Finding Whats Missing....

I grew up in the church... it felt natural to get up on Sunday mornings and head to Sunday School and then sit through church {albeit not always with the most patients and grace.. and often begging to go to the nursery (yeah, even as a teenager)} At the time, I saw this as something mom and dad made me do.. and I remember sitting in the pews trying to whisper something to someone and they telling me "shhhh... we are trying to listen" at the time I wondered what in the world could they possibly find interesting enough to actually listen.

I then grew up headed off to college and admittedly my church attendance went from every Sunday to non-existent (with the few exceptions of when I was home with mom and dad).

As I grew into adulthood I always had a longing in my heart to go back to church.. to re-discover my faith! But I always struggled with the problem of reconciling what I felt was right (regarding the many issues that we often term as political issues) and the beliefs/tenants that the church holds. To be blunt, I felt that the church and the many many people proclaiming to be Christian, while proclaiming to be "servants of God" were instead a completely discriminatory/judgemental place/group of people. I hate this, to me, to be a Christian is to welcome everyone, to love everyone, REGARDLESS of what or who they may be.

Despite all of these frustrations with the institutions and people of the Christian faith, I still felt this longing to be a part of a church, to be with people who also believe as I do. The problem was though that we (meaning T and I) COULD NOT find a church that we felt comfortable with. I mean truly comfortable with... one that I could be myself, with all my political/social leanings, and one that I felt was representative of the loving/WELCOMING congregation that I longed for.

But all that changed today! We finally found a place that we feel welcome, that we feel we can both explore and expand our faith, regardless of the questions that we still have. This new place is truly a Sanctuary. And I love it.

If you too are looking for such a place and live in the Dallas Community come join us... if you don't live here check out their sermons online (trust me, you will be inspired)!

Highland Park United Methodist Church - Cornerstone

http://www.cornerstoneworship.org/pages/cornerstone-home

Globe-Trekking!!

T and I have just recently returned from a GLORIOUS trip across the ocean! I can not describe in words how much fun it was nor can I articulate how beautiful it was!

Our itinerary brought us to Munich, Germany; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina; Split, Croatia; Plitvice National Park, Croatia; Motovun, Croatia-and surrounding areas; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Lake Bled, Slovenia; Innsbruck, Austria.... and then back to Munich!!

It was a whirlwind trip filled with beautiful scenery, culture, history, gorgeous art, outdoor cafes, delicious food, gracious people and so many many more experiences!!

As I am posting this blog--I can not think of what my favorite experience was... there were to many fantastic times.

We LOVED Rovijn, Croatia.... a salty fishing village along the Istirian Coast of Croatia, it is truly beautiful and it still has some remnants of its working fisheries left!

We also were very pleasantly surprised by Mostar.... even though there is so much war damage left.. it has a beautiful rustic quality! And the people there.. a mix of Jews, Muslims, and Christians- can teach the world how to get along, as they have been living together mostly peacefully for thousands of years! Wow!

We also had a unique experience in Mostar... the owner of the little B&B where we stayed invited us into their own home and delighted us with his homemade Limoncello, Grappa, and Cherry Brandy (and some good Croatian cookies)! { Oh, and did I mention this was after we finished a liter of wine with dinner!! ;) } We had a great discussion about the Independence war and the history of that beautiful country.

We also loved Ljubljana. It is a incredibly young, vibrant, boutique-filled city. It also has a very unique city that bridges the gap between East and West Europe!

What else... is there...

We did visit Munich's Oktoberfest.. it was great and one of us (not mentioning any names) had, maybe, a bit to much fun!!

All in all, it was a wonderful trip and now that we are back home we are anxious for our next adventure!!

PICTURES TO COME!!!! {I am still editing the 1,000 + that I took:) }