Welcome!

"Seeing the goodness of God in the land of the living..."

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Ireland Photo Notes

Hi! We are in Belfast staying at the YWAM house on the floor for free, what a BLESSING! Thanks to Jesus and Padraig. There is a great Traditional Irish Music Festival going on here, and great opportunities to get to learn from the YWAM team here whose main focus is reconciliation and forgiveness.

Our Anniversary weekend was awesome, we got to explore some in N. Ireland and also Donegal in Ireland. It really is a Wow-a-minute here!

Here is a description of the photos below, if you just keep scrolling...

1. Murlough Bay, one of the prettiest places in N. Ireland..we got to see butterflies and goats and put our feet in the water here.
2. A beautiful colorful village we drove through, Killykiel (sp?)
3. The cliffs at Bunglas are the highest cliffs in Europe and the wind was INTENSE, it blew us up the mountain effortlessly! (Not so effortless was the journey back down)
4. Christy in her new red hand-knit in Ireland sweater, an Anniversary present from Joseph...The background is the Cliffs at Bunglas with a rainbow...(we have seen 11 or 12 rainbows in the last week! ...still looking for the pot of gold, haha....
5. Joseph being a climbing guy.
6. This is the rad beach we had all to ourselves on our Anniversary and went swimming with the huge waves!
7. (black and white) Inch Abbey, 12th Century ruins near where St. Patrick lived.
8. A steeple in Belfast
9 and 10. The Giant's Causeway, N. Ireland, formed a really really long time ago by lava, or just a creative touch of God.
11. A rope bridge 100 feet over the ocean that led to a beautiful island.

HOPE YOU ENJOY THESE!
LOTS OF LOVE! HAVE AN INCREDIBLE DAY!
Joseph and Christy

First Anniversary Sell-uh-brae-shee-own!







The Gorgeouseness of N. Ireland!





Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Northern Ireland and Ireland!

We just want to let you know we have been in Northern Ireland and Ireland for a few days...We celebrated our One year Anniversary and it was awesome! Joseph planned a beautiful time...we will write with photos in 1 or 2 days. Ireland is a blessed country!
We love you!
Joseph and Christy

Friday, September 21, 2007

Christy thoughts accompanied by Scotland's beauty






Gradually you forget to remind yourself of the offenses

that you had let disturb you so.

You decide to lose the frown and let your smile show


The kindess of the Scottish folk

The haggis and heather of the highlands

brings creative life to your tired hands


To find beauty in the feet soaked through

and through and through

and in the eyes that light the grey to white

that washes over the room


I'd like to build a house of stone

with trees tall by the stream, and be there in

the winter and for the coloring of the leaves


Today we saw the first tree, seasoned with Autumn's breath.

A poem(w/ photos of Scotland hikes, ferry ride, and swimming)






The Return...(for Christy)


Bursting blooming, autumn looming

the hills are full and shaggy

with heather a-rain drenched, the clouds broke open

and blessed us, me and my lady.


Each drop that soaked through to our shoulders

and rose through the souls of our shoes

served as a reminder to our spirits

th'we were never far from You.


For You fill up our hearts like rain fills up our fabrics

once dried up-the tear-ducts were empty.

Is that rain on the street? Or the movements of feet?

You're turning our mourning to dancing.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

websites

Hey, check out www.isleofberneray.com
the "hostel" we are staying in is the picture between the sheep and the boats. You can get an idea of what it is like here. Also www.glencoescotland.com and www.skye.co.uk you'll see pictures of the places we just came from. Love and God Bless

Haggis and Heather, the Highlands and the Islands

Scotland has been fantastic. Flying in, we already felt welcome, and since arriving a week and a half ago, the spirit still remains. We stayed with a beautiful and hospitable family for a few nights in Glasgow, where Joseph met up with an old friend for a couple days of fellowship, then we thought we would travel north a bit, visiting the Highlands and seeing the beautiful lochs(lakes). Christy was here over a year ago just after her best friend Shyloh passed away and the land was rugged and brown, just before spring. This time around the land is bursting over the top with greenery and many different shades of heather. We feel this is a new season we are going into... :) From the Highlands we ferried over to the Isle of Skye and had an incredible time of hiking, exploring, hitching, and just standing in awe before our Creator. Yesterday we ferried over to the Isles of the Outer Hebrides and we are staying in centuries old thatched roof stone cottage right on the ocean. Last night we saw the most magnificent display of the Milky Way either of us may have ever seen, and this morning we woke to a big storm, so it is mostly indoor weather, with time to read and pray. We will post some pictures soon, along with some poetry we wrote when sitting in a pub listening to traditional music when we get the chance. We love and miss you. May we all go under the Mercy

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Happy to be in Scotland.

Hoohah.
We flew from Paris to Glasgow, Scotland yesterday and are staying with beautiful friends here. They are such fun to talk with and they are keen on having bees around so they can harvest honey...so Joseph got stung on his eyelid this morning, but he's a trooper and it healed up well.

Flavigny,France (where Chocolat was filmed), was so quiet and so lovely...we walked and explored a lot there and were amazed by the quaint and simple beauty there, the flowers, forests, valleys...And there is no chocolaterie there, but there is an Anis Sweets factory, so the fragrance wafts through the village bringing even more atmosphere.

Paris was of course not quiet, but it has it's own beauty. Our niece, Emily asked for a photo of the Eiffel tower, so here it is Em! We walked our heels off here, saw the Mona Lisa, and art galore, and had a great time getting lost in the streets of Paris.
We are looking forward to the time in Scotland and will be in touch.
Love J and C

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Great Experiences






Bonjour!

We did have a lovely time in Valence, where we hiked to a 1000 year old ruins that was the most windy place we have ever been. The wind was moving us and throwing things at our face. It was rad. And Lynne, our kind host in Valence, connected us with a great lady in Lyon; where we spent last night. Not knowing us, this wonderful lady Gisele (75 years old), showed us all over the city doing tons of walking; showed us the place where it is first recorded that Christians were martyred in France. She showed us an old Roman theatre, and shared a lot of history and then insisted on taking us out for a French dinner. (Joseph had escargot...snails, and Christy had Foie gras...duck liver or something) It was all delicious and we are blessed by the hospitality.

Then we arrived in Dijon today just in time for a parade of dance and song from all over the world celebrating the grape harvest...Awesome!

Having the Holy Spirit is amazing. He is the best Guide in the whole world. He is continually surprising us!

Tomorrow we are off to the village where the film Chocolat was filmed, a film we really enjoy!

Then Paris for 3 nights before flying to Glasgow Scotland. Have a wonderful day and know that you are SUPER!...Au Revoir, Joseph and Christy