Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

Family at Epcot

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

Friday Favorites!

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

Tuesday Tea Time!

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday Tea Time moments to ponder...

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

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

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

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

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

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

Friday Favorites!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD, BAD, & AWESOME!

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

Friday Favorites!

A picture can say a thousand words, or so they say. This weeks favorites find me here. 

Tuesday Tea Time!

Hello Tuesday Tea Timers!

Have you ever been gifted something that you've held on to for quite some time & had to put serious thought into when or how you were going to use it?

These lovely chopsticks are a great example of a gift such as this for me.

Six years ago I was traveling throughout SE Asia with a team through Youth Encounter. Many of the places that we had already visited & were going to visit I had never dreamed I would travel to. However, it didn't take long upon arriving in these places to fall in love with pieces & people from these places.

Naturally I waited till the end of our travels to purchase some chopsticks, but within days was gifted these more ornate chopsticks. While the other chopsticks are more every day, we keep them on our countertop in a mason jar to be used for various food & drink items. These flowered ones had been sitting in a box in a drawer moving from one apartment or house to the next. With a newly emptied cylindrical tea tin on my hands - that I wanted to repurpose - I remembered these chopsticks in the old chocolate box in the drawer & decided to put the two items to use.

Some of the lovely chopsticks now decorate my tea corner in my office! Why would I need chopsticks in my office you ask? Clearly to stir honey into my tea!

Sunday Snippits:good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Watching a movie you enjoy the day after watching a movie that horrified you. There are certain movies that you see the previews for & think along the lines of 'if I watch that it will need to be in my home so that I can turn it off or walk away when I want.' Then you find yourself renting the movie & so enthralled by the story line that is horrifying you that you don't turn it off or walk away. I followed Gravity with two episodes of How I Met Your Mother's final season that I'm still working on finishing. Then the next day I chose to watch the movie The Hundred Foot Journey. This second movie was much more my speed! The love for food, travel, adventure & connection to life struggle is beautifully woven into reality throughout the story.

BAD: The desire so many of us who love living in the great north have for Spring to appear soon this time of year. It would be scary - in my opinion - if it came earlier than March. However, we pull out all the tricks to endure the gray winter months & are very thankful for the days with cloudless skies & sunshine. Some people just cannot be shook of the grump that sets in & those of us that can even everything out. All in all making us all a bit mad, bonkers, & off our heads!

AWESOME: Days of unexplainable sunshine in Pure Michigan in January! Go with the flow sorta work days, friends reaching out for prayers & sharing in life near & far.

WORD: While I have yet to finish I Am Malala - & maybe I never will - I have been enjoying The Paraclete Book of Hospitality. This is one of several books that I thought I would use for my graduate studies capstone project & simply did not get around to until the last week or so. A short easy ready & being based in Benedictine thought it gives some great Biblical & other references.

coming up: This is a very exciting week filled with many reunions & many gatherings of new friends at the Extravaganza!

Friday Favorites!

Friday Favorites & though my 'to do' list is still lengthy (because I sorta didn't keep one most of the week, but made a fresh one before coming home this evening) it is Friday & it feels like a Friday & that's fun!

I just shared with my cousin last night that having Thursdays off (just as she does) throws me for a spin because Fridays become my Mondays. Well, you could say this is Monday, but tomorrow then is Tuesday & that's a busy day so I should be super productive tomorrow. Right?!

I share all of this because glancing back at my FB newsfeed, one of my favorite things was this quote from Alice in Wonderland shared by Yogi Times. Alice in Wonderland has become one of my favorite stories of all times & I especially like this quote.

There are many days I feel mad, bonkers, & off my head, but this quote reminds me that it is quite normal & makes life that much more exciting.

So may you be ok with being mad, bonkers, & off your head!

You're one of the best people!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Credit to akikotree

I've heard that we need 8 hugs a day to succeed or to be okay with our day. And while I generally am open to a hug I am not always a hug instigator. However, just like in any relationship, for it to work we must give a little to get a little. And more often than not we give a little & get a LOT in return.

Tea: a hug in a cup.

It's such a nice idea! For us to be able to find this need for touch & comfort & encouragement & love in a cup of tea is silly, but sweet. We cannot always rely on each other to achieve these 8 hugs (or however many the studies actually say) a day, but we can rely on tea.

Tea, it wakes you up, refreshes your spirit, rids you of toxins, & calms you down when in need. A hug in a cup!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Good is sharing a piece of sunshine - literally or figuratively - with one another. This past week this sunshine was shared with me - & hopefully therefore with others - through the many encounters with others. I heard or read more than once in the past week that seeing another person & living with them is seeing & living with God. This makes perfect sense to me as I have been continually returning to Genesis 1:27 recently. Come, Holy Spirit, come. All in all this past week was a good mix of my many commitments to ministry leadership. There is much excitement in the air for things yet to come!

BAD: The drive of consumerism for more, more, more. With recent cell phone hiccups & a spouse who still owns an old flip phone (gasp!) the workers at the store jump on us like hawks on prey. Seriously people, a phone that makes calls & texts is the basic desire we have. We don't need all your special plans to be able to recycle these phones that much faster when you're companies are already charging an arm & a leg. With as many people that are only using cell phones now & doing away with land lines, I truly think it would only be right if cell phone companies made phones to last more than two years. We don't buy land line phones thinking they'll only last two years so why would we want a cell phone that does that? Good grief!

AWESOME: Julia Child was once quoted for saying, "People who love to eat are always the best people." I'm SO glad to report that according to Julia I am ONE of the best people. Now let's be real, there are hundreds of us who are the best people. This past week though, I hit a wall with appetite & creativity to make new meals. That creativity is stirring making new ideas & new inspiration though already. All I needed was a trip to the produce section at Meijer! Grapefruit Goodness!

WORD: I'm given the opportunity to preach in a couple of weeks, but we have some fun adventures in between so I'm starting to sit with the passages for the week of February 8th. Aside from that, look up at the "GOOD" of today to see a little more!

coming up: Hopefully a continued nice mix of a little work with this call & a little work with that call. It's all about balance! Head up, Heart out, Move to the beat!

Friday Favorites!

It's Friday & there's SO many favorites to share that I narrowed it down to this.....

Poetry on a wine cork!

"Standing here / The old man said to me / Long before these crowded streets / Here stood the Dreaming Tree."

As we walked MG this evening in the twilight of evening the sky, it was filled with pinks & yellows & grays. It was beautiful amidst the sparkling pieces of snow covered patches. Yes, there is snow everywhere, but there are only patches that seemed untouched by everything other than the wind. A phone camera could not have done this beautiful piece of God's creation justice & for a piece of extra quiet I had left my phone behind.

We returned from the walk only to make a fancy meal of Annie's Mac-n-Cheese, hot dog, & asparagus with a nice glass of Dreaming Tree Crush (thus the wine cork poetry).

Here's to your Friday Favorites as you wind down from the week. May you stand beneath the Dreaming Tree!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Hello Tuesday! Oh Tea Time, you bring a smile to my life!

Yes, a little crazy. I know, but we all have those things that take you to a happy place. Tea is one of the most simple things in my life that takes me to a happy place.

Most anything Disney is another thing for a happy place. Once somebody tried to strip down why I love Disney so much, but seriously, I enjoy the magic & that's the gist of it all.

Another lovely consecration gift, this one from my Aunt J! The question is, do I let it sit on my shelf in my office & simply sit there (next to the beautifully awkward photo of Z & I with Cinderella on our honeymoon) or do I use it? Other than preservation I'm not sure why it should just sit there. Seriously though, I'm perplexed as it is quite unique.

How many things do we own in life that simply sit on a shelf?

I for one can say many things. It's not necessarily very realistic, but it creates a nice ambiance that I change out every now & then with the change of the seasons.

The question still remains, to use the cup or let it sit?

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

Credit to The Telegraph

GOOD: Today is Installation day! Some have joked that all these big churchy terms like consecration, ordination, & installation should really just be regal & therefore like a coronation. While consecration made life as a Diaconal Minister that much more real, this will set our current calls in stone (the sword in the stone?!). This week we have experienced the quiet of January, so it is nice to celebrate the church with so many people today. Christmas is put away at the JZ Parsonage with a few remaining wintry decoration pieces filling the shelves. And in place of the Christmas tree now sits a bench we were gifted (by gifting others we were able to gift ourselves) that is really for our front porch. In the middle of January in northern MI it is not so much fun to put things on the front porch, so in the living room it sits for now. Though we think it'll be alright outside year round. It was a decent accomplishment simply to take the pieces out of the box & assemble the bench to start!

BAD: The other day we decided to check out our local Family Video - yes we live in a town without a Redbox & a classic video rental store instead - & it appeared that the majority of the films that were on the wall considered "New Release" were about warfare on a broad spectrum. This could be warfare in history, spiritual worlds, or made up worlds. What's the deal? We don't have enough warfare in our day to day living or world that we need to infiltrate more through media. No thanks!

AWESOME: Sharing in the joy of our friends' ordination & commissioning services happening across the country. While I sincerely wish we lived close enough to each event to be able to attend - & let's be honest, that means living somewhere in Z's part of the mid-west (Minnocentric Midwest) - that is not the case nor the need of the church. We are where we all are because we are called & set apart to live as leaders in the church.

WORD: So I've realized that I've stopped receiving a daily devotional that I often relied on to share something here. I tried to switch the e-mail address it went to & now I don't know where it's actually going. I'm working on starting something new.

coming up: Living the life in the winter wonderland of Pure Michigan!

Friday Favorites!

Thinking about Friday Favorites today with the question, "What have I learned this week?"

Believing we are made new each day in the light of a resurrected savior, it is only right to lift up praises each day. I have found myself giving such thanks when people compliment me or something about an object that might be related to my work with "Thanks be to God!"

My hope is that people realize that I am who I am because of the living Word of God. And all that I do, I strive to do for God.

While I'd like to think that there is nobody reading this thinking, "Well good for you!" I know better. Please don't read this as "look at me" sort of thing. It is yet another bitter cold January day here & while the sun is shining - Praise be to God - it is January & many people are stuck inside & many people are dealing with depression from the often gray weather this time of year.

I share praises to lift all spirits of the good happening in the world. Some times these praises seem fairly mundane, but it is a nice thing to have a home that has electricity that powers my alarm clock that I am thankful for its snooze button. See, can be sorta mundane. Challenge yourself to list 5 praises a day for a week & see how it lifts your spirit. It's worth it!

"Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day." Rishika Jain's Inspiration

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time, the best time of the week! With as cold as it's been lately, every day has many tea times.

This quaint tea cup was a gift from my friend TU over at Praying on the Prairie. She just recently messaged me to make sure I got it & I've been sneaky in not responding a)because she should be receiving a thank you card any day & b)I wanted to feature the mug in today's post.

TU & I met at the 2010 Diaconal Ministry Formation Event (DMFE). Being at two very different places in life - mainly speaking that she was called & consecrated & I hadn't even completed my first full year of seminary - I am blessed to have her as a mentor, friend, & one with a better memory than I. She wrote in the card that she sent with the mug that she got this particular mug because it has a piece of the Psalms that we focused on at the DMFE.

While we have both had many life changes since January 2010, the world of Diaconal Ministers, ELCA, Lutheran Church, & youth workers has kept us interconnected. With a smile & listening ear for all who need, TU is there. So thank you for sharing Tuesday Tea Time with me today & probably many tea times yet to come!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & ugly!

  

GOOD: Epiphany is upon us! We continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus - the Savior - with the coming of 3 'Wise Men.' A curious addition on to the story indeed! With a deep breath I take in the new air of 2015. 'Head Up. Heart Out. Move to the Beat.' Being a new year & a few months into my new job each week has been a little different, yet a swing of ministry happenings have started to take hold on my calendar & mind each month. With a bit of a break from work this past week I experienced a little bit of cabin fever, a little bit of nostalgia, & a touch of excitement for the future that is this new year. The family enjoyed the fresh snow fall, the continuation of holiday music, a couple of fires, & many movies. We even ventured out to the movie theater for the first time since Valentine's Day 2014 to see the third installment of The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies. I do believe Cate Blanchett was phenomenal even if her part was minimal & I'm already looking forward to it's release for purchase so we can have true movie marathons with the Hobbit series & Lord of the Rings Trilogy. With the quiet of January already upon us & the often grey skies above us I'm honestly inspired to read many fictional books this month. Though I know that it'll have to be time intentionally taken from each day to make this happen without falling asleep (like I usually do at the end of a day).

BAD: This past week I saw many colleagues commenting on this article not simply about teen suicide, but about transgender teen suicide. These comments were wonderings of why this is still happening & why people don't intervene more heavily. Nobody is invisible, though we've all allowed ourselves to feel that way at one point or another due to others actions. Yes, we have all experienced this, so why don't we all do more to step up & take care of one another even with a simple "hi" & stop to hear how somebody is actually doing now & then rather than the fleeting "Hi, how ya doin?" as you walk by each other. No, we can't expect people to always give a full answer or maybe even a totally truthful answer, but we can give them a few minutes of acknowledging them in that moment.

AWESOME: This past week was just a lazy, low key week. 2014 ended with retirement, over a million dollars, 3 kids, & a few trips around the world (thanks to the game of Life).

WORD: Addiction & the Church

coming up: Diving into January with my 'Head up, Heart out, & (ready to) Move to the Beat!'

Friday Favorites!

Hello Friday evening Favorites!

Today was the first day back in the office since Monday & I started a praise journal in a gift from my consecration to write 5 praises a day on work days. This is a practice that Life Coach DT challenged my group with when I took her e-course over a year ago. It is amazing how this changes one outlook on life. Seriously, just being in the office made me happier today. Set aside that I had felt a little cabin-fever the last couple of days being at home!

This year my new One Word 365 is HEART! I'm sorta excited about this word because it connects to so many pieces of life, but especially with my life long best friend as she has seen SO many hearts since her Grandy's death.

I chose the word HEART not only because of the love many of us had for Grandy, but because it seemed like a healthy (OneWord365 2014) challenge to stretch my heart & mind around where my heart is in each day & how my heart is being used & how it is being shared & how it is being affected. In the world of chakras I most often think/speak/act through my throat & my heart third with my navel in second. I act out of voice & gut. So this is a challenge to continue my holistically healthy approach to life to be in tune with heart.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday once again! What will you be having for Tea Time today?

It's the last Tuesday Tea Time of 2014. It hasn't been a bad year by any means, but it's alright to say g'bye to 2014 & hello to 2015.

What will come in 2015? The only few things for certain are ministry events, trips to Detroit for the Extravaganza & ELCA Youth Gathering, & a vacation to FL to visit family & have a little Fun.

2014 is a year I never could've quite imagined. It started off with a funeral for a church member, then was followed by funerals at least once a month clear through June. In the middle of the celebrating of these friends' lives we made our trip to Paris & kicked off a month or more of traveling. Only with a couple hundred photos of MG growing up thrown in the middle. The travels started with Paris, ended with Denver, & led to 2 months at camp. In July one of my very best friends officially joined the "cancer kid club" with me. After playing the resource game one last time, I spent August recovering from the summer & projecting around the house. And spent September prepping to start my new job in October. Now it's hard to believe that I've been at this job for nearly 3 full months. Consecrated & all! Of course since starting I've also accepted the call to serve as a Practice Discipleship coach & had previously committed to being the Synod Day Director for the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering.

So 2015 is going to be just as busy as 2014, but in a whole new adventure filled way!

May your 2014 be memorable & your 2015 be one more adventure filled day than you currently think will happen & more tea & more Life, Spirit, & Sparkle.

Sunday Snippits:good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: It was a joyous week worthy of a day "off" today. Thus the later posting today. It was a busy week in the office prepping for 3 Christmas Eve services, a wedding, & today's service. Thankfully I was able to take today off to continue to reclaim pieces of our house from the holiday traffic. A little bit of laundry, a little bit of cleaning, & a little bit of cooking with a back-to-back move marathon of Home Alone & Home Alone: Lost in New York.

BAD: Another plane gone missing. 162 people unaccounted for. This unsettles me more than I can say.

AWESOME: Holiday fun & solid messages of God come flesh to be with all of us & know us & have us know God better.

WORD: Stumbling into Faith  with my good friend MBR letting the Spirit lead the way!

coming up: New Years! 2015...

Friday Favorites!

Happy Boxing Day!

No we don't exactly celebrate that here in the JZ Parsonage, but we do so more than the time my family was traveling throughout the UK & tried to get on a train on Boxing Day. Thank you uneducated travel agent for booking that reservation! We ended up taking a very long & crowded bus ride to get to our next destination.

Christmas 2014 was a joyous easy going day with lots of fun, good food, & crazy dogs. Yes, our sweet little MG has a stogie in her mouth in this photo. Thank you to the Ruff Life Pet Outfitters in Petoskey!

The scarf I'm wearing is a consecration gift & yes, that's an embroidered "N" on it. Fun & quirky indeed!

May your holiday travels & celebrations continue in good fortune as we let 2014 wind down to an end.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Ah, my favorite morning of the week. A time to sit & breath deep with a cup of tea. Though to be completely honest, many Tuesday mornings are on the run.

This adorable snowman teabag holder was a spontaneous gift from my mom this past week. Unfortunately the Holiday tea is long gone & other goodies are sitting in the tin. So really, it's not that unfortunate because I've filled it with more tasty tea drinks. With mom around my tins & cupboards & shelves will never go empty!

This year I seem to be more aware of those who don't have Momma P around to fill their tins & cupboards & shelves with holiday feasting items. I pray for them to feel the peace that the Spirit delivers through the Christ Child this time of year. Sometimes - though not as often as I think I should - I have to hand things over & trust the power of prayer. For as my new office decor reads, "Be patient. Our prayers are always answered, but not always on the exact day we'd like."

Thank you Momma KE for that reminder. Happy Tuesday Tea Time & Merry Christmas!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: The goofiness of this photo & the moment in which it was taken. Yes, I went there. It was unbelievable to finally have this banner hanging in my childhood home congregation after learning about it in 2010. This banner travels from consecration service to consecration service for each Diaconal Minister that requests it. I wanted to let the greatness of the day of consecration sink in a bit before I shared this gem. This past week was a touch of recovery, a ton of baking, a lot more of goofing around with other funny photos, & enjoying the new snow fall.

BAD: That we learn about the death of certain political leaders & our immediate reaction is, "GOOD!" This article will tell you more about where that reaction was pointed. I just had a conversation with two others a few days ago about how to think as those in certain military parties around the world think is simply brain washing. Recently I read - though I don't remember where - that ISIS is today's new Nazi regime. This is terrifying, seemingly true, & horribly tragic.

AWESOME: The continued pieces of congratulations that have come to me this week. I've received nice notes, hugs, smiles, flowers, & a fun embroidered scarf. It's incredible the people that have supported me from all places in my life & from all around the world.

WORD: Today I am preaching - possibly as you read this - on Mary's Song. The Gospel lesson is actually the scripture leading up to Mary's song, but I couldn't leave out a piece of Holden Evening Prayer. Holden Evening Prayer was released in 1995, but I still find it meaningful & relevant for today's church.

coming up: Christmas!

Friday Favorites!

Of course cookies make Friday Favorites when there's SO many things to list a girl can't choose!

These beautiful & delightfully tasty treats were baked & decorated by my mom's dear friends KF & AM. I'm sure they never quite imagined being featured as a Friday Favorite in my blog, but here they are. Bam!

Naturally since coming back from consecration celebrations life has taken off full steam ahead yet again. Finding time to intentionally breath in the Advent season is a challenge, but one worth accepting.

Honestly, Tuesday Tea Time was posted later in the day because I had written an article for a church newsletter earlier in the day & it felt like a blog. However, it didn't seem right to share that for Tuesday Tea Time since the church newsletter won't go out for another week or two (I think). And today I worked on Sunday's sermon much of the afternoon & it also felt like a piece worthy of sharing on the blog. But naturally I have to keep yall waiting.

I'm still lingering in last Saturday's gathering of a great priesthood of believers who have all played some piece of significance in my journey. There were people gathered from all walks of life - seriously cradle to childhood to adolescent adventures to college years to grad school & today - & I'm so breathtakingly in awe of how the Spirit has used each one of these individuals in my life & continues to do so in the world today.

Weather you were there in person or in heart, you are part of this great priesthood of significance in my life & the world around you. Don't let anything make you believe differently. And for those who are interested, there is a video of last Saturday's service that will be available soon.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Hello sleepy time! Tuesday Tea Time has come & not quite gone. I do believe I over estimated my ability to get back from my travels & jump back on board with my bit of routine. Oops!

Many many thanks to Timothy & Allison for sharing Friday Favorites & Sunday Snippits while I was away in hoosierland.

What a crazy milestone in my call to ministry to have come & gone. I had the same feeling of joy on my consecration day that I had on my high school graduation day. At high school graduation many of my friends were red in the face from tears & I had this ridiculous grin that I could not wipe away.

Today I spent part of my time in the office setting up all the cards & new decorative gifts that I received. The picture though shows the long awaited gift of a basin, pitcher, & towels. These are the symbols of Diaconal Ministry. My basin & pitcher were crafted by the great Jim Alworth & his wife Grace. The most beautiful piece about it is that the design is one of a kind.

And now it's time for bed!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad & awesome!

So like Julia and Timothy mentioned in the last week, I'm Allison and today I'm guest-posting on Julia's blog! Happy to do it. Timothy and I met Julia at Luther, and since then I've been in congregational roles, and most recently, a facilitator for brightpeak, which is just taking off! 

But here at Julia's blog I'm always in awe and jealous of her reflective and festive (and sparkly) posts. So props to you, Julia. For now, here at my Sunday Snippits!

GOOD: First of all Julia is now a consecrated diaconal minister in the ELCA! Congratulations!! I'm hopeful you had a fun and full-of-life service and gatherings. We are insanely happy for you, and can't want to see God working in your life through this and other vocations. 

The church is in good hands as it just rostered one of the most talented and down-to-earth leaders. So know we're cheering for you from Minnesota! 

BAD: So Timothy and I are lucky to have the financial resources to Christmas shop for our loved ones, but goodness it's a challenge to keep to a budget. Since we got married a little over four years ago, we've created a yearly budget for gifts for our people, and each year we've come out just about on budget. 

This year's Christmas/Advent season has been a little different with job explorations and transitions. So little victories feel like big victories, and then I get too excited and sometimes spend too much money... I guess that's my confession for the day. I just love getting people presents for Christmas! 

Thankfully our monthly Saturday morning budget pancakes breakfasts keep me in check. It's always a plus to talk about money and budgets over pancakes. Why wasn't that in our Prepare/Enrich premarital counseling? I think I might have to add it. 

AWESOME: While we're talking about Christmas, I can't help but think about how awesome it's going to be back home in the Pacific Northwest for Christmas. It's been almost a year since we've been back, although we've been fortunate to see family throughout the year here in MN and on east coast. 

There's something about being in the Northwest that you can't duplicate anywhere else. So I'm pretty pumped to be back there to see family and to dwell in a place so fun and meaningful to me and the hubs. Ivars, sushi, pho, maybe a hike, hanging out with some moss and banana slugs. 

I make strange lists. 

WORD: I confess, I am not a good listener to spoken Bible passages and readings in worship. So when some younger folks gave the message today in worship through their Christmas pageant, I was very, very excited. 

Through TV, the internet, shopping, etc., we get bombarded by messages of high spending and Santa bringing each of us LOTS of presents, am I right? But at church this morning I was reminded that in worship we hear a unique message we don't get to hear anywhere else so clearly and vividly: In the tiniest little bundle, God came to live among us, and through Christ, this tiny little baby, God's presence and love is inextricable bound up with ours. 

And today in worship, we saw the tiniest among us boldy speak this message that roots us as we wait for Jesus in the manger in the coming weeks. 

Coming up: Julia's back to the blog this week! Thanks for asking Timothy and me to be guest writers, this was fun. :) Blessings on your new chapter of leadership and may the Spirit guide and fill your life and vocations. 

Have a good week everybody!

Image credit here and here.

Friday Favorites!

Allow me to introduce myself to all of you. My name is Timothy Siburg, and I’m a good friend of Julia’s from seminary. Julia has invited me to contribute to her blog this week, so here I am sharing her usual Friday offering of Favorites. This week, allow me to highlight five.

This weekend we light the third candle on the Advent Wreath
as we continue to journey through the season of Advent.

First, as you may know Julia is busy getting ready to be consecrated this weekend for service and ministry as a Diaconal Minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It is so exciting, and wonderful news for the church! That's definitely my first Friday Favorite to lift up today. 

Second, this Sunday the Sunday School youth at my congregation are bringing the message through their Christmas Program. I’m excited to see how they tell the story as we continue to journey together through Advent.

Third, one of the more smile provoking stories from the past week I saw included some police officers playing Santa. Anytime people can help each other out and really show love towards their neighbor, that’s a favorite for me.

Fourth, are you looking for a great arrangement of an Advent hymn to put you in the Advent mood? Look no further than the Piano Guys’ rendition of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

Fifth, finally, one of my favorite things is to see collaboration and partnership in action. Julia, thank you for being such a great collaborator and inviting me to share a little on your blog. I am going to extend the same invitation to Julia to share on mine in the coming weeks. Until then, my wife Allison and I will share some Sunday Snippits this weekend too right here on Julia’s blog. Julia will return to blogging here on her site next week.

Until then, may the peace of Christ be with you today, calming you and providing that centering presence so important while the rest of the world feels like it speeds up even more than usual this time of year. 

Image Credit: Advent Wreath

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

This week is SO exciting. Yesterday I saw the gift of my bulletins in color for my consecration - which was a surprise - & then while we were home for lunch the mail was delivered & a surprise package was included.

Just the other day my friend JM texted me for our address. I assumed that it was for Christmas cards, but boy was I wrong, sorta. The little red tab in this picture is the card. The Paris themed book box (a box made to look like a book) was packed full with some of her favorite things that she wanted to share with me. And no, they weren't used, they were new.

It was a Christmas/Care/Surprise/Consecration gift all in one! I do believe I have my very own Oprah from TX. Watch out Oprah!

Also this week we all will be gifted with some guest bloggers! I have shared many a posts mentioning TS but I'm not sure that I have shared about AS as equally. They're both equally fabulous & great writers. I've invited them to use their imaginations & creativity to share Friday Favorites & Sunday Snippits with you. Yes, this means ANOTHER surprise is in the works as I don't know who will post when or what.

Sitting in this cloud of feeling loved & cared for I'm going to enjoy my tea & a little time away from the norm to focus on my call & be with family & friends.

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

Sunday Snippits: good bad & awesome!

GOOD: It's Advent! While just like the rest of the late Summer & Fall months it has taken some time to sink in. The ship has sunk & that's a good thing! With only 18 days till Christmas I'm feeling the calm & energizing pieces of the Spirit in the world. These are some of the best pieces of this time of year. If you missed my Friday Favorites it's all about the beauty & yet amazement in the repeated message over the centuries learning that Mary - a young teenager (which was common at that time) - was approached by an angel of God who shared the message that she was to be the mother of the Savior. WHAT?!  A virgin unwed but betrothed was to bring God in human form into this world. One thing we can be certain of is that this was an act of God & not anything human kind could create. Call it bologna if you like, but the Spirit gives us all the same faith that Jesus has (see Romans 8).

BAD: The constant struggle with hearing equally both sides of stories surrounding death. This may be death in it's literal form or in a figurative form because every time somebody is belittled or ignored a piece of them dies from being overshadowed. There was much pain shared from both sides of justice conversation the ELCA shared on this video.

AWESOME: Surprises. I love the sense of joy & surprise & care for one another that is exuded this time of year. This past week we received a gift that we automatically assumed was from our IN family because it read Debrands on the box, but to our surprise it was a lovely Christmas treat & present from family outside of IN.

WORD: This week I am meditating & praying on the scripture that will be used for my upcoming ELCA Consecration as a Diaconal Minister. Read & pray with me over Micah 6:6-8, Psalm 100, Romans 8:12-17, & John 13:1-17.

coming up: Hopefully some guest bloggers in the midst of travels & celebrations that come with my consecration. Stay tuned!

Friday Favorites!

Since I couldn't be in MN for the Annual Holiday Pottery Sale at my friends' house then I clearly needed to attend the live show of the Journey to Bethlehem in MI.

What a beautiful moment imagining what it was like for Mary to be approached by an angel of God sharing that she would carry the long awaited savior. What an interesting idea that she was told what to name her baby. This is probably more common than I would like to know& at the same time I'm sure we all have heard names that we think somebody should have told their parent what to name them.

Anyway, I digress. The beauty of the news of the Savior finally coming. Rest in this piece of the story tonight. A perplexing piece no doubt, but evened out by beauty that is in the Good News.

Tuesday Tea Time!

GOOD morning!

Christmas time is near (thank you Charles Schultz & your peanuts specials for the tune). If I thought the mind of others & my own were a flurry of thoughts & emotions before, somebody has increased the volume.

Increased volume & a flurry is a stereotype of how we are to live this time of year. But why the rush? Why the increased "to do" list? Why the stress?

When I talked about about leadership under the "BAD" section of my Sunday Snippits it's not that my thoughts or discussions around the topic have been bad. TS finds all sorts of good stuff about leadership worth looking into & living out. It's more the immediacy I find our culture jumping to the worst points of a situation or often even the "what ifs." This is not a way I tend to live nor do I want to live this way. It creates grumpiness & unease.

Insert the voice of your Life Coach saying, "SO Don't! Don't think/live that way." *Thank you to DT for being a voice of reason*

What do you find yourself doing this Advent season to alleviate the stress & flurry of thoughts & to step back & take in Advent? (Seriously, please share!)

Amidst the flurry of my life I'm stretching myself to put the lists, calendars, projects, screens & work away for at least 5min a day (which in the doing of this it is a piece of work) & breathe. Breathe in the beauty of the season, the fact that each breath is a gift (thank you Holy Spirit), & that good is happening all around us (thank you #heartfind challenge). With all this good, I challenge myself & all of you to keep a journal of at least 5 uplifting pieces of your day for the next month. *Cheers again to DT! It will boost spirits & that spirit of joy will catch on. Smiles ARE contagious just like yawns!

And on a side note....Don't you just LOVE this snowman teapot? I truly enjoy the tea related things that you find in antique stores!

5 pretty great pieces of Today: 1. Tuesday Tea Time 2. Energized mornings 3. Christmas lights 4. Puppy cuddles 5. Having jobs I really enjoy