I've been telling people about New Year's Eve for the past few weeks, inviting them to come to our hometown church and hear yours truly preach. But of course, I've neglected a few important invites.
So here it is: Next Sunday, Dec. 31 at 8:45 am AND 11:00 am, Justin will be delivering his first sermon from the pulpit at First Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem (in the sanctuary). Admission is free ('cause its church, for cryin' out loud) and seating is limited to whoever can get one (like always). If you can come to the 8:45 service, go for it! (and sit close!)
Along with this blog-vite is a prayer request: I take moments like these seriously, but I think God wants this to be an enjoyable experience that glorifies him (not me!!!). So pray that he is seen and heard.
An invitation
Snug
Okay, so this was last night. I was up late, doing a bit of cramming, studying, and writing and as I finally sneaked into the bedroom, I noticed my little family was fast asleep, snuggling like bunnies and each enjoying their own adventurous dream...
- Montana said her dream was about squirrels...especially the one that taunts her each day in the back yard.
- Holly was dreaming of warmer, "beachier" locations.
- Neela dreamed that she was a FDA inspector on the Taco Bell / E. coli bacteria case.
Mom's Visit
We had our first family visitor last week. My mom arrived last Friday and flew home on Wednesday. We toured the North Shore and Boston in the cool winter weather. We even experienced our first snow of the season as Justin posted below. Here are a couple of pics of our time together.
Let it snow
We've been anxiously awaiting winter's greetings in the form of snow. 
For the past few weeks, we've had hints, but the weather would always warm up just enough to give us a cold shower. Nasty.
Well...we finally got it. Our first New England snow. Only it was a little too humble to reckon any fear. It started around 7:30 am, finished by 10 am, and was virtually gone by 1 pm. (Except for the small pile that the doggies found.)
Killer whales don't kill
A year or so ago, I watched a National Geographic special on killer whales. I saw their majestic jumps and dives...and then I saw why they do this beautifully terrifying thing...to kill.
You see, a killer whale will find his or her prey, like a seal, near the top of the water and surprise it by jumping out of the water and LANDING ON IT, knocking the victim unconscious or instantly killing it. [ video 1 || video 2 ]
In captivity (and SeaWorld) this stunt is awesome and often a good excuse to shower observers with a light-hearted splash. But after reading this, is there any wonder why Kasatka, a natural killer, would attack her trainer?
But don't worry folks! Katsaka will be back to her kindler tricks in no time and one day no one will remember the day when a 6-ton killing machine got a little absent minded and used her trainer as chewing gum.
I'm thankful for...
a beautiful home in which we can...
enjoy great food including...
a twist on the main attraction: three types of duck prepared by Ed.
Dinner was complete with party favors...
and coffee with 5 different desserts!
And we worked off our meal with a quick round of DDR (that's Dance Dance Revolution for those of you behind in the times).
All in all, it was a good day. We miss our families very much, but we will see them very soon. So for our first Thanksgiving not in NC, we are still thankful for all of our blessings.
All Quiet on the Northern Front
Yes, that's right. Today, the wonderful appliance guy, Dean, fixed our refrigerator. Gone are the sounds of a dying compressor. Yippee!!!
A guy named Erwin said...
Here's a thought from a guy that gets people's attention:
"You know how most churches are focused on excellence? When your focus is excellence, and your focus is execution—in terms of it having to be executed precisely so it’s efficient—excellence and efficiency actually are enemies of the creative process. People confuse churches that strive for excellence and efficiency for churches that are creative. At Mosaic, when we are talking about creativity, we are talking about beauty. We know that we (Mosaic) don’t always execute with excellence, and we almost never execute with efficiency. The creative process isn’t really an efficient process. This is part of the challenge for our community."
And to that I say: "Hmmm... Thanks for making me think, Erwin."
-Erwin McManus in an online article at RelevantMagazine.com. Article here. His new book Soul Cravings was released today.
Our Jewish Roots
This weekend Holly and I explored two worship services in two Messianic Jewish synagogues. Of course there are dramatic differences between Jewish believers and non-Jewish believers... the language, the songs, and the movement (and dancing). I was most enchanted by the beautiful ceremony Satuday morning when the rabbi and his assistants lead the people in singing a blessing to God, a blessing to the Torah, a blessing as the ark (or cabinet) was opened, a blessing as the curtain (*that was torn) was opened, a blessing as the scrolls were removed, a song and dance to celebrate the Torah... (whew...let me take a breath here)... a blessing upon the reader, a singing/reading of the selected reading and then the reading of the English Bible. (All of this demonstrated the intense love of the law...how beautifully exhausting!!!)
Later that night, we were hanging out with Melanie and Erin (who are in town for a conference) and we stumbled upon this Holocaust memorial across the street from the Irish pubs. Although we were shivering from the cold, we were drawn into this captivating series of quotes, facts, stories, and names. It was an appropriate and humbling end to our weekend Jewish safari. Here are some pictures of the exhibit. (Not ours.)
pickles and chicken
Ah. One of my favorite new traditions: Tuesdays and Chick-fil-a. Yes, yes...I know it's not the healthiest thing in the world (unless you get the number #5 and fruit), but we love it anyway. Economically, it works well because it is a buy one meal get one free with a student ID. I knew there were some hidden benefits to going back to school!!!
On a related note: Tekeru Kobayashi just blew the Krystal burger record away with 96 miniburgers in 8 minutes!!! (Neela came in a close second with 95 and 1/2 burgers.)
Congrats
Congratulations on your engagement Greg and Emily! We'll gladly take credit for hosting your first official "non-date" at our house watching One Tree Hill. We love you guys!
That's us on moving day with Greg, Andy, Theresa, and Emily. The future Mr. and Mrs. Greg Schutt are so cute in their matching green.
P.S. The girls aren't really that short...the guys were on the high side of the hill.
The original "LOST"
This display is literally two streets away from our house. Some people really work hard at their yard art.
"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, That started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship. The mate was a mighty sailin' man, the Skipper brave and sure. Five passengers set sail that day for a three hour tour. A three hour tour."
Under my skin
Raise your hand if you believe that demons can possess a refridgerator.
Yes, that's what I said -- a refridgerator. Holly and I have been plagued by what began as an odd rattle whenever we opened the fridge door. However, for the past 7 days, we have been constantly distracted and frustrated by the horrible sounds of scratchy, shaky, rattling clamor*. For those home repair types, this is what we figured out: the compressor is slowly dying. If it is not repaired, we can expect to find our ice cream melted. Just for fun, I may record the sound and put it here for sympathy.
*SYNONYMS from Answers.com: noise, din, racket, uproar, pandemonium, hullabaloo, hubbub, clamor, babel.
Why I love Birthdays
What do lima beans, babies, jumping dogs, a 6' stuffed monkey, dancing ducks, and wild animals with b-day hats have in common? My birthday video of course! My wonderful hubby gave me the most amazing gift. Since we're low in funds, but rich in creativity and time, he crafted a special video just for me. It was full of friends and family wishing me the best birthday ever. I literally laughed until I cried. I loved seeing how creative some of you are. From the NC State Fair to driving around town, you all made my birthday so special. I loved hearing the various renditions of "Happy Birthday" from my oh-so-talented friends and family. It was so great to see faces and hear voices that I've been missing so much the past 2 months. It reminded me that I am indeed very blessed. I have a wonderful family and caring friends who showered me with love on my special day. I hope you all know how much you are missed and loved by me as well. Thank you for taking a little time to send your love my way.
Ahhh...Fall
So, I'm not usually enchanted by fall weather like most people. I mean, I like it and all. I just prefer Summer and, for me, Fall is the sign that it's over. But, I think that living in New England may just change my mind. This picture isn't even that great. Most of the beauty is along the road and I can't take a picture while I'm driving. You just have to see it. It's quite amazing. Maybe it's the combination of the reds, golds, and oranges complimented by the brilliant green horse pastures. I don't know. I just know that everytime I walk out my door, I'm simply astounded by the sight.
And...
Winter may not kill us after all. Justin has been diligently working with our landlady the past 2 months to get her spa working. He's learned alot about plumbing and electricity becoming quite the handyman. So, come visit and enjoy the 105 degree water with us in the 0 degree weather anytime.
Dog Beach
So, on this unseasonably warm day (upper 70s!), we set out once again for the beach. This time, however, we had our 2 favorite canines in tow. Once October hits, you're allowed to bring pets to the beach. We tried one beach that allows them to roam off-leash, but parking was an issue. So rather than battle parking tickets, we headed back to Cranes Beach which we had visited before. It was busy with families enjoying the Columbus Day holiday and lots of dogs for Montana and Neela to meet. We enjoyed our picnic lunch and spent awhile eavesdropping on the family sitting near us. It would have been easier if we could have understood what they were saying. It seems they were German, or something. Anyway, it was a nice day out. We did some reading, but mostly enjoyed just sitting with the sand in our toes (and paws).
"Where's Maggie?"
We have been humbled by the recent loss of our dear friend Maggie (nickname for the Magellan RoadMate GPS unit that guided us safely throughout New England over the past month). Last week, Holly's car was broken into and Maggie, along with my wonderful iPod, were the victims of theft.
Ironically, Hamilton, MA prides itself on its crime-free neighborhoods.
Good bye Maggie. Goodbye iPod.
Matthew 6:19 - "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal."
Cambridge
Today, we decided to enjoy the nice fall weather and take a trip to Cambridge. We hopped on the T and rode to Harvard. From there, we walked through Harvard Yard and admired the amazing architecture and history of the campus. We ventured out to the surrounding shops and enjoyed a warm drink and double chocolate cookie from Peets. Yum! It was fun to people-watch and wonder if all the people around us are smarter than us. I mean, it's Harvard. There are some intelligent folks up in there. We eventually decided that they are definitely more book-smart, but that our life experience must count for something. Anyway, enjoy these pics from our afternoon in the Hahvahd Yahd.
Daddy's girl
So, it's a rainy Friday morning and Justin had his 8am class. He gets home and decides to rest on the couch and watch the Today show with me. Eventually, I look over and see the one-and-only Neela sprawled out on top of Justin and taking a snooze. She is not a dog. She is a princess. In her world anyway.
"POW!"
I have ten minutes before my next class. But before I leave, I wanted to share a bit of progressive news. After the looming fears of Greek began coming in waves, I had my first quiz on Monday. Yesterday, I received my grade. While I am fairly convinced the TA overlooked one little mistake, I got a 100 for the first time in many moons.
And to make me feel even better about it…he put a “POW!” next to the grade. So here’s to you old school Batman fans; written sound effects to aid your approval of my good grade!
For the Birds
Yesterday, we made our first trip to one of the local beaches. How nice is it to be able to drive 10 minutes and be at the beach?! Sadly, it costs money to go, but since off-peak season just began, it was much cheaper. So we packed our lunch and headed out to enjoy a 75-degree day with not a cloud in the sky.
The beach is on a reservation so there's no commercial nonsense, just unadulterated sand and ocean. The crowd was light and the seagulls were aplenty. The gulls were well-trained in the art of stalking. They would watch and stare at you waiting for a single crumb to drop. Then, if you happen to get up and leave your food unattended, they'll come get it. Don't be fooled into thinking you can just sit it in your bag because they'll come right up and stick their head in to find it. They don't even move when you see them from afar and start yelling at them. But we, Lewises, are too smart for them. We zipped our bag. Ha - take that, birds.
Anyway, here are some pics from our lovely day out.
Fun in the City
Today was our let's-do-something-fun-in-the-city day. The forecast said rain, but we said we'd try anyway. Our first stop was lunch with our friend Sara. We ate in the North End (aka Little Italy) at a great hole-in-the-wall place. Veal parmesan and chicken marsala...yum!
Then we walked to the Museum of Science with hopes to see the really cool Body Worlds exhibit that's supposed to be amazing. But alas, our hopes were dashed when we realized that our special pass didn't apply to that exhibit. Boo. It also began to rain pretty steadily, so we opted to hop on the T and head home. Oh well, maybe next time.
First day of classes
Have you ever had one of those dreams where you are looking for your college class, but can't seem to find it. Well...I had that dream, then I woke up at 6:43 AM, so I believed. (In fact it was 7:43...and my very first seminary class began at 8:00.) After a pleasantly long shower and a trim shave, I stepped out, turned on the coffee pot, and sat down at the computer to find my class location. And there it was, sitting neatly on the bottom-right of the screen: "8:01 AM". The next 120 seconds involved a quick tooth-brush, throwing on a belt, and a kiss good-bye to Holly. ...And there it was, my first day as a seminarian was off to a beautiful beginning.
"He's her lobster!"
That's right...tonight, we dined on our first lobster. You see, the seminary has an annual clambake where students and families are able to meet and greet before the semester begins. Upon registering, you have the option of ordering lobster or chicken for your main course. Seriously, who passes up free lobster? Not us. I must say that for our first time out it was quite good. We met some new friends, learned how to be prepared for a nor'easter, and told stories about our adventures at the booksale (see post below).
Tomorrow, church and possibly watching a Panthers game. Then on Monday, it begins! School for Justin and job interview #3 for Holly.
Warehouse Madness
Rumor has it that if you attend the CBD (Christian Book Distributers) warehouse sale, you could get thousands of dollars worth of books for pocket change. Of course we knew that it was worth a trip to Peabody, Mass. just for the experience. Though the doors opened at 7 AM, Holly and I casually strolled through the doors of the warehouse around 9, (hours after the best items were picked through). We were astonished at the insane atmosphere as people (mostly women) were pulling their roller suitcases and thrusting themselves into any available space to glance at the book selections. We were there for the spectacle...and to get some sweet deals.
My personal highlight was this moment when the Bible table was getting rather empty a couple of guys started bringing boxes containing the second wave of overstocked Bibles. I stood there, somewhat frozen, fascinated by the scene... It was entertaining and heart-breaking. I began to think of so many people who have never owned a Bible, perhaps living in a poverty-stricken country. All the while, we jump all over a table to get our 8th version of the same translation.
In spite of that scene, we'll be going back in November. So make your lists (http://www.christianbook.com) and tip us well. We may find a good deal for you too.
Runaway puppy
Today, Neela ran away. It started with a small bark at the cracked door. As she has learned so skillyfully, certain gates are left open and she can get where she wants. Over the deck, through the pool gate...and poof! She was gone. In mere seconds, her greatest adventure began.
After a full out gallup she reached an open field where large mounds of hay sat by the road. With her nose high in the air, a new aroma breezed in, alerting her of a new kind of creature. She had never seen a horse before, let alone three of them. One was far away grazing at the far side of the fence. The other was walking gracefully by the gate, with a bit of arrogance. The last one was white and stood tall and still within the stable. She approached the window with her casual shyness, but curiousity building. "What do you want?" An old voice from the window above contained a bored and annoyed tone. "Hello!" Neela said, excited to hear a horse speak. "Can't you see we're busy." At this, our dog also realized that she's never heard a British dialect (from humans either). "Ah! Leave the little buggah alone! She ain't hurtin' nobody!" The voice came from the first horse that was eating. "Hey there! Welcome to the fahm!" His Boston (Bahston) accent was thicker than the British she had just heard. But it was kind and light.
"Hi. I've never seen a farm before. I'm from North Carolina and I don't think I've seen a dog as tall as you before!"
"What!?! I ain't no dog...you mean you nevuh met a horse? That's wicked crazy! What are you doing all the wayz up here if youz from down there?"
"Well, actually...we just moved up here. My dad is going to school not far from here. We live down the road." At this a sudden shrill of fear came over the dog as she realized that this was new territory and she wasn't sure how to get back. "I think we live down there." She pointed her nose North and as she did she saw a human running from afar. He had a funny stride, but she decided it was from the flip flops he was wearing...ones like her dad wore. Realizing her predicament and being caught away from home she offered a quick goodbye to her tall friend and scurried toward the furless man.
There's more to the story, but right now, she's reliving the whole thing again in her comfortable, safe bed. Maybe tomorrow she'll meet someone new. Or maybe the newly installed baby gate will remind her that her next adventure will probably be on leash.
Home Sweet Home
Yes, aren't they cute? I think they've gotten used to our new home. The flower bed is just outside our front door. They like to perch there so they can see inside and watch our every move.
As for us, we're getting used to our new home as well. Most boxes are unpacked and we've been enjoying a time of rest before the semester begins. I (Holly) am still on the job hunt. Justin is studying for a pre-seminary exam. We've done a minor amount of exploration and found some cool places. Marblehead and Gloucester are worth a revisit. They are both sailing towns and we found some great parks overlooking the water. We'll take you there when you come visit!
Stars Hollow
Today, I had a revelation. I live in Stars Hollow. I was in the post office and slowly realized that the postal worker lady knew the name of everyone who walked through the door. She knew all the right small talk questions to ask..."How's your daughter? When are you going to Maine?" And the customers knew her as well. She was excited to tell about her new car since the guy she was talking to had worked on her old one. Fascinating. I mean, it's not that living in a small town is unheard of, I just didn't realize that I was moving to one. With it's town hall, quaint homes, and beautiful horse farms, small town New England is quite charming.
Now if I could only find the town troubadour...
If you have no idea where Stars Hollow is, tune into the WB (or the CW in late Sept.) on Tuesdays at 8.
New website!
http://justinlewis78.googlepages.com/
It's free and simple, so of course I would spend a whole day making a site for us.
Where in the world are we?
Yep, that's it. That tiny red spot is Essex County, Mass. It's our new little corner of the world. We're slowly learning the roads, landmarks, and neighboring towns. It's going to take awhile considering the roads aren't adequately marked sometimes and they all have five different names. But we'll get there. Justin's looking at our newly purchased North Shore map as I type. Can't wait for y'all to visit so we can show you around.
(Check out our Flickr photo page - for pics of our trip into the city with Kevin and Haley, our gracious helpers)
GPS & Cell Phones
Things are progressing well. Most of the boxes are gone. The rooms are in place. The dogs are resting comfortably in their bed. It’s quite a lovely sight. And thanks to an amazing offer from Holly’s dad, we have successfully been able to navigate the roads around the North Shore. Friends, GPS is amazing. We have even nicknamed it “Maggie” because it is a Magellan RoadMate. Get it? Maggie…Magellan. Maggie’s sweet little voice tells us to go right…then left. All with a smile on her face.
On related note, we have new cell phones. (They even have GPS on them.) Unfortunately, we cannot get signals most places in the apartment. Awesome. We’d love to put the new numbers here, but due to the psycho-blog-stalkers, we’re not doing that. Use the email contact on the right to reach us and we’ll let you know our new numbers. (That’s your right, my left.)
Welcome to Massachusetts
Well, after many hours on the road, a few stops at Wendy's, and lots of wishing we could only go faster, we have arrived. We've been able to set up the apartment enough to wind our way around half-empty boxes to find our computer and get the updates out to our beloved family and friends. I will update more later, but for now, a video for your viewing pleasure...
9 hours til we hit the road
It's 2 AM. We're very tired...and a bit overwhelmed at the grace (more like mercy) from our beloved friends who stayed with us from 8:30 until 1:00 helping us load the truck. We cannot thank you guys enough. You're amazing!
Overall it was a rough day that started with my lost license and two-hour visit to the DMV. (Bless their hearts!) We also spent some brief time with our family in Archdale. Sad goodbyes, but we're grateful for their love and support. I can truly say that our family has been pretty great about this. Now, if we can just convince them to take a trip up north...
And now, Holly and I are going to collapse for a "nap". We have breakfast with Greg and Emily and some more folks to say goodbye to. Good-bye Winston-Salem. Thank you for 5 great years and for being our first home together. See you in December!
Next post should be from Hamilton, Massachusetts!!!!
Five years...and two days
Today, ladies and gentlemen, is our fifth wedding anniversary. Can you believe it? I must say, it's been five years of wedded bliss. :-) Seriously, we've learned so much about ourselves and each other through our marriage. God has truly blessed our lives with family, friends, church, workplaces, and a community that are irreplaceable.
In honor of our fifth, we will "giving" each other the traditional gift of wood (in the form of our wood furniture that we'll be loading onto the Budget truck) and the modern gift of silverware (found in the Oneida Juilliard pattern that we so love and use daily). Ha - actually, no gifts except the gift of love. It's okay, you can say it, "Awwww."
And yes, two days until we're on the road beginning the Lewises to Boston tour. We've reserved the truck, purchased the plane tickets (for our helpers, Kevin and Haley), and arranged the packing time. The countdown is on. Be praying.
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