2014 Week 49: Visitors and holiday music

Monday, December 1st, I intentionally began to prepare my heart for the Christmas season by reflecting on the Verse of the Day (a Bible Gateway app on my cell phone).
Day 1: John 1:1-2, 14--the Eternal One became human. He chose to live among us!

We choose to live in community with whoever shows up at our Monday night group to enjoy the friends and food. Stephan prepared a delicious curry, and always freshly baked bread.
David and Mike played a long game of chess and ran out of time. I took a picture so they can start up where they left off and finish it next time. Any advice for Mike (white)?

Day 2: Hebrews 1:1-2--the Creator Himself came to reveal God to us!
Reflecting on the Creator and the creativity within each of us made in the image of God, I came upon this photo of Stephan posted recently on facebook, taken when he taught at an ice-sculpting boot camp in Ohio a couple weeks ago.

Day 3: John 6:35--the Bread of Life promises we will not hunger if we come to Him!

I think of how often this little one has to be fed in order to be satisfied and grow. Even so we can go to Jesus continually and be filled.

I did get to see and hold this muñequita (baby doll) Wednesday but didn't have my camera or cell so no photos. I borrowed these from Fb, however, she was also wearing a dress and leggings that day, so cute!

Sleeping Beauty     Bright Eyes & Conversing with Nanna

The occasion was that Kayla restarted our tap dance class and was showing off three month-old Rebecca to the group before Nanna Leah came to take her away.

Day 4: John 8:12--He came into the world as the Light. If we follow Him we need not walk in darkness.

I am so grateful that our grandchildren have the opportunity to learn about Jesus, the Light of the World. 

More borrowed photos of the young uns and their delightful expressions

Day 5: John 10:7, 9-10--He came to give us life more abundant!

Our friends from Arkansas came Thursday and we spent three wonderful days together sharing so many stories of God's faithfulness.

Selfie: Rita & Sara

Friday morning we walked in and around the Taylor University campus and met friends at just the right times and places. Thus we got to see some beautiful hand-built ceramic pieces in one professor's office and later the biology teacher stopped to talk to us about 'her birds' as we admired the aviary.

It was like that the entire time. The Lord, our Good Shepherd led in every detail of our visit together.
Day 6: John 10:14-15--our good shepherd knows us and came to lay down His life for us!
In the evening we attended the annual Candles and Carols concert at Anderson University. The main purpose of our friends' trip was to see their son perform.

We enjoyed the beautiful music and dancing.

Jared and proud parents--Sara and Steve

Saturday was a very relaxed day: games, movies, food.

Multi-tasking our way: Hand & Foot and  Ivanhoe's food

The grand finale was the annual favorite musical program at Taylor University--Sing Noel: Christmas Around the World.

As if that was not enough, this morning's service at church was the Christmas cantata, yet another very moving presentation of the story of Jesus' birth.

Day 7: John 11:25. He came that we may have life eternal!

Truly the most beautiful story every told.

Circle Tour 13: Gernika and Beyond

 The last day of cycling! We hugged our gracious hostess goodbye.
Sadly the picture I took of her sitting at her desk was so blurry I cannot use it. I'm borrowing this farewell group photo and don't know who to credit. María Isabel is standing next to me.

The last send off for the cyclists:

María Isabel  highly recommended adding a few kilometers to our route so we could see the most beautiful sights yet. It was a beautiful day, so we did just that and went on to famous Elantxobe.

This spectacular vertical disposition of the old downtown makes Elantxobe one of the most peculiar ports of the Basque Coast. Narrow hilly streets and stepped/tiered corners surround a scanty port area. The urban center maintains the character of the ancient Basque ports. Among the buildings of major import the Neoclassic style of the 19th century is predominant, such as the Town Hall, restored in 1981, or the large house on Kale Nagusia 38. Other enduring samples are the fishermen's dwellings with glazed wooden galleries in vivid colors.

In addition to the port area and the magnificent views of the Atlantic coast, we were fascinated by the historic church downtown.

I enjoy reading all the plaques and inscriptions that tell the story of this ancient structure, like when the bell tower was added, where each piece came from and when it was added.

The photo on the left was a team favorite, captured by Allison.

I was really looking forward to our next stopping place, the famous Gernika--the focal point of Basque history. We had been there three years earlier. Our host, Alberto, gave us a wonderful and very informative tour. In fact I wrote four blog posts to cover that experience: Gernika-Lumo; Gernikako Arbola; Plaza de los Fueros; Paseo por Gernika.
On that occasion, however, we were unable to go into the Assembly Hall as it was temporarily closed to the public. This time we were privileged to tour the historic building. Unfortunately I have so few decent photos of the many sights. Suzi, one of our team members who was very committed to documenting the experience photographically, has a wonderful collection for that day, June 14, that you will really enjoy.                              
I think I was caught up reading everything I could. So I would have been looking down at the table display of the large stained glass ceiling overhead.

The vans had trouble finding a parking spot in the city, so could not linger and go to other important sites.
The cyclists, however, did not have that problem and were able to view the mosaic replica of Picasso's Guernica, which depicts the horrors of the bombing of the city on market day on April 26, 1937.

We had planned to find something to eat in the city but that was not possible due to the parking problem. So we kept going until we found a suitable place where we had a lovely time.

The circle was completed that afternoon when the cyclists arrived at the Holiday Inn in Derio, near the Bilbao airport.

Charlie's van had trouble finding the place.

Sara's friends, Ana's family, rode around in circles as well trying to locate the hotel's strange access arrangement. It was a happy reunion, nevertheless.

Ana, Hemmick's Basque daughter, and her parents

We left the bulk of our luggage in a couple rooms and headed back to San Sebastián for two more nights.

This post took longer to put together, because life has been so full and also because there was a lot to process, I had fewer notes (and my memory is fading perhaps?).

2013 Week 35: People!

First, let me update you on son Sam who was quite ill last week. Sunday, after the second visit to the ER the night before and a stronger pain medication, he began to improve slowly. He is feeling okay now, though they still haven't gotten to the bottom of what happened to him and he won't see a neurologist till the end of the month.
We kinda laid low that day, no photos, however I have one I took when I was at their place Saturday. I was so surprised to see a small wool patch blanket I made years ago and forgot about completely.

At Monday Night Meal we had several guests. Even though Hannah (on the right) was visiting all the way from New York, I think baby TJ took center stage.

Uncle Elijah and Aunt Kayla with TJ; Grandma Gina with TJ; 'Auntie' Hannah

Tuesday I was invited to a wonderful 70th birthday tea for a dear friend of many. Here she is reading the words each of us chose to describe her.

Joyce

Wednesday I got to meet the new family dog. Ruff is Skye's dog.

In the evening we had many come to an open house for a family that serves at a camp in Honduras. They brought their oldest daughter to Taylor, so this is their first photo as a family of five, minus Ellie.

Williamsons

Look who arrived Thursday evening? Oh, actually this photo was taken Friday after moving Jared into his third-floor room in the dorm at Anderson U. Sara's feet were soooo tired!

Saturday, the big day--the bloggy-friends reunion!

Sara all dolled-up waiting for the friends to arrive.

So here we are: back row--Just a Southern Girl (my SIL, Kim); oldfangled (my DIL, Karen); Bug's Eye View (Dana); ...make music from your heart to the Lord. Eph. 5:19 (Sara); and me on the front row (why on earth did I wear yellow?!)

The Blogging Friends

Some shots of our wonderful day:

The counter was covered with food all day, lots of salads and grilled vegetables, and more.

Kim and I prepared some salads, the men took over from there, and the women chatted non-stop!

The big table was the center of a variety of activities: conversation, crafts, food, games, even baby crawl space.

Today, Sunday, we said goodbye to Sara and Jared, hopeful for more wonderful times like these.