having coffee (well, hot chocolate) with the church staff at their weekly shop-talk meeting is always fun. it feels quite the privilege to be trusted into such a groups unguarded discussion. it's a group that is very easy to love and enjoy, to see how much they put themselves into the people they serve.
as i've been job searching on line, i came across service and catering positions w/ a food chain i've never eaten in...so we decided it would be prudent to actually go in and taste it (my host and myself, we parted ways with the others). turns out i'm actually impressed w/ the selection, and for some reason beyond me i'm actually going to apply for the catering slot. it doesnt really make sense to me why i would do this, but since it is such an odd draw to it, i figure i'd better respond even if it's just a test of willingness.
following this was another visit to the bookstore, so that my host could go through her meeting notes as well as prepare for other things, including our bible study in the evening. i was able to finish going through the doctor who magazine i encountered earlier on sunday afternoon, and then began to investigate the direction for the bible study myself. mainly i used my fancy phone and all it's technological glory, but i did notice while i was walking around the store after being satisfied w/ my findings there - a book about salt (our study passage was matthew 5:13-16). i would have bought it if i had the resources to do as i please. the author was traveling around in europe and was eating a fantastic steak, with some difficulty he was able to find out why it was so wonderful - salt made by the owner's brother, a salt artisan. i've noticed lately in the store all the various fancy salts, but it didnt occur to me till flipping through this book and reading his discoveries and realizations that our salt is, well, awful. it belongs in the category of white bread and soda. it's mass produced and has nothing to do w/ its roots of handmade regional flavor and time-consuming value. no wonder we dont understand the bible's confidence in a 'covenant of salt'. i still dont get it. but i do know this after the cumulation of poking around, salt was required on all the grain offerings, dictated in leviticus, and Jesus calls himself the bread of life - the ultimate sacrifice - and if we are the salt of the earth, we are to cling to Him before God. i got that from a guy named ron miller. this passage of Jesus' teaching is so visual. come to think of it, he was pretty much always making connections that we put together w/ our familiarity and visual knowledge. but then He'd go beyond that. i was taught that the first place something is mentioned in the bible is usually significant. and the first mention of light is so obvious, i couldnt help but see it. He says we are the light of the world, and the first thing God spoke into existence was light. before there was a sun or moon. and Jesus is called the light. and in the end, when the sun and moon are gone, there will still be His light. so we are light w/ Him? that's a pretty big deal. it's also a big deal when you pull the whole thing together, and look at who He's talking to. the poor in spirit, the desperate, the meek, the mourning who will find comfort, the hungry righteousness seekers, the pure in heart, the merciful. yes, a world w/out these people, it would be dark and flavorless. the desperate will be the most alive when given new breath, those who know pain know great joy when things are made right, when justice wins there is freedom...yes, the world needs these people. the world needs them light a city on a hill, like salt in their food.
a thought i had at the bible study was the safety of a town lit at night, but this morning i'm also reminded of the safety of a salted road. i dont know if it is ironic that Jesus says the flavorless salt is thrown on the ground and is good for nothing... but here, they value salt on the road. it means they can travel and do life without worrying that they will end up on the side of the way, stuck somewhere.
i leave today. i'll be back home by midnight. and i wonder, will i be here again? so many beautiful hearts have made it clear they already long to have me back, to have me be part of life here. i'm so touched by that, i really dont know how to feel, but obviously humbled. to have been adopted upon first meeting by this new family here... i hope to see them again. how strange it feels. i've only ever known my family back home, and they truly are family to me. i shouldnt have any ease to leave them. yet God puts in our hearts things we may never understand, and will never be able to explain. i think he has enabled me to have a peace about all this. even though there are puzzle pieces still in his hands. i will simply wait to see what it looks like as he places them upon the table. ...yeah.
2/27/13
2/26/13
no lack of good things
you find out who the outdoorsy people are around here when it's cold...or when it's not, i suppose. my host, took me and one of my new friends up to mount sugarloaf. no idea why it would be called that. i should look it up for you! ah, they used to put sugar into a certain kind of shape for packaging and shipment - i take it if you look at these peaks, you'll know what that looked like. fair enough.
well, anyway, on our way there we passed the yankee candle place, and it seems that a lot of people think it is worth a stop. none of us cared about it. but get us on a trail? happy campers! i will say though, on the way up my thighs were questioning my motives. i should work out more so that they dont get surprised next time i go hike around anywhere. thankfully though it was just a short distance, and by the time we were back down they had forgiven me their misfortune.
at the top you find yourself overlooking the connecticut river. on either side of the landscape it cuts through is farm land and what look to me as segments of towns (but i think they are full towns, but i dont know how). at the beginning of my stay i learned that the long barns are for drying tobacco, and the fields next to them are where it grows. let me just tell you they are everywhere. there's something neat about the way they look though, so they end up in my pictures. i guess they tell of our crazy history, silently pulling through into our crazy future. there's something to be said for that.
once we were back in our town, a stones throw away practically (well, maybe a few throws), my lovely host gets a look in her eye and asks, "time for a treat before we break ways?" speaking to our friend that joined us. so we stopped at this charming modern/rustic/industrial cafe. the base of the counters were covered in pieced together cabinet doors and other decorative framework parts (old door frame corners, from a time when even the little things got some loving attention - the type of thing that is part of the norm here). wooden shelves on the dining area walls were supported by black metal pipes and the lights were wine bottles w/ the bottoms cut off, hanging over the tables. the long table in the middle had a lovely series of bottles, amber, green, and blue in all different sizes laid out in a lose stair step (by height, w/ the bottoms level) for a nice unified feeling. our round bistro table was a hodge-podge of wood scraps fit together and covered with a shallow pool of resin. some of the boards had faded logos and writing from their past lives. the food was great, i had a little sandwich w/ scrambled egg, apricot jam, whipped gorgonzola, and arugula. a sticky wonderful thing. oh, and citrus ginger tea. which i pretty much drank all of (those little tea pots seem to hold more than you realize). i've been needing more liquids here than i thought i would, even now my knuckles are dry (i've never had dry knuckles). the others had carrot cake, a smoothie, and soup...and we shared the cake. i'm glad we did, it was packed w/ walnuts and the icing was thick and rich, it was well done. i think i would be willing to try anything there.
there have been so many chances for great food this week, even my last event of the day was dinner. earlier in my stay we were told to check out a sushi buffet. well, that idea is typically sketchy, but a second person said it was worth it too. i mean, if two reliable friends recommend it, we should at least give it the benefit of the doubt. w/ one of the roommates in tow we went...and it was wonderful. several really creative flavor combinations - like mango, which was lovely in sushi rice. and the nigiri was tasty good. i night have overdone it w/ the coconut shrimp (but who says no to fried shrimp in creamy sweet gooey sauce?)so i've had sushi twice now, i'm quite the happy camper indeed.
well, anyway, on our way there we passed the yankee candle place, and it seems that a lot of people think it is worth a stop. none of us cared about it. but get us on a trail? happy campers! i will say though, on the way up my thighs were questioning my motives. i should work out more so that they dont get surprised next time i go hike around anywhere. thankfully though it was just a short distance, and by the time we were back down they had forgiven me their misfortune.
at the top you find yourself overlooking the connecticut river. on either side of the landscape it cuts through is farm land and what look to me as segments of towns (but i think they are full towns, but i dont know how). at the beginning of my stay i learned that the long barns are for drying tobacco, and the fields next to them are where it grows. let me just tell you they are everywhere. there's something neat about the way they look though, so they end up in my pictures. i guess they tell of our crazy history, silently pulling through into our crazy future. there's something to be said for that.
once we were back in our town, a stones throw away practically (well, maybe a few throws), my lovely host gets a look in her eye and asks, "time for a treat before we break ways?" speaking to our friend that joined us. so we stopped at this charming modern/rustic/industrial cafe. the base of the counters were covered in pieced together cabinet doors and other decorative framework parts (old door frame corners, from a time when even the little things got some loving attention - the type of thing that is part of the norm here). wooden shelves on the dining area walls were supported by black metal pipes and the lights were wine bottles w/ the bottoms cut off, hanging over the tables. the long table in the middle had a lovely series of bottles, amber, green, and blue in all different sizes laid out in a lose stair step (by height, w/ the bottoms level) for a nice unified feeling. our round bistro table was a hodge-podge of wood scraps fit together and covered with a shallow pool of resin. some of the boards had faded logos and writing from their past lives. the food was great, i had a little sandwich w/ scrambled egg, apricot jam, whipped gorgonzola, and arugula. a sticky wonderful thing. oh, and citrus ginger tea. which i pretty much drank all of (those little tea pots seem to hold more than you realize). i've been needing more liquids here than i thought i would, even now my knuckles are dry (i've never had dry knuckles). the others had carrot cake, a smoothie, and soup...and we shared the cake. i'm glad we did, it was packed w/ walnuts and the icing was thick and rich, it was well done. i think i would be willing to try anything there.
there have been so many chances for great food this week, even my last event of the day was dinner. earlier in my stay we were told to check out a sushi buffet. well, that idea is typically sketchy, but a second person said it was worth it too. i mean, if two reliable friends recommend it, we should at least give it the benefit of the doubt. w/ one of the roommates in tow we went...and it was wonderful. several really creative flavor combinations - like mango, which was lovely in sushi rice. and the nigiri was tasty good. i night have overdone it w/ the coconut shrimp (but who says no to fried shrimp in creamy sweet gooey sauce?)so i've had sushi twice now, i'm quite the happy camper indeed.
2/25/13
my heart is beating peacefully.
fear not good towns people! your favorite protagonist has not been defeated by the wintery nemesis WeatherMan! nay, his prediction was less than impressive. it was wet for a little while, and even some slushy flakes fell, but the ground is no more covered now than when i first arrived. it is just the remnants of his last great attempt to cover the world in white, which recedes little by little each day.
"great news," you say, "but why have you forced us to wait so long til this next update?"
well. weekends get busy. sorry.
so, where did i leave off?
saturday was nice and slow. i've enjoyed the various tours of the campuses, but the greenhouse at smith was beautiful. dont get me wrong, the quirky late 20th century architecture of hampshire college is amusing, and the antiquated feel given off by the main buildings on the other schools is great, but nature takes the cake. the maze of humid greenery draws you in. from one room of tropical exotic you go through a door and find cacti and succulents that make you pause (why would a cactus need hair?). the other visitors brought a smile to my face, one mother made use of a tree-filled room like a park for her active little boy. she sat on a quaint bench as he literally ran around the place in circles, back and forth around and round. he was having a blast. so i can certainly see finding some respite from the snow in there in my future.
in the afternoon we went to visit a lovely couple who has made their own little sugar house. getting to see the sugaring process from the very beginning to end (w/ tastings throughout) was quite the good time. what's sugaring? making maple syrup! oh how yummy it is. i was very surprised how watery the sap is right out of the tree, runny and clear. we gathered it from buckets tapped into trees all on their property. it takes a good long number of hours to boil the water out and get it to the right % ratio. the flavor is so different when it has only begun to reduce a little, like a marshmallow, but with a bit more plant influence. one of the girls w/ us described it being similar to barley. but i havent smelled that, so i will just take her word.
all the houses here are charming and comfortable, old and lived in. back home this place would be a labeled historic district. but here, it's just life. this family in their old house probably find it troublesome or lack-luster. i'd go visit the sugaring house any time! and not just for the fresh still-hot sample of their finished syrup.
i think all the introverts of MA live here, and the extroverts must be in boston. well, not all. i've been introduced to a fellow aggie (though she only finished her first year before transferring here, but she owns it all the way) who reminds me of a dear friend back home. pretty sure she's been the most extroverted person i've met all week! gotta love your aggies. i say that, but of course it's not really true. there are two of them. this is sunday now, by the way, and i'm at church. finally seeing the pastor friend that has lured me in. i kinda love that half a week went by before seeing him. just shows that this place is about the people.
the early service is small, and unlike at home it's filled with young college students. as is the second service, which seemed 3x the attendance. i guess you find out who your morning people are!
the glow and fire these students have for the gospel is inspiring. so many are new christians and have no family background in it at all. there is no deep culture here to rebel against like at home. the roots of these churches and schools is long forgotten, or simply ignored. so once they see the truth and God removes the veil, it's like they wonder why they never saw it before.
after church i got to hang out w/ the pastor and his family while my host went off to a baby shower near boston (outskirts, but still a bit of a drive even so). their kids are awesome. me and their girl played w/ their bunny for a while after lunch (at chipotle, brand new here, and they flock to it! we beat our own crowd, who have made it their sunday tradition to go there now. so amusing. what would they do if they had the texacan?). we then had some down-time at barnes and noble. get a bit to drink and take advantage of the store to read a bit. first thing i see? a doctor who magazine. didnt finish going through it, but i couldnt justify the money to take it w/ me. did you know they use it in the uk to motivate creative writing among their grade school kids? they've had script writing contests, and the winners had their show filmed! what a cool deal! we wrapped up the evening rejoining my host at the pastor's house for dinner - chocolate chip pancakes and sausage scrambled eggs. i love breakfast for dinner!
and so went the days. everyone i meet is praying for me to find a job. they're all so kind and joyful. yet, they pain for the people in the cities. they rejoice deep, and they mourn deep. i only have a few more days, but regardless of what else happens, it has been good. real good.
"great news," you say, "but why have you forced us to wait so long til this next update?"
well. weekends get busy. sorry.
so, where did i leave off?
saturday was nice and slow. i've enjoyed the various tours of the campuses, but the greenhouse at smith was beautiful. dont get me wrong, the quirky late 20th century architecture of hampshire college is amusing, and the antiquated feel given off by the main buildings on the other schools is great, but nature takes the cake. the maze of humid greenery draws you in. from one room of tropical exotic you go through a door and find cacti and succulents that make you pause (why would a cactus need hair?). the other visitors brought a smile to my face, one mother made use of a tree-filled room like a park for her active little boy. she sat on a quaint bench as he literally ran around the place in circles, back and forth around and round. he was having a blast. so i can certainly see finding some respite from the snow in there in my future.
in the afternoon we went to visit a lovely couple who has made their own little sugar house. getting to see the sugaring process from the very beginning to end (w/ tastings throughout) was quite the good time. what's sugaring? making maple syrup! oh how yummy it is. i was very surprised how watery the sap is right out of the tree, runny and clear. we gathered it from buckets tapped into trees all on their property. it takes a good long number of hours to boil the water out and get it to the right % ratio. the flavor is so different when it has only begun to reduce a little, like a marshmallow, but with a bit more plant influence. one of the girls w/ us described it being similar to barley. but i havent smelled that, so i will just take her word.
all the houses here are charming and comfortable, old and lived in. back home this place would be a labeled historic district. but here, it's just life. this family in their old house probably find it troublesome or lack-luster. i'd go visit the sugaring house any time! and not just for the fresh still-hot sample of their finished syrup.
i think all the introverts of MA live here, and the extroverts must be in boston. well, not all. i've been introduced to a fellow aggie (though she only finished her first year before transferring here, but she owns it all the way) who reminds me of a dear friend back home. pretty sure she's been the most extroverted person i've met all week! gotta love your aggies. i say that, but of course it's not really true. there are two of them. this is sunday now, by the way, and i'm at church. finally seeing the pastor friend that has lured me in. i kinda love that half a week went by before seeing him. just shows that this place is about the people.
the early service is small, and unlike at home it's filled with young college students. as is the second service, which seemed 3x the attendance. i guess you find out who your morning people are!
the glow and fire these students have for the gospel is inspiring. so many are new christians and have no family background in it at all. there is no deep culture here to rebel against like at home. the roots of these churches and schools is long forgotten, or simply ignored. so once they see the truth and God removes the veil, it's like they wonder why they never saw it before.
after church i got to hang out w/ the pastor and his family while my host went off to a baby shower near boston (outskirts, but still a bit of a drive even so). their kids are awesome. me and their girl played w/ their bunny for a while after lunch (at chipotle, brand new here, and they flock to it! we beat our own crowd, who have made it their sunday tradition to go there now. so amusing. what would they do if they had the texacan?). we then had some down-time at barnes and noble. get a bit to drink and take advantage of the store to read a bit. first thing i see? a doctor who magazine. didnt finish going through it, but i couldnt justify the money to take it w/ me. did you know they use it in the uk to motivate creative writing among their grade school kids? they've had script writing contests, and the winners had their show filmed! what a cool deal! we wrapped up the evening rejoining my host at the pastor's house for dinner - chocolate chip pancakes and sausage scrambled eggs. i love breakfast for dinner!
and so went the days. everyone i meet is praying for me to find a job. they're all so kind and joyful. yet, they pain for the people in the cities. they rejoice deep, and they mourn deep. i only have a few more days, but regardless of what else happens, it has been good. real good.
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