Tuesday Tea Time!

What a lovely photo! Credit given to Austea for sharing their products in clever ways.

Tuesday Tea Time & I'm wishing I had some of this loose leaf tea. Maybe not this loose leaf tea, but loose leaf tea in general.

I'm exploring where/who to buy loose leaf tea from & the benefits of loose leaf tea versus bagged tea.

I bought myself a small sample of loose leaf tea while on vacation the other week & while I find it just as refreshing as most bagged teas, it is quite messy.

I'm really good at making a mess & not very good with the mess.

I even dried my tea leaves out over night so that I could use them a second time. While I'm not sure I would make a constant habit of this, it was simply refreshing the next day. Often I will reuse my tea bags for a second go, but I never dry it out again. Does anybody know the importance of drying the tea leaves out in between uses?

May this #heartfind encourage the continued exploration & love of Tuesday Tea Time!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

Family at Epcot

GOOD: Thank you for being my trusty readers! Last Sunday I had intended to edit my blog while traveling & neither device I had along to do this task allowed me to edit. The cool & crazy thing is last Sunday Snippits had over 50 hits. Then it wasn't till Wednesday afternoon that I realized I had actually not finished my Tuesday Tea Time for yall. And really, to be completely honest, for me. I love sharing Tuesday Tea Time. So this past week was a bit off, but hopefully I'm back on track now for a little while anyway. No doubt I'll fall off the grid again. It happens to the best of us! We enjoyed the time away & are thankful to be home now to do all we can to enjoy the end of Winter in Northern MI. I'm really hoping that Easter marks the end of Winter this year, if not sooner.

BAD: The unbelievable bashing & negativity that many of us experienced & possibly heard this past week. I'm referring to many a things, but there seemed to be something in the air. Just before coming here today I was looking at an article regarding Ash Wednesday & while I'm noticing that the only tradition lifted up is Catholic - from around the world - others are writing about how horrible all humans are & that it's not up to one group, but up to individuals to make it a better place. It's so easy to let our heads swim with such negativity of all that isn't right in the world.

AWESOME: I really simply love the little surprises that come each week. This week we received 2 Valentine's cards from different family members & one had included tea stickers on the envelope. Then a few days later while in a bit of a huff from allowing things to stress me out, I notice a large envelope on the couch addressed to me. Inside was a total surprise of a print from Jessica Mingo Designs. A bright colored owl telling me "you're my cup of tea!" Thankfully I recognized the artist's names as she & her husband were both in my cousins wedding 2&1/2 years ago. I called my cousin & we had a wonderful unexpected phone date.

WORD: Since returning home from vacation I attempted to start reading Stitches by Anne Lamott, but the night I tried I faded quickly & none of the words seemed to make sense. SO we'll try again this week & that leads us to...

coming up: LOTS of work related life & love & sparkle

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

Friday Favorites!

We are a family who loves Disney! More to come next week.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time is here & here I am 6 years ago surrounded by the most tea I've ever been around at one time in my life!

First it's crazy that this was already nearly 6 years ago. Second, I know 6 years ago - when my blog was still titled Globetrotting with God - I never thought I'd make Tuesday Tea Times a part of my sharing. Now Tuesday Tea Times are my favorite part about blogging!

Next to tea my other favorite thing in life is travel. While I appreciate having a home to return to, there is not much better than getting to see creation in all its forms, taste the teas around the world, & share that with others.

While I very likely will never make it back to the BOH Tea Plantation & even more likely that I will never return with those I was there with 6 years ago (The New Dawns), it is very exciting to think about the other places & other teas & possibly other tea plantations I will visit.

What adventures does Tuesday Tea Time bring back for you? What hopes do you have for continued adventures?

Tuesday Tea Time moments to ponder...

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Hello & welcome to February! While January was a bit more quiet than usual, it was still very busy. February brings different challenges though simply because it is February. This past week was focused on recovering from being away, getting a sermon written, & trying to plan ahead for the rest of the month. I was given the chance to geek out on teaching others about SMART goals & set an active one into place by working with the teams at our church. My mind is still churning at all of the wonderful ideas that were shared with me about ministry while at the Extravaganza! While I am hoping to be on top of upcoming ministry opportunities, the reality is I am already focused on our next big adventure. More to come on that in a week or so! We enjoyed a snowy Saturday with some reading, granola baking, snow shoveling, & Ever After. It'll always be one of my favorite versions of a Cinderella story & it's now on Netflix!

BAD: It's February & I have connected with more than one person in the last week of how much we dislike February more than any other month in the year. May our disdain not make us weary & lose sight of the hope of Spring!

AWESOME: Dove's #loveyourcurls video! Not only is the music fun & catchy, but it exemplifies the impact that each one of us can & do have on those we live with (at home, work, or play). My curls have definitely been a journey, but I don't ever remember really wanting any other hair. Your hair, curly or straight, is beautiful as it is, so embrace it!

WORD: Today's Gospel is Mark 1:29-39 & I'm preaching, so this has been my focus. This amidst the finishing of the Paraclete Press book on hospitality that I mentioned a few weeks ago. Together these readings are action packed, leave us questioning things we may never know or don't need to know, & assured that there is good in the world.

coming up: A bit more adventure! By the end of the week I will get to see family that I haven't seen in many years (9 years maybe) & introduce Z to them. And all with a touch of Mickey Mouse!

Friday Favorites!

Last Sunday Snippits I said I would share more about the photos listed then & now. Thankfully sharing such joy works nicely with Friday Favorites!

The first photo from Sunday was a picture with the current presiding bishop of the ELCA, Elizabeth Eaton. Z & I had the chance to meet her almost 2 years ago before she was voted on as Bishop for the entire denomination, but being in our own bubble of, "what is going on right now?!" we focused on the people we knew in the setting & only spoke with them. While this may sound like we were snubbing Bishop Eaton, there were hundreds of people gathered for a retirement party at a synod assembly, so it was what it was.

The second picture from Sunday is the skyline of Detroit. Detroit is the home of the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering & it is very exciting to be living in the home state of a gathering. It is also very exciting to know that I get to be a piece of helping this gathering to happen - for our congregation & synod. Many people have said, "Why Detroit?" & I ask, "Why not Detroit?" There's rich history, wealth, & poverty just like any city. We can be the church, as we are called to be, in Detroit as much as any other city because God is there. Amidst what we hear on the news, God has been in Detroit for as long as Detroit has been around (1701) just like God has been with the rest of the world since its beginnings. There is good to be lived, experienced, & given in Detroit. The really cool piece is some 30,000 youth & adults will experience this good of God together for one week this summer. #RiseUpELCA

The last picture from Sunday, while a little blurry, is a picture that captures so much for me. Lost & Found are in their final year of touring. I first experienced worship led by Michael & George in roughly Spring of 1996 at a Youth Encounter event. Hearing them live for the first time in many years (I have seen them at least two other times since 1996) was incredible to hear the Holy Spirit speaking power into their lyrics. This past week at the E they sang songs that were written years ago & others more recently. For me, they all seemed to hold a power that could only come from God.

And today a large group of people being photobombed by a tall guy in the back. Well the tall guy just happened to be our waiter at the Grand Trunk Pub & the group of people are my friends & colleagues in Word & Service ministries throughout the church. While I didn't get a chance to talk with each one of them, we all hold a bond through our call as rostered leaders (& friends) to something other than being a pastor. We enter these calls knowing we will pave new paths for ministries that are lesser known to the church all thanks to the spark the Holy Spirit keeps afire in our hearts for being ministers at the intersections of church & world. This was & is Sacred Community.

All this thanks to one conference full of people who care about serving the church for the sake of faith formation for children of all ages & with all sorts of stories worth being told & listened to & possibly even shared. Thank you #ext15!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Z & I have been home for just over a day from a wonderful time at the Extravaganza (aka E) for our second time together.

This year the theme of the event was Story. It was beautifully down to earth & such a gift to be able to experience the many stories shared.

The stories were shared by people such as the presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Elizabeth Eaton & well known author Walt Wangrin. There were also stories from Mikka McCracken & Lost & Found.

And most near & dear to heart the stories where shared amongst long time friends & mentors & new to the scene friends too.

Story, we all have many. There is one story though that connected those of us gathered at the E. The story of God made flesh. And there was no doubt that the Spirit was at work throughout the stories that were shared of great joy, sorrow, struggle, new life, & many hopes for the future.

This theme of Story will continue throughout the year as we prepare for the ELCA Youth Gathering & while Practice Discipleship events happen throughout the country. While these stories are shared keep a listening ear & open heart for how God is using you in the story of life.

One colleague shared, "Knowing your story, makes my story better!" While I found this to be true for every story shared at the E, know that many people feel the same way about your story & there are many people waiting to listen.

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD, BAD, & AWESOME!

coming up: a bit more description of these posts & pictures & reflection on Extravaganza 2015!