Set on Pilgrimage

Your God is too Safe

2007-06-15T22:15:00.001-04:00

I'm reading this Mark Buchanan book that my friend, Richard, sent to me on the beach to refresh my soul, "Your God is Too Safe." It's alarmingly on target. What's funny is that as my two adopted nieces, Angelle and Janayah, were about to crash into the rocks on the jetty, due to a nasty undertow, I tossed the book on the beach and prepared to do....who knows what? I was willing to run in and save them. Of course, I didn't have the foggiest idea how and I had the dilemma of whether to toss off my glasses (and dive into the blur) or keep them on (and lose them in the waves anyway). Thank goodness that my friend Jenna (who turns out to have been a lifeguard) came flying down the beach like a locomotive in an adrenal rush that is sure to leave her exhausted tonight. She literally ran in and saved the day. It doesn't matter that the girls were safely across the jetty now, safe on the other side, though secretly terrified from their near-drown experience. Jenna was there, they were there, and all was well. Except my new book. It got splashed by a wave and thoroughly sanded. And seaweeded. None of this seemed very safe. I'm reading with new fervor now.

One million notes

2007-06-14T22:23:00.001-04:00

Ok, so it looks like setting this up with RSS feed means that the entirety of my blog is yours for the viewing on Facebook.

Feel free to skip several months of minutia!

Facebook Fever

2007-06-14T21:34:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I know that up until now, Facebook has belonged to the students.
Or recent grads at least.
But a few of us from classes that don't even begin with '0 anything, and may not even begin with '9 anything...are closing in. This interface is just too good to keep from the old people. And so, because I can now post to my Facebook account from here, there's even half a chance that I'll actually write on here now and again.

That's it for now...I still have to ease into this thing.

2006-10-13T22:33:00.000-04:00

Camera Shy Elephant

Check out this camera shy elephant that I caught taking a drink at the Philadelphia Zoo last weekend.

2006-10-08T21:57:00.000-04:00

Late Night Lindy at RIT

This is my niece, Caroline, swing dancing at her school, RIT. She reminds me of my mother, Lucy, in this video. I didn't get the dance gene, apparently. Caroline gave me permission to post--thanks!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

2006-09-13T21:36:00.000-04:00

My friend, Linda, did just that (thanks Linda) with some tickets she snagged at her workplace. It was so great to actually be close enough to the players to see them spit...or smile...or not.
The Phillies won, which was excellent.

So, these seats were in the Diamond Club (who knew?) and there are waitresses there (who knew?) who take your order every inning...(and did I mention that the tickets come with $30 worth of free food and drink or merchandise). Can you say first-class baseball?

The four of us who went were as awestruck as we might have been riding a gondola in
Venice...well, it was close, anyway.

Misplaced Milk

2006-07-24T23:04:00.000-04:00

Ok, now, I know I'm getting to be of an age when it's ok to forget words now and again, and not remember what you were talking about--or even why you are standing in the room you deliberately set out for. But this is scary. This seems overboard. This makes me wonder about my brain.

After looking all over for the gallon milk jug that had about an inch or two more milk in it--I just filled the creamer with it, where could it be?--it was discovered, an hour or so later.

In the corner cabinet, second shelf, where the cream pitcher is stored. Of course. Silly me.
What will I think of next? Dish soap in the freezer?

Tile Art

2006-05-28T21:09:00.000-04:00

Thought you'd like to see what I made (with a little help from my friends) with the tiles that I found in pieces on random streets in Morocco last year. It's actually a little scene. Prizes will be awarded to those commentors who describe the most elements in the design. The tile is now proudly displayed in my freshly weeded patio garden.

iBook G4

2006-05-28T20:54:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I've done it. I've joined the club...gone bilingual, saved my arms about 12 pounds.
The commercials wore me down. But so did sitting in a meeting in Muskegon surrounded by macs that worked, booting a re-booting. A real live commerial. So, I talked Jeremy into upgrading and selling me his lightly used iBook, now a classic now that the macbooks are here.
The picture makes it look much bigger than it actually is...must be the angle. Anyway, I should have done this years ago...very happy.
ps. don't you love my little dog peeking around the corner...?

Portraits of Hope

2006-05-05T21:47:00.000-04:00

Well, even I am sick of my previous post; I think Dell should give me some advertising dough. I'm back from the UK and have been running ever since. Just finished a 2-day class on Non-Profit Governance as part of my Certificate Program at UPenn. I'm enjoying the stimulation of hearing what other professionals in the field are thinking, saying, doing. So much to digest and implement.

In other news, what are you doing next Friday night, May 12th? My good friend David Sacks is displaying his art at Immaculata College at a benefit for Uganda orphans, sponsored by Covenant Mercies. If you can, you should register and go. Here's the url.
www.covenantmercies.org
To see a video of David on location eating bugs, click on the Portraits of Hope video link.
Here's some press to whet your appetite:

Portraits of Hope
May 12, 2006, 7:00-9:30 p.m. at Immaculata University. Please join us for Portraits of Hope, our third annual art exhibit and silent auction benefiting the work of Covenant Mercies, featuring the award-winning photography of David Sacks. This collection of forty-five limited edition prints vividly depicts the joy, beauty, and dignity of Uganda’s people, set in the context of breathtaking African scenery. All prints will be displayed for one night only, and available to the highest bidder through silent auction. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres will be provided courtesy of the William Penn Inn. All proceeds from the auction will go directly to support the work of Covenant Mercies.Advanced registration for Portraits of Hope event is recommended and requested.

Always working...

2006-04-23T13:46:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting here with my work colleagues who made me a lovely lunch.
We are all working on our Dells together in the same room. Mine appears in both pix below.
Now that's community! And Jeremy is on the other side of the ocean AIMing and Skyping us.
Such dedicated workers.
It's St. George's Day here in England...Google has acknowledged (at least GoogleUK).
BTW, I've enabled this post so that you can comment now without starting your own blog.
So, comment away!

All the Rage Here in Worthing

2006-04-22T15:51:00.000-04:00

Well, how do you like my new car? Pretty swell, huh?
It's a Nissan, 15 years old. A Figero. Why don't they launch this in the U.S.? These make my Scion look giant.

So, yes. I arrived just fine in Worthing. Haven't been to bed yet; had a 4+ hour task force meeting upon arrival which went well, and will mean more time and effort on the part of a bunch of us over time. Since the topic was Internet and Communication Security, enough said already.

"She's called Penelope." That's what the British lady in pink, with her pink-laden daughter said, as she pulled up just ahead of my friend and I in this shot. Here she is, my Canadian colleague. I like to call her Mary Kaye Chris:

While We Were Sleeping

2006-04-17T16:45:00.000-04:00

I remember after watching Hotel Rwanda, (which I should really add to my favorite movies list,) that I wondered what in the world I was doing in 1994 to be so oblivious. Had I become so desensitized to suffering that I could block the whole thing out as another "tragedy" in the headlines to skip through to something more palatable? Where was my high school idealistic zeal, the same teenager who wrote an impassioned editorial following the shooting of John Lennon, Give Peace a Chance. Did I stop believing that my voice could make a difference? Does it?

I don't know, but here it is happening again while I munch away on banana chips. This time, I signed the postcard on www.MillionVoicesForDarfur and am posting this here on my blog in the hopes that my meager efforts will get some more minds and pens involved, and maybe just maybe together we can do something. My friend Dennis sent me this in an email today, and it got me a bit riled up again. Woke me from some sort of slumber. Hmm. Maybe one voice can change a thing or two...Here's what he wrote:

I can hear the words of Madeline Albright who during her time
as Clinton’s right hand woman said “The people of America have no interest in
the situation in Sudan.” This is how I remember her saying it but this is how it
was quoted by Village Voice April 25, 2000 six months later "The human rights
situation in Sudan is not marketable to the American people.''-Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright-Sept. 15, 1999

This single statement was one of the most angering in my life.
I am writing to ask you to speak up for these folk ...

The Darfur site I listed above cites:

"Not since the Rwanda genocide of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated
campaign of slaughter, rape, starvation and displacement. The Sudanese
government continues to flout international law with impunity."

I wonder when I see a movie about this ten years from now or so, I will recognize the times as ones that I lived through. Will I wonder where in the heck I was? I hope not.

He Is Risen, Indeed

2006-04-16T08:25:00.000-04:00

Easter morning, and I wanted to post something fitting. I checked in on my friend Elizabeth's blog this morning and found her entry from last evening that says it all. You can read more of her profoundness at http://nocheapshots.blogspot.com. Forgive me for stealing, but this is just too good....

"It is dawn already in the streets of Jerusalem. Just as they did two millenia ago, those who follow a crucified Messiah gather in houses, on street corners, in the desert and outside the city walls and whisper to one another: "He is risen"! And from the lips of strangers, loved ones, clergy, believers and doubters comes the exuberant response"He is risen indeed!" Even in the stillness of the night, one may hear the distant pealing of bells as the "Glorias" of congregations all over the world ascend to the starry skies. May the resurrection life of the crucified and risen One be a blessing to you tonight, tomorrow and always. And may you who follow Jesus be given the grace to be a sign of that life to those who need it and have not experienced it yet. Be a bold, laughing, serving and faithful fool for Love. Love those who have everything and think they don't need more. Love those who have nothing and know they need everything. Love those who despise you. Love those who welcome you. Unbar the doors and greet the glittering morning. He calls you to venture into the street, you clowns of God, carrying nothing but the words with which his followers greeted that strange and awesome morning: "He is Risen! The Lord is Risen indeed! Allelulia" "

Almost Easter

2006-04-15T21:10:00.000-04:00

I returned from France this past Monday, and the week, Holy Week, has been a complete blur.
On Tuesday, I woke up with a cold that is still hanging around. For the first time, maybe since I was a child, I slept for 17 hours straight....I came home from work on Thursday and went to sleep at 3 for a "nap" before guests were to arrive for dinner. Sharon cooked, ate and cleaned, guests came and went, and I did not arise until 8:30 the next morning, something like Lazarus, from a deep deep sleep. Very surreal. Poignant to have slept through Maundy Thursday with the other disciples. In fact, I feel as though I've been a fog all through this Lent, and yet, I feel as though I sense God's presence with me even more closely than I have in some time. Sense that I'm on the verge of understanding in a new way what it means to walk with him, be with him, live for him. I'm not prepared to explain it yet, but it is a peaceful and unsettling feeling at the same time, if you can understand the paradox of that...which I can't say that I do. And yet. So, tomorrow is Easter and I'm not as prepared as usual, but I am expectant. "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith."

Hoops and Yoyo and a Dedication for TJ

2006-04-06T17:52:00.000-04:00

Hoops and yoyo sharing a French breakfast...

Later, at work in the Media Centre.

And TJ, special just for you...turtles in love... yes, i took this photo at a co-workers house. He was playing the piano, his own composition, and the turtles were dancing in rythym.
"Amazing."

In other news, I'm due to get up in less than 6 hours. I'm getting picked up at 7:30 am to catch another train to catch another train to catch another train to take me to our language student in Albertville. Morning comes fast over here.

Guard Dog

2006-04-05T16:57:00.000-04:00

Jeremy--you like this one to depict Media?

Dottie, this one's for you; this dog acted like he owned the place at the hotel we stayed in outside of Ian and Jennie's. He's a little "larger" than Casey, but rather adorable. It's nice to see all the little dogs here, but it makes me miss mine!

Above is a classic French photo, which I took outside of Georgio's where we had lunch with Ian after visiting the second ministry center.

We had a tour of our media ministries today, and was struck again with what incredible work I am privileged to be a part of in a small way. It's an international team that works in media--Egyptian, Algerian, Moroccan, Seychelles (ian?), French, Dutch, American, Canadian, British/Scottish, Welsh...all with a shared vision and purpose...each with a unique cultural perspective and their own distinct story of God's grace in their lives. We heard some incredible ones today. This was a little taste of heaven, where our voices will blend as one.

2006-04-04T17:22:00.000-04:00

Here is a pix of a fishing village in Holland; sorry Grant; I didn't do such a good job getting photos of myself yet, and the ones I did, I don't like. Just imagine me there. :)

I'll upload something else from France tomorrow; I thought I had some off of my camera, but I don't...and I'm sleeping on a high bunk bed, and my camera is waaayyyyyyy down there. Have a good evening everyone. It's lights out here.

Marseille by Train

2006-04-04T12:11:00.000-04:00

We made it! The train was truncated, so there were only 9 cars, and we were booked on car 13.
hmm. Good thing French-speaking Ian was there to sort things out, lift our luggage and get us booked into new seats in car 3. The ride was picturesque and we arrived right on time at noon, just before some student protests on the tracks. Last week, during another strike, apparently, there were 250,000 French students protesting in the center of the city here. Whew!
Anyway, there is wireless in the building that I can pick up on, at least right now, so that is good. It's 6pm, and we're getting picked up shortly by a co-worker for dinner at their home.
I'll try to get on later tonight and post some pix.

until then,
Love,
gail

Now in France

2006-04-03T16:17:00.000-04:00

Hi, Sorry I haven't been able to blog. I just now got on line in a small hotel just outside of Nice where there is free wi-fi. But I needed a French mobile phone number to make it work.
Ian, the worker who I am visiting here, gave me his and Voila! It actually worked.
But, I only have so much battery life left in my computer and my tranformer blew. It's 10:17 pm here, and I won't be able to replace it until tomorrow. Some quick thoughts.

The women's conference was great. The sleeper train was pretty cool. Not much actual sleep though. We shared a couchette with an Indian couple; they met on a Monday, got engaged on a Wednesday (two days later) and were married on that Saturday--and it wasn't arranged. Wild!

We had a fantastic day today visiting two centers that have an incredible ministry to the poor here in the region. More on that as time and battery permit.
Tomorrow we leave by train (in theory) for Marseille where our one of our Media Centers is located. I say in theory because there are reports of rail strikes here in France tomorrow.
I'll close with a picture from Holland; I'm hopeful I'll have more access to the Internet once in Marseille (through Friday). Stay tuned. I'm resisting checking email until then (I think.)

Love to all,
Gail

Pre-Trip Frenzy

2006-03-28T13:44:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like the frenzy of preparing for a trip.
I'll be back on when I'm in Holland....hopefully.

Brother

2006-03-27T17:53:00.000-05:00

So I get this comment, in case you missed it, from my brother:

"So...it's come to this, has it? You're too busy to e-mail me and your thousands of friends and admirers, so this is the way you choose to communicate with us. I see how it is. :o) "

Can you tell he's Italian?

New camera

2006-03-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

Wow. Two tasks achieved in one weekend.
Blog. Proper digital camera. What will be next?

Here's a sample of new camera pix:

my dog, Felice!

"How 'bout that treat you promised?"

Set on Pilgrimage

2006-03-25T21:38:00.001-05:00

Ok. I've done it. I've created a blog. Just in time to record transatlantic travel thoughts.
I'll find my voice. But not tonight.