Thin Place

     I went to church in Marble Falls in the Hill Country today. I have felt pulled to go back to the Hill Country since our visit to Mo Ranch in late August and today was the day to return.
       Marble Falls is about 50 miles from Austin west/northwest on Highway 71  The climb is gradual and the view is a surprise. Along the way, I catch glimpses of Lake Travis off to the east. I go through places called Bee Cave and Spicewood, past Paleface Ranch, and Muleshoe Trail Road. There are hard edged hills that roll to reveal high and low country. There's a lot of rock and dirt, short trees, scrub pines and dried up creek beds. (We don't get much rain here.)
      I take in the odd beauty. The landscape stirs something deep inside.  I can't get enough and I don't want to leave. There's a rugged soulfulness and it leaves me without words to describe it, it's a thin place. What I know about these thin places is they call us back; back to our deepest and truest selves where we connect with The Divine. Places such as these are where my soul is wide awake in anticipation of the beauty of creation. It knows it is getting fed, feels like it is being nourished but is never full.
          Awe and wonder prevail, there are no words, only the soul speaks.

Back to School

     The campus is waking back up after a week of Fall Break, it was a great week. Tomorrow we go back to the rhythm of school, classes, Work Study, Chapel and study. I've seen some of my classmates around in the last couple of days. Some who left and came back said they missed being here. We are becoming a community who misses those who leave and welcomes them when they return. It's not the same when we're not all here. This is "home" now to many of us who are here
           I read the newspaper everyday, (except one). I watered our community garden, am back at the gym, traveled to San Antonio, watched Auburn play and win two really exciting games (we're #1 in the BCS!!!) and I made some new friends.
     I did "...learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. " (Everything I Ever Needed To Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum).

       It was a nice week and now it is back to school to do what ever is there to do-more papers, more reading, more projects and presentations and more prayers.

     Many prayers for our sister seminary, Virginia Theological Seminary and the loss of their Chapel to a fire. Our Chapel is the spiritual center for our community and I trust it was for theirs. One friend remarked this afternoon, "It is so sad, I don't know what we'd do if Christ Chapel burned." A moment's pause and she said, "Oh, yes I do. We'd pull together and find a place to be together, they will too." Yes, they will; and the communion of saints will be singing, praying, holding them up and holding them together.

Thanks be to God!

Mid-week Update

     I am so grateful for this Fall Break, it's been like a long hot bath, relaxing, indulgent and comforting. It's given me the time to get caught up with life which is not so easy while school is in session. I've been ticking off many things I needed to tend to and I have accomplished a good bit. There's a lot relief in getting those things off my list.
     My week has been most enjoyable and the weather has been beautiful. I had coffee with a friend, lunch on the patio at Austin Java with 2 other buddies, taken long walks, watered the community garden and yes, read the newspaper, everyday! Well..., almost everyday. (I missed today because I forgot buy one while I was out.) I had my car washed, found someone to cut my hair and on Friday I'll use the manicure gift certificate I received from being part of the Phon-a-thon.
     I will be refreshed, recharged and ready to go into the second half and looking forward to what I will learn and how I will grow... some more.
    
Sleep with the angels and fly with the Spirit.
Peace be with you this night.
Amen

Donna

WHEW!

     I made it! My Fall Break started yesterday at 3 pm. This is what my week before break looked like-Midterm in Liturgy I, a reflection paper for Spiritual Formation, a paper for Text & Context about story and listening, a paper for Bible and Hermeneutics AND (almost) all the required reading for every class. I have not been in the classroom for a very long time and I can say I spent the first 6 weeks figuring out what it takes to be a student. I don't have it all figured out but I have a better idea of what it looks like.  By the way, it looks like lots of books, at least 2 yellow highlighters close at hand, time in library and later nights than I am used to.
     Yesterday, as the mid-term exam was being handed out, I announced "This is a milestone, folks! We made it and we are all still standing!" I don't know about my classmates but I can say, I feel like I have accomplished something. I went to every class, I went to Morning Prayer, Eucharist or Evening Prayer every day and I did all the reading I could possible do. I now know that I can not do it all, even if I want to but I do have to give it my best committed effort. Grace abounds in this place.
     Fall Break is welcomed with open arms. I am going to rest, paint my bathroom, play and read the newspaper-everyday. I have not read a paper, including the Sunday paper, since I started school. Who would have thought reading the paper would be a luxury?
     I am  going to take a couple of trips to San Antonio to visit St Mark's in downtown San Antonio. (San Antonio is about 1 hour 15 min. each way. I will need to think about travel time as I consider it for my Field Education). St Mark's looks like a fascinating community to me, they are doing many things that excite me, particulary The Workshop. One of my professors, The Rev. Dr. Jane Patterson is a Co-Director of The Workshop (http://www.theworkshop-sa.org)%20and/ has graciously opened a couple of her activities to me, I'm excited about the visit.
     I haven't had the energy to post in the last couple of weeks and I've missed it. I'll have some time to catch up on my posts this week, there is much I want to share with you.
     Until then, "O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen" BCP 832

In gratitude for all that was, all that is and all that is to come,
Donna

The World of Lost Toys

     I have had a week to put this last week in perspective and share it in good humor. Last week I kept losing things; I couldn't remember where I put things, what I was supposed to do, where I was supposed to be.
     Last Tuesday morning I went for a walk, came home, got ready to go to Chapel and could not find my eyeglasses anywhere! I looked high and low, in every drawer, in between the sheets, under cushions, outside, no glasses. It took me one hour but I found them; on a tray I put on top of the refrigerator. Huh? Needless to say, I missed Chapel. Another day I printed off some assignments and promptly misplaced the sheets, finally found those. I lost my phone, lost my calendar and lost my patience!! I spent my week looking for lost toys, feeling lost, and feeling off balance because of changes in life.
     Life is changing, it's supposed to. I'm changing, I'm supposed to. Seminary is about change. Change is giving up the big stuff like dear friends & companions, Saturday night movies, my church home, AU football tickets/weekends and Publix. (Those who know me, know I love going to the grocery store and there is not a grocery in Austin anything like Publix or The Pig-so I'm really at a loss!) It also means giving up the little stuff, weekly manicures, my local library card, and walking the Lakeshore Trail.
     Change is about finding. Finding new ways to do and be, new places to go. It's learning new ways of expressing myself. And, change is also about being found. Here's what I believe about being found; it's all there. We have all we need to be all we already are.

So... go, do, be, find, change, discover, risk.

 Thanks be to God!

"...deny oneself and take up one's cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses one's life for me will find it." Mt 16:24