resting-resize1Our week in Washington D.C. marked a rich conclusion to a really stretching year.  Not only did we have the honor of praying over the U.S. House of Representatives, but we participated in the three day “RE:FORM” Conference in Baltimore.   RE:FORM is an organization that we have recently formed in an attempt to develop a collaborative of Christian leaders and organizations who are committed to work in a unified effort to address seven major issues that are most responsible for the escalation of world crises. Those major issues are: world hunger, health, environmental decline, illiteracy, social injustice, corrupt leadership and spiritual deadness.  Our gathering consisted of some 130 people; and included many who are leading the way on the frontlines of these critical and difficult issues.  For more information on the vision, purpose and efforts of RE:FORM you can go to our website at http://reformnow.wordpress.com/about/.

At the end of the conference we stayed in D.C. for two additional days hanging out with Nancy’s younger brother Chris and his wonderful new wife Emily.  Chris works for the Navy Department in the area of arms treaties. We had a great time catching up with them in the capital of our nation.

We arrived back home at Timber Butte at 2:00 a.m. on Monday morning and immediately recognized that there had been a marked change in the air just in the short time we had been away.  The morning was crisp and the leaves on the trees around the pond were already losing their dark green tones in exchange for a lighter yellower tint.  The day did gradually become warm, but something in the air reminded us it was time to get ready for the inevitable approach of the colder months ahead.

Taking a nap on the back porch with Lily in the late afternoon sun reminded me of the peace I always feel here, but I couldn’t help but think about all the tasks that needed to be accomplished before the end of fall.  Firewood needed to be stacked, the remainder of the garden needed to be canned, the root cellar needed to be cleaned and stocked and the barn needed one more thorough cleaning.  We had wanted to stain the hay shed to match the newly stained barn, chicken coop and house and I was hoping to install a sprinkler system for the lawn that we would be planting in the early spring around the house.  My short afternoon nap was wonderful, but merely a rest before the fall.