Two Days In Ireland

So I spent Saturday and Sunday in Ireland, headed back for Lori’s 20th birthday celebrations. Here’s a rundown…

Saturday

04:45 Awaken and rise.
05:30 Have banter with taxi driver on way to airport.
06:40 Board flight (not having been asked for ID once, I’d like to add!).
07:00 Flight takes off.
07:22 Land Belfast International Airport.
08:10 Ahoghill: Step out of the jeep at my house.
Pretty much worth the early rise for this beautiful sight that greeted me (click to enlage):

Sunrise Welcome

10:00 Ballymoney: Catch up with the Loughridge family. These guys are amazing!
12:30 Ground, Coleraine: Coffee with Leanne. Immense.
Leanne just got back from 3 weeks at Levi’s in Latvia.
Gina came in while we were there, so also got a quick chat with her.
15:00 Ahoghill: Picked up by Lori
15:30 Ground, Ballymena: Coffee and shopping with the (almost) birthday girl.
17:30 Ahoghill: Chill out at Lori’s before meal.
I got handed a laptop and the TV remote while she got ready.
More teasing of me being ‘female-Connor’.
19:00 U-Tree, Ahoghill: Dinner with friends from school.

Dessert

Guinness

Lori & Lee

Post-meal: More banter including visiting appartments, going for drives, watching TV and eating chocolate.

Sunday

10:30 Antrim: Meet Jill. Wonderful walk on a beautiful morning.

Antrim Shoreline (1) From The Ground Up

14:30 Antrim: Meet Claire. Drive to Belfast. Coffee and lunch. Wonderful.
16:30 Belfast: Arrive at Belfast Harbour to get boat.
22:20 Arrive Glasgow Central.
22:40 Arrive home at flat.

—–

I had an incredible two days back in Ireland. I got to spend some time with a few of the people who have had a huge impact on me (in the past and continuing), and I feel so blessed for it. There’s a few more pictures on flickr. Here’s to many more (continuing) deep friendships.

Ireland

Heading back to Ireland for the next two days. Lori’s birthday celebrations. Our close friendship group from school in the same country at the same time again. A meal out. A chance to catch a few friends. Drink some good coffee. Celebrate some great friendships.

To enjoy the beauty of Ireland.

I’ve got to get a taxi at 5:30am to catch my 7am flight, so I’m off to bed. Back on Sunday!

Play Time

At this point in my life, whether I am motivated in this direction because of a sincere desire for righteousness or whether it is just a part of a midlife crisis and being tired of institutional arrogance, I now want to be a child more than ever A child doesn’t often tell you that they are joyful: they just show it. Perhaps the world will start to believe us if we start to show the life in us instead of just talking about the “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet 1:8).
Perhaps when we play we will find new things to talk about and new ways to talk about them. Perhaps our Father will also be delighted to see that we are finally enjoying the gifts that He gave us!

[ In “Play Time“, by Betty Spackman ]

HT: Blaine