a holy experience

photo credit: Ann Voskamp

Ann Voskamp- gifted writer and photographer, honest mother, vulnerable child of God allows others into her world, her thoughts, her hopes. She does this by her own blog, which I have found very inspiring. You can visit her insights at:

http://www.aholyexperience.com

bowls of goodness

Mmmmmm. Doc Chey's on Biltmore Avenue. We don't eat out much, but when we do... we migrate towards Doc Chey's! I'm talking, 9 times out of 10.

My favorite: Tofu Fried Rice. Pete's favorite(s): Spicy Thai Basil and Chinese Black Bean. These bowls of yummy, starchy goodness are oh so satisfying. If anyone knows of any in-home recipes that you think might measure up, I'd love to hear about it. In the meantime, I will not even pretend to use the chopsticks. I am a fan of the fork.

When we splurge, we go for an appetizer of either Thai Shrimp Rolls or Thai Basil Rolls.

Hours of Operation:
Sunday – Tuesday: 11:30 am – 10 pm
Wednesday: closed (To my dismay.)
Thursday: 11:30 am – 10 pm
Friday and Saturday: 11:30 am – 11 pm

You can also find Doc Chey's in Athens, Emory, VA Highlands, Grant Park (coming Feb. 2010) and Greenville, SC!

all must be right in the world

You know those moments of bliss- fleeting moments when all must be right in the world? It may be directly following a task where you know you did well, you delivered, you "gave it your all". It may be those first few moments in the morning when the entire house is silent... the only noise around is the buzzing of the refrigerator (which you just don't notice anymore) and the noise of silence, stillness itself. It may be those minutes your child cuddles more when he or she is waking up. It may be as simple as tasting a perfect, sun-ripened strawberry and you are surprised! I have experienced a few of those moments recently, and I just wanted to share them with you. There is nothing exciting or extraordinary about the surrounding circumstances. No awards have been given, no competition has been won, no mountain has been climbed. Just full, almost incomprehensible moments in time experienced.

It seems as though the Fall season lends itself to these moments. I wrapped up a family photo session at the WNC Arboretum a few weeks ago and was headed to my car to leave. I thank God for lifting my eyes up from the path I was hurriedly walking to take in a gorgeous landscape... complete with the sun's warmth, billowing clouds hovering a gentle, sloping mountain speckled with rusty reds, pumpkin oranges and dull golden tones. Somehow the mountain met a line of trees in transformation, and the ground was littered with drifting leaves, advancing toward me thanks to the breeze. It literally took my breath away. This still, full moment. I quickly offered thanks to the Creator, knowing my thanks just wasn't enough.

It happened again. I was on my way home a week or so later, and for a split second as I turned onto our street my eyes were directed to a flat, open field- appearing lime green because of the moon's melodious glow. It was the harvest moon. Something about its fullness and size made me feel a sense of completion. It seemed large and close enough that I could just reach up and scoop it out of the sky. It was unreal looking and framed by, of course, trees in transformation. My breath-gone. My mind, after a day of running the never-ending list of errands, calm.

There have been other moments. Some that you can relate to, some that you can't.
They have each been applauded by a resounding chorus of sighs pushed forward by a thankful disposition. I am sure this chorus is not enough, and somehow I am sure that it is.

cool link

I personally think this is pretty cool...
It is a link to the launch Sunday service for Canvas.

http://www.highlandchristian.com/canvas.html



Enjoy!

in a home

I wanted to give an update, as several of you are wondering where we are in the Canvas process...

The Canvas community is in the process of "shaking out". We have held both one-on-one and corporate meetings the last three weeks to further flesh out the vision and answer questions. In essence, those who have shown interest (since the launch at our home church) are in the process of deciding whether or not to become the core of Canvas. Regardless, we are moving forward with the small group of those who are committed. We are entering the "get to know you" process and will begin learning and worshipping together in a home.

This journey, of course, has already held its joys and obstacles. Please continue to pray for us as we desire to walk in a unified direction. Trust with us in the God who authors all things.

to tell the story

The leaves around here are telling their story of change.
So too have I been thinking about my own story of transformation, of reconciliation.

This is a pretty hot topic around our house- sharing the story of Christ in our lives with one another and then wondering how best to tell it to others. Growing up, I thought evangelism was about having a prepared, apologetic argument in defense of the gospel. On one hand, it was simple (sort of). I could memorize scripture and catchy quotes of amazing Christian leaders of my day, guide/manipulate the conversation in the direction of God and be ready to deliver "aha" thoughts and questions that would supposedly cause the other to realize the truth about God and give their life to Christ immediately. It was controlled. It was purely intellectual and calculated.
On the other hand, this terrified me. I questioned if I had the mind or the courage it took to perform such a feat- with each person I came in contact with, day after day.

It seems as though the leaves tell... it's as if they can't help it. But maybe it's the change that tells its own story, upon the canvas of the leaf.

Now, I'm not trying to convince us all to never speak of God and His redemptive plan directly, boldly, intentionally. But perhaps we should pray to be shut up. Perhaps we should actually get out of the way of God telling His story upon the canvas of ourselves. Maybe it can really be that simple. And because of Him making joy and hope evident in our lives will we have the opportunity to answer why.

"they" do!

Pete had the honor of officiating the wedding for our friends Molly & Dave on Sunday! I had the privilege of photographing it... I know we should go on the road, right?!

Anyways, everything about it was incredible- the overcast day (perfect for photography), the mountain view, the community of family and friends in attendance, the obvious love shared between them. I could go on and on. In short, however, we truly enjoyed being a part of their sacred celebration.