Please pray for Tom!

Tom Martin goes in this Monday for an angiogram.
About eight years ago, he had a minor stroke (anything minor about a stroke?) during the same angiogram procedure. His sister, Suzanne, took a job at the hospital so she'll be there for him, and his other sister, Kathy, is staying for the week to help too. In addition to how the Holy Spirit leads you, please pray for a pain free, incident free process.

Petition Granted for Home School Re-hearing!

Court of Appeal Grants Petition for Re-hearing

On March 25, the California Court of Appeal granted a motion for rehearing in the 'In re Rachel L.' case--the controversial decision which purported to ban all homeschooling in that state unless the parents held a teaching license qualifying them to teach in public schools.

The automatic effect of granting this motion is that the prior opinion is vacated and is no longer binding on any one, including the parties in the case.

The Court of Appeal has solicited a number of public school establishment organizations to submit amicus briefs including the
California Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and three California teacher unions. The court also granted permission to Sunland Christian School to file an amicus brief. The order also indicates that it will consider amicus applications from other groups.

Home School Legal Defense Association will seek permission to file such an amicus brief and will coordinate efforts with a number of organizations interesting in filing briefs to support the right of parents to homeschool their children in California.

"This is a great first step," said Michael Farris, chairman of HSLDA. "We are very glad that this case will be reheard and that this opinion has been vacated, but there is no guarantee as to what the ultimate outcome will be. This case remains our top priority," he added.

Finally added pics...

I got a message from a friend saying he was looking forward to seeing my pics of Hyde Park, so they're finally up!
Thanks for the reminder, Wulf!

SNOW!

We had snow for three days! Well, it hasn't been snowing three days straight, but it has snowed off and on for the past three days. It's so beautiful and the flakes are so large and fluffy. Here are a few additional pics from Easter taken before and after church. Before we left, Chloe wouldn't come inside until she'd caught a snowflake on her tongue. After church, we walked to Buckingham Palace, around the fountain out front of B.P., and around St. James Park. Everyone but me had had enough of the cold, so we walked back to the train station and went home for some hot cocoa and biscuits.

Easter Sunday

We've grown to love these incredibly, wonderful people in the short time we've lived here in London. Jano's debut album is almost ready for distribution, Gloria and Alwyn have a new grand daughter (Grace was born to Esther and Tom on March 5th!), and we are stronger Christians for knowing them. Jan, Gloria, and Alwyn join their team in Israel the day after Easter, so this is our last Sunday to see them. I can't even begin to describe how deeply they have touched my heart and inspired my walk with Jesus. Yes, I'm incredibly sad.

If you have questions about the truth of Jesus or you need encouragement in His resurrection, please listen to Alwyn's
Easter Sunday teaching from yesterday.

One of the many things I was caught numb with is how eleven of His disciples denied and abandoned Jesus while He was alive, but after His resurrection, each and every one of them devoted the rest of their lives to tell everyone they could find about Him. They didn't just "preach it", but each one endured continuous torturing, ridicule, mocking, and horrible deaths because they verbalized JESUS IS GOD! I would hope I would not deny Jesus if I were dragged behind a horse tied to a rope, sawn in pieces with a wooden sword whilst still alive, skinned alive before hung on a cross - hanging still alive, or demand to be hung upside down because I'm not worthy to be crucified in the same way Jesus was crucified.

It is very powerful to consider why these men would not admit Jesus was God whilst He was alive, but would endure horrible lives after His death because as much as they'd like to deny Jesus is God, they could no longer. Even Jesus' half-brother admitted Jesus is God. He stopped being concerned how the rest of the world viewed him and told everyone how he was wrong and his half-brother was telling the truth all along.

Why would all eleven men live the rest of their lives in torture for something they made up? a lie? a joke?
They wouldn't.
They didn't.

I just came from a friend of a friend of a friend's blog and had to add it to my own!
"In Michigan, the landscape is covered with a clean white snow in March on Easter weekend! I was thinking of the verse in Isaiah where it says, "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow." I am in awe of a creator who can remove that unremovable stain of sin. A senior citizen of the Kingdom, Jacki"

Isn't that so brilliant!?! The fact that it snowed on Easter Sunday has even more meaning for me now. Thanks Jacki!

Neighbor Artist

I met a wonderful gal yesterday right here in my own neighborhood. I had just taken a picture of the entry next door, when I noticed her. I sure wish I could remember her name. I was so taken by her relaxed pose, sitting there with the sun on her face and creating something artistic. The scene was magnetic. I had to say, "Ello!" I even got so "forward" as to ask to see what she was creating. She showed me the beginnings of her piece and I was so envious! I told her so. Then, I got even more "forward" and asked if I could take her picture. This kind of intrusion just isn't done in London, but she was so inspiring that I had to share a piece of her inspiration! Not only that, she was incredibly warm and kind. As we talked, I learned that she teaches art classes and that she hopes to live in Maine one day. I can totally see her in Maine, continuously producing incredibly inspiring works of art. I also learned that we are surrounded by art classes and that I could have been taking them as I lived here, but alas, we are moving in ten days.

I hope to see her again. Who knows? Maybe I'll see her in Maine.

***She wrote me and her name is Maryclare!***

Tombstone Walls

The air was crisp and the sun was warm. It was a gorgeous day to walk around these church grounds (though the very intricate soul of my shoe found some poo).

I'm not sure why the walls around this Greenwich church property are lined with tombstones, but they are. Even the school playground is lined with tombstones.










The last pic is a row of houses looking over the church grounds. Hmmm. I'm not sure what I think about dwelling in a house with a view of tombstones. Some of the tombstones are still readable. I wish I'd take a picture of the entire stone shown above. Sarah, the wife of Joshua, died when she was only 44 years of age in the year 1790. Interestingly, most of the readable tombstones show ages much younger, like in the twenties and thirties.

Moments with My Love

The bad news is, the system at Dave's work deleting files over night. The good news is, it didn't delete any Narnia files. Phew!
The bad news is, there's nothing for him to do, but wait and see if it can be fixed. The good news is, he's coming home for lunch and we get to see him!

He came home and we all had lunch together. Then, he and I got to escape for a bit. This is only the second time we've been able to hang out "alone". We didn't know where to go, but as we walked under the archway from Greenwich Market, we passed this guy leaning on a wall, sipping from a very small paper cup. I asked him if he knew a place to get a great cup of coffee, and he said, "My shop!" as he pointed across the street.
Dodging traffic and the pouring rain, we had the most marvelous cup of coffee at George of Greenwich. We even treated ourselves to a slice of whipped cream cheese and black cherry pie - mmm, mmm! We sat inside, though it was like we were outdoors. The service was perfectly thoughtful, as though we entered someone's classy home.
Anyone who's been to London knows why I had to post this pic of the bathroom ~ nice, eh?

Though short, we had a wonderful time together. We grasp every chance we can to see each other. I love that guy!

Then, "Screech!" went the romance. The bus we took home stopped and the driver told all of us to get off. Humph. Another adventure! We waited patiently for another 177 to arrive whilst everyone around us seemed not a bit concerned.

While waiting, I met a gal wearing a hat she purchased at her church in East London, but I can't remember the name of the church. Her hat was quite bold with names of Jesus tastefully embroidered all over it. She was the first "out there" Christian I'd met whilst on the streets of London. Just as we were getting a good conversation going, I noticed Dave was heading toward a bus I hadn't even noticed arrive. I smiled and jumped on board with the rest of the soggy crew.

I have no way of describing how wonderful it was to hang with my love. I allowed myself to be engulfed in the moment and absorb every second. It was kinda like a big, warm hug that I knew was going to end, but it would take me through the day until I saw him again as he kissed me good-bye, leaving for work the next morning.

Beads!

The Bead Shop (blue shop down the street), Bead Aura, and the London Bead Shop are three of the places Shelley took us to today! K and I were in 'bead heaven' for hours! Being the bead freak I am, I wasn't sure if we'd see anything different in London that we'd seen all over California, Idaho, and on the internet. Beads come from all over the world and are shipped all over the world, so I was pleasantly surprised to find some treasures to purchase and bring home to create (when I find my beading tools that is). Weee! What fun we had and what ideas we discovered. It's a good thing we didn't know about these shops earlier in our travels. Shelley was apologizing for waiting so long to show them to us, but I'm sure God knew what He was doing making it possible only 'til now. : )

Cafe Eterno

This is "the place" to eat whilst in Covent Garden! I met Shelley at Wulf and Jane's house on New Year's Day. Today, one of the places she took us was this hidden treasure ~ yum!

Café Eterno
34 Neal Street
Covent Garden
London WC2H 9PS
Tel: 020 7240 1599

I love the aclectic decor and colorful paint. The food is absolutely yummy and the service unbeatable. You'd be crazy not to stop in, even for a bit.

From their website:
"Café Eterno is a young, hip, and vibrant café in the centre of Covent Garden. Yet it’s not just a cafe; it’s a café experience with a revolutionary theme: Christianity. This is reflected through our staff - the way we care and serve people.

The best recommendation we can give you is the opinion of our customers. Here is a quote from an American customer, ‘I found what I wanted - and much more than an espresso - by accident in Neal Street . . . a café that serves a healthy and delightful range of food and drinks, in cosy and brightly coloured surroundings.’

The first thing you’ll notice when you enter our café is the warm welcome you’ll receive and the friendly atmosphere. We have people from all around the world who use our café, so we need to be open and understanding to the various needs that people have. The café has been described as a tranquil haven in a busy city. A place for good food and reflection."

The Cafe is sponsored by the London City Mission. No, the American quoted above is not me. : )

Wicked

With the yearbook complete and our time almost up in London, K and I celebrated by seeing Wicked at London's Apollo Victoria!
Our original plans were to get all "dolled up", but London's weather and public transportation pretty much scratched that possibility. We did our best to look cute, but the wind and rain had its fun on us. Nevertheless, we had a great time and were giddy all day until the show ended. It was fantastic!!!

Yearbook deadline met! Do I hear AMEN?!?

Thank you my faithful SBFA yearbook team and our faithful editors. Together, we have accomplished the task of meeting our final Jostens' deadline! I can't thank you all enough. I know it must have been challenging with K and I living across the pond, but you all did a great job. A special thanks to Kris for stepping in as my shadow! (I can't wait to talk with you about how things "really" went.) You've been brilliant!
I'm sure you're all anticipating the arrival of our actual yearbooks, so hang tight and we'll celebrate together when they arrive!
I really can't thank you all enough. I know the SBFA Board is surprised and relieved the yearbook went as well as it did too!

Hyde Park Guided Walk

We booked a guided walk of Hyde Park today and it was wonderful! It's geared toward adults, but I brought my kids 'cuz I knew they'd get a lot out of it ~ and they did!

As it turns out, the guy who led the walk today is originally from Kentucky, but lived the last forty years in Malibu where he and his wife are directors of Pepperdine University! He also taught in Northridge, but I forget the proper name - possibly CSU Northridge. His name is Fred Strache and his wife is Caroline. Check it out - They have a London Internship!

Anywho, it was fun to hear from a guy who informed our group of walkers that Americans have more than one accent. They found that surprising, but I knew that! Just as the English have several accents, so do we Americans. I walked and talked with Richard, the other volunteer guide with Royal Parks, about dialects. Since he was "herding the cattle" (the group was much larger than they are used to), I lagged behind to learn even more about London and England. It was great! He's a crack up and was great with K and M too. We had our own private tour guide by our side!




Our walk was called, "Royal Parks Guided Art & Architecture Walk of Hyde Park, Part 1". For more info on various guided walks, please check out the below information. You won't be disappointed!


That's it for now. I've got to get back to working on our SBFA yearbook . . .

For park tours, contact Nick (he's pictured above, talking to our group)
Nick Lane
Education & Community Engagement Officer
Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, & Brompton Cemetery
nlane@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk
# (020) 7298 2083

Need to catch up!

It's already March and I haven't blogged since I was told Larry Norman died. I've been absorbing myself in his music 24/7. My kids knew of him, but now they know much more! It's been quite awesome to talk about his passion, vision, life, insight, etc. and to discuss with my kids matters he sang about. I'm told he wasn't very good with keeping in touch, but the same can't be said about him bringing Jesus to each and every person he met. He was a true evangelist with a heart for reaching the lost and showing them the One Way. My eyes and ears are open and anticipating how God will use Larry's physical death to bring Him the glory He deserves. I'm looking forward to hearing Larry in concert again when I get to Heaven!

The second reason I haven't blogged is because I'm working towards the final deadline for our SBFA yearbook. Every free moment is given to its completion. K has helped a lot and has been great ~ this being her second year on the yearbook team. Along with our team in the states, it's been great to accomplish this project together with her. We can't wait to see the finished book!

We'll be taking in as much of England as we can in these final weeks whilst we watch our time zoom by.