In The Pipeline: August

We are baaaaack!

After a summer of sizzling hot days, sodas as big as our faces, daily trips to the pool and more fun than was probably good for us, we packed up our bags and flew back to Scotland.

But we won’t be here for long. We’re on the move again in less than a month to Germany, where Taido will be a teaching fellow for the next year.

Cole is still in the States and Mary Polly is staying in Scotland (for the time being), so I am feeling a bit fragmented as we get ready to move just four Chinos to Tubingen, Germany. I’m finding it hard to keep leaving bits of my heart all over the place, but I would not trade this gut-wrenching sadness away if it meant also losing the love I feel for dear, dear folks in all the places I have ever lived.

So, there are tears. Lots of tears.

But also we are celebrating that we do actually know the next step in our family’s journey.

For that, we are very grateful.

And so, onward.

Here are some links I’ve been collecting this summer in case you need to waste away a day on the internet.

Simon and I have been doing German lessons on the daily, but apparently, THIS is how you really learn a new language. (We will see!)

Oh my heart. I have been loving the BBC’s Identity Series. Such good storytelling. Like this one about an innocent man who spent 23 years in prison for a murder in which the actual killer had already been convicted for the crime. Crazytown. Or the story of a brave gal who is undrawing her tattoos.

I’m so convinced that we desperately need more bridge building between races (and any other dividers we face) and that the church must lead the way. So I loved finding a site dedicated to helping churches do just that.

I did a two week devotional email with a friend of mine this summer and this day was my favorite.

I met a gal on one of my flights this summer who has a podcast for Global Moms. She is super PRESH. In person and on her podcast. Also her newsletter is all light and life.

Going to my home church in Arkansas was a HUGE highlight of my time at home. Most Sundays, I could barely hold back the tears.  While Taido was there in July, he preached, Mary Polly, my niece Emily, my brother Peter, and I all sang in the choir and our sweet Simon was baptized. It was a precious precious day.  Then, on my last Sunday, my daddy preached SUCH a beautiful message about HOPE. His message and the music was JUST the parting gift I needed to have the courage to leave again and begin yet another new journey this season.

Listening to music that reminds me of truth has been a greater and greater necessity in my life in the last few years, so I collected some new favorites while I was home. This video has been on repeat on my computer.

Here is my new Transition Playlist with music I found this summer. Many of these songs are straight off of this worship playlist my brother created.

If worship music is not your jam, the song from this video is another new favorite of mine. (Here’s the full song.)

You should probably come visit when we move to Germany because next year is the 500 year anniversary of the Reformation. Kind of a big deal.

Speaking of travel, I appreciated this listicle of 15 hacks for getting cheaper flights.

This piece about claiming the title of “artist” is a couple of years old but it rings so true to me!

Also did you know I wrote like a bajillion posts about our trip to Italy. Because Italy…LOVE.

BOOKS. I read loads of good ones this summer. The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect were super fun (and funny). But maybe my favorite read of the summer was My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry.

I also quickly devoured the new Harry Potter and another young adult gem called The Paper Cowboy.

Hope your summer has been FABULOUS and that your week is off to an amazing start!

Next week I’m sharing a list of the many gifts of my beautifully hot + sticky summer!

Until then,

XO

Alison