Blogging UpWords

Walk Abouts

2012-02-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

I've been walking about quite a bit lately. Saturday morning, after torrential rains pounded the area the night before, two advance scouting parties arrived from Houston to check out the camp. One was scheduled, the other was just lucky we were there! So, Pat and I walked them around and through the buildings and grounds. All went well and we hope to see them back with their respective organizations.

Yesterday as we walked about about the grounds we noticed lots of animal tracks. The rain had wiped the sand clean like a fresh chalkboard just waiting to be drawn on and deer, raccoon, armadillo, and bunnies obliged. It was clear the animals were out out and about, too, enjoying the nice weather and probably celebrating the return of WATER to their world.

Rob fertilized and applied weed killer to eliminate burs in the grass the other day, and then the rain came. God's perfect timing, right? So, now the grass is greening up, wildflowers are starting to pop open, unfortunately the limbs of the cedar are hanging heavy with the yellow pollen ready to wreak havoc on my sinuses.

But, the good news is - many of the dogwoods are showing modest signs of life! Some seem to have completely survived the heat and drought, some partially, some are truly gone forever. I'm still not sure they'll make it, but, I am cautiously optimistic that come the end of March Cross Roads will once again blossom to bless our guests with one of the most amazing arrays of Dogwoods in Central Texas!

Off-Season Blues

2012-01-25T10:42:00.000-08:00

Our off-season is rapidly coming to an end, praise God!!!! From December to January it is way to quiet out here. Missing are the joy-filled sounds of laughter, the acrid smoky remains of a fabulous bonfire, delicious aromas from the kitchen wafting through the air, the friendly chatter with my friends volunteering in the kitchen and the smiling faces of new friends as they file past the serving window. The break is lasting a little to long this year and it is my prayer that the sagging economy isn't finally impacting this little piece of heaven on earth!!!!

Love In Transit: COLLIDE RETREAT

2011-10-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

A WOW weekend with a fantastic bunch of Austin Community College Students on a retreat sponsored by several Austin area churches. The conference room rocked as (2) great bands took turns leading the students in such powerful singing that we could hear it in the dining hall! Teams of students played field games, others played board games and cards, a handful of powerful speakers shared wisdom for living a meaningful, purposeful, fulfilling life, and there was plenty of down time for naps, walks and conversation with new friends. The only thing missing was the traditional Cross Roads bonfire. Will the burn ban ever end????

Women For Christ

2011-09-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

What a blessed weekend for all concerned! This was their second year at Cross Roads and it was wonderful seeing old friends and making new ones. Bondages broken, hearts healed, friendships made, blessings abounded for everyone - including us. Christ was definitely "in the building"!!!!!

FOCUS Learning Center

2011-09-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

We loved having this great group of college students from Texas A&M University - and they loved the food as show by this "Thank You Poster". We thoroughly enjoyed having this energetic, positive and fun bunch.

Gateway Marriage Camp

2011-02-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

An amazing weekend with some amazing new friends! Gateway - Austin brought thirty-four couples to their Marriage Camp at Cross Roads. They explored dance as a symbol of spiritual unity, communications by working together on the low element team building stations, long walks in the woods, dynamite campfires with lots of s'mores and much, much more.

Saturday night the Marriage Camp leaders decorated the dining hall with tons of candles and Rob served a special, romantic Italian dinner with his scrumptious chicken pasta, a spinach, strawberry and roasted pecan salad, cheese garlic bread, AND..... a one of a kind dessert ... (see below) - a chocolate heart shaped plate, a vanilla ice cream heart drizzled with white and dark chocolate and topped with a strawberry.

We were blessed to support this wonderful ministry of Gateway Austin and hope to see them again soon!

Transformed

2011-02-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

In January, we hosted a great bunch of dedicated Christ followers! The core planning group from Antioch Community Church in College Station came out to spend some uninterrupted time together focusing on their ministry goals for the new year. Their commitment and love for Christ and each other was truly inspiring!

On a Friday afternoon a couple of weeks later, ten men drove up in procession of trucks, including one pulling a 20' long gooseneck trailer loaded with what appeared to be gigantic cement blocks. The advance party sent to set up for a youth retreat scheduled for St. Mary Cathedral of Austin that weekend had arrived. They transformed the front of the Conference Center with what turned out to be styrofoam blocks. When the giant Greyhound bus arrived, the thirty-five excited youth were greeted by several very special worship spaces guaranteed to wow them!

Then, just last week the camp was once again transformed by the SNOW and ice that hit most of Texas! A couple of pipes froze, but they were easily thawed with patient use of a hair dryer and lots of hot water. No damage was done, praise God! Pat and I had fun trying to identify all of the critter tracks we found in the snow. Squirrel, bobcat, coyote? We still aren't sure what they all are!

Life at Cross Roads is good and we are looking forward to seeing new and old friends who come to Cross Roads in 2011!

Flame of Faith

2010-10-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Cross Roads was blessed by a small group of youth from University UMC in Austin. They piled out of the church van Friday night at about 9PM ready to fire up the bonfire and toast marsh mellows. As the night deepened, attention waned and the flames ebbed to smoldering ash, they spread their blankets under a bright night sky and watched as clouds skittered rapidly across a full moon. Ingrid, their pastor, said that as they watched the clouds zoom by they all experienced the very real feeling of being passengers riding on a twirling ball sailing through the universe. This feeling, this realization of the immenseness of God's universe, was a humbling first for some of them.

In the early dawn hours a few sleepy eyed boys poked the embers of the fire to life. Throughout the day as time permitted, twigs, sticks and other small offerings were chunked into the hungry fire igniting random small bursts of flame. As the busy-ness, laughter and antics of the day melted into the evening, larger limbs and logs were added to the glowing coals and flames once again leapt high illuminating the way to the candlelit Labyrinth.

As I observed and visited with Ingrid about their stay here, it occurred to me that the ebb and flow of the weekend was a lot like life. Sunday morning we pile into churches ready to light the fire - sing, praise, worship, fellowship and to hear into the humbling truths of the scriptures. Then Monday dawns and the fire is faltering. Our attention wanes and forces mount to snuff our faith flame. We struggle to maintain, and throughout the week we chunk in a prayer or two, an email devotional, and other small offerings, just enough to keep the embers alive and spark some random small bursts of flame. Our Spirits rise with the flaming sun on Sunday morning as we once again show up eager to sing, praise, worship, fellowship and to hear the humbling truths of the scriptures.

I am blessed to learn something from everyone who comes to the Cross Roads. Last weekend spoke to me about paying closer attention to feeding the fire of my faith every day, every hour, every minute, lest it falter.

The Morning After

2010-10-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

Ed and Thresa Hull are amazingly gifted artisans. Both hold down full time jobs, but their hobbies are where their hearts are. Ed spends most of his spare time in his woodwork shop patiently shaping exotic wood into incredible multi-hued, multi-textured bird "mansions" and other pieces of wood art. Thresa and Ed work together painstakingly piecing together brilliantly colored shards of stained glass on phenomenal projects that take up another entire workshop. The quality of their work in both areas exceeds most professional artists.

A little over a year ago Thresa Hull attended a retreat here at Cross Roads. At the end of the weekend, Thresa told me that the Holy Spirit had touched her deeply during her stay here and she wanted to give something back. I told her that wasn't necessary, but she asked if we had ever considered putting stained glass windows in the Chapel. "Of course!", I said, "It's on the list, but, not very high, 'cuz it's so expensive."

Ed and Thresa went to work applying their incredible talent to designing, making and then donating exquisite stained glass windows for the Cross Roads Chapel. It took them an entire year. Each window is half of a sunrise behind a cross. When you look at the front of the Chapel you see three crosses - the two stained glass windows on either side with a sun rising behind them and the cross on top of the Chapel. The windows are titled, "The Morning After". This photo doesn't do them justice. You'll see what I mean on your next visit to the Cross Roads.

"THE MORNING AFTER"

Created and Donated by Ed and Thresa Hull

Thank you Ed and Thresa - your gift will bless everyone who comes to the Cross Roads!

Fall was in the air!

2010-10-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend at the Cross Roads! Fall was in the air. The sky was crystal clear and bright blue. A breeze rustled through the trees, but best of all sounds of laughter intermingled with some rockin' praise and worship music burst through the open windows of the Conference Room. The Holy Spirit was definitely movin' as the S.M.Y.R.T. team from St. Mary's in Bryan led a powerful retreat for youth from Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Rockne, TX! We made some great new friend in Christ!