Where are Luke Skywalker and Princess Lea?

Here we are standing at the top of Temple 4

at Tikal. It was quite a climb up some crazy stairs on a very hot day but we made it! If the scene in the back looks familiar, it was used in Star Wars to show the world that had been saved by defeating the "Death Star" in the first movie released back in the 70's. We're doing great!

The Blue Hole Dive

One of the issues during the week has been Matt’s right ear. It seemed that it almost always gave him trouble when he tried to descend during our dives. It was ok though because he could take his time, we’d wait at the bottom for him, and then once we got going it wasn’t too bad. The issue with the Blue Hole is that since you bottom time is only 8 minutes and the total dive just around 20, if Matt had taken too long (more than 3-4 minutes) they simply would have sent him back to the top to wait for the rest of us. We all got our equipment on and jumped into the water. We swam about 50 feet from the boat and got ready to descend. I don’t know what Matt was doing but I was doing some very personal and I almost felt selfish praying for his ear. We’d all been looking forward to the moment and I wanted nothing better than to share it with both of my boys. As we started to descend Chris moved down with ease and so did I. I looked up though and there was Matt. He was moving very slowly and there was a dive master with him. Chris and I got to the 45 foot sandy bottom and gathered with the others in our group. The lead dive master pointed for us to get ready to go lower. We were literally going to free fall into this hole and once we started we’d lose sight of the 45 foot spot. I moved slowly but had to follow. I began to fall towards the 130 foot mark but gave one more look towards Matt who was still coming down. Then he was gone. Chris told me later that he knew how distracted I was so he tried to get me to focus elsewhere. I figured it was now too late and how would I be able to share the joy of this moment without making Matt feel bad..
Then I saw him, slowly moving down but faster than before. He was making great progress and a minute or so after we reached the depth he was there also. I guess if I could have cried in my mask I would have. You see there are certain moments that are very special and forever cherished with loved ones and I had prayed this would be one that Chris, Matt, and me could talk about for years to come. And now it was the truth. There was a great feeling of thanksgiving and awe for what God had given to me. I can’t explain what part God played in it other than to say that for something like that moment to happen God was certainly at play within it. I considered it a miracle and certainly a God moment.
In less time than it has taken me to write this entry we had moved through some of the stalactites, felt the change in water temperature, and begun our ascent to the top. Did I mention that on our way down and back up we saw reef sharks? Some that were longer than Matt is tall (Matt is about 6’4”). When we got to our safety stop at around 20 feet the folks above had put some food into the water so that we could see many more of these sharks swimming around us. Talk about awesome. We floated and watched as these beasts of the water floated and swam around us. Had this been our first encounter with sharks down here, I might have been a little freaked but we’d been swimming near them all well (nurse sharks anyway) and so there was no real fear but great respect and awe for these creatures as we visited their home.
It was also at this stop that I realized Chris was using the alternative air source from one of the dive masters. He told me that he had a slow leak and used much of his air up. The dive master shared with Chris for a while and then let him use some of the remaining air to get back to the surface. We did finally pop our heads out of the water after about 20 minutes and we had stories to share with Lisa. I hope I can get her to share her story during our dive as she did a little snorkeling near the top of the hole while we were in the deep depths.
Prayer: Thank you God for listening to my selfish prayers and for sharing your glory in so many amazing ways and for giving the boys and me a moment that we’ll remember forever. I am very aware of how you do this much more often than I think or am aware and I ask forgiveness for those moments of unacknowledged blessings. Thank you also for the beauty of your creation, which you call earth and for the many creatures and locations that reveal that beauty to us. Amen.

Here is a website that talks about the Blue Hole as well as the other two dives that we took during the same day. http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/greatbluehole.html

Rough waters…

I don’t know exactly what I thought when I read about the disciples in the middle of the Sea of Galilee and the waters getting rough while Jesus slept. I do know now however that I’ve got a very clear image of their fear, their worry, and how it had to be divine sleep for Jesus that night! One of the big adventures of our trip to Belize has been to travel to the Blue Hole to dive to 130 ft for about 8 minutes. As “certified open water scuba divers” that is the maximum depth before you worry about decompression and the like. If you go earlier in the blog I think there is a video that someone took of the site. It’s not filled with beautiful fish or amazing coral but rather is a sinkhole in the water that goes very, very, very deep! What you can find in there are stalactites and stalagmites, as you would in any cave. You also find sandy outreaches and you wonder who would have walked in these areas when they were first caves (they say that’s what it used to be…). My image of the journey to the Blue Hole was one of a Caribbean cruise of sorts with lots of people having a great time. Well…that changed when we woke up at 5am for our 5:30am boat ride to the “big” boat (I think someone said 46 feet).
The wind was howling and it didn’t look real promising. Lisa, as I have been reminded a few times, doesn’t mind boats too much if the water is shallow or the boat is the size of a cruise ship. When she saw the rough waters she noted that she was going to be stepping outside her comfort zone. Our journey began with 30 minutes or so within the reef around Ambergris Caye (pronounced “KEY”) and it wasn’t too bad. Then we went out through the channel and into the open waters…Holy splash Batman! The driver later told Chris that the waves were 8-10 feet tall. I kept hearing the words of a familiar show from my youth, “The ship set sail for a three hour cruise, a three hour cruise”.
Thankfully we had a great captain and crew but that didn’t prevent me from holding on for dear life to a bar as far into the lower floor of the boat as possible. Matt was directly across from me – all of us had taken Dramamine but I wasn’t sure how good it would work as I noticed on the box that morning that the expiration date was 08/05 – and Lisa was beside him. Chris was up with the driver where he got completely soaked by the waves that simply washed over the windows through which we could see. For 45 minutes we went up and down, side to side, and I prayed mightily for strength and intestinal fortitude! 3 of our party ventured to the back of the boat where they either fed the fish or filled a bucket. Thankfully the noise of the twin Caterpillars kept the sounds to the back of the boat! Up and down, side-to-side, we moved and jumped.
At one point I left my seat (not my choice!) and Matt says I almost hit the roof (that means I went up about 2 feet). I immediately thought of Jesus and the disciples and will never again read those texts without feeling the motion, the anxiety, and the expression on Lisa’s face that told me just how much she was willing to sacrifice in the area of her own comfort so that the boys and I could share an experience as a family. Up and down, side-to-side, we moved and jumped. I found out once we got back that a tropical storm had passed through the area when we were on this trip! Glad I didn’t know earlier – I think…
I needed something to keep my mind occupied and though I am on renewal leave I decided to put together my sermon series for Advent. I needed something to focus on and with prayer being such a big part of it at that moment, it only seemed right to continue my close connection with God! To Ron (our BUMC worship coordinator) and anyone else who wants to read along, here is what I am thinking… “Secular Signs for a Sacred Season” with the four signs being 1) the early setup in retail stores for the Christmas sales season 2) The flyers and advertising that comes out immediately after Thanksgiving 3) the different specials and TV shows that we watch as we get ready for Christmas (The Grinch, Charlie Brown, Rudolph, etc) 4) Going to church on Christmas eve. I haven’t quite got the sermons done but I’ve got a real good start on them!
We made it into a second reef area (smoother waters) and then had another 40 minutes of open water. Finally we arrived in the reef around the Blue Hole and it was like paradise. The water was smooth, the sun was out, and the water was ready to welcome us..Thankfully, on the way back, as we went with the water towards our home it wasn’t as rough and the 3 hour trip out only took about 2 ¼ hours on the way back in. What a journey! Note to the disciples – I can completely understand what you were doing and the next time I read those passages I’ll need to take a Dramamine to get through them!

Traveling to the ATM cave..

One of the first places we visited was this cave that you can read about at this address. It was absolutely amazing! After a 30 minute hike in the jungle - crossing a river three times, we headed into the cave. The only way in is to wade up to your chest in the cool water that flows through the cave. It is an amazing site for history as the items found inside are anywhere from 900 - 1500 years old! We saw things exactly where the Mayans had left them. We walked through certain parts in socks in reverance to the sacred area and also to keep the oils from our bodies away from the artifacts. It was a great way to start our vacation away and on a very hot day outside we remained very cool in the caves. Our guide was Juan Carlos and he knew many things about the Mayan lifestyle, religion, and history. We saw places for food, blood, and human sacrifices. These caves were considered very sacred for the elite of the community while most of the lower class folks would perform their worship outside such places. It was soloemn, awe inspiring, stunning, and truly a mind opening experience (Don't worry, we won't be using many of their ideas of sacrifice when I return to BUMC in November! LOL). Lisa felt this was a trip where she stepped beyond her comfort zones more than once and I've even got a picture of her swinging through the trees on a vine that will just amaze folks! As we headed back out of the cave Juan Carlos allowed those who wanted (there were six total in our group) to go through much thinner areas where we had to twist and turn and the water got to shoulder level. Chris, Matt, and me found those times to be the most exciting though the whole trip was great!

We've got great pictures to share and as soon as I can get the blog to accept them we'll get some of the them up there! In the meantime, here is a website to check out! Folks we talked with stated this was one of the most important things to see in this area of Belize...

http://www.belizex.com/tunichil_muknal.htm

Whether we agree or not with what they did, we can wonder what folks sill say about our worship styles when they look back on us in the years to come. What would people say if they walked into our sacred spaces today? What images, thoughts, understandings would they have? Will they see commitment, intentionality, discipline, faith on behalf of those who gathered?

Catching some rest...

Time to rest after close to 14 hours of travel by car and plane from Maine to Belize... This is the deck at our place in DuPlooys...what an amazing dream!

Folks have been looking for pictures...

So I think I'll add a few with small comments. It's amazing how challenging it is to take 1/2 hour each day (which I've not done) when you are enjoying time with the family...I will get better! (He says knowing how tough it's going to be...more diving, more snorkeling, more fishing, and more resting still to do before we come home!) Here is a picture of the first place that we ate in Belize...It was called Amigos and the food was very good! Doesn't look much like McDonald's or Applebee's to me...

Belize is more than just a dream!

We arrived in Belize City at the International airport. To say it is small is kind. Portland Jetport looks huge compared to this friendly little place. It was warmer and more humid than the sixty degrees of Maine weather that we left at 6:40am. We quickly made it through customs and were met by Edgar who would be driving us the 2.5 hours to DuPlooys (see their site on my list of sites). The amazing thing is that we were traveling about 80 miles during that time! 2.5 hours in Maine gets many folks from Belfast to Kittery but here the roads are not quite as large and they have speed bumps (to allow children to cross the streets in the smaller towns) all along the way. While the main roads are paved, most of the busy ones anyway, the side roads are not. And they can be very bumpy. The final 5 miles to our place at DuPlooys was unpaved and on the first day it seemed to take forever as we bounced around on all parts of the road, looking for the smoothest rough spots, but by the end of our time there, I considered this one of the nicest roads on which we traveled.

Speaking of living conditions, folks in Belize don’t live in the type of homes that we might find along our roads. Our home in Belfast would almost be considered a mansion down here. Even some of our more dilapidated homes would be far better than the small 10’ x 10’ wooden homes that are up on pilings in order to keep the flooding rains from flowing through their living rooms. Not everyone lives in those small homes as more and more people are using cement to build their houses but I believe many of the homes we saw would not meet the long-term standards that we Americans have set for living. I am not slamming America or putting down Belize but here the manual laborers are used to making $5 American/day (that is not a misprint) and the folks who work at the resorts cleaning rooms make about $100 American/week for 6 days of labor. I was reminded again, and I believe it impacted the boys as well, to see how blessed we are to have what we have. I wonder how long that will last?

On an interesting note, our driver actually worked for two years as an illegal immigrant in the US many years back. Recognizing how little they can be paid when they sneak into our country and how poor the conditions in which the live and work can be I asked if it was still worth it with that knowledge and he stated it was without a doubt. He went for two years with the understanding that he could bring back enough money to give his family a nice home and to find a better paying job. He said that he had worked two jobs during his stay in order to support his family. He paid someone $1700 to get him to the American border and then they dropped them off right where they would get caught. He was arrested, spent time in jail, was released in Mexico, and then returned to the states. He also told me that when he left his wife and two children to begin his journey he fully understood that he might not come back alive or might simply disappear. Imagine leaving your loved ones for a better job and wondering if while working or while trying to get to work you might be killed and just disappear. What would it be like to suddenly have a loved one disappear without even having the chance to say good-bye or to bury the body. I know, that sounds rough but as he spoke it gave me the understanding of just how much he was willing to risk to try making a better life for his family.
He did not boast of his two years but rather saw them as a necessary sacrifice to try and make a better life for his family. He chose to stay only two years because of his love for his wife and children and the belief that he wanted to return to Belize and work here. He now has a US visa and travels to the US to purchase vehicles to drive back to Belize for personal use but also to sell them to others. Even with the long journey it is still worth it.

As we talked about his work in the US he noted that when it is picking season for fruits in Belize, there are people from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua who come to do the picking. I guess you’d call it a picking pecking order in that there are people even poorer than those in Belize who see Belize as a place to make good money.

The little red suitcase

We got the airport on time and then the lady checking us in internationally seemed to have some problems. We suddenly were a little behind on time and as we approached the security check-in the lines looked manageable. We moved towards the metal detector and suddenly the security man (TSA) asked a question that I immediately imagined was going to change our trip. “Who does this little red suitcase belong to?” It wasn’t mine, no one else in from of us claimed it and suddenly Homeland Security came flashing through my mind. I’ve watched entire airports emptied when a similar package is found and that’s all I could think about. Everything was changing for us because we had to be careful after the events of September 11th. How our world had changed to even create a problem in little ole Portland, Maine. We’d now miss our flight and things would have to be rearranged. Protocol would be for the man to shut everything done and probably call in the bomb squad. No one was claiming the little red suitcase!

Then it happened. The man picked it up and sent it through the scanner and told the next person to move through the people scanner. It was over. Nothing else happened. Part of me was very excited because this is how things were before “9/11” and it felt good. How great to live in a trusting society where a simple mistake (that was my prayer anyway) could be quickly resolved. However, the other part of me was alarmed because in this great call for safety and security, the very people we are supposed to trust with our lives had given no thought for just that. It was like it was no big deal (which it turned out not to be) to this person and after the media has hyped such things up, I was feeling a little nervous. In the end, I was much happier to see we still can live in a world of trust and still saddened that we must live in a world where fear can sometimes dominate how we live our lives.

With no delays at all, we headed for Atlanta and then shortly afterward we headed for Belize City. What would it be like? What were we getting into? How would the power of Hurricane Dean impact our vacation? Thank you Lilly Foundation for this great opportunity to be with my family for two weeks as we share a memory and adventure of a lifetime. Have they shrunk the size between seats on airplanes?

Sorry for the delay…

Things have been going great but I’ve not taken the time to write to those who have been waiting for an update. Therefore I’m going to submit a bunch all at once about what we’ve done, seen, and how I’ve been reflecting on some of it. Sometimes I’ll only be able to give an overview because the real story is too long and other times I’ve give you the whole picture. Speaking of pictures, I’m at a location where I can put a few up. I want to find a way to set up a slide show of pictures and when I do I’ll let everyone know. If anyone has an idea, please let me know…

We are fine...Dean didn't do much on us!

Just a quick note to say that we are fine. The Hurricane passed to our north and all we got last night was rain. The winds were blocked by the mountains around us. We are still planning on heading to the coast on Thursday. I might have to wait a few days before putting pictures up but it's a quiet day and so I might get to put together some verbal pictures about what has happened to date. Thanks for your prayers for our safety. We would ask for you to continue to praying for the mayan people who felt the brunt of Hurricane Dean...

What's your favorite verse from Paul's writings?

One of the projects that is a part of my Lilly Foundation Grant is to put together a devotional for the 2008 Lenten season. I am wondering if you'd be willing to help... I am looking for favorite text suggestions from Paul's many writings in the New Testament that I might consider for the project. If you are willing, would you please suggest a verse or verses and why you like them by responding in the comments area of this posting. I am greatly appreciative. If I use your ideas I would like to be able to acknowledge from whom they came so if you are willing to be named in the devotional which will be shared at the Belfast UMC and with whomever else wants one, please let me know.

I leave you with one of my favorites, "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." (Romans 12:1-2, The Message)

It's time to go...

We're putting the final touches on our packing and cleaning as we get ready to head down towards the airport for our early Sunday morning flight to Atlanta and then on the Belize City. We should arrive in Belize around noon - well ahead of Hurricane Dean who might stay north of us - and then arrive in duPlooys in the middle of the afternoon. These past three weeks have been great for rest and getting ready and now we get ready to live out that which "makes us sing" as was the theme of the Lilly Foundation application. I am most looking forward to spending two weeks with my two boys and wonderful wife as we explore and experience things that will be new to all of us. My hope is to try and keep you up-to-date with writing and pictures on a daily basis but we'll see what happens. We'd appreciate your prayers for safety and also for being open to experiencing God's grace, glory, and creativity as it is prepared and presented before us.

I think of Paul as he was heading out on his journeys but I realize that while we are going for rest and renewal with very little threat to our being, Paul was going for reaching out and sharing the resurrection of Christ and the restoration of all humanity to God through Christ. Paul risked life and limb to make sure that message was shared with any and all, especially those whom the church of the day deemed unworthy to receive such a message. The reality is that each of us is called to go on our missional journey to share the same message with all whom we encounter and we are to use the very gifts and words that God gives us to do so. Are we walking with Christ? Are we working for Christ? Are we offering the restoration of relationship with God through our words, deeds, thoughts, and attitudes?

Though our family has a very specific plan laid out for us as we take this physical journey to another part of God's world, the truth is that God has a plan for our spiritual journey laid out for us if we'll just follow the map and trust in God to lead us along the way. Thanks be to God for such a wonderful gift!

In a world where competition is everything...

The Winning Game

On a hot, sunny afternoon, a small boy stepped up to bat.The crowd watched like hawks for his move, waiting for thesought-after home run that most likely wasn't to be. After all, these kids were five and six years old, much toolittle to stroke a ball past the pitcher, if at all. The little guy's determination showed in his stance: grittedteeth, slightly bulging eyes, hat-clad head bobbing slightly,feet apart, hands with a death grip on the bat. In front of him was a small softball, sitting perched like aparrot on a lone tee, awaiting the six swings that the batterwas allowed.
Strike one.
"Come on, you can do it!" came a solitary voice out of thebleachers.
Strike two.
"Go for it, Son!" the proud father yelled encouragingly.
Strike three.
"Go, go, go..." the crowd joined in.
Strike four.
"You can do it!" just the father and a couple of viewers crooned, others losing interest and turning to bleacherconversations."YOU CAN DO IT!"
And suddenly bat hit ball, amazing the crowd and the little boy, who stood rock still, watching it travel slowly past the pitcher on its way to second base.
"Run!"The stands rumbled with stomping feet. "Run, run!"The little boy's head jerked ever so slightly and he took offtoward third base.
"No," the crowd yelled. "The other way."With a slight cast of his head toward the bleachers, the boyturned back toward home. "NO!"
My son, the umpire, waved him toward first base. The kids on both teams pointed the way. The crowd continued to cheer him on. Confused, he ran back to third. Then following the third baseman's frantic directions, hefinally ran toward first base but stopped triumphantly on the pitcher's mound.
The pitcher moved back, not sure what to do next. The crowd stood, shaking the bleachers with the momentum. All arms waved toward first base. And with no thought for his position, the first baseman dropped his ball and ran toward thepitcher.
"Come on," he yelled, grabbing the hand of the errant batter,and tugged him toward first base while the crowd screamed itsapproval. The ball lay forgotten as a triumphant twosome hugged each other on the piece of square plastic that marked the spot where lives are forever shaped.
No one will remember the score of that summer afternoon game.
Two little boys, running hand in hand, toward a goal that only one should have reached. Both came out winners. In fact, there wasn't a loser in the stands or on the field that summer day, and that's a lesson none of us should ever forget. Winning is more than being number one. Winning is helping another when the chips are down. It's remembering to love one another. ~Author Unknown~

Thought to consider: In our daily lives do we go for the out and the win for ourselves or do we go for the victory and a win for all involved? In my years of ministry I've watched competition between friends, co-workers, spouses, and family members destroy the possibility of victory all because one feels that they have to win. What happens after one win by the other person is that the "loser" then is less willing to trust and to be open to seeking victory for both. The "winner" doesn't see any struggle because their point was proven, their trip was taken, their idea was chosen, and so they believe they are open to total victory though in reality they are not. What would it be like if we all shared "first base" with someone? To realize that life is far more important than a ball game or a decision or a move that in reality in more times than not will be forgotten within a week or a month or a year.

What decisions have we made just in the past week that provided us with a win but cost us the total victory that those young boys shared on the ball field. You'll notice that it wasn't even the father of the hitter that told the story but rather an on-looker who was forever changed by the impact of such actions. The reality is that our only victory comes through Christ and that the only way to share that victory is to live the love and grace of Christ with the people whom we encounter each day. For me, I've experienced my greatest rewards in those moments when God has provided me with a chance to share the victory with others. We may not think it a big thing at the time that we offer it but for those watching, it could change their lives... PLAY BALL!!!

Yes, Dean is a four letter word...

As we get ready to head to Belize it appears we may arrive just before Hurricane Dean... I hope they don't think we're going to pay more for this added adventure! LOL

For the latest go to http://www.weather.com/.

We're almost ready to go!!!

In just a few days we'll be heading for Belize and I thought I'd offer this "welcome to Belize" video. We're figuring out what to pack, what to leave home and what we'll need. It's getting exciting!!! I hope to be able to maintain the blog with thoughts, images, and stories. We'll be gone for two weeks during which we'll dive, explore Mayan ruins, eat great seafood, go horseback riding through the jungle, walking through caves, and so much more! Thanks again to the Lilly Foundation for this grant!!!

Our newest garden

I love Black-eyed Susan's and I liked the idea of three different types of rocks. I figure next year it'll be amazing...

The second picture is to try and stay up with the "buzz" around town....

What I learned when Lisa was in the hospital

This past week Lisa began experiencing pains that we thought might be kidney stones. After spending a couple of hours in the Waldo County General Hospital ER on Wednesday night (the doctors and nurses were great!) and getting some painkillers, Lisa awoke with more intense pain. We talked with our doctor who wanted us to come in for a visit because they had found something else and she didn't want to wait, knowing that we were heading out of the country in 10 days. This is where the lessons for me as a pastor began...

The first lesson was what happens when a doctor wants to move quickly. We later found out that the concern she had was that what they found might be cancer and therefore a real concern. It's amazing how one day life is going great and plans are being made for Belize and the next, a loved one's health takes far greater priority. I was reminded that we are not promised anything other than this moment but also that when I respond to someone who has just received a similar call that for them the world has stopped and what is happening now is the only thing that matters!

The second lesson was when our doctor said that she was moving fast on this because it is what she'd want. I was thinking it was a convenience for us but instead she was putting herself in our shoes as patient and caregiver and she wanted to give us what she would want. She was taking a personal interest in our situation and this brought me comfort and reminded me to serve others as I would hope to be served (maybe that should be a golden rule...).

Lisa was then admitted to the hospital, had a couple of tests, and they found a cyst that had ruptured causing all of the pain (she has stones but they weren't the problem...yet). She would need some painkillers to offset the pain but she would be much better. The cancer scare was gone. The next 24-hours were spent in room 208 at Waldo County General Hospital.

What did I learn during Lisa's time in the hospital? I knew many of these things but have a new perspective as the spouse of the patient...

A) Most folks don't like being in a hospital and I should probably stop referring to WCGH as a Maine coast vacation resort when I visit folks... Lisa and I would have loved to be anywhere else besides that room!
B) When the door of the hospital room is closed it is often because that's the only form of privacy the patient and family have. Too often it seemed like we were on display even though many folks didn't look in the room. It also can block out some of the acknowledgement of what is happening. This door needs to be respected and treated as though one is entering a person's home.
C) Nurses and Aids are definitely God's gift to the patient. The way they talk to patients, interact with the family, respond with special attention to needs can make life a lot more bearable. Late in the evening Lisa was getting hungry and so was I. I asked for some toast for Lisa and some graham crackers for myself. She asked if I wanted Peanut Butter to go with my snack...how did she know I loved PB and GC's? It was great. What can I bring special to someone in need.
D) Friends are another gift from God. Some showed up immediately, some took time off of work, some came bearing gifts, some just showed up for a few moments. Each one brought love and prayers that bolstered both of us. They didn't expect us to entertain them but rather just talked and did whatever they could to help.
E) Quiet and rest are also a good thing. Being in the hospital is more exhausting than we thought and Lisa found she needed to rest more often. We need to empower the caregivers to tell us when to leave and to honor that.
F) Prayer is a great thing for comfort. 'Nuff said!
G) The prayer chain at the Belfast UMC was great as we had calls from all over and when I encountered one of our older members at the store, she told me of the call she received and how relieved she was that Lisa was better. Using the phone as well as computer brings out all the prayer warriors and it feels great to have so many praying for us!
H) When leaving the hospital, there is nothing so wonderful as breathing the fresh air of freedom. There is great hope and possibility even if the patient doesn't feel great or the perspective is not particularly promising.
I) God is the great healer and faith in God makes all things bearable. Even the unknown can be handled when God is holding our hand...

I suppose that's it for now. Lisa is doing great, the weekend was wonderful and I'm off to finish working on a garden I built yesterday. I'll have pictures later.

This doesn't quite do it!

My son Chris' friend Courtney will not be traveling to Belize with us in a few days but she wanted to try and experience. She is a wonderful young lady who brings many gifts (including "singing like an angel") to our family. She is attending Middlebury as well and spent the summer volunteering around the Belfast area. I have her permission to put this picture on my blog...

Harry Potter and my imagination...

I had been moving through the 759 pages of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" this past week and today I decided to commit myself to getting through a major portion of it. I've read the previous six and have enjoyed them for a variety of different reasons. I've watched the books move from playful and adventurous to downright frightening and very dark indeed. I am not a fanatic by any stretch but I made sure that those who had read the book didn't tell me anything as I wanted to experience it for myself. A true confession is that I don't read books like I should (see it's not only blogging that I have trouble with!) but when I get into it, I love being able to imagine what is happening.

It's so easy to sit down in front of the television and allow someone to show me what should be happening in a certain scene but I believe in doing so we don't use a wonderful gift that God has given to us, creativity and imagination. As for the Harry Potter series, I've seen the movies and now have faces and images for a variety of the people and places but that doesn't stop my imagination from getting into gear as I move from page to page and scene to scene. What does Godric Hollow really look like? What was the view as Harry and Hermoine moved around a local church on Christmas eve? What did Hogwarts look like as all gathered waiting for the final showdown? Do you see what I mean? I know that when the movie comes out they will tell me all about these things but until then, I can only imagine and I really like that freedom.

I wonder if we've lost that freedom when it comes to being the local church and more specifically followers of Jesus Christ. Think about it...who taught us what Jesus looked like, what the church should and shouldn't do, and how we are to act as reconciled children of God? Did they say that we had to act a certain way or else? Did they tell us that Jesus was white skinned with pretty brown hair and a nice beard? When was the first time we saw a picture of Jesus laughing?

Why is it that we've decided to limit worship to just one hour or maybe 90 minutes if we've got a special event going on - but no more than once a month or so...I believe we need to remember the gift of imagination and creativity as the church and as followers of Jesus Christ. I believe that if we've not seen something done before as a style of worship, we should try it as long as it glorifies God and invites others, and us, to grow in our relationship with Jesus. Many of our "mainline" churches today have a thought process of how church should be and we tend to stay with it. We don't step out of the box except on occasion because it's new and unchartered territory to explore.

Wait a minute! That's it! When the disciples walked with Jesus, they didn't have it all laid out for them and still they followed. When Jesus died, was raised, and went to sit at the right hand of God, they moved forward, not always with comfort and certainly uncertain of many things, but still they went along. They made church as it was revealed to them. They adjusted, they were creative (somewhat anyway...) and they were church!

Reading Harry Potter reminded me of how important our imagination is to me and as you can see, it set me off on thinking about how importaint that imagination is when we are the church in worshipful ministry to all the world in the name of Christ and presence of the Holy Spirit. What do you think???

Coming soon...my thoughts on Harry Potter and the last book...

A Day at the Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine

There are times when things are so close that we don't pay attention to them. Take for instance the Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine. It's only 40 minutes down Route 1 but in our 11 years in Belfast, we've never made the journey. Today was the opening day and it was free admission (as opposed to $6-7 a person) for any and all neighbors - I like that price!

While still trying to break my "church thinking" mode, we headed south on a very warm day. We entered through a small gate and immediately fell into the midway with almost un-winnable games and rides. How amazing it was to watch young families with their tickets for each ride and realizing that for some it required saving up for a few weeks and for others no price was enough to bring a little joy to their children. I didn't check on prices but I am sure it was easy to spend megabucks in a very few minutes!

We moved through the food trailers....oooh I loved the smell of the dough boys! We walked through a couple of different tents with a variety of items for sale, and then found a couple of other tents with some local stuff. It was nice but I felt that the "professional" fair folks outnumbered the local folks and took away some of the hometown feeling for me.

Did I mention that the Lobster Festival is located beside the harbor? Looking out at the harbor was truly a highlight with all of the boats - many different sizes and shapes including sailboats, yachts, and I believe a US Navy aircraft carrier, the brilliant blue sky, and the beautiful water. As we stood looking out we saw a boat that serves as a restaurant and bar when tied to the dock but we didn't go on board. Might be fun to come back another time.

Turning away from the water we came to Jesse Seafood's display of fish that had been caught in the area and to be honest, some were very ugly! I think one was a wolf fish or something like that. I believe they were eatable but after seeing what they looked like, I think I'll pass.

We stopped for a drink and a view overlooking the festival and the folks before ending our adventure. As I sat watching folks moving about completely unaware that we were watching them I reflected on the fact that God watches over us and we don't think that God sees us or we forget that God is ever present in our lives. Interesting perspective...would we do things differently if we could see God looking down on us? By that I mean would we try to get away with less and give away more of what God has given to us?

On a side note, I started the final Harry Potter book and to date it's been interesting...