When we got back to Ireland after visiting America this summer, we began to notice that another family had moved in to our back garden (yard, in American English). It’s not a big garden, but it seems the family was at least as big as ours is. After some investigation, we found that they had taken up residence in our shed. Since it takes 12 years to claim squatters rights in Ireland, we weren’t too worried about that, but we were a bit concerned about some of the unpleasant things our new neighbours could have brought along with them. Five dead rats later, we’re pretty confident that we are once again the only family living here.
Category: miscellaneous (Page 3 of 12)
In Munster Bible College’s church history course today, we read from the second century Letter To Diognetus, which includes this description of Christians:
“They live in their own native lands, but as sojourners; they share all things as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign land is a fatherland for them, and every fatherland a foreign land. They marry, like everyone else, have children, but they do not expose their infants. They share a common table, but not the marriage bed. They are in the flesh, but do not live according to the flesh. They spend [their days] on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven.”
Yesterday Seth spent some time at Liberty University, meeting with a few people and getting some advice about different aspects of Munster Bible College. He also had a chance to look around at the campus, but found that many of the old spots that were important for us while we were dating are now completely changed because of new construction. One thing that is still there is the chapel where he spent so many hours in prayer. It was nice to get to go back there and say thank you to the Lord for answering every prayer that he prayed in that place. God has been so faithful and so good to us!
After lots of packing, preparation, and getting the house in Ireland ready for a series of guests while we’re away, we left for America last Wednesday. When we got to Dublin, Rebekah asked “Are we in AMERICA?!” But even though she threw up in the airport, the trip actually went very smoothly. Travelling without a baby is something we haven’t done in a long time, but travelling with a little girl is definitely new: Seth had certainly never watched back to back versions of Cinderella before. We’re thankful for the smooth journey, and are slowly getting adjusted to American time and temperature (it was in the 60’s f when we left Youghal, and it’s in the 90’s here). Sweet tea and bacon definitely help!
Sun through the cracks in the curtain
I can hear the coffee perking
And I know it’s time for working
On a new day
One more chance to tick some boxes
Try to keep from stacking losses
Deadlines are the shouting bosses
Of a new day
Can there be extraordinary
In a day so ordinary?
Don’t be silly, just go carry
On the new day
As the sun sends shadows fleeing
Whispers of a deeper meaning
Speak a different way of seeing
On this new day
Another set of priceless hours
Gift as fragile as the flowers
Grace renewed in sun and showers
On each new day
This is Seth, ready to go on stage last night as Fagin. He is halfway through the six-night run of Oliver, and by the second afternoon every ticket to every show was sold out. So far the reviews have been very positive, and it’s been so much fun to be part of!
The Youghal Musical Society’s production of Oliver is opening on Monday night, so Seth has been very busy recently with lots of rehearsals. The sets are nearly ready, the costumes are coming together, and the excitement is building!
Last year Seth joined in the Youghal Musical Society’s production of Annie Get Your Gun, since they were looking for more men. It turned out to be a great opportunity to get to know lots of new people and have loads of fun in the process. So last week Seth went to the auditions for this year’s production, which is Oliver! He didn’t expect much, but was hoping for a small part with a few lines. Instead, he ended up with one of the lead roles! He’s going to be Fagin, the likeable but rotten man who teaches the boys to be pickpockets. That’s certainly not our normal message to children, but the play does do a good job of showing the difference between good and evil and the results of each. Now he just has to learn to speak with a cockney accent…
When you think of New Years music, you really only have one song: Auld Lang Syne. Well, here’s an interesting re-do with the same tune but new lyrics by a rootsy Christian band from Northern Ireland…
Click here to listen
Does December get shorter every year? It seems that way, but some of the highlights so far include:
– A Christmas party for the youth club featuring an ugly Christmas jumper (“sweater” in American English) contest, crazy gifts, carolling, mince pies (a traditional treat) and plenty of biscuits (or cookies, to Americans).
– A men’s dinner that was a massive feast, where it was great to see some new faces.
– A trip to Northern Ireland to see a friend baptised. He is the son of our former teammates and used to be in the youth club here.
– Watching Rebekah’s face light up brighter than the lights as she re-discovers Christmas.
December may seem like the shortest month in the year, but it’s still sweet – and I’m not just talking about all the amazing biscuits Jessica has been making!
I suppose the emphasis on food here probably gives away the fact that Seth writes the blog…
