Friday Favorites!

It's Friday Favorites!

This week has been beautiful & exhausting.

I started in SE MI visiting my dear friend AJO & going on many lovely walks talking about life, love, & college memories. Then it continued to central IN to meet this sweet little pea in my photo & be Aunt Juls for a few days in person. A bonus brunch with my cousin LR was especially sweet with the treat of mimosas from Cafe Patachou. Then of course a return North with a quick stop at my parents.

I hope your week was filled with as much fun, love, excitement, & adventure!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

So did anybody go find mooncakes this past week? While I've been on my road trip I'm eager to get to do some things & shop in some stores I can't at home. However, mooncakes haven't been on my list. Maybe I'll add them!

What a quirky week of travels & tea. Tell me, does anybody think this tea kettle pictured actually says "tea?" I believe it is a very loose "a" if it is an "a," but I'm pretty sure it reads "Tee."

I first thought of golf because once upon a time my dad had a dream of being able to go golfing with me. However, what he didn't know is that I'm much better at carrying or carting around his bag o clubs than actually using them to shoot a tiny ball yards - & yes it would only go a few if I was lucky - through the air.

Thankfully I don't think I shot my dad's dream down entirely. I still like putt-putt!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: The plank challenge continues! To push myself more since I was already including planking in my routine before the challenge I do 30 extra seconds on top of what's asked of participants for the day. September is already half way over, say what?! Here in Northern MI there's no denying that Summer is closing or has closed & Fall is upon us. There's even murmurings of snow before the end of the month. Let's pray that those are simply murmurings! While I love the freedom of sandals weather, I also welcome the opportunity to wear scarfs & boots & cozy up under old loved quilts. This week our day off adventure even allowed me to wear my puffy vest. It was refreshing to do some hiking near to home in the cooler weather. MG even got to come with & have her first experience with a snout-full of sand. We all can learn lessons on happiness & allowing our curiosity to lead us on great adventures from this puppy!

BAD: My mom took a trip this past week & banged herself up good. Thankfully no bones were broken, but she got quite the shiner that will last her for a while. Being nearly an entire state away I've only been able to check in on her via phone. Thankfully my cousins were able to respond to her need to be taken for stitches. There's nothing quite like communication through text messages & social media to share something like this (Thanks Mom, you goof!)

AWESOME: Having reason to use my old lap quilts from cancer camp. As a kid I used to go to Camp Watcha Wanna Do every summer & each year we would get to pick out a lap quilt to use in our cabins. The sweet thing was it was generally too warm being IN in June to need them but now they are perfect for sitting around the fire or just getting some fresh air on the front porch early in the day.

WORD: Psalm 103 & thinking about what this actually looks like when one believes it with all that they are & lives it with all that they are.

coming up: ROAD TRIP! This week I am on the road visiting friends & family.

Friday Favorites!

Happy Harvest Pumpkin from Celestial Seasonings! There's no changing the the cooler weather so why not embrace the crisp mornings with a touch of Fall?

As my sister-in-law pointed out, it's boots & jeans weather. I'll add to that & say, it's scarf weather, but when isn't it scarf weather? Scarf's go with my daily life as much as a mug of tea.

Friday Favorites are inspired this week by my co-worker who sweetly surprised me with a box of this tea earlier in the week. While I did make one last batch of sun tea in the last week in my attempts to cling onto Summer, I am not gently welcoming this touch of Fall.

Tuesday Tea Time!

In the words of my dear friend RMG, "Happy Mooncake/Mid-Autumn Festival!" RMG & her spouse CG recently returned from a year in Malaysia. This was one of the first festivals they were able to take part in when they arrived in KL just over a year ago. Their 11 months or so in Malaysia makes my 4 weeks or so seem miniscule. But no matter the amount of time Malaysia has impacted our lives.

My memory doesn't serve me well to remember if I have tasted these beautiful pastries known as mooncakes. I was in Malaysia the wrong time of year to take part in this festival. Naturally the festival came to be because of political history. RMG tells the story beautifully:

Zhu Yuanzhang and Moon Cake Uprising Legend
In late Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368 AD), people in many parts of the country could not bear the cruel rule of the government and rose in revolt. ZhuYuanzhang, founder of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD), united the different resistance forces and wanted to organize an uprising. However, due to the constant searches by government, it was very difficult to pass messages. The counselor Liu Bowen had the great idea of hiding notes with “Rise up on the night of August 15th” in moon cakes and had them sent to different resistance forces. The uprising turned out to be very successful and Zhu was so happy that he awarded his subjects with moon cakes on the following Mid-Autumn Festival in celebration. Since then, eating moon cakes has been a custom on Mid-Autumn Festival.

Today soak in the adventure of mooncakes & if there's a local Asian bakery or grocery near you, see if you can find some to taste with your tea!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome

GOOD: Where did the last week go?! Seriously, in a blink Fall is setting in but Summer is still sweetly warming up the afternoons. Spontinaiety is the word of the week & my motto comes from Psalm 46 "Be still, and know that I am God" mixed with "God in, sin out, breath!" This last part is a twist on my friend TE's self proclaimed motto during her last months, "God in, Cancer Out, Breath!" Try meditating on either version - or make up your own motto - by repeating the words, practicing welcoming the Spirit's presence within you while ridding yourself of outside voices & filling your lungs repeatedly with the deepest through your nose breaths you can take. Hopefully this helps to lower your shoulders from your ears, curve your smile up, & hear the calming still small voice of God. There were many great convos this week through social media, phone, Google hangout, & Skype. One of the most surprising was the local brewery & then another later in the same day on a walk through the neighborhood with the dog. A baby & beer broke open the first conversation & dogs the second. What I learned was that there's comfort in knowing others struggles when you share in the struggle & it's a good thing we moved from "liberal MN." Thankfully the shared struggles were lighthearted topics of things from the past. The funny thing about "liberal MN" is that I think the neighbor knew we are liberal Minnesotans - yes I will claim MN for this - too so it definitely makes life in Chebooboo that much more exciting. BAD: Receiving emails regarding the maltreatment of women in the Middle East while reading Malala's story. What more can be done to stop these absurd degrading ways of thinking & acting for our sisters?! Also, check out the Half the Sky Movement for some idea of how to help.

AWESOME: Late summer bike rides, participation in a 30 day plank challenge, surprise phone calls from friends, book club with AJO, and Cheboygan Brewery's new blueberry creme ale.

WORD: In honor of the late comedian Joan Rivers, "I enjoy life when things are happening. I don't care if it's good or bad things. That means you're alive. Things are happening."

coming up: Folding laundry that I washed last week :-)

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!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

Woah September! Don't go by too fast my friend. Please, sit & stay for a while. I need you to stay for a while. Your warm end of Summer days to make sun tea & enjoy more bike rides in your dusk, strengthen the inner beings. You help make the middle work.

Making the middle work.

I picked this catchy little phrase up from artist Kelly Barton who is a friend of BGEG - my life long bestie - & therefore somebody I clearly need to meet someday.

There's always something more to achieve in life, but yet the true struggle isn't always in the achievements, but in the being you right where you are & knowing you are enough.

How do you make the middle work?

Tuesday Tea Time is my making of the middle work for me...

Thanks for listening September!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome

GOOD: This past week we ate a LOT of leftovers. There's only so much cucumber salad soaked in a mixture of apple cider vinegar, water, salt, pepper, & sugar one can handle. Thankfully it is all gone now & none of it went to waste! I love eating fresh, so really no complaints. The productivity continued this week with cleaning, some house projects, bike rides, & grocery shopping. Our fridge was stocked all week from the leftovers of last Sunday's cookout to the charades of food that always come with family visiting. You might say that eating is one of my "love languages." Really it is quality time, but often food makes time together top notch quality. Am I wrong? Thursday the reality of Fall set in with the first home football game & family rolling in for a visit. Friday was a great big adventure that we all needed to feed our souls. It's so fun to share the local area with family! Plus a trip to the island means a treat of fudge & other goodies. No, I'm not a fan of fudge, but Z is & like I said, there's other goodies!

BAD: Unnecessary lives lost. This is more than bothersome. Is prayer enough? It has to be for now.

AWESOME: Exploring the local cemetery & finding tomb stones & other things well over 100 years old. Yes, this is where I led us to on our bike ride the other night. Just until recently, on another bike ride, I realized I didn't know where the - or if there was just one - local cemetery is. This seemed strange to me to not know where this public site is. So we ventured through the uneven broken down trails & the more recently kept up roads of the local cemetery finding hidden treasures for this church nerd.

WORD: I've been returning to Romans & pondering on the theology that God has for us through Paul. Many of my fellow female colleagues often point out Paul's gender bias & so I'm chewing on that as well. Plus reading 'I am Malala' with AJO.

coming up: Maybe a bridge walk, we'll see what tomorrow morning brings. Definitely laundry will be happening & a little more of this & that!

Friday Favorites!

This week one of my favorites is remembering that I have this record album because my husband & best friend is a clever gift giver.

This was part of my wedding present from Z. I sort of forget about it from time to time because it is propped against the wall on top of a 6' tall book shelf. Needless to say I am nowhere close to 6' let alone taller than that to see the record cover.

I post this in honor of celebrating 50 years since the Disney movie Mary Poppins came out. For more on Julie Andrews today, check out this video. And yes, she is as wonderful as she seems. I had the honor of meeting her in person just over 3 years ago with a bunch of ladies from seminary.

Blessings on your Friday & may you share your Favorites!

Tuesday Tea Time!

 It's Tuesday so clearly there's time for tea!

Like a true mid-west Summer, August is proving to be the warmest month & therefore hot tea was a no go today. Even Z knew I didn't want my hot water started. What can I say, I married a smart one!

Unfortunately with visitors coming later in the week it's supposed to thunder storm. SO I'm also hoping & praying that like true mid-west weather, it'll change last minute & be beautiful & sunny.

If I learned anything at camp this summer, the forecast means nothing, but the sky tells everything. And we all know, the sky is the limit!

Just think of the possibilities!

This pretty little dish was an unexpected gift given to me this week. It was handed it to me with the comment, "It's for your tea bags! I saw it at work & thought of you." Well, shoot, warm my heart why dontcha! I didn't know what it would look like, though I knew it was a little dish, I was totally surprised to see the beautiful crackled glass pottery mix. This is one of my favorite looks on pottery simply because of the natural sparkle. Many thanks to AD!

Enjoy your tea & share your sparkle! Remember, the sky is the limit.

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome

Credit to Glue Arts

GOOD: This past week marked 1 year since we moved to MI! Crazy how much a year can bring. This past week we spent the week preparing to host a cookout. In the midst of that I continued to do some organizing/cleaning & recycled many papers. Z & I were officially nominated to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which you can watch by clicking on the words "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge." If you're trying to understand the phenomena of this ice bucket challenge, me too! I appreciate that more & more people seem to be announcing that they're donating to ALS research AND another cause of their choice. One friend even challenged people to donate an hour of their time to an organization they feel makes this world a better place.

BAD: It's technically Monday & I'm still awake because I want to share this blog with you. And missing the MN state fair is prolly a healthy thing, but sad nonetheless.

AWESOME: Having a place to call home & know it's not temporary because of school or internship or other life circumstances. Also, how entertaining watching people's reactions & different takes on doing the ice bucket challenge is pretty awesome. AND lastly, knowing while it's easy to think life is mundane, there a LOT going on & YOU are part of that.

WORD: Psalm 138. Why would the Lord God forsake the work of God's own hands?

coming up: More cycling & random dancing & more projecting 'cause it's what I do these days. Plus visitors from the hoosierland & beyond coming later in the week!

Friday Favorites!

While it's been a rather damp week here, MG has LOVED sitting outside for hours & hours. While the rain doesn't really seem to bother her, we are thankful for a roof over our front porch. Her love for the outside has gotten me out of the house more too & that's always appreciated.

Speaking of being wet, I have officially been nominated to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. My friend AN nominated anybody who watched her video last week & that was easy to ignore. However, last night my name was called out & tagged on at least 2 social media venues by my friends that I worked with at MLC. While I accept the challenge & donate to ALS research for better treatments etc., I simply want to acknowledge the numerous & diverse needs out there for donations to research for all diseases.

As the first child in the USA to have gone through treatment for 2 types - ALL & EHE - of cancer at the same time, I cannot ignore this need. I also cannot ignore this need because of stories like this one from my friend KJ. Whatever the cause may be, share your story!

Share your story. Your voice matters.

...and if ya want, dump a bucket of ice water over your head too.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time!

In lieu of AJO's diagnosis with Hodgkin Lymphoma I've finally been reading Cancer Theology. This book is a collection of essays/reflections on how to theologically think & live with cancer.

At the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza I was naturally drawn to ask more about this book as a cancer survivor myself. Connecting my cancer story (most of my childhood) with God - Father, Son, Spirit - has been a challenge. At the age of 7 all I knew was that God was with me & that was enough. While I still have a few essays to get through, I'm finding a theme of what I will call "returning to the foot of the cross."

Nobody will deny the variety of ups & downs in life. As Christians we are reminded through scripture that all that we are is because of the resurrected Jesus & the sending of the Spirit. God is with us. That is enough. God is with, in, through, & around us. Let's chew on that for a while & enjoy your tea time.

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome

Credit to SoulPancake

GOOD: This past week has been one of finding rhythm. Rhythm for getting tasks done as simple as going to bed, getting out of bed, & all the self proclaimed projects I've decided to find around the house. As today's picture choice says, it's not what the world holds for me, it's what I bring to it. Not only is it up to me to bring goodness to the world, but for every other single creature on earth to do the same, so that in essence we are helping each other thrive to make each day better than the day before. Thankfully the world around me has been bringing lots of life & helping to motivate me to bring what I am able as well. The end of the week, amidst the continued projecting of cleaning out closets was wonderful with the birth announcement of my life-long best friends' baby, a fire in our new fire-pit, a trip to the local farmer's market, & catching up with family across the country & world.

BAD: The sadness brought by the death of Robin Williams. Seriously, not one single person deserves the ability to have so much self-doubt to think one & those around them will be better without that one. We are all truly better together, even through the hard times. Also then the fear being created by "urgent prayer requests" through social media regarding politics locally & globally.

AWESOME: Receiving blown kisses from our niece half way around the world, getting to know neighbors better, & the iconic song & dance that comes from the Muppet movies is awesome. Plain & Simple. Also, celebrating, even if from afar, the love that my parents still share as they celebrate 35 years of marriage is awesome.

WORD: Reading random chosen scripture from Isaiah with Z & discussing the whiplash of everybody being doomed as sinners & then glorify the Lord for all that has been & will be given to people. Say What?! Great is God's mystery.

coming up: Continuing to play around with the rhythm of my days.

Friday Favorites!

 I can hardly contain my excitement to meet little miss ESG! She came 10 days after her expected due date arriving in style as you can clearly see by her adorable hat. ESG is the daughter to my dearest friends BGEG & KG.

While it's been a pretty decent week, this by far takes the cake for Friday Favorites. So precious & beautiful watching my extended family grow. Congratulations my friends, heaps of love from the mitten state.

As my friends & family seem to be having babies every other week these days I am continuously reminded of the Hebrew Shema which is the scripture of Deuteronomy 6:4-9. I pray we learn to know to live this prayer & that the Spirit continuously equips & guides as we grow in age & maturity.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9The Message (MSG)

4 Attention, Israel!

God, our God! God the one and only!

5 Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!

6-9 Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Good morning! This morning I come to you with HIGH ENERGY tea that seemed needed for the second gray day in a row. Thankfully today it is raining! I don't know about you, but I deal better with the cloud cover when it brings rain (or snow). While I don't think I would do well living in an area like the Pacific Northwest, I do enjoy a rainy day.

As I continue to process my summer working at camp I'm simply amazed at the people I've met & the good they share with the world. Thus today I was inspired to use this giant "Good morning" mug. No, I can't read every language on the mug, but I honestly believe I know enough people that working together we could decipher every language shared on this mug.

Who's up for the challenge?!

It's interesting the things or people that make you share different pieces of your past. It was easily the second to last week at camp & I made a nonchalant comment about when I was in  SE Asia. I hadn't realized this was a piece of my past that just hadn't come up in the conversations with staff over the summer. This is the beauty of relationship though. As Z & I have learned from our grandparents, you may know a person for 70+ years & you will still never know everything about them.

Surprise somebody today with a piece of your story you haven't shared recently or maybe ever! And while you're doing that, enjoy your tea time!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: It's Sunday & it feels like I'm about to go to a new school for the first time. People are going to want to know how my summer was, but want the short & dirty version, which I'm not sure I'm ready to give. And some people won't even realize I was gone for 2 months. This past week as I was catching up with friends I found myself highlighting different pieces of my summer that I have grown through. I've been blown over by the Holy Spirit & floating somewhere between the clouds & the ground. "Rolling with the Punches" was my motto for this summer & I suppose I still need to go with it for a while longer. It started as my motto because I stepped into an unfamiliar system of ministry & had to find my place in the midst of it all. This included me being more comfortable with saying "I don't know" to MANY things & accepting my authority that my position gave me. So naturally this past week was spent unpacking, cleaning, getting rid of some of the old & making space to breath, wearing clothes I hadn't worn all summer & eating foods I hadn't eaten for a few months, & sleep. Oh how I missed my bed!

BAD: After being slightly off the grid for 2 months you lose track of what's going on in the world. Jumping back on the grid (or almost) & learning about seemingly petty governmental spats between the Republicans & Democrats is ugly. All the while other political unrest in places like Eastern Europe & Middle East are are getting enough attention to make people even like me a little uneasy. Mostly uneasy though because I am uneducated on what is going on without sitting down & reading news articles.

AWESOME: The singing camel in my picture from the county fair is awesome! The other day Z & I went to his first ever county fair - nothing compares to the MN State Fair - & enjoyed an elephant ear & a ride on the Ferris-wheel.

WORD: Recently I've been reading Cancer Theology & liking some articles more than others. Also, I've been dwelling in the devotions written by a colleague for God Pause.

coming up: More making space & projects around the house. Woohoo!

Tuesday Tea Time!

G'morning Tuesday Tea Time!

If I wait much longer it won't be morning, but tea is good all day every day.

Over the summer I've wondered how serious my need vs. want is for tea. I did cave with laziness once or twice & have a cup of joe. Not without sugar & creamer of course! I don't like the reaction my body has to coffee. I'm typically energetic enough for society with my extroverted tendencies & ability to project my voice.

I'm a tea connoisseur lite. Really, I'd say I'm a consumer. I do enjoy following the different tea companies on Twitter & trying their different products. I enjoy learning about the different blends & where the tea is grown & produced. But when it comes down to it, in the morning I want a cup of black or green tea & later part of the day I want something light & fruity or calming & caffeine free.

So come & share a pot of tea with me, my home is warm & my friendship is free!

Claiming Identity with Life Spirit Sparkle

AND I'm back! Just in time for fun things like Hoda's birthday, Shark week, & waiting for babies to be born.

I knew that the Spirit was leading me in this summer's work from day one. There was a stirring in my heart that couldn't be ignored. Little did I know that the scripture I would come back around to is 2nd Corinthians 5:17.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old is gone, the new is here!

Each day this summer was a new day that I had to roll with the punches of weather changes both literally & figuratively. Each week of campers was different from the week before with different needs & different desires for their time at camp. Each day I was being reminded of how claimed I have been & always will be by the waters & Word of baptism. This is my identity, this is my inner core, this is what every other piece of me stems from.

Thank you to those that sent mail, Facebook messages, texts, e-mails, & checked back in here wondering when the next piece of Life Spirit Sparkle might be shared.

Tomorrow's Tuesday Tea Time!

Friday Favorites!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome

GOOD: Having this last week at home to be able to spend time with Z & the furball & sleep in my own bed was MUCH appreciated. So thank you A&J for still giving me this past week off even with the slight change in my job. Just over a week ago I celebrated the marriage of my cousins O&B in hoosierland. On the way home, buzzing off of family time, I joked that I live in another country to one family member. Seriously, 6 hours or so in the car by oneself is a little too long for me. But I had safe travels & good weather & all is well. Then if you haven't read, the other day was Z's & my wedding anniversary. While our trip to Paris a few months ago was our true gift to one another, we still decided to go out for a nice meal & enjoy the afternoon in a neighboring town. I think it is safe to say that both Z & I are blown away at how fast 3 years of marriage has gone by & all that has happened in those few years. As a gift to ourselves we bought the blu-ray of the recent Lego movie & have been slowly learning to quote things other than the theme song "EVERYTHING IS AWESOME." Unikitty, pictured today, is one of my favorite characters overflowing with happiness & positivity until she just can't hold it all together anymore & she growls "Why can't people just be HAPPY!" While being happy takes work some times, it does make me happy that I say I live in another country & that country might just be where Unikitty resides too! Cloud Cuckoo Land!

BAD: The heartache that comes from a loved one finding out they have cancer & the hardships of the the unknown road ahead. This has been a year of great challenge through death & illness. And on another note, I won't be sleeping in my own bed for another two weeks as the plans go right now.

AWESOME: Knowing my family members head to Japan within the next month & others are settling into their new home in NE. AND knowing friends are coming back from a year in Malaysia is pretty great too. I don't know how soon these friends & I will be able to see each other face-to-face, but just to be back where it is more of a reality is wonderful. What makes all of this awesome is the use of things like Skype, FaceTime, & Google Hang.

WORD: Ephesians 4:11-16. Unity is only achieved through diversity & love beyond our human understanding.

coming up: 4 more weeks of camp! I'm stoked to be able to continue working at camp this summer & it's been such a great formative time in my call to ministry leadership that I'm sad to know it is temporary. So of course, except for the occasional hello, there will not be much time to post pieces of LIFE SPIRIT SPARKLE. In the mean time do not doubt that there is MUY LIFE SPIRIT SPARKLE being lived & loved & shared with the world & the world is wanting to know your LIFE SPIRIT SPARKLE too!

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!

Happy Tuesday! This is my one Tuesday off for the month of July & I have spent it enjoying the Today show, a spot of tea, getting my hair cut, eating fish fry from Scalawags, & taking a nap. The fun lunch & nap were all thanks to the power going out across town for a couple of hours. Naturally, most of what I wanted to get done today revolved around having electricity.

Seemingly Tuesday Tea Time is all about relaxing & enjoying the tea as well as those around you. I've been spoiled with the ability to do this many times. Today though was interrupted by the puppy & appointments & electricity.

So this afternoon I'm taking the time to breath deep, catch up on what I was unable to do earlier in the day & soak in the sun a bit.

Rolling with the punches & taking life day-by-day.

Friday Favorites!

Relaxation!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time is still absorbing the beauty from what turned out to be a Manic Monday. Breath in the beauty & dwell within the space for a while.

Now get lost in the dancing lightening bug outside your window.

Yes, that just happened!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time from Camp Michi-Lu-Ca!

Early mornings & late evenings & cold mornings & hot afternoons. That sums up the current tea time experience here at camp.

Thanking Z for my new box of 'Lemon Lift' by Bigelow Tea to help me get goin' in the morning.

Tea time isn't quite this fancy & unfortunately I don't have any talking animal friends here.......yet. But tea time is still a good time as always! May your tea lift you up in the same way!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome

GOOD: While Z's & my travels to new things has come to an end, my travels for the summer have only begun. For a couple of months now I was planning to work alongside the staff at Michi-Lu-Ca for part of the summer & by part of the summer it really was planned to be most of the summer. Due to some changes in others' summer plans, I am now at camp all summer long! It is a challenge in my career as I have gone back & forth with my love for outdoor ministries, but it is one that I am choosing to not be afraid of & simply jump in running. As long as I continue to center my heart & my head in that still small voice of God, then I know that I am in the right place & bound to make a few of the right choices.

BAD: This means that posting here may be a challenge. At most I will be able to post using my phone & therefore things will be short & formatted funny. So look for random sparkles throughout the summer when I happen to have WiFi. I wish I could've been more put together to pre-write my posts, but that is not the life I live.

AWESOME: Meeting new people. Hearing people's stories & being asked to share mine. Camp is a great place for this.

WORD: I finally finished 'The Color of Tea.' It took some very unexpected, yet well done turns. I encourage it for a good read. I'm fully submersed in a variety of scripture for this summer's worships, so today I shared the image I shared from K-Love's site on Facebook in my picture.

coming up: FULL FORCE SUMMER MINISTRY!

Friday Favorites!

My best friend, my God-daughter & niece with my furbaby, all taking each other for a backyard stroll. LIFE SPIRIT SPARKLE & LOVE

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!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: I'm typing my blog from a computer again! The last couple of posts have been from my Iphone or Nexus tablet. This past week was WONDERFUL! It started with worshipping with 26 of my family members from my dad's side of the family out in CO where we were all gathered to celebrate my cousin's wedding. The worship was Spirit filled, the wedding was beautiful, & the family time was fantastic. One highlight from church is receiving an entire loaf of bread just for being a visitor! Monday was K&D's wedding & I got to hang out with my cousins' M&A's little guys H&C the entire morning. SO much fun! Fill the rest of the time with family meals & games & that's a family reunion for us. We made our way back towards home mid-week & stopped in Chicago to really visit with good friends from college & a few from other pieces of life. I say really visit because up till now all we had taken time to do was a brief visit passing through the city or at each other's wedding receptions. I thought we were spent from all our travels, but we took it easy & went to one museum a day. It was fun to show Z some of Chicago after having traveled through the city dozens of times either to visit friends or going from wherever I was living North of Chicago towards my parents' South of Chicago. And yes, as everyone should, I celebrated my birthday ALL week long. It started with my family & ended with my friends. What more could a girl ask for?!

BAD: BUGS! They're out like crazy now & I'm scheming up new ways to be able to enjoy spending time outside. Ideas that don't cost a lot of money are welcome! Also, that i just planted some of my outside plants today. You may not think this is bad, but they "should've" planted them apparently more like 6 weeks ago. Here's to growth! Plus our poor puppy keeps having what is known as 'reverse sneezing' attacks. I think she maybe has some allergy problems. And yes, my heart is heavy yet again, truly heavy, from the death of a leader, mentor, & friend from MN.

AWESOME: Being gifted a movie from Z that I gifted him for Christmas. Yes, this really happened. We hadn't watched it & it was actually the second copy of the DVD due to the first one cracking (on a night that Z & I were watching 6 kids 10 & younger!). So I'm still waiting on what Z will pick out as he has diligently returned the 3rd copy of 'How to Train Your Dragon.' AND all the ways people wished me a happy birthday. Seriously, I think the only way I wasn't told 'happy birthday' was via e-mail & that's saying something because I received wishes by FB, phone call, voicemail, text, Instagram, Twitter, Linked-in, snail mail, & in person.

WORD: Acts is hot on my brain right now with this coming Sunday being Pentecost. Plus tonight, I will finish 'The Color of Tea.' Then hopefully in the next few days I'll finish 'The Help.'

coming up: Today after worship we spent a bit of time outside & I painted our new doormat you see above! This is just in time to welcome a visit from J&E! Then prepping to head off to camp for most of the Summer. I haven't figured out how to keep up with the blog over the Summer so no fear, there will be random posts & most definitely more posting come Fall.

Friday Favorites!

I love celebrations! Life has been a glorious 30 years so far & I hope for another glorious 60+ years. 

The past month has been greatly over stimulating for this extrovert. It has been nicely balanced with pieces of quiet & reflection though too.

Here's to the winner of SO many photos from this week! I couldn't figure out how to attach a video of birthday wishes from my phone so a random picture it is. 

Love & thanks to all of my friends & family that helped celebrate all week long from around the world. And to my friends in the photo, God knows what we need to keep being who we were made to be & a large piece of that is each other.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Another Tuesday on the go, but never without my tea time!

Everybody celebrates a little differently. No matter the occasion though, celebration is done out of joy.

This month has been full of celebrations. We have had safe travels, reunions with friends from all over the country, met family members for the first time face to face, watched GCN graduate from med school, celebrated birthdays, & a wedding.

My heart & head & stomach are FULL! May this fullness overflow into your lives this week & be shared with your circles of livelihood.

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome

GOOD: This past week led to a lot more fun. We first got to see good friends we hadn't seen in 3 years. They treated us with homemade pizza & home brewed beer! The next day we got to see Z's side of the family & meet our youngest niece for the first time in person. The next day was graduation celebrations for brother G. We enjoyed a great family feast at the Washington Park Grille. Then we joined my side of the family for adventures around Denver. We all now own a pair of Keen sandals thanks to REI's anniversary sale. The picture featured today is Z, E, & me walking the foot bridge of the Platte River. Lots of good family time continued with aunts, uncles, & cousins & will continue through at least tomorrow. See, I said a lot more fun?!

BAD: I'm a bit out of touch outside my bubble. Another lovely person who I knew joined God in heaven. Her & her husband where the other couple I knew who got engaged in their car just like Z & me.

AWESOME: Seeing good friends & family for joyous occasions is great. Today I worshipped with 27 family members on my dad's side of the family! And there's roughly 16 others who couldn't make it.

WORD: Hebrews is where we're at.

coming up: Wedding, travel, birthday celebrations, more travel, & adventure.

Friday Favorites!

This Friday Favorites highlights the joy of a good & mighty full week. Early in the week I found what might be 2 morel mushrooms without trying. Tuesday was monopoly day with 2 young ladies from church & Wednesday Z & I took off for another adventure to see friends, celebrate birthdays, a sibling's graduation, & a cousin's wedding!

Meet little Miss C. Our bubbly niece.

Tuesday Tea Time!!!

This Tuesday Tea Time leaves me thinking about graduation season. Just one year ago Z & I graduated with our Master of Divinity degrees from Luther Seminary. Here's an action shot of me receiving my diploma & hood right after my dear friend JMC & right before Z received his diploma & hood. I am grateful for our friend STH who captured this amongst other great moments from the day.

A little bit about the day, it was rainy - just like today - & therefore humid & the air conditioning unit in Central Lutheran Church - where the ceremony is held each year - had decided to take a rest that morning. There was a thick layer of discomfort because of the humidity & a thick level of mixed emotions. It is most often a sense of relief to be to this point in a degree program, but many people did not know what the future held for simple things like housing, health insurance, & work. Not to mention the dynamics of everybody's closest family members & friends being present as an added piece to the day.

One year later we have all figured out some form of housing, most likely health insurance of some sort, & some pieces of work. Is it what we'd hoped for, what we imagined? Yes & no. However, at nearly 30 years old, I learned at a young age, very few things in life happen/exist/turn out exactly as one hopes or imagines. We don't have this sort of control over each other or the world. We do have control over what we do & how we act with the fact that we don't have control though!

In the last year I have had 9 job titles of some kind. That is a LOT! You can imagine the joys & frustrations of such constant change & lack of stability I have experienced. Currently I hold 5 of these jobs. A colleague recently said to me, "Wow, you graduated over a year ago & you don't have a call yet? That can create a lot of anxiety!" I countered that comment with, "Yes, it can dwell up some anxiety, but it also provides a lot of time to dwell in scripture which happens to be good treatment for unsettling anxiety."

I have always found excitement in the unknown. I am a bit of a dreamer & love feeding my imagination. I find comfort knowing that the Spirit is breathing each breath in & out of me & leading me into whatever comes today. I control to be joy filled & aware of my opportunities to continue living a life worthy of the calling to which I am called (see Ephesians 4).

Graduates, recent or past, life will be new, changing, hard, exciting, & challenging. Take your joy from this great accomplishment & share it in the day-to-day adventures. Hold on to that joy & remember the hard work that got you to where you are today. This stamina & perseverance will do you good through the rest of life in all of your calls & titles.

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: This last week was FULL with good! It started out with a lovely mother's day & getting to chat with both Ma P & Ma N. A few days of work at home & catch up with a good seminary friend. Plus a brief & surprising quick video chat with Z's & my friend (yes, I'm learning to share) AJO & a phone convo with my "soul mate" JMDT. We finished our week by sending our furbaby to "camp" for a few days while we took another trip, this time work related. At the assembly we got to catch up with many colleagues & friends & meet many more. It was a busy & full few days that still has my my mind moving rather quickly. We completed our trip to the Detroit area with a quick trip to Ikea for a few small things & of course came away with more than what was on our list. And of course came away with picture frames that are too small for what we wanted to use them for. I fully accept the challenge to be creative with these frames!

BAD: Living too far away to make it to everything celebratory for those you love. In the midst of many long time planned travels it's next to impossible to make to all the other things that pop up.

AWESOME: Knowing & acknowledging the wonderful people in life that are doing really great things in the world. Just yesterday Patricia Lull was elected the new ELCA St. Paul Area Synod bishop. You can read more about it here. Patricia was the Dean of Students when I started my seminary career & while our time at Luther Seminary only overlapped by a few months, she has continued to be a role model of a woman in ministry for my life in ministry leadership. I wish her all the best in this new call & may God grant her many blessings & grace as she learns her way as a bishop.

WORD: SO much scripture & I'm working on a Bible study. One of these days I will finish the two fun books I'm reading. I've got a few news people I want to look into too. Oh the options!

coming up: Another trip! Yep, that's right, we're on the go. This coming week we will celebrate with both of our families for two great occassions & then we will celebrate my birthday with some of my closest friends from Capital University!

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.

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Awesome!

GOOD: This past week started out with a trip to hoosierland where Z caught up with colleagues also in their first call of full time rostered ministry & I spent a few days visiting my parents & by chance a few other family members as well. I got to meet my cousin's wife & daughter for the first time ever & see my cousin himself for the first time in something like 11 years. It was also a true blessing to be able to spend some time with my Gma Dixie that wasn't totally occupied by a family wedding. We made our way back to the great North mid-week to throw ourselves into attempts to do some more work & get back to our regular grind. However, the nice weather is a bit of a welcomed distraction, so we're pacing ourselves. This mother's day I contribute my love for Disney & travel to my mom & give her a virtual boat that she can take any time she wants (you had to be with us to understand, sorry).

BAD: Knowing the prayers that are being said for the girls in  Nigeria that have been kidnapped to be rescued & not knowing what, if anything, exactly is being done to rescue those girls is bad. Also, knowing that stories like Captain Phillips is not the only one & that people feel the necessity to kidnap & yell incessantly & use extreme violence for power is bad & ugly. Love wins, even if it is tough love.

AWESOME: Having a table & chairs for our deck that once belonged to my Mammaw & Pappaw. On their cement patio it was painted white & if I remember right (this is going back quite a few years like to my single digits) the cushions were clad in beautiful green & orange & yellow flowers. Now the table & chairs are black & my mom & dad had the cushions redone to be blue. I have thought about painting the chairs some fun brighter colors, but as my brother pointed it out, it would be hard to paint over the black without more steps than just painting them black again. Many great memories have been made sitting around this table, even from my pre-teen & teen years on my childhood front porch & now no doubt many more will be made in MI.

WORD: The scripture that I hung onto this week in my inbox was 1st Peter 2:13-17 & Z & I just read 1st Tim in the last two days only to most likely move on to 2nd Tim tomorrow. And naturally I'm still reading my leisure books as well.

coming up: Lots of prep for Summer jobs & another conference, this time not that far away or for that long.

Friday Favorites!

This little furball is my favorite. She is full of p&v & keeps our hearts growing & our feet moving.

Tuesday Tea Time!!!

Tuesday Tea Time is here! So crazy to know a week ago Z & I were finishing our trip in Paris with a visit to the Eiffel Tower, rickshaw music taxi to Arc de Triomphe, & a walk down Champs-Élysées to see all the fancy Parisian stores & glance in a few like the Disney Store & Kusmi Tea. May I just say that Kusmi Detox tea is delightfully fruity. However I did not purchase any because we also stopped at the river vendors for a few different gifts for ourselves & others on our way back to the hotel.

There are pieces of our lives that just fit our very beings. For me one of those pieces is travel. Traveling, especially outside of my home country, awakens my curiosity & pure love for the human race. About five years ago I had just returned from four months in SE Asia & was processing my love for my home town & country as well as my new joy of life in SE Asia. This recent trip to Paris was the first international trip I had taken in a while that was for pure pleasure & not work related. No matter the reason for the trip though travel is travel for me.

This has me dreaming about what sorta of call to ministry leadership I may have in the future. This may be something that develops in the next year or maybe in the next several years. One thing I know is that travel is so much a piece of my being that brings joy, adventure, & growth into my world that as life morphs I don't want anything to stop me from embracing travel in all its varieties. It's even more of a sparkle in my being when I find good tea to enjoy.

Whatever your sparkle pieces of your being may be, may they be for the good of your neighbors & yourself & may they regularly fill your soul with fresh air & pure joy.

**apologies for the funky alignment of this post! Technology.

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

 GOOD: This past week started with a day trip to the beaches of Normandy, France. Yes, that's right where D-Day happened. Nothing like throwing in a piece of somber reality with all the joy that comes with traveling. Our travels were great & we've thoroughly caught up on sleep & recovered from any jet-lag we may have been experiencing. It was unique to take a trip that was mid-week to mid-week because it seemed like the number of tourists greatly increased at the beginning of the end of our trip. We waited in a moving line to get into Notre Dame & then opted out of climbing the 400 & some stairs up the towers due to the fact that we had already climbed 300 & some stairs to the dome at Sacre Cœur that morning & there was quite a long wait at Notre Dame. In between Sacre Cœur & Notre Dame we visited the Center Pompidou where we saw a non-moving really really long line that we never did figure out what it was for because we walked around the other side of the building & walked right in. It helped that we had already bought our tickets for here before leaving the states. The thing we realized is that at many of the iconic sites you can go up in either a tower or a dome. Yes, the city is magnificent, but it's the same views from slightly different heights & different points in the city. The good that I think this trip did for both Z & I is that it awakened our spirits of adventure & travel & thinking outside our comfort zones of only speaking one language & knowing exactly what we were ordering for food or drink. Here in the picture you see Zack's café crème which he ordered at some point almost every day. Too bad I don't really like coffee because the tea options were limited. I did enjoy a nice chocolat chaud at least once though & daily enjoyed a glass or two of vin rouge or rosé. 

BAD: A dear friend passed away while we were gone. His death was not unexpected, but after living with colon cancer since 2009 one begins to think that he would just live that way for many years to come. Mikey was charismatic & vulnerably truthful about life which made him openly true friends with people he maybe never even really considered more than acquaintances. My prayers for God's peace are said often to fill the lives of his wife K, son N, sister C (all my friends as well) & their families. Upon returning we realized we needed to check in with one or two ailing people in our lives & I listened to Z essentially say g'bye to a good friend, colleague & mentor of his on the phone. 

AWESOME: The promise that I believe in that Easter brings. Plus, let's be real, I spent most of this past week exploring Paris, France. I got to go up the Eiffel Tower & enjoy champagne with my best friend. AND we came home to a very wet MI, but there is no snow left!

WORD: 1 Peter 1:13-16. Breathing this in a little bit each day. Plus still working on 'The Help' & started reading 'The Color of Tea.'

coming up: A trip to hoosierland & a visit with Gma Dixie! Some work & prep for the Summer & being reunited with my Horton (my big gray Mazda).

Friday Favorites x2!

Just in case you aren't aware of the wonderfulness of the Lusty Month of May sung by the one & ony Julie Andrews.

Friday Favorites!

It's Friday & I think it's Monday! Nothing like a little jet lag to thoroughly throw off your days.

There's so many great memories from this past week that it's too much to share. Naturally there's some sad with the happy & glum with the glam.

BUT my FAVORITE thing of this week is.....

MAY!

Yesterday while in total recovery from jet lag & sorting out small pieces of life I had a most joyous moment - you know the ones where you realize something so exciting that you gasp for air - that it is in fact the month of May.

May has always been a good month & over the years it has built in reason. It's always celebratory. Spring is here, snow may still appear, but it melts almost as quick as it comes. School years are ending around the country & Summer time is nearby. Graduations are happening & new adventures are starting. And yes, it's my birthday month. Plus it means I can sing "It's May! It's May! The Lusty Month of May" from Camelot while dancing around my house & it's true!