Back at Home

It has been quite a long time since I put anything on this blog, I thought I probably wouldn't use it anymore. We've been home since the 4th of December, and life has been fast and furious! So fast, I have caught myself telling Mike more than once, I need a few days away! We had a wonderful trip in Oregon, visiting with the Church of the Servant King, both in Portland and in Eugene.

After coming home from Oregon, Mike and I spent a wonderful week in the Smokies and then traveled down to Myrtle Beach to spend a week with all the grandchildren! It was a real joy to spend the entire week with all the family after being gone for such a long time. (It would have been even more joyful, if Jordan could have joined us)

Christmas came and went faster than I would have liked. We had a wonderful advent season with all our Church family at Englewood. It truly was good to be home.

Since the beginning of the year, we have added our number 12 grandchild! Lucilla Juliann, born to Jake and Kendra on the 23rd of January. She is beautiful, with lots of dark hair just like her brother and sisters.

Mike is on the road again, with a trip to San Francisco, for the Ekklesia Project board meeting. Next week we are both going to Chicago for the Urban Conversation, another time of renewal.

On Our Way To Portland

After a few days at home,we are off again. It was so good to be home and see all of our grandchildren. We are looking forward to spending some time with both Richard White and the folks at the Church of the Servant King. You know how I love the ocean so I am really excited to see the Pacific.

On Our Way Home!

Although, we have had a good time in Dublin, I think we have hit the wall! We did a bit of looking around yesterday and a bit today, but we have mostly layed around our room and rested. Mike is actually getting to watch American football this evening. You can tell we are staying in an American hotel by the amenities! Dublin is a beautiful city and I wanted to include a couple of pictures of it. Also, we visited a 6th century monastic community on our way to Dublin yesterday called Glendalough. We walked several miles through the National forest to visit this site. The trees are beginning to turn, the air brisk, but the sun has been shinning so it was a beautiful day to be hiking through the woods. (Probably why we are so tired today!)

Tommorrow will be a long day. We will be leaving our hotel about 9:00 a.m. and approximately 4:00 a.m. the next day, Ireland time before we get to our hotel in Chicago. We should get a good nights sleep before heading for home the next morning. We love you all.

Dublin and Home!

We made it to Dublin today! It is always nerve racking trying to find your way around this city! I won't let Mike move the car until we are headed for the airport Monday morning. We are looking forward to seeing everyone, especially eleven of the smaller Bowlings. We met our new friends, the Culhanes, yesterday for lunch in Cork City. They are just starved for conversation with people who are serious about the kingdom of God and the Church. It really was sad leaving them, but are committed to staying in touch. They really have familiarized themselves with Englewood, through the web. Mike will also be mailing them some books when we get home. They are both readers, but it is hard to get good books here.
I may put up some pictures later today or tomorrow, as we have FREE, IN ROOM INTERNET!

Hello from Youghal

We made it to Youghal and I was very pleasantly surprised, that our apartment is oceanfront, with a tremendous view of the Atlantic! I knew the hotel was on the ocean, but assumed the apartments would be stuck in the back somewhere. Not so, I don't even have to leave our rooms to hear the sea! The weather has been back and forth between rain and sunshine, which is common for Ireland. Sunday was beautiful, we went to Church, walked on the beach and then took a small trip to the town of Ardmore. Mike and I stayed in Ardmore on our first visit to Ireland. The hotel we stayed in has been replaced with a beautiful new hotel that hangs over a cliff. Almost all the roofs are green! The town has a beautiful 5k cliff walk, and Sunday was a beautiful day for it. It ends in their old church cemetary and round tower from the 12th century. I have added some pictures of carving on the church of Solomon and the two ladies claiming they were both mothers of the same child, and of the magi. There is also a picture of the Rock of Cashel. It is huge and towers over the city. My pictures don't do it justice. We will finish the week in Youghal and then move to Dublin to catch the plane home. Time has gone by much faster than I would have ever imagined.

Moving Again

We are moving this morning, from Killarney to Youghal. Hopefully we will have internet access. I can't believe our time here is drawing to an end. It has been a very restful and reflective time for both Mike and I. We had another evening with our friends from the Church in Kenmare and are hopefully meeting them in Cork city sometime during this week coming up. Cork is about an hours drive for both of us. It has been nice to have friends here who are interested in the kingdom of God. Mike is packing the car, which gets harder with each move, so I better go help. Love to everyone. Lisa