Tuesday Tea Time

Full speed ahead!

I do believe I've potentially crossed over to the dark side. No, not coffee, psh! Gross! However, with the melting snow & the weather transitioning to a coming Spring, I have been getting minor headaches. Some of them I'm sure are because of lack of sleep or dehydration. However, for Christmas Momma N got me some of her favorite holiday tea (Nutcracker Sweet by Celestial Seasonings) & it is BLACK & caffeinated.

Caffeine is the dark side!

When I was in junior high (or middle school if you prefer) I was told by medical physicians to hold off on caffeine. I was instructed to either not have any at all or none after 3pm. You're maybe wondering why? Well, I have a crazy health history & one of the little things is that I'm slightly intolerant to caffeine. It makes me nauseas & my motor skills slow down. Some times I even get crazy shaky so my teeth chatter.

Telling a 14 year old (or there abouts) that she's not allowed to have caffeine is sort of crazy. Thus, I still push the limits to this day & occasionally find myself with the shakes. I never thought I'd have a caffeine headache though.

This leaves me wondering: What are you addicted to?

I know, big & bold question, but going big like my headaches & bold like my caffeinated tea.

Be big & bold & share your addictions! Together we can help each other be healthy about them, even if we don't stop taking them in.

Sunday Snippets

Life is currently in the fast lane.

This last week was mostly centered around our regional assignment within the ELCA. We received our first choice region (which is my home region) & will find out more specific assignment information within the next week or two. There's 6 synods we could be assigned - IN&KY are one, there's 3 in OH, & 2 in the mitten of MI.

Any bets on where we'll land?

Outside of that big news, there was more classes, more work, & more getting used to our Spring semester schedules. I had a great sushi date with one of my bridesmaids who's preparing to head over to Malaysia in August for her pastoral internship & later that day I had a splendid time with some other friends over a flight of wine & apps. Then to top it off I called my good friend LMac for the first time in months & we talked for just over an hour. Plus friends came over for a classic movie showing of 101 Dalmatians - the live version.

Today Z surprised me & swept me away to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for something different & then took me for fro yo at Freestyle (my new favorite treat).

Ahead this week: The Oscars tonight! Trying to make Quinoa Pizza Bites from this new blog I pinned, class, work, Zumba, meetings, the end of February, a showing of my friends new documentary The Evidence of Hope & hopefully finding out our ELCA synodical assignment.

What's happening in your fast lane?

Friday Photo Reminder

First, a shout out to my friend Rikki & her fabulous new blog site. 

Check her out over at Thirsty, Nerdy, Cats !

Photo Courtesy of The ELCA

This map potentially defines Z's & my future in ministry. Wednesday night we received envelopes as part of a lovely worship service with our classmates and supports of staff and faculty. The information inside the envelope was that we have been assigned to Region 6 of the ELCA for our first calls as seminary graduates (come May 19). We will learn what synod (which you see by the lines & different number/letters) late next week or early the following week.  For now we wait. Yes, we wait some more. It is truly a lesson in patience and trust.

May the Spirit overwhelm us with patience & trust & peace in this time of unknowns.

Tuesday Tea Time

It's Tuesday Tea Time!

I've noticed since starting this part of my blog, I have been drinking a LOT more tea. It's great b/c I have several teas that I've had for quite some time. In fact, I'm a little embarrassed to admit I have some loose leaf leftover from my time in Hong Kong in 2009.

My wondering today is why do we have edible or useful things and then hold on to them as a precious gem, knowing that they will eventually go bad?

Just the other day I made some tea on the stove to turn into iced tea. I did what I often do when boiling water for tea, I forgot about it. I was trying to update my blog for Sunday Snippits & then Mom P called & then I had to hang up from her suddenly to answer another phone call of a friend who wanted to walk to our staff meeting together.

Lesson: Multi-tasking DOESN'T work well.

I won't say that multi-tasking doesn't work, but we definitely aren't able to give our full selves into multiple things at the same time.

Maybe this is why we buy multiple things (I even ask for tea for gifts most holidays) that we know will eventually spoil, but hold onto them like precious gems. This is definitely a first-world problem.

To close, I haven't tasted the tea I made on Sunday, but it turned a funny color. Almost as if there is lemonade mixed in to make an Arnold Palmer. Anybody else ever over-boil  or over-steep their tea & have it turn a funny color?

Sunday Snippits

Whew! I can't believe it's Sunday again already!

This last week was truly the first week of the Spring semester, so it was odd & busy. It was odd because though Z & I are both addicted to our e-mails & calendars, we weren't familiar with our own or each other's schedules yet. It was busy because there was class & meetings & work & social life all mixed together. Oh yeah, & Ash Wednesday & Valentines happened too!

So outside of starting classes the real fun & neat stuff was Ash Wednesday services & Valentine's Day outing  Plus, a fun little road trip with our friends B&A H to Gustavus College for a choir concert.

At the Ash Wednesday service at Luther Sem, our new campus pastor turned the typical phrase of "From dust you are and to dust you will return" into "You are dead to sin and alive in Christ forever." The power of these words coming from Romans 6:8 overwhelmed me & brought me tears of joy & uncertainty about all that is life right now. Ash Wednesday service at Humble Walk was about smashing the things that we want to get rid. We were given a piece of tile to write down our burdens & then given a hammer to smash it into pieces. It was exhilarating! We then were marked with the ashes (again) & told "From ashes you came, and to ashes you will return." Overall, a very beautiful day & start to Lent.

Valentine's Day was SO much more exciting when I was a kid. No offense to Z, but Momma P always made it special & I was being goofy & nostalgic for a classroom party & all the love you receive from everybody. Z got me a beautiful bouquet of pink roses a few days before Valentine's & then we exchanged cards at dinner on Valentine's Day. We had a fun dinner at the The Happy Gnome where I tried poutine for the very first time & we shared ribs. Then we headed over to Cafe Latté to share a "Swedish Moo" (aka steamed milk with cardamom & maple syrup) & a piece of blueberry peach tart. Only to return home & watch the Charlie Brown Valentine Special on Netflix.

Coming this week: More classes, more work, AND REGIONAL ASSIGNMENT IN the ELCA

Friday Photo Reminder

Life is strange & sometimes we feel trapped or stuck, but the incredible sight of life happening around us in other people, animals, & creations such as Ice Castles gives us hope for a free mind & the peace that surpasses all understanding

Photo taken inside the Mall of America Ice Castle

Tuesday Tea Time...On the Go

My second class of the semester starts on the opposite side of campus in 20min. With my short legs I should've left 5min ago!

I don't have any great insights this week. I've gone through almost 3 boxes of puffs with lotion in the last week & drank a LOT of tea. This morning I'm enjoying a nice herbal mint to sooth my tummy from the antibiotics I just finished taking. (Gotta love having old leftover meds from 2008)

What's in your mug today?

Sunday Snippits

It's a cold, icy Sunday in the Twin Cities! We tried to go to church & got on the highway only to get off at the next exit.

Last week in review:
SuperBowl party was great (though the blackout was dumb)
 *Thanks A&T!
I successfully came down with a head cold & slept a LOT.
I got to visit my college professor at Pub Theology with the community of Humble Walk Church
 *This was great discussion of where we find hope in our every day
Tuesday we spent the WHOLE day doing laundry & I watched the first 3 episodes of season 2 of Downton Abbey
 *Now I'm stuck because I don't have a blue-ray player & it's not on Netflix yet! Help!
We prepped for the Spring semester, which started Thursday
 and then learned that we didn't have classes till tomorrow Morning
I was reunited with another CAP friend who was two years behind me & is considering seminary
 *Shout out to the wonderful MD for her enthusiasm towards life
We went to a lovely graduate dinner at the hotel where we had our wedding reception - and hadn't been there since our wedding reception
 *This really helped set in the multitude of emotions of being a senior.
We celebrated our friend's ordination to be a pastor in the LCMC
 *Congrats B&A on your new journey
Then we had an impromptu date night to the MoA where we enjoyed dinner at Tucci Benucch & a walk around the Ice Castles

There was a lot of fun & good life moments this last week & all that I'm certain of this week is classes, work, meetings, & the Grammys.

Friday Photo Reminder

The best of winter 2013: fresh white snow, blue skies, a blinding sun, crisp air, & a weekend away with 5 fabulous friends.

"When you are in tune with the unknown, the known is peaceful." - Yogi Tea Tag Quote

Tuesday Tea Time...even though it's Wednesday

Yesterday was laundry day. You might wonder why this would prohibit me from updating with Tuesday Tea Time. Well one reason is because I did not have internet access on my devices because we were at our family's home & another reason is because I took the day to vege out, in between the mass amounts of laundry (at least 6 loads), & watch Downton Abbey.

Tea Time was rushed though as I woke up groggy from a head cold I've been fighting & had to run errands to get our car to the shop for an oil change. Yesterday I had a nice English Breakfast blend from the Kurig at Mom & Dad N's house & today, as I write, I'm enjoying the second squeeze of a my Tazo decaf chai with a splash of milk & honey.

Tea Time make me take a a few moments in each day to breath deep & sort out my too often cluttered brain.

Tea Time is a time to be thankful for the hopeful moments amidst the despair of life's everyday news.

Boosted by Pub Theology ( with Humble Walk church ) & the discussion of Hope led by a college professor from my time at CAP I ask this week:

Where do you find Hope in your life & what are some ways to cultivate Hope for our communities?

This blog prompted by Capital University pride & ministers now located in MN

Sunday Snippits

Week 2!

Before I head to bead I leave you with a few snippits from the past week...

Last week was crazy busy catching up with emails & preparing for Spring semester to start this week. Z & I spent the week scrambling through meetings & other appointments & trying not to get the head cold that seemed to get concocted by our long day in the sub-zero temps when we were in Boston (pictures of this trip coming soon!).

Aside from the business of senior event planning & our last semester of grad school prep, there was the girls weekend away. It was a beautiful two days in SE MN by the Mississippi River Valley with 5 of my girlfriends from seminary. We ate a LOT of chocolate, drank some wine, played some card games, read some fair tales, & pampered ourselves. It was glorious!

Coming up: Reading through syllabis, starting classes on Thursday, visiting with a college professor, & a friend's ordination in the LCMC

Cheers to the week ahead!

Friday Photo Reminder

This is a reminder to remember the beauty of your day & basque in the warmth of the Spirit that fills your lungs time & time again.

Photo credit to On3 Wedding Photography 

Description: 4 foot peacock feather that lined the "aisle" I walked "down" with my Dad & into my best friend's arms to become his wife.

Tuesday Tea Time

It's Tuesday, have you had your tea today?

I don't know that I ever thought I would become such a tea drinker, but I typically start my day with a cup, travel mug, or some sort of container of tea. This time of year I like to drink more stout teas and in the warmer months I enjoy fruity or flowery teas.

So here we are, Tuesday Tea Time.

This morning I left the apartment around 8:30 & trekked the icy paths to get to my friend who I was meeting at a local coffee shop. This friend & I met roughly 10 years ago through youth ministry work & hadn't had the chance to catch up in quite some time. I ordered my tea (organic morning mint...or something like that) & he ordered his latte & we caught up on where the Spirit is working in our lives these days.

What I was reminded about during Tuesday Tea Time is how life giving networking is. If you're an introvert, you might think I'm crazy, but I'm definitely an extrovert. I thrive off of networking & peoples' stories. Networking is important for both introverts & extroverts, not only for human relationship & connectivity, but for sharing the gifts of life with one another through vocation.

We are all part of a large world & called as people in creation with other people & creations, to be with each other where we are, to be networking in relationship, vocation, & humanity.

What's your tea telling you today?

Sunday Snippits

In lieu of wanting to change things up with my blog I'm going to simply try a few new things. I'm not very good with coming here to blog multiple times a week, but I keep having these ideas for weekly posts, such as "Sunday Snippits" or "Tuesday Tea & Travels"

So here's a Sunday Snippit:

Today was a Nelson day "off." We cleaned, we cooked, we ran an errand or two, & have rested. We returned from our trip to Boston just in time to welcome in the ice, sleet, & snow. It's nice to have some white on the ground again since it is January.

Boston was cold, but fun! We walked the entire Freedom Trail in sub-zero temps & enjoyed the history & the chowda & the cannolis. The next day we toured the Sam Adam's Brewery, Harvard square & AJO's school area. We also toured the Taza chocolate factory & then hung out with our cousins.

All in all, it's been a good last week.

In the week ahead, expect lots of reading, maybe some writing, & stories from a weekend away with the girls.

Blessings!

New Year's Blog

Happy 2013!

As I start this year (though already half way through the first month) I am trying to give this blog more of a point. It might simply be to share in life with anybody that cares to read it, but currently I only have roughly ten readers & if I'm going to take the time blog, I want to inspire more people than that. While I am still sorta "Globe Trotting with God," the title does quite seem to fit my life currently.

So I officially declare this blog under surgery. You may not see major changes, but I can guarantee a few.

A brief update for the faithful readers:

The holidays went quickly. We welcomed the New Year in with friends in St. Paul & have been living the strange life of the coldest month of the year. I say strange b/c J-term is a time that campus turns inside out. The Distributive-Learners come from across the country & several of the residential students head off campus & out of the state or country for a break or some sort of cross-cultural experience.

More to come soon!

Advent: life with a little hope

Another semester of seminary is over & the holidays are buzzing around us. It has been a unique time of transition & change this semester. As seniors we've transitioned into our last year as graduate level students at Luther Seminary & started looking towards the future after graduation. As a community, we've changed faculty, staff, & students. As a world we've lived through many tragedies & many celebrations of new life & hope for a better today.

On Sunday the pastor, of Jacob's Well Minneapolis, asked us, "Where do we find hope in these times?" This is hard to answer in light of recent school shootings, stabbings, natural disasters, sudden changes & death in a community. However, in light of my recent final paper for my Holy Spirit course, I was able to share, with the community, that I find hope at the foot of the cross. The Holy Spirit that is in each breathing thing, is the same Spirit that is in Christ. The same Spirit that is in Christ, our resurrected Lord & Redeemer, is in you & me. This is Good News (this is Gospel). Just by our gathering together as community there is hope. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans:

But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you...But if Christ is in you, through the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (NRSV 8:9&10).

In this time of Advent we are waiting for the celebration of Christ's birth. We are waiting in Hope that our Redeemer is near. We are waiting for our realization of righteousness in the world. We are waiting with heavy hearts of the world around us. Today, I am sad because of death. Death of the children in CT, death of the children in China, death of the people in the Philippines, death of the people in NY, death of a friend & loved ones. We are still waiting for Christ. I have hope. Paul also wrote:

For in hope we are saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (NRSV 8:24-25)

The tragedies of 2012 do not make since. Life is confusing & humanity constantly fails itself (& our creator God). So amidst the mud of today's struggles & sadness, we wait in hope of a better tomorrow & are affirmed that through the death & resurrection of Christ, there is new life in each breath we are given. Sometimes we need to sit in the dirt & sadness of life, with the the Spirit who breaths new life in & out of us, that leads us to hope for a better tomorrow. Cling to this hope & the foot of the cross...it will get us to tomorrow.

Moving Rhythm - Hairs, Hearts, & the Unknown

We're now officially past the constant questioning of "How was internship?" This is a good place to be because just like a year or so ago when we were constantly being asked, "How's married life?" we've ran out of answers. Maybe it's not that we've ran out of answers, but more that we've refined our answers and while the processing truly will go with us for the rest of our lives, there comes a time when  you start to move on. You become tired of the answers that you have & want to create new. Just like in a break-up of a relationship, you realize one day that you haven't thought about that person or site all day & you know that while this is a little sad, it is a great accomplishment. Life goes on!

So we're moving on and moving hearts. Throughout my time as a seminary student I have been involved with a church whose slogan is "a church for people who don't like church." Jacob's Well Minneapolis (JW) is an emergent church affiliated with the ELCA - & soon to be a Reconciling in Christ church - that encourages people to go & be the church where life takes you. I was initially attracted by their various forms of worship. The very first time I joined the JW community was early November - I think - 2009 & there was a guest speaker who had written a book about his year living like Jesus. The JW community is one that embodies my passion of lifting up, encouraging, and equipping the priesthood of all believers! Thankfully it is a community that has not only captured my heart for ministry, but also Z's heart. In fact, if you were able to attend our wedding, Pr. D who preached is one of our mentors, pastors, & colleagues from JW. It has been fun to reconnect with the community of JW after being gone for a year. I appreciate the friendships from Group Life & other JW ministries on a much deeper level after being gone. My heart has been moved & I think the Spirit has moved the hearts of others too.

This leads me to the weird place we are in this year. It's a year of "recess" if you will. We all came back ready to reconnect with our peers & some more ready than others to be in the classroom again, but we all know that it's only for another year. There are some who may be here a little longer, or for several more years depending on more education or restriction due to partner's jobs. Already the questions have started of "What's next?" While we have some dreams, we honestly do not know. We've both been working on filling out what the ELCA calls the Rostered Leader Profile (RLP - aka Really Long Paperwork) which, for me, has been great in honing my description of my call to Word & Service Ministry as a Diaconal Minister. While this is helpful, it does not make the anxiety of the unknown any less of a factor in our lives. This is a time where God really is teaching us to trust & simply rest in the peace of the Spirit. So what do I do? While I'm learning to trust & rest in that peace, I still want control. I've done this before & I did it again! I went out on a limb & let a friend drastically change my hair style. I was a bit in shock at first - at the whole experience I think - but I absolutely love it & it didn't take more than hour to come to this point of love.

The experience of my hair...for those who know me well, I used to be VERY particular about my ponytail. I didn't have one for much of my youth due to childhood cancer, so when I could have one, I did. However, in later years I have gotten annoyed with my hair & wanted simplicity with a chic fun vibe. My new friend, L, is a hairstylist who speaks limited English, but has a big heart. His partner is a PhD student at Luther Sem, so as a way to keep his work & to serve the community he styles from his seminary shack (they aren't really shacks, this is just my new catch phrase for the seminary apartments) kitchen. I went over last night with little idea of what I was looking for & while he was cutting away, my friend M & I were planning for a final project we're doing together & she was occasionally translating for us. Not only was I multi-tasking, but I'm so short, that I couldn't see myself in the mirror he had propped up on the table. What a fun surprise!

Internship year is over, Z & I have been married for nearly 16 months, our hearts have been moved by many things, our future is unknown but certain in the resurrection of Christ, & I have a new hairstyle while I'm learning to rest in God's peace that surpasses all understanding.

This is my current moving rhythm. It'll change tomorrow no doubt, but for now...

September Foodie Spirit

One thing that's great about being back in the cities is the plethora of Farmer's Markets & variety of grocery stores. This last Saturday instead of going to the Farmer's Market we finally made our way over to Trader Joe's. If you've never been to a Trader Joe's it is a must! I love the small market feel. When I first moved to St. Paul in 2009 I lived only 10min from the closest Trader Joe's and now living at the seminary it's more like 20min - unless you get stuck in light rail construction traffic & there's no way to turn around, then it's more like 30! Trader Joe's has almost just as good as stuff as the Farmer's Market. We love the Farmer's Markets because of the amounts of fresh produce we can get for such a low cost. Being back at the seminary we also have the availability to have a piece of community garden. However, Z & I know little about gardening, it's been very dry, & the temps are dropping here in Minnesnowda. So maybe come Spring we'll get some ambition & dig into the dirt. Till then we'll keep supporting our local farmers.

Since the school year has started our lives have been a mixture of balancing schedules, trying lots of new recipes, and remembering how to be full-time students.

Some of the new recipes you can find on my ever growing Pinterest boards! We've tried breakfast bars, overnight refrigerator oatmeal, oatmeal muffins, sautéed mushrooms, guacamole...and have hopes to try so many more!

Last night we had a meeting with other seniors approaching graduation & life thereafter to learn about all the important forms we get to fill out before the holidays. It's exciting to think about the future & where we may land, but also terrifying having no idea where that actually will be. Even if we request certain areas does not mean we will receive a call (or two calls hopefully) to live and work in that space. We must trust in the faith instilled in us by the Holy Spirit!

So my questions of today are:

What are some yummy foods you've tried recently?
&
Where is the Spirit calling you?

I know, a pretty basic question and one you might not have words to express. I love the mystery & the challenge!

As the Apostle Paul wrote to the people of Thessalonica, "We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake" (NRSV 1st Thessalonians 1:2-5).

You are loved and appreciated, and the Holy Spirit has filled you to eat well & follow your convictions with the stories of our resurrected Lord. Ok, Paul doesn't say anything about eating well, but a good meal is a Spiritual thing. So explore the produce of Fall, check out your local Farmer's Markets, dwell in the Word of God, & dream about the future!

Happy Wednesday!

Home Sweet Home

After much moving around over the last 9 years (since graduating high-school) we are back in the Twin Cities for one final year of graduate school. Then who knows where we'll move to. I'm hoping next year's move will be a little more permanent and to a little more spacious dwelling space. For the time being though we are thankful to be where we are.

Our time in the Northwoods came to a close a few weeks ago and while it was sad to say g'bye it was good to be moving forward. I told Z, now we have a bunch of extended family members with lake houses we can visit! What a challenging year we had & who knows what lies ahead.

We have been on the run ever since we moved back. Surprising right? Ok, not so much, I know if you read my blog that you know we're on the go at a pretty fast rate a whole lot of the time. We started back at our student jobs, have been meeting all sorts of new people and reuniting with good friends as we all return from across the country. We even threw in a trip to the DC area for our niece & God-daughter's baptism! What a joyous occasion to be a part of. The Holy Spirit is a powerful presence when we stop & acknowledge it.

Tonight we made homemade cookies and invited some friends over to catch up. Much laughter was shared by all. The weekend is a time of relaxation before the semester starts up on Tuesday. Enjoy some photos of the fun we've had over the last couple of weeks.

Happy September!

our new Ikea sofa & the crew that helped us put it together

Z & J in the Capital

J & J

EJ!

MN State Fair

Universally Called to Word & Service: Ministry for the World

After reading a number of posts on Facebook regarding diakonia (service) ministries in the ELCA, I stopped & questioned "What is God up to right now?"

Stop & think about that for a moment. Maybe for you it's nothing. I've definitely had moments of the last year that I really didn't feel God doing much - and it honestly scared me and angered me quite a bit. Maybe God is puking love all around you in a new life of marriage or a new job or town to be part in. Maybe God is holding you still where you are and keeping life quiet. Whether we realize it or not, God is all around and in everything and everyone.

My mind wondered to this place because yet again Z & I find ourselves in a time of transition. Two weeks from today we say g'bye to our Northwoods home & move back to graduate school for our senior year. As we transition, naturally we reflect. In the postings about diakonia there was one person that put a stop to what had been - and thankfully continued to be - a fruitful conversation about the knowledge in local parishes about the communities of Diaconal Ministry, Deaconess, & Associates in Ministry. Often over the past number of years - even before starting seminary - I have wondered why I was called to Diaconal Ministry/a ministry that is misunderstood & often simply not known. I've come to understand the struggle of the understanding as our numbers are fewer in all 3 rosters compared to the roster of pastor, but also because in all 3 rosters (Diaconal Minister (DM), Deaconess, & Associates in Minister (AIM)) our calls are to Word & Service. Word & Service is a broad definition, but it focuses on the ministries served by DMs, Deaconesses, & AIMs. In a sense all people - as the body of Christ - are called to Word & Service ministry. We are all called to work in bridging the world in which we live and the church in which we worship.

Z & I are both preparing for our final evaluations of our year of internship/field work as well as our final major essay for the candidacy process in the ELCA, known as the "approval essay." As we transition, reflect, & plan for our future careers in ministry I am blown away by the Spirit & the reassurance that God is with me as I was, am, and will be. How do I know this? Through the faith gifted to me by God on account of Jesus in the Holy Spirit. Also through the constant love of the larger family of Jesus. We recently returned from our vacation to CA for LSquared's wedding - which was wonderful & beautiful - and got to spend some great time with my side of our family. Then we returned & got showered with some love from Pa & Ma N & then we drove back to our intern site one last time before we move & have been over come with the support & love of congregants & coworkers. All of these people have impacted our last year of being interns & will forever be with us in our memories if nothing more.

Thank you Lord for your call to service in your Word!