detour

we stopped here on a visit to see my dad between Christmas and New Year's

paris?

brussels?

germany?

none of the above...

thanks to my generous dad, we were able to treat the kids to this place on our way to visit he and his wife in florida

so unlike us, really

to go off the path when we had such a short time to drive and visit...

a place with lines and crowds...

but these children of ours are growing up too fast

beginning to move towards the edge of our little nest

so we need to fly together now as much as possible...make as many together-memories as possible

for time? it's fleeting!

we visited Hogsmeade!

i've been funny about the kids reading the books...

spread them out so that they read the "darker" books when they were older

have had good discussions through the years about good vs evil,

about allegories (intentional or not),

the creative mind of JK Rowling...

about God

but back to Hogwarts and the town of Hogsmeade...

it was a magical and wonderful family time

rollercoasters & butterbeer!

an experience not to be forgotten

and one more memory tapestry for this mama bird

to add to our little nest

off the beaten path

on our way back from Easter with my in-laws

{have i ever told you how much i love them?}

my husband pulled off the windy road and said "let me show you an old company town"

this old church was built in 1852

{lucky for us, a friendly woman needed to practice her Easter solo so the church was open}

"the company built the town and everyone who worked for the company lived here...the company paid them in "script" -- kind of monopoly money that could only be used at the company store," explained my husband

the church was built as an "advertisement" for the reddish-tan bricks the workers pulled out of the furnaces everyday

{this door had to be 12 feet tall!}

everything in the church is original...the members run a soup "restaurant" during the winter months to pay for upkeep

the town is somewhat depressed now

the brick factory is long gone

the canal is dried up....

i told my husband i'd love to buy an original home there someday

{there are a few for sale}

fix it up

and serve the beautiful community

{i wonder what God thinks about that idea}

*

MY WORD*, 2010

"The saddest thing about life is you don't remember half of it. You don't remember half of half of it. Not even a tiny percentage, if you want to know the truth."

Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

"The ambition we have will become the stories we live. We watch a commercial [or read a decorating blog] advertising a new Volvo, and suddently we feel our life isn't as content as it once was. And so we begin our story of buying a Volvo, only to repeat the story with [another antique toile tray] and then a new [set of bird dishes from Target]. And this can go on for a lifetime.

When the credits roll, we wonder what we did with our lives, and what was the meaning.

If you want to know what a person's story is about, just ask them what they want."

Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

This year I want more of Jesus.

Because even though there is a force in this world who doesn't want us to face our fears...a force who encourages focusing on the temporal rather than the eternal...a force who hates daring and beautiful stories...

God has equipped us to create incredibly beautiful stories, no matter our circumstances.

And greater is GOD, than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

"There is a writer outside ourselves, plotting a better story for us, interacting with us, even, and whispering a better story into our consciousness." Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

This year I choose to live my life as a great story.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:19

*Inspired by bloggers, instead of making New Year's resolutions I have chosen one word to focus on in this brand-spanking new year.

**Book photo from this book. Everyone, young or old, must have this book in their library.