Higher Things - Day 2

Day 2 was a busy day. We are getting better at navigating the campus, but the walks are still way long! In addition to the plenary session in the morning, we had three breakaway sessions to go to. Here are some pictures for you . . .

Here's what our chapel for the week looks like. It is inside the fieldhouse, hence the football field we're on!

Three pictures of waiting for services to begin . . .

Here is George - yes, George our seminarian/vicar  is here! - teaching his breakaway section.

Here is yours truly at the end of my breakaway section last night, flexing my muscles! 

My breakaway went just okay, I thought. A bit rough. Part of the problem was that Evening Prayer ended just five minutes before it was to begin, but there is a 15-20 minute walk to get to it! Then we had trouble getting the hook-up to the projector to work, so I got started kind of late and it threw things off kilter for a bit. I'll get another chance to teach it this afternoon.

We got a group photo (almost - one missing!), but it didn't turn out the best. I think we might try again today to get a better one.

And then part of the entertainment last night was a petting zoo! Patagonian Cavis and all!

Then, as if that weren't enough, after getting back to the dorm around 10 pm, played some frisbee in the dark and then I led Compline for some groups in our dorm at 11:30. So . . . not a lot of sleep last night! But a good day. :-)

Higher Things - Day 1

Well, the Higher Things - Nashville conference began today. Yesterday was our main travel day, leaving early, winding through Virginia picking kids up, and then driving most of the way here. We stopped about 1.5 hours east of Nashville for the night.

Seven Athanasians squashed into our van.

We got on the road early again this morning and were able to check-in before lunch. Everything went very smoothly. The opening service was great, as usual, though the sound system could have been better. Then we had the first plenary, dinner, Evening Prayer, and the first breakout sessions.

Plenary room.

The only complaint I have has nothing to do with Higher Things and everything to do with Vanderbilt. The campus is huge, difficult to navigate, confusing, and they put us in buildings at far ends of the campus! Check out the map:

I realize it is too little to read, but here's the gist: the big red building at the lower left is the fieldhouse, where all the worship services are. The red building on the lower right are the dorms we are staying in, and the red buildings at the top of the page are where many of the breakout sessions are held. The light blue buildings in the middle are an enormous hospital complex. The distance from the dorms to the fieldhouse (I was told) is about a mile, which means the distance from the fieldhouse to the breakout buildings would be around the same. And that's if you could walk a straight line - but you can't! Nothing here is straight or easy. As a result, things are starting late and there is frustration trying to navigate the campus. 

Hopefully we'll do better tomorrow! We are going to hear one of our seminarians, Vicar George Fields, present his breakout session tomorrow, and then I will teach one in the evening as well. Right now it's time to catch up on some e-mails and then turn in. We're all pretty tired. 

Ode to a Daughter

I haven't posted in a while - had some thoughts, but not much motivation or time. But wanted to boast on my daughter a bit, who graduated from High School last week . . .

I'll start with one of my favorite pictures of her when she was little:

Mischievous

Though still a bit mischievous, look at how she has grown . . .

Talented

Smart

Beautiful

Loving

A daughter to be proud of.

She is at VCU today for orientation. She'll major in music (performance? education? both?). But how fortunate I am that God blessed me with her.