Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Happy day to celebrate the church & its major reformation of the 1500s! Today we honor Martin Luther in his leadership for & with the church & give thanks for his outspoken ways of making his thoughts regarding what it meant for him & people in 1517 to be church known by nailing his 95 theses to the door(s) of the Castle Church, Wittenberg. What a fun way to end the blur of goodness that filled the last week! Ma & Pa N left early last Monday & Z & I busied ourselves as our only day working from our offices. We then went on to enjoy a little bit of shopping, continuing education, & fellowship with colleagues/peers. If you saw Friday Favorites you saw a glimpse at the beautiful few days we spent on a mini-vacay. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. And if you ever thought island life wasn't worth the escape after Labor Day, think again! It's a touch more quiet, the air is crisp & perfect for fireplace time, & the discounts are abundant in all the stores. We came home to newly painted offices, a few new pieces of office furniture, & new business cards. Oh, and of course a cuddly puppy!

BAD: Fatigue, and how it makes many weary of what's next. AND how that weariness buts heads with the honeymoon phase of what's new. Not pickin' up what I'm laying down? Check out this article regarding 'transition fatigue.' I'm not sure that the term 'honeymoon phase' needs much explanation, but there is much joy - just like there hopefully is in a literal honeymoon - that comes with being in a new setting with the fresh touch of grace being given at nearly every turn.

AWESOME: The refreshing feel of getting a new 'do.' As if enough else weren't new already, I hadn't had my hair cut in months & it was time. It's the piece of self-care that we all can give to ourselves at some point. Then there's the piece of self-care that comes from others. It's pretty awesome knowing that my parents visited with AJO & her family the other day & the very next day I received a card with pretty awesome stickers (it doesn't matter if you're 2 or 22 or more) from AJO. And all in between that AJO & I had a phone date too. Whoo, that's a lot of self-care given by self & others!

WORD: Having been out & about this past week I have a collection of short readings & devotions in my e-mail inbox. Deuteronomy, Thessalonians, Psalms, & the Gospel of Matthew. Themes of waiting, trying & trying again, being still, more waiting, & identity scatter the particular scripture readings. 

coming up: Carving & decorating the pumpkins in today's picture. It was quite a blustery day to pick out pumpkins, but fun none-the-less. No, we didn't purchase them all, but we did come away with roughly 22.5 pounds of pumpkin between 2 medium sized pumpkins & 1 small pumpkin. We will be simply enjoying the last week of October with whatever it may bring.

Friday Favorites!

Yesterday was a beautiful day to bike around Pure Michigan and we just happened to do it by tandem on Mackinac Island.

Happy adventure days await!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time! Today I'm enjoying the crisp Fall weather & bright colors that decorate the land.

One feature of living where I do that I always miss from other cities & countries is riding from here to there on a train. There's something mildly majestic about train rides no matter the conditions of the train. There's also a great sense of adventure that is simply part of traveling.

Adventures take my imagination on traveling ride of sorts & this produces my pieces of story telling, poetry, & doodles.

What perks your creative juices?!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Amidst all the rain there will be sunshine. Tomorrow, tomorrow, the sun will come out eventually tomorrow. Right Annie?! This week was packed with a little of this & a little of that. Each day until yesterday was filled with gray skies & lots of rain. There was so much rain that both Z & I didn't realize how depressing it had been till the sun came out & stayed out & made us so wonderfully happy & warm. The crazy part about the warmth is it was possibly the coldest day of this Fall yet. I actually pulled my winter 3-in-1 jacket out of the closet yesterday & didn't regret it one bit. As you can see from the photos, it was quite brisk. Wednesday we enjoyed the evening with the folks of our church & supported the youth in their annual fundraiser over a meal of spaghetti & a silent auction. We even won our bid for a gift certificate to the Dam Site Inn! Joyous times continued with the a visit from Ma & Pa N. We introduced them to the Cheboygan Brewing Company one evening, spent a low key day around town the next day, & enjoyed an afternoon exploring the local area near Petoskey the day after that. We tasted some wonderful apple donuts from Uncle Frank's & topped off the evening with dinner at the Petoskey Brewing Company. 

BAD: Ebola & other life altering viruses with no distinct remedy or no named diagnosis for some.

AWESOME: Making new friends. Meeting people at random, connecting over furbabies & thinking you'll actually keep in touch. AND getting to talk with friends - even if over Skype - who are together & in the same country as me & hopefully I'll get to see one if not both of them soon & creating so much excitement about these wonderful people that you can't even type in a real sentence. See what sunshine does to me?!

WORD: My friend MBR's blog Stumbling Into Faith

COMING UP: Life on the road again. A few days for work, a few days for fun.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday!

Check out the mammoth of tea kettle in today's photo! If you could keep the water warm, you could have tea for twenty!

It's hard to believe that it was only just over a year ago that I had my first tea with TE. Z had scheduled a home visit & she made sure to tell him to bring me too. We were friends before we even met face-to-face! It's not very often in life that we are connected with someone else quite like this.

To honor my friendship with TE & our love for tea, I have remedied the cause for discrimination in a heavy coffee drinking work world & bought myself a new electric kettle. While setting it up, just yesterday, I thought to myself, TE would've loved to come have a cup of tea with me in my new office. And thanks to the love for tea that we shared, I know the importance of sharing it with others.

Some times it just feels good to hold something warm - even if you never drink it.

The nice feature of a hot water kettle is it can be used for much more than simply tea. I will have to get some packets of fun drinks other than tea to offer to my guests. For now though there are 3 different tea varieties with the option of honey stirred in with a chopstick.

Maybe some day soon I'll have tea for twenty! or at least tea for two!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: The end of the past week was beautiful weather & the colors that are so vibrant in this part of the country, they make you think you're living in a dreamland for a split second or two. We attended a number of meetings this week & had something going on almost every evening. This means that the fur-baby gets to come to work with me for at least the afternoons so that she isn't kenneled from 8am-10pm. So far so good, though she did almost catch her tail on fire when she decided to jump onto the coffee table where there was a burning candle. I quickly swooped her up, blew out the candle, & moved the candle to a higher place. Friday night was the perfect weather for the Homecoming game. We got to visit with lots of people from church & community & the Chiefs won! It was interesting to hear that there is only a Homecoming Queen & no King. Do others know of traditions such as this? We had never seen this done this way before & I'm not sure what to make of it. Is it supporting women or singling them out in an odd way?

BAD: Burning the candle at both ends. I recently viewed this video going on around social media. I agree with much of it. It is an important message to today's people. However, at the same time there is still such a means of connecting to people through social media that we would otherwise not have connection with those people. I see more often than not phrases like, "I am so close to deleting this, if  it didn't mean I would lose contact with so & so from somewhere far away." While it is a wonderful thing to be able to maintain these relationships with people far away. We must maintain relationships with people right in front of us at the same time. Both are equally important as far as I'm concerned, but it is an art to do both in a healthy manner.

AWESOME: Being able to give credit to my English teachers for the creativity that runs through this blog. One of my high school English teachers recently died after a fierce fight for life with cancer. While I didn't keep in touch with her over the last several years, I know that it is because of her lessons in the classroom that I attempted to read things like Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - and at the time it didn't make much sense - & that I write for the ear (as some might say). I think I owe it to Ms. K to try reading more Jane Austen in my future. And a little interesting fact is that my high school English teachers were among the last of my official "English" teachers as I'm almost certain I was able to test out of taking any English courses in college.

WORD: Matthew 22:1-14 is what kept popping up in discussions I was part of this past week. For those of you who heard a sermon on this text today (the Revised Common Lectionary), what did you hear? Or for those who preached on this scripture today, what did you take away from this scripture?

coming up: another day, another dollar! As one friend said this past week, "You have a job! You have a job! You have a job!" So let the ride of figuring it all out continue. We'll cap the week off with visitors from MN!

Friday Favorites!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

This week Tuesday seems like a different sort of Tuesday.

I've recently felt the discrimination many a tea drinker feels when working in a public place & there being no source of hot water other than a microwave.

Poor me, right?!

One mug of tea in the first half of the day is simply not enough though. So I'm on the hunt for an electric tea kettle for my office. Having only been gifted one before & never shopping for one, I'm leaning towards the purchase of a ceramic kettle.

Any thoughts on what type of kettle to purchase for minimal mula?

It isn't even so much the need for something tea filled always as I think it is for something warm that warms my hands & soul at the same time.

Crazy? Maybe, but I'll take that title any ol' day. Dog crazy, check. Tea & word crazy, check check.

Thanks for joining me for this spot of tea & piece of your time!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Last Sunday kicked off a very busy week with a going away pot-luck meal for one colleague, a bridal shower for friend, & prep to move into that one colleague's office. The move started Tuesday with only a few boxes. I was eager, but doing my best to keep some boundaries of not officially starting till Wednesday. Wednesday I spent all day cleaning. Thursday was a day "off" and Friday was another full day of adventures on the new job.

BAD: Last week I mentioned I hadn't heard of much lately so I felt like there were some things hiding in the shadows. I was right! Hong Kong has been up in arms & to watch the videos is alarming & frightening (especially if you are certain you know people that are there & that I am). Not to mention the continued news on the Ebola Virus.

AWESOME: Conviction that comes from deep within one's being is awesome. It's so deep within oneself that you know it's not of you, but you can't separate it from yourself. Watching this, breathing this, living with this conviction is awesome.

WORD: Working Preacher is where I spent most of my week reading & listening.

coming up: a full week of work as Coordinator of Youth & Family Ministries!

Friday Favorites!

Yep, that is one of the strangest wild mushrooms I've ever seen before. I've been on a mushroom kick lately. Including them in meals & finding them on walks. 

This message brought to you by a late night phone blogging episode of Juls has a Full Plate.

Tuesday Tea Time!

The days of being able to make sun tea are limited. This past week was beautiful & yesterday went from being quite sunny & warm to cool & rainy weather in a blink.

My motto over the summer - that I started to forget at the end - was "roll with the punches." This came from jumping into a job that was ever changing & many a things were last minute. It kept me on my toes.

Since coming home from camp this project & that task have kept me on my toes. However, today is a day to be lazy & flat footed as tomorrow is my first day of my new job.

This job will also be one that I need to "roll with my homies" (shout out to Clueless lovers) as we discover new ways for this setting to do ministry. I have no doubt, it'll keep me on my toes.

What keeps you on your toes these days?

Literally today is the last day of a Plank Challenge I've been participating in, so new ways to stay on my toes both for health of body & mind are good to share. And let's be honest. I'm not too good at staying off my toes. I like to be on the go & on the do if you will.

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Seeing lots of positive things on social media made for a boost in the week. One of the best things was experiencing Blessercize. I love the crazy amount of leg warmers in these video clips! With September being Childhood Cancer Awareness week I have been playing my part in a few simple ways. One way at the beginning of the month was to help a friend with her fundraiser for childhood cancer awareness. I look forward to hearing how it turned out. Then simply getting my lap quilts out from Camp Watcha Wanna Do & sharing them on Instagram & FB & having other friends share their quilt memories. Crazy the connections something like a quilt can bring. Each year as  a camper I got to pick out a new quilt & I now have 3 that I chose to keep. Mostly this past week Z & MG & I spent time enjoying the beautiful weather. We had a camp fire, went on a lengthy bike ride, took several long walks, & enjoyed time in the hammock. We also enjoyed time at the Seasons of the North Winery's Harvest Fest & came home to catch up with our family in Japan.

BAD: This past week seemed like an "off" week to myself & many around me. There's change with many unknowns lingering in the near future & so we're all a little uneasy. It seemed like a quiet news week which makes me weary of what I missed.

AWESOME: Did you not check out Blessercize?! In other news, Anne Lamott continues to write from her heart & speak to thousands of people about the bunnies of life that we love to hate & hate to love...erm, does that even make sense? Rosh Hashanah started & there were many great stories about celebrating with community shared by friends in ministry. And because I have a lot of awesome to share with you this week, I'll leave you with One Story Catcher. She's beautiful & writes brilliantly. The Holy Spirit is really do her thang in her work.

WORD: Ezekial 18:1-4, 25-32 What is fair?

coming up: Remembering to breath deep the breath of God, finishing the plank challenge for September, & moving into my new office!

Friday Favorites!

This week has gone by in a blink!

Favorites included:
BEAUTIFUL FALL WEATHER

FOOTBALL

BIKE RIDE

WALKS with MG

TEA TIME

FIRE PIT TIME

CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS

& a PUMPKIN BLIZZARD.

What are your Favorites today?!

One Word 365: Health Update and BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday Tea Time!

 
Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

When you're looking for the things you love, they pop up all around you. I attribute this to be the works of the Holy Spirit saying hi. We look for the things we love to fulfill a piece of our inner being that seems a tinge empty or maybe nothing is empty but we just want that push of joy that that thing brings to us.

Last week I got to share this cute tea themed card with my life long best friend. What a treasure to have the friendship we have and common things we love. Some may say that we had no choice in being friends as our mother's are life long best friends and we were born and raised in the same town only 9 or 10 weeks apart from one another. However, I like to think it's just a beautiful piece of life that we are the friends that we are.

Do you see the Life, Spirit, & Sparkle?!

I challenge you - my readers - to share the little (and big) sparkles of connections that words cannot totally capture in the comments below.

and enjoy your tea!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

Oh Hello Fall!

GOOD: Exhaustion from too many good things is an okay problem to have. This last week was rich with conversation sharing memories of the past, stories of things once gone by, & dreams & hopes for the future. Many people have asked how AJO is doing & I would say all things considering, she's doing pretty fabulously. We enjoyed the scenery of her new home area & the beauty of Lake Michigan on a few walks & of course a trip to Target too. Then there was the precious hours of holding little miss ESG so her momma could do things like take a shower & fold clothing. Add a touch of family time with my actual family & my heart is full from this last week! My exhaustion mainly comes from such a big road trip on my own. I booked it back to be able to enjoy an afternoon celebrating the joy of another little one yet to come & to take in the changing colors of early Fall.

BAD: Star-crossed lovers separated by poor parenting & bad timing. Yes, I am that hard up for something bad this week I'm referencing August Rush.

AWESOME: Excitement based around so much new & so much unknown & a promising things for so many people. Trust me, I'll say more later!

WORD: I have come to a hiccup in my reading of Malala as it is hard to get to point of the story which I don't think comes till the end. Maybe. I might just have to read the end. Aside from that I've been enjoying my daily e-mails of scripture & reflecting on letters from Paul again.

coming up: Making this brain a little less jumbled!

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.