Newest Iris photos

This took longer to get out than I expected But I had to get to the Synod Assembly in order to help select our next bishop. On the way out of town, I paused in the driveway to snap a few pictures of the irises out there, to complement the irises out back. These are much more vividly purple, rich and deep and hopefully they’ll be joined by some white ones in early May.

How can such things exist alongside poverty and despair? Maybe that’s why they exist alongside poverty and despair.

Fear and loathing in Santa Rosa

Why am I afraid of things going well?

Things are going well at church, life at home is busy and complicated yet good in a more profound way than I can explain, and I have Caitlyn as this little bundle of hope and joy running around making me happy. Is it something just with me that I am waiting for another shoe to drop?

The weirdest thing is, I think that it’s theological in nature. I have seen too many ministries which have become stale and comfortable and have therefore become passe and have vanished or at least diminished to the point of vanishing and now that I think about it I have seen marriages and families in the same predicament, I guess that I fear success because it is so-o-o-o-o-o-o seductive to try and never deviate from what got you here and then not realizing that you are going there.

I think this just makes it a great time to gather up my strength, bolstered by good times and happiness, and see what we can do next. What challenges face us in ministry and how can we get there? What can Debbie and I do to make our lives together even better? What can we do to keep Caitlyn growing up the way she is, confident, secure, loving, trusting, capable?

That’s my word for the day, a question this time. What’s next? What can we do better tomorrow than we did today? What can we try tomorrow that we were too afraid to try today? How can we embody Christ tomorrow that is more meaningful than what we have been doing lately?

“the renewing of your senses” sez Paul.

gimme some of THAT!

blessings, Tim

Living Outside

Maybe not outside of yourself, but at least outside of your house. The first of the springs irises have bloomed and it inspired me to get this thing up and running again, to try and make some kind of statement about once or twice a week about living a life within the love of God.

These are a dark, almost black iris that we bought at the annual iris sale. They were out of the completely black ones, which were very beautiful. These bloomed half-heartedly last year but have just exploded this year. They are next to the Shamouti Orange tree which appears ready to produce for the first time this year.

Also a lot of work has been done (and more needs to be) in the back yard for the garden. Since the soil here is largely adobe clay, the beds are above ground since I do not have the time nor inclination to spend hours digging, tilling and mixing in amendments to the soil.

The tented bed is carrots and radishes, since they scorch in the sun until they are big enough. The other beds are largely un-planted, the big charity plant sale if the weekend of the 25th (which I will miss because of Synod Assembly, but I’ve given Debbie a list.

California is truly a blessed place at times like this. I will be less sanguine about it when it is 95 degrees, but for today it is paradise. Ministry is good, the garden is good, the family is good, all the time God is good.

hope your spring is also bringing you joy (Kendi and Erik have already gotten theirs!)

Amen