Gratitude …turns chaos to order…

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”  ~Melody Beattie *

This is a good quote for us right now.  The house is in much better shape than two weeks ago; as we were in the throes of ripping up carpet and painting several walls in the house (mostly downstairs, but also the sitting room and Brad’s room*his new color! on the upper floor).  In fact, last Thursday was “moving day” with the storage container here unloading our goods.  The following two days the carpet was laid.  We have been constantly unpacking ever since, except for a one-day hiatus during which we prepared for and celebrated Kathryn’s 19th birthday with 18 close family/ friends    Melody’s ideas strike a chord in Maria’s heart, because otherwise the chaos and confusion might tend to overwhelm.

John has taken on a new project with Lockheed and is busy adjusting to the different requirements.  “Gratitude  … turns a meal into a feast…”   The children have a rough transition; after arriving in Virginia on August 4, they started school at a tough academy, Trinity Schools, August 25 where they actually expect them to think, work (during six 55-minute periods a day – half hour for lunch), do 2 – 3 hours of homework nightly, and most importantly attain a sense of wonder as they achieve academic excellence.  Trinity Schools  have high standards and the students “dive in head first and swim hard”.  “Gratitude … creates a vision for tomorrow…”   Maria is working to organize the furniture in new and better ways, give away furniture that isn’t needed, declutter, and OPEN EVERY BOX at least to attempt to find a home for each object.  “Gratitude … turns a house into a home …”

With the help of Kristin and Kathryn, Maria’s women’s group and the occasional visiting assistant, the job is getting done bit by bit.  “Gratitude … makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and unlocks the fullness of life…”  BTW, I have been extremely grateful for having our girls, Kristin and Kathryn, home for the past week +.  Following are a few pics of Kathryn’s birthday (click on the link…)

PHOTO LINK FOR KATHRYN’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

 

Carpet is in!

Well, the house was painted last week (finishing touches put on today – Saturday), and the household goods came on Thursday of this week.  Yesterday, Jose the carpet installer came and began.  What a whirlwind master carpet-er!  He easily finished half of the basement in 6 1/2 hours.  Today, he returned and finished in about as much time the other half plus the steps!  We are so pleased with the work he did and the look of things.

Afterwards, some of the brothers from our community of the People of Praise came to help us put some key pieces of furniture around the house in the right locations.  While much remains to be done, we are going to bed happy tonight for the amazing amount of work that has been done in less than 3 weeks in this house – surely a work of the Lord.

In fact, we must give our Father all the glory for this blessing.  We received our goods on the very day we had planned for them and hoped for but had no assurance would be the day! Also, Jose was able to come the two days following which also was on the weekend so the few people not on vacation would actually be off work and able to help us.

So thanks for the prayers and support.  After the day of rest, thank God(!), we will continue in the days and weeks ahead to get the rest of the furniture in place and unpack boxes.  It is not the typical POP move, but we are patient about the pace.  Well,  pretty patient…

Cheerio!

 

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…

The first day of the Three Day Ordeal is over and was not so horrible.  Getting ready and going through the reception of our worldly goods was exhausting, but the five competent and jolly Latinos who comprised the crew made it go smoothly and it took only 8 hours with a half hour for lunch.

But we have learned another good lesson:  Life does not consist in the abundance of  possessions.” (See Luke 12: 13 – 32, esp. Luke 12:15 and Luke 12:34)

Because of the carpeting project (entire lower level – a fully finished basement), which will occur this Friday and Saturday, we were unable to move any furniture into the downstairs so guess where it is?  This means the house is topsy turvy and certainly not settled.  However, we are elated that everything is at least here on the property (somewhere!) and hopefully within a week we will be unpacked.  If this is the case, it will be courtesy of our wonderful, hardworking children, especially the girls with much service experience with POP Action in Allendale, Dinkytown, and right here in NoVA with Action work, and the boys who are developing their manly moving skills and plenty of menial labor and go-pher activities!   Oh yes, and esp. with the help of the brothers and sisters of the People of Praise.

Friday evening, after a professional carpet layer installs the wall-to-wall carpet, God bless him!, our POP moving teams will place furniture and help us open boxes.  The saving grace (besides God’s grace, ever present) is that we know where everything is supposed to go – after all, we have returned to our own home!  We are making some changes, but these seem to be falling into place already.  The key is to get the house in good shape to make it useful in building the Kingdom of God.  And this is well underway.

Tonight, after eating a wonderful dinner provided by Polly, one of Maria’s women’s group sisters, we attended the last Thursday evening Community meeting for the summer.  There we were able to sing praise songs and thank our Father for His goodness to us.  Also, we heard a Word spoken that reminded us about the one thing God canNOT do.  He canNOT fail us.  We have certainly found that to be true!

So please continue to remember us during the next two days – carpet laying and continued unpacking, and esp. pray for Jose, the carpet guy and the backs of all the “young” men and ladies helping us during this time.

 

A Moving Update

Just got the word that they will bring our sea crate shipment on Thursday!  Yay!  Don’t be moved to tears !

Please pray that Hurricane Bill doesn’t impact our area with Thunderstorms and the “R” word (rain).

BTW, I am going to start putting in some photos if I can muster the time, since we got one computer in the air ship (another Yay!)   Check  “Community Life in NoVA” – August 9 !

Don’t forget your galoshes…

 

Waiting for the G – O – O – D – S. Oh!

Did you ever see “Waiting for Godot” (Samuel Beckett)?  John and Maria could have gone to see Patrick Stewart in that play; it was running in Britain while we were there.  Unfortunately for Maria seeing her favorite star, they missed that particular show.  But also fortunately for not seeing a very frustrating play that makes you wait and wait and never reach satisfaction, they missed that show.  Oh!

It was not the kind of play they cared for, but the title and theme are reminiscent of another “tragicomeday” being played out in our very own hometown – the alleged Elliott Move.  We are trying to put it on with minimal props.  The scenery is painted (haha), and the stage is set.

But why are we here?

We are not waiting for Godot.   Oh!

We are waiting for our Goods!

Will they come tomorrow?

Perhaps not until the day after tomorrow.

Are we sure we are waiting in the right place?

Maybe instead, we should focus on our Savior.  Now THAT is a good idea!

Oh!

 

Update on our move back to U.S.

There have been several good days, but that is because we had no goods to deal with and the Harris family was still here.  So we moved in to a liveable home.  But it was a deceptive peace; the upheaval was still to come.

The good news for today was our air shipment came, and it only took 1/2 an hour to be unloaded (16 boxes.)  We are fitting things back in their places, now that the Harris’s items are removed.  They physically left this past Friday.  We miss their cheerful ways – a truly loving family!

Matt and Mary Beth moved a lot of their stuff in several trips starting about a week ago, taking things to their new resting place for the time being.  They took a large portion of their possessions this past weekend; however, more remains.  I cannot recommend a gradual move; it’s chief benefit is the cost savings.  But it is a dragged-out process.

The other good news was that the good packing boxes that the movers brought are now here for us to pack the rest of Mary Beth’s kitchen that she generously left for our use.  We weren’t sure of when the shipment (any shipment) was coming.

So it is time to get back to the kitchen, packing up more items.  Small other detail is that little meal moths were found in the pantry so it needs a total emptying.  The hectic-ness is disquieting.  But bit by bit we are getting organized.

It is necessary to plan some physicals for sports at school as well – oops.  And it all begins next Monday with the Senior challenge at Trinity.  So we mustn’t lag behind.  Off to work I go.

Thank you for your continued prayers.  Blessings to all.

 

Sell all you have and follow…

Hello,

The packing concluded well, and boxes line the rooms of Blackhedge Farm.  Tomorrow the movers come to put it all in the sea container, and after a final, thorough cleaning we will be done with this wonderful house where so many great adventures have been enjoyed.  God is good, indeed!

Now we are staying at the Hanover House “in the heart of Regency Cheltenham”.  It is a very cool, Victorian style townhouse a two-minute walk from High Street and the town centre.  Veronica is the gracious hostess. 

At posting, Maria is borrowing the computer facilities of the Jeffs family to write.  Amy and Jane have grown to be fast friends, and it extended to the whole of both families (even Kathryn was having a spirited conversation with Amy yesterday using mobile, celluar technology.) 

Yesterday was Christine Jeffs birthday, and we celebrated in grand style.  Amy and Jane made a wonderful dinner (Amy’s luscious lamb with lots of tasty, local veggies) that both our families enjoyed, followed by a trip to Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham town centre.   The show was a West End production of  Beauty and the Beast.  Oh, the jolly remarks and smiles that were exchanged as the first-rate performance played itself out.  To be fair, most of us felt that the Belle simply couldn’t measure up to the one we saw at Bishop O’Connell High School last Spring  (), but on the whole, everyone agreed that this was a thoroughly enjoyable musical experience.  

Today, we went to Mass for the last time in Stroud.  We found the readings strangely apropos as they spoke of people being gathered from all the nations and the two of us  being made one in Christ; how The Lord is our Shepherd and will provide all our needs.  The Gospel was the crowner as Jesus told the disciples to go off on vacation (my paraphrase) to rest …  the homily by Father David encouraged us to find our strenghth in the Lord and not in holidays that may or may not occur, and even if they are given to us, may not turn out as planned.  This is indeed good advice as we get ready to go to Germany with Kristin and Kathryn, Rose and Jonnie.  

Also today, John and J.T. are off selling our possessions to the Pecks – including the Prius (freshly washed inside and out), the tumble dryer (not typical in these parts), various lamps, and appliances that we bought when we came because the electrical voltage is 220 in the U.K. and Europe, but not in the good, old U.S. of A. – think everything from toaster to television!  They will take National Rail back, and Maria will pick them up at the station. 

The Scrabble game between Jane, Brad, Amy, and Christine just finished and so must this post.

Cheerio!

 

Day 2 Packers

Busy day, hard to be completely ready to go before we are really leaving.

However, somehow by tomorrow at dinner we must be done (esp. with papers and giveaways of food, etc.)  There is enough time in a day for everything you end up doing, but maybe not for everything you wished to do – a good lesson to learn!!

Cheers!  (Maybe last post for awhile.)

Pray for attitudes and tempers.   Thank you, faithful readers…

 

July 14, 2009

The last day before the packers come!  Wow, this year was full.  Last year at this time, John was in England and Maria had not even gone over for a visit!

There is much work to be done, so this shall be brief.  Please pray specifically for J.T. who has come down with a terrible, summer cold complete with headache, lots of congestion, and weakness (but fortunately, no fever).  There is a lot of media attention on “swine” flu and we need to be well to travel. You know how illnesses can migrate from member to member of the family…  Also, of course, that we can pack well and leave behind what we don’t need.

Here is a great website to visit – The Word Among Us - the meditation and accompanying scripture readings for the Mass of the Day change every day and make it possible for anyone to be uplifted.

Be sure to check previous posts as many photos were posted.   There won’t be much opportunity for that in coming days, esp. after the computer is packed. 

Listen to the Lord today!

 

We are really glad…

… to be coming home soon.  Maria just wears her heart on her sleeve.  Great Britain has been just that – great, almost like a vacation.  (Well, maybe a working vacation…)

But life is not a beach or an island or a vacation, and we are eager to get back into the life of being in our country where we belong, and the People of Praise and family (lots of it, extended and whatever!)   Ironically, the future awaits and the future begins today.

We are grateful for your prayers because there are many aspects of the move that will be challenging.  But God is in control!