At our women's retreat earlier this month Kim led us in a journaling exercise to think about the last little while and write about a beautiful story, a moment or moments you want to capture and savor....I have had many moments this weekend to savor so here goes...
It started out earlier in the week when my mom insisted I take her sofa. She has moved into a smaller place and needed to get rid of her sofa. Rich and I have been looking for new living room furniture since last October. We have looked and looked but have not wanted to spend the money. Our sofa and love seat for those of you that have not been to our home, sinks to the floor, if you have a bad back it's almost impossible to get up once you've sat down...We did not want/nor could we spend a lot of money...
when my mom offered her sofa, I said no, as it wasn't something I would choose. We decided to take it to put in our family room (another story, the infamous Mr. B. Chewed our sofa in the family room beyond repair)...When Rich brought my mom's sofa home we put it in the living room just to see...
It brightened up our living room...We thought, hmmm, not bad, so we moved our living room furniture down to the family room and had the new sofa in the living room...
So, Friday afternoon we went to the Memorial Weekend Sale at Pier 1 and there was a sofa that we had eyed before on sale for 1/2 price, so we ended up buying it as a love seat, the wicker furniture was also on sale so we got a new arm chair as well, we got a new living room for way less than we thought we would have to spend...
Saturday we spent the entire day cleaning and rearranging our house, did a ton of laundry...it felt so nice, we have not had the time or energy to pay attention to our house in 7 months!
We had company for dinner, the first time other than our kids since last fall...something Rich and I have both really missed, we love to have people over for a meal...
Sunday I tried a different teaching method at the Vineyard, showed a video by Rob Bell than discussed what people saw as themes and what they thought about it, I think it worked well...I love to hear people think out loud, and I like to be in the room listening to different views and perspectives --letting them be there with all the tension and all, no one had to have the answers, I liked it. I wouldn't do it every Sunday, but would like to incorporate that method once in awhile.
Sunday evening we went to an engagement party for my daughter's best friend. I am going to officiate the wedding next March in Thailand. It was really fun to be with all of these young people from so many different worlds. As we were leaving, the bride to be and her father told me how much they appreciated Rich and I being willing to come to Thailand for the wedding. They are paying our travel expenses as part of the wedding budget...I told them we were thankful for the opportunity...I don't imagine Rich and I would have ever planned a vacation to a southeast island in Thailand...
This weekend, I receive and hold as a gift from God:
new furniture
having friends over for a meal
the nagel's moving home
being invited into my 25 year old daughter's world to celebrate with her and her friends
getting a vacation to Thailand
belonging to an awesome faith community
having a great husband and 7 year old to live with...not to mention the not-so-obedient Mr. B....
Monday, May 30, 2005
Friday, May 27, 2005
Lectio -Matthew 7:21-23
"Knowing the correct password--saying "Master, Master,' for instance--isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience--doing what my Father wills. I can see it now--at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, "Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? "You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'
I don't know about you but these words make me slow down and think about why I/we do what I/we do...
I am thinking about this in light of a meeting I went to yesterday with Sharon and Ingrid. It was the "Back to School Consortium" in Shoreline. There are 1899 children in the Shoreline School District that qualify for free or assistance lunch programs. In order to qualify you have to be living pretty close to or below the poverty line...Shoreline is a city with a population of 53k
This consortium is made up of people from the Center for Human Services, (a non-profit or down the street), family advocates from the school district and some volunteers that work with other low-income issues...
They plan a back to school event in August that includes school supplies, hair cuts, hygeine products, and clothes from the clothing bank as well as food and fun...
Last year they served 600 children and youth, this year the goal is 1000...
Needless to say they need a lot of donated items, money and volunteers...Costco gave them 600 backpacks...they are contacting businesses and churches to help...
This struck me...they have a complete database of churches in Shoreline, they called all of them over the past few weeks and not one church returned their call...
They asked us if we had any hints of how to get through to the churches...
They asked me if I knew of any quarterly or so meeting where all the pastors got together...I said I did not, that we have been in Shoreline one year and have never recieved an invitation (which doesn't mean it's not happening)...
One woman made a comment "wouldn't that be a powerful force"
This sent me spinning...churches, meeting together, maybe quarterly, pastors, leaders or anyone interested in seeing what needs are in the community and how we could join together to serve -- that would be a powerful force...I bet at the very minimum we could provide school supplies for 1000 kids that are in our Parish...
Back to the Lectio...Jesus help us to never use you to make us feel important, help us to go forward with the attitude of humility, which reminds me of the Paul's hymn in Philippians 2...
The church is the church only when it exists for others. . . . The church must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not dominating, but helping and serving. . . . It must not underestimate the importance of human example which has its origin in the humanity of Jesus. http://www.cresourcei.org/kenosis.html
I don't know about you but these words make me slow down and think about why I/we do what I/we do...
I am thinking about this in light of a meeting I went to yesterday with Sharon and Ingrid. It was the "Back to School Consortium" in Shoreline. There are 1899 children in the Shoreline School District that qualify for free or assistance lunch programs. In order to qualify you have to be living pretty close to or below the poverty line...Shoreline is a city with a population of 53k
This consortium is made up of people from the Center for Human Services, (a non-profit or down the street), family advocates from the school district and some volunteers that work with other low-income issues...
They plan a back to school event in August that includes school supplies, hair cuts, hygeine products, and clothes from the clothing bank as well as food and fun...
Last year they served 600 children and youth, this year the goal is 1000...
Needless to say they need a lot of donated items, money and volunteers...Costco gave them 600 backpacks...they are contacting businesses and churches to help...
This struck me...they have a complete database of churches in Shoreline, they called all of them over the past few weeks and not one church returned their call...
They asked us if we had any hints of how to get through to the churches...
They asked me if I knew of any quarterly or so meeting where all the pastors got together...I said I did not, that we have been in Shoreline one year and have never recieved an invitation (which doesn't mean it's not happening)...
One woman made a comment "wouldn't that be a powerful force"
This sent me spinning...churches, meeting together, maybe quarterly, pastors, leaders or anyone interested in seeing what needs are in the community and how we could join together to serve -- that would be a powerful force...I bet at the very minimum we could provide school supplies for 1000 kids that are in our Parish...
Back to the Lectio...Jesus help us to never use you to make us feel important, help us to go forward with the attitude of humility, which reminds me of the Paul's hymn in Philippians 2...
The church is the church only when it exists for others. . . . The church must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not dominating, but helping and serving. . . . It must not underestimate the importance of human example which has its origin in the humanity of Jesus. http://www.cresourcei.org/kenosis.html
Monday, May 23, 2005
Catch Up
This week I will catch up at the office. Catch up with people, paperwork and finalize our second grant proposal. I also need to begin the planning process of how we are going to re-organize our community's governance.
Last week I was in Nashville, Ft Wayne and Chicago. A good trip. Off The Map is developing a hearing and it is a much needed corrective to the way we view evangelism. I had a lot of alone time in my hotel and walking around Nashville. I actually feel like my batteries got recharged.
The weekend before leaving I went on retreat with about 25 women from our church. It was a good time. When women go on retreat, it can be a bit intense, but it was a good intense. The setting, the woman that led us in journal exercises and the amount of down time we had made for a good time.
Yesterday was Rich's birthday. We had a nice dinner and some friends invited Alex to spend the night so we could have the evening and today together...It was nice to catch up with Rich. I am practicing momentology (thanks Barb)...I am cherishing and holding the moments of solitude and just being, especially with Rich...
I need to study for the next few weeks of teaching at VCC. We are teaching through Matthew 5,6 & 7...I would be interested to hear from some of you that read my blog, to hear some thoughts on the following:
What could teaching look like in our context at our Sunday gathering if it wasn't always (maybe this was just one way) a person teaching for 20-30 minutes? Any creative ideas? Send them my way...If you want just email them to me, I really would be interested...
Peace
Last week I was in Nashville, Ft Wayne and Chicago. A good trip. Off The Map is developing a hearing and it is a much needed corrective to the way we view evangelism. I had a lot of alone time in my hotel and walking around Nashville. I actually feel like my batteries got recharged.
The weekend before leaving I went on retreat with about 25 women from our church. It was a good time. When women go on retreat, it can be a bit intense, but it was a good intense. The setting, the woman that led us in journal exercises and the amount of down time we had made for a good time.
Yesterday was Rich's birthday. We had a nice dinner and some friends invited Alex to spend the night so we could have the evening and today together...It was nice to catch up with Rich. I am practicing momentology (thanks Barb)...I am cherishing and holding the moments of solitude and just being, especially with Rich...
I need to study for the next few weeks of teaching at VCC. We are teaching through Matthew 5,6 & 7...I would be interested to hear from some of you that read my blog, to hear some thoughts on the following:
What could teaching look like in our context at our Sunday gathering if it wasn't always (maybe this was just one way) a person teaching for 20-30 minutes? Any creative ideas? Send them my way...If you want just email them to me, I really would be interested...
Peace
Monday, May 09, 2005
Returning to Life
Life is finally getting back to normal. Mother's day was (other than a slight blip) peaceful. Low key, after our morning gathering, we went to lunch with 4 of our children and my mother. My mother is doing very well. Still recovering, and in a transition to her new home, but all said and done, she continues to heal.
I am looking forward to the next week. On Thursday I leave for our community's women's retreat. We are going to Whidbey Island. It will be a time of being together, journaling, worship and prayer. There are about 30 of us going. I am looking forward to a couple of days of retreat. On Monday I leave for Nashville, Ft Wayne and Chicago with Off The Map. The time away will be nice, even though busy.
We finished our first grant proposal for our new arm of ministry. We will know by June 1st if it is accepted. Our new arm of ministry will be the container for social services to our greater community. It will include our work with low-income apartment communities, the homeless shelter, and resources for marriages in the areas of education, coaching and counseling.
I am so happy to get back to life. Nothing like an emotional roller coaster ride to throw you off kilter for a time.
That's it for now. Peace
I am looking forward to the next week. On Thursday I leave for our community's women's retreat. We are going to Whidbey Island. It will be a time of being together, journaling, worship and prayer. There are about 30 of us going. I am looking forward to a couple of days of retreat. On Monday I leave for Nashville, Ft Wayne and Chicago with Off The Map. The time away will be nice, even though busy.
We finished our first grant proposal for our new arm of ministry. We will know by June 1st if it is accepted. Our new arm of ministry will be the container for social services to our greater community. It will include our work with low-income apartment communities, the homeless shelter, and resources for marriages in the areas of education, coaching and counseling.
I am so happy to get back to life. Nothing like an emotional roller coaster ride to throw you off kilter for a time.
That's it for now. Peace
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