Adventuretime

We've been contemplating a move recently, and I confess that the mere thought of packing up and leaving our home of 10 years raises quite a bit of anxiety in me. Anxiety is often stalking me, waiting for me to allow it to dig in. It's never good when I give it such permission. It's not a welcome friend, but rather a nasty parasite, like a tick, that sucks the peace and joy from my heart and life.

So, recognizing the sight of this all-to-familiar foe, I began to pray against it. As I laid in bed, thinking about the move and being honest about the emotions that were stirring within me, I had this thought: "It wouldn't be an adventure if it wasn't at least a little bit scary."

That's true. By nature, an adventure requires that we step out in faith, that we take a risk, that we leave the known for the unknown. That is unsettling and scary. And it's not a bad thing.

I could chose a life of comfort and determine it's better to stay in the boat than to rock it. Yet, that is not the life I desire or the life I am called to. It's not the life that any of us are called to. We are called to follow God where he leads...and that is oftentimes surprising, unsettling, and scary. Think Abram. Moses. David. Ester. Paul...

We have heard of a local family who recently followed the call to move their family to Ghana to minister to the people there. They were obedient, and now their family of six is adjusting to this new home in a very new and different land. We have friends who are moving their family, including four little ones, to Guatemala for the next year. They will minister as they work to provide clean water to the village that they will call home for the next year.

Our upcoming adventure is nothing like these two brave, faithful families who have left everything for the sake of the call. After all, we are not leaving town, changing jobs, or trading schools. Yet, their example encourage me to live with courage, move forward (even in the uncertainties), and embrace the unknown as part of the adventure.

What a gift to have visible reminders in faithful friends of what it means to live by faith, not by sight.

Fishy Friday

Luckily the fish were biting today! Tim, Seth, and Reed enjoyed a day on the water with our friend, Bruce, and they were some fortunate fishermen. From their account, they caught 20-30 fish. Could it be a fish tale? I'll just have to take them at their word!

Hike #3

This past weekend the elders of our church, and their wives, enjoyed a retreat in Tellico Plains. The cabin we stayed at is situated on 90-acres of private property adjacent to the Cherokee National Forest, so we had plenty of room to roam. The above photograph shows an overhead look at the path of our hike. We journeyed along the creek route into the woods. The fourteen of us crossed this lovely pasture to enter the woods. From there, we followed the trail to a waterfall. It was a lovely hike, and we stopped at the falls for some picture taking. The next part of the hike was much more challenging...and STEEP. Here we ascend the trail (or what Tim, our guide, called a trail. I'm not so sure...). After our less-than-certain but very encouraging guide found the property marker, the whole group let out a collective sigh.

Movie Mania

Once a year the characters that comprise our church shine like no other time: our annual leadership banquet. For the past three years, the event has had a theme, and this year it was particularly fun - the movies!

Of course, the choices were nearly limitless. Tim and I could embrace our inner Star Wars and rock a Princess Leah and Hans Solo get-up. We could pay homage to Middle Earth as Aragorn and Arwen. Or we could channel two of my literary favorites, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett.

In the end, we went as H.I. and Ed from the Coen Brothers' classic, "Raising Arizona." I faded into the background of Tim's appearance. His sideburns and moustache (both real) were quite impressive!

Tim got into his character...maybe a little too much? Naw...he was awesome and earn lots of laughs for his commitment to the character. In fact, the entire crowd wowed with their costumes. One small group came dressed as the cast of "The Wizard of Oz," even down to the flying monkey! Couples represented "Men in Black," "Driving Mrs. Daisy," "The Matrix," "My Fair Lady," and so many other classic film characters. The surprise of the night was the absence of Bella and Edward, at least in person (the staff did produce an entertaining video reinactment of a "Twilight" scene).

Additional entertainment was provided by the staff doing a live song and dance from "Annie" and "The Sound of Music." Plus, the motley crew pictured above (our elders - notice Tim second from right) along with the elders' wives (myself included) did a step dance spoof from the movie "Stomp the Yard." I'm not sure our dance skills impressed anyone, but we certainly entertained if the laughs were any indicator.

Thanks to the Providence staff for putting together this excellent evening to honor the many volunteers who serve every week at our church. We enjoyed our night as H.I. and Ed, and in the end, we were a little sad to see the sideburns and moustache go. Here's looking forward to next year and whatever costume (and facial hair) it will require.

Seriously Sweet

The sweetest treat I received for my birthday was a weekend visit from Jinda and Rivers Green. Jinda and I have been close friends since our days living in Birmingham, and Rivers is her 11-week-old son. What a precious little baby!

Look at that face! Folks refer to Rivers' dark hair, but all I see is an auburn mane about to reveal itself. Rivers' mom has gorgeous red hair, as do his three brothers and one sister. Though his daddy is a brunette, I think this one will follow his siblings with beautiful red locks.

Titan was incredibly curious about Rivers, and he desperately wanted the freedom to examine him. A lick or two was all he got (oh, and a pacifier, which he swiped at the first opportunity!).

We each got a turn with the baby. Tim kindly babysat on Saturday night so that Jinda and I could go out to dinner with some girlfriends to celebrate my recent birthday. He had plenty of help from Reed and his friend Sophie, who were extremely attentive to Rivers.

Reed was mesmerized by Rivers and hung close throughout the weekend. He made sure his pacifier stayed in place and that his coos and grunts were met with appropriate concern.

On Sunday morning we said a reluctant goodbye to Rivers and his mommy. It was such a delight to have a baby in our house and our arms again. He captivated us all!

Beautiful Day at Biltmore

Thanks to Tim's generous employers (and my stellar performance in a "dance-off" at the annual company picnic...yes, you read that right!) we won two tickets to the Biltmore Estate. Perfect timing since fall break was just around the corner. So, on Friday we enjoyed a spectacular day in Asheville. Luckily our good friends, the Larkin family, were also visiting Biltmore so we enjoyed spending the afternoon with them.

We rented the audiotour for each of us, so the boys enjoyed having their own headset to lead them through the house. Here we stand on the loggia overlooking the stunning mountain view.


As you can see, it was a beautiful fall day with amazing blue skies. Though the shuttle bus driver told us they expected more than 4,000 visitors that day, we enjoyed touring the house and exploring the grounds at our own pace.



The gardens and grounds of Biltmore Estate are beautiful in any season. Catch a glimpse of the fall foliage and plantings in the pictures below:





Since our last visit probably ten years ago, Biltmore has added Antler Hill Village surrounding the winery. There's an outdoor shop, the ice creamery, and a few restaurants. Here Reed and his friend Sophie enjoy the sculpture of Cornelia Vanderbilt and her dog Cedric.

The Farm at Antler Hill Village was especially fun for the kids, with a blacksmith, farm, and games from the early 20th century. Here Tim and the boys try the "Game of Grace," which they caught on to quickly (look for the wooden ring midair in the first photo). Below they pet on a 21-year-old horse now enjoying his retirement at Antler Hill Farm.

While everyone enjoyed petting the animals at the farm, Reed seemed to have a special affection for the goats. He spent time petting each and every goat, and he shared a long, quiet moment with the one little fellow (third photo down). I wish I knew what Reed was thinking.



What a beautiful day to share with our friends! Here's a group photo taken at the end of our time at Biltmore Estate.

Captivating Journey

I've just returned from my sixth Captivating retreat, and all I can say is "Wow!" Well, that's not all I can say, but imagine me standing on a mountain overlooking this scene with hands held high sighing loudly..."Wow!" Yep. That's it.

I know it can be difficult to understand how my sixth Captivating experience could possibly be as rich and as meaningful as my first, but it is true. Different? Absolutely. But still surprising and breathtaking.

This was my first Captivating journey in the Fall, so the change in landscape was new and fresh. The aspens were stunning, and the 80-degree weather welcome. Each day we spend time outside journaling and praying, and to do so in such a spectacular environment was incredible.

Jennifer and I found this great swing with an even greater view up the hill behind the work crew cabin. Behaving for a proper picture proved difficult. Claiming this spot for the quiet times each day proved even more difficult...apparently we weren't the only ones to discover this gem of a spot!

Over the years I've been lucky enough to share Captivating with a few friends from home. This time I was so blessed to have two dear friends with me: Jennifer serving on her second work crew and Janna attending for the first time.

After Sunday's final session, Stasi Eldredge chats with attendees and poses for many pictures. She is patient, present, and so engaging. Truly captivating!

As we were leaving the ranch on Sunday, Janna, Jennifer and I had to stop for this panoramic picture. The landscape is truly amazing and speaks of the journey we shared.

Hello Tonight

When I was a teenager, my mother was extremely cool to take my sister and me to concerts. From Loretta Lynn, Kool and the Gang, and Chicago (our first three) to Amy Grant, the Jackson's Victory tour, and Sting, she was a good sport to sit through performances that didn't really appeal to her musical taste.

Well, I am learning that life comes full circle and often surprises us when it makes a complete loop. Last Thursday night was one of those moments. Tim and I went to see Chris Tomlin in concert for the third time with our friends Jennifer and Andre. This time we decided to include our middle school-age sons, Seth and Eric.


The billing on the Hello Tonight! tour is Chris Tomin and TobyMac. I have to confess that: #1. I assumed Chris Tomlin would be the main act, and #2. I was not too familiar with TobyMac's music. Instead, Chris Tomlin came onstage first. His performance was, as usual, amazing, and it was a joy to watch Seth and Eric engage in the worship along with the thousands of others in attendance.

Next, TobyMac took the stage. I knew immediately that I was outside of my comfort zone. After awkwardly moving/dancing/clapping to the first song, I sat down. I reluctantly confess...my 40-year-old body didn't know how to respond to the hip-hop/rock/funk/soul! Unfortunately, however, the boys took my lead and sat down too. I was a party pooper...who couldn't remember how to dance!

So, when the next song began I stood back up. (They stood up too.)

As TobyMac's performance continued I noticed that I loosened up and forgot to worry about my awkward moving/dancing/clapping (okay, nearly forgot). He was a great performer...passionate, energetic, and engaged. And I was reminded that worship can happen, regardless of whether the music happens to be familiar tunes or "Funky Jesus Music."

The finale was my favorite part of the evening, as Chris Tomlin joined TobyMac on stage for "City on our Knees," "God of this City," and the final song of the evening "Jesus Freak." It was incredible! And I found myself moving/dancing/clapping AND smiling along with the rest of the freaks (Jesus freaks, that is) in the crowd.

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A Festive Fourth

Our Fourth of July was a blast as we started what will hopefully become a new tradition: a camping trip with our friends, the Alves family. We spent three nights at the Elkmont campground in the Smoky Mountains. The first night got off to an exciting start, as coyotes skirmished near our tents. We were all jolted awake by their yelps and howls. (Thankfully the next two nights were free of any four-legged visitors.)

Here are some pictures from our holiday weekend:

A highlight of the Smokies is creek hopping, but this year it took on new meaning after a few days with no shower. Ahhh, that cold creek water felt refreshing. (If only I could have brought some shampoo with me...)

Reed and Maya had a great time playing together, whether riding their bicycles through the woods surrounding our campsite, exploring the creek, or playing WebKinz in their private tent.

Here the four friends take a break from exploring the creek: Maya, Reed, Seth, and Eric.

Jennifer and I watch the kiddos having fun in the creek. Within minutes, they were all soaking wet!

The kids found this rock, which made a great little water slide. That first slide into the creek was shockingly cold.

Sunday morning at our campsite, and only Reed seems to have energy left for our one remaining night at camp. The Alves had to leave on Sunday, so we toughed out one last day and night at camp without them. We enjoyed a quiet day with naps, ice cream, creek hopping, and Yahtzee.

Here are the guys with the kids on Sunday morning. Everyone is all smiles...I guess that means the first annual Tucker/Alves camping trip is a success! Looking forward to next year...minus the coyotes!