Tim's blog

It Never Rains in California except for yesterday when we touched down at San Jose International.  It was lashing rain - enough to soak our baggage, but thankfully there was no damage to anything inside our bags.  We left Louisville via Southwest Airlines and went to Chicago, Denver and then on to San Jose.

We were then collected by our daughter-in-law Aubrey and driven to their home about 30 minutes away in Scott's Valley, not far from where I (Tim) grew up!  Mark is teaching at Valley Christian High School and Aubrey is due to deliver our 8th grandchild on May 23rd! We haven't seen baby Jack (below) since he was a few weeks old, and now he's about to be a big brother.

I was blessed with opening day tickets, from Pastor Jeff Davenport, who got them from someone else!  Those of you who have never lived near the Cincinnati, Ohio area, and especially those of you in Ireland, would have no idea what the beginning of a new baseball season is like in this area!  The closest thing in Dublin might be St. Patrick's Day . . . 

The Cincinnati Reds are the oldest team in Major League Baseball, and the first game of a new season is cause for an unofficial 'legal holiday' in this region of America.  Complete with a parade, tons of food booths, radio and TV broadcasts, and . . . oh yes, a baseball game. Which, incidentially, the Reds won!  Here's a couple images I took from the stadium using my phone!

 Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio 

Northern Kentucky weather on this Good Friday is a sunny and beautiful 15 C degrees (60F) and Kathy and I were at a funeral of 29 year old young father of three, husband and son.

On this, of all days, we are reminded of the death of another young man, close to the same age about 2000 years ago.  Suffering and death are all around us, but most of the time we try to ignore it.  Not today.  Today is a day to think about how short life really is.  What is important and what isn't.

Perhaps taking time to stop and think about what the death of a young man called Jesus 2000 years ago means to you . . . and me today, is a good idea.  What do you think?

On Saturday night, Sarah arrived safe & sound back on Irish soil.  After 5 months with her eldest brother and his family in S. Asia she has touched down in her beloved Dublin.  Since we are here in N. Kentucky, USA we haven't actually seen her yet, but we have talked and texted with her, and several of her friends, three of whom met her at the airport.

Plans are for her to return to America on 19th April and continue pursuing employment teaching English as a foreign language.  If nothing works out in Ireland in this field, she will be forced by immigration to leave the country - which is the case at the moment.  If you know of a possible position that she may be able to pursue, please let us know.  She would like to be in the Louisville, KY or San Jose, CA areas, if at all possible - close to one of her brothers!

Here's an image of Sarah (right) with good friend Amy Gilbert, taken at both of their college graduations from The Irish Bible Institute last September.