About Iona

I know, right? Two days in a row! Just goes to show that there are still miracles! :)

Today will be short and sweet though! As I promised yesterday, I wanted to share more about Iona. But since I haven't been there yet I decided to simply share this link about Iona. 

The things I have been told are that there are no cars. It's super small like 1 mile by 3 miles. I grew up on an island myself so I understand this concept! Chincoteague was only about 3 miles by 7 miles. I have also been told there are more sheep than people! I think this should be entertaining because I also know that sheep aren't very bright animals and then of course there is SO much theology surrounding sheep. So I'll be paying close attention to those sheep and their shepherds!

(photo from Iona Website)

I have also been told that the rocks at one certain area of the island are very special. My friend Joy told me I have to walk to this spot - it is where Saint Columba landed when he was fleeing his native Ireland following tribal feuds. So I am counting on finding some pretty cool rocks!

(Photo from Iona website)

So all in all - sheep and rocks - oh and of course the people of the Iona Community. But I will share more on that part later!  It appears to be a beautiful place though and I truly cannot wait! 

Only 49 days...

50 Days to Finding More of God

So I am the world's worst blog keeper! I set out every time I write thinking I am going to be consistent - ha...needless to say consistent ISN'T my middle name! More like spastic, sporadic I think. Oh well. After 50 years "I y'am what I y'am!"

So here I go again!

I thought it would be interesting to journal my upcoming journey - which isn't that what a journal is- but a documentation of our journey. The root word is from the French word for "day" - jour. I'll let you ponder that on your own without getting all philosophical on you! But back to my journey...

I leave in 49 days, or 48 depending how you count it for a(nother) trip of a lifetime - Iona Scotland. For someone who doesn't really consider herself a world traveler I have to say I am slowly but surely finding my way around this amazing planet. 

I had never heard of Iona before I started seminary in 2010. That spring one of the classes I would need to graduate was being held in Iona, Scotland - but I wasn't at the point in life or coursework where I could go. Since the professor only teaches that class every other year and only goes to Iona every other time she teaches it that meant I was out of luck. I took the class on the off year she didn't take the class to Iona -  so we met at the undergrad campus of Pfeiffer University in thriving Misenheimer NC. If you have never been to Misenheimer  -  well, don't blink. But it was a lovely two weekend experience and I did find some great things there. Like my dear soul friend Roxane and the Holy Spirit...

Needless to say I was a bit disappointed I wasn't going to be going to Iona - I mean my roots are from Scotland! 'Tis me homeland! My dad even found our clan there and joined their, uhm, club? (more of that in a later post) But, alas lassie - as the tides would turn an opportunity to take this pilgrimage of sorts came in the form of my spiritual direction practicum and acting as a Spiritual Director Assistant to my dear professor on this year's class back to Iona! She asked me before I had even graduated last summer if I would consider it. How long do you think I had to think about it - exactly!

So now it is finally here...and like the way God usually works in my life the timing is impeccable. (Although I am sure my daughters would not necessarily agree...) But as it is, I am at a place where I long to find a deeper relationship with God. To become more in tune with the promptings of the Holy Spirit. And maybe it's just me, but I struggle in the day-to-day life just to be and do the basics. I am so easily distracted. I long to be that contemplative soul who finds profound realizations  - but that just doesn't happen in my chaotic, crazy, inconsistent life. Thankfully God has brought some souls of that sort into my life lately. (more on that later, too)

So journey with me to this Thin Place  - a place where heaven meets earth. I'll share with you more about Iona and what makes it special. I'll share with you what I hear and see - besides lots of sheep as I am told! 

Much of the actual journey there will be on my own - something I haven't done much of - travel solo. And not only is it a long flight over, but I will literally be on a train, a bus and a ferry or two! And even though they speak English, as a dear friend who has been there informed me (We got a huge laugh out of that!), you can't always understand them with their dialect and accent. I mean I know I will sound completely normal of course...