Tuesday Tea Time!

Hello Tuesday teatime friends! I'm coming to you a few days early sitting on my patio drinking a homemade iced chai. I'll be at camp today, when this is posted. But don't worry, I will enjoy Tuesday Tea Time at camp just as much as I would from home or work or wherever! And don't think that I'm so fancy that it's truly homemade chai. It is Tazo Chai that was on sale at Target, my favorite shop, and mixed with Meijer brand unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

I've had a lot on my mind as I think the whole world has these days. This last week has been unreal in many ways. I learned about the Orlando massacre during the prayers of the people in church on Sunday (6/12) morning. By late Monday morning, I learned about an unexpected death of a close family friend, that also happened between Saturday night and Sunday morning. then I believe it was maybe the next day that on the radio on the way to work that I heard about the little boy who was taken by an alligator at the Grand Floridian Resort at Disney World. One piece after another, weirdness and things completely out of our control popped up.

It seems that in the last year I have been reminded of how much is truly out of my control and all the people I know as well. Maybe I just don't know the right people! Kidding! I love the people I do know and in fact I was raised in such a family that I find myself feeling love, philía or brotherly of course, for people I don't know. The last year of life has been completely about things happening that nobody has any control over. We may point fingers at people or at inanimate object's but the reality is that life happens and sometimes it's hard and other times it's wonderful.

While life goes on, lift your chin, lower your shoulders, plant your feet on the ground & take a deep breath. This is where you are, right now & that is where you are for now. Be where you are, who you are & while it may be messy, know that you are loved right in your spot. You are you, & that is good.

Share this with others who need this love - ahem, everybody! - & know that love is greater than hate.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time, a chance to slow down & breathe deep.

This sort of self-care is necessary when every time you turn on the tv, radio, smartphone, social media of any sort there is another massacre large or small somewhere in someone's life.

In the midst of the world-wide chaos, I choose peace & love. Panic is not worth my time, nor yours, & there is not much many of us can do other than sign petitions, speak out, & pray. If there are things like prayer vigils or peace acts to show up for, we can show up. We can show up in the name of love & peace.

Sure there are things & people I don't like in life, but it is not worth dwelling on those things or I quickly become those things. Often the things we don't like about somebody else & speak outwardly about is really just about ourselves. Life is short & each day is a blessing, so live it large with love & peace.

Some times love is tough love, but it can still be recognized as love. And before loving others we need to know how to love ourselves, so love yourself a little extra today with tea - a warm hug in a cup.

Peace & Love.

Sunday Snippets: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Finding new ways to do something creative every day & allowing that creativity to be as simple or as complex as the day calls for. While I have always loved being artsy, I've never spent too much time learning new techniques. After seeing a friend post her new purchase of an Adult Coloring Book, I decided to use some gift money to purchase my own. So while I'm eagerly waiting for that creative outlet to come in the mail, I've also been using my sketch pad & colored pencils to doodle & draw this or that to release some energy. This past week was apparently all about releasing said energy as I even woke up early one morning totally on my own & did a 30 Minute Yoga Flow. It's much safer to try some of these yoga routines at home than in front of other people some days, if ya know what I mean. There's a reason my middle name isn't "grace."

BAD: Realizing the dwindling of a family. At the recent death of my Uncle it has become more apparent to a few of us in the family who is left & who has gone before us. It's not so much bad, just sorta sad & weird. Life is weird. Death is real. Birth is better? *mer mer* Also, along the line of things outside of our control, prayers for those affected by the earthquake in Nepal. Many lives & landmarks have been taken at a moment's notice. Be on the lookout for ways you can help the efforts for Nepal to start to recover!

AWESOME: Keeping in touch & being able to use goofy means like Google Hangouts that allow you to wear cat masks & draw on your friends your in conversation with. Very entertaining!

WORD: This week, little by little, I've been reading pieces from Dr. Andrew Root's Children of Divorce. So far I've taken away that everybody has a secret & families take work (which I hope everybody knows).

coming up: A little work & a little play in the land of Hoosiers!

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!

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!

Friday Favorites!

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

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

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

Deuteronomy 6:4-9The Message (MSG)

4 Attention, Israel!

God, our God! God the one and only!

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

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

Friday Favorites!

One Billion Rising is a campaign that I learned about just over a year ago & last Friday people, like these two ladies, from all over the world rose for justice because 1 out of every 3 women will experience rape or sexual assault in their lifetime.

Many will never be given the voice to speak up, so we as a community & as a world & as a people rise up together for the voiceless.

Awareness is a key education piece that will help make these numbers of victims less. Using our voice through dance or song or poetry or speech will help with the education & cause awareness to grow. Awareness will cause action. We must stop tragically hurting each other so deeply.

I find my hope in the resurrection of Jesus & God's word from Lamentations. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him'" (NRSV Lamentations 3:22-24).

Rise with us Spirit, this I pray!

Friday Favorites!

Meet TE, my new friend, fellow cancer warrior, & tea lover!

If you're the praying type, TE is having surgery this coming week & could use prayers for the days of preparation left, the actual day of the surgery, & the days of recover to come. All before starting radiation in February.

TE & I were able to celebrate my cancer-versary together the other day with 100 calorie klondike ice cream bars - 100 calories to make up for the candy we ate later that night at a church event. She hugged me & said I was her inspiration, but she's my inspiration of juggling cancer & being a mom of 4, a wife, a grandmother, an active community & church member, a daughter, & sister, & friend to many.

We knew we were kindred spirits before we even met face-to-face.

Here's to kindred-spirits!

Friday Foto Fun...Jelly Beans & Jesus

 &

photos courtesy of Candy Warehouse & Prague Guide accessed 3/29/13

Jelly beans & Jesus ...  does this confuse anybody else? 

One memory that I left out of Tuesday Tea Time was eating green spiced jelly beans with my Mammaw. They're still my favorite, I just don't have traditional jelly beans around very often. Z really likes Jelly Bellies & there's nothing traditional about those!

So what's the connection between jelly beans & Jesus being hung on a cross (like dozens of other heretics of his time)? The only answer I got was a Jelly Bean Prayer that you can read here! It's pretty hoky, but could be a ministry tool for something.

Maundy-Thursday meals start with joy & end in confusion, so maybe that's what all this commercialized Easter stuff is about. We know how the story ends, we know what's coming in 3 days (or 2 depending on how you count it). It's pretty miraculously incredible & pretty mind blowing.

Is Holy Week supposed to be confusing?

Friday Foto Fun

photo courtesy of Fox News 3/13/13

What a mighty job this man has been called to. May the Lord guide him and empower him in all that he does for the Church. May the Lord guide us and empower us in all that we do for the church as people of God's creation.