Florence, Italy

From Venice we hopped a train to Florence which is just over 2 hours away. After seeing Venice Florence was not nearly as impressive but still a cool place to visit. To think of all the history that has happened there (birthplace of the Renaissance) and all the famous people (Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante, Galileo- to name just a few) who are from Florence or have spent significant time there is mind boggling! While in Florence we visited a few art museums where we saw a ton of Renaissance art, ate lots of delicious Italian food, saw the Duomo, walked across the Old Bridge, shopped in the Silk and Straw Market, visited the Science museum which holds remnants of Galileo's instruments and his finger, and saw the famous marble statue David at the Academia museum. David is by far the most impressive piece of art I have ever seen. I would say it is worth going to Florence just to see him! I didn't know where in the museum he would be and when I rounded the corner and found myself looking at him I was stunned! Stunned by his sheer size and beauty. As I stood below him I could not believe the great detail- the veins in his arms and the look on his face! Wow, what can I say but glory to God that he would create man with such skills as Michelangelo had! I enjoyed Florence though it was not as beautiful as Venice. I think it is safe to say Italy is my favorite country in Europe to visit.

Venice

Have you ever been to Venice? I didn't expect it to be so beautiful. We arrived at night and took the bus as far as we could. Upon first site of the canal- even in the dark- I was already sold. We hopped a waterbus and headed down the Grand Canal to Venice's famous Rialto Bridge where we got off. Seeing the palaces along the way was breathtaking. Venice is almost hard to commprehend at first- a city with no streets, only canals and boats, and all these big beautiful buildings sitting on top of the canals. If only they lit them up in the dark! Once off the water bus we disappeared into a maze of medieval streets. I have never been in a city so hard to navigate! I was so thankful to have Matt there or else I would have been lost the entire time. Because we got such cheap airfare we treated ourselves to a nice hotel. We stayed 2 nights and wandered around the narrow winding streets during the day, eating delicious Italian food, enjoying the sites of St. Mark's square, sitting in on a Vivladi concert in a church, and seeing all the Carnival masks and costumes while imagining what it would be like to be there during Carnival which was just a week away. If you ever have the opportunity to go to Venice don't pass it up. It is sure to be one of the most beautiful cities you will ever see.

Preparing for the Conference

These past few weeks I have been reading particular books in order to prepare myself for the Ligonier Ministries Conference which is next week. This year the theme of the main session is the holiness of God and the preconference is on John Calvin. In my preparation I recently read Sproul's book "The Holiness of God." Have you read it? It is a classic and well worth a read. Sproul is very gifted at taking ideas that are huge (like the holiness of God) or hard to understand (like predesitnation) and making them understandable and a joy to read about. He is a very intelligent man and clear communicator. If you have not read this book I highly recommend it. The other book I am just finishing up with is a short book on Calvin called "Calvin for Armchair Theologians" by Christopher Elwood. This book gives a great overview on the life and theology of John Calvin. I've really enjoyed reading the overview of his theology as it rings so true to the Bible. The bulk of the book is on his theology and is written in a clear and engaging way. Here is a short snippet from the book which I liked where the author is addressing Calvin's theology regarding order in the church:

"That is the basic aim of discipline, in Calvin's view: to hold together and strengthen the church as the body of Christ, a community that witnesses to and lives out Christ's love. So, for Calvin, discipline is not, as with the Donatists and Anabaptists, a means of creating a church of the pure. Calvin's church is a church of sinners, but it is a place where sin is being overcome through the peaching of the gospel. In his view, then, the ancient creeds that call the church "holy" are not incorrect. But instead of thinking of this holiness as an already accomplished fact, we ought to recognize it as the goal that God ultimately will achieve."

The Conference Draws Nigh

Its that time of year again- time for the Ligonier Ministries National Conference in Orlando, Florida. YIPPEE!! This conference is one of the major highlights of my year. I first went with my mom and sister, Regan back in 2003. God has been so good to let us attend each year ever since and has added to our group yet again. This time it will be my mom, my sisters, my mother-in-law, and two friends. This year the conference is lengthened in order to celebrate the 500th anniversary of John Calvin. And on top of that there will also be over twice as many speakers to bless our ears. Here is this years awesome lineup:

MINI-CONFERENCE: John Calvin (1509–2009) — Celebrating a Legacy
In 2009, we celebrate the 500th birthday of John Calvin. It is only appropriate at this time to reflect on his legacy. In the mini-conference, four participants will discuss Calvin’s impact in several aspects of the church’s life and thought. There will be four lectures followed by a Question & Answer time:
1. R. Albert Mohler – John Calvin: Preacher and Teacher
John Calvin was one of the most important figures in the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. Today, five hundred years after his birth, his influence continues to be felt. In this message, Dr. Mohler will reflect on the life and work of Calvin, focusing in particular on his role as a preacher and teacher of the Word.
2. Ligon Duncan – Calvin and the Christian Life
John Calvin is sometimes perceived as a dry and dusty academic whose writings deal only with abstract theological topics. To read Calvin, however, is to read one who was devoted to seeing God’s Word impact the lives of Christian people everywhere. In this message, Ligon Duncan will explore some of Calvin’s most practical wisdom for those who seek to follow Christ.
3. Sinclair Ferguson – The Doctrines of Grace
Much of the significance of the Protestant Reformers such as John Calvin is found in their rediscovery of the biblical doctrines of grace. After having been buried for centuries under unbiblical doctrines and traditions, their rediscovery and proclamation turned Europe upside down. In this message, Dr. Ferguson will look at Calvin’s formulation of these crucial doctrines and explain why they are no less significant today.
4. Steven J. Lawson – The Legacy of John Calvin
The modern history of the church and of the world would be entirely different without John Calvin. The influence of his thought has been felt not only in the teaching and worship of the church, but also within politics, economics, and the wider culture. In this message, Dr. Lawson will look at the legacy of Calvin, explaining what we can learn from him today.
Questions and Answers
Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Ligon Duncan, Dr. Steven Lawson, Dr. Al Mohler
MAIN SESSIONS: The Holiness of God
The angels declare that God is “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Without a proper grasp of God’s holiness we do not understand who He truly is, nor do we understand who we truly are. Once we begin to grasp the true meaning of God’s holiness, our lives and our worship will be forever changed. In this conference, prominent Reformed Christian teachers will expound and reflect upon what the Bible says about God’s holiness and ours. The main sessions will consist of eleven lectures:
1. R.C. Sproul – I Am the Lord, There is No Other
Before he discovered the Gospel, contemplation of God’s holiness and his own sinfulness drove Martin Luther to despair. What did he grasp about holiness that most of us do not? In this lecture, Dr. Sproul will introduce the topic of the conference by explaining the meaning of the biblical concept of holiness.
2. R.C. Sproul, Jr. – Train Up Your Children: Family Worship of the Holy God
The worship of our sovereign God is not to be relegated to a mere hour or two each Sunday. Instead, our worship of Him should pervade every aspect of our lives. In this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. will exhort believers to worship God as a family, providing encouragement and practical instruction.
3. Sinclair Ferguson – Hallowed Be Your Name: The Holiness of the Father
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructed His disciples to acknowledge the Father’s holiness and to adore Him in their every prayer. He is the one whom the seraphim adore, singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!” In this lecture, Dr. Ferguson will explore what the Bible teaches us concerning the holiness of our Father in heaven.
4. Steven J. Lawson – The Holy One of God: The Holiness of Jesus
The disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ referred to Him as “the Holy One of God.” In doing so, they said something not only about His character, but also about His relationship to the Father. In this lecture, Dr. Lawson will look at what the Bible teaches us about the purity and sinlessness of Christ.
5. Alistair Begg – The Breath of the Almighty: The Holy Spirit
The third person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit, the one whom Job refers to as “the breath of the Almighty.” His work includes conforming believers to the holy image of Christ. In this lecture, Dr. Begg will look at the person and work of the one person of the Trinity whose very name includes the adjective “holy.”
Questions & Answers
Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Steven Lawson, Dr. Alistair Begg, Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. Moderated by R.C. Sproul
6. Thabiti Anyabwile – Cosmic Treason: Sin and the Holiness of God
The sinfulness of sin is not grasped in our day because the holiness of God is not grasped. Sin will only be understood for what it is when God is understood for who He is. In this lecture, Rev. Anyabwile will explain the true sinfulness of sin in the light of the holy and pure character of God.
7. D. A. Carson – A Holy Nation: The Church’s High Calling
The history of redemption reveals God calling a people out of the world to be a holy people. In this lecture, Dr. Carson will examine why God has called His people in both the old and new covenants to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, and he will explain what this means for us as believers today.
8. Robert Godfrey – Wounded for Our Transgressions: The Holiness of God and the Cross
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This is the universal problem faced by all men, a problem requiring a solution man cannot provide. In this lecture, Dr. Godfrey will examine why the holiness of God required an atonement for sin and how Jesus fulfilled that requirement for us.
9. Derek Thomas – Be Ye Holy: The Necessity of Sanctification
According to Scripture, we are justified by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Yet our Lord calls those who have been so justified to a life of holiness. In this lecture, Dr. Thomas will explain the importance and necessity of individual sanctification as well as the means God has provided for it.
Questions & Answers
Dr. Donald Carson, Dr. Derek Thomas, Dr. Robert Godfrey, Rev. Thabiti Anyabwile Moderated by Dr. R.C. Sproul
10. R.C. Sproul – A Consuming Fire: Holiness, Wrath, and Justice
There have always been those who have argued that a truly holy God could not or would not consign anyone to eternal punishment. Such, they say, is inconsistent with God’s love. In this lecture, Dr. Sproul will explain why the holiness of God is not inconsistent with eternal punishment of sin, but in fact requires it.

I CAN'T WAIT TO GO AND HEAR!!!

Tucson Surprise Visit

Wow, I am way behind in my blogging, in fact I am three trips behind! I have been very busy these past weeks traveling, having visitors, and finding a new flat. In January Matt and I made a surprise visit to Tucson for my best friend Yunuen's 30th birthday party. It was really a last minute thing. I told myself (and many others) that I would not go back to Tucson until I moved back but upon finding cheap airfare for the day of the birthday party I could not resist! We landed in Tucson the night of the party, jumped in our rental car, and headed over to the Jankowski's who live only 5 minutes from the airport. I covered myself in bows and we rang the doorbell. Ryan opened the door and was clearly shocked and confused upon seeing us. He uttered in a most confused tone,"what the hell?" We asked for Yunuen. He closed the door and went and got her. She opened the door and was quite surprised and happy to us- as were a number of other friends from church who were at the party. It was one hug after another for a long time. By the time we arrived we had been awake 24 hours. But my excitement kept me going. We stayed awake for another 5 hours and then crashed for 3 and half hours. At 5:30 I was wide awake and ready to take on Tucson! We were out the door and at Bruegger's in no time. After this we took a little detour through the U of A to kill some time before heading up to Sandi's house. I was in my swimsuit and we were riding with the top down on our rental car. The sun was shining and the desert, mountains, and cactus were as beautiful as ever! We arrived at Sandi's house and knocked on the door. She opened the door and looked at us, and looked at us. Then she turned around and went and sat down on the couch, never saying a word. Jessica was there also and was quite surprised and so was Michael when he came walking into the living room and saw us.

Surprises are PRICELESS!

Here are some pictures from the 5 days we spent in Tucson. We had such a great time with everyone!! It was perfect. Seeing our friends and family had never been sweeter and the desert had never been more beautiful. I cannot tell you how difficult it was for me to leave...

And here is one more slideshow just for fun showing you a little more of what Tucson looks like and the fun we had while we were there.

Mexico!

It has been a while since my last blog entry and for a good reason. At the last minute I found cheap airline tickets to go home for a whirlwind visit to Tucson for my best friend Yunuen's 30th birthday party. I could barely keep this exciting news to myself and I could barely sleep the week leading up to our departure. What a perfectly wonderful time we had in Tucson! This will be the first of two slide shows detailing our trip to the desert. While there I had the pleasure of going down into Mexico for the afternoon with my personal guide and Mexican native, Yunuen. We headed down I19 toward Nogales. Just out of Tucson we stopped off at San Xavier Mission. If you live in Tucson and have not been here yet- GO! It is such a beautiful place. It is the quintessential Mexican mission. Once back on the road Yunuen gave me some Mexican history lessons. We then stopped in Nogales to see her madre and then hopped back in the car headed south for Magdalena. The scenery just gets more and more beautiful as you go down further into desert and mountains. Once in Magdelena we went straight to the Mission where we visited the carcass of Padre Kino, an Italian Jesuit missionary, who was responsible for establishing a large number of missions in southern Arizona and Northern Mexico between 1687-1711. He also discovered that Baja California was a peninsula rather than an island. We then toured the mission, drove around town, bought homemade tortillas, and then went and ate DELICIOUS Mexican food. On the way home God gave us a beautiful sunset. We had a great day. Thanks mi amiga!!!

Minnesota Trip

My husband is the best as he let me go home in early December for almost three weeks to see my family and celebrate Christmas with them. I have not celebrated Christmas with them for 10 years as I always had to work or was at least on call for work. Matt went back with me for the first week I was there. We went up to my Mom's house in northwestern Wisconsin the first weekend there to celebrate Christmas. Many of us were praying for snow but it was looking doubtful. The Sunday we celebrated on God dropped a good amount of snow on us and even gave a few more snowstorms while I was there. It was great fun as I had not seen real snow for a long time. Sharing Christmas with my family was fun and we got to enjoy all my mom's good cooking. Matt couldn't believe there was no rush to open presents as we just took it easy all morning, coloring with the kids, playing games, and grazing. After presents and h'orderves we went outside to enjoy the falling snow. Then we had our grand turkey dinner with all the fixings- stuffing, cranberries, my mom's magically silky mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, popovers and EGGNOG! We played games all night- including a game I learned over here in Dublin called "Empire" which my family loved and a game my sister Regan knew called "Telephone Pictionary which was a RIOT!

After Christmas we returned to Minnesota where my sister Regan lives. I usually spend most of my time at her house when I visit do to the fact that this is where my nephews and niece live and Regan is a stay at home mom so I am not left stranded. While I remained I did much shopping, went out to eat at all my favorite restaurants, and saw most of my extended family and a few friends from high school. It was great to see everyone and to go to my dad's side of the family Christmas party in Hastings which I haven't been to in years. Eating my Aunt Mary's delicious sloppy joes brought back memories of when I used to go as a child. It was just like the old days only now the children sitting on Santa's lap receiving presents were my sister's and all my cousin's kids instead of us- wild! I of course missed my dad being there and looked for him in my relatives- parts of him I found. It was great to see my aunts and uncles and my cousins all grown up and married with kids of their own. Its so fun to see where you come from. My dad's side of the family and is large and loud and lots of fun. Most of this side of the family believes our ancestry is English- although I had one uncle tell me he went to Ellis Island and looked up our last name on the wall and found out we were from Greece! My mom's side of the family (mostly German) is much smaller but also friendly and my Grandma on this side- what a spitfire!

This was one of the best trips to Minnesota I have had. With each year that comes we seem to get along better by the grace of God. Thanks again for letting me go, honey!

Athens

Last month Matt and I flew to Athens, Greece where he had a job interview. It was crazy how it came about. In the middle of this past summer we came to a point where we had enough of Dublin. This was because summer is the WORST season in Ireland. Never have I seen such erratic, unpredictable, and miserable weather as an Irish summer. Wind, rain, and then more wind and rain. You cannot plan for anything because the weather is constantly changing all day long. Anyway, in the midst of this we started talking about where else we thought we might like to live. Oddly enough we both felt drawn to Greece- Matt for the weather and beach and me for the biblical history. So Matt contacted a heart hospital by email just to see if they would even hire an English speaker. Low and behold they emailed him back and said they would hire an English speaker and that they were looking to hire a perfusionist right now. They wanted to meet him the following week. That wasn't going to work so for us so instead he sent them his CV and they scheduled to fly him out to Athens for an interview. I did not go with on his interview to Ireland but I thought I had better go with to Greece. We were really excited but did not know if we could handle a non-English speaking country. This seemed to be the biggest obstacle.

We did as much research on Athens as we could before we went. We heard many things about the city- mostly bad things like how crowded, noisy, and polluted it is. We arrived at night so we didn't find out too much the first night but we did go out and have some good Greek food. The next two days Matt was at the hospital for his interview. We went and explored the city at night. My first impression was that it was really big, dense, and loud. It was also dirty and run down looking. And the Acropolis was hard to see because of the height of the buildings in the city center. To begin with I wasn't too thrilled. The one thing I did like was the landscape which reminded me a lot of Turkey and even Tucson. I was leaning towards Dublin until I walked down towards the harbour at sunset and then rode the light rail along the coast out into the suburbs. Then I began to like it.

On our last full day in Athens we went to the archaeological museum where I saw many things from ancient Greece- things that were in the market place Paul walked through when he came to Athens- idols and altars. After this we went to the Areopagus where Paul preached his famous sermon in Acts 17. I sat on the Areopagus and read this sermon aloud. It was awesome!! We then ascended the Acropolis. I expected this to be an impressive site but once I was actually up on top I couldn't believe how utterly spectacular it was!! Looking out over Athens was just amazing. There are a few ancient structures left on the Acropolis but the most impressive by far is the towering and mighty Parthenon. I could have sat there all day taking turns looking at it and then out over the city to the sea. After exploring the Acropolis we headed over to the ancient agora where Paul had walked upon his arrival in Athens. It is just ruins now but an exciting place to see nonetheless.

Matt was offered the job in Athens but no decision has been made yet as we are waiting to hear back from the hospital regarding some questions we had. Whatever ends up happening will be okay with me. I think it would be an adventure to go live in Athens for a while but if that is not what God has for us then I will be content in Dublin as I have finally made a home here.

Enjoy the slide show. The pictures with me on a large white rock formation are of the Areopagus where Paul preached- SO COOL!

I Love the USA!

This post comes to you from the best country on earth- the USA! I have been here one week visiting my family in Minnesota for the holidays. I have not celebrated Christmas with them for 10 years so it was great to come home and celebrate together as we did over the weekend (and with snow!). Matt was even here for a week and just headed back to Ireland today. I have been meaning to post but I have been super busy enjoying this great country. I have been going out to eat at all my favorite restaurants, shopping at all my favorite stores, driving cars on th freeway while rocking out to my ipod, and hanging out with my family. One night we went to a hilarious comedy club and another day we went skiing (ok, I sat in the chalet while Matt and my nephew were skiing). Tomorrow I am going to see Johnny Piper. I have missed this wonderful place and forgtten how great it actually is- viva la USA!! People here are so friendly its incredible. I love coming back to Minnesota and tromping through my old stomping grounds and reminding myself of where I have come from. Yes, Minnesota is freakishly cold in the winter but it is a great state and I am proud to be from here. I even think the accent is cute :)

Paella at Home

After visiting Spain and partaking in the most delicious paella I thought I should try making it at home. Now I don't have the special paella dish that you're supposed to cook it in so I cooked it in my biggest frying pan and it turned out great. Here is the recipe I used:






4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 ounces chorize sausage, cut into pieces
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked Arborio rice
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 pinch saffron
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
8 slices lemon, for garnish

Heat olive oil in paella pan over medium heat. Add in onion, garlic and pepper; cook and stir for a few minutes. Add chorizo sausage, diced chicken, and rice; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 3 1/2 cups stock, wine, thyme leaves, paprika, and saffron. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 15 minutes; stir occasionally. Taste the rice, and check to see if it is cooked. If the rice is uncooked, stir in 1/2 cup more stock. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Stir in additional stock if necessary, up to 2 cups additional stock, 5 cups total. Cook until rice is done. Stir in tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Cover with foil, and leave for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the foil, and scatter parsley over the food. Serve in paella pan, garnished with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Barcelona

Last month Matt and I took a trip to Barcelona, Spain. It was my first time to Spain and I was very excited to be going. After spending four days there I have to say I did not feel like I was in Spain but rather felt like I was in just some big European city. It was somewhat disappointing. The weather was nice and we had some good food (yay for Spanish paella and tapas!). We also got to see a Spanish guitar duo play a concert in a cathedral one night which was just amazing. Other than that I found Barcelona to be a rather mediocre city for my taste. There is endless shopping and a number of sites to see (the Gaudi cathedral being the best) but it can be frustrating as it is a very expensive city. Every attraction you go to you must pay to get in whereas every other city in Europe I have been to each have a handful of things that are free.

While in Barcelona we visited the Gaudi cathedral, the Picasso museum, Mountjuic Castle by cable car, the harbour, La Ramblas, the block of discord, and two places connected with Christopher Columbus. The first was the Royal Palace where Columbus came to greet the king and queen of Spain upon his return from the New World and the other was the Barcelona cathedral which holds the chapel and baptistery where Columbus brought the Native Americans to be baptized who had returned to Spain with him. These places were very cool to see as an American. The churches and cathedrals of Spain were architecturally beautiful but more cold and dead feeling than any others that I have been in so far.

One of my favorite things to experience in Spain was the famous Spanish rice dish, paella. Since neither Matt nor I like seafood we opted for the chicken and vegetable paella and were able to have it twice at 2 different places and it was outstanding! So even though I wasn't as crazy about Barcelona as many of the other places I have been it was worth going to just to eat the paella and tapas and to hear live Spanish guitar!

Recent International Wine & Cheese Party

Two Fridays ago I went over to my Welsh friend Catrin's house for a wine and cheese party. The internationality of my circles over here never ceases to amaze me! There were 8 countries represented in this small party- Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, England, Finland, Germany, Australia, and America! Hanging out with internationals is definitely my favorite thing about living in Europe. Here are a few pics from the party which was great fun...

To explain a bit- the picture to the left is my friend Catrin and I cracking up while playing the game Empire (fun game!). The picture with the fur is my English friend Clare (she sounds just like Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice when she talks) holding a mink. The mink was left to Catrin by an Australian friend who acquired it while in Norway but didn't think she could get it through customs in Australia so she had to leave it in Dublin when she left for home. The gross mink makes frequent appearances at parties. Oh, how Indi and Sharptooth would love to get ahold of him!

Free Music at Noise Trade

I can't believe I didn't blog about this sooner! There is a website called Noise Trade that has tons of album downloads from a bunch of different artists. They are all free and legal as it is artists who are trying to get their music out there and heard. Over the past few months I have gotten several really great albums from this site. I have even discovered an artist who has become a favorite over night for me. Her name is Sandra McCracken. Have you heard her? What a JEWEL of an artist!!! There are about 150 albums on there for download right now. You can preview the album before you download. To download it all you have to do is give 5 email addresses of friends that Noise Trade will send one email to (they don't spam you or your friends!) telling them about the particular album you are downloading. Here are some of the artists on Noise Trade right now that I recommend to you:

Sandra McCracken

Derek Webb

Justin McRoberts

Waterdeep

Kate York

Kate Herzig

Matthew Perryman Jones

Matthew Mayfield

Blake Aaron Guthrie

Sojourn

LOAD UP YOUR PODS PEOPLE! Click here

The Vault is Open!

If you haven't heard the wonderful news already brace yourself. The best Bible teacher in the world has put all his sermons online for free download. Thats right, Johnny Mac has opened the vault! You can search by title, series, Scripture, date, or sermon code. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons

Here are a few recommends to get you started.


The Battle for the Beginning
Discernment: Spiritual Survial for a Church in Crisis
The Master's Men
Chosen For Eternity
The Birth of The King
The Doctrines of Grace
The Gospel According to Jesus
God, Satan, and Angels
God's High Calling for Women
Hard to Believe
Putting God in His Place: The Case for Sovereign Choice
Salvation Survey: Saved or Self-Deceived?
Stephen: Profile in Courage
The Tale of Two Sons
Where Did Sin Begin?

LOAD UP YOUR PODS PEOPLE!

Making New International Friends

My church over here in Dublin runs a ministry called "English Corner." Every Friday afternoon the church opens up its doors to serve a free lunch and speak conversational English with foreigners who are here trying to learn or improve their English. I am one of the many native English speakers helping out. I have been so blessed by this ministry in the few short weeks I have been involved. I love meeting people from all over the world and although speaking English with foreigners can at times be frustrating, awkward, tiring, and even scary (for a shy person like me), it is really fun! Last week I made my first friends from South Korea, a girl and two guys. The girl's English name is Jenna (most Asians will adopt an English name so westerners can pronounce it) and she is the sweetest and most joyful girl. She has been here just a few months and is a Christian. We have started meeting together on a weekly basis to read the Bible. She shared with me that she struggles with understanding Romans so we are going to tackle it together. The two guys I met, Kim and Soo, came over today to watch the Manchester United soccer game with Matt while I made lunch. I wanted to make them something they had probably never had before so I made them big old taco salads. They didn't know what they were but they seemed to like them a lot (I had to keep from laughing when I saw them eating their tortilla chips with sour cream). I also made chocolate chip and M&M cookies and sent them home with a bag. It was really fun having them over and learning about South Korea. They told me they don't eat cats there but dogs are considered healthy, a delicacy, and good to eat when you are sick! It was also fun hearing their impressions of Ireland. They think it is very strange that we don't take our shoes off when we go into someone's house and they think carpeting is also very strange.

I also met some guys from Iran this week who go to my church. They were very interesting and a bit intimidating to talk to. Halfway through the conversation I was shocked to hear them say that they love George Bush and that they wanted McCain to win the election. I really thought they were joking with me at first but they were dead serious. They told me the Iranian people all love George Bush because of the way he looks at the Iranian people. My church has a handful of Iranian members and hosts an Iranian service in Farsi every month. I hope to go next time and get to know more of the Iranians who are fascinatingly different than any other nationality I have interacted with. Praise be to God for calling his church out of every tribe, tongue, and nation!!

Putting the Election into Perspective

I stayed up watching the election the other night til about one in the morning. My prayer was for God to be merciful to the U.S. even though we don't deserve it. I prayed for his will to be done concerning which candidate would be elected and then prayed that I would be able to accept his decision no matter who he chose to put in power. I am not especially crazy about John McCain but he was my choice due to the fact that he is pro-life and I think he will do a good job with matters of national security.

I awoke around 3:30 and went out to the TV. By this time Obama was at 207 while McCain was at 141. I watched for the next 30 minutes. As soon as the polls on the west coast closed (4:00 AM my time) Obama was announced the to be the next president of the United States. Though this didn't come as much of a shock I must admit that I was sick to my stomach upon the declaration.

About two months ago Obama was asked when life begins during a forum. I watched as he replied that the answer to that question was "above his pay grade," - an ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS answer!! If he really feels this way you would think he would err on the side of caution but he has the most radical voting record in the senate on matters of abortion. He can say whatever he thinks sounds clever but it is crystal clear how he feels on the matter and God will hold him accountable.

This being said I know the best thing to do is to pray for him as our leader, to trust in our sovereign God who always does what is right, and to remember that this world is not our home.

Here are some great remarks made by John Piper to put the election into proper perspective.

Creative Way to Share the Gospel

My Welsh friend Catrin is working here in Dublin with IFES. IFES is a Christian ministry that works with college and university students and is similar to the U.S. student ministry of Intervarsity but is worldwide. She recently loaned me a book all about the IFES movement called "Shining Like Stars" with a subtitle of "The Power of the Gospel in the World's Universities." The book holds many, many encouraging stories on student movements around the world. In the third chapter "Holding Out the Word of Life," a short story of a student group's creativity to share the gospel on their campus is related:

Students can be very creative in their evangelism. I recall hearing about a small group of Christians in the Polish university town of Rzeszow. They were only a small group so how could they make an impression on a large university? They settled on an unusual idea to publicize an evangelistic event.

Three of them dressed up and went visiting in the student dorms, knocking on doors. As people opened the doors, first came the student dressed up as "Death," scythe in hand, announcing, "It is appointed to men once to die, and then the judgment." Then he ran off.

The poor students were shocked! Five minutes later, another knock came. As student after student opened their doors, they met a student dressed up as an angel. The angel asked, "Has Death come here recently?" "Yes," the student would say. "Well, I want to tell you that Jesus Christ has died and risen from the dead to conquer Death. Tomorrow night the Christian student group will explain how Christ's resurrection gives hope in the face of death." Then the angel would run away.

Students went back into their rooms, and five minutes later a third knock came. This time the students found someone dressed like the devil. The devil-look alike said, "Psst! Has an angel been here telling you about a meeting tomorrow night?" "Yes," would reply the student. "Don't go. It's nonsense."

Of course the one thing you never say to a student is "Don't" because then they do! Hundreds went along, the meeting was overflowing and fifteen professed faith in Christ that night.

WHAT A BRILLIANT IDEA!

On Living in Ireland

I find myself analyzing life in Europe and in Dublin more and more. There has been a turning point over the past several weeks in my feelings towards Dublin. I think this is the result of two things in particular. One is that we have finally made some friends here in Dublin and two is that, ironically enough, now that we have finally made some friends we may be moving in the next couple of months. Having said this I would now like to tell you what I like about living here.

• I love meeting and getting to know international peoples.
• I love being able to travel so easily and inexpensively.
• I love being a housewife- taking care of our little apartment and having all the time in the world to cook.
• I love the fact that Europeans value time off so that Matt's work schedule allows for us to be together and travel much more than we could if he was working in the U.S.
• I like the mild temperatures in Ireland.
• I like how it is almost always perfect weather for soup.
• I like walking to the store for groceries almost everyday and finding the best deals between the four stores in my neighborhood.
• I like having the time, energy, and resources to have people stay here with us (sometimes even complete strangers).
• I like being more physically active because we don't have a car.
• Life seems simpler here.

There are also a number of things I don't like:

• I HATE the frequent & ferocious winds of Dublin.
• I hate how expensive things are in Dublin-especially going out to eat.
• I don't like how there are no good Christian bookstores here.
• I don't like 4 seasons in one day and the general instability of the weather.
• I don't like not having a car when I want to go to a friend's house who lives far away.

So, these are just some minor thoughts on the matter. I like living in Europe on the whole. Ireland has slowly grown on me because of the great people I have met and the familiarity of it now as I face the unknown in a possible new city. I surely wouldn't stay in Ireland forever but I think I will miss it when I leave.

Manchester

Matt and I spent the weekend in Manchester, England as Matt was to receive his certificate from the Society of Perfusionists of Ireland and Great Brittain for passing his recent exams- WAY TO GO, HONEY! We stayed at a really nice hotel (our hotel room tv screen said "Welcome, Mr. McReynolds" on it!) in the city center. During the day time Matt attended conference lectures while I milled about the city. On both of the nights we attended dinners, the second one being formal, and I got to wear a long beautiful dress! I really like England and even though the pound is stronger than the euro and we lose out on the exchange the prices in England are so much better than Ireland. Everything feels like a great deal. Whilst I was nosing around Manchester on Saturday afternoon I came across a great Christian book store called Wesley Owen. I must have spent 2 hours in it just browsing the books and music. It was so refreshing! I know I don't need any more books but I can't help it- I love them! So I treated myself to 2 new books I can't wait to read: "Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels" by Kenneth Bailey and "The Uniqueness of Israel" by Lance Lambert. I also got to eat Millie's cookies, Baskin Robin's ice cream, and go to Sainsbury Market. Oh, how I do love England...

Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains

Recently we had a friend of a friend of a friend staying with us. Her name is Beth and she is from PA but is living in Vienna currently. She came to see Dublin and be refreshed with some English speakers. It is good to have a fellow American around and while she was here we were able to take her on a little road trip up to Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains which are right outside of Dublin. This trip was made possible by our American friends Betsy and David who are living here in Dublin. We met them at Grosvenor Church a few months ago and I am so glad because they are such a fun couple. We hung out with them once before this trip and had a really good time. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a long and blessed friendship!

Glendalough literally means "glen of the two lakes." It is a beautiful area of Irish countryside nestled in the Wicklow Mountains just outside of Dublin. It was a monastic settlement established by St. Kevin the 6th century. There are many ruins including a cathedral which is one of the oldest Christian churches in Ireland. The Round Tower is also very impressive. Along with the ruins are a mass of beautiful Celtic tombstones. There are many hiking trails around this area. We took a short walk and then headed further into the beautiful Wicklow Mountains where we saw a magnificent waterfall, many fluffy sheep, and rich landscape. Thanks to Betsy and David for taking us!

Re-post: Celebrating 1 Year Overseas!

Ok, here is a re-post of a video celebrating 1 year of living overseas. This upload should be available for all to see this time. This slideshow is of favorite places we have seen and things we have done since living in Europe over the last year. Before moving to Ireland I had been to a handful of states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, Texas, Florida, California, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Georgia, Lousianna) and just three countries outside of the U.S. (Canada, Mexico, & Thailand). This was over 27 years of life. Over the last year alone I traveled to 7 countries and multiple cities- Praise God! Here is where we were able to go over the last year...

• 
  
  Dublin Ireland
• 
  
  Ring of Kerry, County Kerry, Ireland
• 
  
  Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, Ireland
• 
  
  West Coast, County Mayo, Ireland
• 
  
  Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 
  
  Edinburgh, Scotland
• 
  
  The Highlands & Loch Lomond, Scotland
• 
  
  London, England
• 
  
  Cambridge, England
• 
  
  Paris, France
• 
  
  Rhine River Valley, Germany
• 
  
  Mainz, Germany
• 
  
  Rome, Italy
• 
  
  Kusadasi, Turkey
• 
  
  Miletus, Turkey
• 
  
  Ephesus, Turkey
• 
  
  Samos, Greece

There are still so many places we want to go to and, God willing, we'll make it. We love to have visitors over to travel with so feel free to come to Ireland or meet us somewhere else in Europe!

Also of note in this slideshow are the few pictures we have of our Spades World Tour with the Jankowski's. From the first time we played Spades with them we were hooked and enjoy non-stop games of Spades everytime we are together. Since they are our traveling buddies we have played Spades in a few different countries and hope to travel and play with them all over the world! So far we have played in...

San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico

Tucson, Arizona

Strawberry, Arizona

Dublin, Ireland

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Edinburgh, Scotland

Kusadasi, Turkey

...hence the title "Spades World Tour." I am hoping for Spades World Tour Cairo, Athens, Petra, and Jerusalem while we are over on this side of the world (hint, hint Jankowski's)

Fun With MercyMe

In my unquenchable thirst for music I recently stumbled across these brilliant covers by MeryMe. Below are just 3 of quite a few videos which can be found on you tube so if you like what you see search you tube for "MercyMe cover tune grab bag." ENJOY!

Going Back to My Roots

After 12 years of being a "bottle blond" I am going back to my roots. This is mostly because the cost of upkeep is rediculous and I am tired of having roots! This past May I started putting my natural color back in- along with a few other colors. I just had my hair re-highlighted yesterday and with 5 months of growth this is how it turned out. Most of what you see now is my natural color with a little blond highlighting to jazz it up a bit. What do you think?

Chili's!

Last week we found out one of our favorite restaurants has recently come to Belfast- Chili's! Our associate pastor who is Canadian but lived in New Mexico for a while is as big a fan of Chili's as we are so the three of us made the trip up to Belfast- 110 miles- today just to have lunch. Two other guys from church also came and we met up with more friends of my pastor who live up in Belfast. Bottomless Cokes (unheard of in Europe), bottomless chips and salsa (REAL tortilla chips and YUMMY salsa- also unheard of in Europe), chicken crispers, and molten chocolate cake- I thought I was at home! This was the real Chili's with the same menu, ingredients, and atmosphere of a Chili's at home. The Irish LOVED it and could not get over the free refills on pop and chips and the molten chocolate cake with it's "rivers of chocolate that keep coming!" They had been to Chili's in the states while they were on a missions trip to Mexico last year and were just as pleased as we were that the Chili's that has come to Belfast is the real deal. Thanks for the treat Lord!

Horton and "Christless Christianity"

God has given many gifted men to this generation. One of those such men is Michael Horton of The White Horse Inn (radio show discussing theology and current trends in the church) and Modern Reformation (in my opinion the BEST Christian magazine out there by far!). If you are not familiar with his writing or preaching you are missing out. He is one the clearest communicators of the gospel I have ever heard. For those of you who have been taught to believe the gospel is just simple and once you believe it you can get on to the meat and what's really important you would do well to read Michael Horton! Reading his many articles on the gospel in Modern Reformation is the richest feeding my soul does outside of the word itself! He is also very gifted at diagnosing what is going on in the church and culture and why. A new book is about to be released by Horton called "Christless Christianity" which looks great. More information can be found at http://christlesschristianity.org/index.php

64 Days and Counting!

This morning I received an email from my nephew Jace. In it he told me he and his brother made a chain- one of those chains you used to make in school to count down the days to Christmas where you tare a ring off each day- only this one is to count down the days til Matt and I come to Minnesota in December. My heart melted upon reading it! Then I saw a picture of my nephew Levi holding it on my sister's blog today.

I can't wait to see you guys!!!

New USA Booty

McMom is here visiting again and she brought a suticase full of goodies (catfood, peanutbutter, flavored coffees, spices, pudding mixes, chocoloate chips, M&Ms, books, etc.). USA booty is so nice to get but what is even better is a VISITOR!!!

Summer Wine

Having enjoyed the architecture, food, and sites of Paris but not the people we wanted to give France one more try. So we headed off to Bordeaux a few weeks ago to see wine country. Bordeaux is described as "little Paris" and does have a number of beautiful limestone buildings but beyond that there was little there to remind me of Paris. The people in Bordeaux were much friendlier but it did not have the sites or the food of Paris. However, it is worth a trip for to be in wine country is quite romantic and fun.

After flying into La Rochelle we hopped a train to Bordeaux. On the way we passed many sunflower fields and a few vineyards. Once in Bordeaux we found the city center and were surrounded by shopping and restaurants. There are a number of huge beautiful arches around the city and one right by our hotel had a small fruit and veg market just below it. The second day we were there we took a one day wine tour which started out at an old chateau in the chateau district of Bordeaux. Here we learned about wine making and had a tasting. Then we walked through more of the old chateau district before heading off to a hole in the wall French restaurant for lunch. This was the kind of place a tourist would hope to find but never be able to on their own. The restaurant owner greeted us and was quite welcoming. We were given wine, bread, and a dish of hot goats cheese to start. The main course was duck with potatoes and salad. This was followed by a different wine and an opportunity to go downstairs to the cheese room where we could try as many of the 150 cheeses there were. I have never seen a cheese room and did not even know they existed. It was a cold wet room down in the cellar. I couldn't believe people were eating the cheeses that were hairy and moldy! After eating the best brie cheese I have ever had we were served apple pie (totally different than American apple pie) and cafe. The food was authentic and terrific as was the atmosphere.

After lunch we took a bus out to a working vineyard where we took a tour to learn how the wine is made. This area was so beautiful as there were vineyards in every direction as far as the eye could see. After the tour we had more wine tasting and then visited the medieval town St. Emillion which is in the middle of all the vineyards. Surprisingly enough this day long tour was only 52 euro per person- the best value of anything we have done so far! If you enjoy wine a visit to Bordeaux is definitely worth it!

Slideshow Celebrating One Year Over Seas

Here is a quick slideshow commemorating some of my favorite places and things we have done over the past year. Thanks be to God for a great year!

One Year in Dublin

One year ago today we stepped off the plane into an overcast Dublin. Looking back on it I can hardly believe I moved over here, just like that. I mean I hadn't even been here before! It was a big move and I can clearly remember God's grace to me every step of the way. He is so faithful.

So, what can I say afer a year of life outside the United Sates, of life in Europe, of life in Dublin? Again God's faithfulness comes to mind. We have been many places and seen many wonderful things. Some of these travels have even been shared with loved ones. God has given us health and kept us safe and has kept our loved ones at home safe and healthy. I am very thankful for all of this. I am also very thankful for God's provision for Matt and I in our relationship as we experience all of this together. It has been a joy to share this adventure with my loving husband!

Dublin is not home but it is an ok place to live for a while and I do not regret moving here though I miss Tucson. I thank God neither one of us is miserable and that we are of the same mind in regards to being here. The weather is starting to ware on us but we have many adventures left to share over on this side of the world so we will stick it out for a while longer.

God has been gracious to bring people into our lives to brighten it up when it gets gloomy. I think of my Welsh friend Catrin who is so much fun to be with and other international friends that I have met while here (Anna from Australia, Sandra from France, Anna from Italy, Marianne from Germany, Camila from Brazil, Jane from the Phillipines, Jael from Israel, and Tania from Australia to name a few). There have also been a number of Irish who have been a blessing to us (Matt's boss Annette, Adam and Deb, Kathleen and Mickey, Dorothy, David and Honour, and Pastor John) I am thankful for God bringing us to Immanuel Church Dublin where we are making friends and hearing the word faithfully proclaimed in this city.

So one year later I am glad we moved here and even glad we are not done yet with being here. This has been an adventure and an eye opening experience. I love seeing God's world, the different cultures and peoples. I love traveling, seeing historic sites, eating authentic foods, talking to natives, and looking at everything through a biblical worldview. This past year has been a year of blessing and I am glad to be sharing it with Matt.