Cumberland Island

Our elementary girls' youth development program, Little Sisters, culminates in the fifth grade with the long awaited and highly anticipated trip to Cumberland Island, Georgia. This is my first time taking this trip, and probably my last since Lucia is my last elementary girl. Here are some highlights:

Waiting for the Ferry

Laughing Gull

The Avenue

Ciara and Juliana in the Dunes

The Girls (Lucia middle)

Moving in for Lunch

Wild Horse in the Dunes

Wild Horse

Wild Horses on the Beach

Two Pairs of Palms

Ruth, Lucia, Julianna

Lucia with Wild Horses

Lucia and Me

Pretty!!!!

Resting near the Ruins

More Wild Horses

Silly Girls (Lucia in Pink Jacket)

Rolling Horse

Buzzards

Scary!

Lucia, Clare, Ruth

Our Ferry

Ruth and Lucia

Pelican at Rest

We had such a good time!

A Good Good Friday

This morning dawned bright and chilly, the last of a long streak of frost warnings. It would be a great day to plant the garden and weed the flower beds. But never mind that for now. Today is Good Friday, and our annual Cross Walk would not wait.

What is so significant about this Cross Walk is the participants. This is truly an ecumenical event for our city, with Christians from many denominations not only participating, but coming together to plan it. The walk begins at the local Methodist Church with worship and a gospel reading. Then its up the hill to the local Lutheran Church, on to the Baptist Church, and concluding at the Catholic Church. At each stop the pastor of that church reads the gospel and leads a prayer before the procession continues. Thank you to the Alleluia Community and the Pastor's Alliance for continuing this meaningful and inspirational tradition. It is good to recall the events surrounding our Savior's Passion, who willingly gave His life as ransom for our sins. Thank you, Jesus.

When afternoon rolled around, it was off to Lowe's to get tomato plants and other garden supplies. As they say in the South, Good Friday is garden planting day. It was a glorious day to be outside, and when all was said and done, we had a garden with tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, beets and spinach.

And, to top it off, I got an early Easter gift of Gerber daisies and red cedar chips. Thank you, Honey!

Make Eye Contact With Jesus

I was sitting in my chair at Thursday night's prayer meeting, singing along to "Open the Eyes of My Heart" when I really felt that I was in the presence of Jesus. I was asking Him to open the eyes of my heart so that I could see Him better, but His response was not what I expected. He was asking me to look at Him with my actual eyes. He wanted me to make eye contact.

I thought about this for awhile, and realized that when I really want to connect with someone, I want that person to look me in the eyes.  I ask my students to make eye contact when I am speaking directly to them at school. I ask my own children to make eye contact when they offer me the sign of peace at Mass every Sunday. I expect Andy to make eye contact when we are conversing.

In this electronic world, texting and Facebooking have taken away the personal touch of making eye contact. It is easy to get careless with our remarks when we aren't in the presence of the person we are addressing. If we stay disconnected, we are safe from vulnerability, and any kind of accountability is put off for the immediate future. The human experience involves connectivity through touch and eye contact. Could it be that we are treating Jesus with the same disconnect?

It wasn't until yesterday, however, that I realized how much Jesus wanted this to be an actual physical event. Last week was a real upper for me. I referred to it as "Appreciation Week Extraordinaire" when I blogged about it. I definitely knew I was one of God's favorites.

This week, however, has been a real struggle for me. I've gone from one of God's favorites to feeling like I've been dumped. I've been crabby and irritable, and my sense of humor has taken a vacation. So during the height of my struggle at school on Friday, I asked another teacher, Mary, if she had a picture of Jesus with His eyes open. She looked at me rather puzzled so I explained.

About an hour later, Mary knocked on my door and handed me a beautiful picture of the child Jesus that she had printed out and pasted onto a piece of construction paper. I wanted to cry. I had pictured Jesus on the crucifix, telling me to "buck up" and sacrifice for my students. Instead, He came to me as a child, tender, merciful, innocent.

I held that lovely picture of Jesus to my chest and simply said, "Thank you, Mary."

She smiled and said, "How could I not to respond to a request like that?"

I closed the door and looked into Jesus' gaze. He must have been pleased with my act of obedience to Him, and with my desire to look upon His face, because instantly I was flooded with peace. Thank you, Jesus.

Welcome to Country Day

Welcome, karibu, wilkommen, salve, bienvenue, yokoso, bienvenido, Boas Vindas...

If you happened to be at Alleluia Community School this morning, you may have noticed something a bit strange about the fourth grade class; they were not in uniform.

Today was fourth grade's annual "Country Day" celebration.

In our history and geography curriculum, we spend  our year studying different countries of the world and their cultures. So this is a fun way to put our writing and research skills to the test and wrap up the year.

The students have been working on their country reports for five weeks, doing research, writing paragraphs, coloring flags and drawing maps to create a 12 page (or bigger) report on a country of their choice. The students did wonderful reporting work, and all achieved an E+ for their efforts.

The whole activity culminated in the tradition that has become known as Country Day. Each student dressed as a native from their country, and introduced themselves to the student body as well as to friends and relatives who came to see.

Boy from Germany
Mummy from Egypt
Leif  Erikson from Sweden

Lief Erikson
Farmer from Japan
Viking from Iceland

Senorita from Mexico
Shepherd from Israel
Lindsay Plaid from Scotland

Queen from France
Dancer from Ireland
Tour Guide from St. Lucia

To top it off, they brought in samples of authentic food, which their parents so graciously prepared.  We had a real smorgasbord!

Thank you, fourth grade, for a wonderful Country Day 2012!

Don't Shoot the Horse You Rode In On

Two days ago, the Alleluia Community lost one of its most formative brothers, Dennis McBride. I say "lost" in a very loose sense, because as Christians, we know that it is only a temporary loss of physical contact. We know that spiritually you are still with us, Dennis, and that one day we will all be reunited, face to face, in our heavenly home.

But, until that day we will miss your warm smile that always seemed to reveal a deeper joy within, and the Irish twinkle that spelled "mischief" in your eyes. We will miss your Texas sized heart that loved everyone so deeply, and your way of being present without having to take center stage.

Yes, Dennis, we will miss you!

I recall one of your favorite sayings, "Don't shoot the horse you rode in on," meaning whatever it was that brought you to your knees, whatever means God used for your sanctification, thank God for it, however difficult it was. Just get a fresh horse, and continue on your way. Some of us change horses many times before we get to the one that carries us home.

And as I picture you standing at the pearly gates, with your horse named "Alleluia" at your side, I can hear St. Peter saying, "Welcome home, Dennis."

And you respond the same you have so many times before, "It's good to be here! Yes, it is VERY good to be here!"

St. Patrick's Day Parade

St. Patrick's Day dawned bright and glorious, and while Andy and three of our children were up in West Virginia snow skiing, Lucia and I were marching in Augusta's St. Patrick's Day parade once again this year.

Alleluia Community has for several years had a contingent marching in this parade. It started with just a couple of our college aged men desiring to represent Christianity in a parade that celebrated a Christian Holiday. They donned six foot crosses and proudly marched the downtown streets of Augusta, amid the floats and marching bands. Over the years it has grown from those first few men to entire families complete with babies in strollers and toddlers in wagons, throwing candy to those they pass along the parade route.

Lucia and Me

Marching on St. Patrick's Day has become a tradition for our family. The younger kids love the excitement of it all; the gathering of their friends and classmates; the sporting of silly green hats and fancy beads; the throwing of the candy. The older kids have taken their turns carrying one of the large crosses.

Yes, I have to admit, marching is fun, but there is more to our tradition than the secular world might realize.

We march because we want to remind others that St. Patrick's Day is a celebration of the life of a man who loved Jesus, and he lived his life in a way that is worthy of our admiration. We march because the world needs to hear the good news of Jesus' cross and resurrection. We march because we have been given this opportunity to represent Jesus, and if we don't take it, we may someday lose it. Sometimes we find mission work right in our own backyard.

So lift high those crosses, put on your green clothes, and let the celebration begin!

Waiting to Start

Here We Go1

Hi, Laura!

Lined Up On Broad Street

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The Stroller Brigade

There's Kelly (In The Sheepfold)

Prince Charming is My Father

Cinderella used our house to get ready for the ball last weekend. Except instead of being taunted and ridiculed by her evil stepmother and stepsister, she was fussed over, pampered and polished by her doting mother and older sister.

When she finally emerged from her chambers into full view of Prince Charming, who was eagerly awaiting her arrival, she was radiant, beaming, and yes, giggling.

Prince  Charming, standing tall and proud in his tuxedo, may have had a tear in his eye.

Then, after succumbing to the paparazzi, off they rode in their carriage to dinner and then the ball, to dance and cherish one another for the next few hours.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't quite a carriage. It was actually my teenage son's new old 1994 Pontiac Sunbird. But the rest of my story is true.

They were on their way to the father/daughter Valentine dance put on by Alleluia Community's Little Sisters program, where every fourth and fifth grade girl became Cinderella for the evening, and every father became her very own Prince Charming.

This may seem silly, but there is such wisdom and richness in the practice of father's "dating" their daughters. Little girls have no idea what it is like to be out on a date, unless they experience it first hand. Fathers can and should teach their daughters what it feels like to be cherished, protected, and loved by a Godly man, and yes, fathers need to model the man they hope their daughters will marry some day. Fathers need to see themselves through their daughter's eyes.

And it is never too early to start. Fathers, cherish your daughters from the moment they are born!

 I will gladly allow my daughters to "date" the second man to earn my stamp of approval.  And to the first man I say, "Thank you, Dad, for setting the bar so high; Andy is so much like you!"