Tuesday Tea Time!

Greetings, and Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

 

I’m happy to be sharing this tea time with you, filling in for my friend Julia the next couple weeks. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Timothy, and I most often blog here. I’m also a: husband, son, brother, mission developer, hot chocolate and chocolate milkshake connoisseur, a sports fan crazy about the Mariners and Seahawks especially, and grateful to be asked to share this Tuesday Tea Time with you. 

 

In the spirit of Tuesday Tea Time, as a place to take a few moments to sit and reflect while sipping on your favorite tea or hot beverage of choice, here’s a question for you:

 

What big question are you wrestling with right now?

 

If you’re like me, you may well have more than one. Some of the questions I’m pondering are:

• What am I most excited about right now in this awesome role of being a mission developer?

• What would it be like to serve on staff and in ministry with my wife Allison beyond this one year of internship for her and me serving as a mission developer?

• What’s Thanksgiving and Christmas going to look like this year?

• When will the Mariners make the playoffs? Will the Seahawks get on a hot streak? 

 

Whatever your question or questions are, take a few minutes during today’s tea time while you sip to ponder about the questions. Jot them down, and if you don’t mind, share them in the comments. I believe life is about conversations, questions, and relationships. If there’s no wrestling or curiosity, I know at least for me, I would be very bored. What about you? 

 

On a different note, I’m so excited for Julia’s news, and invite you all to send her great thoughts and hold her in your prayers. 

 

Until next time, thanks for sharing this moment with me, and Happy Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Hiya! This week Tuesday Tea Time is brought to you by Britta Gene from Britta Gene Art!!!

hello tuesday tea time readers. let me introduce myself. i am britta gene e. glass. artist, mother to the cutest little pixie, chai tea junkie (i have a serous love for it), picture book collector, lover of anything that sparkles, and dreamer of becoming a picture book illustrator. i feel very blessed to have been asked to help out with tuesday tea time and partner up in bringing you tea related art.

i am hoping this will help get my bum in gear to start writing again for my own blog. so lets begin with one of my favorite topics to talk about... children's picture books!

every night with my little pixie, before bed, we read a few books.  among our vast picture book collection is one perfect tea cup shaped board book about tea time and bunnies.

"Bunnies for Tea" by kate stone tells a story of three bunnies who dress in fancy hats, pearls, and gloves for their tea time.
events start off as they should, pouring tea and adding sugar.  as one little bunny takes a sip out of her tea cup she topples in fancy hat and all. but all is well when her bunny friends bring out cookies and scones for everyone to snack on.

with her watercolor illustration and a little added sparkle, kate stone creates a perfect book to read with your little ones at bedtime or tea time!

thank you again for letting my into your tea time world. happy tea time!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Be sure to check out Britta Gene Art


Heya, it's Tuesday Tea Time!

It's Tuesday Tea Time!

Lately the weeks seem to be flying by at a slow pace & therefore all becomes a blur. Do you know what I mean?

This seems like more reason to stop & breath in Tuesday Tea Time if ya ask me. I finally got around this week to reading an article that I'd been saving in my inbox for several weeks.

Tea With Ninjas is a wonderfully written article with words that help the imagination go go go to a far away place. 

One of my favorite take-aways is the quote, "Tea is culturally significant in Japan - it marks a time of quiet contemplation, reflection, & rest." That is what I hope for Tuesday Tea Times too. That it is a means of breathing in your day & finding your center with where you are in the moment. Not that my words may do this, though that's cool if they do, but that stopping to remember to take tea time & actually taking tea time nurtures you in this way.

If you're not curious to know more about Tea With Ninjas, that's a shame because the article also talks about martial arts & tea drinking coming from the same philosophies. Seriously, check it out!

And before I forget, heaps of thanks & love to some up coming guest bloggers while I'm off having tea with ninjas (not really, but I'll be close!).

Tuesday Tea Time!

Hey! It's Tuesday! Let's have some Tea Time!

I'm uber excited this Tuesday Tea Time to bring you something new!

If you're an avid follower you've possibly seen these tea cups before. These aren't just any tea cups, but they are now the tea cups for the month of October. Not only that, they are the tea cups created by my sister BGeG at Britta Gene Art.

Britta & I have been friends since birth. We can blame our mothers who have the same story for this wonderful piece of our lives. I've shared with you on here how Britta's family used to have mother - daughter teas & how much fun we all had growing up with tea. The tea fun is still true to this day!

Just recently Britta called to tell me she had an idea for my blog & her artwork. While I had hit a bit of a lull in my blogging & her wanting some motivation to do one new piece a month - if not more - she thought up the idea that if she did a piece of Tuesday Tea Time art for me once a month, that could be my art for my entries that month. She told me to think about it, so I did & I fell in love with the idea. 

When you visit Britta Gene's website you'll see that she's a mum of her little ladybug Ella Scott. That's where her blogging adventure ended. Britta's art includes words, but not in the same way mine has always included them. She adds the color & I add the words & voila, we have a Tuesday Tea Time entry with a lot of character!

Britta doesn't have an Etsy shop just yet, but she does keep an active Instagram account & contact information is on her website, so if you're interested in more of her work she'd be glad to hear from you. She's got more tea cups & coffee cups & tutu girls & spoons & fish & & &. Her work adds a touch of whimsy into reality & always exudes her love for the imagination to soar freely.

This week enjoy your tea & check out Britta Gene Art!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Fall is here! While it is slowly starting to mean cooler days & evenings which is great for Fall pumpkin treats, it is not as cool as it needs to be if anybody wanted to dress like this animated figure around here.

Last week I splurged & had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season. To be honest, I'm not a huge follower of everything pumpkin. I'm not part of that craze. But I was someplace new, ordering my chai, & they offered me pumpkin, so I took 'em up on it. It was a wonderful treat & from what I could tell from the place & their menu, it was all home brewed.

There's something special about homemade anything. Am I right? 

Here's to finding that favorite Fall treat with your Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Good morning Tea Time Tuesday followers!

This past weekend I had the joy to visit the annual Johnny Appleseed Festival for the first time since late elementary school. We ate lots of goodies, bartered for a new scarf/handkerchief with beavers all over it (it was stained), & caught up with a good friend & her mom (a new friend!).

Right before we were about to say g'bye we passed the honey stand. Tempting to buy new in their cool different bottles, but being honest with myself I didn't need any more honey at this time. Then there was the tea stand! Yet another tempting site to splurge at, but I simply took their info & said I'd feature their work in my next Tuesday Tea Time.

Teajutsu has a lovely message! They say they "are a company of good humor, of good will, of inclusion and innovation." Who wouldn't be intrigued by that self description?! It caught my attention right away. They even have a diet plan that I agree with & sounds smart & affordable. AND in good fashion, they believe that tea is for everyone. 

We all need to check them out a little bit closer & if you've tasted their teas, please let us know your thoughts in the comments! I plan to revisit the thought of purchasing a taste of Teajutsu once I get through my current supply in the coming weeks (or maybe months with my supply).

Happy Tuesday Tea Time to you all!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Lately I've been saving up in my e-mail the wonderful entries from the Tea Box blog Still Steeping. Almost all entries seem of some dreamy far off land that I can only hope to visit some day.

I save these entries with hope that I take time to read them some day & lucky for me I found the energy to read just the right one for today's Tuesday Tea Time!

The entry God in the Tea Gardens caught my attention recently. And I'm currently waiting to return to read Tea with Ninjas. God in the Tea Gardens makes me smile. The God talked about in this entry is a presence. The Tea Gardens are a place so high & lofty that the writer couldn't help but acknowledge the closeness to God.

Where was the last place you were that you couldn't help but acknowledge God's presence?

While I look for God in the every day, I was immediately taken to my one & only trip - thus far - to a tea garden high in the hills of Malaysia. The scent, the scenery, the company, & the tea were all wonderful. Another moment that in remembering I can't help but smile.

May your Tuesday Tea Time be filled with a piece of being close to God & smile on your heart.

Tuesday Tea Time!

While people all over are loving their pumpkin spice because it's "Fall," I'm still loving my iced teas & fruit teas (hot or cold). The weather around here has been balmy!

One friend said she had her first pumpkin chai latte of the season & it was awful. This sent her on a bit of an adventure! She went from Starbucks #1 where she got the bad drink, then to Starbucks in a Meijer where the Starbucks was closed, then to a local diner where the line was a mile or two long, & finally landed at Dairy Queen. While it wasn't what she was going for, it satisfied her sweet tooth.

Isn't it crazy how life does this to us on all different levels time & time again? If you're like me, you often don't realize the expectations you've set - though we have them for every experience - & this makes it easier to ride with the rhythm or be jolted in your seat. One thing I count on is for good to happen on some level in each situation & I take it upon myself to find this good & make note of it one way or another.

Amidst the stories in the news of the last week - Kim Davis, Syrian Refugees, another hate crime or two resulting in death - it is imperative to count the good, big or small. Count the good, do the good, be the good.

And if you need to see a piece of good, watch this!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Hiya Tuesday Tea Timers!

Whether you've had your morning tea or coffee or juice (or beverage of choice) or not, you're an honorary Tea Timer simply by being here. So welcome right where you are!

It's good to be back in this strange community. Being with yall for Tuesday Tea Time warms my heart a pinch. I find this community strange though because for the most part it is a silent community.

There is something to that though, right? There's support in the number of views & +1 google likes I get & yet just the joy of having tea on Tuesday is the lingering feature of this blog.

It dawned on my late last week that with the return of Tuesday Tea Times I could have brought back a few changes. However, it was late last week & I didn't want to make any sudden changes as my recess over the last month & a half has been quite full with other life. So in coming weeks you may see some new things like artwork or imagery & potentially a change of address.

The one reassuring thing is that we will gather here for Tuesday Tea Time each week unless noted otherwise. For now it'll simply be Tuesday Tea with the potential of pop-up posts, so enjoy!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Hiya Tuesday Tea Timers!

You knew I couldn't stay away for long, right? I love to write, especially on Tuesdays with Tea! Creative writing is one small piece of self care that I can give myself. My 6th grade teacher should be so proud!

Lately the question that seems to popping up is "What is going on?!"

In the moment, which is where I need to be, I'm drinking tea, enjoying a slow morning after doing some chores & yoga. I'm sitting in a rather empty house & mentally prepping for the chores of cleaning & organizing that need done today so that we may play tomorrow.

All of that seems pretty common except for one piece. If you don't know we're moving or any of the reasons why, I'm guessing you're wondering why I'm sitting in a fairly empty house.

The skinny....our time in Chebooboo has come to a close. There are many pieces that brought this time together much quicker than we ever anticipated. The main reasons being that Z needed to seek further medical attention to care for his depression & PTSD. Naturally people have wondered where we are headed next & the answer is into a time of transition & limbo as we discern our future. We are being taken care of by a combination of family, friends, & colleagues.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matt 6:34 The Message

Right now, the Spirit has been present in my life through granting peace that surpasses my understanding. Peace has been granted that gives me level thinking & communicating to get things done & remember how to take care of myself & my family in the midst of fairly chaotic times. Right now God keeps showing up in #heartfinds everywhere I go, reminding me that I'm not alone.

Right now I'm enjoying my Wonderland Tea & the lovely photo of BgEG's hoosier honey!

One Word 365: heart

My heart, a fragile strength inside me.

My heart, sometimes, though not often, on my sleeve.

My heart, faded in pieces, yet beaming all together.

My heart, always room to grow into new tomorrows.

My heart, the pieces of my heart.

Some times typing or saying the same word so many times makes me second guess my spelling or pronunciation. Heart is not only my One Word 365 word for 2015, it is part of my motto. Though, living with my "heart out" has not been much of a challenge. I've come to find I may be a bit of a bleeding heart sort of person. I give life all my heart as it is too precious of a gift to treat it any other way.

My heart has been made happy by the genuine person asking "how are you?" & patiently waiting for a reply. While they may have already jumped to conclusions of how they think I should be, it is only fair to give me my voice & let me answer - as is everybody's right for their own heart story. So thank you to those who ask & patiently wait for my heart story.

My heart has been made loopy, heavy, & relieved by my recent story. The loopy is no wonder when things have been heavy yet relieving all at the same time as of late. Ah, breathe in the pieces of life transitions!

We move forward day by day with our "Head Up. Heart out. Move to the Beat." motto helping to shape each day.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Do you ever need a reminder to take a break?

I do!

Tuesday Tea Time is just that time, but even then I have to remember to stop & breath a  little deeper.

In all of life's unexpected pieces, the way we remain true to ourselves is remembering to breathe.

A few years back at a church service at Jacob's Well there was a speaker who talked about focusing on our breath & the difference that can make in a day. I remember the importance of sitting in a chair that you are comfortable in, but can also set both of your feet flat on the floor & have something behind your back. This is more of a challenge for some than others. In fact as I sit here I realize my computer should be raised quite a bit & I need a pillow behind my back to comfortably place both of my feet on the floor. The presenter also had us place both hands palm down on our legs & close our eyes.

I don't remember how long or how often it was recommended to do this, but it is a form of bringing oneself back to oneself. Being centered as many do in yoga. Taking one's eyes away from a screen & taking care of oneself so that one may take care of others (as we are always called to do in one way or another).

Life in the coming weeks is going to call for a break here & there. So no worries if I do not post, but know that things will resume as normal come Fall. In the meantime I'll be focusing on my breath.

Sunday Snippets: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: That I have loyal followers that read because they care & are okay when life has so many twists & turns I don't post until later in the day. This hoosier sunrise photo just omits the humidity of the day & the day had only just begun. Yes, a hoosier sunrise means a trip to my dear hoosierland. And a trip to hoosierland means pieces of self care with lunch, tea, & catch-up dates with long time friends. A trip to hoosierland also meant a meet & greet with new babies in the family! A trip to hoosierland also meant being woken up at the crack of dawn by an excited MG, always ready to greet the day & wake everybody else up. Thanks to MG's energy & an early morning walk I got this great no-filter used photo of the hoosier sun rising above the trees.

BAD: In the last week I have felt emotions that left me feeling numb, as if the wind had been knocked out of me, & plain dumbfounded. Mix a little bit of anger & hope in there & you have grief! Anybody else remember learning DABDA in health class way back when? This past week I was gifted a couple different things that I wanted eventually, but I didn't know how I wanted them. I do know I didn't want them to go down as they did. However, that's that & tomorrow is a new day. We each believe the pieces we choose to believe to get by & take care of ourselves & that's the best we can do.

AWESOME: The peace that passes all understanding & the way in envelopes one when you most need it. I have prayed for this peace for others on so many occasions & hope they have been overwhelmed with it as I have in the last week. Last week I was pleading with God for this peace at one point & by the end of the day there it was. I stood in the hallway wondering how I could be so calm & the only explanation was an answered prayer & a gift of the presence of the Spirit within me.

WORD: Today the Good News was that Jesus doesn't put us in boxes & he doesn't call us to be box monitors. Jesus pulls us out of our boxes & together we disassemble the boxes we put others in & therefore there is no need for box monitors. Jesus has it all in control folks!

coming up: One foot in front of the other with Life, Spirit, & Sparkle! Head Up. Heart Out. Move to the Beat!

Friday Favorites!

Yesterday was a day filled with some of life's favorite memories & all those who celebrated with Z & I. I love that I married my best friend & that he has a name that gives us a funny couple nick-name.

We were in a local antique shop last week & spotted this odd wooden couple & both immediately joked that it clearly represented us on our wedding day.

Ridiculous & kind funny, right?!

Partnered or not, may you find this sort of goofy filled with tough love companionship in your life.

Tuesday Tea Time!

I come to you late today due to life on the fly & living day to day due to the realities of Life Spirit & Sparkle.

It seems to be that time of year where the humidity is so great, even in Northern MI, that we have to consume food items quicker than we're accustomed to our they spoil. So in order to use up some milk today's tea was an iced chai.

This time of year an iced chai is not only a treat, but also that taste that takes me to a place of peace for just a few seconds with that first taste.

Here's hoping you had that peace today, even for a second.

Sunday Snippets: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Oh what a week! That doesn't even capture the cray cray, but such is life as of late. One of the good things is the amazing news about same sex marriage rights. Not only am I in favor of this, I also know that the world has so many other things worth worrying about that aren't anti-love rights. Another great piece of this last week that totally worth sharing with all who love a feel-good movie is Paddington. Check it out!

BAD: Feelings of disbelief & people saying the world is coming to an end because of recent governmental & other happenings. Really people? I believe there'll be other happenings that'll be the end of the world. But do we really want to go there?

AWESOME: All the heart finds that have popped up out of everything amidst the chaos.

WORD: Lamentations 3:22-33 is one of my favorite pieces of scripture. Everything about it is poignant. As the commentator says, this is not the end of the laments for this poet & it isn't the end of our laments. But have hope that Easter comes & comes again.

coming up: work & meetings & gorgeous Pure MI summer weather & a celebration of 4 years as JZ. Love, Life, Spirit, & Sparkle to all!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Oh Tuesday Tea Time, you are my favorite!

Aren't these bird feeders great?!

I'm not a big fan of birds, as y'all may know, but I'm a big fan of the out of doors & think this is such a fun way to repurpose old tea kettles. In fact, many of these tea kettles might not even be that old. The maker of these bird feeders said it gets harder each year to find tea kettles with lids that are tight enough to secure everything. I imagine if the lid was too lose, animals might try to get inside & potentially be trapped.

In the hullabaloo of life I did not make it to the art festival during the second day to purchase one of these bird feeders, but that is more than alright.

Some times life is so silly & crazy we have to just enjoy things in the moment. And the art of capturing the moment through photos makes that moment last for as long as we need or want.

Enjoy this moment for the sake of it being a moment making up the pieces of your day & of course don't forget that touch of tea that'll make it even sweeter!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: The best part of this past week was brunch on the back patio. It was the start of a sunshine day that eventually turned rather gray. The food & company were great & that's all I needed. There were lots of other great moments in the week too, but this was that moment that continue to bring peace in to life. A start with a flu bug, a continuing education event, meetings, & VBS made for a very VERY full week.

BAD: The challenges of 2015 continue, both personally & out in our communities. To be totally honest, I haven't been certain what to say about the murders in SC. This shooting was a little too close to home for my liking. And yes, it is a race issue. An issue that is SO much more than words can put around that the silence many of us have kept for so long is screaming out as inappropriate & not fair. I firmly believe that we are truly better together, no matter our skin color, our family background, or our religion. So we struggle forward to know how to act so that we can all live better together.

AWESOME: The support of life long friends & friends we've only known for a while in hard times. One colleague reminded me that while we are in the storm, the scripture is clear that Jesus is in the storm with us. We are not alone. It is one thing to know this & another to hear it from those who know you need it.

WORD: Mark 4:35-41 on this day. It's been done & the calm will come.

coming up: The calm after the storm of VBS & as always a touch of Life, Spirit, & Sparkle.

Friday Favorites!

MG went to her first baseball games this week & as usual drew attention from people of all ages. She only arrived in the backpack - & as usual crawled out the window for her head - & went back in for the last few minutes we were there. Love me a good adventure with MG!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Check out this great pillow that I could've bought the other week when shopping with AJO, but didn't think I needed to in the time. I know I still don't need to own this, but really what was I thinking?

I could have Tuesday Tea Time with my tea pillow!

Totally not necessary, but also totally fun & random.

Also, not necessary is a tea subscription - signed up by accident - that sends you 6 boxes of the same kind of tea each month. The 6 boxes of Yogi Kava Stress Relief Tea that Z gifted me for my b-day was the start of all this silliness. While I would still like some Kombucha - what the company was supposed to send rather than Kava - I do not need 6 new boxes of tea each month. I especially do not need 6 new boxes of the exact same kind of tea each month. Thus said subscription has been canceled & I have a LOT of Kava tea to enjoy & offer to guests.

So come for a visit & you can enjoy some tea with me!