…and a huge load was lifted.

As you probably can tell, most of these blog posts are written by Deanna. This is due to a number of factors, the primary one being that she is a better writer than me. All that aside, I thought I'd give it a go on this particular occasion.

Deanna and I have made a major decision. Let me give you some background.

When Deanna and I got married, she was working as a high school pastor at Salem Alliance Church. (It should be stated that she was really good at her job too.) By our one year anniversary, we had decided to move to Vancouver BC so I could begin my studies at Regent College. I didn't really know what I wanted to do after that, but I knew that pursuing formal training in theology (broadly defined) was the right step.

Although the move to Canada was incredibly difficult, we eventually settled in there and made some wonderful friends. During the course of my studies, I realized (or decided, or was called, or…something) that I wanted to teach at the college/seminary level and that I wanted to teach people how to read the Bible (with a special emphasis on the New Testament). Also during the course of my studies, we had a baby. (You may remember her, she's really cute.)

So the next step then was getting me a PhD so I could get hired at some institution. To that end, in the fall of 2008 we applied to seven different programs and waited. In the spring we found out that I had been accepted into three doctoral programs (Cambridge, Durham, and St. Andrews) and one master's program (Oxford). However, none of these offers came with money attached.

After graduation, we moved back to Oregon and lived with my parents for the summer while I ran a painting company to try and earn as much money as possible. (Note: starting a company from scratch in the middle of a recession is not a route to easy cash.) We grew discouraged as letters arrived informing us that we would not be receiving any scholarships from any of the schools. Needing to move forward somehow, we decided to do the 1-year masters at Oxford in hopes that we could leverage it into a funded doctorate somewhere for the following year. So we sold most of our stuff (and a great deal of other people's stuff as well), saved as much as we could, and took out some (more) loans to get us through the year abroad.

Since arriving in Oxford, I have hit the ground running with German and French classes, several seminars, colloquiums and my own research and writing. God blessed Deanna with a job that fits our schedule and pays pretty well. Almost as soon as we got here (fall of 2009) I had to begin applying for PhD programs again. This time I applied to eight schools…and waited.

This spring I was offered a place at five schools and even offered funding at three of them: Edinburgh, Baylor (in Texas) and Oxford. It was gratifying to see that our plan worked!But it meant that a very difficult decision needed to be made as to where to go for the next 3 years. It is fair to say that Deanna and I lost a considerable amount of sleep trying to consider every angle and contingency. However, deadlines arose and a decision was made. We are happy to announce that we are staying in Oxford!

It is a three year degree that focuses on my own research. For the duration of my studies within the Theology Faculty I will also be a member of The Queen's College (founded in 1341). This is only possible because I was awarded the Clarendon Scholarship and I am very happy that it will enable me to continue studying with my current supervisor, Prof. Markus Bockmuehl, here at Oxford. It is truly a dream come true.

Unfortunately, it is not that easy and there are a few things for which we would appreciate your prayers. I still have to pass my Masters program (MSt) and be recommended for the DPhil (what Oxford calls the PhD). Also, Deanna's work contract ends in July but we still need her to have a job so we can pay rent and other pesky little things like that.

Still, we are very excited to see what the next few years hold. We'll keep you posted.

A little picture to give you a feel for where we get to live.

Making old things new...

There is a large community bulletin board hanging in the lobby of our building, right next to the elevator. Despite several threatening signs warning against it, people leave the things they no longer want or need in piles against the wall just under this bulletin board. We've seen, toys, clothes, games, used magazines, computer monitors, office supplies, posters, TV's, kitchen items, books and tons of other things there. It is common knowledge that anything left against this wall is free for the taking and we have acquired several things from the wall ourselves (plates and saucers, a white serving bowl, a chair, salad servers, a pasta server). You just never know what you're going to find! Because of this I always enter the lobby with a bit of anticipation. Ben has deemed it "The Wall of Hope". (He stole the phrase from Rick Smith who referred to the wall on the east side of Regent as the Wall of Hope because he would put junk against the wall one day and hope it would be gone by the next.)

My most recent acquisition from the Wall of Hope here was this ratty old pair of toddler shoes. They were in pretty bad shape.

But I'm glad no one threw them out.

A quick trip through the washer and dryer and then a little fabric (from an old shirt I picked up at a second hand store) and two buttons later, they are pretty cute and the perfect shoes for Nora to romp around in!

This was a very satisfying project for me and a good reminder of how God intends to make all things new. You, me, and even this earth (which once was perfect and new but which we've all managed to abuse pretty badly.)

Ahh, sweet redemption. I am honored to contribute to it, in any small way I can.

Anyhow, I like this kind of recycling.

The old addage, "One man's trash is another man's treasure" is so true. There have been numerous times that I have seen things in the dumpster here and thought, "I bet someone else could have used that!" But off it goes to a land fill and someone else is left to spend money they don't need to. What a waste! I think I get this mindset from my Dad mostly. He is very good at making use of old things in new ways - over and over. He, like me, does not like waste. He'll change lightbulbs out of strings of Christmas lights (that could quite possibly be older than me!) when others would buy a new set every year or two just to avoid the hassle of finding the dead bulb. He won't throw away a tarp with a hole in it because while it isn't waterproof anymore, it can still be used to drag a big pile of leaves from the front yard to the compost pile in the back rather than taking 8 trips with the wheelbarrow or it could be used to drag a deer out of the woods or to hold down a load of debris that needs be taken to the dump so that it doesn't fly out all over the highway.

If he thinks there is even a remote possibility that he'll be able to find a use for something in the future, he keeps it. I admire that.

(Granted, there is a fine line between this and becoming the crazy pack-rat down the road who counts it a miracle every time he opens his garage door and then is actually able to get it shut again. You know, the guy that everyone eyes with a bit of suspicion, wondering, "Why does that guy need all that stuff? Weird." I don't think my dad is there... yet.)

There is another idea that is just as appealing to me but for different reasons -- working toward minimalism. I like the idea of living with less. I mean, how many different cleaning solutions do I really need?!? What is even in those?? What happened to vinegar, lemon juice, salt and a box of borax - which, (minus the borax) we all probably keep stocked anyhow and could be snatched from the kitchen and combined in a dozen ways to meet our cleaning needs?)

True minimalism means you rethink what you really need vs what you may just want in the moment. It requires thinking long-term. It means buying carefully - with extreme intentionality. No impulse buys. It can mean you spend less money, you borrow (or rent) instead of buy things that you wouldn't use very often, and (bonus!) there is less to pack and unpack should you move house! (We know all about moving.) A minimalist rarely runs across things in their kitchen, garage or even in a drawer that is taking up space but hasn't been used in 3 or 4 years (or worse, can't even be identified!). Not only is your house less cluttered but everything around you has a specific purpose (or two or three!) I love efficiency.

It can also mean that you depend less on stuff and more on ingenuity and creativity (to entertain, problem solve, etc.) That's appealing to me.

I don't think I will ever be a true minimalist though. I'm too much of a nester. I like having things around me that don't do a lot more than make my home feel cozy. Sometimes I want things just because they are cute. Period. And I'm okay with that.

Someday I'd like to strike a good balance between these two.

I'm curious, where do you fall on this continuum? Or maybe a better question would be, where would you like to fall?

Dozing in the daisies.

For Ben.

Wanderings continue: Edinburgh

For those who need a refresher, this post is a continuation of our last one which can be found here.

After getting up early Sunday morning to catch a shuttle from the hotel to the airport and a short, uneventful flight (which incidentally had great food service) we arrived in Edinburgh. We took a bus to the center of the city where our dear friends from Regent, Jeremy and Katy, met us to take us back to their cute flat where we were treated with enormous hospitality. They really know how to go above and beyond!

We went for a walk around a nearby park (with a very full swan pond) and experienced some of the beauty (and bitter chill) that is Edinburgh. Later that night we all met up with some other friends of ours, Derek and Katie, at a local pub. (Deanna and I were at Regent, the U of O, and Camp Harlow with them back in the day and Derek is about finished with his degree at Edinburgh.) It should be noted that the Cambridge Pub treated us very well and wouldn't even let us pay for the mini-burger that they made especially for Nora!

On Monday, Ben had a meeting with his potential supervisor at Edinburgh and so he went into town with Jeremy to see New College, the building where the Divinity School is housed and where Jeremy has begun (and Derek is finishing) study.


New College

New College

Later that afternoon we went to Derek and Katie's for tea/coffee/various goodies and to see where they've been living the past 3 years! We were hoping that Katie would deliver their baby while we were in Edinburgh but baby Evelyn was shy and decided to wait until we went home...

The next day was our big sight-seeing day. We spent a good deal of time at Edinburgh Castle which dates from the early middle-ages and is where we saw the lovely Scottish Crown Jewels and loaded Nora in a 15th century canon! Weird fact: they have a special dog cemetery there for the dogs of knights and noblemen with tombstones and everything! (Sounds like something LA needs to build for all the celebrity dogs who die!) All in all, the castle was loads of fun and very interesting. I was definitely not made for the difficult life of the middle ages!
We also saw the Princes' Street Gardens and the Sir Walter Scott Monument (which is probably the most epic and otherworldly monument ever built). In short Edinburgh is a beautiful city (even if the wind is uncommonly biting).



Edinburgh Castle


One of the buildings inside the castle walls.


A view from outside the castle. Can you imagine climbing this cliff to try to invade the castle?!


Nora spending some quality time with her 'aunt' Katy!


A view to the sea…


Mons Meg from about 1450 AD (So HUGE! - She can fire those massive 400 pound stones for 2 miles!!)


Nora easily fit inside.


Nora fit in very well with her plaid coat. (Thanks for the gift Helen, Christina and Elizabeth!)


Deanna and Katy on top of the "mound" (where the castle is located).


Just us in a fun little alleyway.


A window in St. Margaret's Chapel


This stained glass depicts a certain warrior with the name "Wallace." I thought it was blog-worthy since the Edsalls can trace some of their ancestors back to the Wallace clan in Scotland. We have our own stained-glass window, apparently. (Actually, I think we have our own castle too!)


The Sir Walter Scott Monument



The final day was all goodbyes and traveling. Getting home after a trip is always a relief and all four of us were tired. Although it was a thrill to see so many new (or rather, old) things, the best part of the whole trip was being able to see our friends and experience a bit of their lives again.

Recent Wanderings...

First things first... Ben's sister Hannah came to stay with us for 2 WHOLE WEEKS!!! Oh my did we ever enjoy her company! Nora took no more than a few minutes to warm up to Aunt Hannah (who she hadn't seen in the flesh for over 6 months) and they were fast friends after that. It was so hard to see her go. Sure we love to travel and experience new things here, but we truly and deeply miss our dear family (and friends!) from home. We have an extra bed, so, who's next? ( :

While Hannah was with us we decided to take a trip to see some dear friends in Scotland and explore a bit of London along the way. It's hard to believe that we live only about an hour from London and yet until this most recent trip had only ever seen the airport! Since we would be flying from London to Scotland we left Oxford a day early and booked ourselves a night in a hotel so that we could bum around some of the main attractions for a day and a half.

We saw Buckingham Palace, The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, China Town, Westminster Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, The Jewel House, museums, parks, red phone booths, arches, statues, double-decker buses, and monument after monument after monument. (Hannah took much better photos but those are all on Ben's computer which is currently in the shop.) Oh! And we also think we may have seen the street where the Banks family lived in Mary Poppins. (Our source for this may or may not have been a crazy man on the street.)

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Duke Wellington's arch.

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Ben and Nora in front of 'Big Ben'. I think Nora had recently woken up from a nap in her stroller.

P.S. - The London Underground is NOT wheelchair accessible. This means that the London Underground is also not stroller friendly. Luckily there were 3 adults to carry the thing (baby inside) up and down the hundreds of stairs! We all got a good workout in London - whether we wanted it or not.

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This is the view of Westminster Cathedral on one side of the street...

... and this is the other side of the street. Crazy.

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10 points to the first person to identify who this statue is... (Hannah, you don't get to play - sorry.)

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Buckingham Palace and part of the Queen Victoria Monument.

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Gates to a park near the palace.

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This is Nora playing in the Queen's daffodils (in the park across the street from the palace). Shhh, don't tell the Queen!

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In Trafalgar Square. We had to climb to get up to this thing and passersby definitely stopped to stare (laugh?) as I wiggled and wriggled my way onto this ledge. Apparently I (Deanna) am not as agile as I used to be...

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At the end of our first day we stuffed ourselves with Cornish Pasties and watched a silly movie starring Queen Latifah that was on TV in our hotel room (quite the novelty as Ben and I don't have a TV here!) before rolling into bed. The next morning we did a bit more sightseeing, grabbed some lunch, checked out of our hotel and headed to the airport to catch our flight to Edinburgh, Scotland. Only then did our adventure really begin.

It turns out, the directions we were given by the London Underground staff to get the airport were completely misguided. The line we were on was shut down for a portion, there were busses (insufficient in number) ready to take us down the line to get back on the same line but even if we could have crammed onto a bus (which we couldn't) traffic was at an absolute standstill. We tried to get a cab (which would in theory have more freedom to maneuver around the gridlock) but even they couldn't help. We were stuck. We weren't even sure where... but it was somewhere between where we came from and where we needed to be.

Needless to say, we missed our flight.

Luckily for us, our dear friends in Edinburgh were able to get online and book us new tickets for the next morning and a hotel room near the airport... a different airport. If it hadn't been for them I think we all would have sat down for a little cry (from exhaustion), thrown in the towel, and returned to Oxford.

To be continued...