Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

While life is blurring past me, I cling to the things, & the people, that I love.

This photo taken by the fun app known as #picstitch is from my parents' visit a few weeks ago.

I haven't always loved tea, but I've always loved tea parties. Nor have I had much experience with ballet, but out of my 16 years of dance classes, I did take one year of ballet. Flexibility is my game, not gracefulness.

What do you cling to when life flashes by making you dizzy?

I LOVE to dance. My friend AE & I used to dance while brushing our teeth when we lived together. Now Z just thinks I'm crazy. Don't let him fool you, he enjoys dancing too.

I also LOVE to sit with a warm mug of tea in my hands & breath deep the steam & smell of my tea. Todays blend is coconut chai. My life-long bestie BEG & her mom & sister used to throw annual mother-daughter Valentine's Day teas. In honor of these parties, they even threw me a tea party themed bridal shower 2.5 years ago. Now, not only do I enjoy tea & parties, it is my main reason I blog. Tea creates community.

Tea, dancing, & whatever & whoever you need. May they be there for you to cling to as life whirls you forward.

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, & know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly

Happy Sunday Snippits!

I'm back again for the weekly Good, Bad, & Ugly of the past week.

GOOD: Last Monday I was officially offered a temp. job working with an organization that does ministry that is close to my heart. I have officially now been a youth participant, junior guide, college volunteer, team member of community based ministry & international ministry, & now part-time temporary events phoner for Youth Encounter. So I'll be spending my days on the phone in the coming weeks. The week went by very quickly getting this new job up & running while also prepping to start teaching Zumba in the New Year. The later half of the week Z & I spent at a youth worker's retreat at a local camp. It was a relaxing & enjoyable few days of networking, sharing ministry ideas, learning, & making new friendships.

BAD: Being reminded over & over that when churches have to cut back, the first thing they cut are leadership positions in children, youth, & family ministries. Hearing people say things like "we don't have that many youth" & not embracing the youth that they do have.

UGLY: Knowing that these two had to wait so long to legally celebrate their love for one another because of both state & church.

WORD: I've recently been reading Eboo Patel's Acts of Faith & am really enjoying learning about the interfaith initiatives across the country & world. Be sure to check out Interfaith Youth Core today!

Coming up: Phoning, tea time, Zumba prep, & more!

Tuesday Tea Time: pause

Tuesday Tea Time!

What makes you pause? Pause to stop & think about your day or the last few minutes you lived. Pause to think about tomorrow & who you'll see or work with. Pause to smile or cry. Pause to breath deep. Pause to sit with the small voice in your ear pushing or pulling you.

My tea tag today simply said "pause." It made me wonder how we pause & what it looks & feels like. In talking with my good friend KR, we said though we spend much of our time alone, we almost always have music, the tv, or something else making noise. So while we pause, we are not really ever able to pause in silence.

Pause. Check in with yourself. Check in with others around you. Pause

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly!

Happy Sunday Snippits!

Another week has gone by in another blur of life.

So here we go with the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY of Juls of #LifeSpiritSparkle (use this hashtag to share the love of connection & networking)

GOOD: Last Monday Ma & Pa N made the trip back to MN safe & sound. It was good to have them here & to be able to show them where we're living. Ma & Pa P were here all week with a little bit of adventure each day. We found our way into Johnnie's, which Z & I had been wanting to check out. Tuesday afternoon I had some time to learn from the annual 3rd Tuesday Conversation (aka 3TC) offered through the ELCA Youth Ministry Network that happens each month. This months topic was about working through transition and conflict. Always a fun topic! Shout out to Interserve Ministries! Thursday we ventured to the quaint town of Charlevoix where we feasted on candy from The Taffy Barrel & jalapeno popcorn from The Poppery. It's a great place to vacation! Ma & Pa P made their way back to IN safely & welcomed family from AZ. While Z & I reacclimatized ourselves to our quiet home, made apple-butter with all the apples we had, & built our first fire in our fireplace!

BAD: Learning to juggle having guests & continue on with some personal matters is hard! I LOVE being around people, but I also am learning to carve out more "me-time" to take care of myself & my sanity.

UGLY: Our car & it's check engine light. And having friends & family who are hurting. and women's education rights in other countries (see articles on Malala)

WORD: Luke 18:1-8 God grants justice & so must we. In what ways do you experience justice in your life & how can you share that with others?

COMING UP: Skype dates with friends & a youth worker's retreat at camp!

Friday Favorite Foto!

Fall colors, treats, & family time 

Tuesday Tea Time!

It's TUESDAY TEA TIME!

My loose schedule has been thrown off a bit by having visitors & it's always a happy moment - as some say happiness is fleeting, but joy is more permanent - when I remember it's TUESDAY TEA TIME!

Today's picture is credited to Sandy at My Fiddlestix

While I am not much of a coffee drinker, I have a LOT of coffee drinkers in my life. One being my husband.
This morning, I decided to use my porcelain thermos that was a wedding present from my cousins BH & OH. We had these thermoses in storage for our first two years of marriage so as to preserve them & use up our already beat-up & well-loved ones. Now that we're in a home, we have all the space we could need & have been using many of our wedding gifts that were in storage for 2+ years.

What's the point Juls?!

Today my tea tasted like coffee. Somebody - ahem husband - has been getting our mugs mixed up! In all fairness, they are exactly alike & plain white. His lid is definitely stained differently with coffee oils than mine with tea. And we tried to mark them to differentiate, but it just washed off. So now I have to be patient & embrace the hint of coffee because it'll take a few rounds of strong tea to get rid of the coffee taste in my mug.

Woah is me. or should I say Fiddlestix?!!

Sunday Snippits: the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY!

Welcome to Sunday Snippits with a review of my week in...

...

GOOD: This last week we did a LOT of cooking with fresh produce. Apple oatmeal in the crock pot, egg veggie wild rice dish, butternut squash apple cider soup, ciabatta bread, & sausage wild rice veggies & mushroom soup hot dish. This last week is a blur other than that. It was good, it was busy, & it went by fast. Thursday evening was the annual Spaghetti Dinner & silent auction Friday Ma & Pa N came in from MN for the weekend & Saturday Ma & Pa P joined in the party from IN. Saturday we spent the day showing off Che-boo-boo & spent some time in Mackinaw City too. Today was a busy morning with visiting from camp & now we're all just "resting."

BAD: I don't remember much about the blur of this last week. Too much going on around me!

UGLY: I don't have anything to contribute to this. Mer mer!

Coming up: Ma & Pa P are here till Friday morning, so there's a little this & that to get done or take part in this week with my ecourse or a few business things & a whole lot O fun!!!

WORD: Luke 17:11-19 & Lepers. I've only read stories about people working with people who have leprosy. It makes you think about proclaiming praise for the little things in life & befriending the visually unappealing - for whatever reason to each individual - & being the church with them.

Friday Favorites!

LOTS o fresh cooking!

FALL smells!

Christmas Cheer?!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

I have to admit, it's 9:03pm & I'm just now getting around to blogging today. However, I didn't forget about it at all today. While I've been slow to get back into the rhythm of my blogs since moving, I've found my joy in Tuesday Tea Time again & can't let it slip by so easily.

Today's credit for the "hot tea" picture goes to artist Traci O'Very Covey. Her art is a joy to the eye with the variety of colors & content. Be sure to check it out!

Kombucha, Laundry, Newsletters, & Chopsticks sums up my day.

Kombucha is one of my favorite teas that I enjoy year round. Since moving, I haven't been able to find it, but thankfully my mother-in-law picked some up for me in MN & they're visiting this weekend! I'm sure I could order it online if I need to too. However, I figure it'll be a good excuse to try new teas if I'm unable to find it around here.

AND I'm slowly but surely making new friends that are LOCAL - that is key - that like tea too, so I will have people (or at least one person - shout out to TE!) to share tea time.

Laundry...apparently when your spouse is a foot taller than you, that means their clothes are bigger & you can't put 4 pairs of jeans, plus a few hoodies & other items in a 24+ year old washer. It sounded like a bowling ball was in there! Thankfully, all is good & the laundry is done for today.

If you're a member of Zion or St. Thomas be ready for a newsletter article in next months Teller/Newsletter!

And just a simple highlight was using chopsticks to eat dinner.

Here's to tea, productivity, cleanliness, community, & a sliver of adventure in your day (or night)!

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly

Happy Sunday Funday! It's Sunday Snippits with

GOOD: It's hard to believe it's already been a week since Z's ordination & family time in MN. Monday kicked off the week with some networking with Dawn Trautman - a Life Coach who I learned about a few years ago at the Youth Ministry Extravaganza. I will be participating in her online course & possibly eventually pursing becoming a Life Coach myself! Tuesday was one great surprise & distraction after another with a few Skype dates & a Starbucks date with some friends that were in the area. And an added adventure of the "Check Engine" light coming on in Mandela. Something about back-up in the catalytic converter that Perkins Performance - aka my brother - replaced a few years ago. Thankfully that was an easy fix & we found a new "Ray" (our Toyota guy in MN). Total props to Fein's Auto! Wednesday brought another wonderful surprise with visitors from MN who took us to lunch at The Step Inn - a new experience for all of us. Thursday we got out on the local trail for a bike ride before the rain started coming - & has kept coming - & Friday & Saturday I worked as a wedding coordinator for my first wedding in the area. Congrats to R&J!

BAD: The government....yeah....it's easier to not follow all the news some days.

UGLY: Humanity, sorry, but I'm stuck on the government shutdown. 

SHOUTOUT: A special shout out to the installation of Bishop Elizabeth Eaton in the ELCA Check out her speaking about being the 1st female bishop of the ELCA here!

WORD: While I get my daily scripture readings from ELCA.org, I've also been slowly reading Anne Lamott's Help, Thanks, Wow with Z. Mucho thanks to KE & Bert for the gift. It is one that I could read over & over & still be learning how to pray the words & actions of Help, Thanks, Wow.

Coming up: Big Picture, Big Purpose, Zumba choreographing, Getting out into the community more, AND welcoming Ma & Pa N. to Che-boo-boo on Friday AND Ma & Pa P. on Saturday!

Friday Favorite(s)

Thank God it's Friday Favorite!

Z's ordination service & the laying on of hands

My niece E & I loving on each other

FRIENDS visiting for a work retreat

Share some of your Favorites using #LifeSpiritSparkle

Tea Time AND Winesday Wednesday!

AND    

Tuesday Tea Time came & went & now it's Winesday Wednesday! Thank you Kathy Lee & Hoda for the reminder! Yesterday was a WONDERFUL day. While I was still coming off the high from the weekend with family & friends & Z's ordination, I let life be a total distraction in all the best ways possible.

While enjoying my morning cup of tea, I was able to Skype with RMG in MALAYSIA! Her & her hubbie CG have some exciting great news that is very cool & I hope it means I have more of a chance to possibly visit them in Malaysia while they're there. Dreaming never hurt anybody!

Then I had a scheduled Skype date with my friend & fellow Diaconal Minister(DM) SN in BISMARCK! No, not the same ring as MALAYSIA, but still exciting. I also got to meet her sweet 4mo old Evie & hear about all the wonderful things the Spirit is doing in her call to DM. It is such an encouragement to share these connections to specialized ministry. Check out Heart River Lutheran Church & support their ministry in whatever ways you are able.

After Skype filling up my morning, I headed to Mackinaw City to meet up with KS & KR at Starbucks. Can I say what a luxury Starbucks is for those of us living in rural areas. KR & KS are living in more rural areas than me (I think). KS & I are friends from seminary & KR & I met through Youth Encounter's ministries. She actually was on the New Dawn team prior to mine that also went to MALAYSIA.

Then of course the end of the day included entertainment from The Voice.

What has been your great life distractions as of late? Share the goods & enjoy the tea & wine!

Tuesday Tea Time!

So teacups are something I've collected for years. Seriously, since I was a little girl, possibly starting even in the late '80s. But my new fetish is teacup pigs! SO CUTE!

If they weren't so darn expensive I would've purchased one by now. However, Z & I are truly wanting to get a puppy & most likely a miniature schnauzer because they melt our hearts a little bit each time we see one. Plus, one of our first ever bonding points 4 years ago was that we both grew up with miniature schnauzers.
Ok, that's enough about the cuteness of these little piggys. But darn! They are C-U-T-E!

While my tea time this morning was a good travel mug full of goji berry tea & shared with these guys:

My afternoon tea was a mixture of Oregon Chai Sugar Free & Great Value Light Soy Milk, topped with a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice. While it's somewhat obviously the taste of sugar free & light, it's still delicious & just a bit healthier than the usual.

Tuesday Tea Time is always bringing fun things to my life. I hope it's the same for you! Even if you're one of those non-tea drinking people. I respect this, but I don't get it. Tea is such a thing of community, history, & connection to the larger world that I've been blessed to travel, that I can't help but love it!

One other thing I want to mention in this Tuesday Tea Time, so that I don't forget, is that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I shared this photo on instagram a week or so ago:

As a 2x childhood cancer survivor, I remember all that this has meant for my life & my family. It's crazy to be alive to tell the story! Having cancer, not only once, but twice, & two separate kinds - one very rare & commonly found in elderly men - is a huge part of the reason I daily count my blessings. Even when my blessings are as small as encountering begging ducks in the Big Boy parking lot.

So Tuesday Tea Time: teacup pigs, begging ducks, & childhood cancer. There ya have it!

How'd you spend your Tuesday Tea Time?!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & ugly

Sunday Snippits with

GOOD: Fall is here! Not only by the cooler weather, but the smells & the changing of the leaves & the fact that the calendar says so, FALL has arrived. I love Fall! This last week is a bit of a blurr. Yet again it was spent doing more networking & community building. Two things that I really enjoy, so it doesn't seem like work. Early in the week I got to connect with some of my family & congratulate my 16 y/o cousin for his 62 YARD TOUCHDOWN! He's a sophomore & gets to occasionally play on the Varsity team & a few games ago now, he had one of the best moves of his football career. This makes me excited to be able to make it to one or two of his future games before he graduates & goes off to college. We also go to take the short road-trip to Camp Michi-Lu-Ca to see the beautiful land & get to know our new colleagues & friends in ministry A,D, & I. Yesterday, in our attempts to get to know more about town, we decided to go for dinner at This Old House. While they claim to have the best pizza in town, we decided we liked Alcocks better. The motif was fun & we'll prolly go back for something else on the menu, but not the pizza.

BAD: A few weeks ago I shared about this cycling accident & added to a number of prayer lists. I only sort of knew the couple, but know several people who were quite close with them. Both of them were working in specialized ministry & had a great way of bringing joy to those around them. While Rob passed away on the scene of the accident, Hilary had been on life support until a couple of days ago when the family made the hard to decision to let her body do what it would & join the glory of God in heaven. My heart aches for their family & friends, the church that she worked at & the cycling community who had come to know them & their energy for safe cycling.

UGLY: Last week, I said to turn on the news. Well this week that proves true again! This morning before church, while I was trying to think of what to share with yall, the news was about the mall massacre in Kenya, the potential of the US government shutting down, people fighting about healthcare, & more death in Palestine.

so I turned to the WORD: & read Luke 16:1-13 (the Gospel lesson today for those who follow the Revised Common Lectionary) which then also threw me for a little confusion. Check out, focus on the last two or three sentences & tell me what God's saying to you.

COMING UP: Next weekend we get to go on a vacay back to the beautiful state of MN to not only hang out with family (from IN, MD, MN, & AZ!) but for Z's ordination as a pastor in the ELCA. I already have plans to go to Target & Caribou Coffee. I'll catch up with Sunday Snippits after all the festivities & travels are over.

Friday Foto Favorite

Photo courtesy of Politico

People say that religion & politics shouldn't mix, but the reality is politics are from people & people are who make up religion.

This is a picture of hope.

May the God of peace & understanding give hope to the world in light of this weeks tragedies.

Tuesday Tea Time!

It's Tuesday & Tea Time lasted all day for me from one cup of tea to another! The day just seem to get away from me.

Check out Rev. Nanette Sawyer & Grace Commons for more great artwork - like the one featured in today's Tuesday Tea Time - focused on the stations of the cross.

Reading this book review revived my interest in reading more on Hospitality & the Spirit behind it. I read Sawyer's book, Hospitality, a year & a half ago & going through the many transitions of finishing my Diaconal Ministry (DM) fieldwork, Z's internship, moving back to St. Paul, starting senior year of grad school, rewriting my DM fieldwork paper to turn it into my CYF thesis - all focused on Spirit Led Hospitality - assignment, graduation, interviews, and moving twice within a month....I lost site of some of my interest & passion for what has so greatly created & centered my call to Diaconal Ministry.

The Holy Spirit has been doing some great reassuring of ways that she recognizes me lately through a lot of ways.

You are recognized. You are special. You are loved.

Know this. Soak in this. Trust it. Believe it.

Sunday Snippits: GOOD, BAD, & UGLY!

Sunday Snippits, here again! And since I forgot Friday Favorites:

Z & I started our week last Sunday evening with a game of croquet. This was a week of using several wedding gifts we had yet to use. And as I joked on FB yesterday, we are officially married because we have used up all of our wedding gift money to Target. Thankfully we have graduation gift money still, 'cause this house needs a few more changes to make it ours. The BAD part is, the closest Target is 2 hours away from where we live now. I enjoy Target so much more than Walmart or Kmart, but of course there's both of those things where we live now. First world problems!

GOOD: The good is endless. We are moved. We are getting more settled everyday. Last Monday we finally got internet hooked up in our house & then were able to FaceTime or Skype with a number of friends & family that are all over the country & world right now. While we miss them & wish we could see them face-to-face, we are working on creating a new community of friends here, as are they where they are. The other good is Z's ordination is coming together slowly, but surely. I designed, assembled, & sent out paper invites for the non-FB users mid-week & man alive, while I enjoy being artsy, I'm not always so in the crafty side of things. SO if you wanted an invite in the mail & didn't get one, message me & I'll send ya the info! Friday night fun was at the local football game. While we couldn't see good parts of the game due to the rowdy student section, it made it much more enjoyable to sit by the life of the party. Even Moses showed up!

You can see him in all white in the middle.

BAD: I'm itching for a job. Networking is a slow, but seemingly fruitful process. In the meantime it's hard to keep myself busy with things that seem worth while. Sure, I could volunteer with countless things, but that's not what I'm looking to do. Thankfully, Zumba is a good way to network that has me doing something. So yeah, I'm still trying to figure out this call to Diaconal Ministry, but I know we're in the right place.

UGLY: Our couch. Ha, this seems really silly, but as my good friend MS said, "You're sitting on an English tea cup!" This might seem perfect for a tea lover, but the English tea cup patterns belong in another generation. I'm not up to par enough on the news to talk about other ugly things with Syria & such. It doesn't take much to figure out, things are ugly in the world.

WORD: That's why I turn to the Good News. Recently, I've been using a new app called Photo-Verse. This is helping find my new norm. The "read the Bible in a year" wasn't a logical goal for me with all the changing going on in life this year.

That is my

LIFE, SPIRIT, AND SPARKLE

TELL ME ABOUT YOURS WITH #LifeSpiritSparkle on FB or Twitter!

Tuesday Tea Time!

 Welcome Back!                   It's Tuesday Tea Time!!!

We are back up & running with internet at home & glad to be connecting our lives to yours!

SO many things could be talked about after the last month and a half of transitioning. But I'll spare you the boring parts. If you're an avid follower, you know that we moved, not once, but twice. 

We are now settled into our new home - our first house - in Northern Michigan - but not the UP - where there is a lake, river, or Great Lake within' a short walk or drive in every direction. This also means it's pretty regularly sweatshirt weather. Today though, it's a balmy 84 degrees.

I'm taking this chance to make sun tea at least one last time before it gets too chilly to put things outside. That is, things that you want to heat up & steep in their own herbal goodness & not keep refrigerated.

While Fall is possibly my favorite time of the year, there are some things that I would keep all year, like sun tea, if I could.

Here's to keeping your favorite summer things around for another few weeks! And shoot, if you live in the southern part of our country or world, share the love of sun tea year round with us Northerners!

Sunday Snippits: GOOD, BAD, UGLY

GOOD: We're moved & settled & Z is building a magnificent Lego castle. We have been blessed over & over again by a variety of people. Our home is lovely & easily 4x larger than our 1st 2 living spaces as JZ Nelson. We were able to pick the paint colors & that made a world of difference in making it ours. Z officially started his pastor job today, which makes him the "pope of Chebooboo." Props to the Verizon for that title! Another fun update is I have officially joined the ZIN (Zumba Instructor Network) & hope to start teaching in October. I'm really excited to get back into a regular routine of Zumba parties!

BAD: We don't have Internet set up yet, so I'm typing this from my smartphone. We also don't know many people yet, so I'm scheming some ways to network & be relational. I also don't have a recognized call yet as a Diaconal Minister, so that discernment & prep is in the works.

UGLY: As usual, check out the news. The Syrian civil war is scary stuff. Our government is facing some messy situations (when aren't they?).

Yes, I just typed a whole blogpost on a small cell phone keyboard. Enjoy!

Slightly Crazed'

Patiently waiting for Internet at home forces me to learn more about my smartphone. I just downloaded the blogger app!

Sunday Snippits!

Heya all, I haven't disappeared from the world of blogging. Life has just been ONE GIANT TRANSITION after another lately.

As of today I'm sitting in Z's new office space, mooching off the church wifi, & admiring our home out the window. Yes, Z will be able to see the whole front of our house outside of his office. We could send smoke signals from my home office to his work office!

Life is good & we're definitely still in a time of settling. Who would've ever thought recycling could be so complicated? We can't figure out where to take all our paper & boxes from moving!

Z officially starts his new job a week from today & I start my networking/building my job title a week from today.

I'll try to be checking back in later this week, but without internet at home, who knows what will happen.

Friday Foto Favorite! (Yep, it's Saturday)

While I love living in the city, I'm a small town girl at heart. Last night I got to take Z to his first experience of Friday Night Pizza's on the Hawkins Family Farm. PJ Hawkins is my childhood pastor & now a colleague, but still my pastor. It's so great to be able to see where ministry has taken him & his family & to be able to share that as Z & I start our journey after seminary.

If you're ever in Northern Indiana during the Summer on a Friday night, be sure to stop & enjoy Friday Night Pizza's on the farm.

Tuesday Tea Time!

It's Tuesday Tea Time!

Where have you been?!

In the last week we have been on the move.

Through much prayer & meditation & discussion we have moved forward with some things & I am proud to say that Z has been unanimously voted on as the "Pope of Chebooboo."

On a more serious note, he will be serving as an Associate Pastor in northern MI. When we went to inquire about coverage & cell phone updates, the VZW salesperson thought I said we were moving to "Chebooboo." I was the only one in my family that was able to keep myself composed to help him spell the actual name of the town.

As a part of our transition, I'm sitting at my parents' dining room table drinking some blood orange tea out of a mug that reads "for the boss" with a ball & chain on it (somebody gifted it to my dad years ago!) & preparing to move again in a week.

Now to come up with ideas of a title for a children, youth, & family minister, zumba instructor, wedding coordinator, & to make it a call recognized by the ELCA. YaY Word & Service ministry!

Sunday Snippits: the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

It's Sunday Funday again! Wow time seems to be flying by lately!

This week is moving week, so in lieu of needing to pack some more, this is going to be short & sweet.

GOOD: In the last week the Holy Spirit worked in some pretty curious & scary, but fun ways in my life. Z & I have gained some much needed clarity on where we are being called into ministry. We will know more about specifics & what we can share in about 2 weeks. So keep hanging in there with me 'cause I have to & need you to do the same! Outside of that hubbub we helped more friends move, enjoyed seeing pictures pop up on FB of friends getting ordained (Congrats DF & WS!) We made some serious progress in our own packing & got rid of around 60 books.

BAD: Locally an elderly woman got killed by a group of teenage boys before she had a chance to go to her weekly volunteering time at her church.

UGLY: One of the boys that killed the elderly lady was her grandson.

WORDs to dwell on: John 20:29 "Jesus said to Thomas, 'Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.'"

Coming up: MOVING & 10 year class reunion

Friday Foto Favorite!

This is our present reality.

In the past three weeks we have helped with 3 separate moves. We have one more this weekend in the midst of our own moving early next week.

While it is exciting to move, it's not always so much fun.

The high of the week was visiting Grandma E yesterday & her sharing her love story with Grandpa L with Z & I  & her journey as a pastor's wife. Of course I forgot to take any photos!
What's your favorite photo of your week?

Tuesday Tea Time!

TUESDAY TEA TIME!

Knowing that I missed posting last Tuesday & next Tuesday we'll be filling up a moving a truck, I couldn't skip out on yall this week.

Since it's our last full week in the Twin Cities, I'm doing a few last time things. Such as, yesterday we went for an afternoon snack at John's Pizza Cafe (LOVE their dill sauce) & today I went to Juut Aveda for one last hair cut from Meg B.

I love the ambiance that Juut has created. It's relaxing once you walk in the door. I also love that they offer you coffee, tea, or fruit infused water. Naturally I almost always go for the tea. It's a refreshing blend that invigorates & soothes the soul.

Up next on our list of things to do last minute is enjoy being with friends & MN family. Oh & finish packing everything.

Stop & breath in the adventure God has you on today & know that you are not alone.

Sunday Snippits: the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

Happy Sunday Snippits! I'm here with 

GOOD: Last week was a whirlwind! Interviews are going well, packing is stacking up in our apartment, & friends seem to be abounding with good news of where life is taking them these days. We have a new niece! Baby L Nelson is doing well, as is mommy, daddy, & big sister C. I can't wait to meet her & see everybody else. Boo to distance! On Wednesday, I had my last info desk shift last , so that was a relief. It was a great student job, but I'm ready to move forward. Z & I also decided we'd be moving in with Pa & Ma P in early August, so that we could attend Fun Fest & my 10 year class reunion. Our GroupLife group from Jacobs Well Minneapolis got together Wednesday as well & caught up, which is always good times. Then Saturday was the end of the year bash celebrating RR's birthday & going away. You can pick up on her story & follow her adventures at One Story Catcher. There was lots of good food, great people, & fun things like tricycle races & using up old firecrackers.

BAD: I'm an emotional eater! Stress & anxiety is high with change, which brings a variety of emotions & occasional tears. Since we're moving to Hoosierland, that means we'll be moving twice in about a month of each other. 

UGLY: MN has been unseasonably cold! It was slightly welcomed after the extreme heat, but still not totally since it's July. Also, clutter is part of moving & I don't do well in clutter.

WORDs to dwell on: Mark 4:35 Jesus Calms a Storm. My friend & colleague MM preached on this scripture this morning. May we cling to the promise that Jesus is with us always.

Coming up: Today we made it to church & then I came home to attend a baby shower for some seminary friends. It was fun & African Safari themed & I won a plant! Now, let's hope I can keep it alive. More packing, helping friends move, a few last time appointments, massages, & Pa N's birthday!

Friday Foto Favorite!

Sorry about the missing Tuesday Tea Time post, but I was without a computer that day & off enjoying some of this

If you live in the Columbus, OH area & have not tried Graeters, you are missing out! Even if you don't live near C-bus, you can order it online, just follow the link.

Mmmm, the tasty peanut-butter covered in chocolate treat mixed with ice cream, cannot be beat!

Sunday Snippits: the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

Heya friends, it's late, so we're gonna keep it short & simple with

GOOD: Life is progressing forward & more boxes are being packed! This weekend we traveled to SD to visit with friends I hadn't seen in 9 Summers & to celebrate the wedding of B&E. It was so great to see the DG family & meet their little ones. It was also really wonderful to celebrate with B&E & enjoy time with good friends that have already moved to their first calls. While they've only been gone for a couple of weeks, it seems much longer. Let' just say there was squealing from multiple people when we all saw each other.

BAD: Life is still up in the air.

UGLY: Negativity is too easy to focus on, so skipping over this topic. Plus, if you haven't noticed, it's hard for me to mention the ugly most weeks.

WORDs to dwell in: Ephesians 4 - we are created & called to be one

Coming up: My final info desk shift is this week on what would have been my Mammaw's 100th b-day. More packing, more figuring out life.

Friday Foto Favorites!

Hiya friends, here's a switch to my Friday Foto Fun. In attempt to always keep things lively, Friday Foto Fun is now fun because I am sharing my favorite thing of the week with yall.

This week's Friday Foto Favorite

photo courtesy of Airliners

Traveling over, to,  & through Lake Michigan. It's beautiful, fresh, & expansive.

What's your Friday Foto Favorite?

Welcome to Tuesday Tea Time! This is my favorite time of the week, so sit back with your beverage of choice & join me in a little "me time."

One thing I believe I've mentioned before, I really enjoy the Today Show. It makes me a little sad to know that I'm hoping for a job that would mean I wouldn't be able to enjoy the show most days. What about Tivo? Is that still a thing?! or is it DVR?

Anyway, this morning it was mentioned that the Royal Baby is due any day. 

 

These people are waiting!

AND so are are 40some other babies for their names! Families are letting their newborn babies go unnamed till they know what the royal baby is named. Talk about country pride! And no doubt they're drinking plenty of tea (caffeine free for Kate of course).

It'd be great if they've chosen Lauren for a girl as that is the next baby Nelson's name - our niece who is due any day.

*Sigh* Today I take my tea plain & medicinal due to my wonky seasonal allergies (echinacea is wonderful!). And sit in waiting for baby announcements & new jobs.

Thanks to Natalie & Today for sharing Tuesday Tea Time!

Sunday Snippits: the good, bad, & ugly

Welcome for a review of the

in the life of Juls of Life, Spirit, & Sparkle

GOOD: We started our week with the joint ordination of our friend B&A. It was a blessing to be able to attend & process with so many other leaders in the church. I do believe I was maybe the only Diaconal Ministry candidate there. I put on my alb & said I really needed a Diaconal Ministry cross & a pastor standing near by said, "A Diaconal cross?!" By george, we're not all pastors! Ha! Our week continued on with working several shifts, packing boxes, & doing a little this or that to enjoy life & not go broke. We finally made it to the Farmer's Market after not going for several weeks. So we've got some yummy produce to consume. We also splurged on lunch at Key's Cafe for lunch & shared a Monte Cristo with onion rings. I had never had a Monte Cristo before & boy was it yummy! The onion rings were great too & we got a piece of their house cake to go. We had been hoping to have this cake on special occasions since our wedding, but when your mom offers to bake, you don't turn her down. We totally suggest Key's Cake for any special event cake. We enjoyed ours by the shores of Lake Josephine.

BAD: We're packing & we don't know where we're going! While it's exciting, it's not fun. Thankfully we had the thought to pack up our office, which is the size of a large walk-in closet, first, so that we could put boxes in there & out of the way.

UGLY: Yet again, I urge you to check your news & then look for signs of hope.

Coming up: This week we'll be packing more boxes, working a few shifts, having a cook-out with friends, visiting camp friends, & celebrating the marriage of B&E. Let the adventures continue!

WORDs to dwell in: Luke 10:25-37 The Good Samaritan. In what ways can & do we show mercy to the oppressed in our community & world?

Friday Foto Fun!

photo courtesy of Kelsli 7/12/13

This summer I have missed having a piece of ground to call my patio. Living on the 3rd floor & without a balcony, it gets pretty small inside our apartment. Today we ventured to Lake Josephine for a little fun in the evening sun. We even made a new friend who really was more interested in our football than us. 

Here's to finding those perfect summer getaways not far from home!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Photo courtesy of The Kristen Project

This morning is gray & wet & I'm enjoying a cup of hot loose leaf tea (using my wooden tea strainer from my bro). No, I do not look all dawled up like the ladies in the picture. After I write this I plan to to embrace my push for Life,Spirit, & Sparkle with a workout.

We have started the move to get rid of things by donation or consuming (food) because we know our annual move will be coming soon. It's exciting & anxiety causing. 

How do you clean out your pantry?

It seems to me there is no consistant way to clean out the food you don't want to move. Sure you can donate some of it, but generally you can't eat all of it (First World Problem!). To use it all, you need to inevitably buy more groceries to make the meals you want.

And this doesn't even touch the books that have accumulated after another 4 year degree! Then there's clothes & kitchen accessories. Have I mentioned that my kitchen is maybe 12 feet long & 2.5 feet wide? It bleeds into our living room or sitting area & to be creative we have a "kitchen" table between the 2.5 feet of tile that is the kitchen floor & the carpet that is the living room.

This is what my tea conjured up because I sit on my couch & look at my apartment & know that it will not be my apartment in a month. Gotta love transition!

Here's to a non-anxiety inducing Tuesday Tea Time!

Sunday Snippits: the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

Sunday Snippits is here again!

The days of summer, while lingering & wonderful, are also speeding by. Today, as usual we are linking up with Kate & Kati for

the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY!

GOOD: This last week was amazing! I wasn't kidding when I said it was going to be a week filled with birthdays, anniversary, & wedding celebrations. My cousin Lolo's b-day was last Sunday, Tuesday was Z's & my anniversary & my "other mom's" b-day, & Wed-Sat were wedding festivities for the new Mr. & Mrs. CBG. If you didn't check out my Midnight Tea Party last Tuesday Tea Time, it tells you all about the fun adventures Z & I had in honor of our anniversary. The wedding festivities were Brit's Pub Lawn Bowling, a rehearsal & dinner on the 4th of July (with several fireworks shows), & the actual wedding day. It was so fun to be with so many great people celebrating the love formed by God between a couple, their friends, & family. Then today, after recovering from all the social gatherings, we ventured to WI again for two dear friends' ordination service. B&A recently graduated with us & have been such fun & servant hearted people to get to know & call friends.

BAD: Exhaustion is thick, mentally, physically, & somewhat Spiritually. Sitting in the "what's next" period of life after graduation is becoming a little restless. However, it is giving me more freedom to explore in my creative world of cooking or letter writing.

UGLY: Turn on the news, you'll find something ugly. In my personal life, I'm wondering how a first call might lead me to ministry for & with homeless, hungry, abused, lonely, enslaved, or simply oppressed people.

Coming up: This week is back to work. Oh & the joyous thing called packing. The boxes are gonna have to come out sooner or later & the first thing to be packed is most likely books & the office.

WORDs to chew on: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20. Specially focusing in on what it means to be sent out as a lamb amongst wolves & purposely bring peace to each place you enter.

Saturday Spirit

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." Romans 8:14

Sorry, I missed Friday Foto Fun! It's been a busy couple of days celebrating my dear friends, B&C's wedding. BMG & I met at seminary & were immediate friends & when she met CG, B & I were housemates. It's been a true blessing to be friends with both of them & venture through the questions of what God is up to in our lives & where the Spirit is moving us.

One passion of mine is learning to be the church with the priesthood of all believers. Romans 8 has become one of my favorite scriptures to dwell in, so today I pick this piece.

Where is the Spirit leading you today?

Where is the Spirit leading me today?

Today the Spirit is leading me to my couch. This sounds silly, but a) it was a day of recovery from being constantly on the go & b) I can only plan so much of my life out. So today I sit on the couch, watching episodes of different Netflix shows, napping, & dwelling in the scripture of Romans 8 to see where the Spirit shakes my knowledge.

Tomorrow will be a whole new adventure!

Tuesday Tea Time! It's a Midnight Tea Party!

It's Tuesday Tea Time! Sorta...it's after midnight, which means it's Wednesday.

Z & I were out celebrating our 2 year anniversary today & I didn't sit at my computer long enough this morning to share tea with yall. My Tuesday Tea was on the go & then enjoyed on the way to our adventuresome full day date.

We ventured across the river to explore the history of Mill City at the Mill City Museum. This was a great museum with experiential learning opportunities for all ages. Something that Z & I didn't realize before today is the large fire that burnt down a significant portion of the mill, just burnt down in 1991. The mill had been closed since the 1960's, but it had been left vacant & when a person escaped into the mill to get out of the cold (the frozen tundra) they lit up their cigarette & boom! Flour is highly flammable!

We spent our evening at the theater enjoying the action, thrill, & comedy of The Lone Ranger & then happy hour at Granite City Brewery.

It was a joyous day filled with fun memories of our wedding & dreams of our future.

May you look into your day (or night) & find the same joy in memories past & dreams yet to be revealed.

& check out the website for the Midnight Tea Party!