Six Years Ago!

 

http://www.seaservicefaith.blogspot.com/2007/01/our-last-sunday-in-cornwall.html

WOW!  Has it really been six years since our last Sunday living in Cornwall, UK?  ALL the people and places we have experienced since that Sunday!  God is SO good.... ALL the time!  Thanks be to God!!!

This morning at Bulverde UMC

 
This morning we made our way to Bulverde UMC, just north of San Antonio for worship today, enjoying the blended service and the tale-end of the contemporary service.

This is a very active church with lots of ministries in which to become involved, both inside and outside the campus.

A lovely weekend in San Antonio!

We've been enjoying some lovely weather this weekend in San Antonio and gotten lots done around the house.  Wesley of course has been up to supervising our domestic chores!

This afternoon after leaving worship, we stopped in Spring Branch at the Antler Cafe`.  Some mighty good Texas grub!

DOD Casulaty List: January 17 - 23

Fort Logan National Cemetery - Denver, Colorado

+ Sgt. David J. Chambers, 25, of Hampton, Va., died Jan. 16, in Panjwai District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered an enemy improvised explosive device while on dismounted patrol. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, under control of the 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

+ Sgt. Mark H. Schoonhoven, 38, of Plainwell, Mich., died Jan. 20, at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device on Dec. 15, 2012 in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 32nd Transportation Company, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

A trip to Flamingo Lane





Joan & Jen

 



Prep work

 

60 bags!

Nice and tidy!

A whole new look

 

We have had a rather busy weekend! 

On Friday we drove to Dallas to help two friends, Joan and Jen, with some necessary chores in their yard.  We spent several hours Friday afternoon doing prep work on the deck that would be stained the next day and in starting to clear away some brush.

Friday evening, we were treated to supper at Joan and Jen's favorite restaurant, Afrah. This is one of the places featured on "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives" and it really lived up to its reputation!

All day Saturday was given over to staining the backyard deck and continuing the brush-clearing work.  In the evening, Joan prepared one of Charles' favorite meals, Cincinnati Chili!  It was a welcome meal after a full day of work!

Today was for finishing up the loose ends which resulted in over sixty bags of yard waste and more being placed at the curb for pick-up!  We were tired when we left, but were happy to have been able to help our friends!

DOD Casualty report for January 10-16

Marietta (GA) National Cemetery

Sgt. Aaron X. Wittman, 28, of Chester, Va., died Jan. 10, in Khogyani District, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained when his unit was attacked by small arms fire while on mounted patrol.  He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA. 

Baptism of the Lord Hymn

The ceiling of the Arian baptistry - Ravenna, Italy, 5th C. AD

By the Rev. Charles Wesley  

 

 LORD of all, with pure intent,

From their tenderest infancy

In thy temple we present

Whom we first received from thee:

Through thy well-beloved Son,

Ours acknowledge for thine own.  

 

Sealed with the baptismal seal,

Purchased by the atoning blood,

Jesus, in our children dwell,

Make their heart the house of God:

Fill thy consecrated shrine,

Father, Son, and Spirit divine.

DOD Casualty List for January 3-9

Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery

For the first time for as far back as we can remember the Department of Defense reports NO casualties over the preceding seven days. May the time come soon when this becomes the expected norm and we will no longer even need to check the data.

Epiphany Day in San Antonio

It is a lovely day here in San Antonio, the first Sunday of 2013.  January 6th is also the Day of Epiphany and we went to worship at Laurel Heights UMC for the 11:00 a.m. service. 

A quick spin around Central Market and it was back home for a pleasant afternoon with Wesley!

Twelfth Night

We attended the Twelfth Night service at Coker UMC this evening, a very special time of worship to conclude the Season of Christmas.

The Journey of the Magi
by T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)

‘A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For the journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.’
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins,
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death,
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

DOD Casualty List: 28 December - 2 January

Fort Lawton Federal Cemetery, Washington

+ Pfc. Markie T. Sims (Army), 20, of Citra, Florida, died Dec. 29 in Panjwal, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. 

He was assigned to the 38th Engineer Company, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, under control of the 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. 

Our New Year's Day outing

 
We enjoyed a proper rest this morning, enjoying the first day of 2013 in the warm embrace of our home on Toscana Isle. 
After taking in the Rose Parade (could it really be eight years since we were in Pasedena, CA?!) we set out for a visit to the San Antonio Zoo.

We had a fun afternoon, too chilly to ride the train around the park, but plenty warm enough to enjoy being outdoors.  The highlight for Charles was feeding the Lorys!

A late lunch at a nearby Jim's restaurant (a fond memory from Belinda's school days in San Antonio) and it was back home.

Hope your 2013 is off to a great start too!

Hold on to your sombrero!

We have an expression we use to illustrate the amazing journey we find ourselves upon: "Hold onto your sombrero!"  This tells us that there are some exciting possibilities ahead and that we better get ready!

2013 dawned with a chill in the air and a bit of a rarity for south Texas, dampness!  We tried on our official sombrero, even Wesley got into the act (albeit reluctantly!).

Who knows where we'll be when 2014 unfolds - hold on to your sombrero!

A prayer for the New Year

"Take me into a new year, Gracious God. Help me to continue looking for meaning, seeking peace, praying for light, dancing for joy, working for justice, and singing your praise.

I go into the new year filled with expectations, a touch of worry, and a bundle of hope. I do not journey into the new year alone but with you as my guide, with a commitment to my disciplines, with a community of family, friends, and faith.

Take me into the new year, Creator of beauty and wonder. Bless me with the companionship of Jesus, and gift me with the guidance and power of the Spirit. Amen."

( Prayer by Larry James Peacock from Openings: A Daybook of Saints, Psalms, and Prayer)