Shameless Plug

The Harpist (aka "String Plucker" according to Tiria) is going on her first mission trip this summer to San Luis Potosi, Mexico. She will be with a team from our church, volunteering in an orphanage there. She's also traveling internationally without family. It's all good.

She's raising support, to the tune of $1032 and has about $500 to go. If you are desirous of encouraging her (and us) you can email me at
hey its deb at@at gmail dot com
(take out the spaces and extra characters!!)
I will HAPPILY send you the support information!!!

Deb

Friday Five: Gifts and Talents

Sally from RevGals writes: Our Circuit (Methodist) is having a "Gifts and talents day" tomorrow- we have a minister visiting from another circuit who has modified the Myers Briggs personality test and added a few things of his own to run a day where we get to look at ourselves in the light of giftings and of the whole church. The idea is to encourage everyone with the news that there is room for you in the ministry of the church- and perhaps to discover where that ministry might be.....

It should be an interesting day, and one where I hope people will leave feeling encouraged and challenged...

So with gifts and talents in mind here is today's Friday 5:

1. Personality tests; love them or hate them?
I've taken enough of them that I should hate them (LOL) but interestingly enough, I enjoy them! The only one I found creepy was the Rorschach inkblots test I was required to take during my music therapy internship at a psychiatric facility... I guess I passed.


2. Would you describe yourself as practical, creative, intellectual or a mixture ?
I am a mixture. Not so creative as to be impractical. Not so intellectual as to lose my creativity. And not so practical that I can't have FUN! (I am probably the only person in my church who has a chicken hat! And who bought one for her long-suffering husband as well. I lent them out for VBS this week...)


3. It is said that everyone has their 15 minutes of fame; have you had yours yet? If so what was it, if not dream away what would you like it to be?
I guess I have. DD#1 and I were in the Washington Post about 8 years ago... and includes a horrible picture of yours truly for anyone to Google and find!!!


4. If you were given a 2 year sabbatical ( oh the dream of it) to create something would it be music, literature, art.....something completely different...share your dream with us...
Wow. Well, this idea just came to me so here goes. I'd like to write a musical for a book like "Blue Like Jazz" or "Velvet Elvis" or something else that pulls the church out of "Andy of Mayberry" and into life today.


5. Describe a talent you would like to develop, but that seems completely beyond you.
Knitting. Painting anything other than a wall or wood trim. Drawing anything beyond a stick figure. Dancing better than Elaine on "Seinfeld".


Bonus question: Back to the church- what does every member ministry mean to you? Is it truly possible to encourage/ implement?
The Scriptural mandate for "every member ministry" is indeed a powerful one. We need each other. The world needs us to be who we are created to be.

If each member begins to see their personal, God-created pool of talents and gifts, and decides to use them for the glory of God, then yes, I think it is possible. If "spiritual gifts surveys" remain as a "fill-the-slot-in-the-church-program" impetus, then no, it will fall flat every time. (And I think that is why many churches try these programs... to be perfectly frank!)

Deb

Wishing Part 2...

OK, so I made some people uncomfortable with my last post. Put some folks' knickers in a knot...

I would like to say with all gentleness, and with great Christian love, "tough noogies!"

I still won't post your comments since they were both anonymous AND rude... (but since you asked and I feel like being a little snarky, no I didn't burn my bras.)

In conversations since that post, I have had a couple of people say to me, "well, I don't mind a woman serving as a pastor if she is ABLE to, but I haven't sorted out whether a woman should be a head pastor or not."

These are people I could call at least acquaintances. Or friends. But they couldn't go beyond their blanket statement. What did they mean by "ABLE" to? Why is it OK to be a pastor, but not a 'head' pastor? They squirmed. And didn't give an answer.

When I asked if there were separate Biblical qualifications, there was no real answer. This begs the question. Either the woman is called to preach and teach the Word, or she is not.

Sometimes, I want to give up. It feels like I am banging my head against the wall. This desire and Call to the pastorate is beyond a choice. It's a compulsion. It's an inner spring coil that only stopped niggling at me when I acquiesced and said, "OK. You are in charge."

If you are reading this and saying, "Geesh, she's a little emo here."

Yeah. I am. But that isn't stopping me. Sorry.

Deb

I wish...

DD #1 was at a regional youth conference last week at Kentucky Christian University. Turns out that they have an undergraduate and a graduate/seminary program there. We are not particularly enamored with the denomination represented by the school (for many reasons). But their summer programs for teens and preteens come highly recommended. Great music was a part of the week; (the first night was David Crowder!)

However...

There was a session where the teens could ask one of the KCU professors their theological questions. There were all sorts of random questions from the teens, and one of his answers intimated that he had attended a Southern Baptist-affiliated school. Because of our disagreement with the SBC on the ordination of women, this made my brilliant one perk up. She quickly surmised that he likely had a bias on women in the pastorate. She also knows that my personal goals include preaching. And being ordained.

So, she asked him, with a very nice smile, "can women be pastors and preach?"

And this nice misguided man informed her that, NO, women were not to do that because that was the job of a man, called as an elder, and that Biblically that role went to men. And that women could do other things, but not be pastors.

She desperately wanted a follow up question, but suddenly he was out of time for that particular Q&A session. (Imagine that.)

Which leaves me with some pretty honest thoughts and reactions to process...

• First of all, NO WAY are our tuition dollars going to an institution that would not ordain a woman to the pastorate (let alone not hire one!!!) So let's just say in the grand "where will she go to college" game, that school just bit the dust. Big time!
  
• It is sad that seminaries and Bible colleges are still teaching this ...um... "stuff".
  
• I am incredibly proud of her for having the guts to ask him. And even more proud that she caught his theological bias.
• I am proud of my little pot-stirrer. She's on the right path!
• I would dearly love to have a woman professor, or a male egalitarian professor at the very least, have equal time at these "ask the professor" sessions!!!
  

I wish...

I wish that women could come with their message, their sermons, their hearts full from "God's download" and not be considered out-of-line, heretical, or unusual.

I wish that we would have open hearts without checking our brains at the door.

I wish that, as Myron Augsburger said, that we could fulfill our roles in the Kingdom of God "based on our gifts, not our gender."

Every now and then, I can see hope.

Sometimes for me. Sometimes for my daughters.

And I'll hang my hat on that...

Deb

quizzed

I scored an 11 out of 15 on "The Redneck Quiz" which is either pathetic or hilarious...

"You scored well (11 out of 15) this means you are one of 3 things.
1) You are exceptionally bright.
2) You used to be a redneck but have moved out of the south and are in remission.
3) You are a redneck but trying to hide it."

BTW - Just so you know... the Hebrew alphabet fits nicely to "GGG of GGGG" if you end it with "I've learned my Hebrew alphabet!"

I know you were staying up late worried about that one.

Deb

Summer in the Burbs...

Reverendmother from RevGalBlogPals writes:

Summer in the city...or town, or suburb, or hamlet, or burg, or unincorporated zone, or rural area of your choice---pretty much anywhere but the southern hemisphere, it's summer. (Australians and others, consider this an invitation to take a break from winter for a while.)

1. Favorite summer food(s) and beverage(s)
SUMMER FRUITS! Corn on the cob. Watermelon. Peaches (Georgia belles if I can get them!) Nectarines. Blackberries the size of my thumb. Elderberries (Unsucessful in finding these most of the time...) sigh...
SUMMER DRINKS? A glass of my Bearded Beloved Spouse's homebrew. Iced tea with mint and Splenda. Just about any kind of fruit-enhanced margarita.

2. Song that "says" summer to you. (Need not be about summer explicitly.)
Oh dear. Do you REALLY want to know? It's remembering a collection of songs from Girl Scout camp. All those years of leading sing-alongs... and someone wrote a book on it before I did!!

The first song that came into my head was the camp song I sang at the top of my voice at a stoplight yesterday... (to my daughter's horror) "Great green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts..." with all of the motions, and verses.

[Her priceless comment - "Mom. WHY can you remember that song and not the Hebrew alphabet?" - why indeed...]

3. A childhood summer memory
Camping. Family camping (the REAL kind - tents and bugs.) Girl Scout camps of various places: Pisgah and Occoneechee in North Carolina were two I attended the most years.

4. An adult summer memory
Well, both of my babies were summer babies. That's a pretty special set of memories right there! I would put up their baby pictures but I have been banned from doing that.

5. Describe a wonderful summer day you'd like to have in the near future. (weather, location, activities) sigh... You're making me long for that perfect day at the beach again. You can see my dreams here...

Optional: Does your place of worship do anything differently in the summer? (Fewer services, casual dress, etc.) Nope. We're always casual. The services stay the same as far as time and number. And they won't let me lead any camp songs for worship either...

Deb
(who forgot her spoon but has her straw!)

P.S. Watch it here!

Fried Brains

I have fried brains.

I could blame it on the heat...

I am trying (unsuccessfully) to learn the Hebrew alphabet for my summer school class. Geesh. I really have a Western brain.

Right to left reading is just not working. Let alone keeping the jots and tittles correct. Memorizing the consonants? not happening... Learning final consonants? Vowels? Schewas? Transliterations? fuggedaboudit.

If you have any suggestions, good drills, tips and tricks, or just encouragement, please send them my way. I am really REALLY not getting this.

It's days like this that I wonder why I am in seminary anyway... I am feeling very stupid at the moment.
Deb

Click here... please...

I have friends who have gone through 'drive-by' mastectomies. Maybe you have too. These are operations - - major surgery -- where the patient is discharged in less than 24 hours because the insurance companies have decided that there is no medical risk. I know there are some women who prefer to go home and heal. But there are many more who need time to adjust and adapt to the change in their bodies, and in their diagnosis.

The LifeTime TV channel has a page up which supports a bill which would prevent this practice. Please visit:
http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php.
It takes all of two seconds...

I verified it on Snopes to be sure it isn't an "urban legend"... the sad news is that in both the House and the Senate, the bill never got out of committee in 2007. There is widespread support for this bill from politicians and their constituents, but apparently the lobbyists are stronger than our combined opinions. So perhaps writing your own representative and senators would be a good idea too.

Click away, friends... I did.

Deb
P.S. I had my mammogram this year... did you???

One Chick is Flying...

WARNING... Sentimental Mommy Alert...

In the Land of Big Deals, this isn't one. Except to us. Or maybe just to me...

The Harpist is off to a week at Kentucky Christian University for a youth conference. (The harps stayed home this time!) The realization that she will be leaving for college in two years is there in the back of my mind.

I know she will have fun. I know she will make friends and learn a lot. She is more than capable of handling things, even at sweet 16... and I am looking forward to a week alone with Reedy Girl... but...

sigh...

I'm such a strange mom. I love having my kids home for the summer. Both of them.

Deb

Friday Five: books, books, books

Sally from RevGalBlogPals writes:

I've just returned from a meeting in Cambridge so I'm posting this late here in the UK (it is 3:45pm).. because I took the opportunity of a free afternoon in Cambridge's wonderful book shops... I only bought a few- and they were on sale- very restrained for me!!!

So with my head full of books I've seen and a long wish list in my mind, I bring you a Friday Five on books!!!

1. Fiction: what kind, detective novels, historical stuff, thrillers, romance????
I tend towards fantasy and sci-fi, but not the scary, you-can't-sleep-at-night kind of sci-fi.

2. When you get a really good book do you read it all in one chunk or savour it slowly?

When I was not in school, my patterns was to inhale books. Now, with seminary and the fact that I read seemingly ALL of the time, I am struggling to do the recreational reading I love. However, on a true vacation (i.e. not during the semester when my kids are off school and I am not,) I can think of nothing better than a comfy afternoon on the porch swing, a book, and an adult-beverage-of-choice.!

3. Is there a book you keep returning to and why?

Well, with the next Harry Potter movie and book due out soon, I have to re-read all of the previous ones, of course. And though I'd never win a trivia contest on them, I do enjoy the Tolkien LOTR trilogy too.

4. Apart from the Bible which non-fiction book has influenced you the most?

Probably Jesus Freaks. Remembering that my freedom to worship and the history of my faith did not come without the spilling of blood.

5. Describe a perfect place to read. ( could be anywhere!!!)

Here...

Sigh...
Now... back to reading books for a class on "church administration" which are definitely NOT as interesting a HP or LOTR, but necessary nonetheless.

Deb

Eight Random Things...

I've been tagged by mompriest to give you eight random facts about me...

I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Random Fact #1:
I won a blue ribbon for my bodacious corn relish at the county fair. And got a prize of $20 for it, thankyouverymuch. And I don't even LIKE corn relish. Sweet corn? oh yeah... But one summer I bought a bushel of sweet corn because it was so cheap, and SOoooo good. I had to do something with it since my freezer was full to the brim with packages of corn-off-the-cob. So -- I got out the the Ball Canning Jar recipe book and started looking... Made a few adjustments and changes... and I had a winner! The secret ingredient?? Curry!

Random Fact #2:
We will have a student driver in our home this summer. First she has to do the classroom driver's ed... then the permit... then we start testing parental nerves. We have been looking at used tanks but there just aren't many on the market here in DC. You'd think with the Pentagon so close... but no.

Random Fact #3:
My home is overrun with musical instruments! There are three harps, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 recorders, 1 clarinet and one piano in my home right now! (We won't count the miscellaneous percussion stuff...) Of the harps, daughter #1 owns two of them. The other one is the school's lever harp and we are keeping it in a more controlled environmental setting than an un-airconditioned closet. The Harpist is deliriously happy. SO many harps, so little time. However, I am going nuts. Harps are finicky and need constant re-calibrating, so I keep saying "TUNE THAT THING!" Daughter #2 is the reed player, specializing in oboe now. I play most everything else.

Random Fact #4:
I love to re-arrange the furniture. My Beloved Bearded Spouse intensely dislikes this habit... heavy sigh... But I have my ways! The girls and I are on a secret mission this afternoon to do "a quadrille" of the family room before he gets home. We can't wait! The girls and I have measured, discussed and decided the wherefores and the whys. And I know it is sneaky of me, but in the process, we are also going to give the room a thorough cleaning!!! (That's not my floor plan... I only wish!)

Random Fact #5:
I love LOVE L-O-V-E our waterbed! It's a king, soft-sided, waveless, double-mattress, platform waterbed. Until you lie down on it you don't know it's a water bed. It uses regular deep-pocket sheets. It's comfy-cozy and a kid and cat magnet. I don't like regular mattresses any more - they make my back hurt. This is our third waterbed - for the last 25 years, it's the only kind of bed I have owned. And no, cats don't poke holes in it, and no it isn't hard on your floors, and no, we have never had a flood.

Random Fact #6:
Some of you already know this, but those of you who don't -- I'm one of seven kids: #4 daughter, #5 in the line-up, with 4 and a half years between me and my next oldest sib, I was a middler and an oldest kid all at the same time. Bonus points if you can find me that this photo!

Random Fact #7:
I still struggle with stage fright every time I sing or speak. Yes, really. Most of the time you would never know that my guts are doing a tango while my body is trying to waltz. Only my closest prayer partner, Dana, or my beloved bearded spouse can tell just by looking at me when I am scared. to. death.

Random Fact #8:
I do not have any tatoos. However I did have my navel pierced about 10 years BK (before Ken AND before kids). That sucker took forever to heal. But (ahem) things happen to your body after kids... and now that my post-partum navel is tres ugly, I am very glad I let it close up!! (That is not my navel, BTW...)

NOW... I tag (with grace, if you don't want to, just tell me!)
DebD
Sarah
Jeff
Mandy
Keith
MsM
Mags
Hot Cup Lutheran
Tricia

Randomly yours...
Deb

POST NUMBER 300!!!???

I was about to post something else, but realized that for a milestone post I wanted to blog about something more significant. And something that has nothing to do with me.

Many of the things I blog, I admit, have this selfish, "here's what I'm thinking" type of post. Sometimes there are profound thoughts. Many times there are completely silly ones. And sometimes, I just want to keep writing, sharing, thinking "out loud" -- and for some reason, I get a lot of hits of people who want to read it anyway. (go figure)

But for a milestone post... my heart wants to go a totally different direction. Darfur.

If you have not been to the Eyes on Darfur site, please go there. Now. Today.

Amnesty International has a website up that gives a clear picture of the devastation in the western Sudan region. Look at the satellite evidence of how many homes, villages and people have been wiped out. Completely obliterated. Then read about the action steps you can take. Some as little as remembering to pray. Others, for those of you who have the connections or the fire in your belly to do so, writing, talking, speaking out about the genocide.

And if speaking out isn't your cuppa, here's a different exercise that I just thought up for my own devotions today, and one you can do too...

1. go to Google maps
   
2. in the search bar, type in the name of your hometown and state (or where you were born)
3. click on "satellite" to see a view of the terrain, houses and community structures
4. zoom in to as close a level as you can and try to identify your home, school, church, local grocer, etc.
5. imagine if everything you know and see in that map picture is burned and gone
6. pray

Kyrie Eleison...
Christe Eleison...
Kyrie Eleison...

thoughtfully...
Deb

in the "want to smack someone silly" department...

I am supposed to feel sorry for this Virginia mother because she was convicted of serving alcohol to minors at her son's sixteenth birthday party. She has spent the last three years trying to get her conviction overturned, and appealing to the public for sympathy.

WHY would anyone supply alcohol to teenagers?

Her rationale was, apparently, that "they were going to drink anyway" so she purchased $340 worth of beer and wine for 30 high school guests. She made them promise that they would not drink and drive but that they would spend the night.

When a neighbor reported underage drinking and the police appeared, the kids yelled "cops!" and scattered into the woods. Most were rounded up.

This mom asked kids to lie, to cover up the event, and was initially denying everything. However, as the Breathalyzer tests came out positive, and the other parents reacted with anger, she was arrested, tried and convicted, and got the maximum sentence of 27 months in prison.

Now she admits she "made a mistake" and wants to have her sentence reduced or dismissed. Rarely are sentences of this length ordered, but the sentiments against teen drinking have grown in the last several years. She feels that she has been "victimized" in all of this, and her kids are embarrassed.

To which I say, I'm sorry. But I'm glad.

You see, here in our area alone...
...a teen was killed recently because the driver in her car ran a red light.
...a cyclist was paralyzed because a drunk driver could not keep his car on the road.
...a group of seniors were suspended from school because they were drunk for their senior class picture and failed Breathalyzer tests.

In every case, the person driving under the influence was underage. Someone, somewhere provided (or sold) the drivers the drugs and/or alcohol which led to these accidents.

It is not easy parenting teens. I want my kids to have friends, and to have fun. Legally. Which means that, no, I will not let them have a party unchaperoned.
And no, I will not serve alcohol, or even have it in an area of the house where the teens will be.
And no, there will not be a co-ed sleepover.

This mom, like many who want to be "the fun mom," went too far. She stopped being a parent and tried to be a buddy to her children. It's a fine line.

My kids know I love them. They have experienced my somewhat off-beat sense of humor, and we do have a lot of fun together. But they know I am their MOM first, and always will be.

Twenty-seven months is a long time in a parent's life. I do hope that she and her kids hang in there through this experience, and that her children will not make the same mistake when they are parents...

I don't feel sorry for this mom. I feel sad for her. And for her kids...

I will make plenty of mistakes as a parent. But this is one that I hope I will be able to avoid...

Deb

Friday Five: Getaway Island Edition

Cathy from RevGals writes:

We snitched a bit of time on an quiet island nearby this week. It was a last minute plan, escaping with a minimal amount of preparation. One must have essentials that make it a relaxing time. Perhaps you have had this opportunity to escape, or maybe it's only been a thought to get away. However, suppose you were told to pack some essentials for a trip to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Describe your location, in general or specific terms...

=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~

Ah, I know the ideal place. And my quandary NOW is - do I tell all of you WHERE this magical place is and have you come too (and then it would be overcrowded) or do I keep it to myself??? I guess in the spirit of community, I'll share...

I love LOVE LOVE going to Harbor Island, SC. It is a gated community on a barrier island near Beaufort, SC. It's about 10 miles south, heading towards the very posh "Fripp Island" and near a state park, Hunting Island. It has everything we need to unwind: a pool, the beach, and peace and quiet.

NO boardwalks (that's not "the beach" that's a mall with sand!)
NO golf course (but you can practice putting if you want! LOTS of sand traps!)
NO loud nightlife (yes, I am boring.)
God shows up every time we visit... I can feel His heart beat there.

So now, to the questions...

1) What book(s) will you bring?
Believe it or not, only my current devotional books. The beach house (it is owned by my mom) has a full library. Just about everything and anything you could want. I usually do have to take my school books though, unless we go in August. It's the only month all of us are off school!!

2) What music accompanies you?
iPods R us! Between us, there are 4 iPods and we each have our faves. Just about anything you could think of, we will likely play. We've got adapters to plug them into the stereo. Way fun.

3) What essentials of everyday living must you take (as in the health and beauty aids aisle variety)?
Sunscreen. Bug repellent. That's about it.

4) What technological gadgets if any, will you take with you or do you leave it all behind?
Well, there is a PC there, so I do tend to check my email and blog. Usually I take my laptop so that I can work on devotional writing for church. A cell phone only because it helps cover service when the landline goes out...

5) What culinary delights will you partake in while there?
Close by is a fishing company, and the sea life they catch is quickly processed and sold. FRESH means less than 24 hours from surf to plate. YUM. Depending on the season there is AMAZING fresh fruit. This picture is from Easter 2006 when I picked these beauties myself. It is not hard to say "strawberry daquiri" and "porch swing" in the same sentence... In the summer there's corn and peaches, but the produce season is pretty much done by mid-July.

As a bonus question, what makes for a perfect day on vacation for you?
No alarm clock. Staying in my jammies until noon (OR getting up early and doing errands before the tourists hit the town...) Hanging out. Reading. A swim in the pool. The optional sand castle or other sand creation. A walk on the beach close to sunset. Playing games like Scrabble or Apples2Apples or Dutch Blitz. Did I mention strawberry daquiris on the porch swing???

SIGH....

Wistfully yours...
Deb

A Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On!

They're back...

Our Carolina wren couple came and did the interior decorating necessary to nest in our birdhouse again. But this year, the eggs have hatched.

Not that we've peeked mind you, but there's visual evidence that a couple of hungry critters are inside. Both birds are flying fast and furious, returning with treats in their bills. When they arrive at the door's opening, the birdhouse starts to shake and high-pitched twitters and cheeps begin. It's kind of funny to watch. It looks like it's battery-operated, because as soon as the parent leaves, the noise and shaking stop!

What I've enjoyed the most, though is the gorgeous song that we hear when one of the wrens sits on a nearby branch and sings and sings! Truly a lovely sound to wake up to every morning.



psallo/-eis/-ei/-omen/-ete/ousi
(to sing - conjugate in present active indicative)

There... I even did a little Greek to justify my bird-watching. :)

Finding joy in the small things...
Deb

Things that aren't in the Bible...

OK, I admit it. I was off-task...

I was researching something ELSE for my Greek word study assignment on the BlueLetterBible.org site, and this link caught my eye:
Sayings Not Found In Scripture

...and then I found this book title as a "related link"... It's just too funny...

OK, OK, I'm back to studying before lunch!!!

Deb

Blue-ness

Here's a true one...

You are Ocean Blue

You're both warm and practical. You're very driven, but you're also very well rounded. You tend to see both sides to every issue, and people consider you a natural diplomat.

What Color Blue Are You?

While visions of "Kodachrome" danced in her head...

Sally from RevGals writes: "My house has been full of young people all week, young people who have just left school, young people with an eye on the future. Their laughter energy, and hope are infectious, so with that in mind- this Friday 5 is about hopes, visions and dreams..."

1. Think back to the time you left High School, what were your hopes visions and dreams for your life/ for the world?

OK - I confess - the first thing that came to mind was Paul Simon's song Kodachrome! Because I really did NOT think "in color" then, I thought in "black and white." Everything was much clearer and cleaner, and there was no concept of thinking and evaluating life carefully and critically... (no"grayscale of the mind" and no internet and definitely no blogs! But I did write pages and pages in a journal that no one ever EVER read!!!)

Having said all that... Truthfully? I just wanted to have fun, go to college and eventually get married. Never EVER dreamed I would be a pastor... I didn't know any women pastors. I didn't think women could "DO" that. (Remember, this was 30+ years ago...)

2. Have those hopes visions and dreams changed a lot, or are some of them still alive and kicking? (share one if you can)

Well, I made it through college; squeezed 4 years into 5. I had a degree "plan" but I don't think my heart was in it, even though I graduated with honors. I started teaching music and HATED it. There were few, if any, music education positions available at the time, and none of them were well-funded. And to be a music teacher in a sports-crazed hicktown in the middle of nowhere? And I thought I could build a kickbutt, classy and fantastic music program there? Yeah. Right. I lasted two years...

In the years since then...
I've been a music therapist, worked in health care in various settings (psychiatric, hospital, alzheimers, nursing homes), worked in health care administration, even worked at night as a medical transcriptionist... and eventually found my way back to God.

I then had a new dream - one of being a pastor... So, I started seminary classes and stopped going when I was told that "God does not call women to be pastors." (...and believed them??? geesh!) I've loved, served and cared for people in various denominational flavors of the Protestant world. Gotten married, have two wonderful kids. And always continued to love God and let my music flow for Him...

When I really started listening to God a few years back, I finally got that kick-in-the-pants I needed to go back to seminary after 25 years of thinking "oh, I must not REALLY have heard God..."

So yeah - the dream comes back... and here I am in seminary again. And loving it. (Well, not the papers part, but hey - I am human...)

3. Hebrews 11:1 " Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. " Comforting, challenging or frustrating?

Complete comfort. Thank God that my plans and dreams are not big enough... that God's are better, more amazing and worth living for...

4. If resources were unlimited, and you had free reign to pursue a vision what would it be?

Ah... I dreamed a little already last week...

5. Finally with summer upon us- and not to make this too heavy- share your dream holiday....where, when and who with...

The beach, baby... always the beach... with my family, my friends... anyone who wants to come and sit at God's Feet with your toes in the surf...

SIGH...


But NOooooooooooo... first I must go parse Greek!

Deb