After going back and re-reading my last blog entry, I can see that trying to put a blog together late at night after kids are in bed, after a 5 day trip (within a 5 week trip), is just not a good idea. I guess what I was trying to say was Laura and I are incredibly blessed to have our 3 wonderful children with us on this experience - we wouldn't have it any other way - but we are in need of a "parent sabbatical"! We have a sitter coming tomorrow night so we can go out to dinner - yeah!
My reflection tied to faith is this: We took on this adventure knowing full well it was going to be challenging at times with the "youngness" of our children. It has caused some stress and the alteration of some of our original dreams/plans; but it is still a wonderful experience which will truly shape our family for the good for a long time! So I wonder am I willing to take on "faith adventures" that will help me grow deeper in my faith, but yet surely will cause some stress/disruption of my plans or hopes? Or do I just stick with the same old, same old, safe routine. As I always say: "If you want an omelet, you have to crack some eggs". And so I wonder for my faith: am I cracking enough eggs??? And so the pondering continues...as we enjoy our delicious Scottish Omelet!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
"As the stag longs for running streams so do I long for thee, O God..."
I can’t believe it has been so long since I have posted an entry! Upon reflection it makes perfect sense and I should have seen it coming: I have been rather busy. Now to be sure it is a very different kind of busy than I experience in my life “back home” (more enriching, less taxing), but in the last 10 days or so I/we have simply been getting more entrenched in our life in Scotland. First an update and then a thought.
Since last writing our family has taken several day-trips: a train into the city of Edinburgh to see the castle and a few other sites; we took a rainy-day drive to an amazing children’s science center in Glasgow; and we drove through a picturesque country side on the way to tour a whisky distillery in Perthshire (turned out to be one of my favorites: Famous Grouse). We have also ventured out on our first over night trip, a 4- night trip “up north”. We spent the night in a youth hostel that is operated in a castle (way fun especially for a couple of little boys) and we spent 3 nights at a “beach house” in the tiny fishing village of Crovie on the north eastern coast. Crovie has a unique history and absolutely breath-taking location cut into the side of the cliffs. One of the things we enjoy about traveling around Scotland is the drives through the country and then coming upon all the quaint villages along the way. In addition, I had the once in a lifetime chance to go see a round of the British Open Golf tournament. That is a special enough tournament as it is, but this year it was even more so as it was the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship and was played at the home of golf: the old course at St. Andrews. What an amazing experience that was for me. (sorry no pictures, cameras are not allowed at the tournament, but I did sneak out some grass from the 6th fairway!)
Back on the “home front” (that’s Bridge of Allan for us) we are continuing to enjoy trips to the library, the “swing park”, as well as the “adventure” of just getting in the car and going to the market. For me, I am continuing to enjoy the challenge of preaching “in Scottish”. That does not mean I’m trying to speak with a Scottish brogue, I’m just trying to communicate as clearly as I can while trying to translate my American, southern slang and colloquialisms into something the parishoners can relate to and understand. This is proving an insightful experience and giving much for me to reflect upon about how I engage in the task of preaching. I am also meeting and visiting with other ministers and enjoyed getting an authentic taste of local politics, football talk, and Scottish folklore one evening as a guest at the local Rotary Club meeting last week.
And when I’m not engaged in any of the above, I’m spending time trying to take care of and keep up with a 7, 4, and almost 1 year-old. That is probably the most joyful (and draining) part of the whole trip. With the exception of my respite day at St. Andrews we have been with the children non-stop for 3 and a half weeks! This has led to the coining of a new phrase: “Children are a gift from God, as are babysitters.” But all in all, the children have done very well and this continues to be an amazing experience and memory-making trip that we will cherish and share as a family for a long, long time.
Upon reflection about my busyness which has led to me getting behind on blogging: I think we throw ourselves into the things we are passionate about. We put our whole selves into those things we care about. That is mostly good and helpful, but there can also be some unintended ill side effects (getting behind on blogging, frustration, hurt feelings, change, etc.). Therefore, before we throw ourselves into something we might do well to ask is this something I really want to throw myself into even if there are some lumps to take as I go? From there I skip to this question: do I have enough passion about my faith? Am I really interested in growing and going deeper in faith, knowing full well that if I am I might have to take some lumps? Or does fear of the lumps and simple inertia keep me from becoming passionate about my faith growth? Tough questions. I am trying to sort them out. I’m sure I’ll have them all figured out and tied up neatly and comfortably with a bow on top by the time the plane touches down in Charlotte in 12 days. We’ll see!
-MRB
I'm sure most are interested in seeing pictures, so here's a pile. Cheers!
Since last writing our family has taken several day-trips: a train into the city of Edinburgh to see the castle and a few other sites; we took a rainy-day drive to an amazing children’s science center in Glasgow; and we drove through a picturesque country side on the way to tour a whisky distillery in Perthshire (turned out to be one of my favorites: Famous Grouse). We have also ventured out on our first over night trip, a 4- night trip “up north”. We spent the night in a youth hostel that is operated in a castle (way fun especially for a couple of little boys) and we spent 3 nights at a “beach house” in the tiny fishing village of Crovie on the north eastern coast. Crovie has a unique history and absolutely breath-taking location cut into the side of the cliffs. One of the things we enjoy about traveling around Scotland is the drives through the country and then coming upon all the quaint villages along the way. In addition, I had the once in a lifetime chance to go see a round of the British Open Golf tournament. That is a special enough tournament as it is, but this year it was even more so as it was the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship and was played at the home of golf: the old course at St. Andrews. What an amazing experience that was for me. (sorry no pictures, cameras are not allowed at the tournament, but I did sneak out some grass from the 6th fairway!)
Back on the “home front” (that’s Bridge of Allan for us) we are continuing to enjoy trips to the library, the “swing park”, as well as the “adventure” of just getting in the car and going to the market. For me, I am continuing to enjoy the challenge of preaching “in Scottish”. That does not mean I’m trying to speak with a Scottish brogue, I’m just trying to communicate as clearly as I can while trying to translate my American, southern slang and colloquialisms into something the parishoners can relate to and understand. This is proving an insightful experience and giving much for me to reflect upon about how I engage in the task of preaching. I am also meeting and visiting with other ministers and enjoyed getting an authentic taste of local politics, football talk, and Scottish folklore one evening as a guest at the local Rotary Club meeting last week.
And when I’m not engaged in any of the above, I’m spending time trying to take care of and keep up with a 7, 4, and almost 1 year-old. That is probably the most joyful (and draining) part of the whole trip. With the exception of my respite day at St. Andrews we have been with the children non-stop for 3 and a half weeks! This has led to the coining of a new phrase: “Children are a gift from God, as are babysitters.” But all in all, the children have done very well and this continues to be an amazing experience and memory-making trip that we will cherish and share as a family for a long, long time.
Upon reflection about my busyness which has led to me getting behind on blogging: I think we throw ourselves into the things we are passionate about. We put our whole selves into those things we care about. That is mostly good and helpful, but there can also be some unintended ill side effects (getting behind on blogging, frustration, hurt feelings, change, etc.). Therefore, before we throw ourselves into something we might do well to ask is this something I really want to throw myself into even if there are some lumps to take as I go? From there I skip to this question: do I have enough passion about my faith? Am I really interested in growing and going deeper in faith, knowing full well that if I am I might have to take some lumps? Or does fear of the lumps and simple inertia keep me from becoming passionate about my faith growth? Tough questions. I am trying to sort them out. I’m sure I’ll have them all figured out and tied up neatly and comfortably with a bow on top by the time the plane touches down in Charlotte in 12 days. We’ll see!
-MRB
I'm sure most are interested in seeing pictures, so here's a pile. Cheers!
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| Edinburgh Castle |
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| The girls |
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| The boys |
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| The wholesome family...at a whisky distillery. |
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| Carbidale Castle - our home for a night. |
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| Yes, boys, many works of art have naked people in them! |
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| The fishing village of Crovie cut into the cliffs |
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| "Our" beachhouse at Crovie |
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| Sunset at Crovie - 10:45 pm |
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| Hudson the Brave |
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| Charles the Great |
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| Katherine, Queen of Scots |
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| Laura and Michael, the Weary (but blessed!) |
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Journey Journal 2
This past week I believe we have completed (for the most part) the adjustment to the new time zone. It is still a bit odd to us that it doesn’t really get dark until 11 p.m. and then starts getting light again around 4 a.m., but we’re managing. We have gotten out and about exploring the area close by and we have discovered we are in a wonderful, beautiful, perfectly-located, charming little town. We have enjoyed running and hiking on trails right around town next to the river. We took a family hike along the same path that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson, finding a cave that he mentioned being an inspiration to him. We also scaled the 246 extremely narrow, steep steps to the top of the William Wallace National Memorial. Every where we go in our town we can look up and see the Wallace Monument (kind of like Table Rock for Morgantonians!) so it was great to see it up close and enjoy the breath-taking views of this beautiful land from the top of the monument. We have also discovered some practical little things that are familiar enough to bring comfort yet different enough to bring adventure. The boys have discovered a great park just down the street and they already have cards at the local library and are participating in a summer reading program. Laura ran in a road race this morning and did quite well. The kids and I were planning to come and watch, but rain and Katherine’s nap kept us away. It will be my turn to run in the next one if it be found close by! We have most definitely been enjoying “taking life as it comes”, but yet we do want to start taking some day trips and perhaps a couple of overnights so we’ll have to start making some plans. We are really enjoying this experience. Scotland is feeling strangely comfortable.
Sermon preparation and study have been giving me an outlet for theological reflection so I haven’t done as much of that on the blog lately. The entire Sabbatical experience continues to be a rewarding, restful and enriching gift for which I am so grateful.
-MRB
Sermon preparation and study have been giving me an outlet for theological reflection so I haven’t done as much of that on the blog lately. The entire Sabbatical experience continues to be a rewarding, restful and enriching gift for which I am so grateful.
-MRB
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| The Pastor and a pair of wee Scots at the kirk. |
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| The adventurers find the cave which is believed to help provide inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Treasure Island |
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| A cold, rainy, windy day on top of the Wallace Monument |
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| Enjoying the nearby park. |
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| A view of Bridge of Allan from the Wallace Monument - note the church spire in the center |
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| My Scottish beatuies - as lovely as the thistle. |
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Journey Journal 1
Well we’ve made it to the Presbyterian mother-land! While the travel over here was uneventful, there is simply no way around the fact that it is difficult on young children (and their parents!) to cross over “the pond”. But now we are here after receiving a warm welcome from so many members of the Bridge of Allan Parish Church. We have ventured out in the car (big leap of faith driving on the left side of the road!) to a couple of grocery stores (markets as they call them here) and have had wonderful meals thus far (bringing your own chef /wife certainly helps with that!). Today we had our first worship service, and it went very well. Coffee and cake after the service again welcomed us among this very warm and friendly people. Now we are in the sitting room enjoying the Wimbledon finals tennis match. We celebrated the fourth of July early last night – couldn’t find any fireworks or watermelon, but we did grill out. Today has been typical Scotland weather: started off rainy and cool, then became sunny, an hour later thunderstorms moved in, then sunny with rain, then just sunny - windy all throughout. It’s just 4 pm, so perhaps a few more twists are in store. We have a lovely home walking distance from the kirk and the downtown area. I look forward to going in tomorrow to meet the church secretary – I’m sure she runs the place, so it will be good to meet my “boss”.
Many more adventures and learning experiences just around the bend, I’m sure. Perhaps a little more adjustment to the new time zone will help me open my eyes to them.
Tis all for now, chaps. -MRB
Many more adventures and learning experiences just around the bend, I’m sure. Perhaps a little more adjustment to the new time zone will help me open my eyes to them.
Tis all for now, chaps. -MRB
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| The wearey travellers at their Scotish home. |
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| This is what jet lag can do! |
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| Our Independence Day celebration. |
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
"Children are indeed a heritage from the Lord..."
We have spent a wonderful week with the Bailey clan at sea! A Disney Cruise was the celebration of choice for my parents to celebrate their 45th anniversary. We had a fabulous time. The boat was filled with all kinds of fun activities especially geared for children (and parents seeking an occasional break from parenting!). We enjoyed shows, games, swimming, way too much food, but above all just being together. Our families are spread out all over the country which makes it a rare occasion for us to all be together. It was really great for brothers and sister-in-laws to reconnect and cousins to play and make memories all under the prideful watch of Grammy and Gramdaddy.
There is no way a few pictures could tell the whole story, but here are a few.
The Disney Cruise will certainly be a memorable week for all the Baileys! It will be one of many summer memories for the Baileys of Morganton, though. We leave for Scotland in the morning (I better finish packing and getting the house ready!) for our 5 week pulpit exchange adventure. We are SO excited and wish to express once again our gratitude for the gift of this time for Sabbatical. We are so very blessed. Next post from me will be from Scotland - I will be writing in and you must read with a Scotish brogue! Good luck and God speed!
-MRB
There is no way a few pictures could tell the whole story, but here are a few.
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| 15 Baileys at one dinner table each night: heaven help us! |
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| COUSINS!!! Sarah(5), Wes(7), Hudson(7), Katherine Mae(11mo.), Charlie(4), Collin(8), Marin(6) |
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| Happy 45th, Mom and Dad!!! |
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| The children loved getting ready for "Pirate Night" on the ship! |
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| The whole family got in on the action! |
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| The rumors are true: not only have I grown a beard, I've become a pirate!!! |
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| The whole Bailey clan! |
The Disney Cruise will certainly be a memorable week for all the Baileys! It will be one of many summer memories for the Baileys of Morganton, though. We leave for Scotland in the morning (I better finish packing and getting the house ready!) for our 5 week pulpit exchange adventure. We are SO excited and wish to express once again our gratitude for the gift of this time for Sabbatical. We are so very blessed. Next post from me will be from Scotland - I will be writing in and you must read with a Scotish brogue! Good luck and God speed!
-MRB
Monday, June 21, 2010
“house on the sand…”
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| No one has had more fun at the beach than Charlie! |
We have had a wonderful week at the beach! But just as the house of the foolish man in Jesus’ parable our time here has quickly washed away. Here are pictures of just some of the fun.
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| The queen of the beach! |
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| The mischief maker caught in the act! |
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| A wonderful Father’s Day: my beautiful children and a maple doughnut with bacon sprinkles! |
-MRB
Thursday, June 17, 2010
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay…”
Some of God’s greatest gifts come in plain, common packaging. Indeed the greatest gift of God was the incarnation. The eternal majesty of God concealed in infant form. A single birth among billions which have occurred on this planet which proved to change the course of humanity’s story. The early apostles once described their knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to being like a treasure found in a common clay jar. By being found in such a common form (a couple of common men, Paul and Timothy) God proved the greatness of this Gospel did not come from their preaching, teaching, clout, or persuasiveness, it came from God and thus gave witness to His glory and majesty.
Surgery, no matter how short or simple, is still anything but routine, but it is very much the routine around our house to be shuttling children around town for appointments, activities, and events. So in that way the week seemed like a very “common” one. And in this sense I was blessed to be able to see anew treasures that are concealed in the form of my family and our routines. We are so blessed to have Hudson in our family! He is so nurturing and loving to his baby sister. Charlie is so full of joy and wonder. I love watching him when he thinks no one is watching. What a joy he is to us all. Katherine has to be the world’s best baby. Even through her surgery and recovery she has amazed us with her good manner and radiant smile. Laura is such a great nurturer of our children and organizer of 5 lives! She keeps us moving forward – and does so with style and grace. What a blessed man I am. I am so grateful to have this sabbatical opportunity to see and appreciate the treasures God has concealed in these “clay jars”. I am sad to say that I don’t always see the treasure. I hope this time set aside continues to allow me to see the treasures, yet also trains me to more regularly look for them. A favored hymn might need to become an oft-uttered prayer of mine as a result of this sabbatical:
Last week was a pretty “common” week for the Bailey family with one exception. We were in town going through many of the routines of family life while also trying to prepare and pack for upcoming adventures. The exception was that Katherine Mae had to have tubes put in her ears. This is a “simple” procedure which takes 15 minutes, but it does require anesthesia, which thus requires a several trips to the doctor’s office, pre-op, post-op, drug store, etc., as well as a whole lot of unnecessary worrying by parents and loved ones! Everything thing turned out fine. Katherine did great! Thanks be to God.
Surgery, no matter how short or simple, is still anything but routine, but it is very much the routine around our house to be shuttling children around town for appointments, activities, and events. So in that way the week seemed like a very “common” one. And in this sense I was blessed to be able to see anew treasures that are concealed in the form of my family and our routines. We are so blessed to have Hudson in our family! He is so nurturing and loving to his baby sister. Charlie is so full of joy and wonder. I love watching him when he thinks no one is watching. What a joy he is to us all. Katherine has to be the world’s best baby. Even through her surgery and recovery she has amazed us with her good manner and radiant smile. Laura is such a great nurturer of our children and organizer of 5 lives! She keeps us moving forward – and does so with style and grace. What a blessed man I am. I am so grateful to have this sabbatical opportunity to see and appreciate the treasures God has concealed in these “clay jars”. I am sad to say that I don’t always see the treasure. I hope this time set aside continues to allow me to see the treasures, yet also trains me to more regularly look for them. A favored hymn might need to become an oft-uttered prayer of mine as a result of this sabbatical:
Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready, my God, Thy will to see;
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!
This current week finds us at the beach in Ponte Vedra, FL with Laura’s sister, Melissa, our brother-in-law, Wade, and niece, Margaret. We love spending time with them. They are treasures too! We are enjoying playing in the water, sand castles, lazy afternoons, World Cup Soccer, and searching for shark teeth on the beach. Early morning runs on the beach have been a nice time for me to reflect and enjoy God’s natural creation. Here at the beach with favorite people and beautiful scenery, it sometimes feels like God is “showing off”! As He does so often through people, creations, and experiences that can be seen as “common” God is once again revealing His glory. All praise be unto Him!
-MRB
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