There's nothing like a good bird dog!

When my dad said "I love to hear my girls sing," he wasn't talking about his three daughters. It was an expression he used for his hunting dogs and the joy he derived from hearing them bellow as they ran through the woods, hot on the trail of small game. Of course, any bird dog owner will also tell you there is an equal sense of joy in seeing their favorite bird dog go on point, a silent indicator that pheasant may be on the menu for dinner.

Today, I would like to give a shout-out to another favorite local business that isn't about bellowing or pointing, but it is named for one of my favorite breeds of pooches, Bird Dogs Coffee on 101 W. Seminary Street in downtown Owenton, Kentucky. Bird Dogs is definitely more than just coffee. It's space for good conversation with good friends and a meeting space for new friends. It's sandwiches and salads, seasonal soups, and darn good sweet treats.

Bird Dogs' biggest asset is the couple who own and operate this cafe, Kasey and Randy Towles. No matter who you are or where you are from, their hearts for authentic hospitality will draw you in like an old friend. They also just happen to have merchandise for the rest of you who may love dogs as much as my dad. 

Check out Bird Dogs' Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/birddogscoffee/

A Jesus Sighting!

Jesus has been sighted at Anam Cara, twice! While doing some landscape work in the back yard, I noticed what at first appeared to be nature's way of eroding one of the stumps left from our first cedar harvest; either that, or the clever work of termites. My mistaken hypothesis was due to looking at the stump from the wrong perspective. As I shifted my position, the squiggles became letters and the letters, I realized, spelled "JESUS."

It wasn't long before I spotted "JESUS" a second time.

It seems we have had a mystery carver share lodging with us at some time! I love that I don't know who our carver is or when it happened. I love that our cedar stumps now have a purpose, declaring the Name above all names! There may be more "JESUS" stumps around the edge of our woods or maybe there are just these two. What it made me realize, however, is that it's worth checking our perspective from time to time just in case we are missing seeing Jesus right in front of our nose!

Spiritual Muscle

Autumn is peaking around the corner. The days are pleasant and the nights are refreshingly cool, perfect for evening bonfires. Before long, the leaves will begin to transform from vibrant shades of reds, oranges, and yellows to dry, brittle browns. And then, with each breath of wind, the leaves will lose their hold on the branches and gently float to the ground. This season in more northern climates is a time of preparation for the cold, winter months ahead.  The trees are conserving energy; readying themselves for the onslaught of dropping temperatures. 

Naturalist Henry David Thoreau recorded in his journal entry for October 29, 1858: “Nature now, like an athlete, begins to strip herself in earnest for her contest with her great antagonist Winter. In the bare trees and twigs what a display of muscle.” Followers of the Way of Jesus, citizens of the Kingdom of God, can learn from the trees during these seasons of transition. How do we prepare for the onslaught of events that are bound to occur at some point in time, events that challenge our survival as Kingdom people? What are we doing to minimize what we hold on to so that we are prepared when circumstances require a bit more muscle to weather the approaching storm?

We pour our energy into things that give us strength and endurance in our relationship with our Triune God. We let go of over-scheduled agendas and step into the pages of poetry and prose, history and metaphor contained in the Grand Narrative of our Hebrew and Christian testaments. If we are to build muscle and, to paraphrase Thoreau, strip ourselves in earnest for the contest with the antagonist that is bound to challenge us, then we had better know how to let go of our finery for a season. We had better know how to pour our strength into our basic need—strong roots that connect us to the source, a relationship with our Creator God through the redemption offered to us in Christ Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is time to rest from constant production and focus on what we need to survive the turbulent storms of life, to settle into holy habits that build muscle, spiritual muscle. Only then will be prepared to endure the tougher seasons that are bound to come. 

*Resource: Roger Di Silvestro. National Wildlife Federation’s Blog. Sept 05, 2014.

Thin Space Welcome

Welcome to Thin Space Ministries. Celtic theology believes that there are "thin spaces" whereever heaven and earth are so close they almost touch. At Thin Space Ministries, we believe that place is available, not as a piece of real-estate, but as a disposition of being in relationship with God through Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, a "thin space" is a relationship that is grounded in a relationship with our Triune God. Sometimes we need time and a place away from our chaotic schedules in order to quiet ourselves enough to find that "thin space." Thin Space Ministries offers that opportunity at Anam Cara Retreat. As our cover photo states, we are dedicated to offering journeyers a place to listen to the heart beat of God. Schedule a time for yourself or your leadership team to listen for the heartbeat of God and rediscover your "thin space" not as a place, but as a relationship.

Be Still...

I am trying, really I am. A plate which hangs on the wall where I am sure to pass multiple times throughout the day reminds me of my current assignment: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10). It is one of the passages of scripture that influenced my intent for our retreat space here at Anam Cara. Being still, however, is not a natural part of my personality. Unless I am sleeping, activity dictates my day. I have always had what I refer to as "the chipmunk in the forest syndrome"--a tendency towards constant action that is easily distracted in other directions. After a season of busyness with church responsibilities and a doctorate degree, I am having to relearn how to "be" and actually sit in one place long enough to listen for the heartbeat of God. It has been my dream to provide a "be still" place and a "be still" experience for others, but God decided I needed to abide in that place and have that experience myself. That is why God is God.


In the midst of being still, maintenance work does have to be completed. Mark has been running the brush hog through our 24 acres clearing paths for a prayer trail.  I have been hauling mulch to our small labyrinth on the edge of the woods. The gardens have to be weeded, prayer stations need to be made, the lawn needs to be mowed, and something always seems to need fixing or cleaning.

We both, however, relish our "still" times when we can hike these trails, pray in the labyrinth, or simply sit in the music room at the end of the day to watch the sun set. We invite you to enjoy time away from busyness to a place and an experience where you too can finally obey God's command to "be still."

There's a time for every season under the sun...

It's transition time.  As of June 18th, I am ending my tenure as pastor at Midway United Methodist Church and am entering a new season as a pastor with the world as my parish.  This past Monday, I returned from an incredible trip to Kenya and possibilities for ministry that I never could have imagined.  Stay tuned for updates as Mark and I develop Anam Cara, Thin Space Ministries, and discover how God is uniquely calling us to live out His gospel of grace as citizens of His kingdom through Jesus Christ here on earth as it is in heaven!

Running the race (Acts 20:24)...
Judy