On the summit

On the summit, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Last Friday, I drove to Seneca Rocks with my brother, nephew, dad, sister, and brother-in-law. Together we hiked to the top of the rocks. This is my third such pilgrimmage in the last month. This time, I had the privilege of sharing the journey with my family.

My brother, interestingly enough, also recently hiked to the summit of Mount Whitney in California. While the views were significantly different, the appreciation of the summit was highly similar I'm sure.

So this week, we all returned to our "normal" routines. I returned to Morgantown to fully engage in the prep work involved in opening a cafe, as well as the work involved with preparing a church, and a college ministry for the arrival of approximately 27,000 students. My brother returned to the busyness of caring for his wife and son and balancing responsibilities to work, family, and community in his daily life.

My dad and sister and brother in law returned to not having us around, not waking up and planning out what we would do as a family, not sharing hikes, laughs, and quality time together.

It's been a period of adjustment. But isn't that the case with life. We are always going through periods of adjustment. Some days we are on the summit, and the view is beautiful, and the wind is blowing our hair across our face. And then some days are like a valley that gets no air, and it seems somewhat sufficating.

In the middle of it all, God remains constant. God walks with us in tough times. God is our sustainance and our hope.

Sunday I was talking with my dad and sister briefly en route from a baptism at our church in Morgantown where over 60 people were baptized, and they mentioned that one of our relatives had a stroke. My sister called yesterday afternoon to tell me that the same relative, Lizzie Cooper, went to be with Jesus yesterday.

Lizzie was an amazing woman of God, and an inspiration to many. Her departure was both sudden and unexpected. She was just recently teasing my dad because he missed Sunday school (he came up to Morgantown that weekend).

Now she is with my mom who is with Jesus. Everything is better than being on the summit for them. For us, we will continue to grow and persevere in faithfulness, using our time, our efforts, and our talents to glorify our maker Who is the true satisfaction of our lives. We will remember the summits, but even more we will remember the One who gave us the summit. We will lament the valleys, but even more we will praise the One who rescues us from an eternity far worse than any temporal valley.

Big Bloom

Big Bloom, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

A little over a week ago, my sunflowers finally bloomed. When the bloom started to come out, they hit a growth spurt and shot up an additional 1-2 feet. This particular flower is over 10 feet tall.

I'm so glad I added these flowers to my garden. I have no idea how I am going to harvest the seeds or extract any oil from them, but sometimes we just need to see and remember beauty.

I've felt a need to be extremely pragmatic and efficient with my time and efforts over the last few days, and this flower is a reminder that you can be efficient and pragmatic and still let beauty shine. The sunflower's broad leaves and thick stalk are two traits that reflect it's effeciency and pragmatism. There is no way a plant could grow this tall without having those broad leaves to catch the sun's rays and a thick stem to give itself support.

The flower uses its limited resources to grow and develop so that it can flourish. In our lives we have limited resources of time and money (among many other things). How effectively do we use them? Is something beautiful coming out of our efficiency and pragmatism? Is there something coming out of our efforts that makes people pause and say--what a wonderful gift, and what a beautiful use of resources.

As we put in long hours this week on the cafe and in preparation for the return of students this is my prayer. It's also my prayer for you. That you would use the gifts, skills, and talents that the Creator of the universe has given you to bring beauty into your world--that He may be glorified through your efforts!

Del Monte Cup

Del Monte Cup, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Friday night, history happened! Some of my cousins had a bunch of us over for a summertime bar-b-q. It was a great evening of sharing stories, laughing together, and simply being family.

And then, I was introduced to a new game, and a new competition was born. I don't know, maybe you have heard of cornhole before, but I hadn't. Sure, I have seen people playing a game with what I thought were bean-bags before WVU football games, but I never took the time to find out exactly what was going on.

This game is a blast. I watched some of my cousins play the first round, and then my brother and I took on my dad and my uncle Bill. Then, my sister and her husband Ray stepped on the field of play. They totally dominated. Their only loss was in an overtime (tiebreaker) against a young duo of one of my second cousins and his buddy. (They later trounced the same team.)

Little did we know that there were stakes involved. (Although we had eaten steaks for supper earlier). The now famed "Del Monte Cup" was the prize for the top team of the evening. Now my sister and her husband are the envy and the target for the rest of the family. Serious training is under way. Who knows when the next competition will come about, but I know that I for one want to be ready. After all, it isn't just about bragging rights--the "Del Monte Cup" travels with the top team. I think it would look good on a shelf in a prominent position in my house.

The only problem is, I imagine there is a similar sentiment all through my family . . .

Watermelon

Watermelon, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Over the last week, I have been traveling a lot. I've logged over 1000 miles on my car in my travels. My brother and nephew have been in town, and it has been awesome.

Over the last week, I have driven to Morgantown four diferent times. I've been privileged to share a lot of what I do vocationally with my brother, my nephew, my sister, and my dad during those times.

It has also been crunch time for me and the people I work with as the beginning of the school year is just around the corner. Folks have been working really hard to get sozo ready, and to get ready to welcome the 27,000+ students who will be arriving in Morgantown in a little over a week.

And I've got a watermelon in my garden. I'm pretty fascinated by the watermelon in general. I mean, just think, from a single little seed there are several feet of watermelon vine in my yard, and now watermelons are starting to grow along that vine. One tiny little seed is producing that. I'll probably talk more about that thought in another blog in the future, but today, I've been thinking about this aspect of the watermelon.

As I deal with the joyful fatigue of pouring my life into family, community, and vocation, I think about the watermelon. It starts as a tiny little seed, that yields its life to yield all of the vine and all of the fruit. From that seed, God takes it, and expands it, and makes it something far greater than outward appearance lets on.

I think that's kind of like our lives. As we yield ourselves to the Creator, He takes our small lives, and makes them grand. He stretches us, and we have a greater capacity to love, to give, and to yield fruit. As I have been driving and doing over the last few days, I have felt extremely stretched. But when I look at the variety of beautiful experiences I've been part of, I get a vision of what God has been doing in me.

When we lay down our lives for others, we have no idea the beauty and the fruit it produces.

Sunflower Bud

Sunflower Bud, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Saturday evening, while enjoying some fresh cooked squash from the garden with my roommates, I noticed a change in the row of sunflowers I had grown. They all had buds. I wanted to capture a decent photo of one of these buds, but in order to even get this angle I had to climb on top of a chair.

I don't know how much you know about sunflowers, but I've been trying to glean as much as I can from watching these broad leaf plants grow. These particular sunflowers can grow up to sixteen feet tall. I can recall memories of little league and mouthfuls of sunflower seeds tucked into my cheek (when I wasn't chewing rain-blo bubble gum, or, for special occasions, big league chew). My sister woudl get sunflower seeds for an after school snack too, and my first experience with these seeds was probably bumming them from my sister.

But I haven't seen too many sunflowers in my day. We had a few planted on my tribe's ceremonial grounds a few years back, but that garden didn't lend itself well to day-to-day observation. Honestly, I just remember seeing huge drooping flowers.

I planted the sunflowers in the garden this year because I thought they would look cool, and I wondered how tall they would get. I also figured they would make a cool "pole" on which some of my beans could grow.

I used to think that the sunflower got it's name because it looked like a big yellow sun when it was fully mature. But after some observations I'm beginning to see other reasons. For one, the sunflower grows taller than any other plant in the garden--so its like they are growing closer to the sun than any other plant in the garden. They shoot straight up. Their huge leaves absorb massive amounts of sunlight. And, the sunflower bud is called heliotropic. It likes the sun and the bud actually moves during the day. It points eastward in the morning, and gradually moves west as the day progresses. This photo was taken around 6.30PM on saturday, so can you guess where the sun might have been in the sky based on where the bud is pointing?

I've been learning a lot about spirituality from this garden. The sunflower has been teaching me about standing strong--it's stalk is probably 1-2 inches thick at its base. It not only firmly roots itself in the earth, but also, it keeps an intense focus on the sun. It's leaves open widely to receive whatever blessings might come from above. When I think about this flower and what it understands about survival, I am shamed in my faith. How often do I keep that kind of focus, that kind of thankfulness and supplication, those firm roots? May we all aspire demonstrate this kind of devotion to the One who makes the sun rise and who is the true sustainer of all life.

Anticipation

Anticipation, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This picture was taken on June 3, 2007. We had just attended my dad's church, eaten some lunch, and Dad wanted to show my brother and nephew this place called fort boreman hill. Oddly enough, we didn't plan to color coordinate our attire--it just happened that way.

That river running behind us is the Ohio River. For generations, my family has lived along that river. When we needed time to think or to pray, we've journeyed to that river. It's been a place for us to go to remember, to reflect, and to contemplate the future.

It has also been a place for us to go make new memories like the one you see.

Today, I will travel across that river on my way to pick up my brother. It has been nearly two months since that day we hung out at fort boreman hill. It's weird when I think back to that day. The day before, my mom led us all through a wonderful and emotional spiritual experience. We were hopeful that mom would be home from the hospital soon. We had no idea that she wasn't coming to the place where dad and she had lived, but instead she went to her eternal home.

Tonight, i get to hang out with my other brother, Willie. I get to pick up my older brother chuck, and his son. I get to spend time with family. Everything I've been doing lately pales in comparison with that privilege. I truly can't wait to be on my way to columbus to pick them up. I think we will be returning to Morgantown the next day.

It's a really busy time of year for me as the return of students is fast approaching, but I'm looking forward to spending many spare moments in close community and fellowship with my family! I'm honored to be able to pick him up, and can't wait for our reunion!

Of course he is also pretty excited too I imagine. Among other things, he will probably be receiving his name while he is here. Plus, he gets to be reunited with family, and being with people you love and love you, that's pretty cool!

Corn Flower

Corn Flower, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I certainly hope folks aren't getting tired of pictures from my garden. I'm just so fascinated by the thing that I keep taking pictures and writing notes and exploring all that is going on in this little square of my yard. To me, it is just soooo cool that from a few seeds, some dirt, some water, and sunshine emerge all of these plants. I remember when there was nothing in that little square of my yard, and now--it's going like gangbusters.

So I've been learning some stuff about corn. Of course Indigenous people here in america are credited with giving corn to the world. In shawnee the word is Tah-MEE. Our three main ceremonies of the year celebrate God's gift of corn to the people. In fact, there is a ceremony that comes up in August called the "green corn ceremony" ; it celebrates the arrival of corn for the people and the provision of God for food for another season.

My old chief used to talk about corn and corn flowers in such beautiful terms--I may blog more about it in the future. You see, what most of us call corn silk is actually a corn flower. What we call corn tassels, is also a corn flower. The corn silk is the female flower. My ancestors used to talk of the cornflower as the hair of a beautiful maiden who gave of herself to provide for the people. Each strand of corn silk goes down into the husk to one kernel of corn. It's almost like the cornflower is really a bouquet of cornflowers. Each strand nurturing one seed, one kernal, one gift of life.

It's pretty amazing when you think about it. In a day where most of us get our food from a grocery store, it's kind of cool to think about where that food comes from. Somebody has to grow it. Somebody has to plant a seed, and it takes a measure of faith to believe that little seed will grow into a plant that will produce beautiful flowers and food.

So when I look at these beautiful strands of "hair", I'm reminded of the One who gives life and nurtures each one of us. The One who provides every good and perfect gift. The One who lays down his life--unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Pretty amazing that so much comes out of this beautiful, and yet unexpected flower. Be sure to take a moment as you enjoy the provision, to thank the provider.

Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

My garden is growing like crazy. I've been trying to make it a tradition to go out every morning and enjoy these beautiful blossoms. My old chief used to say that if you spent enough time with a blossom, you would see God. I think there's a lot of truth to that statement. After all, the book of romans says that his eternal power and divine nature can be seen in what is made. It's like he has left His fingerprints everywhere, and we just have to look around.

I was pretty stoked about how this picture turned out, because for some reason I have a hard time with the macro function on my camera. But this picture captured many of the waterdrops that were gathering on this butternut squash blossom. I'm really looking forward to eating some butternut squash soup later this summer and fall--it's absolutely delicious. Isn't it amazing how lenses can bring out some of the details, like the waterdrops, or the tiny hair like texture of the flower itself. Absolutely amazing how much detail is in this one little blossom. In the movie The Last Samurai, one of the main characters says a man spend his whole life looking for the perfect blossom, and it won't be a life wasted. That's the thing about beauty--it's worth searching for--it's worth treasuring.

There's something beautful about these flowers. And I think there is something about beauty that we hunger for in our world. It's like when we are close to it,or more realistically, when we open our eyes and become aware of it, something comes alive in us.

Take some time today, or this weekend and enjoy the good earth God has created. Go for a hike. Spend time with family. Soak in the beauty that is all around. I believe it will restore and renew your soul. As you do it, keep in mind the source of all beauty. Like John Piper said in that video earlier this week. Let's enjoy the Giver over the gift--He is behind every good and perfect thing that we enjoy--and He is the source of true joy and beauty.

Sister

Sister, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This past saturday, I drove down to Parkersburg to surprise my dad and sister! Last Thursday, my sister had a big chunk of skin on the back of her leg surgically removed in an effort to insure the melanoma she was diagnosed with was thoroughly eradicated. The surgery (and simultaneous skin graft) insure her with 96% confidence that the melanoma should be completely gone.

Anyway, she's been having a tough time. She has to be extremely careful with the skin graft, and her leg has been incredibly sore over the last few days. She is accustomed to walking several miles a day, and for the next few days her walking will need to be significantly curtailed. Not only that, she's been doing a lot of lying on her side too. She has really been a trooper through it all!

So today, she gets some of the bandaids taken off her leg and skin graft area, and she is attempting to return to work.

My sister is gentle and lady-like, but she is also tough as nails, just like our momma. I'm so thoroughly proud of my sister for the way she has gone through this challenge.

And then this morning I read something in scripture that I feel is an encouragement to anybody like my sister who is facing tough times.

In Deuteronomy 1.30, it says, "The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes."

When we are going through those tough times, the LORD is with us, and He fights for us. Just like He did, when we were slaves in "Egypt".

Going through a challenge? Remember the LORD who fights for you, who rescued you, and who gives you the ability to stand.

John Piper on the prosperity gospel

The last week has been a busy week for me, and I've been unable to post a lot to my blog, but I look forward to changing that this week. There's been so much on my mind lately--so many things God is teaching me, and breaking my heart with.

Like this video. My best friend on the planet(and my brother) , Willie, sent me this video. It's a 3 minute video, so it won't take much of your time. It's from a sermon John Piper gave in Birmingham, AL.

I watch it, and it pierces my heart. While I am writing this little children are dying unnecessarily.

My friend Jake wrote this little paragraph about a farmer he met while doing research in Kenya.
"She was young, but you could read the years of struggling to survive in the lines on her face. She had four small children. Her small, ¾ acre farm did not produce enough for her to adequately feed her family. She couldn’t afford to buy the badly needed fertilizer to enrich her nutrient-depleted soil. In fact, the yield her land produced was only enough to feed her family for four months out of the year. The other eight months she (in her own words), “relied on the grace of God” to be able to feed her family. During the hunger season, she would routinely have to leave her children in the early morning to go hire herself out to work on other farms all day – earning about 75 cents a day – so that she could afford to buy the family’s one meal of the day. Each child would have a cup of tea in the morning and some corn flour porridge or ugali for his one meal at night when she got home. This extreme level of malnutrition has greatly weakened Josephine’s children. The young ones may not make it. She has already lost five children…their young, malnutritioned bodies finally succumbed to malaria because she could not afford mosquito nets to protect the children or malaria medication to treat the disease."
As you start the week this week, I pray that you will think about people like Josephine (the farmer). I pray that you will join with me in prayer about being part of the solution.

The needs in our world are so great. God has called His people to work toward meeting those needs.

It breaks my heart when I am confronted with these realities. When I come face-to-face with the fact that we have brothers and sisters in the world who are suffering and dying because they can't eat, or because they have illnesses that are treatable--it breaks my heart. I have friends who are working on sustainable solutions to these problems.

In the end, I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope that anyone in this world really has. I also know that part of a reflection of that gospel is that we who have found Jesus are empowered to care more deeply for the poor, for the environment, for the sick, and the needy, because we know this brings glory to God, and it witnesses to His great love.

Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, mind soul, and strength.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

I'm praying for creative ways that I can love my neighbor, by caring both for their spiritual needs, and for their physical needs as well.

So there's some heavy thoughts for a monday! Pray with me!

Rise Above

Rise Above, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This past Thursday evening, my dad and I drove up to our fish camp together to camp out and cut our grass. But that’s not all.

Early Friday morning, we woke up and got on the road, and my hybrid was challenged on some 9-10% grades as we traveled from our camp to Seneca Rocks. It was my second time visiting the state park this week. I think this is one of my dad’s favorite places to visit. There’s something refreshing that happens when you climb to the summit of Seneca Rocks.

Aside from the beautiful view of the valley below, Spruce Knob, and North Fork Mountain, something happens inside. You start to get a little different perspective. Maybe that’s what folks mean sometimes when they talk about a mountain top experience.

You see, I think climbing to the top of those rocks gave me and Dad some fresh perspective (and fresh air!). When you are looking down at the valley below, and see where you’ve come from, you feel like any problems you have are down in that valley too, and they aren’t nearly as big as they once appeared.

We spent a couple of hours on top of the rock, and then the people started coming up. We felt like it was probably time for us to go at that point. As we passed by others on the trail, we both found ourselves wondering if the people we passed would make it to the top. Would they get discouraged and turn around? Would they run out of steam?

Sometimes it seems like the odds are against you as you seek to attain goals. Sometimes problems emerge when you least expect it, and for a moment, it seems they will overwhelm you. There’s something about hiking that trail to the summit that teaches about perseverance too. Step by step, taking our time, we made it to the summit, and then we returned to our car.

Our problems, our fears, our anxieties, somehow seemed less significant and less overwhelming when we returned to the car, and when we eventually returned home. The problems didn’t go away (they rarely ever do) but the perspective and the refreshment we experienced during our brief stay on the mountaintop gave us hope and perseverance.

I think sometimes God gave us the hills so we could rise above our circumstances from time to time to get a fresh perspective—do you need some time on a hill top—even if you can’t go to Seneca, you can experience that refreshment by slowing down and letting Jesus give you the rest that he offers. The problems may still be there, but you will be refreshed and renewed if you take a little time for fresh perspective.

Tenacious Faith

Tenacious Faith, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I just thought this picture was kind of fun. It was taken as I hung from the edge of a 1000 foot cliff at the summit of Seneca Rocks.

Yesterday evening, me and a few of my friends had an awesome little faith venture in the wilderness of West Virginia. It all started with a trip to my family’s cabin in on the Shaver’s Fork of the Cheat River. It was the first time I had been down to the camp since it was purchased. Before we left we were thinking about a 1000 different things we might be able to do down there, including fishing, but when you leave late in the afternoon, your options are limited.

We decided that we would make the camp a quick stop and then proceed to Seneca Rocks. The whole time was cool because there’s something about the departure from the typical day-to-day grind that affords a person with a degree of clarity about the important things in life. God, others, and growing to be a better human being. Our conversation centered around our cultures, our upbringing, and what God had been teaching us. We shared lessons learned, prayed, sang and even spent some time enjoying the view from the top of the rocks. It was a truly beautiful time. Again, getting away from the busy-ness of the usual was a truly refreshing departure. (I’m hoping to do something similar with my dad soon!)

Everything about our day seemed perfectly choreographed—it had been a truly wonderful time. After we came back from the summit, we decided it was time to head back home. We thought it would be fun to go to the Purple Fiddle and grab a bite to eat on the way back. As we started the journey, I felt prompted to pray that God would allow us to have discernment as we approached Thomas as to whether we should go hang out at the fiddle, and that if we did that we would be able to be a testimony to others and find favor among the folks who were there. (there’s always music there on Saturday night, and generally I think it is free). Just as I finished praying, Jeremiah noticed that we were running out of gas. We were somewhere between Harman and Thomas at that point.

I knew there was a gas station at Thomas, and when we arrived there, it was CLOSED!
We had gas to get us 19 miles. It was 15 miles to Red House and 24 miles to Oakland, MD. So we decided to try to make the drive to Maryland, and we began praying that God would stretch our gas (in the middle of the hills of WV), and that he would give us wisdom for the journey. About six miles outside of Thomas, we realized that Jeremiah could use the Nav Computer in his car to find the nearest gas station. It told us that there was a Sheetz 11 miles away in Parsons. That meant we had 3 miles to spare. But then, when we turned around and it calculated the travel distance we actually had 19 miles. Again we sought the Lord that he would make our 13 miles of fuel last the 19 miles of the journey.

We drove and prayed and held onto faith. We remarked that God must not have wanted us at the purple fiddle last night. We also watched as we began to make up mileage—Parsons is downhill from Thomas. So we watched and we prayed and we saw that God stretched our faith and our gasoline and delivered us as we arrived at the sheets with an estimated mile left in the tank.
As soon as we arrived in Parsons, I walked down to the river (and got totally soaked!) and picked up four stones. I kept one, and gave the remaining three to my friends. I explained that these were “ebeneezer” stones, or “stones of remembrance”. They could be just a little something that we could look upon later and say to God “Hither by Thy help I’m come”.
Reflecting on it as we drove back and made the journey home, we all were left to think about how intimately interested in “little things” (like running out of gas on a country road in a middle of a thunderstorm) our God is. The hairs on our head are numbered. And then, we started thinking about all of the times God has brought us through.
What about you? Do you ever take time to reflect upon God’s provision for you—how has He proven Himself faithful to you? You can leave a comment and share, or even better, simply spend time with your Creator in thanksgiving, and tell a friend about his amazing provision!

Becky on the Road

Becky on the Road, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Well, I was on the phone with my brother earlier today, and we realized something. It has been four weeks since my mom left this earth--and it is also four weeks until he and my nephew arrive back east for a brief visit.

Four weeks have gone by. I can hardly believe it. Sometimes it seems like something from the distant past, like a dream almost. Other times it is like it is something that is happening right now as we walk through the memories of our wonderful mom, and continue to deal with the adjustments that come from the loss of a loved one.

And just yesterday, I received a phone call from my sister. You see, we're all talking a lot more now, but this call was different. She had recently had a mole removed and she found out the results of that removal yesterday. It was a melanoma.

Thankfully it was caught early. It was really small (like 1mm). She found out today, that there's a 96% chance that it was entirely removed, but there is going to be some follow up work to insure that is the case.

Four weeks, and now my sister and our family have a new challenge. We all feel very confident that my sister will be fine, but just the same, we would appreciate the prayers. Her cancer is at stage 1A so she was able to catch it early.

At this point, there is very little left to do but wait for a final confirmation test, and then my sister will begin a process of 3-4 check ups per year and closely monitoring the site. She's doing fine and really keeping her spirits up in the middle of it all, but she (and the rest of us) are still just a little anxious.

If you would, please take a second right now and lift her up in prayer, specifically that God would comfort her and give her peace in the middle of an anxious situation.

Four weeks, and my dad is hearing this news about his daughter. Four weeks, and it seems like the world expects thing to go back to the daily grind. Four weeks, and soon my brother and nephew will be joining us again. Four weeks, and now it's time to celebrate independence. Personally, I would rather revel in the fact that we have a great community of loving friends and family who help us bear one another's burdens.

As we look to the future (just like Becky is looking out ahead in this picture), we can be comforted in the fact that we know God is good, and He is truly our sustainance and help in every situation.

Squash Blossom

Squash Blossom, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Over the last few days I've grown fascinated with my garden. In particular I've been mesmerized by the blooming of squash blossoms. I don't know a ton about the plant, or about the blossom itself except that my ancestors were also fascinated with the squash blossom. Folks used to put a squash blossom design on knife pouches, personal bags, moccassins, etc. Until I witnessed the blossom myself, I was a little perplexed by this intense interest--but there is something magical about this flower. (If you click on the image, you can see a bee in the upper right corner of the picture--I think he too is mesmerized.)

Even this spring when I traveled to Michigan and spent some time among our tribal cousins, the ojibwe, I saw squash blossoms everywhere. In the hotel where I stayed, squash blossoms were carved into the design of the woodwork, and a feature in the flooring, the paintings, and even the carpeting.

The blossoms close as the day progresses, and they open to their fullest late at night and in the early morning hours. I captured this photo at around 8AM this morning.

My ancestors not only and planted and ate squash, but also enjoyed eating squash blossoms--I've eaten two of the blossoms that had fallen to the ground from the rain. There's something cool about beginning to eat from my garden, and the squash blossom has been a first fruits of sorts.

Seeing these beautiful flowers has made me miss my mom tremendously. I would love to talk to her and ask her questions about these beautiful flowers. I would love to share this image with her, but I can't. I can enjoy these flowers though, and I can take time to appreciate their beauty and their splendor.

I've spent a good bit of time sitting with these flowers over the last few days, and trying to think about what made them so significant to my ancestors--I imagine it's probably the same things that capture my imagination with them.

I bet my ancestors were reminder of beauty by these flowers. The frailty of the bloom probably reminded them to walk gently on the earth, and to be gentle with the creation God had entrusted to our care. Not only did they see beauty in these flowers, but perhaps they were reminded to look for beauty, and to look for God's hand of provision in all of the world. Maybe the fact that the blossom's closed every day as the day progressed told them that sometimes you have to get up early or make some extra effort, and spend a lot of time around an entity to see its beauty unfold. Maybe as they ate the blossoms they were reminded that ultimately it is God who provides our sustenance. maybe they were reminded of community because the flowers emerge in clusters and not alone. Maybe the vine of the plant pointed them to the beautiful weaving together that happens when we live in community with one another.

Whatever the case, as long as the blossoms linger, I plan to make their presence a part of my daily meditation. The Bible tells us, "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made" (Romans 1:20). Maybe in the end, these little blossoms told my ancestors, and are telling me and maybe even telling you, about Jesus--if only we have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Walking in the Wilderness

Traveling, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Last weekend, we made some really grand plans of traveling to our fishing camp near Elkins, WV. When the weekend came however, we found ourselves without the energy that we needed to make the trip. We had the desire, but in the end, after discussing the travel we decided to stick around home.

Willie and his family came to visit, and we all took a hike through a wildlife refuge near parkersburg, WV. I traveled down from Morgantown Friday afternoon, and we began doing what people typically do when they get together for a limited time.

We tried to plan and do too much. Somehow, we believe that we can do more in one day (or a couple of days) than what is reasonable or even possible. Do you ever find yourself in this situation?

I think part of the problem is that we don't have a good understanding of time. Technology allows us to do a number of things at once, or a number of things better, but in the end it still takes time (and energy!) to pack, prepare, and actually DO whatever we have planned to do in a given amount of time.

It's funny because we all thought we would have the energy for a trip to the mountains, but even with our little hike near town, most of us required a mid-afternoon nap.

Even today, I find my day full of meetings, and all that I had aspired to do I have a haunting suspicion will not be completed.

Interestingly, I've been reading exodus, and thinking about the forty year period it took for Israel to make it to the promised land. I bet they knew that the land was really close. I bet they knew that they should be able to make it into the land in far less than forty years. And, I'm sure they grew frustrated at times as they felt they were accomplishing far less than they should.

And that's maybe the lesson, I'm learning in the middle of looking at the intersection of scripture with my life. Sometimes it isn't about accomplishing things. Sometimes it is just about the journey and enjoying that journey with the people who are around you. If we get too caught up in getting to the end, we may find ourselves frustrated, and we also may find that we have missed a lot of what is happening along the journey.

If you are frustrated by the fact you can't get EVERYTHING done in the time you have allotted, take heart, you aren't alone. More than this take some time, reflect on your situation, and ask God what He wants you to see as He is journeying every step of the way with you, just like He did with Israel.

A Song for Billy's Mom

Last weekend, I met up with my best friend (brother) on the planet, Willie and his family in Wheeling, WV before going to see Brett Cain.

We went to the Ohio River and ate Di Carlo's Pizza. We walked along the river, and we prayed together. It was a beautiful time as we mourned and rejoiced together and enjoyed the sunset on the Ohio.
At one point Willie left and grabbed his guitar and out of his van. Then he shared this beautiful song that he wrote for my mom to honor her.

I wept incredibly as I listened to the lyrics because not only were they filled with love and honor, but many of them walked me through memories of the last few days we had with Mom.

While Willie is a little disappointed in the quality of the video/recording, I believe it is an incredible gift.
As He brought out the guitar and the lyrics, I thought to myself, "My mom is the kind of person that people write songs about!" And she is!

I love and miss my mom, but I'm overwhelmed with Joy that through it all she pointed us all to her King Jesus. Now she's with Him!

The chorus of this song is my favorite, because it is one that we can all make very personal and sing to Jesus. "I'm yours!"
If you haven't made this decision already, I pray you will read this blog, listen to this song, and tell Jesus that you are His! It's the best decision you will ever make--of that truth, I'm incredbly sure.

If you already know Jesus, maybe this song can be a reminder to you and an encouragement, and a point of rededication--to be His.

I really hope you enjoy this beautiful song, and I am soooo thankful to my brother Willie for writing and sharing it with the world!

Gateway Arch and Westward Expansion

Gateway Arch and Westward Expansion, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Well, yesterday I found a wireless hub out in Missouri that didn’t charge $10/day for the service. Unfortunately I only had a few minutes to use the network, and didn’t get a chance to blog. So I’m trying to make up for that today.

Monday we started driving at around 5AM, and arrived at our destination late Monday night. We passed through a few cities, but probably the most famous was St. Louis. (Interestingly, we also passed through Louisville a few hours earlier. I guess when the French acquired the land the really were trying to honor King Louis--after all, much of this area was acquired by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase.

So while driving down the road I was able to get this shot of the gateway arch. I had no idea, that this monument was inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s vision of westward expansion. Isn’t that the way with so much of our life though. We see symbols all of the time, and they have a degree of familiarity, but we don’t take time to contemplate what the origin of a symbol might be. We enjoy landmarks, but don’t really take in the appearance of the landmark beyond it’s aesthetic.

When you think about the gateway arch, it symbolizes the westward expansion of America. But often we don’t think about the cost. We don’t think about the lives lost, the lives, displaced, and the lives enslaved that made that expansion possible. We don’t take in the fullness of what a symbol represents.

The cross is a similar symbol. Many people wear crosses for aesthetics, they take comfort in seeing the cross. But how often do people fully consider all that the cross represents. Do we think about the cost of the cross? What exactly did it mean and feel like for Jesus to “become sin”? How utterly excruciating was the suffering that He underwent? When we say we are thankful for the cross, how often to reflect upon what exactly that cross meant, and how deep our gratitude should be?

When we use symbols, we are attempting to pack a robustness of meaning and sentiment in a simple way. It’s kind of like a picture being worth a thousand words. I encourage you to reflect on the cross, and I also encourage you to take a look at the signs and symbols that surround you. What are they communicating to you? What does the cross tell you about you? What does it tell you about God, sin, love, mercy, beauty, and sacrifice?

Traveling

Traveling, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This week, I have the privilege of traveling with a group of leaders from church to meet with other leaders from across the country in Missouri for a conference.

This means at least two days of travel in a 15 passenger van, and more than likely a few energy bars. It also means a reunion with a number of leaders and peers from across the country, and extended time for prayer and the word of God.

I am unsure how this trip will affect my ability to blog this week, but I will make a valiant attempt to find wireless and stay connected.

The last few days have had their share of travel and adjustmenst as well, but I've been able to enjoy some wonderful times with friends and family, and I was even able to enjoy sunset on the ohio river with Willie and his family Saturday night.

It's late, and I need to wake up early for travel, so there's not a lot to say--except I'm tired. Perhaps this conference will provide an opportunity to experience a unique refreshment and rejuvenation from the LORD amidst my travels.

Hopefully I will be able to connect through the week, but if not, I will be back to blogging by the end of the week--Lord willing.

iDad

iDad, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Me, my brother, and my sister chipped in together to buy my dad an iPod nano for his birthday. He's been looking at my iPod for a while, and has been thinking about getting one himself. He walks around 5 miles a day, and this little gadget will probably be travelling with him.

Before we could allow him to enjoy his birthday present, we had to transfer all of his CDs to his computer. Then we walked through how to move songs from his computer to his iPod. He doesn't have enough to fill his iPod, so he doesn't have to worry about being too selective.

He can also listen to his favorite podcasts, like H2O Morgantown Live, or any other podcasts that are available free on itunes.

There is always a learning curve when it comes to using new technology, and I was wondering if Dad would get a little frustrated by that process. We walked through a few steps of how to use his ipod, and then he just started chillaxing to his tunes.

We ran a few errands together, and he continued jamming out to his iPod. Sometimes when you buy a gift there is a bit of worry about whether or not the recipient will enjoy it. Well, me and my siblings hit the jackpot on this gift. Dad loves it! So don't be surprised if you see him at a basketball game next year with me in the student section jamming out to his ipod!

What about you? Do you enjoy the gifts you've been given? Take some time as you finish reading this entry and reflect on all of the gifts you've received. They may not be as portable as an ipod (things like jobs, family, cars, houses usually aren't), but they are definitely worth taking the time to appreciate.

Siblings

Siblings, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Yesterday was my sister's birthday. She began the conversion to the world of Apple with the acquisition of an ipod nano--I'm so excited for her!

Yesterday was also the day my brother had to catch a flight to the west coast.

The three of us had an awesome day together, and I think we ended up arriving at our destination around the same time. Chuck called me just as I was dropping becky and her husband off at their house.

You know, this last year has afforded the three of us more time together than we have experienced since my brother graduated college. It's been a wonderful time, and it gives me a greater and greater appreciation of my siblings, their talents, and their love.

It feels kind of weird today as we are slowly going back to our "normal" routine. The whole past week seems pretty surreal to be honest.

I already miss my brother, and my sister, well over the last few months I have been able to more fully appreciate what a wonderful lady she is. I'm honored to be her brother, and I find myself learning from her every time we're together.

To be honest, I revel in the moments I have with my siblings. It's a shame we aren't together more, but I think that's the way you are supposed to feel about people you love.

Mourning Hair and Celebrating Tradition

Mourning Hair, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

My ancestors had many traditions that made them unique. Over the last several years I have worked to learn, teach, and share many of them. One of them has to do with hair.

The men of our tribe would grow their hair long as a symbol of freedom. It was meant to reflect the fact that we have an unconquerable spirit, that we are always shawnee, and that we are free.

I used to wear my hair short. Then, on November 12, 1994, I put my faith in Jesus Christ. I became a Christian. I was set free from my slavery to sin, death, and evil. Because I was finally free, it was an appropriate time to start growing my hair. If you've ever wondered, the growing of my hair is both a symbol of my heritage as a Shawnee, and a symbol of the true freedom that Jesus offers each and every one of us when we put our trust in Him.

My ancestors also had another tradition--when a loved one passed on, they would cut their hair as a symbol of their mourning, and as a way of honoring those who went before them.

Saturday, after my mom's funeral service, I honored her in this ancient way. I celebrated our common heritage as Shawnee people. I celebrated her life and mourn her departure from this world as well. Even though I know she is with Jesus, I'm going to miss her dearly--we all are.

I gave the hair that was cut to locks of love so that someone else who is fighting cancer like my mom did can wear it. It's another way participating in this tradition can bless and serve another human being.

Already, people have begun asking about my "new style" so I figured this blog would be a helpful way to introduce people to this ancient tradition I participated in, and it also might explain to many why I wear my hair long in the first place.

Sometimes in our modern world we lose sight and are confused by the diversity of traditions that are out there. We have very little idea or understanding of the swirl of cultures around us. I encourage you today to take some time and learn a little bit about the beautifully intricate world and people among which we live.

Myrrh

Myrrh, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Yesterday was mom's funeral. You know it was so amazing to see so many of my friends come out and show support for me and my family, and to pay a tribute to mom.

My best friend in the whole world, Willie, was one of the pall bearers. Before the funeral service, he came up and gave me a bag with some small stones in it. I asked him what was in the bag, and he said it was myrrh, and that he had been wanting me to have it for a long time to be able to burn at times when I pray.

When he gave it to me I had a couple of thoughts. I took out one piece of myrrh from the bag for my dad, my brother, my sister, and myself. I explained to my family a little bit about the use of myrrh in Jesus' day.

You see, when Jesus was born, wise men from the east brought him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The gold reflected Jesus's royalty--He is King of the Jews. The frankincense reflected his divinity--He is God in the flesh. The myrrh symbolized his humanity--Myrrh was used in burial preparations for those who passed away. The myrrh given to Jesus pointed to His eventual crucifixion where He conquered sin and death.

My mom is going to be cremated. I suggested to my family that we each place a piece of myrrh on her body, and it would be one last way we could annoint and honor my mom. As she is cremated the myrrh will burn and we will have honored our mom in a very special way. We each placed the myrrh on her body solemnly and reverently before her funeral service saturday afternoon.

As I thought about these special preparations, I realized that my mom was also blessed as my sister, her best friend, and my sister-in-law had a special evening with my mom the last night she was in this world. They took fragrant lotion and moisturized mom's skin with it as they shared a "girls night" with her. I don't think any of us realized what they were actually doing that night. They were preparing mom's body in a similar way to the woman who poured out the spike nard on Jesus. What they did was a good thing, and it deserves to be told again.

We're all going to miss my mom, but I'm glad that each one of us could honor her in some very ancient and special ways. She is a beautiful lady, and we have been blessed to be able to serve and honor her in beautiful ways even after she has departed from us.

May we all remember those who have gone before us, and live faithfully honoring the One who went before each of us to conquer the sting of death and give us victory and life eternal.

Off To Be With Jesus

Off To Be With Jesus, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Yesterday at 1:10PM, my mom left her body on this earth, and went to be with Jesus. My brother had spent the night in her room with her, and called the rest of us to come down because she wasn’t being real responsive.

We came down and sat with her from about 9AM on. We prayed with her and talked with her, and told her how much we will love and miss her. We shared memories with her as she lay there before us. One by one, aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends gathered by my mom’s side and spoke words of love to her. She was sent off with prayers and words of love from so many people. (As I tried to recount this to you, I started weeping because it was such a beautiful experience, and I can’t fully convey to you in this brief blog exactly what was happening in my mom’s presence.)

Her room was packed. People were trailing out the hallway. She was loved by so many people. We’re all going to miss her, but we were all mixing tears of sadness with tears of joy in that room as we spoke to my mom. My mom is with Jesus right now. She doesn’t have cancer, or arthritis, or any number of other ailments that were afflicting her. She has joy unlike any we’ve ever experienced.

Watching my mom pass out of this world and into the presence of God, I am so thankful that we are a people of hope. The gospel allows us to persevere in hope for a day when there are no more tears, no more hunger, and all of the injustice in the world we see will be made right.

My mom is gone, but she has left a wonderful legacy and challenge to us as a family as we attempt to imitate her faith, hope, and love—and to tell others of the joy she, and we, have found in joyful surrender to King Jesus.

I’ve had a great deal of technical difficulty communicating with people over the last day, but I figured I might be able to use this blog as a starting point. Even as early as yesterday afternoon, I started receiving emails, txts, AIM’s, and voicemails of encouragement from many wonderful people. It has been unfortunate that I haven’t been able to respond to everyone’s encouraging words, but I am so thankful for your kindness, your prayers, and your support in this difficult time. It’s beautiful to see how the Church rallies at times like this to love and care for those in need and to bear one another’s burdens.

I know some are wondering about arrangements, and I would like to communicate that through this blog. The details of her obituary can be found by following this link and clicking on Patricia Ann Williams (that's Mom!). You can even sign an “online guestbook” through the funeral home.

I’m tremendously grateful again for the grace God has shown my family throughout my mom’s battle with cancer. As she told a fellow believer when they were both diagnosed—“No matter what happens, we win!!!” Indeed we are more than conquerors!

Thanks for continuing in support and prayers for me and my family. Please forgive me for an apparent lack of response, but I truly do appreciate your comments, emails, AIMs, txts, and voicemails. They are a blessing to both me and my entire family.

Roller Coaster

Roller Coaster, originally uploaded by Markku_.

I found this photo on flickr, and I believe it represents a strong similarity how we’ve been feeling back here over the last couple of days.

Well, it’s been a couple of days since I could blog about what’s happening here. I’m so grateful for the ability to keep in touch with so many people through this blog. It’s been difficult to stay connected as well as I would like with folks, but this blog certainly helps. In fact, a few folks have left some wonderful comments that have been an encouragement to me and the family.

Overall, my mom is doing amazingly well. We were prepared for her to go be with Jesus the moment we removed the chest tube. Saturday she shared one of the longest and most spiritual monologues I’ve ever heard my mom utter. She shared a vision she had experienced of heaven. We were all deeply moved to say the least. We reassured her that if she felt like going off to be with Jesus we were all going to be ok. She said that she knew it, but didn’t want us to send her off just yet. She said she wanted to stick around a while longer if that was alright. We emphatically assured her it was fine with us!

Sunday, we continued sharing stories, and laughing. I even had a couple of friends come down from Morgantown and offer prayers and counsel for the family. Saturday night, we started a rotating shift of folks staying in the room with mom. We just wanted to have constant care for her. I’ve stayed here two of the last three nights.

Nobody expected mom to respond so well. In fact, the hospital moved her into a “Transitional Care Unit” yesterday. It’s the equivalent of an in-house nursing home at the hospital site for people who are “to healthy to be in the hospital, but not quite strong enough to be at home yet.”

She started a fairly intense PT regimen today. She will be getting assistance twice a day. My brother and I started a log to keep track of medical reports/needs so as we “change shifts” we can make sure that none of her needs are overlooked by the staff here.

So what’s up with the roller coaster? I would say that over the last few days, our entire family has run through a wide spectrum of intense emotions. We still aren’t sure of mom’s status,but we get the feeling that the physicians aren’t quite sure what to make of her either. I think rotating in shifts has been helpful, but we are all pretty tired—which makes me incredibly glad to see how well mom’s doing.

In spite of our physical, emotional, and mental fatigue, we are staying close together and loving and supporting one another through every step of my mom’s journey—we have been together in this since day one. While we’ve all experienced the thrills and the twists and turns of the roller coaster, spiritually we have been sustained amazingly through all of this. Regardless of the outcome too, we are each realizing more and more, the treasure that we have in our mom, and the importance of each moment.

It’s kind of like Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” We’ve all been resting and trusting in the Messiah in increasing degrees of the last few days. He truly is our strength and shield. I hope that as you read this you will also take a moment to let Jesus words soak into your mind. In the middle of life’s roller coasters, He is THE Source of stability and strength. May you know His peace in the same richness we have experienced here in our own situation.

Sharing Stories

Sharing Stories, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Earlier this year, I presented a paper at the Native American Literature Symposium which was held on the Isabella Indian Reservation in Mount Pleasant, MI. The Isabella Indian Reservation is home to the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan. This photo was taken in their cultural museum. This particular exhibit shows one of the ways which traditions are passed from one generation to another. It is as we gather together and listen and learn from our older people we learn and pass these stories on to future generations. It is this way among the Shawnee as well as the Chippewa, and probably true of all peoples--problem is many people don't take time to listen to the stories anymore.

That's definitely not the case with my family.

Yesterday we had several visitors in my mom's room at the hospital. She is staying in one of a handful of suites that were designed for such a purpose. Among the visitors have been my nephew and sister in law, many friends, and a number of our extended family members.

While it has been an emotional time for all of us it has also been a good time of celebration of our many memories with our mom and with each other. All through the day and night we have been sharing stories with each other and with my mom. My mom has also been sharing in special ways with each one of us.

It is truly a gift to be able to sit at my mom's feet, and at the feet of so many other godly people and continue to soak in their wisdom and life lessons. As the younger ones of our family sit at the feet of these wisdom keepers, we relish in the joy of hearing their words and learning from them. At the same time we realize the responsibility also lies with us to pass these lessons on. That has always been a part of our way of living.

Do you take time to listen to the older people in your life? Who are the teachers in your family who you need to take time to listen to? Or maybe you are that teacher--are you passing your stories on to the next generation?

I marvel at the greatest Story, and how the Great Storyteller allows each one of us to take part in a long legacy of sharing our own stories of how Jesus has walked with us. He has made his presence felt in a very intimate and sacred way to our family during these last few days. It has been beautiful, wonderful, and utterly indescribable. May you know Him in such a way as you read these words!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Dad Fishing, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

So not only did my mom celebrate her first full day off the ventilator today, but also my dad celebrated the anniversary of his birth.

My dad is a year older today. I'm not at liberty to say his exact age, but he is definitely older than me.

Today my siblings and I spent a great deal of time thinking about how truly blessed we have been to have such wonderful parents. Mom and Dad are truly rare gems.

This evening we celebrated dad's birthday in the hospital room with mom, and it was a wonderful time. Mom was starting to get her voice back, and we all just laughed and shared stories. Tonight was the most lucid and energetic my mom has been.

It was great being together as family, and it was even better to honor my dad on his birthday. He's a personal hero of mine. His love for Jesus, his wife, and his family radiate from him all of the time. We are all very uniquely blessed to have a leader like him in our household.

If you have an opportunity, you should take time to thank God for the family leaders and mentors you have in your life. They are a precious gift from God meant to be savored and enjoyed.

Support and Family

Support and Family, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This year, I knew I would be staying in Morgantown for the summer working on getting our café ready for the fall, and developing our leaders in the community of h2o. As a result, I decided to try my hand at planting a garden.

Among the different seeds I planted were corn, beans, and squash. Among, American Indian people (at least from my own Shawnee culture but I've heard the practice is widespread), these three crops are planted together. Typically, when non-indian people think of "Indian food", they think of corn, beans, and squash.

According to tradition, there's a reason these are planted together. They are called the "three sisters" and they help each other grow. You see, the corn takes nitrogen from the soil as it grows. Beans provide nitrogen for the soil, and so they add to the nutrient base of the corn. The squash has broad leaves that spread over the ground and eliminate competition from other weeds that would try to hurt the other two sisters.

There's a lot we can learn from these three sisters. As my family has been walking through my mom's illness together, we have often relied on one another's gifts and strengths to support each other and support Mom. Yesterday, we took her off the ventilator, and it was a really scary and traumatic experience for all of us. The nurse explained to us that she may go on to be with Jesus in a matter of seconds or days.

We stayed there with her and told her how much we loved her, and that whatever she wanted to do would be fine with us. If she wanted to go be with Jesus, we were all ok with it, but we would miss her. We wept and prayed with her, and she is currently in a different room in the hospital--after nearly three weeks she is out of ICU.

Now she can have multiple visitors, and people can stay longer hours with her. We are so thankful for the grace God has given us in allowing my mom to stay with us and share time with us.

In the middle of it all, I am personally very thankful for the love and support we as a family have shown each other through it all. We have prayed, wept, and loved each other strongly through the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ who indwells each one of us. We have walked through many difficult decisions together, and in the middle of it all we know that it is God who sustains and supports us and causes our growth, but it sure is beautiful to be reminded that He has given us each other to contribute in unique ways as we grow and to support one another, just like the Three Sisters.

Palm Trees

Palm Trees, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I've been having some difficulties with my camera recently, and so this picture comes from a trip I took to visit my brother a few years ago in southern California. Or SoCal for you west coast insiders. ;)

You may have been wondering about my mom's current status and how she and my family are doing. I'll try to share with you, but please forgive me if my writing is not fully coherent. Yesterday evening, I made a quick trip down to Parkersburg to meet with her oncologist. He shared her condition with my dad, me, my sister, and my brother-in-law. (My brother is currently in California). She has been on a ventilator since Sunday. It appears that her body has grown somewhat dependent on it.

Last August, you may remember, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. She was given 6 months to live w/o treatment and 18 mo with treatment. Honestly, she was making amazing progress with regard to her cancer. But cancer has not been her only malady. On top of the cancer, a combination of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, congestive heart failure, and some form of heart disease have been combining to cause her to become very weak. She has been in ICU since may 13th, and has been in a very weak condition for over a month.

It has been a very difficult time for me and my family, and we have prayed fervently for wisdom, guidance, and healing in this situation (I know that you also may have been praying similar prayers in agreement). Right now my mom's body is very fragile, and she probably doesn't have much time left on this earth before she goes to be with Jesus. While I am sad at the loss of my mom, I'm also extremely happy because I know that being with Christ is far better (phil 1.21-23). She has labored well for her King, and I am excited for her to be able to go home.

Sometime this evening, I am travelling to Columbus, OH to pick up my brother at the airport. His flight arrives @5.49AM Thursday. We will travel back to Parkersburg to spend time with my mom and assist my dad with whatever arrangements need to be made.

May has been a difficult month for many in our community at h2o, but the LORD has sustained us. Often when I am praying for you, I am amazed by your faith and perseverance--it is truly an encouragement to me. Personally, as I have reflected on my own situation, I have found solace in the truth that God is good and trustworthy, and He takes the adversity we go through and makes something beautiful out of it. I think that in spite of all that we have undergone, we have a beautiful community called the church that even in our weakness grows stronger each day.

I want to thank you again for taking the time to pray for my family. Continue to pray for God's wisdom, guidance, and healing as we navigate these difficult waters. Pray that God would be glorified by our actions and attitudes and that in the midst of it all that God would use our circumstances and our responses to lead others to Him.

For from Him, and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
(Romans 11.36)

Ohio River Sunset

Ohio River Sunset, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

It never fails. Any time I try to get word out for people to check my blog out for updates on thngs that are happening in my life it seems that I have a really hard time blogging for about a week from that point.

So here I am, running around all over and trying to carve out space to blog. I thought this would make a nice little photo because it depicts one of my favorite places in the world. This is the view from "the point", just outside the floodwall in Parkersburg, West Virginia. For generations, my family has come to this place to watch the sun set, to pray, to reflect, to weep, and to enjoy the company of the waters.

The old timers called this river several names, but I think the french named it rightly La Belle Rivière, or, the Beautiful River. I took this photo when I visited the river with two of my uncles last fall--they are both cancer survivors.

Right now, I'm at home, near my river, and near family. The doctors involved with my mom met to talk about possible options for her. Soon they will share their options with us, and we will weigh out which one seems best for my mom. Right now, we believe they are going to suggest moving her to a more comprehensive cancer treatment center--possibly the James Center at Ohio State or the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at WVU.

I am so thankful for the prayers that have gone out from you, and I ask that you keep them up. They are sustaining us. Please pray for us as we go to meet with the doctor. I will try to post an update in the near future.

It's interesting to me in the middle of all of this how God shows himself at work in such amazing ways. As I left the hospital with my sister this evening, I couldn't help but notice another beautiful sunset. God shows us these little signs of beauty and care like sunsets on a river. God is beautiful, and reminds us daily of the beauty in our world.

So much of our days we spend running from appointment to appointment, and event to event, and we miss out on the rich blessings God offers freshly every moment. As you pray, take time to cherish the rich blessings God is revealing all around you right . . . NOW!

Preparing for the Relay

Preparing for the Relay, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This morning's Parkersburg News had me, my dad, and my awesome friend Dan Van Valey on the front page. We didn't do anything special. We were just setting up a canopy in Parkersburg's "City Park" to mark our team's space for the Relay for Life.

A guy by the name of Jeff Baughan took our picture, and shared with us his experience with cancer. His wife is a cancer survivor, and he and his family have been intimately involved with the relay in Wood County ever since.

When I registered the team, I gave it the name "H2O for Your Soul" because I thought it would feature a number of folks from our college ministry at WVU. Many members of our community in Morgantown are unable to attend this weekend, but several people are coming out in a show of support for my mom. So as Mr. Baughan asked us about our team, we changed the name of the team on the spot to "Pat's Inspirations" because we are all hoping to inspire my mom, Pat, to fight hard and stay positive and prayerful as she fights this disease.

This week has been a very emotional week. I stood next to my close friend Frank Lambert and served as a pallbearer during his father's funeral. I drove from this funeral in Elkins to Parkersburg to sit by my mom's side while she was on a ventilator.

Yesterday she was taken off the ventilator, and her condition is stable. She's a little weak, but she has also lost over 30lbs of fluid ( which is a good thing) in the last three days. We are thrilled and thanking God for her recovery from this "bump in the road" (her words) in her battle against breast cancer.

If you are able to make it down to Parkersburg, today or tomorrow, we would love to have you be part of our relay team. Lot's of family and friends are coming around to walk, talk, reminisce, pray, and celebrate the eventual end of this dreadful malady. Feel free to call or email me if you need directions. Also, please consider joining our team or making a donation to contribute to cancer research and help people like my mom get better and safer treatments.

Graduation!

Graduation!, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I'm not sure why I am leaning forward in this picture, but it was taken by WVU as a complimentary service to folks who graduated this year.

That's right, I graduated. This past sunday I received a Master's in English from WVU, and attended the commencement ceremonies. In the president's hand is my diploma, or so I thought. When I returned to my seat, I opened the envelope that I thought contained my diploma and all it had was a piece of cardboard. I should get my actual degree in the near future, but it was a kind of let down to look inside and see--nothing!

Living in a town like Morgantown, it just seems to be sensible to continue with my education. I have taken a fairly slow route (one class/semester), so I have been somewhat unconventional in my approach to education, but I have really enjoyed the journey. To be honest, I am really just thankful for the opportunity to take classes and to continue learning and growing.

Lot's of folks are asking me what is next for me now that I have a higher degree. What do I want to do with it? Well, I honestly can't see myself changing careers. I LOVE what I do. I see my degree as one that prepares me to do a better job of caring for people, and thinking about how the Holy Scriptures inform and shape our understanding and response to many of the problems that face our world.

Maybe I'll continue with another degree, but I don't know. Right now, I really want to focus on being with my family and my mom as she fights cancer, and being a good leader and friend to the folks that I work with in Morgantown.

Anyway, walking across the stage at the coliseum, and getting "hooded" were really cool experiences, and I am excited that I was able to achieve this goal and honor my family, my tribe, my community, and most importantly my LORD.

Relay for Life

Relay for Life, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This picture was taken 2 years ago when my folks and I were able to take a whirlwind tour of disney's theme parks thanks to the generosity of a friend who worked there.

But that's not what this post is about. It's about the upcoming relay for life in Parkersburg. The event is scheduled for May 18-19, and I'm putting a team together to support my mom and three of my uncles.

I would love for you to be part of the action. If you click this link, you can see our team page. When you get to the page, click the link that says join our team. The rest should be pretty self explanatory. Let me know if you have any difficulties.

Thanks for helping out, and even if you can't join the team and be there, your prayers are definitely appreciated!!! Mom starts her third round of chemotherapy on the fifteenth, so we are hoping she will have some energy for the weekend too! She's gonna be taking Paclitaxel (which is a drug we used to make when i was at Mylan--pretty wild!)

Anyhoo, I've been down here with her for a couple of days. She hasn't felt like posing for the camera over the last month, so I haven't had any recent photos. But, I will tell you that she has a totally sweet spiked hairdo--mom's just so trendy!

Thanks again for taking the time to check out the link, join the team, and pray!

Frank and Dena

Frank and Dena, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

So I went to that wedding. Franklin Delanor Lambert, Jr. married his wife Dena today. Unfortunately Frank's dad was at the hospital. Frank's mom stayed with her husband. So frank put his phone on speakerphone and allowed his mom and dad to listen to the wedding--pretty sweet idea!

It was great being there for my buddy at his special day. He's been my friend for a long time, and I remember when he put his faith in Jesus. He became a Christian in college, just like me.

It was a pretty cool time. This year I've been to four weddings, and so I've seen a variety of different ways of doing these celebrations.

But the key ingredient has been family and friends. At each one of these celebrations, I've tried to take some time and reflect on how my friends have ministered to me and vice versa over the years.

I've truly been blessed with some great friends, and Frank is on the upper tier. Even though many of my friends live very far away (and for some, the main way we keep in contact is through this blog), it is comforting to know that there are people who care about you that you may not see often. In a world that gets very demanding, it's refreshing to know that there are folks who pray for ya who you may never see. Beyond that, it is a comfort to know that there are people in your world who very little expectations of you--who enjoy you solely for who you are--isn't that a big part of what any Christian community should be about? What a gift!!!

Speaking of prayer for someone you may not know, if you get a chance, say a prayer for Frank, his sister, his wife, his mom, and his dad as they walk through this precarious battle against cancer. It's a real challenge, and they are bearing the challenge gracefully but with a fair share of difficulty.

Three Dimensional Life

The Cross, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

My friend Ryan Huffman did this awesome sculpture and it was on display temporarily at the creative arts center in Morgantown. He's a very talented artist, and I truly appreciate his gift for bringing new insights to faith through his art.

Unfortunately, this photo doesn't really capture the intricacy with which he has composed this sculpture. This sculpture is uniquely shaped, it's heavy, and it has a lot of depth to it.

But then isn't that true about the Messiah and His cross as well? I mean, even when someone tries to capture some aspect of this central element of our faith, it doesn't seem to fully articulate it.

The more I think about this truth, the more I realize the intricacy and intimacy with which God intervenes in our lives. The Cross seems to be the ultimate way in which God connects with our lives.

Even when we don't comprehend the details of the cross, we know our own lives. We know our own lives are extremely complex. We know that there are very difficult times and extremely joyous times in life.

And we know that God has promised never to leave or forsake us. God walks with us in those challenging circumstances and in those joy filled events.

Tomorrow I am going to a wedding. The father of the groom is in a terminal stage of cancer. His goal is to see his son's wedding and be present for it. I guess our life is never two dimensional like a photo, is it? It's more like a sculpture with both smooth and rough edges.

In the middle of that intricate sculpture, the divine Artist, reminds us that He understands both celebration and suffering, weddings and laments. He has entered into the midst of our suffering and hurting, and reminds us that we aren't alone, and that we are not without hope.

Will you take a minute and reflect on this truth? The God of all creation is intimately familiar with every aspect of your life, and He walks with you through it all, good and bad. I don't know about you, but lately I've been really encouraged by this Good News.