An Abbey Version of LOST

I have, in the days preceding Thanksgiving, become addicted to the TV show LOST. The characters consist of airline passengers whose plane crashes on an unknown island a 1000 miles from their original flight path. During the days, weeks, and months following the crash, the passengers undergo various trials and tribulations that develop their friendships and characters. The director helps to build suspense in the storyline by creating flashbacks from the characters' pasts that help us as bystanders to understand yet another piece of the mystery.

I realized tonight, as I conversed with Sister C and Sister K, that our lives in Fairbanks--and perhaps lives in general--were very much like my favorite TV show. We were all together in this life, forming and growing with one another, as we learned how to overcome the difficulties we faced on a daily bases. As I learn more about the girls I live with, my Sisters, the closer we become and the more I realize that in Alaska we are all connected through someone in some way. Small world.

Yes, perhaps we were not on an island being chased by "the Others" and trying to survive through yet another night, but sometimes a person can come home, or even wake up, feeling like a battle had been fought.

Whether it was won or lost is another story.

I was glad that, though we will not always all be here together, that God gives us moments with friends where we can laugh and cry, vent and sing, and rejoice that each day brings us a little closer to the bigger picture.

--Sister M

Harmony

Harmony

Space and Harmony...
In reading "Clowning in Rome" this week I came across a section on the depth of celibacy, not as the act of being physically set apart, but having an empty and ready space to receive, hold and distribute the love of God. The author spoke about a community that treasured their time away, their "empty" space. He writes:

"They made it very clear to me that friendship is very important to them, but they have to learn... to keep seeing their relationships with each other in the context of their common call...
They have to be willing to let new developments... separtate them.... be willing to see their separtaions as an invitation to deepen their relationship with their first Love, the Lord, and then through the Spirit of the Lord with each other.... Together, committed to protect the empty space in and between each other." ~Nouwen

I instantly thought about my "sisters". We all have our space. No one is pushed in or out of it. The Abbey is not a place where we will all live for long. Marriage, work, school and other opportunities come along and change the dynamics. We cannot hold on to our friendships too tightly and try to fill them with the business of our lives and leave little room for the work of Christ. Nouwen used the example of celibacy being like old churches in the middle of Rome, "The churches of Rome are like beautiful frames around empty spaces witnessing to the One who is the quiet, still, center of all human life."

I sit typing in my room while Sister K plays and sings by the fire, ashes mingling under her socks. Sister K.D. finally snuggles into bed with Alli while Sister E, props her feet up and reads over notes for tomorrows class. We each have our space in which Christ wants to speak to us. Its precious and some how we know that we each need it. My empty space, my quiet time away from them has been guarded by them. I am so grateful.
(I highly recommend the book! Clowning in Rome by Henri J.M. Nouwen)
Sister C.

Bold and Beautiful

The Bold and Beautiful Mouth

Tumbling forth
out into the space
bringing a voice to the heart
and defining thoughts
out loud
is that of a waterfall
so easy it seems
slide
slip
they tumble out
and chaos it does not bring
but rather
full
of rhythms and rhymes
filling my eardrums
with the complete sound
of the meaning at heart
her heart is heard
in a well-defined
sentence
or two.

By Sistah K

One part blue sky, two pinches white snow

As I work on programing stuff for the students I work with on this November Friday morning, I am reminded by a previous colleague that when he worked with me, he observed that I lived, "Outside of the box." I smile at this, for he is exactly right. Not, that I don't observe specific rules of society and the law, for if I didn't I would not have the freedom to write such words from my own house or enjoy the ability to speed when I do choose to~

Yet, for me, "living outside of the box," is who I am in so many ways. I have struggled with what this means in the past and I know my own family has not always understood my intentions and decisions. Yet, as families are, they love me regardless and support me as much as they can.

I suppose for many living in this rather isolated state of Alaska, "living outside of the box" is entirely natural. Alaska is a place where one either wants to live here or not..the shade of gray doesn't span the horizon as much as black or white does. What I continue to gather in my own infancy of living in this great state, is people love their independence, ability to conform or not with others and to others, travel extensively when desired and live with the attitude, of "I can, I will and why not?"

For me, this sticks. My own Alaska story started five years ago on the Yukon River while peeling Spruce logs during a Missions Trip. Not many can say they fall in love with a place while getting dirty for Jesus. I understand this, and I suppose it's another reason why 'living outside of the box' explains much of my life.

And as I blog this morning, Sister K is chopping wood outside, not because The Abbey is low on wood, for we are not. Yet, I believe it is because she wants too.

One of the things I love the most is that Jesus himself did not live in the box, He confronted it, and simply chose to live outside of it, at the same time changing hearts, minds and people for generations to come. What Jesus did in the lives of the Disciples by teaching them a whole different approach to life sticks with so many, thousands of years after He died on roughly cut wood and rusted nails.

And the beautiful thing about Jesus is that we each have the choice to desire, crave, yearn and ask Him to be part of our lives, regardless how big, small, or non-existent the box of our lives is.

Sister E

Threading. And I mean it.

I have been threading today. And I don't mean the online chat threads. I am talking about good ol' fashioned hair removal using sewing thread!
Step 1: Take about 12 inches of thread and tie the two ends together, forming a circle.
Step 2: Hold the thread like you're about to do a cat's cradle and twist it about eight times. (The twists should appear in the middle.)
Step 3: Put thread right up against skin where you wish there was no hair. Use fingers to move the twists along the strand. As they move you should see them pluck out the hairs!
It is cat's cradle for the face! Now, this may sound easy, but believe me, I gave up after the fifth hair was plucked and went in search of my tweezers. The ladies on youtube made it look so easy! If you are intersted in trying it yourself, check out this link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F37Sl1c7BA0
Love ya'll!
Sistah K

Benefits

Some evenings we have visitors at the Abbey. Some announced, some spontaneous, some that give and some that take. We love all our visitors.
Tonight there was a man who happened to know that we needed wood chopped, he happened to have an ax in the back of his car... he also happened to be single... and happened to just be on his way home from work...and he may have happened to have met one of my sisters on an occasion. As I helped stack the wood I was again reminded of my beautiful roommates and the benefits they bring to my life. I have an inclination that I am not the only one who has noticed their beauty. I don't mind. The house is now surrounded by stacks of neatly chopped wood.
Ah! the benefits.
Sister C.

Sister C at 16 Below

I woke up to outside wood chopping on this 16 below zero morning. Sister C was outside swinging a not so wide axe on rather cold wood. Sister C is also known to keep our water supply ready and fresh, trapsing to the spring at Fox every so often to support our hydrating needs. All the sisters of The Abbey appreciate this!

Today, while it is frigid outside, does remain a blue sky day. At least for a few hours anyways, until the moon decides to shine down and those amazing large stars come out...winter solstice is close to us....oh, where has the year gone?

In any event, I must move on to work pertaining to children and planning.

Sister E