Four Winds Farm owned by Deborah Lee, PhD Nutrition
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Deborah Lee's Kitten
Took these pics of the cat while visiting Jim Burns's partner, Deborah Lee, at her homestead, Four Winds, north of Quincy.
Additional Pictures Of My Trip To Illinois
Meeting with and speaking to the 301 Cursillo Men's Group in Quincy, Illinois. I consider these men to be my brothers in Christ. They are true disciples of Christ and make a point of meeting every Wednesday evening to edify and sharpen each other.
All Aboard! California Zephyr Is On Her Way West!
Just boarded the California Zephyr in Galesburg, Illinois. This train is headed all the way west to San Fransisco ( actually Emeryville). Of course, I'll be deboarding at Denver Union Station at approximately 7:30 am tomorrow.
My 9 hour layover in the charming City of Galesburg is now over. A long layover like that sounds brutish to most, but because I have friends here and because I visit the local shops and museums I have no trouble at all passing the time.
My only regret was that Amy wasn't able to join me on this trip. I promised her that on my next speaking trip she would travel with me. Everyone in Quincy, Galesburg and Morton are excited at the prospect of meeting her.
As testimony to the overbooking of passengers we were assigned seats, something I have not encountered in the many years of traveling this line. So, now I will have a seat-mate! Oh, well. It's just another opportunity to meet new people.
It must have rained a lot here in Central Illinois as it appears that only about half of the corn/bean harvesting has been completed considering the first week in October is almost finished.
Seeing miles of Sun ripened corn and bean fields gives me a twinge of homesickness for Illinois, my original spiritual homestead.
The bleach blue sky with billowy egg shell painted clouds hugging the horizon... all of these picturesque, pastoral landscapes takes me back to years gone by.
It is during these trips where I most keenly feel a vague sadness as I come to grips with the passing of time along with a gnawing unease that I don't fully belong to either the West or the Midwest.
I think that by watching the long string of depressed little towns that pass by my window with their many shuttered store fronts and run-down houses contributes to my own melancholy.
Then there are the abandoned clapboard farm houses which once dominated these rural neighborhoods which now are nothing but empty shells only inhabited by barn swallows and the occasional solitary owl.
It's a bit odd to think that the next time I travel back to Illinois I will be bringing a wife with me!
We have just arrived in the little thriving and charming river town of Burlington, Iowa situated on the west bank of the grand ole Mississippi. Only 800 miles, give or take until I can be in my baby's arms again!
BR Schoenbein
Amy Pettit
October 4, 2016- Tuesday
Trekking Back To Colorado Today!
After a great 2 week stay in Quincy, Illinois it's back home to Colorado. Back to Amy, back to my home church, Calvary Evergreen/Idaho Springs.
After awakening at 4:30 this morning from a fitful night's sleep in the spare bedroom at Jim Burns's home I somehow find myself rocketing along at 80 mph in an aerodynamic iron-horse over the clickety-clackety tracks connecting the Quincy Depot which sits atop the high bluff on the east bank of the mighty Mississippi with Chicago's Union Station down in the Loop.
We are presently cutting through golden fields of unharvested corn interspersed with verdant rolling pastures spotted here and there with the solitary cow and smallish flocks of speckled and soft-white sheep.
And, it is not altogether unusual to see a small gathering of camels outside Avon as I did just a few minutes ago.
This is the first leg of my almost 30 hour trip punctuated by a 9 hour layover in the ancient Knox County City of Galesburg, Illinois, home of the late writer and Lincoln scholar/historian, Carl Sandburg.
My usual itinerary in Galesburg includes visits to old friends at the Innkeeper Coffee House, Uncle Billy's Bakery, The Cornucopia, the Galesburg Antique Mall and other points of interest.
However, my customary visit to the Carl Sandburg Birthplace/Museum was not to be...evidently due to draconian State budget cuts made by the all knowing and all wise Springfield politicians who are of the dubious and dastardly distinction of cutting off funds for "non- essential" cultural and historical sites when by their own collosal fiscal mismanagement money becomes scarce resulting in closing such "superfluous" sites for days on end.
My primary purpose in traveling to Illinois was to attend the #321 Cursillo Men's Retreat sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Illinois. "Cursillo de Cristiandad" is Spanish for a short course in Christianity and was and is an "apostolic" movement within the Roman Catholic Church going back to Spain in the 1940s to train Christian leaders.
The retreat lasts 3 days and metaphorically represents the 3 days of Christ's passion with the Crucifixion on Friday, the Tomb on Saturday and the Resurrection on Sunday. The "Fourth Day" then likewise represents the rest of our lives living the life of a changed disciple.
It's also by extension, reminiscent of the Transfiguration high atop Mount Tabor and recounted in the Gospels in which Christ's inner circle, Peter, James and John witnessed Jesus's conclave with Moses and Elijah, their presence possibly symbolic of the Law and the Prophets respectively.
Afterwards, Peter suggests to Jesus that they should stay for awhile and enjoy this glorious shining encounter with the powers of heaven and then build 3 "tabernacles" or tents ostensibly to memorialize this bizzare and other-worldly rendevous.
Instead, Jesus, knew intuitively that his "hour" would soon be upon him. He must, without delay, descend the cloud-scraping summit and continue on his trail of tears to Jerusalem. To his death. His death on the Cross. And, as Jesus sadly observed...all prophets must die in Jerusalem.
We too, mustn't stay where we are in the ever glowing rapture of our own "transfiguration" experience, but, instead; we must lace up our hiking boots and be off to "Jerusalem." To die. Die to ourselves. Die to our own vain ambitions and our false selfs.
We are not to delay by building "tabernacles", or in other words, our own kingdom. We must be about manifesting the Kingdom of God within and without.
I was afforded several opportunities to speak of my abbreviated journey across America's heartland and to proclaim the Kingdom of God to Cursillo candidates, team leaders and Diocesan and local parish church leaders.
My experience at Cursillo was truly moving and inspiring in ways I cannot express adequately. Both laymen and priests exhorted us to a "metanoia" or a change of heart and mind life experience and to then disciple our families, co-workers, friends and anyone else we come in contact with during our daily journey. They shared both sad and joyful life altering experiences and how God entered and worked in their lives.
During the 3 day and 3 night experience I made life connections with many men especially those who occupied table # 4 with me, Richard, Hayden, Joe, Matt, Kyle and Rodney. Our Rector, Chris Lorton, and Fr Patrick Gibbons, were a constant joy to be around.
Fr Charles Edwards who was in overall charge was an imposing and somewhat intimidating man who reminded me of one of my law professors from a bygone era.
Notwithstanding that, Fr Chuck was a moving and articulate strong man of God. That was made evident in his erudite homilies and talks.
Then there was Fr Pat Gibbons a quiet, unassuming priest who thoroughly enjoyed hearing my stories of the road. I believe Fr Pat would himself thrive experiencing a journey on the road.
I would be negligent if I failed to mention Msgr Mike Kuse a local Quincy Pastor. Fr Mike spoke of his nightly walks through somewhat sketchy neighborhoods in his parish where he prays for his flock and speaks words of comfort to all Catholic or not. Love seems to be his strong suit.
Who can forget Fr George Kramer? He has 2 doctorates and was easily the most cerebral of the Cursillo speakers. He's a frail looking man who appears to be 105 years old but I suspect he's merely 80 or 90.
He related to us how after he delivered a rousing homily he was accused by a couple of old church ladies of calling them "cantankerous old goats." When confronted by his superiors with this indictment he defended himself by explaining that the old biddies simply heard wrong. What he said was in fact that they "can take copious notes" during his homily!
As an aside, if any of you, man or woman, gets a chance to attend a Cursillo I highly recommend the experience. Just check online with your local Catholic Parish or Diocese or the alternative Protestant version, "Walk To Emmaus."
I would like to extend my thanks to the #301 Cursillo Men's group who paid my travel expenses and who had me speak to their group the day before I attended Cursillo and the following Wednesday after I graduated.
A special thanks goes to Michael Bickhaus who sponsored me and who took me to Quincy University where the Cursillo was held and picked me up after the session concluded.
Also, thanks to Mike Baker and his lovely wife for a fantastic home cooked meal at their home. Thanks to Dennis Boudreau as well for reimbursing my train ticket.
Further thanks goes to Unity Church for inviting me to preach the Sunday morning sermon yesterday. My talk was on Song of Solomon chapter 8 wherein I discussed the marriage between King Solomon and his Shulamite maiden and then drew the analogy between their marriage and the metaphorical marriage between God and the believer.
My dissertation Sunday morning was well received and it was great reconnecting with old Unity friends like, Monica Thompson, "Mac" and Joyce McKinley, Dianne, Michael and Jan, Russ, Bryant, Deborah and others and making new friends there as well.
My thanks to Jim Burns, Jen and Barb for re-arranging the speakers schedule to fit me in.
My stay at Jim Burns home was as always filled with deep spiritual discussions and lots of man to man jocularity. Jim is perhaps the most hospitable person I know. His home is always open to me.
If there is anything I am in need of Jim comes to the rescue. I can count on him to take me wherever I need to go whether it's to the store, church or train station and all points in between. Jim and his partner, Deborah, gave Amy and me very nice wedding gifts. Unfortunately, their schedules won't allow them to attend the ceremony in Idaho Springs.
All in all, my 2 weeks in Illinois was well spent. But, now, I'm looking forward to reconnecting with Amy P!
The pics below are of the sunrise in Quincy this morning while aboard the train, Jim Burns, Mac and Joyce McKinley while dining at a local diner and the coffee shop in Galesburg, Illinois.
Shalom!
BR Schoenbein
Amy Pettit
October 4, 2016- Tuesday
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