Weekly Pic--The Narrow Way

Ok, so I'm not a very good, photographer. I would like to be, but that would probably involve reading the manual for my camera which doesn't really excite me. So instead, I'll just continue fiddling around with the settings, taking dozens of pictures in hopes of getting one really great one that captures "the essence" of whatever moment I'm trying to immortalize. I've decided to start a Weekly Pic thread in which I choose one photo to post. These are the photos I say to myself, "One day, I'm going to enlarge this one and frame it." Of course I don't really ever do that, so maybe this will help me feel a bit less guilty about all those amazing pictures that are hung in digital Purgatory on my computer.

So, for Week 1, I present "The Narrow Way". It was taken in Pisaq for no other reason than that I was fascinated with the Incan water canals. I think it turned out pretty good considering I was in a bus traveling down a street almost as narrow as the one pictured at about 50 mph.

Random Peru Lesson 1: The Journey

I've been rather deliquent in posting partially due to the fact that I was gone to Peru for two weeks on a mission trip. My friend, Elizabeth, has been chronicling our trip day by day; however, I'm not that committed or organized nor is my memory good enough to give a detailed account of what happened on what day or even who was there. (I'd be a terrible eyewitness at a crime scene...to me, everyone has a mustasche and is wearing red). So I'll just be writing about random things as they come to me.

Let me say that of all the mission trips I've been on, this one was by far the most physically strenuous and mentally exhausting. We spent 6 days in the Trujillo area doing medical clinics, door to door visitation, Vacation Bible School, women's studies and evening worship services. It was wonderful. I'm sure I'll go into more details and share a few pictures in later posts. Rewarding, but demanding for someone who enjoys sleeping late and taking afternoon naps.

The second leg of our trip took us to Cusco. Since it was primarily "sightseeing", I thought the pace would slow up a bit. I could not have been more mistaken. Our tour guide, Edith, was determined that we see and learn everything about the entire Sacred Valley and all the various "most important places." She was extremely informative and very helpful, however since she had been born and raised in Cusco, the 11,000 ft altitude did not cause her lungs to constrict and her head to explode like the rest of us. Thankfully, she was patient.

The first day, she took us to the Temple of the Sun (one of several by the same name). Edith said it was only 200 steps to the top. She was mistaken.... HannahKate counted. (see pic at right) She made it a point of broadcasting every 25 steps or so from up above me, "Come on, Mom. Only 75 more to go!" I think the Incas might have had a different numeration system, because their idea of 200 steps and mine were not in agreement.

The next day, Edith cracked her whip at 6:30 a.m. We rode a bus for 1 hour 45 minutes to get to the train station. Then we rode the train for 1 hour 30 minutes to Aguas Calientes. Then we rode another bus up a one lane road on the side of a mountain for 25 minutes. Then we climbed "200" stairs (at this point, I learned my lesson about Inca counting, so it may have been 20 or it may have been 2000. In that altitude its hard to say.) I was beyond exhaustion by the time I reached our destination, but then, I saw it...the ancient city of Macchu Picchu. Edith had taken us up a rigorous, less traveled route to the "Guardhouse" so that we would have the most amazing view of the city below. In that moment, it was worth the lost sleep, bus ride, train ride, scary mountain road and countless breathless steps.
It would have been so easy that morning to turn the alarm off and stay in bed. It would have been so easy to stay in Cusco and just shop and eat. It would have even been easy to stay at the foot of the mountain, but in the end, the journey was worth it all. So even though Edith wanted me to learn all about Inca civilazations, this is what I learned instead: I pray that at the end of my earthly journey, I can look down and say, "It would have been easy to stay safe in the low places, but I took a risk, chose the Higher Path and oh, how sweet is the reward!"

Lists

I'm stressed out, basically a walking anxiety attack waiting to happen. Two days left at the job I've been at for 11 years and only 4 days before my oldest daughter and I leave for a mission trip to Peru. I have so many things going on in so many different places, that I finally picked up a little notebook to organize my thoughts. Its my Book of Lists. I have a list of things to do at work, things to do at home, a list of supplies needed for the trip, another list of personal items needed for the trip (this list is actually divided into two sub-lists: one for for things to buy and the other for things I already have but am afraid I might forget), a list of questions to ask and phone calls to make, a list of things to get Youngest One ready for 2 weeks at Grammy's, a list of things for Hubby to do, a list of things to remind my friend Elizabeth about for the trip, a list of appointments, a list of things to remind the person taking over my job about, a list of fences to mend and bridges to burn, and so on and so forth...I have so many lists, that I may need to begin a list of lists to keep up with them!

Poor Pluto

We've been working on a solar system project for Hallie's class today. She decided to make a book about the planets using a little song that I used to teach my Kindergarten students. Its called The Family of the Sun and its sung to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell. We always had great fun learning it as we traveled through the galaxy in my classroom and I must admit that most of what I know about the solar system I learned after I started teaching 6 year olds. Back to Hallie's project, the next to last verse is about Pluto:

Pluto's last in line
Its farthest from the sun
Its small and cold and icy, too
To land there won't be fun

Ok, so I've been out of the classroom since Pluto's demotion. I'm not exactly sure of the politically correct way to handle the little guy. It seems unkind to completely snub him, acting as if he never existed all this time. Yet, the NASA gods have spoken and he really doesn't meet
the criteria of a full-fledged planet. So we put our creative minds together and came up with a feeble attempt to pay tribute to the dwarf planet.

Pluto's last in line
Its farthest from the sun
We used to think it was a planet
But now those days are done.

Poor Pluto...

Happy Thoughts...for a Change

Upon realizing how long its been since my last post, and then upon realizing that most of my posts are laced with bitterness regarding the church, I decided to talk about something positive, upbeat and exciting. As of June 5, I will become a "stay-at-home mom". I've resigned my position at the school where I've worked for the past 11 years in order to spend more time at home with my two daughters. Of course there's a whole boat-load of emotions, thoughts, rants and fears that go with this decision, but since I'm trying to be positive, upbeat and exciting in this particular post I'll save those for another day. So, what am I going to do with all my "free" time? I'm not sure but here are a few things on my list:

1. Organize our house and regain control over the clutter. Flylady is going to be my new best friend.

2. Be intentional about spending time with the girls since I'll no longer have the excuse of being too tired from a stressful day at work.

3. Work on jewelry a little each day, which includes, but is not limited to:

learning to do hand-stamped silver pieces

perfecting the "guitar string" bracelet

getting some listings in my Etsy shop (which is currently empty, but I'll link to it anyway because I just figured out how to do this and I think its cool)

4. Stay up way too late at night since I won't have to get up early in the mornings :)

5. Blog more faithfully...

Since its 2:30 a.m., I seem to be getting a head start on #4. Good thing tomorrow is a holiday.

When the High Road is in a Flood Plain

We have a situation in our church. The senior pastor we hired two years ago with such great expectations turned out to be a snake- oil salesman. The problem is that the large majority of our members are completely unaware and the people in the know aren't talking. There is a mountain of evidence that the man has deceived us all, yet in the spirit of being Christ-like, Mt. Everest has been disguised as a benign molehill that can be remedied with some vague explanations and an overly generous severance package. The remaining staff members, as well as godly leaders in our church, are now bound by a self-imposed gag order while those who are uninformed cry out indignantly or shrug their shoulders indifferently. I am a huge believer in turning the other cheek, forgiving seventy times seven,and taking the "high road". However, at what point does the "high road" detour us from the truth? Our financially challenged church is committed to paying a man $55,000 for services that have not been nor will ever be rendered. The Uninformed think we asked for the pastor's resignation simply because he didn't visit people in the hospital. But most importantly, godly men are having their integrity questioned. In my opinion, the creek is rising and not even higher ground is safe from destruction.

However, God is Sovereign.

"Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. For I the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowlege that they are a people the Lord has blessed"

Isaiah 61:7-9

A Waste of Wood

"When it was built for an international exposition in the last century, the structure was called monstrous by the citizens of the city, who demanded it be torn down as soon as the exposition was over. Yet from the moment its architect first conceived it, he took pride in it and loyally defended it from those who wished to destroy it. He knew it was destined for greatness. Today it is one of the architectural wonders of the modern world and stands as the primary landmark of Paris, France. The architect, of course, was Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. His famous tower was built in 1889. In the same way we are struck by Jesus’ loyalty to another structure—the church—which he entrusted to an unlikely band of disciples, whom he defended, prayed for, and prepared to spread the gospel. To outsiders they (and we) must seem like incapable blunderers. But Jesus, the architect of the church, knows this structure is destined for greatness when he
returns." - John Berstecher (source unknown)

A few months ago, my precious youngest daughter had to think of some ways to serve or help out at church for a discipleship class she was attending. As she made out her list, it included such things as "Pick up toys when you play at church" or "Help pick up toys even if you didn't get them out" "Be respectful to your teachers" "Respect the people that put their hard work into it" Pretty predictable for an 8 year old... However, there was one that really caught my attention. It said, "Don't ever call the church a waste of wood."

Admittedly, there are times when it is more of a chore than a joy to go to church; however, it is not a "waste of wood".

Times when I've walked out of a worship service feeling more discouraged than when I walked in. And yet, it is not a "waste of wood."

Times when I've been so disgusted that I feel as if I could leave and never return. But I am reminded by my youngest that the church is never a "waste of wood."

Our church is facing some tough times. Poor leadership, financial hardship, and self-interest factions appear to have taken their toll; however, the church is not a "waste of wood".

Feelings have been hurt, lives have been changed and our reputation has been tarnished; still, the church is not a "waste of wood".

For all its shortcomings, controversies and turmoil, Jesus loves His church fiercely; therefore, it is certainly not a "waste of wood".

Thanks for the reminder, Hal.