old shoes new shoes

Sometimes I'm too sentimental for my own good.

I've been in need of new shoes for a while now. So recently I found a good deal on a great pair of shoes online. They are sturdy and cute and designed with eco-friendly materials. Plus, I got them for 50% off.

But now that they're here I'm having a hard time getting rid of my old shoes. They're old and worn out. The heels are so worn down that my back aches if I wear them for too long. The inner soles are pulling away from the foot bed. They're scuffed and gouged. It's time to let them go.
The new shoes really aren't all that different from the old ones. And they're much better quality. The old shoes were $16 at Target. The new shoes were originally $90 from Hush Puppies. (Remember I got them on clearance.)

But the old shoes have taken me everywhere. I got them for my first trip out of the country when I went to visit Kirstin in Scotland. I wore them the first time I walked down Dublin's streets. All last year, walking through England they took me where I needed to go. So saying good-bye has proven an emotional event. I'm hoping that this memorial will ease their passing, at least a little bit.

And so, farewell shoes.

this year has been about a transit van

not big and flashy, but it gets the job done. -Pete Greig, founder of 24-7

Today was our last Training Block. Tomorrow is our open house celebration. The guys from Egham are here, we've spent the evening laughing about Chuck Norris-isms and memories of the last 10 months. The walls of my room are starkly naked. I've filled one suitcase and most of another. The final good-byes have begun. I'm sad about leaving, but looking forward to what the Lord has in store for the next season of my life. It's all a bit shaky and emotions are close to the surface. But it's going to be good in the end.

the bug is spreading

Here are some more quotes from the year. This time courtesy of Lauren in Egham. (I don't feature in these but don't worry, they're still funny.) ; )

i had no idea i was so funny

So one of my fellow Transit-ers, Rosie, today posted a bunch of quotes from us all throughout the year on her blog. For some reason, unknown to me, I feature rather prominently. Thanks Rosie, for some great memories from the year!

PS, don't forget Eddie: "Leave the Tranny alone, he knows what he's doing!" "You must have tea and cake with the Vicar or you die!" "I don't want a cup of coffee from you, you're covered in bees!" "In the words of Albert Schweizer, 'I fancy you!'"

things that make me smile

*sheets that smell as if they've just come out of the wash
*creative descriptions like, "the air felt like milk"
*music that is slow and soft without being melancholy
*finding clothes that have been packed away for a while
*my dad's grilled chicken
*little girls' enthusiastic love
*czech chocolate
*trying to listen to multiple conversations all happening in the same room at the same time
*puppies that will grow up to be guide dogs playing with other passengers at airports
*daisies painted on hand-thrown mugs from Prague

stirrings in czech

This is a post full of pictures. I don't feel my words will do a good job of telling the story of the week I spent in the Czech Republic. The pictures are in no particular order and come from the cities of Prague and Brno and the 24-7 Euro Gathering. I've also included random quotes of phrases that stuck out to me in the meetings.
"Planting a seed is a statement of faith."


"Thus says the Lord: 'Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.'" Jeremiah 6:16

"Where there is death we need to remember that there used to be life."

I've been remembering a lot of things the last few months. This is what I remembered at the Euro Gathering: asking my mom at our bi-annual missionary weeks why there were never any missionaries who went to Europe. Her answer was that Europe already had the gospel, they are already Christians. Even at the age of 10 or 11 I knew that was no longer true...

Something I discovered, I love travelling in Europe by train!

And I "saw" all the famous Czech people I "know;" Jan Hus, Jon Amos Comenius (Komensky in Czech), and Dvorak.

for lacy

Because I'm not feeling especially clever or creative right now... missing you too much for that(thanks for shattering me with your words) ... here is one of our favorite poems to tell you how I feel about you until I can compose myself enough to try and express it myself:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

-e.e. cummings

it's funny

All my life my dad has listened to country music. Not country as in Garth Brookes and Dolly Parton, country as in Americana, Folk, Bluegrass. And I hated it. Rolled my eyes at it. Cringed everytime I got in his truck. Then came "O Brother Where Art Thou" and everything changed. Now I probably have more folk music than any other genre. And I have more fun singing along with bluegrass than just about anything else. This is one of my favorites:

just a few things

1) Spring is peeking in around here. I've seen three bumble bees and too many daffodils to count. The flowering trees are beautiful and remind me of home.
2) I'm going to London tomorrow for a dinner party at my best friend's new house wearing a new skirt I bought at a charity shop for 3 pounds 50.
3) We had a lovely (read challenging and thought provoking) Training Block Thursday and Friday on Justice and Mercy. I became much more emotional than expected when sharing a creative project I did about the woman who anointed Jesus' feet, key word: Identification.
4) I have lots and lots to think about right now. Training Block tied in with the book I just finished (Express Community by Phil Bowyer) tied in with creating a job description for want I want to do with the rest of my life... just a teensy bit overwhelming!
5) Check out this cool video for a 24-7 Prayer Week being held I have no idea where:

6) My room is very cheery at the moment as I spent most of the day cleaning, washing and redecorating the walls, washing the sheets and making the bed, having the window open, and burning a lavender and lemongrass candle. I did all this while listening to several hours worth of teaching on Jesus' part in God's Story.

a shepherd's prayer

I've had a hard time "getting in the Christmas spirit" this year. Being in another country where things are celebrated in different ways is a big part of that. For some reason holidays seem to be really dependent on nostalgia. At least for me.

But I was thinking about this song from my childhood. A rather cheesy 80s Christmas song called "A Shepherd's Prayer." It's the story of a shepherd from some one's nativity set crying out because he has been placed too far away from Jesus.

"Move me closer. Move me closer. Move me closer to the child. Let me see him. Let me hold his hand. Move me closer to the child."

I was just thinking, isn't this what Christmas is about? Remembering that Jesus came close to us? Remembering that we need to come close to him? Remembering that we need to bring him close to those around us?

And so I'll echo the prayer: "Move me closer..."

a little ditty

When I was little we had a tape by Psalty the Singing Songbook. Only one, the camping adventure. I don't remember much about it but I have always remembered this rather profound little song;

I cast all my cares upon you.
I lay all of my burdens down at your feet.
And anytime I don't know what to do,
I will cast all my cares upon you.

I was just thinking of that song last night, really needing to (once again) express that to the Lord.