Author: Cheryl

This week’s readings

Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28

We find ourselves in the Gospel of John today, in spite of this being Lectionary Year B and Mark’s year. I think we haven’t had a reading out of John since Pentecost (May), well before our class began in August. Why not Mark?

Remember that the Lectionary is a three-year schedule, with each year corresponding to one of the synoptic Gospels. John is added throughout the year, especially during festivals like Advent, and especially in Year B because Mark is short. So we will be seeing a lot of him this year. It might be easy to think that John gets shortchanged because he doesn’t have his own year. Instead, think of him as so important that we never really leave John.

You’ll notice when we read John that his Gospel has a different feeling to it. John was written later, and by the “beloved disciple” himself. When we read John, we are getting a first-hand perspective from someone who has had some years to allow his thoughts to come together in a certain way. More than the other Gospels, the Book of John has a distinct structure, voice and themes. Finally, John doesn’t include all the same stories that the other three Gospels do. He has his own story to tell and is okay with leaving things out. He even says at the close of the Gospel:

This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. (John 21:24,25)

Two hallmarks of John’s Gospels are the ideas of LIGHT and LIFE. Even as we read today, think about those two ideas. If you remember those every time we come to a John reading, it will help you to keep them together.

Today’s reading begins right after a passage you may have committed to memory: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…” John establishes right from the beginning that he is telling a different story. And then we meet John the Baptist. Personally I like the way John opens with big ideas, and then comes back to verse 6, where our passage begins: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” The simplicity of that should get our attention. The story is getting started.

John the Baptist’s job was not to be Messiah, but to testify to Him. John t B was always very clear on his mission, even though people around him weren’t. This is a great model for us–it is easy for me to forget that I’m not that important. My job is to be a witness to Jesus. Does my life offer a testimony to Jesus? I think John’s words can challenge us here.

We skip some verses that do not address John t B specifically, but they are some of the most important verses in John. Take a moment to read them and listen to John’s language.

Back to verse 19, we get the testimony of John t B. When asked “who are you?,” his answer is “I’m NOT…” This is an unusual answer! But John t B knew what the priests and Levites were after, looking for the One who was promised, and he wanted to be very clear that he wasn’t there guy–but he was getting people ready because Messiah was near.

In a couple of weeks we will come to “Baptism of Our Lord” Sunday, where John t B baptizes Jesus. We will talk a lot more about baptism that week, how and why we baptize, and how our baptism today is different that the one John t B was doing near Bethany.

John stayed focused on his mission of testimony and baptizing. He answers the questions posed by those sent from the Pharisees truthfully, but they didn’t go away satisfied. John’s answers gave them even more reason to keep looking for Messiah!

OT:  Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

Today’s passage is from the heart of the third portion of Isaiah. In particular, chapters 60-62 from a trilogy of sorts, with all three chapters focused on restoration.  Chapter 60 is a call for hope and Chapter 62 reveals that Yahweh will break His silence. Our reading comes from the middle chapter, which describes how a human sent by God, rather than God Himself, will be the Savior.

Verses 1 and 2 are notable also because they were the ones that Jesus chose to read in the temple as told in Luke 4:18 and 19. They are also very reminiscent of the Christmas carol “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” don’t you think?

Verse 8 “covenant” language is familiar since we’ve been studying the covenant God made with His people in the book of Exodus. But this is a bigger covenant than that one. It’s discussed in Isaiah 55:3, and again in Isaiah 56, where God’s covenant extends to everyone who obeys–including foreigners and anyone who loves God and obeys Him. This is a huge expansion of God’s promise! By the time we get to Chapter 61, God is telling the “how” of this new covenant. Do you see how significant it was that Jesus chose THESE verses as the ones to read in the Temple?

This passage from Isaiah is truly a joyful and hopeful one. It helps develop our theme of joy today, as does the Psalm.

Psalm 126

“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.” This Yiddish proverb is apt for today’s Psalm reading! If you are reading this lesson at home, by yourself, take a minute to stop and read the Psalm out loud. This is pure joy!

Everything isn’t perfect. “The Lord has done great things for us,” but then verse 4 is a call for even more restoration. “Please don’t stop, Lord!”

I think during Advent this is a good thought for us. The Lord is doing great things for us, be we are looking for his return. Please don’t stop, Lord!

NT: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

1 Thessalonians is likely Paul’s first letter, and he was writing it to a distraught church at Thessalonica. They were mourning some of their members who had died, and they were under the mistaken impression that since they had died, God had abandoned them. Paul writes to reassure them that they haven’t been abandoned.

The closing of the letter, our reading today, sounds like a laundry list of “to-dos.” Maybe you have a couple of things you say to yourself or your kids: “Stand up straight. Mind your manners. Be kind.” Paul’s list is like that, kind of a run-down of how to behave with each other. In English, the list looks a little random, but in the original Greek, Paul started every command with the “P” sound (greek letter Pi). It’s easy to imagine he intended this list to be memorized and taught to each other, maybe even like a little nursery rhyme for kids.

He closes with the promise that God is faithful. God has been faithful, and He will continue to be faithful. Paul’s call to joy is a great reminder during Advent. We can look forward to Jesus’ return, joyfully, because God is faithful.

Another reading: Luke 1:46-55

This week, we had two options for the Psalm, which is a little unusual. (Our church used the Psalm at worship, which is why I used it above.) The second choice was from Luke, Mary’s song traditionally known as the Magnificat.  Bono, the lead singer of U2, said in a Rolling Stone interview that these verses, and Bach, were the inspiration for the U2 song (and one of my favorites), Magnificent. So I’ll leave you with the video. Enjoy and have a great week!

Teaching the lectionary lessons this year has helped me to value Advent in a way I’ve never done before. In the church, Advent is a time to remember Jesus’ first arrival and to prepare for his return. We get to stop and ponder the gift that God gave us and continues to give us as the winter shadows grow. We can let the evenings be still. We can sing brooding carols in minor keys.

This isn’t how the world views December. I’m one of those who likes to get my tree up right after Thanksgiving so it’s up for at least a month. I plan some during October and November, but I never really do more than think, so not much gets done. And then I turn around and it’s December and I feel like the stores and the news and all the people are saying, “YOU ARE BEHIND!! Catch up!!”

But I’m not behind, and neither are you. We are right where we need to be, watching and waiting for the wonder of a baby King and the glory of His return.

Christmas will come in its own time. Meanwhile, enjoy the preparation. Enjoy the journey to the manger. We just don’t have to be there right this second.

This week’s readings

Like last week, we’ll start with the Gospel Reading, Mark 1:1-8.

We begin at the beginning of the book of Mark! But…what was going on just before this? Honestly, I’m not sure that I had three Sunday School classes in my whole life talk about what happened between Malachi and Matthew, but it’s important. I’d like to do a review of the history between the Old and New Testaments so we can orient ourselves to the timing of Mark.

The Old Testament closes with the book of Malachi and the restoration of the Jews to Jerusalem. Recall that the Northern Kingdom of Israel had been defeated and dispersed by Assyria while Judah held firm. The Southern Kingdom of Judah was defeated by Babylon as had been foretold by several prophets. Then Jerusalem was restored following this defeat. The restoration happened in three basic waves–the books of Ezra and Nehemiah document part of this. The Temple was restored, along with basic Temple practices like sacrifice.

Malachi came along around 430 B.C., two generations removed from exile and return. People had forgotten to be grateful and to live lives set apart. It happens fast–that’s the time span since approximately World War II for us. Malachi was there to remind them of who they were, to call them back, and to remind them that they needed God to save them. All of this happened while the Jews were under Persian Authority. They had been allowed to move back but were not governing themselves. The rulers were Cyrus, Darius, and Artexerxes.

God speaks through Malachi, and then silence for four hundred years. Not one word from God. But what was happening during that time?

In the mid-300s, Alexander the Great defeated EVERYTHING he could get his hands on. His kingdom stretched from the Western Mediterranean east all the way to the Indus Valley in the Indian subcontinent. In the process he hellenized the defeated lands. Hellenization was the bringing of Greek culture, learning and language throughout the “known” world. As another part of his effort to unify this enormous kingdom, Alexander introduced king worship (known as a ruler-cult) and promoted himself as a deity. He allowed worship of other gods, but he required his subjects to recognize him as a god, too. He only started doing this in the last year of his life, so it didn’t have time to take a firm hold on his kingdom. It DID, however, give his successors a great plan.

Alexander died without leaving a clear successor, and three generals emerged to take over. They ended up dividing his kingdom along basic geographic lines (after a lot of fighting). They were:

• Ptolemy: mostly Egypt and that area
• Antigonas: mostly Macedonia
• Seleucus: old Babylon, based in Syria (and including Jerusalem)

We are most interested in Seleucus and his successors, known as the Seleucid Dynasty.

The great thing about a ruler-cult (from a governance point of view) is that it can serve to unify a diverse people pretty quickly. But for the Jews, it was a bad thing, because their commitment to the One True God of Israel stood out. As long as the ruler was tolerant and allowed other practices alongside the worship of him, they were fine. But if all other practices were banned, the Jews were in trouble.

And that is what happened under the Seleucids. They tried to enforce a ruler-only cult, banning all Temple practices. The Jews fought back under what is now known as the Maccabean revolt–and they won! (Fun fact: Chanukah is a remembrance of God’s faithfulness during this victory.) The Jews gained self-governance under Judas Maccabaeus, who became the first of the Maccabean dynasty. This is also known as the Hasmonean dynasty, depending on what book you read.

Frankly, there is lots of interesting history that happens with this dynasty, and I’d encourage you to learn more. Handel even wrote an oratorio based on the revolt, Judas Maccabaeus. But for our purposes, it’s important to know that this period, around 160 B.C. or so, that the Pharisees and Sadducees first make their appearances. There had been infighting among the more hellenized Jews and those who clung more to the old ways ever since Alexander’s conquest. Eventually the hellenized Jews coalesced as the Sadducees, while the conservative group became known as the Pharisees. But under John Hyrcanus, an incredibly successful Hasmonean monarch, the two groups were brought together to rule in Israel.

Then–defeat at the hands of the Romans and Israel returned to status as a state in a huge empire. The Romans were of the opinion, though, that if it wasn’t broke, don’t fix it, and as long as Jerusalem minded her manners they wouldn’t step in. This is how the Pharisees and Sadducees retained their positions of power.

Take note of the culture changes that happened over these four centuries. Persia and the Mediterranean were Hellenized, and since the Romans loved all things Greek, they only encouraged that culture. This hellenization created one huge culture that was similar all over this part of the world, rather than being hundreds of smaller cultures. The communication and transportation over this area became easier. (Could this be “preparing the highways” that the writer of Isaiah mentions?) When the time came for Jesus’ missionaries to go out into the world, they didn’t step into unknown cultures. They understood better who they were talking to. There was far less culture shock than some our missionaries endure now! The groundwork was being laid for the good news that was to come from Jerusalem.

God was silent, but He wasn’t absent.

And then, He broke his silence. He talked to Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father. And then Elizabeth, and then Mary and Joseph…and the days of silence were over!

This brings us to today’s lesson, Mark 1:1-8. Mark sets his writing as the beginning of good news, which he will unfold over the next 16 chapters. First, we meet John the Baptist as an adult. His dress (camel’s hair) is meant to recall the greatest of the OT prophets, Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). His food recalls the Nazarite vows as found in Numbers. And the wilderness? John is just west of the Dead Sea, in some of the most barren land you can imagine. The wilderness, too, has a powerful hold on the Jewish experience since the entire Exodus takes place in it.

John was baptizing. The Jews had long been familiar with ritual purification baths like mikveh, which were undertaken on a regular basis. And when Greeks desired to convert to Judaism, they were required to have a one-time purification bath. But a one-and-done baptism like John was doing was new and different. John was getting a lot of attention and attracting many followers. And yet he was never pointing to himself, but to someone else who was to come.

Go back and read verses 1-3 again before we head to the Old Testament reading.

Old Testament: Isaiah 40:1-11

Imagine sitting in a theater and seeing the characters discussing an impending defeat. Not just a “well, they beat us” defeat–a bone-crushing, soul-sucking defeat that leaves ruin everywhere. And then, the theater goes dark. Total silence.

You sit. It gets uncomfortable.

And then…one voice. A command. “Go comfort my people. Go now!” The lights come back up and the most beautiful redemption is announced. Complete forgiveness, the end of punishment, the return of beauty and light and goodness.

THAT is what we see in the Old Testament today.

In the chapters leading up to our reading today, the Assyrians have laid waste to everything right up to Jerusalem’s doorstep, when they are saved by what can only be called a miracle. Judah’s King Hezekiah becomes deathly ill, repents, and then has an incredible recovery which he fully credits to God. Finally, in Chapter 39, and envoy from Babylon comes to visit. Riding on his incredible excitement from his recovery and promise from God, he happily shows the Babylonians everything in his kingdom. Everything. His gold, his weapons, the Temple, they get the full run-down. And then he tells Isaiah what he did.

You can almost hear the “face-palm” from Isaiah. “Hezekiah, you did WHAT?” He had given an enemy army all the information they needed to defeat Judah. Isaiah predicts crushing defeat for Judah, which God in his mercy will hold off on the defeat until after Hezekiah dies. Hezekiah responds with a “Well, okay, but it won’t happen on my watch! God is good.” This is the end of Chapter 39. But they were defeated, totally, and exiled by Babylon.

The timing on Chapter 40 is uncertain. Depending on how many “Isaiahs” there were, this passage is either a prediction and set after the time of the Babylonian exile, or it is written by second Isaiah 160 years after the close of chapter 39. Either way, there is a break, a silence. (I think if I were a Bible publisher I might try for a blank page or two in between Chapters 39 and 40!)

And then “Comfort, O Comfort…”

We can’t see it in the English, but this verb is the second person plural. God is speaking to his messengers. It’s time! Go tell them it’s over!! Their penalty is PAID.

In v. 3, a highway is built. Go back and read Isaiah 35:8-10. THIS is the highway that they are referring to in these verses.

In v. 9, we get two references to “good news” or “glad tidings.” This verse marks the first time in the Bible that these words are used. And what is the good news? “Here is your God!” Remember that we saw the same phrase in the beginning of Mark. The Good News–Mark is showing us “Here is your God!”

Finally, read v. 11, and then read John 21:15. This is what Jesus did, and exactly what he commanded Peter to do after him.

Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13

This Psalm isn’t as old as many that we read. It was likely written as the Jews came back from their Babylonian exile.

What are the attributes of the restored kingdom? Look at v. 10: love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace.

New Testament: 2 Peter 3:8-15a

In this letter, Peter was writing to remind one of his churches of two things: first, to live grace-filled lives as empowered by the Holy Spirit; and second, to hold fast to the truth taught by Peter, not letting it be undercut by false teachings.

The false teachings in this case directly attacked the credibility of Peter’s teachings. Basically, they said Peter couldn’t possibly be right because Jesus hadn’t returned. Peter said, “Not YET. But remember that we serve an infinitely patient and generous God.” (That’s a paraphrase.)

Earlier in Chapter 3, Peter lays out the opposition’s argument. The false teachers say that because Jesus’ return hasn’t happened yet, it won’t happen. Peter’s answer was NO! God created the world. It happened. One moment is wasn’t there, and then it was. It is here now, but one day it won’t be.

Then we come to our reading. Peter lays out the inevitable fact that God’s timing doesn’t look like our timing, and we need to understand that. And what looks slow to our human eyes is actually God’s patience and passionate desire to leave behind no one who will come.

Finally, Peter points out that this will be a real, physical event. I think sometimes when we read the Bible we get caught up in the metaphorical or symbolic aspects of some verses, maybe because they seem confusing or vague. But God is real, and the events described here are real. The universe will fall apart one day.

So what are we to do during this time? We are to watch and live in a state of readiness, but we are also to live in a state of peace and grace. In other words, we need to be busy doing God’s work, but we need to be watching and ready, too. And in all of that, we need to stay patient, remembering that God is using that time for the salvation of more people.

This week the readings really come together in a beautiful way. Advent lets us join with the Jews in looking for Messiah, as anticipated by Isaiah and John the Baptist. We can see that God was indeed faithful to his promises. And the readings then point us to anticipating the second coming of Jesus, which we can trust because we know God is faithful.

Wonderful music from these passages:

Check out more of Handel’s Messiah, too. I’m having trouble embedding another video but I think it’s just operator error.

Have a great week!

Each week, I lead a Sunday School class for ages 14 and up. Our topic is that week’s lectionary reading as found in the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). We started our class back in August of 2017 with the goal of orienting ourselves to the readings in preparation for the worship service which follows.

I began writing and circulating the notes from lessons when either some class members or I might miss class. The emails seemed to be well-received. I also found that there are very few resources available that present the information that I was gathering together each week, and I thought it would be useful to make the lessons more widely available. At any rate, they would be a good resource for me if I get to teach these lessons again!

I am not a theologian or a pastor, and I’ve never been to seminary. I’m merely an interested layperson who loves the Bible and wants to help others understand it better, too. I pray what you find here is helpful and points you to Jesus.

I won’t link and cite references exhaustively in my lectionary posts, but know that common sources for me to use are:

The Revised Common Lectionary as published by Vanderbilt School of Theology

Various study Bibles (this one is my favorite)

Bible commentaries I have on my bookshelf

Luther’s Concordia

Assorted websites, most often Working Preacher

I’m grateful that you have found my little blog. Comments are welcome, and please, if you find a factual error, please let me know! But I am not interested in debating points of theology or the mere existence of God. As such, I’ll be moderating comments. Thank you for understanding.

This week’s lessons

Welcome to Advent, and year B in the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). We have a lot of changes from Ordinary Time that we’ve been in since our class started in August. Before we dive into the readings for this week, let’s get oriented to where we are.

Last week ended Year A in the RCL’s three-year cycle through the Bible. You’ll remember that we spent a lot of time with the Gospel of Matthew, and that our Old Testament readings were chiefly about the Patriarchs and Exodus.

This Sunday we start Year B. Our Gospel readings will mostly come from Mark, although we will have other Gospel readings as well. We will talk about those as we get to them.

Our Ordinary Time readings will be about the kings (especially King David), but we won’t be in Ordinary Time until Pentecost in May. Until then our first reading will correspond to the Gospel reading. (So will the Psalm and second reading.)  For the first few weeks of this year we will be in the book of Isaiah.

So, we are in Year B. We are also in the season of Advent, the first season of the church calendar. When you see the paraments on the altar, they will be blue. This is the only time of year we have blue on the altar, so it’s easy to remember. But what exactly is Advent?

First I’ll just say what it isn’t. It isn’t “pre-Christmas” or “Christmas lite” at all. Advent is the four weeks before Christmas when we look forward to Jesus’ coming, and not merely his coming as a baby. It’s a time of shadows and quiet, of looking at ourselves and preparing our hearts for the NEXT time Jesus comes. We are to use Advent to reflect on what Jesus’ coming into the world will do, not merely what it did do. That’s why, when we read some of the lessons during this season, they will seem a little strange. They aren’t about a baby who WAS born. They are about a king who WILL come.

Last year my kids went to Austria on a school choir and band trip. They had been chosen to participate in an Advent choral festival that the city of Vienna holds every year. It was a truly amazing opportunity, but it was also interesting because the list of songs they could sing was, to our American and Protestant eyes, very limited. No “First Noel,” “Silent Night,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” There was a Latin song about Emmanuel’s coming. The songs were mostly pensive and even penitent. What a sharp contrast to the bustling Christmas markets just outside, but what a truly wonderful antidote to a month that can feel too filled with expectations and demands and forced happiness. I hope that sometime during the month ahead you can sit with some of the readings and just ponder the mysteries of them.

Now that we’ve talked a bit about Advent, let’s talk about the readings for this week. Typically we read the first reading first, like you might expect. But for now I’d like to begin with the Gospel reading for the week. Then we will use the other readings to open up the Gospel.

Mark 13:24-37

My goal during these lessons is to orient us in the readings, in the hopes that context will help enlighten your hearing of the lessons, and make your time at worship even more meaningful. So let’s get oriented to the book of Mark first.

Mark is the shortest of the three synoptic Gospels, and is widely held to be the oldest. Beyond that, though, we don’t really know much about Mark. He might have been an assistant to Peter, but we aren’t really sure. It’s even unclear if he was Jewish and writing to fellow Jewish believers, or if he was a Gentile writing to Gentile Christians. Either way, we can learn a ton from his Gospel.

Remember that the last several weeks’ readings in the book of Matthew took place during the week before the Crucifixion. In particular Matthew 24 and 25 record Jesus’ conversation with His disciples about His return. Today’s reading from Mark covers exactly the same time period, and Jesus is (again) talking to His disciples. As a matter of fact, we know from Mark 13:3 that Jesus was talking to Peter, James, John, and Andrew specifically. He even was sitting on the Mount of Olives as he spoke these words, looking directly at the Temple! Mark really set the scene for us.

Our passage begins with “those days”–but what days? Jesus had just foretold the destruction of the Temple. His disciples asked, “When, Lord?” and Jesus answer starts earlier in the chapter, foretelling a lot of destruction. The period “those days” refers to the period before his return. Some people say this is the time of the Tribulation.

Today’s passage is broken into three pieces:

• 24-27:  What will happen. Jesus describes the failure of the laws of nature as the universe collapses. Think of that!
• 28-31:  Know the signs. We all know how to read different signs in our lives. For instance, right now I have to watch our new dog. If she even approaches a door, it means she has to go out RIGHT THEN. Trust me, I have to be vigilant for that sign! Jesus is telling us to learn and understand the signs he’s given earlier in Chapter 13.
• 32-37:  Be alert! It’s not enough to know the signs. You have to be ready to apply them.

Go back and read v. 26. We know now how Jesus left the earth in His ascension. But the disciples didn’t when Jesus spoke these words–it hadn’t happened yet! And yet, Jesus describes His return in exactly the way that he leaves in Acts 1. I like the idea of Jesus coming back in the same way He left us.

Old Testament Reading:  Isaiah 64:1-9

Isaiah was written while Jerusalem was under threat from the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians. These threats took place over several hundred years, so it’s likely there are three authors of Isaiah. We’ll have opportunities to talk about the book of  Isaiah later so we will stop here with a review. Know for now that Isaiah articulates loss, especially in chapters 1-39, and hope, especially in chapters 40-66.

This reading finds us almost at the end of Isaiah, where the hope is for restoration after the Babylonian exile. But it also articulates hope in a Savior who will restore us to wholeness, as well.

For our reading today, listen in the early verses for a similar apocalyptic vision as we heard in the opening lines of the Matthew reading. And then, the penitence. We are your people, Lord, and we need you to rescue us. Don’t do it because we are good. Do it because we are Yours.

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Again, a plea for restoration.

New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Corinth was a city known far and wide for its “anything goes” attitude towards life. Paul had served as pastor to this congregation for a year and a half, teaching them what it meant to live out the Gospel. But after he had left, they had let the culture around them infiltrate their behavior as Christians, and it wasn’t going well. Paul wrote this first letter to help get them back on the right track, reminding them of all they had learned while he was with them.

I love the greetings Paul uses in his letters. There’s no doubt, before he gets to the hard things he needs to say, that he is saying it out of love and affection. Our reading today contains a portion of that greeting (v. 3).

He moves on to say that the congregation has been given every spiritual gift, that they are “not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v.7) What are the spiritual gifts for? They are to be used in the waiting period–in other words, right now! Our gifts are to help us to learn the signs and to stay alert and watchful.

Paul ends with reassurance that we will have strength as well as the spiritual gifts so we will be “blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We can count on this because, as Paul says, “God is faithful.”

I love how this folds into the Gospel–Jesus tells us what to do, that we need to stay alert. And here is Paul reminding us that we have not only the strength but the gifts to carry out the Gospel until Jesus returns.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! I hope you gained something. Our class meets most Sundays at 9 at Word of God Lutheran Church in Peachtree City, Georgia. Everyone is welcome.

We will be back in Mark next week for the 2nd Sunday in Advent.

 

Welcome to our house!

Excuse the mess; it’s still under construction.

But we are getting close.

We’ve owned two houses in twenty years, but in those houses Bill and I have finished basements, gutted a kitchen and bathroom, installed extensive hardscaping, and built pools and decks. This farmhouse is our first (and last?) experience in new construction.

Building the house wasn’t even on our radar a couple of years ago. We had finally emerged from an extensive to-the-studs renovation of the main floor of our house, and we were happy with most of the results.

At our horse farm, we had acquired a ten-acre tract that gave the farm its “natural boundaries” of Shoal Creek on two sides and roads on the other two. Included in the purchase were the two meth houses (actual meth houses, I wish I were kidding) on the property and the right to boot their tenants out. I like to say that Coweta County should have paid us to tear down those houses because everyone’s property values went up. Of course that didn’t happen, but we did have a more inviting farm when those neighbors left.

We were also seriously considering the purchase of a large tract of hunting land about half an hour from the farm.  We aren’t hunters. But where the previous owner saw deer, quail, and wood ducks, we saw beautiful woods and streams, a huge lake, and a very cute cabin. The only thing we were missing was time to enjoy it.

We thought and prayed and discussed and deliberated over that land. One day, as we were discussing the potential purchase, I got exasperated.

“I can’t have a house in Peachtree City, a farm in Sharpsburg, the kids in school in Fairburn, and a hunting camp in Moreland. That is the road to crazy.” (For reference, it’s all within about a 50 mile circle, but the back and forth was already getting to me.)

Bill and I were walking around the farm as we had this conversation, and then I said those fateful words.

“We should just build a house here.”

That statement hung in the air for a few seconds. Bill looked around the knoll we had reached, nodded, and said, “Okay.” It was probably the most expensive one-word sentence he’s ever uttered.

We never did buy that hunting camp, though.

Since we had our big idea, we’ve worked with architects, designers, builders, a brilliant landscape architect, and skilled craftsmen of all kinds. The work has been fun and an incredible creative outlet. If I had an unlimited time horizon, it would be a pleasure.

I am profoundly conscious of the fact that my horizon is not unlimited.

When we began the design process the kids were midway through their 10th, 9th, 7th and 5th grades. Now our oldest boys are going into 12th and 11th grade. The work drags on, and my boys’ days at home seem numbered, and it is so hard to see my house sit with no crew for days on end. I wonder if I have a prayer of our house feeling like home for my children before they leave.

I’m not starting a new series on my blog by introducing my house. I am thinking of it as a new focus, sharing a huge piece of how I’ve been spending my days.

At this point, with floors finished and touch-up paint going on, I think I see the end even though I don’t have a move-in date yet. But the beginning is still fresh, too, so I can share what the journey’s been like.

Next time I hope to share how we designed our home. I hope you will join me!

We’ve had a jam-packed spring, which culminated in a huge string of days last weekend. Here we go…

Matthew’s Junior Prom was last Thursday. A sweet group of kids met at the farm for pictures, and then they were off to One Midtown Kitchen for dinner and the Fox Theater for dancing. They ended the evening back at our house for breakfast and some time to just hang out.

One fun note:  one of the families has a 12-passenger van. The kids decided to save a little money (actually a LOT) by taking the van, and Bill got to drive them. He had a great time watching the Senior Walk at prom and just hearing them chatter on the way to their big night. And every single one of the kids fell asleep on the way home!

Saturday was a divide-and-conquer kind of day. Matthew visited Service Academy Day to talk about the nomination process with representatives of the Georgia Congressional Delegation. (This is a great opportunity to learn more about the academies for those who are interested.)

Jack traveled to the Sectional Track Meet in Athens, about 1-1/2 hours from home. The girls and I went to cheer him on. Boys’ private school pole vaulting took almost 3-1/2 hours that day–a really long time! Jack ended his season 10th in the state, with lots of motivation to work for next year. We are really proud of this kid who barely wanted to vault back in February.

After watching pole vaulting, Paige, Darcy and I headed home to get ready for Sunday and Paige’s Confirmation.

In the Lutheran Church, Confirmation is also known as “Affirmation of Baptism.” (I’m not sure about other denominations.) Our Confirmation follows two years of study. At the end of the two years, if the student chooses, they accept the promises made on their behalf at their baptism, and they can act as an adult in the church; for instance, Paige can vote in church elections now.

Anyway, it was a lovely day. Paige gave a short talk to the congregation to explain her choice of confirmation verse (Isaiah 55:8-9) and symbols on her confirmation stole. Some family and close friends were able to attend the service. Then we headed out to the farm.

In the weeks leading up to Confirmation, Paige was keeping close tabs on the construction progress at the house in hopes that it could somehow be completed by her big day. Sadly, it wasn’t to be. We decided that the next best thing would be an open house in the barn. The skies threatened a couple of times, but she pulled off a really lovely “open barn.” We were grateful that so many friends were able to come.

Matthew took his first AP test (Chemistry) on Monday, and the girls had their riding lessons as usual. Paige is getting more and more confident on her new horse Beau. Darcy continues to prepare for Regional Championships on her mare Lucy.

The Spring Chorus Concert was Tuesday–it is always a fun time. Matthew surprised us by “living on a prayer.” If you click on this link you can listen!  IMG_7975

The rest of the week has finished quietly. Matthew took TWO AP tests on Friday. Darcy represented Landmark at the city-wide Perimeter Track Meet; here she is on the bus to the meet being silly with her friend Lily.

Jack played with the Jazz band last night as part of the senior showcase for the arts programs at school. Matthew attended but didn’t perform; instead, he was introduced as one of the new Chamber singers for 2016-2017. It’s a position for which he has worked very hard over the last year. We are so happy for him that the effort is bearing fruit.

Construction at the house is at a virtual standstill while we wait on a trim crew. The local new housing market is white-hot right now, and so all the best crews are busy. I’m hoping our slot comes up soon–it seems that construction delays have cost us one or two months for this project.

We’re looking forward to a quiet weekend, beautiful May weather, and packing. Have a great week!

Thank you for reading my series! Even though I missed a couple of days, I have had so much fun recounting our family vacations as I’ve written this series. Since October is over, though, I’ll close with a few thoughts about doing the unexpected.

Some of our favorite vacation memories come from doing the thing that “other people” do, not us. The thing that seemed too fancy, or indulgent. It turns out they weren’t. They were, well, just awesome things to do.

We hired a private sailboat in Maine. The wonderful captain and his mate took us out for a two-hour cruise up and down the coast near Ogunquit. We got to pass under the (drawn) drawbridge, we saw whales, and all the kids got a turn at the wheel.  Bill had taken the kids out on a larger boat, with a larger group, to go deep-sea fishing. The opportunity to have the sailboat all to ourselves, though, was a real treat. (It’s the Silverlining, if you are ever near Ogunquit. We love them!)

We hired a chef to come give us a cooking class in Italy. If you rent a Tuscan villa, a pretty typical thing to do is have someone come in and cook for you a couple of days. (I guess it is typical–it sounded crazy-indulgent to me!) We decided to have Chef Matisse give us a class instead. He explained the ins and outs of Italian food as he showed us how to prepare a four-course meal. This was quite a feat, considering that he was wrangling eight of us in the kitchen! He even brought wine from his own vineyard. We now salt our food differently based on what he taught us, and we just had a wonderful evening.

We took the kids with us on a winery tour. Yes, this doesn’t sound kid friendly–I was afraid, too! The winery (Montemaggio Vineyards) was small and gave individualized tours. The winemaker, Ilaria Anichini, took all of us around the farm, showing the kids how the grapes are pruned, and why they grow olives in some places and grapes in others. She talked about the legal restrictions on growing grapes in Chianti (there are a lot!). We saw the casks and vats where the wine ages, and then we saw where the bottling and labeling happens. It’s such a small place that everyone pitches in with every step. Even the labels are applied by hand. Ilaria was wonderful in explaining some of the chemistry to the kids, and how the growing conditions change in various parts of the vineyard. Finally, we had a lunch of traditional Tuscan foods paired with the winery’s various wines. The kids smelled and took sips, so they could understand what she had been talking about the whole morning. The Tuscan lunch alone was great fun. They didn’t exactly love the wine, but they enjoyed the experience, and I would definitely take them again.

We hired a photographer in Paris. Hands down, my favorite thing we have ever done. I keep meaning to hire someone again, but part of me is fearful that no one will ever be as wonderful as Ian Holmes. He met us on a cold, damp November day and followed us around the City of Lights, making us feel like rock stars. The pictures are treasures. Do this one time when you are on vacation, just because. (I blogged about Ian on my old blog here.)

I know that all of these things sound kind of weird, or unusual, or just too over-the-top. My point is that some of our favorite memories happened when we thought a little bigger or outside our regular museum-restaurant-group activities box. Try something new!

No matter what, go and see. Do. Eat. Rest. Enjoy. Make memories.

I have had so much fun thinking about some of our very best times together as a family as I’ve written this series. Thank you for coming along with me. If any of the ideas here strike a chord, would you let me know? Have a great trip!

This post is a little random but I have some thoughts about what to carry while you’re out and about.

Traditionally, I carry a large handbag or backpack when we are out sightseeing. It holds my (large) wallet, the camera, a guidebook, maybe a water bottle, sometimes a sweater. It’s convenient in case we make a couple of purchases while we’re out, because they could be tossed in the bag, too.

Back when the kids were little and we had one in a stroller, we would stow that backpack under the stroller and our hands and back were free. I think I just never backed away from the large bag even though I certainly didn’t have diapers to carry around!

A couple of weeks ago in Barcelona, though, I left the big bag in the hotel room, and carried a tiny cross-body bag along with my camera. Inside my bag I put a few essentials and my Moleskin (more on that in a sec). It was awesome! My hands were free, my camera was always ready, and my shoulders were never tired.

I highly, highly recommend trying this on your next trip. I loved not having a huge bag full of things I didn’t even need. In a city, if you decide you need water or a quick snack, you can always duck in somewhere and buy something. I’ve decided that we just don’t need to be prepared for every single thing that could happen. The difference I felt in just carrying my camera, and wearing my tiny bag, was amazing. I was just so much less tired at the end of the day. Plus, many of those cross-body bags are really cute.

So here’s exactly what I needed to carry with me. I recommend all of it:

• Money of some sort–credit cards and a tiny bit of cash work well.
• Some form of ID–I am always surprised how often I’m asked to show my ID when I use my credit card.
• Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm–no need for a mirror, but a quick pick-me-up.
• Phone–I hope I don’t need to explain this one.
• Moleskine and a pen–This needs more explanation.

In my everyday life, I always have one of these little Moleskine notebooks with me. I jot lists, notes, anything I need to remember, on a day-to-day basis. When we go on vacation, I just pop it in my bag. I make notes every day of what we did, a place we ate, the weather…anything that helps me remember our trip later on. I’ll slide business cards from our restaurants inside so I can write TripAdvisor reviews later. And they even come in handy for games of tic-tac-toe or dots, or for scoring our card games. I love Moleskines because they are flat (no spiral binding) and they are sturdy. This is just an indispensable item for travel and for life.

If you MUST carry a backpack with a few more things, share the load. Make it the “family” bag and pass it around so everyone has to carry it. Mom (and Dad) aren’t the sherpas and this is a great opportunity to share carry the burden!

You, Mom. Yes. YOU.

Of all the ways to remember our trips, photos have always been the best way to preserve those memories. And I am in almost none of them.

My number one photography tip is to make sure that the photographer gets in front of the camera a little bit every single day. In my family, I’m the shutterbug. That means that I have tons of shots of things that I’m interested in, and of course tons of shots of my family. But they have almost none of me. And now, years later, I wish we had more.

It doesn’t matter if you feel ugly or fat. First of all, you aren’t, and second of all, ten-years-older-you will just be glad to have the pictures. I have a feeling she will be a lot kinder to you than you are right now, too. And if Dad is the photographer in your family, take the camera out of his hands once in a while. I promise, PROMISE, the day will come when you will be so grateful for those shots.

Good equipment makes a difference, but it just depends on what you are most interested in. I love the artistry in learning to take photographs, so I’ve invested in a decent DSLR and very good lenses over the years. (Be warned! This is a never-ending spiral!) Plenty of people are happy with their iPhone shots, too. But use that equipment. Don’t let it languish in your pocket or over your shoulder.

Take a class! You’ll be surprised at how a very little bit of effort can yield much better pictures. I’ve never taken a class in person, but I’ve taken Karen’s class on-line. I can’t say enough good things about it. You can even find classes on Craftsy, and those classes are entirely on your own schedule.

Take pictures of the really mundane things. Food, restaurants, where you stay, the funny car you rented…I forget to take pictures of these, but they are so much fun to have in later years.

Take pictures of faces! I’m bad about getting pictures from too far away. Aim for a mix of close-ups and landscapes. Don’t underestimate the selfie.

Finally, don’t freak out that you don’t produce a beautiful scrapbook or photobook immediately upon returning home. We went to London in the summer of 2014, and I have just started putting that photobook together on Shutterfly. It has brought me so much joy to go through those pictures and remember all the fun things we did, the great food, the beautiful sights. All of the bad parts of that vacation have receded and what is left are the very best parts of our English adventure. I feel like I’m reliving a wonderful vacation–merely looking through the book won’t give me that.

Enjoy the process. These memories are worth preserving.