The Lowdens' Lines

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2012-01-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

At 3:15 this morning, we were awakened by snow plows. Only about two inches had fallen at that point, but the road crew for Village Grande was already out working! It would have been nice if they had waited until a little later to make all that noise.

Bob and I would never complain, however. Our roads were clear this morning; whereas, in many other areas of the county, roads were snow-covered well into the day. Even more wonderful: our driveway and sidewalks were cleared before midmorning! Neither of us had to pick up a shovel.

Funny, but I didn't feel a bit guilty when I telephoned a parishioner at 8 a.m. to inform him of the cancellation of the Council Planning day. He told me that he had been up at 6 a.m. shoveling out his driveway. Life is certainly wonderful in our 55+ community!

We had about 4 inches of snow. Thankfully, the predicted freezing rain didn't materialize in our area. It fell north and west of us.

Bob and I were amazed by the weather map we saw this morning. Most of the U.S. was receiving precipitation in some form. Sadly, in areas such as Seattle, the combination of snow and rain were wreaking havoc.

It was a quiet day at home that we spent doing all the little (and big) things that we had not been able to complete since the first of the year. I packed away the rest of the Christmas decorations and wrap that were still out in our guest room. We replaced our holiday artwork with the pieces that we had stored up in the attic back in November. The house is pretty much back in order now.

Last evening, Bob hosted his first wine tasting evening. We had three guests- all women- come to learn some basics of tasting and enjoying wine. It was a lot of fun, and we will be gathering again- hopefully with a few more people- in March. Two of the women were neighbors, Cath from Veranda (the development behind our house) and Pam, our next door neighbor. Herb, her husband, was away, but he hopes to join us the next time when we meet at his house. The third woman, was Cath's friend, Beth. After the tasting, we continued to drink the wine and enjoyed some snacks and conversation. All in all, it was a great evening..

Bob had worked really hard to prepare for the introductory session. He had purchased index card holders for each participant. Each of us had 4X6 cards with diagrams of wine colors and flavor descriptions plus several note cards on which to make our notes about the wines as we tasted and discussed them. He had chosen three red wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, for us to taste. Since he had the bottles disguised in paper bags, we didn't know which was which. It was a great way to begin to discover the flavors and characteristics that tend to define wines made with these three varieties of grape.

Taking down Christmas

2012-01-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

The worst thing about decorating for the Christmas season is taking down and packing away all the decorations when Christmas is over. The house looks so bare. The corner where the Christmas tree stood is empty. There are no more lights to turn on each evening. All that's left are the fir tree needles that the vacuum cleaner refused to pick up and the left over wrappings from packing up the decorations.

Does anyone else out there get depressed when Christmas is over? Actually, I understand that post-holiday blues are very common. Some call the condition PHB, which is not to be confused withwith PFB (Post Football Blues- the condition that affects many after the Super Bowl). Of course these conditions share many of the same symptoms: irritability, a sense of loss, extra time that you don't know how to fill, etc.

Anyway, I thought I'd look around to find some ideas to help me get through the doldrums and enjoy the New Year. Here are some suggestions I compiled fromthese two websites - http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/managing-post-holiday-blues-163300789.html
and http://12most.com/2012/01/07/12-helpful-beat-post-holiday-blues/

1.) Schedule events or outings to look forward to. Whether you enjoy going out with friends or engaging in your favorite hobby, pre-planning enjoyable events will give you something to get excited about.
2.) Seek support from your friends. Now is not the time for isolation. Call a trusted friend or family member. Just hearing their voice will help refocus you on all the wonderful people you have in your life.
3.) Remember that our cousins were our first friends. No need to wait for holidays or special events to catch up with therm. Call or email weekly to follow up on some of the events going on in their lives and continue the story line about yours.
4.) Get out of the house. Remember all those things you wanted to do but couldn't because you had too much going on…now is the time to go for it!
5.) Go shopping in your closet. Really go through your clothes and donate the things that you are done with. It sounds simple but you will utilize what you have more and you will discover things you forgot you had. Donate what you don’t need and you will feel great about the space you save and the good deed you’ve done.
6.) Don’t be afraid to pray. TELL God/The Universe/All That Is what EXACTLY you want in your life. Tell your spirit helpers that you are ready to be guided to those people that can help YOU manifest all that you desire. Don’t forget, we have to ASK for what we want. Be honest with God and yourself about your situation.
7.) Get plenty of rest. We tend to eat, drink and party too much during the holidays. None of those activities are conducive to a good night’s sleep. The more worn out you get, the more susceptible you are to depression and discouragement. Work out as much as you can even if that’s a brisk walk through the park or even grocery store.
8.) Don’t focus on what you don’t have – focus on what you do have. If you think about it, it won’t take you long to picture someone in a worse position than yours. God has neither left nor forgotten you. Get out of yourself and into other people.
9.)Learn to curse in French! That way you can still swear like a sailor, but you’ll sound FANTASTIC doing it! [Spanish is good, too. Of course, you really don't have to learn the curse words. Anything you say in French or Spanish will sound great.]10.)Throw yourself into the next holiday (or sport, try basketball or hockey.) [Personally, I've always loved Valentine's Day, and corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day is yummy!]

According to one of the bloggers that provided some of these suggestions, "... if you try at least half of these suggestions you’ll start feeling better sooner than later, and the next time you look at this list you won’t be so post holiday blue." I, for one, am getting started on beating the post holiday blues!

Go shopping in your closet. Really go through your clothes and donate the things that you are done with. It sounds simple but you will utilize what you have more and you will discover things you forgot you had. Donate what you don’t need and you will feel great about the space you save and the good deed you’ve done.

4.) Throw yourself into the next holiday (or sport, try basketball or hockey.)

5.) Remember, this too will pass. Before you know it the holidays will be upon you again. Live life in the present, don't pine away waiting for the time to pass, you may miss something you will regret later!

Pictures of Our Home in Lancaster

2012-01-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

We've had folks ask us for pictures of our "new" home. It's hard to believe that in just two months, we will have lived at 1600 Parvin Road for a year! We've embedded a slide show of pictures at the bottom of our blog. Hope you enjoy them!

At Home for the Holidays: Christmas in Lancaster

2012-01-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

Merry 9th Day of Christmas! And Happy New Year!
What a year 2011 was! When it began, we were "homeless." Now, we live in a lovely home in Lancaster, PA. Last Christmas, we celebrated the season in our hotel room at the Country Inn of Lancaster. This year, we have been opening our 12 Days of Christmas gifts beside a beautiful Christmas tree in our family room. Last year, we had "take-out" pork and sauerkraut from St. Peter's Lutheran Church . This year, JMe prepared the traditional New Year's Day meal in our kitchen while Bob poured us glasses of wine.
Quite a few of our dear friends have already come to visit us, even friends from Arusha who were traveling in the U.S. for their home assignments: Linda and Mark Jacobson and Rebecca and Kristopher Hartwig. It was wonderful to see them. Kris and Rebecca are now back in the States making their transition into life in the West after years of medical ministry in Africa. Linda and Mark continue their ministries in Arusha.
As of December 16, JMe has served at Zion for a year. It's a very busy congregation with many ministries of outreach. She calls it "the church that feeds the community." She's looking forward to helping the congregation expand upon the "food" it offers.
Bob continues serving as Intentional Interim Pastor of Trinity in York. In spite of the small size and financial struggles of the "Little Green Church," the congregation finds some very creative ways to reach the community and to support its ministries. During the baseball season, members of the congregation staffed one of the food stands at the minor league park in York. Bob was on "beer duty." Last week, Bob provided a brief program on Christmas in Africa for the week-long Vacation Bible School led by the congregation. Who says Bible School has to be held during summer vacation?
We hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and that your New Year is filled with many blessings! If you'd like to see some pictures of our Christmas decorations, follow this link: 2011Christmas

It's been a month!

2011-03-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

One month ago today, we filled up a moving van and both our cars and moved everything (well almost everything) we own to Lancaster County. We're starting to feel at home at 1600 Parvin Rd. Oh, the walls are still pretty bare, and there are still boxes in the garage to be unpacked, but we're slowly getting settled.

Last weekend, a parishioner's daughter came over to help us with ideas for decorating. Our house is truly an empty slate to work with, so we just talked about arrangement of furniture and colors of paint. We've moved some of the furniture to match her suggestions, and Bob has painted the walls living room/dining room area of the house a light tan. There's still a lot to do!

For me, it's overwhelming. I just don't have the visualization abilities needed to "see" how furniture and decorations might be arranged for the best effect. It seemed much easier in a more "traditional" house like ours on Markham Lane in Pasadena.

Bob bought his "dream" television- a 55" screen, LED, LCD digital model. He's been having fun figuring out how to hang it above the fireplace in the family room, and how to wire it all up. As usual, he using very creative and thrifty ways to allow us to watch T.V. without having to pay the exhorbidant cable costs. He never ceases to amaze me!

Have you ever seen a T.V. antenna made out of wood and coat hanger- type wire? Well, we now have three of them so that we can access more than a dozen network television stations in different areas of our house. Bob's up in the attic installing the antennae as I type this.

To stream movies and other programs, we have Netflix. With our internet provider and Netflix, our bill is only around $45 a month. We've been catching up on whole seasons of T.V. series that we've missed, and we've seen movies that we'd read about but could never find playing in local theaters.

As we enjoy our comfortable, warm, peaceful home, we are mindful of those in the U.S. and abroad that are homeless. We have been watching with dismay the aftermath of the earthquakes and tsunami that hit Japan. The threat of nuclear contamination that has displaced thousands more adds to the horror of this disaster. For those who mourn the loss of loved ones, homes and livelihoods, we pray, O Lord. For those who are working to bring stability to the damaged nuclear plants, grant protection and success in their efforts. For those who are working to bring relief to affected communities, grant strength and guidance in their work. Amen

The Secrets to a Long Life | Parade.com

2011-03-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting article for those who like "myth busting". I actually referenced this in my sermon on Sunday. Jesus said, "Do not worry." Apparently, worry isn't actually such a bad thing!

The Secrets to a Long Life Parade.com

Souper, Super Sunday

2011-02-06T13:06:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those Sundays when too many things were going on at once. It was wonderful!

The tone for the service was set by the answer to a riddle. David Albin, one of our stand-up comedians, gave an announcement about the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and Comedy Night that is planned for March 8. He asked, "Why did the Zion congregational member cross the road?" One of our young members quickly raised his hand. He was handed the microphone so that all could hear his answer. His answer to the riddle: "In order to bring people to Jesus." Wow! Of course, Dave acknowledged that the young man's answer was better than his, which was, "because the parking lot is on the other side of the street."

The Zion Youth Group (ZYM) sponsored Soup-R-Bowl Sunday. Membersof the congregation were asked to bring in canned and nonperishable food items to fill up several huge soup pots. The food items will go to help fill the shelves of the Hempfield Food Pantry housed at the church. Also, a special offering was taken for ELCA World Hunger Appeal.

Since February 8 is the anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts in the U.S., today was also Scout Sunday. Zion has sponsored a Cub Scout Pack since the late 1940's or early 1950's (the records are unclear). About 50 people: scouts, their parents and siblings joined us for worship.

Members of the pack helped by passing out worship bulletins, carrying up the offering and holding the baskets for used wine glasses. They seemed to enjoy taking part in the worship. When I asked for people to tell me what they knew about salt, I was thrilled that several of the boys were willing to answer. Of course, we learned that salt was good on french fries and popcorn. Do you think these kids were thinking about what they were going to eat while watching the Super Bowl?

The Gospel lesson for today was from Matthew 5- Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount." At the beginning, Jesus says to his disciples, "You are the salt of the earth, " and "You are the light of the world." So...I decided to be a bit spontaneous and invited all the children, scouts inlcuded, up for a rousing version of "This Little Light of Mine." It was a bit surprising that most of the scouts didn't know the song. They were good sports and clapped along to the music. The children of Zion did a great job of singing for the whole group.

Looking out into the congregation, I saw a lot of gold and black as well as some green and gold. Of course, the evening's parties are ahead of us, but this morning, the best party was in the nave of Zion Lutheran Church, Landisville! It was a party in Jesus' name, celebrating the love that he has for all people, giving thanks for the youth leaders, pack leaders, and family members who guide our children to "do your best" (Cub Scout Motto) for Jesus, and remembering that through Jesus' power and grace, we are salt of the earth and light for the world.

Food, Fellowship Spice Up Weekly Suppers at Pennsylvania Church - AARP Bulletin

2011-02-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

Food, Fellowship Spice Up Weekly Suppers at Pennsylvania Church - AARP Bulletin

Hope you enjoy this article about one of Zion's food ministries.

We Have Decided on a New House!

2011-01-30T14:04:00.000-08:00

On Friday, January 28, we signed papers indicating our intention to buy a house. After viewing about 20 houses within eight miles of Landisville, we went back to the development where we started and to the floor plan we liked the best. We have a tentative closing date of March 1, 2011. We will soon be the owners of two houses- one in Maryland and one in Pennsylvania. Our new house is located in a 55+ community called Village Grande, and is just three miles from Zion. It’s in a great location for us both.

We’re both excited and a bit anxious. After signing the papers, we went to Sears and H. H. Gregg to look at washing machines, dryers and refrigerators. The house is already equipped with a gas range, microwave and dish washer. It’s good that we don’t have to buy all the major appliances. We, also, took a little time to look at LED-LCD televisions. In our new family room, there‘s a perfect place for a big screen T.V. over the gas fireplace .

Because it is a “spec” home, it has upgraded features already in place such as hardwood flooring in the foyer, living room/dining room and kitchen. Also, the kitchen counters are granite and the 42” cabinets have a cherry wood finish matching the floor. The bathrooms have lovely ceramic tile on the floors and surrounding the shower and “spa” bathtub and lots of drawers under the double-sink vanity. We especially love the “his and hers” walk-in closets! It’s really a lovely home, and we’re already collecting ideas for how to decorate it.

Village Grande has its own community center that can be used by the residents. There are game rooms with card tables, a billiard room, and exercise room with treadmills and other equipment, a pretty library area with comfy chairs, and a large banquet room for community gatherings and other events. Outside of the center are a swimming pool, tennis court and bocci court. There is a walking/running trail that winds throughout the community for two miles. There’s no excuse for us to remain out of shape.

When we have gotten a bit settled, we will plan a house blessing and open house. Meanwhile, we’ll post pictures to keep you informed of our progress. Although we’ve been quite comfortable in our hotel apartment, we’re both ready to have a place to call our own.

JMeInstallation

2011-01-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Now It's Real!

2011-01-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 9, was a good day. After two well-attended services in the morning, I was concerned that the attendance for an afternoon service would be low. In addition, a well- known former pastor of one of the large congregations in Lancaster City had died the week before. Many of the pastors in the area would be attending the memorial service which was scheduled at the same time as my installation.

I was pleasantly surprised when the nave filled up with members, many of whom had been in worship that morning. There were only a couple local Lutheran pastors, and none of the Hempfield Ministerium members that had been invited were in attendance. I did learn the next day that the invitations didn’t arrive until a few days before the service.

Several friends surprised me by showing up. Joan Getschman drove up from Maryland, and Virgil and Peggy Gibson drove over from Gettysburg. Kathy Good, whom Bob and I knew from Gettysburg Seminary, came too. Nancy, Kristen and Rachel Schwabe-Fry had accompanied Peter. It was wonderful to see how members of the congregation really made them feel welcomed.

Dennis and the Choir provided special music for the service. The Choir sang “Spirit of Gentleness”, one of my favorite hymns as an anthem.

Our dear friend, Peter Schwabe-Fry was the preacher for the service, and the Dean of the Lancaster Conference, Mark Kopp, officiated. I was so nervous that I interrupted Pastor Kopp before he finished the first question with my response, “I will and I ask God to help me.” After that little bout of nerves, I was fine. Everything else went off without a hitch…except I had to gently remind Mark to make the official announcement about my pastorate at the end of the rite. So, now, it’s real!

Peter’s sermon, based on the Gospel lesson from John 17:6-19, was a meaningful message for me and for the congregation. He began with a story about J. K. Rowling, the author of the popular Harry Potter series. Ms. Rowling started her tale about the exploits of the young wizard, Harry, and his cohorts at Hogwarts School of Wizardry with the epilogue of the story. She envisioned what Harry’s life would be like years after the culmination of his adventure. She started with the end of the story, and from it, she began the tale of how Harry survived the quest to destroy “he who must not be named.”

Peter reminded us that, through our Christian faith, we know the end of the story of our lives. This is actually not an ending at all, but life with Jesus. From beginning to end, our lives are in God’s loving care through Jesus Christ. We are his. We are never alone. It’s with this “non-ending” in mind that we are empowered to do the ministries, to take the risks, to enter into the relationships, and to deal with the challenges that make up our lives as Christians.

Members of the congregation had prepared a beautiful reception for after the service. They had decorated the tables with my favorite colors- blue and purple- and provided an assortment of fruits, cheeses, hot hors d’oeurves and desserts for everyone to enjoy. Everything was delicious, and everyone seemed to enjoy sharing good food and conversation.

Zion and I are off to a great start!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

Today, we are scheduled to view six houses, and it’s snowing! Our realtor called to ask for a delay of our meeting at 10 a.m. because the schools have a two-hour delay. Ah, the joys of trying to find a house to live in during January!

By the way, happy New Year everyone! Blessed Epiphany season, too! We’re just about used to writing the New Year, 2011, on checks and correspondence. It seems as if the Christmas season sped by at cyber speed.

We enjoyed reading about your holiday celebrations. Thanks for sharing your stories of fun, travel and family time. We all have so many blessings to give thanks for, don’t we?

Just a little overview of our Christmas season events and New Year’s celebration:

-The days after Christmas weekend were quiet here. JMe attended a college student gathering for Zion members at parishioners’ home one evening. It was a great time to talk with the students and hear their plans for the future. While conversing with these bright young people, JMe remembered why she loved campus ministry so much.

-Jim and Joan Getschman drove up on Friday to spend New Year’s Eve with us, as is our “tradition.” The four of us have been together most years to see in the New Year since 1995! Since they arrived in the mid-afternoon, we took them on a little tour of the greater Lancaster area, showed them Zion Lutheran Church and JMe’s office, and even had time for a dip in the pool and hot tub before heading out to dinner. We had hors d’oeuvres in our “apartment”, enjoyed a delicious late dinner at the pretty Olde Greenfield Inn, and came back to the hotel to see in the New Year. On Saturday, we took a late morning drive through Amish country and stopped to pick up pork ‘n sauerkraut dinners at an area Lutheran church. It was wonderful to have these dear friends with us for our first New Year’s celebration in Pennsylvania.

-Jan. 2^nd, Bob had a meeting with the leadership of Trinity Lutheran Church in York, PA. He will be starting there on Jan. 11, serving a year contract call as Intentional Interim Pastor. This is a part time call, so Bob will travel to York two days during the week and on Sundays to be in the church office, provide pastoral care and lead worship. He will be helping this small, struggling congregation to do some visioning for future ministry.

-JMe had her first committee meeting this week. It was her favorite committee: Worship and Music. Once again, she saw proof of the excellent la y leadership of her new congregation.

-Wednesday and today (Friday), we traveled around the area with our realtor, Russ, to view prospective homes to buy. So far, we’ve seen about 14 homes. There were a couple of really terrible ones, and the others were okay. If you’ve never been in a house where two- to three-pack-a-day smokers have lived for years without replacing wallpaper or repainting anything, we have, and it’s pretty disgusting. There were a couple of places that we both liked, but we haven’t found “the house”. Of course, we could have it built! Too bad we weren’t the ones who won the Mega lottery game earlier this week.

On Sunday afternoon (Jan. 9 at 3:30 p.m.), JMe will be installed as Pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Landisville. Pastor Mark Kopp, the Lancaster Conference Dean, will preside for the installation rite, and our friend, Pastor Peter Schwabe-Fry will preach. You may remember that Bob preached for Peter’s installation at St. Matthew’s, Lancaster, last June. We’re hoping that very little snow falls this weekend. Apparently, there is a chance for up to three inches more by Saturday evening.

There are a couple prayer requests that we’d like to make. Please pray for JMe’s cousin, Mark Bruce, who continues to have health concerns that may affect whether he will be eligible for a new liver. Also, please keep our friends Majbrit and Jacob Jacobsen who are expecting their third son in just a few weeks. They left Tanzania before Christmas in order to return to Denmark for the birth.

The Country Inn of Lancaster

So that’s about it for the Lowdens. We’ll be in our Country Inn of Lancaster apartment for a while longer. We thank God for having a warm comfortable place to stay and continue to pray for those who do not.

Our "Apartment" #2

Bob in Our "Apartment"

Sunset in Lancaster

Our "Apartment" #3

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Greetings to all of our family and friends on this most blessed day of the year- the Birthday of Jesus Christ, our Lord. We pray that you are all experiencing the joy of this season as you enjoy time in worship, sing carols telling the story if Jesus’ birth, and share gifts and time with family and friends. Remember, Christmas lasts 12 days! Enjoy them all!

Our first Christmas Eve in PA was wonderful! Bob attended St. Matthew’s in Lancaster where our friend Peter Schwabe-Fry serves, and then joined me at Zion for the 10:30 service. The three services at Zion were well attended. There was wonderful music provided by both youth and adults. At the middle service, children of the congregation provided several puppet skits to tell the Christmas story, so I preached at the late service only.

The first service was my favorite during the evening. It was a brief (half an hour) service for small children and their parents. We sang a medley of Christmas hymns, and, with a globe and crèche pieces from several parts of the world, the children and I told the story of Jesus’ birth. We celebrated Christmas with children throughout the world! The children were so sweet and excited to put the figures on the table as we told the story. For just a few minutes, the joy of celebrating Jesus’ birthday drove Santa Claus right out of their minds.

May they grow to love Jesus with ALL their minds, hearts and lives!

We woke up this morning in our cozy little room, lit the Christmas lights, turned on our favorite music to celebrate Jesus’ birthday, and had hot tea, fresh fruit and delicious croissants from the Lancaster Central Market for breakfast. Afterwards, as is our “family tradition”, we each opened our First Day of Christmas gifts. What fun!

Bob got a new pair of his favorite style of trousers, books of Christmas music and traditional hymns to play on his guitar, and - just in time for the snow to come this evening- a Pittsburgh Steelers ice scraper for his car. Since we seem to be in the same wavelength, Bob gave me a hand scraper for my care too! It has a nice, soft, furry mitt to keep my hand warm while I chip away the ice and snow. My dear husband outdid himself this year with other wonderful gifts for my enjoyment: a Garmin GPS for my car and a beautiful amber ring that he surreptitiously bought while we were in Denmark this past summer. Wow!

We’ll join Pete, Nancy and their family for Christmas dinner this afternoon. It will be the first time we’ve been together with all their four children, and we’re looking forward to this time with dear friends.

Please let us know how you spent Christmas this year. We hope that the Spirit of the Christ Child fills you with love and hope now and throughout the New Year!

Love,

JMe & Bob

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Landisville, PA

Zion Christmas Altar Area Decorations

First Days

2010-12-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

We’re sitting in our little “apartment” in the Country Inn of Lancaster watching the Steelers play the Jets on our T.V. Because the owner of the hotel was willing to remove one of the queen-size beds from the room, we brought our two recliners. The other day, we purchased a couple of small book cases and put them up as a “divider” between our “bedroom” (i.e., bed) and our “living room”, where our recliners are. Across from our recliners is our “dining room”- a small round pedestal table and two chairs. Our “kitchen” is comprised of a small refrigerator and a microwave. It might be merely one room, but it’s “home” for now. We’re comfortable, warm and safe.

A few days ago, Bob went out and bought Christmas lights. When I returned from the church on Friday, they were lit and hanging on the draperies of our patio window. They look very festive. Today (Sunday), we looked for a wreath for our door. No luck so far, but we’ll look again tomorrow. It’s been fun to decorate our little “apartment” for the holidays.

Friday evening we had dinner with new friends we met while eating at the hotel restaurant earlier in the week. Michael and Lorrie Hardin provide seminars on peace-making in the U.S. and abroad with support from both the Mennonite community and donors to their not-for-profit organization, Preaching Peace. Michael is a graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Chicago and a former pastor of the Swedish Covenant Church. He is also a prolific author on nonviolence.

We had a delicious dinner and truly stimulating conversation. When we left the Hardins’ home, we left with knowledge that they will be a very special part of our lives. We, also, left with an armload of books to read. Michael is very generous about gifting others with books. God certainly continues to bless us with wonderful friends in the most surprising ways!

Last evening, I went back to the church for a special concert by the Hempfield High School choral program. . Several different choirs performed including a cappella groups for boys and girls, an extra-curricular chamber choir, and the regular chorus. The concert was marvelous! I was very impressed by the beautiful blend of the voices and the variety of music performed. At the end of the concert, the director invited the alumni present to join in the "Benediction." It brought back fond memories of my years singing in the Concert Choir of Waynesboro High School. Mr. “Z” would do the same thing at the end of our concert. I just had to sing along. Believe it or not, I still remember the alto part!

Today was my first Sunday at Zion. It was a wonderful morning! One lady took my hand as she left the worship area and said, “We’ve received a wonderful Christmas gift this year!” My reply was, “I have also!”

We have good news about Bob’s future, also. He met with the synod staff and representatives from Trinity Lutheran Church of York on Thursday in Harrisburg. The congregation had chosen to wait for Bob to be available to serve them. That was wonderful to learn. Bob will start there as an intentional interim after the first of the year.

The hotel will be closed until December 26^th, so we’re alone here in the building. There will be managerial staff present during the daytime, but otherwise the hotel is empty. This is certainly a new experience for us. Wonder if we could go bowling in the hallways?

All is well with the Lowdens. We feel extremely blessed and thankful to God. Because Christmas falls on a Saturday, we will be staying in PA for the holiday. I will be busy on Christmas Eve with three services. We already have two invitations for Christmas dinner, so we definitely won’t be lonely- or hungry.

Our prayers are with all our family and friends that you will have a joyful Christmas celebration. Have fun giving and receiving gifts and enjoy being with your loved ones. Remember that the greatest gift of all is the loving grace of Jesus Christ. Happy birthday, Jesus!

Cold! Cold! Cold!

2010-12-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

Can we move back to Tanzania now? We don’t like this cold, wintry weather!

Amidst snow flurries, strong winds and sub-freezing temperatures, we drove to Pennsylvania in two cars packed with our belongings. We are now unpacked and settled in our room at the Country Inn of Lancaster where we are warm and comfortable.

Since the room had two queen-size beds, we asked if one bed could be removed so that we’d have room for our recliners. Bob was able to bring one of them today, and we’ll go back to our storage on Wednesday to pick up the second one. As I (JMe) write this, Bob is sitting in “his” chair reading the newspaper and- looking quite at home. “Home” is where the heart is, right?

We had dinner at the hotel restaurant. The wait staff there will probably be seeing a lot of us. The problem is: we know that if we eat there too often, they will, also, see a lot more of us. So much for taking off the poundage that we put on while in Africa! It’s a good thing that the hotel has an indoor swimming pool and a small workout room.

Tomorrow, we’ll pick up a couple of things to help us organize our space a little better. It may be only a hotel room, but we’re making it our “home” for a few months. There’s even a little Christmas tree on our dresser! Well, actually, it’s a baobab tree made from corn husks decorated with African ornaments. We, also, brought some Christmas place mats for our little table and a little poinsettia plant that Joan Getschman gave us.

After a long day, we’re relaxing while we drink coffee and eat delicious shortbread that Jim made over the weekend. Life is good!

P.S. We will be offering prayers for those without warm places to stay tonight.

A Lot Can Happen in a Week!

2010-12-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

This morning, Joan and Jim Getschman (the dear friends with whom we’ve been living for three months) threw a brunch party for us. They invited a small group of our closest friends and our niece, Meredith, for a delicious egg casserole, fruit and “holiday bread” from Panera Bread ( brought by our friend, Darla). Our friends gave us practical gifts for our new “home” in Lancaster: gift certificates to buy needed items, spices for our “kitchen”, snacks for cold winter nights, and items for a “junk drawer” (everyone needs one of these).

Our time with the Getschman’s is coming to an end. Tomorrow (Sunday), we’ll be packing our clothing and personal items for our “move” to Lancaster on Monday. We certainly will miss our friends and the Baltimore area. We lived near Baltimore for 20 years.

As the heading above states, “a lot can happen in a week”! After the thrill of last Sunday, we had to come back to earth and find a place to live near Landisville. This will be temporary housing while we are looking for a house to buy, so we looked at several furnished apartments. We don’t want to move two times—been there; done that!!

Our choices were limited and ranged in monthly rental costs from $625 (in Lancaster City) to $1800 (Main Stay Suites). We heard from friends of an apartment that might be available for free, but that fell through. While we were waiting for news about the “freebie”, a really nice condo in Mt. Joy was snatched up. As a result, by the end of the week, we still had not settled on a place to live.

Friday, we drove up to PA to drop off some things at JMe’s new office and to do some more apartment shopping. A member of the congregation had called the day before to inform us of the possibility of a very affordable deal for temporary lodging at the Country Inn of Lancaster. The owner, a Lutheran, wanted to help out, and he invited us to look at a room at the hotel. He was willing to insure that we had a refrigerator and a microwave so that we wouldn’t have to eat out all the time. There is, also, a restaurant at the hotel.

We weren’t thrilled about living in a hotel again. While we worked with ELCA-GM, we lived at the Marriott Springhill Suites in Chicago for a month on two different occasions. It wasn’t so bad. Breakfast was provided every morning; there were a workout room and a pool, and the maids cleaned our room daily. On the other hand, living in one room for several weeks became a bit claustrophobic at times. We did enjoy getting to know the hotel staff, however, and they really took good care of us.

Our decision came down to the money we’d save by living at the hotel. Breakfast will be included. We don’t have any other costs for utilities, cable TV, and Internet. There’s an indoor pool for exercise. And the weekly rental deal that the owner gave us trumped any other we had seen. The hotel even has a laundry service that will cost about the same as a laundromat. We decided that if hotel life really got to us, after a month, we can find another apartment to live in. Perhaps we will have found a house by then.

Our mailing address for the time being will be: c/o Zion Lutheran Church, 85 E. Brandt Blvd., Landisville, PA 17538. If you are traveling near Lancaster, please let us know. We’d love to see you. In the meantime:

We wish you a blessed and joyful Christmas

and

a happy and healthy New Year!

Joy in Landisville!

2010-12-05T14:58:00.000-08:00

There's joy in Landisville, Pennsylvania! At least as far as the Lowden's are concerned.

This morning, Zion Lutheran Church, Landisville, voted to call JMe as pastor for the congregation. She will start on Dec. 16, and her first Sunday will be Dec. 19.

We drove to Landisville yesterday for a "meet and greet the prospective pastor" evening at the church. It was held in conjunction with an Advent crafts night for families, so there was a good cross section of the membership present. Between 6:30 until 7:30, 75 to 100 people came by to see and greet JMe in the "parlor" of the church.

Afterwards, all gathered in the fellowship hall where six stations were set up for children to make Christmas ornaments and Christmas cards, and to decorate gift bags for children of the families who visit the Food Pantry housed in the church building. We sang a selection of Christmas carols accompanied by the music director of the congregation, and then we enjoyed delicious cookies, cakes and pies. It was a wonderful evening!

Today, there was one special service at 10:30 led by the youth of the congregation. The nave was packed with extra chairs for the overflow. About 250 were present. The youth Praise Team provided the music and other youth members provided leadership for worship. There is so much talent there! JMe preached and presided for Holy Communion.

Immediately afterward worship, the special congregational meeting was held, and the vote was taken. One hundred sixty-one ballots were taken. The vote to call was 160 "yes" and 1 "no". There always has to be a "nay-sayer," right? No matter, JMe will win him/her over!

Our thanks to all who have been holding us close in prayer over the past few months during the call process. We feel very blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family members. Now, a new journey is beginning!

Tomorrow, we will be looking for a furnished apartment to rent while we are look for a house to buy. Then, we'll start to prepare for a move north of the Mason-Dixon Line! Pennsylvania, here we come!

We'll have pictures of the church up online soon. The church website is: www.zionhempfield.org, if you'd like to learn more about the congregation. The Zion Lutheran Church is beginning its second century with a new pastor, and she is thrilled and honored to be starting this journey with this community of Christ.

Wouldn't you have liked to have been there?

2010-12-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

If you are having difficulty getting into the holiday spirit, click on this link. It's guaranteed to make you smile, and, perhaps, to sing along! That's what I did!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE&feature=player_profilepage

Miss-step

2010-11-21T06:23:00.000-08:00

Bob and I were on our way to Bally's on Friday to continue our quest to get back in shape when I missed the bottom step and fell. My right foot twisted under me in such a way that I was in immediate pain. Determined to do the workout we had planned, I limped to the car, and we went to the spa.

Several folks looked at me strangely as I limped between the weight machines, but I managed to complete a full workout, including 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer. Afterwards, we decided to have some lunch at a Wendy's nearby, and it was there that I finally admitted that the pain was too severe for me to ignore it. I needed to go to a doctor!

For a woman with osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis), my bones must still be pretty strong. After visiting the doctor and going for x-rays, I was told that it was probably a severe strain. Since my foot and ankle were swollen and turning a bit blue, the doctor said I should use crutches and stay off it as much as possible. This last order made it difficult for me to supply preach for two services at Holy Trinity Lutheran, Laurel on Sunday.

Dear Bob has headed off to Holy Trinity this morning to supply for the supply. I'm still limping, and my foot aches, but it's definitely better. Thank God that my misstep didn't result in a broken foot. Proof of my klutziness would not make a good impression on the day of the vote for my pastoral call! From now on, I'm really watching out for that last step!

How much wood can a woodchuck chuck?

2010-11-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

Have you see this recent GEICO commercial? It’s hilarious! Here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjGwusHrOtk

Bob and I have spent some time over the past weeks splitting and “chucking” wood into storage for the Getschmans’ and their neighbors’ wood stoves during the winter. You’d be amazed to see these two “citified” folks in flannel shirts and work gloves splitting giant trees down to stove-sized pieces! Our new profile picture shows us sitting on the half cord of wood that we had just finished splitting. Check out my Facebook page to see more pictures of your friends the “lumberjacks”. At least four cords of firewood from trees on the Getschmans’ property have been split and stacked in their woodshed. Over the past week, we’ve been enjoying the fruits of our labor through the warmth of the stove during the cold nights of autumn.

In addition to the ingathering of firewood, we’ve been taking turns with the leaf blower to keep the yard, decks and driveways free of leaves. This has been a daily task. We’re, also, helping our friends prepare for a future move to California to be near their daughters and four grandchildren. A recent health crisis with one of the grandchildren really shook all of us, and made it clear that the prospective move is desired sooner than later. Knowing how difficult it is to downsize and collapse a house and belongings into a moveable quantity, we are glad to give our moral and physical support to the chore.

Since our last update, we’ve traveled to PA two more times (actually three- but that’s another story). After my second sermon, the Call Committee met and decided that they had a few more questions to ask me. Bob had been asked to supply preach at a congregation in York, PA (the one that contacted him about an interim) the following Sunday (Oct. 31), so I arranged to meet with the committee that afternoon. The interview went well, and the committee asked that I allow them to spend time in individual prayer during the upcoming week before they met to make the decision whether to give my name to the Congregation Council. Their next meeting would be the following Sunday between services. The chairperson assured me that he would call with their decision as soon as their meeting was over.

Around the middle of the week, the tension of the wait got to both of us. Bob suggested that we call Susan and John and ask if John had any chores around the farm that he’d like Bob to come and help with. We both needed some time away with family. My cousins said, “Come on down!” So, we drove to Waynesboro, VA for the weekend. Susan and John Schmidt live on 40 acres of the farmstead that has belonged to members of my family for five generations. Their children are the 6^th generation of the family to live “down home” on “Nip ‘n Tuck Farm.”

While Bob helped John with his greenhouse, Susan and I took walks along the country roads and had long talks in their comfortable kitchen. On Friday evening, we enjoyed a pizza party with Susan’s parents, Charles and Peggy, the owners of the remaining 160 acres of the farm. Charles and Peggy are now living in a retirement community in Waynesboro- the same one in which my mother resided the last two years of her life. They seem very happy in their “terrace cottage” at Summit Square.

We went across the mountain to a large orchard near Charlottesville for a “Heritage Apple Festival” on Saturday. It was a beautiful day to drive through the mountains along the curvy roads. We enjoyed tasting the different apples and bought a couple of bags to bring back with us. Also featured at the festival were organic meats, cheeses and vegetables. Our dinner that evening consisted of delicious, grilled “forest fed” pork, several yummy cheeses and, of course, apples.

Sunday morning, Bob and I attended worship at Grace Lutheran- my home congregation. It was at this church that I was baptized, confirmed, and ordained and that we were married. As always, it was good to be there and see so many people that have been significant in my faith upbringing. Although I usually despise those who leave their cell phones on during worship (or meetings, or concerts, etc.), I set my mobile to “vibrate” in case THE CALL came during the service.

Sure enough, right in the middle of the Prayers of the Church, my cell phone buzzed, making me jump. Since we had sat in the back pew in anticipation of the telephone call, I was able to get up quickly and leave the nave in order to answer. On the other end of the line was the Call Committee chairperson with the news that the committee had unanimously voted to give my name to the Congregation Council. Believe it or not, I was speechless at first, but when I got my wits back, I was able to thank him and the committee for their confidence in me. The President of the Congregation Council was to contact me within the next two days to set up a date for our meeting.

That meeting occurred on Tuesday evening, Nov. 16. At the end of the interview, I was informed that the Congregation Council members concurred with the Call Committee regarding my candidacy as pastor. They would be giving my name to the congregation as their prospective pastor. One more hurdle to go- the congregational vote!

Since then, plans for “the big event” have been finalized. There will be a “meet and greet the prospective pastor” on Saturday evening, Dec. 4^th. On Sunday, Dec. 5^th, I will lead worship and preach. Following the service, there will be a special congregational meeting and the vote to extend a pastoral call will be taken. If all goes well, I will be back in the parish before Christmas!

I realize that many of you would really like to know the name of the congregation that may be my next parish. In order to not “count the chickens before they hatch”, I won’t disclose that information until after the vote is over and all is final. As some of you know, I’ve been this close to a call before and had my hopes dashed when the votes were cast. Actually, God knew what God was doing with that one! And, of course, "Mungu anajua" (God knows) what will be this time, too! Thanks be to God!

Blogger ate my blog entry!

2010-11-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

I sat down the other day and diligently wrote an update of our doings over the past few weeks. When I was almost finished, something strange happened. All of a sudden, everything I had written disappeared. I tried every way I know to retrieve my blog, but the automatic “save” function on Blogger beat me to the punch. It saved the blank form! Who knows where all my work had gone? Needless to say, a few rather uncharacteristic words flew from my mouth, and I gave up and shut down my computer.

We’re sorry to be silent for so long. It doesn’t mean that nothing has happened. Actually, there are a lot of things to tell you all. I’ll try not to bore you, however. There will be a reconstruction of my first, Blogger-eaten attempt coming up soon!

With Apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan (and President Obama)

2010-11-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist this video. I love musical theater. I've even been in a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta (The Mikado). Click the link and enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y54FRMedT_s

Two Left Feet

2010-10-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

How many things can go wrong on the Sunday morning that a pastor has to preach a sermon for a visiting Call Committee to hear? Doubtless, our clergy friends would be able to share a list worthy of being included in the annals of “The Best of Murphy’s Law.” Feel free to share others that aren’t included below.

Forgot your clerical shirt tab? Got lost on the way to the “neutral site”? Alarm clock didn’t go off? Didn’t have your cincture? (That’s the rope belt that holds the alb- that thing that looks like a bathrobe- together.) Sermon got trashed when your hard drive died just as you were printing it out that morning? Left your sermon in the ladies’ restroom of the church before going into worship? Got a coughing fit during the sermon that just wouldn’t go away? The list is endless!

This past Sunday, Oct. 24, JMe experienced yet another Murphy’s Law incident while preparing for her second sermon to be delivered for a call committee member who was unable to hear the first. There was an excellent reason for the absence. The person had committed to walk 60 miles over three days as a participant in the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure. Wow!

Anyway, since we had to travel back to Lancaster on Saturday to invade the Schwabe-Fry’s home once again, JMe had packed her bag well in advance. Sunday morning, she put on her new purple suit and pulled her shoes out of the suitcase.

When she looked down at her shoes, she thought something looked strange. She didn’t have her contacts in yet, so she started to put on the shoes. First the left, and then the … wait, the second shoe was a lefty too! Not only were both shoes for left feet but also one was black and the other was navy blue.

Oh, oh! Houston, we have a problem! JMe ran upstairs in a panic to call Nancy. After rummaging in her daughters’ closet, Nancy came out with a pair of black, ballet-style flats that were a little large but wearable. Problem solved- as long as JMe was careful walking up and down stairs.

After the drama of the early morning, all went smoothly during the service. Responses to her sermon were quite positive by both call committee members and parishioners. The committee meets on Wednesday evening, Oct. 7, to decide on the next step of the process. If JMe receives this call, she has a great story to tell her new parishioners about having two left feet.

Another Trip to PA, and Another...

2010-10-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day outside today. Bob spent some time picking up a few items at Home Depot and Lowes and then going to the storage unity to get his guitar stand.

JMe stayed at "home" to work on her sermon for Sunday. We'll be driving back to PA so that the Call Committee can hear and observe her preaching and worship leadership at a "neutral site." Since the group wanted to observe her command of both traditional and contemporary worship leadership, they will be visiting an area congregation that has both. Actually, the congregation has three worship services each Sunday morning- 8:30, 9:45 & 11. The first and last services are contemporary in style, while the middle one is traditional. JMe will preach and lead the Holy Communion liturgy at all three

Because of the early hour of the first service, we'll be driving up to PA tomorrow (10/9) to stay with Peter and Nancy Schwabe-Fry. It is wonderful to have these friends nearby who are willing to give us a place to stay!

Unfortunately, at least one member of the Call Committee is unable to attend on Sunday, so JMe has agreed to travel to PA again in order to preach a second time (Oct. 24). The call process is never simple or easy, but we know that the HolySpirit is working throughout each step.

About Interviews, Laptops, and Trial Sermons

2010-09-30T09:02:00.001-07:00

Isn't it amazing how much can happen in just a few days? As soon as JMe posted the first entry on Monday, she checked our emails recieved that day. Lo and behold...there was a church site in PA willing to have her preach and lead worship on October 10 in order for the Call Committee to observe! Things are really moving swiftly. That's very good news. Bob's interview on Tuesday evening also went very well, but his decision to serve depends upon JMe's placement. We're relying on God's will and grace for the outcomes.

Of course, there is always some bad news to keep us balanced. Bob's laptop died the other night. We were sitting at the dinner table on Monday night, and Bob noticed that his computer had an error message. Right away, he went to see what was wrong. When he tried to reboot, nothing happened. To make a long, excruciatingly frustrating tale short, the hard drive gave up the ghost for good. Now, we have to purchase a second laptop in as many weeks. It's only money, right? Spending so much money when we don't have employment is a bit scary, but in these days, one just can't function without a computer.

You may notice that JMe figured out how to import entries from our other blog into this one. That was a cool thing to learn about, and she felt good about learning a new skill. This way, you can read entries written before we started "Lowden's Lines." "The Lowden's Blog" of our time with ELCA-GM will be taken off the web at the end of the year. It's going to be printed into a book! Through the wonders of modern technology and "Blog2Print", we'll have a hard copy of all the posts to share.