As many of you know this has been a year of new beginnings for me. I am living in a new country. I have a new relationship. I am starting a coaching business.

And yet some things remain stable for me. I have two beautiful children, my mom is a constant and wonderful support, I have brothers and sisters that encourage me, I have a family of choice, and wonderful friends that help me every day (some of you fit in several of those categories…you know who you are!)

Today Noël, Lindsay, Mitchell, and I embarked on another pilgrimage. We are not walking the whole way but we are walking as well as doing a little research about owning an albergue.

On this journey I am once again opening myself to what the Spirit is sharing. Along with that I am being patient and good to myself. And I am walking with joy and energy.

As you can follow our “short” walk. I love it when you come along!!

Buen Camino!!!

 

Christmas evokes such memories for all of us I believe. Some of them good memories some of them difficult, some of them sad memories, but memories nonetheless. When I was a child I remember the rituals of Christmas so well. I remember the Christmas Eve Services (usually two of them one for families and another one that the youth led concluding at midnight–it was difficult to stay up for that one but it was my favorite.) Sometimes my dad’s parents came to stay with us and when this happened they stayed in my bedroom and that meant that I got to sleep with my older sister upstairs and that was extra special.

Being the baby of the family meant that i was the most excited about Christmas. I was always the first one up on Christmas so I would tiptoe downstairs very quietly so as not to wake anyone else, make sure the tree was lit and then go look in on my grandparents. My grandmother was always awake and she would beckon me to come in and climb into bed with her. She would tell me stories about when my daddy was a little boy and then when he had gone off to Germany during World War II. I listened intently. After she died the same ritual on Christmas would take place I would tiptoe down the stairs, check the tree and then check on my grandfather and remarkably he would also be awake and beckon me to climb into bed with him and he would once again tell me the stories of when my daddy was a little boy and when he had gone off to Germany. After he died I was a little older but still very much enjoyed the ritual of Christmas morning and as I tiptoed down the stairs to check on the Christmas tree I wondered what will I do this year while I wait for everyone else to get up and celebrate this magnificent day? And much to my surprise there was my daddy putting the finishing touches on a beautiful fire and he turned and he said to me, “I’ve been waiting on you! What took you so long?”

I was amazed that he knew because I had never told anyone about the mornings with grandma and grandpa. And so I ran and I cuddled up next to him and he told me the stories of when he was a little boy and when he had gone off to Germany and when he married my mom and when my brothers and sister were younger. And we did this for years and years.

In December of 1999 I decided to write the story of these adventures and give them to my daddy in the form of a book. I hand wrote it for him. Jim Freeman made the paper and bound the book and we gave it to him for Christmas.

He treasured this book. My family gave it back to me last year after his death.

I posted on Facebook that I can only imagine that the three of them are happily sitting around a fireplace in heaven this year sharing the stories of old…but I must say that there must be a heavenly host gathered around because they were great story tellers. And this makes me very happy this Christmas.

Whatever your Christmas memories may you find some joy and peace and comfort through this season and this coming year. Once more “tripping into grace”…debbie

 

On December 17, 2018 I left Arkansas my home for over 28 years to come live in the Netherlands. Many who know me will know the back story but I will write about that in a future blog because the last two years have been life changing to say the least.

But just the last week getting the last minute things done, the last of the house packed up, the last good-byes said, the last hugs given, the last sermon preached, and the last plane caught well that was adventurous enough but life happens or more to the point I am always “tripping into grace”.

And for those of you new to my blog first let me say that I am clumsy. And “tripping into grace” is my way of saying that when something happens that may on the surface seem horrible at the time–such as tripping and falling down and scraping my knee; or tripping and not falling but just embarrassing myself in front of a lot of people–these things seem awful and well actually are–but often from these things I have learned something. I learn something about myself that I am stronger than I think, more resilient, determined. I learn something about others that they are more compassionate and helpful. I learn that in my humility and wounded-ness I can help others. In this learning–this tripping I have found grace–I have found from what at the time seemed horrible can grow into something grace-filled depending on the perspective.

Some things that I have noticed are that sometimes the grace happens quickly and other times it can take days, weeks, months, years…to finally trip into your life. The key is to be open to that grace tripping into your life even as you have tripped into life or life has happened to you. Don’t assume that you have just “tripped”. Or that something just has happened. Please do not misunderstand me I’m not saying that everything happens for a reason that is a completely different philosophy. What I am saying is that you can learn and grow from the things that happen in your life. And they do not have to always ruin you or impact you in negative ways.

Some of the things that happened my last week at home I still haven’t tripped into the grace fully but I think I will eventually–some of the grace came in the forgiveness of friends, the extra help, the peace of letting go of things that I had no control over (like the mostly empty house getting broken into and getting back most of what was taken, frankly I’m still working on that one)…But grace comes not because we deserve it but because we need it.

Some of you asked me to write about my new adventure and share my experiences as I have done on my Caminos. And I don’t really know how to do that except in pictures and in story as in tripping into grace so I will do my best to share this new chapter and these new adventures as I continue to trip into grace in the Netherlands and beyond.

 

Sunday

There is no question that the team is tired at this point, but still energized for work. And especially when we see the faces of our Honduran team members eager and ready to go to work.

So the teams were divided and we set off after breakfast to work. There were a few hitches but the teams figured out ways to overcome the problems. (I ran up and down a hill a couple of times between houses to help. Great training for half marathon).

Amazingly we finished all of that work by lunch time. So the decision was made to go to the house that we were saving until Monday. Megan and Olvin took an entire Honduran team and they put the system in. This is part of what Solar Under the Sun seeks to do—train the people to put in systems. We saw that at work.

One thing about this Honduran team is that Olvin put a young woman who worked all week with us in charge of a team to install the solar panel. It was fun to see this strong and intelligent young woman being given confirmation.

We worshipped with the community in a lively and beautiful worship service. Witnessed two families presenting children who they promised to raise in the faith. And were able to give a load of t-shirts from the Broadmoor Presbyterian Church and about 20 hand-made blankets from the Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville.

After the team got back from installing the system and worship was finished we gathered for the signing of the covenants. This was very moving as each person who received a system signed their covenant, a covenant for the community and a covenant for Solar Under the Sun.

After the signing ceremony we gathered for a time of devotion with all of us, the US team and the Honduran team and those who received systems. I read Psalm 100 and then invited us all to share thoughts or a special memory from the week. It was obvious that through the week we became a team together—not a US team and a Honduran team but a team of people working together to bring light to a community. And through this sharing and working together the light of Christ shone brightly for each of us.

After this, though it was late, we went to supper. And afterwards we all headed to bed for our last night in the communities of El Horno, El Sute, and Aguazarca…at least for awhile. The promise to return is on the hearts and minds of all of us.