Because He Cares.

My devotional book gives a list of verses at the end of every entry that it used within that day's message. Often times I can identify them before I've even looked them up, but that doesn't dissuade me from my practice of searching for the verses in my Bible and reading them in context. 

Today I found myself reading the familiar passage in 1 Peter 5.7, "..casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." I often heard that verse quoted for the application to 'cast off anxieties,' with an introspective encouragement to make sure you are doing just that and not holding on to anything that might be hindering your walk with the Lord. But today I was struck with that little phrase that ends the sentence. It's one we've heard so many times but I think we usually just take for granted with an 'I know that already' thought and never truly let it sink in.

Because He cares for you.

He cares. For you. That's it. No fancy language needed. It's not saying shame-on-you for having held on to anxieties, we can get into the repercussions of that later. Peter is simply punctuating his instructions with truth. 

The next verse had me flip over to Paul's expansion on this thought in Ephesians 3. Knowing Paul, he likes to be long-winded at times, but I like to think of that as his passion for the Lord coming out to the extent that he can't even get words out fast enough to communicate God's glory, Paul's gratitude and the urgency of his message. We find ourselves coming into an already running thought in verse 17, 

"...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints [here it is, remember that part where God cares?] what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." 

Whew! Breathe, Paul! Can you catch his passion for the topic? I can hear him getting fired up, "God cares! And I'm trying to give a glimpse of how much!" It's a love that surpasses knowledge.  Surpasses our anxieties, our guilt, our failures. It surpasses how we feel about God. That's a level of caring I can't even fathom. 

Of all we have to be thankful for on this day, I am eternally grateful for this truth. That because of His great love, "we are not consumed" for we have a God of mercy. That we can rest in the assurance that He cares. And it is only because He cares that we are.    

Slán.

I came to bed early since I am facing a long day of flying tomorrow. But apparently by brain is not yet ready for sleep. So here I sit, contemplating my time in Ireland and wondering how it seemed to go by so fast, yet two months ago seems like forever. I shall miss this place. I'll miss the slow pace of life and stores that don't open until 10ish.  I shall miss looking outside my window and seeing only fields of green grass dotted by neighboring cows. I shall miss the archaic beauty of Drewstown House and it's grounds -and all of Ireland really. I'll miss the rain, yes even the persistent rain, and the rainbows it brings. I shall miss tea time with the Scherrers and all the people who have made my stay such a blessing...
I will NOT miss the mouse in my wall, outlet/wattage converters, the time difference to Alaska or cows at 6am.
So by this time tomorrow (Ireland time) I will be sitting somewhere over the Atlantic eagerly anticipating setting foot on US soil again. Well, US snow at least, as I am flying into Minneapolis. But don't worry, Alaska, give me a couple more weeks and I'll bring some of the snow back North with me.
So I bid a bittersweet goodbye to this Emerald Isle they call Ireland.
For now...

Experience.

Biscuit, our Wexford host.

This past weekend we took a trip down into Wexford to visit the Scherrer's friends Johanna and Eva, though I think the kids were more excited to visit their pets Biscuit (dog) and Sparky (cat). Our trip down took a bit longer since we witnessed (and were almost included in) a vehicle accident coming round a corner. Matt, being a paramedic, immediately took charge making sure there were no injuries. Since no one required medical attention but the cars were blocking a lane, he proceeded to direct traffic while we waited for the Garda (police) to arrive -which ended up being two hours. Not realizing how long it would be, we'd left the van running for the sake of those of us inside until it overheated and started leaking out the bottom. Come to find out we'd blown a hose in the engine. Once the Garda arrived and we were free to go, we backtracked to the nearest town for some food (5 kids trapped in a car for hours with no bag lunch is not a good idea. I taught them the word "hangry.") and to try and find a mechanic. Clearly God saw ahead of our need and there was one not too far from town. So with moderately full bellies and a relatively simple repair done free of charge (isn't God cool?), we were on our way.

A crystal Waterford Coat of Arms.

Wexford was a cute little town -definitely on my list of places I'd visit again. We took a day and drove over to Waterford, the oldest town in Ireland, where Molly and I took a tour of the Waterford Crystal factory while the rest of the family (who took the tour during their last visit) wandered the town. It was really fascinating to see the process of creating the beautiful crystal. My favorite part was the sculpting/engraving room. We ended the tour in the store portion, but a couple glances at price tags and I came away with memories rather than a souvenir.

Back in Wexford, we drove east out of town with Johanna and Eva to take a walk along the beach and search for shells. I'd never seen black shells before, but apparently they're common on the Irish Sea. It was a wonderful sunshiny day, though the temperature still reminded us it's November. As always, I'd be happy to stay at the beach for forever, but we'd had enough fun and exercise I think we even wore Biscuit out.

Sunday we drove back to Drewstown and took up the continued renovations. Before our trip we were working on painting and installing baseboards along with mudding and taping the section of wall that had to be torn out because of water damage and wood worm. This week our to-do list has consisted of everything floors. We rented a drum sander and circular edger from Kells and went to work on three rooms on the top story of the house. It took quite a bit of elbow grease as we were fighting with a combination of unfinished boards, carpet glue and old paint -I'm talking super old, as in original floor paint that was more like glue. Next up is staining the floors and we'll have much of the upstairs projects completed. Here's a look at the work being done.

The black is old paint.

Stole this pic from the Scherrer's. See? I work too!

Before.

Post-sanding -half way done.

Mudding and taping complete.

Scraping walls. It's a family affair.

We have made impressive progress since I first arrived here, but there is always more work to be done! I'm also pretty proud of the "skills" that have been added to my repertoire as well. I have learned how to plaster walls, sand floors, install baseboards, trim hedges and have added to my previous (however minute) experience with scraping, painting, staining, mudding and taping, power tool using and plenty of cleaning. Things I have learned: not to breathe in lime mixture, plastering corners is hard, oil based paint doesn't come out of your hair, don't let go of the sander while it's running, sometimes you have to "just walk away," and paint chips will work their way out of your eyes, even if it isn't till the next morning. I have loved it all and I wouldn't trade my time here in Ireland for anything. Except for maybe a medium supreme pizza with extra pepperoni... maybe.
    

Operation floors in effect. 

Introductions.

It's hard to believe I have a little over a week left here in Ireland. I have had a fantastic time, with much thanks due to the Scherrers; so I thought I'd give you a much overdue introduction to the people who have been my "family" for the past 2 months.

Following the family on a windy day at the Hill of Tara.

Matt and Carole have served at Victory Bible Camp for quite a while now, so I've known them since my early teenage years. Matt worked with my dad both at camp and as a part of the local emergency medical techs and is himself a paramedic. He has worn different hats at Victory and is currently in a maintenance role. His diverse experience has helped here at Drewstown as Matt has taken the reigns in leading our little band of renovators. With an avid sense of humor, you can see where their kids have inherited the twinkle of mischief in their eyes.
Carole has also had a hand in the running of camp at Victory, but is usually a stay-at-home mom to their six children -a full time job in and of itself. She has jumped in on any and all of the projects with an eager attitude to learn, another trait I see being passed on to their kids. In my humble opinion, she is an amazing cook, especially when there are so many mouths to feed, and has been the scheduler and task manager for our entire stay. Besides mother, Carole wears a teacher hat as well, schooling the five kids still at home. Their oldest, Alaura, is off at her first year of college in Wyoming and loving it from the updates the family receives. Which brings me to the rest of the brood...

Wandering the beach in Co. Wexford.

This is Miss Karina the Elusive. She doesn't like posing for pictures, so this is as much of her beautiful face as I managed to capture. She is a mature 16 years and I have been enjoying her gentle and quiet spirit. Known for her knack for knitting, she is also a talented baseball player and musically gifted, playing the violin and singing in the Alaska Children's Choir with all the rest of her siblings. She loves her Packers and puts my meager football knowledge to shame.

Batting practice. Gotta keep up the skills. 

Standing at six feet and still growing is 15 year old Drew the Steadfast. He is also a baseball player with a pitch that leaves most of his family opting out of playing practice catcher. He enjoys watching and playing many other sports such as football, soccer and hurling, and has been quick to catch on to the rules of rugby during the televised games that we've caught while in Ireland. Besides choir, Drew stretches his musical muscles by teaching himself guitar and violin. He is one smart cookie as well, and his sharp whit and steady character contribute well to the balance in the family.

Tessa Grace.

Oh, Miss Tessa the Impetuous, I love this kid; I can see traces of my childhood self in her. She has such a sense of humor and enjoys making people laugh. Tessa loves horses and animals of all kinds and, like all the kids, misses their dog Jake who is 'vacationing' with the grandparents in California while the family is in Ireland. Tessa appears to have a healthy appetite for books; though somewhat less of an enthusiastic participant in schoolwork (I can so relate), she is very smart and has an acute attention to detail on activities she enjoys. Though she loves to be part of the fun, I feel she is the Observer in the family, she notices things others miss; another trait I can relate to.

Water boy.

Taking a breather. 

Clint the Inquisitive feels like an understatement. So many questions. About everything. All the time. Clint is a 10 year old ball of energy who is only still when sleeping -maybe. He has a sound effect for everything and is constantly singing or humming or making up a song to whatever phrase is stuck in his head. Everything for Clint is hands on. He has quite the engineering mind, loves creating new projects in the wood shop and is quite the helper when it comes to tasks in the house. When given the chance, he'll lace up his cleats and burn off some energy with a soccer ball.

My little tour companion.

Molly and Sparky.

Miss Molly the Spunky is the youngest Scherrer. Having just turned 9, she does her very best to keep up with all her elder siblings. She has a bright and curious mind and is also a book eater. On our recent trip south she and I took the tour at the Waterford Crystal factory where she had no trouble striking up conversation with our tour guide. I recalled a nickname given me when I was a child and thought it suitable to pass on to this kiddo: Chatterbox. Molly is a people-person and her love language is definitely touch -she's a hugger.



So these are the people who have graciously let me invade their family. I have enjoyed my time getting to know them more and learning the different personalities of the kids -for they are each certainly their own person. I have never been a part of a big family like this; it shall feel strange to go back to Alaska and have it be so quiet with just me and the parents. I might need to get a dog just to cause some ruckus from time to time.

And to the Scherrer Family: thank you for letting me follow you around endlessly. I shall miss it.

Holiday.

Coming from Alaska, I'm used to long drives to get, well, just about anywhere. When looking at Ireland on a map it seems quite large; but once you start looking at distances, it's really rather small. I read somewhere that Ireland is about the size of Indiana -so definitely smaller than Alaska- which made our drive over to the west coast short by my estimation. Three hours saw us to the city (and County) of Galway where we got out to stretch our legs, eat lunch and wander some street shops before loading back into the van to meander our way south to our holiday home.

Fanore, Co. Clare

The western countryside is definitely different from here in Meath. Though all of Ireland is picturesque, I loved Western Ireland with its hills, stone walls, rock beds, green fields and of course, the coast. We stayed in a little village called Fanore in County Clare, right on the coast. We could see the Atlantic just outside our front door. However, that also meant we got the coastal weather, including and some incredible wind! I still loved it though. I love salt sea air and will breathe it any chance I get.

Our little holiday home with the red door.  

Coastline.

Many of the roads around Drewstown are narrow and closed to larger vehicles (though not tractors) because of lack of passing room between hedges and rock walls. I had not thought "two lane" roads could get much smaller until we drove in Western Ireland. Most people in Ireland have small little cars or there is the rare tiny truck. We were often the larger on the road in our Volkswagon van (called a mini-bus here), so the narrow coastal roads became rather nerve-wracking. I was amazed when we came upon tour busses, most of which required us -or anyone- to either try and pull over or receive a new paint job up the side of your vehicle. I was glad it was the "off season" for vacationers and we didn't have to play chicken too many times.

Following the family.

Friday we went to the Cliffs of Moher, quite the sight and a favorite from my trip thus far. They are very imposing and I can understand why the walking trail has been moved and fenced off farther from the edge in some places. However, we did not get blown off, though the wind was definitely a force to be reckoned with. 

That afternoon we took advantage of a break in the rain to head down to the beach in Fanore for some shell hunting. I stood at the edge of the water gazing as far out into the Atlantic as I could; strange to think that beyond that horizon was America... well, I suppose technically the direction I was looking was Canada, but still. Standing at the edge of the ocean makes you feel small. And then the rainbow showed up. What an incredible Creator we have, and He definitely spoiled me on that day. 

The Cliffs of Moher and O'Brien's Tower

The two other main events of our little holiday were a trip to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and a stop over at the Aillwee Caves and Birds of Prey Centre. Though maybe geared more for the younger tourists, we all enjoyed the history of Bunratty and the fact that we could see the castle without a tour guide -meaning the kids were free to explore. Halloween is quite popular over here, so the folk park had the beginnings of some bizarre decorations, but that was completely overshadowed by the animals we met. If you know the Scherrer kids, you know they love animals, especially dogs. Bunratty happened to have two Irish Wolfhounds in residence among other farm critters. If they weren't so big, I might have just taken one home as my Irish souvenir. They were very friendly and very mellow, however, they were also very large, definitely not your average lap dog. Here's a look at some of the new friends we met. 

Loving the attention.

This is Gráinne the Wolfhound.

Mini horses.

Friendly billy. 

 I did not take very many pictures on our tour of Aillwee Cave, those that I attempted did not turn out well, it being a cave and all. At the Birds of Prey Centre we got to wander and see the birds and then we stayed for demonstrations of a bateleur eagle, barn owl and falcon. Clint got to "hold" the bateleur eagle (aptly named Batty) and Tessa the owl.

Tessa holding Jess.

This is Ted. Ted was loud.

 So we had a good holiday. We got in some sights, some relaxing and spent four whole days internet free. It was marvelous. The Scherrer kids kept talking about finding a "99 on a cone," which I assumed had something to do with ice cream but was unsure as to what exactly we were looking for. We did end up finding it and when I had it in hand I was told that my Irish experience was complete. I have a few more things I'd like to see before I'd consider my time here complete, but the treat was a good end to our holiday. Now we're back to work at Drewstown with paintbrushes in hand -for a little while at least. We're already plotting our next adventure. So stay tuned...

99 on a cone. 

Castles.

After reading the last post, you may think all we're doing is work. Quite the contrary, really. We've been having plenty of fun around Drewstown as well as some sightseeing around Ireland.

Last week we took a trip down to Dublin to visit Drimnagh Castle, the only one in Ireland to still have a working moat. It was actually a rather small castle, we almost missed tucked between two elementary schools. The castle and grounds are a renovation project that is still very much ongoing. When we arrived, the only people on the grounds were the gardeners/landscapers. So we were given an impromptu tour by Anne, which was fun since she knew so much about the plants and projects going on at the castle. It was, however, rather a whirlwind tour since she talked so fast and flew through the grounds and rooms at such a pace that I couldn't keep up and take pictures of all we were seeing. I opted for pictures so I confess I missed many of her explanations of the castle itself. Luckily she had given us handouts, which I read later in the car to fill in the blanks. Several movies had been filmed in portions of the castle/grounds like Excalibur and Ella Enchanted. You are also able to rent out the castle for parties and events. Anne told us a man had rented it for his granddaughter's birthday party and decorated it in a Harry Potter theme, complete with Professor Trelawney's Divination classroom. As we wandered through, I could definitely imagine it decorated as Hogwarts. Here's a few snapshots of Drimnagh.

The Moat.

Anne explaining some of the plant life.

Ground floor - kitchens.

Main Hall (clearly I'm already lagging behind).

Main hall looking down.

View of the garden from the top floor.

After Drimnagh, we made an unscheduled detour up to Malahide Castle. Most of the castles and abbeys we'd seen thus far in Ireland have either been ruins or working renovations (like Drimnagh). However, Malahide is a restored castle, grounds and garden, in which the heirs of the family Talbot were in residence up until 1975. That year, Rose Talbot (who inherited the castle upon the death of her brother) sold it to the Irish State and went to "retire" in Tasmania. Our tour guide informed us they'd kept a room in the castle for Rose's occasional visits to Ireland up until her death in 2009. I didn't take too many pictures inside the castle since most were spoiled by fellow tourists. After our tour of the castle, we wandered out into the gardens which, when in full bloom, must be a sight! Even now into the Fall season they were beautiful by my estimation. I love macro shots, so I was a happy camper with so many different and unfamiliar flowers. However, the faithful Irish rain drove us back to the cars so we headed back to Drewstown.

Small Drawing Room.

Dining Room.

Restored bedrooms on display.

Child's room with toys.

Wandering the gardens. 

So many new plants.

Today the last of the Glacier View team flew out, so it's just the Scherrer family and myself now. Tomorrow we're heading over to Western Ireland for a little holiday, doing some touring of Galway and County Clare. I'm sure I'll have pictures to post and memories to share upon our return.
So to you, dear reader, I bid Oíche mhaith.
Good night.