Advent wreath

Don't have an advent wreath? Be creative!

More deals

So, I think I'm about finished with this month's ConAgra deal. Here is my takeaway...

Total out of pocket expense? $17.97, and that's not counting the $10 I have on my next purchase at Jewel.

Now, what will it be....

Truth and Peace

I rabbit-trailed upon this video today. I had seen a video of the man on the left (Ravi Zacharias) talking about the Bible amidst other holy books. The panel seem to be modern (and I mean that in the utmost sense of the word) experts in theology. They talk briefly about post-modernism and the questioning of a culture. It’s worth a view.



One of the last comments made is this: “Truth is too important to kill it in the streets for the sake of peace.”

What do you think? Truth or peace? Is that what it comes down to? Must we forsake truth for peace or peace for truth? I have seen a lot of division in churches and fewer attempts for peace. I've seen people taking a stand for being right, and completely destroying relationship. They emphasize knowing the right answers at the cost of both dialogue and continued growth with a friend of different opinions. But I know truth is important. We stand for truth, amidst the lies of satan.

In the Iconography I am studying at the moment, there is this concept of “Floats”. It is the layering of highlights that are accenting and accentuating the colors and meaning below. They are not covering up the original layer, but instead revealing. Each layer and float have respective meanings, but none surpasses the other in worth. They are there to fulfill a joint purpose and to bring a fullness to the Icon.

While, I don’t call myself a follower of Brian McLaren, I am among a generation that is questioning how much of faith is called upon to be fact, and how much is called upon to be relationship. And why is it that they have to be mutually exclusive? I don’t want to “abdicate Christian responsibility/conviction” nor be a “cave-in of Christian courage”. However, I think there are places for truth to be told from the highest mountain and places for peace. And there are places for truth to exist with a highlight or "float" of peace, so that we understand theology and Christianity in a living way. Must these questions be answered in a lecture hall, or stage, or can they be answered in a relationship, a lifestyle, or a conversation?
I'd love your thoughts.

I write like...

I'm sure you've heard about the site: www.iwl.me ("I write like")
I first heard it on NPR and thought it would be fun. Using mostly posts from this blog, I write most like...
-Dan Brown
-H.P. Lovecraft (eek!)
-Gertrude Stein

Others of mention:
-Ernest Hemingway (I'm pretty sure most poetry is defaulted to him)
-Douglas Adams
-James Joyce
-Cory Doctrow

Try it out! Who do you write like?

To know and be known.

Losing a loved one has been on my mind since last night. Hubby and I were reminiscing about the past three years of marriage (our anniversary is today) and we starting talking about the things we wished we could get as anniversary presents, but would be absolutely impossible. After Thomas threw my “Kitchen Aid mixer” into the category, he had a more serious moment and said, “I wish I could talk to my Grandparents.” All of his grandparents have passed away over the past couple of years and were an especially central part of Hubby’s life. We both sat in silence, lost in memories for a few minutes, honoring and missing their special connectedness to him. And though we let the moment pass, and moved on to other things, I’ve been letting it linger in my thoughts since.

I have amazing grandparents who are still living--who have been married to each other their entire adult lives. And in combination with my reflection this anniversary day, I wonder about the breadth of knowing someone. You know your friends and family in different ways. I knew my childhood best friend in a way that no one else will ever know her. We grew up together and spent countless hours doing nothing at all and at the same time-- everything in the world we could get our hands on. I’ll know my grandparents and parents in their unique ways of being known, of idling and productivity, of baking and cleaning, of sitting and gaming. And I’ll know my present and future friends in other unpredictable ways.
But when I think of the breadth of knowing people, I often think of the chasm that would inhabit me if they left. How would I be different if “so and so” hadn’t been in my life? Married women are notorious for pondering these things about their husbands. But, today riffed on this traditional pattern and started to consider how I would be different, not if they hadn’t left their mark on me, but if I hadn’t let myself be known to them.

To know, and be known. And as I thought about that eventual day when I will be confronted with the loss of my mother, I realized that no one will ever know me in the way she does. And the thought of losing her is not only the thought of her presence and her smile, and her spontaneity (with all its quirks), but it’s the sobering thought of losing who she allows me to be, how she changes me by expecting boundaries to be torn down. In losing someone else, we lose some of ourselves.

So, for me, this anniversary, I am thankful for the years approaching, and the years behind us, where we allow ourselves to be known and to grow in our knowing of each other in those special ways in which we will entrust no one else.

I love you always, dearest husband of mine.

Sweet Irony

I burned my cookies...

Position Vacancy

Up until now, it’s been no big deal. Even the paperwork, the essays, the interviews, the countless emails to the Registrar’s Offices and Admissions teams, even the trips (well, trip) to California to visit a school, and, yes, even the acceptance letter and two letters following, granting complete and utter funding for my education. None of it hit home like receiving a “position vacancy” email for my own position while I’m busy doing the exact job in the description.

I’d like to think I handle things like this well, but to be completely honest,  at 10:26am as the email arrived in my box, I freaked out a bit and quite literally, Brandon accused me of “being a girl, right now”. I’m a little nervous about all the newness and change in my life recently. We’ve moved in to a new place, and haven’t really seen anybody. And between unpacking and vacation, we’ve been unable to “put our roots down”, so to speak in our new community. And since I started this blog by talking about community, I think I should point out right about here, that moving out of community has challenges of its own, as well.

We’ve been out of regular-church-going for about 5 months now, and my heart aches to be with a consistent community and to submit to a liturgy. But for one reason or another, we are temporary “heathens”, if you will. This is no secret, and my husband and I are working on checking out some churches in our area this Sunday, but until then, we crave. And I do believe that is part of the difficulty. And more than likely, contributed to my melt earlier.

We need each other. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we don’t like to admit it. Or rather, I don’t. Whether it’s because I think I come off needy, or over-sensitive, or whether it’s just plain pride-- any way you name it, it’s there. And it may carry an extra dose because I’m an extravert, or performer at heart, but I am convinced that we all need community for all the things in our lives that whirl around us without reason—especially as things are changing. I trust my community to be God’s voice of reason and grounding in my life. I trust them to rejoice and struggle with me. And even though this was a momentary shock of reality, a few days out, I’m ready. I’m ready for the world and the plans God is carrying out. I’m ready for the questions and none of the answers. I’m ready for community through people that walk everyday in subjects that don’t matter in some abstract reality, but that change and shape who we are at our core.

So, I’m making cookies tonight. And if I don’t see someone in the hallways-- beware, Kern Hall residents, I’m coming to find you.

An unexpected gift

I read all day long, so have gotten out of the habit of reading regularly when I go home. I love to read, and so have been picking up some books as of late to prepare to for seminary this coming September. I’m easing into it, you might say. I’m doing a little bit of non-fictional reading, but on vacation this past week, sunk my teeth full-heartedly into The Crystal Cave (by Mary Stewart). 

The book’s entrance into my life is perfectly synonymous with its content. It appeared unexpectedly in my mailbox one day from a good old friend, with a note that read, “Found this at an estate sale and thought of you.” That’s it. I turned it over in my hands, feeling the weight of the over 500 pages and smelling the distinct odor paper collecting dust. It was clearly printed in the time when  uneven pages were in style, adding to its ancient look. I peeked in the cover to find that it was published in 1970, not nearly as old as its worn blue binding portrayed. But, date or not, it was a gem--an unknown surprise, waiting for that perfect moment when you can find a quiet, solitary place and snuggle up with a cup of something warm to delve into whatever treasure it is storing just for you.

So, that’s precisely what I did. And when I found a moment of peace and secrecy, I peeled back its pages to engulf myself in its world. It was the book I had been waiting for my entire life. And I knew it as soon as my eyes had breached its cover.

It’s one of those stories that starts out simple, yet wraps you in the passing wind of its everydayness. It is of a different land, a different time, and a far-different hero, with a legend much larger than life. But it is the actual life and the story behind the myth that is much juicier than the fable.

If you can find a copy, or want to borrow mine, I’d encourage you to read it. And don’t google its contents. Let it surprise and entrance you some cloudy day, in a corner, sipping your warm something and letting your imagination run wild.
Trust me, it's worth it.

StumbleUpon

For those of you who are familiar with StumbleUpon, this post will be no surprise to you. If you haven't heard of StumbleUpon, you are living a life of such efficiency that you need this precious waste of time. It is a toolbar for your browser that, essentially, is Pandora for the internet. You set preferences, you like and dislike pages, and your StumbleUpon button continuously provides new and crazy places on the internet that you've never heard of.

I found this today: http://www.incredibox.fr/

And this yesterday: http://chrismckenzie.com/

Now, these are not mind-boggling sites, but what I find most fascinating is that there seems to be an attraction, for me at least, to find what other people have created or find enthralling. And in this sense, it takes me back to the depths of a good epic book, or the memories of the old tv show "Sliders", crossing into developed dimensions. I think I start to realize just how big the world is, and consequently how creative God has made us to be, as I take the opportunity to waste my time perusing other people's developed work. I get lost in the "worlds" of the vast chasm of space, time, and interest of the net. It's discovery, not of land, or treasure, or caves, but people-- into their hearts and thoughts.

Shameless solicitation

Lately, Hubby and I have been having discussions about working and worth. There is much to be said about how to handle the workplace with intentionality and faithfulness to God's calling in your life. Sometimes, I fear, we don't dialogue about this enough. Spending so much time in one place, it's hard to not see where faith practically meets people.

So, with that, Hubby and I covet your prayers today. He has an interview tomorrow morning downtown. Since a lot of our future together and my schooling depends on him having a stable income, we are praying for opportunities just like this. On the other hand, there have been some warnings about the pay in this job, so we also want to balance this with Hubby's worth as a professional in his field. Pray that if need be, we can faithfully walk away from this. But most of all, pray that God's will be done. I'll keep you posted!


Picture: http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/rap_sheet/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/work_life.jpg

Chicken dances

Arrested Development Chicken Dances - Watch more Funny Videos

William James-- what kind of person are you?

“A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.” — William James

What do you think of this quote? I'm not sure why William James is important, mostly because I'm not familiar with him. However, in discussion with a friend this morning, I thought this was a very interesting notion. We delved deeper into how some people's personalities seem more apt to conform to specific patterns of thought. We were specifically thinking of theologies, but I think it just might apply plenty of other ways. Outgoing people seem to be bubbly. (Or does their Bubbliness define them as "outgoing")

Anyway, I wondered if any one else has had a similar experience? Do you see patterns in your world of people?

Making cupcakes.

It will be a sad day when we have to move out and part ways with the Engelhardts. They’ve become family to Thomas and I this past year. We’ve learned a lot, and grown much. I’m beginning to think more and more often of the things that I will miss when we move to a new home. Tonight was a good example.

I will miss them eating all of the crazy kitchen creations, my spur of the moment sugar rushes, and the time devouring them with a nice glass of milk (always thanks to Jamie). 


Cupcakes are an easy thing to make. They really don’t take a whole lot of effort. It seems, for me anyway, that the big hurdle is committing to getting it done. The Mr. loves sweets, so it’s never (nor will it probably ever be) hard to convince him to go along with my whimsical wishes. Though, when you think of cupcakes, you think of the time, the energy, all the ingredients that you may or may not have (I keep our kitchen well stocked with the essentials ), and the mess afterwards. But tonight, in about 30 minutes, I had cupcakes in the oven.

We were sitting at the kitchen table after a wonderful meal, and I had a hankering. “So…would anyone like cupcakes?”
“Like…stat?!?”, said Jamie.

And it was at that moment that we had a choice. It’s the point in the conversation where no one has spoken, and you are all still deciding whether it’s pure ridiculousness, or crazy enough that it might just be amazing.

I will miss them agreeing to ridiculous mini-house adventures at the drop of a pin.

It was a collaborative decision. We had to trust that we were doing it together. I’m sure not eating 30 cupcakes by myself! There is something to be said about taking a leap, jumping off the ledge, and diving in. Today at the Judson University chapel, we had a speaker who spoke about the differences between being a ‘peace-maker’ and ‘keeping the peace’. And it all boiled down to making the step—committing to the task. Are you willing to commit to people? Even in the moments when something that needs to be said will hurt, either you or them, or your friendship? Will you, effectively, fight for peace? Or would you rather smooth things over and just keep the peace?

Now, I think we all still have a long way to go on this, but…

I will miss the trust and commitment to Christ that beckons us to fight for peace, even when the outcome is murky.

And as we all sat around eating cupcakes (with milk), I think all of these things that I will miss, made that moment just that much sweeter.


(Pictures by the o, so talented, Jamie Engelhardt)

Everyday

It's in the everyday moments that you get to know someone.

Thank you, Erin, for your inspiring quote today:
"I lika...a do...the cha-cha."

Against our hearts

Exclusions

Her excuse was an exclusion.
Her enemy, her heart.
She burdened not her mercy,
But tore apart the art.
Natural reactions of emotion
Were treated as a sin
And compassion never ruled her heart,
only logic was let in.

To identify the target,
there lay a careful set of rules
Some guidelines here,
some pinpoints there,
eyes snaring certain fools.

But with an eye for certain doom,
All she saw was grim and bare,
And when suddenly her heart lurched out,
There were no more gridlines there.
She fought, she denied.
Her mind nullified,
but her heart could not compare.

Compassion, mercy,
woes to feed,
no solace was found there.
What hopes,
what fears were in the world!
What heart, and needs to feel!
Living through her guidelines discounts such grace
in desperate need for repeal.

Rose colored glasses
have a glance of hope.
They revel in wonders
that the majesty provokes.
We can seek compassion, justice,
and mercy from above
but only in deciding
that lines are moveable by love.
If we think we have it right,
but our heart still becons wrong,
what have we done? Where are we now,
that those who have not lines,
can be the change our rules so bear?


-----------------

Have you ever let what you believe get in the way of what you know is right?
Have you ever seen beauty, but argued against it with logic?

St. Patrick's Day

It's quite a unique holiday if you think about it.
Our librarian at the University dresses, literally, from head (wig) to toe, sporting his Irish pride. My in-laws take the day off to march in a parade, eat only Irish dishes, and play cds of fiddles, whistles, and boudrans. And then there are those who forget it even exists. These are the people that forget to wear green. These are the people that are pinched. No other holiday like it that I can think of.

In celebration of St. Patrick and his home culture (despite the fact that they kicked him out of his own country), enjoy this video.



(*Interesting fact: In American Tap dancing, the goal is to look fluid, to have your whole body express the sounds of your feet. In clogging, the better you are, the less your shoulders will move. Shoulders are the indicators that policeman use to see if you're moving in your car-- they tell all. So, it's a strong and practiced art to control them. Watch how their shoulders in this video are immovable! It's wonderful.)

Social Media- fad or fiction?

What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree?
What does this mean for relationships?

Snow

Snow, ya know?
What’s the deal?
comes and goes and
goes and comes.
No need for announcement,
hard as we try.
No need for excuses,
“it just shouldn’t be dry”
says a snow flake to a
hearty soul.

“Then, how
do you suppose I am
to act
just like a snow flake
around, out back?
Are we to fall wherever we land?
Or does our authority stand?
What hospitality fails or drives
whether friend or foe,
steadfast or contrived?
If we were all snow flakes,
wouldn’t it be true,
that the places and postings,
the cares and regrets,
would nonexistent be
through a storm of torrent.”

News, news, news

I must exclaim to the world (or in reality, the two who will read this...) my wonderful news! There's a lot that has been happening in my life, and, well, you deserve an update:

#1- I was offered a position in the MA in Pastoral Theology at the University of London.
#2- I was accepted into Northern Baptist Theological Seminary!

...now I must choose...

#3- (And what I will spend the rest of the post talking about) I was SUPER successful on my Jewel mission today!
Exhibit A:


This is my receipt. Essentially, it says that I paid $14.88 for $40.98 worth of stuff. I have been following some coupon blogs and trying deals here and there, but my first non-fool-proof mission is complete and successful!

I did a Fav4 deal, where I got 4 packages of meat for $3.55. I took advantage of Jewel's Quaker sale, paying $3.95 for the Quaker cereals & granola bars. And finally, The four post cereals, saving a mere $4.96. (I wouldn't have bought these, except that its a better deal than Aldi has for the knock-off brand of the cereals that we really like. And we go through a ton of cereal.)

Here's my loot! (A true picture, like a true coupon blogger!)






What's even more fun, is that I met a woman in the meat section who was doing the exact same thing I was. (I could tell by the way she was looking at the prices.) It looked like she knew what she was doing. And upon introductions, I was right-- seasoned Super Couponer. And she was there using the hints from the same blog I subscribe to!! Funny how the internet/blogging world is bringing people (that would never have met before) together in the physical. A thought to ponder-- perhaps this cyber-world won't completely destroy face-to-face relationships after all...

Haiti quake

If you are looking for items of prayer, I invite you to add the country of Haiti, its people, its leaders, and all those who have committed to helping them in their time of need, to your list.

Personally, we have family members who have been in ministry for over 20 years near Cap Haitian (north), who were, thankfully, not harmed in the quake. They have 6 students near the hospital that fell in Port au Prince, however. If you want to pray for individuals, please pray for these 6 students. See more here.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

Next up...

Starting next week, I'll be reading and, hopefully, writing in preparation for Grad School. Which one? Still unknown.
I'm looking for reading suggestions. Have one?

Epiphany

I was reading another blog today. As we prepare for Epiphany tomorrow (or tonight for some) they had posted T.S. Elliot’s Journey of the Magi. I’ve copied it here.

It’s worth the read.

A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.’
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.

Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

What is the significance to our Epiphany observance? How does this story inform us? Change us?

In our church, we have a strong African American presence. It has become our tradition to celebrate February as African American History Month. To some, this seems quite strange. To me, it seemed quite strange when I first started serving in our Worship ministries. Though, as it were, the practice often began in January, overlapping both Epiphany and Lent. Now Epiphany has so many variations of celebration, from one day to weeks, each of which have their own implications and significance. And normally, this time between Christmas (remember, we’re not finished celebrating! One more day!) and Lent was utilized for “new direction” and “This Year’s focus” for churches. Yet, if we interrupt the celebration of Christ’s birth, a signal of everlasting change to our world, with the modicum passing of another measurement of time, I fear we send mix messages. Would it not be suitable to pull out the kazoos and party hats right before we enter into Advent? Maybe as churches wrap up the Ordinary Season, with a synopsis of the past year and a clear direction for the next one (therefore emphasizing the need for a solid start—Advent), the New Year that we celebrate could be transformed into a time to reflect on the implications of “the world” (or representations—Magi) finding Jesus, and Jesus expanding his kingdom beyond the “chosen” or Jews, and redefining history, once again to welcome all nations, tribes and tongues.
This is a time we celebrate Christ for all nations. If you are a multi-ethnic church, consider making this part of your liturgical calendar and use the gifts and experiences of those in your congregation.