Tuesday Tea Time!

I don't wear graphic tees very often any more because for so long people thought I was significantly younger than I am & graphic tees didn't seem to help. The comments were never very complimentary either. This is one graphic t-shirt, however, I would wear.

Reflecting on things of my past has been a prevalent theme of the last couple of days. Not in a "woe is me" sort of way, but in a "what the what (I'm totally overwhelmed)" sorta way.

Not that a t-shirt gets me overwhelmed, but the works of the Spirit sure do. Z & I recently road tripped to St. Louis where we were surrounded by such an incredible cloud of witnesses all working for & with children, youth, & family ministry

I've been reflecting because many of the people at ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza I have met through one piece of life or another. This past weekend I was with friends from my high school years, Capital University, Outlaw Ranch, Scotland days, Youth Encounter, Diaconal Formation Event, Luther Sem, Michigan, & most likely a few more connections than I can fully remember.

It's crazy how one place leads you to the next & you never have any idea what you're going to do when you have to head to a new place, but before you know it, the new place is the comfortable slightly aged place, & you're looking into another unknown adventuresome day.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

It's confession time today.

The first confession is that I'm not actually drinking tea. I'm drinking a caramel latte with a touch of Bailey's Irish Cream because we're on staycation mode.

The second confession. While in conversation with Mama P the other day she mentions something about the bookS she got me for Christmas. My response was maybe the wrong one, but she wasn't mad that I know of. "What books did you get me?!"

Oops! I forgot that my mom got me books for Christmas because I had been so diligent about finding a spot for them to keep. As soon as she said what they were I remembered & knew exactly where they were, so like any good gift receiver, I made it a point to actually look at one of them since that conversation.

Tea & Crumpets is sure to help me prepare for any fancy tea party I ever want to throw. However, right now the fanciest I get is making giant scones & taking them to visit friends. This Winter has been a wear a lot of fleece & sweatpants (or track suit bottoms for my English friends) Winter. I am glad to be saying g'bye to January in just a few days & moving into February.

Maybe February will give me more time for looking into & reading about Tea & Crumpets!

Sunday Snippits: GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

GOOD~ Its vacation & continuing ed. week! So this past week has been busy work plus a lot of time inside due to weather. Aside from the busy work there was Tea Time with TE. In my attempt to make us scones I made one giant orange scone & it was delicious. I'm all about the no fuss recipes, so I purposely made one scone instead of a dozen individual ones. Plus earlier in the week I had an unexpected phone call from KT & later in the week an unexpected card from JM! A couple good heart to hearts is energy for the soul.

BAD~ Death in the family is never fun. Z's last living grandparent - Grandma Esther - went quickly into heaven Tuesday morning. We are all thankful she was on hospice for less than 24 hours. Now prayers for decent weather for travels for both the memorial & inurnment.

UGLY~ The way the winter weather makes people complain. Find something worth complaining about! I'll be the first to admit I'm not amused with the fresh snowfall anymore, but it's January & it snows.

WORD ~ Today I restarted a plan to read the Bible in a year. I read a LOT of Nehemiah, yup. I started this plan at the end of 2012 & made it 80 some days before getting tired of it so I figure I'd give it another try.

Coming up~ A little work & a lot of play & the EXTRAVAGANZA!

Friday Favorites!

What a weird week!

If there ever was a week for ups & down, this was it. And acknowledging those ups & downs is just half the battle.

There was a shooting at Purdue, Z's grandma died, & I am in a state of disbelief with this winter. The snow just keeps coming!

So as I wrote in my One Word 365: Healthy update the other day. I appreciate the things that make me smile all that much more.

Z had put this reminder in my ipod right after we had moved to Chebooboo. He figures why buy fudge from the dozen stores in the area that make it as their speciality when you can make it at home. I figure why make it when you have such a variety at your fingertips? The silly thing is I thought I deleted this reminder a few times, but it keeps popping up on my ipod! Coincidence?

His silly sense of humor is one of the reasons I said "yes" when he asked he could kiss me for the first time 4 years ago today.

See, ups & downs?! Gotta keep learning to go with the flow 'cause it's not worth it to fight against the waves.

One Word 365: Healthy

Here's the first of those random healthy updates I said I'd be posting.

The number one way I've been finding helpful with being completely healthy is posting things (FB, Twitter, & Instagram) that bring a smile to my face & hope that they do the same for others.

January is always a month of ups & downs. The snow is pretty, the sun makes it sparkle some days, & then there are endless days in a row that are nothing but gray & icy & snowy & make you wish winter was over last week.

I also made myself & Z take a vitamin D pill today. Hoping that would boost our smiles from the inside out.

Plus I've been making myself take the puppy on walks, even if only to the mailbox & around the drive-way. Fresh air, no matter how cold, is always good for the mind, but be sure to bundle up appropriately!

Physically: Zumba instructing keeps me accountable to taking care of my body.
Mentally: Goofy mostly with a healthy dose of worry & fear about the unknowns.
Spiritually: Frustrated, but happy with the surprises.

What's your OneWord365?

Tuesday Tea Time!

HAPPY TUESDAY TEA TIME!

  

It's another cold cold day appropriate for thick scarves, fleeced lined leggings, two pairs of socks, leg warmers, 3 top layers, & a cuddly puppy in your lap.

And of course on this negative degree day, the sun is shining & making me think I should go outside.

My tea today is Paris from Harney & Sons.

Yes, I have blogged more than once about how I don't drink caffeine very often. Well I now have gone to drinking one caffeinated tea drink in the morning. However, this is also influenced by the fact that none of my gifted teas this past holiday season are caffeine free. 

This rich vanilla flavored tea takes me on that adventure I wrote about last week for Friday Favorites. This is an adventure that gets me through my day. An adventure that allows me to listen to the still small voice & dream & sometimes escape life's present realities. This is sacred time.

Keep on adventuring more.

Spend time in the sacred places of your life.

Let the still small voice be heard.

Sunday Snippits: GOOD, BAD, & UGLY!

Credit given to FamilyShare.com

It's the start of another new week & in the forecast there's lot of single digit weather. It's definitely that time of year where people are simply holed up or totally escaping to someplace warm. Then there's those of us who don't have the option to do either & trudge through each day.

GOOD: This last week was full of discernment & being more attentive to listening for that "still small voice." This last week was full of joy that I can share out loud now b/c they have shared it out loud. My life long best friend, our mom's are life long best friends, my sister from another family, is having a BABY! BEG & her hubby are due in August & I just can't stop smiling. The other fun piece is that our good friends W&M now are W&M&R & my college roomie is now K&D&W! 2014 is the year for babies. Don't get any ideas, none here just yet. This last week was also fabulous because I got to FaceTime/Skype/GoogleHang/phone with BLF, RR (check out One Story Catcher), DF, & a few other great people. If you haven't noticed, I thrive in community. I also got mail from AJO (with stickers!) & M&B-BR. PLUS, we got to hang with A&S yesterday at the local winterfest. There were snow sculptures, more snowmobiles than I had ever seen at one time in my life, live music, & OUTHOUSE races. Yes, that's right, people build their own style of an outhouse & race against one another down a snow track. We decided that St. Tom's needs a team next year & can be the Holy Crappers with a confession booth or pew or prayer kneeler.

BAD: It's taken me all month to catch up with the piles on my desk. While the piles are sorted through (for now) there's bound to be more. With the schedule I've been keeping, since I work from home, I get tired of spending so much time in my office & I can't find motivation on these dark cold days to do more than I have to. I also don't really know what's going on in the world. The articles that come into my inbox are often overlooked or really have to catch my eye to be read. So I apologize if I'm missing some big bad things.

UGLY: You wouldn't believe me if I told you, so let's just leave it at there are ugly things in life & I've been incredibly snarky lately.

WORD: John 1:29 was posted by the ELCA today on FB & I wanted to share it at Zumba, but couldn't remember the exact scripture. Today, it was all I needed to read & absorb. I didn't want to study it or check out the different translations. Just read & absorb & be.

Coming up: This week I will finish phoning for YE, so that's sorta sad 'cause I love the ministries God is leading YE in. AND there will be Tuesday Tea Time AND there will be Zumba on Wednesday AND there will be more reading of Bittersweet.

Friday Favorites!

Ever feel like everybody else is living a more exciting life than you?! Lately, I've been trying to find the adventure in my daily life here in the tippy top of the mitten of MI. I have friends living & working in fields that I'm passionate about too & in places like Ecuador, South Africa, Malaysia, & Germany. 

I am blessed to have had the chance to visit at least two of the countries I listed, but it's been FAR too long since I've been out of the country or had a good adventure. None the less, there is adventure here in Chebooboo too.

See:

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Two and a half years ago Z & I were newly married & I was quite frustrated with the process of changing my name. Companies & organizations just couldn't get it right that there's no 'E' in my first name.

A month before our wedding, my housemates & I had finished off this giant tub of honey that our one housemate BMG had brought back from visiting her grandma in Montana a year prior. It was so big that it took four housemates, plus house guests a full year to use the entire tub. 

This particular day that I was embarrassingly frustrated with Wells Fargo I had stormed into the alley house, blazed by some friends who were their usual over the top lovingly nice selves (you know, the kind you don't feel you deserve & maybe don't know how to really let them love you like they do), & stomped up to my room to find this giant tub of honey. 

In my anger I didn't stop to really look at the tub. I thought it was the old empty tub & didn't know why in the world they thought I would want that empty tub. Once I had calmed down & leveled with my stressed self about all the changes happening in life at the time, I realized that this giant tub was full to the brim with fresh Montana honey.

My housemate's sister had gone to visit their grandma in Montana right before she came to visit us in MN & to celebrate Z & I on our wedding day. My dear friend Jules (she does have an 'E' in her first full name) had brought a whole new tub & knowing how much I love tea, she decided to gift it to Z & I. The lid of the tub still has the piece of masking tape that says, "With love from the M girls."

AND NOW this honey, yes, Z & I are still working on it 2&1/2 years later, though it is only maybe 1/4 full now, is filling up my fun new little honey pot.

Here's to the golden moments in your day that make you stop & breath & smile.

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly!

Anybody else wanna know what kinda of carnival this picture is advertising?!

I suppose it says Catholic & that should be enough. Right?

Happy Sunday Snippits!

Thanks to Google for this random image.

Here we are in 2014 with the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY!

GOOD: Lots of people I love dearly are pregnant right now & to start off this past week we celebrated my Grandma's & Dad's birthdays. YaY LIFE! This last week I officially started teaching Zumba. It's a fun adventure, but one I'm definitely still getting used to. My brain is constantly wired for new ideas for children, youth, & family ministries & Zumba was not my first plan on how to live out this wiring of my brain after graduating with my Master of Divinity. However, God works in wonderfully mysterious ways & it was SO great to see mother & daughter come to my class today. Another good thing is that we finally feel like we're recovering from the busy busy Holiday season. We took ALL day Thursday to take down, pack up, put away, & clean all the needles & dust that had settled. Plus, another fun thing of this past week was opening an account at Family Video. Yes, that's right, we live in a town with a video store & no Red Box. Gotta love small town living, it's one or the other, not both! I also hosted my first ever Pampered Chef online party & it was a GREAT experience.

BAD: I think I'm allergic to more things than I want to know. And at this point in life, I don't really feel like being tested for allergies for the first time ever. Also, it's really hard to choreograph for Zumba with a puppy who is becoming more mischievous day by day & likes to cling to your every move.

UGLY: That the above picture & the word carnival go together. Add some fake streamers or something! If this is how the church advertises for itself, then how do non-church goers view the church. Today is the day that people around the world remember the earth quake in Haiti from 4 years ago. The destruction & despair still linger today.

WORD: Currently, I'm reading Shauna Niequist's Bittersweet & it has a chapter for people at every place in life, or so it seems. Friendship & Food are important themes, which is pretty great in my book.

Coming up: More Zumba & phoning for Youth Encounter & most likely lots more ADORABLE photos of the puppy.

Friday Favorites!

Meet MG!

I know, you're thinking, haven't you had her for a couple of months now? Well it took a couple of months & one of the coldest days of the Winter for us to call the groomer who naturally could squeeze her in on that sub-arctic temperature day.

AND NOW WE CAN SEE HER EYES!

Her fur was masking her true size & now we're reminded how truly little & young she is.

How were your eyes opened to a new light this week?

Tuesday Tea Time: The 1st of 2014!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

Curious, does this picture represent any Tea Time for you?! I find it quirky & unlike any tea time that I've remember. However, my cousins, LC2, are expecting their first baby & LM said she is craving spaghettios. So in celebration of LC2 & their growing addition, here's our FIRST TUESDAY TEA TIME of 2014!

This is the first year in a long time that Z & I don't have anything big & life changing (that we know of yet) happening. No wedding, no baby, no graduations, no moving, no new schools.

This leaves me excitedly sitting in the anticipation of what each day & month may bring. We have a few things planned of course, like continuing ed. events & a vacation to celebrate other family members' graduations & weddings.

What are you anticipating for the days & weeks & hours of 2014?

LC2, we know your big one ;-)

Sunday Snippits!

This picture sums up my life lately!

Christmas day came & went & for the last weekend of 2013 Z & I headed to The Gathering with 3 youth from church. It was a fun weekend of networking, socializing, & worshipping.

Then just in the past couple of days I drove back to the same area for another youth event, this time Youth Encounter's Quake with no youth & abandoning Z with no car.

Then the snow whispers started whispering & a little over 24 hours later I was headed home to avoid the snow & being stuck.

Not to mention we attended/led the worship for our first funeral of 2014 already. Just a little excitement to finish out 2013 & welcome in 2014. We also had a good time hanging with friends on NYE.

In other news, I'm hosting a Pampered Chef party through this Thursday! So check it out here to pamper yourself, a friend, or simply to spruce up your kitchen gadget collection!

Zumba classes start this Wednesday too! Click on the tab above for more info.

AND we might actually get to watch the season premier of Downton Abbey because we're randomly picking up PBS right now.

There's the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY of the start of 2014.

Healthy Living

To hold myself accountable to living into my One Word for 2014 I will randomly be posting healthy related happenings. 

Today's HEALTHY happenings included: Zumba prep (my first class is 1/8!), sat with scripture from Hebrews, attended a funeral, walked the puppy, played with a puzzle with Z, enjoyed one of my favorite holiday movies, sent a couple cards, & prepped for my weekend with Youth Encounter.

Physically, Mentally, & Spiritually Healthy

What's your healthy status?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

A New Year & I'm back full of Life, Spirit, & Sparkle to share with anybody who wants to receive the goodness of sharing.

My friend over at Thirsty Nerdy Cats did this One Word things a year ago & my friend TU at Praying on the Prairie is doing it this year. I figured I should join in the fun.

Plus, 2014 is weird year for Z & I. We don't have any known major changes or life transitions that will happen this year. Ok, so I turn 30 this year & we'll have our puppy fixed & we'll be doing continuing ed & vacation in MO & CO at different points. But nothing quite as big as finishing a degree program or knowing we have to move.

With this year being a year of anticipation of the unknowns, my word is

HEALTHY.

When thinking about what I hoped out of 2014, I thought to myself, "I want to be healthy in a holistic sorta way. Physically, Mentally, & Spiritually." AND because I'm a 2 on the Enneagram, I want to help others be healthy too.

Stay tuned for more on being holistically healthy.

What's your One Word?

Friday Favorites & Merry Holiday Cheer!

This bitstrip comic is very true.

While my home looks nothing like this picture - & probably never will - & my friend JM said I looked like I was about to go crazy on those reindeer, I haven't totally felt this excitement this year.

I attribute this lack of holiday love to being busy. I preached on Psalm 46 at the end of November & I shared then that we - all of us - are SO good at being busy.

In fact, Advent/Christmas is often figured to be the busiest time of the year. And really, this is nobody's fault, but our own. We pick & choose what we say yes to & no to & what we actually accomplish.

I'm a people person. I come from a very social family & we like to talk & visit & we are filled with the holiday joy by spending quality time with people. However, when that time is limited, it becomes a stressor of how we will spend that time together.

Sometimes its hard to enjoy all the things that go along with Advent/Christmas. But I urge you - as I'm urging myself - enjoy the time, take in the lights, play a game or in the snow, bake some cookies - or buy them from the store - & indulge. For this is a holy celebration time of the year.

No matter what you believe, there is something for everybody in Christmas. Sweets, lights, butter, cheesy tv shows, cold weather, hot weather if you live in or near the Southern hemisphere, songs, angels, crazy decorations, & a more focused vision of giving to & being with others.

Sunday Snippits!

Happy Sunday!

In lieu of the holiday season, please forgive me for my lack of blogging. All has continued to be good & busy. SO busy that I think I will take a break - since I've already unofficially started - from blogging three times a week through the end of the month. Be expecting little blurps here & there.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

We woke up to a sea of white fluffy snow this morning. You might think this would be obvious considering I live in Northern MI, but the last week had been rare late Fall rain. It's hard to believe it's still Fall for another 10 days!

Last week I watched the people line up for the local food pantry (across the street from our home) in the rain & this week in the blowing snow.

I'm inspired by their perseverance & by the many people that come together to make the food pantry possible. I'm inspired to start a ministry of serving coffee & tea for those standing out in the cold.

Maybe this will be a new sort of tea time!

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly!

GOOD: Life is good & busy. This last week was filled with work from my many jobs. I really would love to have one job that incorporates all the things that I do some day. I believe this is possible, it just has to come in time. The highlights of the week included buying our first real Christmas tree, finishing decorating the tree & the house & plenty of puppy time. Oh & we also visited The Journey to Bethlehem at the Stutsmanville Chapel with lots of people from church & the next night was the Christmas parade in downtown Chebooboo! Like I said, good & busy!

BAD: The snow melted because of rain. When it's this cold outside, I want a pretty layer of snow, please. And I don't think I'm alone in this.

UGLY: Watching people compare Paul Walker's death & Nelson Mandela's death. Both were people, both did good things, both were known for different good things. Comparison isn't necessary when people are grieving on both sides.

BONUS: It's clementine/citrus season!

WORD: Isaiah 35:1-10 - What are you waiting for?

Coming up: Hopefully snow! Also more work from my at least 3 of my different jobs. Probably more like 4 of my different jobs this week. And next week is the Christmas pageant!

Saturday Surprise!

I have gotten SO bad at posting my Friday Favorites on Friday!

Here it is, though, the first ever real Christmas tree for Z & I.

We went to the tree farm that everybody recommended, but there was nobody there during the week day. That's what ya get when you take a day off in the middle of the week 'cause you work weekends!

So we drove into town to check a few other locations, pulled into the first site we saw, & purchased this beauty. AND it just so happens that it was from the tree farm we had gone to.

We spent the afternoon filling it with lights & decorations & listening to holiday music on Pandora. Thanks to Momma P, we had NO problem filling the tree with decorations. She has done such a great job at saving and preserving all my ornaments over the years.

The house is decorated, the gifts are mostly bought, the menu for the Holiday Hop is planned, & the puppy is pretty well adjusted to her new home.

What Holiday ADVENTures have you been on lately?!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Drinks Time or TeaTime?! 

I know it's just icing, but I wonder if these fun treats taste good. They remind me of something from Alice in Wonderland!

Today's Tea Time includes 

Coconut Chai!

And I'm sitting here waiting for the snow! 

Last week I got to briefly see my bff BGEG when we were both in our hometown for Thanksgiving. Being one of the only non-family members that I still gift with,  I asked her what she would like for Christmas & she gave the most perfect answer.

"A coffee date with you!"

BGEG & I live 8 hours from each other, so we don't see each other very often, but we share a lot of favorites in common, such as tea. Neither of us are really coffee drinkers, unless it's super "weak" or super sugared.

As the holiday season is in full gear with Thanksgiving behind us & Advent just starting up, don't stress about "the perfect gift." The "perfect" gift may just be quality time with your friends & family. Even if it is quality time using Skype, FaceTime, or GoogleHang (check out their props next time you use it, very entertaining). And if I may make a suggestion, send each other a card with your favorite tea (a tea bag fits nicely inside a card) & enjoy tea time together!

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly!

Happy Sunday!

GOOD: Meet Michi Gander Nelson! We finally bought a puppy. We'd been wanting to for nearly two years, but didn't want to spend the money. We also thought we'd get a miniature schnauzer, but here's our sweet little shih tzu who will grow to be 10-12 pounds (maybe 15-20). This is definitely the highlight of the last week, but overall it was simply great. We traveled to IN & surprised Ma & Pa P, bought a dog, celebrated Thanksgiving with family & friends, did a little black Friday shopping (for the dog mostly) & got sent home with 8 pounds of butter. Yes, 8 pounds of butter, which currently totals 12.5 pounds of butter in our house. We better get to baking some holiday treats! AND today starts my favorite part of the church calendar - Advent!

BAD: Playing catch up after a few days away. Organizing e-mails because somewhere down the line people have gotten my personal, shared, & work e-mails confused, not to mention my former school e-mail which gets forwarded to my personal.

UGLY: Knowing people are hurting because of illness & poverty & hunger & there's not much one can do to help. This is more specifically for my good friend BMG who has dengue fever & a slew of other complications & is across the world with her husband of nearly 5 months & they're supposed to be there till next August. Prayers for healing are greatly appreciated.

WORD: Do you ever stop & wonder how God is at work in the world or in your life? Today we used the Old Testament reading as the Gospel reading & will be doing the same thing for all the Sundays in Advent & man o man it confused the readers. The Gospel is present through all of scripture. God is at work through all of us & all of creation.

Coming up:  Work, decorating, maybe some baking with all that butter! And of course some play time & snuggling with Michi!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

In honor of Thanksgiving week, I googled "Turkey Tea" really not knowing what to expect for a picture. Much to my surprise, thought it shouldn't have been, dozens of photos similar to this one came up. It shouldn't have been a surprise considering Z has been to Turkey & brought home a tea set much like the one in the picture. However, his trip was a few years before we met each other & this is the first time we've had to the space to display the set.

This global use of tea & how it brings people & stories together is one of my most favorite things about tea!

So who wants to join me for some Turkish Tea? Maybe we'll make Turkish Delight as well & watch the first Narnia movie!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday Make-Up!

It's a Monday Make-Up session!

I thought about Friday Favorites on & off all day Friday & woke up Saturday & realized I never posted.

Sunday came around & I preached at two services & came home & took the traditional Sunday afternoon nap. In the evening Z preached at the community Thanksgiving service & before I knew it, Sunday had come & gone.

So a Monday Make-UP!

One my favorite moments this last week was the prayer gathering I hosted for our church. The Spirit was definitely working her healing powers, even with only me & one other person (ahem, it was Z) present. While I have no doubt that this could've been a beneficial gathering for others to be a part of, it had only been announced two days earlier & wasn't in print.

Another favorite was this photo of hedge apples that created quite the community conversation on Facebook & Instagram. While, like any fruit, I know they rot, I wonder if when they grow this cavernous black holes if it's because they have attracted spiders & other bugs (like they're supposed to do) who have then eaten the fruit & are no more. Anybody know?!

Another fun thing that happened was getting our outdoor lights put up for the Christmas/Holiday/Winter season. It's so fun having a house to decorate this year. And being my mother's daughter, I have to hold myself back from spending more money & decorating more.

We decorated outside just in time as the last few days have been very snowy & windy!

And to top of the week & the turning weather, we built a fire & poured some vino.

Coming up: a little work & a lot of fun! We are looking very seriously into getting a puppy soon & it's Thanksgiving week, so that means a little extra time "off."

Many blessings on your Thanksgiving week!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Yes, that is a McDonald's cup. In fact, Google said it was a picture from Canada. I'm not sure I've ever seen a McCafé cup like this. At the same time I can't say that I've spent much time or money at McDonald's in general. Nor have I been to Canada in the last fifteen years.

However, it does seem that the most time I've spent in places like McDonald's or Burger King have been in other countries. Why? Because, when you purchase something, you're often given access to their wifi.

So today, I had an international experience with my Coconut Chai - from home - & my $1.06 hash-brown to do some work to prep for a prayer service I'm leading. This all practically in my backyard in the USofA

Life sure keeps leading me to unique places!

What unique places is life leading you to today?

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly!

Time for Sunday Snippits yet again. Does anybody else not believe that November is half over already?! Well, we better start believing, cause December is coming to us ever so quickly with each passing minute.

GOOD: This last week was a go-go-go week. This is good because I function better when I have things to do. I'm a list maker & when I have things to put on my list & then have things to accomplish, life is good. There was phoning, there was Tuesday Tea, there was my cancer-versary, & turkeys learning to speak! Yes, it was a busy & good week. And by the way, I'm the turkey learning to speak. There's no denying my familial roots when I make silly mistakes like saying "Gooble Goble" when I meant to write "Gooble Gobble." What can I say, my kind, we keep life entertaining! I also got to get out for a Starbucks treat with my friend TE (see Friday Favorites for more info), have dinner with my new friend AP, & then dinner again the next night with other new friends & colleagues. AND TODAY is my 1st ZUMBA DEMO! 

BAD: The darn check engine light came on again. 

UGLY: Read the news people, I don't need to tell you what's ugly. However, I will highlight this Huffington Post article about religious freedom. Why can't we be ok with the fact that we're not all the same & strive for the common good of the neighbor?!

WORD: Psalm 46. It contains part of my favorite scripture to meditate on. AND I may be preaching on this scripture next Sunday.

Coming up: Z's being installed this evening! I'm preaching next Sunday! More phoning & promoting of the awesome ministries God is leading Youth Encounter in & much more.

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!

Tuesday Tea Time!

YaY for Tuesday Tea Time!

It is officially cold out - there's white fluff sticking a little more permanently now - & therefore there is MUCH more hot tea being consumed.

What teas make the best hot teas? 

I'm not too picky, but I am curious what your favorites might be.

Yesterday, I tweeted that I had the most bizarre tea time & it was! It was the most bizarre I've had in years. It reminded me of sitting in Cup or Joe, working on my senior thesis project for Capital's religion department, minding my own business, & being approached by a woman who said she had premonitions. She just HAD to talk to me. She proceeded to tell me how I was going to have my heart broken by somebody very soon. Well this person that broke my heart & I hadn't even met yet. We met maybe 2 months later & then broke up roughly 7 months after that. However, I would say that it was a mutual breaking of hearts. Fi & I are still friend, even though, at distance (literally, he lives on the East Coast).

YESTERDAY! I go to the closest Starbucks about 45min away to work outside of the office & I have barely sat down when this guy starts in on our maybe 45min conversation. He starts by asking if it's still snowing outside. It wasn't, but then it blossomed into that Z & I are ministry leaders & that he is a "born again Christian." He proceeded to tell me his ENIRE STORY of how he was a hard sale on Christianity or really religion as a whole. It wasn't until he nearly died - or in his words, he did die for 3 days - that he believed in God.

How do we get it through our thick skulls that there is something - I believe it's God - that is SO much bigger than us & loves us more than we know & keeps us & this world going forward?!

I don't know what I do to attract these people & their stories, but it sure does make life a touch more interesting. 

Who do you attract? Who do you believe in? 

Happy Tea Time!

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly

Happy New Week! It's Sunday once again & this last week was full of this & that. So a few highlights it will be!

GOOD: I have been so blessed recently with a multitude of work opportunities that can be done at the intersection of world & church. In just one week, I will be teaching my first Zumba demo class. Check out my new Zumba tab (at the top of the page) for more information! I am also still phoning for Youth Encounter & I am now serving as a 'Support Liaison' for our church & community. This means I am available for one-on-on or group emotional support & healing gatherings. Please contact me for more information! Aside from the work information, Z & I got a chance to go to the movies this last week & really enjoyed the movie Last Vegas. Plus we got some holiday shopping in too with lights for the outside part of the house - now we need some hooks or a special staple gun to put them up - & a box of blank cards. Saturday was the most exciting though, I cleaned & cleaned & choreographed Zumba & cleaned some more. There really is something therapeutic about cleaning & I'm not being sarcastic about that!

BAD: This is my least favorite time of year. That in-between time when Fall isn't so colorful & pretty any longer & winter hasn't set in just yet. And not to mention it is bad that this is highlighted because it is seen as special & unusual. This shouldn't be unusual, but sharing love like this is always special.

UGLY: Typhoon Haiyan death toll. Communion Refusal.

Coming up: My 23rd cancer anniversary is Wednesday! This means ice cream :-) & there's a fun social Thanksgiving themed gathering at the church that night. & more work of course & Tea Time with TE!

WORD: Luke 20:27-38 The Gospel lesson for today - if you follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Marriage is great, but it doesn't matter in the long run b/c in the long run we belong to our Creator. Other thoughts on this text?!

Friday Favorites!

If you haven't seen the new Bit Strips App popping up all over Facebook, here ya go!

The last week or two have just been pretty crazy. To give you an idea of how crazy, I had to reschedule an appointment twice because I simply spaced through the first two times - while working on other things. Then, I left my cell phone at home all day yesterday, while we were out having fun. So no photos of yesterdays adventures!

It was a bit freeing not having my phone on me for most of a full day. And back to the Bit Strips, they're weird! They're entertaining, no doubt, but they are strange.

So this is my Sunday Snippit, Tuesday Tea Time, & Friday Favorite all in one.

Definite highlight was going to see the movie Last Vegas. It's funny & heart touching.

So we go to see this movie & I'm inspired to get a few gatherings put together for me & my friends from high-school & college & here's why:

because I have friends like this (this is a quirky card from AJO). Like which you say? Friends who do & are all of these boxes. Jackpot friends!

Here's to the jackpot pieces & people of life!

Friday Favorites!

TGIF!

What a week it has been. Many fun things, many hard things, many crazy things.

LIFE!

Jack-o-Lanterns!

The Young Americans

Trick-or-Treat!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

While life is blurring past me, I cling to the things, & the people, that I love.

This photo taken by the fun app known as #picstitch is from my parents' visit a few weeks ago.

I haven't always loved tea, but I've always loved tea parties. Nor have I had much experience with ballet, but out of my 16 years of dance classes, I did take one year of ballet. Flexibility is my game, not gracefulness.

What do you cling to when life flashes by making you dizzy?

I LOVE to dance. My friend AE & I used to dance while brushing our teeth when we lived together. Now Z just thinks I'm crazy. Don't let him fool you, he enjoys dancing too.

I also LOVE to sit with a warm mug of tea in my hands & breath deep the steam & smell of my tea. Todays blend is coconut chai. My life-long bestie BEG & her mom & sister used to throw annual mother-daughter Valentine's Day teas. In honor of these parties, they even threw me a tea party themed bridal shower 2.5 years ago. Now, not only do I enjoy tea & parties, it is my main reason I blog. Tea creates community.

Tea, dancing, & whatever & whoever you need. May they be there for you to cling to as life whirls you forward.

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, & know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly

Happy Sunday Snippits!

I'm back again for the weekly Good, Bad, & Ugly of the past week.

GOOD: Last Monday I was officially offered a temp. job working with an organization that does ministry that is close to my heart. I have officially now been a youth participant, junior guide, college volunteer, team member of community based ministry & international ministry, & now part-time temporary events phoner for Youth Encounter. So I'll be spending my days on the phone in the coming weeks. The week went by very quickly getting this new job up & running while also prepping to start teaching Zumba in the New Year. The later half of the week Z & I spent at a youth worker's retreat at a local camp. It was a relaxing & enjoyable few days of networking, sharing ministry ideas, learning, & making new friendships.

BAD: Being reminded over & over that when churches have to cut back, the first thing they cut are leadership positions in children, youth, & family ministries. Hearing people say things like "we don't have that many youth" & not embracing the youth that they do have.

UGLY: Knowing that these two had to wait so long to legally celebrate their love for one another because of both state & church.

WORD: I've recently been reading Eboo Patel's Acts of Faith & am really enjoying learning about the interfaith initiatives across the country & world. Be sure to check out Interfaith Youth Core today!

Coming up: Phoning, tea time, Zumba prep, & more!

Tuesday Tea Time: pause

Tuesday Tea Time!

What makes you pause? Pause to stop & think about your day or the last few minutes you lived. Pause to think about tomorrow & who you'll see or work with. Pause to smile or cry. Pause to breath deep. Pause to sit with the small voice in your ear pushing or pulling you.

My tea tag today simply said "pause." It made me wonder how we pause & what it looks & feels like. In talking with my good friend KR, we said though we spend much of our time alone, we almost always have music, the tv, or something else making noise. So while we pause, we are not really ever able to pause in silence.

Pause. Check in with yourself. Check in with others around you. Pause

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly!

Happy Sunday Snippits!

Another week has gone by in another blur of life.

So here we go with the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY of Juls of #LifeSpiritSparkle (use this hashtag to share the love of connection & networking)

GOOD: Last Monday Ma & Pa N made the trip back to MN safe & sound. It was good to have them here & to be able to show them where we're living. Ma & Pa P were here all week with a little bit of adventure each day. We found our way into Johnnie's, which Z & I had been wanting to check out. Tuesday afternoon I had some time to learn from the annual 3rd Tuesday Conversation (aka 3TC) offered through the ELCA Youth Ministry Network that happens each month. This months topic was about working through transition and conflict. Always a fun topic! Shout out to Interserve Ministries! Thursday we ventured to the quaint town of Charlevoix where we feasted on candy from The Taffy Barrel & jalapeno popcorn from The Poppery. It's a great place to vacation! Ma & Pa P made their way back to IN safely & welcomed family from AZ. While Z & I reacclimatized ourselves to our quiet home, made apple-butter with all the apples we had, & built our first fire in our fireplace!

BAD: Learning to juggle having guests & continue on with some personal matters is hard! I LOVE being around people, but I also am learning to carve out more "me-time" to take care of myself & my sanity.

UGLY: Our car & it's check engine light. And having friends & family who are hurting. and women's education rights in other countries (see articles on Malala)

WORD: Luke 18:1-8 God grants justice & so must we. In what ways do you experience justice in your life & how can you share that with others?

COMING UP: Skype dates with friends & a youth worker's retreat at camp!

Friday Favorite Foto!

Fall colors, treats, & family time 

Tuesday Tea Time!

It's TUESDAY TEA TIME!

My loose schedule has been thrown off a bit by having visitors & it's always a happy moment - as some say happiness is fleeting, but joy is more permanent - when I remember it's TUESDAY TEA TIME!

Today's picture is credited to Sandy at My Fiddlestix

While I am not much of a coffee drinker, I have a LOT of coffee drinkers in my life. One being my husband.
This morning, I decided to use my porcelain thermos that was a wedding present from my cousins BH & OH. We had these thermoses in storage for our first two years of marriage so as to preserve them & use up our already beat-up & well-loved ones. Now that we're in a home, we have all the space we could need & have been using many of our wedding gifts that were in storage for 2+ years.

What's the point Juls?!

Today my tea tasted like coffee. Somebody - ahem husband - has been getting our mugs mixed up! In all fairness, they are exactly alike & plain white. His lid is definitely stained differently with coffee oils than mine with tea. And we tried to mark them to differentiate, but it just washed off. So now I have to be patient & embrace the hint of coffee because it'll take a few rounds of strong tea to get rid of the coffee taste in my mug.

Woah is me. or should I say Fiddlestix?!!

Sunday Snippits: the GOOD, BAD, & UGLY!

Welcome to Sunday Snippits with a review of my week in...

...

GOOD: This last week we did a LOT of cooking with fresh produce. Apple oatmeal in the crock pot, egg veggie wild rice dish, butternut squash apple cider soup, ciabatta bread, & sausage wild rice veggies & mushroom soup hot dish. This last week is a blur other than that. It was good, it was busy, & it went by fast. Thursday evening was the annual Spaghetti Dinner & silent auction Friday Ma & Pa N came in from MN for the weekend & Saturday Ma & Pa P joined in the party from IN. Saturday we spent the day showing off Che-boo-boo & spent some time in Mackinaw City too. Today was a busy morning with visiting from camp & now we're all just "resting."

BAD: I don't remember much about the blur of this last week. Too much going on around me!

UGLY: I don't have anything to contribute to this. Mer mer!

Coming up: Ma & Pa P are here till Friday morning, so there's a little this & that to get done or take part in this week with my ecourse or a few business things & a whole lot O fun!!!

WORD: Luke 17:11-19 & Lepers. I've only read stories about people working with people who have leprosy. It makes you think about proclaiming praise for the little things in life & befriending the visually unappealing - for whatever reason to each individual - & being the church with them.

Friday Favorites!

LOTS o fresh cooking!

FALL smells!

Christmas Cheer?!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

I have to admit, it's 9:03pm & I'm just now getting around to blogging today. However, I didn't forget about it at all today. While I've been slow to get back into the rhythm of my blogs since moving, I've found my joy in Tuesday Tea Time again & can't let it slip by so easily.

Today's credit for the "hot tea" picture goes to artist Traci O'Very Covey. Her art is a joy to the eye with the variety of colors & content. Be sure to check it out!

Kombucha, Laundry, Newsletters, & Chopsticks sums up my day.

Kombucha is one of my favorite teas that I enjoy year round. Since moving, I haven't been able to find it, but thankfully my mother-in-law picked some up for me in MN & they're visiting this weekend! I'm sure I could order it online if I need to too. However, I figure it'll be a good excuse to try new teas if I'm unable to find it around here.

AND I'm slowly but surely making new friends that are LOCAL - that is key - that like tea too, so I will have people (or at least one person - shout out to TE!) to share tea time.

Laundry...apparently when your spouse is a foot taller than you, that means their clothes are bigger & you can't put 4 pairs of jeans, plus a few hoodies & other items in a 24+ year old washer. It sounded like a bowling ball was in there! Thankfully, all is good & the laundry is done for today.

If you're a member of Zion or St. Thomas be ready for a newsletter article in next months Teller/Newsletter!

And just a simple highlight was using chopsticks to eat dinner.

Here's to tea, productivity, cleanliness, community, & a sliver of adventure in your day (or night)!

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly

Happy Sunday Funday! It's Sunday Snippits with

GOOD: It's hard to believe it's already been a week since Z's ordination & family time in MN. Monday kicked off the week with some networking with Dawn Trautman - a Life Coach who I learned about a few years ago at the Youth Ministry Extravaganza. I will be participating in her online course & possibly eventually pursing becoming a Life Coach myself! Tuesday was one great surprise & distraction after another with a few Skype dates & a Starbucks date with some friends that were in the area. And an added adventure of the "Check Engine" light coming on in Mandela. Something about back-up in the catalytic converter that Perkins Performance - aka my brother - replaced a few years ago. Thankfully that was an easy fix & we found a new "Ray" (our Toyota guy in MN). Total props to Fein's Auto! Wednesday brought another wonderful surprise with visitors from MN who took us to lunch at The Step Inn - a new experience for all of us. Thursday we got out on the local trail for a bike ride before the rain started coming - & has kept coming - & Friday & Saturday I worked as a wedding coordinator for my first wedding in the area. Congrats to R&J!

BAD: The government....yeah....it's easier to not follow all the news some days.

UGLY: Humanity, sorry, but I'm stuck on the government shutdown. 

SHOUTOUT: A special shout out to the installation of Bishop Elizabeth Eaton in the ELCA Check out her speaking about being the 1st female bishop of the ELCA here!

WORD: While I get my daily scripture readings from ELCA.org, I've also been slowly reading Anne Lamott's Help, Thanks, Wow with Z. Mucho thanks to KE & Bert for the gift. It is one that I could read over & over & still be learning how to pray the words & actions of Help, Thanks, Wow.

Coming up: Big Picture, Big Purpose, Zumba choreographing, Getting out into the community more, AND welcoming Ma & Pa N. to Che-boo-boo on Friday AND Ma & Pa P. on Saturday!