Naming Homes, an Organ, and Belgium
We Made it to Roanoke
Today, marks one week in our lovely new home. It has been a whirlwind week of emotions, and I only cried three… maybe four times. I have zero doubt we are exactly where God wants us, but it is hard all the same. I missed my Wednesday playgroup friends and game night with Hunter and Bethany. I missed knowing my grandparents were all less than 20 minutes away to chat and have a cocktail. But, I anticipated all that, and my people have never made me feel as loved as the past month, reminding me that they will miss me, too. It helps.
We did quite a bit of exploring this week, including visiting two parishes. I think we will make our home at St. Andrews, the historic downtown parish. Its a gorgeous church with a rose window and a wall-shaking organ. Evidently, our family is full of suckers for an organ, because at daily mass Wednesday my oldest looked at me and said, “ What?! No organ today? Darn it!”
The day we moved in, I met no less than seven neighbors, which bodes well for this extra-extroverted family. This is such a beautiful neighborhood, and has made me largely forget my country living dreams. A few berry bushes, some chickens, and a garden should make this house a home we can stay in for as long as we need to.
In Adorning the Dark, Andrew Peterson wrote beautiful words on belonging and home. “Wherever you are, you might as well go ahead and pull up the carpet. Make it beautiful, even if you can’t afford it. Let your imagination run wild. Give your house name. Watch how it changes the way you treat it. Let thy kingdom come, they will be done, in our house as it is in heaven.” I pray this sweet half acre, five minutes from downtown, will be our bit of the Kingdom on earth, and I want to christen it with a name.
In other news, our next Bar-Side Chat will be September 21st! This one will focus on Oneness Pentecostalism.
Select news!
and Daniel Stewart with Fr. Harrison Ayre are leading a pilgrimage to Belgium and Germany next year, and the itinerary is truly amazing. I have traveled with Haley before, so I can honestly say the Stewarts are excellent travelling companions. They run a smaller trip than most leaders, so space is limited. Sign up soon!
I am taking name suggestions for our home!
I hope you have a weekend filled with end of summer peaches, neighborhood walks, and laughing children.
Cheers,
Bond
Congratulations Bond on your beautiful home! I'm sure there will be lots of intense waves of emotions as you settle in, but it sounds like there is so much potential just waiting to be discovered. I love the tradition of naming houses. We named our few acres Shire Farm and it truly is our little hobbit hideaway.
I'm also a huge sucker for a big soul stirring organ! If you ever come to Maryland, you'll have to visit our parish. We have the largest instrument in Maryland with our organ! There was a nice article recently about the organist. https://catholicreview.org/young-organist-at-cathedral-of-mary-our-queen-is-remarkable-talent/