Living and Growing in Community

I live in community. Like these shoes piled up near our front entry, we are an interesting collection of different ages, backgrounds and worldviews tossed together for an uncertain period of time.

Could you tell by the shoes? There are seven of us now living in this house. A majority of them are male! We share the same roof, kitchen, living room, driveway, laundry area and coffee maker! It's never boring.

The owner of the house is a "collector" of sorts... but not of tea cups or Chia Pets, she collects people! They're "gathered up" by her and tucked around the house in all sorts of places, including the garage. She seems to be quit content with the arrangement and in turn, we too are content to live simpler lives with smaller living spaces.

This unique living environment has provided me with some interesting missions pre-field training! I am daily challenged to choose flexibility, cooperation, patience, forgiveness, self-control and love, over my own selfishness. This is a humbling thing, in fact an impossible task to accomplish apart from God's grace and power. Only by His indwelling, the Spirit at work with in me, can this happen.

As followers of Jesus, we need to do more than "preach the gospel". We are called to "be the gospel" to those we are in community with. We are to live our lives in such a way that we demonstrate or manifest Him. We are to be the essence of Jesus where ever we are. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for salvation" Romans 1:16

We are ALL called to BE THE GOSPEL not just PREACH THE GOSPEL. This is not a neat and tidy idea. Living the gospel is messy, because we as humans are not perfect. We have to be willing to take off our "dress shoes" or "slippers" and get a little dirty, maybe even scuffed up! For many that is an unappealing thought, even if it is true. We were designed to live in community, to rub up against each other. How else will others have a chance to touch, see and hear the Jesus that lives within us?

St. Patricks Day. Did you know that...

Chicago River dyed green

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was actually born in Wales! At his birth in AD 385, he was given the name Maewyn. In his younger years St. Patrick was far from being a saint, in fact he considered himself a pagan.

At the age of 16 Patrick was sold into slavery by Irish bandits who pillaged his town. It was during his captivity that he became closer to God. After six years of slavery Patrick escaped and ended up in a monastery under the training of St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre.

Eventually Patrick returned to Ireland to convert many native pagans to Christianity. Patrick was quite successful at winning converts, setting up schools and establishing churches to aide the conversion of the Irish country to Christianity. This fact greatly upset the Celtic Druids who had Patrick arrested on a regular basis. He, however, managed to escape his captors each time!

Patrick’s mission in Ireland lasted about thirty years. He died on March 17 in AD 461. We have been commemorating St. Patrick's Day ever since.

Today most people celebrate the day with big parades, partying, the wearing of green and drinking of MUCH BEER… interesting.

Picture taken on the way to Irish Beach in Mendocino County

One traditional icon of the day is the "shamrock". The Irish tell of how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock.

Spring is in the air.... you know what that means... time to head to the coast for a day!

The road that leads to my home is lined with blooms!

This is what it looks like as you enter our Valley.

I took these pictures on the way home from a friend's house.

Everything is beginning to bloom around here!

Some of the amazing sights you will see as you head over to the Mendocino Coast. It takes about 90 minutes to get to the pacific ocean from my home, but the drive is beautiful!

It is Spring time in Northern California. It's absolutely beautiful during this time of the year. The warm sun makes the lush green hills glow. The daffodils and wild mustard are so bright and yellow that you are tempted to squint your eyes! Soon the daffodis will be joined by an abundance of other colorful wild flowers that will carpet our valley. My daughter was here for a few days recently. One of our favorite things to do when she comes to visit, is to pack a lunch and head for the coast! It's a magnificent drive. The road weaves over the hills, through the coastal redwoods and along side a breath taking river. There are plenty of vineyards, orchards and meadows to gaze at, and there are just enough cattle and sheep dotting the hillsides to keep you contentedly distracted during the short drive. I have spent many hours at the shores and bluffs of Mendocino. The closer you get to the ocean the crisper the air becomes and the more deliciously fresh it smells! This is where I love to escape. A trip to Mendocino feeds my soul and reminds me of God's magnificence! Sometimes it has been a place of tearful reflection and other times it has been a place for refreshment. It has also become a place of great joy and yes, even great romance!