Tuesday Tea Time!

 Hello Tuesday Tea Timers!!!

Happy July! I hope y'all had a great holiday weekend. Even if you found yourself outside the USA, I hope you're enjoying this beautiful time of the year.

This week is a very busy week with the National Cherry Festival going on near by. I give thanks to all who have helped with the parking lot youth ministry fundraiser & look forward to the days of service in our community coming up later this week. We'll be helping Habitat for Humanity one day & participating in an area clean up another day.

While I'm in the throes of summer work busyness, I still take my time for tea on Tuesdays. I love this photo by Britta Gene Art for this month. It makes me want to be relaxing in that chair with a good cup of tea. This rocking chair is buried deep in some of the woods outside my hometown. It's a quiet & peaceful place. It is a lovely place made by lovely people.

Enjoy you're tea time today & if you're as active as me this week, be sure to stop & savor the tea time today & whenever you need it.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time is here again!

Lately I've been drinking a lot of tea in lieu of the bitter colder than articles that catch  weather & the cough I can't seem to kick to the curb. It warms the soul & the throat.

I finally read that one Still Steeping article I've been saving for weeks, if not a few months now about why tea is a religion & coffee isn't. Anybody else do that with articles that catch their attention but aren't pertinent to their day to day life? I'm certain I'm not alone.

So why is tea a religion & coffe isn't? I urge you to read the article, but here's my takeaways. Coffee brewers are always trying new things (also good for religions) & tea is highly based on traditions (& so are many a religion. This was the catch for me bc I appreciate tradition, but it's important to make new (try new) tradition.

Like I said, read the article, but know that by being part of Tuesday Tea Times, you are participating in the religion of tea & we are part of an ancient world of traditions that build a beautiful community of tea love.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Hiya Tuesday Tea Timers!

Whether you've had your morning tea or coffee or juice (or beverage of choice) or not, you're an honorary Tea Timer simply by being here. So welcome right where you are!

It's good to be back in this strange community. Being with yall for Tuesday Tea Time warms my heart a pinch. I find this community strange though because for the most part it is a silent community.

There is something to that though, right? There's support in the number of views & +1 google likes I get & yet just the joy of having tea on Tuesday is the lingering feature of this blog.

It dawned on my late last week that with the return of Tuesday Tea Times I could have brought back a few changes. However, it was late last week & I didn't want to make any sudden changes as my recess over the last month & a half has been quite full with other life. So in coming weeks you may see some new things like artwork or imagery & potentially a change of address.

The one reassuring thing is that we will gather here for Tuesday Tea Time each week unless noted otherwise. For now it'll simply be Tuesday Tea with the potential of pop-up posts, so enjoy!

Sunday Snippets: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Finding new ways to do something creative every day & allowing that creativity to be as simple or as complex as the day calls for. While I have always loved being artsy, I've never spent too much time learning new techniques. After seeing a friend post her new purchase of an Adult Coloring Book, I decided to use some gift money to purchase my own. So while I'm eagerly waiting for that creative outlet to come in the mail, I've also been using my sketch pad & colored pencils to doodle & draw this or that to release some energy. This past week was apparently all about releasing said energy as I even woke up early one morning totally on my own & did a 30 Minute Yoga Flow. It's much safer to try some of these yoga routines at home than in front of other people some days, if ya know what I mean. There's a reason my middle name isn't "grace."

BAD: Realizing the dwindling of a family. At the recent death of my Uncle it has become more apparent to a few of us in the family who is left & who has gone before us. It's not so much bad, just sorta sad & weird. Life is weird. Death is real. Birth is better? *mer mer* Also, along the line of things outside of our control, prayers for those affected by the earthquake in Nepal. Many lives & landmarks have been taken at a moment's notice. Be on the lookout for ways you can help the efforts for Nepal to start to recover!

AWESOME: Keeping in touch & being able to use goofy means like Google Hangouts that allow you to wear cat masks & draw on your friends your in conversation with. Very entertaining!

WORD: This week, little by little, I've been reading pieces from Dr. Andrew Root's Children of Divorce. So far I've taken away that everybody has a secret & families take work (which I hope everybody knows).

coming up: A little work & a little play in the land of Hoosiers!

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!

Friday Favorites!

TGIF! Even though I woke up & thought it felt like a Monday. I suppose that's what happens when you take Thursdays "off."

One of my favorite pieces of this week was taking the time away from the computer work to be in prayer as I colored this piece of artwork. My friend EGBB is getting ordained! As part of her invitation she asked that people would color this & send it in to her to be part of her ordination service.

Yes, it is one of those things that I thought "Dang, why didn't I think of this?!"

While EGBB & I haven't kept in close contact since seminary life took us separate directions on the map, it lifts my spirit knowing she's including me with the many others who received this invitation to be a part of celebrating such a joyous occasion for the Church. I can't wait to see pictures of how this artwork is used as part of her service!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: This past week was filled with vocational adventure feeling out my authority & lack thereof. I am always a team player, but some times I want to work individually & then come together as a team. Friday topped off the adventuresome week with Slow Cooker Lasagna, baptismal discussion, & no knead ciabatta bread. Then a surprise visit just to go pick up some farm fresh eggs. MG had herself a very full evening with a baby around & then hanging out with a bunch of people. Of course she made herself at home right away by trying to eat the plastic cat dish. Thankfully it was the lid of a Country Time Lemonade container. The Spirit was spilling hospitality abounding!

BAD: Remember that whole not burning one's candle at both ends thing? Yeah, failed.

AWESOME: Ice cream traditions, like geegunks (google doesn't give much on this) that my Dad's side of the family carried on from my Grandpa's days in the Navy. So I just kept searching & found this gem about geedunks. Kinda fun, but a geegunk in my family is chocolate milk with vanilla ice cream. You can doctor it up however you please, but it's just as good plain.

WORD: Matthew 25:1-13 - What do you do to prepare for the coming of Jesus in your life? There are many (& that's an understatement) interpretations of this scripture. For me, it is a daily life style & a belief that Jesus is with us always, at all times as Jesus's Spirit gives us each breath. Thus we are called to live a life worthy of our calling (Eph. 4) to be like Jesus in the flesh for others, for community.

coming up: Most likely a bit more snow. It's already fallen at least 2 or 3 times. Though somehow I missed the one time. I suppose I didn't look at the roof tops. Also a road trip to Ikea & a conference where I get to see at least one friend I haven't seen in something like 7 years. Looking forward to the continuing education & the dreaming up of new ways to be the church with colleagues.

Friday Favorites!

This week has gone by in a blink!

Favorites included:
BEAUTIFUL FALL WEATHER

FOOTBALL

BIKE RIDE

WALKS with MG

TEA TIME

FIRE PIT TIME

CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS

& a PUMPKIN BLIZZARD.

What are your Favorites today?!

One Word 365: Health Update and BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

Hello! It has been a while since I have checked in with my One Word 365 choice for 2014. This year has simply breezed by. It's mind boggling to know how much has happened in the last 9 months of life. And because I thrive by being in community that cares & listens to & for one another I want to share with you an update!

Today the sun is shining & it is rather warm outside. So there's no denying the need for a walk or two with the dog & possibly even a bike ride. While I love this time of year & all the changing colors, I also know that the cold white & gray colors of Winter are not too far off for this part of the world & bike rides will be impossible & walks potentially a little less enjoyable.

That aside though, recently I find myself filled with immeasurable gratitude. My time of living in the seemingly never ending state of limbo that I have been in for many months now is over. Praise be to God!

By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit I have been called to serve as Coordinator of Youth and Family Ministries by the good people of St. Thomas Lutheran Church.

Thus I am in the joyous throws of planning a worship service to include my consecration as Diaconal Minister in the ELCA. While it is a whirlwind of information & change, I wouldn't want it any other way. Through the joyous throws the Holy Spirit is affirming & reaffirming my call to this roster & service of ministry. Some times it's funny when you're made to do something that isn't the most enjoyable for you on a typical basis - like worship planning - but on this special basis it turns into a world of fun & imagination & affirmation of the knowledge one holds.

My immeasurable gratitude is for all that have been a part of my journey to get to this point & for all that continue in this piece of my journey with me. So thank you - as simple as that sounds - thank you with all my heart for supporting me & praying for God's lead to be my way of living.

Friday Favorites!

This morning as I reflect on my week I am SO thankful for my many connections of people I either met or got to know better because of Luther Seminary & it's community.

For instance, I got to chat with my dear friend RR, who has been on this incredible journey since we graduated as a recipient of Luther Sem's Preaching Fellowship. While that might sound pretentious or uninteresting I assure you, her gift to share story through word & song is worth looking into. Check out One Story Catcher here!

Another connection I am thankful for is TS. I think I got to know his wife a little bit better when we are all at Luther, but he has a gift for reading a LOT of stuff in one week & then sharing his highlights on his Tuesday blog. He often highlights me as somebody living into vocation which is humbling & an honor as I often neglect the part of my vocational call to simply be a community builder. TS is building community simply by mentioning the people & their works each week. Be sure to check out his works by clicking on "blog" above!

And lastly I'll highlight my friend EK who I'm about to chat with in the next hour or less. EK is beautiful inside & out. She is always quick to say hello & ask how one is doing & wait to listen for a response. She is honest when she needs to keep moving to get to her next thing & she has a gift for transparency & delivery of her thoughts. You can check her work out here!

Friday Favorites: One Word 365!

This One 365: healthy updates has become one of my favorite things to share. In the midst of the ups & downs in life I am constantly taken back to something I learned many years ago through the ministries of Spoke Folk, PMS check-ins. Yes, that's right, Physical Mental Spiritual check-ins. When my brain starts whirling & I'm overwhelmed for better or worse PMS check-ins with myself & others help me to be honest to where I am in the moment.

Physically: I'm having sympathy pains for a friend recently diagnosed with cancer & going through tests. I'm missing cycling & yearning to take a yoga class. Camp food is decent, but it is not what I would normally eat at home so that creates some other interesting physical changes.

Mental: Mentally I've been lingering in the over joyed portion of the feelings wheel. Just the other day I celebrated 3 wonderful years of being married to my best friend & as you can see from the photo it turned out to be a beautiful day. The people that showed their support & love for us either through cards, phone calls, & Facebook was over the top & wonderful. We wouldn't be the couple or individuals that we are without all yall in our lives. And then on the opposite spectrum my heart is aching, literally, for my friend & all those with unknown health roads ahead. In reality, I acknowledge that includes all of us, but many of us don't know of the health concerns yet to come.

Spiritual: The Holy Spirit, she's my favorite! Yes, I said it. Recently I haven't found or taken time to do my daily dose of drawing or journaling or blogging or writing poetry, but there is no doubt in any piece of me that the Spirit is acting in, through, & around me pushing & pulling me into each day with deep breathes reminding me where I come from & giving me hope in what is yet to come.

SO there ya have it. My PMS check-in as of late. My job is great & I'm constantly learning something new & working with new people & learning pieces of their stories. My call to being the church in the world through Diaconal Ministry couldn't be a better fit for my outgoing relational community driven self.

What's your PMS?

Tuesday Tea Time!

There's a tea in the fast lane! Life has been fun, but very on the go lately. It has especially picked up since returning home. While we were on the run with travels I saw new tea shops all over! It was exciting, but unfortunately I did not have the time or money to stop & sample ever one.

Celestial Seasonings is a common name on grocery store shelves, but unless you live in certain areas of the country - such as CO where Celestial Seasonings has their home base - there aren't always that many options of this line of tea. My mom & I had hoped to visit Celestial Seasonings while we were in Colorado recently, but unfortunately it was not near to anything else we were doing. Clearly we'll need to take another trip some day!

One thing I enjoy about this particular line is that they do not individually wrap each tea bag in the paper/foil wrapping. They also do not attach strings & therefore tags. By not doing these things Celestial Seasonings reduces waste by 3.5 million pounds from landfills each year! Seriously that is phenomenal! Just in the last 30 years I swear we have seen land fills become more noticeable in the USA because they are growing & growing & growing.

Where is all this coming from? Well, Z & I are starting our first compost & in all reality MUCH of what we toss each day can be composted. By MUCH I mean tea bags, coffee filters & grounds, used facial tissues, dryer lint, yard scraps, fruit scraps, paper & cardboard. Seriously, want to know more? (and I think you should!) Check out this list! My friend GPA recently told me that she has friends who live close to her that aren't able to start their own compost so they do the little containers in their kitchens (all you need is an air tight container) & line them with compostable bags & then contribute them to her larger compost when they're full. YaY for community building!

Here's to other people & companies doing good for the earth through the little day-to-day things like tea bags! You're AWESOME!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Credit given to SuperStock

It's Tuesday Tea Time & I hope you're still going strong from the the rejuvenation of the weekend. Ok, let's be real, not all of us had a rejuvenating weekend or even much of a weekend, but none the less, I hope there's time for Tea on Tuesday!

So far today I drug myself out of a groggy state that a rainy night & morning seems to always leave me in & have started laundry & made a mental list of the things that I absolutely do not want to skip over today. Obviously one of those things is Tuesday Tea Time!

In the midst of that I spent easily a half hour, if not more, waiting for my tea to cool down so I could drink it. I don't know how coffee drinkers do it! It seems that they always drink their coffee before tea drinkers. Part of this cool down process has to do with the mug I'm using. It is very well insulated, but it also has to do with the fact that I almost always drink black tea in the morning. According to my electric tea kettle, the temperature for black tea water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

The struggle is when you need that zing of a bit of caffeine to pull you fully out of the state of grog, but have to be to work or class or whatever before you're able to put the jolt into your system. Yes, I realize this is a mental thing & maybe a touch of addiction. There are other things we can do to help with this state of grog. In fact I often do a bit of yoga each morning.

So much of life it seems we wait. We wait as little kids to be older kids. We wait at doctors' offices & stop lights. We wait for the end of the school year & warmer weather. We wait for our dream job. We wait for that e-mail or possibly even that letter in the mail from that special someone that simply warms your heart & makes your day because they're thinking about you. We wait for birth & we wait for death. We wait.

Today as you wait, for your tea, the end of the work or school day, the sun to come out, the voice of God to scream clarity into your life, the love of your life to notice you, your motivation to show it's face again, that still small voice to be heard, for somebody else to sort your laundry, or that phone call that you can't miss, know that you're never waiting alone. EVER! We all wait together even when it's for different pieces of life.

Together we wait. Remember to use sunscreen, drink lots of water (& tea), breath deep, & smile.

Friday Favorites!

I know I know, most of you who follow me have prolly seeen enough Michi photos to last a life time. This past week though there was so much good that fit into Fridays I had to include this photo simply because it says "Happy Day!"

The first day of Spring, the slightly warmer temps, the adventure back to MI from hoosierland, the delicious turkey burgers we made last night, the changing ministry opportunities, & the connections I continue to make with friends new & old. All are favorites!

May your Friday be filled with many favorites too!

Sunday Snippits: GOOD, BAD, & UGLY!

Credit given to FamilyShare.com

It's the start of another new week & in the forecast there's lot of single digit weather. It's definitely that time of year where people are simply holed up or totally escaping to someplace warm. Then there's those of us who don't have the option to do either & trudge through each day.

GOOD: This last week was full of discernment & being more attentive to listening for that "still small voice." This last week was full of joy that I can share out loud now b/c they have shared it out loud. My life long best friend, our mom's are life long best friends, my sister from another family, is having a BABY! BEG & her hubby are due in August & I just can't stop smiling. The other fun piece is that our good friends W&M now are W&M&R & my college roomie is now K&D&W! 2014 is the year for babies. Don't get any ideas, none here just yet. This last week was also fabulous because I got to FaceTime/Skype/GoogleHang/phone with BLF, RR (check out One Story Catcher), DF, & a few other great people. If you haven't noticed, I thrive in community. I also got mail from AJO (with stickers!) & M&B-BR. PLUS, we got to hang with A&S yesterday at the local winterfest. There were snow sculptures, more snowmobiles than I had ever seen at one time in my life, live music, & OUTHOUSE races. Yes, that's right, people build their own style of an outhouse & race against one another down a snow track. We decided that St. Tom's needs a team next year & can be the Holy Crappers with a confession booth or pew or prayer kneeler.

BAD: It's taken me all month to catch up with the piles on my desk. While the piles are sorted through (for now) there's bound to be more. With the schedule I've been keeping, since I work from home, I get tired of spending so much time in my office & I can't find motivation on these dark cold days to do more than I have to. I also don't really know what's going on in the world. The articles that come into my inbox are often overlooked or really have to catch my eye to be read. So I apologize if I'm missing some big bad things.

UGLY: You wouldn't believe me if I told you, so let's just leave it at there are ugly things in life & I've been incredibly snarky lately.

WORD: John 1:29 was posted by the ELCA today on FB & I wanted to share it at Zumba, but couldn't remember the exact scripture. Today, it was all I needed to read & absorb. I didn't want to study it or check out the different translations. Just read & absorb & be.

Coming up: This week I will finish phoning for YE, so that's sorta sad 'cause I love the ministries God is leading YE in. AND there will be Tuesday Tea Time AND there will be Zumba on Wednesday AND there will be more reading of Bittersweet.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

We woke up to a sea of white fluffy snow this morning. You might think this would be obvious considering I live in Northern MI, but the last week had been rare late Fall rain. It's hard to believe it's still Fall for another 10 days!

Last week I watched the people line up for the local food pantry (across the street from our home) in the rain & this week in the blowing snow.

I'm inspired by their perseverance & by the many people that come together to make the food pantry possible. I'm inspired to start a ministry of serving coffee & tea for those standing out in the cold.

Maybe this will be a new sort of tea time!

Monday Make-Up!

It's a Monday Make-Up session!

I thought about Friday Favorites on & off all day Friday & woke up Saturday & realized I never posted.

Sunday came around & I preached at two services & came home & took the traditional Sunday afternoon nap. In the evening Z preached at the community Thanksgiving service & before I knew it, Sunday had come & gone.

So a Monday Make-UP!

One my favorite moments this last week was the prayer gathering I hosted for our church. The Spirit was definitely working her healing powers, even with only me & one other person (ahem, it was Z) present. While I have no doubt that this could've been a beneficial gathering for others to be a part of, it had only been announced two days earlier & wasn't in print.

Another favorite was this photo of hedge apples that created quite the community conversation on Facebook & Instagram. While, like any fruit, I know they rot, I wonder if when they grow this cavernous black holes if it's because they have attracted spiders & other bugs (like they're supposed to do) who have then eaten the fruit & are no more. Anybody know?!

Another fun thing that happened was getting our outdoor lights put up for the Christmas/Holiday/Winter season. It's so fun having a house to decorate this year. And being my mother's daughter, I have to hold myself back from spending more money & decorating more.

We decorated outside just in time as the last few days have been very snowy & windy!

And to top of the week & the turning weather, we built a fire & poured some vino.

Coming up: a little work & a lot of fun! We are looking very seriously into getting a puppy soon & it's Thanksgiving week, so that means a little extra time "off."

Many blessings on your Thanksgiving week!