Friday Five - Healing Edition

I haven't done a RevGalBlogPals Friday Five for awhile but they are doing a Healing Space Edition today.  Besides waking up this morning to news of a manhunt, international terrorists on a killing spree, a shootout and a city on lockdown, I have a bit of stress going on in my own life so a Heaing Space is a good thing to think about.  So five healing things:

1. A piece of music

I love the hymn "How Can I Keep from Singing?"  Enya's version sounds very healing to me today



2.  A Place

I just look out the window to the bird feeders and watch them, along with the antics of the squirrels, skunk and woodchuck that come by for their share, to be very healing.

3. A favorite food (they call it "comfort food" for a reason)

I always make ham stock from the Easter ham and the other day I made gumbo.  Gumbo requires a dark roux and a dark roux requires your constant attention for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Just stirring and attending to the roux, watching it turn that rich Carmel color can be very healing.

4. A recreational pastime (that you watch or participate in)

I don't live anywhere near a skating rink but I need to get my skates out and drive to one.  Soon.

5. A poem, Scripture passage or other literature that speaks to comfort you.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:4-9

 BONUS: People, animals, friends, family - share a picture of one or many of these who warm your heart.

Sweety - the cat that I took in because I thought was pregnant
, was not pregnant but has turned into a very sweet affectionate cat.

 

This is Tommy my oldest cat.  Probably close to 20 years old, his tongue is hanging out because he only has two teeth left.  He is skin and bones and not long for this world.  I think he knows it and is very affectionate, saying his goodbye. He wants to tell me everything is going to be okay.  I believe him.

Friday Five - More Randomness

 

So the RevGalBlogPals are into Spontaneous Thinking today...  In honer of that I offer a randam picture of a Goldfinch in a tree right outside my window.  I took it with a new camera I bought for myself because I was not happy with the zoom on my other cheaper one.  I keep an envelope stuffed with cash that people give me for gifts and save up until I want something for myself.  I thought this was a good use of that cash.  How is that for a random thought?
So...
1.  What religion/faith besides yours captures your curiosity and why?  Both Quakers and Roman Catholicism.  I know, they are totally opposite right?  That's probably why. I like Roman Catholic stuff in worship way too much to ever be a Quaker but I am appreciate their simplicity idea of just shutting up until the Spirit speaks and listening to other people speak.  I don't think I could ever do that which is why I think it's important. 
And sometimes I think the Roman Catholic church is really the one true church.  Just really screwed up. 

2.  What is the first or most memorable pop song you ever learned as a kid?

I remember watching the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show the first time.  And we all went to school the next day singing "She loves you YEA YEA YEA"

3.  If God were a color.....(finish this sentence creatively) Not a color - the RAINBOW.  Of course.

4.  If you were going to make a sandwich right now for lunch, and you magically had all the items you need for it, what would that sandwich be?

 Grilled fresh Sourdough bread from San Francisco,  smoked extra sharp ceddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon and thinly sliced honey crisp apple.

5.  How are you doing?  Really, how are you? Really?  Well I had a rough night last night as I suffer from acid reflex and I seemed to suffer all the ways you can from it last night.  Not just heartburn but nausea , coughing, burning throat.  Okay, well you DID ask! (And don't bother commenting all the things in my diet I need to give up--I won't do I tell you!)

But the good thing was as I was walking around (lying down makes it worse) I looked out my window where their is a light and saw my woodchuck wandering around looking for trouble.  He didn't seem to find any as my flowers were all intact this morning.

Bonus:  What are you enjoying/loving right now? 

Having always had a lot of cats and letting them roam pretty free (no comments about THAT either) I never felt like I should have a bird feeder.  My cats are all elderly and we live in open country now so they only go out with supervision now so I put out a finch feeder with thistle right out side my window.  It did not take long before I had goldfinches and house finches.  In an attempt to attract different birds I've put out sunflower seeds and grape jelly on my picnic table.  All that attracted was more finches but they are delightful to watch.  They are very busy.  I know there are blue jays and cardinals I see once in a while but they don't care to come.  But I'm happy with the finches.

  

And I'm taking off for the Synod Assembly and am expecting it to actually be an enjoyable experience.  And I'm convening the hearings for the Social Statement on Criminal Justice   It's been very stressful trying to decide what to wear.

Friday Five-Inspiration and Catching Up

Taking a little credit for my daughter's cap and honors stole

The RevGalBlogPals are talking about Inspiration.  Well it's been a very inspiring weekend for me but I'm just going to go off script and not really answer the questions other than to say that first of all the RevGalBlogPals Friday Five have encouraged and inspired me to get back on my blog.  I have things I've wanted to write about but you know, serving three churches for a year and a half is starting to wear on me and I've had a lot of things going on.

I finished my training for Intentional Interim.  The final week was at Mount Olivet Retreat Center in Farmington Minnesota.  Talk about inspiration.  It's beautiful facility on beautiful grounds and the food is wonderful.  Their dining room is surrounded with big windows with bird feeders that are miked so you can hear the birds inside.  

The intentional interim training was really really intense but excellent, good learnings even if you aren't going into interim.  I really think I'm suited for that ministry but I do have worries of how the bills get paid if there is ever a time when there is nothing available.  OTOH I am reminded of how difficult it seems to be to find ANY kind of a call and how tenuous a so called "permanent" call is.

This weekend was very inspiring.  My daughter graduated from Augustana in Sioux Falls.   My sister flew out from California to come see it.  They really make a weekend out of it.  There was a reception for the Civitas Honours Program she was part of. 

 And then a fancy Senior dinner Friday night.  I bought these extremely cool five inch platform heel animal print shoes just to wear that night.  Because where else am I going to wear five inch heels?  Oh I wore them to the church Mother's Day brunch, but I digress.  Well believe it or not I actually have another pair of animal print shoes, but they have a lower heel and are old.  So I get to the hotel and realize I must have packed in the dark because I packed ONE OF EACH SHOE!  Oh I was so annoyed.  Bad words were uttered.  Fortunately I did pack another pair of decent shoes.  But see, I still looked good. 


 My sister never dresses up so we got her a new outfit.  We were just going out the glass revolving door, and BAM she walks into the glass door.  Bloodies her nose.  She had blood all over her shirt and we were not even sure it was not broken.  I had to leave her behind with my son (who does not have the patience for "Senior Nights").  The good news is that not only did she not break her nose, but there was no feared black eye either and she was able to attend the festivities the next day.

Altar at baccalaureate

Then there was the Baccalaureate, which honestly I think was more moving than the Commencement.   Beautiful Orchestra and Choir music.  Very inspiring.  Very cute when my daughter and her friends (who could choose who to process and sit together with for this) all decided to rhinestone their caps.  This is what comes from being a figure skating and learning to stone everything

Isn't she beautiful?

What has brought a lump to your throat or a tear to you eye in a good way?  Oh and did I mention the graduation was actually on her late father's BIRTHDAY?  I'd say there was more than *a* tear.  But all of it was in a good way.

 

Friday Five - Holy Week

So the RevGalBlogPals are talking about Holy Week:

I invite you to share five favorite Holy Week things, five things that are truly worshipful for you

1. I think its' possible that my very favorite worship service of the whole year is The Sunday of the Passion.  What I do every year is take whatever Gospel we are in for the lectionary - this year it is Mark and I just take the whole passion story beginning with the entry with Palms, divide it up among readers for the various characters and I read the narrator, and intersperse Lent and Holy week hymns.  I always end with "Ah Holy Jesus".  I find it very moving.  It may be the one worship service I lead where I can actually worship.

2.  Art:I love to find Holy Week art.  So many different representations of the events of Holy Week. I've recently discovered Pinterest.  Oh have I discovered Pinterest.  Here's my Holy Week Board 

3. Handel's Messiah  I'm going to put Bach's St. Matthew Passion for the bonus, which I love, but really what I do during Holy Week is play all of the second part of the Messiah during Holy Week.  I just couldn't put all of that on here.

4. Holy Thursday:  the beginning absolution, when people come up and I place my hands on them and say "In obedience to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins"  I have done it for the first time at most of the congregations I've served.  That first time I always worry that no one is going to come up.  But they do come up.  They are hungering to hear those words.  I am humbled to say those words.

5. Holy Saturday - I like to hold my first communion workshop on Holy Saturday.  Here's a post from last year.  I always think about finding a church that holds an Easter Vigil but when it comes down to it, I just want a quiet Saturday evening and try to go bed early for the sunrise Easter worship.

Bonus:  a piece of music that "is" Holy Week for you: 
Bach - St. Mattew Passion

Friday Five -Movies

 RevGalBlogPals has a relatively easy assignment - Movies

1. At home or at a theater?

I don't get out to the theater much, but I do love the whole going to the movies experience.  I love the previews (although not this new nasty practice of showing commercials.  Really I pay $10 and still have to watch commercials?), I love the large screen, the sound, the other people.  A movie in the theater is always better than it really is. 

But there is much to be said to snuggling under the covers on a snowy Saturday to watch an old movie at home.

2. With whom? 

I always enjoyed taking my kids to the movies.  But I don't mind going to see a movie alone.  I think going to see a movie is a bad first date.  First date you should go to dinner together so you can talk and get to know each other better.  Also nowadays all the movies have sex scenes and I find it excruciatingly awkward to watch an explicit sex scene on a first date.  Can't help thinking "sure hope he doesn't think I'll be doing that for him later..."

3. Movie you look forward to seeing?

I always think I want to see more movies than I actually get out to see.  Wanted to take the kids to see War Horse on Christmas, but all the dinky theaters around here were showing was Alvin and the Chipmunks.  And I'm torn because the idea of using horses in battle makes me so upset.

4. Movie you like to see repeatedly?

There are seasonal movies that must be seen a certain time of the year.  Must watch the Charleton Heston "Ten Commandments" during Holy Week. (I keep threatening to play a drinking game - chug every time someone moans "Moses Moses")  Must watch "Elf" around Christmas.  It used to be "It's a Wonderful Life" but I kind of got my fill of that for a while. 

5. Food with a movie?  Popcorn with butter and salt.  Junior mints that I try to buy somewhere else for 1/4 the price.  The mints are good to offset the salty popcorn then I don't have to drink as much and then I don't have to get up and go to the bathroom as many times during the movie. 

Friday FIve - Gifts

From the RevGalBlogPals:

Following on from Thanksgiving, and picking up the "Black Friday" theme of boycotting the Christmas rush for bargains I thought it would be good to set a simple Friday Five yet one to get you thinking. I am sure that you'll agree that some of the best gifts we receive do not come in fancy wrapping paper but might be the gift of an unexpected afternoon with a friend or coming across a long forgotten photograph, or- well the list is endless.

 So take a bit of time to think back over the last year and ponder the gifts it has offered to you, then list five of those gifts, in no particular order- there is only one rule- all of these gifts must have been free, neither you nor anyone else should have spent money on them!

Okay.  Well first I want to say that I do not believe in boycotting Black Friday.  I just didn't go today because there's nothing I want, my daughter wanted to relax this weekend and I have no money.   I just don't see anything wrong shopping for bargains.   I don't see anything wrong with shopping.  It's like eating.  Some people misuse eating.  It doesn't mean eating is bad. Although seeing the news today about the bad behavior of shoppers makes me think it was wise to stay home. 

But I can certainly think of the free gifts I received this year. Although I'm probably NOT going to follow the rule of no money spent.  Because I don't think money is evil.  And I received gifts that involved money and I don't believe they should be shunned or discounted or disrespected.

The gift of living in this parsonage in the country for a year.  I've had deer and skunks in my backyard, a fledgling hawk on my front porch, cows in the pasture I could see from the kitchen window (and in my front yard when they got out) and I got to watch a full season of soybeans grow right out my window.  I always enjoy watching the seasons --it is the only thing that makes winter bearable for me but this was especially a gift.  

I love all my kitties Tommy is my oldest.  He's such a good kitty.  He used to love to run outside with the kids when they were playing outside at VBS.  He would let little children pat him and pull his tail. I don't know how old he is, I thought maybe he was a a couple of years old when I found him 11 years ago but the vet thinks he probably is older than that.  He was a fighting Tom when I found  him but any cat I brought into the house he accepted calmly as a member of his family.  All that fighting though had a price and he has FIV.  Which is not a death sentence at all but between that and his old age, I consider all the time I have with him a gift.

The gift of the celebration of my 25th anniversary of ordination.  That took a little money but the real gift was a parish that was willing to do this for their interim pastor

A roadtrip from California to Iowa with my sister.   I was able to do this because my parish gave me a gift of money for the trip when my mother died. Gifts of money can be very meaningful.  

My kids, of course!