Here is our family photo with our good friend Cindy Hawkins, all wearing our Christmas Cracker Crowns.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Happy Christmas!!
We are all five together at home in Horsham this Christmas. We celebrate with great joy the birth 2000 years ago of the One who came to earth to save sinners and whose Name is the only One under heaven given among men by which man must be saved. May the Father bless you with His presence while you celebrate the birth of His Son.
Here is our family photo with our good friend Cindy Hawkins, all wearing our Christmas Cracker Crowns.
Here is our family photo with our good friend Cindy Hawkins, all wearing our Christmas Cracker Crowns.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
France and Spain in 5 Days
Caleb and Mike just returned from a 5 days adventure to France and Spain, during which they spent one night in Paris, 2 nights in Marseilles, and 2 nights in Pineda De Mar, Spain, just north of Barcelona. They capped it off with a 16.5 hour drive back home. Great memories.
Strange happenings:
Strange happenings:
- Ally the hitchhiker with a German accent who claimed she was from North Georgia and wanting a ride for her and her husband. "We are nice people." Mike's reply--"I'm sure you're not ax murderers, but I'm taking no chances with my boy in the car."
- Eduard the Paris train conductor who invited us into the front of the train and turned around to dig in his bag and write us directions while the train was speeding along
- The train in Spain that suddenly stopped and most people got off. We discovered that we needed to catch a bus back to our hotel (no one spoke English)
- We were quite exctied to find Pineda De Mar and to search for some long-lost relatives. Problem was that no one there knew anyone named Pineda.
- Sitting in traffic in Southern France knowing we had at least 12 hours ahead of us and we moved about 15 miles in 2 hours.
- Eating McDonald's 3 times on the road
- Catching all the main sights in Paris by car in about 2 hours.
- It took us about 12 hours to drive across France, which, as somebody pointed out, is about as long as it historically has taken the German army to cross France (couldn't resist)
Here is a statue of Columbus in Barcelona, pointing toward Tennessee, known in his day simply as the Promised Land
Caleb at the Catalonia Plaza in Barcelona, across from the Hard Rock Cafe, where we had lunch (yes, it's fun to eat the local food, but more satisfying to eat something you know)
Train station at Pineda De Mar
Caleb at Cassis, near Marseilles, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
Arch D'Triumphe in Paris
The Eiffel Tower, even more amazing than we had imagined.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sacrifice?
A friend recently praised the "sacrifice" we made by leaving the US and moving to Europe 8 years ago.
Set aside for a moment the fact that we love what we do and where we live. I know what he meant--we left behind family, friends, Krystal, Little Debbie's. But did we really sacrifice?
A sacrifice means that you give up something of value in exchange for something of lesser value, for a greater good. In my arrogance, when I left Chattanooga 8 years ago, I thought I was making a sacrifice. I thought I was giving up something. I had much to learn.
The truth is that I have made no sacrifice. To the contrary, I have been blessed beyond measure.
I now see clearly that I was once in a pit, completely without hope, doomed to suffer the consequences of my decision to rebel against God. The Lord, solely on His own initiative and without any merit on my part, reached down into the pit and brought me out. He brought me out at no cost to me, but at great cost to Himself.
I like the way the hymn writer C. Austin Miles described my situation in In Thee Do I Live:
All that I am or hope to be,
O Son of God, I owe to Thee,
For Thou has bought me; I am Thine,
And by Thy mercy Thou art mine.
What could I possibly give as a sacrifice to the One who gave His very life for me?
Set aside for a moment the fact that we love what we do and where we live. I know what he meant--we left behind family, friends, Krystal, Little Debbie's. But did we really sacrifice?
A sacrifice means that you give up something of value in exchange for something of lesser value, for a greater good. In my arrogance, when I left Chattanooga 8 years ago, I thought I was making a sacrifice. I thought I was giving up something. I had much to learn.
The truth is that I have made no sacrifice. To the contrary, I have been blessed beyond measure.
I now see clearly that I was once in a pit, completely without hope, doomed to suffer the consequences of my decision to rebel against God. The Lord, solely on His own initiative and without any merit on my part, reached down into the pit and brought me out. He brought me out at no cost to me, but at great cost to Himself.
I like the way the hymn writer C. Austin Miles described my situation in In Thee Do I Live:
All that I am or hope to be,
O Son of God, I owe to Thee,
For Thou has bought me; I am Thine,
And by Thy mercy Thou art mine.
What could I possibly give as a sacrifice to the One who gave His very life for me?
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Sam and Christine Engaged!!
We are excited to pass along that our son Sam and Christine Redd are now engaged! They are visiting us here in the UK, and he popped the question last week at the beautiful Sheffield Park gardens. Sam and Christine have been dating for several years, and we think she is wonderful. They will both graduate from university next spring (Christine from UT and Sam from Liberty), and the wedding will likely be next summer in Chattanooga.I have put one photo above of them at the gardens on their engagement day, but if you are friends with them (or Julie) on Facebook, you can see a few thousand more photos of the special day.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Two for Two
The UK is the only place in the world where people receive Congratulations! cards when they pass their driving tests. The failure rates on both the written theory tests and the practical driving tests are quite high. It is generally expected that most folks will fail at least once.
Julie passed hers today, which means that we both passed on our first attempts!! Caleb this morning had told Mike, "Dad, pray for Mom because if she fails, things are going to be very sad around here."
And, yes, on both the theory and practical tests, Julie scored higher than Mike. Not that anybody is competitive or anything.
Julie passed hers today, which means that we both passed on our first attempts!! Caleb this morning had told Mike, "Dad, pray for Mom because if she fails, things are going to be very sad around here."
And, yes, on both the theory and practical tests, Julie scored higher than Mike. Not that anybody is competitive or anything.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Life of a Servant
I have been thinking lately about what it means to be a servant. I have to admit that I like the idea of being a servant better than the feeling of being a servant. Someone has said that the true test of being a servant is how you act when you are treated like one. I confess that sometimes I don’t like being treated like a servant.
It is our privilege as sent-out-ones to serve others who are also sent-out-ones. Sometimes, though, we get to see these precious sent-out-ones at their worst, when they are under great pressure, tired, frustrated, stressed out or angry. Sometimes they treat us like, well, servants. My strong inclination, when this happens, is to revert to sarcasm or otherwise respond in kind.
Here are some thoughts on how to be a servant when you are treated like one:
1. Remind yourself to whom you are talking. This is a brother/sister in the Body, a very special person, called by the Father for a special task, a sent-out-one. He may not be acting like it right now, but truth be told, many times I don’t act like it, either.
2. Hold your tongue. It is so easy to respond with an ugly comment when somebody offers one to you. Don’t do it. When I am having one of those conversations, I keep whispering to myself, “Don’t do it. Don’t do it.”
3. Don’t take it personally. The person may say some things that seem to be personal, but keep in mind that there is really something else underneath that is bringing out the worst. You just happen to be the easy target. Resist the urge to defend yourself.
4. Let him vent. Sometimes people just need to vent. Give him the freedom to do so. Don’t feel like you need to answer everything or have a debate. Often people will start off in an ugly tone, but after venting for a while, they calm down. They just needed to let off steam.
5. You don’t have to agree. You can listen without necessarily agreeing. “I hear you” is different from “I agree with you.” Suppose he says, “My boss Pineda is such a jerk.” You don’t have to say (please), “Oh, I agree, he is awful.” You can just say, “Wow, he must have really done something to make you angry. Tell me about it.”
6. Let him know he can talk to you. After a person calms down from venting, I will say, “Hey, I can see that you are frustrated. I’m glad you came to me. It is okay to share your frustrations with me anytime.”
7. Where do we go from here? Sometimes people just want to vent, and sometimes they really want action. Suppose somebody vents about his supervisor. After he calms down, I will ask, “What do you want me to do? Do you want me to go with you to talk with your supervisor? Is there something else you want me to do? Or do you want it to stay with me?”
8. Pray with him. This can be uncomfortable if he is still angry at the end of the conversation, which sometimes happens. It is crucial, though.
9. Follow up. Go to him after a few days and ask him how things are going. You may get a totally different view.
10. Find someone safe to whom you can vent. Especially after a difficult conversation in which you have held your tongue, you might need to talk with someone in confidence to let off your own steam.
It is our privilege as sent-out-ones to serve others who are also sent-out-ones. Sometimes, though, we get to see these precious sent-out-ones at their worst, when they are under great pressure, tired, frustrated, stressed out or angry. Sometimes they treat us like, well, servants. My strong inclination, when this happens, is to revert to sarcasm or otherwise respond in kind.
Here are some thoughts on how to be a servant when you are treated like one:
1. Remind yourself to whom you are talking. This is a brother/sister in the Body, a very special person, called by the Father for a special task, a sent-out-one. He may not be acting like it right now, but truth be told, many times I don’t act like it, either.
2. Hold your tongue. It is so easy to respond with an ugly comment when somebody offers one to you. Don’t do it. When I am having one of those conversations, I keep whispering to myself, “Don’t do it. Don’t do it.”
3. Don’t take it personally. The person may say some things that seem to be personal, but keep in mind that there is really something else underneath that is bringing out the worst. You just happen to be the easy target. Resist the urge to defend yourself.
4. Let him vent. Sometimes people just need to vent. Give him the freedom to do so. Don’t feel like you need to answer everything or have a debate. Often people will start off in an ugly tone, but after venting for a while, they calm down. They just needed to let off steam.
5. You don’t have to agree. You can listen without necessarily agreeing. “I hear you” is different from “I agree with you.” Suppose he says, “My boss Pineda is such a jerk.” You don’t have to say (please), “Oh, I agree, he is awful.” You can just say, “Wow, he must have really done something to make you angry. Tell me about it.”
6. Let him know he can talk to you. After a person calms down from venting, I will say, “Hey, I can see that you are frustrated. I’m glad you came to me. It is okay to share your frustrations with me anytime.”
7. Where do we go from here? Sometimes people just want to vent, and sometimes they really want action. Suppose somebody vents about his supervisor. After he calms down, I will ask, “What do you want me to do? Do you want me to go with you to talk with your supervisor? Is there something else you want me to do? Or do you want it to stay with me?”
8. Pray with him. This can be uncomfortable if he is still angry at the end of the conversation, which sometimes happens. It is crucial, though.
9. Follow up. Go to him after a few days and ask him how things are going. You may get a totally different view.
10. Find someone safe to whom you can vent. Especially after a difficult conversation in which you have held your tongue, you might need to talk with someone in confidence to let off your own steam.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Audience with the Queen
At first we thought our good friends John and Leslie at church were simply John and Leslie, who live in a very nice BIG house. A couple of weeks ago, we found out that he is John, Duke of Oldham. He is also third cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh, also known as Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth.
We were having dinner with them at their estate, Little Rose, to celebrate our 25th anniversary. After dinner John told us he had a special surprise for us as a gift for our anniversary. He explained that as Duke of Oldham and as Prince Philip’s cousin, he is entitled to “take audience” with the Queen once each year and that he can take one couple as a guest. He said that the Queen especially likes to meet Americans, so he invited us to take tea with the Queen and Prince Philip. Of course we declined initially—that is the proper British thing to do--hoping he would insist, which he did.
There we were—Mike and Julie from Red Bank, Tennessee—going to see Queen Elizabeth II of England.
The big day finally came this past Sunday, March 28. What an exciting day it was!
The Queen and Duke were staying at Lingow Castle for the weekend, so we left early Sunday morning for our trip to Rowland, which is about 50 miles southwest of London.
We arrived about 2 pm and were shown immediately into the Prewett room, which is kinda like the royal waiting room. There were others waiting. We were soon joined by a man a little older than Mike, who had obviously travelled all over the US. He told us that he played the guitar, and we told him that our son Ben loves to play. This man lives in Willett, which is not far from where we live. He said to have Ben call him when he is in town and maybe he could show him a few things. We had no idea who this guy was—he was very friendly, though--until he was called out of the room and he left us his card. Believe it or not, it was Eric Clapton!
We were then called into an inner room where we were met by a chap called Wesley, dressed sharply in a bright red blazer. Wesley gave us the rules, including:
· As a commoner, do not make eye contact with the queen
· Speak to her only when she first speaks to you
· Bow from the waist when you first enter the royal presence (Mike mumbled under his breath, “We are Americans. We don’t bow to anyone”)
· When departing, walk backward. Never show your back to the Queen.
The next thing we knew it, Wesley said, “Very well, it is time.” We both felt like we couldn’t breathe. We walked into the next room and there she was. We both later agreed that we had the same sensation: She looks just like a normal great-grandmother, not intimidating at all.
The Queen excused Wesley, leaving only The Queen and Prince Philip, John and Leslie and us. The first thing the Queen said was, “The first order of business is to forget everything Wesley just told you. Let’s be friends.” She opened her arms and gave Julie an old lady hug. She warmly shook Mike’s hand and said, “Welcome American friends.” Philip hung in the background and was more distant.
We moved over to a sunroom overlooking the Robbins Garden. The Queen was eager to hear about where we are from in the US. She was delighted to hear we are Southerners. When Julie said she was from Alabama, Prince Philip woke up. He said, “Remember that American rugby coach we met 30 years ago? Wasn’t he from Alabama? Quite a charming chap. I remember 2 things about him: 1) He tried to explain that barbarous game, which I have never understood, and 2) He cleaned his nose right in the royal Presence.”
Discovering that I am from Tennessee, Philip said that he had always favored Jack Daniel’s. The Queen remembered being in Knoxville with Ronald Reagan for the 1982 World’s Fair. “I quite fancied the river there, as I recall. I’ve never seen so much orange clothing, though.”
We talked for about an hour. Here are some tidbits from the Queen:
· On Winston Churchill: “Rudest man I ever met, but an absolute joy.”
· Bill Clinton: “I never met a more charming man, but he fancied every woman from my social hostess to the chambermaid.”
· Obama: “He gave me an iPod, you know.”
· Charles deGaulle: “A Frenchman.” [Nothing else]
· On American movies: “We fancy the older films, John Wayne or James Stewart in anything.”
· CS Lewis: “Most fascinating man I’ve ever met. I could talk with him for hours.”
· The European Union: “Why does the United Kingdom need to be tied to all these other countries? We have been just dandy for 11 centuries by ourselves.”
Finally Wesley returned, looking at us with fire in his eyes, “Your Grace, there are others.” The Queen replied, “Very well. But you must come back.” We have another appointment next year, on April 1, 2011. That will be a good time for another good April Fools’ Day gag, just like this one.
Yes, April Fools!! None of this is true. Hope you enjoyed our little fun at your expense.
Blessings!
Mike, Julie, Sam, Ben and Caleb
1 April 2010
We were having dinner with them at their estate, Little Rose, to celebrate our 25th anniversary. After dinner John told us he had a special surprise for us as a gift for our anniversary. He explained that as Duke of Oldham and as Prince Philip’s cousin, he is entitled to “take audience” with the Queen once each year and that he can take one couple as a guest. He said that the Queen especially likes to meet Americans, so he invited us to take tea with the Queen and Prince Philip. Of course we declined initially—that is the proper British thing to do--hoping he would insist, which he did.
There we were—Mike and Julie from Red Bank, Tennessee—going to see Queen Elizabeth II of England.
The big day finally came this past Sunday, March 28. What an exciting day it was!
The Queen and Duke were staying at Lingow Castle for the weekend, so we left early Sunday morning for our trip to Rowland, which is about 50 miles southwest of London.
We arrived about 2 pm and were shown immediately into the Prewett room, which is kinda like the royal waiting room. There were others waiting. We were soon joined by a man a little older than Mike, who had obviously travelled all over the US. He told us that he played the guitar, and we told him that our son Ben loves to play. This man lives in Willett, which is not far from where we live. He said to have Ben call him when he is in town and maybe he could show him a few things. We had no idea who this guy was—he was very friendly, though--until he was called out of the room and he left us his card. Believe it or not, it was Eric Clapton!
We were then called into an inner room where we were met by a chap called Wesley, dressed sharply in a bright red blazer. Wesley gave us the rules, including:
· As a commoner, do not make eye contact with the queen
· Speak to her only when she first speaks to you
· Bow from the waist when you first enter the royal presence (Mike mumbled under his breath, “We are Americans. We don’t bow to anyone”)
· When departing, walk backward. Never show your back to the Queen.
The next thing we knew it, Wesley said, “Very well, it is time.” We both felt like we couldn’t breathe. We walked into the next room and there she was. We both later agreed that we had the same sensation: She looks just like a normal great-grandmother, not intimidating at all.
The Queen excused Wesley, leaving only The Queen and Prince Philip, John and Leslie and us. The first thing the Queen said was, “The first order of business is to forget everything Wesley just told you. Let’s be friends.” She opened her arms and gave Julie an old lady hug. She warmly shook Mike’s hand and said, “Welcome American friends.” Philip hung in the background and was more distant.
We moved over to a sunroom overlooking the Robbins Garden. The Queen was eager to hear about where we are from in the US. She was delighted to hear we are Southerners. When Julie said she was from Alabama, Prince Philip woke up. He said, “Remember that American rugby coach we met 30 years ago? Wasn’t he from Alabama? Quite a charming chap. I remember 2 things about him: 1) He tried to explain that barbarous game, which I have never understood, and 2) He cleaned his nose right in the royal Presence.”
Discovering that I am from Tennessee, Philip said that he had always favored Jack Daniel’s. The Queen remembered being in Knoxville with Ronald Reagan for the 1982 World’s Fair. “I quite fancied the river there, as I recall. I’ve never seen so much orange clothing, though.”
We talked for about an hour. Here are some tidbits from the Queen:
· On Winston Churchill: “Rudest man I ever met, but an absolute joy.”
· Bill Clinton: “I never met a more charming man, but he fancied every woman from my social hostess to the chambermaid.”
· Obama: “He gave me an iPod, you know.”
· Charles deGaulle: “A Frenchman.” [Nothing else]
· On American movies: “We fancy the older films, John Wayne or James Stewart in anything.”
· CS Lewis: “Most fascinating man I’ve ever met. I could talk with him for hours.”
· The European Union: “Why does the United Kingdom need to be tied to all these other countries? We have been just dandy for 11 centuries by ourselves.”
Finally Wesley returned, looking at us with fire in his eyes, “Your Grace, there are others.” The Queen replied, “Very well. But you must come back.” We have another appointment next year, on April 1, 2011. That will be a good time for another good April Fools’ Day gag, just like this one.
Yes, April Fools!! None of this is true. Hope you enjoyed our little fun at your expense.
Blessings!
Mike, Julie, Sam, Ben and Caleb
1 April 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Quick trip to the US
On the spur of the moment this morning, we decided to take a quick trip to the US. We had a great time. Sorry if we missed you. We are already back home here in Horsham.
No, they haven't revived the Concorde. We drove over to Runnymeade, where King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. In 1963, in commemoration of the death of John Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth granted a plot of land at Runnymeade to the American people. This land is technically American soil. Here we are at the British memorial at Runnymeade to President Kennedy:
Here we are at the monument at Runnymeade donated by the American Bar Association:
No fair comparing the quality of the British and American memorials.
No, they haven't revived the Concorde. We drove over to Runnymeade, where King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. In 1963, in commemoration of the death of John Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth granted a plot of land at Runnymeade to the American people. This land is technically American soil. Here we are at the British memorial at Runnymeade to President Kennedy:
Here we are at the monument at Runnymeade donated by the American Bar Association:
No fair comparing the quality of the British and American memorials.Wednesday, March 3, 2010
25 Years of Blessings and Fun
On March 2, 1985, we were married in Anniston, Alabama. The Lord has blessed us abundantly over the years. We're copying some photos below, mostly from the last few years. It has been an adventure. We have lived:
At Stonehenge, looking for Chevy Chase
At Red Square in Moscow
Orioles/Yankees game
Christmas time in Thessaloniki
Bon fire at Guy Fawkes Day in Cranleigh, UK
TGIFriday's Budapest
Beechy Head on the English Channel
- Mountain Creek Apartments
- Stuart Road, Signal Mountain
- Heywood Avenue, Chattanooga
- West Daytona, Red Bank
- ILC (8 weeks)
- Laxava 104, Pilea, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Lower Mill Road, Hixson
- Tracewood Circle, Richmond, Virginia
- Ferrier's Court, London Road, Horsham, West Sussex UK
- Campion Road, Horsham, West Sussex UK
We hiked to a waterfall in Wales.
At Stonehenge, looking for Chevy Chase
At Red Square in Moscow
Orioles/Yankees game
Christmas time in Thessaloniki
Bon fire at Guy Fawkes Day in Cranleigh, UK
TGIFriday's Budapest
Beechy Head on the English ChannelThe world says that walking with Christ is boring. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). We have had an exciting life. Together we have been to:
- United States--Yellowstone; Hollywood; Williamsburg; Mount Vernon; The Mall in DC; Montana; Colorado Springs; Wurst Festival in New Bromfelds, Texas; Gatlinburg; Christmas tree farm overlooking the Connecticut River in Vermont; St Simon's Island; Hilton Head Island; Isle of Palms; Destin; Gulf Shores; Savannah; Charleston; Callaway Gardens; Opryland Hotel; Whitestone Inn; Baseball games in Howenwald, Jasper, Jackson, Gruetli-Laagger, Goodlettsville; Helen and Ellijay Georgia; Chicago; Mount LeConte; Six Flags; Dollywood; Opryland
- Sporting events--Sugar Bowl; Masters; Peach Bowl; Neyland Stadium; Atlanta Stadium; Turner Field; that little stadium in Tuscaloosa; Commonwealth Stadium; Dudley Field; Legion Field; Atlanta Classic; Sanford Stadium; Olympics in Atlanta and Athens; Engel Stadium; Bell South Park; Baseball spring training games in Florida; Camden Yards; World Cup Skiing in Adelboden, Switzerland
- Camping at Elkmont; FDR in Pine Mountain, Ga; Fall Creek Falls; DeSoto State Park; Chester Frost; Cloudland Canyon; Sequoyah Caverns
- Europe--Adelboden, Switzerland; Milan, Italy; Zurich; Vienna; Poland; Prague; Budapest; Germany; France; Brussels; Netherlands; Macedonia; Cyprus; Russia; Romania
- United Kingdom--London; Canterbury; Oxford; Stonehenge; Beechy Head; Brighton; Hampton Court; Cambridge; Wales; Salisbury; Chartwell (Churchill Home)
- Greece--Thessaloniki; Philippi; Athens; Corinth; Mount Olympus; Edessa; Vergina; Kastoria; Mount Pelio at Volos; Berea; Meteora; Metsovo; Ioannina; Corfu; Thassos; Litoxoro; Tria-Pente Pagadia; Seli; Katerini; Halkidiki (100 times)
- Other places--Ephesus, Turkey; Thailand (later this month); Honduras
We have been blessed with three wonderful boys. Sam was born in 1989, Ben in 1991 and Caleb in 1995. They are a joy and we are so proud of them as they try to walk with Jesus every day.
We have also seen sorrow with the deaths of Grandma White in 1987, Grandma Ellis in 2003, Mike's Mom in December 2003 and Mike's sister Marie in March 2006.
Praise be to the Lord, who is always Faithful and True.
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