallery.) I wish I could show the room--I did make a video because I was incredulous. Purple crushed velvet bedding and garish silver printed lavender leather for a wall of a headboard. Purple couch and well, you half expected to see something like a mirror on the ceiling, but praise God, they didn't go that far. The toilet room had a bidet and a sink and a door for privacy but the tub in like smack in the middle of the whole suite! It's shaped like half an egg shell. I love baths but it seems scary to try to get out of that one and step on the marble floor. The towels hang on heated bars--that is super cool--but steve made it super COOLER and by that I mean cold! the room was at 19 c and I froze this morning. I had them bring an overpriced breakfast to the room and I guess I'll make do in the future with something from a nearby grocery in order to avoid those costs. We got that blood sausage which looks like a black jimmy dean sausage patty but if you bite into it, you spit it right out--UGH! I did get them to leave off the tomato and mushrooms. Just not what I like to see in the morning. and the baked beans don't work for me in the states, I sure don't want them here.
I have no idea what we'll do today. We keep trying to decide. We've done all our supreme favorites at least twice already--but we may do the tower of London anyway. I'll go out to the Kew Gardens and view the National Gallery when Steve works on Mon and Tues. I'd like to go see if I can find something cool for Nicole's baby due in November. Other than that, I never buy trinkets for anyone because they end up in the trash or worse--some people keep them and clutter their lives needlessly. I am really not a shopper anyhow and so although everything looks so cool, the prices here will keep you from reaching out to bring something home. No---just look and smile and walk on by.
I think I am finally rested. My shoulder seems to have stopped bothering me for now. I am working well on this time zone. It's 9am here and I want the room to warm up a bit before getting ready. We are near a lovely park and I'd like to go sit and watch the geese or hear some music in the square. I am right by Jeremyn St. where I think an ancestor was a butcher--unless that's the one that was a watchmaker/jeweler. I had ancestors who were from SoCo when it was nice and then in the70s it turned into a dive. Now it is restored again and I hear it is lively in a good way.
We are at Leicester square (really I should check out the spelling in the guide) but it does seem like a bit of a red light district-and I don't recall seeing it this way before. The theatres are all around here--maybe that is part of it, but we feel so out of place in this modern hotel. In Germany, it was so cool and European. Everything seemed so European--because it was!! ha ha! Here, we get to speak our language---I keep struggling on accident to say Bitte (please) or Dankeshen (thank you spelled wrong by me) or even Spanish or Swahili. I want to say, Asanta Sana (thank you very much.) it is fun. I'm in England. The motherland. Steve was in his German motherland. Actually, I am a citizen of heaven on my way home and I can't wait---but for now, I am in this part of the world where the congestion of Chicago seems mild and suddenly everything in the US seems low priced and reasonable.
I'd like to visit some churches. I'd like to sit in the parks. I might go see a palace on mon or tues. I know I want to see some gardens. I watched Martin Luther (the movie) on my Ipod last week and really enjoyed Germany thinking about him. How good it is that he translated the bible to common language. how thankful I am.
in the middle of all this here in London, I spied a white board where someone had written Psalm 107. (He sent His Word and healed our disease.) and I was so encouraged in my heart. What is this life but a gate to the next? A testing. An opportunity to love and obey God. when you love Him, it is so easy to obey--He puts that love in your heart and you love other people! When you don't love God, I can see and remember how everything feels like you aren't allowed to have your own way. it feels like you are shamed and you resist that shaming. When you come to Christ in repentance, your sins are forgiven and what power to LIVE! and to live well. and to enjoy things! Did I even notice the flowers before i knew Jesus? Did I even see the beauty in others before I knew Him? Did I long to help the downtrodden or the helpless? maybe a little of that, but mosty I just cared for me and mine. Mostly I wanted to avoid getting hurt by all the mean people in the world. Now I care that they understand God's love and I understand they are hurting or just sinful, as I am. Meanness has such a small effect on my now, although it can make you lose your balance at first from shock.
We saw a guy in the lane who seemed to be persuing the crowd for an opportunity to steal. We prayed for him in several ways.
How can I make a difference in this world for Jesus as I'm here in London? I ask the Lord but I am unsure if I will do anything I would consider meaningful. For now, I'm with my husband who prefers to travel WITH me. I got to visit family on the other side of the world. That was lovely. and I guess I will just enjoy where I am at and praise Him.
Germany was another new country and we drove along the Rheine seeing castle after castle on the high hilltops on either side. Quaint little towns below with adorable old buildings lining the river banks. Barges and boats floating by. The weather was perfect, very warm with a slight wind. We were in the car but we would have loved to climb those steps to the castles which had differing qualities of repair. Some were just ruins and others were clearly still in use in some manner. Oh to have google at my finger tips! I would have looked up St. Goar and Obervessel (I have that second one spelled incorrectly.)
We had driven on the autobahn to Veldhoven in the Netherlands--I have already been through Amsterdam but now I was really somewhere in the Netherlands rather than just passing through. and there was no border check. That was odd. It was just like crossing a state line in the USA. Just a sign and then you are somewhere else.
and oh I already miss precious little Julian and little Sophie!!! My goodness those children have captured my heart. I asked to speak to Julien on the phone and he said, Aunt Stephanie, I am missing you. (PRECIOUS!) because we had gone around that day talking and talking. He's such an interesting little guy. Very verbal in both languages. He told us he wanted to be a train driver. Then later he said he wanted to be a bus driver. His mom asked him, Which one then? and I explained that it depended on what he liked. Did he want to have lots of people get on and off and make lots of turns and go around different places? or did he want to go in one sort of straight line but with lots of power. He thought a minute and said; " I want the power." I told him, "Trains it is, then." and he agreed.
and now we've come to London. It is always good to be in London. Such a hub of activity! and the variety of peoples everywhere--great to watch and pray for. We are close to Picadilly Circus in this crazy hotel. It is very expensive due to location, but they are really working on everything to be ready for the Olympics in 375 days (we saw a countdown clock in front of the National Gallery.) I wish I could show the room--I did make a video because I was incredulous. Purple crushed velvet bedding and garish silver printed lavender leather for a wall of a headboard. Purple couch and well, you half expected to see something like a mirror on the ceiling, but praise God, they didn't go that far. The toilet room had a bidet and a sink and a door for privacy but the tub in like smack in the middle of the whole suite! It's shaped like half an egg shell. I love baths but it seems scary to try to get out of that one and step on the marble floor. The towels hang on heated bars--that is super cool--but steve made it super COOLER and by that I mean cold! the room was at 19 c and I froze this morning. I had them bring an overpriced breakfast to the room and I guess I'll make do in the future with something from a nearby grocery in order to avoid those costs. We got that blood sausage which looks like a black jimmy dean sausage patty but if you bite into it, you spit it right out--UGH! I did get them to leave off the tomato and mushrooms. Just not what I like to see in the morning. and the baked beans don't work for me in the states, I sure don't want them here.
I have no idea what we'll do today. We keep trying to decide. We've done all our supreme favorites at least twice already--but we may do the tower of London anyway. I'll go out to the Kew Gardens and view the National Gallery when Steve works on Mon and Tues. I'd like to go see if I can find something cool for Nicole's baby due in November. Other than that, I never buy trinkets for anyone because they end up in the trash or worse--some people keep them and clutter their lives needlessly. I am really not a shopper anyhow and so although everything looks so cool, the prices here will keep you from reaching out to bring something home. No---just look and smile and walk on by.
I think I am finally rested. My shoulder seems to have stopped bothering me for now. I am working well on this time zone. It's 9am here and I want the room to warm up a bit before getting ready. We are near a lovely park and I'd like to go sit and watch the geese or hear some music in the square. I am right by Jeremyn St. where I think an ancestor was a butcher--unless that's the one that was a watchmaker/jeweler. I had ancestors who were from SoCo when it was nice and then in the70s it turned into a dive. Now it is restored again and I hear it is lively in a good way.
We are at Leicester square (really I should check out the spelling in the guide) but it does seem like a bit of a red light district-and I don't recall seeing it this way before. The theatres are all around here--maybe that is part of it, but we feel so out of place in this modern hotel. In Germany, it was so cool and European. Everything seemed so European--because it was!! ha ha! Here, we get to speak our language---I keep struggling on accident to say Bitte (please) or Dankeshen (thank you spelled wrong by me) or even Spanish or Swahili. I want to say, Asanta Sana (thank you very much.) it is fun. I'm in England. The motherland. Steve was in his German motherland. Actually, I am a citizen of heaven on my way home and I can't wait---but for now, I am in this part of the world where the congestion of Chicago seems mild and suddenly everything in the US seems low priced and reasonable.
I'd like to visit some churches. I'd like to sit in the parks. I might go see a palace on mon or tues. I know I want to see some gardens. I watched Martin Luther (the movie) on my Ipod last week and really enjoyed Germany thinking about him. How good it is that he translated the bible to common language. how thankful I am.
in the middle of all this here in London, I spied a white board where someone had written Psalm 107. (He sent His Word and healed our disease.) and I was so encouraged in my heart. What is this life but a gate to the next? A testing. An opportunity to love and obey God. when you love Him, it is so easy to obey--He puts that love in your heart and you love other people! When you don't love God, I can see and remember how everything feels like you aren't allowed to have your own way. it feels like you are shamed and you resist that shaming. When you come to Christ in repentance, your sins are forgiven and what power to LIVE! and to live well. and to enjoy things! Did I even notice the flowers before i knew Jesus? Did I even see the beauty in others before I knew Him? Did I long to help the downtrodden or the helpless? maybe a little of that, but mosty I just cared for me and mine. Mostly I wanted to avoid getting hurt by all the mean people in the world. Now I care that they understand God's love and I understand they are hurting or just sinful, as I am. Meanness has such a small effect on my now, although it can make you lose your balance at first from shock.
We saw a guy in the lane who seemed to be persuing the crowd for an opportunity to steal. We prayed for him in several ways.
How can I make a difference in this world for Jesus as I'm here in London? I ask the Lord but I am unsure if I will do anything I would consider meaningful. For now, I'm with my husband who prefers to travel WITH me. I got to visit family on the other side of the world. That was lovely. and I guess I will just enjoy where I am at and praise Him.
Monday, July 25, 2011
In Germany
I won't have any pictures of Laura's wedding for a while. When some friends send them to me, I will try to post a couple of good ones here. For those on facebook, it is much easier to see a variety of photos that people have already posted. Plus, I am tagged in some of those photos.
I wasted all of today in Germany by sleeping. We came into the city on Saturday morning and we went straight to bed and slept all day and night. Then Ben Weeks, Steve's nephew, came out to pick us up at 9:30am on Sunday morning. We had a great day with him and Leah's family! We had Jael's (Leah's sister) birthday dinner with the family --it was delicious! We had a wonderful assortment of German foods and their favorites. We got to see baby Sophie, who is so adorable, she can't even help but be perfect! and little Julien, now four, was a hoot. He is very verbal in both languages. He wanted more food than his father put on his plate. We all chuckled at him. He stood there on his chair, looked around and said, "There is nothing here to laugh at." with all seriousness. Of course, we laughed all the more. His father told him, "They are just laughing because you are so cute." which was true. He's a precious boy and very smart and active--as four year olds tend to be.
We got to go visit St. Elizabeth's Church. She was married to some rich ruler (I forget which one) but when he died, she went on to live a life of simplicity but work for the poor. She founded a hospital of sorts and was very generous and kind. A church was built over her burial spot and then later they dug up her bones to put them in the altar for veneration. I'm sure she would not be pleased! She wouldn't want a giant church in her honor or she could have built that. She would want to inspire others to serve the poor. I liked her. I bless her. I pray I meet her in heaven. They certainly built a lovely church in her honor and I had a peaceful moment of prayer amidst the mutterings of tourists around me.
Then we went to the Castle Marhlburg or something. I'll have to come back and correct that spelling. It was amazingly large. It was built on a hilltop. So interesting to see these castles jutting up in the sky. Their good vantage points are obvious. There were many delightful relics in the place. We went up and down miles of stairs. The stairs here tend to be in circles; definitely a space saver. There were some gorgeous tapestries. One of them made my jaw drop and I had to resist my strong instinct to brush my hand across it. It was maybe 10 feet wide and about 7 feet high. I was not allowed to take pictures and in that moment I was longing to break the rules and steal a photo. (The Holy Spirit gave me grace and I went away honorably.)
Steve enjoyed the armour and the shields. It was a beautiful place with a lovely view of the town below.
I had hoped to get up today to go to Grandpa's 80th birthday but my body refused to wake. I am still having shoulder/neck pain and it drains my already lazy body. I hoped all the sleep would help but it is there haunting me still. All prayers are appreciated. Drugs are not helping. Nothing seems to help. and then today I had that carpal tunnel issue in my left hand. Chronic pain is so unnerving! It leads me to compassion for people who experience far deeper levels than I can imagine. All over the world, even the rich are unable to soothe what ails them--and the poor? They suffer with so many ailments we quickly dismiss with this or that treatment. Pray today for those less fortunate than you. Pray today looking at what you DO have rather than focusing on what you want. Oh Lord, we are grateful to You. Oh Lord, grant us your mercy by the Holy Spirit in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.
I wasted all of today in Germany by sleeping. We came into the city on Saturday morning and we went straight to bed and slept all day and night. Then Ben Weeks, Steve's nephew, came out to pick us up at 9:30am on Sunday morning. We had a great day with him and Leah's family! We had Jael's (Leah's sister) birthday dinner with the family --it was delicious! We had a wonderful assortment of German foods and their favorites. We got to see baby Sophie, who is so adorable, she can't even help but be perfect! and little Julien, now four, was a hoot. He is very verbal in both languages. He wanted more food than his father put on his plate. We all chuckled at him. He stood there on his chair, looked around and said, "There is nothing here to laugh at." with all seriousness. Of course, we laughed all the more. His father told him, "They are just laughing because you are so cute." which was true. He's a precious boy and very smart and active--as four year olds tend to be.
We got to go visit St. Elizabeth's Church. She was married to some rich ruler (I forget which one) but when he died, she went on to live a life of simplicity but work for the poor. She founded a hospital of sorts and was very generous and kind. A church was built over her burial spot and then later they dug up her bones to put them in the altar for veneration. I'm sure she would not be pleased! She wouldn't want a giant church in her honor or she could have built that. She would want to inspire others to serve the poor. I liked her. I bless her. I pray I meet her in heaven. They certainly built a lovely church in her honor and I had a peaceful moment of prayer amidst the mutterings of tourists around me.
Then we went to the Castle Marhlburg or something. I'll have to come back and correct that spelling. It was amazingly large. It was built on a hilltop. So interesting to see these castles jutting up in the sky. Their good vantage points are obvious. There were many delightful relics in the place. We went up and down miles of stairs. The stairs here tend to be in circles; definitely a space saver. There were some gorgeous tapestries. One of them made my jaw drop and I had to resist my strong instinct to brush my hand across it. It was maybe 10 feet wide and about 7 feet high. I was not allowed to take pictures and in that moment I was longing to break the rules and steal a photo. (The Holy Spirit gave me grace and I went away honorably.)
Steve enjoyed the armour and the shields. It was a beautiful place with a lovely view of the town below.
I had hoped to get up today to go to Grandpa's 80th birthday but my body refused to wake. I am still having shoulder/neck pain and it drains my already lazy body. I hoped all the sleep would help but it is there haunting me still. All prayers are appreciated. Drugs are not helping. Nothing seems to help. and then today I had that carpal tunnel issue in my left hand. Chronic pain is so unnerving! It leads me to compassion for people who experience far deeper levels than I can imagine. All over the world, even the rich are unable to soothe what ails them--and the poor? They suffer with so many ailments we quickly dismiss with this or that treatment. Pray today for those less fortunate than you. Pray today looking at what you DO have rather than focusing on what you want. Oh Lord, we are grateful to You. Oh Lord, grant us your mercy by the Holy Spirit in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Blessed covenant season: Frank and Cynthia
Here's just two of my favorite pictures among many. Congratulations to Frank and Cynthia, already married by African Tradition, but sealing their covenant before God through a ceremony acknowledging Christ. Amen.
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