Our Trip to MA

Logan was working in MA last week, and the boys and I joined him Saturday for a packed full weekend! I was not a very thorough photojournalist, but I got a few pictures.

Josiah, Benji and I left at 6 a.m. and drove to Ipswich to pick Logan up at Josh and Sarah's. The boys were so happy to get out of the car, but we had to quickly change them out of their pj's and get back on the road. Our first stop was Hamilton to see Jacob Joseph, who is at the seminary for 3 weeks for D.Min courses. Jacob was a music major at Gordon College my junior year before he transferred to SBTS in Kentucky. A friend of the Tennants, he had come over to study music so that he could pioneer a music degree at the New Theological College in India. He, Caty MacLeod and I were kindred spirits, studying music to prepare for ministry. It was so great to hear how the music program at the seminary is growing, how Jacob is studying worship and musicology, and how his wife and children are doing.

Our next stop was in Manchester-by-the-Sea to see newlyweds Kristin (one of my beloved Bromley 202 flatmates) and Scott, who were watching their adorable niece, Sydney. These two morning stops went by much too quickly to get adequately caught up, but it was soooo good to see dear friends! Benjamin slept in my arms while Josiah played with princesses with Sydney. He was so happy to make a new friend!

Next, we jetted off to meet the Endicott Christian Fellowship members who are living on the North Shore. This turned out to be the Big Fiasco of the day. I had thought that if we went to a McDonald's with a playplace, we'd have an easier time visiting while simultaneously keeping the boys entertained and happy. On the McD's website, they listed the location on Enon St in Beverly. Leaving Kristin and Scotts, we typed in 40 Enon St, and our GPS directed us to N. Beverly, which surprised me because I was picturing a McD's downtown. I had only communicated with the ECFers via Facebook, and didn't have any phone numbers. We went to N. Beverly and no one was there, so we drove to the one in Beverly to check that one. Benji was hysterical on the drive in between, so we knew we had to eat whether anyone was there or not. After the boys were fed and happy, we decided we could drive over to Jay's house, who lived in Beverly. I left a note in his door to please call us, and then we went on to Swampscott to get Logan's tools from Aunt Robyn's house, and then to Salem to deliver a wedding gift to Kevin and Emily.

We headed back to Beverly, and decided we'd go back to Jay's house to see if he was home yet. Come to find out, I had left the note on the wrong door! Jay was three houses down the street!!! Fortunately, his parents were home and we were able to connect with Jay at Jeff and Kellie's house later that night. Andrea, Jeremy, Jay, Phil and Anneliese had all stopped by the N. Beverly McD's after we had left. I still feel so bad for messing up a reunion that I was so excited for!!! I'll have to do a separate post sometime on the ECF and why these young adults are so exceptional and special to me.

We went over to Jeff and Kellie's for pizza that night with Josh and Sarah as well. The boys enjoyed playing with Preston and his train toys, and then were too overstimulated from their busy day to fall asleep there, so they watched Dora the Explorer in the bedroom while the adults chatted in the kitchen. Jay stopped by for a little while, and I did manage to remember to take his picture and Preston's, but not anyone else's!

Finally it was time to go to our hotel! The boys konked out in the car and miraculously slept through the night on the sleeper sofa, leaving us in the King Bed all to ourselves! When they woke up, they were very confused about where we were. Josiah asked, "Whose house is this?" They loved having the Disney channel and were especially impressed by the buffet breakfast. When Benji and I were walking back to the dining room from the restroom, he said, "I eat my birthday food!" It was so nice to hang out all morning and relax. We didn't have to leave for church until 10:15. Here's a picture of the boys watching TV:

It is always wonderful to visit NSCBC, our church home in MA! Besides seeing countless friends, it feels good to be in a church where we feel like we're part of the family. Josiah could remember there being an elevator in the building, so after the service, he kept escaping from me, running down the halls looking for the elevator. He also told me that he could preach because he was a pastor, and went up to the platform and paced back and forth for awhile, talking about God. He always zones in on pastors! On our way out, Logan gave him his ride on the elevator:
After church we ate at Bertucci's, visited with several church friends there, and then headed home. It was a jam-packed weekend. Hopefully we'll have more time for our next visit! I lived in MA for 7 years, so I always love to go back and drive on familiar roads, eat familiar food, and see familiar, beloved faces!

Accidents Happen

Last week, Logan was working at my Aunt Robyn's in Swampscott, MA, when his utility knife slipped and stabbed his arm, severing a vein! Alone, he tried to wrap his sock around it to stop the bleeding, which was profuse, but was unsuccessful, so he went next door where Robyn's sister-in-law, a nurse, made a tourniquet for him. Robyn got home just at that time and brought Logan to the Beverly Hospital ER. Because Logan was bleeding so much, they feared he had cut an artery, so they were considering surgery. They were finally able to stitch the vein and staple his arm shut, sending him on his way pretty quickly. It was not a long cut, but at least an inch and a half deep. That was six days ago, so Logan's staples can come out tomorrow.

I was housecleaning that day, and stopped at the coffeeshop for lunch inbetween houses. Mom told me that Logan would be calling from the ER, and I immediately felt my stomach flip, picturing a car accident on his way to MA that morning. Mom quickly informed me it was a cut and he was fine, but it was a relief to hear his calm voice telling me what had happened!

You may not be interested in seeing this, but here is a photo of the wound:

Maine's Finest Snow Removal Crew

We woke up to half a foot of beautiful snow today, so Josiah and Benjamin are anxious to get to work shoveling! We enjoyed the past two weeks of clear skies and above freezing temps, but it is winter after all, and the boys have been a little disappointed that the remaining snow from January 2nd's storm was inadequate for snowman building, sledding, and tractor digging. I'm putting off the whole suiting up ordeal, which Josiah was ready for at 6 a.m. I think 9 or 10 a.m. is just fine for playing outside. For now, the boys are suffering through some cartoons while I wake up. :)

Here are some pictures from early January:

Have a little Grace

Here is an excerpt from an article from the website incourage.me that resonated with my desire to see more grace in my own life and in others. The quote on my blog today is "Toleration is the best religion" (Victor Hugo), which is very true if you think in terms of seeing others as Christ sees them, as beautiful beings created in God's image who need to be restored to a right relationship with God, and loving them despite their flawed ideologies or bad behavior. No, we don't need to tolerate sinful lifestyles, but we need to recognize our own sinful attitudes, be humble, and treat other people respectfully. Isn't it true that Christians are often ungracious, enjoying our own faith community while judging other Christians for their differences?

The author is describing the camaraderie among those doing a 5K together, when this happens:

"Just a few moments later, however, the mood changed drastically. A woman drove her car for about 100 yards (very slowly) on the race course to make it from the main road to her driveway. These same people who had been singing kum-bah-ya together (well, not literally) as we walked shoulder-to-shoulder for the great cause of feeding the homeless began yelling obscenities at her and rushing at the car. So much for the holiday spirit.

The woman who drove on the race course was ill-mannered, to be sure; but the crowd's lack of grace struck me as even worse. Our camaraderie suddenly felt meaningless and hollow because acceptance was clearly conditional. "If you're one of us, we'll love you," the message warned, "but if you get in our way beware."

Jesus said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?"*

We need grace in our society, but grace is more than harnessing road rage. It goes beyond getting off the cell phone when checking out at the cash register. It's not just donating money to a good cause. Jesus calls us to love, and he calls us to love those who are not easy to love. To do that—to be gracious people—we must engage others authentically. We must attempt to see situations from the perspective of others, putting our own agendas aside. And we must humble ourselves."

Christmas in Maine

We had our final Christmas celebration last week with my family here in Maine. I have misplaced my camera cord since our trip to NC, so I haven't been able to upload any of my digital pics, but I just got these 35 mm shots developed today and couldn't wait to post them. My parents, Uncle Jim and Aunt Linda, and Danny and April came over for a ham dinner prepared mostly by Mom, and then we opened more presents! It was a lot of fun, especially to be able to drag Christmas on and on for nearly two weeks! :)

This first picture is a Christmas Miracle (how unlikely that 10 people, including two little men, would all take a good picture at the same time?!):

The boys have been busy playing with their Christmas toys, even asking me not to take them anywhere some days! Usually they're begging me to take them out and about:

I found these Rudolph noses and antlers for 50 cents at Renys! I should have taken the picture when I first put them on the boys, because the antlers didn't last long, and we lost one of the flashing noses in the wrapping mess: