Coming Home and Something New on my Blog

-
I'm home!

We drove straight through. Twelve hours from Pensacola. The girls slept a good portion of the way in the back seat. I relieved D as driver for about an hour, but then found my eyelids closing of their own accord. The rest of the time I played FreeCell on my computer. Over 80 games I played. Yup.

That was Saturday. Sunday I drove into church, thinking how eager I was to be there. After church it was back home to meet a couple of friends. The three of us drove to San Antonio where we stayed until Wednesday this week -- Yes, I've had my share of being in the car for a while!

Vacation was a dream--I'll post some pictures below. And so was San Antonio, where I participated in the reunion of my Courage to Lead group. "Oasis in the Desert through a Circle of Trust" was the theme. Think about it: How often to we get to be part of a group of

people who are all there in order to provide a safe place for the soul to show up? Parker Palmer likens the soul to a wild animal, independent and strong, but shy, too. A wild animal will stop and examine a place before it shows itself openly. Circles of Trust are specifically designed to be a safe place for people to be REAL with each other. I absolutely loved it! So much so that I volunteered to be a co-leader next time we gather. (As if I have the time. Oh well.)

Something New:
You'll notice my CCBLOGS logo at the top of my blog. In reading Songbird one day last month I noticed the logo there, so I went to investigate. It's The Christian Century! CC is hosting its own blogs, so I decided to inquire about it. Gordon Atkinson (Real Live Preacher) is the host/manager. I'm excited to be part of that group!

Pensacola sunrise

The Beach (taken from the balcony of our condo)


Lightning strike (taken near the entrance to the condo)

Pensacola sunset

Comments

Katherine Doerge said…
Welcome home! Can hardly wait to see you. I'm hoping you still have the fragrance of the sand and sea and ocean breezes.
August 16, 2008 at 1:14 PM
Gannet Girl said…
It looks like it was an incredible vacation!
August 16, 2008 at 3:48 PM
Terri said…
really beautiful photos...and sounds like a nice vacation...
August 17, 2008 at 4:35 PM
Diane M. Roth said…
good for you to be part of CC Blogs. I would like to as well, but I guess it's not to be.
August 17, 2008 at 9:04 PM
Jan said…
Welcome home! I always love seeing pictures of you, especially with friends and family. I noticed your CC icon while I was in WA State and wondered if you had joined their network. Good for you!!
August 19, 2008 at 8:31 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Bible does not close discussions; it seeks to open them"

-
From William Sloan Coffin in The Courage to Love: The opposite of love is not hate but fear. If we are to broaden our vision and enlarge our hearts, we must allow risk to enter our lives, permit doubt to walk hand in hand with belief. It is a mistake to sharpen our minds by narrowing them. It is a mistake to look at the Bible to close a discussion--the Bible seeks to open one.... The Bible is no oracle to be consulted for specific advice on specific problems; rather, it is a wellspring of wisdom about the ambiguity, inevitability, and the insolubility of the human situation. It sings praises to God who...provides minimum protection but maximum support.... Finally, the Bible is a signpost, not a hitching post. It points beyond itself, saying "Pay attention to God, not me." And if, as the Bible claims, "God is love, and she who abides in loves abides in God, and God abides in her," then revelation is in the relationship. In all Scripture there is no injunction more fu...
Read more

Mother's Day...and Children Everywhere, It Seems!

-
Image
Diane has such a beautiful post, " Mother's Day Reflections from a Non-Mother. " She expresses so eloquently much of my own feelings. Thank you, Diane. I blogged last year about the grief I finally was able to experience at not being a mother. (See: Two Souls ) And I was so blessed to receive comments from dear Lovely Passionate Feminist and from blogging friends that, to this day, have stayed with me and given me such solace. LPF, GannetGirl, Linda, Jan, thank you. (GG, I am holding you in prayer, holding you in prayer, holding you in prayer...) This past year I have seen mothering in new ways. Although I am childless, children are playing an increasing role in my life. The children at my church, to whom I am "Pastor Katherine," are amazing. I'm with them for a couple of hours once a week, but many have revealed their hearts to me. It's probably the best thing about my "job," relating to these children, loving them. This picture shows some of ...
Read more

Returning?

-
Giving birth has always been a powerful metaphor for me. Not that I relate it to physical pregnancy, but since I started awakening, 20 years ago now, in my early thirties, I could feel the creative element in life moving within me, making me something new. I'm listening to Jennifer Berezan's CD, "Returning." She chants throughout: returning, returning, returning to the Mother of us all... This music is haunting, smoky, with rhythms that sink to the beginning of time itself. She recorded the music is a subterranean temple/tomb used by the Neolithic people of Malta. The 3-level labyrinth has 33 chambers, stairs, passageways, all carved out of the limestone with flint and antler tools. Some of the chambers, 5.25 meters beneath the surface, are egg shaped. Maybe now you can begin to imagine the haunting quality of this elegant sound. Our local public radio station aired an interview yesterday with a scientist who is using DNA markers to track human populations movements ...
Read more