{pretty, happy, funny, real} Comings & Goings
| a weekly capturing of contentment in everyday life |
A few photos to practice contentment this week
| pretty |
Christ Church Farewell Party
This wonderful woman was the very first person to greet my family when we sat behind her on our first visit to Christ Church. She has demonstrated her sparkling gift of hospitality the whole time we've known her. On Saturday night, she threw us the most perfect farewell party on Saturday night. Also: she is a killer flower gardener and she PAINTED HER GARAGE DOOR for the party. (If you're familiar with Austin landmarks, you'll recognize that sign!)
Thank you, Shannon, for planting so much goodness. Thank you, Christ Church, for all the cards and hugs and friendship.
Brian gave a beautiful farewell message from us during our last Sunday morning at Christ Church. I'll try to recap it here on the blog when I'm able to find time and heart space to write it.
| happy |
Brian's first Eucharist
Speaking of our final Sunday at Christ Church, it was the day Brian celebrated the Eucharist for the first time as an Anglican priest. It was a beautiful morning.
| funny |
the best surprise offertory song ever
I don't know how to explain this scenario, exactly. You kind of have to know Brian to truly appreciate the absolute perfection of our worship leader/exceptionally-loving friend's choice of offertory music. It helps, too, to have a general working knowledge of 1980's camp music, and to know that Brian and I were full-on, card-carrying members of 1980's camp music. Also: understand that when your friends mean the song only quasi-ironically and then they start crying genuinely, well, this is how you know you are truly loved.
I couldn't help but think that only God could have known all this time the absolute perfection of Brian's first Eucharist kicked off by the song. God, and a couple of pretty great friends.
| (un)real |
Saying good-bye to some of the world's best people
I'm officially in the "denial" phase of grieving Austin. I really can't believe we don't live there anymore. During our 30-hour car ride to the northeast, Brian tried to make a little joke "Hey, remember that time we lived in Austin for five years?" I could only say, "Too soon, too soon."
I hope I'll have a better way of saying all these five years have meant to us in written form soon. For now, I have this little slideshow of farewell selfies. We found that huddling around the phone for a group shot was the best way to make ourselves stop crying during all those good-byes. Unfortunately, I only remembered to take photos half the time so there's a lot of people not represented here. Well, they know who they are, I hope.
And now, for the next installment in this Series of Fortunate Events, BRIAN AND I GO TO IRELAND!! Remember how our kids put together that awesome fundraiser for our 25th wedding anniversary back in November? And how the goal was for us to get a second honeymoon before our 26th wedding anniversary? And then, remember how we ended up getting called to a wonderful church in Connecticut, and moving across the country to work there? The timing of the generous gifts of about two dozen people, with our vocational/geographical crossroads seemed prime for a mini-sabbatical/second honeymoon/empty nest celebration trip. We leave this week and will be travelling the Emerald Isle for FOUR WEEKS (it almost seems wrong to share that with you since I still can't believe it's even true).
I'm not sure yet how I'll choose to share our trip since I really feel the need to go off the grid for a bit. It's been a season of intense abundance and we need a lot of quiet. At the same time, I'm going to be too excited to wait a whole month to share any of the photos and stories with you. At this point -- based on excellent suggestions from my kids -- I'm planning to post pictures/stories once a week here on the blog. I'm not even taking my phone or my laptop, and am counting on Brian to share his devices with me (pretty please?).
In the meantime, here's a pic of me all packed for the trip!
Peace of Christ to you all, and may the comfort of His Holy Spirit be spread abroad in all the hearts of the grieving and suffering this night.