13.1 Miles

Well, that's one item I can cross off my bucket list....

Post-race photo after running the Philadelphia Half-Marathon

Glimpses

Just a wee glimpse of where I spent some time over this past summer.  A taste of paradise......I wanna go back.

Newness

I'm sensing change is about to happen.  Not sure what, but I can feel it.  New adventure awaits.  But all will reveal itself in time.  God's timing. 

Anonymous Quote I

"You are my dream" 

Besties

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dream

Feeling quite weepy this morning.  The dream from last night seemed so real.  Not sure how I should be praying, but pray I will.

maundy thursday

Prayer For The Day

(taken from Liberti Church's lentbook 2011)

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

....and so I grieve as I remember the suffering and death of Jesus.  Inimitable Grace for all.  But in this grief, I also remember that Sunday's a comin'...

Lent VI

Reflection for the last week of Lent taken from Liberti Church's lentbook 2011: 

O Come and Mourn with Me A While

(Frederick W. Faber, 1849)

O come and mourn with me a while;

And tarry here the cross beside; 

O come, together let us mourn-

Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.

Have we no tears to shed for him, 

While soldiers scoff and scribes deride? 

Ah! Look how patiently he hangs; 

Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.

Seven times he spoke, seven words of love; 

And all three hours his silence cried

 For mercy on the souls of men; 

Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.

O love of God! O sin of man! 

In this dread act your strength is tried; 

And victory remains with love; 

For Thou, our Lord, art crucified!

First Sunday

It's been an emotionally charged weekend, starting Friday night as I helped the Bradford family, along with about 40-50 other people from liberti, load the truck with boxes and furniture.    On Saturday morning I was back at their house, to say a final goodbye before their drive down south.  What a somber morning it was in church as I felt the empty void, left by a family loved so dearly by Liberti  church.  My eyes welled with tears during worship as I thought of the finality of it all and the transition that liberti will be going through over this next year.

Transition.  A word I have despised, especially over the last three years as I've undergone through many difficult transitions in my life.  Even as I type this entry, I am in the midst of transition (something that is totally separate from what's happening at liberti) and I am so sick and tired of it.  I am aching for the day when I don't have to face perpetual change, when I don't have to say goodbye to dear friends who move away, and when I can finally feel rooted in one place.  I know that probably will not happen until I reach heaven.  But for now, I can only trust and hope.  Trust in God's sovereignty and goodness.  And hope in that one day I will finally feel rooted in one place.

Lent V

Prayer for the fifth week of Lent taken from Liberti Church's lentbook 2011: 
"Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant us grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen." 

Lent IV

Prayer for the fourth week of Lent taken from Liberti Church's lentbook 2011: 
"Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen." 

Dreaming...

Grand Bahamas, October 2010

It's been so cold out here in Philly and I have been dreaming of clear, blue, ocean water and warm, white, sandy beaches.  The count down begins...

Lent III

Prayer for the third week of Lent taken from Liberti Church's lentbook 2011: 
"Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and all the evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen." 

Wool and Wine

I'm part of a knitting circle.  Seriously.  And I am outing myself here on my blog.

It started with a conversation this past December with my two friends, Elizabeth and Kim.  Elizabeth wanted to learn how to knit, so Kim and I agreed to teach her.  We decided to start after the Christmas holiday madness was over.  Some how it got around to other friends within our church and thus our knitting circle was born.  We meet every second Friday evening, with one of us hosting the group, and well...we knit...we eat chocolate, drink wine, share stories, and we laugh.  There is something to be said about a gathering of women within this context.  Threading together colorful yarn, crafting scarves, baby blankets, and winter caps, we also weave in our stories and experiences with the group, bringing much laughter and thought, sipping wine and savoring chocolate.  There aren't any time lines on the projects we are working on and it doesn't really matter that one person has been knitting the same scarf for the last year or that it took an individual in our group to knit a beautiful baby blanket in two months.  I think what really matters to each woman in the group is the sense of camaraderie, an "esprit de corps" as some would put it.  It's a feeling of acceptance in its purest form, in the simplicity of a pair of needles and some yarn, coupled with a glass of red wine and delicious chocolate.

Yes, I love to knit.

Photobooth Silliness

Photo taken by Seth Shimkonis, http://www.jihmbooth.com/  

So as part last Sunday's goodbye party for the Bradford family at Liberti Church, Seth Shimkonis, photographer extraordinaire, generously gave his time to set up a photobooth at the church.  During the festivities, he took some hilarious photos of people in crazy poses and off-the-wall messages.  So the above photo is with my group of stellar girlfriends, with our not so obvious hints to the Bradfords.  I love, love, love these gals!   And the little man who snuck in the the picture is the youngest Bradford boy, Asher.  Now if all the Raleigh, NC boys are as cute as little Asher here, then I'm packing my stuff and moving down south!  

Lent II

Prayer for the second week of Lent taken from Liberti Church's lentbook 2011:

"O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy; Be gracious to all of us who have gone astray from your ways, and bring us again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen."

Last Sunday

Today was my church pastor's last teaching Sunday at Liberti Church and in a few weeks he, his wife, and their six boys will pack up their things and head down to Raleigh, NC where his family will continue to work in ministry, pastoring a small church plant.  What a bittersweet weekend with the Bradford family, starting with last night at their "Last Supper" party (with about 60 of their close peeps), and then today as we celebrated their 8 years of ministry at Liberti church.  I, along with many others in our church congregation wept many tears when Geoff announced their decision to leave Liberti this past January.  And today, as Geoff concluded his final sermon, as he prepared the congregation for communion, and as he gave his final benediction, I wept some more.  As I type this post, I can feel the tears start to well up as I think of the loss of a man and his family who loved the people of Liberti so well.  Geoff and Susan are incredible examples of what it looks like to live out the gospel and I will miss them greatly.  In all of my years of "doing church", Geoff has been the first pastor who has made such an impact in my view of the church and his leadership and shepherd's heart, has challenged me in my walk with Jesus in so many ways.  I think of the early years of Liberti, when it was just a handful of us meeting in the cafeteria of the Mennonite High School on 24th and Poplar, and now about 300 of us meeting at the Berean Institute.  I think of all the individuals who have come and gone, through the ever revolving doors of Philly, while some goodbyes have been hard, saying goodbye to the Bradfords has been probably one of the more difficult ones.  As I think about why this goodbye has been particularly hard, I have come to the conclusion that it is the culmination of saying goodbye to good friends who have moved out of the city for various reasons.  Like I said...."the ever revolving door of Philadelphia."  In all this,  I am reminded of God's goodness and His faithfulness to this group broken sinners who attend Liberti and how He has carried us over the years as we tried to figure out how to love Jesus and serve people in this small corner of the city.  And to be honest, we are still trying to figure it out, making mistakes along the way, but at the same time doing it with the joy that only comes from knowing Jesus.

So with all this said, Geoff and Susan, you have made an indelible mark in my heart, through the incredible example of love that you have shown me and Liberti over the last eight years.  While I will grieve your loss, I know that that "weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."  God is God and He will remain the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, just like He will continue to be the same God in Raleigh, NC as He is in Philadelphia, PA.

Starting Again

It's been almost a year since I last blogged.  My passion for the written word got lost along the way which is probably the result of the craziness of my life over the last year and a half. Writing has always been so therapeutic for me and I believe it is time to start again.  In doing so, maybe, just maybe, I might find the old me.