Friday Favorites!

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

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

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

Tuesday Tea Time!

GOOD morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome

GOOD: Hello Sunday! The alarms went off all too early this morning, but at least they went off so that we weren't late for work. This past week was a great mix of work & relaxation. We baked our first turkey with simple ingredients, made a mess of the kitchen, & enjoyed the Thanksgiving meal & all of it's left overs several times. In fact we're still enjoying pieces of it today. Just like we're still enjoying pieces of our trip to Paris back in the Spring. 2014 has seemed to be the year of fly-by days. You blink & a whole month or two has gone by! The other fun piece of this week putting away the Fall decorations & pulling out the boxes of Christmas/Winter decorations. We're getting our tree today, or at least that's the plan!

BAD: My friend TS blogs about "leadership" amongst other topics & so I've been thinking a bit about leadership. What kind of leader am I? What kind of leader are you? While I've been told I am a "natural born leader," I think those words can only go so far. Let's be real, there a lot of people we read about in the news that we deem to be poor leaders. What is it about them that makes you say this? The really saddening aftermath of something they led? Or what they stand for? As a glass half full sorta thinker, I have to try & believe that the saddening aftermath of events is usually what was hoped for by the leader. However, things never go quite as we expect now do they?

AWESOME: This past week I e-mailed, text, & talked with many friends & family (especially on Thanksgiving day) but one of the best messages was an e-mail from my SIL saying that our niece was "talking with me" on her phone. It's warms the heart to know she knows me across the miles to let her little imagination soar to wide depths of the world to walk around & say, "Hi Aunt Julia!"

WORD: Yes, still working on finishing that book I started back in September (I am Malala) & looking forward to reading a few good pieces from my friend's blogs such as TS & MBR.

coming up: Advent season is upon us & thus Holiday festivities are in full power now! Decorating, Christmas cards, present bought, & special shopping nights in town.

Friday Favorites!

Happy Friday!

I have to say it has been a delightful couple of days away from the computer & much of technology & enjoying the holiday weekend.

Here's a favorite moment of sharing the beater from mashed potatoes with MG to celebrate having her for 1 full year.

Ever since I was a little girl I've always liked mashed potatoes & I've always enjoyed the beaters, just like you would with cake batter. Don't worry, I also like the beaters after mixing cake batter too!

I've always had a special place in my heart for small dogs too. So it's only appropriate that potatoes & puppies come together, right?!

It's Tuesday Tea Time & before I actually looked up the site that this picture is from I thought that it didn't exactly look like a tea drink. Well, check it out, for your Thanksgiving "Tea". I'll be the first to admit that it doesn't sound half bad. However, I don't believe I'll be trying it at the same time.

Being the holiday week I thought a holiday related photo was in order. However, it does take away the fun of editing my own photo & putting #TuesdayTeaTime #LifeSpiritSparkle on the photo. Yes, I know I could've done a screen shot & then done the editing, but to be honest the way this week started out, that was more work than I wanted to do. Not to say this week started out bad, just busy busy busy as usual.

So where do you find yourself this holiday week? Headed home where the article for this "Thanksgiving Tea" says you'll need this recipe or staying in where it's quiet? Many people I'm sure are working. While I will be enjoying the holiday in my home, it'll only be a day "off" in a manner of speaking. We still plan to make our own meal, take down the Fall decor, clean the house, & get out the Christmas/Winter decor. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a decent amount of work to me. It will be fun as we'll be on our own schedule & putting up the decorations that bring back many memories from the past 30 years.

May your Thanksgiving be joyful & give you one or two or three grateful pieces in your day!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: This past week seems like we have been coasting to the week ahead. I've been eagerly waiting to take down my Fall decorations & put up my Christmas/Winter decorations. The snow has been coming in big flakes & wild winds & then melting & making everything muddy. We've been discussing possibly purchasing & baking our first full turkey too. While it might be strange not being with extended family for Thanksgiving, it'll be nice to have our day off at home where we can spend all day in our pajamas if we want. This past week I also got diagnosed with my first ever official allergy. While the allergy is not good - thankfully not too life altering - it is good to know what was giving me the hives. And on another good note, yesterday we were honored to make our friends dinner & get to meet their 2 week old little LJP. It's amazing how a baby can quiet a room of adults who are simply in awe & love with the baby.

BAD: In this week of gratefulness I honestly don't know what to add here. Check out CNN if you really want to read about unfortunate & bad things happening both in our country & the world.

AWESOME: Listening to this podcast featuring Patti Smith. Very real & down to earth & honest about religious attraction & yet anti organized religion.

WORD: Today I'm preaching on lambs & sheep & being both/and people based off of Matthew 25:31-46.

coming up: Did you miss it? Thanksgiving & that means yummy holiday food & the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Friday Favorites!

TGIF! Even though I woke up & thought it felt like a Monday. I suppose that's what happens when you take Thursdays "off."

One of my favorite pieces of this week was taking the time away from the computer work to be in prayer as I colored this piece of artwork. My friend EGBB is getting ordained! As part of her invitation she asked that people would color this & send it in to her to be part of her ordination service.

Yes, it is one of those things that I thought "Dang, why didn't I think of this?!"

While EGBB & I haven't kept in close contact since seminary life took us separate directions on the map, it lifts my spirit knowing she's including me with the many others who received this invitation to be a part of celebrating such a joyous occasion for the Church. I can't wait to see pictures of how this artwork is used as part of her service!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Hello Tuesday Tea Timers!

Every now & then somethings gotta give right?

Well recently it has been my blogging. I've had a lot more writing to do & a bit of writer's block. In fact I'm lined up to preach this Sunday & have done very little to prepare so far. If you know me, you know this is unusual by this point in the week.

All of a sudden we're covered in icy cold white snow here in Pure Michigan. Seriously, it's like I blinked & my memories of a month or two were taken from me & we're all of a sudden living in January already. Having felt like I was a month behind since the Summer doesn't help this much.

Thankfully what does help with the writer's block & the frigid temps is a nice warm mug of tea. Tonight it's Teatulia for Julia! Props to my mom for that gift & rhyming it with my name.

I'm weekly amazed at the amount of blogs I see pop up filled with evidence that the writer's of those blogs have been reading & reading & reading about the many things they share. For example, TS's weekly post is a plethora of intriguing & enriching reads. Way to be awesome my friend! Seriously, he's one of a few e-mails or social media notifications I receive that has such a wealth of life knowledge worth sharing.

Shortly before my birthday this year I read an article (of course I don't know where it is now, but most likely it was from Relevant Magazine) that said some of the common things that women tell themselves in their 30s & how to reframe these negative things. One of the things was to be okay with the things you don't do. Such as owning an acoustic guitar for 9 years & never learning to play much of anything on it or owning all sorts of crochet needles, but never learning more than an average hook & means of making hot pads or scarves.

So I'm not much of a reader. It's amazing I made it through a 4 year graduate school program! I'm also not a basic skilled guitar player. Nor am I a crochet artist, though I have hopes to do more with this & as far as I know I have plenty of time ahead of me to do so.

No matter what has to give a little, I'm still me, you're still you & that's enough.

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

More coming your way soon. Till then, sit back & say hi to Butkus & Rocky.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday!

I hope you're week is going well so far. Recently I've had a run around with a few medical ventures & somehow still learning to best manage my time so that I'm living the holistically healthy life I prefer & thrive from when I am living one.

Oy, what an adventure!

Trust me, I know lots about time management & lists & calendars. It is a continuing lesson learning to say "no" & be ok with it...So that the lists stay realistic & the calendars don't become so scribbled on they're unable to be read. Though the overly scribbled calendars do start to become an art piece month by month!

Taking time to sit back & sip my tea is something that will always fit into my schedule. I read once that women in their 30s need stop counting the unaccomplished & be happy with what they can do & what they actually get around to doing. Coming from a society that defines individuals by what they do, this is of utmost importance for that holistic healthy living.

Hey, ya know what, this week is also my 22nd cancerversary! More reason to breath deep & count one's blessings. Do things that bring joy to others & to you. Do things that help you share your inner light with others who need it to fuel their inner light. Together your lights will shine bright. 

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: This past week was filled with vocational adventure feeling out my authority & lack thereof. I am always a team player, but some times I want to work individually & then come together as a team. Friday topped off the adventuresome week with Slow Cooker Lasagna, baptismal discussion, & no knead ciabatta bread. Then a surprise visit just to go pick up some farm fresh eggs. MG had herself a very full evening with a baby around & then hanging out with a bunch of people. Of course she made herself at home right away by trying to eat the plastic cat dish. Thankfully it was the lid of a Country Time Lemonade container. The Spirit was spilling hospitality abounding!

BAD: Remember that whole not burning one's candle at both ends thing? Yeah, failed.

AWESOME: Ice cream traditions, like geegunks (google doesn't give much on this) that my Dad's side of the family carried on from my Grandpa's days in the Navy. So I just kept searching & found this gem about geedunks. Kinda fun, but a geegunk in my family is chocolate milk with vanilla ice cream. You can doctor it up however you please, but it's just as good plain.

WORD: Matthew 25:1-13 - What do you do to prepare for the coming of Jesus in your life? There are many (& that's an understatement) interpretations of this scripture. For me, it is a daily life style & a belief that Jesus is with us always, at all times as Jesus's Spirit gives us each breath. Thus we are called to live a life worthy of our calling (Eph. 4) to be like Jesus in the flesh for others, for community.

coming up: Most likely a bit more snow. It's already fallen at least 2 or 3 times. Though somehow I missed the one time. I suppose I didn't look at the roof tops. Also a road trip to Ikea & a conference where I get to see at least one friend I haven't seen in something like 7 years. Looking forward to the continuing education & the dreaming up of new ways to be the church with colleagues.

Friday Favorites!

Finding peace in the recent past.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Tuesday evening tea today!

While I woke up over a week ago & decided I was done burning my candle at both ends the actual doing so is another thing to figure out.

Why do we over busy ourselves?

Part of me says it is to escape some things & the other part of me says it is to run towards things like being in community.

Just the other day I had a convo with an introverted friend about how easy it is to stay inside & not get involved in public, but then at the same time how much energy even an introvert is given by having to go out in public for work or just for a grocery run. In all fairness, even I - an extreme extrovert - said it was easy to convince oneself to stay inside. So it works both ways.

If we're running from something the chance is it is something that we don't want to discuss or have to think about. So we find home in other places & people.

We find home where our heart is & busy ourselves in these places.

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: This past week marked the end of my first month in my new job & things are slowly, but surely starting to feel like a new normal. Many times people have asked, "What do you do?" When they want something more than the generic "youth ministry" answer - which it seems they often do - I can happily answer "it is different each day." I say happily because while I seek out routine of sorts, it is good to have fresh vibes flowing from a solid Spirit led work. In reality this past week went by in a blink & of course I didn't get as much done as I would've liked to do, but I'm practicing some boundaries by allowing things to pour over week to week. Each day it seems that I am making new connections with more & more people from the community, so that is a definite bonus to feeding my inner being of an extrovert. This past week we also got to have dinner with some friends we hadn't seen in a few months. It was good to share what God had us all up to so that we can be in prayer for & with each other. It was also good just for some shared joy of life for friendship & our love for Michigan/the Mid-West.

BAD: That everything that is different is weird. One trick-or-treater came with at least one other youth that we know & she had painted her face to be a similar fashion of the skeletons in today's picture. When I wished her a "feliz día de los muertos" she exclaimed, "Finally, somebody gets it!" I wish that being somebody who goes against the grain - which we all do at some point - wasn't so negatively received. This wasn't even a big push against a skeleton costume for halloween, but a tribute to a holiday celebrated by many (just not in MI).

AWESOME: Being surprised by a treat from McDonalds. EE & KB stopped by my office late on Friday to say hi & share McDs. It's fun to hear about their adventures & shenanigans as seniors. I hope EE's ghost costume turned out as awesome as she planned!

WORD: Reading about death in lieu of Halloween & Día de los muertos.

coming up: It's November! That means monthly meetings .... and mom's birthday!

Friday Favorites!

Happy Halloween from a Madd House Wife!

It's better late than never to post a Friday Favorites!

All week I've been paying special attention to my high lights. And for the most part I would say that the turkey quinoa meatloaf dinner we made Tuesday night. We substituted the tomato paste with Apple & Onion Jam from American Spoon & my oh my it was delicious! We made a garden salad & baked acorn squash for our sides.

Then Halloween came & it snowed & people were in all sorts of a funks. So my new favorite was dressing up with these great crazy glasses, wig, pearls, sequined headband, tiara, & apron to make people laugh.

Not to forget the nice little surprise of a McD's treat from two of my fave local high schoolers at the end of the work day. Definitely makes the list of favorites for this Friday!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday!

Do you ever stop, review your current life & think "This is MY life?!" Some days it just feels like playing. Other days it feels like cheating or possibly even trudging through such deep shit that you don't know how anything is going to be clean again. And let's not mention the smell!

Life is a curious thing & we all have our fair share of mysterious junk - yes, some of it is not so mysterious. And what are we gonna do with this?

We keep living & being surprised by ourselves & many others & things around us.

Why such the surprise?

Doubt. Self-image. Assumptions towards others.

7 year old me would've told us all to just have faith.

Don't question it. Be glad with what you have & have faith that life will keep being life.

THIS is your life & it's what you make it to be.

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Happy day to celebrate the church & its major reformation of the 1500s! Today we honor Martin Luther in his leadership for & with the church & give thanks for his outspoken ways of making his thoughts regarding what it meant for him & people in 1517 to be church known by nailing his 95 theses to the door(s) of the Castle Church, Wittenberg. What a fun way to end the blur of goodness that filled the last week! Ma & Pa N left early last Monday & Z & I busied ourselves as our only day working from our offices. We then went on to enjoy a little bit of shopping, continuing education, & fellowship with colleagues/peers. If you saw Friday Favorites you saw a glimpse at the beautiful few days we spent on a mini-vacay. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. And if you ever thought island life wasn't worth the escape after Labor Day, think again! It's a touch more quiet, the air is crisp & perfect for fireplace time, & the discounts are abundant in all the stores. We came home to newly painted offices, a few new pieces of office furniture, & new business cards. Oh, and of course a cuddly puppy!

BAD: Fatigue, and how it makes many weary of what's next. AND how that weariness buts heads with the honeymoon phase of what's new. Not pickin' up what I'm laying down? Check out this article regarding 'transition fatigue.' I'm not sure that the term 'honeymoon phase' needs much explanation, but there is much joy - just like there hopefully is in a literal honeymoon - that comes with being in a new setting with the fresh touch of grace being given at nearly every turn.

AWESOME: The refreshing feel of getting a new 'do.' As if enough else weren't new already, I hadn't had my hair cut in months & it was time. It's the piece of self-care that we all can give to ourselves at some point. Then there's the piece of self-care that comes from others. It's pretty awesome knowing that my parents visited with AJO & her family the other day & the very next day I received a card with pretty awesome stickers (it doesn't matter if you're 2 or 22 or more) from AJO. And all in between that AJO & I had a phone date too. Whoo, that's a lot of self-care given by self & others!

WORD: Having been out & about this past week I have a collection of short readings & devotions in my e-mail inbox. Deuteronomy, Thessalonians, Psalms, & the Gospel of Matthew. Themes of waiting, trying & trying again, being still, more waiting, & identity scatter the particular scripture readings. 

coming up: Carving & decorating the pumpkins in today's picture. It was quite a blustery day to pick out pumpkins, but fun none-the-less. No, we didn't purchase them all, but we did come away with roughly 22.5 pounds of pumpkin between 2 medium sized pumpkins & 1 small pumpkin. We will be simply enjoying the last week of October with whatever it may bring.

Friday Favorites!

Yesterday was a beautiful day to bike around Pure Michigan and we just happened to do it by tandem on Mackinac Island.

Happy adventure days await!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time! Today I'm enjoying the crisp Fall weather & bright colors that decorate the land.

One feature of living where I do that I always miss from other cities & countries is riding from here to there on a train. There's something mildly majestic about train rides no matter the conditions of the train. There's also a great sense of adventure that is simply part of traveling.

Adventures take my imagination on traveling ride of sorts & this produces my pieces of story telling, poetry, & doodles.

What perks your creative juices?!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Amidst all the rain there will be sunshine. Tomorrow, tomorrow, the sun will come out eventually tomorrow. Right Annie?! This week was packed with a little of this & a little of that. Each day until yesterday was filled with gray skies & lots of rain. There was so much rain that both Z & I didn't realize how depressing it had been till the sun came out & stayed out & made us so wonderfully happy & warm. The crazy part about the warmth is it was possibly the coldest day of this Fall yet. I actually pulled my winter 3-in-1 jacket out of the closet yesterday & didn't regret it one bit. As you can see from the photos, it was quite brisk. Wednesday we enjoyed the evening with the folks of our church & supported the youth in their annual fundraiser over a meal of spaghetti & a silent auction. We even won our bid for a gift certificate to the Dam Site Inn! Joyous times continued with the a visit from Ma & Pa N. We introduced them to the Cheboygan Brewing Company one evening, spent a low key day around town the next day, & enjoyed an afternoon exploring the local area near Petoskey the day after that. We tasted some wonderful apple donuts from Uncle Frank's & topped off the evening with dinner at the Petoskey Brewing Company. 

BAD: Ebola & other life altering viruses with no distinct remedy or no named diagnosis for some.

AWESOME: Making new friends. Meeting people at random, connecting over furbabies & thinking you'll actually keep in touch. AND getting to talk with friends - even if over Skype - who are together & in the same country as me & hopefully I'll get to see one if not both of them soon & creating so much excitement about these wonderful people that you can't even type in a real sentence. See what sunshine does to me?!

WORD: My friend MBR's blog Stumbling Into Faith

COMING UP: Life on the road again. A few days for work, a few days for fun.

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday!

Check out the mammoth of tea kettle in today's photo! If you could keep the water warm, you could have tea for twenty!

It's hard to believe that it was only just over a year ago that I had my first tea with TE. Z had scheduled a home visit & she made sure to tell him to bring me too. We were friends before we even met face-to-face! It's not very often in life that we are connected with someone else quite like this.

To honor my friendship with TE & our love for tea, I have remedied the cause for discrimination in a heavy coffee drinking work world & bought myself a new electric kettle. While setting it up, just yesterday, I thought to myself, TE would've loved to come have a cup of tea with me in my new office. And thanks to the love for tea that we shared, I know the importance of sharing it with others.

Some times it just feels good to hold something warm - even if you never drink it.

The nice feature of a hot water kettle is it can be used for much more than simply tea. I will have to get some packets of fun drinks other than tea to offer to my guests. For now though there are 3 different tea varieties with the option of honey stirred in with a chopstick.

Maybe some day soon I'll have tea for twenty! or at least tea for two!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: The end of the past week was beautiful weather & the colors that are so vibrant in this part of the country, they make you think you're living in a dreamland for a split second or two. We attended a number of meetings this week & had something going on almost every evening. This means that the fur-baby gets to come to work with me for at least the afternoons so that she isn't kenneled from 8am-10pm. So far so good, though she did almost catch her tail on fire when she decided to jump onto the coffee table where there was a burning candle. I quickly swooped her up, blew out the candle, & moved the candle to a higher place. Friday night was the perfect weather for the Homecoming game. We got to visit with lots of people from church & community & the Chiefs won! It was interesting to hear that there is only a Homecoming Queen & no King. Do others know of traditions such as this? We had never seen this done this way before & I'm not sure what to make of it. Is it supporting women or singling them out in an odd way?

BAD: Burning the candle at both ends. I recently viewed this video going on around social media. I agree with much of it. It is an important message to today's people. However, at the same time there is still such a means of connecting to people through social media that we would otherwise not have connection with those people. I see more often than not phrases like, "I am so close to deleting this, if  it didn't mean I would lose contact with so & so from somewhere far away." While it is a wonderful thing to be able to maintain these relationships with people far away. We must maintain relationships with people right in front of us at the same time. Both are equally important as far as I'm concerned, but it is an art to do both in a healthy manner.

AWESOME: Being able to give credit to my English teachers for the creativity that runs through this blog. One of my high school English teachers recently died after a fierce fight for life with cancer. While I didn't keep in touch with her over the last several years, I know that it is because of her lessons in the classroom that I attempted to read things like Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - and at the time it didn't make much sense - & that I write for the ear (as some might say). I think I owe it to Ms. K to try reading more Jane Austen in my future. And a little interesting fact is that my high school English teachers were among the last of my official "English" teachers as I'm almost certain I was able to test out of taking any English courses in college.

WORD: Matthew 22:1-14 is what kept popping up in discussions I was part of this past week. For those of you who heard a sermon on this text today (the Revised Common Lectionary), what did you hear? Or for those who preached on this scripture today, what did you take away from this scripture?

coming up: another day, another dollar! As one friend said this past week, "You have a job! You have a job! You have a job!" So let the ride of figuring it all out continue. We'll cap the week off with visitors from MN!

Friday Favorites!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

This week Tuesday seems like a different sort of Tuesday.

I've recently felt the discrimination many a tea drinker feels when working in a public place & there being no source of hot water other than a microwave.

Poor me, right?!

One mug of tea in the first half of the day is simply not enough though. So I'm on the hunt for an electric tea kettle for my office. Having only been gifted one before & never shopping for one, I'm leaning towards the purchase of a ceramic kettle.

Any thoughts on what type of kettle to purchase for minimal mula?

It isn't even so much the need for something tea filled always as I think it is for something warm that warms my hands & soul at the same time.

Crazy? Maybe, but I'll take that title any ol' day. Dog crazy, check. Tea & word crazy, check check.

Thanks for joining me for this spot of tea & piece of your time!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Last Sunday kicked off a very busy week with a going away pot-luck meal for one colleague, a bridal shower for friend, & prep to move into that one colleague's office. The move started Tuesday with only a few boxes. I was eager, but doing my best to keep some boundaries of not officially starting till Wednesday. Wednesday I spent all day cleaning. Thursday was a day "off" and Friday was another full day of adventures on the new job.

BAD: Last week I mentioned I hadn't heard of much lately so I felt like there were some things hiding in the shadows. I was right! Hong Kong has been up in arms & to watch the videos is alarming & frightening (especially if you are certain you know people that are there & that I am). Not to mention the continued news on the Ebola Virus.

AWESOME: Conviction that comes from deep within one's being is awesome. It's so deep within oneself that you know it's not of you, but you can't separate it from yourself. Watching this, breathing this, living with this conviction is awesome.

WORD: Working Preacher is where I spent most of my week reading & listening.

coming up: a full week of work as Coordinator of Youth & Family Ministries!

Friday Favorites!

Yep, that is one of the strangest wild mushrooms I've ever seen before. I've been on a mushroom kick lately. Including them in meals & finding them on walks. 

This message brought to you by a late night phone blogging episode of Juls has a Full Plate.

Tuesday Tea Time!

The days of being able to make sun tea are limited. This past week was beautiful & yesterday went from being quite sunny & warm to cool & rainy weather in a blink.

My motto over the summer - that I started to forget at the end - was "roll with the punches." This came from jumping into a job that was ever changing & many a things were last minute. It kept me on my toes.

Since coming home from camp this project & that task have kept me on my toes. However, today is a day to be lazy & flat footed as tomorrow is my first day of my new job.

This job will also be one that I need to "roll with my homies" (shout out to Clueless lovers) as we discover new ways for this setting to do ministry. I have no doubt, it'll keep me on my toes.

What keeps you on your toes these days?

Literally today is the last day of a Plank Challenge I've been participating in, so new ways to stay on my toes both for health of body & mind are good to share. And let's be honest. I'm not too good at staying off my toes. I like to be on the go & on the do if you will.

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: Seeing lots of positive things on social media made for a boost in the week. One of the best things was experiencing Blessercize. I love the crazy amount of leg warmers in these video clips! With September being Childhood Cancer Awareness week I have been playing my part in a few simple ways. One way at the beginning of the month was to help a friend with her fundraiser for childhood cancer awareness. I look forward to hearing how it turned out. Then simply getting my lap quilts out from Camp Watcha Wanna Do & sharing them on Instagram & FB & having other friends share their quilt memories. Crazy the connections something like a quilt can bring. Each year as  a camper I got to pick out a new quilt & I now have 3 that I chose to keep. Mostly this past week Z & MG & I spent time enjoying the beautiful weather. We had a camp fire, went on a lengthy bike ride, took several long walks, & enjoyed time in the hammock. We also enjoyed time at the Seasons of the North Winery's Harvest Fest & came home to catch up with our family in Japan.

BAD: This past week seemed like an "off" week to myself & many around me. There's change with many unknowns lingering in the near future & so we're all a little uneasy. It seemed like a quiet news week which makes me weary of what I missed.

AWESOME: Did you not check out Blessercize?! In other news, Anne Lamott continues to write from her heart & speak to thousands of people about the bunnies of life that we love to hate & hate to love...erm, does that even make sense? Rosh Hashanah started & there were many great stories about celebrating with community shared by friends in ministry. And because I have a lot of awesome to share with you this week, I'll leave you with One Story Catcher. She's beautiful & writes brilliantly. The Holy Spirit is really do her thang in her work.

WORD: Ezekial 18:1-4, 25-32 What is fair?

coming up: Remembering to breath deep the breath of God, finishing the plank challenge for September, & moving into my new office!

Friday Favorites!

This week has gone by in a blink!

Favorites included:
BEAUTIFUL FALL WEATHER

FOOTBALL

BIKE RIDE

WALKS with MG

TEA TIME

FIRE PIT TIME

CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS

& a PUMPKIN BLIZZARD.

What are your Favorites today?!

One Word 365: Health Update and BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

Hello! It has been a while since I have checked in with my One Word 365 choice for 2014. This year has simply breezed by. It's mind boggling to know how much has happened in the last 9 months of life. And because I thrive by being in community that cares & listens to & for one another I want to share with you an update!

Today the sun is shining & it is rather warm outside. So there's no denying the need for a walk or two with the dog & possibly even a bike ride. While I love this time of year & all the changing colors, I also know that the cold white & gray colors of Winter are not too far off for this part of the world & bike rides will be impossible & walks potentially a little less enjoyable.

That aside though, recently I find myself filled with immeasurable gratitude. My time of living in the seemingly never ending state of limbo that I have been in for many months now is over. Praise be to God!

By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit I have been called to serve as Coordinator of Youth and Family Ministries by the good people of St. Thomas Lutheran Church.

Thus I am in the joyous throws of planning a worship service to include my consecration as Diaconal Minister in the ELCA. While it is a whirlwind of information & change, I wouldn't want it any other way. Through the joyous throws the Holy Spirit is affirming & reaffirming my call to this roster & service of ministry. Some times it's funny when you're made to do something that isn't the most enjoyable for you on a typical basis - like worship planning - but on this special basis it turns into a world of fun & imagination & affirmation of the knowledge one holds.

My immeasurable gratitude is for all that have been a part of my journey to get to this point & for all that continue in this piece of my journey with me. So thank you - as simple as that sounds - thank you with all my heart for supporting me & praying for God's lead to be my way of living.

Tuesday Tea Time!

 
Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

When you're looking for the things you love, they pop up all around you. I attribute this to be the works of the Holy Spirit saying hi. We look for the things we love to fulfill a piece of our inner being that seems a tinge empty or maybe nothing is empty but we just want that push of joy that that thing brings to us.

Last week I got to share this cute tea themed card with my life long best friend. What a treasure to have the friendship we have and common things we love. Some may say that we had no choice in being friends as our mother's are life long best friends and we were born and raised in the same town only 9 or 10 weeks apart from one another. However, I like to think it's just a beautiful piece of life that we are the friends that we are.

Do you see the Life, Spirit, & Sparkle?!

I challenge you - my readers - to share the little (and big) sparkles of connections that words cannot totally capture in the comments below.

and enjoy your tea!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

Oh Hello Fall!

GOOD: Exhaustion from too many good things is an okay problem to have. This last week was rich with conversation sharing memories of the past, stories of things once gone by, & dreams & hopes for the future. Many people have asked how AJO is doing & I would say all things considering, she's doing pretty fabulously. We enjoyed the scenery of her new home area & the beauty of Lake Michigan on a few walks & of course a trip to Target too. Then there was the precious hours of holding little miss ESG so her momma could do things like take a shower & fold clothing. Add a touch of family time with my actual family & my heart is full from this last week! My exhaustion mainly comes from such a big road trip on my own. I booked it back to be able to enjoy an afternoon celebrating the joy of another little one yet to come & to take in the changing colors of early Fall.

BAD: Star-crossed lovers separated by poor parenting & bad timing. Yes, I am that hard up for something bad this week I'm referencing August Rush.

AWESOME: Excitement based around so much new & so much unknown & a promising things for so many people. Trust me, I'll say more later!

WORD: I have come to a hiccup in my reading of Malala as it is hard to get to point of the story which I don't think comes till the end. Maybe. I might just have to read the end. Aside from that I've been enjoying my daily e-mails of scripture & reflecting on letters from Paul again.

coming up: Making this brain a little less jumbled!

Friday Favorites!

It's Friday Favorites!

This week has been beautiful & exhausting.

I started in SE MI visiting my dear friend AJO & going on many lovely walks talking about life, love, & college memories. Then it continued to central IN to meet this sweet little pea in my photo & be Aunt Juls for a few days in person. A bonus brunch with my cousin LR was especially sweet with the treat of mimosas from Cafe Patachou. Then of course a return North with a quick stop at my parents.

I hope your week was filled with as much fun, love, excitement, & adventure!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

So did anybody go find mooncakes this past week? While I've been on my road trip I'm eager to get to do some things & shop in some stores I can't at home. However, mooncakes haven't been on my list. Maybe I'll add them!

What a quirky week of travels & tea. Tell me, does anybody think this tea kettle pictured actually says "tea?" I believe it is a very loose "a" if it is an "a," but I'm pretty sure it reads "Tee."

I first thought of golf because once upon a time my dad had a dream of being able to go golfing with me. However, what he didn't know is that I'm much better at carrying or carting around his bag o clubs than actually using them to shoot a tiny ball yards - & yes it would only go a few if I was lucky - through the air.

Thankfully I don't think I shot my dad's dream down entirely. I still like putt-putt!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome!

GOOD: The plank challenge continues! To push myself more since I was already including planking in my routine before the challenge I do 30 extra seconds on top of what's asked of participants for the day. September is already half way over, say what?! Here in Northern MI there's no denying that Summer is closing or has closed & Fall is upon us. There's even murmurings of snow before the end of the month. Let's pray that those are simply murmurings! While I love the freedom of sandals weather, I also welcome the opportunity to wear scarfs & boots & cozy up under old loved quilts. This week our day off adventure even allowed me to wear my puffy vest. It was refreshing to do some hiking near to home in the cooler weather. MG even got to come with & have her first experience with a snout-full of sand. We all can learn lessons on happiness & allowing our curiosity to lead us on great adventures from this puppy!

BAD: My mom took a trip this past week & banged herself up good. Thankfully no bones were broken, but she got quite the shiner that will last her for a while. Being nearly an entire state away I've only been able to check in on her via phone. Thankfully my cousins were able to respond to her need to be taken for stitches. There's nothing quite like communication through text messages & social media to share something like this (Thanks Mom, you goof!)

AWESOME: Having reason to use my old lap quilts from cancer camp. As a kid I used to go to Camp Watcha Wanna Do every summer & each year we would get to pick out a lap quilt to use in our cabins. The sweet thing was it was generally too warm being IN in June to need them but now they are perfect for sitting around the fire or just getting some fresh air on the front porch early in the day.

WORD: Psalm 103 & thinking about what this actually looks like when one believes it with all that they are & lives it with all that they are.

coming up: ROAD TRIP! This week I am on the road visiting friends & family.

Friday Favorites!

Happy Harvest Pumpkin from Celestial Seasonings! There's no changing the the cooler weather so why not embrace the crisp mornings with a touch of Fall?

As my sister-in-law pointed out, it's boots & jeans weather. I'll add to that & say, it's scarf weather, but when isn't it scarf weather? Scarf's go with my daily life as much as a mug of tea.

Friday Favorites are inspired this week by my co-worker who sweetly surprised me with a box of this tea earlier in the week. While I did make one last batch of sun tea in the last week in my attempts to cling onto Summer, I am not gently welcoming this touch of Fall.

Tuesday Tea Time!

In the words of my dear friend RMG, "Happy Mooncake/Mid-Autumn Festival!" RMG & her spouse CG recently returned from a year in Malaysia. This was one of the first festivals they were able to take part in when they arrived in KL just over a year ago. Their 11 months or so in Malaysia makes my 4 weeks or so seem miniscule. But no matter the amount of time Malaysia has impacted our lives.

My memory doesn't serve me well to remember if I have tasted these beautiful pastries known as mooncakes. I was in Malaysia the wrong time of year to take part in this festival. Naturally the festival came to be because of political history. RMG tells the story beautifully:

Zhu Yuanzhang and Moon Cake Uprising Legend
In late Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368 AD), people in many parts of the country could not bear the cruel rule of the government and rose in revolt. ZhuYuanzhang, founder of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD), united the different resistance forces and wanted to organize an uprising. However, due to the constant searches by government, it was very difficult to pass messages. The counselor Liu Bowen had the great idea of hiding notes with “Rise up on the night of August 15th” in moon cakes and had them sent to different resistance forces. The uprising turned out to be very successful and Zhu was so happy that he awarded his subjects with moon cakes on the following Mid-Autumn Festival in celebration. Since then, eating moon cakes has been a custom on Mid-Autumn Festival.

Today soak in the adventure of mooncakes & if there's a local Asian bakery or grocery near you, see if you can find some to taste with your tea!

Sunday Snippits: good, bad, & awesome

GOOD: Where did the last week go?! Seriously, in a blink Fall is setting in but Summer is still sweetly warming up the afternoons. Spontinaiety is the word of the week & my motto comes from Psalm 46 "Be still, and know that I am God" mixed with "God in, sin out, breath!" This last part is a twist on my friend TE's self proclaimed motto during her last months, "God in, Cancer Out, Breath!" Try meditating on either version - or make up your own motto - by repeating the words, practicing welcoming the Spirit's presence within you while ridding yourself of outside voices & filling your lungs repeatedly with the deepest through your nose breaths you can take. Hopefully this helps to lower your shoulders from your ears, curve your smile up, & hear the calming still small voice of God. There were many great convos this week through social media, phone, Google hangout, & Skype. One of the most surprising was the local brewery & then another later in the same day on a walk through the neighborhood with the dog. A baby & beer broke open the first conversation & dogs the second. What I learned was that there's comfort in knowing others struggles when you share in the struggle & it's a good thing we moved from "liberal MN." Thankfully the shared struggles were lighthearted topics of things from the past. The funny thing about "liberal MN" is that I think the neighbor knew we are liberal Minnesotans - yes I will claim MN for this - too so it definitely makes life in Chebooboo that much more exciting. BAD: Receiving emails regarding the maltreatment of women in the Middle East while reading Malala's story. What more can be done to stop these absurd degrading ways of thinking & acting for our sisters?! Also, check out the Half the Sky Movement for some idea of how to help.

AWESOME: Late summer bike rides, participation in a 30 day plank challenge, surprise phone calls from friends, book club with AJO, and Cheboygan Brewery's new blueberry creme ale.

WORD: In honor of the late comedian Joan Rivers, "I enjoy life when things are happening. I don't care if it's good or bad things. That means you're alive. Things are happening."

coming up: Folding laundry that I washed last week :-)

Friday Favorites!

This morning as I reflect on my week I am SO thankful for my many connections of people I either met or got to know better because of Luther Seminary & it's community.

For instance, I got to chat with my dear friend RR, who has been on this incredible journey since we graduated as a recipient of Luther Sem's Preaching Fellowship. While that might sound pretentious or uninteresting I assure you, her gift to share story through word & song is worth looking into. Check out One Story Catcher here!

Another connection I am thankful for is TS. I think I got to know his wife a little bit better when we are all at Luther, but he has a gift for reading a LOT of stuff in one week & then sharing his highlights on his Tuesday blog. He often highlights me as somebody living into vocation which is humbling & an honor as I often neglect the part of my vocational call to simply be a community builder. TS is building community simply by mentioning the people & their works each week. Be sure to check out his works by clicking on "blog" above!

And lastly I'll highlight my friend EK who I'm about to chat with in the next hour or less. EK is beautiful inside & out. She is always quick to say hello & ask how one is doing & wait to listen for a response. She is honest when she needs to keep moving to get to her next thing & she has a gift for transparency & delivery of her thoughts. You can check her work out here!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

Woah September! Don't go by too fast my friend. Please, sit & stay for a while. I need you to stay for a while. Your warm end of Summer days to make sun tea & enjoy more bike rides in your dusk, strengthen the inner beings. You help make the middle work.

Making the middle work.

I picked this catchy little phrase up from artist Kelly Barton who is a friend of BGEG - my life long bestie - & therefore somebody I clearly need to meet someday.

There's always something more to achieve in life, but yet the true struggle isn't always in the achievements, but in the being you right where you are & knowing you are enough.

How do you make the middle work?

Tuesday Tea Time is my making of the middle work for me...

Thanks for listening September!