Welcome to the Family - Part 2: The Promise

As promised, this is the second part of 'Welcome to the Family'. In the first part we learned that No-one could enter the Righteous King's castle besides the son and a select few who were were chosen as Spokesmen and given the ability to show the King's Might to the people. The people wanted to forget about their True King, and even built a wall to make him disappear. However, the son and the King want that wall torn down. The King has a plan, and he is about to tell his Son what he must do to destroy the Wall once and for all. 

The King glanced at his son. "We need to make them part of the Family."

The son cocked his head to the side, chewing his sunburst apple. Had he heard right? "How are we going to do that, Papa?"

"Go back out to the people," he said. "Keep telling them about me. Anyone who believes you and is willing to make the journey can come and stay here with me, as part of the family." 

The son did as the father asked, saying all the words the father had told him. But the men who were supposed to be the king's attendants did not recognize the son. They hated him; their hearts were filled with greed, and the way the crowds loved him made them jealous. The attendants plotted and planned, but could do nothing until the day one of them roped in one of the son's friends. They talked him into it, though they didn't have to push too hard. He was like a bruised reed- easily bent.

The friend betrayed the son. On a dark night he lead the attendants to the garden where the son was weeping. It was a night like no other. The King's plan was at it's most critical stage. Would the son carry out his Father's will until the end? When the betrayer came, the son had already made his choice. That night the son was arrested. He did not fight.

The next day the son was brought before the people. The Attendants worked to confuse the crowds. With pretty words and slick whispers, they convinced them that the son should be killed. All of the people who had loved the son, ran or turned on him that day. There was nothing good left for him. They strung him up. The son called out to the King, but the King did not answer. He was in the garden, sitting beneath the apple tree, tears streaming from his multi-colored eyes.

At three in the afternoon, great shadows passed over the land. "It is finished." The son said as the world was bathed in shadow. And then the son died. At that same moment, there was a great earthquake and the wall around the castle broke apart.

The King, who had been watching the wall, smiled a little wettly. In the great distance he saw them take down the boy, wrap him in funeral cloths, and put him into the tomb of another. Still the King wept. His son had spoken the truth. It was finished. All around the castle, the wall turned to dust.

The people who had followed the son mourned. The friend that had betrayed him, could not live with the consequences. He was found, dead and alone, in a field. The King mourned for him.

Three days passed. The longest days in all of creation.

The third day the battle was won. Death could not hold him; the son walked from the borrowed tomb. He spoke to the women first, then to the men. His friends didn't know what to do. So the son did as he had always did; he taught them. He stayed with them for a little while, and when he left he gave them simple instructions. "My father, the Righteous King has given me authority over everything here and elsewhere. You have the ability to act out in my name. So go, teach others what I taught you. Go to every nation and bring them into my family." He smiled at his followers. This would be good. Everything the King and the Son had worked for was about to begin.

The son returned to the father, and the King called for a great feast. The wall was down, and the first of the Family were arriving. The celebrations went on and on; no one living in the True King's palace grew weary or tired.

Meanwhile, the son's friends did as he asked, bringing more and more people into the Family. They Told the world about a Man, who was more than just a Man. They spoke of how he had come as a babe and grew up in a neighborhood not far away. They told about how everything in the kingdom listened to him. And, just as he promised, they were also able to do the same kind's of miracles. News spread throughout the Kingdom. And where the news did not reach, people began going to them. Even to death, for those in the Family belong to it body and soul. Their very spirit will rest in the King's gardens long after their bodies pass away. For that was the promise that the Father gave to the Son. It was that promise- Eternity with the Righteous King- that would carry on through all generations.

The End


I love writing and looking at the same thing in a different way, which was my goal with this. I hope you enjoyed my story, it is based on the Bible. If you want to read about the Son and his relationship with the Father, then look at the gospels. My suggestion is to start with John or Luke; they are my favorites out of the four (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) but that is just me. Don't be afraid to ask questions. To think and to ponder - we were made to do such things. 

I hope you had a Merry Christmas,
-A-

Concerning The Weather:
1) I wore flipflops on Christmas day
2) It snowed here the day after Christmas
3) I still open my mouth to catch snowflakes on my tongue (don't you?)

Hope, Happiness, and a Butter Life

The house is silent. But its more than that. The air is thick with a slow-burning quietness. I woke up Monday able to taste it in the air. It is because almost everyone has gone somewhere for Christmas break. David and Brad to Scotland, Emmett and Drew back to the states. Rachel and Robyn, two of the staff, off to Rachel's parents. I am not the only one left- Paul and Lu stayed, and Dave is here for the moment. Yet, there is not enough to fill the house with life. 

Today I did what I always do when I am alone (and sometimes when I'm not). I made things- edible things. This afternoon it involved Baking. Lots and lots of Baking. Which is unusual for me. I made two types of Apple Pastries- plain and Peanut Butter. I think they will be delectable. According to Paul the the peanut-butteriness was lacking and the apples needed more sugar. Thinking back, I didn't do the apples the way I normally would, having never mixed apples and peanut butter together I wasn't sure how well the cinnamon and brown sugar would go with it. And the amount of peanut butter was a complete guesstimation. So, he was probably right. All in all, they turned out better than I could have hoped for. The picture below is the first one I made. The others were considerably smaller. 

Peanut Butter Apple Pastry topped with Chocolate

This week I plan to make Apple Crumble (or something similar that is wholly my own creation ) Shortbread- this time I won't burn half the batch...... and maybe some more pastries. Or other things I can dip in chocolate. Like cake balls. I don't know if that would work. Oh, and for breakfast I am going to make stuffed french toast. I am going to do it. Really. I might try to make apple pies in the muffin tins. That could be fun. I would have tried it tonight had I thought about it. 

After so many weeks of lectures and doing practical things to help the churches in Wrexham, it is nice to have a break. I blasted one of my spotify playlists all day- until my computer died, at least- to fill the house with some semblance of being full. And I danced. Never before has the world seen me twirl and slide and twist and turn so much as I baked. Probably because I have never had a kitchen with so much space. It is so big I can pace properly before the oven as things bake! But yeah, the danceing. It helps things bake, of that I am most positive. However, the greater world (as in anyone other than my reflection) is not yet ready to see my moves. No, there was no twirly-skirt action to-night! In truth, if you accidentally caught a glimpse you might go blind. Perhaps that's because it's just too awesome to watch. Or it's that scary. You can decide. Personally, I'm partial to awesomeness. 

What else should I talk about? I played the piano this morning. Though you weren't missing much. My level of skill at tickling those ivory keys.... well it's much more similar to clubbing the poor piano than it is to tickling. I've known for years that I have trouble with rhythm and beat and keeping time. As in I can't time a constant beat and my rhythm is weary at best. Which made playing the violin (yes, I am one of those people) tricky, and the drums impossible. The piano sits somewhere in the middle. As I played I asked God what I should play. In the end, I think what I had sounded interesting at the very least. If absurdly repetitive. It was good practice, though, and fun. Perhaps tomorrow I will try again. Or I will attempt the guitar, which I have played with a few times this week. 

Thoughts about....Things.

1) A Definition: Hope--  a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. This is the feeling every child in a Christmas celebrating house will be feeling as they fall asleep Christmas Eve. Except for those families that open presents on Christmas Eve (an idea that is as foreign to me as I am to it). It is also the feeling I have as I bake. Or paint. Or create something strange, new, or random. 

2) A Pause at: Happiness. Pause right now or sometime today and think about all the Reasons you gave to be happy this Christmas. Did you know that when Jesus was born he was born an outcast? His parents were seen as the screw-ups, the type that good people shouldn't get involved with. Yes, I  imagine if you have been around the block with western Christianity you know what I mean. Really, though, be happy. Forget the stress of in-laws and needy children. Breath, Relax, and find something that brings you happiness.

3) That leaves the Butter. I baked today. Need I say more? Go bake something and then give it away. Its a wonderful way to meet people.  And to spread happiness. Humans LUV free things. Even if they don't like what they are getting, their eyes light up at the word 'free'. I have experiance with this, so trust me.  

Prayer Request:
1) Snow. As in a SNOWY CHRISTMAS.
2) Safe Travels for everyone, especially the pair in Scotland. They will be needing a miracle on Thursday morning.


P.S. This is my breakfast this Christmas eve.

cinnamon-brown sugar-granola pancakes topped with apples

Welcome to the Family - Part One: The Wall

This is short story that I wrote a couple of weeks ago. The plot is very familiar to me, and it might be familiar to you as well. The style I used is what someone once called storying; which means taking something real- in this case from the Bible- and looking at it in a different way. I hope you like this story, and please wait around for the conclusion, which I will try to post next week!

There was a righteous King who loved his kingdom. But the kingdom rebelled against him. For many years he called out some to be mediators between himself and the people. These spokesmen told the people everything that he said, but the people hated the spokesmen. Many generations rose up, but never did they look to their king for guidance. They looked to the other nations, desiring to be like them. They moved from under the King's protection, nominating a new king of their own. For a while the new king looked to the Righteous King who lived far from the people, behind a great wall they had constructed so that they might forget about him. Eventually it did happened. The people forgot. The king stopped counting the years, but he continued to send spokesmen. He was laying a foundation for his plan. It was a really good plan. And when the groundwork was laid, the King withdrew to wait until the proper time.

The King had a son. His only child. They had always been together. The King loved his son. And the son adored his father. They both loved the people, longing for them to return to their rightful place. When the proper time came, the King told the boy, "It is time, go out into the world and remind the people who I am." And the boy did just that. After he was old enough, the son showed them the power of the King by healing the sick, and giving sight to the blind. He cast out the shadows; the kingdom was filled with light. The people rejoiced. They loved him. But it was a shallow love. 

One day the King said to the son, "This is not enough."

"What do you want me to do, father?" the son replied. 

The king shook his head. He didn't want to say it. "It is almost time for you to leave them."

"I will do what you tell me, Papa." the son said. "But there are others- my friends- the ones I spoke about before. They love you. That is why I chose them. They will carry on what has started."

The King stopped at the apple tree. There was only one in this garden. He plucked the greenest fruit and watched it ripen in his hand before he sank his teeth into it. Juices ran into his beard. He chuckled, wiping his mouth. "Yes, those men are something else."  

"Did I tell you what Peter did the other day? It was so funny." 

The King glanced at the wall that surrounded the palace. "No, what was it?"

The son poured out his story. They both knew it was only a matter of time before things would turn sour, but for the moment they shared this togetherness. The king laughed. A deep rolling sound that was like the crashing of waves against the shore. "Perhaps next time he will remember not to do that."

The son was grinning. "Maybe." There was never a dull moment around his friends. His gaze landed on the wall and the smile slipped away. "We need to get rid of the wall."

"That's just what I was thinking." The King handed his son another apple. "And I know just the way." The son bit into the juicy fruit. The yellow ones were his favorite. They tasted like a burst of sunlight. The Wall that surrounded them made the apple feel cloudy in his mouth.

And then the King said something that would change everything they had ever known. "We need to make them part of the Family."

TO BE CONTINUED....

This week list is:

Christmas Trees

1. The best ones fill up the house with a piney scent

2. I am really glad people don't (usually) use candles in the trees anymore

3. I really want to see candles in a real tree

4. (bonus round) fairy lights are a much better name then 'christmas lights' don't you think?

Infested with Flavor (to Ireland and back again..)

The last two weeks have been amazing. First we celebrated Thanksgiving a week early, between packing shoe boxes for Christmas, and sorting food for the local foodbank.  It was a lot of fun, though now I hardly remember that week. One thing stuck in my mind- a quote from one of the guys. While talking about the Thanksgiving meal, Brad's take on it was that 'The turkey was Infested with Flavor.' Which describes everything from the past couple of weeks perfectly. I don't have any pictures from the week of packing shoe boxes, but I do have lots (over 300....) from this last week in Ireland. So I thought I would share the top 10 to tell you about the week. :)

This is from a walk I took during the week. We had gone to get ice cream but they were closed. (boohoo) And so Luciene and I took pictures instead. 

This bench is on the way back up the street. I was talking a lot about point perspectives (thank you Mrs. H of the 4D art class!!) and messing around. I like how this one turned out, though I wish I was closer to the bench.... (we just won't talk about that.)

It was very dark by the time I took this, so I got to play with the flash some. I hardly ever use it. The crick was so pretty, and Filled. I don't remember if it was this one, but the first time I got the trees I was trying to get the water in the background. We turned around soon after I took this picture. Neither of our cameras could take a decent night shot.

During the week we had a night to get to know each other. Cards are a big part of socializing, it seems. We play Hearts, Uno, Rummy, Slap-the-pile or kings corner- there is almost always a card game to play. That night we were playing the slap-the-pile game (it has many aliases, none of which I remember) and I actually managed to get a slap or two in! This picture might be of kings corner, I don't really remember. And then, to top it all off, I figured out how to take Black and White pictures with my camera!!!! YAY!!

Also, it is impossible to have any type of socializing without warm drinks. As the weather gets colder, this is especially important! Don't you want a hot chocolate just looking at this?  

Creamy, Dreamy, Hot Coco 

Sea Loch- Lake that empties and fills with the tide.

This view was right outside the house. These three pictures count as one, because it's a collage!!! And they were all taken the same day...... Isn't Ireland pretty?

Three Men in a Fog

On Thursday morning my team (alllllll of us) went out for breakfast and team time. This is a picture of three of the guys.

Waiting

This was Friday afternoon right before we left. I had to take one last picture of the lake. The Sea Loch is full of water! Yay! I do love this place, and was sad to leave it.

Leaving

Goodbye Ireland. Goodbye new friends. Farewell, hope to meet again.










Can't leave without a list:

1. Hot Drinks are a must in the cold, wet weather of the UK.
2. Fog can make or break pictures
3. New friends are really exciting, and I am exuberantly glad to have met them!

Prayer Requests:

1. White Christmas
2. Safe travels as we near that time of year.

New This Week:
Happy Birthday Shelby!!!!