Worst SA Clean Up of All Time

Someone dumped a bag of raw chicken. Smelled like dead body. Maggots covered the bags - the ones in the part are just a FEW of those present. GAG!

some EPC women

 

Easter at EPC

Pastor Carter

the room as the service started - it was PACKED by the end of the service

Melanie holding onto Pastor Carter's arm for dear life.

So much mother's love in this picture.

He was enjoying his friends...

Safer than a Known Way (May)

I left the Community Grounds Café – the South Atlanta neighborhood coffee shop – the same time as Mia[1].

Mia was headed to the Bethlehem Senior Center, while I wanted to drop my camera off at home. Our destinations being just a block away from each other I suggested we walk together. Mia wanted to first stop at J’s to purchase a single cigarette. I laughing told her she didn’t want one. Then Mia spotting my flip flops decided she wanted to stop at her place along the way to change into a pair of her own. I said I did not mind waiting, as it offered an ideal excuse for sitting on the wall and talking to passing neighbors. As we were walking away from her place, Mia remembered that we had passed the tree she had wanted me to photograph. As she was directing me back to the tree, a neighbor – Dana – sitting on her porch called out hello to me. I meandered down the street to the porch to talk, and Mia followed behind me providing me with an opportunity to introduce these young women who lived so close to one another.

We bid farewell to Dana and headed down the last stretch of our short trip. At some point during those last two blocks Mia asked me about when I had done Mission Year[2] in South Atlanta. I laughed and told her that while I loved Mission Year, I had come to the neighborhood on my own right. The inner city just felt like home. As a third culture military brat I felt more at home here than in the suburban world where I looked like I should fit.

And for no real reason I found myself continuing on the conversation to share about how in Bible study we were reading Colossians and talking about how Christ is the great reconciler. Told her I had been mulling over this verse and its implications on living in a diverse community. We pondered this idea together, as we made our way down Lansing Street.

And somehow in the midst of this blabbering we arrived at the Bethlehem Senior Center where a wide eyed Mia turned to me with her mouth open but silent for a few seconds before she shared the purpose for her trip. A small group in the neighborhood nervous about neighborhood transformation had told her that she needed to choose sides – as in white or black sides – and/or (not sure which it is) make sure their list of needs – demands – whatever you might want to call them - were met.

She had tried to ditch me multiple times on the walk, as she had been afraid that one of them would see her walking down the street with me – a little white girl, but that the random conversation had been exactly what she needed to hear.

I do not remember walking the last block to my house. Awe of God’s sovereign grace overwhelmed my heart while tears of frustration over the fact that we still deal with wounds created by slavery and segregation threatened to spill. I just do not understand how anyone can look at another human being as lesser than – cannot see the unique beauty of each personality they encounter. My heart aches and desires to share the great reconciling power of Christ.

Please pray (1) that my ministry might serve as a testimony of Christ’s reconciling work and (2) for Christians to desire to live intentionally in South Atlanta – boldly proclaiming in word, deed and being the good news of the Kingdom of God.

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[1] Names have been changed.

[2] Mission Year (MY) is a year-long urban ministry program focused on Christian service and discipleship. MY takes teams of people, places them in an area of need, and helps them to serve people and create community.

self-portrait

I took a few pictures of myself while taking pictures of a couple of the houses we rehab - ones that were foreclosed by some bank and left vacant. They are incredible homes... the first one we rehabbed is now home to our 'dream' intentional neighbor.

Wearing my new favorite outfit in this picture. Got the jacket at the gap outlet mall this weekend - thanks to Ruth spotting it after I went around the whole rack and didn't see anything. The shirt I got from Cyndi, so sad that it's 2 years old at the least and I can't get any more like it. I have one of the Kwaj flowers in my hair. My new bangles - love... and my Fossel bag.

SAM's Club on way to retreat

We made a friend....

Do the shoes fit? Walking out biblical womanhood.

First EPC W.O.W. - women of the word - retreat/conference. We rented a cabin near Pidgeon Forge and had a couple of speakers come to talk to us about walking out biblical womanhood. Shannon, would have been in heaven as the decorations were all shoes. :) Learning a lot from these women as far as putting things together go.

 I met up with Kimberly Bynoe, Allison Duncanson and Ruth Fowler at 6:30 AM to drive up before the rest of the women to decorate the cabin, grocery shop and cook. We decided next time we need to come up the night before... we were exhausted by the end of the day. It was all worth it, but I definitely was asleep the moment my head hit the pillow. We had two very FULL cars by the time we reached the cabin - we stopped at a SAMs in Knoxville for a little shopping. We definitely were not short on food that weekend.

 The boxes contained hand printed t-shirts (thanks to Ruth Fowler who makes all our t-shirts) and a piece of jewelry that was picked out for the personality of each women. The jewelry all had some sort of verse on it. Mine was perfect for me.) The bags contained a small notebook, pen and the next book we'll be studying together at our monthly Saturday brunch.

 The little note tags all have different verses about walking...

 They brought devotional books geared towards women... for our free time.

 I bet Shannon LOVES this one. :)

 Something was said that made the 1st speaker (3rd from left) that Jamila was pregnant. It just cracked these lovely ladies up. These are the elder wives (including my pastor's wife). They planned out the whole retreat. Wanted to surprise us all. It was quite lovely.

 Can you see the shirt design at all? Nice thing about having it hand printed (other than I also like the look of the hand screened print) is that every woman gets to pick out the type of shirt she wants.

 During the free time Tabatha and Ori and I took a drive through Smokey Mtns Park... with stops along the way. Was a nice drive with great conversation. I  hopped from rock to rock to get the shot above...

 Don't know why, but I just loved the twisting roots of this tree.

Self Portrait of course...

 Ruth Fowler of course - or Designs - as EPC'ers have nicknamed her. Talented lady.

 Speaker #2... Her awesome shoes are a photo or two below this one. She's 51.

 A trivia question on the last day asked who was the youngest woman there. Alexis was sure it was me - 21... a month short of taking a decade off my life. Pretty much having a third taken off is remaining a consistent theme.