Friday Five: Beach Trip

Mother Laura of RevGalBlogPals writes: in honor of summer, please share your own beachy memories, plans, and dreams with a "Beach Trip" Friday Five.

1. Ocean rocks, lake limps? Vice versa? Or "it's all beautiful in its own way"?

I actually prefer a dune-y natural beach. No rocks, no boardwalk, thanks.

2. Year round beach living: Heaven...or the Other Place?

It would be fine by me. Add a never-ending margarita machine and then... yeah. I'm sure that's Heaven.

3. Any beach plans for this summer?

Yup. This month, August, and September.

4. Best beach memory ever?

Too many... we go every year. It's quiet. Peaceful. Very non-boardwalk kinda place.

5. Fantasy beach trip?

Hawaii... (remember my post with the hammock??) sigh...

Bonus: Share a piece of music/poetry/film/book that expresses something about what the beach means to you.
I LOVE this poem...

Sea Fever
by John Masefield

I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
All I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the seagulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trip's over.

Poetry Party: Clear-Eyed

Christine from Abbey of the Arts writes:

Our Twentieth Poetry Party! I select an image and suggest a title and invite you to respond with your poems, words, reflections, quotes, song lyrics, etc. Leave them in the comments or email me and I’ll add them to the body of the post as they come in along with a link back to your blog if you have one (not required to participate!) I’ll add your contributions all week and then I will draw a name at random on Saturday morning from everyone who participates and will send the winner a copy of my newest zine Season by the Sea: A Contemporary Book of Hours when it is back from the printers in another week or so.

Feel free to take your poem in any direction and then post the image and invitation on your blog and encourage others to come join the party! (a blog is definitely not required to participate!)

I photographed the image below last summer on Vancouver Island at a Raptor Sanctuary. There is something so powerful about eagles and they are known for strength and vision. What in your life do you feel this kind of clarity about? Or is there something for which you would like a clearer vision?

soaring high above
no sound distracts my Father's voice
fly on, wings of change



Deb

Coming soon..

Coming soon...
A list of movies that a high school student MUST see in order to be culturally educated for college...

SO what movies would YOU include?
Categories include:

1. Recent Classics
2. Older Classics
3. Quality Comedy
4. Films about High School
5. Films about College
6. Horror
7. Family
8. Musicals
9. Documentary
10. Television Series

Let me know in the comments. I'll publish the list given to The Harpist by her AP Language teacher later this week.

I was stunned at what made the list (and what didn't...)

Deb

Light reading

I'm reading for my Fem. Theology class:

• Jesus and the Father (Kevin Giles)
• God For Us (LaCugna)
• In Memory of Her (Schussler Fiorenza)
• Feminist Theology (edited by Ann Loades)
• Freeing Theology (LaCugna)
• Women Caught in the Conflict (Groothius)

And, just for fun, I bought myself an early birthday present:
A Church of Her Own by Sarah Sentilles

When one of my co-workers asked me what my courses were this summer, I told him, "Mentoring for Women and Feminist Theology."

He said, "Oh really? Well I only have chauvinist theology books."

I just looked at him and said, "Really? Gee, I think I have some of those too."

And yes. I thought it was funny. But he didn't.
Oh well. Life goes on. And so does my journey...

Deb
where it is still stinking hot. 93 degrees at 7 p.m.! P.U.

melting...

It's hot.
Stinking hot.
I intensely dislike hot weather.
And now, I have to go run some errands.
And it's hot.
And the car is hot.
And the seats are hot.
And I don't want to go.

Did I mention it's hot?

Bleah.

d

Friday Five: Taking In the View

Sally of RevGalBlogPals writes:

This week I took some time out to stop and walk and take in the view; my son Chris is studying in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, too often we simply drive up there, turn around and come home! This time Tim and I took time out to take in the view. It occurs to me that we need to do that more in life....

With that in mind I offer you this weeks Friday Five:

1. How important is the "big picture" to you, do you need a glimpse of the possibilities or are you a details person?
I am very much a visual person. I can't DO those details if I don't know why. For instance, back in the day when I did keypunch (never mind if you are too young to know what that means,) I badgered a programmer to explain to me WHY the spaces were so important. I wanted to know HOW a cardstacker worked. (Not that I understood his answers, but "just because" doesn't cut it for me.)

2. If the big picture is important to you how do you hold onto it in the nitty-gritty details of life?

If I don't see the big picture, I don't WANT to keep up with the details. I need to understand "what happens" if I don't do them. Sometimes it is enough for me to comply and DO them. A great example is when I learned HTML. Not closing the brackets or quotes can make for a really funny looking page layout. :)

3. Name a book, poem, psalm, piece of music that transports to to another dimension (one....what am I thinking....)

I can't do all of them. There are too many ideas for this question. So let's just take "Music that Transports Deb for 1000." Alex!

(And I am guessing you didn't mean "The Age of Aquarius" and lava lamps from another age... )

Here's what sends me from my iTunes playlist...

• Pat Matheny: "Peace Memory" from the CD "One Quiet Night"
• Phil Keaggy: "In the Quiet Hours"
• Sylvia Woods: "Morning Calm" from the CD "The Harp of Brandiswhiere"
• Bebo Norman: "Where the Trees stand still" from the CD "Myself when I am Real"
• U2 and Bono: "Still Haven't Found," "Where the Streets have no name," and "When love comes to town" from the CD "The best of 1980-1990"
• Sting: "Fields of Gold"
• Christy Nockels: "Grace Flows Down" from Passion Band "Top 5" CD
• A Fine Frenzy: "Hope for the Hopeless" from "One Cell in the Sea"
• and finally...
• Denyce Graves singing just about ANYTHING!

In case you wondered, I am a true eclectic when it comes to music!

4.Thinking of physical views, is there somewhere that inspires you, somewhere that you breathe more easily?
Mountains and rivers. Quiet streams. Flowers. Rainbows. My cats snoozing.

5. A picture opportunity... post one if you can
Are you tired of seeing this picture yet? Picture, if you will, in the hidden foreground, a hot tub and a glass of chardonnay...


Oh. Yeah...

NOW I am relaxed!

Deb

snort

Here's a classic example of why technology will never replace people...

We have had strong storms in the DC area last Wednesday. Power outages, tornado/es. The kids were trying to get home in the thick of it. Reedy Girl's bus driver actually made them get off in the pouring rain, thunderstorm, and high winds. In the worst of the weather...

Late Wednesday evening, AFTER Reedy Girl walked home in 50 mph winds (the bus driver made them get off IN the storm!!) we get an email. The school system, in all of their their tender mercy, sent out this...

-----Original Message-----
From: MCPS QuickNotes
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 8:17 PM
To: MY ADDRESS
Subject: Students May Arrive Home Late Due to Weather

Greetings, K&d

Due to inclement weather in the area today, Wednesday, June 4, buses may be late and

student walkers may be dismissed late from school. Our top priority is student safety.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

© 2005-2007 Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville Maryland

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org

Quotable and Keepable

Among the piles in my 'required reading' is a book called "The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All the Answers" by David Hansen.

In all honesty, I picked up the book because the title spoke to how I feel...
...that I will never have "all the answers" and if I ever ever thought that I did, I would be in serious... uh... trouble.

I'm barely into the book and I've got sticky tabs and underlines to remember things this guy says. He's real. He's raw. He's refreshingly honest in a Christian subculture that thinks a program or a "three step method" will fix or renew anything.

Life's just not that way.

It's messy. It's an ART, not a SCIENCE!

Yes. There are proven methods which will make a difference. But I've seen them more on the negative side of life, not the positive. (Temper, anyone?)

He talks about the need to "be a parable" -- to live out your love and relationship with Jesus. Not to be a sermon, but to be a walking example.

"Task-driven ministry always gives way to a time-management ministry as opposed to a Spirit-led ministry."
"...When I move from being a love of the soul to an expert about the soul, I objectify my own soul from myself. In the end my ego is warped; it goes on a rampage, climbing ladders to assert itself."
"Better to be a follower of Jesus and no expert at that, just a sinner saved by grace, called to love because I have been bought with a price. I may lose my standing as an expert, but I gain my soul." [page 20]

This I maybe can do.

Fix people's problems? Have enough wisdom to know how to respond to the raw heartache I see in people's eyes? Uh. No.
Leaning on God to be able to "do" what I need to do? Absolutely. I'm working on that one.
But trying to "walk out" the love that God has for me? Maybe.

I'm gonna try. Or keep trying. Trying to live like I believe...

Deb

Virtual Meet-up

What's this about at ParTAAaaayy???

The first RevGal to hear about the ParTAAAAY coming up on July 12th was Mary Beth. And it just seemed to be Providential. (Not that I didn't want to tell the rest of you...) When we had a virtual meet-up via cell phones, she found THIS outside her hotel on the streets of DC!!


Why is this so amazing? Well, the parTAAAAy is going to be more of a celebration than a solemnization. We will have a time of worship and prayer - contemporary and not especially liturgical - which fits our church. And there will be reading of Scripture and a "charge" to us. The other ordinand is Glenn, who is a co-worker, friend and one of the funniest people I know. His only request was that we NOT have something that required ties. Or robes. And my only desire was for air conditioning!!!

As we talked about it, more and more, we agreed that the act of "ordination" is the People of God saying "we agree with where God is leading you." And we want the people we care about, the folks we know best to be a part of it. It also is a time to acknowledge that we are "set apart" to do the ministry God has Called us to -- not because we are "special" or super Christians, just that this is how we will live out and use our giftings for God. And we know that Jesus showed up at a lot of parties...

So, we hit on the idea of an Ordination Luau! Hawaiian shirt required (or at least encouraged!) Ties and fancy schmancy dress refused. And uh, no. I ain't wearing no coconut bra! The quest is on for a flattering Hawaiian shirt. Which might be an oxymoron... but...

ParTaaayyyy on!

Deb

SAVE THE DATE!

WHEN: July 12, 2008

WHERE: Dunno where zactly - still working on a place. Somewhere here near Washington, DC...

TIME: Um. Depends on where it is.

WHY? It's ORDINATION DAY!!!! For ME! and my good friend, partner in crime and co-worker, Glenn.

(small happy dance)

ParTAAAYYYY!!!

Deb