It's not that I miss suburbia, but... maybe I do. Since school hasn't started yet and my kids are always with me, which is bliss, painful, loud, annoying bliss, we get to spend a lot of time wondering things like "why did the squirrels eat all the peaches from the tree?" and "what will we do next year to keep the furry tailed rats from attacking again?" Also, are we seeing different deer, or is the same six deer over and over? Can one doe take care of three fawns & which one of the bucks is the dad? Finally, my dog Abby, who barks at deer (a lot), is actually scared of them, so we're thinking steel cage match, toe to paw, five rounds - winner take all!
Seriously, I can't wait for school to start. The Chapel of the Apostles (COTA) has undergone some restoration this summer, so we've not been able to pray there since our arrival. It is the chapel for the seminary, as opposed to All Saints, which is the cathedral-like chapel for the undergrads. COTA is modern, yet really beautiful. The seminary building itself, Hamilton Hall, not so much. Marti was the first to point out it's circa 1965 charm. I actually appreciate that the seminary is physically set apart (about 1/4 mile of woods separate the seminary buildings from the rest of campus), but I wish the architecture had been more in keeping with the main campus buildings, which are gorgeous and very reminiscent of Oxford, which they are modelled on. Oh well, pretty or not, Hamilton Hall is definitely holy ground and you can sense the prayers and study of scripture that have been the hallmark of the place.
Gotta go babysit Joshua, so more later...
peace
Jon
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
House husband
I have said it before, I don't know how full time homemakers can handle the stress of being with their own children day in and day out...? Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but for some reason all the neighborhood kids seem to have left for vacation simultaneously over the last few days and I have spent an extraordinary amount of time of time with Brennan and Aidan. I wonder how they have made it to the ages of 9 and 7 without killing each other. They are good boys, but they are boys, so there is a constant chatter about who did what to whom and how one got more cookies than the other. Brennan is currently obsessed with carnivorous plants..."feed me!" and Aidan can turn anything into a gun.
Today we had a near death experience at something called the "Natural Bridge" which is a few miles from campus. When we arrived, the kids jumped from the car and began to run towards an unknown destination. We YELLED for them to stop and holding hands we came to the most treacherous natural formation I've seen since my visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a boy. The trail through the woods we were on simply emptied out onto a rock formation that was the arch. The approach was from the side, sort of, so you could see that you were about to cross over the 50 foot long, 6 feet wide arch to the other side. Six feet sounds wide, it's certainly better than 3, but there was no room for errors, you would not get a second chance from any significant slip! And... there were no railings, guide ropes or any attempt at keeping the foolish or the unlucky from plummeting 25-30 feet to a rocky death or at least a nice full body cast and head wound combo. As I led Aidan across we noticed that there were people below us, they had already crossed and climbed down a path on the other side. But instead of coming back up via the path, they were wearing flip flops and trying to scale the rock wall. Maybe this was going to be an exciting visit after all. I left Aidan in relative calm, watching the locals defy death in their flip flops from his safe perch at the bottom of the arch and went for Brennan. Our eldest displayed a more profound and heart felt fear of the arch, so we have determined that Brennan is our smartest child. After about 14 seconds on the other side, having proved himself a man, Brennan had me lead him back to Marti. Then I went to fetch Aidan, bid the flip floppers farewell and went home. We have determined that life is so rich that we'll only need that single visit to the Arch of Doom... maybe next week we'll try some spelunking.
Today we had a near death experience at something called the "Natural Bridge" which is a few miles from campus. When we arrived, the kids jumped from the car and began to run towards an unknown destination. We YELLED for them to stop and holding hands we came to the most treacherous natural formation I've seen since my visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a boy. The trail through the woods we were on simply emptied out onto a rock formation that was the arch. The approach was from the side, sort of, so you could see that you were about to cross over the 50 foot long, 6 feet wide arch to the other side. Six feet sounds wide, it's certainly better than 3, but there was no room for errors, you would not get a second chance from any significant slip! And... there were no railings, guide ropes or any attempt at keeping the foolish or the unlucky from plummeting 25-30 feet to a rocky death or at least a nice full body cast and head wound combo. As I led Aidan across we noticed that there were people below us, they had already crossed and climbed down a path on the other side. But instead of coming back up via the path, they were wearing flip flops and trying to scale the rock wall. Maybe this was going to be an exciting visit after all. I left Aidan in relative calm, watching the locals defy death in their flip flops from his safe perch at the bottom of the arch and went for Brennan. Our eldest displayed a more profound and heart felt fear of the arch, so we have determined that Brennan is our smartest child. After about 14 seconds on the other side, having proved himself a man, Brennan had me lead him back to Marti. Then I went to fetch Aidan, bid the flip floppers farewell and went home. We have determined that life is so rich that we'll only need that single visit to the Arch of Doom... maybe next week we'll try some spelunking.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Settling in
We've been at Sewanee for 10 days now and we're starting to settle into a routine. Our neighborhood is very hilly, so Brennan and Aidan spend a lot of time riding bikes and scooters up and down the long sidewalks (probably reaching speeds of 15-20 mph, really!) We walk just about everywhere on campus, including the library, chapel and bookstore. I go mountain biking for a few hours every other day and we spend other time meeting with our fellow seminarians and helping others to move into their homes, as we were helped when we arrived.
The house is really a blessing, it is a 4 bed, 2 bath unit that was originally built in the 50's or 60's for a then-popular athletic director. It's probably one of the nicest seminary houses (we were assigned a bigger house due to having a bigger family, but many thanks to Father Mark and Father Reed for encouraging me to turn in my paperwork early!) Each morning the same family of white tailed deer can be found eating our front lawn and running through our back yard, which is completely woods. We'll be posting some pictures soon.
Tonight we attended our second weekly bbq, which is done at the cookout area of the seminary housing area known as the "Woodlands". We're about 3/4 mile away from the Woodlands, but it is all hills, so we drive when we take the baby over there. Everyone is excited about the new term starting in a few weeks. We all have our different ideas about what ordained life will be like, but even the middlers and seniors (2nd and 3rd year students) really have no idea. All any of us really know so far is what it feels like to be at seminary, and I don't even know that much yet. The silliest thing so far is how little I've heard about Jesus since I arrived. We talk a lot about church, but it's mostly shoptalk, about home parishes, dioceses and bishops, just like you would find at any other job... I hope this changes when class starts.
I wish words could say how blessed we feel to be here in this wonderful place. Sewanee is one of the most beautiful places that I've ever been. We want all of our friends in Jacksonville to come and visit... we have a guest room waiting for you and we really hope you'll come!
Yours in Christ,
Jon
The house is really a blessing, it is a 4 bed, 2 bath unit that was originally built in the 50's or 60's for a then-popular athletic director. It's probably one of the nicest seminary houses (we were assigned a bigger house due to having a bigger family, but many thanks to Father Mark and Father Reed for encouraging me to turn in my paperwork early!) Each morning the same family of white tailed deer can be found eating our front lawn and running through our back yard, which is completely woods. We'll be posting some pictures soon.
Tonight we attended our second weekly bbq, which is done at the cookout area of the seminary housing area known as the "Woodlands". We're about 3/4 mile away from the Woodlands, but it is all hills, so we drive when we take the baby over there. Everyone is excited about the new term starting in a few weeks. We all have our different ideas about what ordained life will be like, but even the middlers and seniors (2nd and 3rd year students) really have no idea. All any of us really know so far is what it feels like to be at seminary, and I don't even know that much yet. The silliest thing so far is how little I've heard about Jesus since I arrived. We talk a lot about church, but it's mostly shoptalk, about home parishes, dioceses and bishops, just like you would find at any other job... I hope this changes when class starts.
I wish words could say how blessed we feel to be here in this wonderful place. Sewanee is one of the most beautiful places that I've ever been. We want all of our friends in Jacksonville to come and visit... we have a guest room waiting for you and we really hope you'll come!
Yours in Christ,
Jon
Saturday, July 18, 2009
On the Mountain
We've been here since Weds, it is wonderful! The weather is amazingly cool and the mountain air is fresh and sweet. The kids are having a blast, we have to tell them to come in the house, never had to do that in Jacksonville! The house is great and I've already met many seminarians... a dozen of them helped us move in at 9pm on Wednesday night. We also attended the weekly bbq last night, which is done every Friday throughout the summer.
Everything is better than we had hoped. The kids are already making friends and there are many families with kids their age. Marti is teaming up with another seminary spouse named Brittany, she's really great and they are going to see the new Harry Potter tomorrow.
I went mountain biking this morning for the first time since we got here. It was so steep and rocky that I had to carry the bike 50% of the time, but it was still a blast. There were two water falls, a few streams and lots of rocky overhangs, plus some deadly cliffs (gotta watch yourself here, a wrong move could go really wrong). Funny thing is that I was never more than 1/2 a mile from my house.
We'll be at St. James, which is off campus, for church tomorrow and the kids are going to go to VBS next week there. The Chapel of the Apostostle is shut down over the summer, but the Daily Offices should start up again in early August. Orientation starts on August 10th and classes start on the 24th, so maybe by then I will actually feel like a student...?
The move was tough, but we're so grateful to all the wonderful people who have helped all along the way... God bless you all!
peace,
Jon
Everything is better than we had hoped. The kids are already making friends and there are many families with kids their age. Marti is teaming up with another seminary spouse named Brittany, she's really great and they are going to see the new Harry Potter tomorrow.
I went mountain biking this morning for the first time since we got here. It was so steep and rocky that I had to carry the bike 50% of the time, but it was still a blast. There were two water falls, a few streams and lots of rocky overhangs, plus some deadly cliffs (gotta watch yourself here, a wrong move could go really wrong). Funny thing is that I was never more than 1/2 a mile from my house.
We'll be at St. James, which is off campus, for church tomorrow and the kids are going to go to VBS next week there. The Chapel of the Apostostle is shut down over the summer, but the Daily Offices should start up again in early August. Orientation starts on August 10th and classes start on the 24th, so maybe by then I will actually feel like a student...?
The move was tough, but we're so grateful to all the wonderful people who have helped all along the way... God bless you all!
peace,
Jon
Thursday, July 9, 2009
More like Him
I want to say that going away to seminary is all an incredible blessing, full of excitement and adventure... but we are so sad. My kids cry every night talking about the friends and family they'll miss, the church and school they'll miss and the way that once everything changes it can never again be the way it is today. And the way it is today is awesome, fantastic, better than we ever expected, hoped or dreamed it could be. We have so many wonderful friends, brothers and sisters, really, who've been with us through tough times and good times and all the in-betweens. We've been with each other as our children have been born and family has passed... at Easters and Christmases and weddings and funerals. We have worshipped, laughed, loved, griped, cried and complained together. We've weathered storms and watched others get blown out to sea. We've seen failings and flailings and prodigal returns and casseroles and fried chicken. St. Andrew's has been our heavenly sanctuary for almost a decade and next Wednesday that changes.
I've been telling my kids that it is ok to cry, it's part of loving. Don't be afraid to feel your feelings, God wants you to, it really is ok. Remember, when confronted with profound loss, Jesus wept. Forgetting all His glory, holiness, and perfection, I often find myself lost in Christ as man, a man who suffered. The God that suffered is the one that makes sense to me.
I've been telling my kids that it is ok to cry, it's part of loving. Don't be afraid to feel your feelings, God wants you to, it really is ok. Remember, when confronted with profound loss, Jesus wept. Forgetting all His glory, holiness, and perfection, I often find myself lost in Christ as man, a man who suffered. The God that suffered is the one that makes sense to me.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
VBS and the changing of the guard
It's our last week at St. Andrew's and Marti is co-leading vacation bible school with her replacement, Sarah.
The theme this week is Rome, with a focus on the early church and "underground" worship. They have Father Mark acting as St. Paul, in chains with a Roman guard! The music is great, decor is great and the activities are fun and interesting... as far as I can tell the kids are having almost as much fun as the adults.
I'm really going to miss SAE. Last night at the end of VBS we sat around in the parish hall and chatted for about an hour. Joy, Sarah and Karen (all relatively new members at SAE) were right at home with Father Mark, our priest of 11 months and me and Marti. You could really see a changing of the guard type of thing going on. The best news is that SAE is in very capable, loving hands. The bad news is that we'll be somewhere else as this blessed SAE future unfolds :(
But, the God of life, the living God of breath and light, never tires of change. It's His will we're to follow and not our own. Maybe in all this change it's easier to see the things that are permanent, like His love for us and our love for each other...
The theme this week is Rome, with a focus on the early church and "underground" worship. They have Father Mark acting as St. Paul, in chains with a Roman guard! The music is great, decor is great and the activities are fun and interesting... as far as I can tell the kids are having almost as much fun as the adults.
I'm really going to miss SAE. Last night at the end of VBS we sat around in the parish hall and chatted for about an hour. Joy, Sarah and Karen (all relatively new members at SAE) were right at home with Father Mark, our priest of 11 months and me and Marti. You could really see a changing of the guard type of thing going on. The best news is that SAE is in very capable, loving hands. The bad news is that we'll be somewhere else as this blessed SAE future unfolds :(
But, the God of life, the living God of breath and light, never tires of change. It's His will we're to follow and not our own. Maybe in all this change it's easier to see the things that are permanent, like His love for us and our love for each other...
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