The Faith of her Friends

While in London, we took a river boat tour down the Thames. Even though the captain told us he was not a professional tour guide, he did share some interesting anecdotes, clever jokes, and entertaining stories along the way, which he said he had just collected from years of living in the city. Near the end of the ride, the captain announced (in his heavy cockney accent) that after the tour, he and his first mate would be going to the local pub, "strictly for research." There are a dozen places in the world that I have wanted to visit for years (Buenos Aires, Cyprus, Paris, Seoul, and Venice, just to name a few), and part of the reason I haven't yet is because I couldn't decide where to begin. But about five years ago, something started to happen in my life that set me on this trajectory to make Scarborough, England, my first overseas destination.  I love Jane Austen books. I can't tell you how many times I've read Pride and Prejudice and giggled at Mr. Bennet...

  I’m a Harry Potter fan. Not in a crazy, wizardry fangirl kind of way, but more in a mature, deep-appreciation-for-great-literature kind of way. So when I got the chance to visit England, I wanted to see all the notable sites, including Platform 9 ¾ at London Kings Cross train station.  I wasn’t really sure how the Brits feel about Harry Potter and his worldwide popularity, but I was surprised to find that they were quite favorable toward him and proudly pointed out Goathland train depot and the Millennium Bridge , both made famous by being featured in the Harry Potter movies. So when we got off the train at Kings Cross and were rushing along to meet our cab driver, the train employee who was assisting us was more than happy to indulge our desire for a quick photo at the renowned platform. “But there will be quite a queue, so I’ll take you by way of a short cut,” he said, and in true Disney World fashion , he whisked us through a door and led us down some hidden hallways an...

 Well, clearly I did not blog while I was in England! Sorry about that, if you were hoping for a play-by-play. It was a whirlwind of amazing moments and precious gifts from the Lord that I still am having a hard time believing were real. It's taking me a while to get settled back in at home to my normal routine, and I don't think it's because of jet-lag, but probably because I left a little piece of my heart there.  Traveling wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. Oh, it wasn't delightful or especially comfortable, but I don't think it is for anyone, and I don't think any of us really expect it to be. I didn't get hurt and my chair was not seriously damaged, so I say it was a win. The weather was surprisingly clear and sunny and beautiful, and we all stayed healthy and safe, praise Jesus.   If you have access to Instagram, you can see all my photos there (courtesy of my dad, who was our faithful and surprisingly skilled photographer all week). And if yo...

Welcome back! I made it through another long Indiana winter, by the power and faithfulness of God!  I got to enjoy family time in Memphis for six weeks, and then did my best to make the Salt Life Cottage warm and cozy during hibernation. I did get pneumonia in January but managed not to land in hospital; my friends helped me fight that good fight for ten days and we conquered it. Speaking of fights, Medicaid battles have been brutal lately, but I am doing all I can and learning (over and over) to trust the Lord to provide.  Spring was slow in coming, and summer has been even slower. We've had a handful of beautiful, warm, sunny days so far, but even today is cool and overcast with a forecast of rain. But it feels to me like preparation for my newest experiment...  Guys, THIS SUNDAY I am leavin' on a jet plane bound for England! It's my first overseas trip and the longest flight I've ever taken. It will be an experiment in airplane travel, accessible tourism, public tran...

 The summer has been long and reluctant to leave, just the way I like it. But the temperatures are steadily growing cooler and the days are steadily getting shorter, so I think this will be the last of my posts for this year. Thank you for all the kind comments and responses you have sent! It means so much that you enjoy reading what I post here. There is a little chipmunk that lives under my back porch, and I've named him Squirt. He comes out each morning and perches on the edge of the deck, scoping out the yard and nibbling on bird seed that has fallen to the ground. This morning, I was watching him through the window and realized that he was looking right at me and making quite a racket, a sort of chirping-cheeping noise that rambled on like he had a lot to say. I found myself wishing I could understand him. Maybe he's getting some things off his chest before he nestles down for a cozy hibernation? A lot happened this summer - a lot of really good and beautiful things! Throu...

This week my dear friend, Abby Alexander, is sharing her perspective on caregiving... One thing that I have learned from Connie is hospitality. Not the flashy, showy hospitality but nitty-gritty hospitality. I first met Connie in 2010. 14 years ago. She was a missionary in Fort Wayne at International House , an outreach for refugees placed in Fort Wayne. I was part of a college group from Huntington University which volunteered with the youth program weekly. It was our shared ministry that forged our friendship, but it didn’t fade when we both moved away from Fort Wayne in 2014, she to North Carolina to be with her folks and I to China to teach English. Her journey back to Fort Wayne took longer than mine but nevertheless the “saggy mattress” (her description) of Fort Wayne, pulled us both back. Given this history, I would say that I have known Connie throughout many seasons, and it has always been her simple, everyday hospitality that has challenged me to grow in this area as wel...