A Christmas Story

One of the many Christmas stories the Gwynnes can share this year began with one of the first frosts of the winter. We were out scraping our car's windshield in the frigid morning, when I saw one of our neighbors take a spray bottle, spray his truck's windows, then get in and drive away. There was absolutely no scraping necessary for him that morning. My numbed fingers hurriedly typed a Google search for "de-icing spray" as soon as I got a chance, and that's when I found this product.

With requests for Christmas wish lists given a few weeks later, I added PPC Ice Chek to mine and figured I'd probably get a bottle of it to try out.

On Christmas morning, when my husband, parents, brother, and sister-in-law gathered in my parents' living room to open our stocking presents, I was the first to open a lovely bottle of de-icer. Next, Dave opened one of his largest stocking presents--a bottle of PPC Ice Chek. This was followed by the same present for my brother and sister-in-law. My mom had found a great deal and was looking out for her children when she decided to buy us all some de-icing spray. Dave and I were well stocked for the rest of this winter.

Well, last night, when Dave and I were finally able to open our presents for each other, he started laughing when I picked up one of my gifts. As I opened it, I realized what was so funny. The Gwynne household was now the proud owner of not one, not two, but three bottles of de-icing spray!

How We Spent Our Friday Evening

Friday afternoon, Dave got a call from one of our friends, asking if we were available to babysit her two young boys while she and her husband went shopping that night. Although Friday night was supposed to be our only evening at home for the week, Dave and I knew we couldn't pass up the chance to babysit these little guys. (Seriously, they're the cutest kids on the planet.)

We helped them finish eating their supper before settling down in the family room to watch The Polar Express. The picture above is how the boys were for most of the movie. Their attention was completely captured by the film. As soon as the movie was done, we got them ready for bed, tucked them in, read a story or two, then headed downstairs to watch an episode of Say Yes to the Dress (my choice). Our evening of childcare was a pleasant surprise in our busy week.

Sights of the Season

Over the first week of December, Dave and I worked on decorating our apartment for Christmas. Here are a few pictures of the final product:

I decorated our tree using the hodgepodge of lights, garland, and ornaments I had accumulated/been given over the years. We ended up with a very "American," tree--red garland with white and blue lights. I think it turned out well.

Our little Nativity scene. I love it, even though it isn't quite accurate.

Christmas candle warmer with a cranberry chutney-scented Yankee candle warming up inside.

One stocking for Dave, one for me, and another one for me because my stocking is so small.

Thanksgiving

Have you ever thought about what it means to give thanks?

My first Thanksgiving Day experience here in the States was a great one.  We were able to spend much of the day with family, eat great food and, as is apparently customary, take an afternoon nap. Thanksgiving Day is, of course, all about giving thanks.  Traditionally, giving thanks to God.

Jesus is recorded as giving thanks only twice in the New Testament.  Once before his miraculous feeding of the five thousand and another at the Last Supper.  Given the extensive use of the word 'thanks' today, it seems odd that we don't hear Jesus say or express thanks more often. One thing Jesus did do, however, was to reach beyond simply giving thanks as we know it.  Rather than simply a pleasantry, both instances of his giving thanks are shortly followed by dynamic action. Jesus was not content with simply giving thanks.

The day after Thanksgiving in the States, commonly referred to as Black Friday, is an altogether different affair.  Most stores offer huge discounts and sales and bargain hunters begin queuing outside their doors in the early hours of the morning.  This past Friday, a Walmart employee in New York was trampled to death by shoppers desperate to enter the store.  Reportedly, over 2000 people had gathered and, evidently no longer willing to wait, began pounding and hammering on the doors of the superstore.  I wonder how many had, less than 12 hours before, been sharing a cordial dinner with their families?  I wonder if some had given thanks to God for his kindness to them and their kin?

While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them.  He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him.  

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?  Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me.  But this is your hour - when darkness reigns."

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest.

For Jesus, giving thanks was not a thoughtless expression or even simply a response to God's goodness, it was a definitive action.  When we give thanks to God, or to others, does it end there? Is it but a fleeting recognition of a previous act or is it a call to future action?

That action is what makes the difference between Thanksgiving Day and the day after. How will we choose to act?

Birthday Boy

You'd think that starting a new job would be enough excitement for one week, but we cheeky Gwynnes don't settle with only one exciting event a week. In addition to starting a new job, my husband turned 24 this week (more accurately, today). He spent most of his day working hard, but we made sure to celebrate tonight with dinner at Chili's and Quantum Solace at the cinema, thanks to a gift from our friends Matt and Leah--and their boys, Nate and Ben.

I'm so grateful for such an amazing husband. He is extremely understanding and patient with me, even when I'm being irrationally emotional (yes, it happens). He's great with kids, and it's clear that God is using him to reach out to the kids of our church and the surrounding area. He shares my love for Target, and he's gracious enough to let me window shop at the mall without complaining.

I could go on and on about how great my now-24-year-old husband is, but it's getting late, and I need to join him for our nightly tradition of devotions and reading before bedtime. For now, I'll leave you with a pic of my hubby from tonight, when we creatively celebrated by eating a Little Debbie Christmas brownie in honor of his special day.

Happy Birthday, David Thomas!

Party Time!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Hired!

I have officially entered the American workforce.  No longer am I a man of leisure.

On Monday, the kind people at the USCIS legalised me for work.  The culmination of a multitude of paperwork and three months of waiting resulted in a snazzy looking, but poorly named, 'Employment Authorisation Card'.  

The card features such exciting details as a very long immigration number, my date of birth, my photograph and my fingerprint.  We all know that fingerprints are the first thing any prospective employer will want to see.

On Friday, the even kinder people at Evangel Church in Hanover Park, IL hired me as their new children's pastor.  Staff photos, a Thanksgiving dinner and two church services followed shortly thereafter.  Erin and I are both exceptionally excited about this new adventure.  The highlight of my weekend was the children laying hands and praying for us in this new role.  We're looking forward to getting to know them all much better over the coming months and years.

Tomorrow will be my first day in the office as a staff member.  Photos will follow soon.

The Digital Transition

A Quick Hello

We've gone more than halfway through November without an update. Eek! I promise a more thorough update will be coming, complete with pictures. Since you last heard from us, we've dressed as pirates for our church's Fall Fest, gone bowling with the guys (well, Dave has), voted in the General Election (well, I did), attended another book group to discuss this book, and finished up the fall term of our small group with a games night, so there's plenty to talk about.

Taco Bell Bell Bell

Never let it be said that I have forgotten my Scottish roots.  I may be in foreign lands, but I'm as stingy as ever.

This week, taking advantage of a special deal at Taco Bell, the Gwynne family kicked into savings mode and crafted a ingenius plan to save money.  Taco Bell restaurants were giving away free tacos - one per customer - on Tuesday.  Nice, right?  Well, not really.  Given that most customers will buy additional items (i.e more tacos or soda) Taco Bell actually probably turned a good profit, if not broke even, on their kind gesture.

The Gwynne family, however, are not most customers.  Armed with cans of soda (which were also free, given that they were left over from Fall Festival at church), we planned to travel to not one, not two but three Taco Bells.  At each location, we would receive our free taco then move on to the next location to make up the three tacos that would normally constitute a meal at Taco Bell.

Well, we didn't make it to the third Taco Bell due to time constraints, but we certainly saved some money.

Dinner for two = $1.92

Busy, Busy!

The lack of posts certainly can't be attributed to a boring, dull life in the Gwynne family. Our activities have picked up in the last month or so, and we're having a blast with the opportunities that God has given us to serve in our church, make new friends, and hang out with the old ones.

We've only been attending our new church for less than two months, but we feel it's our home already. We have a great small group that we host on Saturday nights, and after only two meetings, we can tell it's becoming a place where people can take off their masks and share what's on their hearts. I've begun working with the four- to six-year-olds on Sunday mornings and am having a grand old time dancing with them during worship, teaching them about Jesus, and, of course, playing with Playdoh and coloring with them. Dave and I are grateful that God led us to this church so quickly (it was the first church we visited on our search).

Since I usually include pictures with my posts, here are some of us enjoying the beautiful fall weather.

Dave admiring the fall foliage

We went for a picnic yesterday.

I love walking through the leaves.

Happy Anniversary

September 26, 2006

September 26, 2008

Tuesday, September 26, 2006, was my last day in Aberdeen, Scotland. Mr. David Gwynne, the children's pastor at the church I'd just spent over a week working with, had offered to serve as tour guide for me and three of my friends on our final afternoon. We had walked to the beach and then to ASDA before I struck up a conversation with him, asking him if he was left handed after I'd noticed he had his watch on his right wrist. It turns out, this right-handed guy was just weird and liked to wear his watch on the "wrong" wrist. After that initial conversation, we were inseparable. He even made my tea at our team's final get together that evening and carried my pink backpack on the way to the pool hall with some of our friends.

Dave was smitten, and so was I. It took a few days and Skype calls before we shared how we felt, but we hold September 26 as the day our relationship began because it really was the beginning of what has turned into a lifetime commitment.

Wuthering Heights

In preparation for a book group that one of Erin's co-workers is hosting next week, I've spent the last few weeks reading 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte.  Given that her sister, Charlotte, wrote the novel 'Jane Eyre', I was not particularly thrilled with the prospect of reading a book of this genre.  It would no doubt involve frocks, marriage to a handsome suitor and lots of crying in the parlour alone.

I couldn't have been more wrong.  'Wuthering Heights' turned out to be one of the most incredible books I've ever read and I thoroughly recommend that you read it.  However, as if fate were conspiring to make this book even less appealing to the general public, Kate Bush sang a song of the same title in 1978.  Prepare yourself to watch the following video by sitting down and ensuring your speaker volume is not too loud.

Don't let this put you off reading the book.

Visiting the Blue Men

Last week, Erin and I were lucky enough to have the opportunity to head to downtown Chicago and see an awesome performance by the Blue Man Group.  

We set out late afternoon with Julie V to drive into the city.  It took nearly 2 hours, if my memory serves correctly, on a journey that, without traffic, would take around 40 minutes. Insane.   We did eventually arrive there, though, where we met Julie C and had dinner at Subway.

We turned up just before 7, as we were to be ushers for the evening.  In exchange, we get to see the performance for free.  After handing out playbills and busily directing people to their seats, including a rather rowdy bunch of kids and a nice, old English couple on my side, we went back out to the lobby to claim our free drink.  A small plastic cup of Coke was $3.00, so I was content that I was getting it for free.

We ended up having pretty good seats and the show was absolutely fantastic.  If you're ever in Chicago, you need to see it!

It's Raining, It's Pouring

Often, Dave is the person in our relationship who deals with adjusting to differences with our cultures. (You know, since he moved to America from Scotland and all.) This weekend, however, I was the one who was in for a shock.

The rain started nicely on Friday with just the calming mist that makes you want to take a walk, holding your umbrella and wearing your wellies. It was the kind of rain I'm used to as someone who grew up in the Midwest.

Then came Saturday.

We knew there was trouble when we were awoken by the rain early Saturday morning. A glance outside our window showed us the road next to our apartment building was already partially flooded. It was enough rain to cancel our plans to go into the city for Chicago's Celtic Fest. Instead, we decided to still go out in the rain and do some shopping.

If I'd known what we'd encounter on our trip, I'm not sure I would've been so eager to head out, but what happened sure made for a good adventure. First, there were the crazy drivers who seemingly forgot how to drive once the rain started pouring. Second, there were the flooded roads (and the crazy drivers who forgot that it's not a good idea to race through said flooded roads, lest you drown your own car or the cars of others because of your wake). And then there was the flash flood in the parking lot that we heard about over the PA system of the store we were in. (That was probably the quickest I've ever shopped at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.) Thank goodness, when we got out of the store, we saw that our car was just at the edge of the flood, not at all harmed by the lake that had formed in 10 minutes.

The rain continued until this afternoon, flooding plenty of roads and basements. We're so grateful that our car and home, as well as those of our friends and family, were spared.

The Exciting Lives of Newlyweds

After the wedding is over and the honeymoon luggage has been emptied and put away, it's easy to get stuck in a rut and become, well, boring. Weekdays can consist of getting up, going to work, then coming home to spend a few hours before going to sleep, only to do the same exact thing over again the next day (and the day after that and the day after that--you get the picture).

Well, in an effort to keep boredom away, Dave and I make sure to go out and do fun things like walk to the library to drool over all the cool books just waiting to be read (can you tell we love to read?). We also manage to explore new walking paths in our neighborhood. And, yes, we've even managed to "accidentally" trespass during one of our expeditions.

As you can see, it doesn't take much to entertain us, which leads me to the main point of this blog entry. On Saturday, we actually got out of the house before noon because we were so excited about heading to Best Buy to purchase a digital converter box. Commercials warning us about the day analog television would turn into static have been on for months, so we thought it was about time to take our $40 gift cards from the government and enter the digital age before it was too late.


As soon as we got home, Dave and I set the box up and crossed our fingers. You see, since I moved into our apartment, we've only received 7 channels, and even those weren't always trustworthy. As we watched onscreen while the converter scanned for available channels, my dreams seemed to be coming true. The numbers kept rising until we were able to click through the channels ourselves. I'm happy to report that we not only get all the major networks (including FOX--thank goodness!), but we also get all the new digital channels that have come onto the scene.

I don't think I've ever been so excited about watching television. We'll now be able to watch The Office, 24, House, and American Idol, and BBC World News with a crystal-clear picture that's just as good as cable. Hooray!

And that, my friends and family, is why our weekend was so good.

I told you the life of a newlywed is exciting!

The Creepiest Video Ever

Who would've guessed that a stuffed animal could be so creepy? US Cellular has been running a commercial lately that should really bring a warm, fuzzy feeling to those who watch. Instead, Dave and I scream every time we see it. Take a look. What do you think?

Wink wink, McCain McCain?

Some will recognise this cheerful face , but for those who don't, allow me to introduce you.
This is Rick Warren, pastor of the Californian mega-church Saddleback.

He's been in the US news recently after holding a forum for the two presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama. Having now watched the debate online, I feel Warren did a very good job in remaining fair and consistent in his questioning and attitude towards both candidates.

Last night, ABC's Nightline showed their reporter, Cynthia McFadden, interviewing Rick on his purpose and reason behind organising the forum. Again, the pastor did an excellent job in remaining fair and consistent in explaining his reasoning behind his church hosting this forum. It was not intended to be partisan nor influence the votes of the congregants.

Cynthia, however, clearly disagreed. She proceeded in what was perhaps the most biased news report I have ever seen. Her complete lack of respect for Warren was evident from the start and she did nothing throughout the entire interview other than trying to cajole Rick into voicing support for McCain. Why McCain? Evidently Cynthia believes that evangelicals will undoubtedly vote Republican and, no surprise, given the fact that she lumped all evangelicals together with the Religious Right.

As of yet, I can find neither the video or the transcript of the interview online. If you're interested further, though, have a look at the short Newsbusters article on this issue.

So, what makes this the single most biased interview I've ever seen?

Well, that's simple. At the conclusion of the interview, after stating that he was a registered independent, Warren indicated that he hadn't decided on who he would vote for. The jovial fellow also slipped in a little wink. Big mistake, Rick. Cynthia then took it upon herself to declare something to this effect:

"Though Rick said that he was undecided on who to vote for, his wink said McCain."

Now that's taking communication through body language to a whole new level.

A Sunday Tradition

During my childhood, I always awoke to the smell of cinnamon on Sunday mornings. My mom would wake up before the rest of us, pop the rolls in the oven, and let the delicious aromas wake us up. Once everyone was out of bed, we'd gather at the kitchen table and each grab a warm, gooey cinnamon roll. My younger brother would always ask for the middle one because he was sure it tasted best.

I had never planned to continue this tradition when I got married, but last week I decided it would be a nice treat to have for Sunday. Dave and I enjoyed our first batch of cinnamon rolls along with eggs and sausage for last week's brunch after church. This week, I actually woke up in time to make them before we headed out for the morning service.

Mmm! Dave and I both enjoy this weekly treat, and I'm so happy that we get to continue a family tradition that began years ago.

A Storm on the Horizon

On Monday night, I experienced my first real taste of just how bad the weather can get in the States. I've been here during bad thunderstorms, but I have never seen anything like what rolled through on Monday night. Absolutely wild storms came rushing through the Chicago/NW Indiana area, creating three tornadoes. One of said tornadoes touched down about 10 minutes from our front door. Flights were grounded, power was cut out and, in some areas, homes were left in tatters.

It was scary.

Watching the lightning and listening to the booming thunder is a frightening experience, but it is also a humbling one. Witnessing this display of the sheer power of nature really got me thinking about our time on this planet. We can predict weather and we can prepare for it, but the one thing we cannot do is prevent it. We are completely subject to its mercy, of which it has none. It is an uncontrollable, unstoppable force that has the potential to ravage everything we spent so many years to create. It takes homes, communities, lives with no remorse.

Where's the humility in that, you might ask?

Right here:

Matthew 8:23-27 (New International Version)

Jesus Calms the Storm

23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"

26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Even in the midst of the wildest storm, we can find comfort in the awe-inspiring power of God and he can bring peace to the most ferocious places. The storms, tornadoes and natural disasters of all degrees of magnitude will continue on this planet, but God's love reaches beyond our circumstances and to our very core.

1 John 4:18 (New International Version)

18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

How often do we hear yet another TV evangelist claim that a natural disaster, from Hurricane Katrina to the 2006 tsunami in Sri Lanka, is God's judgement visited upon us? I happen to believe the very opposite. I don't see God's judgement, but God's loving arms. Not in the natural disaster itself, but in the thousands who flock from across the globe to help the needy. The millions who cry out to both God and government for help.

In these times, we truly see who we were meant to be.

We see a people cast aside their differences and stand united.

We see a God who reaches into lives and calms the storms of fear that rage in our hearts.

We see love conquer all.

Honeymoon Highlights

The cottage had 2 bikes we could use, one adult and one child size. We took them out for a spin. You can see which one I got to ride.

The beach in St. Joseph

We managed to make two Dairy Queen trips during the week. I highly recommend their Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard and Waffle Bowl Sundae.

The obligatory photo with Big Boy

Honeymoons are fun!

Now that Dave and I are about to head home from our week away, we can share with you where we went on our honeymoon. We rented a cute little cottage in the tranquil, lakeside town of Stevensville, Michigan, and we've been having fun exploring the area (it's near the charming St. Joseph, Michigan), riding the waves at the beach, and reading. We've already decided we'll definitely be returning in the future to this lovely vacation spot. It's been a wonderful week.

We're married!

We'd like to thank all our friends and family for their support. We love you!