Sculley Family 2013

 

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6, ESV)

Dear loved ones,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I was thinking about how this year’s Christmas letter would look, and considered doing the usual person by person summary, for example:

·        Paul (age undisclosed): rock steady provider, supporter, friend, enjoys working from home and beating the rest of the family at Wii sports and helping us to laugh at ourselves, techie guru, dispenser of wisdom and truth, loves finding deals and planning family trips & outings, can fix just about anything

·        Karen (age undisclosed; hint: sum of Paul's & Karen's ages = sum of Sculley's offspring's ages): enjoys eclectic opportunities especially pouring into the lives of others as friend, listener, encourager, teacher, writer, reader, accompanist, currently undergoing formal training in Spiritual Direction, loves working on all kinds of puzzles, contemplating starting a Master’s soon

·        Peter (22): graduated in May from LeTourneau University with his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with 3 minors, now pursuing his Master’s degree in EE at Georgia Tech, laid back, gentle & kind, has lengthy online conversations & games with his closest friends

·        Jonathan (19): due to graduate this May from LeTourneau University with his Bachelor’s degree in EE with 3 minors, planning to pursue his Ph.D. in EE at Georgia Tech, ringleader of the Sculley offspring, wise & compassionate, knows more 70’s lyrics than either of his parents

·        Michael (18): senior at Sculley Academy, has been accepted to Toccoa Falls College where he plans to study philosophy, reads voraciously, extracurricular studies in karate, piano, and Mandarin Chinese, deep thinker & thoughtful

·        Cascade (16): junior at Sculley Academy, dancer, singer, plays piano & ukulele, actress, linguist, reader, chef, mentor, encourager, has friends of all ages all over the world, artistic and creative, intuitive, favorite group is from the 60’s, enjoys BBC shows with mummy, passionate & just

·        Esther (13): 8^th grader at Sculley Academy, had her special welcome-to-womanhood ceremony & trip this year (Lake Tahoe), guitarist, pianist, dancer, actress, singer, animal lover, organized, babysitter, loves creative pursuits, kind & compassionate

·        Karis (13): 8^th grader at Sculley Academy, had her special welcome-to-womanhood ceremony & trip this year (Grand Canyon), people person, loves being outdoors, one year into a 5 year regimen of shots to prevent any more anaphylactic reactions to hornets / wasps / yellowjackets, pianist, actress, singer, passionate & fun

·        Other family members: Walt our dear friend and house mate for more than 5 years, Roma (19) & Danik (16) our wonderful bonus sons from Russia who lived with us for a couple of months last summer, and our beloved critters – Runner the dog and Tubby & her 6 kittens – Dex, Sveta, Bella, Princess, Ebony, and Cupcake

But I decided against doing the normal thing, and instead thought a better format might be to do a typical day in the life of the Sculley’s . . . sitting around the table one afternoon . . . (thanks to one of our favorite authors, Adrian Plass, for the format inspiration J)

Karen: OK, guys, we’re going to write our Christmas letter. How about we do an interview format this year? What’s a good question?

Cascade: If you were an animal, which would you be?

Jonathan: I don’t want to be an animal. I don’t know, maybe a tiger.

Michael: What are we doing?

Esther: I would be a . . .

Jonathan: An egg! A chicken!

Esther: . . . a free and wild horse.

Karen: Anyone else?

Peter: I don’t know, an elephant? It’s nice and slow. Maybe a dragon . . . trying to think of the least American animal.

Paul: A bird, because you can fly.

Cascade: Which kind?

Paul: I don’t really mind. As long as it’s not a chicken or edible.

Esther: Who wants the last cookie?

Karis: A dog, no actually, a monkey because they can climb and swing through the trees.

Karen: Michael? Cascade?

Michael: A shark, and Cascade would be a rabbit.

Jonathan: A bunny!

Esther: They’re cute, they’re white, they’re fluffy!

Cascade: I would be a . . .

Peter: Squishy . . . what about a jellyfish?

Michael: A squid!

Cascade . . . a . . .

Karis: You could be a gerbil or a hamster. A kangaroo! Hop, hop, hop!

Cascade: . . . goodness, this is difficult . . . oh, mummy!

Karen: I love kangaroos – that’s what I’d be. They have lots of young’uns, live in family groups, jump really far, and are cute and furry. Oh, and they have lots of storage space.

Cascade: . . . I would be a swan!

Peter: Really? What about a duckling?

Cascade: Oh I know, a swanling! Because they’re beautiful and unique.

Karen: Sounds good, everyone. OK, to wrap this interview up, tell me three mountains and one valley from the past year.

Michael: What?

Esther: I went to that Lake Tahoe place. That had mountains.

Karis: I have to get allergy shots. It’s a valley and a mountain at the same time. Oh, and I get to be a pirate in the play!

Esther: I got a main part in my play. How many have I done?

Peter: Life’s too short to have valleys!

Cascade: Wake up, daddy!

Michael: 1 – getting accepted to college, 2 – almost completing my black belt in karate, 3 – almost being finished with high school

Cascade: Having Roma & Danik come to stay

Esther: How many valleys have I done?

Karen: You only need one valley.

Esther: I mean, how many mountains have I done?

Karen: Two. One mountain to go.

Cascade: Please, daddy!

Paul: Starting the Liberty Vineyard Church [*** future official name of church plant in progress].

Esther: Oh, another mountain – that I went on 11 trips this year.

Karen: Yep, that’s my first mountain – I got to do my special mother-daughter trips with Esther & Karis. Jon-jon?

Jonathan: Being team lead for my senior design project is pretty good. And doing good in that IEEE competition.

Karis: I saw “The Hobbit”! And everyone’s home!

Michael: I can’t think of any valleys.

Cascade: There’s always a valley.

Michael: Ugh!

Esther: One of our kittens died and then we gave a bunch away.

Peter: Graduating.

Karen: Entering the world of the ancient Christian practice of spiritual direction and enjoying every aspect of it!

Cascade: Let’s think . . . having Peter living in the man cave in the basement this year! Michael, come on, there’s always a valley. Peter, you need 2 more mountains and a valley. And Jonathan, you need one more of each.

Peter: Being best man in Doc’s & Danielle’s wedding. And my beard.

Esther: What’s your valley?

Peter: Having you hanging on me all the time.

Esther: Hey! That’s not a valley!

Karen: Having our whole family together over Christmas, and enjoying the journey, each day an adventure with Jesus, a treasure from God. I am especially enjoying the merging of family, church, neighborhood, activities, and local community in starting the Liberty Vineyard Church  [*** future official name of church plant in progress] close to where we live. My valley is perpetually being separated from loved ones because they are spread out all over the world.

Cascade: Mummy, all your answers are long and complicated.

Karen: What’s your point?

Paul: Having Peter back for the year before he goes off somewhere else in the world.

Esther: Jonathan?

Jonathan: What an egg.

Esther: What a monkey.

Karis: Michael, think of something upsetting!

Michael: I can’t think of anything sad.

Cascade: Oh, I’ve got one. Umm, what was I going to say? Oh gosh. Oh yeah! All of my wonderful activities and friends of all ages and Jesus of course. Please, daddy, one more mountain and a valley. You and Jonathan both need a valley.

Jonathan: I can’t think of any valleys.

Esther: What about kidney stones?

Jonathan: No, having kidney stones wasn’t a valley. That was only one day.

Cascade: Michael needs his valley.

Michael: Umm, having to change karate schools.

Karen: Paul, what’s your valley?

Paul: I don’t do valleys.

Cascade: We can’t finish until you give us one.

Paul: OK.

Cascade: The only valley sort of thing I can think of is daddy trying to teach me how to drive because it’s really scary and he’s a scary teacher.

Paul: Now that’s a valley!

Karen: Jonathan?

Jonathan: Doing well on the GRE.

Karen: Last thing is your valley. Girls, help Jonathan think of a valley.

Cascade: His valley is being away at college not having his beautiful sisters with him! OK, we’re done!

Karen: Good job, guys!

That about wraps up the Sculley family news for 2013! We’d love to hear yours. Come visit us some time J We love you!

"I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do" (Ephesians 1:17 - 18, The Message))

Paul, Karen, Peter, Jonathan, Michael, Cascade, Esther, Karis

http://permanentimpact.blogspot.com/

http://movienightsforthinkersandseekers.com/

Taking the time to see

Today I spent the gorgeous autumn day with family & friends, as we took time to see and notice and pay attention. At the all-day Christian Contemplative Photography workshop (led by Allen & Nancy Penton) we tried to capture photographic images under the guidance of the Holy Spirit within us. Using contemplative exercises and photography assignments in nature, we learned different ways of seeing the created world, expressing that inspired vision through photography and journaling.

 





"Forgotten Fork"

I noticed this fork, which someone had left behind on top of a stone grill. I liked the way the sun played with it - there's even a beautiful reflection of earth and sky where the handle meets the tines. But there it lay . . . forgotten. There was nothing wrong with this implement; it had plenty of potential. As I pondered this photo, I remembered Isaiah 49:15 (NLT) - "Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!" I have a renewed desire to seek out and find those who have in some way been forgotten, laid down, overlooked, or passed by. Lord, help me to discover and call out the treasures of other's lives, and help me to influence others to find life and purpose in you, Jesus!

"Tender Life"

I glanced around to check on my girls, who were sprinkled around the woods nearby, when I spotted a tiny, shin-high evergreen tree with just two branches and a "trunk" bent heavily to one side. It reminded me that so many people are like this tender tree - fragile, vulnerable, downcast, at risk of being damaged or destroyed. I remembered 1 Thessalonians 5:14c and looked it up in two of my favorite translations - "Take tender care of those who are weak" (NLT) and "Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet" (The Message). Lord, give me opportunities to encourage and come alongside those in need of refreshment, strength, or hope, just as You've sent many others to encourage and come alongside me in my times of need.

 

"Blue Flux"

Early in the day I was irresistibly drawn to the blueness and movement of the lake. I love, love, love the way water and light interact. "Flux" is a word with many meanings - it can refer to flowing, movement, continuous change. It can also refer to a substance used to refine metals by combining with impurities to form a molten mixture that can be readily removed. As I pondered the beauty of the blue flux before me, I thought of God's love, presence, and glory - He is all-encompassing, alive, always on the move, beautiful, cleansing, purifying, sustaining, satisfying, flowing, life-giving. I remembered Ezekiel 47:9 (NLT) - "There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows." I want to live in the place of continual abiding in and awareness of God's love, presence, and glory, and to do what I can to encourage others to receive the only One who can sustain and satisfy the deepest longings of their souls. River of God, flow! Let Your abundant life flourish!

 

It was a beautiful day, and I look forward to the next contemplative photography workshop in the spring. Let me know if you'd like to join us!

 

Mark, Nancy, Beverly, Cascade, me, Allen, Paul, Vinnie, Michael, Joshua, Esther, Karis

Raising the bar

Esther and I just returned from our special mother-daughter trip as part of her rite of passage for 13th birthdays . . . I am so blessed to have had three such trips, one with each of my precious daughters. On each trip we had so much fun together and a totally unique experience!

 

This time as I reflected on our time together, I came away with a heightened awareness of the need to "raise the bar" in my own life. There's a human tendency to coast at times, sometimes because we need rest or refueling, sometimes because we lose sight of the goal, sometimes because something more interesting catches our eye, sometimes because we lose heart. If you know me at all, you know how much I treasure words and don't fling them about casually. The word "B - A - R" was something that emerged from pondering these four special days with Esther at Lake Tahoe. Our time together was characterized by B, beauty . . . A, adventure . . . R, relationships. Thus, I started thinking about where in my life do I need to raise the bar, to rejuvenate, recalculate (as my GPS often does), refocus, or rekindle God-given expectancy?

 

As I was sitting outside enjoying some quiet reflection about this, a neighbor's conversation drifted to my ears, and I heard, "Succulents sense when there's moisture and soft soil, and they put out roots." A succulent is defined as something that is rich in desirable qualities, so full of juice that it has plenty to share with others. This word picture fits very well what I've been pondering in recent years in terms of fulfilling Jesus' mandate to "go and make disciples of all nations." The word "disciple" carries with it lots of connotations, some of them far from complimentary. What would a succulent disciple look like? Someone who is rich in desirable qualities, you know, like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Basically, someone who strongly resembles Jesus. I've known many wonderful succulent disciples in my life and want to do all I can to help others grow rich in these desirable qualities so that they will not only look like Jesus themselves, but also have plenty of sustenance to share with others.

 

Back to the "B - A - R" concept . . . What would it look like to raise the bar of making disciples? Surely it's far more than "clinching the deal," convincing someone to pray the "sinner's prayer." I want to consider where in my life I could provide an environment that is life-giving and inviting so that others will be able to receive sustenance, kindness, and welcome, and want to stay long enough to thrive. Here are some musings on what I noticed this week . . .

 

People are drawn to beauty (not just function). There's something irresistible about shimmering sunsets, luscious lakes, majestic mountains, contrasting chromatics, scrumptious sustenance, colorful creations, moving music . . . God has created us to appreciate and create beauty wherever we go!

People are drawn to adventure (not just existence). There's something in us that craves doing hard things like hiking trails at high altitude, kayaking in ice cold water, riding horses through the woods, driving along twisting mountain roads with no guardrails, just exploring to see what adventure turns up next . . . God has created us for adventure and faith (which is often spelled R-I-S-K)!

People are drawn to relationships (not just religion). Of course the whole point of our trip was to grow our relationship with one another and with the Lord. There were several other relationships begun along the way, all opportunities for love and blessing and prayer . . . the 3-year-old boy in the airport, who was smitten with Esther and her smiles . . . Anya from the Ukraine, who hugged us when we engaged her in a little Russian conversation . . . Brian, our young restaurant server, who opened up to us following our customary, "Is there anything we can pray for you about?" which lead to the sharing of many life stories, where we've been and where we're going. What a privilege for us to meet precious ones such as these who hopefully saw glimpses of God's great love for them. I pray that each one with whom we connect along the way will connect with Jesus, the only One who can fill the longing in our souls. God has created us for relationship - with Him and with one another!

 

Here are some raising-the-bar questions I'm pondering - maybe these will be helpful to you, too . . .

 

How can I better appreciate the beauty in the people and places around me? In what ways can I mark the world with beauty?

Into which adventures is God inviting me? Where do I tend to resist or ignore adventure, and settle for routine or apathy?

How can I invest in the relationships with which I've been entrusted? How open is my heart to pursue relationships with others, especially those I might consider the last, the lost, or the least?

 

John 6:35 (The Message) - "Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever."

 

My youngest beauty scampering around beside the beautiful lake!

One of our many adventures together

Relationships are priceless!

Storms . . . danger or opportunity?

Last week Karis and I went on our special mother-daughter trip that is a part of our family tradition for 13th birthdays. I will never forget our Arizona adventure! Twice we found ourselves scarily close to thunder and lightning. The first time we were walking along the rim of the beautiful high plateau overlooking the Grand Canyon, with only a few stubby trees nearby. The second time we were riding a ski lift ascending to 11,500 feet . . . when the storm hit, we were maybe 1/3 of the way up, which is when it dawned on us that we were basically sitting ducks in a metal cage! In the first situation, we had a difficult choice - do we do the commonsense kind of thing and flee from danger (and potential mess) immediately, or do we continue our hike in spite of the storm, mustering as much wisdom, courage, and trust in God as we can, knowing that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? In the second situation, our choice was simpler - we could worriedly endure the ride, or we could set our anxieties aside and joyfully appreciate the journey (and savor the scenery!) You have probably figured out what we chose. We had a blast, and in some ways the dangers served only to heighten our excitement and awareness that God was with us.

 

Psalm 46:1 - 3 (ESV) - "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling."

 

These experiences got me thinking . . . where in my life am I tempted to run away from mess or danger? Circumstances can be messy or dangerous. Relationships are almost always messy or dangerous. In whatever storms life brings, I want to pause and remember that maybe God has a higher purpose, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn something or love someone. I don't want to assume that I know what to do when a storm hits. I want to be like Jesus and do only what the Father is doing. That means laying aside assumptions and asking Him. He may want me to take shelter and wait for the storm to pass. But I can't assume that the safe way is the way He wants me to go. He may want me to continue walking in spite of storms. He may send me straight into a storm suited up in a metal cage. It seems to me He likes this last option quite a lot, especially when it comes to relational storms. No matter which way He directs me, I know His way is best. I can trust Him completely. I know this for sure, that when I dare to risk by stepping out in faith, God is already there. He is my refuge, my strength, my very present help in every situation and relationship.

 

 

Videos of Cascade's trip to India

Here are some great videos from Cascade's trip to India:

 

(thanks, Robby Dawkins!)

(thanks, Mark Manuel!)